*
Hal waited for the cleric, Shonarr to usher him in into Ceorn's hut. The room that he'd shared with the kelt had changed little except that his bunk was now packed away while Ceorn's was moved closer to the fireplace. The Crimson Bloodied Fist was sitting up in his bed and sipping from an earthenware mug.
Shonarr placed a hand on Hal's arm. "Try not to stay long," she cautioned. "He's in even worse condition than you were." Then she left, leaving Hal and his friend alone.
Not knowing what else to do, Hal walked over to stand beside Ceorn's bed and waited. Eventually Ceorn coughed wetly and expectorated a noisily across the room. Hal watched as it splattered against the base of the fireplace, immediately sizzling from the heat.
"Nice arc."
"I've had time t'practice, y'know." Ceorn's voice was raspy and weak, the congestion in his lungs very thick. "Naught else t'do but lay here, drink foul potions," Ceorn indicated the steaming medication from his mug. "And kvetch me spit across the room."
"Well, as long as you're keeping busy... "
"Busy! I'm going stir crazy in here lad!" The kelt shook his head wearily before hunching over, coughing like mad. Hal took the cup from his friend's hand to keep it from spilling.
"You okay?" Hal asked when the spasm subsided.
Ceorn grimaced at the big man wearily. "The cleric says I'll live. At this rate, I ain't sure if it's worth it." The kelt leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes with a heartfelt sigh. "I almost hate to say it lad," he went on. "But I'm glad I ain't goin' with you on this trip. I'm starting' to like this bed'n breakfast treatment, y'know?"
Hal grinned. "Not really. But get as much of it as you can. Before you know it, we'll have that Book and be back on our way to Southmoor."
"Speaking' o'that. " Ceorn interjected. "Are y'all ready to git gone?"
"Looks that way."
Ceorn nodded. Then he reached into his shirt and withdrew a small thong from about his neck and handed it to Hal. " 'Ere lad. Take it."
Hal took the object in one hand and scrutinized it closely. It seemed to be a chunk of highoak wood attached to a leather thong.
"What's this?"
The kelt smiled. "It's my good luck charm, lad. It's a piece o' tree branch that saved me life one time. It's fell from a tree just in time to crack this wild boar over the head and let me run away to safety'. Now, seein' as I won't be needin' it for awhile, I thought maybe I'd see if some of it's luck'll rub off on you."
Wordlessly, Hal ducked his head through the loop and settled it about his neck. It thumped against his chest softly. Hal grinned lopsidedly and shook the kelt's hand. "Thank you, Ceorn."
"My pleasure, lad." Ceorn said with a weary smile. Then his face became deadly serious. "Now you be careful up there. I don't wanna hear that you did somethin' stupid and got yourself killed. I don't wanna be the one to tell Renora that something happened to you."
Hal's face clouded over. "I'll be fine, don't worry."
Ceorn snorted. "Yeah, I've heard that one before, lad."
Suddenly Hal wasn't in the mood for this anymore. Like I really want to worry about Renora worrying about me right now. "I have to go Ceorn. Take care." And with that, Hal spun on one heel and began to stalk away.
"Hal," Ceorn called out. The big man paused and looked back over his shoulder. The kelt stared at him for a second, then he nodded once. "Good luck."
Hal nodded in return and walked out of the room.
Once back outside in the chill air, Hal took a very refreshing deep breath and let it out as slowly as possible. The last thing that I need right now is a lecture, Hal thought to himself.
He violently shook his head once to rid the frustration from his mind and managed to smack himself in the face with his own hair. Sighing, Hal removed a leather thong from one of his pouches and tied back his thick brown hair. In the process of doing so, Hal was reminded of the kelt's good luck charm. He picked at it with the fingers of one hand for a minute or two, examining it from all sides. Then he casually tucked it into his woolen sweater and felt it rest against the flesh of his chest.
Feeling light-hearted once again, Hal began to stride back over to where Tasha and the others were getting set to leave when a sudden shrill scream pierced the air. Without even considering the possible danger, Hal planted his right foot firmly and bolted off in the direction of the noise.
He didn't have far to go. The scream had ended but Hal had already gotten a fix on its general location. It was close by in one of the spare huts reserved for guests or ill travelers. Several wemics from all different Prides were already on their way over when Hal reached the hut, accidentally ripping the door off of it's hinges in his haste.
Hal stepped into the room and made a quick survey. A bed. Four walls. Fireplace. Several chairs. And Garnthalisbain.
The mage's face was absolutely white with sweat running down it in rivulets. Without a doubt, Garn looked sick. Sick and dying. But there he was with a determined look in his eyes, fighting to his feet and angling for the door.
"Hal... " He croaked.
The big man took a hold of Garn's shoulders and tried to lay him back down on the bed. "Calm down, Garn. It's just a bad dream."
The sweat soaked mage shook his head weakly. "No... No it wasn't." He shuddered a bit then snapped his gaze to Hal's face. "What are you still doing here?" he asked frantically. "You have to go. Now!"
Wemic clerics had begun to enter the hut as Hal nodded soothingly. "We will Garn. Right away. Now why don't you get some sleep?"
The look of disgust upon the gaunt mage's face was more profound than Hal had ever seen it before. "Get out of my face you, oaf," he snarled. "I need to talk to Tasha. Now!"
"Sure. Just calm down and I'll...
