thought. Morgis rolled and rolled, unable to stop himself. He struck rocks, dead shrubs, and rotting trees. Each renewed the agony.
He came to rest at the bottom of a gully, where he lay for several moments. His head pounded mercilessly and when Morgis tried to move the one shoulder, he had to bite down to avoid shouting out.
Only with strenuous effort was he at last able to attempt to rise and even then the drake had to shut his eyes and grimace as he moved. He put his good hand down in order to brace himself, then managed to reach a sitting position.
At that point, he saw the skeletons.
The darkness could not hide what they were, nor the fact that there were many of them. They lay scattered, in different stages of decay, but most were old, picked clean long ago by the carrion crows.
But amongst them lay two large forms not yet bereft of their flesh if already missing the skin that covered them.
Kalena’s ill-fated partners.
The Gnor was recognizable by his girth, if nothing else. The man by his general shape and skull. The sight of them, even in the dimness of night, was nearly enough to make the drake, who had seen many horrid things, throw up in disgust. Not a stitch of clothes remained on the human and not an inch of skin had been left on either. From head to toe, everything had been perfectly removed, almost like a peeled fruit.
Curiously, they did not stink. Morgis dared inhale harder, but only caught a slight hint of some musky scent. Only magic could have managed such a feat. Apparently D’Kairn did not like his sensibilities offended while he performed his monstrous spells.
And that thought brought him back around to Kalena and Leonin.
Hissing quietly, Morgis looked around for a blade. He could not find his own, but by the Aramite’s body he located a dagger. Less than he had hoped but more than he had expected.
Pausing to gaze at the sprawled form, Morgis pondered the raider’s manic shout. The desperate tone in the man’s voice puzzled him. The drake had a reputation that preceded him-As D’Kairn had revealed-but in a land that produced such creatures as the Gnor, certainly Morgis was no more a monster than the Aramites’ own hideous god.
Then again, the wolf raiders had never been known for their respect for any nonhuman race.
Testing his shoulder again, Morgis determined that it was not actually broken, but rather dislocated. With effort, he could clutch things or even raise it some, but not much more. Given time, he could remedy the situation, but for now he would have to get along with only the left limb. Even with one arm, Morgis was a match for any Aramite save the keeper and if he could catch D’Kairn by surprise…
Slowly he wended his way around the ancient structure. Foliage snagged him and his footing often gave way. More than one quiet curse escaped Morgis as his frustration mounted. Each moment of delay meant the possibility of his friends falling back into the keeper diabolical hands.
As he came around the front of the building, Morgis noted the lack of torchlight outside. Had the wolf raiders returned to the keep? If so, it made the drake’s task that much harder. Out in the dark, the advantage became his.
Clutching the dagger, he approached the entrance. Lights flickered from inside, but whether they were from the Aramites’ torches or the fire already set by Leonin, Morgis could not say.
In answer to his question, two armored figures suddenly stepped out, each brandishing a torch and sword. Although he could not see their faces, he could sense the anxiety in their movements.
“Nothing…” growled one with the voice of Captain D’Falc. “Back inside! Quick!”
That even the veteran officer acted nervous intrigued Morgis. Gaze still upon the entrance, the drake shifted to the right, trying to catch some glimpse of the interior.
Instead, he found another body.
Awrak’s.
The bird man stared sightlessly up at the black heavens, his beak seemingly open in protest. His throat had been slashed open and another deep, dark ravine had been dug in his chest, dried blood still matting the feathers there. From what Morgis could make out of the angle of the body, the Syrryn had been tossed aside like an old, abused rag doll after his use to D’Kairn had been at an end.
Sharp teeth bared in growing anger, Morgis searched for the Syrryn’s weapon, but could not find it. Closing Awrak’s eyes, Morgis continued his slow but steady advance. He got within a few yards of the entrance, only to see that one nervous Aramite guarded it cautiously from within. Even if Morgis managed to slay the sentry, it would alert the rest of those inside.
From within he heard voices.
Keeper D’Kairn was in no pleasant frame of mind. “…be certain that I will take the cost of everything out on you and your friends before I finally grant you the relief of death!”
There was a moment of silence… then a harsh slap. Morgis had to restrain himself from rushing in. He would do no one any good committing to a suicidal charge.
“We should just kill her and be done with it, my lord,” Captain D’Falc barked.
The drake hissed. At the very least, they had Kalena, whose only crimes had been first to warn Morgis and his comrades of the danger near the keep and then to try to rescue the drake and Leonin from D’Kairn.
He had to go in. Surveying the crumbling building, Morgis estimated his chances of reaching one of the open windows above. Unlike Kalena’s people, his were not known for their ability to climb while in their mortal forms. He had been fortunate once…
But even as he considered his other options, a slight rustling from his left alerted the drake as to company. Gripping the dagger, he listened as the newcomer slipped closer.
At the last moment, Morgis spun about-
“It’s me!” gasped Leonin. “Watch yourself with that thing!”
Morgis lowered the dagger. “I thought you were a prisssoner! How did you escape?”
Leonin peered at the entrance before answering the question. “I was just grabbin’ a torch when I heard them approaching. Slipped into one of the back rooms, hoping for a window, but while I was feelin’ along the wall, I stumbled into a hidden passage! This place is honeycombed with ’em, drake! Anyway, it finally led down the hill to the northeast of this place. Been circling ever since.”
“I found Awrak a short distance from here, Leonin. Hisss throat and chessst had been cut deep.”
“We knew that was likely what’d happened,” remarked the man. Yet, his tone hinted of barely-concealed anger.
“They have Kalena a prisssoner, Leonin.”
“Well, if she’s still alive, it’s because they want us runnin’ in after her, isn’t it? Of course, we’ll come, but not the way they want, right?”
“As you sssay. Tell me, isss this passage still unknown to them? Were you forced to leave it open?”
The bearded fighter thought for a moment. “No, I shut behind me. They shouldn’t be able to find it. We going to sneak in on them from behind?”
“Firssst tell me whether or not you think you can enter through the other end.”
Not only did Leonin think it possible to do so, but he gave Morgis an estimate on how long it would take to reach the room. The drake did some calculations of his own, then said, “The timing must be just right. I will count to myssself until I think you are ready.”
“And just what are you goin’ to do, then?”
“It is what we both must do, Leonin. When I believe that you are in position, I will come from the front, asss they expect. I will make certain that they focus on me while you ssslip in and grab Kalena.”
His partner snorted. “You’re goin’ to charge right in, draw them away, and let me be able to save the girl? You’d have to fall in among them to do that. The odds of you gettin’ out-”
“My concern is sssaving her, Leonin. You understand me?”
There was a momentary silence. “Yeah, I understand you just right, Morgis.”
“I am not foolhardy,” the drake continued, failing to mention his nearly-useless limb. “Once Kalena is safe, I will abandon the struggle.”
“Sure you will.”
Morgis did have a plan, though, albeit a risky one. He was skilled with the dagger, able to toss it with
