“Answer my questions now, wizard, or feel the might of my god!” Tarl moved toward the pillar of flame.
A magical parchment in Marcus’s hand burst into flame as it launched a fireball, a circle of fire, and a mass of writhing, burning tentacles at the cleric. The priest was blotted from sight by the powerful, dark flames, but his hammer absorbed every bit of the fire magic and glowed brighter for the forces that were contained.
To his horror, Marcus had discovered that the blue weapon was capable of absorbing any nearby spell on command. His tower of flame and all his protections vanished as the damnable cleric approached.
The furious Red Wizard yanked at the reins of his mount, launching himself over the wall in a streak of flames. As he flew upward into the sky, purple and orange streaks blazed after him and surrounded him. Marcus retreated from Phlan, leaving his troops to fend for themselves.
The bright, streaking path of the cowardly wizard’s retreat caught the attention of Ston and Tulen. They slapped each other on the back and hopped around on the wall, cackling in delight. Marcus’s flashy exit was also noticed by Brittle.
“By the gods,” the skeletal leader hissed. “We’d have won this battle!”
Brittle and the ogres had cleared the defenders from the center gateway. The trolls were destroyed, but the orcs still were fighting with vigor. Yet Phlanish reinforcements were on the way, and Brittle could see spellcasters floating toward the gates.
“Retreat! Leap from the walls!” Brittle took his own advice and jumped down. He’d be damned if he would allow himself to be destroyed twice in a thousand years—especially because his commander was an idiot and a coward. If he ever got his bony hands on that Red Wizard, there would be a real reckoning.
An enraged, wild-eyed Marcus screamed profanities as he burst into the spellcasting chamber of his red tower. The massive pit fiend calmly sat cross-legged, levitating a few inches off a glowing pattern on the floor.
Some of the wizard’s rage and frustration lessened at the comical sight of his fiend looking small and silly, floating above the floor. But then the creature stood up, still floating, and there was nothing comical about the beast anymore. The smell of stale blood filled the room, and the massive monster stretched from wingtip to toe. The fiend was a horrid monster even among its own kind. Marcus noted that the creature seemed even bigger and more powerful now than it had when it had first entered this world at his summons.
“How have you lost now? Latenat!” the fiend hissed, dripping green goo that sizzled as it struck the black stone floor.
The offended wizard stared sternly at the pit fiend, then held out his hand. A ball of black mist masked a large object in the wizard’s grasp—the fiend’s heart. The creature bowed its head. Marcus held the key to the fiend’s existence on the Prime Material Plane—its name—and the one thing that could be used to destroy it utterly—its unbeating heart. If the wizard wished to, he could send the pit fiend screaming back to the Nine Hells or even destroy him outright at any time.
“I led a perfect battle!” Marcus shrieked and paced about the casting chamber. Tiny red flames sparked and vanished on the wizard’s cloak as the room became filled with magical light. The room grew brighter and brighter, and the pit fiend seemed to shrink a bit. Marcus knew that fiends preferred the dark.
“It is time you realize what type of foe we face down there,” the wizard ranted. “I have led too many unsuccessful attacks against Phlan. That thrice-damned place is a city always ready for battle. This time we actually broke through the gates, but got no farther. Next time you are going down there to aid the attack yourself.”
“I thought we agreed that I would defend this tower and concentrate on gaining us more power. You’re supposed to be leading the armies. Latenat!” The pit fiend was careful about the tone in his voice.
“I don’t care what we agreed on! Phlan must be conquered, and the troops you’ve given me aren’t strong enough. Bane is going to own both our souls! Then where will we be?”
“I will go back where I came from, no better, no worse. You, on the other hand, can expect to find yourself transformed by an amazingly painful process into a larva. You will then be thrown into a ten-mile-high mountain of scummy larva much like yourself. You will then be toyed with or devoured by some minions that you will find most unpleasant. Latenat!” The fiend’s tone was matter-of-fact, but inside he was secretly gloating.
