Chapter 8

Nightal 21 1372 DR Year of Wild Magic

With their weapons and spells ready, Shadimir and Alustriel walked inside of the palace, their eyes alert for any sign of the Fire Knives, or the three warriors they had left back at the palace. "Do you think they're all right?" the undead hunter asked, keeping both his mace and Gabriel, his bastard sword in front of him.

"Everything seems to be normal," the archmage responded her eyes searching the walls and the shadows. "Well, as normal as it gets around here."

Together, she and Shadimir walked past the throne room, and turned a sharp corner that led to a narrow hallway. They discontinued their footsteps when they heard a familiar war cry

"Tempus!" Wulfgar screamed from the other end of the hallway. He swung his massive war hammer at one of the assassins, who tried to block it with his own long sword, but the force of the barbarian's attack sent him to the floor.

When the assassin attempted to stand back up, Wulfgar swung Aegis-Fang in a low angle, hitting the assassin's midsection. The assassin groaned as the hammer crushed his ribs into his vital organs.

After she watched the Fire Knife fall to the cold marble floor, Alustriel ran to the barbarian. "Where are Aliyah and Catti-brie?"

Before Wulfgar could answer her, screams of "Dragon!" echoed throughout the palace halls. "I guess that answers that," Shadimir commented. "I'll go look for any other Fire Knives."

Alustriel turned to tell Shadimir not to go, but the hunter ran back the other way before the High Lady of Silverymoon could get the words out of her mouth.

The undead hunter sped down the hall, but stopped at the throne room, as his ears heard a voice coming from the other side of the door. With a shrug, Shadimir opened the large wooden door and walked inside.

The first thing he noticed was the lack of Yuletide decorations that had been hung up by his wife and the Queen of Cormyr. Another thing he noticed was a large white banner that depicted the a red dragon, the symbol of House Cormaeril. After a few steps, the hunter's eyes saw a familiar person sitting on the throne had now had not tinsel wrapped around it.

"Shadimir Deachron, I expected that you might find me here," Targeth Cormaeril remarked as he stepped out of the throne and drew his weapons. "Do you like how I tossed away the decorations your beautiful wife put up. Do not worry, I promise to add a new ornament to this room, as I will use your corpse as a skin rug."

The musical voices of Ronald and Minerva Kythorn filled the area, their song giving strength to not just their comrades, but the city's knights and wizards who were also battling the Fire Knives and their gigantic comrades.

Three feet to the left of the bardly couple, Drizzt and Jepetto fought three assassins, one bald and two with long blond hair.

The deep gnome aimed his wand of lightning at one of the blond assassins. Upon shouting the command word, he watched as a large blue bolt of lightning struck the assassin hard in the chest.

Drizzt stepped left to avoid the lightning struck corpse, then moved his scimitars to block the blades of the other two assassins.

"Can't either of you do any better than that," he taunted as he easily continued to deflect the Fire Knives's weapons. When one of them carelessly tripped over his own foot, Drizzt brought the scimitar in his left hand low, cutting deeply through the bald killer's throat which sprayed a line of blood and gore on the cold ground.

Watching the assassin fall, the drow ranger quickly remembered his other foe.

Just as the remaining blond haired assassin was about to stab the drow in the shoulder, Drizzt used his fast reflexes and brought up Icingdeath up guard the attack, then slashed Twinkle hard across the assassin's belly, spilling out his insides.

"Nice one," Jepetto commented as his wand fired another lightning bolt, this one hitting a slender giant who was fighting a spear-wielding Methrammar and two of his spear-wielding knights.

The lightning bolt caused the giant to become distracted and disorientated which caused Methrammar and his men utilize this opportunity. Using all of their strength, the three knights launched their spears into the air, jumping back as the flew straight into the giant's stomach. The slender giant stumbled forward as a massive amount of blood gushed from the wound, covering Methrammar and his men from head to toe in the thick crimson fluid.

The giant attempted to step back, but he soon found himself surrounded by the city's Spellguard.

Jepetto and Drizzt both watched in amazement as the spell casters called forth four powerful fireballs and struck down the giant with all their fury.

Holding her grandson close, Filfaeril raced through the chaos to get to safety. She gasped when she saw three Fire Knife assassins approaching her. "Hand him over your majesty," Maclin said from underneath his hood," and I'll make your death a quick and painless one."

