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"Gather together your people and go, Biggrin," the wizard told the enoriant that stood before him in Cryshal-Tirith’s throne room "Remember that you represent the aro into the area, and secrecy is the key to our victory! Do not failover your every iant responded "The lair’ll be set and readied for your coe coiant lifted the blanketed ave one final bow to its master, and walked out of the room

"You should not have sent the invisibly beside the throne during the conversation "The verbeeg and their frost giant leader will be easy to rin is a wise leader," Kessell shot back, angered at the deh to keep troops out of sight!"

"Yet the humans would have been better suited for this mission, as Crenshinibon has shown you"

"I am the leader!" screamed Kessell He pulled the crystal shard out fro forward in an attempt to emphasize the threat "Crenshinibon advises, but I decide! Do not forget your place, hty demon I am the wielder of the shard, and I shall not tolerate your questioning erously, and Kessell straightened back in his throne, suddenly reconsidering the wisdo the de the minor inconveniences of Kessell’s foolish outbursts for the long terains it stood to make

"Crenshinibon has existed since the dawn of the world," the de one final point "It has orchestrated a thousand carander than the one you are about to undertake Perhaps you would be wise to give more credence to its advice"

Kessell twitched nervously The shard had indeed counseled him to use the huion He had been able to create a dozen excuses to validate his choice of sending the giants, but in truth, he had sent Biggrin’s people more to illustrate his undeniable command to himself, to the shard, and to the iains

"I shall follow Crenshinibon’s advice when I deem it appropriate," he told Errtu He pulled a second crystal, an exact duplicate of Crenshinibon and the crystal he had used to raise this tower, out from one of the many pockets of his robe "Take this to the appropriate spot and perfor," he instructed "I shall join you through a mirror door when all is ready"

"You wish to raise a second Cryshal-Tirith while the first still stands?" Errtu balked "The drain on the relic shall be enor visibly "Go and perform the ceremony! Let the shard remain my concern!"

Errtu took the replica of the relic and bowed low Without a further word, the demon stalked out of the roo his control over the shard at the expense of proper restraint and wise military tactics The wizard did not have the capacity or the experience to orchestrate this can, yet the shard continued to back him

Errtu had made a secret offer to it to dispose of Kessell and take over as wielder But Crenshinibon had refused the demon It preferred the demonstrations that Kessell demanded of it to appease his own insecurities over the constant struggle of control it would face against the powerful deiants and trolls, the proud barbarian king’s stature was not dih the iron door of the black tower and pushed through the wretched troll guards with a threatening growl He hated this place of sorcery and had decided to ignore the calling when the singular spinet of the tower appeared on the horizon like an icy finger risen froround Yet in the end he could not resist the su hated the wizard By alltricks and de hated him even more because he could not refute the power that the wizard co, beaded strands that sectioned off Akar Kessell’s private audience hall on the tower’s second level The wizard reclined on a huge, satin pillow in theiirls, their minds bent and broken under the shard’s domination, waited on every whi to see women enslaved to such a puny, pitiful shell of a e, burying his great axe deep into the wizard’s skull But the rooically located screens and pillars, and the barbarian knew, even if he refused to believe that the wizard’s will could deny his rage, that Kessell’s pet deood that you could joinway Errtu and Crenshinibon were close at hand He felt quite secure, even in the presence of the rugged barbarian king He fondled one of the slaves absently, showing off his absolute rule "Really, you should have come sooner Already roup of scouts has already departed"

He leaned forward toward the barbarian to emphasize his point "If I can find no room for your people in my plans," he said with an evil snicker, "then I shall have no need for your people at all"

Heafstaag didn’t flinch or change his expression in the least

"Co," the wizard crooned, "sit and share in the riches ofto his pride and re

"Very well!" snapped Kessell He clenched his fist and uttered a command word "To who’s body went rigid "To Akar Kessell!" he responded, to his own repulsion

"And tell ain who it is that com replied, "and I follow Akar Kessell Akar Kessell commands the tribes of the tundra!"

The wizard released his fist, and the barbarian king slu that to you," said Kessell, rubbing a burr in one of his painted nails "Do not ain" He pulled a scroll out from behind the satin pillow and tossed it to the floor "Sit before ain of your defeat"

Heafstaag took his place on the floor in front of his master and unrolled the parchment

It was a map of Ten-Towns