“Know, my master, that I have been in contact with clerics of the great Moander. A branch of their sect is now on its way with a new army for you to command—an army of troops that won’t be affected by arrows or stones. This army will be sure to break down all the walls of Phlan and give us the souls we need.
“I have fulfilled my part of our bargain. I have sent some of the mercenary troops into the dark pool to appease Bane. These humans were fools. I told them they would be made invincible by the enchanted pool’s ebony waters. They never realized they were destined to feed Bane. He was grateful and appeased, at least temporarily. He told me to compliment you on your progress. What more, master, can I do for you? Latenat!”
Marcus still seethed. “Until now, you have bungled everything except this last bit of news, but at least that was well done. I am now going to my throne room to wait until this fresh army arrives. I will send out magical spies to find the best places to attack Phlan. What I need is more information about the city.”
Marcus ordered the black mist that contained the demon’s heart to disappear into a pocket dimension. The fiend wished it could learn where its heart was kept. In the meantime, the wizard had complete control over it.
Marcus departed. After the day’s battle, he deserved a rest. He would call on his winged, female companion to help him relax. As he floated to his throne room, he thought to ask Tanetal to summon more creatures like the erinyes, but he decided to wait until all this unpleasantness was over.
“The life of the future ruler of the world can be so difficult,” Marcus sighed and felt sorry for himself for a moment. Then he fell into a daydream about his glorious future.
Upstairs, Tanetal contemplated his situation.
“Fool! I am such a fool for not killing him long before this. Latenat!” The fiend moved around the room, extinguishing the magical fires and lights Marcus had lit. Some of the flames were exceptionally difficult to quench, even for the fiend. The Red Wizard had become even more powerful than Tanetal had suspected.
“But I haven’t taught him everything. If Phlan doesn’t fall soon, that little human idiot will be the one suffering under the beams of Bane’s glare. Latenat!”
Tanetal would have to speak with Bane again, to grovel and explain the failure in conquering Phlan. The fiend sighed a slobbering sigh as it anticipated the unpleasant idea.
Still, the pit fiend held out hope. When the mercenaries had been sacrificed in the pool of darkness, he had absorbed some of the soul energy and gained power. Perhaps it had been enough to give him power to stand up to the god of strife.
He would be careful not to reveal too much of his own power in the next meeting with Bane. The god would be suspicious. Bane was a jealous lord, so Tanetal’s best hope was to gather a strong army, overwhelm Phlan, and provide the god with many souls for the pool.
The beast grunted. “Yes, little human. I will call Bane once again. But the god will know who is in control here. Latenat!” He hissed as the last of the magical lights were extinguished.
Pool of Mystery
In the dim light of dawn, Evaine’s spell to locate the pool ended abruptly. Her traveling mind was instantly dumped into her brain. In the woods once more, she realized her face had been dusted by the white powder of the pulverized crystal, but she was otherwise unharmed. She looked up toward Gamaliel.
The cat was already on his feet. If I didn’t know what a strain you’d just been through, I’d tease you about looking like a carnival clown. But you need rest.
Without a word, Evaine brushed the dust from her face int
o the cloth in her lap. She carefully gathered the corners of the fabric, then held it up to Gamaliel, who took the cloth in his mouth and deposited it carefully into a metal cup near the bedroll. The powder would be used as a component for another spell.
The cat returned to his mistress, allowing her to lean on him to rise to her feet. Then he led her to the bedroll. She slid to the ground. Gamaliel grasped a corner of the blanket in his teeth and pulled it up to Evaine’s shoulders. He muzzled her cheek and ear, purring. Are you going to be all right?
Evaine didn’t open her eyes, but answered the cat. “Yeah, Gam, I’ll be fine. I just need to rest. Take care of things for me, will you?”
Gamaliel stretched out on the blanket alongside Evaine. His front paws lay extended in front of him. Don’t worry about anything, mistress, he said, nuzzling her hair. We’ve been here before.
Evaine was already asleep. Gamaliel knew she might sleep for a long time. His job was to protect his mistress as long as necessary.
