"Get the spellcasters!" Morgwais cried to the elves nearby.
Her hair was singed, but she was otherwise fine, her spells sufficient to protect her against the fiery blasts. The noble wood elf recited a spell of her own and hurled a crackling sphere of blue light into the high branches overhead. The orb burst in a scintillating wave of lightning, illuminating the sinister, shadowed forms of winged warriors descending toward the village. A pair cried out and crumpled as Morgwais's spell burned them out of the sky, but others eluded the energy wave or shielded themselves with spells of their own.
Gaerradh took aim on another darting form illuminated by the blue lightning and fired, but she missed her mark. The arrow buried itself in the elf-demon's thigh instead of its breastbone. It spiraled wildly, but then regained sufficient control to drop down behind a tree and get out of her line of sight. She looked around for another target, and she heard a ragged roar of battle cries and oaths from below her.
The orc warriors scaled the trees of the village, hurling grapnels up into the branches and raising clumsy siege ladders against the trunks of the larger trees. The battle-mad berserkers swarmed up out of the mist, foaming at the mouth, red eyes rolling wildly as they roared their challenges. Quickly Gaerradh shifted her aim to pick three orcs off a ladder in a neighboring tree, though she could hear orcs scrabbling and cursing as they climbed her own.
"Sound the retreat!" Morgwais snapped. She started to cast another spell, only to break it off abruptly and duck low to avoid a bolt of green acid hurled down by one of the winged sorcerers above. "We can't fight off both assaults at once."
One of the other elves seized a hunting horn at his belt and sounded three short blasts. He was killed an instant later by a heavy iron spear hurled up from the orc ranks below.
Morgwais didn't wait on her warriors. She quickly worked a spell that covered the tree-hall with a spreading cloud of gloom, and she ran out across the well-hidden catwalks linking the tree houses together. Gaerradh followed her, groping in the darkness. She knew that other elves would be abandoning their platforms, likewise concealing their escape with clouds of mist or walls of gloom.
"What now?" she whispered to the lady as they slipped out of the village.
"We flee," Morgwais replied. Her eyes gleamed with ire and determination. "We retreat, we skirmish, and we delay until we have the measure of these demonspawn. And we call for help."
"Lords and ladies of Evermeet, the queen!"
The Dome of Stars rustled softly with movement as the council and the assembled observers stood up and fell silent. Seiveril rose from his seat and turned to face the doorway as Amlaruil swept into the Dome of Stars, Keryth Blackhelm a pace behind her. A sun elf lord wearing a tabard of emerald blue emblazoned with a star and sword emblem accompanied them. Seiveril did not recognize the fellow.
Amlaruil was dressed in a simple dress of green, her only concession to formality a plain silver fillet on her brow. In all the council meetings he had attended, Seiveril could not recall being summoned so hastily, or seeing Amlaruil appear in anything less than royal splendor. It struck him as an ominous sign.
"Please, be seated," the queen said. She looked around the glassteel table. All the council was present except for Emardin Elsydar, the high admiral, who was currently at sea and could not be recalled in time for the emergency session. "I thank you all for coming so swiftly. I am afraid there is grave news from Faerun."
Seiveril frowned and studied his fellow councilors. Most wore expressions of puzzled concern that no doubt mirrored his own. Never in his memory had the council been called on only one hour's notice. Elves were deliberate folk and did not make a practice of trying to meet untoward developments with thoughtless haste. He looked across the table at Lady Selsharra Durothil, who simply studied the queen with narrowed eyes, her expression cold. It didn't matter what news Amlaruil had for the council. Lady Durothil was gathering herself for a confrontation, possibly for no other reason than the fact that Amlaruil had seen fit to summon her at short notice.
"An hour ago Lord Imesfor arrived in Leuthilspar, bearing a message from Lord Duirsar, the High Elder of Evereska," Amlaruil said. She indicated the sun elf lord who had followed her into the Dome. "I will let him present it to you."
"Thank you, my lady," Imesfor replied. He stepped forward and faced the council. "I am Gervas Imesfor of Evereska. I have the honor of serving my people as one of our Hill Elders. Forgive me if I forego courtesy in order to quickly state my message: Evereska faces a new attack. An army of orcs, ogres, giants, and other foul creatures is marching south through the Delimbiyr Vale, heading for the Shaeradim. They are accompanied by a number of demons and other fiendish beings, including a mighty legion of creatures that seem like demon-tainted elves. We have also heard from our allies in the High Forest that another army has invaded the woodland seeking out the villages and havens of the wood elves. The wood elves have fought several skirmishes against the invaders already, and have asked us for as much help as we can spare. But with an even mightier army approaching our city, we fear that we do not have the strength to aid the High Forest while defending our own people. The war against the phaerimm two years ago claimed far too many of our warriors and mages. We know that Evermeet sacrificed greatly to assist us then, but we hope that you can once again lend us your strength and help us stand against the enemies of all the People."
"You mentioned demon-tainted elves," Seiveril said. He tightened his hands into fists under the table to combat the dread in his heart. "What do you mean by that? Can you describe them?"
"I have studied them with scrying magic, my lord," Imesfor replied. "They have leathery wings, like those of a bat or dragon, and a reddish hue to their skin. I observed many wearing arms and armor of fine quality and elven workmanship. The wood elves who have engaged them described the creatures as skilled sorcerers and blademasters." The Evereskan lord absorbed the council's reaction then asked, "Do you know these creatures?"
"Yes," said Seiveril. "You have described the Dlardrageths and their minions, the daemonfey."
Lord Imesfor's eyes widened and he murmured, "So the old tales are true."
"Fifteen days ago a party of these demon-elves attacked a Tower on the northern coasts," Seiveril continued. "They killed more than twenty of our people, including two high mages, and carried away a powerful weapon. We have been searching for some sign of them, but it seems as though they have no more need of secrecy." He looked over to the queen and said, "I fear we bear some responsibility for this threat to Evereska and the High Forest, your highness. We cannot stand by and allow the crystal to be used against Evereska!"
"Did you not tell us that the crystal had been brought to Evermeet out of Faerun only a couple of years ago?" Lady Ammisyll Veldann asked Seiveril. "The throne's servants meddled in Faerun by bringing that cursed device into Evermeet, and now we see the price we must pay for yesterday's mistakes. I refuse to countenance any suggestion that we repair the damage caused by our unwise involvement in Faerunian matters by involving ourselves even more!"
Lady Jerreda Starcloak, speaker for the island's wood elves, glared at Lady Veldann. "How can you propose turning our backs on kinfolk in need? What would that make us?"
"Of course we would not turn our backs on the elves still dwelling in Faerun," Lady Veldann snapped. "Have we not always found a home for any who wish to Retreat? I would not turn away any Evereskan, or wood elf of the High Forest for that matter, who seeks safety here. That is Evermeet's purpose, after all."