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.""If we are successful, there may no longer be a Malik to concern yourself with," Storm said."If we fail, he will come out sooner or later.Cyric is too cruel to leave him there in comfort for long."Ruha said nothing more, but the angry look she flashed Galaeron left little doubt about whose life she thought he had just saved.A dark voice inside whispered that she was an ungrateful hag who deserved the death she would find in Shade, but Galaeron closed his mind to those shadowy thoughts and reminded himself that she had good reason to hate the little man.He was a remorseless killer who had single-handedly saved the Church of Cyric and restored the mad god to power, and he was undoubtedly working to spread his god's influence throughout the city of Shade.That he had saved the lives of both Galaeron and Aris many times while they traveled together mattered not at all.That had been an alliance of convenience, and Galaeron knew assurely as Ruha did that Malik would not hesitate to betray them in the name of his god.Galaeron considered again whether to tell the Chosen about the message he had received from Malik but was deterred by the fury in Ruha's eyes.Given the number of Chosen who had come and the courtesy they had shown him in the strategy session, he felt sure that they intended to follow through on the plan no matter what.But Ruha would seize on any suggestion of betrayal by Malik as an excuse to accompany them into the city.Galaeron had no doubt at all about what would become of her if she fell into Hadrhune's hands.For the witch's own good, it would be better for him to keep the secretOr so Galaeron told himself._________CHAPTER SEVEN16 Flamerule, the Year of Wild MagicOnce the captain had the caravan arranged to his liking, he gave the order to depart.Like some thousand-legged millipede, the line came alive and began to snake its way westward along the High Road.Galaeron and Ruha rode in silence on opposite sides of their invisible friend, Galaeron struggling to ignore the dark thoughts continually welling up in his mind, the witch glaring at him over her veil.Aris, suffering from the fatal honesty that was the curse of his race, tried several times to reason with her, to make her see they were trying to protect her as much as they were Malik.Ruha heard only the part about protecting Malik and chastised the giant for serving an evil god.That was the end of any conversation for the rest of the day.They atetheir lunch in cold silence, Khelben urging Galaeron and Aris to gorge themselves and build up what stores of fat they could.They did as the archmage suggested, and though the giant’s s presence was a very open secret in the caravan, Storm renewed the invisibility spell on him.They spent the rest of the day feeling lethargic and uncomfortable, until the caravan master finally called a halt It was already late in the afternoon, with the sun sinking low over the Storm Horns and the road ahead vanishing into its golden glow.No wonder, then, that no one sounded the alarm before the dragons were on them.The creatures came straight out of the sun, the big one in the center sweeping low over the center of the caravan, its mere presence panicking mounts and men alike, sending guards diving for roadsides and horses crashing headlong into the woods south of the road.The great beast did not breathe fire, gas, or anything else, nor did it devour any horses or snatch screaming men in its claws.It did little more than swing its long neck from one side of the road to the other, its great head passing slowly over each knot of cowering riders.Blinded as he was by the brilliant ball of the setting sun, Galaeron did not realize for a moment that the dragon had no flesh or hide.It was all bone, with an empty cage of ribs large enough to hold Aris, and blue stars burning in the depths of its hollow eyes."Malygris!" Galaeron gasped."They're coming for us now!""Into the woods!" Khelben shouted as he reined his horse into Galaeron's and forced him to turn toward the forest."Aris, duck and run!"The invisible giant went thumping toward the woods, his big feet flattening the brown grass as he ran.Ruha and the others led the way after him, and soon they were galloping away from the road in a loose circle.They had traveled no more than thirty paces before the low whumpf of pulsing wings sounded over their heads,then a wall of blue scales dropped out of the sky to block their way.The dragon was an old one, close to two hundred feet from nose to tail, with fangs as long as swords and claws that could grasp a war-horse around the withers.It swung its head in their direction and opened its jaws to display the ball of lightning crackling in its gullet, then did nothing at all.That was the frightening part, at least to Galaeron.The thing knew who they were or they would have already been dead."Back!" Khelben ordered.As one they wheeled their mounts around and started back toward the road—only to stop an instant later when the third dragon crashed down in front of them.As long as the one behind them, it was perhaps a ton or two lighter, with a long, sinuous body and a bristly fence of spines down its back.Like the other one, it opened its mouth to reveal the bail of lightning crackling in its gullet.Surrounded as they were by Mystra's Chosen, some part of Galaeron realized they were in no trouble.Any single one of his companions could have slain both dragons with little more than a word and a flick of the wrist, but that was a hard thing to remember while staring into a mouthful of fangs as tall as an elf.Knowing there was a second dragon coming up from behind made it all but impossible to remain calm.Drawing his sword, Galaeron turned to the closest Chosen—it happened to be Storm—and yelled, "Do something, you useless scold!""What would that be, milord?" asked Storm, who had already drawn her own sword.She pushed the weapon uselessly into the air."I'm not here to fight dragons."She set her heels to her horse and raced off.No sooner had she gone than the rest of the Chosen scattered, behaving more or less like typical caravan guards.Galaeron started after Khelben, and the dragon bounded in front of him.Hewheeled around, his mount stumbling as it bounced off Aris's invisible leg, and started after Alustriel.The other dragon landed on its haunches a hundred feet ahead, one claw stretching in Galaeron's direction.Black fear welled up inside Galaeron [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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