Dragonmage of Mystara

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Daylight faded slowly, the brilliant sapphire blue of day growing deeper and deeper, becoming a dark indigo that in turn faded slowly to black as the first stars of night appeared in the east. The light seemed to draw back from the rugged, forested hills below the Colossus Mountains, as if retreating after the sun, already set beyond the wild lands of the west.

The deepest shadows of night gathered first beneath the trees, turning the still, almost mysterious silence of the day to the brooding, fearful darkness of night. But in the wilderness east of Braastar, to one side of a crude, long-forgotten road, a single point of light shone with a soft, silver radiance like a star that had fallen from the sky. Hidden in the darkness beneath a spreading oak, lost in the shadows, a pair of small, carved stones stood an equal distance to either side of the small light. Other pieces of shattered stone lay half hidden in the grass and fallen leaves; the tree itself was only beginning to recover from being damaged by fire in some recent disaster.

Suddenly the point of light flared and rushed outward in a luminescent ring, like the wave from a stone dropped into a

pool of liquid silver. The ring of light raced outward, expanding quickly to form a wide oval like a doorway into the night. The cold wind of an alien world whipped through the portal, dry and heavy with dust. Then, with a sudden rush of icy air, a dark form hurtled out of the depths of the portal, at first only a blurry shape that expanded rapidly. In the final instant, it leapt out from the passage, fully formed, an amber dragon of great strength and stature, with plates of armor almost like translucent gold.

The dragon stepped forward, making room for a ruby dragon that followed close behind. Then, while the second of the pair stood guard at the gate, the amber dragon stepped forward to stand in the partial opening in the forest beside the road. For a moment, it paused, its head cocked as if listening, and then it rose up on its hind legs with its great neck stretched to its limit, lifting its head as high as it could. It looked first one way and then the other, searching the night sky. Satisfied, it dropped back down and turned to face its companion, nodding its head. The ruby dragon disappeared back inside the portal, drawn away in an instant, while the amber dragon turned back to watch and listen.

Only a moment passed before other gemstone dragons began to come through the portal, one by one in rapid succession. They separated at once, moving out quickly in all directions, as if they were desperate to hold and protect the worldgate from discovery and danger. A vanguard of more than twoscore gemstone dragons came through in a short time, many leaping into flight to take their positions in the region surrounding the gate for five miles around. Then companies of soldiers began to appear, marching out of the gate in neat rows before spreading along the sides of the road. Supply wagons began to file through as well, small groups of heavy wagons drawn by massive horses nearly as large as the dragons themselves.

Now the leader of the Masters stepped away from the worldgate, moving quickly a short distance down the road until it came to a rise where it could look back through a break in the trees. The worldgate and all the activity surrounding it was now several hundred yards behind the creature and no longer a distraction. It sat up on its haunches, its forelegs off

the ground and bracing the bulk of its body with its tail for balance. Then, in the quiet, remarkably understated way of dragons, it began to work great magic.

Strange things began to happen in the night, as deep, elemental forces began to move through the world in response to the amber dragon's magic. Or perhaps it was that the world fought to resist the dragon's magic, which reached from beyond that plane of existence. But the spells were powerful and carefully prepared well in advance, so that the amber dragon needed only to invoke the magic that waited to be summoned. The darkness of the night began to gather deeper above the hill that stood just beyond the worldgate, like a well of shadows that seemed to draw the fabric of the night in upon itself.

Then, when the spells had gained their greatest strength,

the well of deep darkness suddenly rushed outward again. And when the blackness faded into ordinary night, the face of a massive cliff now stood above the forest, and a great fortress Mood at the point of the cliff. It looked remarkably like the

nine fortress in which the Dragonking had found the Collar of the Dragons, but if indeed it were, the entire fortress had been transported with the rock upon which it stood from one world to the next.

'Ihe fortress stood silent and empty. While stone and timbers could be magically transported between worlds, living creatures could not, not even the gemstone dragons. The Masters and their many slaves had been required to come through the gate one by one, abandoning their great fortress for a brief time while it was shifted between worlds. Now they had a ready-made stronghold in the land of their enemies, a place where they could stage their invasion of the Highlands with certainty and precision. And with a stronghold of their own, they could stand against the fury of the dragons of Mystara. The soldiers and supply wagons that had been gathering in the road were now moved quickly toward the fortress, making room for more fighters, who continued to file through the worldgate.

And yet the Masters were not yet done with their preparations. The amber dragon and several of its companions spread their wings to lift themselves into the night sky, flying quickly to the fortress to post guards within its massive walls and prepare it for occupation. One of their first duties would be to complete the opening of a second worldgate, one that was hidden deep within their own stronghold. In that way, they could maintain contact with their own world, even under siege, bringing in more soldiers, weapons, and supplies as needed.

This time they would not make the same foolish mistake of underestimating the Dragonking. They intended to prove to him that his bands of half-wild dragons were no match for their great powers and careful planning.

The Masters and their servants labored through the night, knowing that their fortress had to be secure before the dragons discovered it. Now that there were dragons in Braejr less than a hundred miles to the south, they knew it was inevitable that they would be discovered soon, perhaps that very dawn. The Masters took every precaution they could, moving their forces and wagons through the night without light. Above all, they had to be careful that there were no lights visible within their fortress, especially from the tower windows that faced west toward Braastar. Since they could plainly see the lights of the city only a few short miles away, they needed no other reminder of the need for caution.

