“Eric!” Ryan called out, wanting to help, but there was nothing he could do. Then Matt appeared beside him, lance in hand. The knight extended it down to the rogue, who grabbed it in relief, able to trust it more than the castle. There seemed nowhere to hold onto the tower anymore except the one handhold he already had. Water dripped down the lance and over his hand as wind tore at him, but he was halfway to the other window.
“Hold on tight!” Eric yelled up to Ryan. “I’m gonna let go of the tower for a second!”
Ryan swore in protest and Eric had to just hope the big guy was as strong as he always seemed. This was a bad idea that wasn’t getting any better. Eric reluctantly let go of the wall, all of his weight on the slippery lance. He moved down the lance as fast as he dared, slipping once before finding the next handhold. He was past the trouble spot and soon made it to the window ledge without further incident.
Unfortunately the window was closed, with no handle on the outside for the obvious reason. Breaking the window might make too much noise, but among Andier’s tools he’d found a small glass cutter in one pocket. In short order he’d cut a hole big enough for his hand, unlocked the window, and climbed in, shutting it behind him.
He paused on the musty carpet, taking stock. He was alone, drenched, but free, and thankful to be alive. He reached a wooden door that seemed to lead into the castle and tried the handle, but it was locked. Out came the lock-picking tools once more, but this one was jammed, which might have accounted for why the room was still furnished. Fortunately he knew how to get around that and soon creaked open the door carefully. The dimly lit stairwell on the other side was empty and quiet.
The moons had glistened on the smooth surface of Lake Isinia when Joril and Siarra first rowed out into the beautiful, calm night. Their parents wouldn’t let them be together for reasons youths often chose to ignore, and this seemed the only way to consummate their love in private. No one on shore could see what they were doing and so it was that they lay together under the peaceful sky, not noticing the storm clouds gather overheard until the first drops roused them from a dreamy, post-coitus sleep. Joril sat up, realizing how far they’d drifted and that they had to get moving, and fast. And yet he sat still, for the first flash of lightning revealed something he thought impossible. He stared into the sky so intensely that Siarra asked what was the matter, but then another flash revealed their fate and his reply turned into a scream. A black dragon swooped down upon them, an ear splitting shriek accompanying the giant boulder it let fly. The stone smashed the boat to kindling and dragged them deep down to the lake’s depths, burying them together in death.
Not too distant, the trees rustled quietly as Morven rode along, eyeing the sky above the next ridge when he could. The stars seemed to fade in and out strangely when the tree tops parted. The elven village of Yulin lay over that ridge, and on cresting its top, he stopped in amazement at the sight below. The village stood ablaze, black smoke curling into the sky to obscure the stars, the smell of death and charred flesh heavy in the air. The cause made itself apparent when a red dragon landed before him with a thud, two hostile eyes afire with malice. Only instinct saved him as the dragon’s head snapped forward. Teeth covered in blood clamped down on the horse just as he rolled off. The dragon couldn’t spit it out fast enough to reach Morven, who fled into the woods as fast as mortal legs would fly.
In the kingdom of Nurinor, Lord Neelim sat astride his horse, watching the battle unfold below as his knights crushed ogres and trolls in a rampage to rid the region of them. His domain held no place for such uncivilized creatures. And so it was that suitable horror filled him on seeing another nightmare soaring across the plains below his cliff-top vantage point. Not one but a full score of death on wings came toward his realm. First one and then another roared from a distance until a chorus filled the air and all those below stopped to stare. Some dragons descended among the melee to roast men and beast alive while others soared past the carnage to his kingdom’s heart. Among them, one silver dragon headed straight for him, his armor catching the light and its attention. It plucked him from the horse and flew onward, crushing his bones with the force. His scream ended when the dragon bit him in half and swallowed him, armor and all.
A cargo ship on the Lisen Ocean found fire raining down upon it, setting it ablaze so that it burned to the waterline, all hands lost. A wizard’s tower on the Peaks of Normin toppled to the crags below, shattering into as many pieces as the dragons tore the wizard within. On the walls of Castle Roinin, men sounded the alarm to no avail, weapons of war unready for the onslaught of tooth and nail, fire and malevolence, might and magic. All of Honyn burned in disillusionment and despair. The Ellorians had failed them and hope disappeared
