"That's impossible!" Cabe cried, looking at his wife. "Even Aurim shouldn't have been able to cross without my permission!"
Darkhorse was not so concerned about what Aurim should or should not have been able to do as he was about what Yureel had done at the same time. The shadow puppet had drifted through the shield in perfect unison with the human. Worse, Darkhorse sensed a subtle shift in the barrier spell. A sudden thought filled him with dread.
"Cabe! You must cancel the spell that protects your domain! Do it immediately!"
It was a sign of the master sorcerer's faith in his friend that Cabe Bedlam obeyed immediately. Darkhorse, however, did not wait to see the results of his companion's work, but rather leaped toward the barrier. It was a risky chance he took, considering the many things Yureel might have done to the protective spell, but the shadow steed knew that he had the most hope of catching the escaping pair.
The speed at which he reached the barrier was enough that if he was wrong, the backlash would possibly do him great damage. Darkhorse did not care. He was his friends' only hope to rescue the lad.
To his surprise, whatever Yureel had done did not affect the shadow steed. Darkhorse flew through the spell, only slightly slowed by it. He landed on the grass beyond and looked around. Aurim could no longer be seen, but his magical trace was still evident. The shadow puppet had not bothered to hide the trail, which was disturbing. However, Darkhorse had no intention of stopping the chase simply because of the possibility of a trap. He dared not.
"Darkhorse! Wait!"
Yssa had materialized before him. The eternal came within a hair's breadth of overrunning the enchantress, but turned at the last moment. Despite the danger of losing track of Aurim, Darkhorse paused to glare at the woman. "Do you realize just how close you came to possible disaster, mortal? Do you realize that a collision between us would have been more than simply two bodies striking one another? I am exactly like Yureel! A simple touch could have meant your death if I had been caught off-guard!"
"It was the only way to get you to stop!" she countered. "I couldn't let you go running off and getting recaptured, especially with the others being prisoners!"
"The others—?" Darkhorse blinked. "You stand before me as free as a bird!" He twisted his head around in the direction of the Manor. "I would assume that the others were—"
His voice died abruptly. A massive silver dome covered the Manor grounds for as far as he could see. Judging by the way it extended beyond the trees, it covered not only the Manor and the garden area, but also the homes of the many humans and drakes who lived under the protection of the Bedlams. Yureel had turned the barrier spell into a glittering, reflective prison. Darkhorse could not see Cabe and his family even though they surely had to be where he had just left them.
"I followed after you," the enchantress explained. "I didn't even think about what you'd said to Cabe Bedlam about trying to cancel the barrier spell until I reached it." She shivered. "It felt like forcing my way through hardening clay even with the aid of my powers. There was even a moment when I thought that I might become trapped halfway through."
"What about the others?"
"I don't know. I just know that when I turned around, no one had followed and this was in place. I think it's the barrier spell . . . but different."
"It is!" Despite the need to track Aurim, Darkhorse trotted back to the opaque shield. Even up close, he could not sense the spellcasters within. A mental probe proved futile; the barrier was impervious to his sorcery. Out of mounting frustration, the shadow steed rose up and struck it with his hooves. Bright sparks flew, but otherwise the silver shell was unaffected.
Yssa put a hand on the shield. "I can't sense anything. It deflects every attempt I make to contact them."
"Aurim had a hand in the making of this, albeit an unwilling one. The lad is possibly the most powerful spellcaster I have come across since. . since perhaps even the warlock Shade! When he and Yureel departed, I feared that this might be what my foul brother intended."
"Is there nothing we can do for them?" The enchantress was pale, in part because she was still recovering from her effort, but also because she, like the eternal, knew what it meant if the Bedlams remained imprisoned. Cabe and his family represented the greatest threat to Yureel's plots. Even against Aurim, the Order, and Lanith's legions, the Bedlams were powerful enough to counter the shadow puppet's dreams of mayhem. Yureel had his limits; he could not control all of his foes. Probably he had not dared an attempt on their lives for fear that it would be enough to destroy his hold over Aurim. At least, Darkhorse hoped that was the reason. Whatever the reason, sealing the others inside this prison had been Yureel's best opportunity to be rid of them without endangering himself.
