Sands of the Soul

CHAPTER 5

Tazi was surrounded.

All around her, life swarmed and teemed. She, Fannah, and Steorf found themselves in a bustling section of Calimport. The warm sun beat down on them, and Tazi took in everything. Many men and a few women pushed past her. The men were clad in loose trousers, shirts, embroidered vests, and robes. Most of them wore some type of head covering, but that varied in style.

Perhaps it denotes station, Tazi thought.

The women were completely covered, even wearing veils over their faces. Tazi caught glimpses of trousers when their robes peeked open, but no more than that. Those more poorly dressed were leading beasts of burden pulling heavily laden wooden carts. Tazi had to move quickly to avoid getting a toe crushed by one of them. There wasn't a single creature that wasn't bustling.

Looking up toward the horizon, Tazi saw slim towers stab at the bright sky. Some of the towers supported incredible domes that glinted in the sunlight. The occasional flying carpet drifted from parapet to parapet. Lower down, the buildings were less than extravagant but wondrous nonetheless, a few sporting intricate mosaic designs. Tazi realized that she was standing in the middle of a throng of people, her mouth agape.

"I must look like a fish just hauled out of Selgaunt Bay, mouth opening and closing," she chuckled to herself.

"What was that?" asked Steorf.

Tazi was lost to her gazing again.

Men and women were shouting things down to the merchants at Tazi's level from atop the walls.

None of the stalls or archways had any names or signs that she could read, and she likewise noticed no identifying marks on the door they had stepped out of, which was set into a mud brick wall. When she heard a telltale click, she tried the handle and found that the door was locked behind them. Tazi suspected it would not open again. There would be no going back that way.

As someone shoved past her, Tazi realized that they needed to move.

Speaking loudly to be heard over the buyers above, Tazi yelled, "we shouldn't stand here too much longer."

Both Steorf and Fannah faced her expectantly.

"I would dearly love to tell you where we should go, but I can't even say where we are right now. I think Fannah is best suited to do that."

Steorf nodded at her logic, and Fannah moved a little closer to Tazi.

"Tell me what you see," the Calishite asked her.

"The mud walls all appear the same to me," Tazi admitted, "and I can't see any signs. In fact, the only thing I do see is a symbol cut high into the wall, but it's the same design as one over an archway nearby as well so I doubt it means much."

"What is it?" Fannah asked.

"It looks like the silhouette of a ship with one mast."

"Are the sails unfurled?" Fannah questioned.

"Yes," Tazi answered, realizing that the symbol might mean something after all, "the sails are full."

Tazi watched as Fannah smiled slightly.

"Tell me," she prodded further, "is there one building that stands out among the others near here?"

Tazi turned around and spotted a five-story building with a six-story minaret on top within a stone's throw from where they stood. She described the edifice to Fannah, a little perturbed that the Calishite never gave her a quick answer.

But she always gives me the right one, Tazi told herself.

"We are in the Piqaz Drudach within the Osiir Sabban. The entire area is known as Hook Ward. This is my home," Fannah said.

"Too much of a coincidence," Steorf muttered.

"You might be right," Tazi agreed, thinking she would mull that over later. "So what's the building in front of us?" she asked Fannah.

"That building is known as the Lighthouse of the Moon," Fannah explained. "Not only does it serve as the only lighthouse within the harbor walls, it is also a temple to Sel?ne."

"That's a temple?" Steorf asked.

"Yes. The priests of Sel?ne man the lighthouse," Fannah answered, "but for the last eight hundred years, they haven't had to do a thing to make it function. There's a mirror in the minaret that coalesces the moonlight every night and shines it out toward the harbor. No one has ever been able to extinguish that light. In fact, there is only one time every month when it doesn't shine: the night of the new moon."

Tazi stared up at the mirror. "How fortunate to have such a dependable beacon!"

Fannah smiled once more. "It's funny how many creatures mistakenly fear the night, as though blackness was somehow inherently evil. They don't realize they should look to themselves, that it is the darkness within that they should fear."

Fannah pulled the hood of her travel cloak over her head, and Steorf followed suit. All that was left of Tazi's cloak, however, was a pile of rags after her encounter with the dog. She realized she was a bit exposed.

"It would help if we could get some clothing less conspicuous," Tazi noted. She had already seen several men stare at her a little longer than she was used to, even dressed as she was.

"Like in all of Calimport, the merchants of Hook Ward sell most everything. It shouldn't be difficult to find some suitable supplies for us," Fannah informed her.

Tazi and Steorf flanked Fannah as they began to maneuver through the throng. As Fannah deftly wove amongst the sea of people, Tazi had a little time to notice more of her surroundings.

