Shiara’s eyes locked with Cormac’s as he pleaded silently with her to do something to release him from the awful pain.
Without bothering with the timing demon, Shiara triggered the destruction spell. “Forgive me, love,” she whispered as he slumped to the floor.
Magic after magic flared incandescent around the living, the dead and the reborn. The room shook under the force of the spells. The pedestals tottered and toppled. The lanterns crashed to the floor and went out.
Amon-Set struggled to rise, but he did not have full control. The sceptre slipped from his hands and dashed into pieces on the shaking floor. All around them the magic grew in violence as forces contained past their time burst free at last.
And then, in a mighty explosion of magic, the roof fell in. Shiara screamed as she saw Cormac’s body crushed under a falling block. Waves of magic flayed her. Her last sight was of the brilliant blue glow. The after-image burned itself into her brain. Reflexively and in shock, she stumbled from the room.
Above her the top of the mountain blew off. A column of angry orange fire shot high into the smoke-stained sky and bombs of flaming lava arced down into the forest, setting fires where they fell.
Toth-Ra examined the great still demon carefully. Obviously the guardian had been neutralized in some manner. So far, so good he thought. He had the word and sign to pass the demon, stolen from the crypt of the League, but he was satisfied not to use them.
Let us see if anything of use remains here. He walked past the thing and inspected the cavern carefully. It did not take him long to find the coffer. When he opened it, he gasped. The heart of the demon lay within.
Toth-Amon smiled. Here was an auspicious beginning. Obviously the Council’s agents had beaten him here, but they were unlikely to know all the secrets of this place. There were still treasures to be gleaned while they attempted to unravel the mysteries.
Then the ground began to move under him. Toth-Ra ran to the mouth of the cave and reached it in time to see the mountain erupt, taking the treaures of Amon-Set with it.
Balked, he danced in fury. “Gone. Gone, ay, all gone,” he shrieked.
No, he realized. Not all gone. There was still the guardian of the gate.
Heedless of the shaking earth or the erupting mountain he moved back across the magically marked threshold clutching the box tightly. Once safely outside, he released the demon.
“What is your name?” he asked sharply.
“Bale-Zur,” the thing rumbled.
“And what is your virtue?” the wizard asked.
“To slay,” the great deep voice boomed out again. “To rend and tear any whose true name has ever been spoken in the World.”
Toth-Ra shivered. Here was power indeed! The treasure of Amon-Set might be consumed in fire, but at least one of his servants could be bound to his cause. He eyed the burning mountaintop carefully. Perhaps this one alone would be sufficient to make him the greatest in the League.
“And what is your desire?”
“To slay,” the demon repeated. “To slay and slay again.”
Toth-Ra placed both hands on the dusky globe. “Then I will bargain with you,” the wizard said.
It was hours later when Ugo found Shiara wandering in the canyon above the boulder field.
“You live, Lady,” the little wood goblin cried joyfully as he ran to her.
“Who?”
“Ugo, Lady. You set me to watch. Then bad things happen and I come to look.” He stopped. “Where is other?”
“Gone,” Shiara said dazedly. “Gone.” Then she seemed to gather herself and held out her hand.
“Lead me, Ugo. Your senses are keen and between the night and the clouds I cannot see.”
“Close to high noon, Lady,” the little creature said sadly. “Sorry, Lady.”
Shiara said nothing. Ugo approached her and gently took her hand in his.
“Famous victory,” the wood-goblin said. “Bards will sing it long.”
Shiara the Silver only laughed bitterly and let the goblin lead her down the smoldering mountain.
“And what happened afterwards?” Moira breathed at last.
Shiara the Silver raised her head from her breast and turned her blind, lined face to her questioner. “Afterwards?” She said simply. “There was no afterwards.”