The Cloakmaster Cycle - The Radiant Dragon Part 13

"There is a legend from Toril, from a time when humankind was still young, its cities and civilizations still centuries in the future. A certain magical land, a group of living islands, wasbesieged by an alliance of evil dragons. These creatures attacked not only the elven, fairy, and animal populations, but the good dragons as well. Soon only a handful of the magical fairy dragons still drew breath, and even the powerful silver dragons seemed destined to follow them into extinction.

"Then an elven warrior, an adventurer named Raven Stormwalker, gathered an army from the far-flung elven kingdoms. She was a fierce fighter, a master of the bow and broadsword, and she had an uncanny ability to rally her troops. Under her banner came a score of races, including good and even neutral dragons. The evil dragons were driven from the island, but Raven Stormwalker was grievously wounded in the final battle. She was carried away by a gold dragon whom she had befriended, and from thence she pa.s.sed into folklore. She was not seen again, and although there were rumors and legends, no one learned what her true end was."

Teldin ma.s.saged his aching temples. "A point," he pleaded.

"Raven Stormwalker was a moon elf of exceptional beauty," Vallus continued, as if he had not heard the man. "She wore her night-black hair in plaits that fell to her knees.

Her most striking feature, however, was her mismatched eyes. One was gold, the other silver. The good dragons considered this a favorable omen, I believe." Vallus paused to let the import of this sink in. "It goes against elven culture to name someone after a hero or a historic figure. I have every reason to believe there is only one Raven Stormwalker."

Teldin opened his eyes cautiously. "Wait a minute. You think your Raven Stormwalker and mine are one and the same?"

"Yours, is she?" Vallus asked sharply.

Teldin flapped one hand in a vague, helpless gesture. "A figure of speech, that's all."

"I hope so," Vallus mused, looking deeply disturbed. He gazed at Teldin with somber eyes.

"There is more to my tale, and it gets more disturbing. Have you noticed that the dracons all but genuflect before her, and the dogged perseverance with which the aperusa pursues her? You should have seen her holding court in the mess at dawnfry. Almost without exception the crew is quite taken with her."

"So? Maybe they share your fascination with elven history," Teldin said with heavy sarcasm.

"No." Vallus shook his head emphatically. "The legend of Raven Stormwalker is well known to all dragon races-including dracons-but, except for Toril's elves, few who are not scholars or historians know it."

"Enough about this thrice-d.a.m.ned legend," Teldin snapped, getting unsteadily to his feet.

"How an you tell a tale like this with a straight face? How old would she have to be? One thousand years? Two?"

"Four," the elf said softly.

Teldin's eyebrow flew up. "Do elves live that long?"

"Not normally, no."

"Then how-"

"She's not an elf!"

The wizard's shout shocked Teldin into silence. Vallus composed himself quickly and continued in a softer tone. "Even four thousand years ago, some s.h.i.+ps traveled the stars. I believe that Raven Stormwalker took to the stars and met some mishap. She became a survivor. Do you know that term?" When Teldin shook his head, Vallus continued. "A being who is set adrift in the phlogiston does not necessarily die. Some remain in a suspended state for centuries, floating in the rainbow rivers until rescued by some well-meaning fool."

"I've no idea how you came up with this," Teldin observed with honest astonishment.

"How, then, do you explain her appearance? Her antique weapons? Even her name?" Vallus asked sharply.

Teldin gave a helpless shrug. "Look, I'll admit that there's more to Raven Stormwalker than meets the eye, but this theory of yours is beyond belief. Even if-and that's a very big if-you're right about this, what's the harm of it?"

"A survivor changes," Vallus said quietly. "It becomes an altered demihuman driven by insatiable hungers. To make up for centuries of sensory deprivations, she will take over the minds of every member of the crew, draining us of thought and emotion and intellect like a vampire drains his victims of blood. Not to think, not to know," he concluded softly. "It would be the worst kind of living death."

Teldin laughed outright, earning a shocked look from the wizard. "I'm sorry, Vallus, but I justcan't believe any of this."

"Oh no? It's happening already. Remember yesterday in the bridge? When we asked her why she took to the stars, she gave my answer. She took it from my mind."

"Actually, Vallus, it just might mean you two have something in common," Teldin suggested with false gravity. "Are you in the market for a Mistress Leafbower?"

The elf chose to ignore his gibe. "The aperusa's obsession with her is not normal, and the dracons haven't been themselves since she came on board. Those three have had the most contact with her. I fear for you, Teldin Moore," he said earnestly, "and I fear what would happen to the cloak if she were to hold you in thrall. Next to the power of a survivor, the effect of Rianna Wyvernsbane's charm spell would be nothing."