The sorceress awoke in complete darkness. The coals left in the firepit had died, but she saw two points of light in the dark. “Gam? I sure hope that’s you.”
The cat was at her side in an instant, ready to mother her. You slept nearly a full day. It’ll be dawn in another hour. Here’s the waterskin and some dried fruit. You’d better eat something so you can begin to recover. The cat dropped the items into Evaine’s hands. She followed his orders without question.
After a few minutes, Evaine felt better. Her mind was clearing, and her body was regaining energy. “Gam? Thanks for looking after me. Sometimes I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
I know. Sometimes I don’t know what you’d do without me either, answered the cat. Now that Evaine was recovering, Gamaliel had reverted to his usual teasing self.
Evaine just laughed. She couldn’t find it in herself to be upset with the cat—she was too accustomed to his attitude. In fact, she often thought to herself that she wouldn’t have him any other way, but she’d never admit that to the feline.
“I’m going to lie here until the sky lightens, Gam. Have you eaten anything? Why don’t you find yourself some breakfast? I’ll be fine.” Evaine really was feeling better and knew her companion must be hungry.
Gamaliel hesitated, but then decided that it wouldn’t take long to hunt up some food. He rubbed her hair with his nose, then crept into the woods.
Evaine dozed. When she awoke, Gamaliel was polishing off a large trout. She wondered why he never tired of eating fish. She watched as the cat finished the last scraps, then meticulously began to wash himself. It was a careful, perfect habit that Evaine never tired of seeing. In her life of adventure and challenges, simple, normal routines were a comfort.
As Gamaliel finished, Evaine rose and stacked tinder and kindling onto what used to be the fire. She spoke a single word of magic, and a bright green flame appeared on the tip of her finger. She held it to the tinder, and, in moments, the wood was ablaze.
Are you sure you should be doing that? You‘ve had a rough time. A person can handle only so much magic, you know.
“Are you kidding? This is nothing. I hardly have to think about this trick anymore. I can remember when I first learned this spell. I was so impressed with myself that I did it all the time. But now it’s almost second nature.” She smiled. “Don’t worry, Gam, I’ll be fine. But I won’t be spying on the pool for at least a week. That spell would be too much.” Much as she hated to admit it, Evaine was drained by the pool spell. The incident would have killed a weaker wizard.
So what happened, anyway? It didn’t look like your scrying went well. You looked as if something went wrong. Gamaliel was eager to hear the story, but knew he had to wait until she was ready to tell it.
Evaine sighed. “Something did go wrong, I think. I really don’t understand it.” She looked at the cat in the growing light and suddenly noticed great ragged scratches on the side of his face and along one shoulder. “Gamaliel, what happened to you? You look like you were in a war! What went on while I was asleep?” Evaine instantly arose and picked up her pack, rummaging for a healing ointment.
Oh, it was nothing, really. The four wolves ran off as soon as they got their noses singed on your protective spell. It was the pair of owlbears that gave me a little trouble. Gamaliel was obviously proud of his victory and his feigned modesty made Evaine laugh.
“Mister Tough, eh, kitty? You amaze me sometimes. How did the creatures get through the ward, anyway?” Evaine rubbed the ointment into the cat’s wounds. The scratches healed before her eyes.
The first three got cooked when they touched the ward. That broke the spell, though, and the other two just sauntered in. I was ready for them, of course, and made short work of them. And to answer your next question, I dragged the bodies into the woods. They didn’t smell too nice, and I didn’t think the first thing you should see upon awakening was a pile of disgusting bodies. Gamaliel tilted his head proudly.
Evaine scratched the cat’s head vigorously. “You’re worth you’re weight in catnip, Gam. I guess fate was on my side when I hooked up with you.” All the wounds that were covered with the magical ointment had closed completely. “Feel better, Gamaliel? I think I got all the scratches.” The feline responded by rubbing his face against her shoulder and purring.
