A/N: I'll post the epilogue and author's notes in a few days.
Chapter Five
"The Answer"
"Is that Mordecai?" Nyx whispered, her shock evident.
Tai and his companions stood outside the entrance of the inner temple, hidden in shadows. From their vantage point, they could see both the day-old corpses and Mordecai, who was now half snake. The twisted creature frantically searched the altar, an action which solidified Tai's suspicions. He glanced at Nyx and met her fearful brown eyes. She was worried about the battle, he could tell—not the fighting, but her companions' survival. Unfortunately, Tai had no comforting news.
"Yes, that's Mordecai," Tai replied, "and the transformation is Sseth's doing. I'd say Mordecai is displeased by the results, for he seems to be trying to rid himself of the mirror."
Jarlaxle set his cat upon the ground and leaned closer, joining the whispered conversation. "I thought the Kagaor ki Tamal was a channel to Set."
Tai nodded. "Hoar feared it would be, since he knows Set has taken over Sseth's domain." The priest paused, disquieted by what he would have to say next. He gazed around the saurian ruins, collecting his thoughts. Cracked engravings and paintings, covered with vines and dust, spanned the walls from floor to roof. Lost for ages, depictions of war and worship surrounded Tai. The stale air, fractured columns, and dirt spoke of a city long buried, and Tai knew only one reason why Mordecai would return to this place.
"You saw the dead trees and grass along Mordecai's trail," the priest finally continued. "Given his transformation and the death of all living things in his path, I can only assume the mirror remains a channel to Sseth."
Entreri frowned. "What are you saying?"
Tai glanced back into the temple and gazed upon the reptilian Mordecai, who had slumped over the altar in an attitude of defeat. "The mirror is drawing power from its environment, drawing the life force out of plants and people in order to empower Sseth."
"An awakening god," Jarlaxle murmured.
Nyx clenched both fists at her side, her whisper harsh. "We must stop him! If that mirror continues to draw power, there is no telling how many people might die."
"At least four," Jarlaxle said.
Tai knew it to be true, for the drow priestess's mangled corpse proved that Mordecai was exorcising his rage upon his enemies.
"Then we best attack now before the mirror and its god become more powerful," Entreri said. He nodded toward the deep shadows along the room's walls. "If we are careful, we will have the element of surprise."
Tai frowned, biting his lip. He was worried about all his companions, given Mordecai's apparent madness, but he was most concerned about Entreri. What if he died this evening, prior to claiming victory over himself? What if he died before realizing the truth beyond the lies?
But even if Entreri survived, nothing was assured. The assassin might easily choose to spend the rest of his life killing thoughtlessly from anger or pride, just as Tai himself might fail to temper his cynicism with wisdom. Given this, how could Entreri and he save themselves? Tai shook his head. They really couldn't, or they would have already.
Nyx had drawn her nunchaku from her belt, and Entreri had unsheathed his sword and dagger. Tai gathered the divine essence of Hoar within him, and when Jarlaxle nodded, the priest stepped into the temple with his friends.
His prayer was retribution.
Despite the care with which Tai and Nyx moved—and the perfection of Entreri's and Jarlaxle's stealth—the monk wasn't surprised when Mordecai straightened and glared at them before the companions had sneaked halfway into the temple. Nyx assumed that the Kagaor ki Tamal and its connection to Sseth made it impossible for Mordecai to be ambushed. Once they had been spotted, Jarlaxle apparently chose the bold approach, for he stepped into the light of the magical torches.
"So now you wish to rid yourself of your prized mirror," the drow taunted. "Do you not appreciate the gift it has given you?"
Nyx cringed at Jarlaxle's tactic and watched as Mordecai hissed at them and drew back his shoulders. The torchlight reflected off the mirror, which was strapped to the utility belt across the twisted drow's chest.
"Do not ridicule me, Jarlaxle," Mordecai growled. "You would have taken the mirror for yourself and then met the same fate."
The drow mercenary clucked his tongue. "Do not assume I would be so foolish as to be trapped by such magic."
