Keith Baker - The Shattered Land

Lei considered this. “A foot across? But the dragon would have to be …” She trailed off, struggling to calculate sizes in her head.

“If you believe Master Sakhesh, it’s a scale of the god Aureon himself.”

“Oh!” Lei said. “They’re draconists!” The prospect seemed to cheer her.

“Care to explain that to us lowly soldiers?” Daine said.

“There’s a sect that claims that the Sovereigns walked the earth before they rose to the heavens,” Lei said. “The draconists say that these dragons were the mightiest children of Eberron and Siberys, and that after defeating the demons of Khyber they ascended to a higher state of being. I’ve never actually met a draconist, but I’ve seen a few of their icons.”

“It’s a belief that’s alive and well in Xen’drik,” Gerrion said. “They say Master Sakhesh hopes to become a dragon himself some day, and his faith is founded on greed. The dragon church is one of the oldest buildings of Stormreach; this is a hard land, and the first settlers relied on the magic of the priests for survival. The church has a proud history of extortion, and Maru Sakhesh is a great believer in tradition.”

Daine didn’t care if people cast the gods as dragons, humans, or fruit, but it seemed to make all the difference to Lei; this revelation had removed her doubts. “What’s our plan?”

“Gather around,” Gerrion said, “and I’ll tell you what to do.”

Gerrion did not accompany them into the church. The situation was plain enough to Daine; this wasn’t the first time that Gerrion had robbed this temple, and Sakhesh would not welcome him. Daine glanced over at Lakashtai. Much of this plan depended on her mental power, and in her weakened state she might not be up to the challenge. Her expression was serene, and if she had any doubts she hid them well.

A small antechamber led into the circular nave of the church. Benches filled the center of the chamber. Nine altars were spread along the walls, each altar placed beneath one of the crystal blocks in the walls; pink light filtered down through these crystal cubes. Traditionally, each altar would bear the symbol of one of the nine Sovereigns; here the altars were engraved with images of dragons, elaborately carved and inlaid with enamel and jewels. Daine was no expert on religion, but he knew that the central altar was typically dedicated to Aureon, and here it bore the image of a rearing blue dragon wreathed in lightning.

Do not speak . It was Lakashtai’s voice, quiet and clear. Too clear-there was no trace of an echo in the great hall. Think of me, and I shall hear your thoughts .

Great , Daine thought. I needed more voices in my head .

Who invited you? It was Lei’s voice. Wait-? Daine?

I have linked us all , came Lakashtai’s thought, and there was a strange burst of emotion like the mental equivalent of a frustrated sigh. Someone approaches, so do turn your attention to the task at hand .

The priest was tall and heavyset, a man used to good food and easy living. He wore a robe of black silk with a golden cowl, and colorful dragons danced along the hem.

“Travelers have come to the house of the Nine,” the priest said, his voice low and resonant. His golden hair was scented and oiled, but lines of age could be seen beneath the powder on his face. “Olladra smiles on us all to lead you to this place. I am Maru Sakhesh, and in this place I speak with the voice of the Sovereigns. I fear the midday service is hours away, and many of my acolytes have yet to arrive, but perhaps you have come in search of more -personal services.”

Daine had no idea what the old man was talking about, but something about this speech sent a shiver down his spine. The old man’s voice had power, but there was something fundamentally repellent about him. There was no emotion in his gaze, just cold calculation. This man might worship dragons, but looking into his eyes, Daine knew that to the priest he was no more significant than a worm.

“We have, good priest,” Lakashtai said. She met Sakhesh’s gaze, and Daine caught the faintest gleam of green light burning in her eyes. “We set sail tomorrow for the city of Trolanport. We have done well in our travels, and we wish to make offerings to Kol Korran and Olladra to thank them for their bounty and to ensure our safe return.”

She gestured at the empty air beside her, and for an instant Daine saw a host of servants, laden with coffers brimming with coins, gems and platters of rich foods. He blinked, and the image vanished.

“As you can see, we have brought a variety of goods,” Lakashtai continued. “Some we wish to sacrifice directly to the Sovereigns themselves, but it was our hope that you would guide us through the ritual of Olladra’s Feast-joining in the celebration, of course. Naturally, we would make a donation to the temple to compensate you for your time.”

Maru Sakhesh stared at the space she had indicated, and his eyes widened. “As Olladra wills!” he said cheerfully. “It is not my place to refuse her bounty.” He indicated a heavy wooden table at the very center of the chamber. “Let me sort through your goods, and then we can begin.”

It is done , came Lakashtai’s thoughts. He has a strong mind-I do not know how long I can maintain this vision. Move swiftly and as silently as possible. Sound may break the trance .

Sakhesh was inspecting the row of servants that existed only in his mind, sniffing at imaginary delicacies.

Pierce, Lei-you can both hear me? Daine thought. Affirmations quickly followed. Flail out, Pierce-if we encounter enemies, it will be close quarters. You take the rear. Lei, you’re with me. Watch floor and door for any sort of defenses. Any opposition, I want you back behind Pierce. Understood? Go!

There was a large wooden door at the far end of the room. Lei examined it and nodded. Daine grasped the door and pulled gently-there was the faintest creak of old hinges, but nothing the priest would hear over his loud conversation with Lakashtai and her imaginary companions. Daine ducked through, leading with the point of his sword, but there was no one on the other side-just a spiral staircase dropping down beneath the temple.

Daine gestured with his dagger, and Lei cautiously stepped past him, moving slowly down the stairs.

Normally, it would have been Pierce leading the way; the warforged was built for stealth and speed and could withstand the most punishment if it came to a battle, but Gerrion had warned them to expect magical countermeasures. As she made her way down the stairs, Lei cleared her mind of all stray thought. Her task was much like listening for a sound on the edge of hearing, a slight tone that an untrained listener would never notice. What she sought could not be caught with eye or ear. It was something that could only be felt in the mind: a shiver in the soul, the faintest trace of the unnatural in the air. It was beyond most people, but Lei had shaped flows of magical energy as a child, and she could she sense the world hidden in the shadows of reality.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs, stopping the others with a sharp gesture. Had she truly felt it, or was it just an echo in her imagination? She reached out with her thoughts, sending the faintest pulse of mystical energy through the air. Suddenly a web of pale blue light burst into view-a dizzying pattern of glowing lines and words in the script of dragons, forming a wide circle that completely blocked the narrow hallway.

Glyph , she warned the others. It was a spell frozen in time, waiting to unleash its power on any creature that passed over it. The seal could hold any number of unpleasant effects. It might paralyze its victim, explode in a burst of deadly fire, or summon a fiend to dispatch the intruder. Studying the walls and floor, Lei couldn’t see any scorch marks or signs of physical damage, so odds were good that the glyph wouldn’t explode-but there were many lethal effects that would leave no marks on the surroundings.