Avatar - Tantras Part 12

"Prove it!" Ren snapped. "Tell us something only a Zhentarim agent would know."

"What I can tell you depends on your level of clearance for covert matters of state," Cyric said softly. "Not the tone of your voice or the number of threats you hold over me."

Mikkel cursed softly and shook his head. Yarbro was not so calm about the "revelation." The blond dalesman rose to a crouch and screamed, "You filthy liar!" Before anyone could act, the young guard launched himself at Cyric. "You were a spy all along!"

Croxton grabbed Yarbro by the hair and lifted him off the ground when the dalesman tried to wrap his hands around Cyric's throat. "That's enough from you!" the red-bearded soldier shouted, then tossed Yarbro to the ground.

Cyric withheld a smile. He could have blocked Yarbro's attack in any of a number of ways, but he chose to wait, hoping the Zhentilar would come to his aid. Although he despised the idea of allying himself with sc.u.m from Zhentil Keep, Cyric knew that it was far less objectionable than lying in the middle of Featherdale with his throat slit.

Tyzack dismounted and strolled toward Yarbro. "He was your prisoner?" the black-haired Zhentilar asked, his voice low and threatening.

"Why else would I have been unarmed?" Cyric said from Tyzack's left. The thief rubbed his neck, trying to make the dalesman's attack look far more serious than it was.

"Shut up," Tyzack growled as he turned to Cyric. "No one's talking to you... not yet, anyway." He turned back to Yarbro. "So tell me, dalesman, is it true?"

Yarbro hung his head. "I should have killed him the moment I saw him!" the guard hissed. The thief smiled. "Yes," Cyric said. "That's probably true."

Yarbro started toward Cyric again, but both Croxton and Praxis thrust their swords between the dalesman and the thief. "So why was he your prisoner?" Tyzack asked gruffly as he grabbed Yarbro by the back of the s.h.i.+rt and whirled him around.

Yarbro wrenched free of Tyzack's grasp and turned to glare at the thief, anger narrowing his eyes. "That sc.u.m murdered six royal guardsman in the Twisted Tower of Shadowdale," the young guard snarled. "Then he helped two convicted murderers, the mage and cleric who killed Elminster the Sage, to escape from their executions."

Cyric wanted to scream in exultation. The idiot guardsman was making him look better and better to the Zhentilar with each word he spoke!

A murmur ran through the Zhentilar. "So, you're from Shadowdale," Croxton hissed. "You should have told us that first. We would have killed you on the spot and not wasted any time on you."

Tyzack frowned and held up his hand to silence his company. "I'd heard that Elminster was dead. But... where are these other criminals?"

"Yes," Slater chimed in. "We'd like to congratulate them!"

The muscles in Yarbro's face twitched, and he glared at the woman with the crossbow. "They escaped," he; mum-bled after a moment. "Bane's a.s.sa.s.sins, riding nightmares, rescued them."

"Don't tell them anything more," Mikkel said, shaking his bald head. The fisherman's earring dangled against his cheek.

"So you're a spy for Lord Bane, is that it?" Tyzack asked as he turned back to Cyric.

"Aye," the hawk-nosed man said flatly. "I was a thief -"

"Once a thief, always a thief," Slater braved, her voice thick and raspy. She chuckled at her own attempt at humor, although no one else seemed especially amused, least of all Cyric. He had run from his past for years on end and finally thought himself free of it. Now it seemed that the only way to save himself was to embrace what he had denied for so long.

Cyric frowned and continued. "I apprenticed to Marek, an important member of Zhentil Keep's Thieves' Guild. He trained me as a spy." The thief looked around at the Zhentilar and saw that they were all listening to his words closely, waiting for him to slip up.

Tyzack raised a bushy black eyebrow. "Marek, eh? I've heard the name. An older man?" "That's right," Cyric said.

"What information did he uncover, thief?" Eccles asked as he s.h.i.+fted nervously in his saddle. "What did he tell you?" Cyric laughed. "It is hardly likely that I would ever reveal important information to someone like you."

The wild-eyed Zhentish soldier growled, and Tyzack moved close to Cyric. The thief silently calculated how quickly he could take Tyzack's weapon from him. As he stared at the black-haired Zhentilar's sword, a glint of sunlight reflected from Slater's crossbow. Not quick enough, Cyric realized, and he relaxed his stance slightly.

