Riverwind withdrew the goblin sword from the door. He advanced on Krago, point held out. The young cleric stood his ground until the tip pricked his skin. He shuffled backward.
“You dare not hurt me! The dragon will wreak terrible vengeance on you if you do!” he gasped.
“You keep invoking this dragon, but I've seen no evidence of one,” Riverwind said levelly. “I think it's all a pose to keep the lizard men in line and make them do what you want.”
“There is a dragon, you'll see!”
“Shut up and sit down,” Riverwind replied. The pounding on the door got louder and more regular. The goblins had fetched help.
“There's no room to swing a battering ram out there,” the plainsman said, “but we can't keep them out for long.”
“What do we do?” asked Catchflea.
“I'm thinking.” He surveyed the cleric's quarters. “Where's Di An?”
“Here.”
Riverwind turned to the sound of her voice. She came from the far side of the room, rubbing her eyes as if she'd been asleep. He looked twice before he realized it really was her. The change in her was even more noticeable to him, since he hadn't watched its gradual progression. Di An had grown six inches in the short days since he'd seen her last. Her black hair now almost reached her shoulders, and her white skin had a pink tinge. Though still quite thin, she had the figure of an adult elf woman, all the more apparent in her ragged, and now short, girl's dress.
“I knew you would come back,” she said. Even her voice was slightly lower.
“What's happened to you?” The young plainsman's question was punctuated by a splintering crash. The bright edge of an axe showed through a newly cut crack in the door.
“Is there another way out of here?” Riverwind demanded of Krago.
“Do you expect me to tell you?” the cleric said with a sneer.
“You will if it means your life!” Riverwind raised the crude sword to strike Krago.
“If you kill me, you will all perish. Shanz will show you no mercy.”
Riverwind lowered his weapon. He grabbed Krago by the front of his robe and dragged him to his feet. The slight cleric's toes brushed the floor as Riverwind held him up.
“Tell them to back off,” he said. “Back off, or I'll hack that monster you're making to bits!” Krago paled at this threat. All his work Wasted-what would Khisanth do to him then?
“This is Krago!” the cleric shouted. “Get back from the door. Get back, I say!”
They heard Shanz's muffled reply, “Master Krago, are you all right?”
“For now, good Shanz. The barbarian has threatened to harm Lyrexis if you don't stop now!”
“As you wish.” More muffled commands, and the axe squeaked free of the door and disappeared. “We're withdrawing” Shanz called.
“Tell them to go to the great plaza,” Riverwind said. Krago repeated the order.
“Very well.” Heavy footsteps tramped away.
“Show me the creature,” Riverwind said.
“You will not harm her!” Krago cried, twisting in River-wind's grip.
“Show me.”
“It's almost awake,” Di An said after Krago led them to the vat room. She stood apart from Riverwind and did not meet his eyes.
The vat of quicksilver churned in slow ripples as Lyrexis stiffly moved her arms and legs. In the past day, her eyes had darkened, and her lids cracked apart just enough to expose the vertical green pupils. Her scales were hardening, losing their translucency. When the humans and Di An drew near, the creature sat up and made inarticulate sounds through closed lips.
Riverwind found himself staring at Lyrexis in awe. He knew that Krago's work was evil, and yet, he had actually created life.
“This is a very crucial time!” Krago said excitedly. “When her eyes are fully open, I must perform the Spell of Awakening. It will lessen the shock of her birth and make her acknowledge me as her true, ah, parent.”
Riverwind brought his mind back to the situation at hand. “We've no time for that,” he said. “We're leaving, and you're our hostage.”
“Ignorant lout! You don't understand! If Lyrexis awakens without the proper soothing spells, she'll run wild. There's no telling what harm she'll cause and come to!”
“Tie his hands, Catchflea. If he talks, gag him.”
“He may be right, tall man. I have been reading his spells, yes? The creature has an almost human form, but it still has the mind of a serpent.”
“You too, Catchflea? If the creature is going to die, let it die now before it is aware of its evil purpose.”
Di An stared at Lyrexis. “I say kill it now.”
“What?” asked Riverwind.
“Kill it now. Take a sword and cut off its head!”
All the agitated shouting seemed to galvanize the awakening creature. It ceased its plaintive mumbling and threw a leg over the side of the vat. Its movements were smoother now, more like those of a fully conscious being. Everyone drew back as the creature, some seven feet tall, swung to its feet.
“Lyrexis!” Krago breathed. He stepped forward to take the creature's hand. She felt the warm flesh of Krago's palm pressed to hers. She tilted her sightless head and shuddered. Her hand closed tightly over Krago's with a horrible crunching sound.
The cleric screamed. Riverwind raised his sword, but the creature jerked Krago toward her. Grabbing the cleric at the waist, she hoisted him in the air.
Riverwind said, “Old man, you and Di An get out!”
“But where? Shanz is waiting outside, yes.”
“To the study!”
Krago wept and pleaded with his creation to put him down. Lyrexis's arms bowed, and she lowered him to the floor. Then, at the last second, she bent backward and launched Krago at Riverwind.
The plainsman managed to turn aside his sword, but that was about all. He went down with Krago on top of him, cracking his head on the hard stone floor. Stunned, he didn't see Lyrexis's eyelids finally split fully apart. Eyes that were startlingly yellow showed long, dagger-shaped pupils in their centers. Lyrexis surveyed the room she'd so long dwelt in. The open door beyond the bookshelves beckoned. She threw back her head and let out a hissing howl that chilled the blood of all who heard it.
“Get off me,” Riverwind said, shoving Krago. The cleric groaned and painfully sat up, cradling his right hand.
“She hurt me,” he said through clenched teeth. “She crushed my hand! I warned you-”
“She'll do a lot worse than that if we don't stop her,” Riverwind declared. He stood up and, sword ready, prepared to cut at the creature's exposed back. Krago tangled his feet and good arm in Riverwind's legs.
“No!” he gasped. “I won't let you hurt herl I made her. She is mine to teach!”
“Let me go!” Riverwind rapped Krago on the chin with the crossguard of his stolen sword. Krago went slack, and Riverwind disentangled himself from the stunned cleric.
“Catchflea! Di An! Watch out!” he shouted as Lyrexis stormed into the study. The creature opened its mouth and screeched at the two of them. Catchflea hurled pots of powders at it, which only made it madder. Riverwind reached the door and slashed at Lyrexis. The cheap goblin steel cut the creature, but its hard scales were as tough as leather armor. Saliva glistened from her fangs, long glassy needles protruding below her upper lip. Despite his weapon, Riverwind retreated at the sight of the creature's fearsome teeth.
Lyrexis stalked him, circling the table. Riverwind kept the furniture between them, but she heaved the table out of her path and advanced on him. The plainsman cut at her, leaving long bleeding marks in the horny scales of her forearms. She ignored these hurts and came on, causing him to fall back again.
Despair crept into the warrior's heart. There seemed to be nothing he could do to stop this monster. She took his best blows as if they were insect bites.