“Your abomination will soon only be a memory, Valkyn,” Tyros rasped. “One better forgotten, at that!”
“Atriun is far from a jumble of broken stone at the bottom of this mountain, Tyros.” The black mage pulled his hood forward, the hood somehow larger and wider-or perhaps Valkyn somehow looked smaller. “As you shall see.”
Valkyn’s robes completely enveloped him, shrinking at the same time.
“No! Damn you!” Tyros threw the staff end first at the dwindling form, but it was too late. The ebony-clad wizard had faded away completely. The wooden stick struck the floor with a spark, then clattered for several seconds before coming to a rest.
“Twice now I’ve let him go because my reactions were too slow!” a frustrated Tyros snapped. “I will not let it happen a third time!”
“What does it matter?” Serene interjected. “Atriun is out of control. Something must have happened to the Wind Captain’s Chair or its steersman!”
He nodded, his frustration at twice failing to stop Valkyn still clear. “If something has happened to the Wind Captain’s Chair, then I would wager that Captain Bakal was involved.”
“You think he might still be alive?” After witnessing Stone’s death and learning of Rapp’s, the cleric felt fearful even asking such a question.
“Perhaps, but I can’t-” Again the flying citadel shook as it scraped along the side of the mountain. More cracks veined the walls, and a portion of the ceiling collapsed near Tyros. “Valkyn can stay with his beloved monster and die with it, but we need to escape. We need the griffons.”
Mention of the griffons stirred mixed emotions in Serene. The animals had long grown past the point of needing Rapp to survive, but how would they handle his death? The cleric knew that the depths of an animal’s emotions could be astounding. The griffons would mourn the kender just as they would those of their family that had perished in the ill-fated journey up to the citadel.
Then it occurred to her that she and Tyros faced another dilemma. Assuming that they could find the creatures, what would happen if the griffons refused her guidance and simply abandoned the two humans? Serene had never had complete command of the griffons. Taggi might obey her, but would the others?
She would just have to find out. “I think I know where they are. Valkyn said they had been put into the animal pens under the east wing of the castle. He thought the griffons might be of some use, much like the gargoyles.”
“Then we will go that direction, but it will be safer by an outside route and the pens should be easier to spot that way.”
“But what about Captain Bakal?”
Tyros considered. “If he still lives, by this time, he will no doubt be searching for the griffons, too. With the citadel uncontrolled and failing, the animals are his only chance, too.”
The cleric pictured Bakal trying to keep the griffons under rein and blanched. “We’d better get to them before he does. He’s likely to let them loose, and if he does, they might fly off, leaving all of us to perish alongside Valkyn!”
Neither Tyros nor Serene cared much for the fact that the black wizard still ran free, but Valkyn’s end appeared inevitable. With Serene leading the way, they hurried through the ominously empty corridors of the citadel. Neither shadow servants nor gargoyles were anywhere to be seen. The gargoyles were likely embroiled in battle, but surely some of the robed shadow creatures still survived. Serene clutched her medallion tightly, hoping she was prepared if she and Tyros should suddenly confront the ghoulish servants.
Twice more Castle Atriun shook as it rubbed against the peak, seemingly determined to slowly rip itself apart. As the pair reached the lower level and exited the main castle, they saw that the entire outer wall on that side had been reduced to rubble. The tower closest to the mountains had partially collapsed, and even the central tower showed worrisome cracks.
“Go past the garden,” Serene urged. “The pens should be that way!”
Tyros remained strangely silent as they rushed through the wooded area, but the cleric assumed that he must be considering their odds. She herself kept glancing skyward, where the storm appeared to be lessening. Now and then gargoyles locked in aerial struggle soared past, always too swift for her to determine which side had the upper hand. She prayed to the Bard King that Stone’s folk would prevail, if only for the sacrifices he had made for her.
From the wooded garden, they neared the ravaged end of the flying citadel. Serene stared at the castle with some anxiety; she hoped that no part of it had collapsed onto the pens.
Her fears seemed justified as they came across what remained of the outer corral. A portion of the exterior wall of the castle had indeed fallen onto it, crushing most of the high-fenced enclosure. Fortunately, Serene saw that the interior section still stood intact, although some rubble blocked part of the entrance. Even from this distance, the cleric could hear the roars of at least two griffons.
Near the corral, a figure rose into sight, a massive block of stone in his arms. As they watched, he hefted it to the side, then tossed it on a pile of rubble.
“Bakal!” Tyros waved as he shouted, trying to get the Ergothian’s attention.
They had to venture somewhat nearer before Captain Bakal could hear them over the storm and the griffons. When he saw them, the scarred veteran gave the pair a tired, grim smile.
“Praise be to Draco Paladin!” Bakal spouted. “I was beginning to think I was the only one left alive … and I wasn’t counting on that too much longer.” He looked past them. “What about Rapp? Where’s he?”
Tyros grimaced. “Rapp’s dead, Bakal. He died freeing me. Valkyn killed him with hardly a care.” To Serene, Tyros added, “I’m sorry … I wanted to tell you.”
“You didn’t have to. Valkyn himself had the honor of that.”
A stony expression passed over the soldier’s weathered features. “And I was just starting to like the little thief.…”
“Where are your men?”
A deeper darkness spread. “Dead. The last two were butchered by the wizard’s gargoyle. I had to run from the beast before, but if I could just get him at a sword’s point, I-”
“Crag’s dead,” Serene interjected, picking up a rock. “Stone killed him to save me … and then Valkyn killed Stone.”
“That damned wizard-no offense, Tyros-needs to be strung up! At least General Cadrio’s dead! I had that pleasure myself, up by the Wind Captain’s Chair. He fell out a window while we were fighting.” The captain shook his head. “Sorry to say, though, we ruined the steering mechanism during the struggle. I thought we were going to smash to pieces when we first hit that mountainside. This citadel’s built to last.”
“Not for much longer,” Tyros informed him. “Valkyn has neither control of its flight nor the power to keep the citadel aloft much more. The storm’s already abating. We need to get the griffons out and pray they will fly us to the ground!”
As they talked, Serene touched the gate leading to the griffons. She could hear the animals within, pleading to be let out. The cleric could feel their claustrophobia, their fear. Would they even acknowledge her? “If I can get inside, perhaps I can convince them to aid us.”
“Let me help.” Tyros inspected the lock. The cleric watched him, momentarily wishing that one of them had Rapp’s skill with such things.
Raising the staff high, the wizard brought the tip down hard on the lock. Emerald sparks flared. The gate flung open, nearly striking the ragged spellcaster.
“That will do,” Serene said.
She entered the animal pens, marveling at their immense size. The Solamnic lord must have kept enough livestock to survive a year-long siege.
One of the griffons noted her presence and squawked. The gargoyles had packed the forlorn animals in two of the mailer pens, giving the them practically no room to spread their wings. They looked up at the cleric as she neared, eyes wary and somewhat untrusting.