Once more I have been too slow to realize! Once more he has made me a fool! To Yssa, he said, "There is nothing I can do. Aurim is the one best suited to return the spell to its original form."
"But he's—" Yssa hesitated, frowning. "I'm . . . I think I'm hearing something . . . it's Cabe Bedlam."
"I hear nothing!"
She quickly quieted him. "I hear him, but he's very faint! I think—" Her voice suddenly shifted, growing deeper, masculine. It was, in fact, Cabe Bedlam's voice. " . . . do anything now. Tell Darkhorse that he needs to alert the Gryphon! He’s our best hope now. We're all right here and the air seems unimpeded. I'm pretty certain that given time and the resources of the Manor library, we'll be able to escape. If the Gryphon can organize some alliance between drakes and humans in the east, they can keep Lanith and Yureel from pushing forward!" Yssa paused, then in Cabe's voice, added, "Don't go after them, Darkhorse! Please! Contact the Gryphon . . . Kyl . . . and the Green Dragon! Don't go charging off!"
"Cabe! Can you hear me? I—"
The enchantress let out a gasp. "He broke the connection! Thank Rheena! I don't think I could've kept that up much longer!"
Darkhorse was hardly so relieved. He turned to the opaque wall. "Cabe!"
"He can't hear you. It took a lot to get through. I don't think it would've even worked . . . except that I'm more receptive than many spellcasters."
"So it would appear!" The ebony stallion kicked at the earth. "There is still hope of catching up to Aurim before Yureel can get him back to Lanith's armies. The spellwork will have weakened him enough to force him to travel by short leaps, not one long, direct jump! I cannot pass that chance up! The boy is our best bet to quickly freeing his family, not to mention severely weakening the horse king's Magical Order!"
"But what your friend said is true; we really need to speak to the Gryphon! I've heard much about him, Darkhorse. That's why I sent the messages to him, so that both he and Cabe Bedlam would be informed about what was going on. If anyone can help us, it's the Gryphon." Yssa bit her lip. "Cabe Bedlam mentioned my father. I should've returned to him by now. Maybe I can convince him to talk to the king of Penacies."
As much as it pained him, Darkhorse finally gave in to Cabe's suggestions. Chasing after Aurim and Yureel was indeed folly, no matter how much the shadow steed wanted to rescue the young sorcerer. Darkhorse still felt guilty about Aurim's kidnapping; he should have kept a more careful eye on the lad.
The Gryphon. He was the best chance. With the magical libraries his to use, the lord of Penacles might be able to solve the problem of the altered barrier spell in short order. Cabe might have confidence in his eventual success, but Darkhorse had his doubts that such success would come soon enough. Yureel would have Lanith moving swiftly now that the Bed- lams were not a concern, and it would take some doing to get Black and Storm to agree to aid their rival Dragon King. Blue might be willing, but his might was concentrated on the eastern coast of the continent, which meant that by the time his forces reached Dagora, the armies of Zuu might have already overrun it.
"Very well!" The eternal tried to sound as confident as possible. He was all too aware of his missteps. "A suggestion, though. I would rather you speak with the Gryphon while I confront your sire. Y
ou have much knowledge concerning Zuu and its situation that would be valuable to him. You would also be more likely to convince him of working not only with your sire, but also the other drakes."
His companion did not sound at all convinced. "And what will you talk about with my father?"
"Matters which are too lengthy to discuss now. Cabe has done right to set our course." Darkhorse subtly summoned power. He had to do this carefully and quickly before Yssa could react. "If there is anyone who can help me deal with Yureel, it is one who has made a study of the techniques of sorcery utilized by past races. I have some questions to which he might have answers."
