discussed, Insithryllax?”
Marek knew that the sound the black dragon made just then was a laugh, but Salatis surely assumed it was a growl.
“Insithryllax,” the senator said, his voice shaking only a little less than his body.
“Ransar,” the wyrm rumbled.
Salatis gasped and Marek sighed.
“Well, the cat’s out of the bag now, isn’t it,” said the Red Wizard.
“What do you mean?” Salatis asked. “Lady Doom has held me in the embrace of the barbs of her 111 Fortune. I am not the ransar.”
“You haven’t told him?” the black dragon asked.
“Not yet,” said the Red Wizard. “I wanted him to see first. After all, I’m not giving him the Palace of Many Spires, only the means to gain it for himself.”
“You’re giving me… ?” Salatis began.
“Really, Salatis,” Marek said, “if you’re going to be the ransar you’ll eventually have to complete a thought. I know it’s a lot to take in, my friend, but it’s happening, I assure you. You’re here, on a plane of existence of my own creation, and what you see before you are creatures made by my hand, with the indispensable assistance of my dear friend the black wyrm Insithryllax. They are the black firedrakes, and I give them to you.”
Salatis shook his head and muttered, “I fear the Maid of Misfortune. I beg her to ignore me.”
“Oh, please, Senator. Your mistress may have her way with us from time to time, but I assure you we petty mortals make our own luck. And it was neither Beshaba nor her sister who brought me to you.”
“What can I do with these things?” the senator asked.
“The black firedrakes? Well, if you insist on getting ahead of ourselves, let’s discuss precisely that. They were created, by me, from the cross-breading of ordinary firedrakes captured from the northern shores of the Lake of
Steam with my boon companion Insithryllax. He proved to be a hearty source of fatherly essence”the dragon took a bow”and the black firedrakes were born. After some months of nurturing, some half dozen or so began to exhibit unusually high functionality. I have put them in command of units of various sizes, though I admit that military organization is of little interest to me, so you may want to reorganize them to fit your own needs. You will be able to do so at your whim.”
“My whim….” Salatis said, perhaps just trying to get used to the idea.
“Indeed,” Marek said. “My gift to you.”
“An army of dragon-men?” asked the senator. “To invade Innarlith?”
“Well…” Marek replied. “Not to put too fine a point on it.”
The senator watched the firedrakes move around each other in silence. Some were in human form, some in the their natural shapes. He seemed equally interested in both, which Marek took as a good sign.
“Why me?” Salatis asked.
“I could give you any number of false answers, Senator,” Marek said, “but I shan’t. Suffice it to say that you have been recruited.”
The black dragon’s laugh rumbled through the stale air and was met with shrieks and calls from the surrounding firedrakes. Marek could see Salatis’s skin crawl, but the hint of a smile played at the edges of the tall man’s lips.
“You will command the firedrakes,” Marek explained. “I will continue to control the tradesmen.”
“The tradesmen?” said the senator, turning finally to look at Marek. “It’s you, then? No one even suspects that.”
Marek sketched a sarcastic bow and equally insincere smile, and said, “The comfort of the aristocracy has always been in the hands of the common man, Senator. Control their comforts, and you control them. Control them, and you control the city.”
“And you control the city?”
Marek laughed at that and said, “Only the parts of it that interest me, Senator. For the rest, I will depend on you.” “What of Osorkon?”
Again, the black dragon laughed. Marek caught the senator glancing at the wyrm, fear heavy in his gaze.
“I suspect that
Marek knew that the sound the black dragon made just then was a laugh, but Salatis surely assumed it was a growl.
“Insithryllax,” the senator said, his voice shaking only a little less than his body.
“Ransar,” the wyrm rumbled.
Salatis gasped and Marek sighed.
“Well, the cat’s out of the bag now, isn’t it,” said the Red Wizard.
“What do you mean?” Salatis asked. “Lady Doom has held me in the embrace of the barbs of her 111 Fortune. I am not the ransar.”
“You haven’t told him?” the black dragon asked.
“Not yet,” said the Red Wizard. “I wanted him to see first. After all, I’m not giving him the Palace of Many Spires, only the means to gain it for himself.”
“You’re giving me… ?” Salatis began.
“Really, Salatis,” Marek said, “if you’re going to be the ransar you’ll eventually have to complete a thought. I know it’s a lot to take in, my friend, but it’s happening, I assure you. You’re here, on a plane of existence of my own creation, and what you see before you are creatures made by my hand, with the indispensable assistance of my dear friend the black wyrm Insithryllax. They are the black firedrakes, and I give them to you.”
Salatis shook his head and muttered, “I fear the Maid of Misfortune. I beg her to ignore me.”
“Oh, please, Senator. Your mistress may have her way with us from time to time, but I assure you we petty mortals make our own luck. And it was neither Beshaba nor her sister who brought me to you.”
“What can I do with these things?” the senator asked.
“The black firedrakes? Well, if you insist on getting ahead of ourselves, let’s discuss precisely that. They were created, by me, from the cross-breading of ordinary firedrakes captured from the northern shores of the Lake of
Steam with my boon companion Insithryllax. He proved to be a hearty source of fatherly essence”the dragon took a bow”and the black firedrakes were born. After some months of nurturing, some half dozen or so began to exhibit unusually high functionality. I have put them in command of units of various sizes, though I admit that military organization is of little interest to me, so you may want to reorganize them to fit your own needs. You will be able to do so at your whim.”
“My whim….” Salatis said, perhaps just trying to get used to the idea.
“Indeed,” Marek said. “My gift to you.”
“An army of dragon-men?” asked the senator. “To invade Innarlith?”
“Well…” Marek replied. “Not to put too fine a point on it.”
The senator watched the firedrakes move around each other in silence. Some were in human form, some in the their natural shapes. He seemed equally interested in both, which Marek took as a good sign.
“Why me?” Salatis asked.
“I could give you any number of false answers, Senator,” Marek said, “but I shan’t. Suffice it to say that you have been recruited.”
The black dragon’s laugh rumbled through the stale air and was met with shrieks and calls from the surrounding firedrakes. Marek could see Salatis’s skin crawl, but the hint of a smile played at the edges of the tall man’s lips.
“You will command the firedrakes,” Marek explained. “I will continue to control the tradesmen.”
“The tradesmen?” said the senator, turning finally to look at Marek. “It’s you, then? No one even suspects that.”
Marek sketched a sarcastic bow and equally insincere smile, and said, “The comfort of the aristocracy has always been in the hands of the common man, Senator. Control their comforts, and you control them. Control them, and you control the city.”
“And you control the city?”
Marek laughed at that and said, “Only the parts of it that interest me, Senator. For the rest, I will depend on you.” “What of Osorkon?”
Again, the black dragon laughed. Marek caught the senator glancing at the wyrm, fear heavy in his gaze.
“I suspect that
Similar Books
