The Year of the Rogue Dragons 02 - The Rite by Forgotten Realms

Author:Forgotten Realms [Forgotten Realms]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-01-08T17:47:44+00:00

By the time Taegan and Jivex reached the cobbled plaza in front of the Zhents' mansion, Wardancer had deposited her riders on the ground and taken flight once more, to circle above the house. The bronze was watching to make sure nobody sneaked out the back way.

Baerimel, Jannatha, and to Taegan's surprise, Darvin Kordeion and Scattercloak stood before the front entrance, a high, black-enameled door reinforced with iron. Had they already knocked, demanding admission? If so, the Zhents had opted not to respond. Scattercloak, hooded and shrouded as ever, stood before the panel, reciting an incantation in his emotionless voice, and lashing one hand, covered almost to the fingertips by a long, flopping sleeve and gloved in gray leather beneath, through a mystic figure. The magic accumulating in the air made shadows twist and twitch where they lay on the ground.

"Stop him," Taegan said, "without hurting him." "Right," Jivex said.

Hovering, the faerie dragon stared at Scattercloak, and a brassy note blared through the air. It was loud even where Taegan was standing, and judging from the way the wizard flinched, it had sounded right beside his ear. The shadows stopped writhing the instant he botched his spell.

He and his fellow mages rounded on Taegan and Jivex. "What's wrong with you?" demanded Darvin, his snowy robes shining in the sunlight. "Help, or stay out of this."

Rilitar appeared in the center of the square, vanished once more, and an instant later, materialized at Taegan's side. The puff of air thus displaced rustled the avariel's feathers.

"Please, wait," the elf wizard said. "What do you intend?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Baerimel asked. Judging from the redness in her eyes and the tangles in her hair, she'd wept most of the night away. "Maestro, you said the chasme led you to this house."

"It means nothing," the bladesinger said. "The first night I encountered the chasme, Jivex and I followed it to Scatter- cloak's house before it winked out of sight."

That silenced them all for a moment, and during that hesitation, something blocked the sunlight streaming from on high. Taegan had to stifle the instinct to cower, even though he realized it was one of Kara's allies swooping down.

Wardancer touched down with considerable agility in what was, for her, a cramped space. The tip of one scalloped wing brushed a shower of russet paint flakes from a wall, but otherwise, she did no damage. Up close, she smelled like the sea, as bronzes often did.

"What's wrong?" the dragon asked. "Why haven't you battered down the door and hauled the Zhents out?"

"As I was just endeavoring to explain," Taegan said, "that's not a sound idea."

"According to Baerimel," Wardancer rumbled, "they drove Samdralyrion mad, resulting in his death, then murdered little Sinylla. I was fond of that child."

"We don't know that they're to blame," Rilitar said. "In fact, Maestro Nightwind and I very much doubt it."

"Because you're obsessed with the notion that a member of our own circle is responsible," Scattercloak said, "even though you have no proof. Now, it

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