"Telling us now might be the prudent thing to do," Tyzack said softly. "Especially if you're concerned with your own survival."

"No," Cyric said coldly. He turned to the other Zhentish soldiers and said, "My words are for Lord Bane alone. It was the Black Lord himself who gave me my orders. I will reveal what I have found only to him."

The Zhentilar mumbled among themselves or silently fidgeted at the thief's proclamation. At least I raised the stakes at the right time, Cyric thought. Now they're afraid to kill me.

Tyzack sheathed his sword and walked to Cyric's side again. "Well," the black-haired man said, "the Black Lord awaits us in Scardale, in the body of Fzoul Chembryl." He paused and looked at the rest of the Company of the Scorpions. "You'll have your chance to see him there, Cyric."

The thief was both relieved and horrified at the same time. Not only was he being taken to the G.o.d of Strife, who would certainly kill him, but the G.o.d's avatar was a man Cyric had severely wounded in the Battle of Shadowdale. The hawk-nosed man's mouth went dry as he remembered firing an arrow into Fzoul's chest at theAshabaBridge.

Tyzack moved away from Cyric and the huntsmen. The leader of the Zhentilar addressed his second-in-command. "Do you have a suggestion, Croxton? For our guests, I mean?"

"Let them tight one another to the death," the red-bearded fighter snapped. "Whoever lives, we let go. But he'll have to kill his friend first."

"Splendid!" Tyzack roared and returned to his mount. Reaching into a pouch in his saddle, Tyzack withdrew a fresh red apple. The Zhentilar bit into the apple, his teeth piercing it to the core. He swallowed the bite and said, "We'll include our new friend in the game, too. After all, a properly trained Zhentilar should have no problems dispatching these two sorry dogs from Shadowdale. What say you, Cyric?"

The thief looked at Yarbro and Mikkel, then nodded. If they have to die for me to go on living, even for a little while, that's fine by me. "Just give me a weapon, and we'll get this over with quickly," he hissed. "But remember, Lord Bane will hear about this."

"Hmmm," Tyzack said and rubbed his chin. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt, but..."

Eccles snarled and yelled, "If he dies, then he was living in the first place! The Black Lord will protect him if he really is a loyal Zhentilar spy!"

The other Zhentilar nodded in agreement. "It's settled, then," Tyzack muttered. The black-haired man leaned close to Cyric and whispered, "It seems that this is the only game available to you, friend. I would urge you to play it out." He paused for a moment, then added, "I won't let you get hurt. Remember that in your report."

Cyric looked at the company's leader and nodded. "Clear these horses away and give us some room."

Tyzack looked to Croxton. "Disarm the dalesmen."

As the last of the horses was led away, the Company of the Scorpions formed a circle around the combatants. Mikkel began to back away from Yarbro and Cyric. "We can't do this!" the bald fisherman said, his voice quavering with fear. "Please, Yarbro! Even if we manage to kill the spy, they'll expect us to turn on each other. Then they'll kill the survivor. We've got to fight them, not each other!"

Slater, still holding her crossbow, began to laugh. "Yes, come and fight us."

Yarbro's face was set. "Though you'll likely kill me for it, I'll not raise a hand against my comrade," the guard said as he turned to Cyric. "But I'll gladly see this one die before I rush to Myrkul's realm."

Moving toward Cyric, Yarbro reached out and tried to grab the thief. The dark, lean shadow of a man darted out of the way and moved past the young guard with ease. Yarbro cursed and followed. He reached for Cyric again, but again the thief avoided him.

"Look at them dance!" Croxton cried. The red-bearded fighter reached down and picked up Mikkel's bow. He smiled a vicious grin, then tossed the bow into the center of the circle. "This should liven things up!"

Mikkel, who was closest to the weapon, quickly grabbed the bow. As Cyric dodged Yarbro yet again, the fisherman swung the bow at the thief's head. Cyric ducked the fisherman's attack, then lashed out at Mikkel with his empty, open hand.

