flannel-wrapped rock at his feet.
'And now I must go through subtle corridors to the Green Folk. I'm loath to abandon you, my dear, but I have no choice. I leave you in good hands. Wix will stay at your side this night, and his mistress is as good a physician as I am.' Thalassa kissed Ansel's brow.
He spoke to her voicelessly on the wind.‘Iknow my life is nearly over. I'm content with what I have accomplished. Don't fret about me. Save your energies for the Conflict. We'll win out. I'm certain of it.'
'And so am I,' the sorceress said with as much confidence as she could summon, even though a lump of cold doubt weighted her heart. She stayed at his side for a few minutes more, until his eyes closed in sleep. Then she snuffed all of the candles save one and rose from the bedside stool.
'Wix, build up a fire in here and see to the shutters. The wind is rising outside the lodge and there will be sleet very soon. I must set out on my journey without delay, and I've no time to give you detailed instructions. You must care for our dear friend as best you can.'
'Don't worry, my lady. I'll see to everything. Shall I wake my mistress and tell her you've departed?'
'She needs her rest. I believe Ansel will sleep quietly for some hours. But don't hesitate to fetch her if there should be a need.'
'Yes, my lady. May your magical journey be swift and safe.'
Thalassa Dru sha Lisfallon, elder sister of the late Conjure-King Linndal of Moss and the aunt of Ullanoth and Beynor, smiled at the little old man. 'I only hope the weather is better at Castle Morass.'
* * *
It was Master Shaman Kalawnn, second of the Eminent Four of the Salka monsters and guardian of the Known Potency, who first found out what the Likeminded Lights had done on Demon Seat.
He was deep within the bowels of Fenguard Castle in Moss, the new center of the Salka Authority now that the Dawntide Citadel had been destroyed by the vile humans, supervising the lapidary workers. They were preparing to cleave yet another fragile piece of mineral gleaned from the debris of the shattered Barren Lands Moon Crag. All previous attempts had ended in failure as the flawed moonstone disintegrated.
Suddenly Kalawnn felt a warning tingle from the minor sigil named Scriber that hung around his neck. This was followed by a severe pain deep within his brain.
'Ahroo!'
The shaman clasped his neck with both tentacles and flopped away from the cutting bench as the vision crashed into his mind like a storm-surge. For a moment, he was blind to all else. A second low-pitched howl escaped his maw. He subsided onto the floor of the cavern, an enormous amphibian creature nearly twice the height of a man and more than four times as bulky, helpless as a beached whale.
'Eminent One - what's wrong?' Several artisans crowded about him, head-crests erect and great red eyes goggling with dismay.
'Wait. . . wait,' he managed to say. 'A windsensed revelation! I must comprehend it fully'
Nonplussed, the other Salka stood away from his quivering body. Those who wore strength-giving sigils conjuredsupportive power and channeled it to the Master Shaman. The others could only focus their healing talent and murmur prayers.
'Look at his neck!' a gem-carver exclaimed. 'The skin covering his gizzard glows crimson. The Potency within is active! Perhaps it disapproves of what we were about to do. Perhaps it's angry with us for trying to work poor-quality material into new sigils.'
The others picked up the portentous word and repeated it anxiously. 'The Potency! The Potency -'
'Silence!' Kalawnn bellowed. The eldritch seizure that had so abruptly afflicted him was over. He rose to his full majestic height, eyes wide open and agleam like balls of fire. 'There is no need to be anxious. The Potency is not angry. It had nothing to do with my vision.'
'But, master!' one of the lapidaries protested. 'We saw the glow within your crop, where the Stone of Stones is hidden
‘Ihave just received a most
'And now I must go through subtle corridors to the Green Folk. I'm loath to abandon you, my dear, but I have no choice. I leave you in good hands. Wix will stay at your side this night, and his mistress is as good a physician as I am.' Thalassa kissed Ansel's brow.
He spoke to her voicelessly on the wind.‘Iknow my life is nearly over. I'm content with what I have accomplished. Don't fret about me. Save your energies for the Conflict. We'll win out. I'm certain of it.'
'And so am I,' the sorceress said with as much confidence as she could summon, even though a lump of cold doubt weighted her heart. She stayed at his side for a few minutes more, until his eyes closed in sleep. Then she snuffed all of the candles save one and rose from the bedside stool.
'Wix, build up a fire in here and see to the shutters. The wind is rising outside the lodge and there will be sleet very soon. I must set out on my journey without delay, and I've no time to give you detailed instructions. You must care for our dear friend as best you can.'
'Don't worry, my lady. I'll see to everything. Shall I wake my mistress and tell her you've departed?'
'She needs her rest. I believe Ansel will sleep quietly for some hours. But don't hesitate to fetch her if there should be a need.'
'Yes, my lady. May your magical journey be swift and safe.'
Thalassa Dru sha Lisfallon, elder sister of the late Conjure-King Linndal of Moss and the aunt of Ullanoth and Beynor, smiled at the little old man. 'I only hope the weather is better at Castle Morass.'
* * *
It was Master Shaman Kalawnn, second of the Eminent Four of the Salka monsters and guardian of the Known Potency, who first found out what the Likeminded Lights had done on Demon Seat.
He was deep within the bowels of Fenguard Castle in Moss, the new center of the Salka Authority now that the Dawntide Citadel had been destroyed by the vile humans, supervising the lapidary workers. They were preparing to cleave yet another fragile piece of mineral gleaned from the debris of the shattered Barren Lands Moon Crag. All previous attempts had ended in failure as the flawed moonstone disintegrated.
Suddenly Kalawnn felt a warning tingle from the minor sigil named Scriber that hung around his neck. This was followed by a severe pain deep within his brain.
'Ahroo!'
The shaman clasped his neck with both tentacles and flopped away from the cutting bench as the vision crashed into his mind like a storm-surge. For a moment, he was blind to all else. A second low-pitched howl escaped his maw. He subsided onto the floor of the cavern, an enormous amphibian creature nearly twice the height of a man and more than four times as bulky, helpless as a beached whale.
'Eminent One - what's wrong?' Several artisans crowded about him, head-crests erect and great red eyes goggling with dismay.
'Wait. . . wait,' he managed to say. 'A windsensed revelation! I must comprehend it fully'
Nonplussed, the other Salka stood away from his quivering body. Those who wore strength-giving sigils conjuredsupportive power and channeled it to the Master Shaman. The others could only focus their healing talent and murmur prayers.
'Look at his neck!' a gem-carver exclaimed. 'The skin covering his gizzard glows crimson. The Potency within is active! Perhaps it disapproves of what we were about to do. Perhaps it's angry with us for trying to work poor-quality material into new sigils.'
The others picked up the portentous word and repeated it anxiously. 'The Potency! The Potency -'
'Silence!' Kalawnn bellowed. The eldritch seizure that had so abruptly afflicted him was over. He rose to his full majestic height, eyes wide open and agleam like balls of fire. 'There is no need to be anxious. The Potency is not angry. It had nothing to do with my vision.'
'But, master!' one of the lapidaries protested. 'We saw the glow within your crop, where the Stone of Stones is hidden
‘Ihave just received a most
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