The Citadel Page 14

  The black dragon hissed. “I am not Murk. I am Eclipse! I must speak with Cadrio. I have a prize for him.”

  At that moment another huge shape descended upon the dark port. Stone didn’t have to see the creature up close to know it was Eclipse’s twin. The other dragon settled down on a spot near his brother, then glared at the imprisoned gargoyle.

  “You found him!” Murk said, sulking.

  “Who did you find?” the officer demanded. “What’s this about?”

  “Never mind, Timinion.” A lanky figure joined them, almost seeming to materialize out of the dark. Stone knew the voice too well. “I know who they have.”

  General Cadrio took an oil lamp from one of the sentries and brought it so close to Eclipse’s prisoner that the flames hurt the gargoyle’s eyes. The monstrous face of the human filled Stone’s vision.

  The gargoyle tried to look his fiercest. “Maaaster will strike you down for taking one of hisss servants!”

  “Not bad. You certainly talk more civilized than that buffoon, Crag. Aaah, I see you don’t like him. You also don’t like Valkyn much, do you? That’s something I’ve noticed, too. In fact, I would venture to say that you hate him, eh?”

  “Valkyn is maaaster!”

  Cadrio gave him a mocking smile. “But what if Valkyn were no longer master? What if you served another who treated you better? A master who would raise you up over all the other gargoyles, especially Crag? Wouldn’t that be worth something? I can offer you your proper place as leader of both flocks, Stone, if you cooperate with me. Do you understand?”

  The pupilless eyes narrowed. Stone understood. Cadrio planned his own betrayal of Valkyn.

  “I know you’re clever, Stone. Think about it. If you help me gain access to Atriun, I will kill him. He cares nothing about you, whereas I know your value. You would make an excellent ally!”

  Ally. A word not well translated into the gargoyle tongue, but Stone had heard it used by Valkyn when dealing with this very human. Ally. A creature who one worked with until ready to betray him. Cadrio intended to betray his ally, the wizard, just as the wizard had hinted that he would dispose of the human if necessary.

  Ally. Yes, Stone could see Cadrio as an ally … temporarily.

  “Will help you,” he returned, trying not to sound too eager. The humans could fight among themselves, preferably destroy one another. All that mattered was that Stone’s flock would be free again.

  “Tell me what I need to know, then,” the general urged. “There must be a time when Valkyn is vulnerable. Surely when he attacks Gwynned, he’ll drain his strength. I have the means to reach Atriun—” he indicated the dragons “—but I need to know when!”

  When? The winged creature knew exactly when. “Not have to wait for Gwynned.”

  Cadrio’s eyes widened in eagerness. “No? When, then?”

  Stone couldn’t help a slight smile, but he doubted that the human could read his visage. Only Valkyn seemed adept at reading such a gargoyle’s emotions. “When the clouds thin …”

  Chapter 9

  Storming the Castle

  At dawn Castle Atriun began to move.

  The first indication to those below came as the clouds shifted to the northwest, even though the wind blew in the opposite direction. Some of the storm clouds drifted off, leaving the flying citadel somewhat visible. Atriun moved faster and faster as it went, quickly leaving Norwych behind.

  The ships of General Cadrio departed soon afterward, trying as best they could to keep pace. Aboard the Harpy, the commander pondered the future. He had planned to wait until after Gwynned to deal with the wizard, but now, if the gargoyle was correct, a new and better path lay open, one that would hasten the shifting of matters to a more palatable state.

  “The southern shore of Northern Ergoth,” he whispered to himself. “He’ll have to do it then, before Gwynned.”

  “Aaah, my general! I trust I find you in good spirits?”

  Cadrio bit back his startlement and forced himself to turn slowly to the figure now standing just behind him. “Valkyn! I thought you were busy!”

  “I can spare the time. I want to make certain that everything is prepared.”

  With Valkyn’s back to several of Cadrio’s men, a daring notion suddenly occurred to the general, one that would make it unnecessary to wait any longer. Why trust the gargoyle when Cadrio could deal with the damned wizard now? Several times during his illustrious career the general had taken sudden initiatives like this, always with rewarding results. Surely fate now had dealt him the high card once more.