Beside Nyx, Entreri snorted, and the monk wondered at the assassin's reaction. She couldn't dwell upon it, however, because she caught sight of Tai inching up behind Jarlaxle, obviously intending to be the first in battle. Although Nyx knew the priest had been fighting criminals by himself for years, she still had to restrain the urge to stop him.
"If you consider the divine might of Sseth insignificant," Mordecai replied with a smirk, "perhaps I should give you a demonstration."
Jarlaxle whipped out a wand before Mordecai could begin casting and released a lightning bolt at the half-snake. However, the cleric didn't even flinch. The Kagaor ki Tamal absorbed the lightning, and then Mordecai cast his spell. At the foot of the ramp, a red circle drew itself upon the flagstones.
Jarlaxle cursed and rushed toward the altar, vaulting onto the ramp and aiming a second blast at Mordecai. Tai ran after the drow, sprinting past the summoning circle and starting up the ramp.
Neither Nyx nor Entreri followed, both focusing their attention upon the spell unfolding before them. The monk clenched her jaw and held fast to her nunchaku, watching the flaming ring grow. Red light poured like blood between the cracked stone and seeped into tiny crevasses until it looked as though the ground would melt. Then, the floor seemed to collapse into a pit of fire. Searing air, smoke, and flames gushed into the chamber, and a nightmarish creature climbed out of the abyss. Blood and slime seeped from the demon's taunt skin, running over a thinly-muscled skeleton and dripping from the demon's claws. It roared, revealing rows of pointed teeth, and then glared at Nyx with red eyes set back into a horned skull. Behind the demon, the portal vanished, leaving remnants of heat and ash in the chamber.
"Any ideas?" Entreri asked dryly.
"One." Nyx snapped her nunchaku before her. "Kill it before it kills us."
When Tai saw the monster that towered over Entreri and Nyx, he immediately turned away from Mordecai and started back down the ramp, knowing that holy magic would best assist in the demon's defeat. However, before he ran more than a few steps, he paused, remembering that his greatest duty was to serve retribution to Mordecai and destroy the mirror. Uttering a prayer for the assassin and monk, Tai pivoted and marched with grim determination toward the altar, but his vision was obscured by the ash and smoke which had risen from the summoned portal.
Tai covered his nose with his cloak and inched forward, but he was forced to retreat when he succumbed to fits of coughing. After taking several breaths of clean air, he mentally filed through his divine spells, searching for something to dispel the smoke. Raising his right hand, he touched his thumb and middle finger together, beginning his casting, only to be interrupted by a heavy impact upon the ground.
Shaken, Tai concentrated on the curtain of smoke before him, catching sight of a dark form several times his size.
A snake,the priest reasoned, thinking back to the two carcasses lying on the floor below. Mordecai has used the mirror to summon another snake.
Tai shivered, imaging a massive reptile rearing back to strike him. Facing the smoke, he steepled his fingers before his chest and drew Hoar's power into his hands. Snapping his wrists outward, Tai directed a magical blast at the snake as it sprung from its cover. The blue energy lance ripped open the snake's stomach, spraying a thin line of blood through the air.
The snake shuddered, then coiled into a striking position. Apparently Tai's attack had failed to mortally wound the creature. A sheen of cold sweat broke upon the priest's forehead, for the snake could move faster and easier on the incline than he could. Once again, Tai faced danger on his own, without Nyx or even the stealth that his uncle had taught him. But what could Tai truly fear when he had Hoar's support?
At that thought, a surge of divine energy pulsed through Tai's body, and the priest tapped it. Hoar was with him, had always been with him—and now, when he needed it most, he had not been betrayed. With that assurance and the faces of his friends in his mind, the priest charged the serpent, the divine power again forming at his fingertips.
Jarlaxle faced Mordecai, his would-be assassin and the attempted usurper of Bregan D'aerthe, and stared at him with a malice he showed few others. The drow mercenary had long since learned that people were far more unnerved by his cheerful, smiling demeanor, but the mad snake-like creature before him was unimpressed. Jarlaxle, despite his trickster streak, felt satisfied with the option of revealing the depth of his hate.
"Such burning red eyes," Mordecai taunted. "Have you come to punish me for trying to steal your band of foolish males from you? Or for the violence I rained on all your pets?"
"I suffer fools only so long as they don't interfere with my business," Jarlaxle replied, stowing his wand and drawing another.