There was a sharp crack as the bow snapped in half where Cyric had struck it. Mikkel looked at the weapon in confusion for a second, until the thief s.n.a.t.c.hed the shattered bow from his hand and thrust the jagged wood into the underside of Mikkel's jaw. The fisherman's eyes flashed open wide and his knees began to buckle. Cyric reached down as Mikkel fell, grabbed the bow, rolled to his left, then sprang up into a crouch, facing Yarbro. The guard screamed something incoherent in his rage.

"Come on, dalesman!" Cyric urged, brandis.h.i.+ng the b.l.o.o.d.y, broken bow. "I could shove this stake into your throat before you ever saw me move. Give up and I'll make it easy on you."

"You killed him!" Yarbro wailed.

"That's the point, isn't it?" Cyric said. "And I don't expect you'll put up any more of a fight."

Yarbro moved toward the thief again. "If you hold still and fight like a man, I'll show you a fight!"

Laughter erupted from the Zhentilar. "Aye, Cyric," Slater called. "Hold still so the dalesman can relieve you of your head!"

To Cyric's right, the leader of the Company of the Scorpions stood with his arms crossed. "Aye, thief, give us a taste of blood!" Tyzack yelled. "Wound him before you kill him."

The thief forced a smile. "That would be too easy!" Cyric growled, thinking that he'd best end this contest quickly, before the Zhentilar got bored and tossed Yarbro a sword or something.

Yarbro swung out a fist wildly at the thief, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "I'll kill you!" he screamed, sweat pouring down his face.

The thief easily ducked the clumsy swing and kicked Yarbro in the stomach. "This is getting boring, isn't it?" Cyric said, circling around the guardsman and slapping him with the bow in the back of the head. The thief smiled at Yarbro, who was buckled over in pain, and tossed the bow aside. "I'll give you a running start," Cyric growled. "You can have fifty yards before I come after you."

Yarbro looked up at the hawk-nosed man, disbelief in his eyes.

"Make it a hundred, Cyric!" Ren cried.

Cyric bowed quickly to the golden-haired soldier. "A hundred yards it is," the thief said with a flourish. "Go on, run back toward the river. Maybe I won't catch you before you get to the water. Then you can escape and warn all the Realms about me."

Sweat was pouring into Yarbro's eyes. A lump was forming where the thief had smacked him with the bow, and pain exploded behind his eyes with every movement. "d.a.m.n you!" Yarbro hissed. "I'd kill you and everyone else from Zhentil Keep if I could!"

A rumble ran through the Zhentilar, and Cyric gritted his teeth. Yarbro was wearing the company's patience, such as it was, very thin. If Cyric didn't prove to the soldiers he was one of them - a brutish, bloodthirsty Zhentish agent - they might not let him live until Scardale. That just wouldn't do. "Two hundred yards," Cyric said flatly. "That's my final offer." When the guardsman still didn't move, the thief narrowed his eyes and snarled, "Run, d.a.m.n you! This is your only chance. I won't take a step toward you for two hundred yards."

Yarbro's breath caught in his lungs. "But they will," the guard whispered, nodding toward the Zhentilar.

"Scorpions!" Cyric called. "Will you honor my pledge? Two hundred yards before I move after him on foot. And you stay where you are."

"Done!" Tyzack agreed. The rest of the company nodded or grunted their consent.

Cyric smiled a wicked grin. "Go. It's your only chance. Go now!"

A final grimace of pure hatred crossed the blond guard's features as he turned and began to run. The Zhentilar parted for the dalesman as Cyric strolled to the edge of the ring. Yarbro had run for less than twenty paces when the thief grabbed a dagger from Praxis's boot and hurled it. Blinding pain coursed through Yarbro as the blade entered his back at the base of his spine. Then the guardsman collapsed.

Cyric turned to the stunned Zhentilar. "Come on. He's not dead yet." As the thief approached the place where Yarbro lay, he knew that the next few moments were all-important. By turning his back on the Company of the Scorpions, he had allowed himself to become vulnerable to their attack. For every step he heard them take behind him, some walking, others riding, Cyric's confidence grew. Every moment that Slater's shaft did not strike his back was a victory.

The thief bent down over the twitching body of the hunter.

"You promised...," Yarbro gasped, his teeth gritted in pain. "You promised!"

