Part 5 (1/2)
”Who did, then? Takhisis?”
Mirror was surprised to hear her name, then realized that he shouldn't be. He was not the only one to have recognized that voice in the storm.
”You might say that. The girl called Mina wielded the magical bolt that brought about his death. She acted in self-defense. Skie attacked her first, claiming that she had betrayed him.”
”Of course she betrayed him,” said the Blue. ”When did she ever do anything else?”
”I am confused,” said Mirror. ”Are we speaking of Mina or Takhisis?”
”They are one and the same, to all intents and purposes. So what are you doing here, Silver, and why is the stench of Malys heavy about the place?”
”Malys took away Skie's totem. Skie was mortally wounded, yet he still managed to defy her. He wounded her, I think, though probably not severely. He was too weak. She did this to him in retaliation.”
”Good for him,” growled the Blue. ”I hope gangrene sets in and she rots. But you didn't answer my first question, Silver. Why are you here?”
”I had questions,” said Mirror.
”Did you receive answers?”
”I did,” said Mirror.
”Were you surprised to hear these answers?”
”No, not really,” Mirror admitted. ”What is your name? I am called Mirror.”
”Ah, the Guardian of the Citadel of Light. I am called Razor. I am”-the Blue paused and when he next spoke, his voice was heavy and tinged with grief-”I was the partner of Marshal Medan of Qualinesti. He is dead, and I am on my own now. You, being a Silver, might be interested to hear that Qualinesti has been destroyed,” Razor added. ”The Lake of Death, the elves call it. That is all that is left of the once-beautiful city.”
Mirror was suspicious, wary. ”I can't believe this!”
”Believe it,” said Razor grimly. ”I saw the destruction with my own eyes. I was too late to save the Marshal, but I did see the great, green dragon Beryl meet her death.” His tone held grim satisfaction.
”I would be interested to hear the account,” said Mirror.
The Blue chuckled. ”I imagine you would. The elves of Qualinesti were warned of her coming, and they were ready for her. They stood on their rooftops and fired thousands of arrows at her. Attached to each arrow was cord that someone had strengthened with magic. The elves thought it was their magic, naturally. It wasn't. It was her magic.”
”Takhisis?”
”Simply ridding herself of another rival and the elves at the same time. The thousands of strands of magical cord formed a net over Beryl, dragged her down from the skies. The elves planned to kill her as she lay helpless on the ground, but their plans went awry. The elves had worked with the dwarves, you see, to dig tunnels beneath the ground of Qualinesti. Many elves managed to escape through these tunnels, but, in the end, they proved to be Qualinesti's undoing. When Beryl landed on the ground, her great weight caused the tunnels to collapse, forming a huge chasm. She sank deep into the ground. The waters of the White-Rage River left their banks and flowed into the chasm, flooding Qualinesti and turning it into a gigantic lake. A Lake of Death.”
”Beryl dead,” Mirror murmured. ”Skie dead. The Qualineseti lands destroyed. One by one, Takhisis rids herself of her enemies.”
”Your enemies, too, Silver,” said Razor. ”And mine. These overlords, as they call themselves, have slain many of our kind. You should rejoice in our Queen's victory over them. Whatever you may think of her, she is the G.o.ddess of our world, and she fights for us.”
”She fights for no one but herself,” Mirror retorted. ”As she has always done. This is all her fault. If Takhisis had not stolen away the world, these overlords would have never found us. Those who have died would be alive today: dragons, elves, humans, kender. The great dragons murdered them, but Takhisis herself is ultimately responsible for their deaths, for she brought us here.”
”Stole the world . . .” Razor repeated. His claws scratched against the rock. He s.h.i.+fted his tail slowly back and forth, his wings stirred restlessly. ”So that is what she did.”
”According to Skie, yes. So he told me.”
”And why would he tell you, Silver?” Razor asked, sneering.
”Because I tried to save his life.”
”He a blue dragon, your most hated enemy! And you tried to save his life!” Razor scoffed. ”I am not some hatchling to swallow this kender tale.”
Mirror couldn't see the Blue, but he could guess what he looked like. A veteran warrior, his blue scales would be s.h.i.+ning clean, perhaps with a few scars of his prowess on his chest and head.