"What business would that be?" the cleric asked. "Building a new mercenary band among humans? I'm still waiting for you to tell me what madness you've contracted to make you associate with such iblith. To rely upon them? Converse with them? Fight beside them? Of the two of us, you are the one who deserves ridicule."
Jarlaxle flicked the wand with his wrist, unleashing an acidic fog upon Mordecai, but the cleric wasn't the only one to be burned. While Jarlaxle kept clear of the acid, he was faintly stung by the drow-snake's words, although he didn't stop to consider the reaction.
Mordecai launched himself from the acidic cloud and aimed a roundhouse punch at Jarlaxle's head. The elf ducked, but his legs collapsed beneath him, his energy suddenly draining from him. The mercenary hit the ground and forced himself into a roll in order to clear the mirror's radius. As he came to his feet, Jarlaxle instantly understood the extent of his danger: more than lightning strikes or snakes, the elf had to fear the mirror's power to drain his life force. In that moment, Jarlaxle was glad that he had perfected several forms of long range attacks.
Backing further away, the drow pumped several dozen daggers at the approaching Mordecai, who swayed and dodged much like a charmed snake. Three of the daggers hit home, piercing one arm and his lower torso, but the cleric merely yanked them free.
"The mirror still has at least one advantage," Mordecai said, the gleam in his eyes betraying his lust for violence. "There is no damage you can do that it cannot fix by draining your life force. While you fling your small blades at me, I'll be busy ripping out your intestines!"
Jarlaxle narrowed his eyes. It was like fighting Entreri and his vampiric dagger, except no strike was necessary. Reaching for one of his necklaces, the elf rubbed a dragon pendant fixed upon the chain and grinned as an anti-magic zone formed around him. The protective field would move with Jarlaxle's body, and it offered his best chance at defeating Mordecai.
The mercenary knew that Mordecai could detect his use of magic, but he also understood that the cleric was unable to discern what kind. As Jarlaxle expected, Mordecai frowned and touched the frame of the circular mirror upon his chest. Brilliant white lightning shot from the mirror's surface only to disappear before reaching the mercenary.
Jarlaxle knew it would take more than magic or strategy to defeat the cleric and his mirror, but he remained confident that he had enough tricks to achieve his goal.
Entreri ducked the demon's swipe, barely dodging the talons, and cursed. Although he didn't recognize the monster, he held no illusions about the strength of his opponent. The assassin reversed his grip upon Charon's Claw so he could more easily strike the demon's ribs as he circled behind it.
Kill it before it kills us, Nyx had said, and Entreri found the assessment practical, if challenging. Even now the monk worked around to the demon's opposite side, her face showing nothing but resolve. Her auburn hair had started to fall from its braid, and the heat and moisture in the room sent beads of sweat down her face.
Without warning, the demon attacked. Claws flashing, it darted sideways, seeming to blur, disappear, then reappear behind the monk as she moved. Entreri shouted a warning, but Nyx had already reacted. The monk brought her right fist up in a vicious uppercut, simultaneously using her left hand to bury shuriken in the demon's chest. The monster screamed and lashed at her with its claws, but Nyx dodged the blow.
Taking advantage of the demon's preoccupation, Entreri launched himself onto the demon's back. Sword and dagger cut through the bone, and the monster screamed, shaking itself so hard that Entreri was almost thrown off. He grunted, holding onto his weapons tightly; blood and slime flew past him to strike the ground with a hiss.
"Great," Entreri snarled, pulling his weapons free of the acidic substance in preparation to dismount. However, he was saved from the trouble when the demon lurched to the side. The monster phased and disappeared, leaving Entreri hanging onto nothing. The assassin tucked his head into his chest and absorbed the impact by rolling when he hit the ground.
To his side, Nyx had already taken position again, ready with another pair of shuriken. She glanced up towards the ramp, which was covered in smoke. "We've got to help them. Mordecai could have them cornered."
"Priorities first," Entreri said darkly. "Strike the demon carefully; its slime is acidic." He glanced down at his weapons, which dripped with demon blood, and snapped his wrists, flinging the damaging fluids away. "And be careful of the demon's teleportation, lest part of you go with the monster. Use magical weapons if you have them."
