Chapter 6 Chapter 4 Casting Spells

A miraculous landmark stands in the very center of the City of a Thousand Sails, a strange building surrounded by a powerful aura of magic.Unlike any other structure in the Forgotten Realms, the Sorcerer's Tower is actually a single stone tree with five spiers protruding from it, the largest in the middle, and the other four of equal height are Rising from the main trunk in an oak-like graceful bend.Here you see no trace of any workmanship; it is evident to any knowledgeable observer that the work of art was built not by any physical labor but by magic. The chief mage, needless to say, is the natural owner of the magic tower, living in the central tower, and the wizards who are closest to the succession live in the other four towers.Each of the smaller towers represents north, south, east, and west, and each dominates one direction of the main trunk, and the wizard in it is responsible for monitoring and interfering with events happening in this direction.So the wizard west of the Main Trunk spends his days watching the sea, the merchant ships on the sea, and the pirates floating outside Luskan Harbor.

Maybe in a conversation in the North Tower today, the group of partners from Ten Towns will show a lot of interest. "You're doing well, Gildan," Sydney said.She is a younger and lesser mage in the Tower, though she has shown enough potential to earn the position of the most powerful wizard's apprentice in the guild.She is not beautiful, so she doesn't pay much attention to her appearance. On the contrary, she puts all her energy into her relentless pursuit of power.She has spent most of her twenty-five years with one goal - to earn the title of wizard - with such determination and attitude that most of those around her do not doubt that she can No to do this.

Gildan accepted the compliment with a nod of understanding, he knew that the other party had already lowered his figure to praise him. "I'm just doing as I'm told," he replied humbly, casting a glance at the frail-looking man in the patched brown robe standing outside the room's only window. "Why did they come here?" the wizard asked himself softly.He turned to the others, and they recoiled instinctively.This person is Dandiba, the striped-clothed wizard, the owner of the North Tower.Although he looks weak from a distance, but if you look closely, you will find that there is a power stronger than the raised muscles in him.And his reputation for valuing knowledge over life made anyone who came before him feel threatened. "Did they say any reason for being here?"

"None of which I would believe," Gildan replied calmly. "The halfling said he was here to investigate the market, but I..." "It doesn't look like that," Dandiba interrupted; he was talking to himself rather than to the group. "They act with more caution than a caravan should." Sydney gave Gildan a push, hoping to keep the favor from the North Tower master. "Where are they now?" she asked. Gildan dared not speak back to her in front of Dandiba. "Over there on the pier...somewhere," he said, then shrugged. "You don't know?" the young magician asked back with a hiss.

"They were going to spend the night at the Curved Sword," retorted Gildan, "but a fight drove them out into the street." "You should have followed them!" scolded Sydney, as she brutally pressed the soldier. "Even if you are a soldier in this city, it would be unwise to wander alone by the pier at night." Gildan argued back. "It doesn't matter where they are now. I have the status of the gates and docks. They can't leave Luskan without my knowledge!" "I'm going to find them at once!" Sydney ordered, and Dandiba silenced her.

"Survey as it is," he told Gildan. "They can't leave Luskan without 'I' knowing. You can go down. Come up when you have something to report." Gildan snapped to attention, then turned away, giving him a parting stare as he passed his rival for favor with the spotted wizard.He is just a soldier, unlike Sydney, who is an apprentice magician, but Wizard Tower is the real force behind the entire power structure of the city, and a soldier is usually favored by wizards.The leaders of the army can only gain their status and power through the recognition of the sorcerer's tower.

"We can't let them hang around here," Sydney argued as the departing sergeant closed the door behind him. "They can't do us any harm now," Dandiba replied. "Even if the Dark Elf did carry that treasure, it would take him years to understand its potential. Be patient, my friend. I have a way of knowing what we must know. Before that, we've put the whole The jigsaw puzzle fits perfectly." "My heart aches when I think of this power so close to my grasp," sighed the eager young mage. "Because it's in the hands of someone who doesn't know its immense power!"

"Be patient," repeated the Lord of the North Tower. Sydney finished lighting the candles lined up along the edge of this special room, and then slowly moved to the copper basin on an iron tripod beyond the circle of magic spells engraved on the ground.What frustrates her most is that once this copper basin is also lit with a raging fire, she will also be ordered to leave.She savored every moment in this seldom-opened room (recognized as one of the best spellcasting rooms in the North), and she had repeatedly asked to stay in this room for a while. But Dandiba never let her stay, explaining that she would inevitably have questions that would distract him, and in dealing with the underworld, distractions were mortally dangerous.