Much like Selgaunt, people were buying and selling every kind of merchandise possible, but what puzzled her was that several different priests were hawking their gods as though the deities were simply wares as well. In front of the lighthouse, proselytes of Sel?ne, dressed in their white and blue finery, were preaching to a group of slaves. Tazi suspected the slaves were listening merely to give themselves a break for a few moments, but then two other acolytes descended on the small congregation. One wore the black and purple robes of Shar and the other a pair of white bound hands, showing she was a follower of Ilmater. It only took a short time before the sermons turned to shouts between the three. Tazi had never seen any temple in Selgaunt tolerate that type of behavior.

"What's going on?" she asked Fannah.

Fannah turned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Those proselytes over there are about to start fighting," she exclaimed.

"Oh, that," Fannah chuckled. "It's a well-known saying around here that 'Hook Ward has a holy war at least twice a day'!"

"I can't believe it's fitting for them to behave like that," Steorf added, breaking his silence. "Doesn't it shame their gods?"

"Steorf, you misunderstand," Fannah explained gently. "I think nearly every deity of Faer?n is represented here in Calimport. Many of the clerics have to compete for followers or their temples will suffer. It is their duty. In fact," she added, "it is perfectly acceptable for clerics to hold secular positions in the city, with their salaries going back to their respective temples."

"I guess I just don't understand," Steorf replied, shaking his head.

He glanced around uncomfortably, and Fannah smiled indulgently.

"It is a little hard for foreigners," she said. "Come along. Selamek's Warehouse is not too far away. We'll be able to pick up a few things there."

Traveling in a southeasterly direction, the three continued to push their way through the crowds. Tazi looked back over her shoulder one last time at the sermon to see if the priests had come to blows, but the crowd swallowed up the view.

Fannah expertly led the two through the mazelike streets and Tazi found herself shoved right up against her, the crowd was so thick at times. The Calishite woman didn't even appear to notice the close quarters, but as Tazi glanced over Fannah's shoulder, she could see that Steorf looked distressed as well.

Though Selgaunt was a busy merchant city in its own right, Tazi found she was almost suffocated by Calimport. The streets, such as they were, were very narrow, with mud brick walls dividing and subdividing every possible space. Though the streets opened to the sky, across many of the walls that separated the drudachs merchants had laid poles. From these poles, the ingenious peddlers managed to string up even more goods. Tapestries and rugs hung from some, while jewel-hued, freshly dyed yarns hung from others like cheerful spiderwebs. Hardly a breeze stirred the hot air. Tazi felt trapped and claustrophobic.

"Fannah," she whispered in her friend's ear, not wanting Steorf to know she was uncomfortable. She felt that, for the sake of the group, and since she saw his reticence with the dog, she couldn't afford to show fear or allow failure.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we went along the walls above instead of fighting our way against the tide down here?"

Tazi had been noticing how much room there was on the higher walkways, and how much airier they looked, too.

"If we did that," Fannah explained, "we would draw much more attention to ourselves. The upper walkways are for more 'noble' people. There is anonymity and safety for us down here.

"Don't worry," she added, "I can tell from the smell that we're nearly there."

Soon enough, Tazi understood what she meant. A sour odor filled the unmoving air, and Tazi found herself gagging. Without saying a word, Fannah motioned down one of the side streets and Tazi could see twenty large indentations in a clay platform as big as a house foundation. Each hole in the platform was the size of a small drinking well and was filled to the brim with a colored liquid. Every pot had a different color. A couple of robed men were leaning over the various holes like they were scrubbing laundry.

"Leather dyeing," Steorf offered.

"It is a rather unmistakable smell, isn't it?" Tazi replied, absently running a hand down her own leather vest.

The three rounded a turn and came upon one of Calimport's official bazaars: The Scarlet Cross Trading Coster Warehouse. Tents and stalls were pushed up against more permanent structures, and people were shouting to and fro. Merchants thrust objects mercilessly in their faces as Tazi and her companions ran the gauntlet of shops.

"A leather sack for all your treasures?" one seller called out.

"Something sharp and shiny for milady?" another cried.

Tazi was startled as the vendor simply levitated several swords and a mail shirt near her, twirling them around for her inspection. She saw Steorf flinch when the shopkeeper did it to him too.

Tazi also noticed that the types of items for sale changed the deeper they went into the market. The outermost shops had hard goods and weapons, while further in, the stalls were all full of coarse fabrics and different kinds of clothing.

