Chapter 26
Upon teleporting within the ancient crypt, they found the Selskaryn watchghosts had passed on, their duty done now that the Firebringer had been slain. Terenon conjured an arcane eye and sent it to scout the rest of the complex. The arcane eye dropped down the well and into the Vault of Stars at the bottom. It peeked into the open door of the Chamber of Binding; finding nothing there, it headed north into the cavern filled with bubbling lava. Heading to where the fake door was located, the sensor saw nothing. It floated back across the cavern into the former prison of the Firebringer. The prison is also empty.
The sensor headed back into the Vault and up through the well, exiting at the top floor. It went through nearly every room in the complex, finding each one empty and silent. After several minutes of fruitless searching, the sensor winked out of existence, having found no signs of life within the entire Dungeon of the Ruins.
"If the beholder is not here, what is the point of discerning the giths’ motives?" Rumar asked quietly. "It seems simple enough; he has set them up as some sort of surprise for when we came looking. While I do not object to confronting them, be it politely or with battle, I do not think sneaking around is a good idea. If we are discovered, we will be in a very bad situation indeed."
Terenon looked at Rumar, a bit astonished. "Even though the beholder is nowhere to be seen, there are still at least three gith dragon riders in the Vale and close to civilized lands. Should we not at least find the reason they're here?"
Rumar grunted. “I was merely expressing a desire for caution.”
“If we are going after these githyanki, we’re going to need a plan,” said Grundar. He reached an arm out into the Well of Stars, attracting a few motes of positive energy to heal the wounds he had gotten from the exploding gas-creature. “There’s no way we can stand head to head with these guys.”
“Their greatest advantage is their ability to fly,” mused Allanon. “I can enchant anybody who needs it with a fly spell to increase your mobility and keep up with them.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Rhys. “Once we get closer, I’ll summon some winged allies to bolster our cause. We should be careful to remain hidden from the dragons and their riders as long as possible. Stick to the underbrush as best you can.”
The others nodded and prepared for combat. Once everybody was ready, they floated up the Well of Stars.
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Terenon winced as Rumar’s heavy boot came down with a crunch on a sizable piece of undergrowth. The dragons were not so far away now, circling over the clearing that contained the barracks house at the base of the hill, and apparently the tales of the beasts’ extraordinary senses were true. One of the wyrms turned its red-scaled head in the party’s direction and let out a reverberating cry. This cry was echoed by its two brethren, and the dragons propelled themselves through the air on leathery wings, their githyanki riders readying wicked lances as they approached.
“Here they come!” cried Allanon. The wild mage launched into a spell, altering the nature of his magic to substitute one energy type for another. A powerful bolt of jagged cold shot out from his outstretched hands, shearing through the lead dragon’s wing. The bolt then arced off to the other wyrms and their riders, filling the air with cries of pain. But still the dragons flew on.
“Torm!” cried Rhys, lighting a small candle as he invoked a spell. “Send us your griffons to aid us!” A golden portal began to open as he worked his summoning magic. Jelani smiled at the priest. “A good idea, but I think they can use a bit of help.” With that he began a summoning spell of his own.
Terenon considered his options as he watched Grundar shuffle forward through the undergrowth, hoping to break out into the clearing where he would have more room to maneuver. That was when a horrid singing noise came from the clearing up ahead. The mage had little time to ponder what this portended when three rays shot out towards the adventurers! Grundar dodged aside as a red ray sailed past him, and Allanon ducked a green ray that completely disintegrated a tree behind him, leaving only fine ash behind. His attention distracted, Terenon saw too late the crackling black ray heading straight for him. It struck the mage in the chest, sending curling fingers of negative energy clutching for his heart. He gasped and coughed, but managed to push away the energy before it could stop his heart.
Then the dragons were upon them.
The lead dragon-riding githyanki swooped down at Grundar and stabbed him right through the chest with his lance, the wicked weapon exploding out the poor elf’s back. Grundar screamed in pain as the gith lifted him off the ground, positioning him so that his mount could tear a chunk from the rogue with its toothy maw. The dragon shook the elf back and forth before dropping him to the ground in a pool of blood. Grundar groaned as he staggered to his feet.
The other two dragons barreled down at Jelani and Rhys, sending out roaring blasts of fire from their mouths. Luckily, the adventurers had been prudent enough to ward themselves against fire before the battle broke out, so the flames did little to disrupt the summoners. Jelani barely dodged a lance strike from a githyanki as he concentrated on his spell, and Rhys nimbly stepped aside as the dragon blazes past. The wyrms rose again into the air and circled around in preparation for another pass.
Terenon saw all this and decided. He could not wait any more. The time had come to play his trump card.
Terenon had labored long and hard over the past few weeks, shaping the skin of Bazim-Gorag into the magical cloak he now wore about his shoulders. Ignoring all the chaos of the unfolding battle around him, the mage uttered a long and complex word. The cloak forged of slaad skin began to billow about him, buffeted by an unseen wind. Two large bulges appeared from within its folds, slipping out to reveal themselves.
They were the twin skulls of Bazim-Gorag, the Firebringer. They floated around Terenon’s head and came to rest on his shoulders. The mage’s face went slack as the eye-sockets of both skulls flared to life, each eye a swirling pool of white flame.
“We are ready—“ said one skull in a gravelly voice.
“—to fight,” finished the second one.
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Rumar had begun to rise up into the air, sword and shield at the ready. The entire impressive stance was rather abruptly shattered when he spotted Terenon's change. Rumar's eyes widened as he looked at the mage with shock, clearly uncertain whether this was a good or bad thing he was witnessing.
However, while his eyes may have been looking elsewhere, his wings were still propelling him along. Somehow, he managed to slap into a low tree-limb, sending the paladin slowly spinning about as he attempted to regain control.
I'll get something up when I get a chance, but with schoolwork and hurricanes and the other miscellany of life, it may be a while yet. Please be patient with me. I have not abandoned you. 
