most likely freely open their city to the invaders, or at least be too distracted lighting for control of their own minds to defend themselves. By nightfall, it would be too late for the dragons to attempt to regain the city in battle. And as the Masters gained new strength, they would extend their control to other parts of the Highlands. In time, the people of Braejr would help to expel the dragons from their own city. Once the Masters had control of the Radiance, they would command all the power needed to launch armies that would subdue the entire world. Even the
dragons would be powerless to stop them.
*****
Seldaek hurried back to Braejr to report to the Dragonking, telling Thelvyn of the mysterious fortress and the gathering army that he had seen to the east of Braastar. Thelvyn sat in silence for a long moment, deep in thought. The young cleric waited patiently, sorry that he could not have made a clearer report of what he had seen. Kharendaen sat up on her haunches nearby in the yard of Solveig's house, listening attentively, with Sir George at her side. Solveig had already none inside the house to find Taeryn and have him hurry to the Academy to summon Alessa Vyledaar. When she hurried back out to the court, Thelvyn roused from his private thoughts to watch her.
'I don't suppose there can be any question,' he said at last. 'When great fortresses suddenly appear out of nowhere, we can guess easily where they came from. Its location must be near the old worldgate near Braastar. And from the description, I suspect that I visited this same fortress not long ago.'
'Inventive devils, aren't they?' Sir George commented.
'Despite the fact that I anticipated the Masters would strike here next, they were still able to surprise me,' Thelvyn complained. He glanced over at Seldaek. 'How many dragons are in the Highlands at this rime?'
The young dragon could only shake his head. 'Only those who came to serve as couriers for the delegates of the Grand Alliance. Ten or eleven, perhaps, not counting the three of us.'
'Not enough,' Thelvyn said bitterly, considering his limited options. 'We have to send messengers at once to Rockhome,
Darmouk, and Windreach, which are the only places where we have concentrated forces of dragons at this time. Each is to send one third of its total strength here at once, especially the most powerful of the dragon sorcerers. The rest must continue with our plans for establishing garrisons. If we divert too much of our strength here, they'll simply attack somewhere else.'
Kharendaen frowned. 'You apparently guessed correctly on one account. We must have a traitor somewhere in our company. You announced only two days ago that you would expect an invasion here and that you would be bringing in a large force of dragons.'
'And now I have fallen in a trap of my own making,' Thelvyn said, frowning. 'I baited the Masters into invading the Highlands, but I never expected that they could move so quickly after we repulsed their attack on Rockhome. The dragons I planned to have ready to defend the Highlands are still in the east.'
'Does it make any difference?' Sir George asked. 'Just because the Masters are here doesn't mean that they're ready to attack. Are they going to be ready to fight before an army of dragons can get here?'
Thelvyn considered that and shook his head slowly. 'I have no way of knowing that. I just wish we had some idea of the actual numbers of the army the Masters already have at hand. I don't have any way of knowing how long they need to bring through an army of several tens of thousands, such as they had at Rockhome.'
'Do they really need such a large army?' Kharendaen asked. 'The Masters must have learned their lesson in Rockhome. They know they cannot hold on to any conquered lands until they have dealt with the Dragonking and the dragons.'
'I haven't forgotten that,' he said. 'We must be very careful not to place ourselves in any traps they may have set for us. That's made all the more difficult because we have no prior knowledge of the kind of traps they're fond of using.'
'That must be why you want the dragon sorcerers,' Sel-daek remarked.
Thelvyn turned his head to glare at the young cleric. 'You have your orders, Seldaek, and every minute counts. I need at
least five hundred dragons here by this time tomorrow.'
Seldaek hurried across the court to the front gate and leapt over the wall. The young cleric hurried through the streets toward the palace and the lairs of the dragon couriers. He needed to find a couple of recruits to help him carry the Dragonking's summons to different lands.
Thelvyn turned to his mate. 'Is he some relative of yours?'
Kharendaen lifted her ears in surprise. 'Not as far as I know. Dragons don't always keep track of such things. Why do you ask?'
'He seems to be an eager young pup. I was wondering why he keeps turning up.'
'Because your mature and competent advisors are always needed somewhere else,' Sir George pointed out. 'Except for myself, of course.'
Thelvyn glanced down at the old knight. 'You are going to stay here and help Solveig to beg or bully Alessa Vyledaar into finding some way to put the Radiance to use against the Masters. The Radiance is the best weapon we have to prevent the Masters from taking control of the Flaem, at least until the dragon sorcerers can get here.'
Solveig looked perplexed. 'You're not going to be here?'
He shook his head. 'I must gather all the dragons willing to fight with me and go at once to Braastar. Our presence might spell the difference in whether the city can hold out until the dragons arrive.'
'Do you really think you'll stand a chance?' she asked. 'There won't be more than ten of you in all.'
'I don't expect to be able to hold out for very long,' Thelvyn said. 'We might even have to retreat back here before the day is out. Frankly, I don't have much hope for saving Braastar, beyond giving the people there time to escape if they can. My greatest concern right now is that Braejr is not endangered before the dragons can arrive.'
Since Seldaek and two of the dragon couriers had already departed for the east, Thelvyn and Kharendaen gathered together the eight remaining couriers and flew north toward Braastar at once. Thelvyn was fearful of taking Kharendaen into great danger over and over again, remembering that she was a cleric. But the simple fact was that he needed her. She had proven herself to be a fierce fighting dragon as well as a capable leader in her own right.
Although they found it difficult to speak while flying at high speed, Thelvyn and Kharendaen spent the brief time discussing possible magical or clerical spells that might help isolate the people of Braastar from the influence of the Masters. While there were various ways to dispel magic at the source, by turning it back onto its source or by shielding potential victims, no conventional spells would be very useful, considering the scale of the attack and the distance from which the Masters could influence their slaves. There was really only one answer. Unless the Great One or possibly some other Immortals were willing to channel their own powers through
Thelvyn, there wasn't much he could do.
*****
In the city of Braastar, matters had long since taken a turn for the worse. The bells of the city had begun to ring early that morning, signaling an attack, and the word quickly went through the streets that an invading army had been spotted several miles to the east. The people of the city began preparing for an attack, sealing the heavy shutters of their windows and quickly filling buckets and barrels with water in anticipation of damage caused by dragonfire. Soldiers strapped on their armor and collected their weapons, hurrying to defend the east wall.
The first attack came only minutes later, and in a way unlike anything the people of Braastar could have anticipated. Everyone of Flaemish descent became aware of some odd presence forcing itself upon their minds. Most found the sensation vaguely uncomfortable and compelling, speaking to them in a voice that was too soft and distant to understand. But to some, the words were clearer, so that they understood yet could not easily refuse the commands spoken to them by the mysterious voice. Pain grew steadily more intense with each passing minute until some people could no longer resist the voice's will. Others endured the pain, as if they were being
punished for fighting for the possession of their own minds.
Even so, there were still many people in Braastar who were willing to try to defend their city. One such defender was Mayor Kervaal. Upon first hearing news of the impending attack, he hurried through the chaos of the streets of his city, desperate to find soldiers to man the east gate. The confusion in the stricken city made it
