Dwarven Nations - Hammer And Axe Part 14

He could see nothing. It was intensely dark, so he was forced to rely on his other senses. First, he had to get this weight off. He was being smothered and crushed. Cautiously he moved his arms. There was no pain, nothing appeared broken. Reaching up, he touched a body. Caramon, by the armor-and the smell. He sighed. He might have known. Using all his strength, Raistlin shoved his brother aside and crawled out from under him.

The mage breathed more easily, wiping water from his face. He located his brother's neck in the darkness and felt for the lifebeat. It was strong, the man's flesh was warm, his breathing regular. Raistlin lay back down on the floor in relief. At least, wherever he was, he wasn't alone.

Where was he? Raistlin reconstructed those last few terrifying moments. He remembered the beam splitting and Tanis throwing Laurana out from under it. He remembered casting a spell" the last one he had strength enough to manage. The magic coursed through his body, creating around him and those near him a force capable of s.h.i.+elding them from physical objects. He remembered Caramon hurling himself on top of him, the building collapsing around them, and a falling sensation.

Falling . . .

Ah, Raistlin understood. We must have crashed through the floor into the Inn's cellar. Groping around the stone floor, the mage suddenly realized he was soaked through. Finally, however, he found what he lead been searching for-the Staff of Magius. Its crystal was unbroken; only dragonfire could damage the Staff given him by Par-Salian in the Towers of High Sorcery.

"s.h.i.+rak;" whispered Raistlin, and the Staff flared into light. Sitting up, he glanced around. Yes, he was right. They were in the cellar of the Inn. Broken bottles of wine spilled their contents onto the floor. Casks of ale were split in two. It wasn't all water he had been lying in.

The wage flashed the light around the floor. There were Tanis, Riverwind, Goldmoon, and Tika, all huddled near Caramon. They seemed all right, he thought, giving them a quick inspection. Around them lay scattered debris. Half of the beam slanged down through the rubble to rest on the stone floor. Raistlin smiled. A nice bit of work, that spell. Once more they were in his debt.

If we don't perish from the cold, he reminded himself bitterly. His body was shaking so he could barely hold the staff. I-3e began to cough. This would 6e the death of him. They had to get out.

'Tanis," he called, reaching out to shake the half-elf.

Tanis lay crumpled at the very edge of Raistlin's magic, protective circle. He murmured and stirred. Raistlin shook him again. The half-elf cried out, reflexively covering his head with his arm.

"Tanis, you're safe," Raistlin whispered, coughing. "Wake up:'

"What?" Tanis sat bolt upright, staring around him. "Where-" Then he remembered.

"Laurana?"

"Gone:' Raistlin shrugged. "You threw her out of danger-"

"Yes . . :' Tanis said, sinking back down. "And I heard you say words, magic-"

That's why we're not crushed:' Raistlin clutched his sopping wet robes around him, s.h.i.+vering, and drew nearer Tanis, who was staring around as if he'd fallen onto a moon.

"Where in the name of the Abyss-'

"We're in the cellar of the Inn;" the mage said. 'The floor gave way and dropped us down here;'

Tanis looked up. "By all the G.o.ds;' he whispered in awe.

"Yes;" Raistlin said, his gaze following Tanis's. "We're buried alive:'

Beneath the ruins of the Red Dragon Inn, the companions took stock of their situation. It did not look hopeful. Goldmoon treated their injuries, which were not serious, thanks to Raistlin's spell. But they had no idea how long they had been unconscious or what was happening above them. Worse still, they had no idea how they could escape.

Caramon tried cautiously to move some of the rocks above their heads, but the whole structure creaked and groaned. Rais^ tlin reminded him sharply that he had no energy to cast more spells, and Tanis wearily told the big man to forget it.

They sat in the water that was growing deeper all the time.

As Riverwind stated, it seemed to be a matter of what killed them first: lack of air, freezing to death, the Inn falling down on top of them, or drowning.

"We could shout for help;" suggested Tika, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Add draconians to the list, then," Raistlin snapped. "They're the only creatures up there liable to hear you:"

Tika's face flushed, and she brushed her hard quickly across her eyes. Caramon cast a reproachful glance a# his brother, then put his arm around Tika and held her close. Raistlin gave them both a look of disgust.

