Land of the minotaurs

Chapter 17

The fall, if not the shock, should have killed Kaz. He knew that very well. He should have struck the wall or the floor with the force necessary to crack his hard head open or snap his neck. It would have been appropriate. It would have been almost exactly like the death of his father.

Yet, while Kaz's head throbbed as if every drum in the homeland were being beaten, he was far from dead. His muscles ached, but that was fine compared with broken bones and a battered body.

"Kaz! Don't die! Don't!"

"I'm-" The minotaur tried to rise too swiftly and encountered throbbing pain. "I'm alive, Ty, but I think I might regret that good fortune for the next several minutes."

"I thought you were going to die! I tried my best to keep you from falling so hard!"

Kaz's head began to clear. Finally he could see well enough to observe that Ty was still a prisoner, but the spell that held her had grown pale now, almost pink, and did not pulsate every time its captive breathed. The girl's words started to make some sense… he thought. "Are you saying… are you saying you kept me from breaking my neck?"

"I couldn't let that happen! Not after… not after…" Ty fought back tears. "Not after I couldn't save Ganth!"

"It's all right, Ty." Kaz slowly rose. The throbbing lessened, but his arm, the same one that had been injured in the woods, now hurt intolerably. "You can't be blamed for not saving him. Blame Infernus, if anyone."

"I hate him! I wish I could do something!"

Kaz rubbed his chin, more to take his mind off his pain than because he was thinking. "You might be able to, Ty. You remember the gray man from your dreams? He spoke to me. He told me you have a power within you. All you have to do is remember what it means to be a dragon, a silver dragon."

Ty closed her eyes, visibly concentrating. Precious seconds passed, but there was no sign of success. After a few more seconds, the young woman opened her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kaz. I've been trying. I've been trying ever since he put me in here. I tried harder when the man in gray said you'd be coming for me, but I still can't do it! I only remember being human!"

From what Kaz recalled of dragons, they were born with an intelligence that was already exceptional, by minotaur standards. They understood innately how to use their wings and their most basic skills, physical and magical. Magic was so natural to them that they picked up the most simple tricks only days after hatching. They were adaptable when young, growing set in their ways only after reaching adulthood.

"It's in you, Ty. It's the only way you'll be able to defy Infernus. He wants you to be a dragon in form, but not in mind. He wants you to be a frightened child, obedient to him. He also needs you alive, so remember that you have some hold over him."

Ty tried again. For a moment it seemed as if she might succeed, then she fell back, gasping. The female shook her head again, saying nothing.

"Maybe if I can get you out of there first." Kaz searched around for the staff, then, noting a trail of ash, recalled what had happened to it. He wondered if anything had happened to the gray mage at the same time. Magic-users' staffs were supposed to be important to them, often containing spells that the mages spent years creating. Sometimes the staffs were even tied to the lives of their owners. Had he injured the gray man?

That could not concern him now. If he had no wizard's staff, then he needed to find something else magical, something to make headway.

Something magical?

The globe that depicted the events of the circus still floated in the same place it had prior to Kaz's rescue attempt. Its magic came from the same source: Infernus. It was risky, mostly to the minotaur, since Ty's power protected her better, but he could see no other possible tool.

"Ty, I'm going to try something. Do you think you can protect both of us from some magic?" He indicated the globe.

The young captive understood immediately what Kaz intended. "I'll do my best. I think I can, Kaz."

"Good. Now let's hope I can touch this."

"Infernus touched it a lot."

"That's encouraging., at least." Kaz gingerly reached for the globe, hoping the red dragon's ability to grasp it without harm was not due simply to his having created it.

His hands tingled as they closed on the magical sphere. Touching it was like touching something soft and malleable, yet solid. It was slightly warm. Encouraged, he held it tighter, raising it to chest level.

Kaz raised the globe over his head. "Get ready, Ty."

He threw the magical artifact at Ty's prison, at the same time backing away as quickly as he could.

Nothing happened, for just before it would have touched the magical cage, the globe suddenly vanished.

"You are a very tenacious pest, minotaur."

Infernus stood near the window. His eyes were a fiery red. The artifact floated above one hand. Without his gaze leaving Kaz, the red dragon dismissed his device.

"Others have said that about me before," Kaz returned, wishing he had Honor's Face in his grip. At least with the magical axe he would have stood a good chance of leaving Infernus with a permanent souvenir of this encounter. "Most of those are dead."

