The Citadel

Chapter 6
The Gathering

Come meet me at the inn where I now stay.

That was all Tyros’s note had said, which did not please Captain Bakal at all. He still had nightmares about the griffon and found himself checking every darkened alley. Of the kender rumor he had discovered nothing, which further soured his mood. He hoped Tyros had a good reason for summoning him.

He entered the inn and walked past the owner without greeting. The officer threw back the hood of his cloak and marched up the steps, quietly cursing the man below for giving Tyros the farthest room. With all he had been through, Bakal did not need to be climbing steps.

At last reaching the mage’s door, the captain nearly touched the handle, then recalled Tyros’s warning about spells. Bakal knocked instead on the wall next to the door, at the same time calling, “Boy! Mage! Open up!”

The door swung open. What stood before him was not Tyros, but rather a vision of crimson-tressed wonder wearing a very becoming clerical robe.

“There’s no reason to shout,” she reprimanded.

Bakal gritted his teeth and entered. “Girl, after what I’ve been through this last couple days, that’s the best I can do!”

She closed the door behind him, and only then did the captain see Tyros, who sat on the bed. “Good to see you, Captain. You remember Serene, from the tavern?”

“I do.” Bakal had no patience for pleasantries, though. “Now, tell me why you wanted to see me.”

“If you will sit down, I will explain.”

Bakal noticed that there were now two chairs where there had been only one on his last visit. He grabbed the heftier of the two for himself, then brought the other one to the cleric. “My lady?”

“I don’t know if I should even be here,” Serene muttered. “I should be on my way after them by now.…”

The soldier didn’t follow her statement, but Tyros evidently did. He stared at the cleric. “Serene, Captain Bakal may be able to help us, or at least help you.”

“I don’t need help,” she insisted. Nonetheless, the young woman finally sat and told her story to Bakal, who refrained from many obvious questions as he listened. By story’s end, he decided that he believed her for the most part, but she had purposely left out details of some import. Whether Tyros realized that or not, Bakal didn’t know. For the time being, he chose to keep his thoughts to himself.

“An interesting and tragic affair,” the soldier finally commented. “So this General Cadrio is the commander of the invaders. I know that name, mostly from reports in the east during the war.”

“You heard what she said about her wizard?” Tyros interrupted. “Taken like the rest! Don’t you see? That means Leot is probably alive as well!”

“A presumption, boy.” The captain ignored the mage’s look. He had offended far more important people. “But I suppose it has some merit.” He leaned back on the chair. “Suppose you tell me now what it means to me.”

Tyros leaned forward. “Serene has a way to reach the flying citadel.”

The weary black eyes became slits. Perhaps he hadn’t been wasting his time here after all. “I’m listening.”

“I know … someone,” she began very slowly.

Bakal mentally tensed. Again the omissions.

“He has a way for us to get up there-a risky way, but one that should work.”

“And what’s this risky way, girl?”

“You’ll have to see it for yourself, I’m afraid.”

He looked at the mage, who shrugged. “She won’t even tell me much, but I believe her.”

Bakal wondered if the great Tyros had become too enamored by this fiery-haired beauty. The captain cared little to take anyone’s word on faith, even a cleric’s. Still, what other options did he have at the moment? “So what do you want from me, and why should I give it to you, especially considering that you haven’t really said much about your transport?”

Tyros had an answer for that at least. “First, I’ll remind you why you should help, Bakal. Leot aside, think what secrets we could learn if, even damaged as it is, Gwynned could capture the citadel! Add to that, if it can be properly repaired, which Cadrio may be doing even now, it could serve as just as good a weapon for the cause of light as it has for darkness!”

