The Dragon's Cry

"Yes, Lord Shrike?" the guard steps in through the door. You keep yourself hidden in the shadows above the far side of the cave.

Said Lord is clearly uncomfortable. "I want you to... call off the search for the two weredragons."

"Lord?"

"I said call off the search!" Shrike's eyes blaze with anger -- probably more at himself for giving in to Valeris' demands than at his guard. "You are not here to question, but to obey! Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord." The guard walks out, closing the door behind him.

"There. That was not so difficult. Perhaps there is some hope for you yet," Valeris taunts.

"Hmmph!" Shrike grunts. "I have no interest in what you have to say. Leave me."

"It is fortunate that your will coincides with mine, Shrike. Know that if I wished to stay, you could not remove me." The door opens - apparently by itself, and Lady Valeris walks gracefully out, and the room instantly feels colder, emptier.

You hear the lady's voice in your head again: "Wait until he leaves. It will be soon. Keep to the shadows, and you will not be seen. Meet me on the far side of the hallway."

You nod understanding, somehow sure that she can sense your response.

"YEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!" CRRRRAAAAAAAAAACCKKKK!

You immediately turn back to the table, which Lord Shrike has just splintered with his rage. Working his fist open and closed, he throws open the door and stalks out of the chamber.

No one comes in for five minutes, even to claim the damaged table, so you decide to leave.

You drop to the floor, crossing the cavern as quietly as possible, jumping lightly over the stream to the table --

-- When you notice that Shrike has left the manuscript he was reading among the ruins of the table. Hardly thinking, you scoop up the manuscript and secret it in a pocket.

Slipping out the door, you find a short, deserted corridor lit by occasional torches. It opens up into a great hall, possibly as much as thirty meters ahead (where you see another rough door) and at least fifty to either side. Far off to your left, the end of the cavern is blazing with light from dozens of torches, their smoke lost in the shadows of the ceiling, as armored soldiers lounge around. Perhaps they are discussing battle plans, or perhaps they are enjoying a drink at the Subterranean Tavern. It's hard to tell. On the other side, you see only dim shapes, a flicker of movement that could be caused by the torchlight.

Keep to the shadows... The recalled voice is so vivid, you can almost swear she were speaking to you again. Maybe she is.

As you approach the darkened area to the right, your enhanced night-vision kicks in. Most of the movement you saw from a distance does, indeed, seem to have been merely a trick of the light. But there are creatures scrambling across the floor -- creatures you have never seen before. Creatures with large, bulbous eyes, that have never seen the light of day. You wonder if you will ever again see the light of day, after what has happened.

Of course, after that fall, you're going to be a lot more careful from now on.

The trek across the hall is uneventful. Valeris was correct - you do not seem to have been seen. As you quietly make your way to the far opening, you hear the sound of laughter drifting from the soldiers.

You quietly slip through the door, and wait. Within seconds, Lady Valeris appears, placing a finger to her lips.

She speaks in your mind again. "Good work, dragonling." You hate being called dragonling. "We must be silent for now. There is another we must meet before we can begin our task. Follow me."

Without waiting for confirmation, she turns toward the dim corridor ahead and begins to walk.

Wordlessly, you follow.

"We can speak now," she says after about ten minutes and so many twists and turns of passages that you feel you could not find your way back without her. Security by obscurity...

"So what's going on?" you ask. "What does Lord Shrike want with me? What do you want with me? Who--"

"In the fullness of time, dragonling. For now, you need know only that my purpose in recruiting you is benevolent, and that Shrike's goals... are less than benevolent."

You ponder this for a few moments, and decide you can trust her. You have to. Without her you may never again see the sun, or your inn, or your family...

"Is my father all right?" you ask.

Valeris seems to pause for a second. "I cannot say. I know only that the homes of several weredragons have been burned, and that dragonkin themselves are missing. I know naught of your family, or of the other victims."

Somehow, you think she knows more. But she's not likely to tell you much of anything else.

"So who are we looking for?"

"His name is Sussurr. He is a dragonling, much like yourself. I aided him in his escape, then left to find you. Unfortunately, you had blundered into Shrike's office."

