Part 39 (1/2)
”Safe,” Logan said, ”but only if we win the battle in the courtyard. Which way to the dungeon?”
”Down those stairs, but watch yourself. Hundreds of charr down there-nastiest brutes you ever want to meet.”
”Yeah,” Logan said, ”just the guys we need.”
He rushed down the spiral stairs and came to a deep chamber of barred cells with a corridor between them. A set of keys hung on a hook by the wall, and Logan s.n.a.t.c.hed them up. He marched down the corridor between the cells.
When the inmates caught sight of him, they growled and hooted.
”Silence!” Logan shouted.
”Who are you to command us?” barked a grizzled warrior missing an eye.
”I am Logan Thackeray!”
”Logan Thackeray? Friend of the famous Rytlock Brimstone?”
”The same.”
”Slayer of the Dragonsp.a.w.n and Morgus Lethe and the Destroyer of Life?”
”Yes, yes-all of that,” Logan said.
”Who cares?” the one-eyed charr bellowed, and his fellows barked with laughter.
”You care!” Logan shouted angrily. ”Or, you should, because right now, the minions of a new dragon have slain your armies and are a.s.saulting this keep!” care!” Logan shouted angrily. ”Or, you should, because right now, the minions of a new dragon have slain your armies and are a.s.saulting this keep!”
A shout of glee went up from the cells, and the one-eyed warrior snarled, ”Good luck to them.”
”May I remind you that you are in in the keep? You'll be crushed in your cells-or worse.” the keep? You'll be crushed in your cells-or worse.”
”You're the one who trapped us, human!” the one who trapped us, human!”
Logan held up the keys. ”And I can release you-if you will fight beside me.”
Laughter roared from the cells, a deafening sound.
”You are a stupid young man!” the one-eyed warrior growled.
”How's that?” Logan asked.
”Because we'll swear anything to get out, and the moment we're out, we'll kill you.”
”No, you won't.” Logan lifted the Blood Legion amulet from his neck. ”Because I am your brother.”
”Bring that emblem here!” said the one-eyed charr. ”Let me see that!”
Logan stepped up before the charr, whose single eye scrutinized the amulet.
”He stole it! He took it off Rytlock's corpse.”
”No! He gave it to me willingly,” Logan said. ”We have a common foe. These crystalline ogres are not just attacking the humans in Ebonhawke. They are attacking your people on the plains outside.”
”d.a.m.ned ogres!”
”Fight beside me! Don't wait in your cells for them to come kill you. Swear to fight, and I will release you.”
”I swear it on the Claw of the Khan-Ur,” growled the one-eyed charr, spitting on the floor.
Logan jabbed the key into the lock and turned it, hauling the gate open.
The charr strode from the cell and snorted, ”I'm Flinteye. And you don't stink as much as most humans.”
”Greetings, Flinteye. You don't stink as much as most charr.” Logan flashed him a smile. ”You think any of these others want to fight ogres?”
”Let's find out.”
Logan turned to the other cells in the corridor. ”All right, listen up! You can sit in here and rot and wait for the ogres to break in and kill you, or you can come with me and get weapons and fight these monsters. Who wants to kill some ogres?”
KRALKATORRIK.
Big Zojja kicked her way down into the sands. Great plumes of grit flew out of the trench she was digging, curving in a wide semicircle from one side of the northern archway all the way to the other side.
Eir waited beside the trench, clutching a burnoose full of enspelled dragon-blood jewels. ”Looks like ten feet deep, Zojja. That should do it.”
Big Zojja looked at her, and from within the golem came the metallic voice of Little Zojja. ”I don't want anything to jump out.”
”Me, neither,” Eir said. ”But you've got to be able to climb climb out. We need you to guard the east entrance.” out. We need you to guard the east entrance.”
The golem stared at the sandy ground up to her waist, nodded, and then began her less-than-graceful climb from the trench. Meanwhile, Eir walked along it, pouring the dragon-blood crystals into the bottom. Those stones were enspelled to cling to the dragon's minions, to embed in the flesh and root deep.
At last, Big Zojja had extricated herself from the trench and clambered to her feet. ”One more to dig,” said Zojja within.
”No. I got Glint to do it.”
Big Zojja's head slumped dejectedly.
Eir shrugged. ”We just ran out of time. Don't worry. You've contributed tremendously here, Zojja. These stones at the bottom of the trenches-they're the genius of this plan.”
Big Zojja looked up at Eir to see if she was kidding.
”I'm serious. This is going to work,” Eir said. ”Now, go make sure Snaff is finished with the powerstone yoke, and make sure he's safe within his golem. This whole thing rests on him.”
Big Zojja stood rooted before her. ”You promise me he'll be safe.”
”I promise,” Eir replied, ”as long as you get to your post.”