Battledragon (56 page)

Heruta mounted his seat. Eight strong slaves hurried him away from the scene, lashed on by his will. Their feet thundered on the stone. Heruta drove them hard because he knew that behind him came wild, terrible death.

Lessis called a warning, but it was useless, how could mortal men even comprehend what threatened them? She concentrated on her counterspell, which began to take shape as she hurriedly drew down the lines from memory; still it would take some seconds to set.

A moment later she saw the first wispy line of green fire flicker across the mirror. A Thingweight was there already! A shudder ran through her soul. Nothing now stood between them and the horror.

The line of green fire was joined by a second, and a moment later there were ten of diem and then the monster was there, at the mirror's edge where light suddenly wrinkled in green and purple lines of fire, whorls and whiskers rippled. The green fire leapt high and tentacles lashed out into the world of Ryetelth to seize prey, any prey they might encounter.

The tentacles sought warm bodies; any living thing was taken. A huge troll was whipped off its feet and pulled to the mirror, where it was sucked into the chaos beyond.

Lessis hurled her counterspell against the mirror. One side crackled and went dark, but the other side still offered a portal to the Thingweight. The dragons, spooked by the bizarre mirror, had already moved back sharply. Now they fled under Lessis's command.

A tentacle of fire slapped around Lessis the next moment. She tried a disconnecting spell to break it. She almost succeeded, but the tentacle reformed and kept its grip.

She was lifted up, her feet left the floor, and she was on her way to the most hideous death, consumed in the dark by the Thingweight, sucked slowly down into agonizing nothingness.

Then a flash of silver caught her eye as Ecator hurtled past and struck the tentacle. It rebounded with a wild flash of white fire. Brazil gave a grunt and hewed again, on the backhand. This time he got every ounce into it, and with a tremendous blast of green fire it gave way.

The air cracked with the sound of a gigantic whip, and the green fire around Lessis evaporated with a strange chemical stench. Suddenly released five feet in the air, Lessis fell to the floor, lost her footing, and pitched onto hands and knees. Lagdalen caught her by the shoulders and helped her to her feet

"Lady, are you all right?" They retreated quickly.

"My dear, I think I really am getting too old for this."

An imp was pulled through the mirror with a final hoarse scream.

"Come, Lady, the door." Lagdalen was hi motion.

But Lessis climbed the wall of powder kegs and stood above the tube they had primed to explode, a mad idea blossoming in her mind. She conjured, and a brilliant flower of bright energy lit up above her hand.

The tentacles from the bright side lashed down for this glowing tidbit, but Lessis cast it into the hulking metal tube and it sank into the steel, leaving a small glowing patch. The tentacles wrapped around the barrel in a flash and lifted it away.

"Run," she shouted to the rest of them, leaping for the ground once more.

The sight of the tube rising into the air wrapped with green fire set everyone in motion again.

Relkin, Bazil, and Wiliger caromed off the wall inside the main doors and tumbled down the flagstone floor.

The cannon entered the mirror, and as it went, Lessis let go of the ignition spell and a moment later it exploded, just as it crossed into the realm of the Thingweight. Lagdalen and Lessis were tossed through the doors and bounced off Bazil's back before landing on the floor.

The blast was deafening in the foundry, but in the maw of the Thingweight it was so intense that it cracked the monster's carapace. A moment later a searing flash of green fire exploded through the mirror, struck the wall, and melted the stone like wax. Hot molten rock spattered outward, and then the mirror began to spin wildly. The green fire cut across the wall, bringing down hundreds of tons of rock in a spreading avalanche, and then it lanced directly into the heart of the volcano, where it pierced the magma chamber itself.

The ground rumbled menacingly beneath the fortress. Lessis, covered in dust, staggered up to Relkin. The air was already thick with fumes. The floor shook.

"Must catch the Master. Take him now, our best chance," she said. "No time to waste."

Relkin agreed. He was eager to settle his debts with the Great One.

"Where?"

"Climb. He will be going for his batrukh."

The ground leapt under their feet as the volcano bellowed. The foundry filled with superheated smoke and gas.

"Can't stay here anyway," said Bazil as they ran for their lives, "much too hot for dragons."