Teldin sucked in a sharp, surprised gasp. For a long moment he felt as if someone had gut-punched him. No matter how upset Vallus Leafbower might be, the reference to Rianna was unforgivably tactless. Teldin nodded pointedly toward the cabin door.

"I'll give your words all the consideration they deserve," he said coldly.

"Not enough," Vallus insisted. "Any delay could be disastrous. She must leave the s.h.i.+p at once."

Teldin cast a glance at the cabin porthole. The rainbow hues of the phlogiston tumbled by in lazy, random patterns. Out there was vast s.p.a.ce and unimaginably brilliant color, but nothing else. "How do you proposed to accomplish that?" he asked. "We're several days from any port, and we haven't a small craft to spare."

"Jettison her," Vallus said firmly. "It's that or lose everything we are."

Teldin stared at the elven wizard, utterly horrified. He shook his head in disbelief, then, without a word, he yanked on his boots and strode from the cabin.

Left alone, Vallus sank wearily onto the cabin's only chair. If the human was coming under the sway of a survivor, Vallus would have to take the cloak after all. The elven wizard dropped his head in his hands, and for several long moments he mourned for Teldin Moore and for the loss of his own freedom.

Teldin came on deck just in time to see the damselfly touch down. A small crowd was gathering around the spindly, insectlike craft, and the elves had their weapons handy. The ever-curious dracons were there, of course. Teldin also spotted Estriss in the crowd and hurried over to him. He had not seen the illithid for several days; Estriss had kept to his cabin and had declined visitors.

"What's going on here?" he asked the illithid.

The damselfly appeared, suddenly, just outside of the swan s.h.i.+p's air envelope, Estriss informed him. Teldin noted that the illithid's mental voice seemed somehow edgy, agitated. They raised the flag for s.h.i.+p in distress and then landed. It all happened so suddenly that there was no time to summon you or Vallus.

Before Teldin could speak, the door of the craft swung open and a lone arcane, bent almost double to keep his blue domed head clear of the door, ducked through the too-small opening. The creature awkwardly descended the rope ladder to the deck. He unfolded himself to his full twelve-foot height, then spread his six-fingered blue hands to show he was without weapons. "I am called Npamta. We mean you no harm. We come seeking trade," the arcane said in the oddly expressionless voice Teldin had come to a.s.sociate with the race.

A second figure exploded from the craft, disdaining the ladder and landing on deck beside the arcane with a clank of armor. Immediately elven steel flashed as the crew circled the newcomer, an exotically beautiful female warrior dressed in plate armor and intricate body paint. The woman glared defiantly at the elven warriors. "Where's the dragon?" she demanded.

A lakshu. Estriss's words formed in Teldin's mind, holding a touch of wonder and excitement.

You might meet a reigar after all. The snake bracelet on her forearm is a shakti, a sign that she is pledged in service to a reigar.

The arcane edged away from the lakshu and s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably. "What my, er, a.s.sociate means to say is that we're seeking an artifact of great power. The creature who wields it is not necessarily a dragon. It can take whatever form it wills," the arcane explained hastily. "Whatever the case, I will pay dearly for the artifact."Teldin tensed, his hand going to the clasp of his cloak. He'd received such offers from the arcane before, but never one that began like this. The magical garment gave him the ability to change his face and form, and although he'd never tried so drastic a change as a dragon, he supposed it was possible. Perhaps one of its previous owners had done so. "The cloak is not for sale," he said firmly.

"Cloak? What cloak?" The arcane blinked, then stunned realization dawned on its blue face.

"You are Teldin Moore, I take it? This is an unexpected turn of events. I have heard of your cloak."

Then the cloak is not the artifact you seek? Estriss asked sharply.

"Stick to the point," snapped the female warrior, not hearing the illithid's mental question. She strode forward through the circle of elven blades, batting them aside as easily as another woman might tear through a cobweb. Teldin motioned for the elves to hold peace. She came toe-to-toe with Teldin and glared down at him. "You in charge here?"

"I am," he said.

"Good. I want the dragon. That's all. All you have to do is point her out to me, and I'll do the rest," she said.

For some reason, Teldin remembered his first encounter with Raven Stormwalker and the fleeting image of a dragon he had seen on her face. Now that he thought about it, the perception had all the earmarks of the flashes the medallion brought him. Was it possible that Raven once had owned the cloak? Had she met the lakshu while in a dragon form? Perhaps before losing the cloak she had taken the form of Raven Stormwalker, and had somehow became stuck with it. It was an odd theory, but it was certainly easier to swallow than Vallus's explanation. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Trivit slip away from the crowd and hurry below deck, undoubtedly to warn Raven of the fearsome newcomer.

