Dragonmage of Mystara

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The ranks of the enemy moved slowly through the wilderness; there was no reason for such a vast and unstoppable force to hurry toward the inevitable. Their destruction of the civilized lands to the east seemed a terrible certainty, so it mattered not to them whether their conquest of this new world took weeks or months. Indeed, the Masters reckoned that they might need as long as a year to enslave the western continent before moving step by step across the islands of the sea to Alphatia and finally into the uncharted continents of the far east and the distant south. They would never again make the mistake that they had made before by underestimating the dragons.

They had fought their way across a hundred worlds, enslaving many and utterly destroying a number of them. In all the centuries of conquest since they had come to serve the Overlord, they had never lost a war. Now they were prepared to do whatever they must to insure that they did not lose this battle. There was no question that the dragons would try to stop ihem before their forces reached the inhabited lands. Either they and their vast army would be defeated, a seemingly impossible turn of events, or the dragons would be destroyed. But they knew they would not lose the coming battle. If things went badly, the Overlord himself would come to fight with them, to make their victory certain and absolute. Indeed, the Overlord would be coming under any circumstances.

Their invasion force moved slowly across the land, five entire armies marching side by side a mile apart, each army advancing in a column two hundred yards across. Swift, stealthy scouts, Veydran and other warriors, advanced well ahead of the columns, seeking out spies and traps. Great beasts gathered from many strange worlds led each army, tearing out trees and stones and tossing them aside like playthings, while other massive animals followed behind to trample the torn ground into a hard-packed road. After that came the soldiers, rank upon rank, drawn from many different races, interspaced with trains of supply wagons, great wains the size of small ships drawn by horselike beasts nearly the size of dragons, supplies enough to keep even this huge force in the field for months.

And above the armies of the Overlord flew the Masters, hundreds of gemstone dragons of every color. Others led the lumbering hulks of the metal warriors, who stood like mountains of iron over the ranks of the armies. The metal monsters had been marching slowly outward from the secret stronghold of the Masters for the last six days, and ranks of soldiers and supply wagons were still coming through the great worldgate, taking their places at the ends of columns that now stretched for nearly a hundred miles. They would reach the mountains bordering the western frontier in another five days, although their intention was to head south of the great spur of the Wen-darian Range to enter the Highlands through the wide valley of Areste River. They expected to fight their last battle with the dragons before that happened.

They knew what the Dragonking's plans would be, since circumstances left him little choice. They knew that their own disadvantage was the very size of their army, forcing it to move slowly through open land. And they knew that the dragons would not wait to fight them in one last battle, but would harass them at every opportunity, steadily whittling away at their strength. The Masters were prepared to do anything to prevent themselves from being drawn into a contest that they would lose because of their smaller numbers, even if they had to sacrifice large portions of their armies of slaves to protect themselves.

Even so, the Dragonking managed to surprise them. He had realized that any plan that was obvious and simple to him was also apparent to the Masters. He had changed his tactics accordingly.

The dragons came not in small, swift raiding parties but in full strength, five thousand strong, flying as low and fast as they could. Darting in and out between the tops of the trees, they seemed to appear without warning from all directions at once, their attack runs carefully timed so that they all descended upon their enemies at the same moment. And they attacked not at one place but all along the twenty-mile length of the ranks of the invaders. The Masters were overwhelmed almost as quickly as they realized that they were under attack. They had kept their own numbers spread out along the columns of their armies to offer the best protection, and now they couldn't gather quickly enough to combine their strength against the overpowering numbers of their enemies.

The dragons descended upon the Masters in swarms, often five of six of them overtaking a single gemstone dragon at once. The Masters that were caught were driven sharply to the ground, their armor plowing through the torn earth among the scattered ranks of their soldiers, some crashing through the trees of the surrounding woods. Many of the gemstone dragons were slain immediately, their necks broken in death holds. Others were simply held to the ground for a brief moment while the dragons spoke the Overlord's secret name to them in soft voices before releasing their captives and withdrawing quickly. In the latter instance, the Masters would most often rise slowly, as if they were regaining their wits. Then they would spread their wings and leap into the morning sky, heading swiftly away into the wilderness like trapped animals fleeing a cage when the door has been opened.

