The earth lord pivoted to face east, the direction they'd been traveling, toward Adama's Tooth. "I sense some resonance with the crystal in that direction. "But…" Monolith slowly pivoted again until he faced north, toward the line of mountains whose foothills they were already traversing. "… the largest, most malignant intrusion of this putrid crystal into the orb lies on the surface, that way." "East is the way to Adama's Tooth, not north!" exclaimed Kiril. Monolith shrugged his mountainous shoulders. "I believe you should reconsider your destination, lest you fail to find the true author of your misfortune and it instead eliminates you." "North lies Raurin, the Dust Desert. Certain death for any who are not desert-born. Or so I've heard," observed Thormud. "That may well be.
But the infection has its true source to the north." The dwarf nodded.
"North it is." Kiril said, "Thormud, we're so close to Adama's Tooth.
We should mop up whatever's brewing there, then head north afterward."
"I can lead you directly to the infection's source in Raurin," interjected Prince Monolith. "If you follow me, I will overstay the limits of our original pact. I will aid you until the infection is cut away from the orb, or until my ultimate destruction." Kiril paused in her protest, considering. In her experience, the amount of time that elementals even half as powerful as Prince Monolith persisted was usually counted in heartbeats, never days. "Prince Monolith," responded Thormud, "your generosity, as usual, is without bound. We accept your kind offer. Please lead us north and help us heal the earth of this wound." "I will." "Great," muttered Kiril. "Let's head blindly north, into the desert. Sounds like a dripping great idea."
Being a practical elf, she knew that investigating the nearer Adama's Tooth was still a better idea, all else being equal. Even if it wasn't the primary source of these blood-damned crystals, discovering whatever lay within the rock could provide clues about the nature of the disturbance in Raurin-clues that might help them prepare to meet a completely unknown threat. Perhaps even the kind of clue that would prove the difference between their success or ultimate failure. She shrugged. "What about this crystal? Is it dead now?" wondered the swordswoman. Thormud stepped closer, pointed his selenite rod at it, and uttered a sharp word. The crystal began to tremble as if it convulsed with a shiver of ever-increasing frequency. A heartbeat later, it shattered into ineffectual dust. "Yes," said the dwarf.
Kiril smiled. That smile faded as she observed the old dwarf walking away, his steps unsteady, and perspiration on his brow. Her employer wasn't well.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After the rest of the family departed from the meeting, Warian's eyes were drawn to the carts stacked with delicacies. He hated to see good food go to waste. Time for an impromptu feast. Warian was poking away at a plate of pickled mushrooms when Zel popped into the room.
His uncle began to heap a plate with delicacies. Warian ignored him.
Zel reached for the platter of pickled mushrooms. Without turning his head, he whispered, "Eined got out of Vaelan earlier today." "What?"
"I had agents watching the docks. Turns out Xaemar has people searching for Eined, too, but she's got herself some allies. They took ship and departed. A regular seafaring ship. Anyway, she's safe."
"Where'd she go? Who was with her?" Zel shrugged. "Sounds like she may be heading out to see Shaddon." Warian paused. He'd decided to refuse a trip to the mine site, despite Xaemar's order-or rather, because of it. But if Eined was headed for the Tooth, then he would follow. In the skyship, he'd probably get there ahead of her. He grinned. Relief flooded him. He couldn't wait to see his sister again and catch up on family gossip.
The mountain-bounded wizard state far to the west called Halruaa was famous for its gold mines, its fiery wine, and most of all, its vessels that sailed on air instead of water. The wizards of Halruaa jealously guarded the secret of skyship manufacture, keeping the advantages of air travel for Halruaa alone. But like all national treasures, an adequate sum of cash deposited into the proper pocket was sufficient to temporarily suspend Halruaan law, long enough for wealthy entrepreneurs across the Shining South to pay for and receive one or more custom-built Halruaan skyships. The Datharathi family was nothing if not wealthy. It secured three skyships for its personal use. The Datharathis used their precious skyships only for urgent business, and then only if a family member was aboard. Warian had ridden a family skyship on several occasions before he'd fled Vaelan.
Of all the things he'd left behind, he most missed the thrill of sailing the sky. Despite Warian's protests at leaving Vaelan so soon after arriving, he was excited to be aloft again. Only one thing soured the trip-Warian wished for one less Datharathi passenger. Aunt Sevaera had boarded at the last moment. He disliked the woman at least as much as he disliked the rest of the family elders. No, he realized, he had a particular dislike for Sevaera. He hated the way she sometimes slathered him with her unearned motherly-but-paper-thin concern. He saw right through her facade. She did it hoping to find one more lever to influence him. Warian stood at the skyship's railing as it lifted up and away from the broad platter of twinkling lights below. He'd been in Vaelan for only a few days. But he was certain that Shaddon had the answers he sought concerning his arm. His grandfather would know how to regulate the newfound power that Warian could sometimes trigger. He hoped he could enjoy the arm's heightened ability at a moderate, steady level rather than the all-or-nothing explosion of energy he had experienced, an expenditure that left him so drained he feared death would follow overuse. A cool wind, comfortable after the day's heat, brushed his face as he watched Vaelan fall away. The vast, dark gulf of the Golden Water was not so golden after the sun had fallen well below the horizon. They'd reach the mine by morning-Adama's Tooth. That was where Warian had been fitted with his prosthesis. Warian shifted his gaze away from the vista and back toward the deck. He'd ridden this skyship, called Stormsailer, before. Stormsailer's architecture was like a standard sailing vessel, and her crew was similar. Three masts, square sailed, rose above him, reaching for the stars. The main difference between the skyship and a regular watercraft were the plates affixed beneath the ship, carved from the shells of Halruaan sea turtles and invested with Halruaan spells that produced extraordinary lift. The crew saw to the needs of the ship under the direction of Captain Darsson, a Halruaan native with experience in wizardry-enough experience to control the ship. The deck was quiet, and Sevaera was nowhere to be seen. She'd apparently slipped off to her cabin while Warian had engrossed himself with the ship's launch. Good. He turned back to the bow and watched the receding lights along the coast of the Golden Water. The stars were bright, but washed out by a bright moon to port.
Ahead, moonlight was smothered in a layer of roiling thunderheads.
He'd seen the great clouds on the horizon before the sun sank.
Somewhere ahead, a mighty storm raged. The wind picked up abruptly, slapping Warian's face. Cool and refreshing earlier, it turned cruel and biting. Warian stepped away from the bow and headed for his cabin on the port. The cabins on Stormsailer set aside for Datharathi family members were fitted with great glass portholes that offered a spectacular exterior view-nearly as good as the view from the deck railing. The cabins had the added advantage of being heated. Warian's cabin was directly across from Sevaera's. Her door was closed, but he saw light leaking beneath it and heard the tinkling notes of her harp.
His aunt loved to play, but had never been as good as she supposed.
Warian was surprised at the proficiency and grace of the music he heard. His aunt had improved a lot in five years. He wondered if it was due to practice or her plangent upgrade. Probably the latter.