But that was a problem easily remedied....
There was another who heard the roar and feared what it meant, especially as the voice in his head was no longer there. Kalec sought hard for Dargonax's presence, but not because he desired the creature to stay with him. Rather, now that it appeared that he was free, the blue had his own interests with which to deal. They did not directly deal with the missing Korlalstrasz, but if Kalec ran across the red, he would by no means avoid him.
Kalec still had reservations concerning the other dragon. He did not trust many of Korialstrasz's choices, although he did have to admit that the red was more than willing to put his own life on the line for those choices. That was something that he had not so much believed until this point. Kalec had always thought Korialstrasz more of a manipulator, in some ways as callous as even Deathwing.
He followed a trail that he did not understand. It was not the one he had begun under Dargonax's guidance. Rather, the blue felt as if someone had called to him, someone who suddenly had ceased doing so. Yet, Kalec did not feel that he could ignore it.
Lower and lower he descended. He was near, very near, to
What he thought a movement in the shadowed recesses of the passage caught his gaze. The blue cautiously turned toward it.
A blue glow sphere burst from his empty hand. In its light, the younger dragon saw nothing but rock wall.
Cursing his own anxiety, Kalec continued on. He hoped that soon he would find whatever it was he was meant to find.
Then, a golden glow radiated from some point far ahead. Kalec gripped the magic blade tight. As he moved closer, he saw that there was some chamber there.
The golden glow brought back memories he had tried to keep down. Anveena's face appeared before him, both beautiful and innocent. She had touched him as no other had or ever could... and now she was gone.
His earlier ire at the red dragon burned anew. It was Korialstrasz —in the guise of the wizard Borel—who had caused Anveena such grief. It was the red's fault that Kalec had lost her forever. It was—
He stepped into the chamber... and saw Korlalstrasz as the mage Krasus being guided by a high elf toward a strange broken crystal.
Rage overwhelming him. Kalec let out a roar and charged the red.
Both Korlalstrasz and the high elf looked his way. The high elf —a ranger—released the dragon mage and moved to block Kalec from him.
The blue had no quarrel with her. She was clearly another of Korialstrasz's dupes, likely thinking his guise as Krasus made him a trusted friend, not an insidious, uncaring plotter. Kalec gestured and, despite some sudden, unsettling weakness that he blamed on his counterpart, his spell sent the high elf flying to one of the walls, where the rock sealed around her wrists and ankles. There she would keep until he had dealt with his foe.
'Kalec!' Korlalstrasz started. 'You live! I thought—' The blue's rage suddenly registered with him. 'Kalec, listen to me! There is something wrong with you—'
But Kalec was aware of the danger of letting the cunning red's words infiltrate his mind. Gritting his teeth, he swung at the cowled figure.
However, his blade was met by a fiery orange-red sword that sprouted from his foe's hand just as Kalec's had. Kalec had taught Krasus the spell during a quiet moment on the journey and the irony of that was not now lost on the red. The two shared one stinging blow after another, most of the offensive ones on the blue's side.Yet, not for a minute did Kalec think Korialstrasz's hesitation against attacking in turn anything more than a ploy. He had to strike down the older red before the latter could put whatever trick he had into motion.
'Kalec! You are not thinking for yourself! Another is doing that for you! Gaze upon the foul artifact near us and understand the reason!'
Despite himself, the blue dragon did glance for just a single breath at that which Korialstrasz had mentioned. For the first time, he saw the oddly-cracked, glowing sphere. Shards of it were missing here and there, yet, some force held it together.
Moreover, that same force seemed to also be the source of a strange pulsation. As Kalec's and Korialstrasz's magic-wrought swords clashed again—sending off showers of energy—the pulsations magnified.
But although he saw that there was likely a link between the actions, Kalec assumed that they could only be from one source... the cowled figure before him.
'A master of trickery as usual!' he growled. 'But not a master of magic...'
Kalec's blade, about to meet the other yet again, suddenly curled around as if a tentacle. It wrapped around Korialstrasz's arm and burned bright.
With a cry, the red dragon released his own weapon, which faded to nothing.
The younger dragon tugged hard, pulling Korialstrasz toward him. In his other hand, a second weapon formed.
But the rock beneath Kalec's feet chose that moment to sprout life in the form of great vines that burst through cracks to tangle his feet. He managed to slice some, but in the end lost his balance.
Both opponents tumbled to the floor. Korialstrasz grabbed the younger dragon's arm. 'Hear me! We are being manipulated! Sinestra has drawn us together into the very place she intended we end up! Do you not feel yourself getting weaker yet? Do you not recall the tales of my people's sufferings when they chose to stand guard over Grim Batol? The very reason for that hovers near us, areborn and redesigned monstrosity that surely still earns the title
A part of Kalec registered what the other dragon said, but it was not a great enough part to overcome the intense fury and mistrust he felt for Korialstrasz. 'Spare me your lies! This is just as likely your devious trap as it is that witch's!'
With each passing moment, Kalec's strength waned more, but his unchecked anger kept him fighting. He would not give in to Korialstrasz! He would not!
The blue dragon focused all his magic on one spell. He did not seek to conjure any intricate attack, but merely wanted to make certain that when it hit Korialstrasz, there would be no doubt as to the outcome.
The cowled figure's pale visage distorted in clear recognition of what his younger foe intended. Korialstrasz's dismay further fueled Kalec's pleasure. In the blue's mind, Anveena's face smiled at his impending triumph.
Kalec smiled back at her, all the while ignoring Korialstrasz's entreaties.
'For you, Anveena...' he whispered.
The blue dragon unleashed
Grim Batol shook again. Dwarves, skardyn, drakonid...
'What happens?' Iridi shouted out loud to the dragon.
'Keep at it!' called Rhonin, thinking she was speaking with him. 'Keep at it—'
His voice failed him as the bound nether dragon suddenly shimmered. Zzeraku's body all but faded away for a moment. A terrible moan escaped the suffering leviathan.
Her words, her strength, cut through his suffering. Zzeraku stared at her.
Iridi was steadfast.
Then, elsewhere, yet another horrific roar sent further chills down the spines of all. Even the raptors cowered at its force. 'I have this terrible feeling that we're too late,' Rhonin said.
