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.His violet eyes narrowed.He didn’t like being muted.How dare they!He couldn’t speak, and that limited him, but it did nothing to the staff he held in his hands.It was an Elderwood Staff that Bayzog had filled with wondrous powers.And it was time to let those powers loose.The metal on the top of the staff flared like a sunburst.Bayzog’s entire self was soaked in its power.His feet again lifted from the ground.The mystic smolder in his eyes stopped the clerics in their tracks.One of them started to turn.A ball of light shot from the staff and socked the Man in the back, knocking him face first into the dirt.The others started to run.Bayzog swept his staff over the ground and they all stumbled from their feet.He turned his attention to the two chanting clerics and pointed the Elderwood straight at them.They raised their arms and another shield of transparent energy formed.A dark ray of light burst from the staff.Their shields shattered.The Elderwood Staff blasted the two Clerics of Barnabus out of their sandals.They moved no more.Once more, sounds of life and battle filled his ears.“That felt good,” Bayzog said.He turned his attention to the three remaining Clerics.Two were kneeling and begging for mercy.The third ran as fast as his feet would take him.Bayzog choked back his urge to destroy them entirely, but then shrugged and let loose, blasting them apart.A ball of energy formed in his hand and he tossed it at the Cleric who ran.“I don’t take prisoners,” Bayzog said.The ball of energy glided over the grass and struck the Man square in the back, lifting him from the ground.The Man sailed through the air over the town where the people waited.He dropped the Man in the middle of them.“But maybe they do.”Bayzog turned his attention back towards his friends, ready to unleash more of his fury on his enemies.He’d bottled up his frustrations long enough and he had plenty more to let out.But by the time he got there, the battle had been won.Nath, Brenwar, Ben and the Dwarves were all busted up and bleeding, but all the enemies looked to be dead, or at least almost dead.“That was a fine show you put on, Bayzog,” Nath said, holding a rag to his nose.“And not a scratch on you.Maybe you can teach me how to do— ”“If you didn’t act like a child you wouldn’t have to!”Nath shrugged.“Sorry.”CHAPTER 36“You could have grabbed some steel and start swinging, Gorlee,” Brenwar said.“Fighting every once in a while wouldn’t kill you.”Gorlee was still golden when he laughed and said, “Well, I suppose I could have, but how often do I get a chance to play with Dragons?”“We’re not here to play.We’re here to fight, and Pilpin’s dead because of it.”“Well, more might have been dead if I’d not spared you from the Dragons.” Gorlee yawned and took the shape of Pilpin.“I think my strategy was sound.”“Are you mocking the dead?” Brenwar said, angry.“Dead?” Gorlee said.“Who’s dead?”“Why you disrespectful…”“Yes, who’s dead?” someone behind Brenwar said.“Say, is that me?”Brenwar turned and found himself facing Pilpin.He took a double take between Gorlee looking like Pilpin and Pilpin.There was a nasty wound in the real Pilpin’s belly.“Is this a trick?” Brenwar said, poking him.“No,” Pilpin said, “I’m quite alive.I couldn’t let a mere Goblin kill me.A Dragon maybe, but a Goblin? Never!” Pilpin teetered and clutched at Brenwar.“But its steel is a tad uncomfortable and my legs feel numb.”“Someone bring me a Horn of Dwarven Ale!”***“We spent twenty-five years trying to hide you, and this is what you do? The whole world can hear you now! Is that what you want?” Bayzog said, tapping his staff on the ground.Nath kept his back turned.He was busy with Gorlee, inspecting the Red Rock Dragons.Both of the savage reptiles lay still and had burrowed half their bodies into the ground.Nath placed his fingers on one’s back, where he could feel it breathing and the warmth of its life.“What did you do to them?” he said to Gorlee the Chameleon.“Well,” Gorlee said, resuming his golden form, “after they chased me for a few minutes, they started to slow.I’d forgotten you’d sent those arrows into their bellies.I think that took the wind from them and they dropped and started hibernating.”“Hmmm,” Nath said, rubbing his chin, “I can’t believe I did that.” He grabbed one of his arrows by its shaft and pulled it out.“Are you certain you want to do that?” Bayzog said.“They’ll come after us again.”“Agreed,” Gorlee said.“No,” Nath said, “they’ll burrow for days, if not longer.” He put his ear on one’s back.It was almost too hot to touch, but the thump thump of its heart was strong.“If they were near the lava pools they’d heal faster.” He sighed.“They’re usually much closer to Dragon Home.And these black stripes and the black tail … that’s far from normal.”Nath pushed the Dragon’s eyelid open with his fingers.Its eye was almost black as coal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]