A few feet into the melee, Fannah found what she was looking for. She struck up a conversation with one of the hawkers, and Tazi realized that the two were speaking in Alzhedo, the native tongue of Calimshan. It was the first time she had ever heard it spoken, and Tazi believed it was one of the most lyrical languages she had ever heard.

Only Elvish is more beautiful, she thought, remembering a few of the words Ebeian had said to her once.

The vendor and Fannah, after some obvious haggling, struck a bargain. The old man turned to the back wall of his shop and pointed a finger at several robes that were hanging up. One by one, the robes flew across the shop and were floating in front of Tazi.

"Pick a jellaba that suits you," Fannah told Tazi, switching back to the common tongue.

She chose a white and blue-stripped robe and paid the mutually agreed upon price. Tazi quickly covered herself and felt less vulnerable.

"I don't seem to be happy unless I'm in disguise," she whispered to Steorf, trying to draw him from the moodiness that had overshadowed him since his failure with the dog.

The mage didn't respond. Just as Tazi had stared at the people and architecture when they first entered the city, it was his turn to be mesmerized. Tazi thought he seemed fixated by all the magic surrounding them.

"I have to admit," she leaned closer to him as she flipped up her hood, "that they do seem to be more open about their abilities here in Calimport."

"Abilities?" Steorf scoffed. "They're more like simple parlor tricks. It's shameful behavior," he continued. "Just like in front of the temple of Sel?ne. And they call us barbarians."

Tazi looked at him with a little concern.

He's quick to judge, she thought, but then he's never been outside of Sembia, either.

"Fannah," she said, turning to her companion, "I'm counting on you to help us from making a mistake. From all I've read and seen, the customs of this place are very different from Sembia, and I'd like not to offend too many people."

"If I 'see' you starting to fall, I'll do what I can. But he"-she pointed unerringly at Steorf-"is the sorcerer, not me. There's only so much I can do."

The two women giggled, and Steorf relented a touch. Tazi, pleased that Fannah's words had the desired effect on him, got all of them moving again.

"There must be food somewhere in here," she said to Fannah.

"Farther in, closer to the warehouse proper," Fannah answered, "are the more precious and perishable items."

"Let's keep moving," Tazi urged. "Even with the robes, I still feel a little exposed. Also, it should be harder for someone to overhear us in this throng if we're on the go."

"Well, that's true," Steorf interjected, "as I can barely hear you myself."

Tazi smiled at his quip but was concerned that he still was somewhat preoccupied with the open displays of sorcery.

I'll deal with that later, she thought.

"When I mentioned what Eb told us after his death, you told me you were familiar with the Skulking God," she reminded Fannah. "Is his temple here in Hook Ward, too?"

"No, it isn't," she answered. Fannah ducked as a large basket of fruit passed rather quickly by her head. "On occasion, you might find some of his proselytes out in the wards, but there is no proper temple anywhere above in Calimport for the Lurker in Darkness."

She reached out and plucked several pieces of fruit for Tazi, Steorf, and herself from that same basket and flipped a coin in the direction of the farmer. Tazi was impressed.

"I could hear the basket whistling through the air," Fannah explained when her companions remained silent, "and I could smell the fruit within it."

"But how did you know where the merchant was?" Steorf demanded.

"Lucky guess," Fannah laughed. "I knew that someone within the bazaar would grab the tossed coin and if it wasn't the correct merchant, the rightful one would wrestle it back for himself."

Tazi laughed at her friend's clever solution.

Continuing out of the bazaar, the threesome passed through an archway into a most decadent area: the south end of Erare Sabban. On their left was an obvious festhall with a stone facade, a little rundown but still opulent. What made the roomy building stand out were the seven pillars in front of the structure. Each carved column depicted a woman in various stages of undress. Tazi watched as Steorf became uncomfortable and turned away only to be equally embarrassed by what was to his right. Even Tazi had to blush at that.

"The building to your left is the Seven Dancing Jhasinas," Fannah explained. "The name obviously came from the carvings in front of the building. The structure on this side is the Festhall of Eternal Delight."

"And the guests are obviously delighted to be there," Tazi managed to say.

Steorf was speechless, and Fannah hurried the two past the sybaritic scene literally spilling out of the doorways in front of them. The patrons, much like the Seven Jhasinas, were nearly nude. Fannah stopped them once they were a few buildings distant.

"That was rather a sight," Tazi exclaimed. "But you didn't have to run past so fast. I'm not that inexperienced."

"That was the temple to Sharess," Fannah explained.

"That was a temple, too?" Steorf blustered.

"It is the greatest one to my goddess. I was afraid someone might recognize me if we lingered too long."

