Richard Knaak - The Citadel

“We’ve been trapped!” the captain snarled. Bakal kept his sword pointed at the monsters above as he gingerly leaped over the trap again.

“The gargoyle tricked us!” one of the others shouted. “He led us into this!”

Bakal doubted that. If Stone had wanted to turn them over to Valkyn, he could have done it at any time. He had even risked his own life to free Tyros. No, somehow Valkyn had discovered their plan, which meant that Tyros, too, likely walked into a trap.

More gargoyles entered from above, one of them with three horns and a malicious grin. The savage Crag.

“Here come the nets!”

The first net fell short; the second Bakal managed to shove aside with his blade. The gargoyles reached to retrieve their nets. Acting on instinct, Bakal used the sword to snag the nearest snare. Then, with his free hand, he pulled it toward him just as one of the monsters took hold of the other end.

Caught off-balance, the leathery horror rolled over once, then landed awkwardly on the step that had claimed Frankel.

The step glowed, and the flash of light enveloped the gargoyle.

“Well, that’s one down,” murmured the officer as the light faded. He waited for the creatures to try again, but now they acted with more care.

Someone bumped Bakal from behind. He looked over his shoulder. The gargoyles below pressed forward, the ones in front armed, much to the captain’s consternation, with spears. The captain and his men were being herded.

The nets came at them, this time thrown with more precision. One landed over Bakal, who sliced at it desperately. He realized instantly why the griffons had been unable to rip their way free. The nets had been interlaced with metallic thread, making them difficult to tear or cut. Given enough time, Bakal could have freed himself, but the gargoyles would not permit him that.

Cries broke out among his men. The gargoyles rushed in but instead of using their spears and claws, they began to pummel the soldiers with their fists. One man screamed, a sound that was quickly cut off. Bakal heard Rapp shout. He tried to look for the kender, but a huge hand seized the captain by the collar.

Crag flashed the captain what could only be a mocking smile. The hardened veteran paled, expecting to have his throat ripped out, but instead Crag slapped him hard across the face.

Still in the lead gargoyle’s grip, Bakal fell back, barely conscious from the vicious blow. He heard Crag’s deep, gravelly voice, sounding frustrated. “Kender! Where kender? Find kender!”

So Rapp had escaped. Bakal took no pleasure from that, wondering, just before he blacked out from pain, what a lone kender could possibly do at this point. He already knew the answer.

Nothing.

The gargoyle had spoken the truth. Cadrio, helm on and visor down, had watched in anticipation as the last of the clouds broke up. The time had come. Murk and Eclipse, each burdened with five men, flew upward, beating their wings hard to make up for the added weight.

He waited for Valkyn’s magic to bring them down, just as it had the gold and silver dragons, but no lightning struck, no wind tossed the black leviathans and their riders about. Only the gargoyles came to the citadel’s defense, and to Cadrio, they were little but flies. The dragons would deal with them. The twins were eager to prove their mastery of the sky over these tiny intruders.

As for the gargoyles’ master, Valkyn had only two options: bow before Cadrio or get his head lopped off. Cadrio savored the second scenario, but still wanted to make certain that he had gleaned all the information he could from his arrogant ally first. Then, one way or the other, he would rid himself of Valkyn. The black wizard would ever be a danger while he lived.

The dragons skirted around the flying citadel, seeking out any possible danger. Without the storm, though, it seemed that Atriun was nearly defenseless. Eclipse finally dropped to the courtyard so his riders could dismount. Rudolpho and the four soldiers leaped off, immediately seeking shelter.

Cadrio, on Murk, leaned forward. “Go to the main doors of the castle! I want them burned away!”

The massive black nodded. Given the honor of carrying the commander, Murk was determined to prove that he deserved the honor. He stretched his wings and began his descent.

As they neared, Cadrio noticed that several of the gargoyles ignored the dragons entirely. They seemed more interested in some incident within the tower containing the Wind Captain’s Chair. Cadrio didn’t care what kept the defenders occupied, so long as it did not interfere with his plans.

Murk alighted just before the tall doorway of Castle Atriun. The dragon positioned himself so that he faced the bolted entrance.

“Best to dismount behind me!” Murk roared.

The men slid down the length of the behemoth just as Murk inhaled. As the general’s boots touched the stone courtyard, the black dragon let forth with a hard blast of pure acid. The deadly torrent struck the great doors, completely scalding them. Even the dark stone around the frame sizzled and smoked.

Despite his grand effort, Murk had failed to open the way. The doors had been damaged but not destroyed.

“They’ve been treated with some protective substance!” Cadrio snarled. Whether it had been the work of the Solamnic Knight or Valkyn, the general did not care. He would brook no delays. “Do it again!”

This time, Murk drew in as much air as he could, then unleashed a burning storm that ravaged Atriun’s entrance. The doors at last crumbled, the remnants smoking, pockmarked. Bits of the arched frame collapsed.

“Return to the Harpy ! Bring up the reinforcements!”

The dragon nodded, leaping into the sky. Cadrio gathered Rudolpho and the others together, then made for the devastated doorway. A pair of gargoyles landed among them, one seizing the man next to the general. Cadrio wasted no time, thrusting his blade through the monster’s neck. As he pulled it free, another soldier helped the first man up.

Rudolpho stood in front of the remaining creature, the black mage’s hand raised. The gargoyle froze in place, then toppled over like a statue. Rudolpho brought his foot down, shattering his petrified victim.

“Save your magic!” the commander shouted. “You’ll need it for Valkyn!”

As he said the other wizard’s name, thunder crashed.

“By her infernal majesty!” The vulpine commander paused at the ruined entrance, peering up at a sky that had darkened so suddenly that his eyes needed a moment to adjust to the gloom. The wind picked up, blowing with such strength that the men could barely stand. Cadrio felt his skin burn where droplets of acid, flung up by the gusts, splattered against his cheek.

“No …” he whispered. “Too soon! Too soon!”

Eclipse had already flown off, but his brother could still be seen from the courtyard. Cadrio started to call the dragon to him, then noticed that Murk also struggled with the wind. Even as Cadrio watched, the black leviathan was pushed back toward Atriun.

“Fly, you miserable wyvern! Fly!”

Murk tried but lost more distance. Now he flew nearly directly above the enchanted fortress, tossed about like a leaf.

Lightning crackled. Thunder roared again.

A crimson bolt struck Murk.

The black dragon roared in agony. He tried to fly in one direction, but a fearsome wind tossed him to the side, sending the helpless leviathan away from the citadel.

A second bolt ripped through the dragon’s left wing; another scorched his tail. A sickly sensation spread through the commander.

Valkyn had control of the storm again and now demonstrated to Cadrio the folly of having dared to betray him.