Free City of Jade by Dennis McKiernan Page B

foe from the rear. Yet I cannot leave thee unprotected.”
     
     
    But Aylis shook her head. “I will be well enough, Chier. Yet ’tis not the in-between time for crossing into Adonar from Neddra.”
     
     
    “Rach!” cursed Aravan, frustrated in even this.
     
     
    And still the battle raged.
     
     
    But then out from the ragged clouds above, four bellowing Dragons came sweeping, their battle cries drowning out all others. Across the skies they hurtled and swooped down toward howling ranks of the Rûptish army encircling the black fortress
     
     
    Aravan gasped, “How did Drakes come into this—?”
     
     
    Aylis spoke an arcane word—“ Evulgare! ”—and peered at the Dragons, and then said, “ ’Tis illusion, Chier.—The Dragons, I mean. The conjured fire and lightning are real, but the Drakes are not. ’Tis a deception Magekind brings to bear.”
     
     
    As the Dragons plummeted toward the Spawn, claws extended, fire licking out from the corners of their mouths, Aravan slammed the butt of his spear against the stone and said, “Aylis, I have to do something . I cannot leave thee, yet I also cannot just stand here and—”
     
     
    “Nay, love, look,” she replied. “Even now the foe is routed.”
     
     
    In the face of the Drakes, the ranks of Rûcks and Hlôks and Trolls and Ghûls broke, and Spawn fled, the Dragons roaring in pursuit, spewing illusory fire, augmented by real Firemage castings. Rûpt burned and died screaming, yet some aflame ran on. Then the Drakes veered away from the chase and returned to settle atop the four towers at the corners of the fortress, where they bellowed challenges into the air, their thunderous echoes to slap among the crags and peaks.
     
     
    “It takes much life essence to conjure a Dragon,” said Aylis, “one with movement and dimension and fire and sound. Those Illusionists who have done so will need to be replaced by other Mages, and soon.” Even as she spoke, the Drakes took to wing and flew up above the clouds to vanish.
     
     
    Aylis smiled. “Good. The Dragons went as true Drakes would, and didn’t simply fade away. That will give the enemy pause ere they try to assail the fortress again.”
     
     
    She turned to Aravan. Clearly he was agitated that he had had no part in this battle. Aylis took him by the hand and said, “Come, love, let us to the fortress, where we will celebrate with the others.”
     
     
    Aravan inhaled deeply and slowly let his breath out. Then he shook his head. “The Rûpt scattered in all directions. We need wait till the coming of the dismal day on this ill-begotten world ere we start for the bastion. I would not have us encounter remnants of that army.”
     
     
     
In less than a candlemark, Aravan and Aylis heard heavy treadfall thudding across the slopes below.
     
     
    “Trolls,” murmured Aravan.
     
     
    Moments later, many feet pattered by down in the narrow vale running past.
     
     
    “Rûcks?” whispered Aylis.
     
     
    “Rucha or Loka or both,” breathed Aravan.
     
     
    Though Aylis and Aravan stayed alert the rest of the night, no other Spawn passed in the darkness.
     
     
    At last drear dawn seeped into the sky, and Valké took to wing. Up and across the brown-tinged air he soared, and after but moments he spiraled down and landed at the rear of the plateau, where a flash of silvery light brought Aravan in Valké’s stead.
     
     
    “ ’Tis clear. Let us hie to the fortress.”
     
     
    And together Aravan and Aylis hastened down the slope and toward the dark stronghold below, where new fires burned outside the walls, pyres for hundreds upon hundreds of slain Spawn.
     
     
     
“How many battles have ye fought while we were away?” asked Aravan.
     
     
    “This was the first,” said Alamar, “though I doubt it’ll be the last.”
     
     
    “It took them some while to assemble again and to collect even more Spaunen to come and assault the bastion,” said Arandor.
     
     
    “ ’Twas