“Wait,” Neeva called, dumping Agis’s body on the ground. “Nok’s coming.”
Sadira and the mul looked back across the gorge. The halfling chief strode across the swaying bridge as if walking down a trail, not even bothering to hold the handcords. Behind him, moving somewhat more cautiously, came two dozen halfling warriors. None of them looked happy.
“We’ve passed enough tests,” Rikus said.
The mul gave the spear a mighty tug. When it slipped out of the tree easily, he stumbled and nearly fell. He stood with the weapon in hand, regarding its balance and shape in awe. At last, he looked up and said, “I feel its power. My hands are tingling!”
Nok stepped off the bridge, cradling Ktandeo’s cane in his arms. He regarded the mul with a look of disdain, as if Rikus had offended him. The gladiator returned the scornful expression.
At last, Nok said, “The Heartwood Spear will penetrate any armor. It will defend you from the energies of the body and those of the world-from the Way of the Unseen and from magic. Now that you have this wondrous weapon, what will you do with it?”
“Kill Kalak,” Neeva said, taking the spear from Rikus’s hands.
The halflings behind Nok gripped their daggers meaningfully. Sensing that she and her companions had not yet passed Nok’s most important test, Sadira took the Heartwood Spear from Neeva’s hands.
“We swore to offer our bodies and spirits to the forest,” she said, facing the halfling chieftain. “Is is not ours to decide what should be done to defend it.” She held the spear out to Nok, saying, “Please accept this offering.”
The halfling smiled and touched his hand to the weapon. “Now you are worthy of the Heartwood Spear,” he said. “It is yours to use in the service of my forest.”
Sadira passed the spear to Rikus, then fixed her eyes on the cane still cradled in Nok’s arm. “If we are worthy of the spear, then perhaps we are also worthy of Ktandeo’s cane.”
Rikus quickly added, “You were the one who said it would take more than strength to throw the spear.”
“If it is a weapon we can use to defeat Kalak and defend the forest, please give it to us,” Neeva said. “We have passed your test, but we’ll still need every advantage you can provide to defeat the sorcerer-king.”
Nok regarded the two gladiators pensively. Finally, he held the cane out to Sadira. “I entrust these to your keeping so that you may protect the forest as you have pledged,” he said. “Kill Kalak, and then you must return the weapons to me.”
Sadira accepted the cane. “We will not fail. I promise.”
SIXTEEN
ENDGAME
Rikus and his three companions stood in an alley across from Tyr’s great stadium, listening to the roar of the crowd thunder over the high walls. Two templars stood in each gateway of the structure, their pole-axes gripped firmly in hand and their short swords dangling at their hips. Outside the gates, hundreds of men and women-overcome by drink, heat, or excitement-sat in the streets. These refugees waved fans before their faces or simply held their heads in their hands. They would have fared better returning to their homes, but the mul suspected that they hoped to recover in time for the day’s grand finale. Rikus thought they were fools-not the sort of people for whom he wanted to die.
The mul faced his weary companions. After a grueling four-day hike, they had arrived in Tyr last night, only to discover that the ziggurat had been completed and the games were scheduled to begin in the morning.
“This will never work,” Rikus said, eyeing the guards at the stadium.
“Do you have a better idea?” Sadira asked.
The half-elf was dressed like a noblewoman, with a silver circlet in her amber hair and a silken cape over her shoulders. On her fingers she wore rings of silver, gold, and copper, and the straps of her sandals were studded with tourmaline. According to their plan, she would find a vantage point in the noble tiers from which she could see both Rikus and the King’s Balcony. Just before the mul threw the Heartwood Spear, she would use Ktandeo’s cane to destroy the magical shielding that they assumed would be protecting Kalak.
“I haven’t thought of anything better-yet,” Rikus admitted reluctantly.
“We don’t have much time, Rikus,” said Agis, looking nervous and uncomfortable in a templar’s cassock. “They could close the stadium any minute.”
“Let them! Tithian will never join us.” Rikus tipped his spear toward the stadium. “If we go through those gates, we’ll all be killed before we can assassinate anyone.”
“We don’t need Tithian to join us,” Agis said, “We just need him to leave us alone. He’s already promised that much. Through Sadira’s efforts, he knows where the amulets were hidden. So far, he’s kept his word.”
Rikus had to admit this much was true. Last night, Agis and Sadira had asked around to see if people still expected the mul and his partner to fight. To their surprise, everyone assumed Rikus and Neeva would be part of the grand finale. Apparently Tithian had honored his promise and kept the escape of his two prize gladiators secret.
Nevertheless, the mul was far from enthused about the crucial role the high templar played in their plans. “Agis, you’re asking Tithian to let you attack Kalak from the High Templars’ Gallery. If that isn’t helping, I don’t know what is.”
The noble lifted a hand and nodded. “You’re right, that is helping. It doesn’t matter, though. Tithian will cooperate. Leave him to me.”
Rikus shook his head stubbornly. “He can’t be trusted, no matter how close you were as boys. There must be another way.”
This part of the plan was what made the mul nervous. When Rikus threw the spear, Agis would simultaneously pound Kalak with a psionic barrage. Unfortunately, to make his attack, the noble needed to see the king’s face. The only place he could do that from was the High Templars’ Gallery. With that in mind, Agis had donned a templar’s cassock. He intended to convince Tithian to let him pose as a minor functionary and watch the contest from the gallery.
Neeva had the same fears as Rikus. “Agis, if you’re wrong about Tithian, the instant Rikus and I step into the arena, he’ll have us killed-and Kalak will survive. I’d feel better if I knew why you’re so confident the High Templar of the Games will cooperate.”
The noble smiled. “Because Tithian doesn’t want to die,” Agis said. “When he hears that Kalak wants to become a dragon, and what that will mean to Tyr, the high templar will see that his best chance of survival lies in our success.”
“How do you know Tithian will believe you?” Neeva objected. “Or that he won’t think Kalak intends to spare him?”
“We don’t need to convince Tithian of anything,” Agis countered. “He was already frightened when the king told him to lock the stadium. He’ll be even more frightened when I tell him the reason.”
Before they had left the forest, Nok had revealed everything he knew about dragons. One of the things he had mentioned was that Kalak’s incubation would require the life-force of tens of thousands of people. Of course, the companions had immediately realized that this was why the king wanted the stadium sealed.
Agis continued, “Besides, there are two more good reasons for me to be close to Tithian. First, if he tries to sound an alarm when you and Rikus take the field, I’ll kill him. Even if he does betray us, that might give you enough tune to finish Kalak.”
“Before the templars kill us,” Rikus added. “I still don’t like this plan. I’m here to help Sadira and Neeva. I don’t care about a mob of citizens who are here because they enjoy watching slaves chop each other up. As far as I’m concerned, the crowd deserves whatever Kalak does to them.”
“And what about the rest of Tyr?” Neeva asked. “You heard Nok. Once Kalak becomes a dragon, he isn’t going to stop killing once be leaves the stadium. He’ll annihilate Tyr and probably the entire valley as well.”