Tyros watched with satisfaction. He had realized that to combat the creatures, he had to cast spells that did not affect them directly but rather their surroundings.
Again and again the gargoyle slashed. Tyros moved to one side and saw that his winged adversary did not turn with him. Likely now the gargoyle could see nothing but white.
The first monster had nearly recovered. Tyros called on another spell from his staff and had the satisfaction of watching the floor beneath the gargoyle’s leathery feet turn icy.
Suddenly bereft of footing, the creature slipped, falling backward. Before the gargoyle could utilize his wings to right himself, Tyros used the tip of the staff to push one attacker into the other.
Unable to see who collided with him, the enshrouded gargoyle slashed out with his distorted talons. The fiendish claws tore through even the hard, enchanted hide of his comrade, leaving a gaping wound in the side of the neck. With an agonized roar, the mortally injured creature dropped to one knee and collapsed.
Unfortunately for Tyros, the magical cloud suddenly took on a fiery glow. The gargoyle within had finally realized that only magic could free him. The mage looked up at the great stone ceiling, muttered words of magic, then tapped the staff once on the floor.
The ceiling opened up, great blocks of stone dropping on the remaining gargoyle, who had just managed to refocus his baleful gaze on his prey.
Tyros stared at the rubble, making certain that the creature would not rise, then screamed as incredible pain wracked his body. A hand held him by the shoulder, a hand covered by a slim, black glove.
“They served their purpose well,” came Valkyn’s voice. “You should be a bit more manageable now.”
The staff fell from Tyros’s twitching fingers. He dropped to his knees. Where Valkyn’s hand touched him, an incredible fire burned. Tyros forced his gaze up and saw that various parts of his foe’s hand glowed brightly through the fiber of the glove.
He had forgotten that Valkyn didn’t always need the wand. The other wizard could draw directly from the dwindling reserves of Atriun, thanks to the horrific spell he had cast on himself.
“Time to take your place, Tyros,” Valkyn ordered with a smile. “Gwynned awaits.”
* * * * *
Mere moments after leaving Tyros, Serene nearly had Taggi turn back. She had been a fool to let the mage go alone. He needed her help. If anyone knew Valkyn best, it was Serene.
All thought of Tyros was pushed to the back of her mind as the griffons suddenly lost all semblance of order and dropped into the wooded garden over which they had just begun to pass.
“What’s going on?” Bakal shouted.
The answer became dreadfully apparent a moment later when they spotted a small, still form, arms folded, lying almost peacefully in the midst of the wooded area. Serene swallowed back tears as the griffons fluttered near the body of the only creature they had ever known as their parent.
As one, the animals let out a cry. Taggi landed, nudging Rapp’s body with his beak. He squawked again, a mourning sound.
“Damned wizard,” the captain muttered.
Although clerics of Branchala deemed all life sacred, there and then Serene wished that she could have been the one to face Valkyn. At the moment, the cleric felt that she had it in her to kill him.
Bakal looked at her, eyes bleak. “We can’t stay here, girl.”
“I know.” Yet Serene hated the thought of leaving Rapp here, either to perish with Atriun or, if Valkyn triumphed, to be disposed of like garbage by her former love’s pet gargoyles.
The griffons took the decision out of her hands. Taggi nudged the kender’s body in the direction of the largest of the females. With talons that could have easily shredded Rapp, she gently secured the body and took to the air.
Taggi and the rest flew after her. Bakal managed to glance at the cleric just before they soared into the air, his expression one of astonishment. Both of them were amazed at the depth of devotion the griffons had for the kender.
A few battling gargoyles spun past them as they flew. Serene noticed that more of the lighter-skinned ones, Stone’s folk, seemed to be airborne. Her spirits rose, and she started to think that perhaps the worst was finally over. They would locate a triumphant Tyros and abandon this citadel to it swell-deserved fate.
“Dragon!” Captain Bakal suddenly shouted.
The black form rose toward them, growing more gargantuan with each beat of his lengthy wings. Serene had forgotten about the remaining twin. That he should appear now could be no accident. Valkyn must have sent the dragon to recapture them.
An armored figure rode atop the leviathan, no doubt one of General Cadrio’s aides. During her pursuit of Cadrio and the supposedly kidnapped Valkyn, she had learned somethings about the general’s most zealous officers. A pair of names came to mind, but one even Valkyn had mentioned … and with favor. A young officer, determined and ruthless, possibly even more so than his commander, a young officer who, she recalled, had somewhat feline features, just like man atop the dragon.
Zander. Yes, Serene thought, it had to be Zander.
The great beast roared, and a sense of uncertainty filled the cleric-the first touches of dragonfear, a most potent weapon. Serene immediately prayed to the Bard King, asking for his strength. The uncertainty faded somewhat.
Nearby, Bakal, too, fought the fear. Fortunately a veteran of the war, he had learned to steel himself. After a moment of anxiety, he nodded to Serene to assure her of his readiness, then proceeded to make a spreading motion with his hands.
At first she didn’t understand what he wanted, but when the captain pointed at the griffons and repeated the motion, it came to her. Bakal wanted her to scatter the animals to confuse their monstrous foe. The cleric leaned down to Taggi, hoping that once more the lead griffon would understand her request.
Branchala watched over her. Taggi cried out to the other griffons, and they suddenly darted off in every direction.
The great black paused in midair, clearly confused. However, Serene saw the soldier lean forward and shout something to his mount. The dragon’s eyes narrowed, and he focused on two animals in particular … those that carried riders of their own.
Bakal and his griffon suddenly swooped in front of Taggi, drawing the dragon’s primary attention. The ebony leviathan snapped at the soldier and his mount, then inhaled deeply. A second later, a spray of acid shot out at the pair, singeing the griffon’s tail. The animal squawked in pain but continued on.
For the Ergothian captain, there would evidently be no choice of capture. Had the acid rain caught him full on, both he and the griffon would have been dead. Serene wondered what fate Valkyn had declared for her. Likely he would suffer her to live, still believing that he could manipulate her somehow. The thought disgusted her but also gave her some hope. If Valkyn did want her alive, then perhaps she could use that to help Bakal.
She had Taggi follow after the captain and his pursuers, intending to draw the dragon’s attention toward her. However, as they neared, Taggi didn’t try to pass the unsuspecting dragon, but rather focused his attention on the leviathan’s rider.
Serene tried to make the griffon move on, but for some reason, Taggi remained fixed on Zander. The cleric held tight, disliking the thought of killing the man from behind but knowing it would be necessary.
Zander suddenly looked over his shoulder. The officer glared at her, then drew a sword and slashed at Taggi. Although the rider missed, he bought himself time to shout a command to the dragon.
The scaly beast suddenly rose up, nearly bowling over the cleric and her mount in his haste to obey.