Extinction

Yet another mage of Sorcere sent a cloud of acid billowing down at the barrier. The yellowish vapor swept over the fungus-log blockade and continued on down the tu

It didn't look as though Arach-Tinilith was faring any better than Sorcere. The walls of the spider-shaped temple were also dotted with gouts of white-hot flame, and the ground in front of the building was strewn with corpses. Many were squat and bald?duergar?but many more were drow. Dark elf soldiers had given their lives in defense of the cavern. Of the priestesses, there was no sign. Like their goddess, they had retreated behind walls of stone, leaving others to do the fighting.

Farther back in the cavern, the third building of the Academy?the pyramid-shaped warrior training school Melee-Magthere?remained unscathed. The catapults could not reach that far, it seemed.

Norulle leaned over the balcony, directing his wand at the enemy. Pea-sized gobs of fire erupted from its tip, enlarging as they streaked toward the siege fortifications below. By the time they struck the fungus-log walls, they were several paces in diameter. Yet even though each exploded with a roar that was audible even over the chaos of battle, the walls remained firm,

Gromph's eyes narrowed. The seeming invulnerability of the wall he could understand?the duergar must have carried the lightweight, fungus-stem logs with them in preparation for their siege, then used a spell to turn them to stone once they were in place. What he could not understand was why the duergar behind the walls were still able to work their catapults despite the searing heat of Norulle's fireballs and the cloud of acidic vapor that had swept over them.

He watched as one of the senior students appeared suddenly on the field of battle below, just in front of the duergar barrier, and cast a spell Gromph himself taught?the great shout. A wave of noise crashed against the duergar positions, causing the logs that made up the fortification to visibly tremble.

But still the attack did not fatter. Arrows erupted from slits in the wall, one of them striking the student through the belly just as he teleported away.

"Master," Prath shouted over the ringing in Gromph's ears, catching Gromph's attention at last. "Should we perhaps send a swarm of vermin against them? Insects?or perhaps rats?

Gromph was about to ridicule that suggestion, but stopped.

" 'Out of the mouths of novices, " he instead quoted, following the familiar saying with a chuckle.

Prath stared at him in confusion, a spark of hope in his eye.

"Was that the right spell to suggest, Master?"

"No," Gromph answered, "but it's given me an idea. Continue the fight?and keep your head down."

Stepping back into the corridor down which he'd hurried a short time before, Gromph closed his eyes. It took only a moment to locate Kyorli. Pouring his awareness into his familiar, Gromph could feel legs swiftly ru

Kyorli, the archmage sent. Where are you?

Ru

Gromph was able, with a bit or concentration, to see through the rat's eyes. Kyorli was ru

Kyorli, Gromph commanded. That tu

Kyorli scurried to the tu

Follow them, Gromph ordered, Watch where they go.

Kyorli did, from a safe distance. The undead duergar marched in a jerking line toward the mouth of the main tu

Gromph had to admit the duergar were clever. With Lolth's priestesses bereft of their magic there was no one to turn an undead army back?or seize control of it. Once the magical fire had done its work they would march, unmolested, on Sorcere, Melee-Magthere, and Arach-Tinilith?then Menzoberranzan proper. And the only mage powerful enough to stop them was imprisoned far beneath the city?or so their commanders thought.

The view through Kyorli's eyes shifted suddenly as the rat was forced to scurry out of the path of a ru

That will do, Gromph told his familiar. Find yourself a place to hide. You'll be able to join me in Sorcere soon enough.

Returning his awareness to his own body, Gromph strode with confidence to the balcony. He pulled from his pocket a small piece of engraved bone, and held out his palm to the two students who turned toward him.

"I need a small piece of raw meat," he told them.

Norulle glanced around. "But Master, there is none here," he said.

Prath met Gromph's eye and slowly nodded. Drawing a dagger that had been hidden up a sleeve of his piwafwi, he placed his left hand on the rail of the balcony and sliced off the fleshy tip of his little finger. Picking up the bloody piece?and ignoring the grimace of his fellow student?he offered it to Gromph with his good hand.

Gromph smiled.

"Well done, apprentice," he told the boy. "You'll go far. What House are you, by the way?"

Prath smiled through his pain, clenching the stub of his severed finger against his palm to staunch the blood, and answered, "House Baenre, Master."

"Ah." Gromph had never met the lad before?he must have been a child of the lowest of the noble ranks.

Prath wasn't quick-witted?any other student might have used a spell to summon a minor creature into his hand, killed it, and offered Gromph its flesh, instead?but he was loyal. Gromph could use that.

Smearing the blood on the bit of bone, Gromph cast his spell. With a flick of his hand, he hurled it in the direction of the wall that hid the duergar positions.

Then he shouted his command: "Break off your attack. Turn and fight the duergar, instead!"

Spells continued to rain down upon the fungus-stem wall. It took the other mages several moments to realize that the catapults had stopped firing. Then the undead duergar soldiers turned their backs on the wall. With unsteady, mindless motions they trotted into the tu

Seeing that, the remaining warriors of Melee-Magthere burst out of their pyramid. Rushing forward with swords raised, they clambered over the siege wall and immediately began tearing both it and the catapults apart. Others picked up the stonefire bombs the undead duergar had left behind and heaved them into the tu

Gromph smiled grimly as he watched. Eventually he turned and looked out beyond Tier Breche, at the city below. Despite the toehold the enemy had gained?and lost?in Tier Breche, Menzoberranzan seemed untouched by war. The stalactites and stalagmites of the noble manors still sparkled, and a ring of magical fire was creeping up the great spire of Narbondel. Gromph frowned, wondering which of the wizards of House Baenre had been keeping it going in his absence. It seemed that he was not quite as irreplaceable as he would have liked. He'd have to speak to Triel about that.