It was clear that she still was not convinced about his choices. "I think it would be better—"
Now. The eternal's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
The protesting enchantress vanished in midsentence.
The Gryphon would understand her sudden appearance. It was not the first time guests had literally dropped in at the palace. Besides, Darkhorse had also taken the precaution of sending a magical missive to the inhuman king.
Now that Yssa was on her way, Darkhorse turned toward the west. Although he had spoken with the Green Dragon but recently, the shadow steed was not at all certain what greeting he would receive. Helping the drake lord's daughter trick her father was reason enough for the Green Dragon to shun him. With the war raging to the west, it was possible that would not even be able to get within more than a few miles of the drake's sanctum.
But I will because I have to! Readying himself, the eternal concentrated on the region of the Dagora Forest where he knew one of the entrances to the Green Dragon's caverns was hidden.
To his amazement, Darkhorse was not hindered by any defensive spell. With the forces of Zuu already so near, he would have expected the drake to have installed stronger measures to protect his domain. Was the situation already that desperate? Did Yureel and his puppet king already have the master of the Dagora Forest trapped against a wall?
Carefully, he trotted in the direction of the entrance. Hidden by both camouflage and sorcery, it was impossible for any except the most accomplished spellcasters to locate. Darkhorse, though, had made use of it once or twice in the past. He and the Dragon King might not get along that well, but circumstances occasionally demanded they meet. It would have been simpler to materialize in the caverns, but that method was surely now not open to him.
When Darkhorse did locate the entrance, he was somewhat disturbed. It was still hidden by camouflage, but there was no trace of any spell protecting it. Darkhorse paused before entering. The drake lord had never been a careless sort. This should not have happened.
Even knowing that something was definitely wrong, he finally entered. The cavern entrance was large enough to admit him; not surprising since it had originally been created with dragons in mind. Darkhorse picked up his pace as he descended, his eyes adjusting to the increasing darkness at the same time. Some natural illumination kept the tunnel from growing completely dark, but any human would have been hard-pressed to see more than a few yards at a time. The eternal could see ten times that distance.
No one barred his path, demanding the reason for his coming. Nor did Darkhorse sense any more spells, although in the past the caverns had been riddled with defensive measures. Now he was glad that he had chosen to come here himself instead of allowing Yssa to do as she had planned.
At last he entered the first chamber of the cavern. It was huge, wide, and entirely devoid of any trace of the drake or his clan. Darkhorse turned in a circle, trying to find some sign of life, some clue as to where everyone had gone.
Where are you, drake? Where are your people? The stallion moved in silence as he tried to sense the presence of anyone other than himself. The first chamber appeared to have been systematically emptied of all contents. He had the growing suspicion that it would not be the only chamber he would find so.
The next chamber he reached was as devoid of evidence as the first had been. A pair of vine plants grew together like a wreath over the entrance to the next major chamber, the only things that the Dragon King had been unable to move.
At last he found the throne room. The dais and the chair remained, but their trappings had been stripped away. sent a probe toward the chair and sensed a slight trace of energy, but nothing significant enough to investigate further.
He had seen more than enough to convince him that the caverns of the Green Dragon were utterly empty. The entire clan plus those members of other races who served the drake had abandoned the ancient lair.
Why? Why abandon this place? Things could not have grown so dire in so short a time! What has happened here?
No longer worried about disturbing someone, the shadow steed transported himself to some of the deeper chambers. He soon verified that the birthing areas, the clan sleeping chambers, and even the private chambers of the Green Dragon himself had been emptied. That the last rooms had been stripped clean particularly surprised him considering the vastness of the drake's collection of sorcerous antiquities.
The Green Dragon would not abandon his homeland. He would never do that. What does he plan? The abandoned caverns revealed no answers, however, and before long, finally decided that he had had enough of the place. With one last, brief inspection of the drake lord's chambers, the shadow steed summoned power for a return to the surface.
Instead, he found himself in another of the countless chambers that made up the huge underground labyrinth. Darkhorse glanced around, not recognizing the place. It was not among those he had inspected earlier.