As Thelvyn had expected, knowing the name of the Overlord had the power to free even the Masters from his control. Perhaps they had never before in their lives commanded their own thoughts and will, knowing only what the Overlord demanded of them. Now that they were free, they wanted to stay free.

Of course, not all the Masters were slain or freed. Some found openings between the attacking dragons and fled, although the swifter gold and red dragons were able to chase down many who managed to escape the initial attack. But enough of the Masters were gone that the advance of the invading army was brought to a stop for the remainder of the day until the Masters who had managed to escape returned cautiously from the wild and began to restore order to their disoriented fighters. As Thelvyn had predicted, it was obvious that the Overlord depended upon the Masters to convey his orders and redirect the force of his will among his many slaves.

The dragons continued to attack throughout the day, altering their tactics to raid quickly in small bands. They could come and go with relative impunity, although they still had to be swift and cautious during their attacks now that the enemy forces had stopped moving to take up a defensive position. The invaders had brought hundreds of mobile catapults that launched bolts large enough to do considerable harm to a dragon. Nevertheless, in one quick and simple move, the Dragonking had left his enemy at a serious disadvantage.

Thelvyn knew he had taken a chance in releasing some of the gemstone dragons rather than slaying them. If the plan hadn't worked as he hoped, many of the Masters would have been free to fight a second time. Jherdar and several other leaders among the red and black dragons had been uncomfortable with the plan, but their respect for the Dragonking had kept them from questioning his judgment. Now, as reports from their scouts came in during the day, Thelvyn's choice had been vindicated. Of the five hundred gemstone dragons that had accompanied the invasion force, more than a hundred were dead and approximately another three hundred had fled into the wilds.

Early that afternoon, Thelvyn received a message that the leader of the freed gemstone dragons wished to speak with the Dragonking. Thelvyn had been expecting something like this.

His hope was that they would be willing to help fight the remaining invaders, or at least provide him with some valuable information. He had been watching the enemy from a temporary camp only ten miles or so from the vanguard of the invading army, together with his chief advisors and his bodyguard.

Three of the freed Masters approached a short time later. Thelvyn hadn't forgotten that the gemstone dragons were larger than all but a few of the mature gold and red dragons, but he was still momentarily startled by their immense size. Their strange armor, like plates that appeared to have been carved from precious stones, made them look more like fanciful statues than living creatures. But there was a change in their bearing; their cold confidence was gone, replaced by uncertainty and fear. Their schemes, their will, even their courage had always come from the Overlord, and they clearly needed some time to learn how to decide matters for themselves.

"Do your people understand what has happened to you?" Thelvyn asked.

The leader of the gemstone dragons glanced quickly to either side before daring to look at the Dragonking. "We understand. We have never been permitted to question our service to the Overlord, and therefore everything he made us believe had seemed right to us. Now we understand what it means to be free."

"Will you fight with us to remain free?" Thelvyn asked.

"We would like to fight, but we dare not," the crystal dragon said, looking very fearful. "We are like the Flaem in that regard. We have been under the will of the Overlord for many generations, and his power remains in us even yet. When he comes into this world, he will be able to draw us back under his control once again. The name that protects you is not enough to keep us safe from him. We must stay far away from here when he comes, or he will enslave us again and make us fight you."

"How far must you go before you escape his influence?"

"We can never really escape him," the crystal dragon explained. "There is no place in this world far enough distant that his will cannot reach us once he comes. But if we are not here, he will not know we are still alive. If he sees us fighting in your ranks, he will turn us against you. That is why we must not be here."

Thelvyn nodded. "I understand. Gather your people and lead them into the east. We will find you when the fighting is done."

"You must be very careful," the gemstone dragon said, becoming fearful again. "The Overlord has changed the gemstone dragons in incredible ways so that we may better serve him. He can share his strength with us, making us stronger and our magic far more powerful."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Thelvyn told him.

"But you have not yet seen the worst. When the Overlord comes, he can command the Masters who remain under his will to transform into terrible creatures of fire and destruction. When this happens, you will not be able to fight them at all. Their touch will bring pain and death. Their breath will rend the sky and crack the earth. However, they will not be able to fly any faster than before, so at least you will be able to flee from them."