”My reasons for saving him were cold-blooded enough to satisfy even you,” Mirror returned. ”I came to Skie seeking answers to my questions. I could not let him die and take those answers to the grave with him. I used him. I admit it. I am not proud of myself, but at least, because of my aid, he managed to live long enough to strike a blow against Malys. For that, he thanked me.”
The Blue was silent. Mirror could not tell what Razor was thinking. His claws sc.r.a.ped the rock, his wings brushed the blood-tainted air of the lair, his tail swished back and forth. Mirror had spells ready, should Razor decide to fight. The contest would not be equal-a seasoned, veteran Blue against a blind Silver. But at least, like Skie, Mirror would leave his mark upon his enemy.
”Takhisis stole the world.” Razor spoke in thoughtful tones. She brought us here. She is, as you say, responsible. Yet, she is our G.o.ddess as of old, and she fights to avenge us against our enemies.”
”Her enemies,” said Mirror coldly. ”Else she would not bother.”
”Tell me, Silver,” Razor challenged, ”what did you feel when you first heard her voice. Did you feel a stirring in your heart, in your soul? Did you feel nothing of this?”
”I felt it,” Mirror admitted. ”When I first heard the voice in the storm, I knew it to be the voice of a G.o.d, and I thrilled to hear it. The child whose father beats him will yet cling to that parent, not because he is a good or wise parent, but because he is the only parent the child knows. But then I began to ask questions, and my questions led me here.”
”Questions,” Razor said dismissively. ”A good soldier never questions. He obeys.”
”Then why haven't you joined her armies?” Mirror demanded. ”Why are you here in Skie's lair, if not to ask questions of him?”
Razor had no response. Was he brooding, thinking things over or was he angry, planning to attack? Mirror couldn't tell, and he was suddenly tired of this conversation, tired and hungry. At the thought of food, his stomach rumbled.
”If we are going to battle,” Mirror said, ”I ask that we do it after I have eaten. I am famished, and unless I am mistaken, I smell fresh goat meat in the lair.”
”I am not going to fight you,” said Razor impatiently. ”What honor is there in fighting a blind foe? The goat you seek is over to your left, about two talon-lengths away. My mate's skull is in one of those totems. Perhaps, if we had not been brought to this place, she would be alive today. Still,” the Blue added moodily, slas.h.i.+ng his tail, ”Takhisis is is my G.o.ddess.” my G.o.ddess.”
Mirror had no help to offer the Blue. Mirror had solved his own crisis of faith. His had been relatively easy, for none of his kind had ever wors.h.i.+ped Takhisis. Their love and their loyalty belonged to Paladine, G.o.d of Light.
Was Paladine out there somewhere searching for his lost children? After the storm, the metallic dragons left to find the G.o.ds, or so Skie had said. They must have failed, for Takhisis remained unrivaled. Yet, Mirror believed, Paladine still exists. Somewhere the G.o.d of Light is looking for us. Takhisis shrouds us in darkness, hides us from his sight. Like castaways lost at sea, we must find a way to signal those who search the vast ocean that is the universe.
Mirror settled down to devour the goat. He did not offer to share. The Blue would be well fed, for he could see his prey. When Mirror walked the land in human form, he carried a begging bowl, lived off sc.r.a.ps. This was the first fresh meat he'd eaten in a long time and he meant to enjoy it. He had some notion now of what he could do, if he could only find the means to do it. First, though, he had to rid himself of this Blue, who appeared to think he had found a friend.
Blues are social dragons, and Razor was in no hurry to leave. He settled down to chat. He had seemed initially a dragon of few words, but now they poured out of him, as though he was relieved to be able to tell someone what was in his heart. He described the death of his mate, he spoke with sorrow and pride of Marshal Medan, he talked about a Dark Knight dragonrider named Gerard. Mirror listened with half his brain, the other half toying with an idea.
Fortunately, eating saved him from the necessity of replying beyond a grunt or two. By the time Mirror's hunger was a.s.suaged, Razor had once more fallen silent. Mirror heard the dragon stir and hoped that finally the Blue was ready to leave.
Mirror was mistaken. Razor was merely s.h.i.+fting his bulk to obtain a more comfortable position.
If I can't get rid of him, Mirror decided dourly, I'll make use of him.
”What do you know of the dragon-skull totems?” Mirror asked cautiously.
”Enough.” Razor growled. ”As I said, my mate's skull adorns one of them. Why do you ask?”