7
As the zombies ambled toward the party, the companions formed up into a single rank. Corwin glanced to either side of him, at Alisia and Rorin. As his eyes met the dwarf's, he nodded. Rorin nodded in response.
The paladin and the cleric edged their horses two paces in front of the others.
"What are they doing?" Albrec asked.
"Invoking the power of their gods," Glannor said, "to improve our odds."
The human paladin and dwarven cleric both held their respective holy symbols aloft, just as Rorin had done earlier with the ghouls. Their prayers filled the still twilight.
The zombies continued to shuffled toward them.
Corwin and Rorin completed their prayers at the same time. Tyr and Moradin both answered their sons' pleas. The two holy men were powerful enough in summoning their gods' turning power that the zombies did not merely flee. Most of the putrefying undead dissolved in mid-step as the combined holy power from the two men struck them down; Rorin's affected more zombies than Corwin's as was expected of a cleric over a paladin.
"Still a lot of zombies there," Albrec complained.
"But the odds are better," Kaegan said, testing his staff.
Alisia fired an arrow into the rib cage of one of the remaining zombies. The undead ignored the plunging shaft as it continued its advance. She fired another arrow into it, to no apparent effect.
"Get behind us," Corwin said. "Stay close on our backs."
"What do you intend to do?" Alisia asked.
"We can outrun the zombies. We need not fight them all."
"We just need to get through them," Rorin added.
Alisia drew her sword. "I'm ready."
Corwin, Alisia, and Rorin led the way and charged into the mass of zombies, swords and hammer cutting and bashing down the putrid walking corpses. The steeds' hooves crushed shambling zombies underfoot. Zombies flailed at the trio and their mounts with balled fists, but the riders continued unhindered. Albrec, Glannor, and Kaegan followed the others closely, their weapons striking out at the zombies that attempted to close the gap opened by the leading trio.
They were almost clear of the zombies, and Corwin thanked Tyr even as his great sword clove through the necks of two zombies. They would fight through the slow moving undead and leave them at their backs.
A zombie bashed Alisia'a horse in the foreleg, and the mount squealed as it tumbled forward. Alisia catapulted off her saddle and landed on her back on the ashen soil. Her sword and her bow left her grips from the jarring impact. The frightened horse scrambled to its feet and galloped away from the zombies.
Corwin leaped off his saddle. "Katla, stay with he others," he commanded as he sprinted toward the fallen elf.
The mare neighed her displeasure, but she did as bidden. She battered her way through zombies with Rorin at her side.
Albrec attempted to veer off the trail to help, but Glannor grabbed his reins and kept the halfling with the rest of the party.
Corwin cut a path through the zombies even as he felt their fists striking his armor plates. Ahead of him, the elven ranger rolled to her side to grab her sword. As a zombie prepared to bash in her skull with a powerful fist, she grabbed the hilt and flipped onto her back. Her blade swung up and through the zombie's neck. The headless corpse fell on top of her.
Corwin reached her and stood over her. He lashed out with his sword, cutting through putrefying flesh. Disgusting drops of rotting ichor splashed across his face and armor with each successful strike.
With both bow and sword now in hand, Alisia rose to her feet and stood with her back braced against his.
"Are the others free and clear?" she asked.
Corwin, taller than the elf, could see over the zombies' heads. "They are. Katla is retrieving your fleeing horse as we speak."
"Good." She grunted as she cut down a zombie. "I'd hate to lose her. I've had her since she was a foal."
Corwin cut a zombie in twain. "What's her name?"
"Moonflower."
"Katla will watch after her until we can get clear of these zombies."
"We're surrounded, aren't we."
"We are."
Corwin noticed a flash of light from the direction of the rest of the party. He chanced a quick look in time to see a flurry of magical missiles flying from Glannor's fingers. The bolts slammed into several zombies and cut them down. Glannor repeated the spell, slashing through even more of the undead.
