DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [162]
Kale stepped closer to Bardon, and he hung an arm over her shoulders. She leaned against him.
A roar filled their ears. As one, Paladin’s brigade turned to the huge underground passage that led off from the main cavern. The smell of sulfur, a gust of blistering air, and the trembling of the ground announced the approach of something vile.
Paladin signaled them to re-form at the sides of the entrance. He stood where he was and faced the rock shaft that now flashed from within as if a violent storm rolled through the tunnel. A flash of fire heralded the entry of a black dragon, twice the size of Greer. The flame shot past the waiting warriors and engulfed their leader. When the blaze subsided, Paladin stood unharmed.
The creature lowered its head, stretched out its neck, opened its mouth, and blew. A second inferno leapt across the empty space.
“Charge,” shouted Bardon, and the two lines of Paladin’s warriors rushed the exposed throat of the huge dragon. The beast bellowed and threw up its head as it felt the multiple strikes. Most of the warriors lost their grips on their swords as the creature’s neck rose in a mighty jerk.
“Back!” ordered Bardon, and the fighters retreated.
The fire dragon leapt to the wall and climbed out of reach as it stoked its furnace. It breathed heavily and occasionally shook its head, as if annoyed by the swords stuck in its flesh.
Paladin shouted, “Lances!”
A pile of weapons appeared on the floor. Long rods with sharp metal tips lined up between the warriors. They rushed forward and grabbed them. The beast roared and circled the wall, while the men hurled the spears at the fleet-footed dragon.
“He’s enchanted,” said one of the knights. “Look at him scale the walls like a tiny lizard.”
Regidor joined those throwing the lances. Bardon noted that every one of the meech dragon’s spears hit the mark. Holt left off throwing the lances himself and took up the task of keeping a lance ever ready for the more proficient meech dragon.
The dragon kicked a hind leg, as if trying to shake something off.
“Look,” exclaimed Kale. “It’s the minneken.”
Jue Seeno clung to her sword. She had thrust the blade into the tender flesh behind the dragon’s knee. With every one of the dragon’s kicks, the minneken swung back and forth on the hilt of the embedded sword.
Infuriated, the creature leapt to the floor, using its tail to slam warriors out of the fight.
Lyll and Cam stood with their heads together. When they turned to face the dragon, their expressions showed intense concentration.
“What are they doing?” Bardon asked Regidor.
The meech studied the wizards for only a moment, then grinned. “Good idea!” he said as a smile broke out on his face. “They are drawing all the animal’s fluids into the craw that produces the flames. I think I’ll join them.”
The beast became sluggish. Paladin ordered, “Stand down, men, and get back,” just before the heavy head slammed to the cavern floor. It breathed once more, drawing in its last breath with a shudder and exhaling a hot, fetid gasp.
Paladin walked among his men, praising their work, taking note of the injured, and giving orders. He came to Bardon’s side and put a hand on his shoulder. “Well done, Squire.”
Bardon bowed his head in respect before his commander.
Paladin lifted his hand and clapped it down again. “You’ve decided to join me, haven’t you?”
Bardon raised his eyes to look into Paladin’s face. Today, the ruler of Amara looked younger, stronger than when he had visited Bardon at Castle Pelacce.
“Yes,” Bardon answered.
Paladin waved his hand around the room to indicate the crumpled forms of the mass of servants, all still under Risto’s spell. “You will have to deal with such as these.”
Bardon studied these cold, useless people, and he looked at the warriors around him. Kale and Lyll embraced Sir Kemry Allerion. N’Rae and Granny Kye had at some