Queen Filfaeril shook her head as she stepped back. The three assassins continued towards her, their sharp weapons pointed in Azoun's direction.

She was about to give up hope when she felt something brush up against her leg. Looking down, she saw the wolverine baring her sharp teeth. Next to Erilett appeared Elros and Guenhwyvar.

Maclin and his men took one last step forward, which caused the animals to attack. The snow tiger and the panther savagely attacked the assassin to Maclin's left while Erilett leaped onto the one on his right, digging her claws into the man's throat and face The lieutenant was confused for a moment, but then he saw the druid step next to the queen. "So, you have to have your little druid save you," he spat as he waved his sword in the druid's direction.

With a roar, Sawyer drew his sword Tanalast and charged at the assassin. When the druid got close enough, Maclin swiped his blade low, making a small cut along Sawyer's leg.

Despite the pain that came from the cut, Sawyer brought his sword high, slapping the assassin's chest with the sword's stiff, but smooth side. Maclin tried to step back, but the druid grabbed him by the collar and gave him a hard head butt

Maclin staggered back, feeling the throbbing pain at the front of his head. Not wasting any time, Sawyer channeled the power of nature and the goddess Mielikki and cast an entangle spell.

Vines and long blades of grass emerged from underneath the snow and wrapped themselves tightly around Maclin's ankles. The assassin tried with all of his might to free his legs, but the vines were too strong.

Wasting no time, Sawyer made a backhanded slash with his weapon, at the base of Maclin's neck, then stepped back to avoid the splash of blood that spilled from Maclin's wound. The druid slashed Tanalast once more though the base of the assassin's neck.

Sheathing his weapons, the druid watched as Maclin's head fell from his body.

"Feel the might of Auril human," yelled a muscular female front giant as she swung her battle axe at Stephanie. The doomguide called to her god as she raised Azrael and parried the giant's weapon. Drawing back her axe, the giant called on the power of Auril.

Giant hailstones rained from down the sky, beating down on Stephanie. The doomguide growled as her skin and bones were growing colder by the second.

Shortly after cursing Auril, the doomguide began channeling the power and grace of Kelemvor. Stephanie released a spell of her own, this one mimicking the giant's spell, but instead of giant stones of ice, it was a wide cone of blue fire.

While the fire engulfed the follower of Auril, Stephanie discharged another spell, this one a beam of white light that shot from her palm and into the giant's heart.

The giant let out a blood chilling scream as the light ripped through her cardiac organ, then was silenced after her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

"When your goddess comes to liberate you from the Fugue Plane, tell her that you just felt the might of Kelemvor," Stephanie spat as the giant fell to the ground.

Inside of the palace, Alustriel and Wulfgar walked into a small room where they expecting to find a group of Fire Knives battling a red haired woman riding a brass dragon.

What they found instead were the bodies of Fire Knives scattered all over the floor, and Aliyah, in her human form, laying down with Catti-brie standing over her.

"What's wrong?" asked Wulfgar when he heard Aliyah's painful scream.

The blond ranger looked up at him, her face twisted in a worried expression. "The transformation must have quickened my body or something," she responded between breaths. "Either way we have a problem."

Alustriel stared at Aliyah as her lips parted in a warm smile. Wulfgar, who was still a little confused, titled his head. "Is there a problem with the child?"

"Yes me love," Catti-brie answered in a cheerful voice," he's about to be born."

The weapons of Shadimir Deachron and Targeth Cormaeril danced furiously as the two men battled each other around the throne room. Despite their best efforts so far, neither Shadimir or Targeth could score a devastating hit.

"I have experience Shadimir. I have status and I have influence in a large kingdom. What do you have?'," Targeth taunted as he swiped his long sword in a high cut, which was knocked away by the hunter's mace.

"I have many things Cormaeril, like having the courage to finish you, whether the rulers of Cormyr want me to or not," Shadimir responded while extending his right arm forward, stabbing Gabriel at the Grandfather's midsection. Targeth tried moved away, just as the blade came at him. He growled when he felt Gabriel's tip cut a hole in his black shirt.