"He's clearing a path for us," Corwin said, cutting a zombie's arm off. He reversed the stroke to cleave the zombie in half. "Let's move."
The human and the elf inched toward the gap created by the bard's spells, even as the zombies moved around to close it off. Their blades opened the path, and once clear of the zombies they easily outran the shambling corpses. They ran straight for their waiting mounts, both standing side-by-side with Moonflower's reins held in Katla's teeth.
Corwin thrust his sword into the ground near Alisia's horse and effortlessly lifted the ranger into her saddle. Grabbing his sword, he swung himself up onto Katla's saddled back.
Corwin nodded toward Glannor. "Thank you."
"You can rest assured, my spell weaving lacks the power of a wizard," Glannor said. "I can only attest, that I did my best."
"It was enough," Alisia said, placing a palm on the bard's cheek.
"I may even put up with your incessant rhyming," Rorin said with a grin.
"Let's move," Corwin urged. "The zombies are following."
The riders kicked their mounts into a gallop. It didn't take long to outdistance the zombies, and they slowed to a trot when the undead were out of sight behind them.
"No wonder nobody travels through the Battle of the Bones," Albrec said. "With welcoming committees like those, who would want to visit?"
"The zombies were too concentrated to be a normal encounter, even in the Battle of the Bones," Kaegan said.
"You're thinking magic?" Corwin asked.
"Aye. Powerful magic."
"The wizard who stole the Hearts of Knowledge," Alisia said. "He summoned them to wait for us."
"The ghouls and skeletons as well," Corwin said. "Be alert, everyone. There may be more undead waiting for us before we can ride clear of the Battle of the Bones."
"And what lies beyond the Battle of the Bones?" Albrec asked.
"In the direction we're heading," Alisia said, "we'll enter Anauroch Desert."
"A desert? We go from one barren land to another?"
"At least we won't have to worry about the undead there," Rorin said.
"Only living desert monsters," Kaegan said.
"What kind of living desert monsters?" Albrec asked.
"Giant scorpions, for one."
"Then there are the two-legged threats," Rorin said. "Desert bandits."
"Don't forget thirst," Kaegan added. "It may be days before we can find an oasis where there'd be water to replenish our stores."
"I'm sorry I asked," Albrec mumbled.
Alisia took a rolled map from her saddlebag. "I suggest we seek the nearest oasis once we enter the desert," she said. "We need rest."
"The wizard and his band may already be at their destination," Corwin said.
"We'll be of no use if we're too tired to fight them, Corwin. We've ridden almost non-stop since entering the Battle of the Bones. The Hill Elders of Evereska gave me this map, and it has the locations of several oases in the Anauroch Desert marked. There is one about a half a day's ride into the desert, and it wouldn't be too far off our path."
"All right, I see your point. You're correct, we would do our cause no good by going into battle against the wizard and his minions while we're completely exhausted."
The companions rode through the rest of the night and most of next morning without incident, and they breathed a little easier when they left the Battle of the Bones behind them. Eventually, however, they found themselves surrounded on all sides by rolling sand dunes. They saw no other living thing around but themselves and their mounts. Even the Battle of the Bones had a few stunted trees, but this was complete desolation.
Anauroch Desert.
-
When the wagon bounced to a halt, Celesta Brumble scooted to the back of her cage. The caravan's stopping was usually followed thereafter with suggestive taunts from that despicable human, Territ Fetterlis. Athmek and the drow, Rizzen Pharn, entered the wagon and slid the cage out. They deposited it on the soft, grassy ground. Athmek unlocked the cage.
"Come on out, little one," the shade said.
Celesta hesitantly exited the cage and peered around her. She thought they were in the desert, but all around her were palm trees and other vegetation. Nearby, glistening in the sun high overhead, stood a small pool of water fed by a cascade rolling down an outcropping of slate. Beside the pool, a manmade edifice of granite rose high overhead, dominating the clearing within which the caravan had stopped. Underneath the vines and other foliage that covered the granite walls, the building looked like it had once been an important place. Its ornate facade was barely visible under the vegetation that had claimed it.
