"No," the Old Mage told her, gathering silver fire within him in case he'd need it very soon and very swiftly, "ye don't want to do that. I am-I belong to Nergal, and any attack on me will draw him to this place.That's not worth a few mouthfuls of raw, tasteless human."
His captor's name had evoked a hiss.The she-devil drew back between the rocks once more.
El went on down the hillside and was two steps past the rocks when the outcast devil's voice came again."You have no magic?"
Elminster turned around slowly, and spread his empty j arms. "No. Do I look as if I do?"
"I am so hungry," the voice came back plaintively. "Nergal will just have to get over your loss."
And the devil sprang.
El sat down abruptly, feet together, then sprang off to one I side in a frog-like hop.The pouncing devil crashed onto the rocks beyond and skidded to a spitting, snarling halt.
The hillside was steep and bare.The only cover was the cluster of rocks and thorn-trees where the devil had been. Grimly El leaped and trotted toward it. Wings clapped behind him, and he sprang to one side again, dodging around a sparlike boulder.
The she-devil hissed close by his ear as she passed by again, missing with her reaching hands. "Stay still, human, and I'll make your death less painful!"
"Now that's an enticing offer," Elminster replied mockingly, spinning away from another grab. "Almost had me with that one!"
Snarling, the she-devil bounded into the air and glided after him.
He ducked into the devil's lair-a dark cleft between the rocks where the floor was littered with old, gnawed bones. Tumbled rocks formed a roof of sorts. Once he was inside, and she followed, there'd doubtless be no way out that her body wasn't blocking.
On he went, into stinking darkness.
With a little laugh of triumph the outcast devil folded her wings and fbllowed."Now you're mine," she breathed.
El had backed as far in as the narrowing rocks would let him.The only light came from the white flames of her eyes. The horse heads of her bosom snapped at him as she advanced, arms spread wide to prevent his escape.
"To raise a very original question," El said calmly, "Who and what are ye?"
"Marane is my name," she said, drawing closer. "Marane the Hungry!"
Elminster tensed, bending low. He had to unleash silver fire fleetingly when a spell-scrying Nergal wouldn't be able to get a good look at what he was doing, so their bodies had to be pressed almost together. Somehow he had to avoid those fangs above, and those snapping jaws lower down. A stone rolled under his foot, and he stumbled and almost fell.
Marane hissed again, but no jaws closed on him.
El looked up-and saw faint glows above and behind him. They illuminated the body of the outcast devil, as she arched over him to reach the stone and set it back in place.
"What're those lights?" he asked, feigning wonder, as he ducked low and turned so his shoulder brushed against a shapely devil leg.
"Things of magic," she snapped, "seized from other prey down the years. A pity you carry nothing to add to it.But enough!"
Marane turned then, extending a long-nailed hand like a claw right at his eyes-
El thrust his hand up along her leg and gave her silver fire.
"Quite so," he agreed coolly, as her entire body con-vulsed and sprang upward, smashing her head on the;J rocks overhead.
Smoke curled out of Marane's mouth. She tumbled limply to the floor, and her eyes went dull. Something moved in Elminster's mind, and he kept the image of Marane's reaching talons vivid in his thoughts.Trying not to think or look at what he was doing, he clawed blindly. at the stone until he felt it roll. He thrust his hand in amid the cold glows beyond.
Something among them felt like a wand. He snatched it, let its fading enchantment tell him its triggering word and nature-a lightning-wand, thank Mystra andTymora both-thrust it into Marane's gaping mouth, gathered silver fire to keep himself alive if need be, and activated it.
Blue-white fire howled around the tiny lair. Diabolic limbs flailed bruisingly as the reek of cooked devil-flesh rose strongly to take hold of his throat. Marane slumped and began to shrivel.
Ho, no! magic! must have it!
Nergal's mind bellow was almost deafening. El smiled grimly and raked through the magic with both hands, letting the chaos of command words and purposes and powers wash over him as he sought something-anything-useful.
Rings that spat fire, wands that melted flesh, bracers that-wait! This!
With shaking hands El plucked it forth and held it, just for a moment. He set up a snarl of silver fire in his mind so that Nergal wouldn't be able to read his thoughts.Yes, this would do admirably-a scepter only as long as his hand, dark and finely made. Netherese-crafted, in fact, by Shadow Master Telamont Tanthul long, long ago. It could make two hands, or three, or six, out of one.Three hands, or three hearts, or three legs, as desired, but only bone and blood and flesh. A way of whelming armies or healing the maimed...
Hurriedly he raced out of the lair, keeping his mind full of fire, and hid the tiny scepter under a stone near a certain tree. Then he retreated to the lair, stumbling dazedly around amid the magic and staring at Marane's dainty fangs.
With an excited growl, Nergal crashed to the ground outside.
El let the fire fall and sent forth his thoughts in a feigned fury of excitement. These should be enough! Just let old Nergal set foot in here, and I'll blast him to ashes! Why, there's not a devil in Avernus that can stand against these, now that I've poured all my silver fire into them! I can-oh, gods!
Tall and terrible, Nergal loomed in the cleft and sent a forest of flailing tentacles stabbing into the darkness. In a trice Elminster was battered against stone, shoved along it, slapped nearly senseless, and then snatched out into the light again, blinded and strangling in the grip of a tight-clenched tentacle, while clinks and rattles told him Nergal was gathering magic in a frenzy.
I could crush your skull Like a rotten fruit, man. Give me one good reason why I should not.
The silver fire will explode out of me and slay thee too.
Don't y-eh? It would?
Aye. Best leave my head and neck alone.
So i shall, Neigal agreed savagely, twisting and wrenching.
Only silver fire kept Elminster from fainting at the sickening pain. Dimly he was aware that the devil had torn away both of his arms at his elbows, leaving jagged, dripping stumps of broken bone.
He called on the fire to give him strength, and feigned a mad frenzy, keening as he rose and lucked out and flailed away with his arms. He leaked enough silver fire that Nergal hissed in pain and flinched away. El grimly thrust the stumps of his arms into the outcast devil's wounds, like a child stabbing with a stick in blind rage and utter futility.
After a moment, Nergal chuckled harshly and dealt Elminster a blow that sent him spinning away to crash down on distant rocks. Pain made him bound up again in shrieking spasms. "Stupid wizard."
Behind silver fire, El thought, Stupid devil. I thrust my broken arms deep into you, and left bone chips behind. Deep inside, beneath thy healings. It may not be Alassra's Blood Ring, but 'twill do. Ye'll see. He let the fire fade again-and was almost deafened by Nergal's mind-voice, crashing in.
Again you whisper to yourself of your own cleverness! Enough! This memory of yours, and this, and this one, too, show me what to cast, to keep you ajjvf.-hah! Thus!-so i can do this!
[tentacles stabbing out, slapping around arching torso, and then wrenching... flesh tearing wetry...]
[scream, ripping agony No devil no devil agghh gods please no!]
That's sight, plead! Go on! Plead, and I'll ignore you! Hahahaa!