Pathway

Ju Feng had the passing thought that, years later, they would call this the Battle of the Nine Passages. King Laggarma's forces flowed out the doors in rivers of glittering battle armour, darksteel, and weapons. King Laggarma's plan carried much risk, but he won his first victory when half the dwarf soldiers circled around the perimeter of the city and flanked the Yaomo army burrowing at the western wall.

Scouts brought back word that the magical defenses had triggered at the Yaomo dig sites. Gaping stone mouths opened in the walls to attack and swallow the diggers, while waves of magical force blasted the army back, crushing dozens of Yaomo soldiers and slaves in the tunnels. Into this chaos, Myriar's forces attacked, and the echo of Dwarvish battle cries passed through each of the nine doors to the ears of the defenders within. The cry strengthened them, and they would need that strength, Ju Feng thought, for once the Yaomo forces realized King Laggarma had thrown open the doors, they'd launched a massive assault on the city.

Yaomo poured into caverns and engaged the city defenders at the River Ironmade and the Deepflood. The water slowed their progress, but the fighting had become one bloody snarl between the rivers and the doors. Reinforcements trickled in from either side, but neither had gained significant ground after hours of fighting.

Ju Feng and Chang Chang flew over the battlefield on their stone flyer, along with the other aerial cavalry units. From the skies, they were able to pick out Yaomo targets, but they had to be extremely careful not to hit their own soldiers. Chang Chang held the Arcane Script Sphere in a white-knuckled hand. 

"Go left," she told him, "angle toward the back of the cavern."

"I can't," Ju Feng said. "There's too many cavalry already picking out targets."

Chang Chang cursed.

"Not very ladylike," he remarked. Then he added, "Be patient. I'll find you a suitable spot to hurl down death and destruction." He dug his knees into the flyer's stone sides, and the beast flew higher, making a tight circle that had Ju Feng gripping the reins and Chang Chang clutching his waist in a death grip. 

"Sorry," 

He tossed back over his shoulder. Though he'd gotten more adept at guiding and controlling the beast over the past few hours, he suspected his knees were going to be covered in bruises from digging them into stone flanks. 

"Are you sure you can control the Silver Fire?" he asked.

"No," Chang Chang admitted. "That's why I want to find a spot as far away from the dwarves as possible. Then it won't matter if the Silver Fire goes out of control."

"And you?" Ju Feng asked, feeling a clench in his gut. "What will happen to you?"

He felt her press her forehead against his upper back. "I'll be as careful as I can. I promise."

"That's all I ask." Ju Feng murmured a prayer for protection to whatever gods happened to be listening. "There," he said, pointing, "in that alcove."

"I see them—perfect," Chang Chang said. She readied the sphere. "Wait for my signal."

Ju Feng brought the flying beast in on a level course that would pass right over a portion of the Yaomo force regrouping at the back of the cavern. When they got close, Chang Chang clutched his arm, giving the signal. Ju Feng fell forward, wrapping his arms around the flyer's neck, and sent it into a dive. It gave Chang Chang a clear line of sight ahead and below them. She raised the sphere, and the cavern erupted in Silver Fire.

The silver radiance raced through the air to strike the Yaomo. It bounced from one Yaomo to another, knocking them to the ground. Harsh screams and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Behind him, Ju Feng heard Chang Chang gag, but she kept a firm grip on the sphere and on the Silver Fire, as far as he could tell. She brought the sphere up and held it in both hands above her head. Sheets of silver poured forth, this time shielding them as the Yaomo on the fringes of the spell saw them and aimed their hand crossbows. The black quarrels burned away to nothing when they struck the silver barrier.

They approached the cavern wall. At the last moment, Ju Feng pulled up on the reins, and the stone flyer struck its clawed feet on the wall and turned, wings pumping furiously to get them out of their dive and back to a safe height. Chang Chang shifted the shield around to protect their backs as more quarrels poured in. They leveled out at the same moment a ball of fire streaked past Ju Feng's left ear. He flinched away from the heat of the orange mass, and the flyer staggered in midair.

