Mention of others reminded Golgren of Safrag. The deity spoke of one who desired the Fire Rose, one who was nearing. That could only be the Titan leader.
Time was of the essence. “Oh great Sirrion, lord of fire! May this humble one ask how best to stir the Fire Rose to its glory?”
“One might well ask, where would the challenge be? Where would the reward be? The wonders of Krynn rise from the determination of its children to understand all!”
It was not the answer that the Grand Khan desired. Golgren carefully asked, “Why has the god ventured to us?”
“Why? Why?”
Idaria clutched Golgren’s arm. Both Sirrion and the Fire Rose flared so bright and hot that the Grand Khan felt the artifact burn his hands. Yet despite the scorching of his hands and the rest of his suffering because of the volatile deity, Golgren stood his ground.
“Child of elf and ogre, impossible creature, I come because I do! I am fire and flame, spreading onward wherever there is a spark, creating by cleansing, birthing by burning! I am the hand of alchemy! My mere presence stirs the imagination, the dreaming. It stirs something within you that you, especially, should appreciate, Grand Khan of all ogres!”
The chamber rumbled, but not because of anything that Sirrion had said or done. Golgren knew that it was because Safrag had located them and was on the trail of the artifact.
“The players are in place; the time of change is upon us,” the god continued, staring around at his surroundings. “The High Ogres sought change, but change sought them! They wanted a world that did not want them, and when they realized that, they begged for something with which to wipe clean the decay they saw around them. I was touched, and though my loving Shinare cautioned against it, I decided that their plea should be heard. Why not? To craft the gift is not to influence the choice! They made the choice, just as you and you and he and the others make it!” He suddenly thrust a finger at Golgren. “The choice is always yours, impossible child, even if the option given isn’t what you expected it would be.”
The chamber erupted. Golgren and Idaria were thrown to the floor. The Grand Khan clutched the searing artifact tight in his arms, but it was not completely protected. As he landed on the ground, he stared directly into the Fire Rose and saw for the first time that it was not perfect. A small piece, one of its leaves, had been broken off. It was doubtful that the break had happened by accident, for even striking the stone floor had not left a mark on the crystalline form. Indeed, the stone floor had cracked.
As dust rose around him, Golgren shoved the Fire Rose into one arm and used the other to push himself up. In doing so, he happened to glance into Sirrion’s ever changing eyes.
It will be interesting, the choices all of you make, the voice, once more burning in his head, declared. It will be interesting, the changes you demand of my flower. And the changes it demands of you and Krynn.
Sirrion’s form was rippling, just as a mirage created by the heat of the sun rippled. The god became less and less distinct, and when Golgren finally had to blink to keep his eyes from hurting, Sirrion was gone when he opened them.
With the lord of fire’s departure came the return of another menace. The wall exploded inward, the fragments freezing in the air just before they would have struck the Grand Khan and his slave.
With his right hand extended palm upward, Safrag stepped into the chamber. He paused to survey his surroundings.
“Fascinating! So much to explore once everything has been put in order.”
A blazing light emanated from his palm. Its hue matched that of the Fire Rose.
Golgren immediately knew the fragment in Safrag’s palm was what was missing from the artifact. Safrag had used the fragment to keep on the trail of the Fire Rose.
“There is nowhere left to run, mongrel! Surrender the Fire Rose to me willingly, and perhaps I’ll let you live to watch the rebirth of the ogre race!”
“Its further downfall is what you mean.”
The Titan eyed him with disdain. “You will never understand exactly what I truly mean.”
Safrag gripped the fragment, glaring at the Grand Khan.
The Fire Rose fought Golgren’s hold. The half-breed clutched it tight, refusing to let it go though it shook him powerfully. Idaria grabbed hold of him from behind.
The Grand Khan was yanked into the air. Idaria lost her hold. Golgren and the Fire Rose flew toward the sorcerer.
“Surrender is inevitable, mongrel,” the towering spell-caster smoothly remarked as he clamped the hand with the fragment against another part of the Fire Rose’s stem. “Inevitable as my rise to master of the Titans!”
“Yes, Dauroth was blind,” murmured Golgren, pulling hard. “But Safrag is blinder.”
He let go with his right hand-the hand restored-and struck the Titan soundly below the spellcaster’s rib cage.
Safrag let out a gasping cough and bent forward. That enabled Golgren to reach out and slug him again, under the jaw.
Tearing the artifact free, the Grand Khan turned back to Idaria. “Flee!”
But instead she rushed to him, helping Golgren to carry his burden. Golgren cradled the crystalline form as they ran from Safrag. “Would that I understood better the thing’s use,” he muttered.
“There may be-”
Idaria got no farther. A terrible sound wave struck them, deafening the pair and sending them tumbling. The Fire Rose slipped from Golgren’s grasp and immediately flew back toward Safrag.
The half-breed managed to grab onto the stem of the crystalline artifact as it flew past. It dragged him along.
“You are as persistent as a meredrake following a blood trail,” the blue-skinned sorcerer said tersely as both the artifact and Golgren sped toward him. “And when I have the Fire Rose, perhaps I’ll leave you to one of those damned reptiles!”
Suddenly Golgren felt a deep hatred for Safrag and his grandiose ambitions. Suddenly he knew he would never surrender the Fire Rose to the Titan because he intended to use it himself. Forever and ever. If there was anyone who should wield the artifact, it was him. Only him. He had felt the touch of its power, and would give it up only upon death.
Golgren collided with Safrag, the prize pressed between them, the Titan preparing another one of his spells.
“Your hand,” Safrag growled, their eyes locking. “Your new hand. How astounding is the Rose, which grows all anew! Why are you so blind to what it will do for our race, mongrel? Why, it could even wash you clean of that foul elven taint! You could become a true ogre at last! Think of it!”
“If that is the best you can offer, you offer nothing.”
The sorcerer sneered. “You really do take pride in your tainted existence! More than ever, you have proven yourself unfit to live among our kind, much less pretend to rule it!”
The Fire Rose burned bright all the while. Flames had erupted around the pair. From somewhere, Idaria cried out, but Golgren did not so much as glance at her. To break from the struggle even for an instant was to lose everything to Safrag.
The ground rose, and the walls and ceiling of the chamber melted away with the heat. Safrag and Golgren were borne aloft by flames as they wrestled close for the artifact. The sky opened up above them, and a hill formed to their side.
The flames lessened. Golgren’s foe laughed shrilly. “Do you see what it can do? It is said that as our race degraded, a band of High Ogre spellcasters gathered together to try to stem the fall! They spoke to all gods who might listen, but only one replied. Sirrion, the one they least expected! God of Fire and Alchemy, he had always remained in the background, helping those gods who came to him without judgment! Yet Sirrion heard the plea of the spellcasters looking for some way to reforge the ogre race and found that a fitting request for him!”