Red Magic

"We're looking for his personal effects… anything that might provide a clue about his destination," Galvin continued. "We need to find out what he's up to. If any of you can help, speak up."

The slaves murmured amongst themselves, but no one had any suggestions.

"The dealings of a Red Wizard aren't shared with the likes of us," the older slave said finally. "But if you're looking for information, try the top floor. Several slaves that Maligor took there were never seen again."

Galvin thanked the slave and left hurriedly, pulling the apprentice wizard out the door with him. Bre

"This time I'm leading the way. I've got a few spells left in case we need them."

When they reached the top floor, they were confronted by an ornate door. Bre

"Maligor has some kind of a ward here, a type of spell that takes effect when the door is opened. I'm not sure if I can do much about it." Bre

The door glowed a soft blue and the air began to turn intensely hot about her, blistering her lips.

"Stay back!" she yelled. "Step only on the green and black ties. The others are enchanted."

About to step on a gray tile, Galvin whirled.

"Bre

"No, please!" the man gasped as Galvin began to push him forward. "If I touch the door, I'll burn to a crisp."

"Then tell us what's behind the door. Maybe I'll change my mind," Galvin growled.

"I-I don't know," the wizard answered, "but I'm telling you the truth. No one but Maligor and maybe Asp, has been in there."

"Asp? Who is Asp?" Galvin persisted.

"The wizard's woman," the apprentice replied, realizing that Maligor would kill him for revealing such information. He paled. Thinking his only chance for survival lay in killing the Harper, he reached into the folds of his robe and produced a curved-edged dagger. The apprentice Red Wizard thrust it at the druid, but Galvin dodged to the side, pushed the apprentice toward the door, and quickly retreated to the landing.

There was a blinding flash of white light, and the stench of charred flesh filled the air. When the smoke cleared, Bre

Bre

Cautiously Bre

Galvin moved up behind her and peered inside.

"Gods, no!" he cried.

Thirteen

A heavy scent of death emanated from the tower room as the druid opened the door. The smell was almost overpowering, and although the shadows were too thick to make out all of the room's features, the druid knew there were bodies inside.

Galvin clenched and relaxed his fists, drew in a deep breath, then strode into the heart of the room, despite Bre

At first glance, Galvin thought each cage contained a balled-up pelt of some kind. Then, as the lantern glowed brighter, he noticed tiny, fixed black eyes, and curled paws. The ribs of most animals showed through their fur, indicating they had likely died from starvation.

Galvin's hands worked furiously with the latch on the largest cage, tearing the mechanism off when it wouldn't open fast enough. Inside were rabbits, several of them coated with dried blood. Because they had huddled together and looked like one mass of fur, it was difficult to tell how many there were. Their stiffened paws stuck outward from the pile at odd angles. The druid gently ran his hands over the soft fur, feeling the protruding ribs underneath, imagining how horribly they must have died. Quickly he searched through the cage, trying to find anything alive. His efforts yielded only one survivor.

He pulled a small, frightened brown hare from the middle of the dead mass and cradled it in his arms like a mother would a baby, then passed it gently to Bre

With fevered urgency, Galvin wrenched the remaining cages open, prodding through the dead animals, searching to find any that gave off body heat. The lizards and snakes had been dead a long time. The birds were almost skeletal. In a small cage, where the wire mesh was bent from the occupants' futile attempts to escape, three gray rats huddled. They appeared healthy, and the druid determined they must have survived by eating the dead caged with them. Galvin released the rats, and they scurried away to find a home elsewhere in the tower.

Only one other cage evidenced life, a mole and a hedgehog that quivered beneath a pile of their dead brothers. Galvin removed them from the cage and cradled both in the crook of his left arm.

"The monster!" Galvin vented, staring into the cages. "These animals were pawns for Maligor's experiments. Up till now, I considered going after Maligor for Szass Tam as the lesser of two evils. But one less monster in Faerun-no matter how he's eliminated-is a goal worth accomplishing. I want Maligor to rot forever in the Nine Hells! He deserves nothing better."

Bre

"There's no water or food in here." The druid was talking to himself now, or maybe to the animals. "Nothing but vials of magic and poison to turn you into monsters. What makes someone think he has the right to defile nature? Why would a man play god with defenseless animals?"

Bre

"I love you," she said simply, knowing the words were out of place but wanting to say them anyway.

Galvin ignored her and continued to look over the table. "How can any man live with himself and do this?" The druid soothed the animals, rubbing them. "How?"

"Remember, Maligor is the Zulkir of Alteration," Bre

Bre

The enchantress began to pace about the room, stroking the hare and absorbing the rest of her surroundings. Occasionally she glanced back at the druid to note he was still continuing his conversation with the hedgehog. The floor was coated with dust except for a path between the door and the table. Spiderwebs were as thick as cloth in the corners. She wondered why Maligor had this simple laboratory so far from the rest of his rooms and why he guarded it with magic strong enough to turn a man to ashes. Perhaps his own malign reasoning wanted this particular torture chamber kept separate, secret, his own private sickness, she decided.