"TASHA!" Garn screamed. Hal was astonished by the vocal power still left in Garn's frame and flinched back in alarm.
Within moments, Tasha was in the hut with both Ambori and Skarlett Black right behind her. The look on her face was nothing short of incredulous. "Garn? What's the matter?"
"You must leave. Immediately. There isn't much time!" Clerics had begun to hold him down to cease his sudden thrashing. "They're almost there," he added frantically.
"Who's almost where?" Tasha asked, concerned.
"He's delirious," one of the clerics interjected with a stern glare. "If you'll get out of here we can do our job."
"NO!" Garn hollered right into the wemic's faces, causing them to jump away in fright from the ferocious look he threw at them. "I am not delirious!"
Tasha placed one hand on each of Garn's shoulders and forced a peaceful smile. "All right, Garn. You're not delirious. Just tell me what's wrong."
The mage took several deep breaths before speaking yet again. When he spoke, it was in a very quiet, very conservative voice. "Not five minutes ago... " he began, his long black hair hanging over his face and his green eyes flashing brightly at them from beneath it. "I felt very Powerful magic being used... close to here but much higher up. Like, at the top of the Tooth."
"Impossible," snorted one of the wemics. "No one can ascend the Dragon's Tooth without express permission from the Council of Seven. Everyone knows that."
Garn lashed out and violently pointed his finger at that very same wemic, causing him to jump and gasp in alarm. "Do not presume to tell ME what is impossible and what isn't!" he bellowed. He took a few deep breaths. "You are correct on one point... no one may ascend without the... permission," he sneered. "However, for those of the Magical persuasion, we have other means of... Transportation that are somewhat quicker and more efficient."
"Than why in the hell did we waste our time in the Council Chamber if we could have just... " Ambori waved one hand mystically with a look of incredulousness upon his features.
Garnthalisbain glared at the mage. "For one thing... I was indisposed at the time. For another... It's very difficult to manage a spell of that magnitude. It was not something I cared to try at the time." He took a
deep breath. "Now it seems that I have no choice in the matter."
"Garn... ?" Tasha began to ask then jumped back in alarm.
Rolling his eyes back into his skull, Garnthalisbain tilted his head and stretched both arms out to the sides. A wind had begun to blow inside the hut, Hal knew the ridiculousness of that thought, but it was true all the same. The sheets on the bed began to rustle then flap in the wind. Garn's thin and frail body slowly began to rise up off the mattress until his entire body was floating in mid air.
The wemic clerics that had tried to assist him were now huddled against one wall, eyes wide at the sight before them. Sparks of light had begun to blossom at the tips of Garn's fingers. The sparks turned into beams. Beams that danced and swirled in intricate patterns. The beams were joined by waves energy that appeared to course out from the core of Garn's being and flow down his arms, becoming one with the beams.
So slowly that it became excruciating, Garn began to bring his hands into his chest, folding his arms at the elbows. The wind had increased in it's pace swirling so quickly that it was almost visible as it spiraled vertically right in front of Garn's floating form.
Tasha watched the whole scene with her jaw hanging around her ankles somewhere. Skarlett Black had begun to shield his eyes with one hand, the light becoming very bright and intense. Ambori's face showed a combination of fear and awe. Hal was just amazed, never having seen anything like this before in his life.
The flickering beams at Garn's hands and the pulsing waves of energy had increased in tempo until they seemed to become one and the same. Then, with the speed of lightning, Garnthalisbain snapped both his hands out before him, the arms touching at the wrists and the palms out-thrust towards the spiraling winds. Garn's eyes were wide open and were glowing a bright green in color, contrasting the yellows and red of the rest of the light.
The energies streaked from Garn's hands and pierced the dead centre of the winds. The energies began to mingle and join the spiral, becoming one with and adding to it. In seconds, it had changed from being a mere coalition of the wind to becoming a swirling maelstrom of the binding forces of the universe. His companions stared at Garn in awe, never having doubted his abilities before and vowing never to even consider it again.
The beam ceased it's assault from Garn's hands but remained one with the maelstrom. Wordlessly, Garn inverted his palms so that the back of his hands were touching. Then, as if he were grabbing a hold of something very heavy, Garn clenched his fingers and began to pry his hands apart. As he did so, the maelstrom seemed to disappear from the middle outward. Then as Hal got a better look, the energies were just being forced away from the centre of the spiral and shoved to the edges. Once Garn's hands spread apart as far as they'd go, all could see what appeared to be a picture of a very rocky plain through the spiral.
Garn swung his glowing green eyed gaze at the companions and spoke in a voice that was simply laden with Power. "What you see before you is a hidden area an hour away from the peak of the Dragon's Tooth. You must go through my portal now and retrieve the Book."
Everyone seemed very nervous. Tasha spoke up. "Garn, why .."
"Dammit, Tasha! I can't hold this forever. Just go through and trust me that this was necessary! Just be careful, I think that someone on the 'other side' is already there and waiting for you!”
There was nothing left to say. "All right Garn. Thank you." And then, assuming the bravest posture that she could manage. Tasha boldly strode towards the portal.
Hal leaped forward and grabbed a hold of her shoulder. She turned back to him, greatly annoyed. But he held up one hand and spoke very quickly and very simply. "Please milady, allow me." And then making sure that his weapons and gear were all in place, Hal casually stepped through the portal.
Once through, it only took moments for the rest to join him on the rocky surface of the Dragon's Tooth.