The strategies and policies of the Masters had recently been unsettled, for the Dragonking had surprised them and frustrated their plans, and they still did not understand how that had happened. All they knew was that the Overlord had informed them that the dragons had rejected their king, yet somehow the Overlord had been mistaken in that, as impossible as that seemed. Or perhaps matters had changed more quickly than the Overlord suspected, and the dragons had pledged their support to the Dragonking after all. The latter explanation was easier for the Masters to accept, but they knew for certain that such mistakes must not happen again. This time they would be a step ahead of their enemy.

Only two days before, the Overlord had warned them that the time had come. Whole armies of soldiers and supplies had been moved immediately from the nearest strongholds to the fortress that had served to guide the settlement of the Highlands, built in the time when the Flaem had been held as slaves in the world of the Overlord. The Masters had always intended to transfer their stronghold into the world of Mystara, to serve their needs when they finally came into the world they planned to conquer.

Word had been sent that the Dragonking was assembling an ulliance against the invaders and that he would soon be bringinng hundreds of dragons into the Highlands. The Dragonking seemed to anticipate that the next invasion would come in the Highlands; now it had become a race between the dragons and ilie Masters to assemble their forces in the Highlands first, and so far the Masters were ahead. The dragons were on the way, however, and the Masters and their armies had to be in place before the dragons arrived.

When morning came, the Masters were careful to remain with their slaves inside the fortress, closing the worldgate in the forest so that from now on they would rely only upon the one hidden within their own walls. By being as unobtrusive as possible, they hoped to evade discovery for as long as they could. There was always the vague hope that any dragons who iw their fortress would be new to the Highlands and unaware it had not always been there. Just the same, they would be forced to act soon, even if it meant an end to secrecy and the element of surprise. They no longer had enough room to keep their considerable forces hidden within their stronghold, and they would have to launch their attack before they could bring through more of their own people.

The Masters liked to believe they were prepared for the worst, and their plans were put to the test within the first hour of daylight. The land was still in the deep shadows of the mountains when a dragon was spotted riding the winds northward, a young gold who was drifting and soaring back and forth over the forest as he hunted. He seemed to not even see the fortress of the Masters at first, or else he was unconcerned by the great edifice of gray stone standing dark and silent over the woods, seemingly abandoned. But the young dragon's interest began to grow as he came nearer, although he was careful not to approach too closely as he circled warily. Suddenly he turned and flew back toward the south at great speed, obviously carrying a warning to Braejr.

The Masters had to let him go, knowing from their experience in Rockhome that they were not as swift as the sleek gold dragons. They were running out of time, but they still had several hours left to them, perhaps even a day. There still weren't enough dragons in the entire Highlands to challenge them, although there might be a few hundred as near as Rockhome. The Masters had no way of knowing with any certainty just where the Dragonking kept his forces at that time, or what numbers he had been able to gather. They had only a brief time to act, but they would not be easily stopped once their plans were set into motion.

Hardly an hour later, the invasion of the Highlands was launched. The main gate of the fortress flung open, and armies began to march out to war, joining with the additional forces that had already filed through the old worldgate. They followed the forest road west toward Braastar, a ready-made path of invasion. When the Flaem had first come into this world, the Masters had intended for them to establish their greatest city near the gate, so that the Masters could move quickly to seize control when they finally launched their invasion. Later, the Flaem had been permitted to move their capital to Braejr to protect the secret of the Radiance, which had been in danger of discovery by the elves. The Masters had never anticipated that Braejr and the Radiance would fall into the hands of their most powerful and determined enemies, but that was only a minor inconvenience. They had tried to find answers to all problems.

Now the Masters began their second invasion, one that was not waged with swords or arrows or even the terrible natural weapons of dragonkind, but with magic. The Flaem had been their slaves in the past, and there remained embedded in their minds an instinct for obedience, the same instinct that the Masters employed to control all the races and strange creatures that were enslaved to their will. Now they invoked that same magic to a far higher degree than usual, to awaken the instinct for obedience in the Flaem and summon the lost flock back into the Masters' fold.

The army that marched toward Braastar did not expect to fight for possession of the city. The Flaem would most likely freely open their city to the invaders, or at least be too distracted lighting for control of their own minds to defend themselves. By nightfall, it would be too late for the dragons to attempt to regain the city in battle. And as the Masters gained new strength, they would extend their control to other parts of the Highlands. In time, the people of Braejr would help to expel the dragons from their own city. Once the Masters had control of the Radiance, they would command all the power needed to launch armies that would subdue the entire world. Even the

dragons would be powerless to stop them.

*****

Seldaek hurried back to Braejr to report to the Dragonking, telling Thelvyn of the mysterious fortress and the gathering army that he had seen to the east of Braastar. Thelvyn sat in silence for a long moment, deep in thought. The young cleric waited patiently, sorry that he could not have made a clearer report of what he had seen. Kharendaen sat up on her haunches nearby in the yard of Solveig's house, listening attentively, with Sir George at her side. Solveig had already none inside the house to find Taeryn and have him hurry to the Academy to summon Alessa Vyledaar. When she hurried back out to the court, Thelvyn roused from his private thoughts to watch her.