The false minotaur laughed. "Do you seriously think those words unnerve me, Kaziganthi de-Orilg? Do you imagine me shivering in fear at your implied threat? You are no more a threat to me than a bee's sting or a drop of rain. I am Infernus! I am the embodiment of power! I am a dragon!"

"Careful, your loyal followers out there might hear you."

"These rooms are proofed against sounds, minotaur. I have, on occasion, dealt with those who have failed me or attempted to cross my will. The hunters who failed to capture you. A cleric who protested my methods, calling them dishonorable. A fool of a general who thought he could bully a newly ordained high priest into being his servant." The robed figure indicated his domain. "They all challenged me in here in one way or another and paid for their folly… as you shall now."

Infernus pointed at the minotaur.

A wave of molten rock poured over Kaz before he could even move. At first the heat was searing. The rock flowed over him from all sides. Kaz fully expected to die there and then.

He did not. The rock cooled as it touched him, turning so brittle that all he had to do was move to shatter it and free himself.

"Impossible!" roared the red dragon. "Impossible… or your doing!"

His last words were directed at Ty, who stood defiantly even though still a prisoner. The damage the staff had done to her crimson cell had given her some respite. Ty had been able to regain some of her strength.

"I won't let you hurt him!"

"You will not? You who are less of a threat than he is? Little One, if you bore a will as strong as the minotaur's, I might consider your words of some import, but you are nothing. You are an infant not yet familiar with much more than breathing and eating. You know a few basics of magic and think you can stand against me! I am centuries old, far older than most and far more dangerous than any. Do not interfere again, Little One. I need you alive, but not necessarily whole. Simply alive."

Ty glared.

A wind buffeted the disguised dragon, but did little more. Infernus smiled and waved a hand. The wind died away. The dragon glared back at the defiant young female.

The cage began to crackle with renewed energy. Ty's legs buckled, but to her credit, she did not scream.

Angered by the high priest's assault on Ty and knowing it would be his best chance to strike, Kaz leapt for Infernus. Unfortunately, Infernus was far swifter than any minotaur could ever have been. He reacted even as Kaz was in the air, turning his burning eyes on the flying figure. Kaz found himself floating in midair, helpless. The high priest stalked toward him, his expression less and less like that of a minotaur and more and more like what would appear on the reptilian visage of a dragon.

"Enough! It is time we ended this! Emperor Polik is no doubt just beginning his duel, the one that will reaffirm his right to lead the race in the grand campaign. He will win, of course, though the duel is planned to take several minutes simply for the sake of drama. My presence will be required then for the announcement." His mouth stretched in a way that was impossible, showing far too many teeth. "Consider yourself fortunate. That means I shall make your death a quick one. Not a painless one, but a quick one."

Kaz barely bit back a cry as his arms, legs, and head stretched in different directions. His muscles strained, and it felt as if his bones were about to be torn apart. He fought against the strain, but his efforts were for naught. Slowly but surely, he was going to be dismembered, one piece at a time.

"Let him go!" he heard Ty call. "Let him go!"

Infernus only laughed.

"I said let him go!"

A cry coursed through the chamber, but it had not come from Kaz. The minotaur fell without warning to the hard floor, only a last-minute turn preventing him from breaking his arm. As it was, his left leg felt numb.

"You… hurt… me… you… little…" Infernus sprawled against a column, his chest heaving rapidly and his eyes wide in both anger and surprise. There was no physical evidence of what Ty had done to the red dragon, but the robed figure's reaction was enough to indicate that it had been a mighty blow, indeed.

Rising from the floor, Kaz quietly stalked toward Infernus. Every muscle in the minotaur's body cried out in pain.

"I can see… that your education is going… to require some rethinking."

The minotaur was close enough. "Infernus?"

The red dragon turned, still not quite recovered.

Kaz punched him.

He had the satisfaction of watching Infernus fall back, the blow so sudden that the high priest did not possess the wherewithal to brace himself. The robed figure tumbled to the floor, rolling several feet.

If I only had Honor's Face, Kaz wished. I could probably end this now.

It was not until he had completed the thought that he realized the axe was somehow in his hand. The dragon's will had been shattered to the point where his hold over the magical weapon had vanished. Once more Honor's Face obeyed its master's command.

