I could feel the evil emanating off of the Death Knights, it was a miasma with currents of despair and anger and the hatred of all living things twisting together like a brood of serpents. Even Lowen frowned at their approach for they came straight toward us and stopped, the leader standing with the other two flanking him. I had read in tomes of ancient knowledge of these fallen paladins, of how Lord Malice, who had once been called Sir Lysandor, in an act of supreme arrogance led a charge of a hundred paladins against the Nine Hells themselves at a Hellgate in the Ironrock Mountains. Of the one hundred paladins that went to war in the Hells, only twelve emerged, and they corrupted by the unholy powers that dwelt there.
"Lord Malice," Lowen greeted the Death Knight formally with a nod. The anti-paladin did not respond. In the sky, lightning jumped from cloud to cloud, as if it was angry about the existence of the Death Knights. A cool wind was blowing the great mane of the Lammasu, who seemed to glow with a golden light, as Argenta seemed to shine with silver. Godfrey, who earned great merit with me, was the only one not frozen into inaction but was calmly setting up our lanterns to give us light if we needed to fight.
"This is Mage Barrim," Lowen said out loud for all to hear, "and as you, or your oracles have foreseen, he and his party carry the fate of the plane of existence with them. We meet under truce to give them what aid we can. Rakkakill, as the emissary of Tiamat, you may present your gifts first."
The green bag the red dragon's giant man-form was, I could now see, the scarred and claw-torn hide of a green dragon, one of the red dragon's kills, or so I suspected. Without preamble or formality, but showing his obvious disdain for all who were gathered for this strange and unusual meeting, Rakkakill threw the hide on the green sward and the hide, which was not tied, and it opened with the crash as it landed on the ground. Helms, weapons, and coats of mail were revealed as the hide opened. I could tell by way the hairs on my arms stood up that there was a lot of magic here. These items were not enchanted by some hedge mage.
"Lord Malice," Lowen said to the Death Knight, "present to them what you will."
The leader of the anti-paladins made a slight motion with his left hand and the two other knights came forward. From their bags they took bundles of black crossbow bolts and laid them besides the weapons and armor the red dragon had brought. These, too were enchanted I could tell, and if the lore I had read about them was correct, then most likely they were cursed, as well. (Indeed, some days later, one of the crossbowmen, Fragis, cut his finger on one of the bolt heads and Amenaruu had to cast a remove curse and a cure poison before any healing magic would have an effect, which took us some time to figure out and Fragis almost bled to death from a cut no larger or deeper than a shaving nick).
Besides the bolts, the Death Knights laid down five javelins that had Arcane Runes carved on them and I could read the word for lightning on one of them and there was pair of light leather gloves haphazardly tossed onto the pile.
"Argenta," Lowen said, a small smile coming to his face "would you give your gifts, now?"
"Of course," the silver dragon in elven form answered his smile of her own. Unlike the evil beings there, Argenta approached each one of us something from the ornate box that she carried. Everyone except Helena and I received plain silver rings, rings of regenerations, just like the one that I owned, and a gold band that was a magical Ring of Protection. To Helena, whose eyes were filled with stars at meeting a silver dragon, Argenta gave a gold ring with a blue star sapphire stone.
"This ring, fledgling mage," Argenta said in a voice that was like the sound of a harp strings being strummed, "is a Ring of Spell Storing. Mage Barrim will know the spells contained herein and he can load spells into the ring so that you may, in times of peril, wield magics that are beyond your ken at this time. Here also, is a necklace that has upon it a permanent Shield spell that will protect you from missiles."
"Thank you," Helena said in a squeaky voice as her barely contained excitement got the better of her. She put the ring on her left forefinger, her hands shaking and then she put the necklace, a silver band with a small shield shaped medallion hanging from it.
"Mage Barrim," Argenta said as she looked up at me. Her violet eyes were full of wisdom, but also kindness and hope, "it was more difficult to choose what to give you than it was the others."
"How so, Materisia Argentia?" I spoke in the Dragon's own tongue, using her draconian title.