"Now what?" he muttered. His concentration had not been at its best. Yureel could twist his thoughts around so easily it was a wonder that Darkhorse had not ended up transporting himself to the icy Northern Wastes.
Once more the eternal summoned his strength, this time his mind focused on his destination.
The new chamber in which he found himself was virtually identical to the previous. Judging by the odor, riding drakes had clearly made much use of this location. However, the habits of the animalistic lesser drakes did not concern him nearly as much as the fact that twice now he had failed to reach his intended destination. Darkhorse searched the caverns as best he could with probes, seeking some trace of a spell, something that would explain how he could twice err so terribly.
Still nothing. This made no sense, no sense at all. He had to be missing something.
A third attempt landed him in a sulfur-ridden, steamy cave where the temperature was enough to make most non-drakes collapse from heat exhaustion. Another birthing chamber. Other than a few pieces of shell, there was no sign that drakes had ever been here. Someone had very carefully removed every unhatched egg.
Each time he tried to transport himself to the surface, he landed in yet a different part of the cavern complex. Sorcery was at work, that was obvious, but it was of a sort so subtle that even Darkhorse could not readily detect it. Trust the lord of the Dagora Forest to devise something so devious!
In order to test the limits of the trap, Darkhorse trotted to the exit of the birthing chamber. Traveling by spellwork had failed; perhaps a physical trek was called for. He stepped into the tunnel beyond, fully expecting to be shifted to another location, but to his surprise, nothing impeded his progress. Perplexed but pleased, the shadow steed trotted swiftly in the direction that he assumed led to the surface.
Darkhorse moved from passage to passage without any delay. He was glad that nothing more had happened, but not at all lulled by the fact. Escape could not be this simple, not if the Green Dragon had gone through all this trouble. Each corner he turned, he expected some new trick to be sprung.
It was not until he passed yet another birthing chamber that he began to see the cunning with which the drake lord had set his snare. There should have been no birthing chamber this close to the surface. They were generally buried deep in the cavern complex where they might best make use of the world's inner heat. By this time, Darkhorse should have been near the entrance thr
ough which he had entered, a region far too cool for the sensitive dragon eggs.
Thinking of eggs made him think of Yssa, whose birth would certainly have been unique among the drakes. From what the Dragon King and his daughter had told Darkhorse, Yssa had been born like a human even though part draconian. He wondered what the event had been like.
He dropped the interesting but useless line of thought and pondered again his quandary. Spells sent him from chamber to chamber at random, while journeying physically meant an endless trek through the same tunnels over and over in some insidious loop. Either one by itself would have been insidious enough a trick on invaders, but both guaranteed that even Lanith's mages would have been left baffled and frustrated . . . at least for a time.
A wonderful ploy, Dragon King, but I wish you had considered the possible arrival of one of your allies! Had this intricate spellwork already been prepared when last he had been here? If so, it would have behooved the drake lord to warn him.
"Very well, then! If I cannot escape like that, perhaps a little random destruction will do the trick!" He did not like the thought of damaging the caverns of the Green Dragon, but the latter had left him no choice. Darkhorse summoned up as much strength as he could muster. No half measures now, not when so much depended on his escape.
Energy flared from him, crackling blue bolts that darted in every direction. Darkhorse left no part of his immediate surroundings untouched. If there was a point of weakness, he would find it.
The cavern passage was afire, the blue, flickering light blinding. Even Darkhorse had to readjust his vision. He did not lessen his assault, though. There was a way out of this trap, just as there had been a way out of so many others in the past.
Of course, he had required the aid of others to escape some of those traps . . .
A sense of displacement made him falter. His surroundings took on a surreal look, the walls shifting and the floor rising and curling. The disorientation grew worse, so much so that Darkhorse had difficulty even retaining his footing. His concentration faltered and with it his attack. The lightning storm dwindled, then faded away completely.
Legends of the Dragonrealm: Volume 04 Page 59