Tender Mercies: Book 1 - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Release

Nearly a month had passed since Helmut had been captured. Every day, for hours on end, Alesha would "interrogate" him. This varied from one day to the next, but typically consisted of some sort of sexual manipulation ending in him being promised an explosive release if only he confided in her the plans of his friends. It was Helmut's satisfaction to see that he was not the only one being frustrated, for every time she attempted that ploy, he denied her.

Other days, she'd simply use cruelty and viciousness. Her ability to cause pain and injury had grown exponentially, with Helmut as an unwilling recipient. She'd used all manner of torture devices on him thus far, stopping just short of killing him. Each day his rate of healing amazed her, allowing her to cause him even more pain. Through it all Helmut remained steadfast in his determination.

Feeding off of Helmut's pain, Alesha felt drunk with power. She had him strapped to a rack, pulling him so tautly upon it that his joints groaned in protest. She'd done this once before to him, certain he would beg for death when it was over for no man could clearly walk after such treatment. To her dismay, he had uttered not even a grunt of pain, and the next day when she returned, he was able to walk without a limp. Not so this time, for in addition to being pulled along his table nearly to the point of dismemberment, she also had a barbed whip she used to flail away at his naked flesh.

Bleeding from countless wounds, Helmut still seemed very aware and lucid. Alesha had visited this time completely naked, bringing only her sword with her. She'd hoped to catch him unaware, by making him think she planned an evening of sexual torment and instead taking a more martial approach. Now she found her own loins on fire as she cracked her whip one final time over Helmut's upper thighs, splitting the skin and causing blood to spatter.

Directing all of the energies within her now came easily. Alesha had grown mightily in both her power and her ability to harness it under Talifernon's tutelage. He had taught her spells and ways of gaining power. At first she had wondered at his methods, but the more she learned, the more she realized that his methods harnessed the most power, and that was far more important then anything else that might have to be sacrificed.

It was one of these dark rituals that Alesha now performed. "Helmut, you won't tell me what I want to know, will you?" She asked, looking both sad and annoyed at once. Helmut shook his head, showing her a grin that belied his physical torment.

Alesha returned the grin, though hers showed more predatory. She gathered up her magical energies and sent them swirling into Helmut, causing his skin to tingle. His numerous pains intensified, making him grit his teeth. Soon that was overpowered by the feelings of desire rushing through him. Miraculously unwounded in her flurry of whipping, his cock rose full and proud in salute to her.

Alesha climbed on top of the tabletop and leered down at the captive barbarian. She maneuvered so that her feet were on either side of his hips and lowered herself down slowly. Helmut looked down and saw the inside of her thighs glistening with her juices. She directed his shaft beneath her until the head of his cock pressed between her pussy lips. Then she slowlt sat down, sliding her hot pussy onto his rigid staff without pausing, sinking deeply inside until her clit ground into his crotch.

Helmut bucked up at her in surprise, his super-sensitive body responding in a way he had never felt before. Still racked, he could do little more then enjoy each time she pulled and pushed her crotch down against his, and be fearful that with each upwards rise that she would leave him again unsatisfied.

The warrior need not fear, for Alesha continued to work her dark powers while she rode atop him. After a seemingly long time of Alesha bucking back and forth upon the stretched barbarian, she reached the end of her chanting. The spell was in place, drawing much of her energy from her and leaving her momentarily drained. She paused, and pressed her breasts against his chest, laying limply atop him. Feeling his throbbing erection within her, Alesha pushed herself back up. She ground herself against him, reviving her own lust. All she needed to do now was to finish the spell, but first she wanted to enjoy this some more.

Helmut's eyes widened in surprise when the whip cracked against his chest. Alesha rocked back and forth atop him with renewed vigor, slapping the instrument of torture against him time and again. Instead of distracting him from the pleasure of her pussy clamped tightly around his manhood, Helmut found the sharp pain driving him closer to the edge.

