The Citadel Read online

  For what seemed another hour, the group traveled. At last Serene led them to a ridge, more a miniature mountain, that took the better part of their remaining strength to ascend.

  “How much farther?” the captain finally grumbled.

  “We’re nearly there,” was Serene’s only reply.

  Sure enough, only a few minutes later the cleric paused in the midst of a clear gap between peaks and planted her staff in the earth. None of her companions at first believed that they had come to the end of their journey, not until she finally announced the fact out loud.

  “This is it?” Bakal’s gaze fixed on Serene. “I don’t see anything. I don’t like that.” His men muttered agreement, some keeping their hands by their swords.

  “Stay your weapons!” The cleric raised her staff. “This is no trick!”

  Having come this far, Tyros did not want to have to turn back to Gwynned empty-handed. “Keep them under control, Captain.” To Serene, he asked, “Where is your friend? The sooner he makes himself known, the sooner things will calm down. Is that not correct, Captain Bakal?”

  “That depends on—”

  “Is it okay to come out, Serene?” a high-pitched voice suddenly interjected. “I mean, I’ve waited and stayed quiet just like you said, but it’s been an awful long time, and they won’t like waiting.”

  Bakal backed away, shaking his head in dismay as the final member of their party emerged from behind a small outcropping. “By the Blue Phoenix!” he sputtered, using the Ergothian title for Habakkuk, god of the sea. “It’s a blasted kender!”

  Everyone but Serene reached to protect his personal belongings even though the kender stood some distance away. The size of a half-grown child, he looked harmless enough, with his cheerful, elflike face and long, black hair tied in a topknot. He carried no weapon save a dagger and a sling in his belt and wore simple green traveling clothes. Tyros judged him to be relatively young. Belatedly it occurred to him that the race was favored by Branchala, so it stood to reason that of all humans, a cleric of that god would be able to tolerate the mischievous creatures.

  Still, what sort of help with transportation could a kender offer? Tyros would have rather accepted the aid of a gnomish machine.

  “Behave, Rapp,” Serene replied quietly. The kender gave her a hug, which she returned with a smile. The cleric rubbed his head with obvious affection. “Now, it wasn’t all that long a wait, was it?”

  “No, I suppose not.” Rapp’s eyes said otherwise. Kender were notorious for their short attention spans. Waiting for Serene must have been agonizing for him.

  “Let me get this straight,” Bakal snarled. “We’ve come all this way to meet this little thief? You’re the one people said they saw in the city, aren’t you?”

  The redheaded woman looked down at her friend. “Did you go into the city after I pleaded with you not to, Rapp?”

  “Well, no … not much … but it was only at night! I’m sure no one saw me, or at least only a few …”

  “Rapp, what am I going to do with you?” She sighed. “Before we leave, I want to see everything you’ve got in your pockets and pouches, and, yes, I mean everything. If it doesn’t look as if it belongs to you, it goes back to the city. Understood?”

  “Yes, Serene, but I don’t think I took anything, although I did notice a few pieces that must’ve fallen in my—”

  “Never mind.” Serene looked around, as if seeking something. “How are they doing, Rapp?”

  “They’ve fed, Serene! I found them a nice place to hunt fish.” He looked at Tyros, who backed away from the suddenly advancing kender. “They like fish. Did you know that? I never did, but I’ve learned so much from them. My name’s Rapp. What’s yours?”

  The anxious spellcaster found himself shaking hands. He pulled his away, checking at the same time to see if Rapp had somehow gotten into his pockets. “Tyros … my name is Tyros.”

  “Are you a mage? You must be a mage with a robe like that! Can you do a trick for me?”

  “Make him disappear,” Bakal suggested.

  The veteran likely regretted speaking, for now Rapp honed in on him. “Can he really do that? I’d like to see that! My name’s Rapp! That’s short for Rappskali—”

  “Get your hand out of my tinder pouch!”

  Serene tapped the stony earth with her staff. “Rapp! Come here! You’re bothering Captain Bakal!”

