Don Bassinghtwaite - The Binding Stone

Dah'mir's other hand made another gesture and a soft, ugly word passed between his lips. The claw swooped around abruptly and slid through Geth's chest.

The shifter gasped and staggered as a terrible ache seized his joints and nausea worse than he'd felt even on Vennet's ship wracked his guts. His skin burned with a sudden fever heat. His vision blurred-he could only just make out the spectral claw as it drifted away from him, then faded into nothingness. He blinked, straining against a growing brightness in the air.

Medalashana was watching him with naked glee, Dah'mir with distant interest. Ashi seemed to wear an expression of anger and disgust.

The room spun around him. Geth stumbled under Natrac's weight, then reeled sideways, blinded by the light and disoriented by fever. He tried to focus his thoughts. The hole in the floor. Escape. The water under Zarash'ak was horrible, but the idea of dropping dead from whatever plague-curse Dah'mir had placed on him was worse. He staggered forward, one step after the next.

The ache in his joints seemed to penetrate all the way into his bones. A mewling whine crawled out of his throat as he stumbled again and a horrible thought wrapped around him. He wasn't going to make it…

He pitched forward and fell-fell until he splashed into darkness and water's cool embrace.

Ashi looked away as the shifter plunged into the foul waters below Zarash'ak. She heard a splash and then silence. Both the shifter and the half-orc would sink and drown. Her gut clenched and she fought to keep anger and disgust from her face. It was wrong for such a strong and powerful warrior to be struck down without a chance to defend himself. To die as Ner had died…

The raw strength of her hidden emotions drew the attention of Medala. The woman stiffened and wheeled toward her. "Dah'mir!" she seethed. "Your savage disapproves!"

Dah'mir lifted his handsome face and raised an eyebrow. "Do you, Ashi?"

The hunter ground her teeth together, trying to guess what best to say, then simply spoke what was in her mind. "He was a good enemy, Revered," she said. "For an outclanner, he showed bravery and commitment to his friends, too. He deserved to die fighting."

Medala's face twisted in a vile grin and she barked out a coarse laugh. Dah'mir's lips pulled into a shallow smile as well. "He was fighting me, Ashi," he said. "Is that less of a challenge than facing you over steel?"

Ashi's fist tightened. She said nothing for a moment, then bowed her head. "No, Revered," she admitted.

Dah'mir's smile grew deeper.

"Ashi, haven't I always said you are as bright as you are strong?" He folded his hands and paced across the room to her, Medala stalking along at his heels. Ashi felt her captive stiffen in her grasp as he approached. By her feet, the blond wizard stirred again. The hunter quickly put a foot down hard on the small of his back.

Dah'mir ignored him to examine the woman, taking her chin in one hand and forcing her head up. Her breath quickened as she met Dah'mir's green gaze. "Ah," the pale man murmured softly, "you just can't help yourself, can you?" Dah'mir's hand fell away. "You can let her go, Ashi. She won't go anywhere."

Dandra released her hold cautiously, but the woman did nothing more than turn to stare at Dah'mir with doe-eyed fascination.

Beneath Ashi's foot, the wizard shifted and struggled to climb to his feet. He twisted around to glare at Dah'mir. "Twelve bloody moons!" he cursed, outrage on his face. "What have you done to her, fiend?"

Dah'mir stepped back sharply, gesturing for Ashi to let him rise. She reached down and dragged the squirming man to his feet, but kept a tight grip on him. Dah'mir moved back in front of him. Unlike the woman, the wizard didn't succumb to Dah'mir's mere presence-but Dah'mir didn't seem surprised or bothered by that. He simply gave the wizard a level look. "This is how it will be," he said. "You will come with us. If you attempt to use magic, I will know and I will give you to Medala."

He lifted one finger and Medala's eyes blazed. The sound of a chime seemed to ring in Ashi's mind. In her hands, the wizard's body tensed as tight as a bowstring and he screamed. Dah'mir's finger fell, but the chime and the wizard's screams both continued to ring in Ashi's ears. Medala stared at the man like a dolgrim stared at a wounded rabbit. "Medala!" Dah'mir spat.

The sound of the chime broke off abruptly as the woman cringed. The wizard collapsed in Ashi's arms, gasping for breath. In the wake of his screams, the chamber seemed deadly silent. Dah'mir folded his hands and bent his head to the shuddering man. "Apologies," he said. "Medala sometimes tries too hard to please me. If you've ever tried to train an animal-" he shrugged "-you know how it can be."

There was a groan as Vennet sat up from the floor and touched his bloodied face-and then a gasp as he realized who stood before him. He struggled to his knees and bent his head. Blood pattered from his nose to the floor. Ashi found a bitter pleasure in the injuries that the shifter hand inflicted on him. Vennet might have freed her on his ship and arranged the trap that had finally brought down her quarry, but she was glad the shifter had bested him. Vennet was a good fighter, but he was a bad enemy.

The half-elf snuffled awkwardly around his broken nose. "Dah'mir! Medala! We weren't expecting you for another two days! How did you get here so quickly?"

"When you contacted Medalashana last night and told her about your plans, I decided to leave my escort behind and travel ahead," said Dah'mir. He offered, Ashi noticed, no further explanation. She was found herself disappointed. The terrible sound that had announced his arrival had been like nothing she'd heard before. If she wanted to know more, though, she wasn't going to learn it from Dah'mir.

Vennet's mouth opened as if to ask another question but then closed again. He fumbled at a pocket, then seem to scrape together the courage to look up at Dah'mir. "Lord," he said respectfully, "this is yours." He held out the crystal band-and cringed back as Medala darted forward and snatched it away with a cry.

"Captain d'Lyrandar," said Dah'mir as if nothing had happened, "you've been of tremendous service." His eyes narrowed. "I've found that men of such faith as yours, however, do not give their services away. Name your price."

Ashi saw Vennet's throat work as he swallowed. "Power, Dah'mir," he blurted. "Power and your blessing!"

Dah'mir's full smile was a radiant thing that made even her heart lift with joy. "Greed is honest. I anticipated your request, Captain d'Lyrandar." He reached into his robe, then extended his closed hand to Vennet. "Make what power you can of these," he told him. He opened his hand to reveal two dragonshards-one midnight blue, the other dawn gold, each of them as thick as Ashi's thumbs and twice as long.

Color drained from Vennet's face as he took the crystals. "Dah'mir," he said in awe, "this is more than-"

Dah'mir waved his hand dismissively. "Consider it a down payment on future services, then. Cunning and strength of the Dragon Below be yours."

The green-eyed man touched him on the shoulder, then gestured for him to rise. Vennet climbed to his feet and bowed his head humbly.

"Whenever you need me, lord, just send word," he said, then turned and walked out of the chamber, a vaguely stunned look on his face. The cultists who had crept down the stairs after Dah'mir reached out to touch the half-elf as he passed, as if something of the Dragon Below's blessing might rub off on them.

As Vennet climbed the stairs, Fause thrust past him and threw himself at Dah'mir's feet. He groveled, smearing his face against the floor. "Dark master!" he babbled. "A blessing! Please! A blessing!"

Dah'mir looked down at the wild-haired man, then stretched out a foot and pushed at him. Fause toppled over, squirming in ecstasy. Dah'mir raised an eyebrow. "Find me boats, Fause," he said. "We'll be returning to the marshes. And prepare your followers to accompany us. I'll need a new escort."