  “I’ve tried to assure that everything will be ready,” the general returned, making certain to keep his gaze on the mage’s. Cadrio’s left hand slipped down, just barely grazing the hilt of his sword. The action happened so quickly Valkyn surely would not notice it, but others, trained by the commander, certainly would.

  Out of the corner of his eye, General Cadrio noticed Timinion reach cautiously for his blade. Zander, too, started to reach for his weapon. Good! Both men were familiar with the signal, one that Cadrio had utilized for various reasons over the years. Rebellious officers and foolish adversaries had fallen to the swords of his men in the past, and Valkyn would be no different. How pleasant it would be to see that smile wiped off the black mage’s face.

  Without the wizard, it would be child’s play to use the dragons to seize the citadel. The gargoyles would offer little resistance. Stone’s creatures would no doubt turn on their rivals. The shadowy servant he had seen in the tower had looked fairly harmless. He was simply there to obey orders.

  “You gave us little time,” General Cadrio went on, never breaking eye contact, “but the ships are all in order, and we’ll be at the rendezvous soon after you.”

  “I expected nothing else but timeliness from you,” Valkyn remarked, ever smiling. “I knew you would serve well.”

  “Serve well? We’re allies, Valkyn.”

  The dark wizard’s gloved hands formed a steeple. “Of course we are, my general, but at this juncture, one of us must guide, and since I can see the greater picture from my citadel, naturally the burden must fall to me. I leave the tactics of ground warfare to you, with only a few simple suggestions, eh?”

  Timinion took a step forward, being careful to move in silence. Zander paused, his hand no longer on his sword. Cadrio understood why. Better only one assassin. Two men risked making too much noise. Besides, Timinion now stood but two or three steps from Valkyn.

  “What sort of suggestions?” Cadrio asked.

  “Just a few directions, a few recommendations of troop movement that I think will better your chances. I know you’ll follow them to the letter, won’t you, my general?”

  Timinion stood within range. Carefully he pulled back his sword, preparing to run the insolent mage through. General Cadrio prayed that Valkyn would not move at the last moment.

  “I’ll certainly look them over, Valkyn, but why—”

  Timinion thrust.

  The triumphant smile beginning to form on Cadrio’s face twisted into a shocked frown as not only the sword but the officer’s hand and arm went right through the wizard. Valkyn stood there, amused as Timinion followed through, the would-be assassin tumbling to the deck.

  The general thought fast. “Sir Timinion! Are you mad?”

  Valkyn—not the real Valkyn, apparently, but a perfectly cast illusion—smiled at Cadrio, then gave the hapless Timinion a chillier version of the same smile. “A good attempt. A foolish one, but a good attempt.”

  From the folds of his robe, the illusory Valkyn pulled forth the wand with the crystalline sphere. One hand caressed the sphere, then pointed it at Timinion.

  The wood beneath the soldier’s left hand suddenly softened, causing his hand to sink in a few inches. Timinion tried to pull free, but not only would the soft plank not release its hold, to Cadrio’s horror, it began to spread upward, quickly covering the officer’s wrist and continuing on.

  Even as Timinion struggled
with his hand, his boots, too, began to sink. The entire deck underneath the would-be assassin rippled, more like liquid than solid wood. Timinion fell back and became further mired in the horrific pool. Cadrio realized that the man was truly sinking.

  Timinion realized it, too, for he looked frantically at his commander and shouted, “General! Please! In the name of the Queen!”

  Cadrio opened his mouth to protest, but a simple glance from Valkyn silenced him.

  “There are limits to even my vast patience,” the cowled mage announced. “And severe penalties for those who reach those limits.”

  The helpless soldier reached out with his one free hand, silently beseeching someone to come to his aid. His gaze went to Zander, but although Timinion’s rival clearly would not have wished such a fate on the other officer, the latter quickly looked away.

  The awful tableau continued to play itself out at the same monstrously slow pace. Timinion could barely keep his head up. All pretense of bravado had slipped away, and now he screamed for anyone to deliver him from the wizard’s punishment.

  No one dared.