"So that is the goddess you and your mother served," Tazi clarified.

"Yes, it is. I'm sure you were shocked by what you both saw, even briefly. The most pious there are the staff, and they are all dedicated to hedonism in the name of Sharess. Even the jhasinas who modeled for the pillars became priestesses of Sharess after she came to them."

"But it seemed so… disorganized," Steorf interrupted, trying hard to be diplomatic.

"Unfortunately, many visitors to the temple do have less than holy thoughts when they arrive. They take our doctrine and use it as an excuse for all types of behavior."

"We saw some of that," Tazi exclaimed.

"What they don't understand, or choose not to," Fannah continued, "is that to worship Sharess is to explore and indulge in one's senses."

Tazi saw that Fannah was becoming more animated than she had ever seen the blind woman before.

"To serve Sharess is to recognize the beauty in the world. To be fully alive and immersed in who you are through sight, smell, and taste. It was here," she continued, "that I was taught how to use my other senses to compensate for my lack of sight."

"Your mother was a priestess in this temple," Tazi remembered.

"Yes," Fannah answered, "but that was when Sharess was still under the influence of Shar. After the Time of Troubles, Sharess regained herself and became the bright goddess once more. This building was erected to celebrate her."

Tazi could see that Fannah was troubled by thoughts of her mother. She remembered Fannah telling her once that the only reason her mother didn't kill her at birth was because her religion forbade it. Fannah had survived her childhood simply because of her mother's religious fervor, not because of her love. Tazi changed the subject, troubled by her friend's distress.

"You mentioned a little while ago that there was no temple to the Skulking God," she asked. "How do we find him-or those who follow him?"

Fannah perked up at the question. "I said he had no temples above in Calimport. We will have to travel to Calimport Muzad, below the city surface, to find an obscure sect of humans I know of who still worship him."

"There aren't many followers left?" Steorf questioned. "I suppose that would explain why I knew nothing of him."

"No, that's not entirely true," Fannah replied. "Ibrandul has many followers both here and in Waterdeep. In Calimport Below, most of his followers are skulks, but I have dealt with his human Children before. I believe they will help us."

"Why are they below?" Tazi asked.

"The Lord of the Dry Depths is an old god," Fannah made clear, using one of the many titles of Ibrandul. "His worship extend back to the prehistory of Calimshan, dating before the founding of the Shoon Empire."

"And he's always been below the city?" Tazi inquired.

"At one time," Fannah replied, "a tribe of humans was stolen from the Calim Desert by drow and forced to serve them for centuries. Finally, a monstrous lizard came to free them. Some of the humans stayed below in the Underdark, while others returned to the surface to spread the word of the Lurker in Darkness."

"So Ibrandul protects those trapped below," Steorf deduced.

"As far as I know, he does. He is supposed to keep safe any human who must travel through the dark regions, as well as keep safe and guide those who worship him. To some he appears as a red lizard, and to others he is seen as a chisel featured, bare-chested man with glowing eyes. And sometimes he is simply a wind in the tunnels below."

"And that's all?" Tazi interrupted.

"That is all I know," Fannah answered.

Tazi clucked her tongue and frowned.

"What is it?" Steorf asked her.

"I just don't understand what Ciredor would have to do with Ibrandul. It doesn't make much sense," she responded.

"Perhaps the followers of Ibrandul will be able to answer that," Steorf offered.

"I hope so," Tazi agreed earnestly. "I certainly hope so. How much farther?" she asked Fannah.

"We only need to pass through one more ward before we reach Crypt Ward. There, in the Forgotten Sabban, there is a passageway that will take us to the Muzhajaarnadah," Fannah told them.

"And the darkness below," Tazi added quietly.

"Which way?" Tazi asked Fannah.

"Toward the east," Fannah replied.

The three picked their way through Crypt Ward, carefully following Fannah's lead. Tazi had never seen such a large cemetery before, and some of the mausoleums were elegant in their ostentation. Scanning the ward, she was momentarily thoughtful.

"What is it?" Steorf asked her quietly.

"Look at that field to the east," she pointed.

Steorf followed her gaze out past the mausoleums to an area that was walled off only by metal spear fences. There were no buildings within the area, a sharp contrast with the other sections of Calimport that Tazi and her companions had passed through. Within the sabban, there were only a few obelisks and fountains visible and the occasional plinths to mar the view. After the hustle and crowds of the other wards, it was a peaceful change.

"What are you two looking at?" Fannah asked.

"I was just showing Steorf that park nearby," Tazi explained.