Since he and Tyros had first spoken on the subject, Bakal had toyed with the idea of capturing the citadel, although in reality he knew that it would be better just to destroy the thing. Had the dragons agreed to Tyros’s quest, Bakal would have seen to it that Sunfire and Glisten would send the damned castle plummeting to the ground or into the sea, just as they had its sister ship. If Leot or other prisoners aboard perished, it would be a regrettable consequence. Bakal felt a little guilt and occasionally thought himself no better than Tyros, but he reminded himself that some costs had to be accepted in order to win victory. Even the sacrifice of friends …

“I don’t suppose you’ve got some more dragons, do you?” he asked of Serene.

“No.”

Still no explanation. He disliked that immensely. What could she possibly have in mind? “All right. You’ve made one point at least, Tyros. So what do you want from me? I may not even be able to provide it, you know.”

Tyros seemed unconcerned on the last point. “Serene tells me she can provide transport for as many as sixteen. Counting us and the one who will provide us with the transport, that’s four to start.”

“Meaning you want another twelve. So you want volunteers?”

“Or mercenaries, if need be. I have some money, Bakal.”

“Better be a lot. Still …” He rubbed his chin. A notion formed, one that he quickly decided he had better not yet share with the mage. This would mean some delicate talk with his superiors, and delicacy had never been one of the captain’s strong points. “I’ll see what can be done, but I still want to know about this transportation. I don’t like surprises!”

Tyros eyed Serene, who shook her head. “I can’t. A promise was made, and by my pledge to Branchala, I won’t go back on it!”

Bakal didn’t like that, but he knew better than to press the cleric. “All right. Give me a day or two to arrange things, then I’ll contact Tyros.”

“Will that be enough?” Tyros asked, startled.

“It’ll be enough.” Bakal rose. “And unless there’s more to talk about, I’ll be going now. It’s been a long day.” He nodded to the cleric, who did likewise. “Make sure you’re both ready to leave when I contact you.”

“You are really willing to do this, Captain?” the mage asked.

“Just be ready.” The officer departed, his mind already racing. The name Cadrio had rung a bell with him and likely would do so with some of his superiors. That would make them more open to his plan, which varied slightly from what Tyros proposed. However, the wizard would just have to understand that not everything could go his way.

Captain Bakal would have the twelve men ready. Those twelve would be handpicked, not mercenaries, and they would answer to the officer, not Tyros or the cleric. It had to be that way, for neither of his companions knew enough about the necessities of war.

Only one thing bothered Bakal. Who, he wondered, was the last member of their party?

* * * * *

Tyros yawned, trying not to think of the sleep he was missing. The sun wouldn’t rise for another hour, and the weary mage greatly envied it. He took a sip from the flask he had brought along, a cold tea that one of his teachers had introduced to him long ago. It stimulated the system, revitalized the sleepy mind.

He wished he had brought a second flask … with something stronger added.

Tyros sat atop his chestnut mare, gazing at nothing. Oh, he could see the nearby vicinity well enough, as much good as that did him. The problem was that none of his companions had so far shown up, which irritated him. Even Serene, who had chosen this location, had not yet arrived.

This morning found him overly nervous. Since the disaster in the tower, his nerves had never been the same, and in fact he had to fight not to show that. Others could not be allowed to see his weakness. He was Tyros, after all.

He had tried to plan well for this journey, assuming that once they reached Serene’s transportation, they would continue on. Tyros had brought minimal supplies and only an extra garment or two. He had also strapped a new wizard’s staff to the side of his mount. It gave him some comfort, even though for the most part it would best serve for hand-to-hand combat. Given the short amount of time, Tyros had only been able to cast a few useful spells on it.

Tyros wished Serene had at least chosen a site in Gwynned, rather than out here in the desolate countryside. Dark hills greeted him for some distance, eventually changing to mountains far to the east. To the northeast lay the dragons’ cave, the only part of the chain that Tyros had ever visited, despite his many months here. He knew that if one went far enough beyond this small chain, one would reach the even more mountainous region of Hylo, but Hylo was the domain of the kender, and few Ergothians ever went there.

