by Paul Kidd
Escalla flicked a look at Henry and Enid, who both had the sense to be looking busy. The faerie kept a hand on Jus's shoulder as the ranger finished kicking at the fire and spoke on.
"I was his second-in-command. We were both good-sword-master and apprentice. I did the scout work. He led the raids."
"Yes…" Escalla toyed with her own hair. "And you didn't want to do that last attack, did you? The one that got him killed. It was you that told him not to go."
"It was pointless! All just show of strength. We should have gone north into Iuz where they weren't expecting us. Always attack with surprise. Always hit where they don't expect you." The Justicar was angry. "He dropped his own rules out of pride. They were frightened of him, and he reveled in it! It gave him power, gave him a thrill." Jus rammed a branch into the fire. "He wasn't fighting for anything but vanity."
Enid looked to Escalla, then quietly cleared her throat. "So he just… got beaten in a fight?"
Jus pulled out a few inches of his sword. Benelux now sported a black wolf-skull hilt-a hilt taken from Recca's old blade.
"We-he-challenged a demon. He went for their general but never planned the fight. The demon did to him what he always did to others: got behind him, cut, then moved again. I killed my own enemy, but Recca was down. I took out the tanar'ri. It was too late for Recca. He died."
Escalla sat very, very still. There were black depths here that Jus had left unsaid. "Died how?"
"Died the way he had to! He went down fighting. We attacked to let our surviving people escape." The Justicar slammed his sword back into its sheath. "I cut off his hand and foot to stop anyone from re-animating him, then buried him. I swapped swords with him, so Recca's sword could keep up the work he should have been there to do."
Escalla winced. Enid looked away. Squeezing Jus's shoulder, Escalla softly touched his cheek with the back of her hand.
"Are you all right?"
"Of course I'm all right." Jus's face was stern but pale, and he refused to meet her eye. "I'm fine."
"He's after you."
"Lolth put him after me. She outfitted Tielle to take you, Recca to take me." Carefully easing Escalla down, the Justicar stood and turned away. "We just have to take them out one at a time."
"Can you beat him? I mean…" Henry faltered in embarrassment. "He seems to just… fix himself! And I… I never saw anyone match you with the sword."
"It isn't him. It isn't Recca! He was father and brother and teacher to me!" Jus hurled a stick into the fire. "It's just a cadaver, a tool. It's just a puppet made of rotting meat."
Escalla looked sadly at Jus. "And if it's really Recca?"
There was no answer. Leaving Cinders and the others by the campfire, the Justicar strode away to the dark, private places of the island. Escalla kept her eyes on him, then reached aside to fumble in the box of provisions. She came up with a little bottle on a string, hesitated, then walked after the Justicar.
"Guys? Keep an eye on everything."
Henry looked up from carefully smoothing down the fire. "Where are you going? What's that bottle for?"
"It's just a bottle." Escalla hovered, looking anxiously after Jus. "It's in case I get thirsty. I'll just be a while."
She flew off, and Henry rose to his feet in concern. "It could be dangerous! Should we come with you?"
Enid cleared her throat then helped arrange Cinders upon a rock where he could watch the river for a while.
"Henry? Perhaps we can see if there are any fish in the river. And we can find some willow branches to make you crossbow bolts of a kind."
Henry looked back anxiously as he was led away. "But will they be all right?"
"They'll be fine."
He was taken down to the riverbanks where Enid could stand in the water, flicking big fish onto the banks with her paws. Henry worked, Enid's freckles gleamed, and Cinders watched over every thing with his big teeth bright and bare.
Everything fine.
Sun gleamed on the waters, and Cinders wagged his tail.
The ceaseless rush and surge of the river lay like a blanket across bare skin, kissing little droplets across Escalla's side. She lay naked in the plush velvet moss, soaring in an infinite sense of peace. Half comatose, five foot nine, and tired over every inch of it, Escalla kept her head pillowed in her man's arms and listened to him breathe. Long hair, finer than softest silk, sheeted over her skin and spread like spun gold over the Justicar. She kissed him and felt him smile-felt big hands caress her pointed ears, her antennae-smooth down her slim back to her wings.
