A shadow fell over his flagship. He looked up, expecting Valkyn, but instead two ebony dragons fluttered above.
The first one spoke, its voice low and impatient. “When do we fight? We’ve waited for your signal, but-”
“Waited much too long!” interrupted the second. “We don’t like to wait!”
“Just a little longer, Eclipse, Murk,” replied Cadrio, undaunted by their presence. “Hold your positions or you’ll give us away!”
“We smell dragon here,” Eclipse remarked. “Not gold, likely, but-”
“Likely silver! Yes, silver,” added his twin. “Which would be almost as good as gold!”
The general glared at the leviathans. “You’ll get your opportunity, but not before I say so! Is that understood? I want no repeat of the last battle! Now, return to your positions!”
Eclipse and Murk reluctantly retreated. They hadn’t forgotten their battle with the two golds and sought the chance to redeem themselves. Cadrio swore softly. How he would have preferred a red or blue dragon at his command. They obeyed orders. Instead, all he had was this pair of overly unpredictable black beasts.
The faint sound of thunder erased all thought of dragons.
The wind began to pick up. Clouds suddenly blossomed, swiftly covering the sky. The sea grew choppy, forcing the crew to make sure that everything remained secure.
Cadrio recalled the storm caused by the raising of Castle Atriun, but he had thought that was only a by product of the initial spell. He looked around, yet didn’t see Valkyn’s prize. Were the winds and clouds simply the whims of the sea?
“Sir!” Zander rushed over to him. “Sir! Up there!”
A speck appeared in the western sky, one that grew larger as it neared the island stronghold.
Valkyn’s citadel had arrived.
“Signal the other vessels! We move in when I give the word!” Cadrio glanced back at the other citadel. “Tell him to get that thing underway, too! I want it in position when Valkyn needs it!”
He hurried to the bow of the ship. Like the dragons, Cadrio sought to redeem himself, and now the first step had been taken. Soon he would lead his men to the first of many victories.
The citadel had descended to a height where all could make it out. What must the inhabitants of Norwych be thinking at the moment, seeing death falling upon them?
“What are you planning, Valkyn?” the commander muttered. The gargoyles seemed hardly enough to take a city, even if Cadrio’s remaining draconians joined them.
The second citadel joined the first, floating a few hundred yards behind it.
Throughout Norwych, great bells and shrill horns cried out warning to the populace. The general considered Norwych’s possible first line of defense. Catapults, perhaps, but Eclipse and Murk had also mentioned the possibility of silver dragons. Had it been Cadrio’s decision, he would have sent the dragons in first.
Sure enough, even as the first roar of thunder shook all, from the south came a pair of long, sleek silver forms nearly as large as the golden dragons. Looking at them, Cadrio doubted that his two overanxious beasts would fare any better today than previously. Surely Valkyn had something planned for such powerful threats.…
The citadel moved over the city, and with it went the storm. Cadrio marveled at the display. Where did such power erupt from? Surely not from Valkyn himself, even though at times the mage had exhibited hints of great strength. No, Valkyn had discovered some new source of power for his citadel, surely some fantastic force.
Yet despite the harsh wind and rain, the two silver behemoths flew unerringly toward their target. The dark castle moved slowly toward them, as if its master didn’t realize the danger.
“Are you mad, Valkyn?” Cadrio shouted. “Do something!”
He expected the gargoyles to fly out, attacking the dragons and trying to take advantage of their smaller size and sharp talons. However, none of the gray monsters showed. Atriun simply floated there, awaiting its doom.
The dragons split up as they neared. They probably intended to pound the citadel from both sides, thinking that a horde of draconians would soon drop from Castle Atriun’s walls onto Norwych. The silvers were determined not to let that happen.
Then lightning struck.
Cadrio blinked, not at all certain what he had just witnessed. He leaned forward, squinting.
One of the dragons fluttered awkwardly, one wing ripped and burned by the bolt. A fortunate accident, but one that Cadrio knew could not be repeated. Valkyn had to make his move now or die with his creation.
A second bolt struck the injured leviathan.
Now the dragon could barely fly. The power in one bolt of lightning would have been enough to send any of Cadrio’s vessels to the bottom. It amazed the general that the silver dragon still lived, much less flew, but what astonished him more was that two bolts had struck with such accuracy. The odds had to be astronomical!
The second dragon, noting its mate’s dire circumstances, suddenly darted toward it, which saved the uninjured beast from a third bolt that shot directly at where it had been.
At last General Cadrio understood. “The storm,” he whispered. “Valkyn’s harnessed the storm.…”
Black clouds surrounded the citadel, but occasionally crimson and yellow flashes highlighted the ominous structure. The winds continued to rock the fleet, but Cadrio didn’t care. The mage hadn’t lied when he had promised power. Valkyn had created a weapon more deadly than dragons, as the two silvers continued to find out.
Another bolt split the pair apart. The wounded one began to lose altitude. Two more bolts struck it. Its mate roared in horror.
The mortally wounded dragon’s wings ceased flapping, and the scarred and burned body plummeted seaward.
An unexpected gust of wind sent everyone aboard the Harpy reeling. Cadrio gripped the rail, then looked up. Murk and his twin had disobeyed orders and now flew toward the remaining dragon. They still sought to redeem themselves, despite the risk of the storm.
The second silver hovered over the water where its mate had crashed, completely oblivious to the new threat racing toward it.
Surprisingly, Valkyn didn’t finish off the beast. Instead, the castle positioned itself over northern Norwych. At the same time, the crippled citadel moved slowly but inexorably to a location directly above the very center of the city.
The two citadels would keep most of Norwych’s defenses occupied. With all eyes skyward, surely it was time for Cadrio to at last marshal his forces and begin landfall. The general seized Timinion with one hand and Zander with the other. “Give the signal to head for Norwych! I-”
A horrific boom sent all three men dropping to the deck. Recovering first, Timinion and Zander immediately helped the general up.
“What happened, you fools? Valkyn’s citadel! Has something happened to-”
Cadrio looked up as he spoke and saw that while nothing had happened to Atriun, the same could not be said for the second citadel. A jagged hole remained where once the upper left portion of the castle had been. Smoke billowed from the wrecked area, and fragments continued to drop. The damaged citadel wobbled uncertainly, and Cadrio wondered how much longer it could stay afloat.
He dragged Timinion close. “Did you see what happened? Was it the other dragon?”
“No, sir! Our dragons are dealing with that one! See?”
Murk and Eclipse were indeed dealing with the remaining silver. The twins had it between them, one black ripping a wing to shreds, the other snapping at the silver’s throat. They had clearly caught it unaware while it had searched for its mate. The one attacking the throat-Cadrio thought it Eclipse-at last caught his target and held tight. The general imagined the massive fangs biting through scales and sinking into flesh. The silver roared in agony, one set of talons trying uselessly to pull the black from its neck.
The other twin shredded what remained of the wing, then joined his brother at the throat, ripping away. Less and less the opposing leviathan struggled, until finally the head lolled back.