One of the things stepped forward, crouching and keeping a wary eye on Talieth's fire. It reached out a hand toward her, then its entire body stiffened, its head shook, and its eyes rolled back. 'Talieth,' it said, though she knew that it was not the creature's voice, but something speaking through it. 'Bring it to me. You fought a good fight. You lost. Give me Erael'len, and even now I will forgive you. Come to Kheil. Join me in our new world.'
A shudder passed through the creature, and all stiffness left its body. It was fluid grace again. It watched her, waiting for her answer.
Talieth took a deep breath and squeezed her hand shut, extinguishing the fire. 'Take me to him,' she said.
+++++
Berun struck a gout of flame with the hammer and dodged another. From the edge of his vision, he saw Chereth muttering, and he knew the druid was toying with them. His power was beyond anything that he or Sauk could hope to withstand. Berun's heart dropped as he watched his old friend. His master, the one person in the world that Berun had held as an ideal, had gone mad. Whether it had truly been the seductive evil of Sentinelspire, the druid's own blind ambitions, or a combination of both… at this point, did it matter? All that mattered was stopping him.
Despite Berun's delusions to the contrary, Chereth had indeed become the Old Man. No matter what Chereth told himself, his motives were little different than Alaodin's. Alaodin had sought power and dealt in murder, but he'd rationalized it, believing it necessary to protect himself and those he loved. Was Chereth any different? And had he always been that way?
Swinging the hammer, Berun deflected more fire. It shattered into sparks and singed his bare arm. Berun backed away for a moment's respite and risked a glance behind him. 'Lewan!' he shouted. The boy had succeeded in getting most of the vines off the girl. 'Get out of here! Run!'
Lewan did not look up from his efforts. 'Trying!'
'Enough of this!' Chereth called out, and he thrust his staff toward Sauk.
The writhing vegetation surged like a wave over rocks and hit the half-orc. Sauk struck at the greenery with his arm, but it did no good. The thick mass of vines, leaves, and writhing wood slammed into him, his legs struck the stone ledge, and he toppled over. His feet went up over his head and then he was gone, tumbling over the tower's edge.
Chereth swept his arm around, and a mass of leaves and branches rose and enveloped Berun. He lashed out at them with the hammer and knife. The blade sliced through a few branches before the vines wrapped round both his arms and pulled them to his chest. More snaked around his legs and torso. He screamed as the sharp leaves and prickly vines tore into the blistered skin along his stomach and chest. The mass of vegetation constricted, pulling his limbs tightly against his body so Berun could move only his head. He felt himself lifted up and borne toward the druid. He looked down upon the half-elf, who was not even breathing heavily.
'You see the power I now wield?' said Chereth. 'You see the folly of opposing me? Forsake this foolishness, my son.'
Chereth turned away, leaning upon his staff as he walked across the roof. The vines holding Berun bore him along after the half-elf. Chereth stopped before two statues-one of a winged lion, the other of a great stag whose antlers spread wide, reaching toward the lion's wings and forming a sort of arch. The druid reached inside his robes and withdrew a rod carved from white wood, or perhaps bone. He spoke a string of words in a language Berun did not recognize, and the air under the arch shimmered and blurred like a summer haze on the horizon.
'See?' said Chereth. 'This portal leads to a realm of endless wild, where bricks and mortar are unknown, and the highest creatures live in harmony with the lowest. There, I will dwell while this world cleanses itself of Sentinelspire's fire and ash.' He faced Berun again. 'Do you still wish to oppose me? To die here amongst those who would trample upon all we hold dear?'
Berun looked down on his master. He would not give in to despair. He'd been dead before. To die now… at least he would have the hope of being found worthy to join the Oak Father. Such a fate might be welcome after the horror of the past days. But Berun knew that if he died here, he had to take Chereth with him. Otherwise, untold numbers of people- entire nations-would die as well.
'Ah,' said Chereth, looking past Berun's shoulder. 'Look who is back.'