She holds up a hand and stops. You both listen, and you hear the clashing of swords a great distance off. Valeris suddenly takes a side tunnel you hadn't noticed and starts running in the direction of the sounds.

"Where--" Oh, well. You plunge into the darkness after her.

Things brush against your legs as you run after her -- and notice that her tiara is actually glowing, making your way just a little easier to see.

Coming suddenly into a larger passage, you see torchlight reflecting off of swords, almost blinding after the last minute, and you see a gold-red half-dragon -- with feathered wings -- battling five or six soldiers. At least four more bodies are lying on the side of the passage, and the soldiers seem startled at your appearance.

Valeris launches some kind of fireball at them, knocking two into the far end of the passage, while the other dragon (you presume him to be Sussurr) slashes at a momentarily distracted guard.

You pull out your dagger and prepare to plunge it into the back of one of the soldiers, when Valeris' hand snaps onto your wrist, wrenching your arm away.

"No!" she cries. "This dagger must not be used in battle!"

One of the two remaining soldiers jabs at your ribs, but Sussurr bats him aside before he can do serious damage, and you manage to grab his sword as he falls. Valeris launches the other guard at the wall, and the battle is over. Sussurr shrinks wearily to his human form.

"Quickly," Valeris says. "We must head for the surface. The King's life depends on it."

"The King?" you say. "Nobody told me the King was involved in all this."

"Those who walk the same path as Shrike have plans that must not come to fruition. You two are instrumental to stopping those plans. This way."

She starts walking. Sussurr appears winded, but manages to pick up a sword and get moving nonetheless. You wonder - is it simply the same feeling you have, that (if nothing else) she at least knows the way out? Or is there something else in his quick acceptance of her... orders. She definitely has an aura of authority about her. But if she can speak directly into your mind...

"My name's Sussurr," your new friend says. "Nice to meet another weredragon."

"Shree," you say. "Nice to meet you."

"Come," Valeris says, cutting the conversation short.

As you continue walking through the cave complex, all armed now (except Valeris, whose arms appear to be weapons), you begin wondering just how far it is to the surface. Especially since you have the odd feeling that, rather than climbing, you've been descending.

You keep wondering about the dagger in your belt, but can't quite bring yourself to ask Valeris about it. Something seems odd about it, and your hand reaches for it...

When a deep rumble begins, so deep you feel it more than hear it -- until you realize that the ground is shaking.

"Earthquake!" Sussurr shouts.

Sections of wall and ceiling begin to collapse, and with rocks and clods of dirt falling all around you, you begin to panic. You see a boulder heading for Valeris, and leap toward her, pushing her out of the way (wrenching your leg in the process). You hear Sussurr cry out as he is struck in the head by a small rock, and then the dust starts to cloud everything. You shield Valeris with your body, but nothing larger than a few centimeters seems to reach you.

The rumbling stops, and the rocks stop falling, and you pick yourself up -- carefully. Valeris gestures toward Sussurr, and you both head over toward him. You find him sitting up, rubbing a lump on the side of his head.

"Can you believe it?" he says. "Right where they hit me when I was kidnapped!"

Valeris is looking ahead worriedly, and as the dust begins to clear, you see what has her concerned.

The way ahead has been completely blocked by debris from the cave-in.

"That was the only way out," she says. "To find another passage, we must return to Lord Shrike's base."

"No way!" you tell her. "I don't know about you, but those people don't seem too friendly - and they're a bit eager to find us! There's got to be another way out!"

"We could try to clear some of the rubble," Sussurr says. "With the two of us in half-dragon form, we ought to be able to clear enough space to get through."

"There is no time!" Valeris insists.

"It'll be faster than going all the way back," Sussurr adds.

What will you do?

Contributed by Kelson Vibber

Things to consider while writing in this branch

Lady Valeris is, of course, really Silvera, under an assumed name. Consider what will happen when her true identity is revealed.
Who or what is threatening the King? (See this episode for one possibility.)
What does she mean, "Those who walk the same path" as Shrike? Are they his allies or agents, or simply other "bad guys?"
What does Lord Shrike plan for Shadow? (Think "hostile takeover.") Is he connected to it already?
Where did the dagger come from? Why did it grow hot when Silvera approached? Why must it not be used in battle?
Don't forget the rune.


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