“Turn your head, then,” Hyden said.
His decision was made. When she was in position, he had her breathe enough light so that he could see the fastenings on the big, jeweled leather strap. It took some time for Hyden to figure out that opening the clasps was more of a mental exercise, than a physical one. The buckles were linked to his collar magically. It took some effort, and some trial and error, but finally, he bent the clasps to his will. They came loose, and the heavy collar fell to the floor.
There was a sudden flurry of movement in the new darkness. Hyden was knocked to the floor. He became very tense and aware. He might have just made a horrible mistake. He turned this way and that, looking for some visual sign of his surroundings. Other than the two jagged holes that he knew were the openings into the cavern, nothing was discernible. He could only make out the holes, because the night sky outside, was just a few shades lighter than the pitch dark he was in now.
“Your brother stole my eggs!” Claret growled, in a deep voice that was no longer contained.
It sounded as if thunder had somehow gained the ability to articulate words. Flames filled the air over Hyden’s head, and he was suddenly very, very afraid.
“Your people enslaved me to guard this portal for countless years, and I was left to helplessly look upon my un-hatched young, hope for a time when I might incubate them, and wean them into freedom.”
The cavern went black again, as the dragon began drawing in a slow deep breath.
“I should roast you from your bones, Hyden Hawk Skyler,” she said, as her vast lungs filled to capacity. “As I am not my blood kin, and as their deeds and minds are not my own, I’ll not holds you to blame for the actions of your blood kin.” She paused, and her huge yellow eyes loomed down at him. “Always remember who your true friends are, Hyden Hawk,” she commanded. “Now, step aside, and shelter yourself, lest I roast you by mistake.”
Before Queen Willa let herself be dragged back down into the castle, she yanked the silver tipped Horn of Doon from her neck, and hurled it over the tower’s edge. She cursed herself a fool for even entertaining the idea that the ages old promise of the dwarves might be remembered, much less fulfilled, during this time of great need.
In the distance, the bright colorful display of Mikahl’s battle with Pael recaptured King Jarrek’s attention enough that Willa wriggled free of his grasp. Both of them moved back towards the parapet to watch. From the air just above Mikahl, red streaks collided into a dome of blue, and radiated flares of lavender and purple, like some spectacular flaming star. It was impossible to tell who was who, or what was actually happening, but in the moments that followed, it became clearer.
Jarrek and Willa could see that Pael was hovering and attacking. Mikahl’s shield was diverting the demon wizard’s energy somewhat. Mikahl returned the attack, with a white-hot beam of his own, and when the two forces met, the area around the two combatants was illuminated by an explosion of radiant light.
Anyone with the vantage of height, could see them clearly now. They might as well have been battling under the midday sun. Mikahl’s rage pushed forward, but was forced back by a surge of demon might, and evil will. The bloody, prismatic beam of Pael’s, swallowed up Mikahl’s force, and came up against the glassine dome of his blue shielding energy again, only this time, it shattered the protective globe, into a shower of hurtling, glowing debris.
Pael’s crimson ray didn’t stop there: it consumed Mikahl.
After a bright cloud of sparkling, white smoke-like energy swirled up, from where the Squire-King had just stood, blackness, and the sounds of the battle raging below on the castle’s grounds wafted up, and once again consumed the night. The light of hope that Mikahl had represented had been extinguished, and King Jarrek had to catch Queen Willa, before she fell to her knees in despair.
Mikahl felt the power of the demon’s will shatter his magical shield. He felt his magical armor absorb as much of the power as it could, before it burned away in a white smoking cloud of sparks. Then, he felt the demon wizard’s ray upon his flesh, and felt it bore into him, to the very marrow of his bones, but only for an instant.