"Douglas Niles - Druidhome 2 - The Coral Kingdom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niles Douglas)

"There's nothing for a thousand miles," objected Alicia. "Barely a few tiny islands!"
"You heard it was a legend. That's because no human has been there to prove its existence. The Coral
Kingdom lies a hundred fathoms beneath the sea," concluded Keane, grimly quiet.

* * * * *

Talos chortled in unholy pleasure. The stroke of good fortune that had brought Tristan Kendrick into the
hands of his undersea minions was too sweet, too ironic. Also, there was the fact of the mirror. The
princess had discovered it and used it. Her power and ambition burned like a fire in the glass, with an allure
that drew the evil god's interest and desire.
Now he was nearly ready to move for mastery of the isles, but first, he would take one more precaution.
In the wake of his earlier defeat, he had determined to seek an immortal partner. A pair of divine beings,
coupled in the same destructive goal, would certainly allow the cause of evil to gain justly deserved
vengeance. He cast about for the name of a likely ally, and he decided to approach Malar, the Beastlord.
That vengeful god was known for the force of his wrath. Indeed, he had recently demolished an entire
community of elves for no purpose other than his own gruesome pleasure.
Thus he was interested when Talos proposed to him that they unite to attack the Moonshaes. But one
question was paramount to the Beastlord.
"Are there elves? I must smite the elves!"
"Aye," rumbled Talos. "Called the Llewyrr, they areтАФbut they are elves."
 As proof, Talos summoned the image of the mirror, unknown to Princess Deirdre, who slumbered
nearby. The Stormbringer showed Malar an image of Synnoria, with its pristine lake and crystal city.
"That can only be a place of elves," grunted Malar, pleased with his discovery. As he studied the scene
more intently, his pleasure turned to keen excitement. He looked closely, drawn by powerful emanations
that pulled his attention stronger than any visual cue.
"There!" he spat, focusing on one of the elves in this sylvan vale, on one particular elf who walked at the
head of a group. That one bore a platinum triangle at his waist, and Malar knew he had found the answer:
For centuries, elven populations had escaped him through the use of that hateful talisman. They had
disappeared, untraceable and immune to his vengeance, because he didn't know where they had gone.
Now he did.
 3
Urgent Endeavor
"You've heard of the Coral Kingdom?" By habit, Alicia asked the question of Keane. The wreckage left
by the brief battle with the unnatural ambassador still smoldered around them, and they all struggled to
grasp the truthтАФor falsehoodтАФof the visitor's extravagant claims.
It was Tavish who replied, however. "Those legends, that's allтАФso foreign to humankind that it remains
completely unknown, if in fact it exists at all."
"An undersea domain," added Robyn. "As immense in its own way as all the isles of the Moonshaes
combined, and even more inviolate in its territory. It is ruled by the sea trolls, the scrags. They are even
more horrible than the sahuaginтАФthe fishmen, whom we've had to fight before."
"Then Father . . . then the king must be dead," Alicia argued, to herself more than anyone. "How could
any human survive in such a place?"
"It is possible," the mage, Keane, observed tentatively. "There are many spells that will grant one the
ability to survive without breathing for a matter of hours, long enough for the sahuagin or scrags to drag a
victim to an undersea lair, there to imprison the unfortunate soul in an air-filled cave. No cell can be more
impervious to escape."
Alicia's heart leaped again, wanting to believe beyond all reason that her father still lived. The loss of a
hand didn't matter. In fact, a powerful priest could repair such damage. What was important was that
Tristan lived!
"A few hours," muttered Brandon in frustration. "That would hardly be enough time to mount a rescue