A chill ran down Cyric's spine. "But I didn't come after you, Yarbro. I didn't take a step. It was my blade that did the job." The dalesman started to moan, and Cyric felt a swirling anger growing in his soul.

The Zhentilar gathered around the thief and his victim, and Cyric stood up and started to walk away. "Wait a minute!" Eccles snarled. "You haven't taken care of him yet."

Cyric stood motionless for a moment and closed his eyes. "It's over," he hissed. "Leave him here to die."

"He might get away," Croxton roared, balling his hands into fists. "You're no Zhentish agent if you leave him like this! You're not -"

They're not going to make this easy, the thief cursed. But I'll do what I must. Cyric whirled around, his face emotionless. "Give me another dagger," he murmured flatly and started back toward Yarbro.

As the Zhentilar watched, Cyric walked slowly to the suffering dalesman and kneeled beside him. As the thief looked into Yarbro's fear-filled eyes, he felt something die inside of him, some tiny spark go out in his soul. "You'd do the same to me," Cyric hissed. He pushed Yarbro over onto his face and quickly slashed the tendons at the backs of his ankles.

As the dalesman wailed in pain, Cyric stood up, tossed the dagger onto the ground next to Yarbro, and walked away. "Now he won't go anywhere," the thief growled as he approached the now-silent Zhentilar.

As the Company of the Scorpions prepared to ride to Scardale, Slater went to the body of the dead fisherman and bent over it for a moment. She gave a throaty laugh and s.n.a.t.c.hed the prism earring from the dead fisherman. Yarbro continued to scream as the woman robbed Mikkel's corpse and the rest of the company packed, but no one seemed to notice.

Cyric mounted one of the dalesman's horses and rode up to Tyzack. The thief's expression was unreadable. Finally the leader of the Zhentilar patrol allowed a grin to spread across his face. "I'm sure Lord Bane will be pleased to see you when we reach Scardale," the black-haired man said and held his hand out to Cyric. The thief paused for a moment, then grabbed Tyzack's hand.

"Welcome to the Company of the Scorpions," Eccles chuckled as he rode past Cyric and Tyzack. And as the Zhentilar started on the long, hard ride to Scardale, the wild-eyed man's laughter drowned out the screams of the dying dalesman.

VII.

SCARDALE.

Midnight used the time it took the a.s.sa.s.sins to fly back to Scardale wisely. Although she pretended to be asleep much of the time, the mage took advantage of the rough ride on the nightmare to conceal the tiny motions she had been making with her wrists, ankles, and face for almost the entire journey. A small piece of metal on the saddle allowed Midnight to gently saw away at the bonds that held her in place. The journey was long and tedious, and the mage had made some progress on her bonds by the time they reached Scardale.

Just after sunrise, the nightmares were in the right configuration and close enough together that Midnight could catch Adon's attention. She tried to let the cleric know surrept.i.tiously, through subtle hand signals and gestures that she was trying to cut through her bonds. The mage knew that Adon saw her, but if he understood what she was trying to tell him, it didn't register on the cleric's face.

When the port town came into sight, it was clear to the heroes that this was a place they did not want to be. Columns of thick, black smoke rose from various sections of the city. In the harbor, the heroes could even see huge fires greedily consuming some of the larger s.h.i.+ps. Worse still, a number of Zhentish slave galleys cruised offsh.o.r.e.

"The city is under siege!" Durrock cried. "Scardale is at war!" He raised his sword high over his head and signaled the other a.s.sa.s.sins to hurry. The a.s.sa.s.sins urged increased speed from their mounts, but it was still almost half an hour before they were over the city.

The a.s.sa.s.sins laughed and cried out in joy as the nightmares raced over the city. Buildings had been set aflame. Corpses lined the street, and in a few places, the fighting was still in full swing. The heroes noted, though, that Bane's symbol had been painted in red on a number of the larger, more important-looking houses and buildings they pa.s.sed over. Armed troops, wearing the black armor of the Zhentilar, marched through the streets unopposed.

Varro flew close to Durrock. "We should secure the prisoners," the a.s.sa.s.sin called. "Then perhaps we can aid the Zhentilar in the destruction of the garrisons - if that has not already been accomplished."

