And Rhonin could do nothing.
At some point after he closed his eyes again, weariness took hold and led him into a more gentle slumber. Rhonin dreamed of many things—dragons, ghouls, dwarves . . . and Vereesa. Dreaming of the elf soothed some of his troubled thoughts. He had known her only a short time, but more and more he found her face popping up in his thoughts. In another time and place, perhaps he could have gotten to know her better.
The elf became the center point of his dreaming, so much so that Rhonin could even hear her voice. She called his name over and over, at first longingly, then, when he did not reply, with more urgency—
“Rhonin!”Her voice grew distant, just a whisper now, yet somehow it also seemed to have more substance to it.
“Rhonin!”
This time her call actually stirred him from his dreams, pulled him from his slumber. Rhonin fought at first, having no desire at all to return to the reality of his cell and his imminent death.
“He doesn’t answer. . . .”muttered another voice, not at all as soft and musical as Vereesa’s. The wizard vaguely recognized it, and the knowledge brought him further toward a waking state.
“Perhaps that is how they can keep him secure with only chains and no bars,”the elf replied.“It looks as if you told the truth. . . .”
“I would not lie to you, kind mistress! I would not lie to you!”
And that last, shrill voice did what the other two could not. Rhonin threw aside the last vestiges of sleep . . . and just barely kept himself from shouting out.
“Let’s get this done, then,”Falstad the dwarf muttered. The footsteps that followed indicated immediately to the wizard that the dwarf and others headed toward him.
He opened his eyes.
Vereesa and Falstad did indeed enter the chamber, the elf’s arresting visage full of concern. The ranger had her sword drawn, and around her neck she wore what almost looked like the medallion Deathwing had given Rhonin, save that this one had a stone of crimson where the other had been as black as the soul of the sinister leviathan.
Beside her, the dwarf had his hammer sheathed on his back. For a weapon, he carried a long dagger—the tip of which presently touched the throat of a snarling Kryll.
The sight of the first two, especially Vereesa, filled Rhonin with hope—
Behind the tiny rescue party, the fire golem re-formed in complete silence.
“Look out!” the dismayed wizard shouted, his voice raspy from so many previous screams.
Vereesa and Falstad dropped to opposing sides as the monstrous skeletal figure reached for them. Tossed by the dwarf, Kryll slid toward the very wall where Rhonin had been chained. The goblin swore as he bounced hard against the rock.
Falstad rose first, throwing his dagger at the golem—who completely ignored the blade that clattered against the bony armor—then pulling free his stormhammer. He swung at the inhuman sentinel even as Vereesa leapt to her feet to join in the attack.
Still weak, Rhonin could not do anything at the moment but watch. The ranger and the dwarf came at their fiendish adversary from opposing directions, trying to force the golem into a fatal mistake.
Unfortunately, Rhonin doubted that they could even slay the creature by mortal means.
Falstad’s first swing pushed the monster back a step, but on the second one, the golem seized hold of the upper handle. The gryphon-rider became embroiled in a horrible tug-of-war as the golem tried to pull him toward it.
“The hands!”the mage gasped. “Watch the hands!”
Burning, fleshless fingers grabbed for Falstad as he came within range. The desperate dwarf let go of his precious hammer, tumbling out of immediate reach of his foe.
Vereesa darted forward, thrusting. Her elven blade did little against the macabre armor, which easily deflected it. The golem turned toward her, then threw the stormhammer in her direction.
The ranger nimbly leapt aside, but now she found herself the only one with any sort of defense against the inhuman guard. Vereesa thrust twice more, nearly losing her blade the second time. The golem, apparently impervious to edged weapons, attempted with each attack to seize the sword by the blade.
His friends were losing . . . and Rhonin had done nothing to help.
It only grew worse. Having regained his balance, Falstad started for his hammer.
The mouth of the ghoulish warrior opened incredibly wide—
A fearsome spout of black fire nearly engulfed Falstad. Only at the last did he manage to roll away, but not before his clothing had been singed.
That left Vereesa alone and in the direct path of the golem.
Frustration tore at Rhonin. She would die if he did nothing. They all would die if he did nothing.
He had to free himself. Summoning his strength as best he could, the battered spellcaster called up a spell. With the golem occupied, Rhonin had the chance to concentrate on his efforts. All he needed was a moment more. . . .
Success! The shackles holding his limbs burst open, clattering against the rocky wall. Gasping, Rhonin stretched his arms once, then focused on the golem—
A heavy weight struck him on the upper back. An intense pressure on Rhonin’s throat cut off all air.
“Naughty, naughty wizard! Don’t you know you’re supposed to die?”
Kryll had a hold around Rhonin’s throat that stunned the wizard completely. He had known that goblins were far stronger than they appeared, but Kryll’s might bordered on the fantastic.
“That’s it, human . . . give in . . . fall to your knees. . . .”
Rhonin almost wanted to do just that. The lack of air had his mind spinning, and that, coupled with the tortures he had suffered at the hands of the golem, nearly did him in. Yet, if he fell, so, too, would Vereesa and Falstad . . . .
Concentrating, he reached a hand back to the murderous goblin.
With a high shriek, Kryll released his hold and dropped to the floor. Rhonin fell against the wall, trying to get his breath back and hoping that Kryll would not take advantage of his weakness.
He need not have worried. Burned on his arm, the goblin hopped away from Rhonin, cursing. “Foul, foul wizard! Damn your magic ways! Will leave you to my friend here, leave you to feel his tender touch!”
Kryll hopped toward the exit, laughing darkly at the intruders’ fate.
The golem paused in his struggle with Vereesa and the dwarf, his deathly gaze shifting to the escaping Kryll. His jaws opened—
A burst of ebony fire shot forth from the skeletal maw, completely enveloping the unsuspecting goblin.
With a mercifully short cry, Kryll perished in a ball of flame, so quickly incinerated by the magical fire that only ash drifted to the floor . . . ash and the ruined medallion the goblin had carried in his belt pouch.
“He slew the little wretch!” Falstad marveled.
“And we are certain to be next!” reminded the elf. “Even though I feel no heat, my blade has half turned to slag from the flames surrounding his body, and I doubt I can dodge him much longer!”
“Aye, if I could get my hammer I might be able to do something, but—look out!”
Again the golem unleashed a blast, but this time at the ceiling. The furious column of flame did more than heat the rock, though. As it struck, the flames shattered the ceiling, sending massive chunks down on the trio.
One caught Vereesa on the arm, hitting with such violence that the ranger dropped to the floor. The torrent forced Falstad away from her and prevented Rhonin from even trying to make any move in her direction.
The fiery golem focused on the fallen elf. The jaws opened again—
“No!” Utilizing raw will, Rhonin countered, throwing up a shield as powerful as any he had ever created.