Kaz grinned, starting toward the sprawled figure. Infernus was just rising to his hands and knees as Kaz reached him. The minotaur stopped, raised the axe, and said, "This is for my father and every other minotaur, dragon!"

A blood-red serpent knocked him off his feet. Kaz fell back, still somehow managing to maintain his grip on his weapon, and saw that his first observation had been inaccurate. It was not a serpent that had attacked him, but rather a long, scaly tail.

A dragon's tail.

Infernus was shifting, throwing off the form of a minotaur. The robe tore to shreds, unable to contain the swelling form. Folded wings burst through the back of the garment, then opened and stretched. The last vestiges of the high priest's clothing scattered as the red dragon expanded. He was nearly full-grown before Kaz could even rise.

The draconian visage twisted toward him. "Insufferable creature! Audacious gnat! You dare strike me! You dare to think you can destroy me!"

"You like to hear yourself talk, don't you?" Kaz challenged, trying to throw the dragon off. "You do a lot of talking, Infernus."

His words further enraged the leviathan, which was what Kaz had hoped for. The more enraged the dragon got, the less thinking Infernus would do. Red dragons, the minotaur recalled from the war, had terrible tempers that often led to their downfall in combat.

"I will crush you!" Infernus raised a massive paw and brought it down.

Kaz jumped aside. It was a clean miss. He adjusted his grip on Honor's Face and waited. If Infernus did that again, Kaz would be ready.

"Your race was nothing until I came along, minotaur!" the immense dragon cried. "Beasts no better than the cows you resemble! I made you into the master race! You yourself are the product of my careful culling of the weak! You should be grateful to me! Without my touch, this race would have died out long ago!" Infernus hissed. "Now all I demand is my due."

"Your due is waiting for you in my hands," Kaz replied calmly, hefting the axe.

Infernus raised a paw and brought it down again. The strike was nearer, but again Kaz managed to leap out of the way. As he moved, he counterattacked, swinging Honor's Face up in a vicious arc. The gleaming head buried itself deep in the dragon's paw.

With a roar of rage, Infernus pulled the injured appendage away, tossing Kaz and the axe aside in the process. Blood splattered both the floor and the minotaur as the red dragon shook his paw. The minotaur scrambled to his feet, retrieving his weapon. Without hesitation he advanced toward the crimson leviathan's other forepaw, axe up and ready to strike.

His monstrous adversary saw him too late. Infernus had time only to register the small figure's new position before Kaz brought the deadly axe down again.

If the first cry had been deafening, the second threatened to make Kaz's head burst. It seemed impossible that those outside could not hear the dragon's roars despite whatever spell or handiwork was designed to block the sound.

"Gnat! I will eat you instead of killing you outright! First a hand, then a foot, using my magic to keep you alive and conscious until I snap your head off your limbless torso! I will wreak such pain on you as you have never imagined!"

"You're talking again," Kaz pointed out. "All you ever seem to do is talk."

"Ha!" The eyes of Infernus gleamed. His mouth opened. A great burst of flame shot toward the minotaur. It was too wide to avoid. Kaz rolled to the floor, praying the flame would go over his head.

Instead, the length of flame turned upward at ah impossible angle just before it reached Kaz. Tapestries caught fire, and the ceiling began to smolder.

The dragon turned back to his captive. "You again! You are becoming more trouble than you are worth! I can see that before I can remove the minotaur from my sight, I must first deal with you!"

To the minotaur's horror, Ty and the magical cage started to fade away.

"Kaz!"

"Ty! Fight it, Ty! You're a dragon, same as him! Your powers are every bit as strong! You've seen that! Don't let him send you away, Lass!"

"Ka-" The last faint image of Ty dissipated.

"Now, then!" roared Infernus, swinging his head around so he could again concentrate on the minotaur. "Now, then. This has taken long enough, gnat. Emperor Polik should have begun the duel by now. I am needed by my people. It is time you died."

"You think so?" Kaz held Honor's Face before him. It had served him well in the past, but he doubted it was strong enough to turn away the dragon's magical might.

Infernus chuckled. "Oh, yes, gnat. I do."

The dragon raised his head. There was no hope that the axe, even with its powers, could stop dragon flame from such a huge and savage creature.