“We’d best get ready to hit the trail,” Evaine noted. “After we’re packed, show me where you put the owlbears. Their feathers make great spell components.” She stirred the fire, leveling out a small heap of coals. After setting a metal cup filled with water on the coals, she went about packing her gear. Evaine carefully gathered the quartz powder and poured it into a vial, shaking out the cloth, then tucked it away.
By the time the water boiled, Evaine had everything packed. She carefully removed the cup from the fire and added an herbal mixture. Leaving it to steep, she followed Gamaliel to the stream to fill the waterskins. By the time she returned, the brew was ready.
The herbal mixture was her own recipe. It was a combination of soothing and healing herbs that smelled like mint and raspberries. She drank it as hot as she could bear, then dropped the cup into her pack. Gamaliel was already brushing their footprints from the camp.
Evaine gathered her pack and scanned the area. Everything looked to be in order, and she was feeling much better already. Gamaliel finished hiding their footprints. Seeing that his mistress was ready, he led the way toward the owlbears. After the sorceress had gathered what she needed in the way of owlbear feathers, Evaine told Gamaliel what had happened in her spell. While they talked, the sorceress puzzled over the meaning of the spell.
“Gam, you’ve been with me long enough to know how the spell should have worked. Normally, the pool pulls my mind along until I arrive at its location. Then I can see precisely where it is and what conditions surround it. And usually, I can learn something of the evil nature of the pool.”
She frowned and paused. “But this time, I didn’t even see the pool. I didn’t even see Phlan. If I had to guess, I’d say that some catastrophe of epic proportions had befallen the city. I’m almost afraid to speculate. I guess I’ll just have to wait until we reach the city.”
Gamaliel didn’t always understand magic, but he knew his mistress. He always offered his support. It isn’t often that you question the outcome or success of your spells, Evaine. You’re careful and I’ve rarely seen your magic go awry. Trust your instincts. They’re usually right.
“But that’s part of the problem, Gam. I’m not sure what my instincts are telling me right now. I want to believe my magic, but is it possible for a whole city to disappear?”
Gamaliel didn’t respond, but rubbed against Evaine’s leg. They both knew it was time to go. Gamaliel led the way. His mistress followed silently, puzzling about the results of her spell.
They trudged through the woods for two hours, until Gamaliel stopped suddenly in his tracks. Evaine didn’t say a word, but stopped instantly, watching the cat. Her hand moved automatically to
the lining of her cloak. Its many pockets held her spell components.
Gamaliel’s ears twitched, honing in on the faintest sounds. His nostrils flared as he sniffed for the scent of whatever was out there. Evaine heard nothing but the wind in the trees.
Then, without warning, Gamaliel spun and dug his haunches into the soft earth. In a split second he was airborne, sailing over Evaine’s head at something behind her. Evaine ducked and spun in time to see the cat’s front paws land on the chest of a seven-foot-tall creature swinging an axe over its head. Gam knocked it to the ground, taking another monster behind it to the earth as well. These were ugly creatures with yellow-brown fur and snouts like bears. Their pointed ears stuck straight up, mimicking the giant fangs that protruded from their jaws. Gamaliel was a flurry of fangs and claws, and in moments, the lead creature stopped moving. The thing barely knew what had hit him.
Meanwhile, Evaine was summoning energies and scorching the attackers. She had fought bugbears before and knew that speed was the trick to overcoming them. All totaled, nine creatures had crashed out of the bushes and were circling Evaine and the cat. Gamaliel was finishing off the second bugbear he had pinned, leaving seven still on their feet.
The sorceress recited the words of a short but powerful spell. Eighteen green magical jets leaped out of her fingertips, whizzing toward the creatures. Finding their targets, the missiles seared through armor and flesh, enveloping each creature in a green aura for a split-second. The smell of singed fur and flesh filled the air. Five bugbears were each hit by three missiles, killing two of them instantly. A fifth monster was hit by two missiles, wounding it seriously. The sixth monster was only scratched.
Pools of Darkness Page 11