"That would be my fists," the monk replied as a black cloud suddenly flashed into existence behind her. "Or my feet!" With almost inhuman speed, Nyx spun and swept up a leg. The roundhouse kick struck home, emptying a burst of green ki into the demon's skull. The monk moved so fast that her foot was gone before the acid could penetrate her boots.
Moving in tandem, Entreri intercepted the demon before it could teleport again, slashing Charon's Claw in a horizontal strike that sliced off one of the monster's arms. Instantly, the assassin reversed his momentum, cutting the blade backward and then upward to sever a horn.
The demon howled and flailed its remaining arm at the assassin. Something akin to lightning lanced out from its broken skull, striking the cloud that separated the two hemispheres of the room. The swirling smoke froze in the air, then shattered like glass and fell to the flagstones.
For the first time since the group had been separated, Entreri was able to see to the altar. Halfway up the ramp, Tai rained bursts of magical energy at a large snake, which was burnt and bleeding. Upon the platform, Jarlaxle was embroiled in a battle with Mordecai, and he was fast losing ground, his strength apparently being drained by the mirror.
A pulse of concern, much like the one Entreri had experienced when Socor had aimed his deadly spell at Jarlaxle, punched the assassin square in the sternum. There was no time to waste. Entreri and Nyx had to finish the demon quickly or his friend would be killed.
Jarlaxle swallowed a curse as he circled the altar. For a moment, he considered stepping back off the platform, but if the Kagaor ki Tamal drained the magic from him, he would fall to his death. The anti-magic protection he had summoned had only made the mirror stronger, for it had absorbed the energy of the spell. The elf had tried several magical items, including those that evoked lightning, energy missiles, and even one that caused nightmarish illusions, but the mirror had soaked up the power each time. Jarlaxle had quickly determined that the only spell that might work against the mirror was one that drained energy, but he had no means of casting it.
Faced with the inability to use magic, Jarlaxle aimed another hail of daggers at the approaching Mordecai, but as before, the damage was short-lived. Mordecai coiled his lower body and jumped upon the altar itself, effectively cornering Jarlaxle against the wall. "You cannot defeat me," the cleric taunted. "I will bathe in your blood, and your life force will become my strength!"
"You mean Sseth's strength," the elf replied, but he was dismayed to find his voice breathless. He drew a small amethyst from one pocket and held it before him. The gem, which the drow had picked up from the temple's treasure, was inlaid with silver etchings. Jarlaxle hadn't had much time to ascertain its full strength, but he had determined that the gem channeled divine power. Perhaps, in light of the situation, divine magic was the only force which would work against the mirror.
The elf evoked the item's magic, and a lavender swirl of energy whipped the air between Mordecai and him. The energy solidified into a gleaming wall of whirling blades, which created a deadly barrier the cleric could not pass.
Mordecai laughed and approached the blades, but although the mirror's surface flashed several times, the barrier remained. Jarlaxle cackled and shot several dozen daggers at the cleric through the gaps in the barrier. Believing Mordecai to be slowed, the elf then turned to jump from the platform, planning to levitate to the floor and rejoin his companions.
However, the blades shattered into a whirlwind that was sucked into the Kagaor ki Tamal like a miniature purple tornado, and in that instant, Jarlaxle felt the increased energy drain from the mirror. Suddenly weak, the elf fell against the wall with a thud, and he faced the leering countenance of Mordecai. Perhaps he should still try to jump, but either option promised death.
Unused to the concept of failure, Jarlaxle's mind continued to scramble for another choice. Divine magic did have an effect, but to defeat the mirror, it would have to be far more powerful than Jarlaxle's trinkets. He would need a formidable and special magic to destroy the artifact.
Mordecai slithered closer still, and Jarlaxle found himself slipping down the wall. Quickly, quickly, he had to think of a strategy before he lost consciousness . . .
Tai reached deep into his essence, once more drawing upon the divine power burning within his soul. Arching his fingers toward the snake that reared to strike him, the priest released a bolt of bluish lightning that pierced the creature's chest and threw it backward. Of all the battles the priest had fought, whether against wizards, murders, or rapists, Tai had never accessed Hoar's power to this extent. The young man felt as though the god were standing by his side, guiding his spells and keeping his mind free of fear. The priest felt so infused with Hoar's might that he believed he could kill the snake with a single touch should the chance arise.