All of a sudden, the floor began to rumble. The red dragon rocked back and forth, stunned by the unexpected quake. He roared his anger, but Infernus could do nothing, his balance already lost. His wings flapped., but in the chamber he did not have the room to rise aloft. In the end he merely tipped over, fortunately not in the direction of Kaz.

The minotaur rolled away from the center of the quake. Kaz had no idea what could be causing the natural occurrence, but thanked Paladine, Kiri-Jolith, Habbakuk, and any other god that might have had a hand in it.

From within the rising, cracking floor came a roar of challenge. Stone fragments flew in every direction as the swelling floor rose higher. Infernus struggled to roll over so he could right himself, but the vibrations shook him loose each time he almost gained a talonhold.

Then the cause of the quake burst through the floor, rising swiftly and pulling itself free. Its silver head gleamed, and wings as smooth as ice stretched for the first time ever. Despite the physical similarities between the two reptilian visages, there was something noble in the face of the second dragon, a sense of honor. That alone was the great contrast between the two behemoths.

The silver dragon looked around, finally locating Kaz, who could only stare in awe. "Kaaazzz! I couldn't let him hurt you!"

"Ty… Tiberia."

"So the hatchling has found herself!" mocked Infernus, righting his massive form. "Not the most opportune time, but I will make do. This means I may start your education even sooner."

"No!" Tiberia whirled about to face her counterpart. "No! You don't care about anyone but yourself! You hurt others and expect everyone to obey you!" The silver dragon raised her head so she could almost look Infernus in the eyes. "I don't have to! I don't have to, and I'm going to make sure no one else will ever have to, either!"

As powerful as the young dragon was, Kaz doubted that Tiberia alone was a match for Infernus. She might have the raw power, but she lacked the red's guile and experience. Infernus would deal with her swiftly unless someone could direct the hatchling, someone with more experience in combat involving dragons. Why always me? Kaz silently grumbled. Why always me?

Infernus leaned back as he spoke, possibly due to his injured forepaws. "You challenge me, do you, Little One? You think you have the might? My kills, especially of your kind, number high. I've not had a good struggle in many years. I won't kill you, of course, since I have need of you, put you will not fly for decades and you will always move with a limp, perhaps because one of your limbs will have been bitten off."

His words were having an effect on the silver dragon, who had never fought before. Kaz saw uncertainty grow in Tiberia's eyes, and the glittering wings began to twitch nervously.

Infernus was not paying any mind to the minotaur, the red considering the other dragon a more serious threat. Kaz waited until the larger creature's head swayed away from him, then ran as fast as he could.

"Give up now, Little One," Infernus was saying. "There is a place for you, too, if only you will see the way. There is-"

It was at that moment that Kaz leapt onto Tiberia's, back. The silver dragon jerked, but, fortunately, did not whip around to remove the sudden weight. What she did do, however, was back away abruptly from Infernus, the spell of fear broken by the minotaur's action.

"Tiberia… Ty… back away farther, but let me get to your neck so I can sit there!"

The dragon obeyed, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"A dragon rider are we?" Infernus unleashed a throaty chuckle. "And where is your dragonlance, minotaur?"

"The axe and my friend will do just as well, Infernus!" Kaz's words were meant more to instill some degree of confidence in his companion than to frighten the red dragon.

As he expected, Infernus did not take his threat seriously. "I will remember your sense of humor after you are gone, gnat!"

A whirlwind filled the chamber, tossing loose rubble directly at Kaz and Tiberia. The dragon managed to bash away the first few large pieces, but several easily flew past her guard. Kaz pulled himself behind Tiberia's head and neck as much as he could, but stone after stone pelted him, marking his arms and legs with small nicks and cuts. Tiberia roared as stones struck her with considerable force.

"Surrender him, hatchling, and I will cease!"

"I won't!" cried the silver dragon in a small voice. "I won't!"

Kaz struggled upward. He needed to be high enough for Tiberia, and only Tiberia, to hear him. "A fireball! If you can make a fireball, aim at his-"

Tiberia unleashed a fireball, a good-sized one, at Infernus's chest. The flames licked at the red dragon for several seconds, but the monstrous creature seemed barely affected by it.

"Fire? You send fire against me? I am a red dragon! Fire is my element more than yours!"

A ring of flame burst to life around the pair, causing the silver dragon to back up. The ring was so tight that Tiberia could move only a few steps. Infernus laughed.