From behind came the sound of hooves trampling the dusty landscape. Tyros turned to see a murky form some distance back coalesce into Captain Bakal, followed by several men of so similar a look that the wizard would have almost taken them for brothers. Mercenaries, perhaps, but Tyros suspected that they were regular soldiers, possibly even men who had trained under the captain. He found that interesting, especially in light of Gwynned’s supposed disinterest in his proposition.

“Well, good to see you up and bright, mage.”

“I’ve been here about a quarter hour, already, Captain Bakal,” Tyros replied, trying to sound fully awake. “Waiting for all of you. I see you found the men after all.”

“It took some doing.”

When it became clear that the graying officer would not elaborate, Tyros settled back to studying the landscape.

“And where’s the cleric, boy?”

“She should be along soon.”

“I’m here already,” a musical voice interrupted. From out of the darkness Serene materialized, walking gracefully along with a staff of her own. A faint green glow surrounded the cleric. She seemed to smell of morning dew and flowers, and more than one man among Bakal’s troop brightened at her presence. “I was waiting until you all arrived.”

“You were here already?” Tyros frowned, wondering how she had escaped detection by him. “How long?”

“Long enough. Good morning, Captain.”

“Morning to you, my lady.”

She looked over his band. “You had little trouble finding men, I see.”

“I fulfilled my part.” The captain shifted in the saddle. “Now that we’re all here, we can get on with it.” Bakal squinted. “Where’s your horse?”

“I don’t need one, Captain.”

“I thought we had a journey of some distance.”

“Yes, to those mountains there. The nearest ones.”

The officer snorted. “You propose to walk all the way there, girl?” He extended his hand. “I’ll give you a ride. This old war-horse, he’ll carry both of us just fine.”

Serene shook her head. “Thank you, but I don’t need any help.” Again she pointed at the mountains. “Ride directly toward the one with the twisted top. You two know it?”

“I know it,” Bakal replied. “A short but jagged peak. Some bad ground there, too. That’s where we go?”

“Yes. I’ll meet you there.”

“Meet us there? You going to cast a spell to fly over there?”

The cleric gave Bakal a frown. “I do not cast spells. I ask for the help of my good patron, and if he deems it worthy, my request is fulfilled.”

The captain shrugged. “A spell.”

Before she could correct Bakal again, Tyros leapt in. “All right, Serene. We’ll meet you there.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting for you.…” The glow around her began to fade, and as it did Serene herself started to vanish. Her gaze fixed on the wizard’s and remained there until she had completely disappeared.

“Mages and clerics!” Bakal finally uttered. “Give me swords anytime! At least steel is good, honest, and stays where you put it!” He turned to his men and shouted, “You heard her, lads! Let’s ride!”

Tyros noticed that the men only paid attention to the captain, barely even noticing the mage. They had to be soldiers from Gwynned. He had suspected that Bakal would opt for such a choice, but decided to say nothing. In reality, Tyros cared little who the captain chose; he had his own plans for when they reached the citadel. If he could gain access to the Wind Captain’s Chair, then he could seize control of the fortress himself. Control it, and he not only rescued Leot, but brought fame to himself. If Bakal helped him, fine.

They rode toward the eastern mountains, the sun rising shortly into their journey. The low hills began to give way to even rockier, sloping landscape, one that forced them to slow down. Tyros knew that the chain of mountains ahead hardly compared to the one bordering Hylo, but it still left an impression. He thought it a shame that most maps beyond Northern Ergoth did not even acknowledge its presence.

Bakal led them to the peak in question, a vicious-looking thing that, while not as tall as Sunfire’s home, rose almost vertically on the western face. Tyros hoped that they wouldn’t have to climb it.

The veteran officer looked around at the few shrubs. “Well, we’re here! You see any sign of the cleric … or anyone?”

“I’m right here, Captain.”

The redheaded woman stood off to the side, looking as fresh and relaxed as she had earlier. Jade eyes twinkled at the men’s startled expressions.

Bakal could only frown and say, “So you are.”

“You’ll have to dismount if you want to reach where we need to go. You can lead the animals in on foot.”