  “I’m sorry! Was I bothering you? I didn’t mean to!” Mercifully, the spry kender obeyed her, hopping back to her side.

  “I’m for leaving,” one of the men in back growled, “before that little cutpurse strips us of everything we have!”

  “You’ll stay where you are!” roared their leader. He turned on the cleric. “But if he doesn’t produce transport …”

  Tyros could scarcely believe this turn of luck. Had he been made a fool of by this woman? What good was a kender to his quest? Would the creature suddenly sprout wings and carry them?

  Serene leaned down, talking kindly to Rapp. “Perhaps you’d better call them now. We haven’t much time, and they need to get used to the men.”

  Rapp nodded, then left her side to climb atop the outcropping. He smiled once at Tyros, then looked up and suddenly called out like a wild beast.

  “Why’s he spouting like a hawk?” Bakal demanded.

  Tyros thought that Rapp’s call ended more like that of a lion or some other great cat, but he could see why the captain had taken it for a bird. He looked around, waiting for something to emerge from the rocks.

  From above came a deeper, longer version of the call the kender had made. As one, the humans looked up. All but Serene looked startled. Tyros saw birds, huge birds, leave their mountain roosts and begin to descend.

  Only they were not birds.

  “Gods!” one of the men shouted. “What are those beasts?”

  Tyros looked to Bakal for an answer, but the usually fearless soldier stood speechless and pale. He shook his head over and over, his eyes never leaving the oncoming creatures above.

  “I knew I’d seen one!” he finally uttered. “I wasn’t mad! It was a griffon! It was!”

  Tyros had heard of the fantastic animals, even studied them as part of his education, but as with the gargoyles, he had never actually seen one before. Now six of them—no, more like eight—descended upon the party, and at a kender’s behest.

  Bakal suddenly went into action. “Form a circle! Swords at the ready! Be ready to fight your way out!”

  “There’s no need for that!” Serene called. “They won’t harm you! Rapp, tell the children to land!”

  The kender nodded, then gave out a cry with slightly different tones than the first. The griffons suddenly swerved and, moments later, alighted around the outcropping. Despite their immense size, they landed gently, then folded their wings.

  The animals presented a fantastic combination of two other creatures, the proud eagle and the majestic lion. Their tails, although whiplike, had a shock of feathers at the end. The torso mostly resembled that of the feline, golden-furred and very muscular. However, the legs ended in peculiar talons, like a bird of prey’s, yet more dexterous. The talons could have easily seized a full-sized man and taken him aloft, not a comforting thought.

  The griffons stared at the intruders, their heads almost identical to those of a true eagle. Yet the feathers mixed with fur toward the back and under the beak, the latter giving the winged furies a bearded look. Tyros stared at the eyes and saw far more intelligence in them than in most animals. He wondered if the griffons could actually understand what others said.

  “That’s our transportation?” Bakal spouted.

  “They’re really well behaved!” Rapp offered. “I raised them mostly myself! I found them after the parents had been killed by hunters, and even though I was on my way to Solace, which is supposed to be a nice place that I hope to still visit someday, I couldn’t very well leave them to die, could I?”

  “Of course you couldn’t,” Serene re
plied approvingly.

  “Well, that’s what I thought, and even though it meant having to stay in the woods a lot, I fed them and then found Serene, who taught me more about how to take care of them, and I love them like they’re my own children, which they really aren’t because they wouldn’t look like that, especially the beards.”

  “I don’t know which is worse,” the captain said to Tyros. “The griffons themselves or listening to his story about them. You can’t be serious about us riding those monsters!”

  A couple of the nearer creatures squawked at the last word.

  “Be careful, Bakal,” Tyros warned. “I think they sense your dislike.” To Serene, he added, “but the captain raises a good point. Do you think we can actually make use of the griffons? They seem to obey the kender, but will they let us ride them?”

  “They let me ride all the time,” she replied with just a hint of mischievousness. “Surely you two will have no trouble.”

  Bakal took umbrage at the possible slight to his courage. “You tell me what to do and I’ll ride one of the beasts,” he insisted. “And that goes for the others, too.”