"I don't suppose there can be any question," he said at last. "When great fortresses suddenly appear out of nowhere, we can guess easily where they came from. Its location must be near the old worldgate near Braastar. And from the description, I suspect that I visited this same fortress not long ago."

"Inventive devils, aren't they?" Sir George commented.

"Despite the fact that I anticipated the Masters would strike here next, they were still able to surprise me," Thelvyn complained. He glanced over at Seldaek. "How many dragons are in the Highlands at this rime?"

The young dragon could only shake his head. "Only those who came to serve as couriers for the delegates of the Grand Alliance. Ten or eleven, perhaps, not counting the three of us."

"Not enough," Thelvyn said bitterly, considering his limited options. "We have to send messengers at once to Rockhome,

Darmouk, and Windreach, which are the only places where we have concentrated forces of dragons at this time. Each is to send one third of its total strength here at once, especially the most powerful of the dragon sorcerers. The rest must continue with our plans for establishing garrisons. If we divert too much of our strength here, they'll simply attack somewhere else."

Kharendaen frowned. "You apparently guessed correctly on one account. We must have a traitor somewhere in our company. You announced only two days ago that you would expect an invasion here and that you would be bringing in a large force of dragons."

"And now I have fallen in a trap of my own making," Thelvyn said, frowning. "I baited the Masters into invading the Highlands, but I never expected that they could move so quickly after we repulsed their attack on Rockhome. The dragons I planned to have ready to defend the Highlands are still in the east."

"Does it make any difference?" Sir George asked. "Just because the Masters are here doesn't mean that they're ready to attack. Are they going to be ready to fight before an army of dragons can get here?"

Thelvyn considered that and shook his head slowly. "I have no way of knowing that. I just wish we had some idea of the actual numbers of the army the Masters already have at hand. I don't have any way of knowing how long they need to bring through an army of several tens of thousands, such as they had at Rockhome."

"Do they really need such a large army?" Kharendaen asked. "The Masters must have learned their lesson in Rockhome. They know they cannot hold on to any conquered lands until they have dealt with the Dragonking and the dragons."

"I haven't forgotten that," he said. "We must be very careful not to place ourselves in any traps they may have set for us. That's made all the more difficult because we have no prior knowledge of the kind of traps they're fond of using."

"That must be why you want the dragon sorcerers," Sel-daek remarked.

Thelvyn turned his head to glare at the young cleric. "You have your orders, Seldaek, and every minute counts. I need at

least five hundred dragons here by this time tomorrow."

Seldaek hurried across the court to the front gate and leapt over the wall. The young cleric hurried through the streets toward the palace and the lairs of the dragon couriers. He needed to find a couple of recruits to help him carry the Dragonking's summons to different lands.

Thelvyn turned to his mate. "Is he some relative of yours?"

Kharendaen lifted her ears in surprise. "Not as far as I know. Dragons don't always keep track of such things. Why do you ask?"

"He seems to be an eager young pup. I was wondering why he keeps turning up."

"Because your mature and competent advisors are always needed somewhere else," Sir George pointed out. "Except for myself, of course."

Thelvyn glanced down at the old knight. "You are going to stay here and help Solveig to beg or bully Alessa Vyledaar into finding some way to put the Radiance to use against the Masters. The Radiance is the best weapon we have to prevent the Masters from taking control of the Flaem, at least until the dragon sorcerers can get here."

Solveig looked perplexed. "You're not going to be here?"

He shook his head. "I must gather all the dragons willing to fight with me and go at once to Braastar. Our presence might spell the difference in whether the city can hold out until the dragons arrive."

"Do you really think you'll stand a chance?" she asked. "There won't be more than ten of you in all."

"I don't expect to be able to hold out for very long," Thelvyn said. "We might even have to retreat back here before the day is out. Frankly, I don't have much hope for saving Braastar, beyond giving the people there time to escape if they can. My greatest concern right now is that Braejr is not endangered before the dragons can arrive."

Since Seldaek and two of the dragon couriers had already departed for the east, Thelvyn and Kharendaen gathered together the eight remaining couriers and flew north toward Braastar at once. Thelvyn was fearful of taking Kharendaen into great danger over and over again, remembering that she was a cleric. But the simple fact was that he needed her. She had proven herself to be a fierce fighting dragon as well as a capable leader in her own right.

Although they found it difficult to speak while flying at high speed, Thelvyn and Kharendaen spent the brief time discussing possible magical or clerical spells that might help isolate the people of Braastar from the influence of the Masters. While there were various ways to dispel magic at the source, by turning it back onto its source or by shielding potential victims, no conventional spells would be very useful, considering the scale of the attack and the distance from which the Masters could influence their slaves. There was really only one answer. Unless the Great One or possibly some other Immortals were willing to channel their own powers through

Thelvyn, there wasn't much he could do.

*****

In the city of Braastar, matters had long since taken a turn for the worse. The bells of the city had begun to ring early that morning, signaling an attack, and the word quickly went through the streets that an invading army had been spotted several miles to the east. The people of the city began preparing for an attack, sealing the heavy shutters of their windows and quickly filling buckets and barrels with water in anticipation of damage caused by dragonfire. Soldiers strapped on their armor and collected their weapons, hurrying to defend the east wall.

