'Sweet child, your soul is powerful and old. What have you done to reach this extraordinary age?' The monster gazed at her with new respect, grinning as it realized she was more valuable than it had anticipated.
Evaine struggled in the fiend's grasp, but could do nothing. The fiend's grip was so tight she was forced to gasp for breath.
Looking about, the sorceress saw no help in sight. Andoralson still thrashed and screamed, tortured by his own nightmares. Gamaliel lay unmoving, and Ren could only drag himself across the floor toward the giant cat. Miltiades was trapped in the pool, if indeed he still lived at all.
Evaine screamed as the fiend's dark mind probed her own. It was trying to examine her soul and learn her secrets. The sorceress fought the probe, knowing the fiend's curiosity might serve to buy her time.
A clatter on the stairs crushed her hopes for finding a way out of this disaster. What new enemy or minion approached?
A bright blue light shimmered down the stairs. Within seconds, Evaine saw that the glow came from a gigantic warhammer held aloft by a blond man charging into the fray. On his heels was a red-haired woman in a flowing purple gown.
'Start singing your funeral march, bard!' the man shouted. He swung the hammer high overhead, releasing it toward the fiend. The blue radiance sailed cleanly through the air, thunking squarely into the fiend's chest.
The monster roared, dropping Evaine to the ground. Breathless, she crawled away quickly. Andoralson suddenly quit shrieking and thrashing.
The woman in purple began launching streams of violet energy at the beast. The blue glow of the hammer reduced the fiend's natural resistance, allowing the spells to tear into the monster.
Tanetal roared and bellowed as he faced his new attackers. He charged the blond cleric, swiping with his claws.
From his corner, Ren tried to shout a warning. 'Tarl! Shal! Look out for-' But the ranger was too weak. The words evaporated as he coughed and wheezed behind his broken ribs.
The purple wizard launched one more spell. But as the energy left her fingertips, she collapsed to the floor with a loud moan.
Tarl called the hammer back to his hand and began swinging at the fiend. The hammer bounced off the creature, sizzling as it struck the horny skin. But the fiend was barely slowed. It swiped with deadly talons, ripping four gashes into Tarl's arm.
Evaine lay on the stone, panting. She struggled to clear her mind from the monster's probe. There had to be a way to defeat this beast, but what was it? Why couldn't she grasp the answer?
Tarl shrieked as the fiend gripped him about the waist and lifted him off the ground.
'Not so fast, creature of darkness!' A deep voice shouted a warning to the pit fiend. A dripping Miltiades had crawled out of the murky liquid in the pool of darkness. Brittle was nowhere to be seen. As the beast turned to its new challenger, a skeletal hand splashed syrupy foam into its eyes.
Dropping Tarl to the hard stone, the monster clawed at its face, then turned to the paladin, laughing. 'Again you challenge me? Foolish creature! Come to me so I can swat you down like the pest you are! Look at your friends, all helpless! Let me squash you now so I can savor you with the rest of my prizes!
The paladin gritted his teeth and raised his sword. He stepped forward in determination.
Tarl regained his breath and clambered to his feet.
The pit fiend roared, rattling the entire chamber. Drawing itself to full height, the beast focused its gaze on Evaine. A low humming emanated from its throat. Twin beams of icy blackness shot from the fiend's eyes, engulfing the sorceress. Evaine thrashed and struggled to escape the beams, but she was trapped in the field of evil magic.
Her screams pierced the chamber. Tarl threw the Warhammer of Tyr at the fiend, but the monster barely twitched. Miltiades chopped at the beast, but his blade barely scratched its leathery hide. Evaine was losing the struggle. In the seconds since the magic had overtaken her, her hair became shot with gray and she appeared to age ten years. Her friends watched in horror, powerless to help her.
Andoralson struggled to his feet. 'In the name of Sylvanus! Release her, beast from the pit!' The druid threw himself between Evaine and the fiend. The beam of evil magic washed over the druid, engulfing him.
Evaine slumped to the floor. The others stood by as Andoralson aged before their eyes. His hair turned white and deep lines etched his face.
Evaine sat up abruptly to stare at the seemingly invulnerable monster that towered over her companions. The words of the succubus echoed in her ears-something about the creature's name. She had mentioned the first part of a clue, but what was the second part?
Evaine clambered to her feet, shouting at the pit fiend. 'Tanetal, creature from the pits of the Nine Hells, I command you in the name of all the true gods to return from whence you came! Tanetal, creature of darkness, I strip you of all powers on this plane! Tanetal, surrender your hold over others of this world and return to your dark abode!'
The pit fiend blinked, and the beams disappeared from its eyes. Andoralson lay twitching on the stone floor. Tanetal stood staring at the sorceress. Wisps of smoke floated up from the stone around it.
Miltiades and Tarl backed slowly away from the fiend, weapons still raised. The smoke rose thickly, engulfing the monster. Tanetal stood helplessly staring at his destroyer. 'No! You cannot send me back! I have powers, great powers! I-you-you may command me! Call me back and I will serve you humbly! We will grow strong with the powers of the pool! You do not know the power-'
The fiend's words were lost as a whorl of smoke engulfed it and the stone beneath its feet opened. The once-powerful beast was captured in a supernatural vortex, sucked into a plane of darkness. With a deafening rumble, the chamber shook, the stone floor closed, then all was silent. A final wisp of sulfurous vapor drifted to the ceiling.
The only sound in the chamber was the panting of the exhausted companions.
Andoralson lay silently on the stone. His hair had turned a ghastly white, and his skin was drawn and livid. Tarl ran to his aid, but too late. No sign of life was left in the druid.
Tarl bowed his head and began a prayer to Tyr.
'Sylvanus,' Miltiades called. 'He worshiped Sylvanus.'
Tarl nodded and prayed. 'He died nobly. His god will have favor on him,' he said after a time. The cleric lay his cloak over Andoralson's body.
Ren and Tarl finally looked up and stared at each other for a moment, then simultaneously voiced the same question. 'Where on Toril did you come from?' The two chuckled, then immediately Tarl ran to speak prayers of healing to mend his friend's broken bones. As Ren's strength returned, he briefly told Tarl of the past months he had spent searching for Phlan.
Evaine bolted to Gamaliel's side and knelt on the floor. She lifted his great head and cradled him in her lap. The cat whined faintly-he was badly wounded, but would survive. Ren had administered the healing potion in time to save the feline. Tears streamed down the wizard's face as she realized how close she had come to losing her beloved companion. All the magic in the world would not have brought him back.
Miltiades, still dripping with the murk of the pool, gently approached Shal. 'Do not be frightened of me, miss,' he began. 'May a warrior of Tyr offer assistance?' He knelt and offered a bony hand.
Shal looked up, the agony in her face masking her shock at his skeletal appearance. 'Tarl,' she whispered hoarsely. 'The baby. It's time.'
As Miltiades relayed the message, Tarl helped Ren to his feet and the pair staggered to Shal's side. Evaine stuffed a cloak under the cat's head and joined the cleric.
Tarl held Shal's hand and helped her stretch out on the floor. Evaine immediately called orders to Miltiades to gather cloaks, blankets, and her traveling pack. Gamaliel mustered the strength to creep over to Shal and lie next to her to keep her warm.
Evaine took charge. 'Okay, Shal. Relax, then clear your mind as if you're about to cast a powerful spell. Breathe deeply. The rest of you, keep quiet. She needs to concentrate. Tarl, kneel on the floor and let Shal lie against your lap.' The others did as they were told without question.
'There's not much anyone can do at this point. Nature knows best in these matters. But stay near-just in