  While the spellcaster noted some continued unease among Bakal’s soldiers, none of them sought to dissuade their leader. The captain had chosen well. Despite their misgivings, these men were still willing to go on.

  “It’s very simple. Put your leg over the torso, then hold on to either the mane or the rider in front of you.”

  The wizard studied the huge animals. “They can carry two at a time?”

  “They’re very strong.”

  “What about supplies?” Tyros asked.

  “They can carry a little, but we won’t be able to bring any unnecessary items along.” She had made note of Tyros’s heavily packed horse.

  Thinking of the mounts, Tyros turned to Bakal. “You’ll have to leave a man to bring the horses back to Gwynned.”

  “Already thought of that. Simon there.” The captain indicated a tall bearded man about the mage’s age. “He’ll take them back. Brought him along just for that.”

  The cleric nodded. “Then it’s all settled. Good! The longer we delay, the farther Cadrio and the citadel get. Rapp, you and I need to deal with the griffons before the others mount. They’ll be a bit nervous around the men, and I don’t want any trouble. Come!”

  “Isn’t she wonderful?” Rapp asked, gazing up at her with pure devotion. “She can do so much! I thought about becoming a cleric of Branchala—he likes kender more than most, you see—but then I thought that if I were a cleric of the Skylord, then I could talk to all the animals, not just my griffons! Of course, then I might have to go walking around in a robe and pray in temples and—”

  Bakal grimaced as the kender went on, then turned to the men. “You heard her! Get everything ready! Hurry!”

  As the soldiers obeyed, Tyros studied the beasts, which remained near the outcropping, watching the antics of the people. Serene and the kender talked to each, which seemed to have a relaxing effect on the griffons. Tyros noted that most stared longest at Rapp, their eyes filled with as much devotion as he had shown for Serene.

  Returning to Tyros, the cleric commented, “They’ll be fine now. By the way, you and I will ride together.”

  “Me?”

  “Rapp and I need to ride different griffons so that we can better maintain control of the entire group. And since you’re the one who knows most about these castles, I want you near if there’s a question to be asked. The captain will ride with Rapp. Understand?”

  “I do.” Bakal would be thrilled.

  “Fine.” She looked past him, to where Bakal and the others had nearly readied themselves. “It’s time for them to choose.”

  “Choose?” Tyros looked over the beasts, trying to pick the best one. “What difference does it make which one we choose?”

  Serene grinned. “You misunderstand! You don’t choose.”

  “Then you do it,” Tyros said, nodding at the kender.

  She tapped her staff, which set the animals moving. Rapp ran over to Bakal, no doubt to give him the good news about their traveling together. “Oh, I don’t do it either. They do.”

  “They?” Tyros stared at the griffons, which now began to circle the humans.

  “Tyros! Mage!” the captain called. “What the devil’s going on here? Why’re they coming toward us?”

  Tyros looked back at the captain, trying to keep his voice steady. Serene trusted these animals; surely he could do the same. “Remain calm, Bakal! Nothing to worry about! They’re just in the process of—”

  A great force landed on the mage’s chest, slamming him backward to the ground. Massive talons dug into his chest, hurting him slightly but somehow managing to avoid tearing the cloth of his robe. He stared into an avian face with leonine eyes. The sharp beak opened, and Tyros received a faceful of putrid breath.

  “Consider yourself lucky, mage,” Serene called from behind the monstrous beast. “I think he likes you.”

  Chapter 7

  Death from Above

  General Cadrio eyed distant Norwych, imagining it to be Gwynned. His ships stood ready to sail toward the target, but Valkyn hadn’t given permission to strike. Instead, the mage had some other plan in mind and had sent the savage Crag with a note containing instructions.

  By an hour before dawn, you must be in position near the Three Sisters. The lanky general briefly looked south, where three tall rocks, vaguely shaped like gossiping women with their heads close together, rose high above the water.

  The point will keep you from the eyes of Norwych’s watch. Wait there until you notice the skies above you darken. Only then sail closer, but do not enter the harbor of Norwych until given the signal.

