Part 42 (2/2)
She paused, as if waiting for the cheers to which she'd become accustomed. None spoke, not the living, not the dead. Their voices stolen, they watched in silence.
”Know this,” Mina resumed, and her voice was cold and commanding. ”The One G.o.d is the One G.o.d for now and forever. No others will come after. You will wors.h.i.+p the One G.o.d now and forever. You will serve the One G.o.d now and forever, in death as in life. Those who serve faithfully will be rewarded. Those who rebel will be punished. This day, the One G.o.d makes manifest her power. This day, the One G.o.d enters the world in physical form and thus joins together the immortal with the mortal. Free to move between both of them at will, the One G.o.d will rule both.”
Mina lifted up the dragonlance. Once lovely to look upon, the s.h.i.+ning silver lance glimmered cold and bleak, its point stained black with blood.
”I give this as proof of the One G.o.d's power. I hold in my hand the fabled dragonlance. Once a weapon of the enemies of the One G.o.d, the dragonlance has become her weapon. The dragon Malystryx died on the point of the dragonlance, died by the will of the One G.o.d. The One G.o.d fears nothing. In token of this, I shatter the dragonlance.”
Grasping the lance in both hands, Mina brought it down upon her bent knee. The lance snapped as if it were a long-dead and dried-up stick, broken in twain. Mina tossed the pieces contemptuously over her shoulder. The pieces landed on the sandy floor of the arena. Their silver light flickered briefly, valiantly. The dragon's five heads spat upon them, the dragon's breath smothered them. Their light diminished and died.
The living and the dead watched in silence.
Gaidar watched in silence.
He stood behind Mina, guarding her back, for somewhere in the darkness lurked that strange elf, not to mention the wretch, Silvanoshei. Gaidar had not much fear of the latter, but he was determined that no one should get past him. No one would accost Mina in this, her hour of triumph.
This will be her hour, Gaidar told himself. She will be honored. Takhisis can do no less for her. He told himself that repeatedly, yet fear gnawed at him.
For the first time, Gaidar witnessed the true power of Queen Takhisis. He watched in awe to see the stadium fill with people, taken prisoner in the midst of their lives and brought here to watch her victorious entry into the mortal realm. He looked in awe at her dragon form, her vast wingspan blotting out the light of hope, bringing eternal night to the world.
He realized then that he had discounted her, and his soul sank to its knees before her. He was a rebellious slave, one who had tried foolishly to rise above his place. He had learned his lesson. He would be a slave always, even after death. He could accept his fate because here, in the presence of the Dark Queen's full might and majesty, he understood that he deserved nothing else.
But not Mina. Mina was not born to be a slave. Mina was born to rule. She had proven herself, proven her loyalty. She had walked through blood and fire and never blanched, never swerved in her unwavering belief. Let Takhisis do with him what she would, let her devour his very soul. So long as Mina was honored and rewarded, Gaidar would be content.
”The foes of the One G.o.d are vanquished,” Mina cried. 'Their weapons are destroyed. None can stop her triumphant entry into the world.”
Mina raised up her hands, her amber eyes lifted to the dragon. ”Your Majesty, I have always adored you, wors.h.i.+ped you. I pledged my life to your service, and I stand ready to honor that pledge. Through my fault, you lost the body of Goldmoon, the body you would have inhabited. I offer my own. Take my life. Use me as your vessel. Thus, I prove my faith!”
Gaidar gasped, appalled. He wanted to stop this madness, wanted to stop Mina, but though he roared his protest, his words came out a silent scream that no one heard.
The five heads gazed down on Mina.
”I accept your sacrifice,” said Queen Takhisis.
Gaidar lunged forward and stood still. He raised his arm and it didn't move. Bound by darkness, he could do nothing but watch to see all he had ever loved and honored destroyed.
Clouds, black and ghastly and shot with lightning, rolled down from the Lords of Doom. The clouds boiled around the Dragon Queen, obscuring her from view. The clouds swirled and churned, raised a whipping wind that buffeted Gaidar with bruising force, drove him to his knees.
Mina's prayer, Mina's faith unlocked the prison door.
The storm clouds transformed into a chariot, drawn by five dragons. Standing in the chariot, her hand on the reins, was Queen Takhisis, in woman's form-She was beautiful, her beauty fell and terrible to look upon. Her face was cold as the vast, frozen wastelands to the south, where a man perishes in an instant, his breath turning to ice in his lungs. Her eyes were the flames of the funeral pyre. Her nails were talons, her hair the long and ragged hair of the corpse. Her armor was black fire. At her side, she wore a sword perpetually stained with blood, a sword used to sever the souls from their bodies.
Her chariot hung in the air, the wings of the five dragons fanning, keeping it aloft. Takhisis left the chariot, descended to the arena floor. She trod on the lightning bolts, the storm clouds were her cloak, trailing behind her.
Takhisis walked toward Mina. The five dragons lifted their heads, cried out a paean of triumph.
Gaidar could not move, he could not save her. The wind beat at him with such force that he could not even lift his head. He cried out to Mina, but his voice was whipped away by the raging wind, and his cry went unheard.
Mina smiled a tremulous smile. ”My Queen,” she whispered.
Takhisis stretched out her taloned hand.
Mina stood, unflinching.
Takhisis reached for Mina's heart, to make that heart her own. Takhisis reached for Mina's soul, to s.n.a.t.c.h it from her body and cast it into oblivion. Takhisis reached out to fill Mina's body with her own immortal essence.
Takhisis reached out, but her hand could not touch Mina.
Mina looked startled, confused. Her body began to tremble. She reached out her hand to her Queen, but could not touch her.
Takhisis glared. The eyes of flame filled the arena with the hideous light of her anger.
”Disobedient child!” she cried. ”How dare you oppose me?”
”I do not!” Mina gasped, s.h.i.+vering. ”I swear to you-”
”She does not oppose you. I do,” said a voice.
The strange elf walked past Gaidar.
The wind of the Dark Queen's fury howled around the elf and struck at him. Her lightning flared over him and sought to burn him. Her thunder boomed and tried to crush him. The elf was bowed by the winds, but he kept walking. He was knocked down by the lightning, but he rose again and kept walking. Undaunted, unafraid, he came to stand before the Queen of Darkness.
”Paladine! My dear brother!” Takhisis spat the words. ”So you have found your misplaced world.” She shrugged. ”You are too late. You cannot stop me.”
Amused, she waved her hand toward the gallery. ”Find a seat. Be my guest. I am glad you came. Now you can witness my triumph.”
”You are wrong, Sister,” the elf said, his voice silver, ringing. ”We can stop you. You know how we can stop you. It is written in the book. We all agreed.”
The flame of the Dark Queen's eyes wavered. The taloned fingers twitched. For an instant, her crystalline beauty was marred with doubt, anxiety. Only for an instant. Her doubts vanished. Her beauty was restored.
She smiled.
”You would not do that to me, Brother,” Takhisis said, regarding him with scorn. ”The great and puissant Paladine would never make the sacrifice. ”
”You misjudge me, Sister. I already have.”
The elf thrust his hand into a pouch he wore at his side and drew out a small knife, a knife that had once belonged to a kender of his acquaintance.
Paladine drew the knife across the palm of his hand.
Blood oozed from the wound, dripped onto the floor of the arena.
”The balance must be maintained,” he said. ”I am mortal. As are you.”
Storm clouds, dragons, lightning, chariot, all disappeared. The sun shone bright in the blue sky. The seats in the gallery were suddenly empty, except for the G.o.ds.
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