Land of the minotaurs

the raised dais Infernus used when acting as high priest.

Kaz was astonished to find himself still holding on to his companion. Tiberia's body had knocked a clean hole. The warrior felt as if he had just survived the hailstorm of all hailstorms unprotected.

'I will chew you slowly, minotaur!' Infernus barged through the hole without pause, causing still more masonry to fly and creating huge cracks that ran up to the ceiling. 'I will shred your wings, hatchling!'

Kaz wondered just how much more damage this part of the temple could take before the ceiling caved in. While both Tiberia and Infernus were likely to survive such an incident with little more than a few bruises, Kaz was not so well armored.

The silver dragon stared at her foe. Another fireball formed before Infernus, but this time the red dragon reacted quickly enough to disperse it.

'No more of that trick, hatchling,' snarled the crimson terror. 'No more tricks at all.'

Infernus charged. Tiberia tried to back up, but fell over the desk and the dais. The collision between the dragon and the dais was enough to shake Kaz loose. He fell over the front end of the dais and rolled down the steps just as the two dragons met.

The minotaur took one look at the two gigantic forms descending in his direction and scurried away toward the barred doorway as fast as he could. He had no plans to abandon Tiberia, but he would be little good to his friend if he were crushed.

Under the combined mass of the two dragons, the desk and dais were quickly reduced to rubble. Kaz gave thanks that the red dragon had seen fit to have the audience chamber built so vast; as it was, he was only a few yards away when the dragons' heads finally struck the floor.

The pair fought with tooth and claw now, Infernus trying to tear out Tiberia's throat with his talons, and the younger dragon simply trying to shield herself. There was no good target for Kaz, not yet, but he did have an idea.

'Tiberia! The injuries! Bite them!' Honor's Face always struck deeper than a normal axe and always dealt more damage. Even now, it was clear the red dragon was experiencing spasms of pain.

Tiberia tried to snap at the injured appendages, but her position would not allow her to get close enough. In desperation, she sank talons into one of the red dragon's injuries. Infernus hissed and backed away, the paw now covered in blood.

Using the respite to save herself, Tiberia pulled her silver form toward Kaz and the doorway. Kaz turned and tried to open the doors, but realized almost immediately that there was no way he could do so in time.

Infernus raised a paw and roared, 'No! You will remain in here! I command it!'

It took Kaz a moment to understand why Infernus suddenly seemed so anxious. If Tiberia crashed through the doorway, the presence of dragons would be revealed. Infernus clearly did not desire that information known to anyone, not even the clerics.

The crimson behemoth started a spell, but there was not enough time for him to complete it. Kaz threw himself to the side. The doorway and the surrounding walls gave way easily under the weight of the retreating giant. Kaz wondered if the clerics and guards still waited outside. If so, he almost pitied them.

The moment a gap appeared, the minotaur rose and darted through it. Tiberia was halfway out into the temple's front hall with Infernus following close behind. Whether it was his rage or the thought that the silver dragon had already revealed the truth about what was happening behind the doors, the high priest moved as if he did not care who saw him.

The scene in the hallway was one of chaos. A number of bodies were scattered here and there, victims of the collapsing doors and walls. Infernus had spoken true when he had said that his chambers were proofed against sound. Kaz found he had no sympathy for the servants of the high priest. There were still several alive, but they were doing little at the moment, save gawking at what had burst out of their master's chambers. Some of the more intelligent quickly turned and fled. There were some challenges even too great for rninotaurs.

Kaz was caught up in conflicting choices. He wanted to get Tiberia out of here. The silver dragon could not maneuver well, and at close quarters the advantage would continue to belong to her larger, more experienced foe. Yet, fighting Infernus in the sky was not something Kaz wanted Tiberia to face, either.

As he tried to get nearer to the silver, who had by this time made it out into the somewhat cramped hallway, Infernus burst through what was left of the wall. Pieces of marble rained down on those nearby. One cleric died screaming as he was crushed. Kaz dodged the first two pieces that slammed into the floor near him, then tripped over rubble just as he was almost out of range. Twisting helplessly, he fell onto his back. His sudden upward view revealed yet another enormous fragment bearing down on him.

Before he could react, strong hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him up. Honor's Face skittered away. Kaz finally pulled free of his rescuer's grip and glanced over to where he had been lying. The fragment had embedded itself deep into the floor. He would have been crushed. Grateful to his rescuer, Kaz looked next to him and discovered a wide-eyed Scurn.

'You vanished during the rescue, Kaz!' shouted the scarred minotaur, finally looking down at him. 'I knew you'd come here! I knew you'd try to rescue the damned human whelp, and I want to help, for what the cleric did to me!'

'Scurn! Never mind that! Just get out of here! Only a fool would stay here!' Which means me, Kaz silently added.

'What's happened here? Where's the female? Why're there dragons, Kaz?'

He saw no use in lying to Scurn. 'The girl's the silver one, and your precious high priest is the red! They're both dragons, Scurn! They've always been dragons!'

'Dragons? The high priest is a dragon? What nonsense is this?' Nonetheless, the other minotaur eyed the red differently.

'He's always been a dragon, you fool! Every high priest has been him for centuries? He killed them and then made himself look like them! Just listen to him!'

Perhaps Scurn might have disbelieved what, even to Kaz, sounded like nothing more than a fantastic tale, but at that moment Infernus caught sight of them.

'Gnat… and the unfortunate captain as well! How appropriate this is! You will get to die together after all!'

The voice was not exactly Jopfer's, but, from Scum's horrified expression, he clearly recognized the high priest.

A silver form again blocked the red one's path. 'I said leave them alone!' demanded Tiberia. 'Kaz is my friend! You can't hurt him!'

'As stubborn as a red you are, hatchling, but more repetitious, it seems.' Infernus eyed the younger dragon again. 'I see I must still beat that stubbornness out of you. You and your little friend have cost me dearly as it is!'

The two dragons faced off once more, their huge bodies wreaking havoc with the building each time they even moved a few paces. A portion of the ceiling caved in behind Infernus. Most of the remaining clerics and guards had retreated from sight.

'That's… that is.he high priest?' whispered Scurn.

'That's a dragon, too, Scurn, one that thinks it should control our lives, our destinies! It thinks it has the right to be our master!'

'Our master?' The other minotaur's expression grew grim. Kaz had touched the one point of agreement among all minotaurs. No one but a minotaur had the right to rule the race. Anyone else, anything else, was an enemy of the people. 'He wants to be our master?'

The dragons snapped at one another. 'That's right, Scurn. Our master, body, mind, and soul.'

'Never… our master… Sargas take me for a fool!'

'Then we have to help the silver dragon! She's our only hope! We have to do what we can!'

Scurn nodded absently, his eyes still fixed on the red form. Kaz wondered if he was thinking of all he had done in an attempt to ingratiate himself to the high priest. 'You're right, Kaz. You're right.'

To the other minotaur's surprise, Scurn abandoned him, fleeing through the temple entrance and losing himself in the streets beyond. The action was so sudden, it left Kaz stunned. He had not expected much aid from Scurn- what could the other minotaur do against a dragon? — but he had not thought Scurn capable of such outright cowardice, regardless of his flaws or their past enmity.