The Grandfather of Assassins stepped left, tossing his dagger aside. "Vangerdahast won't let some ranger upstart accomplish something he has been trying to do for many years." He drew some gray powder with his free hand and tossed it at the hunter's face.

Shadimir closed his eyes to avoid being blinded by the assassin's powder. The Grandfather stabbed his sword forward, piercing through Shadimir's armor.

Feeling the sting in his shoulder, Shadimir opened his eyes and swung his bastard sword in a wide diagonal arc just as Cormaeril was about to make another attack.

Targeth drew himself back in hopes that Shadimir would miss him, but the assassin's body was too slow, and the hunter's weapon was too quick as it cut cleanly through the assassin's wrist, separating his hand from his body.

Targeth Cormaeril screamed as the blood gushed from the stump. He glanced down at his lost appendage, then stared up at Shadimir, his eyes filled with sadness. "Please don't kill me," he said in a quivering voice. "I didn't mean to...please."

The undead hunter stood still for a moment, watching the noble's skin slowly turning a sickly pale color. The pool of the nobleman's blood on the floor slowly flowed to his feet. "I should kill you for what you've are and for what you done. You're a traitor to the crown of Cormyr, and you sent your men upon my home. Give me a valid reason on why I should let you live."

"Stop right there Shadimir," a gruff, elderly voice said from the entrance of the throne room. Shadimir turned to see a fat white haired wizard in green velvet robes, walking towards him and Cormaeril. "This man should be taken to Cormyr and put before the regent."

The hunter stared at Vangerdahast. "Forgive me for not being respectable lord mage," he said in a cold voice," but this man tried to-"

"I know what he has done," Vangerdahast said as he spat on the pool of blood," but as I told Alustriel, the Fire Knives are a problem to Cormyr, and their solution should be set in Cormyr. I told Filfaeril it was a bad idea to come here for the holidays. But you should consider yourself lucky boy, you probably will never have to worry about seeing these monsters again."

Shadimir rolled his eyes as Vangerdahast stood over Targeth Cormaeril. "You probably should go find someone to tend to this floor," the mage added," or at least tell Alustriel about the mess after she delivers the baby."

You and Targeth should consider yourselves lucky that Alustriel is delivering the baby and not where I'm standing, Shadimir thought, otherwise Targeth Cormaeril would be dead.

Outside, the bodies of giants and assassins littered the ground, many of them surrounded in their pools of their own blood.

"Where do you think they came from?" asked Ronald as he stroked Elros's fur. Across from where the bard stood, Minerva and Jepetto were examining corpses while Stephanie said a prayer for those who had fallen in battle.

"These giants look familiar," Drizzt commented as he watched Dalla and the other children play a small, clear area.

The drow stared at them for a moment, lost in thoughts of what it will be like to play with his own son or daughter. Then felt a warm, but nervous feeling from inside of his stomach. Something was telling him to hurry to the palace. "Can someone watch the children? I must get to the palace."

"I'll watch them Drizzt," Filfaeril answered as she sat next to the dark elf. The ranger smiled politely at her and the king she held in her arms, then ran to the palace, with Guenhwyvar following at his footsteps.

Sawyer and Erilett walked over to the Queen of Cormyr. "Some holiday," he commented as he reached out and stroked Azoun's red hair.

Looking up at her godson, Filfaeril smiled and nodded. "Now aren't you glad I made you come along."

The druid gave a nod of his own, but then turned when he heard the sound of horns calling from the distance. He drew Tanalast, ready to go into battle with the sword for the second time in the day, but Filfaeril put a hand on his arm. "I don't think those weren't battle horns Sawyer."

Stephanie, who at the moment she heard the horns, opened her eyes and saw a trio of dwarves, each of them with different colored beards, and a stout halfling, walking towards them.

"These folk in Silverymoon sure know how to celebrate the holidays," commented the red bearded dwarf named Bruenor Battlehammer. Behind him, his friend Regis Rumblebelly and the Bouldershoulder brothers, green bearded Pikel and yellow bearded Ivan, stood in awe at the variety of corpses and bloodshed that covered the landscape.

"Aye Stephanie, did we miss anything important?" Bruenor asked the doomguide just as he saw Colson running up to him.

The doomguide shook her head as she watched the dwarven king pick up his human granddaughter. "No not really, just us Silverymoon folk celebrating the holidays with a massacre."