you!'
'No!' a voice screamed.
It was Beckla.
The wizard rushed toward him as he fell to his knees. She raised her hand. Something gold and crimson shone on her finger. 'Gate!' she cried. 'Open!'
As she spoke the words, a glowing square filled with billowing gray mist appeared before them. Deadly crimson magic crackled around Artek's tattoo. He arched his spine in agony. His heart jerked in his chest.
Filled as he was with pain, he almost didn't notice as Beckla grabbed his arm and thrust it into the shimmering gate. The wizard held his arm fast, keeping the magical portal from pulling Artek fully into its cold mists. Instantly, Artek's pain vanished. The fire in his arm turned to ice as his flesh melted away in the nothingness beyond. His heart gradually slowed to a steady pace. Finally, the wizard pulled his arm out of the swirling mists. The gate sizzled and vanished.
Artek stared at his arm in wonder. The tattoo still marked his flesh, but the crimson magic was gone, and the image no longer moved. Golden daylight spilled through the glass windows into the room. Dawn had come and he was still alive.
'What happened?' he asked in amazement.
Relief flashed in Beckla's brown eyes. 'Our bodies become incorporeal when we pass beyond a gate,' she explained. 'I figured that the tattoo's death magic couldn't work if there was no arm for it to travel up.'
'Good reasoning,' he murmured, flexing his arm.
'Lucky guess,' she replied with a smirk. 'The spell was set to work at a specific time. That time has passed. I think the magic has been negated. It's just a mundane tattoo now.'
Artek grinned at her. 'You're really not a bad wizard at all, you know.'
'And I'm going to get even better,' she said. From the pocket of her vest she pulled out a score of folded parchment sheets. 'I picked these up in the lair of the silversanns, in Trobriand's Graveyard. The spell-books there were all torn up, but some of their pages were still whole. Every one of these is a new spell, Artek, enough for years of study.' She carefully tucked the papers back into her vest. 'Maybe I won't ever be the greatest wizard in the city. But I'm well on my way to becoming a good one.'
Artek could only laugh in agreement. They stood up, looking to Corin. The nobleman, tears streaming freely down his dirty cheeks, turned away from Darien's corpse.
Artek's mirth was replaced by concern. 'Are you all right, Corin?' he asked quietly.
The young lord nodded, roughly wiping the tears from his cheeks. 'I am now-thanks to you, Artek. I won't ever let anyone tell me I'm worthless again.'
Artek said nothing. He reached out to grip Corin's shoulder. After a moment, he tousled the lord's hair. 'Don't you have a vote to be getting to?' he asked.
'As a matter of fact, I do,' Corin replied, suddenly beaming. He glanced down at his ragged clothes. 'I'm not exactly dressed appropriately, but it will have to suffice. I've decided that I really don't care if I please the other nobles or not.'
Beckla cast a sideways glance at Artek, then stepped toward the lord. 'Do you mind if I go with you, Corin?' she asked, her eyes shining.
Corin grinned shyly, then nodded. 'I would like that very much,' he replied gently, taking her hand in his.
Artek gaped at the two in shock. 'But I thought women always fell for the roguish type!' he sputtered.
Beckla winked slyly at him. 'Not in this story, Ar'talen. I need a dose of goodness in my life.'
Artek could only shake his head, his expression both chagrined and bemused.
'Oh, before I go,' Corin said, 'you should know that my first action in the Circle will be to recommend that a certain Artek the Knife receive a full pardon for all past crimes. The fellow will have a completely clean start.'
Artek looked up at the young man in surprise. 'He won't waste it,' he said.
Corin nodded solemnly. 'I know.'
Without further words, Corin and Beckla dashed from the room and out into the dawning streets. For a moment Artek stared after them, feeling terribly alone. He wondered how it was possible to feel so glad and so sorrowful at the same time. At last, with a sigh, he turned to leave.
'Hey!' a reedy voice piped up. 'Don't forget about me!'
Artek swore. How could it have possibly slipped his mind? He hurriedly knelt and picked up the skull. 'Muragh, are you all right?'
'I'm going to have a nasty headache,' the skull groaned. 'And believe me, when all you are is a head, headaches are no fun. But I’ll be all right.'
Artek grinned, his spirits rising. It looked as if he wasn't so alone after all. Picking up the skull, he headed outside. The city was just beginning to stir, getting ready for the day. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen so bright a morning.
'So,' Muragh said, his jaw working, 'did I ever tell you about the time the mermen in Waterdeep Harbor used me to play an impromptu game of finball?'
'No,' Artek laughed. 'But I'm sure you will.'
'Well,' the skull chattered happily, 'it all began when I had the misfortune of getting eaten by a swordshark…'