"That is the Forgotten Sabban," Fannah informed them. "While it has always been used as one of the most popular parks of Calimport, it is, in actuality, the home for many, many mass burials."

"It is also a cemetery?" Steorf remarked.

"Since the Sixth Age of Calimshan," Fannah replied. "And within that sabban is one of the hidden passageways to the Muzad."

"There are no real walls," Tazi observed, "and I don't see any of the typical sabban marks we've seen in the other drudachs."

"This ward is unique in that it doesn't have any true walls and no marks. That's one of the reasons," Fannah added, "how the ward came by its name."

Steorf moved behind Fannah, but Tazi stood a moment longer. Whether it was because she was overwhelmed by the realization that the land contained perhaps thousands of dead or because the vast expanse of green was like an oasis in the midst of the turmoil of humanity, Tazi was awed. She inhaled deeply, watched the setting sun turn the very air pink, and breathed in the smell of dust and grass. Shadows reached across the deep green with greedy fingers, and strange insects hummed softly. She felt as though she was momentarily caught up in someone else's dream.

"Coming?" Steorf called.

Tazi roused herself and trotted along to catch up with her companions. Fannah had reached one of the few markhouts in view, already obscured by the evening's growing darkness. She gently trailed her fingers along the sides of the mausoleum with her sensitive touch. When her hands recognized one of the carved phrases, she tilted her head like a curious bird.

"Someone you know?" Tazi asked, concerned that a friend or relative of Fannah's might be buried there.

Fannah smiled as she corrected her Sembian companion. "Not someone but something I know."

With a few deft moves of her fingers, Fannah tripped the door and it slowly swung open.

"In here," Fannah directed them.

Tazi looked around briefly but despite Fannah's insistence that the Forgotten Ward was a favorite commons, she saw no one nearby. She did have to admit to herself that the long shadows of the evening probably hid more than she could imagine, so she couldn't be sure just who or what might be watching. She hoped they remained undetected in this strange city.

She nodded to Steorf, and they entered the tomb after Fannah.

Inside, Tazi was surprised to find it empty. She had been prepared for a pocket of stale air laced with decay but found the markhout cool and almost refreshing. As she and Steorf glanced around, they both realized that the small edifice held no other occupants but Fannah.

"Not all of the mausoleums within Crypt Ward are quite what they seem, which is one of the reasons why the ward has become so popular," Fannah explained. "This is not the only one that leads to the Muzad," she continued, "but it is the only one I know of that will take us to the Temple of Ibrandul."

Fannah turned and keyed open another door. This one was clearly a passageway down into the tunnels beneath Calimport, with its uninviting, dark depths.

Tazi took the lead with Steorf subtly illuminating a few feet around them. She debated about having him quench the light but decided to let it go. She was still unsure how to deal with Steorf at times, and that awkwardness made her hesitant. Part of her wanted and needed to trust him again. However, there was still that voice of doubt in the back of her mind.

Watch and learn, she told herself.

The inner doorway of the mausoleum opened up to a gently sloping tunnel that was cool, dry, and apparently empty. Once they passed the threshold, Tazi and Steorf discovered that not only was it wide enough for the three to walk abreast but also that his glow spell was unnecessary.

Every ten feet or so Tazi could see naturally occurring recesses in the rock wall, like sconces, that held small, shimmering spheres that did an adequate job illuminating the passage.

"Does this only lead to the temple?" Tazi asked Fannah quietly.

"If memory serves me right," Fannah replied, "I don't think there are any major forks until we get to the temple proper. That shouldn't be more than a short walk."

"Good," Tazi answered and firmly planted herself in the lead.

Steorf moved up just beside and slightly behind her, and Fannah trailed just behind the two of them.

Tazi was on guard and looked from side to side. She realized that the farther they traveled down the tunnel, the deeper underground they were descending. Just as the crowded streets of Calimport had gotten to her, the passageway was beginning to play on her nerves. She found herself turning at every noise, real or imagined. She saw from the corner of her eye that Steorf looked at her a few times, and she wasn't sure of the meaning behind the glances.

Does he know how wound up I am, she wondered, or is he just looking to me for leadership?

The tunnel snaked around to the left, and Tazi no longer had a clear view of what lay ahead. She dropped her hands so that they rested on the hilts of her blades, convinced that the direction of the tunnel was intentionally meant to obscure something. She could see that Steorf also grew sterner and more alert.

"Wait," Fannah warned them softly.

I knew it, thought Tazi.

Aloud, she whispered, "What is it?"

"I smell something, though it is only a faint trace. I smell something burnt and charred."