The men dismounted, then followed Serene through a narrow opening leading into the mountain chain. They wended their way along the passage for some time, noting that the rocky walls quickly grew high. Bakal muttered something about ambushes, but Tyros paid him little mind, trying to keep his attention on the uneven path. Serene hadn’t been jesting when she had said that they would have to go on foot.

Shadows obscured much of the features of the narrow valley through which they journeyed, but the wizard could see gaps high up in the nearest mountainside, caves suitable for great birds but impossible for any man to reach. As if to verify his notions, a vast winged form suddenly darted out of one, disappearing into the neighboring mountains before Tyros could make any identification.

For what seemed another hour, the group traveled. At last Serene led them to a ridge, more a miniature mountain, that took the better part of their remaining strength to ascend.

“How much farther?” the captain finally grumbled.

“We’re nearly there,” was Serene’s only reply.

Sure enough, only a few minutes later the cleric paused in the midst of a clear gap between peaks and planted her staff in the earth. None of her companions at first believed that they had come to the end of their journey, not until she finally announced the fact out loud.

“This is it?” Bakal’s gaze fixed on Serene. “I don’t see anything. I don’t like that.” His men muttered agreement, some keeping their hands by their swords.

“Stay your weapons!” The cleric raised her staff. “This is no trick!”

Having come this far, Tyros did not want to have to turn back to Gwynned empty-handed. “Keep them under control, Captain.” To Serene, he asked, “Where is your friend? The sooner he makes himself known, the sooner things will calm down. Is that not correct, Captain Bakal?”

“That depends on-”

“Is it okay to come out, Serene?” a high-pitched voice suddenly interjected. “I mean, I’ve waited and stayed quiet just like you said, but it’s been an awful long time, and they won’t like waiting.”

Bakal backed away, shaking his head in dismay as the final member of their party emerged from behind a small outcropping. “By the Blue Phoenix!” he sputtered, using the Ergothian title for Habakkuk, god of the sea. “It’s a blasted kender!”

Everyone but Serene reached to protect his personal belongings even though the kender stood some distance away. The size of a half-grown child, he looked harmless enough, with his cheerful, elflike face and long, black hair tied in a topknot. He carried no weapon save a dagger and a sling in his belt and wore simple green traveling clothes. Tyros judged him to be relatively young. Belatedly it occurred to him that the race was favored by Branchala, so it stood to reason that of all humans, a cleric of that god would be able to tolerate the mischievous creatures.

Still, what sort of help with transportation could a kender offer? Tyros would have rather accepted the aid of a gnomish machine.

“Behave, Rapp,” Serene replied quietly. The kender gave her a hug, which she returned with a smile. The cleric rubbed his head with obvious affection. “Now, it wasn’t all that long a wait, was it?”

“No, I suppose not.” Rapp’s eyes said otherwise. Kender were notorious for their short attention spans. Waiting for Serene must have been agonizing for him.

“Let me get this straight,” Bakal snarled. “We’ve come all this way to meet this little thief? You’re the one people said they saw in the city, aren’t you?”

The redheaded woman looked down at her friend. “Did you go into the city after I pleaded with you not to, Rapp?”

“Well, no … not much … but it was only at night! I’m sure no one saw me, or at least only a few …”

“Rapp, what am I going to do with you?” She sighed. “Before we leave, I want to see everything you’ve got in your pockets and pouches, and, yes, I mean everything. If it doesn’t look as if it belongs to you, it goes back to the city. Understood?”

“Yes, Serene, but I don’t think I took anything, although I did notice a few pieces that must’ve fallen in my-”

“Never mind.” Serene looked around, as if seeking something. “How are they doing, Rapp?”

“They’ve fed, Serene! I found them a nice place to hunt fish.” He looked at Tyros, who backed away from the suddenly advancing kender. “They like fish. Did you know that? I never did, but I’ve learned so much from them. My name’s Rapp. What’s yours?”

