Lord of Spells from Faerûn

"Not even a speck of ashes can remain in this temple that we don't understand," Elminster said. He seemed quite serious, even though he knew this was an impossible request. "Any personal items are to be taken from here as well, we can't tell which ones could be used by our enemies."

Imric and Midnight helped Elminster search for books in the temple. Imric noticed a diary hidden under the pillow. The cover was made of black leather and was turned upside down. He turned the book over and read the last entry, which read:

"Today I died to save the Valley of Shadows, and tomorrow I will be reborn in the kingdom of Lathander."

Midnight on the side saw it and said: "Shadow Valley has been under attack from Zhentil Castle and Sere. If it weren't for Elminster, it would have fallen long ago."

Imrik nodded thoughtfully and continued to turn the pages of the book back, but everything after that was blank.

Suddenly, he realized that one page seemed too thick. He was moved in his heart and carefully tore the page open. Sure enough, there was a sandwich hidden inside.

The pages in the mezzanine were in a language he had never seen before. Imric walked to Elminster and handed it to him.

Elminster took the page and turned it over. His expression became serious and excited, and after a while he shouted: "This is it!"

Elminster finally raised his face, muttered something, and then returned his gaze to the fragile book in his hand. He turned the pages as carefully as he could, lest they turn to dust and lose a profound secret that could turn the tide of Bane's war.

Midnight stared at the old man, fiddling with the pendant absentmindedly in his hand. The main hall of the temple has been cleared and the pews used for worship have been moved to two volumes of the room. The black-haired mage gave up trying to figure out the sage's mind, and everything would come to light. He had promised so, and now she could only choose to trust the old sage.

"Do you need to use the pendant now, Elminster?" Midnight asked, walking next to the sage.

Half a dozen new wrinkles appeared on Elminster's face, and his beard seemed to be rising upwards. "That little thing? What do I want with it? You can keep it. Maybe it will fetch a good price in Tanris."

Midnight bit her lip, "Then what do you want me to do here?" she asked.

Elminster shrugged, "Reinforce defenses, probably."

Midnight shook her head, "But what to do? You."

Elminster leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Do you know the rituals of Shea, the Dark Guardian?"

"Since Elgi, since Apinimon, with your help -"

Elminster smiled, "Where's Lucian Rutham's Dream Dance?"

Midnight's lips were trembling as she recited the spell word for word, but Elminster stopped her before she could finish.

"Now read for me, the scrolls of Konom, Sif, and Sek..."

Imric frowned on the side. He had never heard of these books. Elminster has very ancient and complete knowledge. It is normal for him to know, but how did Midnight know it? Could it be... ,,

Imric looked at the pendant on Midnight's chest, and a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Fusion begins.

Words came out of Midnight's mouth one after another, and suddenly the room was filled with light. The bright blue-white light passed through the walls, floor and ceiling, rushed into the front hall through the open doorway, and ignited an amazing fire in the temple. The fire then engulfed the wall.

Midnight froze in place.

"That's not too difficult, right?" Elminster finished speaking and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Midnight shouted, "How can I remember a spell I never learned?"

Elminster raised his hands, "You can't. It's time to prepare for the final rites, go ahead."

As Midnight walked away, Elminster felt a belated unease. He had been preparing for this moment since the night of Advent. He foresaw that he would have two helpers in this war, but their identity startled him. Only a madman or a fool could ignore the gravity of this fact.

Of course, Elminster was not a madman or a fool, otherwise he would not have been able to survive in the kingdom for five hundred years, although many people claimed that he was both. In any case, he could only decide to leave his fate to them, two mages who did not understand the mysteries of the gods at all.

Midnight had already decided that the chessboard of the gods had caused her own predicament. Elminster noticed that the mage seemed to be very concerned about the attention of the gods. She seemed to believe that she was chosen for some purpose. Quite conceited, Elminster thought.

Of course, unless her suspicions were true, he had no way of knowing.

How he wished that Shiron was still here at this time. If he had her help, he would be more confident, but she left the kingdoms long before this catastrophe began, and Xinbu did not respond to any of his contacts. . (Heron and Himbu are both Mystra electors)

"Elminster, we are ready," Midnight said.

The sage turned to look at the two men. The main door to the temple was open, ready to unleash energy that could destroy them.