The first attack came only minutes later, and in a way unlike anything the people of Braastar could have anticipated. Everyone of Flaemish descent became aware of some odd presence forcing itself upon their minds. Most found the sensation vaguely uncomfortable and compelling, speaking to them in a voice that was too soft and distant to understand. But to some, the words were clearer, so that they understood yet could not easily refuse the commands spoken to them by the mysterious voice. Pain grew steadily more intense with each passing minute until some people could no longer resist the voice's will. Others endured the pain, as if they were being

punished for fighting for the possession of their own minds.

Even so, there were still many people in Braastar who were willing to try to defend their city. One such defender was Mayor Kervaal. Upon first hearing news of the impending attack, he hurried through the chaos of the streets of his city, desperate to find soldiers to man the east gate. The confusion in the stricken city made it impossible to hail a carriage, and he found it faster to go on foot. The strange voice calling to him inside his mind made it difficult for him to think clearly, but he knew that somehow he had to reach the main garrison and find the captain of the city guard. With any luck, the garrison was already on its way to the east gate, but the mayor had to be certain.

"Look! It's the mayor!"

He stopped and turned abruptly toward the caller, thinking that perhaps it was someone who could help who had found him. Then he hesitated, sensing trouble. Several yards away, a young man was staring at him through the confusion in the crowded street. The face was one that the mayor did not recognize, although he could tell from the person's mad stare that he had fallen under the influence of the mysterious voice.

As the young man stood and pointed like a hound flushing its prey, a couple of his companions turned and stared as well. They, too, had the look of madness about their eyes. Then they slowly began to advance. Mayor Kervaal drew the sword that he had belted on hastily; he doubted his ability to outrun these young pups, so it seemed wisest to stand and fight. The Flaem were not in the habit of wearing heavy weapons such as swords. These three carried nothing more than a couple of knives and a heavy stick that could be used as a club. The mayor had been a soldier in his younger days, although he hadn't used a sword in a real fight in almost two decades.-Still, his past training and the fact that he had a real blade gave him some advantage.

People began clearing the street, wanting no part of a fight. The mayor realized, with some misgivings, that he was going to be on his own in this encounter. Suddenly one of the young attackers shouted a battle cry and rushed forward, holding his knife out before him. It was a bold but utterly foolish tactic. Kervaal had one tense moment as he feinted to one side and then darted away from his opponent's naive attack, then placed the point of his sword firmly against his attacker's shoulder, just enough to penetrate his skin, to force him to drop his knife. The young man cried out, seemingly more in fury than in pain, but his cry turned to one of astonishment as the people in the crowd swarmed over him and pulled him down now that he was disarmed and wounded.

Now the remaining pair of attackers began to move in, but with far greater caution after they had witnessed the fate of their companion. They seemed to sense that they were at a disadvantage with only a knife and a small club between them. But the mayor could not count a victory just yet. His long, two-edged sword was not a proper weapon for taking on two widely spaced opponents, and his older muscles did not respond as fast as they would have in former days.

The young attacker with the knife suddenly lunged at him, and the mayor drew back quickly from the glinting point of the small blade. He responded by raising his sword and driving it directly at the knife-wielder, forcing the young assailant backward so quickly that he almost tripped and fell. The mayor knew he was exposing his back to the man with the club, and he could hear him advancing from behind. But the man to his rear had forgotten that a hostile crowd was behind him; someone tripped him from behind, and he went down. That was just what Kervaal had hoped for. He continued to force the last attacker backward until he finally lost his balance and fell.

Leaving his attackers to be dealt with by the crowd, Mayor Kervaal sheathed his sword and then stood for a long moment leaning against the wall of a building to catch his breath. In spite of the attack, he was encouraged about one thing. Most of the people of Braastar still retained command of their will, and in spite of the stress of fighting for possession of their own minds, they were still able to defend themselves. He might save his city yet. Suddenly he heard the ring of heavy boots on the cobblestones and turned to see the crowd parting to allow the passage of the city garrison. The soldiers stopped, and the captain of the city guard hurried over to him.

"Mayor Kervaal, are you all right?" the captain asked.

"I'm fine," the mayor insisted. "I was just coming to make certain that you were taking the garrison to defend the east gate. Do you have all of your soldiers?"

"Only those I could find," the captain answered. "Some were too distracted by the voice to be of any use in a fight, and a few have already disappeared. I was hoping the wizards could protect us, but they seem to have fallen victim to this magic as well. What is happening to us, anyway?"

"It must be the gemstone dragons," the mayor said ruefully. "Come on. We have to secure the east gate and hope we can hold on until the Dragonking can get here."

The mayor strode along beside the captain of the guard as they led the company of soldiers through the streets. It gave the mayor a chance for a quick assessment of the condition of the city. In spite of the apparent chaos, many people of Braastar were preparing their homes and shops for battle. Windows were tightly shuttered and doors were being locked and boarded; wooden roofs were being drenched with water, and every container that could be found was being filled with water that might be needed to fight fires started by the invaders. The mayor was reminded of the previous summer, when the cities and towns of the Highlands had to be prepared for the possibility of attack by dragons. The irony was that only the dragons could save Braastar now.

The captain of the guard brought his troops to a halt the moment they came within sight of the east gate, gesturing for his men to remain quiet. A battle was already being fought here; the small gate garrison was quickly being overwhelmed by a crowd of people from the city itself, men of all ages as well as women and even children. Already they had the gate partway open and were attacking the hinges and locks, trying to damage anything they could in at attempt to prevent the gate from being secured. At least for the moment, the gate still seemed to be intact, mostly because this crowd lacked the heavy tools or weapons needed to destroy such massive metal parts.

