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through him. Whatever they sought& it should not be. It was as if the very fabric of reality had made
some terrible error&
The intensity of the feeling was such that the wizard, who had faced every conceivable nightmare,
wanted the dragon to turn back. He said nothing, though, recalling how he had already revealed his
uncertainties on the island. Korialstrasz might already regret summoning him.
The crimson behemoth arched his wings as he dropped the final distance. His massive paws sank into
the snow as he sought a stable landing area.
Rhonin clutched the dragon s neck tightly. He felt every vibration and hoped his grip would last. His
pack bounced against his back, pummeling him.
At last, Korialstrasz came to a halt. The reptilian visage turned the wizard s way.  Are you well?
 As well as well as I could be! gasped Rhonin. He had made dragon flights before, but not for so
long.
Either Korialstrasz knew his passenger was still weary or the dragon himself also needed rest after such
a monumental trek.  We shall remain here for a few hours. Gather our strength. I sense no change in the
emanations I feel. We should have the time to recoup. It would be the wisest choice.
 I won t be arguing with you, Rhonin answered, sliding off.
The wind blew harshly through the mountains and the high peaks left much shadow, but with the aid of
some magic and an overhang, the wizard managed to keep warm enough. While he tried to stretch the
kinks out of his body, Korialstrasz strode along the pass, scouting the area. The behemoth vanished
some distance ahead as the path curved.
Hood draping his head, Rhonin dozed. This time, his thoughts filled with good images& true images of
Vereesa and the upcoming birth. The wizard smiled, thinking of his return.
He woke at the sound of approach. To Rhonin s surprise, it was not the dragon Korialstrasz who
returned to him, but rather the cowled, robed figure of Krasus.
In response to the human s widening eyes, the dragon mage explained,  There are several unstable areas
nearby. This form is less likely to cause them to collapse. I can always transform again should the need
arise.
 Did you find anything?
The not-quite-elven face pursed.  I sense the Aspect of Time. He is here and yet he is not. I am
disturbed by that.
 Should we start 
But before Rhonin could finish, a horrific yowl echoed harshly through the mountain chain. The sound set
every nerve of the wizard on edge. Even Krasus looked perturbed.
 What was that? asked Rhonin.
 I do not know. The dragon mage drew himself up.  We should move on. Our goal lies not far away.
 We re not flying?
 I sense that what we seek lies within a narrow passage between the next mountains. A dragon would
not fit, but two small travelers would.
With Krasus leading, the pair headed northeast. Rhonin s companion appeared unbothered by the cold,
though the human had to enhance the protective spell on his clothes. Even then, he felt the chill of the land
upon his face and fingers.
Before long, they came upon the beginning of the passage Krasus had mentioned. Rhonin saw now what
the other meant. The passage was little more than a cramped corridor. Half a dozen men could walk
side-by-side through it without feeling constricted, but a dragon attempting to enter would have barely
been able to get its head in, much less its gargantuan body. The high, steep sides also created even
thicker shadows, making Rhonin wonder if the two might need to create some sort of illumination along
the way.
Krasus pressed on without hesitation, certain of their path. He moved faster and faster, almost as if
possessed.
The wind howled even harder through the natural corridor, its intensity building as they journeyed. Only
human, Rhonin had to struggle to keep pace with his former patron.
 Are we almost there? he finally called.
 Soon. It lies only  Krasus paused.
 What is it?
The dragon mage focused inwardly, frowning.  It is not it is not exactly where it should be anymore.
 Itmoved?
 That would be my assumption.
 Is it supposed to do that? the fiery-haired wizard asked, squinting down the dark path ahead.
 You are under the misconception that I know perfectly what to expect, Rhonin. I understand little more
than you.
That did not at all please the human.  So what do you suggest we do?
The eyes of the inhuman mage literally flared as he contemplated the question.  We go on. That is all we
can do.
But only a short distance ahead, they came across a new obstacle of sorts, one that Krasus had been
unable to foresee from high up in the air. The passage split off in two directions and while it was possible
that they merged further on, the pair could not assume that.
Krasus eyed both paths.  They each run near to our goal, but I cannot sense which lies closer. We need
to investigate both.
 Do we separate?
 I would prefer not to, but we must. We will each journey five hundred paces in, then turn back and
meet here. Hopefully we will then have a better sense of which to take.
Taking the corridor to the left, Rhonin followed Krasus s instructions. As he rapidly counted off paces,
he soon determined that his choice had potential. Not only did it greatly widen ahead, but the wizard [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]