Richard Knaak - The Citadel

From the wooded garden, they neared the ravaged end of the flying citadel. Serene stared at the castle with some anxiety; she hoped that no part of it had collapsed onto the pens.

Her fears seemed justified as they came across what remained of the outer corral. A portion of the exterior wall of the castle had indeed fallen onto it, crushing most of the high-fenced enclosure. Fortunately, Serene saw that the interior section still stood intact, although some rubble blocked part of the entrance. Even from this distance, the cleric could hear the roars of at least two griffons.

Near the corral, a figure rose into sight, a massive block of stone in his arms. As they watched, he hefted it to the side, then tossed it on a pile of rubble.

“Bakal!” Tyros waved as he shouted, trying to get the Ergothian’s attention.

They had to venture somewhat nearer before Captain Bakal could hear them over the storm and the griffons. When he saw them, the scarred veteran gave the pair a tired, grim smile.

“Praise be to Draco Paladin!” Bakal spouted. “I was beginning to think I was the only one left alive … and I wasn’t counting on that too much longer.” He looked past them. “What about Rapp? Where’s he?”

Tyros grimaced. “Rapp’s dead, Bakal. He died freeing me. Valkyn killed him with hardly a care.” To Serene, Tyros added, “I’m sorry … I wanted to tell you.”

“You didn’t have to. Valkyn himself had the honor of that.”

A stony expression passed over the soldier’s weathered features. “And I was just starting to like the little thief.…”

“Where are your men?”

A deeper darkness spread. “Dead. The last two were butchered by the wizard’s gargoyle. I had to run from the beast before, but if I could just get him at a sword’s point, I-”

“Crag’s dead,” Serene interjected, picking up a rock. “Stone killed him to save me … and then Valkyn killed Stone.”

“That damned wizard-no offense, Tyros-needs to be strung up! At least General Cadrio’s dead! I had that pleasure myself, up by the Wind Captain’s Chair. He fell out a window while we were fighting.” The captain shook his head. “Sorry to say, though, we ruined the steering mechanism during the struggle. I thought we were going to smash to pieces when we first hit that mountainside. This citadel’s built to last.”

“Not for much longer,” Tyros informed him. “Valkyn has neither control of its flight nor the power to keep the citadel aloft much more. The storm’s already abating. We need to get the griffons out and pray they will fly us to the ground!”

As they talked, Serene touched the gate leading to the griffons. She could hear the animals within, pleading to be let out. The cleric could feel their claustrophobia, their fear. Would they even acknowledge her? “If I can get inside, perhaps I can convince them to aid us.”

“Let me help.” Tyros inspected the lock. The cleric watched him, momentarily wishing that one of them had Rapp’s skill with such things.

Raising the staff high, the wizard brought the tip down hard on the lock. Emerald sparks flared. The gate flung open, nearly striking the ragged spellcaster.

“That will do,” Serene said.

She entered the animal pens, marveling at their immense size. The Solamnic lord must have kept enough livestock to survive a year-long siege.

One of the griffons noted her presence and squawked. The gargoyles had packed the forlorn animals in two of the mailer pens, giving the them practically no room to spread their wings. They looked up at the cleric as she neared, eyes wary and somewhat untrusting.

“Hush, children,” she cooed. “It’s only me. You remember Serene, don’t you? Serene, who has always tended to your wounds and scratched your heads?”

Some of the uncertainty dwindled. The largest of the surviving griffons shoved his way forward.

“And there’s Taggi, first as usual.” Coming up to the pen, she held out a hand. The griffon thrust his beak forward, smelling her. His eyes softened and he pushed his head near enough to have it scratched. “That’s right …”

Her eyes more accustomed to the gloom, she could see that the creatures had been treated badly. Several had wounds and tufts of fur and feather missing. One animal lay in the back of a cage, unmoving. The cleric muttered an epithet, hoping that the griffons had been able to make some of their captors pay in kind.

“Don’t you worry, now,” she whispered soothingly. “I’ll get you out of here.”

She located the keys on a peg nearby, then quickly opened both cages. The cleric had to keep Taggi and the others from nearly bowling her over in their eagerness to be free. Serene immediately confronted the lead griffon, staring at him in the manner Rapp had whenever he had needed to tell the creature something important. How much Taggi understood, Serene couldn’t say. Certainly the kender had always managed to get through.

“Listen to me, Taggi. You know I’m Rapp’s friend, right?”

She nearly made a mistake mentioning the kender. Immediately the griffons looked around, seeking their friend. Serene had to work hard to regain Taggi’s attention.

How had Rapp sometimes accomplished the matter? “Taggi? Do you want to go for a ride?”

Taggi blinked, then stretched his wings slightly. He gazed at Serene, as if expecting some response. She, in turn, smiled, recognizing the sign that Rapp had always received when he talked to them about taking him and his friends on a journey.

“Yes, Taggi! That’s it. A ride!”

The griffons suddenly surged forward. Taggi moved to her side, trotting along with her as they left the confines of the animal pens. Serene had the pleasure of seeing the disconcerted expressions of her two companions.

“Was there ever a doubt?” she jested.

“No,” returned Tyros, staring gravely in her eyes. “Just some fear.”

Serene felt her face flush. She quickly turned from the tall wizard and bent down to speak with Taggi. “Now, you be gentle with these two men. They’re friends of mine … and Rapp’s.”

Taggi squawked, then rubbed his beak on her side. She smiled and scratched his head for a moment.

A violent tremor ripped through the flying citadel.

Captain Bakal fell to his knees. Tyros used his staff to maintain his balance, but the wizard’s face had turned ashen. Serene clutched Taggi, wondering what had happened now.

Jagged fissures appeared in the ground, some of them so near that a few of the griffons had to momentarily take to the air to avoid falling in. With a rumble, the ceiling of the chamber from which the cleric had led the animals collapsed, a cloud of dust and dirt emphasizing the totality of its destruction.

Atriun began drifting away from the mountains.

Serene felt a sense of foreboding. “What’s going on?”

“The citadel is moving,” a pale Tyros managed.

“Of course, but-”

“No …” He shook his head. “It is moving with purpose. Its course is steady and strong. Atriun’s heading back in the direction of the battle.”

Bakal looked at him close. “Are you saying-”

“Yes. I don’t know how, but Valkyn once again has control of the flying citadel.”

“I want to go back!” Eclipse roared, still sulking. He would have beaten the gold dragon. Never mind that Sunfire had already been crippled before this day, and that the human atop the black had been the reason for any major successes. Eclipse felt that the victory would belong to him. He needed a victory. His mind was still fragile from the loss of his twin.

“The gold can wait!” Zander snapped. He had far too many other problems to concern himself with besides the whining of his mount. The other dragon would go nowhere. What concerned the young commander more had to do with his forces, which had become hard-pressed to maintain their ground, much less advance.