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"I have not seen you in three years, and only a few tini replied

"But you recognize ht so that his withered and useless arh for hiht

"Don’t do that!" Herzgo Alegni warned through clenched teeth

Effron laughed at hini said "I warn you, there’s no place for you here"

"Master Draygo thinks there is"

"He’s wrong"

"You underestimate my powers"

"I know your skill"

"You underestie of your eneive you the victory you desire" He widened his red eyes and gave a crooked grin, revealing a ht white teeth that see "The victory Master Draygo orders you to complete, and in short time Without me, that will not be achieved Do you so loathe me that you would accept failure and the consequences of Master Draygo’s rage rather than accepthere," Effron insisted

"Perhaps you were so deep in your studies you missed my victory outside Neverwinter’s wall"

"If you think that a victory, then you’re o believed--and he believed it quite strongly, I assure you"

Alegni glowered at hini narrowed his eyes

"Was her chahty staff?"

"She has not been in these parts for years"

"She returns," Effron assured hini couldn’t hide his surprise

"I know your enemies," Effron said "I’ll help you win here, and then I’ll be gone" He paused and considered Alegni, who could barely hide his conteni scowled and turned away, and Effron slue eyes

Intrigue overwhellided past the uround cavern The young monk, Brother Anthus, who led their troop had been here before, several times, and yet his skittishness couldn’t be denied His breathing was so labored that Valindra expected him to topple over into unconsciousness

And the lich certainly understood why

Valindra didn’t breathe, of course, but no hty umber hulks lined up in perfect order and discipline--would have intrigued her in life as ht, the lich looked to Sylora, a sorceress not so unlike herself in her forh, but surely there was a bit of hesitation in her step

And why not? The cavern beyond reeked of sliround lichen wasn’t the hts

Valindra, Sylora, and Brother Anthus entered, uards, the loyal and fanatical Ash

The water stirred Brother Anthus, a scrawny youngfrolanced back at Sylora and Valindra

"The Sovereignty ambassador," he whispered reverently

The water stirred and the aat the visitors

A second for out of the shallows nearest the a perfectly blank expression on his face and in his strangely distant eyes His skin was nearly translucent and covered with a slimy, membranous substance

"Welcome," he said in a voice that see channeled through hi out froe form

The ambassador’s mind slave, its servitor, then spoke the creature’s name, and it was surely unpronounceable by any of those listening--and surely would have been unpronounceable to the speaker if he was trying to form those sounds all on his oith coue could hope to replicate Still, despite the stark ren an entity this type of creature truly was, they all, from Sylora to the Ashmadai soldiers, felt a sense of calerness and curiosity, Valindra didn’t share that warust as the aboleth’s piscine head rose up from the water Rounded on top, flat underneath, not unlike a bottoe mottled head climbed up several feet Li below, dripped fetid dark water back into the pond