"You speak Draceem, but of course you do," she replied in the tongue of dragonkin smiling slightly. "You are a mortal with many surprises in you. Your…uniqueness makes it hard to predict what would truly serve you well. I was forced to concede three items to you."
"I am sorry that I have caused you so much vexation, Materisia." I replied smiling, still speaking in Draceem.
"You are not," Argenta smiled even more, "but it is polite for you to say so, Mage Barrim. I have for you these things. The first item is this Ring of Wizardry, it will allow you to retain more of your lower level spells. The second is this small scrying mirror. Finally, I have a Medallion of Thought projection. I do not clearly see how these will serve you, but if you are wise in their use, they will serve you well."
"I will endeavor to use them as wisely as I can, Materisia," I replied as I accepted the gifts. "Please understand that I am very grateful to you all, but I am also concerned that such attention should be given to us by yourself and these other worthies."
"You have good cause to worry," Rakkakill said in a mocking tone, using the dragon tongue. "As do we all, since we apparently have to rely on a mere human vermin to stop the threat to this reality."
I glanced over to the red dragon, I should have bit my tongue, but I did not like being called vermin by anyone. "You apparently know what we are after, so why not haul your scaly ass over to the Ashie Valley and get it yourself."
In Draceem, to address someone without their honorifics is a grave insult, and to give them an order one such as Rakkakill an order in a derogatory tone was salt on an open wound and I could see the fire rise in Rakkakill's eyes.
"Peace, Paterasca Rakkakill," Argent said as she lost her smile and gave me a stern warning with her eyes that I could not mistake for anything else. "Remember, you are here as an emissary for your queen, Tiamat."
"Shall I listen to this vermin give me insult and not punish him?" The dragon in Fire Giant guise snarled.
"That depends on how much your queen cares about your feelings and what you think she will do to you should you put your own squabbles ahead of her intentions." Argenta said in a calm manner, but I could see tension in her shoulders from the thought the big red would go on to attack us. Her words had an effect on the other dragon and the rising fire in his eyes died down to a smoldering hatred of me. It would seem Tiamat, the queen of evil dragons, was not the understanding or forgiving sort and that Rakkakill was wary of crossing her.
"You are foolish, Mage Barrim." Lowen said to me, a lion-like growl just on the edge of his speech as he spoke in Draceem. "You have noted that we are all powerful beings in our own right, and that should tell you that what you are facing is serious, and yet you antagonize someone who has given you aid."
"I see the value of your Wisdom, Lord Lowen," I replied.
"It is time I give you my gift, Mage Barrim," the Lammasu voice thrummed in his chest. He placed his paw, like a lion's, but much larger as it covered a goodly portion of my chest. I looked curiously into the golden eyes of the Lammasu. Time began to slow down, a lightning bolt raced across the sky but then slowed to a stop. Time slowed, stopped, and then it disappeared altogether into eternity. I was absorbed into the consciousness of the Lammasu. The world around me began to change, or more accurately, I began to perceive it more accurately and in a way I do not think a human could ever perceive reality. Everything became a language, or more accurately a single Word so perfect that those of us who are limited in our mortality would never understand in its entirety, and yet I could understand it, or at least a great deal of it, because it was the language of the magic that I worked. The symbols I tried to cram into my mind were all about me, living things, or maybe a living thing, since each was like a facet of some great priceless jewel. The Arcane mandalas filled my mind, an experience that has no words in our common tongue that I could express it to you. I can tell you that the sixth level mandala that had been causing me such pain was now clear and easily understood, and I wondered why it had been so hard for me to grasp. There were three more levels that I could grasp as well, but maybe not as clearly as I could the sixth, but it seemed nothing was beyond my grasp at the moment, if I just concentrated for a moment.
It was then that I saw another Word, this one nauseating and foul, and it was trying to undo the Word of Creation. Somehow, I understood that the Word of Destruction could itself be undone with an act of creation. I did not know exactly what that act was, but know it I knew with absolute certainty that it was true.