Thelvyn stared at the ground while he listened to those words. He looked up after a long moment. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"I can say nothing more," the crystal dragon said. "If the time should come that you must fight the Overlord himself, I am not sure what he will do. I can tell you this, however. What you see is only his magic, layer upon layer of powerful magic. To slay him, you must destroy the ancient spells he has woven about himself. I know not what you will discover hidden deep beneath the magic. No one has ever seen his true form."

"I see." Thelvyn straightened and sat upright. "I do not know whether anything you have said will help me defeat the Overlord, but at least I have a better understanding of what I face. I thank you for that. Now gather your people and go."

The three gemstone dragons bowed their heads in a gesture of respect, then turned and hurried away. Thelvyn continued to sit for a long moment, staring out across the miles of wilderness toward the distant armies of the invaders. The dragons remained silent, watching him closely. They could only wonder if he saw more hope in their situation than they did.

"Ah, well," he sighed at last. "Just when we seemed to be getting ahead, we find out just how far behind we really are."

"If you can believe the words of the gemstone dragons," Jherdar muttered darkly.

"I'm sure they were telling the truth," Thelvyn said, glancing over his shoulder at his companions. "I can't really say that things are worse than I hoped. I was expecting the worst, and this was confirmation of my fears."

He rose and walked slowly a short distance into the deep shadows of the woods. The others followed him, gathering around him when he sat down beneath a large tree. They were frightened to see him look so troubled. He still appeared somewhat weary from his trials in the world of the Overlord, but now he looked sad as well. He glanced up at them.

"There's no point in making any small gestures of defiance," he said. "Jherdar, gather the dragons as quickly as you can."

The red dragon nodded grimly. "I will have the dragons ready for your orders as quickly as I can."

"I have only one last command to give the dragons," Thelvyn said. "I realize now that this is my appointed time. I must face the task that I alone was created to accomplish, or else fail in the attempt. The dragons cannot help me. I can no longer in good conscience ask them to risk themselves in battles that will not matter in the end. I dismiss the dragons from my service, and I beg you to lead them to safety. Do whatever you must to take them to a safe place, even if you must open gates of your own and flee this world."

"You speak as if the battle were already lost," Marthaen declared.

Thelvyn shook his head firmly. "I do not believe that, but I must admit the possibility and be prepared. It is my duty to protect the dragons from their enemies. If I can defeat the Overlord, then the dragons will be safe. If I cannot, then they can't hope to defeat him by themselves. There comes a time when it is better to save what we can than risk losing everything."

The others protested, but Thelvyn refused to argue the matter and he would not listen to their pleas. As much as they hated to admit it, there was some truth in Thelvyn's contention that he alone must fight the battle that would decide the outcome of the entire war. At last Jherdar withdrew reluctantly, still grumbling his dissatisfaction even as he began to gather the dragons to lead eastward. In spite of Thelvyn's assurances, they couldn't help but feel that his dismissal of the dragons was meant that the worst was now inevitable.

Thelvyn realized that some dragons would refuse to leave until the final battle was at hand. He needed Marthaen for a while yet, and he knew neither Kharendaen nor Sir George would leave him until there was no choice. Indeed, he wondered how he could possibly convince Kharendaen to leave short of ordering Marthaen to have the dragons carry her to safety. So many hopes seemed to be coming to an end.

Later that afternoon, the dragons who had remained behind with Thelvyn became aware that something was happening to the west. One by one, they paused and lifted their heads to stare into the distance, sensing something. Even as they watched, great banks of clouds began to gather quickly in the west, spreading quickly across the sky in all directions. Within moments a vast, towering storm loomed dark and threatening above the western wilderness. Even as they watched, the clouds continued to expand, as if reaching out for them.

"What is it?" Sir George asked. The first breath of a cold, damp wind suddenly rushed over them, stirring the branches of the trees.

"The Overlord has come," Thelvyn said. "With things going badly for his army, it was inevitable."

"Does he always wrap himself in storms?" Marthaen asked.

"I'm not sure what purpose the storm serves," he replied as he watched the first sheets of lightning ripple across the dark, seething mass of clouds. "Perhaps he needs to hide himself from light and warmth. Perhaps he's lived in darkness so long that he fears to leave it."