  Cadrio studied the doomed warrior and the quagmire sucking him down, only to come to an even more terrible conclusion. He had thought that Timinion sank, but now realized that his officer was being absorbed into the deck, becoming part of it! Already the man’s complexion, even his armor, had taken on a semblance of the wooden grain.

  “He will serve more efficiently this way,” the illusion declared. “As an example …”

  All but Timinion’s face and his one hand had vanished. The officer’s mouth moved, but no sound, not even a gasp, escaped it. At last—and much to Cadrio’s relief—the tortured visage was completely absorbed into the wood, followed a few seconds later by the last feebly moving fingers.

  Timinion’s sword rattled to the railing as a wave rocked the Harpy, but no one sought to retrieve it.

  “And now, my general,” Valkyn said, once more hiding the wand. “As to those troop suggestions. I think it would be better if we spoke of them just before you reach Northern Ergoth. They’ll be fresher in your mind then. Do you agree?”

  Cadrio nodded, not trusting himself to words.

  “Good.” The Black Robe briefly eyed the deck where Timinion had vanished, then looked up at the general again. “A shame that these lessons must sometimes be taught.” The narrow blue eyes narrowed yet more. “I shall be going. We will talk soon.”

  Valkyn disappeared, simply winking out of existence. Cadrio fell back, gripping the nearest rail. The image of what had happened to the unfortunate Timinion remained burned into his mind, yet if Valkyn thought this would keep Cadrio in line, the wizard was sorely mistaken. If anything, the general was even more determined to end this alliance.

  “A few more days, spellcaster,” he muttered. “Just a few more days …” Cadrio turned to Zander and the others, who still stared at the deck. “Well? What are you gaping at? Every man to his station! All officers with me to my quarters! Now!”

  The crew obeyed immediately, relieved to return to normal activities. Zander and the remaining officers waited for Cadrio, who finally released his grip on the rail and, eyes fixed on the door to his quarters, walked silently by.

  * * * * *

  “Tyros! Wake up! It’s leaving.” Bakal’s gruff voice shattered the peaceful slumber Tyros had finally managed to find. He blinked and realized that the sun had risen at least an hour before. “Why was I not awakened earlier?”

  “Orders from the cleric,” the veteran warrior replied. “She said you needed it, but when I realized what was happening, I finally had to wake you. The citadel’s moving.”

  The citadel! Tyros rose and looked up in the sky. At first he noticed nothing, but then he caught a glimpse of the castle in the midst of the darkest clouds, clouds that moved contrary to the wind.

  “He said nothing about it leaving!” Tyros blurted, referring to Stone, whose story he had mentioned to the officer after his return.

  “Maybe he didn’t know, or maybe he didn’t tell you the entire story.” Bakal had been vocal about his distrust of the gargoyle.

  “It doesn’t matter. We have to follow.”

  “Rapp has the griffons fed and ready,” Serene announced, joining them. “We can leave now, but first …” She thrust a small pouch containing fruit and nuts into his hands. “You’ll need this while we fly. I picked them myself.”

  He took them with gratitude, then glanced skyward at their quarry. “It’s flying northwest. That’s the general direction of Northern Ergoth.”

  “And Gwynned,” the captain pointed out.

  “We’ll have to ride fast.”

  More accustomed now to the griffons, the party quickly mounted. In moments, the entire band flew through the skies, carefully trailing the citadel. Tyros pondered Stone’s words and wondered just when the clouds would thin. For that matter, did he dare to still trust the leathery creature? Stone might despise his master, but how much was the gargoyle willing to risk?

  “Look!” Serene called. “Cadrio’s ships are sailing.”

  The spellcaster looked down to see the dark fleet heading west. They had to be sailing for the same destination as the citadel. That meant that the dragons, too, were in the air.

  He doubted that he could enshroud the entire party. Tyros studied the clouds. “Serene, get us higher! Otherwise Cadrio’s dragons might see us.”

  “It’ll take some time. Those clouds are high up.” The cleric signaled to Rapp, pointing at the clouds. Rapp eagerly nodded, then leaned over and talked with Taggi, who squawked once, then began to lead the others higher.