Dandiba sat cross-legged in the center of the magic circle, chanting repeatedly until he entered a deep meditative trance state, and when Sydney got everything ready, he didn't even notice it.All his thoughts turned inward, seeking the core of his own being, to confirm his readiness for such a mission.He only left a window to the outside in his heart, and gave himself hints one after another with a little bit of consciousness: when Sydney left, the heavy door would automatically close and be bolted. His heavy eyelids opened a crack, and his vision like a line was only fixed on the pot of charcoal fire.These flames would become the life of the summoned soul, giving it a form during the time Dandiba kept it locked in the physical plane.

"Ai·Weixu·Weinahei·Yao Zhengdu!" The wizard began to mutter the mantra in a slow pace, and then the rhythm became more and more tight.Dandiba was pulled by the strong suction of magic, just like a spell that was once given a moment of life to complete itself, but he continued with various inflections and mysterious syllables with ease, The sweat on his face showed more eagerness than nervousness. The striped wizard is obsessed with the will to summon and dominate beings in the realm of the dead through an absolute insistence on his considerable psychic powers.This room showed the culmination of all his painstaking research, and indisputably proved the realm of his great power.

This time he's targeting his favorite informant, a spirit who truly defies him, yet can't resist his call.Dandiba came to the climax of the spell-casting process: calling the name. "Mokai." He called softly. There was only a second of intense and dazzling flames on the copper basin. "Mo Kai!" Dan Diba shouted, tearing the spirit who was fixed in another world.A small ball of fire spewed out from the entire copper basin, and then fell into darkness again, and the flame turned into a human figure and stood in front of Dan Disi. The wizard's thin lips curled upward. "What an irony!" he thought, for the man he had been so intent on killing was now his most valuable source of information. The ghost of Mokai, the red wizard, stands resolutely and proudly, an image that fits well with who he used to be: a capable wizard.This room was made when he was Lord of the North Tower of Sorcerer's Tower.But then Dandiba and his gang conspired against him, using his trusted apprentice to stab a dagger into his heart, and opened the way for Dandiba to inherit the coveted position in the tower. That incident also set off a chain of perhaps more important events, for it was that apprentice, Akar Kessell, who finally obtained the "Magic Shard," a magical artifact that Dendiba believed was now in Drizzt's hands. In the hands of Do'Urden.Tales from Ten-Towns speak of the dark elves who brought Akar Kessell down in his final battle. Dandiba didn't know that the Crystal Shard was still in the mountain called Cairn's Cone in Icewind Dale, buried under hundreds of tons of ice and rock, lost in the avalanche that killed Kessell.All he knew was that Kessell, a puny apprentice mage, had almost conquered Icewind Dale with the power of the Crystal Shard, and that Drizzt Do'Urden was the last to see him alive. Dandiba rubbed his hands hungrily whenever he thought of the power this relic could bring to a diligent wizard. "Welcome, Mokai, the red-clothed wizard." Dan Diba said with a smile. "It's very kind of you to accept my invitation." "I will take every opportunity to look at you! Dandiba the Killer," replied the ghost. "When you come to the dark underworld on the boat of death, then we will be on equal footing..." "Shut up!" Dandiba ordered.Though he would not admit it to himself, the spotted wizard dreaded the day when he would have to face the powerful Morkai again. "I brought you here for a purpose," he told the ghost. "I don't have time for your threatening empty words." "Then tell me what I must do," whispered the ghost. "Then let me go. Your presence makes me uncomfortable." Dandiba got angry, but he didn't continue to argue.In summoning spells, in order to maintain the soul in the physical world, time drains a wizard's energy, weakening him a little bit more every second.The danger with this type of spell is that the caster may attempt to maintain this condition for too long, and eventually he finds himself too weakened to control the entity he has summoned. "All I want today is a simple answer, Mokai," Dandiba said, choosing his words carefully.Mo Kai noticed that he was cautious, and guessed that Dandiba was hiding something. "What's the problem?" asked the ghost. Dandiba continued at his cautious pace, considering each word he had to say.He wished Morkai no clue as to the motives of his pursuit of the Dark Elf, for the ghost was likely to spread the word among the worlds.Many capable beings, even Morkai himself, would join in the quest if they knew where this powerful relic was. "I'm looking for four travelers, one of whom is a dark elf, who came to Luskan from Icewind Dale today," the striped wizard explained. "What are they doing in this city? Where are they now?" Mokai looked at its opponent carefully, trying to find the reason why he asked. "This question should be asked of your guards guarding the city." He replied. "These people should have reported their purpose when they entered the city." "But I already asked