The idea to raise his own branch of the army rallying under the banner of Takhisis had not been Maldeev's. In fact, Takhisis herself, through a minion, had issued him the man shy;date to recruit evil black dragons and form what would henceforth be know as the Black Wing. As usual, the memory of his time in the dark temple brought both a cold trickle of fear and a rush of pride to Maldeev.
At the time of the mandate, Maldeev had been distinguish shy;ing himself as an excellent tactician in one of the first branches of Takhisis's army, the blue dragons under Highlord Bakaris himself. Maldeev was widely known to remain calm under fire; he was also a peerless horseman. He had risen quickly to the level of brigade commander of mercenary cavalry in the Blue Wing, headquartered in Sanction, the city made famous by its constantly erupting volcanoes.
Maldeev had been in the tent-city of Neraka, near Sanc shy;tion, on a clandestine intelligence mission to the combined evil forces. Neraka had sprung up at the base of Takhisis's Temple of Darkness. A discussion of troop numbers was heating up among some midlevel commanders of the White Dragon Wing when a messenger stepped into the unadorned tent and informed Maldeev that he was hereby summoned to the temple. Maldeev was stunned. Who but the very lowest of commanders knew he was in Neraka, let alone this tent?
Thinking he might very well be walking to his death, Mal shy;deev had little choice but to follow the messenger into the city. The young brigade commander had seen the twisted temple from the distance-who could miss it? He'd once read that "it clawed its way into the sky like a bird of prey, overshadowing the city below into perpetual night." That was certainly true, he'd thought as he walked behind the messenger through the northwest gate and into the crowded market square. Maldeev bumped elbows with black-robed mages, as well as the dark clerics who were numerous among the Dark Queen's personal troops.
He distrusted mages. They reminded Maldeev how easily his location could be known by anyone in authority. What he couldn't understand was why anyone important cared. Had he somehow been set up by soldiers in the Blue Wing whom he'd deliberately stepped on or otherwise betrayed to achieve his current rank?
Maldeev could well remember walking the twisting and tilting halls of the black tower. Though a skilled tracker, he quickly became confused by the route through countless anterooms and seemingly pointless chambers. Maldeev fol shy;lowed the messenger up a narrow, endlessly spiraling stair shy;case that eventually led to a door. The door opened onto a large, spoon-shaped platform of cold red marble. The messenger pushed him through the door and disappeared.
Maldeev stumbled forward into the darkness. There was no light at all. It took long seconds for Maldeev's eyes to adjust. Still he could see nothing beyond the slightly glowing marble at his feet. The air didn't move, as if Maldeev stood in the eye of a storm. The still atmosphere was oppressive.
"Step forward, Maldeev," a dark, muffled voice hissed suddenly, as if from behind a mask.
Maldeev shuffled toward the voice mechanically, seeing nothing beyond the vision of his feet at the ends of his legs.
"Stop."
Maldeev did as he was told, desperately squinting into the absolute darkness. He thought he spotted a shadowy hint of a horned mask, but then the image was gone.
"Why have I been summoned?" he managed to ask.
"Silence, or I will reconsider the choice!"
Maldeev could feel eyes studying him for many long min shy;utes. Finally, the muted voice said, "We have an empty plat shy;form in this hall, waiting for the highlord of her majesty's black dragons. You have been chosen to assemble that new wing in the name of Takhisis."
"Who are you to have chosen me?" Maldeev hadn't meant to sound impertinent. He simply wished to know the identity of the speaker.
A cold hush suddenly descended over the area, which was already unnaturally still. Maldeev felt as if the breath were being choked from his body by an unseen force. Then the surrounding air seemed sucked away. Maldeev's knees failed him. He tumbled to the cold marble, gasping for breath.
Just as suddenly, cool, sweet air rushed almost too quickly into his lungs. Maldeev stood again, coughing. He now knew who had chosen him. This was the Queen of Darkness's tem shy;ple, after all.
Maldeev asked no more questions after that, content to receive detailed directions from the disembodied voice. They included the location of Shalimsha Tower as the headquar shy;ters for the Black Wing. He was also advised to tax the locals
to amass a war chest and to recruit ogres and other merce shy;nary troops. There was a final command to immediately per shy;form the union ceremony with a worthy dragon under Takhisis's watchful eye, for no one could be highlord without a dragon.
Maldeev was offered two black dragons, who had already traveled to Neraka and volunteered their services to form the core of the wing. One was Khoal, an ancient male with great power. But he was also excessively vain and independent. The other was Jahet, a younger female. While she could not match Khoal for sheer power, her intelligence appealed to Maldeev. They worked well together from the start. Maldeev had never regretted his choice.
The way Maldeev had been recruited to start the wing also heavily influenced the way he ran it. Secretive, doling out information on a need-to-know basis, he sometimes called soldiers in just to keep fear of him uppermost in their minds. He had a mercurial temperament that caused even his most trusted advisors to tiptoe around him at all times. All but Jahet, that is.
Maldeev's infamous temper was in full bloom by the time Jahef s horned hind feet touched down beyond the enormous doorway. The highlord didn't greet her. Sullenly slumped in his oversized chair, Maldeev craned his neck back to stare her in the eyes. The human raised an eyebrow and directed her gaze to his softly humming water clock.
In retort, Jahet looked calmly to the sun behind her and back to his stormy face. "My timepiece is not as accurate as yours," she said with a disdainful glance at the cumbersome water clock. "We dragons aren't obsessed with time as are you short-lived humans. I've broken no vow to you, Mal shy;deev. Besides," she added, her look almost coquettish as she shuffled forward, heavy tail dragging the loose rushes noisily behind her. "I was on a mission for you."
The sound of rustling made Maldeev wonder if he hadn't been imprudent to order new reeds and herbs for the floor today. Jahet detested any pleasant odor and would do what shy;ever she could to soil and mark the room with her own scent.
Maldeev knew better than to consider breaking the enor shy;mous dragon of such an odious compulsion.
"I was delivering your message to Khisanth."
Maldeev nodded, remembering the request. Spinning the claw-footed chair away from the fire to show Jahet his pro shy;file, he slowly lowered his bulk into it again. His arms settled lazily on the rests, and he asked, "She doesn't see it as an ulti shy;matum yet, does she? You let her think you were giving her a piece of friendly advice, yes?"
"Isn't that what we agreed I should do?"
"Yes." Maldeev knew Jahet well enough to sense when she was hedging. "And?"
Jahet could see no valid reason for not telling Maldeev that the conversation hadn't gone exactly as scripted. "It was nec shy;essary to tell Khisanth you were considering soul mates for her."
"What?" exploded Maldeev, leaping from the chair. 'That will drive her away! Why didn't you just suggest in the strongest terms that she take a rider?"
"You think like a human, Maldeev," said Jahet. "I've made that suggestion for years, with no result. Khisanth would continue riderless as long as we allowed it because she believes it's in her best interest to do so. Always remember, Maldeev, self-interest is a black dragon's only motivation." Jahet looked pointedly into the highlord's steel-colored eyes. "No matter what they may claim."