The anxious spellcaster found himself shaking hands. He pulled his away, checking at the same time to see if Rapp had somehow gotten into his pockets. “Tyros … my name is Tyros.”

“Are you a mage? You must be a mage with a robe like that! Can you do a trick for me?”

“Make him disappear,” Bakal suggested.

The veteran likely regretted speaking, for now Rapp honed in on him. “Can he really do that? I’d like to see that! My name’s Rapp! That’s short for Rappskali-”

“Get your hand out of my tinder pouch!”

Serene tapped the stony earth with her staff. “Rapp! Come here! You’re bothering Captain Bakal!”

“I’m sorry! Was I bothering you? I didn’t mean to!” Mercifully, the spry kender obeyed her, hopping back to her side.

“I’m for leaving,” one of the men in back growled, “before that little cutpurse strips us of everything we have!”

“You’ll stay where you are!” roared their leader. He turned on the cleric. “But if he doesn’t produce transport …”

Tyros could scarcely believe this turn of luck. Had he been made a fool of by this woman? What good was a kender to his quest? Would the creature suddenly sprout wings and carry them?

Serene leaned down, talking kindly to Rapp. “Perhaps you’d better call them now. We haven’t much time, and they need to get used to the men.”

Rapp nodded, then left her side to climb atop the outcropping. He smiled once at Tyros, then looked up and suddenly called out like a wild beast.

“Why’s he spouting like a hawk?” Bakal demanded.

Tyros thought that Rapp’s call ended more like that of a lion or some other great cat, but he could see why the captain had taken it for a bird. He looked around, waiting for something to emerge from the rocks.

From above came a deeper, longer version of the call the kender had made. As one, the humans looked up. All but Serene looked startled. Tyros saw birds, huge birds, leave their mountain roosts and begin to descend.

Only they were not birds.

“Gods!” one of the men shouted. “What are those beasts?”

Tyros looked to Bakal for an answer, but the usually fearless soldier stood speechless and pale. He shook his head over and over, his eyes never leaving the oncoming creatures above.

“I knew I’d seen one!” he finally uttered. “I wasn’t mad! It was a griffon! It was!”

Tyros had heard of the fantastic animals, even studied them as part of his education, but as with the gargoyles, he had never actually seen one before. Now six of them-no, more like eight-descended upon the party, and at a kender’s behest.

Bakal suddenly went into action. “Form a circle! Swords at the ready! Be ready to fight your way out!”

“There’s no need for that!” Serene called. “They won’t harm you! Rapp, tell the children to land!”

The kender nodded, then gave out a cry with slightly different tones than the first. The griffons suddenly swerved and, moments later, alighted around the outcropping. Despite their immense size, they landed gently, then folded their wings.

The animals presented a fantastic combination of two other creatures, the proud eagle and the majestic lion. Their tails, although whiplike, had a shock of feathers at the end. The torso mostly resembled that of the feline, golden-furred and very muscular. However, the legs ended in peculiar talons, like a bird of prey’s, yet more dexterous. The talons could have easily seized a full-sized man and taken him aloft, not a comforting thought.

The griffons stared at the intruders, their heads almost identical to those of a true eagle. Yet the feathers mixed with fur toward the back and under the beak, the latter giving the winged furies a bearded look. Tyros stared at the eyes and saw far more intelligence in them than in most animals. He wondered if the griffons could actually understand what others said.

“That’s our transportation?” Bakal spouted.

“They’re really well behaved!” Rapp offered. “I raised them mostly myself! I found them after the parents had been killed by hunters, and even though I was on my way to Solace, which is supposed to be a nice place that I hope to still visit someday, I couldn’t very well leave them to die, could I?”

“Of course you couldn’t,” Serene replied approvingly.

“Well, that’s what I thought, and even though it meant having to stay in the woods a lot, I fed them and then found Serene, who taught me more about how to take care of them, and I love them like they’re my own children, which they really aren’t because they wouldn’t look like that, especially the beards.”