They should have done this long ago. The thought was shared in perfect communion as they kissed again, then lay with Escalla held in Jus's arms, watching the river gleaming in the sun.
Adoringly, Jus brushed Escalla's hair away from her face. "I've tried to work up to asking you to marry me for so long."
"I've been trying to be asked for so long." Escalla snuggled, contemplating her follies. "Idiots?"
"Idiots."
Stained green with moss, they rose and sat together. The Justicar fished something out of his purse and held it in his hand.
"But I saved this from the drow treasure. This is what I wanted to give to you."
It was a ring-an elven ring, delicate and beautiful-silver inlaid with jet, and with a diamond as clear as a summer sky. The Justicar put it in Escalla's palm. Suddenly pale, he looked at the ring.
"So I… wanted to ask you. To marry me, I mean. Because I love you. I really do."
Escalla had thought of a thousand ways of answering. They all failed her. She made a squeaking noise and felt herself cry. Her hand shook like a leaf as he slid the ring onto her finger. She threw herself on him in an adoring embrace, rolling on the moss with him beside the foaming river.
There was a bright flash, and Escalla felt herself suddenly shrinking. An instant later, she was two feet tall again, feeling more properly in scale, and crying like a fool. She sat in Jus's lap, looked up at him, and laughed through tears, brushing her long hair back from her face. She gave a watery smile, then went back to hugging him and looking at the empty potion bottle that lay amongst the moss and stones.
"Small again." She sighed. "Ah, well."
Jus smiled, admiring her delicate, wild beauty as he helped straighten out Escalla's flowing hair.
"How many potions do you have?"
"Seven now, but I've got the recipe-though I don't really know how to milk a purple worm. I think I'll use cow." Escalla lounged back against Jus. "Oh, Enid is so going to know what we've just done!"
She rolled into him and kissed him, then lay listening to his breathing. Serious at last, she contemplated the oversized ring that lay in her palm.
"Married."
"Soon. Whenever you want."
"And I'm going to have your kids. One day, when its time. A little scowling Justicar."
"Or a girl." Jus smiled. "Bright as a hummingbird."
Escalla heaved a sigh, troubles edging in around her. She looked sadly out at the riverbanks.
"Marriage. But only when we fix it." Escalla stared at the water rushing by. "We're responsible. We stirred up Lolth, and look what happened to Keggle Bend."
The Justicar held Escalla protectively in his arms.
"No. Lolth was always going to kill, but we did determine what world she would strike." Even here, Jus's sword was only a handspan away. "Her victims need justice."
"Here's to Justice."
They shared a cup of river water. Retrieving clothes, Escalla sat on the moss with her heels tucked into her rump and turned the problem over in her mind.
"Lolth didn't hit Keggle Bend just because we were there."
"She's invading." The Justicar ran his hands across the velvet stubble of his skull. "If we don't stop her, there'll be more towns going the same way as Keggle Bend."
Escalla thoughtfully combed moss out of her hair.
"All right, so we go for Lolth. Stop Lolth, and you also should stop Tielle and Recca. Without Lolth
, her armies are toast. All those monsters would be at each other's throats in a minute!"
"That's the way. That's the weakness." Jus scowled at the water. "But she's a tanar'ri, a powerful one. The tanar'ri lords only truly die if they die on their own home plane. We have to kill her when she's in the Abyss." He skimmed a rock into the stream. "When she returns to the Abyss, we have to be there."
Escalla stared at splashes in the stream. "Can we take out a god?"
"Like any other god, Lolth is a deity only because she says she is. Gods are just creatures with enough power to bully and destroy." The Justicar looked at the old holy symbol that hung about his neck-a solar symbol cut through by a blow of his own sword long, long ago. "If it lives, then it can die. It's time we brought the gods a taste of Justice."
Escalla winced. "Some honeymoon!"
"There's another problem. Recca and Tielle will be trying to find our trail. We'll have to move fast, before they reason out what we're going to do."
"Ambush the ambushers?" Escalla shrugged. "Bring 'em on." The girl ran fingers through her hair and thought a moment. "Right. The Abyss. Fine! So what gear do we need? We need crossbow bolts for Henry."