"He's getting tired," Ju Feng said. "We have to land."

"Can we make one more pass?" Chang Chang asked.

Ju Feng shook his head. "Even if he had the energy to keep going, they've seen we're a threat. They'll be looking to blow us out of the sky."

"Heavens tears! Frs!, look at that!" Chang Chang cried. She pointed at a spot below them, where the  and the Deepflood joined.

A silver dragon burst from the river and took flight.

Laggarmantha spread his wings and joined the sky outside the Astral Sea for the first time in centuries. He raised his head and roared as he flew over the battlefield. Below him, Iltkazar burned under the ravages of Yaomo magic. They and their slaves crossed the rivers and charged into the center of the city, toward the temples of Mystra and the lost Heavenly Brightaxe. Toward his cavern.

If he allowed them beyond the river, his soldiers would not be able to purge them from the city. Gallazza's information, King Laggarma's own strategy, Chang Chang's sacrifice—all of it had given them hope, but in the end, they didn't have the numbers.

Myria—his home. He had to save it, no matter the cost. Reaching out through a mindlink still active—though the one on the receiving end was not aware of it—Laggarmantha sent one final command to his army.

*****

Chang Chang screamed and clutched her head. She lost her grip on the sphere, and it spun away into the chaos below. Dizziness seized her, and she felt herself slipping, falling off the side of the stone flyer. Distantly, she heard Ju Feng curse. He snatched her wrist and hauled her back upright, but he must have jerked the reins sideways to do it. For that violence, the stone flyer had apparently had enough. The beast went into a dive and skidded across a stone path on the opposite side of the river from where Chang Chang had cast the Silver Fire. The flyer crouched and shook itself, dumping Chang Chang unceremoniously onto the ground.

Ju Feng landed beside her a touch more gracefully, but he immediately went to where Chang Chang lay.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Was it the sphere?"

"No." Chang Chang started to shake her head but thought better of it. A throbbing that started up in her temples threatened to make her sick. "It's … something else." An image of King Laggarma's dwarf face flashed in her mind, intensifying the pain. More images followed it—the river, the bridges, more instructions, and an overwhelming urgency that set her heart pounding in her chest.

"Watch out!" Ju Feng cried.

Chang Chang looked up in time to see a group of three Yaomo surging over one of the smaller bridges toward them. They carried rapiers, not crossbows, thank Chang Chang screamed and clutched her head. She lost her grip on the sphere, and it spun away into the chaos below. Dizziness seized her, and she felt herself slipping, falling off the side of the stone flyer.

Distantly, she heard Ju Feng curse. He snatched her wrist and hauled her back upright, but he must have jerked the reins sideways to do it. For that violence, the stone flyer had apparently had enough. The beast went into a dive and skidded across a stone path on the opposite side of the river from where Chang Chang had cast the Silver Fire. The flyer crouched and shook itself, dumping Chang Chang unceremoniously onto the ground.

Ju Feng landed beside her a touch more gracefully, but he, immediately went to where Chang Chang lay.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Was it the sphere?",

"No." Chang Chang started to shake her head but thought better of it. A throbbing that started up in her temples threatened to make her sick. "It's … something else." An image of King Laggarma's dwarf face flashed in her mind, intensifying the pain. More images followed it—the river, the bridges, more instructions, and an overwhelming urgency that set her heart pounding in her chest.

"Watch out!" Ju Feng cried.

Chang Chang looked up in time to see a group of three Yaomo surging over one of the smaller bridges toward them. They carried long swords, not crossbows, thank the heavens, but Chang Chang had no powerful defense. She'd dropped the sphere. Heaven's tears, it was gone! The pain in her head made it hard to concentrate. Was King Laggarma trying to contact her, through the mindvoice? Not now, she pleaded silently.