Knowing the time for the ritual to end was at hand, Alesha chanted the final words of power and clutched her pussy around his organ. Denied release for so long, Helmut's cock raged with built up frustration and erupted inside of her so forcefully she was flooded with his semen. Alesha felt his cock twitch again, spewing another stream of cum within her. She moaned and continued to writhe on top of him, caught up in her own throes of passion. She found herself filling with power as she drained the sexual energies from Helmut, further intoxicating her.

After another minute, Alesha realized that something was wrong. No man, no matter how tortured and starved for release, should be able to orgasm as long as Helmut was. She felt herself so swollen with power that she could not contain it all. She began to struggle and lose control. She continued to involuntarily grind herself against him, caught up in her own looping orgasm. She looked down to Helmut's face and saw him staring at her with a smirk on his face and a look of calmness in his eyes.

Upon making eye contact, Alesha's world disappeared around her. She felt her mind pulled into Helmut's eyes, and suddenly her awareness exploded. For a brief terrifying moment she felt as though she was aware of everything. She glimpsed at secrets and powers so vast that it dwarfed her understanding of anything. She found herself growing lost.

This is what you wanted!

Alesha heard the voice without hearing it. For the briefest of moments she felt that she knew everything there was to know. Power, influence, wealth, even worlds were there for the taking, all she had to do was will it to happen.

Mistress! Beware! You are losing yourself!

That single moment which seemed to last forever to Alesha ended. All of the knowledge that she had been on the verge of possessing fled from her like sand slipping through clenched fingers. She came back into herself and drew in a deep and painful breath. She looked around and found that she was kneeling on the top of the table alone. Studying her surroundings carefully, she saw that the door remained locked from the outside, and that Helmut's blood was still upon both her and the table. The thick leather thongs that had held his arms and legs remained in place, though empty now.

He is gone, Mistress.

Alesha looked at her sword and slowly sat up. She grabbed onto it and held it in her lap while she glanced around again, not understanding. She reached reached down to caress her satisfied pussy, and felt an abundance of cum ooze from within and coat her palm. There was so much cum, she was reminded of the troll and the demon that deposited so much cum inside her. Bringing her hand up, she saw that for the first time, a man had managed to fill her so full with cum that she could not contain it all. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but she felt her powers had swelled to a new level.

"What happened?" Alesha asked, directing the question to Talifernon.

He was a powerful being in disguise, Mistress. His mask so great that until he revealed himself just no, we had no idea.

Alesha nodded to herself, remembering how suddenly everything had changed. She had been in control all along up until she looked into his eyes and discovered a depth to them she did not know existed.

"Who was he?"

His power rivaled that of our Master, Mistress. I know not what or who he was, but he suffered your tortures and manipulations solely for his own agenda.

Shaken, Alesha clutched her leaking pussy with one hand as she climbed off the table and stood still for a moment to make certain that she had regained her balance and enough strength to move unaided. When she was ready she strode to the door and called for the guards to unlatch it. When it opened, she walked through without a glance at the guards, her mind twisting and turning with the implications of her strange encounter with someone as powerful as the mysterious being that had given her the powers that she had.

The guards outside the door watched her nude form walk away, thighs glistening. They glanced inside the room, expecting to see a badly abused or perhaps finally even dead captive inside, as they had every other time. This time, however, they were stunned. Looking at one another first, the light elves studied the room carefully. Seeing the room completely empty, they again looked at each other, mirrored confusion on their faces. At long last shaking it off, they shut the door and barred it shut again, each inwardly pondering the possibilities.

---

Luingirth had bade them all hang tightly to his back then dove under the water of the Endless Ocean off the coast of the large island to the southwest of Belurian. The swim was brief, given the dragons great speed, and the quickly entered a large underwater tunnel. The cavern was brief, rising back above the water line into an underground passage on the island itself.

As soon as Luingirth exited the water they were met by a scream of outrage. A dragon awaited them with five heads, each head and neck a different chromatic color. The immense cavern was lit by glowing gemstones placed along the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"Tiamat!" Kelnozz hissed, leaping from Luingirth's back to fall in the water. Nordan and Martin followed his lead, not wanting to be anywhere near the legendary beast. Luingirth roared a challenge at the chimerical dragon, challenging it.

