when the giant crossed the plaza.”
“Many did,” he said. “I was fortunate.”
“But what can we do now?” she asked, a hint of despair in her voice. “The elemental has destroyed blocks of buildings and roams unchecked through the city. At the same time, ogres and goblins are spilling through the gatehouse. I’m afraid…”
Her voice trailed off, but he could see the fear in her eyes. Her city and her people were doomed.
“The situation is bad, but we may have some options,” Jaymes declared, striding to the table. The knight captains made room for him at the side of the duchess and even allowed Moptop to push his way into the midst of armored men. “It’s true, we can’t fight the elemental. I don’t know what on Krynn could fight that thing. But we might be able to stop it another way. We might be able to affect those who are controlling it.”
“Tell me!” she said, her eyes suddenly bright. “What have you learned?”
Moptop spoke up, looking surprisingly subdued as he addressed the duchess and her captains. “Well, Ankhar has that creepy witch-doctor with him, and also a Thorn Knight-you know, one of the Gray Robes. They are all moving around together and making all the decisions about this army, and this monster-Ankhar called it ‘the king.’ ”
“The king? Of what?” one of the knights spoke up.
“I’m not sure,” Jaymes replied. “But I think it springs from far underneath the ground. It embodies many of the fundamental elements, and seems to be a kind of king of elementals.”
“A king? How can we fight a king of elementals?” Brianna asked.
“These three leaders of the enemy army are the controllers of the elemental. They are the key. They are moving about recklessly and are not themselves very well protected. They have a small bodyguard, according to the kender, and have remained well to the rear of the front line. But if we could get close enough to them…” Jaymes said. “I propose we try to strike them down. Their deaths cannot help but throw the enemy army into disarray, and I believe it may disrupt their control over the monster.”
“Assassinate them!” exclaimed Lord Harbor, frowning. “It is dishonorable!”
Jaymes quickly glared the man into silence.
“How could you get to them?” asked Brianna.
“The same way I found them-underground!” Moptop retorted.
“How do you know this?” demanded Lord Harbor. “And why should we trust the word of a kender?”
“ I trust him,” Brianna said sternly. Her tone softened as she looked at Moptop, her smile briefly flickering. “Still, I, too, would like to know how you came by this information, little one, and how you think you might be able to find these three behind enemy lines”
“I found them before-through the sewers! I was mapping the sewers-that’s what I do, usually. I’m a pathfinder extraordinaire. The White Wizard calls me that! And I was going along under the city, and I saw the giant go by, and then the ogres, and then came Ankhar and his friends. So I just listened real hard while they were talking. Kind of like a spy. A very brave spy who laughs in the face of danger. Ha!”
“I believe you are a brave spy,” the duchess said. “And I believe you are very good at finding things. I’m impressed with your boldness and would like to try your plan.”
The kender glowed, nodding his head and looking around at the other men in the room, daring them to contradict the duchess. Most of them, unfortunately, were looking at their feet.
The duchess raised her eyes, looking at Jaymes speculatively. “How do you suggest we proceed?”
“First, your forces must stand firm against the enemy army; any success against the giant will mean nothing if Ankhar’s troops are running amok in the city. The inn here is a strong point, and there are others around the periphery of the plaza. The first column of ogres is already heading down the avenue toward the palace, but there’s a good captain rallying some knights. They’ll try to hold them at bay. I just saw a small party of knights ride out to hold a side street. You need to keep up that kind of pressure on the enemy army while we try something to take away their chief threat-this elemental king.”
Jaymes turned back to the kender. “I want you to lead a small party through those sewers. We might be able to take Ankhar and his entourage by surprise if we can come up out of the ground, behind his lines, without warning. I’ll strike down the Thorn Knight first, he’s a magic-user and needs to be dealt with. Then let’s go after the half-giant and the witch-doctor, they’ll be trickier. It’s likely we will be able to disrupt their leadership and disperse the attack, and it’s even possible that we can turn back the elemental king.”
“How do you propose to do that-oh, never mind,” Brianna replied, nodding decisively. “I agree. Time is short, and the risk is worth taking.” She turned to one of her officers. “Sir Michael, what’s the latest word on the whereabouts of the elemental?”
“North of the Duke’s Avenue, the report came just moments ago. It’s wrecking the manors of many of the mercantile nobles, after going through a block of laborers’ houses.”
“And moving east from there, Your Grace,” added a young knight-it was Sir Maxwell, the only one present clad in the garb of the Kingfisher instead of the Sword. He held up a small disk that looked like a compass. “I was able to place an enchantment upon him. It has limited value, I’m afraid, allowing me to track his position with this.”
“That might prove very useful. Now it’s time to go,” Brianna declared. She picked up a pair of gauntlets and slid her delicate hands into the metal gloves. She looked at Jaymes with a glint of challenge in her eye. “I’m coming with you.”
“But, Your Grace!” objected Sir Michael. “I won’t allow it! The risks are far too great!” His words were swiftly echoed by the other knights who were gathered around the table.
“Do not forget, sir, I command here!” she replied tersely.
“I won’t allow it either,” Jaymes said. “You’re needed here.”
Brianna’s cheeks flushed, but her tone was icy. “You presume to-”
“I presume to understand how important you are to this city. The people need you. They need to see you, rally around you. If we can strike down the commanders of this army, we will have a chance to win! It would be foolish for you to risk your life with us-”
“On a wild-ass, insane gamble that has a miniscule chance of success!” Sir Michael completed. He glared at Brianna then shifted his attention to Jaymes. “However, I must insist on coming along with you, my lord,” he said in a more level tone.
“Naturally,” Jaymes agreed, nodding his head and almost cracking a smile.
“I acquiesce,” the duchess snapped. “Let all who are here understand that I do so, unwillingly and reluctantly. But, please Jaymes, take a few more men with you.”
“I’d like to come,” said the Kingfisher eagerly. His eyes were wide, but his voice was confident.
“Good. We could use a wizard to hunt a wizard,” Jaymes agreed.
A chorus of others, virtually all the men in the hall, quickly offered their services to the risky mission. Sir Michael quickly pointed to the Kingfisher and two other burly swordsmen. “That makes five men… and er, a kender,” he appended, as Moptop tugged anxiously on his sleeve. “Is that enough?”
Jaymes nodded. “It’ll have to be. Where do you suggest we start from?”
“My temple is just this side of the palace. We can climb the steeple there and try to get our bearings. From there we should be able to spot these three leaders,” said Maxwell.
“Lead the way,” said the duchess. She stared challengingly at Jaymes and Michael. “I daresay you won’t forbid me to come along that far, will you?” she challenged.
With a shrug, the lord marshal started for the door, and the rest quickly followed him.
“I can have a ton of it here by tomorrow morning, if the price is right,” said Rogard Smashfinger, master forger of Kaolyn. He stroked his blunt fingers through his gray beard, and waited for Dram Feldspar to reply, his expression guarded
The pair were meeting at a table in a clearing of the New Compound. All around them, chimneys smoked, axes thunked, and dwarves bustled about to build the new town in the Garnet range. Even as the town took shape all around them, work progressed on manufacturing more of the black powder, and a new, even stronger bombardment device.
Immediately upon his arrival here, Dram had sent word to his old homeland of Kaolyn-the dwarf kingdom underneath the highest mountains of the range-and he was pleased to see that Rogard Smashfinger personally had come to talk some business.