"We have to get that gate shut!" the mayor exclaimed. "Whatever it takes, get those people away from there!"

The captain frowned. "I don't much like the idea of fighting our own people."

"It can't be helped. We'll lose the entire city otherwise."

The captain turned to his soldiers and issued several terse orders. As one, they drew their swords and lifted their shields, then marched in an ordered line down the street toward the gate, deliberately putting on a bold show in hope of frightening away the attackers. If possible, the captain of the guard wanted to avoid fighting as many of his own people as he could.

Fortunately the crowd of attackers drew back quickly from the approaching soldiers. Several turned to flee back into the city immediately. While the crowd was most certainly under the command of the gemstone dragons, a number of them still possessed a mind of their own when it came to self-preservation. Some of the attackers, perhaps two dozen in all, tried to make a stand before the open gate, but they were neither armed nor trained to fight real soldiers. The city garrison marched directly into the band trying to hold the gate, scattering them in a matter of moments. Some of the stragglers tried to circle around and harass the garrison from behind, but the soldiers immediately spread out to either side of the gate to begin forcing the remaining attackers to draw back.

Now that the east gate was once more in the hands of the loyal forces, Mayor Kervaal hurried to check the condition of the gate itself. The attackers had beaten the lower hinges and the crossbar with stones and clubs, but the damage was probably not enough to prevent them from closing and barring the gate. The captain of the guard walked over to the half-open gate, rubbing the back of his neck. They were all feeling the stress of resisting the relentless voice in their minds.

"The gate seems to be in good shape," he said, turning to a group of soldiers. "Let's get this gate closed and secured."

"Wait a moment," the mayor interrupted, stepping out through the gate. "Look! It's the dragons."

Led by the Dragonking, a small band of dragons circled down from the north to land in the field just beyond the east gate. The invasion force had not yet reached the city, although Thelvyn could see narrow columns of soldiers and lines of wagons hardly five miles to the east, stretching back toward the mountains in the distance. The mayor and the captain of the city guard hurried to meet with Thelvyn as soon as he approached.

"Will the dragons protect us?" the mayor asked, almost pleading. The nearby Flaem appeared distracted, and most were obviously in varying degrees of pain. The will of the Masters was already like a storm raging in their minds.

Thelvyn shook his head sadly, hating to refuse such a desperate plea. "The Masters were warned before I could summon a force of dragons from the east. The dragons won't be here any sooner than dawn tomorrow, and your city will not endure that long. But we will defend you for as long as we can."

"We'll fight beside you!" the captain of the guard declared vehemently.

"I appreciate your spirit, but you mustn't," Thelvyn insisted. "Tell me quickly how bad it is in the city. How far does the influence of the Masters reach?"

"Not too many yet," the mayor said. "Our problem is that their influence is becoming stronger, and it's becoming harder for us to resist."

Thelvyn glanced at Kharendaen, who was frowning. "It will only get worse, especially when the Masters themselves arrive. The city is indefensible, even with the help of myself and my dragons. I suggest that all those who still command their own minds flee Braastar at once. Even your garrison force, which should follow as a rear guard. We will hold this gate until the Masters themselves force us to withdraw."

"But where should we go?" the mayor asked.

"South, to Braejr. I'm hoping that the Fire Wizards can make use of their special powers to break the influence of the Masters, and the dragon sorcerers will be gathering there tomorrow. Our best hope to protect your people from domination rests in Braejr."

The defenders of Braastar hated to abandon their city, but they were quick to agree to Thelvyn's plan. The mayor left to make preparations for the retreat of all those who still were in control of their wills and desired to leave. Fortunately many of the people could be placed on barges and small boats to float down the Aalban River to Braejr, arriving considerably sooner than those who would walk or ride. The soldiers of the city garrison closed and barred the east gate, then hurried to assist with the evacuation of the city.

As soon as the gate was shut, Thelvyn prepared to do what he could to buy some time for the evacuation of the Braastar. The other dragons in his company stayed close beside him, lying on the ground near the wall of the city so that they could not easily be seen across the couple of miles of open fields between them and the distant forest. So far, Thelvyn had yet to see the gemstone dragons themselves, and that led him to wonder if they even knew that he had arrived with his small force to defend Braastar. They were bound to know soon enough, once he attacked their army. That was why he was holding back, buying every possible minute for the evacuation of the city.

Even if the Masters didn't know he was at Braastar, he would soon be forced to reveal his presence. Moving out a short way from the gate, he sat upright with his head lifted and his tail looped around his legs. Then he closed his eyes and tried to open himself to the powers of the Great One. He knew he was asking for something the Immortals might not be able or willing to grant him, powers far beyond those commonly extended to their clerics. And yet he had to chase all thoughts that he might not succeed from of his mind, believing with all his heart that he was asking for powers that were within his right to possess. He was, after all, the Dragonking, and nearly an Immortal in his own right.

"What are you going to do?" Kharendaen asked quietly.

"I'm going to try to fight the will of the Masters," he answered. "If I can dispel their magical influence over this city, then the people of Braastar will be able to evacuate much easier and faster."

She looked uncertain. "Can you cast a spell to dispel magic on such a vast scale?"