"A torch maybe," Steorf offered, "or some sort of residual magic, perhaps?"

Fannah disagreed. "I don't think that it's any of those things. While this temple has never had one in the past, I have heard that many of Ibrandul's temples have guardians."

"What kind of guardians?" Tazi asked.

"There is a kind of lizard, called an ibrandlin, which makes its lairs out of the temples. These lizards have the ability to breathe fire," Fannah explained.

"Steorf, keep an eye on Fannah, and I'll duck ahead to see what I can," Tazi told Steorf.

"Careful," he warned her.

She winked at him and replied, "Always."

Tazi moved away from her friends and slid flat against the side of the tunnel. She took a parting look at Steorf and Fannah before rounding the bend and losing sight of her friends. She cautiously stepped around some of the smaller piles of rocks and was careful not to knock a single stone loose. With her breath held, she reached around the second turn in the tunnel and felt a more noticeable breeze on her arm.

It must open up here, she thought.

She peered around the corner just enough to take a quick glance, but that was more than enough.

Fannah was right, she acknowledged to herself. There is definitely a guard.

Curled in front of a carved double doorway was a lizard, just as Fannah had suspected. From where she was hidden, Tazi estimated that the creature was nearly thirty feet long. Silvery-gray in color, the beast looked as if it was asleep. Folded over itself as it was, Tazi found it hard to be sure, but thought it had four legs as well as a serpentine tail. She could see a glimmer from one of its deadly claws.

And it breathes fire as well, she thought morosely.

Tazi stole one more glance at the beast and confirmed that there was no obvious way around the creature. If she and her friends wanted to enter the temple, they were going to have to deal with the ibrandlin, one way or the other. She eased her way away from the opening in the tunnel and just as carefully picked her way back to Fannah and Steorf.

When she returned, Steorf asked, "Was it there, like Fannah suspected?"

"That's the largest lizard I've ever seen," she informed them and detailed the creature's size further for Steorf.

After hearing the particulars, Steorf said to Tazi, "Between you and me, I think we should be able to kill it."

"That was my first thought, too, but I took it a little further," she replied.

"What do you mean?" Steorf asked.

"We need to enlist the followers of Ibrandul's aid. Just how are we going to look to them if we, as strangers, slaughter their watch lizard to get in to see them?"

Steorf was silent for a moment.

"I see what you mean," he agreed slowly, "but considering the beast's size, I'm not sure my spells could keep it at bay long enough for you two to get in without someone getting injured."

Tazi pursed her lips, frustrated by their dilemma.

"Fannah," she asked, "do you know how smart these lizards are? Could we trick one of them?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know much about the ibrandlin," she apologized. "From what I've heard, they are not supposed to possess much intelligence."

"That'll help," Tazi said.

"They are smart enough to recognize worshipers of Ibrandul and obey their commands," Fannah added.

"What kinds of colors do the followers of Ibrandul wear?" Steorf asked.

"Typical wear is normally purple and black, though the clothing style is not specific. Higher-ranking members sport purple cloaks with a kind of circular design," she explained.

"Purple it is," Steorf stated and reached out to touch both Tazi and Fannah.

Tazi looked down at Steorf's hand on her shoulder. A purple stain began to spread from under his fingers to seep across the blue-and-white-striped shift she wore over her leathers. Soon the whole outer garment was stained a deep amethyst color. She let out a small gasp as she glanced up and saw that both Steorf and Fannah's clothing had changed as well to shades of purple and black. On Steorf's violet cloak, small circles covered the length of the garment.

"It's not permanent," he answered Tazi's unasked question, "but it should last long enough to fool the lizard ahead."

"This just might do it," she complimented him. "There's only one way to be sure, though."

Tazi led her friends around the sharp turns and stopped just before the tunnel opened up.

"If what you said is right," Tazi addressed Fannah, "then we should be able to just walk past this thing."

"That's what I have heard," Fannah affirmed.

The three stepped around the corner and started to cross the twenty feet that separated them from what must have been the main entrance to the temple. They hadn't even gone five feet when the gray lizard's eyes flew open. It flicked its head from left to right and unfurled its limbs to slowly rise on its tail, nearly twenty feet straight up.

Tazi resisted the urge to draw her blades, but it was a struggle. It was one thing to have a plan to remain passive, and it was entirely another thing to follow that plan when faced with such a fearsome creature.

"Do nothing," she whispered to Steorf and wondered if the next burnt smell in the chamber would be them.