Heruta Skash Gzug preferred his buildings to be on a heroic scale. Accordingly the staircase that lead to the batrukh aerie was massive, with steps hewn from the lava some twenty feet wide beneath an arched ceiling decorated with polished slabs of black crystal.

This made the ascent easy for a wyvern dragon, who went down on all fours, with his sword over his shoulder, and climbed enthusiastically, as if he were back on the obstacle course at Dashwood. The men had to step smartly to keep up with him.

After they had climbed seven turns of the stair, the volcano gave a sudden sharp jolt, stronger than before. Dust flew from joints in the ceiling. Something fell with a crash. More dust flew up.

Everyone redoubled their efforts. Lessis, however, was reaching the limits of her strength. She found it hard to keep up this pace and began to lag behind. Lagdalen fell back to be by her side.

Dragon Leader Wiliger was in front with a strange light in his eyes, as though something mystical had seized him. As they climbed and Relkin's legs began to tire, he noticed that Wiliger was moving ahead, apparently untouched by fatigue.

The dragon climbed on without a break, Relkin marveled. Bazil was really mad this time. He'd turned this into a personal fight. Now he'd never give up until he'd made the enemy pay. Ecator swung rhythmically back and forth over the dragon's shoulder as he climbed, seeming to promise retribution.

Wiliger was out of sight now, around the curve. Relkin dug for reserves, though his thighs ached and the breath came hot and harsh in his throat. The air was getting thick with fumes.

Ahead of them Wiliger suddenly emerged onto the batrukh aerie, a paved gallery cut in the side of the volcano. Here dwelled the batrukh, and here came the great Heruta to meditate. The view was wide, the whole island was spread out beneath with the sea beyond it and far in the distance the smudge of the land. The volcano shuddered again, and stones slid off the upper slopes to bounce off the flagstones.

A loud hiss greeted Wiliger's entrance. On a perch, projecting from the wall a few feet off the floor, crouched an enormous deadly form. Huge red eyes fastened on Wiliger, and a mouth filled with fangs snarled a greeting.

Wiliger blanched, but stood his ground, drawing his sword. A sudden hush fell on the huge space; even the volcano seemed quietened. A narrow door had opened in the wall right behind the batrukh's perch. Out of it stepped the Master, his face submerged beneath green horn, his eyes glowing like coals.

"A brave but foolish effort!" He gestured toward the dragon leader.

Instantly a black tide crashed down on Wiliger's mind. He fell to his knees with a gasp, clutching his head. A stream of spittle ran from his lips. Then he screamed.

Relkin stepped out behind him. The screams cut off.

"Ah!" snapped the Master, "my prodigy! So, child, you have come to me after all."

Wiliger let out a long groan as his mind was released from the dreadful grip. His eyes had rolled up in his head, his mouth was open, slack, dribbling. Relkin kept his eyes on the Master.

"I have come, and I will slay you if it is within my power," said Relkin with utter conviction.

"Such honesty in the young, I commend it, I truly do."

Heruta raised his fist, and the power came down on Relkin like a mallet on a mouse. Everything went black for a moment, and Relkin staggered and almost fell, but finally found the strength to resist. Again came the power, and now Relkin resisted with every fiber in his being and, incredibly, threw back the wizard's assault. Heruta the Great had been rejected.

The Great One's wrath boiled over, and thus he was fatally blinded to his peril. Instead of mounting his batrukh and making his escape, he concentrated his strength, bellowed the harsh syllables of power, and directed his fury at Relkin. This impudent pup would be crushed, here and now!

Relkin lurched to the wall and clung there, slowly sliding down it.

"See, child, you shall have no will but mine!" Heruta raised his fist again. Relkin felt a terrible hammering in his head; he could no longer breathe. His hands went to his throat.

"Leave boy alone!" said a loud, inhuman voice suddenly. The next moment two tons of angry battledragon stepped out onto the floor of the aerie.

The batrukh uttered a thunderous snarl and unfolded its wings, which billowed like black canopies to the sky. The Master was knocked off the perch and fell heavily to the floor below. His concentration was gone, and he lost his grip on Relkin.

Heruta cursed himself. He should have expected this development. One of those damnable reptiles had stuck its snout into his business again. The situation was becoming somewhat difficult. He dragged himself to his feet. He had to get out of this place. The volcano seemed on the verge of an eruption.