Thelvyn had to make some important decisions in a hurry. Now that the Overlord had entered their world, the time was at hand for him to complete the task that he had been created for. He had to find some way to destroy the Overlord, and failure was not an option. The price of defeat was too great. Whatever choice he made had to be the right choice, because

he would not have a second chance.

He couldn't escape the feeling that the Great One must have provided him with some means to fight such a powerful enemy. And yet he found himself reluctant to make the final commitment to the fulfillment of his destiny because he knew the price that he would have to pay. There was an inescapable sacrifice to be made in attaining the full powers that had been ordained for the Dragonking, a sacrifice he must pay even in victory. He realized now that he had been trying to work his way around his fate, hoping that cleverness or luck would show him a way to defeat his enemies. Now he knew that he was only delaying the inevitable.

What else was there for him? He had reached the end of his hope, and he had found no other answer. He would not sacrifice the dragons in an attempt to escape his own duty, knowing that they would fail and he would still be left with the same choice. If his concern had been only for himself, for his danger of losing his new life as a dragon, he might have been filled with the same fear and regret, but he would not be hesitating. His deepest regret, he realized, was that Kharendaen would feel he had betrayed her.

As the dragons watched the gathering clouds, their sharp eyes eventually caught sight of the distant forms of gemstone dragons approaching swiftly. There were eight alien dragons in all, more than a match for the small group that remained with the Dragonking. And as the long moments passed, they were alarmed to see that the Masters were heading directly toward them.

"We'd better leave," Thelvyn said. "Now that we know the extent of the powers the Overlord can bestow upon the Masters, I'm sure there aren't enough of us to fight them."

The dragons spread their wings and lifted into the sky, flying low to avoid being seen. They turned immediately to the east, toward the distant line of the Wendarian Mountains. For a moment, it seemed that the Masters would be satisfied simply to chase them from the area. But suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light, and the dark forms of the gemstone dragons were enveloped in flames, transformed into great winged creatures made of fire like an ascending phoenix, trailing long,

flickering trails of flame in their wakes.

Now the dragons settled in for a long run, having no way of knowing when, or if, the Masters would abandon the chase. Thelvyn recalled the words of the freed gemstone dragon, that even in this fiery form the Masters could not outfly a true dragon. But as the first minutes of the chase passed, he was alarmed to see that the Masters were not only keeping pace with the dragons but slowly gaining on them. The gold dragons increased their speed, stretching their broad wings in long, quick sweeps. Marthaen circled around behind Sir George, who was struggling to keep up. Drakes did not possess the speed or endurance of true dragons. Marthaen closed his claws around the drake's haunches to push him from behind, so that Sir George needed only to brace his wings to support his weight.

"What are we going to do?" Marthaen asked as Thelvyn moved in close beside him.

"We can't fight them in the open like this," Thelvyn replied as he looked back over his shoulder. While he thought he himself could probably hold his own against one of the fiery Masters, his companions did not possess his enhanced powers. Only he, Marthaen, Kharendaen, Sir George, and two gold dragon bodyguards remained to fight against eight Masters. And the true dragons had no clear idea of the extent of the powers commanded by their enemy.

"I think we could make it to the mountains," Kharendaen offered. "It's about an hour's flight at this pace, but we can hide or turn to defend ourselves better there. The Masters are still a couple of miles behind us."

"We might make it," Thelvyn said, although he sounded uncertain. "I don't know if we'll be too fatigued to fight effectively, but I see no choice."

He had already decided that if the Masters came too close, he would drop back to buy some time for the others. However, he worried that the dragons would not leave him to fight alone. The dragons would be growing more weary with each long mile of the chase, but the Masters were drawing their power from the Overlord. They would not be tiring, and so they would gradually gain on their prey as the chase continued.

The chase continued for mile after desperate mile. The sun had set soon after the beginning of their flight, and day was slowly fading into dusk. The unbroken stretches of woods and meadows became increasingly rugged and began to rise as they approached the foothills below the mountains of the western spur of the Wendarian Range. After a time, Kharendaen took over the task of carrying Sir George from her older brother, since she could use her abilities as a cleric to renew her own strength. Marthaen seemed to be holding up in the seemingly endless chase, but the two young gold bodyguards were beginning to lag behind.

