Paul Kemp - Twilight Falling

"Well done," Azriim breathed.

Vraggen couldn't help but smile as he said, "Only one who wields the Weave behind the Weave can do what I have done."

"I know," said Azriim.

Vraggen turned to the bullywugs and in their tongue, which he could speak only through the power of his magic, he shouted, "Ramenos shows his favor to this tribe and I am consumed in his maw. Remain until the sign has passed, then go with the blessing of the Maw. Kill any others who appear."

The shaman and fat chieftain echoed Vraggen's words and the tribe croaked agreement.

"Come," Vraggen said to Serrin and Azriim. He turned to look down the shaft. "The Fane remains in each world for only a short while. What we seek is within."

"Indeed," Azriim said, and he smiled with his perfect teeth.

Despite the steep angle of the shaft, the footing within it was firm, the water somehow solid. Far below them, the Fane beckoned, itself seemingly situated on an invisible platform and surrounded by a dome of air. Its shadow guardians lurked at the bottom of the shaft, in the statue-littered courtyard before the great iron doors of the Fane's entrance. As they descended, the shaft closed behind them, and the shadows swarmed toward them.

"They will not harm us," Vraggen said to Azriim and Serrin as he led them downward. When they neared the bottom of the shaft, Vraggen announced to the guardians, "I am a servant of the hidden power, the Weave behind the Weave, Shar's darkness to Selune's light and Mystra's folly. I will pass."

The shadows parted as had the water. They stood on an invisible disc, surrounded by a dome of air. Vraggen savored the moment. Around them, the statues of a hundred gods from a hundred worlds looked on.

Vraggen walked through the courtyard to the doors. He put his hand to the iron pull ring and heaved open the door.

The forest floor sloped downward and grew increasingly soft as they moved through the Gulthmere. After a time, the thick stands of pines and cedars gave way to brooding cypresses. Pools of stagnant water dotted the undergrowth, increasingly common as they moved along. A pungent organic smell wafted from the water.

"It is well for you that this was a dry spring," Magadon said. "Otherwise, these ponds would be more like lakes, and the ground nothing but a muddy swamp."

Even in the scant illumination from Jak's bluelight wand, Cale could see that the swamp was no real swamp at all. Rather, it was just a lowland area within the forest that was dotted with pools-the Gulthmere's drain.

Still, the air felt different, thick, oily. Some evil slept there, Cale was sure of it.

Jak pulled at his sleeve and said, "Your sword."

Cale nodded. He knew. He held his blade unsheathed in his good hand and wisps of darkness played along its length. Ever since they'd passed the border stones, it had been bleeding shadows.

"The sphere …" Cale began

". . transformed it," Jak finished, nodding. He eyed the wisps of shadow swirling around Cale's hand and forearm. "They don't hurt, do they? Do you feel yourself?''

Cale went to put his hand on Jak's shoulder and instead thumped him with his stump. Jak grimaced, but Cale forced a smile.

"What's left of me feels like myself, little man."

Jak's eyes were pained. "There's magic that can fix that, Cale," he said, indicating Cale's wrist.

"That's for later," Cale said. "For now, let's do what we came to do."

Jak nodded and they continued following Magadon and Nestor.

Midnight arrived-Cale felt it-and still they had not reached the Moonmere. He feared they would not arrive in time to stop Vraggen.

"Magadon," Cale prodded, "we need to move!"

The guide, standing with Nestor atop a low rise about half a spearcast ahead, hissed for silence and sank to the ground. He lowered himself to his stomach and waved everyone down. Cale, Jak, and Riven hit the earth and crawled forward.

When he reached the top of the rise, Cale saw what had given the guide alarm: torchlight in the distance, and a strange, pulsing ochre glow. With each pulse of the light, Cale felt a pressure on his ears.

"Do you feel that?" he asked Jak.

"I feel it."

Due to distance and intervening stands of cypress and undergrowth, Cale could make out no more.

"The Moonmere is just beyond the tree line," Magadon said. "Those torches burn near its shore. Your enemies are on guard, it appears."

"Where is the temple?" Cale asked Magadon.

Magadon looked at him strangely and said, "There is no temple here, Cale."

Cale didn't even pause. "Yes there is. Jak?"

"I'll scout it," the halfling said as he took out his holy symbol.

Cale gripped him by the shoulder and warned, "As fast as possible, little man. Midnight is past. Find Vraggen. If not, find the temple and find us a way in."

"Not more than a quarter hour," Jak said, and he vanished into the forest.

As promised, the halfling returned in less than a quarter hour.

"It's me," he said, and stepped from the shadows.

Already, he had his pipe in hand. Shielding the flame with his palm, he lit it with a tindertwig.

"Well?" Riven asked.

Jak blew out a smoke ring and said, "About thirty bullywugs, arranged in a line about forty paces from the lakeshore. They've got a priest with them. They appear to be waiting for something."

"Did you find the Fane?" Cale asked.

"Yes," Jak answered, and his brow furrowed. "But that's the problem. It's in the lake."

"There's nothing in that lake," Magadon said. "It's a pit."

"It's there," Jak said, and he took another pull on his pipe.

"So we'll swim to it," Riven said.

"No," Jak replied. "I mean it's in the Lake. Underwater. Deep underwater. That green glow is coming from it. You can see the Fane down there if you look from the shore right in front of the bullywugs. It's like it's just.. hanging there, surrounded by a giant bubble."

"Even if we could swim to it," Nestor grumbled, "and even if it's got a bubble of air around it, how can we hold our air long enough to swim down there? The halfling said it's a long way down." The big human looked to Magadon. "Mags, this cannot be done. Let's take our payment and go."

Cale said nothing. He couldn't blame the big man but would welcome Magadon's presence. Riven stared contempt at Nestor.

Magadon considered. He looked to Cale and Riven.

"Why not wait?" the guide asked. "If you seek someone who is within, he'll come out sooner or later. You can move on him then."

Cale replied, "No. The mage we're after must be stopped before he gets what he seeks. Besides, this quarry does not need to exit through doors. If we don't stop him now, we may never see him again."

Magadon still looked uncertain.

"They got in," Cale said to him. "And they need to breathe. So there's a way. We'll find it." He paused before adding, "With or without you."

Magadon looked up sharply, but his hard look quickly gave way to a smile.

"With us, then," he said. "Come, Nestor. You need to bathe anyway."

Cale couldn't help but smile at that. Jak chuckled. Nestor looked angry.

Of Jak, Cale asked, "You scout a way past the bullywugs?"

Jak took another pull on his pipe then answered, "Easy. All we need to be is quiet and I'll get us right to the shore."

"Good," Cale said. "Let's move."

Crouched at the edge of the tree line, Cale eyed the bullywugs. At least thirty strong, they stood in a ragged line about a spearcast from the Lightless Lake. The green skin of the froglike humanoids glistened in the light of their torches. Except for an occasional croak, they stood in near silence, watching the lake, watching the glow from the Fane. Their shaman, adorned about his neck with a brace of humanoid skulls and wearing a shirt of reptilian scales, swayed to music that only he could hear.