Richard Knaak - The Citadel

What had happened to the wizard’s castle? Everything had been going well until the storm had abruptly turned against them. Then, to Zander’s horror, Atriun had flown off. The last he had seen of it, it had been heading for the nearest mountains.

There had been no word from General Cadrio or, more to the point, from Valkyn. If something had happened to both of them, then everything was lost. Zander now regretted not having abandoned Cadrio and seeking out the Blue Lady. They said she could reward a good officer in many ways and, despite the chaos below, he still felt himself the best.

Zander had forced Eclipse up into the sky the moment the citadel had fled. He no longer cared about Valkyn’s battle plan; if his men were to survive, he had to pull them together. With the aid of the black dragon, Zander had managed to keep them from routing, but the Ergothians had strong leaders of their own, and despite the threat of dragonfear or acid, the defenders began pushing forward.

The surviving catapults had repositioned themselves and now once again bombarded his ranks. Using Eclipse, Zander had disposed of two of the pesky machines, but he and the dragon had nearly suffered a direct hit. At the same time, the young commander had trouble trying to keep the rest of his forces under control. If Zander concentrated on the catapults, the Ergothian cavalry and foot soldiers tore through his front lines.

Things were falling apart, and even he could not put them back together without help.

“Where are you, General?” the young officer muttered. “And where are you, wizard? If one of you would just tell me what’s going on, I’d be forever grateful.”

“Aaah, there you are, General Zander.”

Eclipse let out the nearest thing to a squawk that Zander had ever heard a dragon utter. He himself barely kept his expression in check, for in front of the pair, heedless of the lack of earth beneath his feet, stood Valkyn. Even though Zander knew that he faced an illusion, the cowled figure looked so real he expected the wizard to plummet to his death at any moment.

“What’s happening, Master Valkyn? The citadel-”

The unnerving smile spread, although something about it seemed weary. “Atriun is on its way back. There have been some minor disruptions, but I have dealt with all save one.” The sky blue eyes grew chilling. “And that one will be dealt with very, very soon.”

A wave of relief washed over Zander. “And the battle?”

“My commendations on that, General. Excellent strategy under unexpected pressure. Maintain your actions. I will be with you shortly.”

“Yes, Master Valkyn!”

The image vanished, and only then did Zander realize that the mage had called him general. So much, then, for Cadrio. Zander smiled. A field promotion.

“I see it!” Eclipse roared. “The wizard’s castle comes!”

Indeed it did, but even from far away, Zander noted the differences. Atriun had been heavily damaged on one side. One of its towers was in ruins. Gazing at the mountains from which the citadel had come, the new general suspected that he knew exactly what had caused such terrible destruction.

Yet despite the damage, the castle still flew. Only a few ominous clouds drifted along with Valkyn’s creation, but Zander supposed that the wizard conserved his magic for the actual battle.

“General Zander.”

This time he couldn’t hide his startlement. He hadn’t expected to hear from the black mage until later in the battle. He saluted. “Master Valkyn! You’ve need of something?”

Valkyn did not smile. What that meant, the soldier did not want to know. “A change of plans. I’ve immediate need of you and your beast, my general. There are some gnats about to leave my citadel … a woman and two-no, I suspect only one man! Slay the man and as many of the griffons as you need to, but capture the woman and bring her back to me.”

Zander hated to leave his forces at such a crucial point, but when Valkyn spoke, it paid to obey. “As you command!”

Again the illusion vanished. Fearful of the wizard, Eclipse had already begun to bank toward Castle Atriun. Zander leaned forward, searching for griffons. He would find them. Valkyn would be proud of him.

General Zander …

* * * * *

Tyros stared up in the direction of the Wind Captain’s Chair, then at his companions. At last he came to a decision, one not at all to his liking but necessary.

“Serene, Bakal, take the griffons and leave the citadel.”

They both looked at him as if he had gone mad.

“There’s no more reason to stay here, boy! This castle’s going to come crashing down!”

Serene stepped up to him. “Do you think I’ll leave you here alone, knowing what’s happened to Rapp and Stone? If you’re going to face Valkyn, I’ll be at your side.”

“Listen to me.” He softly put a hand on Serene’s shoulder, but his gaze shifted between them. “Valkyn has the citadel under some control, but unless he has something in mind I don’t know of, he cannot possibly keep it from crashing. I’m afraid he might try to drop it on your people, Bakal.”

“Then more the reason I should be going after him, not you!” the captain snarled.

“He still wields magic. Besides, the two of you have to warn Gwynned. They might be able to do something if I fail.”

The cleric frowned. “I can see Bakal going to warn them, but I should stay with you!”

“No. Valkyn won’t hesitate to kill even you. He might delay with me, though.” Although Tyros didn’t explain his last statement, they all knew what he meant. Valkyn likely still hoped to return his rival to the columns. “They’ll need your help down there as a cleric, Serene. With so few healers of Mishakal about, the Bard King might be able to lend a hand.”

She couldn’t argue with that. While Mishakal held province over healing, even Serene could achieve some success through her god. Still, she wouldn’t give up on one subject. “And what if you defeat Valkyn? How will you get off of Atriun?”

He had no answer for that.

Bakal joined in. “We’ll go, Tyros, but we won’t leave the area immediately. If it looks like Atriun’s on its way to Gwynned, we’ll fly off. But if there’s a chance you’re alive and need help, we’ll be there!”

The mage sighed. “Then at least go now. Time is wasting!”

Serene turned and whispered something to Taggi and one of the other griffons. Bakal mounted, but before the cleric did, she suddenly rushed back to Tyros and, standing on her toes, kissed him on the cheek. Her face crimson, Serene then hurried to Taggi.

His own face feeling flushed, Tyros waved in silence as his companions flew off, then, steeling his resolve, he turned and headed back into Atriun. There was only one place Valkyn might be at this point. With the Wind Captain’s Chair destroyed, Atriun’s master surely had to have gone to the chamber housing the massive crystals. Only from there could he have possibly regained control.

Those who had known Tyros in the past might have thought that he had sent the others off in order to reap the glories himself. They couldn’t have been more mistaken. The events since the first attack on Gwynned had marked Tyros, opening up a part of him that he had kept locked away. He knew the danger of confronting Valkyn and intended that he face that danger alone. Leot, Rapp, and even Stone had perished at the hands of the black mage, and Tyros didn’t want to lose his two remaining friends … especially Serene. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, he was determined to bring down his counterpart.

And in the chamber where he had been so recently chained to Valkyn’s device, Tyros found the black wizard waiting for him.

“I knew you’d return,” the goateed figure commented, smile in place. He stood in front of one of the columns, gloved hands crossed in front of him. “We really do think much alike.”