Recovering, the wounded snake coiled, fangs bared, and moved to strike again. Not hesitating, Tai raised both hands and called upon Hoar's strength. A pulse of blue energy knocked into the snake, and it fell forward, too injured to continue its attack.
Tai drew one dagger, and when the snake thudded to the ground, he lunged forward, thrusting the blade into the creature's eye. He struck twice more, holding the snake's head still by bracing a foot against its skull. Once the snake's body shuddered under the weight of death, Tai withdrew his blade and thanked his god for the victory.
But Tai could not rest yet. The smoke had cleared, and the priest could see Entreri and Nyx still fighting the demon. However, of more concern was Jarlaxle, who was slumped upon the altar's platform, looking weak and drained.
Tai understood the truth too clearly. Mordecai had no control of or defense against the magical artifact that now possessed him, and the mirror itself would consume the life force of everything in its path: people, animals, plants, perhaps the earth itself. At the least, everyone Tai loved would die. At the most, all of Faerun might be destroyed. It might take years for the destruction to take place, and perhaps the mirror would exhaust its magic before the land was laid bare, but the possibility could not be allowed.
The spirit of Hoar, which abided in Tai's heart, moved within the cleric's chest. The young man could hear the whispering in his mind, feel the warmth of divine power race from his heart to his fingertips. The assurance was wordless yet tangible; Tai could feel the force of Hoar's conviction. The priest had to act. This perverted creature who had pursued evil for evil's sake, this twisted being who was guilty of torture, murder, and rape, had to face retribution and die. And the Kagaor ki Tamal had to be destroyed with him.
Hoar seemed to pour his power into Tai. Blood rushed into the priest's head, making him feel faint and dizzy and rendering him momentarily deaf. Tai could feel his pulse in his fingers, the heat emanating from his face, and he had to gasp for breath. For an instant, a blue glow seemed to light the room around him, and then the world stood still:
Entreri seemed to stop mid-swing, his sword frozen before the upraised arm of the dying demon. Nyx was hanging mid-air, her foot against the monster's spine. Jarlaxle's arm, caught in the action of an upward block, had been rendered immobile, and Mordecai was an unmoving statue, a snake reared back to strike the drow mercenary.
In that eternal moment, Tai seemed to see the entire room around him—every person, blood-spattered wall, scurrying rat, and dust mote.
And then the world moved. Suddenly, violently, time resumed in a blur as Tai ran to the top of the ramp and yelled. "Mordecai!"
The half-snake turned away from Jarlaxle and hissed at the priest, but Tai remained unfazed. He met Mordecai's gaze, unafraid, and knew that the drow could see the judgment and death in his eyes. Tai stepped boldly onto the platform, throwing out his right hand and invoking the name of his deity. The young man's voice filled the room as he spoke directly to the mirror:
"By the authority of Hoar, I command you to release your power!"
A blue-white ball of energy erupted from Tai's palm and struck the mirror strapped to Mordecai's chest. The energy bloomed, mushrooming outward into a blinding globe of light that pierced every corner of the room. Tai could hear his companions screaming in pain, but he couldn't look away, nor could he lower his arm. Although he could not see it, Tai felt the strand of energy connecting him to the mirror. The two powers wrestled, thrashed against one another. Streaks of black lightning shot through the blue-white globe and struck the walls.
With each tendril of lightning, Tai felt a gash open upon his body—a rip on his shoulder, a cut on his face. Blood streaked down his cheek. The pain returned a portion of his self-control, and he knew he could choose to lower his arm, to stop the attack.
But he wouldn't. He understood that the clash of divine power, which was being conducted partially through him, would kill him, but he also realized that his friends would die unless he succeeded. And in that moment Tai saw, above all others, the face of Artemis Entreri, and the priest didn't care that the man had been an assassin. Didn't care about even one of Entreri's many crimes. Salvation comes at a price, and Tai now understood that the price was death.