"Well?" snapped the warrior, impatient with the man's delay.

"I'm sorry," Teldin said, flas.h.i.+ng the woman his best smile, "but dragons seem to be in short supply on this s.h.i.+p."

"It could have taken any form," added the arcane. "You will know the creature by the pendant it wears, an antique gold piece set with a dark sapphire. Have you seen such a piece?"

"I'm sorry, no," Teldin said firmly.

"But the artifact is on this s.h.i.+p, of that I'm sure," protested the arcane, its blue face wrinkling in an expression of petulance.

How do you know this? Estriss broke in, broadcasting his words this time so that all could hear them.

The lakshu sniffed. "When the dragon was a reigar, this obsequious blue b.a.s.t.a.r.d couldn't kiss her pendant often enough."

The meaning of the warrior's cryptic statement hit Teldin like an icy fist. The fal had spoken of other artifacts, objects with powers similar to those of his cloak. The arcane was a wizard-he'd have to be to propel the damselfly-so he could track such an object. Teldin cast a quick glance at Estriss, wondering whether the illithid had come to the same conclusion. Estriss's expressionless eyes gave no indication of his thoughts.

Teldin took control of the situation. "You raised the distress flag to gain access to the swan s.h.i.+p. Is this how you usually do business?"

"Our apologies," the arcane said, his voice utterly without regret. "A necessary deception. The s.h.i.+p is perfectly functional."

"Couldn't hurt to check her over, though," put in Om. The tiny gnome woman had edged her way through the growing crowd to Teldin's side, and she eyed the damselfly with a disturbing degree of fascination. Her ubiquitous wrench glinted in her brown hand.

Teldin placed a restraining hand on the gnome's shoulder, and turned to address the arcane.

"I have no knowledge of the object you seek."

"Forget the pendant," growled the lakshu. She leaned in closer, her eyes glinting. "I want the dragon."

"You've made that quite clear," Teldin said coolly. "Now I'll be equally frank. You have boarded this s.h.i.+p under false pretenses, and by your battle garb and demeanor you threaten my crew. I want you off the swan s.h.i.+p immediately."

The lakshu glared, then shrugged. "Your funeral. Maybe you'd sing a different song if you knew that the last crew who sailed with the dragon is floating through Realms.p.a.ce in bits and pieces.""Viper!" protested the arcane. The lakshu shot him an unrepentant glare, then folded her muscled arms and defied Teldin with her eyes.

"Realms.p.a.ce?" Teldin asked. Viper gave one curt nod. "It seems we may have a something to talk about after all," he said slowly. "I will gather the s.h.i.+p officers and meet you on the bridge in an hour. Since there are no dragons to slay on this s.h.i.+p, perhaps you would consider removing your battle armor before the meeting?" He gestured to the wary, armed elves. "It puts the crew off."

Viper considered the offer. She whipped off her helmet, to reveal rows of tightly braided, vibrantly green hair. The end of each tiny braid was decorated with colored beads, and the flamboyant style complemented the warrior's unusual beauty. Her face was broad, defined by high, sharp cheekbones, fierce black eyes, and green brows that slanted sharply up at the corners.

"Armor or no, if I find the dragon, she's dead," Viper growled. Despite her harsh words, the lakshu's tone offered a concession.

"That sounds perfectly reasonable," Teldin agreed with a touch of sarcasm. Deal made, he pointed to the first mate. "Gaston, post a guard to protect our guests from pa.s.sing dragons. The rest of you, return to your stations."

Teldin left the strange duo in the care of the elven warriors and went in search of Vallus Leafbower. As soon as most of the crew members had drifted away, Estriss glided silently up to the damselfly. Projecting his thoughts to the arcane and the lakshu, he said, If you wilt trust me, I believe I can help you both obtain what you desire.

The anger Teldin felt over Vallus's callous att.i.tude toward Raven had not faded, but Teldin felt that the wizard should hear about the new developments immediately. If Teldin's suspicions were right, the quest for the Spelljammer could be more difficult than either of them had dreamed. Not only would Teldin have to battle and evade the many who would take the cloak from him, but he might also have to overcome other potential captains. If Raven Stormwalker was one of these, if she did have the pendant the arcane sought, why else would she be on board but to destroy him?

To Teldin's surprise, Vallus was quite willing to discard his own theory in favor of Teldin's. In fact, the elf seemed relieved to discard the notion that Raven might be a "survivor." He agreed, however, that the moon elf would have to be watched carefully.