you!" Dandiba screamed, instantly furious.Morkai was procrastinating, and every second was costing the spotted wizard.Morkai's body had lost little power through death, and he stubbornly fought against the magic that bound him.Dan Diba unfolded a roll of parchment in front of him. "I have a dozen of these," he warned. Mokai flinched.He understands the nature of these writings, and the real name of his body is revealed on the scroll.Once the words are spoken, stripping the veil of the name and revealing the privacy of his soul, Dandiba will summon the true power of the scroll, distorting Mokai's name with discordant tones and making his soul The balance is thrown into disarray, which will torture him to the very core of his being. "How soon do you want me to find out?" Mokai asked. Dandiba smiled at the victory, though his energy was still being absorbed. "Two hours." He replied without hesitation. He had carefully decided how long to search before calling.He chose the time to give Morkai enough of a chance to find the answers he was looking for, but not long enough for the soul to know more than he should. Morkai smiled, guessing at the motives behind this decision.He stepped back suddenly, disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the flame that had maintained his figure returned to the brazier to wait for his return. Dan Diba immediately relaxed.Although he continued to concentrate on maintaining the unblocked gate, when the soul left, the traction on his will and the absorption of his energy were significantly reduced.During their meeting, Morkai's willpower nearly destroyed him, and Dandiba shook his head in disbelief that the old mage could exert so much power from death to the outside world.A shudder ran up his spine as he thought how dare he plot against a man of such power.Every time he summoned Morkai, he remembered that a day of reckoning would surely come. Mokai had no difficulty finding information about the four travelers.In fact, the ghost already knew a lot about them.He had been interested in Ten-Towns when he was in command of the North Tower, and his curiosity hadn't died with the flesh.Even now, he often observed what was going on in Icewind Dale, and anyone who had paid attention to Ten-Towns in recent months knew something about these four heroes. Mokai's continued concern for the world he has left is nothing new in the spirit world.Death changes the souls' ambitions, shifting the love of material or social interests into an eternal thirst for knowledge.Some spirits have looked down on the world for countless centuries, simply gathering information and watching creatures go about their lives.Maybe it's just an envy of the physical senses they can no longer feel.But whatever the reason, the wealth of knowledge of a single soul often exceeds the combined collections of libraries all over the world. In two hours, Mokai learned a lot about what Dandiba wanted him to ask.Now it was up to him to choose what to say.He is compelled to fulfill the summoner's needs, but he intends to answer him as ambiguously as possible. Dandiba's eyes lit up when he saw the flames in the brazier dance again in warning.Has it been two hours?He wondered, because he hadn't rested enough, he didn't feel fully recovered from his first contact with the spirit.Yet he could not refuse to meet the ghost.He sat up straight, bringing his ankles closer together, tensing his cross-legged meditation position. The fireball spurted to the highest point, and Mokai appeared in front of him.The ghost stood back obediently, saying nothing until Dandiba asked.The whole history of the four friends' visit to Luskan was still vague to him, yet he already knew more about their mission than Dendiba wanted to know.He still couldn't guess the real motive of the patched wizard asking these questions, but he felt that Dendiba must be up to no good, whatever his purpose might be. "What is the purpose of this visit?" Dandiba demanded, angry at Mokai's delaying tactics. "You called me yourself," replied Morkai, "I was compelled to appear." "Don't play tricks on me!" cried the spotted wizard.He stared at the apparition, and stretched out his fingers to grab the scrolls that would torment him as an open threat.Beings from other planes often misinterpret an otherwise clear question literally, leaving the caster in disarray and notoriety. Dandiba gave in to the ghost's simple logic with a smile and clarified the matter. "What was the purpose of those four travelers from Icewind Dale coming to Luskan?" "There are various reasons," Mokai replied. "One of them was to find the hometown of his father and grandfather." "Dark elves?" Dandybar asked, trying to find some reason to connect Drizzt's plan to return to the underworld of his birth and the Crystal Shard.Maybe use the power of the Crystal Shard to cause a mutiny among the dark elves? "Are the dark elves looking for their homeland?" "No," replied the ghost, glad to see Dandiba collapse suddenly.He deliberately delayed mentioning the details of the issue and the more sensitive ones.The past few minutes had begun to loosen Dandiba's grip on the spirit, and Morkai hoped he could find a way to break free of the spotted wizard's grip before revealing too much about Bruno's party. "Drizzt Dourki has long since abandoned his homeland completely. He will not return to the Underworld, let