Durrock nodded, and the nightmare riders guided their mounts away from the heart of the city and flew toward the garrison of the Zhentilar, at the outskirts of town. A half-dozen buildings enclosed by a hastily constructed wall comprised the unimpressive fort. The warehouse to which Durrock had summoned the nightmare mounts was located just outside the newly constructed walls of the garrison. The few Zhentilar posted outside the garrison walls cheered when they spotted the a.s.sa.s.sins.

Kelemvor was amazed as the nightmares descended into the street with a grace and a sureness he never would have a.s.sociated with the ma.s.sive beasts. Once the a.s.sa.s.sins were safely on the ground, Durrock quickly dismounted and opened the warehouse doors. The a.s.sa.s.sins rode into the old wooden building, then dragged their prisoners from their mounts. Varro quickly untied the ropes that secured Kelemvor to the nightmare, but he left those that held his arms and legs in place. As he did so, Varro talked to the horrid beast with a soft, comforting tone.

Midnight remained perfectly still as Durrock approached his nightmare to untie the ropes that held her to the beast. The mage kept her ankles pressed tightly together, and the a.s.sa.s.sin did not seem to notice that the bonds around her legs were frayed and nearly severed. Midnight glanced at Adon, and the cleric moved his hands apart a little ways to show the magic-user that his bonds were cut through, too. Midnight 's spirits rose, and she couldn't suppress a smile.

I'd best make good my escape now, before anyone catches on, Midnight thought as Durrock moved toward the front of the huge, jet-black horse. Entwining her fingers as it she were saying a prayer, Midnight raised her hands in a tight ball and struck the nightmare as hard as she could. The creature snorted in surprise at the blow and reared up, its forelegs hammering into Durrock, knocking the a.s.sa.s.sin to the ground.

Midnight threw her arms apart, and the bonds at her wrists snapped. The mage fell back and away from the nightmare, landing on the floor at the creature's rear. The raven-haired magic-user quickly untied the ropes around her ankles and tore the gag from her mouth. She was free!

Only seconds after Midnight struck Durrock's mount, Adon tried the same thing on Seja.n.u.s's. The second a.s.sa.s.sin's nightmare reared up wildly, too, and Adon was also thrown free. But Seja.n.u.s proved faster than Durrock. The a.s.sa.s.sin deftly avoided the wrath of his mount by tumbling away from its flaming hooves. Still, the panicked steed stood between him and his captive, so Adon had time to snap the bonds at his wrists and free himself.

Kelemvor was not so lucky.

Just as Adon struck Seja.n.u.s's horse, Varro pulled Kelemvor from his mount and knocked the fighter to the floor. Kelemvor's bonds were still secure. Then the third a.s.sa.s.sin reached for the dagger at his side, but Midnight was already gesturing a spell. Out of instinct, Kelemvor rolled away from Varro's feet. He had no idea what spell Midnight would attempt or if it would succeed or fail.

As Midnight cast a sleep spell, a pattern of blue-white light formed around her hands, wavered for an instant, and disappeared. Seconds later, just as Varro drew his dagger and prepared to throw the weapon, a sound like thunder ripped through the confines of the darkened warehouse as an invisible force struck the a.s.sa.s.sin squarely in the chest and drove him backward fifty feet. Varro hit the back wall of the warehouse with such force that the spikes of his armor were driven into the wall, pinning the a.s.sa.s.sin in place.

Midnight and Adon moved toward Kelemvor, but Durrock and Seja.n.u.s were already on their feet, rus.h.i.+ng to head off the heroes.

"Run!" Kelemvor called, gritting his teeth as he struggled with his bonds. "I'll be all right!"

"I doubt that very much," Durrock hissed as he stood over the green-eyed fighter. The scarred a.s.sa.s.sin drew his sword.

Midnight hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should attempt another incantation. The spell she had cast against Varro had gone awry, but nevertheless it had worked in her favor. However, Midnight doubted she would be so fortunate if she were to cast a second spell against the remaining a.s.sa.s.sins.

"Forget the fighter, Durrock!" Seja.n.u.s shouted as he raised his bolos over his head. "He's not going anywhere. Get the witch! She's the one we were sent for!"