"I have no idea," he admitted. "Perhaps, if the Immortals are willing to add their powers to my own, I might be able to cast such a spell."

Thelvyn stared toward the east with the intent, penetrating gaze that was unique to dragons, as if he faced the Masters directly and was locking his will against their own. Then he concentrated all his powers upon his spell, as if weaving layer upon layer of magic upon that one spell until it had grown many hundreds of times greater than usual. When he released the spell, it was as if it pulled away a large part of himself as it was cast, leaving him so empty and weak that he felt dizzy and could hardly lift his long neck for several moments.

Then the Masters recovered from their surprise and began their own attack, increasing the force of their summons. They

i ouldn't break Thelvyn's defense, and yet he could not completely shield the people of Braastar from their summons. because Thelvyn had cast the spell on so many people at once,

it had affected them all to different degrees, failing entirely on some of them. While this spell was ordinarily a permanent one, the massive scale at which it had been cast made it weak unci vulnerable to the influence of the Masters, so that it would hide over several hours. At least he was able to give many of

i he Flaem some relief from the distraction and the pain, freeing some who had not previously been able to flee and making

ii easier for others to escape from the city.

For now, Thelvyn could only wait, resting while he could, us the invading army drew slowly but steadily closer. His spell of protection wouldn't last very long, and he had poured so much of his own energy into working his magic that he would have to regain his strength before he could cast another spell.

"Are you well?" Kharendaen asked, concerned.

He nodded slowly. "I just need to rest. Can you go into the eity and find the mayor? Tell him to keep his people together in one group when they leave the city. I can protect them better with my magic if they're close together."

Kharendaen looked dubious. "If they remain together, we're going to have a difficult time protecting them from the gemstone dragons."

"Actually, it should be easier," Thelvyn said. "There aren't enough of us to confront the gemstone dragons if we have to divide up to protect the people of Braastar."

The dragons waited patiently, remaining hidden by lying flat in the deep grass while they awaited the approach of the invading army. Kharendaen returned a few minutes later, reporting that the evacuation of the city was proceeding quickly, although it was not particularly well organized. Most of the people seemed to have decided on their own to flee the

city once they heard that the invading army was only a few miles away. Consequently there was a great deal of chaos, which hampered the Mayor's efforts to organize an orderly evacuation. Many of the refugees were already on their way south on horseback, in carriages, or even in farm wagons. Since they seemed to be moving along fairly quickly, they probably weren't in much danger from the Masters, and so they would have to be on their own. The rest were heading to the river a few miles to the west, where boats and barges would transport them directly to Braejr.

The problem for the dragons would be to hold the city long enough for everyone to get away, then guard the disorderly fleet of boats and barges as it drifted along the river. It would be a tall order for only ten dragons, and their success would depend greatly upon whether or not the gemstone dragons moved against them in numbers they could not fight.

By late that morning, the army of the invaders was only about two miles from the city. For the first time, they could be seen; fairly clearly as they followed the road through the scattered woods just beyond the open fields. Thelvyn guessed that there were at least twenty or twenty-five thousand troops in all, and he was privately amazed that the Masters had been able to summon such a large force through the gate in such a short time. Beyond an occasional draconic form riding the winds in the distance, there was little to be seen of the Masters, a tactic that made it hard to guess their numbers or their intentions.

Thelvyn considered his options quickly and then had his dragons withdraw back inside the city. If the invaders attacked, ten dragons were more than enough to keep an army of soldiers from scaling the wall. If the Masters themselves attacked in superior numbers, the dragons might be able to hold their own briefly by using the protection of the wall. Next he sent Kharendaen back through the city a final time to check the progress of the evacuation.

Kharendaen returned a short time later with her report. "The last of the barges and boats have just set out. More people are on the road to the south. There are only a few stragglers still leaving the city."

"After we are forced to leave, I will still have to do what I can to shield those who are fleeing south from the summons of the Masters. I only hope that Alessa can find some way to use the Radiance to help me."

"Do you think we will have to fight?" she asked.

Thelvyn considered that. "The invaders are still two miles or so away. They won't be near enough to challenge us for another hour, and there is no reason for us to be concerned until the Masters come. We must fight them for as long as we can, to keep their attention on us rather than the people fleeing south."

The invading army began to move out into the fields just to the east of Braastar shortly after noon. They gave every indication of preparing for an immediate attack. Thelvyn left the wall of the city briefly to make final preparations. He found that the ragged collection of boats and barges had already drifted several miles down the river. He began to hope that they might actually escape. He stayed just long enough to renew his spell of protection over the citizens of Braastar, although he had to rest a few minutes before he could fly back to the city to rejoin the dragons waiting to defend the east gate.

Thelvyn was surprised and rather alarmed to see that the invading army had already organized itself for attack. Rank upon rank of soldiers waited in a strange silence in the fields, the closest lines barely a hundred yards out from the wall. Hither they did not yet know that a force of dragons was waiting for them or else they had lost all fear of the dragons. The Masters were still only distant forms flying over the treetops in the distance. As he watched, they broke into four groups that slowly circled around to attack from different directions. Thelvyn could see that there were at least a score of gemstone dragons in each of the four groups.

"Pass the order quietly," Thelvyn said. "Have the dragons spread out about a couple of wingspans or so apart, so that we can try to hold as much of the wall as possible. Remind them to listen for my orders. If the Masters come in force, we might have to get away from here quickly."