"We'll take them from the enemy."
"We need gems for Enid so she can make ink for her stun symbol."
Jus gave a snort. "Polk kept five emeralds. He was going to use them to buy booze."
"Fine." Escalla ticked off the last point on her list. "Most of all, we need to protect you. I can do a stoneskin spell that'll block the first half dozen hits you take, but for that, I need to powder up a diamond."
"Diamond." The Justicar hissed and scowled. "There's no diamond."
Escalla gave a wan little grimace and waved her engagement ring. She threw it into the party fund.
"No point having a rock with no husband. Get me a bigger one from Lolth."
They rose, dressed, and held each other quietly by the river. Finally Escalla ruffled Jus's stubble and gave him a smile.
"Someone finally touched the faerie."
Jus smiled. They paused at the edge of the boulders. Jus held up his fingers, and Escalla clasped them in her hand.
"Forever and always?"
"Forever and always."
They drew apart in a thin attempt to pretend they were as pure as driven snow. Escalla flew gaily on ahead, suddenly in the grip of a food frenzy. Left behind, Jus felt suddenly weak at the knees.
He sagged and held onto a tree for support.
Jutting through his belt, the sword Benelux was scandalized. Sir. I am agog! I realized a warrior's weapon must always be at hand. But sir, there are limits to what I can try not to overhear!
Mortified, Jus blushed. "So you, ah, heard?"
I did indeed! Most undecorous! Benelux gave a sniff. What question did you keep asking her, and why did she keep agreeing so vigorously?
The Justicar ducked his head and walked doggedly through the trees.
"Never mind!"
About twenty large fish were smoking over the fire when Escalla came out of the bushes. She looked neither right nor left, blushed bright pink, and held herself stiff as a brush. She busied herself ineffectually arranging the fish, while Enid crept over to her side.
They worked side by side where Henry could not hear. Enid kept her voice a little whisper. "Psst! Did he…?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Did you…?"
"Uh-huh."
"Was it…?"
"Unbelievable!" Escalla snatched food and headed for the nearest place where they could gossip.
14
In all the legions of all the armies of all the forces of Lolth, not one officer had the foresight to bring along a map of the Flanaess. It was left to Morag to churn through the burned remnants of Keggled Bend's library. Filthy with soot and cursing bitterly, she tried to make sense out of the scraps of ash and rubbish left by a thousand rampaging demons.
She summoned her own vassal tanar'ri-hopping demons shaped like frogs, vultures, or rotting canines with crab claws. None of them were any earthly use. They merely upset the piles of scorched shelves and rubbish to make yet more mess. Apparently the only creature in the Abyss with any hint of intelligence, Morag did the filthy job herself, digging through ruins that still reeked of blood and fire.
Fastidious as a cat, Morag swore at each smudge and smear. Rotted bodies, putrefied entrails, blood, and sludge revolted her. All she wanted was a little home-a neat tower made of bone she would set beside a waterfall. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere clean. Somewhere a book could be left open without a quasit ripping out the pages to line its nest! There should be more to life than this! Cleanliness! Friends! Someone to talk to-even someone to curl up against. No more pain, no more blood, no more fear. But she was trapped. Lolth had discovered her secret, true name, and now Morag was bound to centuries of servitude. There was nothing Morag could do-no escape, no freedom, nothing while Lolth still held Morag's true name in her claws!
Morag heaved over a fresh pile of intermingled bodies, burned books, and fallen roofing tiles, swearing openly as she set about her work.
"I could have taken service with Demogorgon. I could have been with Jubilex, but no-o-o-o-o!" She worked in a flurry, all six arms hurling ruined parchments to the winds. "The queen of the drow will have manners! The queen of the drow will have dry quarters! Intrigue, cunning, plot, adventure! We'll get it all from the queen of the drow!"
"Mora-a-a-a-ag? Morag!"
An imperious summons came from the streets. Cursing as she pulled her sleek black clothing straight, Morag slithered over to a broken window and looked out.
