The fireball exploded, and emerald sparks showered down onto Eiruk, Vharem, and the others-but no bystanders on the stairs.
'Stlaern,' Eiruk swore. 'This spell will draw every patrol right to us — Watchful Order and Watch alike!' He and Vharem reached the next landing, halfway down the slope.
The seven of them, their bodies sharing bright green auras, took refuge behind the only cover they had at this landing. Northspur Rock, like other massive boulders on Mount Waterdeep too latge to move out of the way, jutted out of the landing constructed around it. Eiruk joined the othets behind the massive house-sized rock, shielding them from immediate view. Only then did he realize they were backed into a corner against a sheer cliff of exposed rock with no way out but the stairs.
'Goodleading, Elra.' The halfling's voice dripped with sarcasm. 'I love being cornered.'
The chorus of 'Be quiet, Osco!' at least gave Eiruk the half-ling's name.
'I am Ei-' he started to introduce himself, but he gasped as Vajra woke to his voice. Instead of the intense brown eyes he loved, she stared at him with lettuce green eyes that reminded him of Samark.
'Eiruk Weskur,' Vajra said. 'You may accept Ainla's son, friends. He can be ttusted, now that his path intercepts ours.'
Eiruk's stomach felt like it dropped away. Vajra didn't know his mother's name-but her mentot did. 'Samark?' he asked.
Vajra nodded. 'All of us… we need your help, son.'
'Help's what ye need all right,' said a gruff voice. The speaker was a squinting, much-scarred man with a patchy scruff of a beard, a rusty chain shirt, and a large number of friends behind him. Only then did Eiruk remember that Northspur Landing was also a mercenaries' gathering place. The leader growled out to his followers, 'Boys, I hear there's a price on their heads taller than a tavern. Whatsay we capture these folk before the Watch does it for free? Or before some of them angry wizards yonder steal our bounty?'
Eiruk gulped as they all turned to meet the voice. A score of grizzled sellswords raised weapons.
CHAPTER 16
While I might map all the unseen pockets of magery about the city, I cannot predict the effects visited upon those who trod upon them. Northspur Rock alone has blessed or cursed many a guardsman on the mountain, whether they knew it or no.
11 Nightal, Year of the Ageless One (1479 DR)
Sellswords closed in on the party from both sides. Vharem counted at least nine men closing in on them from the far side of the tock, all armed with drawn. swords, cudgels, or maces. Laraelra shouted a spell and blasted them with a silent maelstrom of colors; while many of them howled and grabbed at their eyes, only one fell unconscious. Osco jumped up onto the Northspur Rock and scattered caltrops among the men, the sharp metal barbs slowing their advance.
Between Laraelra and Vharem, Eiruk Weskur swept his arms up as he intoned a spell, and a cloud of glittering golden sparkles erupted among the metcenaties closing in on them from the rock's southwest side. All but two of them clutched at their eyes and yelled about going blind. Like Vharem and his companions' green glows, the mercenaries shone in gold light.
Vharem clapped Eiruk on the shoulder and nodded his thanks. 'That helps, but we're still trapped. Come, Meloon-Osco's got the right idea. We need the high ground to tackle a lot of them!'
Vharem scrambled up the rougher side of the Northspur and found the halfling whipping sling stones down on the heads of blinded mercenaries and cackling with glee. 'I liked the sneaking-about plan better, V!'
'Me, too.' Vharem sighed, as he showered the larger crowd near Vajra and Renaer with caltrops of his own.
Meloon clambered up the rough outcropping, his axe dangling from his wrist by a strap. Once Meloon stood next to him atop the rock, Vharem saw the bright blue flames suffusing the axe head.
Atop the Northspur, Vharem saw how dire a situation they were all in. Four of them were hemmed in between the rock and the cliff face by twenty sellswords. From above and below, wizards flew in their direction.
'What do you think we should do?' Vharem said. When he turned and looked up at Meloon, he saw the axe's blue flames filling the man's eyes. Meloon didn't respond other than to swing his axe with both arms, his actions forcing Vharem to fall back onto Osco. Meloon swung the axe in a wide circular arc, twisting his body as he did so, and the blue flames became a pulse of magic that flashed out in all directions. The four wizards flying up from the city and the pair flying down the mountain all dropped out of the sky, trailing light blue flames as they fell.
Lying atop the Northspur, Vharem looked down at his oldest friend and knew he had to help him.
'Vajra!' Vharem yelled, and she stirred, her eyes a blur of shifting color and energy. 'Blackstaff, we need you!'
She glowered at him, her eyes focused points of cobalt blue. Her head scanned around and she growled as she got her bearings. 'Northspur, good,' she said. She began a complicated spell, her voice a low whisper, but her hands never stopped moving. The ground beneath the four of them began to glow.
Renaer whispered, 'Everyone get close and ready. I don't know what she's doing, but that glow's staying tight around us.
Vharem, get ready to join us or head out. You know where to meet us.'
Osco whipped a sap down at a half-blinded cutthroat who moved toward Vajra, and the man crumpled, falling atop another blinded sellsword. Vharem saw a bull of a man shake his head to clear his vision, and then raise a rusty battleaxe, aiming at Laraelra. Vharem pierced the man's arm with a thrown dagger, forcing him to drop the axe. Laraelra's quicksilver bolts hit him in the chest and head, and he died before he hit the ground. Eiruk Weskur reached past Renaer and cast his spell, entangling the other dozen or more sellswords to the southwest in thick, gtay strands of spiderwebbing. The gray tangles blocked off that escape, but it also hindered the sellswords. Curses, swear words, and the futile struggles of the sellswords shook the webs from within.
Meloon drew up to his full height with Azuredge, then he chopped the Northspur rock. The boulder shot blue flames at the eight sellswords on the northeast approach. Those eight flew out of the way like a shipwreck thrown by a wave.
Vajra continued her spell, and Vharem watched the ground beneath them, while still solid enough to stand on, grow transparent. Renaer gulped as he saw a huge pit yawning beneath them, even though it remained solid ground beneath his feet. Vajra's eyes darted up at Vharem, then back at Renaer, without halting her spell.
'Osco, get ready,' Vharem said, 'and…'
Renaer yelled with Vharem 'Jump!' as Vajra said, 'Sruahiil!' and those inside the circle of transparent rock began to slowly sink through it.
Osco stood atop Northspur and said, 'You are mad if you thi-hey!'
Vharem grabbed Osco by the belt and yelled, 'Elra, catch!' He flung the hin to her in the glowing circle. The halfling nearly collided with Laraelra, closing his eyes at the expected impact, but his plummet became a slow fall in unison with her.
Osco laughed when he opened his eyes, hanging upside-down above the flinching sorceress. He yelled, 'Come, V!'
Eiruk sank alongside Renaer, and he grabbed Vajra's face with both hands and kissed her gently. He said, 'Stay alive and stay safe, Vajra,' then jumped outside of the glowing effect. 'I'll remain behind to explain the situation-hopefully, I can at least keep the Watchful Otder off your backs. Speed of gods to you, friends.'
Vharem noticed that Vajra's face contorted in shock and surprise, but the stone-face returned almost
