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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"Good thing it's all rolled up." Harold said.
Telenstil flashed him an almost angry look, the elf was covered
from head to feet across his front with a layer of soot. He'd protected
his face with his upraised hands but his hair was grey-black and the
ash rained down from it as he turned his head.
Telenstil muttered a small cantrip, "Pu-Das" he said and the
soot jumped from his hair and clothes and from the map as well.
"That's amazing." the halfling smiled. "It's that type of magic
that has always impressed me."
Telenstil smiled as well, happy to be clean again and more than
glad to see the map undamaged and free of soot. "That was an apprentices
trick, but useful. A mage cannot mend a rip or tie a knot with a
lightning bolt, these small magics have their use."
"I have no liking for all the bangs and booms." said Harold. "But
many of these small magics would be handy in my trade."
"Master thief, Talberth should be back soon," Said Telenstil. "It
will be safest if I am alone to send the map to my queen. Please begin
your search below for some means for us to escape these rooms or some
better place to hide."
"Right you are, but we may need that magic dust of yours if we
can find no other way through the iron bars." Harold said.
"I will be along as quick as I can manage and I will send Talberth
down to you as soon as he can." Telenstil turned and called to the old
ranger. "Harald please give me a hand, this map is more your size than
mine. Can you take it and move it from the hearth?"
"This little thing." the ranger said and hefted the map over a
broad shoulder. As they left the chimney a voice called from above.
"Look out below," and a pack came down quickly but lowered on a
rope.
"Talberth will not be long." said Telenstil. "Henri." he called as
the halfling went to gather Gytha and Ivo.
"Yes." the cleric said.
"Harold is going down to find some way for us to pass, please help
him if you can." Telenstil asked.
"The blinding light will show the way." Henri replied. "Come." he
told the pair of scouts and left the room, heading for the stairs.
Telenstil had the ranger leave the map inside the weapons room and
spoke to him before he left to join the others down below.
"Harald, please stay and help carry the packs away from the hearth
as Talberth drops them down. I will be here, but do not enter, this magic
is not safe."
"Do not kill yourself over this map my friend." Harald said.
"No, I think the risk is small, and less than we have all taken
coming here, but thank you my friend." Telenstil half-shut the door and
removed a flat case from his robe that he had taken from his pack.
Telenstil touched the mirror and spoke a word to make it live "Pu-Ha"
he said and the silvered surface flowed like liquid metal. "My queen,"
Telenstil spoke into the moving face, "you will not like the destruction
of your gift but this map, it shows our dark kindreds hand, as we thought
it would. The giants have proved more canny than expected. I will
search for more proof and do what damage that I can, but it seems likely
that I, or any of our group, will return alive from this venture."
Telenstil put the mirror down atop the map and drew a dagger from
his belt. With it's pommel he smashed down and cried aloud "Mik-Ka" and
broke it all to bits. He took the fragments and placed them around the
rolled up map, then pushed some fragments beneath and laid the broken
frame on top. He drew a connecting line from bit to bit with a colored
stick of wax and using the power of the mirrors magic he cast a spell he
did not know himself. "Mat-Kus-Ta" he said and a silver beam shot from
piece to piece. They formed a glowing web and then burst forth, the
light encompassed all within and then was gone. The lines of wax were
all that remained to show that either mirror or map had ever lain
upon the floor.
* * *
(To Be Continued)