"I haven't heard a sound up there;' Tanis said, puzzled. "You'd think the dragons and the armies-" I3e stopped, his glance meeting Caramon's, 'path soldiers nodding slowly in sudden grim understanding.

"What?" asked Goldmoon, looking at them.

"W'e're behind enemy lines;" Caramon said. "The armies of draconians occupy the town. And probably the land for miles and miles around. There's no way out, and nowhere to go if there were a way out:"

As if to emphasize his words, the companions heard sounds above them. Guttural draconian voices that they had come to know all too well drifted down through to them.

"I toll you, this is a waste of time;' whined another voice, goblin by the sound, speaking in Common. "There's no one alive in this mess'

"Tell that to the Dragon Highlord, you miserable dog-eaters;' snarled the draconian. "I'm sure his lords.h.i.+p'll be interested in your opinion. Or rather, his dragon'll be interested. You have your orders. Now dig, all of you:'

There were sounds of sc.r.a.ping, sounds of stones being dragged aside, Rivulets of dirt and dust started to sift down through the cracks. The big beam s.h.i.+vered slightly but held.

The companions stared at each other, almost holding their breaths, each remembering the strange draconians who had attacked the Inn. "Somebody's otter us," Raistlin had said.

"What are we looking for in this rubble?" croaked a goblin in the goblin tongue.

"Silver? Jewels?"

Tanis and Caramon, who spoke a little goblin, strained to hear.

"naw" said the first goblin, who had grumbled about orders. "Spies or some such wanted personally by the Dragon Highlord for questioning:'

"In haze?' the goblin asked in amazement.

"That's what I said" snarled his companion. "You saw how far Z got. The lizardmen say they had them trapped in the Inn when the dragon hit it. Said nave of them escaped, and so the Highlord figures they must still be here. If you ask me-the dracos screwed. up and now we've got to pay for their mistakes:'

The sounds of digging and of rack moving grew louder, as did the sound of goblin voices, occasionally punctuated by a sharp order in t7-.e guttural voice of the draconians. There must be fit ty of them -ate the-e! Tanis thought, stunned.

Riverwind quietly lifted his sword out of the water and began wiping, it dry.

Caramon, his usually cheerful face somber, released Tika and found his sward.

Tanis didn't have a sward, Riverwind tossed him his dagger. Tika started to draw her sword, but Tanis shook his head. They would be fighting in close quarters, and Tika needed lots of room. The half-elf looked questioningly at Raistlin.

The mage shook his head. "I will try, Tanis;' he whispered.

"But I am very tired. Very tired. And I can't think, I can't concentrate:" He bowed his head, s.h.i.+vering violently in his wet robes. He was exerting all his effort not to cough and give them away, m.u.f.fling his choking in his sleeve.

One spell will finish him, if he gets that off, Tanis realized. Still, he maybe luckier than the rest of us. At least he won't be taken alive.

The sounds above them grew louder and louder. Goblins are strong, tireless workers. They wanted to finish this job quickly, then get back to looting Tarsis. The companions waited in grim silence below. An almost steady stream of dirt and crushed rock dropped down upon them, along with fresh rainwater. They gripped their weapons. It was only a matter of minutes, maybe, before they were discovered.

Then, suddenly; there were new sounds. They heard the goblins yell in fear, the draconians shout to them, ordering them back to work. But they could hear the sounds of shovels and picks being dropped down onto the rocks above them, then the cursing of the draconians as they tried to stop what was apparently a full- scale goblin revolt.

And above the noise of the shrieking goblins rose a loud, clean, high-pitched call, which was answered by another call farther away. It was like the call of an eagle, soaring above the plains at sunset. But this call was right above them.

There was a scream-a draconian. Then a rending sound as if the body of the creature were being ripped apart. More screams, the clash o$ steel being drawn, another call and another answer-this one much, nearer.

"What is that?' Caramon asked, his eyes wide. "It isn't a dragon. It sounds like-like some gigantic 62r3 of pre y!"

"Whatever it is, it's tearing the draconians to shreds^." Goldmoon said in awe as they listened. Tine screaming sounds stopped abruptly, leaning a silence behind that was almost

worse. What never evil replaced the old? j