"Our more immediate concern is the lakshu," Vallus observed. "If Raven does indeed possess another ultimate helm, I'm a.s.suming she used it to take the form of Viper's reigar master. If that is true, the lakshu is looking for vengeance and will not willingly leave the s.h.i.+p until she is satisfied. Even one lakshu can do a great deal of damage, I'm afraid."

"I don't plan to hand Raven-or whoever she is-over to the lakshu," Teldin said firmly. "I know what it is to be hounded for the cloak."

The sound of a m.u.f.fled explosion interrupted their conversation, and Teldin and Vallus quickly made their way to the main deck. The damselfly was gone, and where the s.h.i.+p had stood lay the bodies of the three guards Gaston Willowmere had posted. They had died quickly and silently, their throats cut before any of them could draw a weapon.

The lakshu," Vallus explained to Teldin. a.s.suming that the revenge-bent warrior would stay aboard the swan s.h.i.+p until she found what she sought, the elven wizard sent teams of heavily armed elves out to search the s.h.i.+p for her.

They found Viper-or what was left of her-in the cargo hold. A blast of enormous power had gone through her armor and body, leaving little more than shattered ribs and a few shards of steel and flesh. In stark contrast to her ravaged body, her beautiful, sharp-boned face was untouched.

Her eyes were wide, but the fierce glare had faded with death. Beyond the hollow sh.e.l.l of the lakshu was a black-edged hole in the wall of the s.h.i.+p. Clearly visible through it were swirls of green and purple phlogiston that curled around the far side of the swan s.h.i.+p's air envelope.

Teldin's gut twisted at the sight, but Vallus knelt to examine the body and the damaged wall with dispa.s.sionate interest. "A spell of unusual power," he mused. "This is beyond our wizards.

None could summon a spell in time to stave off a lakshu's attack. Who could have done such a thing?"

Hectate Kir could, Teldin thought with horror. He recalled the ball of force that Hectate in hisbionoid form had thrown at the band of attacking elves. It would have taken something that powerful to do the type of damage they saw before them. As logical as the conclusion was, Teldin found he could not believe it. "The arcane?" he suggested weakly.

Vallus shook his head. "Not likely. The damselfly took off before the attack on the lakshu, I believe. Once the arcane realized he was unlikely to acquire either artifact, he probably saw no need to stay. I'm guessing the lakshu insisted on staying behind to seek out her revenge. She has not been long dead."

The elf rose slowly to his feet and ordered a second search. He and Teldin first questioned Raven Stormwalker, but Chirp and Trivit fervently swore that she had never left their shared cabin.

Frustrated but unable to refute the dracons' claim, they carefully questioned the rest of the crew.

Om noted that Estriss had gone up to speak to the arcane, so they sought out the illithid to see what light he might shed on the matter. Estriss, however, was nowhere to be found.

After much discussion, Vallus concluded that the illithid, who possessed magical abilities far beyond those of most of his kind, had killed the lakshu and gone off with the arcane. No one could fathom why. The illithid had been strangely elusive since the trip to Evermeet.

Deeply shaken by Estriss's desertion, Teldin returned to his cabin to think the matter over. He entered and stopped short; someone had been in the cabin and had left the lid of his sea chest open. Curious, he stepped closer and peered down. In the chest, next to a book he'd borrowed from Vallus several days earlier, was a small figurine.

The piece obviously was very old, and it depicted a creature fas.h.i.+oned on tripart.i.te lines, holding in each of its three hands a familiar three-petaled flower. Teldin flipped over a corner of his cape and looked closely at the elusive pattern woven into the silk lining. The flowers were identical. Was this statue, obviously a souvenir of Estriss's endless hunt for the Juna, some sort of parting gift?

Teldin could not bring himself to touch the strange figurine. Feeling oddly betrayed, he swallowed hard and raked both hands through his hair. Just when he had laid to rest his doubts over Estriss's strange behavior, the illithid had left without a word.

Teldin retrieved a bottle of sagecoa.r.s.e from the sea chest, then he quietly closed the lid. Filled with a sense of despairing recklessness, he went in search of his new drinking companion.

As Teldin made his way down to Raven Stormwalker's quarters, he noted that he still had no idea who or what she might be, or what she wanted from him. At the moment, that hardly mattered. In Teldin's current frame of mind, those doubts put her on an equal footing with any of his most trusted friends.

Chapter Twelve.

"How could such a thing happen?" thundered the scro general.

"There is a certain, unavoidable delay in getting information from the elven swan s.h.i.+p. Since our last dispatch, it seems that the human, Teldin Moore, changed the s.h.i.+p's destination from Lionheart to Radole," K'tide said. "It was most unexpected."