Again he spoke so that only the silver could hear. "Listen to everything I say first, Tiberia! I want you to make another fireball! I-"

"It won't hurt him!"

"Don't worry about hurting him that way! Listen! I want a fireball in his eyes! The biggest and strongest fireball you can create! Do it now!"

Kaz held his breath, hoping Tiberia would do as he said. They needed to reverse the course of battle.

He felt the silver leviathan shudder. A sphere of flame larger than the red dragon's head flew unerringly into Infernus's visage. The smile of mockery twisted into astonishment.

"Now, Tiberia! While he can't see! Jump and attack! It's our best hope!"

The massive silver form leapt forward, crossing over the flames without hesitation. The young dragon trusted Kaz that much. Smaller than Infernus, Tiberia was still an enormous projectile. Infernus, still fighting to restore his vision, was unprepared for the force of a half-grown dragon falling upon him. The injured paws scratched at Tiberia, but there was no stopping the silver's descent. The two leviathans crashed together, Kaz desperately hanging on and hoping Tiberia would not be forced onto her back.

"Again, in his eyes!" the minotaur cried.

To her credit, Tiberia managed a third, though smaller, fireball even while tangled up with the red dragon. Infernus roared as he sought again to protect his eyes.

"Hold him fast!" Kaz leaned to one side and, using his better arm, swung his battle-axe in the direction of the red dragon's neck. Infernus twisted, however, and instead of the neck, the axe bit into his shoulder.

The red roared, throwing Kaz and Tiberia to one side. The silver's great form crashed through the wall dividing the room from the audience chamber. Tiberia's momentum was such that she ended up almost on top of the raised dais Infernus used when acting as high priest.

Kaz was astonished to find himself still holding on to his companion. Tiberia's body had knocked a clean hole. The warrior felt as if he had just survived the hailstorm of all hailstorms unprotected.

"I will chew you slowly, minotaur!" Infernus barged through the hole without pause, causing still more masonry to fly and creating huge cracks that ran up to the ceiling. "I will shred your wings, hatchling!"

Kaz wondered just how much more damage this part of the temple could take before the ceiling caved in. While both Tiberia and Infernus were likely to survive such an incident with little more than a few bruises, Kaz was not so well armored.

The silver dragon stared at her foe. Another fireball formed before Infernus, but this time the red dragon reacted quickly enough to disperse it.

"No more of that trick, hatchling," snarled the crimson terror. "No more tricks at all."

Infernus charged. Tiberia tried to back up, but fell over the desk and the dais. The collision between the dragon and the dais was enough to shake Kaz loose. He fell over the front end of the dais and rolled down the steps just as the two dragons met.

The minotaur took one look at the two gigantic forms descending in his direction and scurried away toward the barred doorway as fast as he could. He had no plans to abandon Tiberia, but he would be little good to his friend if he were crushed.

Under the combined mass of the two dragons, the desk and dais were quickly reduced to rubble. Kaz gave thanks that the red dragon had seen fit to have the audience chamber built so vast; as it was, he was only a few yards away when the dragons' heads finally struck the floor.

The pair fought with tooth and claw now, Infernus trying to tear out Tiberia's throat with his talons, and the younger dragon simply trying to shield herself. There was no good target for Kaz, not yet, but he did have an idea.

"Tiberia! The injuries! Bite them!" Honor's Face always struck deeper than a normal axe and always dealt more damage. Even now, it was clear the red dragon was experiencing spasms of pain.

Tiberia tried to snap at the injured appendages, but her position would not allow her to get close enough. In desperation, she sank talons into one of the red dragon's injuries. Infernus hissed and backed away, the paw now covered in blood.

Using the respite to save herself, Tiberia pulled her silver form toward Kaz and the doorway. Kaz turned and tried to open the doors, but realized almost immediately that there was no way he could do so in time.

Infernus raised a paw and roared, "No! You will remain in here! I command it!"

It took Kaz a moment to understand why Infernus suddenly seemed so anxious. If Tiberia crashed through the doorway, the presence of dragons would be revealed. Infernus clearly did not desire that information known to anyone, not even the clerics.

The crimson behemoth started a spell, but there was not enough time for him to complete it. Kaz threw himself to the side. The doorway and the surrounding walls gave way easily under the weight of the retreating giant. Kaz wondered if the clerics and guards still waited outside. If so, he almost pitied them.