  Valkyn meant to put on some sort of display before Cadrio would be allowed to attempt landfall. It would have to be impressive if the mage meant to soften up the defenders for the general. Norwych was a formidable island stronghold, one that had resisted the advances of the Dragon Highlords early in the war.

  Crumpling the missive, he scanned the clear sky. “So where are you, then, wizard? Where?”

  “Sir!” He looked down to see Zander standing at attention, the aide’s armor brightly polished as usual, his cloak immaculate. The officer saluted smartly. Zander did everything smartly.

  “What is it?”

  “Some of the captains have signaled for clearance to sail. They don’t like being anchored out here. Apparently the Three Sisters are considered bad luck by seafarers.”

  “Only if they’re stupid enough to wreck their vessels on them!” the vulpine commander snarled. “If any ship breaks rank, I’ll hang its officers from the crow’s nest! Relay that to them!”

  “Aye, General!” Zander quickly retreated.

  Again, Cadrio surveyed the sky. He saw a few clouds, but nothing more. Less and less he liked the goateed wizard’s attitude. They were supposedly allies, but nothing so far gave credence to that. Cadrio was to be emperor, yet Valkyn gave the commands. What did the mage know of warfare? More important, how dare he think himself the general’s superior?

  General Cadrio wished he could lay his hands on the citadel. He understood its basic design enough to know that it could be flown by anyone. Valkyn’s apparently didn’t even need wizards and clerics chanting levitation spells, which meant yet fewer annoyances. If only Cadrio could reach it undetected.…

  He looked to the rear of the fleet, where the crippled citadel left from the Gwynned raid still floated, awaiting orders. For some reason, Valkyn had insisted that he needed this castle also, but empty of all save those necessary to fly it.

  A shadow fell over his flagship. He looked up, expecting Valkyn, but instead two ebony dragons fluttered above.

  The first one spoke, its voice low and impatient. “When do we fight? We’ve waited for your signal, but—”

  “Waited much too long!” interrupted the second. “We don’t like to wait!”

  “Just a little longer, Eclipse, Murk,” rep
lied Cadrio, undaunted by their presence. “Hold your positions or you’ll give us away!”

  “We smell dragon here,” Eclipse remarked. “Not gold, likely, but—”

  “Likely silver! Yes, silver,” added his twin. “Which would be almost as good as gold!”

  The general glared at the leviathans. “You’ll get your opportunity, but not before I say so! Is that understood? I want no repeat of the last battle! Now, return to your positions!”

  Eclipse and Murk reluctantly retreated. They hadn’t forgotten their battle with the two golds and sought the chance to redeem themselves. Cadrio swore softly. How he would have preferred a red or blue dragon at his command. They obeyed orders. Instead, all he had was this pair of overly unpredictable black beasts.

  The faint sound of thunder erased all thought of dragons.

  The wind began to pick up. Clouds suddenly blossomed, swiftly covering the sky. The sea grew choppy, forcing the crew to make sure that everything remained secure.

  Cadrio recalled the storm caused by the raising of Castle Atriun, but he had thought that was only a by product of the initial spell. He looked around, yet didn’t see Valkyn’s prize. Were the winds and clouds simply the whims of the sea?

  “Sir!” Zander rushed over to him. “Sir! Up there!”

  A speck appeared in the western sky, one that grew larger as it neared the island stronghold.

  Valkyn’s citadel had arrived.

  “Signal the other vessels! We move in when I give the word!” Cadrio glanced back at the other citadel. “Tell him to get that thing underway, too! I want it in position when Valkyn needs it!”

  He hurried to the bow of the ship. Like the dragons, Cadrio sought to redeem himself, and now the first step had been taken. Soon he would lead his men to the first of many victories.

  The citadel had descended to a height where all could make it out. What must the inhabitants of Norwych be thinking at the moment, seeing death falling upon them?

  “What are you planning, Valkyn?” the commander muttered. The gargoyles seemed hardly enough to take a city, even if Cadrio’s remaining draconians joined them.