Thelvyn had never expected he would be the first to begin to struggle, but the damage that he had endured at the hands of the Overlord wasn't completely healed yet, and his back and shoulders ached more with each passing mile. By the time they finally began their long, steady climb into the mountains, he was laboring under a torment of burning pain such as he had not endured since those dark, hopeless days in the stronghold of the Overlord. He knew he was hardly fit to turn and fight their pursuers as he had planned.

Indeed, he no longer saw much hope for escape. As the western sky began to darken with the fading of the last light of day, he saw perhaps a dozen more flickering points of light in the distance, following the first group of pursuers. A second, larger force of gemstone dragons was some five miles behind the first group. The first company of Masters was now barely a quarter of a mile behind the dragons. Thelvyn knew it was inevitable that he and his companions would slow even more as the climb into the heights became steeper, and he doubted they would be able to make it to the high peaks.

Suddenly the night itself seemed to shake beneath a great, echoing roar. It was the battle city of thousands of dragons as they rose swiftly from their hiding places in the woods below. They launched themselves fearlessly at the gemstone dragons, making the most of the element of surprise and their overwhelming numbers. The Masters responded almost too late, calling forth their enhanced powers. They opened their fiery jaws and arched their backs, releasing great, branching sheets of lightning that danced over the mountainside, exploding stone and earth. The land itself was shaken violently, rent and splintered by gaping cracks, so that entire cliffs and hillsides collapsed in great avalanches of stone and dust. Floods of intense flames washed over the lands, so that great stands of trees flashed into fire and exploded in the fierce heat.

But the dragons were already upon them, darting between the lightning and the fire. They attacked quickly but cautiously, guessing that their usual weapons of flame and claw with be useless against the fiery shapes of the Masters. The gemstone dragons suddenly found themselves caught in a deadly hail of large stones that their attackers had carried aloft. Battered relentlessly by stones, the gemstone dragons were stunned and their concentration was shaken. One by one, the magic that sustained their flames was broken, and they reverted back to their usual form. Then dozens of dragons descended immediately upon each of them, forcing them to the ground, where they were slain.

Thelvyn had circled back sharply the moment he saw what was happening. By that chance alone, he suddenly found himself hurtling headlong toward the leader of the Masters, the only member of his company that had been flying far enough ahead of the others to escape the ambush. They came together so quickly that it was almost too late for either of them to react. Thelvyn stood almost on his tail for an instant, breaking his speed furiously with his wings and sails, then dipped his left wing sharply, as if he intended to dart away and escape.

At the last instant, he reached out and caught the gemstone dragon's wing in his claws, holding tightly while he pulled back as hard as he could with long, quick sweeps of his wings. He knew that he was taking another chance, trusting his armor to protect him from the flames that flickered and danced over his opponent's entire form. The fiery dragon was whipped around sharply, scattering a great flash of flames that filled the air all around them as it struggled to catch itself. Each flailing stroke of its wings and whip of its tail raised a storm of swirling, leaping fire.

While Thelvyn didn't feel the heat of the flames, the gemstone dragon was thrown completely off-balance, and the tremendous drag of his weight made Thelvyn's back and neck explode in searing pain. He struggled to maintain his hold, closing his eyes and holding his breath as much against his own pain as to protect himself from the firestorm that engulfed him. In the next moment, the tough sail of the gemstone dragon's wing ripped away, tearing loose from Thelvyn's claws. Still struggling desperately to catch himself, the stricken Master plummeted downward in a flash of fire like a falling star. A moment later he crashed through the stands of tall pines on the steep hillside two hundred yards below, exploding in a great burst of flames.

Stricken with pain, struggling to keep himself in the air long enough to reach shelter, Thelvyn looked about quickly and then circled around to land in a small clearing atop a stony cliff. The battle was over by that time. The Masters were all dead, and the dragons appeared to have fared very well. They all watched for a long moment, staring westward at the flickering forms of the second wave of gemstone dragons, still several miles away. After a moment, their fires went out, and they circled around to retreat back to the west. The dragons let loose with a mighty cheer that filled the night and echoed and reechoed through the mountains.