“I don’t know which is worse,” the captain said to Tyros. “The griffons themselves or listening to his story about them. You can’t be serious about us riding those monsters!”

A couple of the nearer creatures squawked at the last word.

“Be careful, Bakal,” Tyros warned. “I think they sense your dislike.” To Serene, he added, “but the captain raises a good point. Do you think we can actually make use of the griffons? They seem to obey the kender, but will they let us ride them?”

“They let me ride all the time,” she replied with just a hint of mischievousness. “Surely you two will have no trouble.”

Bakal took umbrage at the possible slight to his courage. “You tell me what to do and I’ll ride one of the beasts,” he insisted. “And that goes for the others, too.”

While the spellcaster noted some continued unease among Bakal’s soldiers, none of them sought to dissuade their leader. The captain had chosen well. Despite their misgivings, these men were still willing to go on.

“It’s very simple. Put your leg over the torso, then hold on to either the mane or the rider in front of you.”

The wizard studied the huge animals. “They can carry two at a time?”

“They’re very strong.”

“What about supplies?” Tyros asked.

“They can carry a little, but we won’t be able to bring any unnecessary items along.” She had made note of Tyros’s heavily packed horse.

Thinking of the mounts, Tyros turned to Bakal. “You’ll have to leave a man to bring the horses back to Gwynned.”

“Already thought of that. Simon there.” The captain indicated a tall bearded man about the mage’s age. “He’ll take them back. Brought him along just for that.”

The cleric nodded. “Then it’s all settled. Good! The longer we delay, the farther Cadrio and the citadel get. Rapp, you and I need to deal with the griffons before the others mount. They’ll be a bit nervous around the men, and I don’t want any trouble. Come!”

“Isn’t she wonderful?” Rapp asked, gazing up at her with pure devotion. “She can do so much! I thought about becoming a cleric of Branchala-he likes kender more than most, you see-but then I thought that if I were a cleric of the Skylord, then I could talk to all the animals, not just my griffons! Of course, then I might have to go walking around in a robe and pray in temples and-”

Bakal grimaced as the kender went on, then turned to the men. “You heard her! Get everything ready! Hurry!”

As the soldiers obeyed, Tyros studied the beasts, which remained near the outcropping, watching the antics of the people. Serene and the kender talked to each, which seemed to have a relaxing effect on the griffons. Tyros noted that most stared longest at Rapp, their eyes filled with as much devotion as he had shown for Serene.

Returning to Tyros, the cleric commented, “They’ll be fine now. By the way, you and I will ride together.”

“Me?”

“Rapp and I need to ride different griffons so that we can better maintain control of the entire group. And since you’re the one who knows most about these castles, I want you near if there’s a question to be asked. The captain will ride with Rapp. Understand?”

“I do.” Bakal would be thrilled.

“Fine.” She looked past him, to where Bakal and the others had nearly readied themselves. “It’s time for them to choose.”

“Choose?” Tyros looked over the beasts, trying to pick the best one. “What difference does it make which one we choose?”

Serene grinned. “You misunderstand! You don’t choose.”

“Then you do it,” Tyros said, nodding at the kender.

She tapped her staff, which set the animals moving. Rapp ran over to Bakal, no doubt to give him the good news about their traveling together. “Oh, I don’t do it either. They do.”

“They?” Tyros stared at the griffons, which now began to circle the humans.

“Tyros! Mage!” the captain called. “What the devil’s going on here? Why’re they coming toward us?”

Tyros looked back at the captain, trying to keep his voice steady. Serene trusted these animals; surely he could do the same. “Remain calm, Bakal! Nothing to worry about! They’re just in the process of-”

A great force landed on the mage’s chest, slamming him backward to the ground. Massive talons dug into his chest, hurting him slightly but somehow managing to avoid tearing the cloth of his robe. He stared into an avian face with leonine eyes. The sharp beak opened, and Tyros received a faceful of putrid breath.

“Consider yourself lucky, mage,” Serene called from behind the monstrous beast. “I think he likes you.”