the shortest amount of time. It was the little Toad who finally said, “Well...have you ever heard of an old wizard named Khoros?”
The pacing stopped as though the Spiritsmith had run into a stone wall. For a long moment he stood silently, staring seemingly at nothing except a distant peak to the south. At last, he said, “Konstantin Khoros taught me much of my craft, in the days when the world was younger, when Elbon had only the Fifteen and none of the T’Teranahm had betrayed their hearts and souls. And after all had fallen into darkness, he came again, no longer a man of mirth and gentle humor, but grim and fell, and taught me other ways of guiding the powers I was still just beginning to understand. I have forged for him many times, and his designs have guided others; indeed,” he nodded to Kyri, “it was he who spoke to me of the designs which became the Raiment of the Justiciars, as well as others. You mean to say, then, that Khoros himself has brought you together?”
Tobimar stared at him, trying to answer while his mind tried to grapple with the implications. Khoros taught the Spiritsmith...in the days before the Fall? But that’s... He could see the same stunned incredulity on Kyri’s face, and realized once more how deeply laid were the plans of his old teacher. “I’m not quite sure we can say that exactly...but Khoros taught me to wield these swords—instructed our people in how to forge them, in fact—and he helped Kyri to reach this place originally at a much greater speed than she could have managed otherwise, and even Poplock ran into him once. And there were some others we met who were connected to him.”
The huge reptilian creature gave a sigh that sounded almost like a snarl. “Then truly there is a connection. I must think on this. He would have expected you to come here, I believe, and in that he would expect and require that I assist you in some other manner.”
“You don’t have to—”
“ h Grrrk’HA! ” The Draconic obscenity cut Kyri’s protest off instantly. “There is nothing to be said against it, Phoenix Kyri. I owe Khoros much. Two worlds owe him much. He, too, owes the worlds, but his debt is not yet due, while mine is, and has been for many millennia past. Come,” he gestured, turning back to his caverns, “let us go inside, and you may rest and be refreshed while I consider what I may do.”
Tobimar did not object to that thought at all. For three days they had been climbing and—training or no—he could use a real sit-down meal, rest, maybe even a bath or shower. A cleansing spell was all well and good, but it simply wasn’t the same.
Kyri had mentioned that the Spiritsmith’s delvings were extensive, but even so, Tobimar was startled by the size and number of caverns and tunnels. Of course, if he’s been here since the Fall...or a little after, since these mountains were created around then!...he could have dug only a foot a year and still have honeycombed half the mountain.
With that much space, it was perhaps not so surprising that he not only offered them guest quarters, but quarters of great size, decoration, and luxury. Even the air, normally thin at over three miles above the lower plains, was heavier and richer here. Tobimar took advantage of the time for a truly marvelous bath; an hour later he emerged, towelling his hair off, to find all his clothes on the bed and Poplock cleaning them off with mutters, gestures, and a bit of bouncing that invoked a mixed-elemental cleaning enchantment.
“Thank you very much, Poplock.”
“Well, didn’t have that much to do while I waited, and I can use the practice. I’m still learning a lot about magic, and after all the Summoning practice I need to keep up on the elementalist side. So you’re welcome.”
He watched as a swirl of airy water wove in and out through one of his travel cloaks, a flickering thread of fire somehow encased within. “You may still be learning, but that’s pretty
The pacing stopped as though the Spiritsmith had run into a stone wall. For a long moment he stood silently, staring seemingly at nothing except a distant peak to the south. At last, he said, “Konstantin Khoros taught me much of my craft, in the days when the world was younger, when Elbon had only the Fifteen and none of the T’Teranahm had betrayed their hearts and souls. And after all had fallen into darkness, he came again, no longer a man of mirth and gentle humor, but grim and fell, and taught me other ways of guiding the powers I was still just beginning to understand. I have forged for him many times, and his designs have guided others; indeed,” he nodded to Kyri, “it was he who spoke to me of the designs which became the Raiment of the Justiciars, as well as others. You mean to say, then, that Khoros himself has brought you together?”
Tobimar stared at him, trying to answer while his mind tried to grapple with the implications. Khoros taught the Spiritsmith...in the days before the Fall? But that’s... He could see the same stunned incredulity on Kyri’s face, and realized once more how deeply laid were the plans of his old teacher. “I’m not quite sure we can say that exactly...but Khoros taught me to wield these swords—instructed our people in how to forge them, in fact—and he helped Kyri to reach this place originally at a much greater speed than she could have managed otherwise, and even Poplock ran into him once. And there were some others we met who were connected to him.”
The huge reptilian creature gave a sigh that sounded almost like a snarl. “Then truly there is a connection. I must think on this. He would have expected you to come here, I believe, and in that he would expect and require that I assist you in some other manner.”
“You don’t have to—”
“ h Grrrk’HA! ” The Draconic obscenity cut Kyri’s protest off instantly. “There is nothing to be said against it, Phoenix Kyri. I owe Khoros much. Two worlds owe him much. He, too, owes the worlds, but his debt is not yet due, while mine is, and has been for many millennia past. Come,” he gestured, turning back to his caverns, “let us go inside, and you may rest and be refreshed while I consider what I may do.”
Tobimar did not object to that thought at all. For three days they had been climbing and—training or no—he could use a real sit-down meal, rest, maybe even a bath or shower. A cleansing spell was all well and good, but it simply wasn’t the same.
Kyri had mentioned that the Spiritsmith’s delvings were extensive, but even so, Tobimar was startled by the size and number of caverns and tunnels. Of course, if he’s been here since the Fall...or a little after, since these mountains were created around then!...he could have dug only a foot a year and still have honeycombed half the mountain.
With that much space, it was perhaps not so surprising that he not only offered them guest quarters, but quarters of great size, decoration, and luxury. Even the air, normally thin at over three miles above the lower plains, was heavier and richer here. Tobimar took advantage of the time for a truly marvelous bath; an hour later he emerged, towelling his hair off, to find all his clothes on the bed and Poplock cleaning them off with mutters, gestures, and a bit of bouncing that invoked a mixed-elemental cleaning enchantment.
“Thank you very much, Poplock.”
“Well, didn’t have that much to do while I waited, and I can use the practice. I’m still learning a lot about magic, and after all the Summoning practice I need to keep up on the elementalist side. So you’re welcome.”
He watched as a swirl of airy water wove in and out through one of his travel cloaks, a flickering thread of fire somehow encased within. “You may still be learning, but that’s pretty
Similar Books
