Extinction

"The eagle is hungry," Gromph told Prath. "Find it some raw meat?but don't go slicing off any more fingertips. You're going to need them."

Prath gri

"I thought you might need more, Archmage" he said, reaching into one of the bags that was slung over his shoulder. "So I stopped by the kitchen on the way back from the components storeroom. The cook gave me this."

Pulling out a waxed rag, he unwrapped a fist-sized chunk of meat. At Gromph's approving nod he held it up against the bars of the cage. The eagle tore into it greedily, ripping off bloody chunks with its hooked beak and eventually wrenching a large piece inside. It settled upon that portion, content, and soon reduced it to no more than a smear of blood on the bottom of the cage.

Gromph, meanwhile, greeted the House Baenre wizards who straggled into the room, directing them to the circle of chairs that surrounded the cage and the crystal ball. He was pleased to see Julani, a Master of Evocation. His fellow instructor bowed, touching long, supple fingers against his chest. The next two to arrive were a pair of tenth-year students. Grendan was a handsome male with a natural flair for illusion. Gromph wondered how much of his good looks were natural and how much had been augmented by magic?especially since the smell of singed hair still clung to him. Judging by the burns in the hood of his piwafwi, the student must have been splattered by one of the duergar's incendiary missiles.

His companion, Noori, was equally beautiful?naturally so?with arched eyebrows and white hair that cascaded past her shoulders in soft waves. She was high-born, a cousin to Gromph and Triel, but she had eschewed the worship of Lolth to enter Sorcere and study divination magic instead. Remembering that, Gromph wondered whether or not Noori might have had a premonition, so many years before, of Lolth's demise. She certainly seemed to have been able to keep out of the way of any harm during the recent fighting. There wasn't a mark on her?not even a soot smudge.

The final mage to enter the room was Zoran, an irritating, second-year student who was continually making poor choices in class, using magic in frivolous, inappropriate ways. Gromph winced, seeing him?especially when he noted the wand of wonder in the boy's belt. Zoran was tiny, even for a male, and had a receding chin, made more pronounced by the fact that his hair was pulled into a topknot at the crown of his head. He must have been injured in the recent battle. Gromph didn't remember him walking with a limp before.

As the four mages settled themselves into chairs, waiting quietly for his instruction, Gromph opened one of the scrying chamber doors and peered each way down the corridor. Seeing no one else, he slowly closed them.

"Is this all?" he asked Julani. "Is there no one else from our House?"

The Master of Evocation shook his head.

"Only Nauzhror," he said, "who sends his regrets. He was … too busy to attend. The rest are dead?or badly injured and removed to Arach-Tinilith for healing."

A slight tightening of Julani's eyes told Gromph that he too knew how little «healing» there was left to go around.

Gromph sighed. So few House Baenre mages left?and only one of them a master. Gromph cast a lock spell upon the doors, motioned Prath to also take a seat, then seated himself in the thronelike chair that controlled the crystal ball.

"I invite you to join me in looking upon the enemy," he told the other wizards. "Observe."

With a flick of his fingers, he nudged the crystal ball with an unseen hand, causing the eye to turn to face the south wall. The bird in the cage below fell silent and still, wings folded and talons gripping its perch. Concentrating, Gromph peered through the eagle's eye.

The walls of Sorcere seemed to melt away, and in an instant he was looking at Arach-Tinilith. His penetrating gaze swept past its spider-shaped bulk and on through the walls of the cavern, through stone and tu

Leaving the eye focused on that scene, Gromph pulled his awareness back into this own body. Inside the crystal ball, the figures gestured and talked?in angry tones, judging by the way the duergar tapped the scepter against one palm as the half-demon loomed over him, his pointed, sharklike teeth exposed in a snarl. The drow, meanwhile, kept turning back and forth between the half-demon and the two duergars, speaking rapidly and with placating gestures.

The other wizards stared into the scrying device, their expressions thoughtful.

"These are the leaders of the army that has besieged us?" Julani asked.

He had rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, and his steepled fingers were laced with angry sparks.

"I recognize Crown Prince Horgar of Gracklstugh and his bodyguard, and is that Kaanyr Vhok?" Grendan asked.

"The same," Noori said. "The tanarukks that harry our southern approaches are his Scoured Legion."

"That leaves but one," Gromph said.

"The one in the middle?the drow," Prath said, clenching his fists. "That's Zhayemd?the bastard from House Agrach Dyrr who betrayed us at the Pillars of Woe."

"His real name is Nimor," Gromph said. "Nimor Imphraezl."

"Is he a wizard?" Julani asked.

"I don't think so," Gromph answered. "Though there is a strong aura of magic about him; I think he's more than he appears to be. And he certainly has enough magical devices. I can detect an aura of magic on his weapons, several items of his clothing, his rings. ."

He paused for a moment, contemplating the two rings the man wore. One Gromph recognized as a protective device, but the other?the slim black ring that seemed no more substantial than a band of shadow?was quite unusual. Gromph had never seen anything quite like it.

Suddenly Gromph realized what it must be. Ever since Triel had told him that Nimor had somehow spirited an assassin into the i

That black ring on Nimor's finger must be a magical device that conveyed the ability to shadow walk. That would make him a difficult character to corner, indeed. It was a good thing the wizards were striking from a distance, unseen?otherwise Nimor might have just shadow walked away.

Shaking his head, Gromph continued, "Our matron mother has learned that Nimor belongs to an organization known as the Jaezred Chaulssin. Unfortunately we know little about this group, save for its name."

Zoran toyed idly with his wand of wonder, spi

"So we know his name. So what?" he asked insolently.

Gromph resisted the urge to fry the boy where he sat.

"A name is power," he said, speaking to the others. "It helps us to define our target. A target that seems to be the lynchpin holding two otherwise unfriendly armies together." He gestured at the figures in the crystal ball. They had not yet come to blows but were still arguing. "Remove the lynchpin?and the alliance will come apart. The duergar and tanarukk will fall upon one another, and victory for Menzoberranzan will be assured."

Julani glanced at Gromph and asked, "What do you suggest?"

"A concerted attack," the archmage answered. "All of us, casting our deadliest spells at once. Nimor will undoubtedly resist hem, but some, certainly, will get through."

Prath rose from his chair, unlacing the lid of a wand case at his belt.

"Are we going to teleport to the cavern?" he asked.

Gromph patted the air, motioning the impetuous young mage back to his seat.