Richard Knaak - The Citadel

Stone didn’t wait for Crag to land. He darted after the larger creature, catching Crag before he could recover. Stone slashed at his foe’s chest twice, turning the other gargoyle’s torso into a crimson field.

Breathing heavily, Crag managed a strong blow against the side of Stone’s head. The smaller gargoyle wobbled back. Unfortunately for Crag, he couldn’t pursue his advantage. Still winded and dripping his life fluids, he moved sluggishly, enabling Stone to recover.

Taking flight, the smaller gargoyle maneuvered over his slowing rival, avoiding the sharp horns and grasping claws. Crag tried to keep Stone before him but could not. Stone waited until he had gotten completely behind his more massive opponent, then dropped on top of him.

Stone sank his talons deep into the larger gargoyle’s back. Crag tried to shake him off but could not. The badly wounded monster fell to his knees.

Stone leaned forward and sank his jaws into Crag’s neck.

Crag howled. The massive gargoyle’s struggles grew weaker and his breathing turned ragged. He tried to roll over onto Stone, but the other gargoyle refused to let him.

The toll was too much. Crag finally slumped forward. He hissed once … and then lay still.

The triumphant gargoyle let out a cry that chilled Serene even as she silently cheered his victory. Stone then took hold of the massive corpse by the feet and dragged it to the balcony. As the cleric watched, ever mindful of her own task, he hefted Crag’s body over his head and roared again.

Despite the storm, the wind, and her own song and music, the cleric of Branchala heard other cries as gargoyles beyond the balcony replied. They honored his victory, Serene finally realized.

With a last roar, Stone hurled his foe over the rail.

The gargoyle folded his wings and turned back toward her. As he did, however, the entire citadel suddenly dipped at a steep angle. Stone took to the air, but all Serene could do was momentarily pause in her song in order to keep from falling.

Serene recovered her balance as quickly as she could, not wanting to give Valkyn any time to regain control over his creation. The cleric tried to make sense of what had happened. Surely Valkyn had not directed Atriun to turn at such an angle. Serene had expected the fortress to be buffeted by the unnatural storm, but now it flew about as if under no control whatsoever.

A second gargoyle suddenly alighted on the balcony. Stone turned to face the newcomer, his breath still rapid. The cleric feared that he would now have to do battle with a new foe, but instead the second gargoyle dropped before him, muzzle to the ground.

The newcomer said something to Stone, who growled back. The other gargoyle glanced at Serene, nodded, then flew off again.

Stone returned to her. “Castle flies to mountains … mussst come!”

She didn’t quite understand but feared to stop and ask him to explain. Stone’s claws scratched impatiently at the floor as the gargoyle sought to make himself clear. “Castle flies blind! Will strike mountains!”

Now the cleric understood. She ceased her song. “I have to find Tyros and the others before that happens.”

“No!” The gargoyle vehemently shook his head. He stretched his wings to their fullest. “Come with Stone, mistress. Now!”

“But I cannot leave the others.”

“Stone’s people will-” The gargoyle broke off, suddenly staring at the center of the room in consternation. “Come quick!”

He seized her wrist, pulling her from the bed just as a tall figure in black robes materialized at the very point where the creature had been staring. Stone tried to rush to the balcony, but the doors suddenly swung shut, sealing the pair inside.

Hissing in anger, the gargoyle quickly released her and, with a roar, leaped at the new intruder.

An ebony-gloved hand reached out, fingers twisting like claws. Stone suddenly reeled, clutching at his chest. The gargoyle stumbled back, nearly colliding with Serene.

“I see that your first lesson did not hold,” Valkyn quietly commented. “There will be no second.”

Serene tried to throw herself in front of Stone. “Valkyn, no!”

The black wizard gave a twist of his wrist.

An incredible wave of heat forced Serene away from her winged companion. She turned to see Stone howl in agony as a brilliant sunburst formed on his chest. The sunburst spread swiftly, enveloping the struggling gargoyle.

Knowing that he was lost, Stone lunged at his tormentor. However, even as his wings launched him into the air, the gargoyle simply faded, his roar cut off midway through.

Although tears streamed down Serene’s cheeks, anger had command of her now. She glared at Valkyn, wondering how she had ever thought she would love him forever. “You’ve killed him!”

“It was only a gargoyle, and not a very good one at that. Not worth any more than a kender, which is why we’re better rid of them both, my dear serenity.”

“A … a kender?” Not Rapp, too, she thought.

“Yes.” Valkyn’s tone became brusque. He stretched forth the same hand toward her, but instead of feeling tremendous heat burning her from within, the cleric found herself floating to the mage. “Now come to me. I’ve had enough of these irritations. My house must be put back in order.”

He took her wrist. Up close, Serene noticed for the first time the blood and the injury to his forehead. Someone had struck Valkyn a damaging blow. It gave her the encouragement she needed.

“I’ll go nowhere with you, you monster!” Serene murmured a prayer and had the satisfaction of seeing him release her wrist in sudden pain. The area around his hand glowed a soft emerald color.

“Damn you!” Valkyn swung his other hand at her face. The wand caught Serene across her jaw and sent the cleric reeling.

She fell to the floor, stunned. Valkyn’s menacing shadow loomed over her, a spectre of death. The glow around his other hand faded.

“What a fool I was to think so little of you,” he murmured. “The young cleric of a woodland god just returned.” The wizard’s smile had turned decidedly grim. “I thought Tyros had turned my storm against me. I never even considered you in that equation. A sloppy bit of calculation on my part.”

He pointed the wand at her. Serene noticed that it didn’t glow as strongly as it had when he had first materialized. “And so you’ll kill me now, dear Valkyn?”

“Kill you? Perhaps temper you. Bend you. Break you. Not kill you, though. You mean far too much to me.”

“Once that would have been flattering, but now I feel nothing but loathing for you.”

The dark wizard’s smile widened, never a good sign. “As if that mattered. You’re going to give me back my citadel, my dear, and you’re going to help me make it stronger, more efficient. But first you’re going to help me deal with one loose end.”

The hallway doors burst open.

Both turned as a figure clad in ragged crimson robes stalked in, a staff in one hand. Tyros looked pale and gaunt, yet still something about him told Serene that the younger wizard hadn’t yet given up the fight.

“And here is that loose end even now,” mocked Valkyn. “This certainly simplifies matters.”

“Your toy crumbles around you, Valkyn,” Tyros declared. “The storm is against you, the citadel flies without control, and you have no source with which to power it. We have only a matter of time before it crashes!”

“Oh, it will fly for some time, my fellow mage. As long as the device itself remains intact, the power stored will keep Atriun flying until I find a new source … or resecure an old one.”

Tyros raised the staff. “That will not happen.”

“You found your staff? A useless little thing. I inspected it myself. You would have been better off stealing mine again. It might have availed you better … at least for a few moments.”