Blackstaff

Gamalon asked. She raised an eyebrow, placed her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders in front of him. "His Excellency the Count of Spellshire and he's not rememberin' an ally? For shame. That injury must've scrambled your wits. We've met, ye and I." Syndra winked at the one-eyed wizard whose look of astonishment forced Raegar to bite back a snicker. She paced around him, nodding, and said, "A right smart robe, though not for Waterdeep in winter-ah. Loved those rings of warmth when I had need of them. Ye're in better shape than when last we worked together. Khelben loaned me to that centaur friend of yours when we spent a few tendays occupyin' that wee hamlet of Trailstone against the Amnian troops." "Forgive me, milady. Well met again." Gamalon bowed his head and shoulders to her, spreading his arms wide. "Apology accepted." "Forgive me, Syndra, but where did that bracer come from? I thought you mentioned the Frostrune claimed Isyllmyth's Bracer." "And after he'd killed me once to get at it, ye think we'd be daft enow to let him find it so easily again? The Frostrunt's got a forgery, which is good, seein' as he's done the same with a few other artifacts we thought safe. Nay, he'll be able to do some of what he plans, but he'll hardly be able to do what he hopes.

Even without it, the pyramid gives him enough power to be a right menace." Gamalon said, "All right, then. We need to be off at best speed to the High Moor-an area I know not well enough to teleport into. You?" The apparition shook her head and said, "Not my style. All right-chat later. If Khelben was right about you and yer staff there, one-eye, you can handle the transportation, then?" Gamalon nodded and added, "Provided you'll not mind the wear and tear on your home."

Syndra shrugged and said, "Served me well a long time, but we both saw this coming. If this does what I think, it'll be worth it to relocate." She turned and gestured to Raegar. "Come on, tight-pants.

Ye've got to help me prep the tower while the count gets us movin'."

Raegar stared at her a moment then turned back to see Gamalon cast a shimmering dome over the exposed top of the tower, waves of magic pulsing from the end of his staff. The older man gripped the staff with both hands and slammed the foot of the staff hard onto the stone floor. Magic leached into the stones and began to spread. "Hey!"

Raegar was shoved from behind, and he turned to see the floating rod gesture menacingly. Syndra's voice came from both the rod and behind him as it said, "Let's get movin', friend!" Raegar put his hands up and began walking toward the phantom Syndra and the stairs. The tressym shook his coat and wings and meowed happily to Gamalon for keeping the rain off of them. "What is he doing, exactly?" Raegar asked, as Syndra led him down two levels and into a library. It was a small room, fitting the tower's compact nature, but it was neatly packed with books on every available space. The lore-seeker in Raegar started sca

A few more minutes and they had cleared that room. Syndra said,

"Prieem," and the pattern became a carpet again, which rolled itself up. She looked at Raegar, the carpet, then Raegar again. "I'd be glad to, milady," Raegar sighed, and he hefted the carpet onto his shoulder. "Where do we want it?" As Raegar shifted his balance for the load, the tower itself rumbled, groaned, and sounded like stone grated on stone. Raegar dropped the carpet and fell over as the tower lurched hard-upward. "Seems like One-Eye's gotten us moving. Bring that up top, in case we have to jump with it," Syndra said, and she floated into the ceiling while the rod moved as if it walked up the stairs.

Raegar grabbed the carpet again and carried it up the stairs. Rhythmic booming shook the tower and the steps, so he took his time. He tossed the carpet to one side of the stairs, and dust exploded from the carpet into his eyes. Across the room, Syndra said, "Good thing I made this tower immune to lightning over the years." Cursing at the dust, Raegar blinked his eyes clear again. He saw Gamalon holding the staff firmly on the floor, a silvery dome overhead providing cover. Syndra smiled at him as well, and said, "Oh, c'mon One-Eye. Let's have the real view. Neither of us gets out of Waterdeep enough." Gamalon's voice sounded far away when he replied, "Of course." The silvery dome overhead shimmered and became perfectly clear-and lightning bolts crackled and boomed all around them. The sky was filled with nothing but gray fog and lightning. Raegar threw himself down on the floor as he saw a lightning bolt crackling directly toward them. He yelled,

"Duck!" After a few breaths, he opened his eyes to stare directly into the tressym's face. Nameless rolled his eyes upward and seemed to chuckle. "Good reflexes on that one," Syndra giggled. "Pity he's just gotten himself dirty. Can I take him down and shower him off?" "Sorry, Raegar. We should be through this… just… about… now,"

Gamalon said, and Raegar sat up to see the clouds part and the sky above fill with more stars than he'd ever seen in his life. He rose and moved to where Gamalon stood, not taking his eyes off the stars all around them. Syndra chortled. "I'm not easily impressed, but this is one great view, Idogyr." "You've-er," Raegar stammered, and both the tressym and Syndra sighed, while Gamalon smiled. Raegar shook his head, almost in total disbelief. He'd seen a lot of strange things while he worked with Damlath… but this… "We're flying a stone tower?" "No, you're riding in one, son," Gamalon joked. "I'm flying it." "But-how? Why?" Raegar noticed the clouds retreating away from them. He couldn't tell how fast they were going as he had nothing to look at for comparison. "Why?" "The how is the magic in my staff and myself that allow me to… well, I won't bore you with those details. The why is simply speed and expedience. We need to get to the High Moor as quickly as we can, and none of us could teleport there.