Because he had not been watching over the wall, he was surprised when grappling hooks and ladders suddenly appeared at the top of the gate, scraping and rattling as they were set into place and the ropes pulled tight. He took a deep breath to prepare his flame, then stood up on his hind legs to lift his head over the wall. The moment his head appeared, dozens of arrows began snapping and bouncing off the armor of his face so that he had to close his eyes and drop back down behind the protection of the wall. The invaders had been waiting for the dragons, with companies of archers standing ready to drive them back.

Unfortunately Thelvyn already had his flame ready, and all he could do now was to turn his head and let the blast of dragonfire wash over the paving stones of the street behind him. He couldn't risk lifting his head over the wall to use his dragon-fire on the attackers. While he had survived the first volley of arrows unscathed, he was fearful of an arrow or crossbow bolt penetrating the light armor of his face. At least the invaders would be vulnerable to the dragons the moment they tried to come over the wall. He moved back from the wall and waited, ready to attack anyone coming over the parapet with his flaming breath. His companions on either side of him did likewise.

Thelvyn paused, waiting and listening. The assault on the wall had grown curiously silent, and no one had climbed the scaling ropes that were already hooked over the wall. Moving closer to the massive timbers of the gate, he could hear only faint sounds from the vast army that was gathered outside the wall. Then he heard the sound of some large beast running, and a moment later, he leapt back in alarm as the gate was struck with tremendous force, nearly bursting the crossbars.

The other dragons hurried to help him hold the gate, but Thelvyn knew that the battle to defend the wall was already lost. He was certain the gemstone dragons were attacking the gate, and he was just as certain that they must have come in overwhelming numbers. When Kharendaen rushed up to him, he sat up on his haunches and turned her to face the middle of the city.

"Trying to hold this gate is pointless," he told the dragons. "We have to save ourselves to protect the people fleeing."

He leapt forward, leading the way. He turned sharply as soon as he came to the first side street in order to get his dragons quickly out of sight from the main street in case the gem-stone dragons broke through the gate in the next few moments. ' the last of the dragons had only just darted down the narrow side street when they heard a tremendous crash as the Masters hit the ruined gate a second time. Timbers splintered, and huge shards of wood were sent hurtling into the walls of the surrounding buildings.

Thelvyn's only interest was in leading the dragons far enough away that the Masters wouldn't see how few of them there really were. Braastar still had not been completely abandoned. There were still people of Flaemish descent who were too far under the influence of the Masters to seek escape. They wandered the streets in bands, seeking out enemies who had been their own countrymen only hours before. The enslaved citizens elected to keep well away from the dragons.

Thelvyn led his companions diagonally across the city until they came at last to the south wall. Although there was no gate in this section of the wall, the dragons simply leapt over it. Then they flew quickly west toward the Aalban River, so low over the fields that the tips of their wings brushed the high grass. Only when they reached the banks of the river and turned south did they dare to fly a little higher.

They followed the river for several miles before they came to the drifting mass of boats and barges filled almost to overflowing with refugees. The people cheered loudly when they saw the dragons; Thelvyn wondered if they realized that the dragons had retreated to the river only because the city had fallen to the invaders. He was circling around to land on the nearest bank when he became aware a young gold dragon was struggling to overtake him. He locked his wings to drift over the river, waiting for the young dragon to move up beside him.

"The Masters are not far behind us," the dragon reported. "I was the last of our company, and J could see them following us across the fields from the city."

"How many were there?" Thelvyn asked.

"I could not tell for certain. Many more than us, I am certain."

Thelvyn nodded, and the young dragon turned and circled back to join the rest of their company. Thelvyn realized he had to make a quick decision. He had to decide whether to stay and defend the people fleeing Braastar or to save himself and the other dragons for more important battles rather than risk all their lives in a battle they could not win. It was the most difficult decision he'd had to make in some time, since he knew what the answer had to be. He didn't dare chance losing his own life needlessly, even to save the population of an entire city. His loss might well mean the defeat of his entire world. After a moment, he turned to land on the grassy east bank of the river, waiting while the others joined him.

"This is a battle we cannot afford to fight," he told the dragons simply. "Once the Masters discover how few of us there are, they will surely force their advantage against us. Our only hope is to try to bluff them. Follow my lead closely, but be ready to retreat in a moment."

"What about the people of Braastar?" Kharendaen asked quietly.

Thelvyn could only shake his head. "Perhaps the Masters will leave them alone."

Thelvyn knew had badly it stung a dragon's pride to run from a fight, but there was no other choice. Hopping out to the edge of the bank, he spread his wings and leapt into the air, then waited for his companions to join him. Once all the dragons were in flight, he led them close to the east bank of the river, flying barely over the dark water of the river almost within the shadows of the forest that hugged the riverbank. With any luck, they would remain unseen until the last moment.

Luck was with them. Thelvyn was unable to see the gemstone dragons until they suddenly passed almost directly overhead, yet even then they were so intent upon their attack that they failed to see the dragons just below them. There were at least two dozen of them, their company composed mainly of large amber and ruby gemstone dragons. The gold dragons angled up sharply, and their swift flight carried them abruptly into the rear of the pack.