The moment a gap appeared, the minotaur rose and darted through it. Tiberia was halfway out into the temple's front hall with Infernus following close behind. Whether it was his rage or the thought that the silver dragon had already revealed the truth about what was happening behind the doors, the high priest moved as if he did not care who saw him.

The scene in the hallway was one of chaos. A number of bodies were scattered here and there, victims of the collapsing doors and walls. Infernus had spoken true when he had said that his chambers were proofed against sound. Kaz found he had no sympathy for the servants of the high priest. There were still several alive, but they were doing little at the moment, save gawking at what had burst out of their master's chambers. Some of the more intelligent quickly turned and fled. There were some challenges even too great for rninotaurs.

Kaz was caught up in conflicting choices. He wanted to get Tiberia out of here. The silver dragon could not maneuver well, and at close quarters the advantage would continue to belong to her larger, more experienced foe. Yet, fighting Infernus in the sky was not something Kaz wanted Tiberia to face, either.

As he tried to get nearer to the silver, who had by this time made it out into the somewhat cramped hallway, Infernus burst through what was left of the wall. Pieces of marble rained down on those nearby. One cleric died screaming as he was crushed. Kaz dodged the first two pieces that slammed into the floor near him, then tripped over rubble just as he was almost out of range. Twisting helplessly, he fell onto his back. His sudden upward view revealed yet another enormous fragment bearing down on him.

Before he could react, strong hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him up. Honor's Face skittered away. Kaz finally pulled free of his rescuer's grip and glanced over to where he had been lying. The fragment had embedded itself deep into the floor. He would have been crushed. Grateful to his rescuer, Kaz looked next to him and discovered a wide-eyed Scurn.

"You vanished during the rescue, Kaz!" shouted the scarred minotaur, finally looking down at him. "I knew you'd come here! I knew you'd try to rescue the damned human whelp, and I want to help, for what the cleric did to me!"

"Scurn! Never mind that! Just get out of here! Only a fool would stay here!" Which means me, Kaz silently added.

"What's happened here? Where's the female? Why're there dragons, Kaz?"

He saw no use in lying to Scurn. "The girl's the silver one, and your precious high priest is the red! They're both dragons, Scurn! They've always been dragons!"

"Dragons? The high priest is a dragon? What nonsense is this?" Nonetheless, the other minotaur eyed the red differently.

"He's always been a dragon, you fool! Every high priest has been him for centuries? He killed them and then made himself look like them! Just listen to him!"

Perhaps Scurn might have disbelieved what, even to Kaz, sounded like nothing more than a fantastic tale, but at that moment Infernus caught sight of them.

"Gnat… and the unfortunate captain as well! How appropriate this is! You will get to die together after all!"

The voice was not exactly Jopfer's, but, from Scum's horrified expression, he clearly recognized the high priest.

A silver form again blocked the red one's path. "I said leave them alone!" demanded Tiberia. "Kaz is my friend! You can't hurt him!"

"As stubborn as a red you are, hatchling, but more repetitious, it seems." Infernus eyed the younger dragon again. "I see I must still beat that stubbornness out of you. You and your little friend have cost me dearly as it is!"

The two dragons faced off once more, their huge bodies wreaking havoc with the building each time they even moved a few paces. A portion of the ceiling caved in behind Infernus. Most of the remaining clerics and guards had retreated from sight.

"That's… that is.he high priest?" whispered Scurn.

"That's a dragon, too, Scurn, one that thinks it should control our lives, our destinies! It thinks it has the right to be our master!"

"Our master?" The other minotaur's expression grew grim. Kaz had touched the one point of agreement among all minotaurs. No one but a minotaur had the right to rule the race. Anyone else, anything else, was an enemy of the people. "He wants to be our master?"

The dragons snapped at one another. "That's right, Scurn. Our master, body, mind, and soul."

"Never… our master… Sargas take me for a fool!"

"Then we have to help the silver dragon! She's our only hope! We have to do what we can!"

Scurn nodded absently, his eyes still fixed on the red form. Kaz wondered if he was thinking of all he had done in an attempt to ingratiate himself to the high priest. "You're right, Kaz. You're right."