Tai's heart seemed to jump, causing a flash of pain to shoot through his chest and into his left arm. A wave of nausea and dizziness washed through him, but still he offered his body as a conduit for Hoar's divine power. Although the stunning light blinded the priest, he faintly registered the sounds of yelling.
A second pain shot through Tai's chest, and Tai gasped, suddenly short for breath. The skin of his palm burned, a searing agony. The priest could taste blood in his mouth, could feel tears on his cheeks. "My god," he called out, the whispered prayer more of a gasp in his throat.
Salvation is not rational, he thought weakly. Salvation is love . . .
Artemis Entreri was the first to recover and react. Not because he could see, not because he wasn't in pain, and not because he knew what to do. No, the assassin reacted because his will was greater than his body, his determination more solid than life itself. Artemis Entreri reacted because he knew Tai would die, and his very soul beat against his ribs with the demand that the self-sacrifice be stopped.
Eyes closed against the brilliant blue-white light, Entreri slashed the demon one last time, then glanced about just long enough to locate the ramp. Painfully, the assassin ran to the altar, pushing through the nearly tangible energy and accepting the burning sensation against his skin.
Oddly, Entreri could feel Tai's presence, sense his closeness. Stowing his dagger, the assassin reached out with his left hand, grasping a disturbingly wet shoulder, and shoved the priest with every iota of his strength. Expecting the inevitable magical resistance, Entreri applied all his weight, all his will, reached within the core of his essence and pushed with his soul. The priest's body seemed to push back for an instant, and then suddenly they were tumbling, collapsing onto the platform in a heap. The blinding light abruptly vanished, stunning the room's occupants.
Entreri opened his eyes and glanced at the boy crumpled beneath him. Tai was unconscious, deathly pale, and covered in burns and blood. An unfamiliar fear pierced Entreri like a dagger between his ribs. Jumping to his feet, he whirled upon Mordecai, knowing he had to kill the abomination while the mirror was weakened. And he had to do it quickly so that Tai could be attended to.
The twisted creature before him was weaving drunkenly, as if his balance had forsaken him. Mordecai's eyes had rolled back into his head, and he hissed softly as he shook himself, obviously trying to regain his senses. Seeing his only opportunity, Entreri lunged forward, striking out with Charon's Claw and refusing to think of the consequences.
In his life, Artemis Entreri had never so endangered himself for another. And yet, in that moment, the assassin could not, would not, weigh the costs of his action, regardless of the outcome. With a single, precise strike, Entreri drove the tip of his sword through the center of the mirror and straight through Mordecai's sternum. The initial cracking sound seemed to resonate in the assassin's skull.
A moment of unnatural silence filled the room. Mordecai's eyes rolled forward, wide with surprise and pain, and Entreri relished in his suffering. Then Jarlaxle gasped, and Nyx screamed. The noises then died, leaving Entreri with the sound of his own breathing.
From the corner of his consciousness, Entreri became slowly aware of a high-pitched shrieking, but several moments lapsed before the assassin realized it was his sword. Charon's Claw seemed to scream—a metallic sound, a vibration the assassin could feel in his arm and chest. Then the scream warped into shrill ringing, and streaks of black lightning raced up the red blade from the mirror to Entreri's gauntlet. A burning pain lanced through the assassin's hand and wrist.
The sentient sword seemed to glow a brighter shade of red as the lightning crackled up the blade, and sparks flew to bounce across the floor before dying. Entreri's muscles twitched from the discharge, and his entire body began to shake. With the sound of the mirror further cracking, however, Entreri knew he had to hold on. The sword was eating the mirror's essence, destroying its power and consuming Mordecai's soul as well. The drow's facial muscles convulsed, the scaly skin smoldered.
Smoke rose from the gauntlet as more black lightning raced up the sword's blade, and a pain shot through Entreri's body to stab his back. He instinctively arched his spine, crying out in pain, and then gritted his teeth. Within seconds, the assassin felt blood trace down his upper lip from his nose.
Then, suddenly, the sword was torn from his grasp. The cracked mirror was sucking it in, swallowing it, and Charon's Claw spewed ash as it lashed out against the arrogant magical artifact that sought to defeat it.