Following Thelvyn's lead, the dragons attacked quickly and furiously, using claws, fangs, and flames to inflict all the damage they could in the first few momencs of their attack, ripping into the vulnerable wings of the gemstone dragons to knock them out of the fight. The rest of the gemstone dragons circled around to attack as soon as they could, but by that time, Thelvyn had broken off the attack and led the dragons back down almost to the surface of the river before they turned and darted beneath the cover of the forest on the east bank. They weaved tightly in and out among the trees, their wings crashing through the smaller branches. Heavier and less agile, the Masters could not fly among the trees and were forced to follow the dragons above the tops of the trees.

Thelvyn planned to lead the Masters away from the river as far as he could, realizing that his only hope to save the people of Braastar was to get the Masters to pursue him. He wondered how long he could lure the Masters into following them. If he had to, he would send the other dragons away; he was the one the Masters wanted, and he would lead this chase into the Colossus Mountains if he had to.

After a few miles, the dragons had worked their way eastward to a very old, dense part of the forest, where it was easier to fly beneath the lower branches of the tall trees. The foliage in the forest's canopy was still too thick for the Masters to see them from above. Thelvyn spotted a particularly shadowy vale and landed. Flying in and out between the trees was tiring, and the dragons needed a rest. Thelvyn also needed a few moments to consider his next move. He posted a couple of the younger dragons on the perimeters of the vale to watch for danger.

"How long can we keep this up?" Kharendaen asked, sitting close beside her mate. "Can you really hope to stay ahead of the Masters indefinitely?"

"I'll do whatever I must to save those people on the river," he told her. "But when we leave, I want you to stay hidden here until it's safe to leave and then return to Braejr. Tell Solveig that she has to do something about getting ready for all those people, and Alessa has to find some way to get the Radiance to protect her people."

"You know that I won't leave you," she answered simply.

"Dragonking!" one of the young dragons called. "The Masters are flying back to the west, toward the river."

For a moment, Thelvyn looked utterly defeated. "The Masters know how to play this game as well as we do. They know they can draw me back to them by threatening the people on

the river."

"But what can we do?" Kharendaen asked worriedly.

"We're out of choices now," he said, rising. "We have to fight them."

The dragons followed Thelvyn as he hurried through the forest, seeking an opening in the trees large enough for them to return to the sky. After a few hundred yards, Thelvyn came to a small clearing and spread his wings, then leapt almost straight up with long, quick sweeps of his wings. He circled slowly just above the trees, waiting for the others to make the difficult climb out of the clearing.

The Masters were about two miles away and moving toward the west. They were flying slowly enough that Thelvyn guessed they were waiting for the dragons to show themselves. Almost as soon as the dragons began to rise above the trees, the gemstone dragons circled and turned back to attack. Then, inexplicably, they suddenly turned once more and began to fly away as quickly as they could in yet a new direction, not toward the river but north, back toward Braastar. Thelvyn did not attempt to pursue them, suspicious that they were trying to lead him into a trap. He could hardly imagine that they would be foolish enough to think he would follow them back to the city, where other gemstone dragons would be waiting to join the fray.

This time the Masters did not hesitate when the dragons failed to pursue them. Thelvyn was beginning to get the impression that they were fleeing, and since he doubted that they were trying to escape the wrath of the Dragonking, he could think of only one thing that would cause the Masters to flee. Looking back, he saw that the sky behind him was full of dragons. A small army of dragons was approaching from the southeast, part of the garrison that had remained at Rockhome. Seldaek had wasted no time in his mission, finding the nearest force of dragons and returning with them in a matter of hours.

Thelvyn circled widely until he found a large clearing where he could land and wait to speak with the leaders of this company of dragons. He was trying to anticipate which of his chief advisors, Marthaen or Jherdar, Seldaek might have located in

Rockhome. He needed to have Marthaen at hand, but he was not surprised when he saw a red dragon leading his companions as they circled down toward the clearing. Most of his companions, some four hundred in all, remained aloft, flying wide patterns to discourage the Masters from returning.

Jherdar circled tightly to slow himself as much as possible, then dropped down into the clearing. Once the red dragon had folded away his wings, he paused a moment and then bowed his head as a gesture of respect to the Dragonking. Thelvyn was still secretly surprised by such loyalty from the red dragon who had challenged him ever since he first became the Dragonlord.

"I came as quickly as I could," Jherdar said almost apologetically.

"I have no complaint," Thelvyn insisted. "I didn't really expect help until tomorrow morning. Now I feel certain we can keep Braejr and the refugees from Braastar safe until the dragon sorcerers can arrive."

The red dragon looked surprised. "Then we will not attack now? Surely we must now have the advantage of numbers."

Thelvyn shook his head firmly. "We dare not. The Masters know that they cannot hold their conquests in this world as long as we are here to fight them. They have to deal with us, specifically with me, as soon as possible. I suspect a trap, and I'm reluctant to attack until we have a better understanding of the situation. For that, I need our sorcerers. I doubt that a delay will make any real difference, since Braastar has already fallen."

Jherdar turned his head aside, looking rather disgruntled. Like all dragons, he wanted to face all challenges with direct action, attacking his enemies immediately and with unrestrained fury. But he would not question the Dragonking, having come to understand the need for restraint and careful planning. Thelvyn was glad of that, since he had been afraid the dragons might have become overconfident from their relatively easy victory in Rockhome.