Colicor stepped out onto the balcony of his quarters, looking down into the lagoon below. A fleet of several dozen hammerships and whaleships floated in the lagoon, returning from military exercises. Colicor smiled to himself. The removal of stellar outposts had gone off without a hitch. He walked into his room and prepared to blow out the candle, when he sensed a presence. He looked around, and noticed two glowing spots in the darkness. The spots began to move into the dim light, to become the eyes of a skeletal form in wizard's robes.
It was a lich, clad in the robes of a Nimar.
"I see that age has not been kind to you, either, old friend," Colicor said.
"This form still serves me," the lich answered in a hollow, scratchy voice.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Colicor asked.
"The Key has been re-assembled."
Colicor paused. "I know. But what, if you don't mind my asking, does that have to do with me?"
"Darran-Koor has also returned."
Colicor then rubbed his chin.
"That is distressing. He could make like difficult for both of us, given the time."
"I am more worried about the red-haired witch," the lich added.
"Tiegorus of Maplegrove is just a little girl. Her powers may awe others, but for the likes of us? Nothing. I am surprised at your alarm," Colicor added with sarcasm.
"You don't understand, do you?" the lich hissed. "With the Key, Darran-Koor can train her to become a full Nimar, and she can in turn train others. She may well be the beginning of the new White."
"Then you will just have to see to it that she fails," Colicor stated plainly.
"When she returns to Solaris, I will make it my vow, but there is another threat."
"Another Cartanian wizard with the power to become a Nimar? I think not," Colicor scoffed.
"Netasha Shi-See Illeria."
Colicor thought for a moment.
"Illeria? Onestar's battle wizard? She is Torillian. She was partly trained by Elminster himself. The magus does not run in her veins."
"Oh, but it does," the lich added. "She was born on Toril, yes, but her mother was Cartanian. She left her home world after being wed to a trader from Zakhara."
Colicor chuckled. "The destruction of the Eternal Wanderer and everyone on it is one of my primary objectives. She will become just another lifeless body on another empty space wreck."
"I just though I should inform you of the possible threat."
"Your actions are appreciated, though I'm sure you have something else to say. Like me, you never tell the entire truth."
The lich would have smiled, had he the means.
"Do what you want with the crew of the Eternal Wanderer." the lich said, "but the bard and his wife are MINE!"
"When I am through with the Wanderer, I'll teleport them directly to you. I'll even raise them from the dead, should I 'accidently' kill them."
"That will be acceptable. I must leave now. Well met, Colicor."
"Well met, Montrazar."
The lich nodded slightly, then vanished in a flash of dark blue light. Colicor paused for a few moments, waiting to see if there were any other disruptions. He then walked over to the small metal box. Opening it, he removed the last bone dagger and placed it in a fold of his sleeve.
"I am not sure whether this will hurt you, 'old friend,'" Colicor replied, patting the hidden dagger, "but I'd rather not take any chances."
Elsewhere, a man wearing blue, black and silver armor stood in a castle spire, looking out onto the multicolored oceans of the flow. It was hard to tell what, if anything, he was feeling at the moment, since his eyes, nose and parts of his cheeks were covered by a silver mask. Lord Monitor stood at the top of his new home on New Glorin, surveying the area.
It had been nearly a week since the Eternal Wanderer left New Glorin. He knew that sooner or later, Onestar and his friends would learn the hard truth themselves: Omnispace was doomed, and they could do nothing to stop it. Taking a deep breath, Monitor looked around at the flow island. He told no one why he chose to make his new home in the flow, although many were curious.
Monitor didn't live alone out here: there were nearly three full divisions of ODF members out here, as well as old friends and members of his cabinet back on Omni. He couldn't save the whole sphere, but he could save those closest to him.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard something off in the distance. Scanning the area, he saw something large moving his way quickly. Although the flow was stagnant in this area, ships could still move, but no, this was no ship. As it got closer, Lord Monitor realized it was alive, moving impossibly fast on gossamer wings. Below, crews scrambled to defensive positions, but Lord Monitor signaled them off. A smile crossed his lips as the creature finally entered the island's air envelope.
Although larger than a dragon, the winged entity hovered down softly toward Monitor, changing as it descended. When it was ready to land, it was no longer a creature, but rather a man wearing a simple grey jumpsuit. His hair was slightly gray, and it was hard to tell exactly how old he was. Looking at him, he could either have been anywhere from mid 20's to late '50s.
"Darran-Koor," Monitor commented as he landed. "It has been a long time."
"Indeed, Monitor." Darran-Koor replied. After he shook Monitor's hand, he smoothed his hair down with one hand. "It took me a while to find you. I didn't know you left Omnispace."
"I had to. The Endtime has arrived. It was time for me to leave."
Darran-Koor's face fell slightly sad. "You have my apologies. I know how much you loved that world. Any idea how it'll happen."
"I know exactly what's going to happen. Colicor."
"The Necromancer?" Darran-Koor paused for a moment. "Remember when he an Montrazar united to learn the secrets of the Undeath?"
"That was the first time we met," Monitor replied. "What's that been? A millennia? Two?"
"Hey! I'm not that old." Darran-Koor chuckled.
"Of course not," Monitor replied sarcastically, "and I'm not wearing armor." Both men had a good laugh.
"What can I do for you, Darran?"
"Mon, I need the spellbooks back I gave you for safekeeping."
"Hmm. That'll be difficult. They're in my Repository, and I've given it to a bard named Hall-ee-mor Dargass. He's a friend of my s...of Onestar."
"Hall," Darran replied. "I've met him before. Nice guy." Suddenly, Darran-Koor's eyes opened wide with revelation. "So that was Onestar? I met them a short while back. Have you ever told him..."
"He knows most, but not everything," Monitor replied. "I can't give away all the secrets, now can I? The Repository is magically linked to their ship, but there's a backdoor password you can use to enter. I'll give it to you, but you won't be able to use it until you reach Wildspace."
"So there was a reason why you opted for the flow?"
Monitor nodded slightly. "You'd better hurry. Onestar and Hall are in Omnispace for the last act of that show."
"I understand." Darran-Koor turned away from Monitor and leapt into the air. Once airborne, he changed back into his natural shape; an Avangion. Before leaving, Darran-Koor looked back at Monitor.
"Do you regret anything we have done?" Darran-Koor didn't so much speak the words aloud, but Lord Monitor heard them anyway. The Nimar didn't wait for an answer: Instead, he moved off away from the island and into the phlogiston, headed for Omnispace. Lord Monitor watched him go. Lifting one foot up to rest on the stone wall, Lord Monitor leaned over to see Darran-Koor's flight.
"I regret that I can do nothing to stop destiny," he finally said. The magi then turned and made his way back downstairs, into his new home.