alone drag his closest friends with him!" "Who is that?" "The other person is avoiding the dagger behind his back." Mokai provided information and said that he deliberately changed the subject. "Who is looking for his hometown?" Dan Disi asked more seriously. "Dwarf Bruenor Warhammer," Morkai was forced to answer submissively. "He was looking for the place of his birth, the Hall of Mithril, and his friends joined him in his search. Why are you interested in this? This group has nothing to do with Luskan, but to sorcerers The tower is not a threat either." "I didn't ask you to come here to ask me questions!" Dandiba scolded angrily. "Now tell me who is running from danger, and what is that danger?" "Attention," instructed the ghost.With a wave of Mokai's hand, a vision was conveyed into the mind of the patched wizard. It was a knight in a black cloak galloping across the tundra.The reins had turned white from the horse's sweat, but the rider continued to drive without mercy. "The halfling is hiding from this man," Morkai explained. "Although I don't know the purpose of this knight chasing him." Even telling Dandiba about this made the ghost very angry, but Mokai had no way to refuse his enemy's order.Even so, he felt that the wizard's will was about to loosen, and guessed that the summoning was drawing to a close. Dandiba paused to think about the information.None of what Morkai told him was directly related to the Crystal Shard.But at least he knew the four friends didn't intend to stay in Luskan.And he'd discovered a possible ally's last "advanced" source. The Blackcloak Knight must have been strong enough to send the halfling gang on the run. When Mokai's recalcitrance caused a sudden pull that broke Dandiba's meditation, he was thinking about his next move.In a fit of rage, he glared menacingly at the ghost, and unwrapped the scroll. "Bold!" he growled, and though he could control the ghost for a while longer if he channeled his energies into a battle of will, he began to chant the contents of the scroll. Mokai flinched, even though he had deliberately irritated Dandiba to this extent.The ghost was able to accept the torture because it marked the end of the interrogation.And Morkai was glad that Dendybar hadn't forced him to reveal what had happened in Icewind Dale, far from Luskan, just beyond the border of Ten-Towns. When what Dandiba had chanted disturbed the harmony of his soul, Morkai shifted the focus of his mind several hundred miles away to a group of merchants from Bremen, the most secluded of the ten towns. On the scene of the team, came the scene of a brave young woman joining these traders.The ghost took comfort in knowing that she was at least temporarily safe from the spotted wizard's prying eyes. This doesn't mean Mokai is caring for others; it's never been pointed out that he possesses this trait.He was just content to conceal anything from the man who had arranged for his murder.    Catti-brie's auburn curls flowed over her shoulders.She sat aloft in the first wagon of the Luskan caravan that had set off from Ten Towns the day before.She was never disturbed by the bitter cold wind, her eyes just stared at the road ahead, looking for traces of the killer's past.She had passed the news to Cassius about Entreri, and he would make it known to the dwarves.Catti-brie wondered if she could think of an excuse to sneak away with the caravan before the Warhammers organized their hunt. But only she had ever seen the killer in person.She knew that if the dwarves followed him and attacked him head-on, their guards swept away by the desire to avenge Fender and Gorolo, more of the clan would die at his hands. Selfish perhaps, Catti-brie decided to keep matters about the killer as her own.He'd terrified her, put her through years of hard training to no avail, made her look like a child shaking with fear.But she was already a woman, not a little girl anymore.She has to deal with the emotional shame herself, or the scar will haunt her to the grave, forever hindering her from discovering her true potential. She might be able to find the friends in Luskan, warn them, and guard Artemis Entreri together. "We're going fast already," the driver of the first car assured her, and he was sympathetic to her desire to hurry. Catti-brie wasn't looking at him, her eyes still fixed on the horizon ahead. "My heart tells me it's not fast enough," she sighs. The driver looked at her curiously, but he also knew it was best not to press her further.She made it clear from the beginning that what she was going to do was her personal business.And as the adopted daughter of Bruenor Warhammer and an excellent warrior of Sufu's reputation, the merchants consider her lucky to have her with them and respect her desire for privacy.Moreover, he was one of the drivers who had warmly supported her during the debate at the informal meeting before their departure. "Whenever I think about staring at a horse's ass for nearly three hundred miles, I wish I had a girl sitting next to me!" They even changed the departure date to accommodate her. "Don't worry, Catti-brie," the driver assured. "We'll take you there!" Catti-brie shook back the blown hair from her face and watched the sun set on the horizon before her. "Will it be enough?" she asked softly, knowing that once her sigh left her lips, it would simply vanish into the wind.