In spite of his terrible pain, Thelvyn felt encouraged by the swift victory. All the same, he was dismayed by the amount of destruction the Masters had been able to unleash in the few brief moments before they were overwhelmed. Large portions of the surrounding hills had been raked by the lightning and flames of the gemstone dragons, and much of the land was ripped apart, as if it had been cut by random strokes of some immense blade, plowing aside great stones and shattering trees. Dragon sorcerers raced about the hillside, casting spells of dampening to put out a series of fires that threatened to spread through the forest.

Thelvyn's companions hurried toward him, aware that he was injured. Unsure of the extent of his injuries, Kharendaen and her brother moved in close to his side to support him, while Sir George returned to his more familiar human form the moment he was on the ground. For a long moment, Thelvyn could not even bend his back to lie down in the soft grass. He was surprised to notice that he had not been burned.

"What have you done to yourself?" Kharendaen asked as she called upon her clerical powers to begin easing his pain.

"I doubt that it's anything but my previous injuries," he assured her. "The muscles in my back are killing me."

"You cannot be spared the time you need to rest and recover from your injuries," she said bitterly. "Your pain is so great that you can hardly even fly, and yet you must fight again and again."

Thelvyn did not answer, since there was nothing he could say. A moment later he saw Jherdar approaching the edge of the cliff swiftly. He landed lightly and folded away his wings in a quick snap, then lowered his head respectfully as he approached, looking very anxious.

"Dragonking, are you hurt?" he asked.

"Nothing serious," Thelvyn replied. "I'll probably have to go through life as a sway-backed dragon, but the pain isn't too bad. I am far more concerned at finding all of you here, as grateful as I am for your unexpected and timely assistance. You were supposed to lead the dragons to safety."

"The dragons had other plans," Jherdar said, his usual loud, gruff self returning now that he knew the Dragonking wasn't injured seriously. "If you can speak to them, I'm sure they would very much like to see you. They saw that you were in trouble, and they've gathered to await word of your condition."

Thelvyn rose, moving stiffly forward until he stood at the edge of the cliff. Thousands of dragons had gathered in the meadow below him and all along the wooded slopes of the surrounding hills. Although the night was dark and moonless, he was certain they could see him as clearly as he saw them. They sat in deep, peaceful silence, their heads lifted high as they looked up toward their king with large eyes that glittered in the flickering light of the last remaining brush fires.

"It's all very simple, you understand," Jherdar continued after a long moment, his voice alone breaking the utter silence. "I wasn't about to leave you, and the dragons that look to me as their leader were determined to stay as well. When I told the others they were free to go, none would leave."

"None of them left?" Thelvyn asked.

"No, of course not," Jherdar said. Then he glanced away, looking a bit embarrassed. When he spoke again, it was in a softer voice. "When it came down to it, we found that we just couldn't leave you. We might not have wanted you as our king at first, but you've turned out to be much more than we could have ever hoped. We know you would do anything to protect us, but you've also taught us that there are many things in this world worth protecting. So if you don't mind, we're going stay right here and fight with you, no matter what happens."

Thelvyn closed his eyes for a moment to hold back the tears. "It seems that the Overlord was wrong on all accounts. Just now, I couldn't be more proud to be a dragon."

"Then we fight?" Marthaen asked. Jherdar lifted his head, ready and eager for battle.

Thelvyn shook his head slowly. "No, not yet. So far we've managed to catch the Masters by surprise, but they've never made the same mistake twice. Given time and careful planning, we could wear them down, but now that the Overlord is here, he won't allow us that time. Yet I cannot face him with any hope of defeating him, not until I have the powers the Immortals have prepared for me."

He rose and turned to walk away from the cliff, moving slowly through the dark forest up the long slope toward the mountains. The pain and stiffness in his back had eased somewhat, but he knew it would be a long time before he would be as swift and limber as he had been before his back had been injured in the stronghold of the Overlord. The wounds of his many battles and the great weariness from his many long journeys would not leave him for long. Perhaps soon such things would no longer matter to him. He had made his final decision. The dragons had shown him the courage and nobility he had always believed they possessed, and that had helped him to face his final choice.

