“Now, you will die.” Hedrack gloated, still watching the destruction he was visiting on his foe. “As soon as my men destroy the last of the doors, my Lady Zuggtmoy will be free, and this lovely sacrifice will be sent to an abyssal plane to await the demoness’ attentions there.”
Shanhaevel felt a familiar lump grow in his throat, felt the overwhelming sense of sadness that produced it. He thought of Lanithaine, grieving again for his teacher and friend. The wizard’s sense of sorrow seemed bottomless as he contemplated his own failings. He had been unable to save his mentor, he could not now save his love, and in the end, he would not be able to save even himself. Shanhaevel hung his head even as he felt the forces of the four creatures closing in. He sank down to one knee, his wounded arm still limp at his side, and bowed his head, surrendering to the inevitable at last.
Hedrack’s gasp of surprise forced the elf to look up in the high priest’s direction. The golden skull was skittering across the floor toward Shanhaevel, knocked free of Hedrack’s grasp. Shirral had done it. With one arm still free of the shackles, she had managed to reach up and knock the key loose, sending it clattering in the direction of the elf. The golden skull bounced a couple of times as it rolled across the floor, sliding between the massive foot of the earth elemental and the roaring flames of the living fire creature. The small bejewelled orb rolled to a stop at Shanhaevel’s foot even as Zuggtmoy screeched in horror and anger from her chair.
Hedrack snarled and backhanded Shirral, knocking her back with an audible thunk that Shanhaevel could hear even over the roar of wind and fire around him. The druid slumped back with a pitiful cry and lay still. Spinning, Hedrack looked to see where his treasure had rolled to a stop. When he saw the object of his desire resting near the toe of Shanhaevel’s boot, the high priest’s eyes grew wide.
Rage, still smoldering in the elf’s heart, now flamed. Snatching up the golden skull with his good arm, Shanhaevel stood up. The four creatures surrounding him were now no more than a couple of paces away. Each of them stopped, however, as their quarry rose before them, holding aloft the source of their summoning and the icon of their subservience. Presenting the skull, Shanhaevel felt the link of command to the four elemental creatures, and he knew that they were under his influence and would obey his commands.
For a moment, Shanhaevel considered sending the elemental beasts to attack Hedrack, to drive him against a wall and to destroy him as he had intended to destroy the wizard, but he realized it would be fruitless and would most likely harm Shirral in the process. The only way to defeat Hedrack was to destroy the key before Zuggtmoy could be freed—except that he needed Shirral’s aid to do that. Even if Shanhaevel could manage to free his companion, Hedrack would slay the druid before he would allow her to participate in such a ritual. Even with the orb in his grasp, defeat still seemed imminent to the wizard.
Unless there is another way… the elf thought. Going quickly through the steps of the process Burne had explained before, he realized he might have an alternate way to perform the rites of destruction. Wind and earth, then fire and water. It could be done. Maybe.
Hedrack spun on his heel, pulling a knife from his boot and kneeling down next to Shirral, who still seemed groggy. Her head was bruised, and blood leaked from a wicked gash on her temple. Hedrack squatted so that Shanhaevel could see him clearly, could witness what he was about to do. Shanhaevel had seen it coming, had braced himself for it, yet he still felt the panic rise in him as the high priest grasped the druid by the hair and pressed the blade against her throat.
“Give me the skull or she dies right now!” Hedrack commanded.
Fighting the urge to comply with the high priest, Shanhaevel responded, “You will kill her anyway, but”—the wizard held the golden skull aloft, so that Hedrack could see it—“do you realize what will happen if I do this?”
Shanhaevel plunged his arm into the center of the creature of air, his grasp on the magical key making him immune to the effects of its buffeting winds.
Hedrack’s eyes widened a second time, suddenly aware of what Shanhaevel was thinking. Releasing the druid’s hair, he raised his arm and pointed beseechingly.
“No! Do not! You must not!”
Hedrack leaped to his feet and charged the distance between them.
Quickly, Shanhaevel spun on his feet and darted across to the creature of earth, commanding the beast to strike at the key with one of its rocky, powerful stone fists. The monster brought its thick hand down hard, almost knocking the orb out of the elf’s grasp, but Shanhaevel managed to hang on with his one good arm There was an intense clanging sound from the blow.
“Stop him!” Zuggtmoy shrieked. “Stop him, you fool!”
Hedrack was closer now, no more than a dozen long strides away, though he was walled off from reaching Shanhaevel by the creature of earth and stone. Wasting no time watching the high priest, Shanhaevel spun away and thrust his arm into the heart of the hot, licking flames of the creature of fire. He held the orb in its center, though he himself was not burned because of his hold on the key. As the blood pounded in his ears and the stones beneath his feet trembled, Shanhaevel felt the gold grow hot in his palm and heard a scream of agony from Zuggtmoy.
Hedrack was but a couple of paces away, now, pushing past the creatures that blocked his way, squeezing between the earth elemental and its flaming counterpart, ignoring the scorching flames that licked at him and singed his hair. The high priest lunged for Shanhaevel, trying to grab the elf, but he was not fast enough. The wizard darted away, launching himself at the last creature in the sequence, plunging his fist, still holding the orb, deep into the murky recesses of the water beast.
“No!” Hedrack screamed, and the roaring in Shanhaevel’s ears intensified. He felt the orb crack in his hand, shattering into a dozen jagged pieces of gold. The gems around the skull’s crown slipped free and shattered. In the distance, Zuggtmoy screamed once more, but it was not the cry of the old crone, but rather the pained roar of the great bulbous demon—her true form. Shanhaevel’s momentum carried him into the depths of the creature of water, and as the golden key cracked, he felt its magical protection over him slip away. He felt the intense cold of the water.
The water itself subtly changed, too. It no longer undulated with life. Instead, it turned into a torrent of water, a cascade that spilled to the floor as Shanhaevel passed through it, tumbling unharmed to the other side and sliding across the floor, soaking wet. Shaking his head to clear the streams of water that poured down his face and wiping the damp, bedraggled hair from his eyes, the wizard tried to sit up, but the floor beneath his feet rumbled and shifted. With only one good arm, he lost his balance.
Behind the elf, Hedrack screamed, a plaintive, terrified shriek. Shanhaevel heard a sickening sound of stone clattering upon the floor, a wet smacking sound, and the high priest was quiet. He turned to see what had happened.
The creature of stone, its magic undone by the destruction of the golden skull, had fallen lifeless—right atop Hedrack. The high priests body was pinned beneath a great slab of marble. A twisted and mangled leg stuck out at an unnatural angle. He was still alive, though his face was white with shock and terror. He gazed up at the ceiling, muttering softly.
Shanhaevel approached the high priest, even as another rumbling shockwave shook the chamber.
“Kill me.” Hedrack pleaded softly. “Kill me, p-please kill me. D-d-do-don’t let him g-get me—”
“Who?” Shanhaevel asked, shifting unsteadily on his feet as the chamber crumbled around him.
“My lord and m-m-master.” Hedrack’s tone was fevered and crazed. “He w-will torment m-me. He… w-will punish me. Please kill me. Don’t leave me to h-him, I beg you.”