Then another complication arose. With a gasp, a young woman reached the top step and entered the aerie. What were they doing sending this girl against him?

A moment later another figure entered, and instantly he felt her power.

"You!" he breathed. The damned hag herself had dared to climb here to challenge him.

With a great cry, he unleashed such a spell on them that its very strength took Lessis by surprise. She found she could not move a muscle. Poor Lagdalen was driven to her knees. Indeed, everyone within a mile felt the lash of the Master's power. They clutched their heads, groaned, and groveled on the ground.

The leatherback dragon, however, was barely affected. It moved forward cautiously, drawing that terrible sword from its scabbard, filling the room with the sound of huge lungs laboring for air. In truth, Baz was exhausted from the climb.

"You have hurt the world," it said suddenly.

Heruta stared. What must one do to destroy these thrice-damned battledragons?

In the presence of Heruta, Ecator began to glow with anticipation.

"See, Wizard, my blade hungers for your soul."

With a trace of desperation, Heruta jerked Relkin and Wiliger to their feet. Their bodies were no longer their own to control. They drew their weapons and lurched toward the dragon's unprotected back.

Lessis felt her tongue sliding backward into her throat as Heruta sought to strangle her with it. She struggled to complete a defensive spell, but unable to make a sound, her strength was greatly limited.

"There, hag, feel the power of an enthraan!" said the Great One with a ghastly chuckle. "For many years I have dreamt of such an occasion. At last I have a hag beneath my fist! You filthy creatures with your muddy little religion, what do you know of power? You dare to throw yourself across my path. You dare to oppose me! I will crush you like a worm!"

And he forced Lessis to her knees. A dark, crushing cloud was coming down over the Grey Lady's mind.

But now even the Great Heruta was spread thin. Lagdalen managed to scream a warning to Bazil. His head snapped around, and he saw the men at his back. Dodging in time, he knocked Wiliger away with a slap of the tail.

Relkin swung in, eyes glazed, face contorted in torment. Bazil stopped the boy with a big hand and lifted him off the ground. Relkin struggled weakly in his grasp.

"What have you done to my boy?"

"Silence, foul monster!" The Master stretched out his arms and reached into the roots of the mountain for strength. With a deep breath, he summoned all his power and hurled it at the dragon.

Bazil gave a gasp and shook his head. It was hard to move all of a sudden. He dropped Relkin.

Heruta gave a sigh of inward relief as the dragon froze in place. At last he had found a way to control these brutes. But at what a cost! He was stretched to his limit, indeed, he could no longer hold them all down. The hag was beginning to stir despite the enormous exertions he made to hold her down. The boy was slipping from control as well. He struggled to regain his grip on them.

He neglected to consider Delwild Wiliger, who had been knocked silly by the dragon's tail. The blow had cleared his mind dramatically. Now he pulled himself to his feet. One of his legs felt all wrong, and his mouth was full of blood. Still he was able to take up the sword.

The Master was focused on the dragon and that huge blade in its hands. The sword glowed oddly, Heruta felt a spirit presence there, something so strong in its way that it was frankly terrifying. Most odd, and quite frightening in the hands of that leathery monster.

And then all at once the man had crept up on him, a sword flashed, and Heruta staggered as he was struck. The sword did not penetrate his armor but the blow nearly knocked him off his feet.

Wiliger and the Great Master exchanged a glance. Wiliger snarled defiance and raised his sword again. Heruta disabled his mind in the next instant, and the dragon leader stiffened in place while his sword dropped from his fingers.

The damage was done, though; the dragon was slipping free, damn, but the brute was hard to hold down. Heruta looked up and saw the dragonboy stumbling toward him with a long knife in his hand. This was ludicrous. He snatched at the child's mind. In doing so he lost the dragon.

Bazil lunged for the wizard, Ecator a blinding blur. Heruta hurled himself backward. This was becoming damned awkward.

Then the stupid batrukh struck down from its perch at the dragon with a shriek of hate. Its jaws snapped shut an inch from Bazil's neck, the dragon backhanded the fell creature, and Ecator hewed off its head. It collapsed in a heap. Ecator gave off a tiny cat scream of joy.