There she was-near naked, wild, and magnificent. Lolth, looking rested, relaxed, and competent, walked upon a carpet of terrified slaves as she conferred with her generals.
"Morag? Where have you slithered off to now, you slimy little spinster?"
With a weary sigh, Morag perched herself in the window and called, "Yes, your Magnificence?"
"Morag!" Lolth looked over at the ruins in disdain. "What are you doing? You look like a charcoal burner."
"I am searching for maps, Magnificence."
"Whatever for?" Lolth waved toward some drow noble who followed adoringly behind her. "The drow have maps!"
"Maps twenty years old, Magnificence. There has been a major war since then."
Lolth gave Morag a pitying little sigh. "Oh, Morag, we have scouts out on the winds! The generals have all that sort of thing in hand. Surely you trust my generals?"
Morag turned away from the window with a mutter. "I wouldn't trust them to sit the right way around on a toilet."
Eventually, she uncovered a map-or part of a map, at least. Though smudged and leaked upon, it clearly showed a city a hundred miles to the northeast. Morag shook the parchment out and slithered her coils down to the street. She would summon some dark elves and have them make clean copies-in triplicate, one set of copies to each army commander.
Morag slid past a half-eaten corpse left moldering in the street. She found a ruined house that still had curtains, and she used the cloth to wipe herself clean. As she finished, she saw a figure leaning carefully over footprints in the mud, sniffing at them like a hellish dog.
It was a figure in eagle armor. One of its feet was brand new, contrasting against its withered, mummified skin. Morag watched it go, then slithered over to join Lolth's bustling entourage. Varrangoin-huge cadaverous shapes with bat wings-crouched before the goddess as they gave their reports. The creatures scattered and beat heavily into the air as Lolth dismissed them with a wave.
Morag handed over her maps and installed herself at Lolth's side. A vast ring of tanar'ri had formed-jagged creatures that hopped and flapped, monsters with claws so hard they scored the cobblestones. These were the elite of Lolth's legions-her officers and her warlords, creatures who had slaughtered innocents in their tens of thousands.
Morag leaned close to Lolth, frowning, and whispered quietly into her mistress's ear. "Magnificence, I have seen the Eagle war
rior-the undead ranger. He's back inside the city walls."
Not particularly interested, Lolth stood with her demonic generals-vast, towering beings wreathed in flames. She issued imperious orders, her body gleaming from the heat of her advisors, then turned to face her secretary with a scowl.
"What? You saw it?"
"Not a hundred yards away, Magnificence."
"Absurd! What was it doing?"
Morag gave an elegant shrug of all six shoulders. "Searching for a trail, magnificence. Unsuccessfully."
Lolth fumed, reflecting that her plans for vengeance had failed. But there was an army to muster and enemies to tame. Revenge could wait until another time. Lolth allowed slaves to clasp a cloak about her neck, then she signaled for her spider palace to be brought to the city walls.
"We'll deal with it later." Lolth's eyes were silver flame, her naked skin pure liquid ebony. "Once this little world is ours, we shall pull it apart stone by stone until we have found that faerie and her Justicar."
In a sudden explosion of rage, Lolth whipped her fist back to pulp the head of a human slave. Blood geysered, and Lolth stood, flexing her fist, eyes wild as she clenched the gore.
The fit passed. Lolth moved on, turning to make sure Morag fell in behind her.
"Well? Did you find those maps or didn't you?"
"I have maps, Magnificence."
"Then bring them to the palace!" Lolth walked through howling, shrieking ranks of servitors. "Come! We're returning to the Demonweb."
Lolth marched away. Morag signed for her clerks and followers and hastened along in Lolth's wake. Behind them, chaos broke out as the towering generals drove their troops into ranks and columns, ready to crush all of the Flanaess under her heel.
15
A drider-part drow and part spider-lurched along the road from Keggle Bend. The centaur creature clicked along the ground on eight long legs, cradling a crossbow pistol in its hand. Behind it on the plains, thousands of giant spiders wrapped paralyzed humans into bundles of silk. The spiders chittered and screeched as they worked-vinegaroons and scorpions dragging the prey away to stack it like cordwood beside the demon hordes.