To the other minotaur's surprise, Scurn abandoned him, fleeing through the temple entrance and losing himself in the streets beyond. The action was so sudden, it left Kaz stunned. He had not expected much aid from Scurn- what could the other minotaur do against a dragon? — but he had not thought Scurn capable of such outright cowardice, regardless of his flaws or their past enmity.

Scum's flight did not go unnoticed by Infernus. "So much for your ally, minotaur! A sensible coward, that one!"

"But I'm still here, Infernus."

"As if that makes a difference, gnat!"

With his tail the red dragon battered the wall to his side, sending fragments flying toward both Tiberia and Kaz. Tiberia swatted away what she could and actually used one wing to deflect others from the minotaur.

"Be ready for me, Tiberia!" the minotaur called. Fortunately, the silver understood what he wanted, for Tiberia lowered her back end, making it simpler for Kaz to leap aboard again. Kaz hooked both feet into areas where the scales gave way a little, effectively creating stirrups.

Infernus moved forward only a breath after Kaz had gained his mount. Talon struggled against talon. Then, while the two behemoths battled, Kaz extended his good arm and opened his hand. Once more, Honor's Face returned to him.

The red dragon had attempted no further spells, perhaps preserving his strength for physical combat. It might even have been the result of Infernus having lived so long among the minotaurs. While they did not completely eschew sorcery, they preferred physical strength over the power of magic. A dragon who had worn the guise of a minotaur for centuries may have picked up some of the same tendencies.

Of course, even without magic, Infernus stood a good chance of defeating them.

Tiberia and the red snapped at one another, Infernus ever gaining advantage. Kaz struck whenever he could. Only one of his attacks had any effect on Infernus, a gouge in one paw. Anger fueled the red's attack, though, and almost immediately the ground gained was lost again.

The minotaur felt truly ineffective. With a dragonlance, he might have had a chance to spear Infernus and end this with his life still intact, but, despite the power of his axe, he lacked the reach to do more than harry his foe. If he hoped to be at all effective, he had to be able to reach Infernus's neck or strike his torso with the hope of piercing deep. Only then could he hope to do grave injury to the beast.

Kaz glanced at his favored weapon, wishing, for once, that it was one of the legendary lances of the war. With the lance, they could win.

Honor's Face shivered in his grip and stretched. The mirror blade sank into the shaft, which grew longer and longer yet felt as if it weighed no more. A swelling near the minotaur's hand became a protective guard. Another outgrowth stretched to the neck and shoulders of Tiberia, gently wrapping around her throat.

In the blink of an eye, before the gaping minotaur's astonished gaze, Honor's Face had become the very thing he needed for victory. Kaz now held a dragonlance, secured for battle.

He had always wondered about the origin of his axe and now he realized that it had always been linked to the lances. The dwarf craftsman who had given it to Sardal Crystalthorn might have been one of the same group who had presented Huma with the first dragonlances.

Kaz shifted the lance. Whatever the reason, he had what they needed. "Tiberia! Back away!"

His companion did. Infernus did not at first realize why Kaz had given the command until his fiery eyes caught sight of the long, majestic weapon trained on him.

"We have a knight among us," he mocked.

"No knight," Kaz returned, fixing the point on the dragon's chest, "but a knight's dragonlance. Forward, Tiberia!"

It was a sign of the young one's faith that she obeyed this latest command without hesitation. Tiberia charged forward. Infernus roared contemptuously, attempting to swat the lance aside, but somehow it shifted, moving away from its original target almost of its own accord. The point dug into the red dragon's wing, tearing through the tough membrane with as much ease as a burning knife in soft snow.

Infernus roared in pain, glancing at the huge tear. The lance bit again while his attention was diverted. Kaz barely had to make sure of his aim. The dragonlance moved like a creature with a mission of its own… which perhaps it was. There had always seemed to be something lifelike about the weapons. Kaz recalled how they rarely seemed to miss their targets, even if inflicting only minor damage.

Twice more the dragonlance nicked an increasingly baffled Infernus. None of the wounds was serious alone, but the total of the dragon's injuries could not help but begin to take a toll, even on such a massive beast as the red.

Infernus backed up, destroying more wall and causing yet another segment of the ceiling to collapse. His eyes fixed on the dire weapon wielded by the minotaur. Kaz could almost sense the magic being deployed.

