uncover had finally brought them to their quarry.
Although Luna, the great moon, cast a half-lidded eye down upon the city this evening, thick clouds obscured its silvered gaze, hiding Celene, the lesser moon altogether, and deepening the shadows. It was, he thought, the perfect night for a hunt. Their prey would have no idea what hit them. He’d sent Adrys ahead earlier, disguised as a servant. The foolish nobleshad been so wrapped up in their puerile chatter that they hadn’t noticed the ladslinking in behind them. The apprentice had returned an hour later with all of the information they needed.
There were six of them, holed up in a large suite on the top floor. Four doors led off the main chamber into separate bedrooms, but it was the mage’s room that concerned Durgoth the most-for that was the most likelylocation of the group’s scrolls and maps. With that information in hand, hewould have an easier time locating the tomb.
A pity, he thought for a moment as he rubbed hands together against the chill night air, that they didn’t have time to wipe them all out.But the wealthy quarter of a city was no place for a pitched battle. They would have precious little time before the sentinels arrived. No, the plan was simple: Durgoth would cause a large enough diversion to draw the nobles from their rooms, while Sydra and Eltanel would, with a small complement of thieves from the guild, secure the upper suite and retrieve the scrolls. After some discussion, it was decided that the swift- footed monk would remain outside the inn to “discourage” any pursuit.
As if reading his mind, Jhagren stepped from the shadows of the inn and signaled. Although he knew the monk couldn’t see him, Durgoth noddedhis understanding. Everyone was in place. It was time for the diversion.
The cleric cleared his mind, taking three deep breaths. While less difficult than the magic that created his golem, this summoning spell took a great deal of concentration. Softly, the cleric intoned the words until he felt the mystic portal open. Reality shifted around him as planar forces collided and intermixed. Durgoth focused his will and called upon the creature he needed, and his summons rang through the planes. At last he felt an answer. It came, guided by his master’s power, and he sent it to the place fixed firmlyin his mind. He shuddered once as he felt the planar portal shut. An icy wind blew hard between the buildings of Rel Mord as Durgoth completed the words to the spell. Despite this, sweat beaded thickly upon the cleric’s brow. He wiped atit absently and watched through the Platinum Shield’s windows as a reddish glowpulsated within the common room.
Durgoth smiled.
It was only a matter of time.
Kaerion woke suddenly to the sound of screaming. Years of campaigning across the continent and the natural instincts of a warrior brought him rolling to his feet, sword in hand. He scanned the room for signs of immediate danger.
Though the fire in the hearth had burned to embers, he could see Gerwyth shouldering his leather quiver and strapping on short swords. In the muted red glow of the coals, the elf looked bathed in blood.
The screams continued, followed by the sound of breaking glass from the common area below. Free from immediate danger, Kaerion allowed himself to relax just a fraction.
“What do you think it is-thieves, assassins?” he askedGerwyth in a cautious whisper.
The elf shook his head. “No. I’m not sure what it is,” hereplied, “but I have a very bad feeling about it.” Finished with the lastadjustments to his bow, he slapped Kaerion on the back. “Are you coming, Kaer,or should I ask our guests to wait until you’ve had a bath?”
Kaerion grunted as Gerwyth turned and ran out of the room. Quickly, Kaerion grabbed his shield and strapped it to his forearm. There wasn’tenough time to don his entire suit of armor, but the curved steel of an embossed shield-all that was left of his once-famous field dress-had served him wellthese past years.
Blearily, he stumbled through the door and into the main suite, shaking his head to clear the last cobwebs of sleep from his mind. Not for the first time, he envied Gerwyth’s ability to snap out of his nightlyreverie at a moment’s notice. It was a trait that had saved their lives manytimes, and he found himself wishing for that ability right now. Not willing to waste another moment, he drew a few quick breaths and launched himself down the stairs to the common area.
The grisly sight that greeted him nearly froze his blood. The elegance of the inn’s taproom lay in bloody shambles. Tables and chairs laysplintered and broken on the ground, amid a pile of bodies who looked as if they had been punctured with a thousand sharp needles. Blood pooled on the floor and lay spattered across the walls.
In the center of the destruction, standing among the shattered detritus of wood and glass, stood one of the most terrifying creatures Kaerion had ever seen. Nearly eight-feet tall, the hulking figure lashed out with a set of razor sharp claws and tore the throat out of a man who charged it with a sword. The victim’s sword clattered to the ground and the creaturestalked forward, intent on the remaining patrons of the inn, who were knocking each other over in an attempt to flee.
In the remaining light of the taproom, Kaerion could see that what he’d first thought armor was actually a thick collection of wicked barbscovering the monster’s whole body-including the length of a meaty tail thatwhipped back and forth behind the creature’s substantial bulk. The barbsglistened with blood.
At that moment, Kaerion heard a familiar voice shout something at the creature. He looked again at the panicking crowd and saw both Vaxor and Majandra. The two had placed themselves in front of the crowd.
“Gerwyth, we have to do something to distract that…
The elf nodded assent and knelt. “I have just the thing, myfriend,” he said, and then in one fluid motion drew two arrows from his quiver,knocked his bow, and released them in swift succession. The wooden missiles flew unerringly across the space and caught the creature between barbs in the juncture of neck and shoulder.
They had no effect.
The creature opened its mouth, revealing row upon row of needle sharp teeth, and let out a high-pitched ululation. Kaerion dapped hands to ears and watched in horrified fascination as the monster advanced. The twin arrows fell from the monster, as if worked out by unseen hands.
Gerwyth let out a curse and grabbed two more arrows. This time he rubbed the curved length of his ash bow and spoke several words in Elvish. The weapon’s silvery runes pulsated with a blue-tinted glow as theranger took aim and fired. This time, the arrows streaked across the room, leaving a trail of blue fire in their wake.
The creature let out another wail, this one even worse than before, as the missiles pierced the hollow beneath its right arm. It stopped its advance and whipped itself around to face Kaerion and Gerwyth. The creature’stail struck out behind it, and only Vaxor’s hastily raised shield protected himfrom a deathblow to the head.
Kaerion rushed forward to meet the creature, swinging his own sword in an arc. The steel rang loudly as it struck the monster square in the chest. Sparks flew out from the violent contact, but the creature did not slow. He ducked once as the figure lashed out with its own razor sharp claw, just barely missing him. He took a step back, hoping to find some weak spot on the beast-
And cried out as the monsters tad struck him hard on his shieldless side. The pain was incredible. It was as if thousands of needles penetrated his skin and were simultaneously making their way through his veins toward his heart. He felt as if his blood had turned to ice and his stomach churned with a familiar sensation-fear.
Kaerion cried out again as the walls of the inn melted away and he found himself surrounded by walls of solid stone-white stone, carved andworked like the walls of a temple. He knew this place, and the knowledge caused him to choke with panic. This was the scene of his disgrace.
“No!” he shouted in defiance, and the stone wallsdisappeared.
Kaerion lay on the ground, curled up in a ball. Around him, he could see Majandra and Vaxor attacking the barbed beast, keeping it distracted, unable to concentrate on killing its fallen victim. Three more arrows thudded into the monster, one catching it in its baleful red eye, and at last it gave ground.
Kaerion rolled to his feet. Anger had replaced the fear that had chilled him, and he let out a bellow as he rushed in. The beast struck out with its barbed tad, but he managed to deflect the blow with his shield. The shock of that contact nearly broke his forearm, but he kept pressing forward. Twice he landed blows that would have felled a bugbear, but the monster just shrugged them off. The third time, Kaerion blocked the creature’s razor clawwith his own blade and then spun, slicing out with his sword as he turned with his hips.