The ibrandlin swooped down with lightning speed and stuck its large, flat head in Tazi's face. She held rigidly still as it moved its head from one side of her shoulders, over her own head, and down to her other shoulder. All the while, she could feel little hot spikes of air escape the two holes that was its nose. Tazi even thought she detected a hint of smoke in those puffs.

The ibrandlin followed the same procedure with Steorf and Fannah before crawling aside to clear a path for them through the threshold. Tazi hesitantly stepped forward and marched through the doorway, Fannah immediately behind her, and Steorf bringing up the rear. When they had all passed safely through, Tazi peered back at the ibrandlin. The lizard, however, appeared to have already forgotten them and was curling up once more like some great cat.

She shook her head and let out a sigh. When she turned back to her friends, Tazi saw that the purple colors Steorf had created were dripping off of them to evaporate into the stone floor without a trace. Before she had a chance to compliment him further, several young men appeared from a nearly invisible side chamber and intercepted them. Tazi saw that they all were Calishite humans and they wore the true colors of Ibrandul.

"Who are you?" one of them demanded.

It was not lost on Tazi that the worshipers had surrounded them.

"We have come seeking the aid of Ibrandul," Fannah told them.

"That may be," the spokesperson for the acolytes said, "but how did you get in here?"

Steorf took a deep breath, but before he could say anything Tazi squeezed his arm.

"We are here," Fannah replied easily, "and welcome as all should be who seek protection from those things that dwell in the dark."

She left it at that.

Good girl, Tazi thought. No need to tip our hand when we don't have to.

"The Lurker should know of this," one of the other worshipers muttered.

"If you seek the Skulking God's assistance, then follow me," the first worshiper told them and abruptly turned away.

Since the other followers held their ground, Tazi had a feeling that there was no choice in the matter.

"Please bring us before him," Fannah requested, playing along with the illusion of free choice as well.

The group made a silent march from the small, entry chamber into a much larger room. The entire chamber was hewn from rock, and all the decorations were natural indentations in the stone. The senior priest entered, dressed in robes of deep purple tied off with a black sash. His outer robe was covered in a silver pattern of circles that looked like scales to Tazi. His beard was shot with white, and his skin was leathered. Tazi wondered how he could look so dry and withered in the damp dark.

"What do you seek?" asked the old man.

"We are newly arrived in Calimport, Mysterious Lurker," Fannah correctly addressed him in the common tongue. "My companions are Thazienne and Steorf-" she motioned to each respectively-"and we have come on a most serious matter. Thazienne is best able to explain," she finished, startling Tazi by placing her in the forefront once more.

"I can see your companions are new to Calimport," the Lurker said, "but you are not." He spoke a few words in Alzhedo.

Fannah simply nodded.

When the ensuing silence stretched out, Tazi finally stepped forward from her companions and the few Children of Ibrandul who had led them there.

"I would like to thank you, Mysterious Lurker, for allowing us entrance," she began.

"Ibrandul opens his house to any human needing protection from the dark and offers sanctuary," he intoned benevolently.

"I'm not sure if we need the protection or if you do," she continued.

One of the Children of Ibrandul, just starting his first beard, stepped toward her, and Steorf moved to block him, but the Lurker waved the novice back. Tazi realized her mistake.

"I mean no threat," she explained. "I am afraid I'm bringing a warning to you and hope I am in time."

"Go on," he urged.

"My friends and I are pursuing an evil necromancer. He has already killed someone close to me, and I know he wants to kill this woman as well." She motioned to Fannah. "His trail has led here, to Calimport and to your god."

The novices murmured among themselves at that declaration, but the Lurker silenced them with a look.

"What do you mean, girl?" he demanded.

"All I can reason," she continued, "is that he is working toward some greater goal of his and he plans to use your god for his own, evil deeds. That has to be why he needed to collect so many souls. To be honest," she said with a touch of embarrassment at her lack of information, "I was hoping you might know what he could want with the Lord of the Dry Depths."

The senior priest was quiet for some time, and Tazi suspected he was weighing her words.

Finally, he announced, "Ibrandul protects all human travelers who come to him in the dark. Here you have come to seek answers from him. Over the many years, there have been more than a few persons who have tried to subvert the Skulking God's powers. This necromancer of yours is not the first, nor, I suspect, will he be the last."

The Mysterious Lurker glanced behind himself before continuing, "Perhaps it is our book that this necromancer seeks. Over many years we have been collecting the sacred writings of Ibrandul. Even I have not read all of the words of the Lord of the Dry Depths, but I know there is great power in them. Power over the darkness."

With that, the priest turned and motioned to a stone dais behind him. Tazi could see a large tome resting on an altar. She approached it slowly.

