Richard Knaak - Kingdom of Shadow

Kentril peered up at the sky. By his reckoning, it had to be just after midday… but on what day? "How long was I unconscious?"

"Two-and-a-half days. I found you just before sunset of the first and have done what I could."

Two—and—a—half days … Fighting the pain, the captain pushed himself up to a sitting position. "How are my legs, Zayl?"

"They appear unbroken, but you would know best."

Testing them, Kentril discovered that although they ached, he could at least tolerate moving them. "If I can stand, I want to get out of here. I don't want to sleep within the walls of this place another night."

Zayl frowned. "It might be more prudent to wait another day or—"

"I want to leave. "

"As you wish. I understand." With some effort, the necromancer rose. He put the skull in the torn pouch at his side, then moved to help the fighter.

As Kentril stood up, something clattered to the ground near his feet. Curious, he cautiously bent to pick it up.

Atanna's face looked back at him from the brooch.

"What is it?" asked Zayl, unable to see from his angle.

The captain quickly folded his fingers over it. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Let's go."

They headed toward the lush jungle. As they slowly walked, the necromancer informed Kentril of his plan for them. "We can make use of your old base camp tonight, then tomorrow I will guide us safely to some of the others of my ilk. They will be able to help heal both of us, and then you can be on your way."

"An outsider won't be a problem?"

Zayl chuckled slightly. "Not one who faced down Diablo himself. This will be a story they will want to hear."

Through the broken wall they stepped, leaving behind the Light among Lights forever. However, once well beyond the former limits of the shadow, Captain Dumon made Zayl come to a halt.

"Give me a moment, please," he requested.

In silence, Kentril looked back at what had become the end of both a dream and a nightmare. The wind howled through the crumbling skeleton of the lost city, sounding like a lament for all those who had perished.

"I am sorry about your friends," the necromancer said as kindly as he could.

Kentril, however, had not been thinking as much about them as about someone else. "It's done with. Best to be forgotten… forever."

He turned away once more, and they continued their trek. Yet, as he walked, Captain Kentril Dumon's hand slipped surreptitiously to a pouch on his belt… and dropped the brooch inside.

Behind him, the elements renewed their patient task of slowly and inevitably erasing the last memories of the kingdom of shadow.

RICHARD A. KNAAK is the author of more than twenty fantasy novels and over a dozen short pieces, including the New York Times bestseller The Legend of Huma for the Dragonlance series. Aside from his extensive work in Dragonlance, he is best known for his popular Dragon—realm series, which is now available again in trade paperback. His other works include several contemporary fantasies, such as Frostwing and King of the Grey, also available again. In addition to THE KINGDOM OF SHADOW, he has written LEGACY OF BLOOD for Diablo and DAY OF THE DRAGON for Warcraft. At present, he is at work on a major trilogy for Dragonlance, the first novel of which will be published in 2003.

Those interested in learning more about his projects should check out his Web site at www.sff.net/people/knaak.