Richard Knaak - The Citadel

Tyros had just begun to turn his attention back to the first citadel when he noted yet another form lurking in the clouds. A third citadel? He doubted that the invaders could have so many at their command.

A sleek, ebony shape emerged from the clouds above Glisten.

A black dragon. A male, and young, too. Although it was only two-thirds the size of Sunfire, the black had the advantage of surprise over the massive gold’s mate. Tyros pictured savage claws rending the wings of the female. Despite the ludicrousness of his actions, the mage could not help leaning out to shout a warning. “Above! Look out from above!”

Glisten, of course, couldn’t hear him. Tyros gripped the frame of the window as he watched the inevitable.

However, Sunfire, who had been hovering over the high tower, suddenly turned from his task, barely managing to come between the treacherous dragon and Glisten. Startled, the black reluctantly grappled with his larger foe, the advantages of both size and surprise now on the side of the defenders. Sunfire snapped at his adversary, barely missing the black dragon’s throat. The two males spun in a loop, their great maws snapping, claws raking.

Then, to Tyros’s horror, another black dragon, identical to the first, appeared. The second beast fell upon Sunfire’s back, sinking talons into the golden male. Sunfire roared in agony, suddenly caught between the black pair.

Glisten immediately came to his rescue, and she wasn’t alone. A flash of light, no doubt cast by one of her wizards, burst before the eyes of the dragon grappling with Sunfire, a flash that so startled the black that he lost his grip on the gold. Glisten used that shock to her advantage, barreling into the second attacker with such ferocity that he went tumbling through the air, unable to control his flight.

Realizing that he now faced two golden dragons better versed in aerial combat than he was, the remaining black tried to flee, Sunfire, though, would have none of that. With his talons, he caught the younger leviathan by the tail and pulled. The black let out a howl that reminded Tyros more of a whipped dog than a deadly dragon.

An explosion momentarily lit up the sky. The top of the first citadel had vanished in a flash of white light. Sunfire’s riders had managed to drop onto the tower after all. The explosion, no doubt some alchemical liquid or a special spell by one of his fellow wizards, meant that the men had sacrificed themselves, but in doing so they had mortally wounded the flying castle. Devoid of its steering mechanism, it began to spin around crazily, heading in almost madcap fashion toward the sea. Judging by the arc of its flight, it would eventually drop some miles offshore.

Paying no heed to the devastated citadel, Sunfire and Glisten took hold of their hapless foe and, while the black roared in vain, threw the creature end over end toward the second castle.

In that moment of triumph, Tyros heard a thump on the roof. The wizard stiffened at first, then looked up at the ceiling, his hand already forming a fist and his mouth whispering words of power.

Winged forms burst through three of the stained-glass windows. Draconians.

Tyros could read both the determination and desperation in their eyes; they had to know that they would likely die this night, the citadel offering no escape, but they would perform their duties regardless.

That present duty concerned slaying the mage before them.

Two were baaz, draconians known for their sadistic manner, but without any skill at magic. Unfortunately the third appeared to be a bozak, crafty and with a talent for spells of fire and air. All had the same general look of dragons turned halfway into men, but the baaz appeared more brutal, with scales like tarnished, dull brass. The bozak, on the other hand, stood taller and slimmer, more proud, and his eyes blazed with more intelligence than those of his companions. His scales had a more tanned looked to them, like old and faded bronze.

Tyros and the bozak cast spells at the same time. A hand of fire meant to seize Tyros went effortlessly through the wizard, unfortunately setting scrolls on the table afire and singeing the furniture. Where the bozak failed, though, the mage in part succeeded. The smoking table flew at the two baaz, crushing them against the wall.

Tyros grimaced; the spell had been aimed at the bozak, but the creature had anticipated the results and sacrificed his lesser brethren instead. Still, Tyros felt certain that he could handle one bozak if …

Through the remaining windows, including the one nearest where the wizard stood, more draconians burst in, two of them colliding with the human from behind. Tyros gasped as the force of the collision pushed the air from his lungs. He and one of the invaders tumbled to the floor. Draconian claws seized him by the wrists and head, dragging him upward again.

“Alive!” a reptilian voice shouted. “Alive!”

The chamber filled with a brilliant light, one that sent the draconians hissing. Those holding onto the Red Robe released him in order to shield their eyes, nearly causing Tyros to crack his skull on the floor. He tried to rise, but his breath had not yet returned to him.

“Tyros! To me!”

“Le-Leot?” Straining, the battered spellcaster looked up to see his rotund friend standing at the door, arms outstretched. Light literally flowed from Leot’s hand, a brilliance that seemed to disturb the draconians far more than Tyros.

“Hurry!”

A roar shook the tower just as Tyros managed to rise. Part of the ceiling collapsed. As startled as the draconians seemed by the incident, they did not suffer as much as Leot, who stood just below one of the falling fragments. Wood and plaster struck the White Robe, and with a groan, he dropped to his knees. The light that had so offended the dragon men instantly vanished.

“Leot!” The friend who had saved him now lay injured at the feet of the draconians. Cursing, Tyros struggled to regain his concentration. He couldn’t let them take Leot.

Two baaz seized the White Robe, pulling him to his feet. Tyros saw with horror that blood caked Leot’s head, and his eyes stared without seeing. The heavy set mage still breathed, but how long that would continue remained debatable.

The two draconians hissed, shock in their reptilian eyes as they released their hold on the stunned mage. In their minds, Leot’s arms had become hissing pythons. Tyros immediately cast a second spell in order to keep Leot from crashing to the floor, then took another breath as he readied himself for the bozak’s next attack.

Another roar shook the tower. More of the ceiling caved in. One draconian fell, crushed by a beam. Tyros started to rise, then saw the bozak readying his spell.

The room began to break apart.

Animosities were forgotten as everyone sought to escape. One baaz tried for the nearest window, but it crumbled as he leapt through, killing the creature in the process. A second draconian was crushed by a beam.

Tyros started for Leot, only to have strong, clawed hands seize him from behind. He turned, thinking the bozak had attempted some last attack … and instead found himself staring into the eyes of a horror the likes of which he couldn’t recall ever confronting before.

The monster before him, which seemed to expand in size as it spread its wings, had some resemblance to a draconian, but only in general shape. Red, pupilless eyes flared and a long, beaklike maw opened, revealing row upon row of jagged teeth. Twin horns jutted from the leathery creature’s head. The claws that had seized Tyros had only four digits, but its talons were sharper and more hooked than those of a draconian. In build, it more resembled the slim form of the bozak than the baaz, but its taut muscles indicated that, matched one to one, either draconian would have faced an uphill struggle with this horrific intruder.