Dragons of Spring Dawning - Margaret Weis [162]
Then a rending, splitting sound quelled the battle. For one breathless instant, everyone in the Temple looked upward into the dense darkness. Voices hushed in awe. Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, hung over them in her living form upon this plane. Her gigantic body shimmered in a myriad colors. So many, so blinding, so confusing, the senses could not comprehend her awful majesty and blotted the colors from the minds of mortals—Many Colors and None—so Takhisis seemed. The five heads each opened wide their gaping mouths, fire burned in the multitude of eyes, as if each were intent upon devouring the world.
All is lost, Tanis thought in despair. This is the moment of her ultimate victory. We have failed.
The five heads reared up in triumph.… The domed ceiling split apart.
The Temple of Istar began to twist and writhe, rebuilding, reforming, returning to the original shape it had known before darkness perverted it.
Within the Hall itself, the darkness wavered and then was shattered by the silver beams of Solinari, called by the dwarves, Night Candle.
12
The debt repaid.
A nd now, my brother, farewell.”
Raistlin drew forth a small round globe from the folds of his black robes. The dragon orb.
Caramon felt his strength seep from him. Placing his hand upon the bandage, he found it soaked, sticky with blood. His head swam, the light from his brother’s staff wavered before his eyes. Far away, as if in a dream, he heard the draconians shake loose from their terror and start toward him. The ground shook beneath his feet, or perhaps it was his legs trembling.
“Kill me, Raistlin.” Caramon looked at his brother with eyes that had lost all expression.
Raistlin paused, his golden eyes narrowed.
“Don’t leave me to die at their hands,” Caramon said calmly, asking a simple favor. “End it for me now, quickly. You owe me that much—”
The golden eyes flared.
“Owe you!” Raistlin sucked in a hissing breath. “Owe you!” he repeated in a strangled voice, his face pale in the staff’s magical light. Furious, he turned and extended his hand toward the draconians. Lightning streaked from his fingertips, striking the creatures in the chest. Shrieking in pain and astonishment, they fell into the water that quickly became foaming and green with blood as the baby dragons cannibalized their cousins.
Caramon watched dully, too weak and sick to care. He could hear more swords rattling, more voices yelling. He slumped forward, his feet lost their footing, the dark waters surged over him.…
And then he was on solid ground. Blinking, he looked up. He was sitting on the rock beside his brother. Raistlin knelt beside him, the staff in his hand.
“Raist!” Caramon breathed, tears coming to his eyes. Reaching out a shaking hand, he touched his brother’s arm, feeling the velvet softness of the black robes.
Coldly, Raistlin snatched his arm away. “Know this, Caramon,” he said, and his voice was as chill as the dark waters around them, “I will save your life this once, and then the slate is clean. I owe you nothing more.”
Caramon swallowed. “Raist,” he said softly, “I—I didn’t mean—”
Raistlin ignored him. “Can you stand?” he asked harshly.
“I—I think so,” Caramon said, hesitantly. “Can’t, can’t you just use that, that thing, to get us out of here?” He gestured at the dragon orb.
“I could, but you wouldn’t particularly enjoy the journey, my brother. Besides, have you forgotten those who came with you?”
“Tika! Tas!” Caramon gasped. Gripping the wet rocks, he pulled himself to his feet. “And Tanis! What about—”
“Tanis is on his own. I have repaid my debt to him ten-fold,” Raistlin said. “But perhaps I can discharge my debts to others.”
Shouts and yells sounded at the end of the passage, a dark mass of troops surged into the dark water, obeying the final commands of their Queen.
Wearily Caramon put his hand on the hilt of his sword, but a touch of his brother