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Come to avenge my consort and my children, Deathwing, for I know all too well that this is all because
of you!
I? The black behemoth gave her a toothy grin. But even I cannot touch theDemon Soul;you and
yours saw to that!
But something led the orcs to a place of which only dragons knew . . . and something hinted to them of
the power of the disk!
Does it matter, anyway? Your day is past, Alexstrasza, while mine is about to come!
The red dragon spread her wings wide and flashed her claws. Despite the deprivations of her captivity,
she did not look at all weak at the moment. It is your day that is over, dark one!
I have faced the ravages of time, the curse of nightmares, and the mists of sorcery, thanks to the others!
What weapons do you bring?
Alexstrasza met his sinister gaze with her own determined, unblinking orbs. Life . . . hope . . . and what
they bring with them . . .
Deathwing took in her words and laughed loud. Then you are as good as dead already!
The two giants charged one another.
She cannot hope to beat him, Rhonin muttered. None of them can, because they're all lacking what
this damned artifact took from them!
If there is nothing we can do, then we should leave, Rhonin.
I can't, Vereesa! I've got to do something for her for all of us, actually! If they can't stop Deathwing,
who will?
Falstad eyed theDemon Soul. Can you do nothing with that thing?
No. It won't work against Deathwing in any way.
The dwarf rubbed his hairy chin. Pity 'tis not possible to give back the magic that thing stole! At least
then they could fight with him on even terms. . . .
The wizard shook his head. That can't be He paused, trying to think. With the broken finger, his
throbbing head, and the bruises all over his body, it took effort just to keep on his feet. Rhonin
concentrated, focusing on what the gryphon-rider had just said. But, then again, maybe itcan!
His companions looked at him in bewilderment. Rhonin quickly glanced around to assure himself that
they were safe from orcs for the moment, then located the hardest rock he could find.
What are you doing? Vereesa asked, sounding as if she wondered whether he had lost his mind.
Returning their power to them! He put theDemon Soulon top of another stone, then raised the first
high.
What in blazes do you think was as far as Falstad managed.
Rhonin brought the rock down as hard as he could on the disk.
The rock in his hand cracked in two.
TheDemon Soulglistened, not even blemished by the assault.
Damn! I should've known! He looked up at the dwarf. Can you swing that thing with great
accuracy?
Falstad looked insulted. It may be inferior orc work, but 'tis still a usable weapon and, as such, I can
swing it as good as any!
Use it on the disk! Now!
The ranger put a concerned hand on the wizard's shoulder. Rhonin, do you really think this will work?
I know the spellwork that will return it to them, a variation used by those of my order when trying to
draw from other relics, but it demands that the artifact in question be shattered, so that the forces binding
the magic within won't exist any longer! I can give back to the dragons what they lost but only if I can
get theDemon Soulopen!
Is that why, then? Falstad hefted the war-ax. Stand back, wizard! Would you like it in two neat
halves or chopped into little fragments?
Just destroy it in whatever way you can!
Simple enough . . . Raising the ax high, the dwarf took a deep breath then swung so hard that Rhonin
could see the intense strain in his companion's arm muscles.
The ax struck true
Fragments of metal went flying.
By the Aerie! The head! 'Tis completely ruined!
A great gap in the blade gave proof of theDemon Soul's hard surface. Falstad threw down the ax in
disgust, cursing shoddy orc workmanship.
Rhonin, however, knew that the ax had not been at fault. This is worse than I would've imagined!
Magic must protect it, Vereesa murmured. Cannot magic also destroy it?
It would have to be something powerful. My magic alone wouldn't do it, but if I had another
talisman He recalled the medallion Krasus or, rather, Korialstrasz had given Vereesa, but that
had been left behind after the wizard and the red dragon had headed back to the battle. Besides, Rhonin
doubted that it would serve well enough. Better if he had something from Deathwing himself, but that
medallion had been lost in the mountain
But he still had the stone! The stone created from one of the black dragon's own scales!
It has to work! he cried, reaching into his pouch.
What've you got? Falstad asked.
This! He pulled out the tiny stone, an object which in no manner impressed the other two. Deathwing
created this from his very being, just as he created theDemon Soulthrough his magic! It may be able to
do what nothing else could! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]