Briefly blinded, none of the Knights saw that neither the lightnings nor the blue-green glow touched Vangerdahasr. He srood smiling in their midst.
"Now," Vangerdahast said, "the hard part of this Unbinding begins. Be strong, my Knights. For just a little longer."
Brorn Hallomond licked his lips, drew in a deep breath and let it out again, threw back his head to stare at the ceiling-and then shrugged, held his sword ready, and stepped boldly forward into the magical glow.
It swallowed him.
A moment later, a dark shape arose from where it had been crouching on the stairs. Lorbryn Deltalon didn't have a sword to brandish, but he held his wand like a weapon as he walked warily across the cellar to the waiting portal. He hesitated for a moment and then stepped through.
Two faces that had watched the war wizard's disappearance drew back from where they'd been peering down the stairwell. Their owners traded glances.
Wizard of War Tsantress Ironchylde and Ornrion Taltar Dahauntul of the Purple Dragons exchanged a long look, then they shrugged in unison, drew wand and sword respectively, and started down the stairs to the portal.
The Unbinding had become a slow march of pain. Every time the Knights shattered a panel, lightnings shot throughout the wardings, searing everyone.
Grimly they plodded from room to room, the host of undead silently following. There were more than forty liches now, the lights of their eyes glittering hungrily. They pressed ever closer to the Knights as warding after warding fell away.
Whenever the Knights entered a room, another floating gem appeared out of nowhere-literally materializing out of the empty air-to join those already hanging above the spires of the largest floating skull s crown.
Thrice the Royal Magician tried to direct Jhessail or one of the priests to take a turn breaking a panel, until Florin and Islif had both told him to cease giving such orders. Their hair and faces scorched, the ranger and the fighter were taking turns swinging the mace now. They trudged along, bent and trembling between those ordeals.
The Knights could no longer see the glow of the next panel, but Vangerdahast seemed to know or be able to feel where they should strike next.
"Why aren't the lightnings harming you?" Jhessail asked the Royal Magician, as they trudged along yet another passage that looked very much like the rest.
"They are," Vangerdahast said. "I'm just far more used to agony than, say, your average band of Crown-chartered adventurers. I've been enduring pain for years."
Jhessail gave him a look that was dark with disbelief.
He stared back, twisting his face momentarily into a manic, gleeful smile-and then letting that smile fall right back off his face to leave it looking grim and old.
"This door," he said, not bothering to look at it. "The next panel is in here, to the left. I can sense it."
"Can you sense what I'm thinking now?" Semoor rasped.
"Yes," Vangerdahast replied. "Two things occupy your mind. One is your bladder, and the other is treasonous, so I'd advise you to start thinking of Lathander instead. The Unbinding will certainly bring about a new beginning."
Semoor groaned. "Will we be alive to see it?"
Chapter 15
Swords among the walking dead Nothing worse could be than raw butchery The stink, the screams, the blood so red But that was before I first made war With swords among the walking dead
The sixteenth panel fell in shards, and lightning flooded forth, a blue-white tide that dashed all the Knights to the floor. Only the Royal Magician stood unmoved. He waited patiently as any statue amid the feeble groaning at his feet.
It was some time before anyone could rise. Pennae managed it first, crawling grimly to where the two priests lay heaped upon each other. She clawed her way up that heap until she could sit on it. Sliding her feet out to the floor, she shoved at the entangled ptiests behind her, thrusting herself upright to stand unsteadily. Taking a few trembling steps, she reached down, almost falling on her face, to haul Jhessail to her feet.
The two of them clung together, leaning breast to breast for support. When they found the strength to break apart again and stand free, most of the other Knights had made it at least as far as theit knees.
Islif was the first to manage normal strides-and when she did, lightning crackled in the air before her at her every step. The air seemed thicker, as if she were wading in stiffening mud or trying to bathe in some of her aunt's hardloaf dough.
Not far away from her, Florin bit back a curse.
"You, too?" Islif asked. "When you walk… the air seems thick?"
The ranger nodded and gave Vangerdahast a long look.
The Royal Magician spread his hands, looking-or trying to look-innocent. "I can guess what's befalling you, but a guess is all 'twill be. No one's ever made it this far in the Unbinding before.". "You fail to surprise me," Jhessail said from beside his elbow. "Point us to the next room, Vangey. Let's just take care of the next panel, and only then concern ourselves with the one after that. I find I lack the energy for doing anything else."
"Har hur stlarning hardy har har," Semoor said to that, struggling to his feet. "Tymora, walk with me!"
"If She does, see if you can get Her to break the panels for us," Pennae said, watching Vangerdahast's arm rise to point out the door.
The portal swallowed Tsantress and Dauntless without a sound, and the cellar fell silent and deserted. For about half a breath.
Then magical light flooded it, making it as bright as any royal court lit by tiers upon tiers of hanging candles, thanks to a wave of the Royal Magician's hand.
Vangerdahast hastened down the stairs, Laspeera and Dalonder Ree at his shoulders. He watched the portal flicker as his conjured radiance swirled around it. He sighed at the sight of that silent, magical skirmish and told Laspeera, "I'm not waiting for any Purple Dragons. If whoever it is manages that Unbinding…"
She nodded, and he stalked forward. Dalonder Ree hastened after him, throwing out a long arm to bar Laspeera's way to the portal.
The look she gave him was a silent question, and in response he pointed back up the stairs out of the cellar, then at her, clearly intimating she should tarry for the Dragons Tathanter should be sending.
Slowly Laspeera nodded, and Ree strode after Vangerdahast.
Who had turned, just before the portal, to see Laspeera nod to Ree and then hang back. He drew in a deep breath and roared, "Has all Cormyr fallen out of the habit of obeying me? Hrast it, the realm is doomed!"
"Belt up and get in there and save it," Ree said, giving the wizard a firm shove into the portal.
Still glaring, Vangey vanished.
Ree shot Laspeera a smile and plunged through the portal himself, muttering, "Well, we all have to die somewhere."
"Gods'. "Islif swore, head bent with the effort of trudging forward. "Now I know why no one ever managed this Unbinding before!"
Pennae cast a dark look at Vangerdahast, walking slowly but unharmed behind them. She gasped and said, "No Royal Magician ever had a large enough band of stone-headed pain-lovers before, I'd guess."
"Did I mention I really need to piss?" Semoor groaned. "Not now, holynose!" Pennae told him. "This is lightning around us, remember?"
For all of the Knights, it seemed hatder and harder to move, as if the air had turned to sucking mud. Their strides were slow and labored, and the Lost Palace had gone very quiet around them. Even their strained breathing seemed hushed.
Jhessail kept stumbling, and Florin kept clawing her up again. Struggling, with Vangerdahast standing unbowed in their midst, the Knights of Myth Dtannor fought their way along a long, high passage.