Richard Knaak - The Citadel

“I … don’t know. Perhaps … a change of c-course.” A violent change of course, to be certain. Had he believed it possible, Tyros almost would have thought that Valkyn had lost control of his flying citadel.

Whatever the reason, it made no difference to Valkyn’s monstrous device. Still it forced Tyros to draw power for spellwork, then drew that power from him, once more sending Tyros down on one knee.

As the mage fought the pain, Rapp dragged the stool and battered sword back to the column. The kender looked pale and tired, but hardly vanquished. Tyros praised the gods for a kender’s tenacity; he freely admitted to himself that he would have been hard-pressed to keep up such a pace.

Once more Rapp swung at the chain’s base, chipping away at the marble but further chipping his blade. Tyros thought at last he felt the chain give a little. He tugged hard, trying to help. “A little … little more, Rapp. I think it’s 1-loosening!”

“Now, we can’t have that, can we?”

A shiver ran through Tyros, but it wasn’t caused by the foul spell. Near the door stood Valkyn, his damnable smile in place and his wand held high in one gloved hand. The smile seemed a little forced, as if the black mage barely held himself in check.

Rapp took one quick, desperate glance at the hooded wizard, then swung at the column again.

“You were warned, kender.”

Tyros saw the wand glitter. “Rapp! Watch out for-”

A miniature bolt of green lightning flashed from the wand, heading for the kender. Rapp tried to leap out of the way, but moved just a little too late. The bolt struck kender, chair, and sword, tossing all three violently across the chamber.

“Rapp!”

The small figure dropped to the floor. Much of Rapp’s skin had been burned and his clothes smoked.

“Rapp!”

“Such energy …” Valkyn commented as he approached. “Still such life within you. I believe you’ll last far longer than any of the others did, even that hefty white-robed friend of yours.”

“You … killed him!” Tyros’s pulse pounded. “You killed Rapp!”

“I sincerely doubt the world will weep over one less kender, my friend. They have no practical use, serving only to create disorder. I do Ansalon a favor, in fact.”

Tyros tried to spit at his counterpart but couldn’t draw up enough moisture. “Small wonder,” he finally gasped, “that s-so many fear and … and hate our kind.…”

“And well they should. We are more intelligent, advanced, and capable than most of the rabble. I more than any.” Valkyn looked over Tyros. “But I seem to be capable of a mistake now and then. You didn’t do anything to the storm after all, did you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talk-”

The sinister mage waved off his reply. “No, you don’t. It seems I overestimated you and underestimated another.”

Tyros tried to reach for him, but his adversary remained just out of range. Frustrated, he pulled hard on the last chain.

Valkyn smiled more broadly, bringing up the wand. “You seem secure enough, and as long as you are, I can make use of you. However, it wouldn’t do to take anymore-”

The chain broke loose of the column.

More from a lack of balance than because he planned it, Tyros’s arm swung forward, the chain with it. Where previously his reach had been limited, it now extended more than twice as far because of the chain.

The metal base struck Valkyn in the head, part of the chain wrapping around his hood. Valkyn lost his hold on the wand and fell. Blood dripped from his forehead where the base had cut into it.

Forcing himself up to nearly a sitting position, the black mage rasped, “You dare to strike me?”

Valkyn retrieved the wand. The expression on his face had no trace whatsoever of a smile, and he didn’t even seem to notice the blood dripping down his cheek.

“I won’t kill you-oh, no-but I will see to it that you remain more pliable for the short future you still have.”

Tendrils grew from thin air, reaching immediately for the crimson-clad wizard. Tyros reacted instinctively, the words to create a magical shield springing to mind.

And to his surprise, the shield materialized.

The gleaming shield of light not only deflected Valkyn’s tendrils, but flung both them and their creator back to the doors. Valkyn collided with the doors, grunting. Tyros stared at his hands. The spell put on him by the Black Robe had vanished, possibly because of stored power from Valkyn’s device.

Whatever the cause of his freedom, Tyros dared not concern himself long with it. Glaring at the manacles still attached to his wrists and ankles, he muttered another spell. Immediately all four manacles clattered to the floor.

Despite his past suffering, despite the tortures he had barely survived, Tyros readied himself to face Valkyn and the wand. He looked up, certain to see his rival already preparing a deadly counterattack …

And found that Valkyn and the wand had vanished.

Tyros felt more relieved than frustrated. Even with magic once more at his command, he would have preferred to meet the other wizard under better circumstances. Besides, Valkyn could wait. The others needed Tyros’s help.

One, though, he could no longer help. Tyros hurried to the kender’s side, doubtful that his small companion even lived. Yet when he touched Rapp on the shoulder, the kender tried to open his eyes. He only succeeded with one, the other bloody and swollen shut.

“T-Tyros …”

“Easy, Rapp. I’ll find you some water.”

Rapp didn’t seem to hear him. “Tyros … I got you free.…”

“You did.”

The kender stared off somewhere. “Taggi … my griffons … I hope they’re okay.”

The mage sighed. “We’ll find them and set them free, Rapp. You don’t have to worry about them.”

He stopped. The kender’s face had grown nearly as pale as that of the shadow servants. Rapp stared, but clearly no longer saw anything.

Hand trembling, Tyros touched the kender’s cheek and felt the skin grow cool. The mage swallowed, then put his hand on Rapp’s chest. He felt no heartbeat, no breathing.

For a brief time, Tyros remained there, staring in frustration at what even his magic could not rectify. Rapp had saved him, had done so much to get them this far. The wizard felt guilty for not having gotten to know the kender better.

The others still needed Tyros, yet it frustrated him that he had to leave Rapp’s body in this place. Rapp should have lain in the woods or mountains, where he had made his home while caring for his beloved griffons.

Tyros dared not expend too much energy, but he knew a minor spell that would at least place the kender’s body in a safe place where the wizard might retrieve it later on. Tyros whispered the words, then watched as Rapp’s body vanished.

The kender would lie in the wooded garden of the castle, hidden from the gargoyles. Tyros would see what he could do later on for his companion, but for now this would have to do. Serene and Bakal still needed him.

Thinking of the others, Tyros recalled Valkyn’s earlier words. Valkyn had believed the captive spellcaster responsible for a dramatic change in the storm, but had realized that it had to be someone else. Tyros could think of only one other person with such potential.

Serene.

* * * * *

The cleric continued to sing despite the terrible tableau before her. As Crag leaped at Stone, she fully expected this to be the end of the smaller gargoyle. Serene nearly stopped singing, intent on doing something to save Stone’s life, but then the gargoyle suddenly burst into action.

His feet came up as Crag dropped on him. Caught off guard, the larger gargoyle left his midsection open. Stone kicked with both taloned feet, not only throwing his startled rival backward, but leaving a trail of bleeding scars across Crag’s torso.