The others followed him closely, confused and anxious. He did not dare to look at his mate, fearful of what Kharendaen would think of his choice. He wondered if she realized what his destiny must be.

A little way farther on, they came to a small clearing. Thelvyn paused at the edge of the clearing, saying nothing as he lifted his head to stare up into the night sky. Jherdar and

Marthaen moved to join him, staying just at the edge of the deepest shadows under the trees, and Kharendaen remained at his side. The great storm in the west had continued to grow over the last hour. It was now a dark mass that stretched from the north to the south horizons, flashing constantly with lightning. A cool wind stirred the trees, but above, the sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly.

Thelvyn stepped forward until he was just within the clearing, still staring up into the night. "Father!"

His companions looked up, startled. Marthaen and Jherdar had never known the identity of his father, while the others were surprised that he chose to acknowledge that tie. As far as Thelvyn as concerned, the time for secrets was past. The time of the Dragonking was almost at an end.

"Father!" he called again. "It is my time."

The air in the center of the clearing shimmered as if illuminated by a shaft of silver moonlight, although the moon was hidden behind the mountains to the east. Then the Great One appeared, standing before them. He did not wear his guise of the great three-headed dragon, but rather appeared as what he had been in life long ago, an old, wise dragon of some ancient breed, more gray than gold.

"Your time is indeed at hand," the Great One said resolutely. "The time of evasions and well-laid plans is behind you. Speak your thoughts, and I will answer you plainly."

"I suspect that the reason you have not been able to act directly is that the Immortals are split into factions," Thelvyn said. "Some would defend our world, while others support the invaders."

"That is so," the Great One said. "The Overlord does not know he has supporters among the Immortals, those who champion the cause of evil or seek the oblivion of entropy. He thinks himself above the Immortals, when he is really just another piece in the game. But he is a powerful piece, powerful enough to influence the course of the game, as are you."

"Now is the time for me to become an active player, for I cannot remain simply a piece and hope to win the game," Thelvyn said. "Can you grant me the power to defeat the Overlord?"

"I cannot grant you such power," the Great One explained. "What you are to become depends entirely upon you. There is indeed hope, much hope, but you are still young, and what you are to become will be the work of many long years."

"What of Kharendaen and our child?"

The Great One seemed to share his sadness. "The life you might have had is no longer possible, for you must move on to the place where you belong. You have taught the dragons much in your short time. Not the least the two of you have taught them is just how deeply dragons can love."

Thelvyn turned his head to look at Kharendaen. At first she looked frightened and uncertain, but then she smiled at him and brought her head around to rub her cheek against his breast and along the side of his neck, assuring him that she understood. She understood that only their duty to the dragons and the Great One could come before their own happiness, but that was the price they were now required to pay.

"What must I do?" Thelvyn asked.

"Go to the Citadel of the Ancients, where you first became the Dragonlord years ago," the Great One said. "Wait in the valley below the peak of Dragonwatch Keep. Your companions may accompany you that far, but no farther. When all is ready, I will tell you what you must do next."

Then his form faded, leaving the dragons alone in the night. Thelvyn sat back on his haunches, balancing on his tail, so that he could reach out and draw Kharendaen close to him. For the moment, he was content to hold her tightly.

"I will go with you," Marthaen offered. "You are my king, and it has been my honor to serve you. And when you go on ahead, I will be there with my sister."

"I'm going, too, of course," Sir George declared.

Thelvyn looked at the old knight, smiling. "I wouldn't dream of trying to leave you behind."

"He can ride in a dragon saddle that one of the couriers brought in this afternoon," Jherdar said, then looked up when he realized that the others were watching him. "If you don't mind, I also would like to go with my king."

"I would be pleased to have you," Thelvyn said. "But our company must be limited in numbers. And arrangements must be made for the dragons to keep themselves safely hidden while I am not here to defend them. They must not try to fight the Masters while I am gone under any circumstances."

"I'll see that it is taken care of," Marthaen said. "When do we leave?"

"There is no time to spare," Thelvyn said. "We must leave for the west as soon as possible to guarantee that we reach the Citadel of the Ancients by tomorrow night."