Berun craned his neck around to see Sauk climbing over the ledge of the tower. He no longer held his blade.
'I thought you might be too stubborn to fall,' said Chereth. 'Hail and well met, Sauk,'
'I…' Sauk dropped to the ground and sat, his chest heaving. 'I have no quarrel with you, Old Man. I'm here for… for him.' Sauk pointed at Berun.
'Taaki truly meant that much to you?' said Chereth.
'Why ask what you already know?'
'Your devotion is commendable, Sauk,' said Chereth. 'It is one of the many things I admired about you. Had you taken a different path in your early years, you might have been a disciple to make me proud.'
Sauk snorted. 'Damned leaf lover.'
Chereth smiled, though a dangerous glint filled his eye. 'This leaf lover just beat you like a cur.'
'I seem to remember your leaves beating me,' said Sauk. 'You haven't faced me yet, Old Man.'
'Old I am, yes. But it seems I'll outlive you. Look.'
Chereth pointed to the east. The clouds of last night's storm still hung heavy in the sky, but they did not reach quite to the horizon, where the bright glow of dawn was already peeking over the edge of the world.
'The time approaches,' said Chereth. 'The stars, the Tears of Selune, the Dawn Heralds, the Five Wanderers… all are in perfect alignment, pulling the molten blood of Faerun into the beating heart of Sentinelspire. Soon, the new world begins.'
Chereth walked to the very center of the roof. The vines holding Berun pulled him behind. The druid looked at Lewan, who had almost finished removing the last vines from around Ulaan's legs.
'You could have been a prince in paradise, boy, with your choice of women,' said Chereth. 'You chose poorly.' He looked at Berun. 'A third time now, I offer my forgiveness, for the affection I still bear for you and the loyalty you once gave me. I will not offer again. Join me in a new paradise. Teach our ways to a new world. Or die here. Now.'
Berun tried to move his arms. He could feel his weapons in his hands, but the vines held him tight. He sighed and said, 'What you offer isn't paradise. It's just a greener hell. You can rot there on your own.'
Chereth's jaw stiffened and his lip twisted into a sneer. 'So be it.'
He turned to face the entrance to the stairs and said, 'Come!'
Two killoren emerged, moving with their unsettling, almost-human grace. Behind them walked Talieth, her clothes torn, her hair a tangled mess, skin scratched and bloody. Still, she walked like a queen. She took in the scene around her, glancing at Sauk, Lewan, and Ulaan. Her eyes widened when she saw Berun.
'Kheil, I-'
'I'm sorry, Talieth,' said Chereth. 'It seems that your former love will not be joining us after all. He would rather die here than live with you in paradise.'
Talieth stopped, glanced again at Berun, then fixed her gaze on the druid. 'I will not leave without him.'
Chereth returned her gaze for a moment, then sighed and said, 'You have ruled here too long, it seems. You misunderstand me. You no longer command anyone or anything. I am not bargaining with you. I am offering you the chance to live, and serve me in a new world. Or you can die here.' He shrugged. 'Understand-I don't need you. I only need what you carry. And I can have it.'
Chereth raised his staff and pointed it at Talieth. The killoren leaped away as vines rustled forward, wrapping around her and pinning her arms. She struggled, frantically at first but then giving up entirely. One of the killoren grabbed a leather cord from round her neck and pulled, yanking Erael'len from Talieth's bodice. Before the killoren could get a look at Erael'len, a long tendril of ivy darted out, grabbed the relic, and whipped it into Chereth's waiting hand. Raising his staff, the druid began a long chant.
Berun heard rustling in the leaves that carpeted the roof, and looked over to see Sauk charging Chereth. The half-orc was still several paces away when Chereth glanced at him, almost casually, and flicked his staff. Vines snapped forward, seized Sauk's legs, and the half-orc hit the ground, where more vines entangled him. The druid resumed his chant.
Berun felt it before he heard it-a low rumble, like distant thunder, only it did not dissipate. It grew, all the
