pawing at a slash in its vaporous belly. It wheeled about in midair.
And charged back toward Ancilla and Tarscenian.
'Sederai donitan!' Ancilla chanted. She shoved Tarscen-ian aside and stood alone against the monster's charge.
The cloud creature swallowed her whole. Where Hed-erick's sister had stood only moments ago, now there was… nothing.
Chaos prevailed for a few moments before the temple guards and Hederick's goblins regained their senses. By the time the High Theocraf s minions recovered and could begin forcing their way through the panicked people, Tarscenian was out the gate and racing toward the vallen-woods.
Chapter 7
The temple guards had no chance against Tarscenian's advantage of surprise, and his magic gave him even better odds of eluding them.
The leather-clad goblins and the blue-and-yellow-arrayed guards raced after the sound of running feet that seemed to be pounding toward Solace. Thanks to an effec shy;tive illusion on Tarscenian's part, the guards followed only sounds. His pursuers were certain they would catch up with their elusive quarry around each bend in the Solace road, only to find when they rounded a corner that he was still beyond their line of sight.
Meanwhile, Tarscenian lay in an outcropping of ferns near the temple.
Ancilla was dead.
After five decades fighting Seekerism together, they had ultimately failed. Hederick was High Theocrat, and was fully convinced of his own divine destiny. He was stronger and more powerful than ever, seemingly invincible. Forty white-robed mages were doomed to slow deaths within the bark of as many vallenwoods. Worse, the people of Krynn now stood helpless against the evil of Hederick and his Seekers.
'Farewell, my dear Ancilla,' Tarscenian whispered. 'I will never forget-'
I am here, my love.
Tarscenian leaped to his feet, drew his sword, and dropped into ready position. Then the realization came over him that he recognized the faint voice. He forced himself to take a deep breath.
After more than fifty years with the female mage, one would think nothing could surprise him anymore.
Tarscenian peered through the trees. 'I feared the worst, Ancilla,' he murmured. 'I feared you were-' He stopped talking, surveyed the scene again curiously.
There was no sign of anyone. And especially no sign of an eighty-year-old, white-robed wizard.
The voice whispered again, and Tarscenian realized he heard it inside his head.
Even with the powers of two score mages, I could not defeat him. The Diamond Dragon is stronger than I'd ever thought possible, Tarscenian. By Paladine! I thought forty mages would be enough. Now-
'Ancilla,' Tarscenian snapped impatiently, interrupting her. 'Where in the reaches of the endless Abyss are you, woman?'
I tried to place a binding spell on Hederick. I had the power of forty mages, after all. Have you heard of a binding spell, Tarscenian?
Of course he had, although casting such a spell was far beyond his carnival-level powers. A binding spell could pluck something or someone out of one reality to be dropped at the whim of the spellcaster into another one.
So now I'm right where I'd hoped to put Hederick. And the spell has left me too weak to reverse it myself. Not without the Diamond Dragon. I…
'Where are you?' Tarscenian repeated. 'I can barely hear you, Ancilla.'
Within the vallenwood trunk, back in the courtyard of the temple. lam trapped'.
The old man sat back down in the ferns and contem shy;plated this news. 'Be calm, my love,' he said at last. 'At least you are alive. Thank Paladine for that.'
I will do what I can to help you from here, Tarscenian, but the battle, I fear, belongs to you now.
'Must we use only magic?'
What other means do you suggest we use? The Seeker 'gods' have corrupted my brother's mind and confuse his thoughts; you know he will not listen-
Tarscenian interrupted angrily. 'Couldn't we simply wait until Hederick leaves the temple and waylay him? Let me do it, Ancilla. I am old but still strong. I assure you I would enjoy the task.'
We have argued about this before, Tarscenian.
'Please. I can easily kill him if the opportunity presents itself. One quick thrust… I promise you he will not suf shy;fer.'
Stop! I will not have Hederick harmed. I made an oath-/ swore never to physically hurt him. If I cannot halt him here and now, his own greed and ambition will eventually take care of him-but I must stop him from doing irreparable harm to the world. Tarscenian, lam afraid.
'He's dangerous. Let me…'
He is dangerous because he is weak but believes himself strong. It is not his fault, Tarscenian; his wrongheadedness is born of pain. It could play powerfully into the wrong hands.
'Ancilla…'
I fear the evil goddess will make much use of Hederick.
Nonetheless, Tarscenian, I swore an oath to my brother.
'Hederick despises you, Ancilla. I could dispatch him with a quick thrust of steel. He'd not hesitate to do the same to you, you know that. For your sake, I'd make sure it was instantaneous, which is more than he'd grant you.'
No, Tarscenian. I cannot renege on such an oath.
'Let me follow him, at least, and divine where he keeps the Diamond Dragon. I will try to steal it back for you.'
We have tried that. You are a crafty illusionist, my love, but you have no skills as a thief. And Hederick knows what you look like now.
'I could hire a thief.'
We have tried that, too. Many times. But perhaps Solace thieves are more adept than those we have engaged in the past. Do that-hire one. It is something, anyway.
Tarscenian's thoughts shifted. 'We were not able to save the woman Crealora.'
We eased her passage to the next world. She felt little pain.
'But she died!'
The woman is with Paladine, my friend. She is away from the pain of this world. It is not our place to wish her back.
Tarscenian did not reply. This time it was Ancilla's turn to offer comfort.
Don't despair, my love. Lie low until the guards stop looking for you, and then find us a ring of thieves. I will do what I can from here. I still have a few ways to annoy my brother, never fear. Perhaps I cannot stop him permanently, but surely I can make his life miserable.. as he has made mine.
Chapter 8
The high Theocrat changed into a fresh robe after the execution and turned his sullied garment over to a novitiate for burning. Then Hederick headed straight for the Great Chamber. He sent Dahos and the others away, then clos shy;eted himself to prepare for the evening revelations.
He may have defeated one of the greatest mages ever, but routine was sacred. Seeker gods did not tolerate slop-piness.
Everything in the Great Chamber was out of place today, of course. It always was this way, despite repeated
