Descent into the Depths of the Earth

I’m the heir! Of coursethe key’s hidden in the palace. Dad and I were always looking after it.”

Jus angrily wiped his eyes and asked, “Who knew the key washere?”

“Dad, me… maybe Mom and Sis.” The girl shoved thesevered hand down the portable hole. “Now hurry! Get this mirror onto the lawnbefore Lolth comes through. There’s about a hundred million drow chargingstraight toward the gate!”

Escalla’s father appeared, looking stunned. He opened hishands and demanded an explanation.

Jus looked at the mirror-a vast heavy thing of silver, framedwith gold, and fixed to the wall. He gripped the frame and heaved, plaster cracking and exploding as he tore the mirror from the wall. With a roar, the huge man dragged the mirror free and held it above his head.

“Where to?”

“Grove of the planes!” Escalla cleared the way, bellowing atfaeries who had come swarming in droves toward the room. “Outta the way! Demongoddess comin’ through! Move-move-move!”

Jus leaped from the balcony, slamming to the grass a dozen feet below. With the huge mirror held above him, he charged through the hordes, who screamed in terror as one gargantuan spider leg began to probe slowly out of the mirror’s face. Jus jumped a fence and thundered into the plane tree grove atthe heart of the gardens.

Escalla whirred madly back and forth trying to look at every tree. She scrunched her fingers inside her hair and tried to think. More and more spider leg began to shove through the mirror. “Crap! Which tree? Whichtree?” One tree had pure white flowers. “This one!”

The mirror went clanging down to lean against a tree. Escalla hovered frantically beside the arch made by the branches of the pure white fruit tree.

“Jus, the sword! The tree is triggered only by something fromthe home plane!” Escalla recoiled from the mirror, screeching as Lolth poked herfront legs through. “Just the tip! Hurry! Hurry!”

Drawing his sword, the Justicar took aim, then sliced the blade in a blinding arc. There merest hair’s breadth of the tip whisked beneaththe archway, and instantly a glowing plane of force sparkled beneath the arch. With titanic spider legs shoving through the mirror, Jus picked the mirror up, roared like a giant, and hurled it toward the magic trees.

Lolth’s face emerged through the mirror, the demon screamingin anger as she finally caught sight of her prey. The scream turned to a wail of absolute despair and horror as the mirror shot through the archway and plunged straight into the plane of positive energy.

The mirror disappeared. Benelux gibbered, having lost a sixteenth of an inch from her tip. Jus and Escalla stared at the glowing magic archway and panted, watching blankly to make sure all was well.

“Well, that’s that!” Escalla seemed a tad dazed. “Guessthat’s Lolth unable to manifest for about a hundred weeks!”

Jus blinked. “Is that good?”

“It’s so-so.”

The tree suddenly shuddered violently, then shuddered again. The force field changed to fiery red, then shook as the whole tree almost tore itself out of the ground.

Cinders stiffened his tail and whined, Run bye bye now!

Jus coughed. “Can things get out that gate?”

“Like if all that energy in Lolth exploded?” Escalla driftedaway from the quaking tree. “Um, a strategic retreat is probably-”

Something blasted like a volcano deep inside the plane of elemental light. Jus turned and ran like hell, Escalla only slightly ahead of him. Behind them, the grove of plane trees exploded, trees blasting apart. Energy flashed, and suddenly there was nothing but a shiny-sided crater of molten glass fifty feet across where the grove had once stood. A cloud of flames rose into the sky, showering ashes across the staring faces of two thousand refugees and several hundred faeries.

Lurid red flames lit faerieland. Burning brands showered down over the palace and the gardens. Into the silence, Cinders’ voice carried toevery single ear as the hell hound breathed out in awe.

Spider go bang! The black dog wagged his tail. Hoopy.

24

By evening, things were calmer. Illusion spells covered theworst of the damage to Clan Nightshade’s palace, and Lord Nightshade and LordFaen had tended to the eighteen hundred and eleven surviving refugees. Wounds were tended, and a faerie feast had been prepared-a feast devoid of faeriewines, particularly vintage sixty- three.

Sitting at a huge campfire roasting a dozen giant frogs, the Justicar sat with Cinders at his side, watched in awe-stricken silence by countless nearby refugees. The pimple smothered boy and a half dozen survivors from Sour Patch all hovered in the shadows of the trees nearby, all looking for some way to do the big ranger a favor. Jus merely did what had to be done and tried to keep his temper as far too many hands tried to pass the salt.

Benelux lay bared across Cinders’ fur and had gone into ablubbering great sulk.

It’s a liberty! The female voice had kept its tiradegoing for at least half an hour. You could have killed me!

Jus spared the sword a hostile glare. “It was only the tip.”

That tip was shaped by a titan! Benelux wailed in loss.Where can we find a hand skilled enough to repair my damaged beauty?

Jus turned one of the frogs, which sizzled greasily above the campfire. “Faeries said they could fix it.”

Faeries? Benelux bridled. Are they properly qualified?

“I guess.”

Well, see to it that they are swordsmiths- notblacksmiths. The magic sword gave a sniff. I do not want myself pawed by just any faerie!

Jus sheathed the weapon and shut it up. For a few moments, peace reigned until Escalla came wearily traipsing down the hill.

She looked a little pale and worse for wear. She wore stockings, elbow-length gloves, and a bodice made of black silk with a skirt deliberately cut short from a faerie dress. Washed and scrubbed, she still looked like hell. The faerie kept one hand on her stomach as she walked into the light.

“Hey, boys.”

Hi! Cinders’ tail wagged a hello. Frog onna fire!

“Hoopy.” Escalla came over to sit upon the plush, soft hellhound fur. She leaned on her lich staff and looked plain tired. “Well, thetrial’s set for an hour from now. All the right invitations are out.”

Looking levelly at the faerie, Jus smoothed her a place at his side. “Have they tried to arrest you?”

“Killing Lolth tends to make people a tad nervous about yourpowers.” The girl gave a sour smile. “Heh. I’m still kind of officially underhouse arrest. They’ve sent out couriers to bring in the hunting teams.” Escallahelped herself to campside tea. “My sister and my mother are back. Not a wordsaid. Keeping to their rooms.”

“Of course.” The Justicar served Escalla food from the fire.“Is Clan Sable still here?”

“They will be. The faerie clans are coming here now.Apparently we’ve got King Oberon coming along as referee. Guess we’ve got anhour before show time.” Escalla looked down at her food then put a hand on herbelly. “Ooooh, I feel awful.”

“Really?” Jus looked at her. “Is the slowglass safe?”

“Yep.” Escalla looked a tad green. “I, ah, passed it in asevidence.”

An embarrassed silence reigned. The faerie realm was filled with the babble voices, the smell of campfires, and the sound of shocked people trying to convince themselves they were still alive. Faerie warriors watched over