Nath said, raising his eyes to the sky. He could see more dragons perched in the Floating City’s towers above. The shadow of the great city sent a chill through him. “We must go.”
“Go! We must have a burial, Rescue Murderer.”
“There’s no time for a burial,” Nath said. “I’ll carry Flupplinn. We can bury him later.” He moved towards the fallen body that lay still on the ground. The gnome’s small form was like that of a child, and Nath felt sadness run through him. He started to stoop down, but the gnomes stopped him.
“We’ll carry our own dead,” one said, “Rescue Murderer.”
“Be on with you now,” said another.
“Go, go away.”
“Rescue Murderer.”
“Safer with dragons, we were.”
“The lurker was safer too.”
The comments stung. Bit. But Nath didn’t have time for any of it. He didn’t have time to explain himself, and it wasn’t surprising that the gnomes didn’t see the truth of it. They’d gotten settled in their jaxite home.
He turned and faced Snarggell.
“I know this is hard, but it’s going to be much harder if you don’t come with me.”
“Are you going to snatch me up like a child again?”
Nath’s golden eyes flared. Smoke rolled from his nose.
“Alright,” Snarggell said, eyeing the city in the sky. His ancient eyes narrowed a little. “We’ll go with you then.”
“Good.”
Nath led them along the river bank for about a half mile, keeping his eyes on the city behind him. The dragons remained still as gargoyles in their perches. Not a wing in the sky. His mind raced, wondering why they didn’t come. What were they waiting for? He glanced back at the gnomes. Four of them carried one dead friend. All of their faces were dour. It left a guilty feeling in him. But he hadn’t invaded the city to make friends. He had done it to put an end to the jaxite mining that allowed the Clerics of Barnabus to control the dragons. And to save Bayzog from Otter Bone’s spell.
My friend had better be in good order.
He pushed his way up the river bank, through the clinging briars, and into the forest. The frozen stares of the dragons were now gone from his mind. He focused on catching up with Bayzog, Brenwar, and Ben.
A hundred yards deep in the forest, he pushed through the foliage and into a grove of pines. He came to a stop. The ground rumbled beneath his feet.
“What is it?” Snarggell said, squinting his eyes in the growing darkness. “Why did we stop?”
“Sh,” Nath said, staying the gnomes with his hand. He kneeled and put his palm on the ground. His nostrils flared. A moment later, birds exploded from the tree and the forest shook.
Ear-shattering roars filled the valley like thunder. Nath shrank back. The gnomes fell to their knees, quivering.
“What in Nuh-Nalzambor was that?” Snarggell said.
“Dragons,” Nath said, unsheathing Fang. “Bull dragons.”
CHAPTER 5
“A mad elf,” Brenwar said to Ben, lifting his brows. “I thought I’d never see such a thing. The war’s gotten to him. He goes to feed himself to the dragons.”
“Maybe he’s being brave,” Ben said. His strong features shone well in the dimming light. Rugged. Battle worn. He readied his bow.
“An elf, brave?” Brenwar said. “A wizard, at that? You know this is not a time for jesting.”
Ben shrugged and positioned himself for an open shot. Brenwar kept his eyes on Bayzog.
The elf glided through the forest on cat’s paws, a shade of himself.
He grunted. He’d seen elves move with plenty of stealth before, but not Bayzog. The part-elf was clumsy by such standards, except today. Today, Bayzog was as graceful as a ghost.
“Magic,” he muttered under his beard. “I heard you use it, you tricky one.”
Still, his heart pounded beneath his breastplate like a hammer. He wasn’t used to watching another take the heavy risk.
“It’s not dwarven-like.”
Bayzog weaved through the trees, blending in with everything he passed, becoming
“Go! We must have a burial, Rescue Murderer.”
“There’s no time for a burial,” Nath said. “I’ll carry Flupplinn. We can bury him later.” He moved towards the fallen body that lay still on the ground. The gnome’s small form was like that of a child, and Nath felt sadness run through him. He started to stoop down, but the gnomes stopped him.
“We’ll carry our own dead,” one said, “Rescue Murderer.”
“Be on with you now,” said another.
“Go, go away.”
“Rescue Murderer.”
“Safer with dragons, we were.”
“The lurker was safer too.”
The comments stung. Bit. But Nath didn’t have time for any of it. He didn’t have time to explain himself, and it wasn’t surprising that the gnomes didn’t see the truth of it. They’d gotten settled in their jaxite home.
He turned and faced Snarggell.
“I know this is hard, but it’s going to be much harder if you don’t come with me.”
“Are you going to snatch me up like a child again?”
Nath’s golden eyes flared. Smoke rolled from his nose.
“Alright,” Snarggell said, eyeing the city in the sky. His ancient eyes narrowed a little. “We’ll go with you then.”
“Good.”
Nath led them along the river bank for about a half mile, keeping his eyes on the city behind him. The dragons remained still as gargoyles in their perches. Not a wing in the sky. His mind raced, wondering why they didn’t come. What were they waiting for? He glanced back at the gnomes. Four of them carried one dead friend. All of their faces were dour. It left a guilty feeling in him. But he hadn’t invaded the city to make friends. He had done it to put an end to the jaxite mining that allowed the Clerics of Barnabus to control the dragons. And to save Bayzog from Otter Bone’s spell.
My friend had better be in good order.
He pushed his way up the river bank, through the clinging briars, and into the forest. The frozen stares of the dragons were now gone from his mind. He focused on catching up with Bayzog, Brenwar, and Ben.
A hundred yards deep in the forest, he pushed through the foliage and into a grove of pines. He came to a stop. The ground rumbled beneath his feet.
“What is it?” Snarggell said, squinting his eyes in the growing darkness. “Why did we stop?”
“Sh,” Nath said, staying the gnomes with his hand. He kneeled and put his palm on the ground. His nostrils flared. A moment later, birds exploded from the tree and the forest shook.
Ear-shattering roars filled the valley like thunder. Nath shrank back. The gnomes fell to their knees, quivering.
“What in Nuh-Nalzambor was that?” Snarggell said.
“Dragons,” Nath said, unsheathing Fang. “Bull dragons.”
CHAPTER 5
“A mad elf,” Brenwar said to Ben, lifting his brows. “I thought I’d never see such a thing. The war’s gotten to him. He goes to feed himself to the dragons.”
“Maybe he’s being brave,” Ben said. His strong features shone well in the dimming light. Rugged. Battle worn. He readied his bow.
“An elf, brave?” Brenwar said. “A wizard, at that? You know this is not a time for jesting.”
Ben shrugged and positioned himself for an open shot. Brenwar kept his eyes on Bayzog.
The elf glided through the forest on cat’s paws, a shade of himself.
He grunted. He’d seen elves move with plenty of stealth before, but not Bayzog. The part-elf was clumsy by such standards, except today. Today, Bayzog was as graceful as a ghost.
“Magic,” he muttered under his beard. “I heard you use it, you tricky one.”
Still, his heart pounded beneath his breastplate like a hammer. He wasn’t used to watching another take the heavy risk.
“It’s not dwarven-like.”
Bayzog weaved through the trees, blending in with everything he passed, becoming
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