The dragonlance suddenly glowed. A crimson aura surrounded it, slowly turning it as black as pitch. Kaz felt the dragonlance stiffen, grow cold.

No! Not now! the minotaur desperately thought. We have him! Incredibly, the dragonlance seemed to react. The blackness faded and the weapon grew pleasantly warm. The aura vanished.

"Not possible!" hissed Infernus. "Not possible!"

Perhaps if the red dragon had been at full strength and concentration, he would have succeeded, but now his magic was not strong enough. The lance struck twice again in rapid succession, piercing the same wing again and, on the second attack, nicking the side of the dragon's neck just above the shoulders.

Infernus pressed himself against what remained of the wall, his breath a little ragged. There was a hint of surprise in the fiery orbs, a hint of surprise and the first glimpses of fear. Nonetheless, he was not beaten. "I have worked hard and planned long! You will not deny me my destiny! You will not deny me my minotaurs!"

Kaz's retort went unspoken, for the floor was suddenly aswarm with other minotaurs. They raced about, some carrying lances, others swords, and one group in particular carrying what looked like long, thick ropes ending in grappling hooks. They quickly cordoned off the dragons, those with grappling hooks beginning to spin them around and around.

Leading the group was Scurn. Each man with him, Kaz realized, was a member of the State Guard, whose headquarters was not far away. Even with news of the coming announcement, the guard did not leave the city unprotected.

Neither dragon paid the minotaurs much notice until the first of the grappling hooks went flying. One caught Infernus on a leg, another on his stomach. A third snagged the dragon on the long, sinewy throat. The lancers moved in, their long weapons balanced against the ground so that if a paw or tail tried to land on them, it would first encounter a very sturdy, pointed lance. They avoided Tiberia entirely, though many eyed her with some wariness.

"What jest is this?" bellowed Infernus, affronted by the audacity of the small creatures. "Cease this!"

He got one of the grappling hooks off, but in that time three others snagged him, two on one of his forelegs and another on his torso.

The scene threw Kaz back a decade. He recalled the same techniques used by the minotaurs and others under rare circumstances when the enemy's dragon allies were caught on the ground. Grappling hooks to catch on to the scaled hide of the dragon, so great a number that even a leviathan would not be able to pull free.

Scurn had evidently remembered the technique.

"Kaz!" called Tiberia. "What do I do?"

It was tempting to retreat and hope that the enterprising Scum and the guard could pull Infernus down, but Kaz suspected this was one dragon that would not be caught for very long. He doubted that Scurn thought otherwise. The guard captain was doing what he could to give Kaz and Tiberia some advantage.

"Back a step!" he called. "Watch your footing! We charge for the chest. Let the lance do the final work!"

The silver dragon obeyed, carefully avoiding the minotaurs near her feet. Kaz lowered and aimed the dragonlance. One swift thrust and Infernus would be but a bad memory.

As Tiberia steadied herself, Infernus ceased his attempts to pry away the hooks and stared at the younger dragon and his rider. His fiery orbs narrowed, and a knowing look crossed his visage.

All of a sudden, Infernus leapt skyward, his head striking the ceiling hard. The dragon's skull was thick, and the ceiling broke, raining destruction and death down upon the guard. Most of the ropes from the hooks fell loose as the red dragon burst free of the temple, but one minotaur was carried aloft to a point just above the ceiling before he lost his grip and plummeted to his death.

Only when the battered corpse struck the floor did Kaz recognize that it had been Scurn, tenacious to the end. Kaz doubted he would ever fully understand the other minotaur, a warrior who had been rival, foe, and, finally, ally. Honor's Face had once revealed Scurn to have had little honor of his own, but Kaz wondered if, had he taken a second look minutes ago, the reflection would have been strong.

Scurn was only one of many who had died because of Infernus, however, and now the dragon was in the air and flying, revealed to all. There was only one choice left to the minotaur and the silver dragon. They had to follow.

"Stand back!" he commanded the remaining members of the guard. They obeyed without further encouragement. Kaz waited, then leaned close to Tiberia. In a quieter voice he said, "We have to go after him, if you think you can fly."

"I think I can, Kaz. I know I can," Tiberia answered, sounding much older than when the battle had started. A dragon's instincts, perhaps. Kaz held on tight as the silver flexed her wings for the first time… and leapt through the hole in the ceiling.

Somewhere above them, they both knew, Infernus waited.