Knowing he had to release the energy stored in the gauntlet, Entreri aimed his palm at the mirror. Streaks of black lightning erupted from the gauntlet, striking the mirror. The combined attack of the lightning and the sword was more than the weakened artifact could handle. A whishing sound filled the room, almost like a sudden intake of breath, and then the Kagaor ki Tamal shattered to millions of pieces, flinging shards of glass outward. The magical explosion tore into Mordecai's body, ripping it limb from limb and splattering the far wall with blood, flesh, and bone.
Entreri threw up his arm to shield his face, and he felt the slivers of glass bury themselves into his arm. However, his ignored the pain and rushed to Tai's side.
The priest was drenched in blood from dozens of gashes, and the brightness of the red threw the paleness of Tai's face into stark relief. Entreri pushed the young man onto his back and noted immediately that the priest's lips were blue. Blisters and burns covered Tai's entire right hand and arm, and his brown eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling.
"Tai?" Entreri forced himself to remain calm and held his hand over the priest's nose.
Not breathing.
"Tai?" Entreri's voice grew a notch louder, a touch sterner. I must stay calm, he thought, reaching out to check the priest's neck.
No pulse.
"Tai?" A notch louder still. The assassin shook the young man's shoulder.
No response.
Dead, Entreri's mind supplied. You've seen hundreds of dead bodies. Created hundreds of dead bodies. It's obvious. Tai is—
"Tai!" Entreri yelled. He didn't see, couldn't hear the rushing footsteps behind him. Desperate, the assassin tried to mimic something he'd seen before on several of his many trips by sea. He grasped the back of Tai's head, pinched his nose closed, and covered his mouth, forcing air into the priest's lungs.
Breathe, Entreri demanded silently. You must live!
A warm sensation seemed to transfer from Tai's body to Entreri's lips, and the assassin lifted his head. A weary Jarlaxle was kneeling on Tai's other side, holding his orb of healing over Tai and chanting. Nyx, her face streaked with tears, sat beside the drow, clenching her fists and biting her lip. The assassin paused, concerned that a simple magical healing device wouldn't be powerful enough to resuscitate Tai.
"Keep breathing into him!" the monk cried.
Not about to argue, Entreri resumed his efforts, but the body below him remained still. In desperation, the assassin lashed out at Hoar. This priest has served you well, Entreri thought at the god. Why won't you spare him!
Jarlaxle suddenly grabbed the assassin by the shoulder and pulled him away. Coming to his knees, the drow raised his fist and punched Tai in the chest, directly over his heart.
With a sudden, choked gasp, the priest inhaled, then coughed. Nyx burst into sobs, and Entreri, in an attempt to control his emotions, clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
Tai opened his eyes blearily but didn't focus his gaze upon anyone. "Power Hoar mirror," he mumbled incoherently. "Power light god." He blinked slowly several times, and then his brow creased. "Artemis? Nyx?"
The assassin reached down and slid his arm under Tai's small shoulders, propping him up. The priest, exhausted, leaned against Entreri's chest.
"Entreri," the priest said, as if in confirmation. "We won?"
"We won," the assassin said, the words thick. "The mirror is destroyed, and Mordecai is dead."
"You hurt?" Tai asked.
"Not badly," Entreri lied. "I'll live," he continued more truthfully.
"Nyx?" the priest continued in a croak of a voice. His eyes remained unfocused, so Jarlaxle began chanting again.
"I'm here," the monk answered, her words choked from her tears, "and I'm fine. Please, don't talk. Jarlaxle is fine, too. You just need to rest."
"I can't see," Tai whispered.
"I know," Nyx replied, taking a deep breath as if to steady herself. "I think you looked right into that brilliant light you unleashed." She grasped the priest's hand.
Entreri frowned. "Yes, you fool. You should have known better. Now be still and let Jarlaxle heal you."
Tai closed his blinded eyes and relaxed. "Yes, sir."
Entreri stared at the frail priest, struck by his simple trust and obedience, and for once he saw a place in the world for friendship—a compassion that didn't result in death, after all. The space for such loyalty was tiny, but it was a crack wide enough to shine light into the darkness.
"If you die on me, I'll kill you," Entreri whispered.
Tai smiled.