"What is this place?" asked the duergar, Thak metKoth.
"It is known today as the Oasis of Ahman," Athmek said. "Thousands of years ago, it was a city in the Netheril Empire called Thamek. This temple to our ancient gods is all that remains of a once-proud city. No one knows why oases exist in the desert, but this oasis exists because of the residual magic emanating from the temple."
"Looks like the nature gods have claimed the temple for themselves," Territ remarked, fingering the leaf of a vine climbing the wall near the temple's stone double doors.
"The weak nature gods have claimed nothing," Athmek snapped.
"Is this finally our destination?" asked the deep gnome, Kraat. "Are we finally to be rid of these stones?"
"We are in the waning moon," Athmek said.
Territ scowled. "So?"
"The doors of the temple were sealed shut for all eternity when the ancient priests realized Netheril was falling. Nothing can open the doors but a Netheril rite of ceremony. At the full moon, and only the full moon, I must use the Hearts of Knowledge to commence the rite."
"So we wait here until the full moon," Territ grumbled. "Remember, we are being followed."
"Don't concern yourself with the company sent by Candlekeep. We are well ahead of them."
"And if they should arrive before the full moon?" Rizzen asked.
"Let them come," the orc, Fangor, grunted. "I want a good, bloody fight."
"You will get it," Athmek said. "And Territ, my friend, one of my contacts has given me the composition of the Candlekeep company."
"Yeah?" the human growled.
"There is a paladin among them."
Territ grinned evilly, and Celesta had to look away. Everyone in the caravan knew that Territ Fetterlis found few things more enjoyable than killing paladins.
The human rubbed his palms together. "I hope they do come before the full moon. The paladin's blood will stain my blade."
"How many paladins have you killed so far, Territ?" Rizzan asked.
"Fourteen. This one coming will make it fifteen."
"Only if they come before the full moon," Athmek said. "Once the moon is full and we complete the rite, we must go inside the temple and retrieve an important artifact."
"A treasure?" Fangor asked.
"A holy relic from old Netheril," Athmek said. "We need that artifact for our next destination after this."
"Where is that?" Territ asked.
"You need not know yet. You will, however, need to carry the Hearts of Knowledge that far. Once we arrive at our final destination, where lies an ancient ward, you will no longer need to carry the Hearts."
"So, this relic we're retrieving here," Rizzan said, "and the stones we carry are keys to this ward?"
"In a sense," Athmek said.
"What does the ward protect?" Kraat asked.
"Hopefully a means to help me restore the Netheril Empire to its former glory. And then my countrymen and I can set about bringing the rest of Faerun under Netheril's dominion." Athmek looked at his companions. "Netheril rewards those who help her, gentlemen. We reward our allies well."
"I like generous rewards," Territ said. "Almost as much as I like having a paladin's throat at my blade."
Celesta gripped the Topaz of Halflingkind, feeling its warmth throbbing through her palm. As much as she wanted to run to escape these vile men—particularly the sadistic Territ and Rizzan—she knew she would not get far. Even if she did evade her companions, they were in an oasis. A halfling such as herself would not fare well alone in the expanse of the Anauroch Desert.
If she took her own life, the evil party would not have a halfling to carry the Topaz to complete their wicked plans. However, it had been made clear by Athmek that if she did take such drastic measures, her village would be utterly destroyed. After slaughtering her village, the manticore under Athmek's power would destroy every surrounding halfling village. Hundreds of halflings would die.
But would the sacrifice of herself and hundreds of halflings be worth the prevention of a scheme to rule the millions of people across Faerun under the dominion of Athmek and his Netheril Empire? Perhaps, but it wouldn't take Athmek much effort to find another halfling to carry the Topaz. His scheme would only be delayed, not stopped.
The only hope lay in the group from Candlekeep who even now tracked them.