My human brain, overwhelmed to say the least by these revelations, finally asked a question. Reality existed in a word, a word so perfect that it had the power of creation.
But who was speaking the Word?
I followed the Word…no, that is not right, but the words I am speaking now are but are nothing more than shadows and fragments and echoes of echoes, compared to one great Word. I will say I sought out the source of that Word but I was denied.
"It is not for you to see, the Source," Lowen said to me and for the first time I noticed him beside me. Somehow, he hid from me the source of the Word, and I was not angry, but I was heartbroken and I wept at being denied a chance to look at perfection. "You are not ready to see what you want. You have many flaws, imperfections, that when compared to the perfection of the Source, would crush your soul with anguish. I will spare you that grief.
We exist outside of time, and no one can hear us, and I would say this to you while I have the chance. Your quest matters, but it is not the object of your quest, but the quest itself. I do not fully understand what must be done, but you are the one to do it, but you will not do it alone. Your companions are not with you by chance, they serve their purpose in this endeavor. Good and Evil have come together, each for their own reasons to be sure, but in hope that you will succeed. You are a hard man, Barrim. Life has made you so, but you are a good man, but you often lack compassion and your pride is great and foolish, as you proved by antagonizing an Ancient Red Dragon for no good reason. I have brought you to this state to show you that creation is not made of anger or hate, but love. There is pain, that you well know, but it is like the pain a mother goes through to bring about the birth of child they will love unconditionally. You must grow in wisdom as well as knowledge. I would tell you more, but I cannot. But mark my words and mark them well, wisdom and compassion will serve you better than all the spells you human's play with."
With those words, time came rushing back into existence and I saw the lightning bolt that had been frozen in the sky finish its course and a great booming crash of thunder sounded so loud I could feel it in my chest. Rain was beginning to fall, and I hoped it hid the tears on my cheeks. I could see Lowen looking at me, his golden eyes soft and full of wisdom.
"Priest," Lowen rumbled next, "please attend me."
Amenaruu came forward, his face showing, not fear, but an intense focus on the Lammasu. Lowen placed his giant paw on the priest's breast for just as second and Amenaruu's face lit up with sublime joy.
"Our moot is over," Lowen said loudly to the company. "We have each given to these adventurers what help we could. Now let us depart in peace per our agreement and seek out our own realms and places."
"Fare well, Mage Barrim," Argenta said to me. "I leave you with my hopes."
"If it is within my power, I will give them back to you fulfilled," I replied to the silver dragon and she smiled in return before turning and walking away. Rakkakill followed her, but he gave me a look of special hatred and he stomped by me.
The Death Knights turned away without speaking, but then their leader stopped and turned his baleful gaze toward my companions. Lord Malice turned back and he approached Charles, stopping but a single pace from him. The other two Death Knights stopped as well and then turned to watch. Lord Malice reached down with his dead man's fingers and undid the buckle on his swordbelt. He removed his black sword and its scabbard and then he presented it to surprised Charles.
"Someday," Lord Malice said in the cruel, unworldly whisper of a dead man, "you will return this to me when you join our order."
Charles face was a mixture of fear and wonder and he said nothing as he reached out and took the long sword from the Death Knight. Lord Malice turned away and the three Death Knights went to their hellish steeds and remounted them.
"That was unexpected," Lowen said in a soft tone. I turned to him and he wore a worried look on his face.
There was a great churning of air as the two dragons, who had returned to their natural forms lifted off from the ground. Rakkakill headed back the way he came. Argenta circled above us with a cry that was meant to be an encouragement to us before she too winged away. The Death Knights rode into the air and straight away to the west.
"I take my leave of you all," Lowen said. "Your quest will be difficult, but be of good cheer and hope. Remember what I told, you Mage Barrim."
That last part Lowen spoke only loud enough for me to hear and he turned, ran a few paces before launching himself into the air. Within seconds, we were all alone and looking at each other with faces filled with wonder. If the rain had not started to fall, I do not know how long we would have stood there just trying to comprehend what we had witnessed.