Plague of Spells: Abolethic Sovereignty by Bruce R. Cordell

Author:Bruce R. Cordell [Bruce R. Cordell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Epic, Fantasy, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780786962280
Google: rNA7CycS5g4C
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Published: 2011-12-27T06:16:01+00:00

*****

"The Green Siren weathered the fog," reported Japheth, his breath still coming in gasps between his sentences in the fight's aftermath. "I knew I saw three hags! The one that didn't attack us tried to scuttle the ship.""What? What about my ship?"

The warlock continued, "Your crew beat the hag." His eyes remained closed as his servitor bats relayed the image of the wrinkled form crumpled along the ship's railing, and something dark and large stroking away from the ship toward open water. "A… sea troll? Nyrotha drove some sort of sea monster back into the water. Good thing you left him aboard."

"An accident," mused Captain Thoster. "The lout was so drunk on grog I couldn't wake him."

Japheth's winged servants swarmed through the open balcony window and into his bottomless cloak.

Seren, her voice ragged from too many spells, commented, "Nice shawl you got there, Japheth."

He simply nodded. The woman didn't need to know his cloak's provenance.

Seren stood near Thoster. Not far away, Nogah leaned against a wall, and the two surviving crew members watched the entrance. The unmoving forms of defeated kuo-toa littered the floor and choked the stairs beyond. Among them lay the charred and still smoldering sea witches who were finally downed with Seren's last impressive spell volley.

"We persevered," said Nogah in her gurgling way.

Seren whirled, pointed an accusing finger. "Because of you, we've gained the enmity of a great kraken! We did not agree to your ludicrous scheme, but already it sends servitors to eliminate us. I say we kill you now, and show this Gethshemeth we're not its foes." The woman looked to the pirate captain for support.

Thoster put a hand on the war wizard's shoulder, "Seren, mayhap we'll do exactly that, but let's talk a bit first, eh?" Japheth noticed that, despite the man's solicitous air, the hand not on Seren's shoulder rested on the pommel of his venomous sword.

Seren huffed, visibly battling her desire to launch a particularly nasty attack on the whip from her armamentarium of spells. Finally, she spat, "So talk."

Captain Thoster nodded and said, "First, I want to know what sub-breed of kuo-toa we just faced? I've never seen their like before now."

The whip gave a slow nod, her eyes large compared to those of the many dead creatures lying around them. She said, "Gethshemeth's doing, using the Dreamheart. It has corrupted their forms. It is a potential I sensed in the Dreamheart, but not one I ever called upon."

The captain frowned, seemed about to ask something else, then thought better of it. Instead he grinned and said, "Consider, all of you. This unprovoked attack is a message. Gethshemeth revealed its hand, so to speak. The great kraken's afraid! It tried to scare us off, make us let fear drive us the direction Seren suggests we take. It hopes well run with sails at full mast from Nogah. Well, here's how I see it: the great beast must think we have some chance of succeeding to go to such trouble!"

"Rubbish," replied Seren.

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