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Authors: Craig Halloran
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mad!”
“Keep your voice down,” Nath said. “Someone’s coming.”
Each one of them concealed himself in the forest. Nath could hear two approaching pairs of footsteps. One heavy. Another light. Two figures emerged from the grove. An old man hung on the arm of a brute the size of two stout men.
“You can come out,” the old man said. He wore common clothing, and his eyes were smoky. “I might be blind, but I still see everything.”
“They fear us, Father,” the brute said. His head was shaven, and his bare arms bulged like tree trunks out of his leather jerkin. A long heavy club hung from his free arm. “As they should. I’ll break them the same as I broke their comrade.”
Nath stepped out from behind the tree. Brenwar did the same.
The brute grunted and sneered at Nath.
“This one has hair like a woman’s.”
“Mind your manners, Horse Neck,” the old man said. “We are not here to make enemies, but allies.”
Horse Neck spat on the ground.
“As you wish, Otter Bone.” He leered at Brenwar. “I’ve never tussled a dwarf before. You look like an oversized beaver.”
“You dare, you undersized troll?” Brenwar said, coming forward. “I’ll break you piece by piece.”
Nath cut off his advance.
“Otter Bone, is it?” Nath said.
“It is.” The blind mind came forward and reached out toward Nath. “Be still. I can sense what you are, Dragon, but I want to feel for myself.”
“And how can that be?” Brenwar said.
“He’s a sage,” Bayzog said, moving out of the clearing and into view. “A formidable one at that.”
Otter Bone gaped and his face brightened.
“Well played,” the blind old man said. “I did not sense you, Wizard. Hmmm. Part-elven. Unusual.”
Nath glanced at Bayzog and the wizard nodded. It let him know Otter Bone was someone to contend with.
“Tell us about Ben?” Nath said.
“He is well, quite well. Just has a large knot on his head, but those lumps are good for readings. That lump told me many things, it did.” Otter Bone moved closer to Nath, reaching out. “May I, please?”
Nath spat a small fireball on the ground.
Horse Neck jerked the old man back and stamped it out.
“Tell me about my friend and what you want with him. What you want with us.”
Horse Neck stuck his wooden club in Nath’s face.
“Don’t do that again,” he warned. “Or I’ll—”
Nath spat fire on it. It burst into flame and turned to ash, leaving Horse Neck’s hand an empty mitt.
“Next time,” Nath warned, “it is you that will feel heat and not some part of a tree.”
The brute’s arms flexed with muscle and his chest heaved with angry breaths.
“Enough, Horse Neck!” Otter Bone said. “I can’t take him anywhere without him wanting to fight something. Please understand, the siege we are under can be quite stressful and my temperamental nephew gets pent-up from all our unpleasant captors.”
“We don’t care about that!” Brenwar said. “Where is our friend?”
“Why, in the River Cities, of course.”
“Whose prisoner is he?” Nath said.
“Ah, now that is the question,” Otter Bone said, “and you have many? I have foreseen this. That’s how I knew you were coming.”
Nath looked to Bayzog. He hadn’t dealt with sages before. Bayzog shrugged his eyebrows.
“You’ve come to visit the Floating City,” the old man said, “to see who cuts the stones that cannot be cut. To see who controls the dragons. Am I right?”
No one spoke.
“I am not your enemy. I’m not friend or ally to Barnabus either, but I’ll not leave my home on account of them. You,” he pointed to Nath. His voice became haunting, “are the one to stop all of that. You are the Black Dragon. I’ve seen you. I’ve seen Nalzambor destroyed and saved. I’ll help if you will.”
“What kind of ally holds an ally hostage?” Brenwar said.
“A desperate one. A selfish one. I crave jaxite crystals for myself. Bring me three, and I’ll free your
“Keep your voice down,” Nath said. “Someone’s coming.”
Each one of them concealed himself in the forest. Nath could hear two approaching pairs of footsteps. One heavy. Another light. Two figures emerged from the grove. An old man hung on the arm of a brute the size of two stout men.
“You can come out,” the old man said. He wore common clothing, and his eyes were smoky. “I might be blind, but I still see everything.”
“They fear us, Father,” the brute said. His head was shaven, and his bare arms bulged like tree trunks out of his leather jerkin. A long heavy club hung from his free arm. “As they should. I’ll break them the same as I broke their comrade.”
Nath stepped out from behind the tree. Brenwar did the same.
The brute grunted and sneered at Nath.
“This one has hair like a woman’s.”
“Mind your manners, Horse Neck,” the old man said. “We are not here to make enemies, but allies.”
Horse Neck spat on the ground.
“As you wish, Otter Bone.” He leered at Brenwar. “I’ve never tussled a dwarf before. You look like an oversized beaver.”
“You dare, you undersized troll?” Brenwar said, coming forward. “I’ll break you piece by piece.”
Nath cut off his advance.
“Otter Bone, is it?” Nath said.
“It is.” The blind mind came forward and reached out toward Nath. “Be still. I can sense what you are, Dragon, but I want to feel for myself.”
“And how can that be?” Brenwar said.
“He’s a sage,” Bayzog said, moving out of the clearing and into view. “A formidable one at that.”
Otter Bone gaped and his face brightened.
“Well played,” the blind old man said. “I did not sense you, Wizard. Hmmm. Part-elven. Unusual.”
Nath glanced at Bayzog and the wizard nodded. It let him know Otter Bone was someone to contend with.
“Tell us about Ben?” Nath said.
“He is well, quite well. Just has a large knot on his head, but those lumps are good for readings. That lump told me many things, it did.” Otter Bone moved closer to Nath, reaching out. “May I, please?”
Nath spat a small fireball on the ground.
Horse Neck jerked the old man back and stamped it out.
“Tell me about my friend and what you want with him. What you want with us.”
Horse Neck stuck his wooden club in Nath’s face.
“Don’t do that again,” he warned. “Or I’ll—”
Nath spat fire on it. It burst into flame and turned to ash, leaving Horse Neck’s hand an empty mitt.
“Next time,” Nath warned, “it is you that will feel heat and not some part of a tree.”
The brute’s arms flexed with muscle and his chest heaved with angry breaths.
“Enough, Horse Neck!” Otter Bone said. “I can’t take him anywhere without him wanting to fight something. Please understand, the siege we are under can be quite stressful and my temperamental nephew gets pent-up from all our unpleasant captors.”
“We don’t care about that!” Brenwar said. “Where is our friend?”
“Why, in the River Cities, of course.”
“Whose prisoner is he?” Nath said.
“Ah, now that is the question,” Otter Bone said, “and you have many? I have foreseen this. That’s how I knew you were coming.”
Nath looked to Bayzog. He hadn’t dealt with sages before. Bayzog shrugged his eyebrows.
“You’ve come to visit the Floating City,” the old man said, “to see who cuts the stones that cannot be cut. To see who controls the dragons. Am I right?”
No one spoke.
“I am not your enemy. I’m not friend or ally to Barnabus either, but I’ll not leave my home on account of them. You,” he pointed to Nath. His voice became haunting, “are the one to stop all of that. You are the Black Dragon. I’ve seen you. I’ve seen Nalzambor destroyed and saved. I’ll help if you will.”
“What kind of ally holds an ally hostage?” Brenwar said.
“A desperate one. A selfish one. I crave jaxite crystals for myself. Bring me three, and I’ll free your
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