  Tyros breathed a sigh of relief only when they had slipped in among the clouds. He looked down again at the tiny ships … and noticed the two black forms winging their way along the New Sea. They had just barely avoided the terrible twins.

  “How close do we dare get to Atriun?” Serene asked.

  “Not too near. Stone might be on our side, but we don’t know which of the other gargoyles follow him. All we can do for the moment is wait and watch.”

  Yet as the day progressed and the citadel continued on over part of the mainland, not once did Tyros notice any opportunity to secretly alight on the menacing edifice. They had long ago lost sight of the New Sea, and with it not only Cadrio’s fleet but also the black dragons. That had at first encouraged the mage, until he had noticed that the gargoyles continued to patrol the outer perimeter of their home.

  The griffons began to tire, but the flying castle continued on at a steady clip. Serene finally insisted they land, pointing out that they had a pretty fair idea of the citadel’s ultimate destination. “Surely he’ll have to wait for Cadrio, who will take days longer with his less direct route.”

  Reluctantly Tyros agreed, and the party descended to a wooded ridge. Everyone dismounted slowly. Even Rapp needed to stretch tired muscles. Bakal worked some of his shoulder muscles, then took a sip of water. His face readily revealed his dissatisfaction with the day’s results.

  “All this and nothing to show for it, and that thing is getting nearer to Gwynned! We’ve done nothing … nothing!”

  “But the citadel won’t do anything until Cadrio catches up,” Serene pointed out. “It wouldn’t dare move on Gwynned before then. The dragons would take care of it as readily as they did the others.”

  Tyros had been considering that. “I wonder. That has worried me for some time. You both saw what happened to Norwych.”

  Bakal snorted. “Of course we did. That other citadel crashed right on top of it. Caused a lot of destruction.”

  “Yes, but we also saw a lot more destruction that the citadel’s collapse could not have caused. Did you notice all the scorching throughout the city?”

  “The work of the twins?” the cleric suggested.

  “Perhaps to a point, but they don’t strike me as being that thorough or energetic. Several of those ruined areas had been hit by a very, very powerful force.” Tyros exhaled. “Perhaps I a
m just imagining things. Maybe the dragons did do it.”

  Bakal crossed his arms, impatient. “If not them, then what? Did the citadel drop flaming boulders on Norwych? I’ve heard of that happening a few times, but never on a scale like you’re suggesting, mage.”

  “I don’t know, Captain. All I can tell you is that whenever we get near Atriun, I sense immense power, far more magic than should be needed to make that thing fly.”

  “I see.” Contrary to his words, however, Bakal clearly did not see. “Tyros, I’ve followed your plan so far because I thought it might have a chance, and parts of it still might work. But now that we’re nearly back home, I’ve a suggestion of my own.”

  “What is it, Captain?”

  “They’re heading for Gwynned, no doubt about it. My first loyalty is to the city. Since Cadrio has to take the sea route, we’ve a chance to deal with this flying monstrosity before it can link up with him again. That’s why, with the permission of Serene and Rapp, I want to take the fastest griffon, and the kender to guide him, and fly back to Gwynned. Once there, I’ll go to Sunfire and Glisten. We all know why they wouldn’t come with us before, but now the enemy’s coming to them. This threatens their future, too. And with them on our side, we’ll be able to bring down the citadel with little or no trouble.”

  “But what about those aboard?” Serene demanded. “What about possible prisoners? If the dragons are forced to destroy the citadel, then they’ll perish!”

  The captain shrugged. “I doubt there’s much hope there anyway. Besides, girl, more than a handful might die if we don’t at least deprive the invaders of this fortress. Probably a regiment of draconians aboard her at the very least, not to mention those gargoyles. I’d like to bring the citadel back as a prize, but as that probably won’t happen, better we send it to the ground here rather than over Gwynned.”

  “You can’t do that!” the cleric protested.

  “You think there’s actually a chance that your man’s still alive? Don’t be a—”

  “Let him go get Sunfire, Serene,” Tyros interjected. “But only if he and the dragons give us a chance to try to take Atriun before they destroy it.”