"I wonder," she said aloud, "if this could have something to do with the scrolls I took from Ciredor."

The followers of Ibrandul looked quickly at one another.

Tazi drew near the dais and saw that a scaled cover carefully protected the portfolio of parchment papers. With a tentative hand, she reached out to touch the book. The novice of Ibrandul, who had taken offence at her first words, broke away from his companions and ran to the dais.

Before Tazi was able to lay a hand on the book, the Child of Ibrandul grabbed her fingers. He bent them back forcefully and twisted her hand hard. Tazi yelped in surprise and pain.

"No gharab, no foreigner," he explained roughly, "has the right to touch the Book of Ibrandul."

Steorf's anger exploded. He abandoned Fannah's side and launched himself toward the Child of Ibrandul. Tazi turned and saw Steorf raise his hands and shout a few words with no results. The Lurker ordered the other Children of Ibrandul to hold their places. The novice, ignoring his priest, laughed at the mage's obvious distress.

"No luck, gharab. Whatever magic you think you have will not work here in this temple."

When the youth saw concern cross Steorf's face, he laughed again.

"Have you forgotten how to fight?"

Steorf grunted and sprang at the slighter Calishite. The young man easily sidestepped Steorf, and Tazi took the brunt of his bull's rush. She was pushed back against the dais and knocked the tome over with a flailing hand. The parchments fluttered to the floor haphazardly amidst the cries of the horrified worshipers. Steorf glanced briefly at her before turning to face the Child of Ibrandul.

"What's the matter?" the young Calishite taunted him. "Not only can't you fight, all you manage to do is make more of a mess."

He was practically dancing around Steorf. The mage took a roundhouse swing at him, and the Child of Ibrandul just managed to duck and prance back a few steps. With his hands on his hips, the novice teased Steorf some more.

"You know, gharab, I'm starting to think even the blind woman could do a better job at this than you. And what do you think your woman"-he nodded toward Tazi-"thinks of you now that you've let her down… shown her just what kind of a man you are?"

Tazi could see that Steorf had reached a boiling point at the mention of her. The Child of Ibrandul moved a step closer to Steorf as his cockiness had made him careless.

Steorf shot his right hand out and grabbed a fistful of the novice's purple robe.

"I'll show you what kind of a man I am," he spat into the novice's face.

With his open left hand, Steorf delivered a wicked stab to the Child of Ibrandul's throat. He released him, and the acolyte doubled over, suddenly unable to breathe. As the novice was trying to take in a deep, wheezy gasp of air, Steorf brought his knee up into his face and Tazi saw her friend smile in grim satisfaction as they all heard the sickening crunch of bone. She realized Steorf was barely reigning himself in.

The novice pinwheeled backward, blood gushing from his broken nose. Steorf kicked out and struck the Child of Ibrandul in the kneecap, sending the novice crashing to the ground.

Steorf didn't stop there. He dropped down and straddled the young man's chest and continued to pummel his already bloodied face. The Child of Ibrandul was unable to offer any resistance. Steorf was lost in a blood-red haze.

Tazi was unable to stand any more. She rushed over to the two combatants and caught Steorf's raised fist, pulling at his arm.

"Stop it!" she screamed into his angry face.

He pulled his hand free and landed another blow onto the Child of Ibrandul's face. Tazi pushed Steorf off of the youth.

"He's finished!" she yelled, furious herself.

Steorf sat on the floor, breathing hard. He gave Tazi an unreadable look. Several of the Children of Ibrandul surrounded their comrade, blocking him from Tazi's view. Realizing there was nothing she could do for the fallen Child of Ibrandul, she walked slowly over to the stony-faced senior priest.

"I offer my sincere apologies for what just transpired," Tazi began slowly. "The only thing I might tender in our defense is that my friend acted to protect me after the novice made a threatening move. It is still no excuse, just an explanation."

A few moments passed before the priest answered. When he did, the old man did so carefully.

"Let me say this was a shameful transgression on both sides, but I am quite certain I understand why the two men did what they did. No apologies are necessary."

Tazi let out her breath gratefully.

"I was afraid that this might have destroyed any chance we had of retaining your help against Ciredor. That you might not believe in us and in what we're trying to do."

"Misunderstandings are just that," the Lurker replied. "I believe I know exactly what you are about. We will do what we can for you."

From the corner of her eye, Tazi could see Fannah kneel beside the fallen parchment papers. She gathered them up and carefully replaced the tome on the dais. Tazi sighed.

At least one of us, she thought, managed to keep her head and do something right.

"Where do we begin?" Tazi asked.

"You give up Fannah to us," he replied.