"I hope so," said Elminster. He studied Midnight's face. There was no trace of doubt on the caster's face. She put the safety of the realms first, and Elminster knew he had no choice but to trust her. "Before we start, you still need to know something. Mystra told you about the Tablet of Destiny, but she did not tell you where it is hidden."

A light of understanding flashed in Midnight's eyes, "And you can. The spells we released during your research are used to locate the powerful source of magic in the country -"

"One of the tablets is in Tarres, although I cannot give a precise location," said Elminster. "The other has been cleverly hidden from my sight. Give me some time, and I will surely find it." "

"Now, let us begin," Elminster said. "This ceremony will take a lot of time..."

——

The beacon was lit, which heralded the arrival of uninvited guests in Shadow Valley. Bane's army was breaking through the defenses on the east side of the forest, and they would arrive soon.

Dawn was approaching, and like most of the troops, Kelemvor had fallen into a deep sleep when the beacons were lit. But the sound of the trumpet that accompanied the signal immediately woke him up.

"Those idiots must have been riding all night." said the militia captain Mehel, shaking off the sleepy people on his body.

"It's really crazy." Kelanvor responded to the old soldier, unable to believe that a general would try such a stupid strategy. The casualty rate of those Zhentil Fort troops in the forest was simply terrifying.

"Yes," said Mehir, "but it is the Zhentil we are dealing with after all." He smiled and patted Kelemvor on the back.

There were many warriors ambushing Kelanvor and Mehel. They were currently passing through the Pond of Kragg, the only place on the road from Shadow Valley to the east.

Soldiers completely blocked the road and trucks were overturned to help block the road. Cut down trees were placed across the road in front of the barrier, making the road more difficult to navigate. In addition, there are archers hiding in the woods on the north side of the barrier.

Not only that, there are also a large number of magic traps arranged by Imrik across the open space in front of the obstacle.

The soldiers had nothing to do at this time. Since the beacon was lit, they had been focusing their attention non-stop, waiting for the arrival of Bane's army.

"I don't understand Bane's strategy," Meheir admitted. "He gave us time to rest and fill our stomachs all night, while at the same time driving his army on the road through the night. When they get here, they will also change. Got to be tired and hungry."

Kelemvor shook his head, "I wish Midnight could be here." He pointed to the Pool of Krag, "Her spell can turn this pool into sulfuric acid, so all we have to do is push the Zhentil back. This will ensure victory.”

Mehel laughed and said: "Maybe Ben will have exhausted all his troops before he reaches the Valley of Shadows. It is really possible at this rate, and your midnight visit will not be needed by then."

"Wait, there's something going on." Kelanwo's face turned serious.

Mehel pulled out his sword and shouted loudly: "Get ready to meet the enemy!!"

As they talked, the Zhentil army came closer to the obstacle blocking the path to the Pool of Kragg, and Bane's archers were sent to the front line.

Before the army could get past the barrier of stone, debris, dirt, and overturned wagons, the Valemen had to escape through the trees where they had been harassing the Zhentil coming from the east.

However, Kelemvor ordered most of the soldiers to retreat deep into the forest, so the Zhentil archers had no effect. When Bane's army begins to climb over the barrier and become disordered, the warriors will order an attack. But now, it is enough to disrupt the opponent with bows and arrows from the woods opposite Kragg's Pond.

The army was forced to stay in front of the barrier, and Bane, who was at the end of the group, became furious. "Why can't we just go over that pile of rocks?"

When a young officer reported the situation to him, Bane yelled, "I want my army in Shadowdale within the hour, so you'd better order them to destroy or scale that wall."

The officer who spoke was trembling like chaff. Even though the army was filled with enthusiasm at the reality of being conquered by the gods, it was still a little timid in the face of huge casualties. "But, Lord Ben, the people of the valley are hoping that we can climb over the barrier before being attacked." , if we climb over the wall, it will be a good opportunity for them to take action.”

"Why don't you go around?" another officer asked.

The Lord of Darkness frowned, "In that case, our army will have to spread out through the forest, which will play into the valley's ambitions."

The young officer from the front line stammered, "But we will lose a lot of manpower."

"That's enough!" cried Ben, his glove slapping the officer's face, and the man fell from his mount. Ben looked down at the guy who was staggering up, with a cruel smile on his face. "I am your God and my command is absolute. We must overcome the barricade with all our might, now."

The officer remounted his horse, "Yes, Lord Ben."

"You are responsible for leading the first team." The Lord of Darkness added, "You can leave now."