By the time the companions had swam to the underwater shore, Luingirth had blasted the white dragon head with its electrical breath weapon, leaving it stunned and badly wounded. Tiamat had grappled with Luingirth, however, and the mythical creature used it's remaining four heads to bite and tear at Luingirth's scales, as well as subject the noble dragon to their own powerful breath weapons. Luingirth was struggling to get away from Tiamat but was held fast by the larger beast.

"Help him!" Kelnozz called out, frightened for the first time in his life for his friend. He led the charge himself, both swords out and a fierce look on his face. Martin had his bow loosing arrows at the colossal dragon, but they shattered harmlessly against its hide. Nordan roared a war cry to his God, Garrick, but the cry seemed awfully pathetic in comparison to the roaring dragons.

Martin was about to abandon his bow when he noticed the white dragon head beginning to show signs of consciousness. He took aim and fired arrow after arrow at it, getting its attention. His powerful bow managed to put two arrow into the heads mouth, stinging it painfully, and then another into a nostril, making the dragon snort and sneeze. His final arrow bit into an eye, penetrating deeply and making the head roar in pain. Luingirth's struggles timed in perfectly, catching the head with a rear leg and pushing it to the ground to crush it beneath his foot.

"Kel!" Nordan called out to the elf, who was hacking away at Tiamat's leg to little effect. He looked up to see Nordan motioning him back. Kelnozz looked up quickly to where Luingirth was being overpowered and ran over to the barbarian.

"What?" He asked sharply, anxious to return to help.

"Hold your swords tight!" Nordan said, then before Kelnozz could ask more, Nordan bent over and grabbed the elf's ankles. In a second, Kelnozz was upside down and Nordan held him in the air. Still disoriented, Nordan began turning around, faster and faster, swinging Kelnozz out farther and farther from him.

Kelnozz quickly figured out what was going on, and focused on keeping his eyes on the five (four now) headed dragon to keep from getting dizzy. A few more spins and Kelnozz was amazed Nordan could hold onto him from the centrifugal force. He had noticed a strange new belt Nordan had picked up at Kaergothryl's lair, but had not thought to ask about it. He wondered if it was one of the rare belts said to grant the wearer incredible strength. Well, more incredible then what that large barbarian already had!

Nordan released Kelnozz, sending him flying towards Tiamat. Luingirth's roars of rage had turned to roars of pain. Kelnozz knew him to be in trouble, and he knew if what Nordan had planned did not work, they might all soon be dead. He looked straight at the dragon as the distance between them rapidly closed. With both his swords pointing straight out, Kelnozz hit the mighty creature just above its shoulder. The blades dug in deeply, sinking all the way to the hilt. The rest of Kelnozz's body crashed into the side and flipped upon onto Tiamat's back, knocking the wind out of him and cracking at least a few of his ribs.

Nordan fell on his butt when he released Kelnozz, watching the dark elf sail into the side of the dragon. He grinned when he hit and heard Tiamat roar in pain, two heads (green and blue) turning to see what had hurt it. He tried to stand up, but found his balance was to far off, and he collapsed back to the ground before he had even gotten halfway up.

Martin dropped his bow and charged, bastard sword in hand. He reached the hindquarters of the dragon and began hacking at it, his new sword cutting shallow wounds through the magically enhanced scales. He worked on the rear side of the leg, trying to hack and sever the tendons there.

Kelnozz regained his senses in time to roll to the side and avoid the blue dragon head as it snapped at him. He rolled to far though, and started to slide down Tiamat's side. He reached out and grabbed the closest sword hilt still embedded in the creatures side to halt his descent. Scrambling back up, he tore the sword free of the dragon, making sure he aggravated as much of the wound as possible along the way.

Kelnozz then saw the green dragon head open its mouth in a way that could only spell doom. He sucked in a quick lungful of air and closed his eyes before running forward blindly. He could feel the poisonous gas the dragon exhaled surrounding him in a cloud of reeking death. Refusing to breath or open his eyes and inhale, he moved by memory, hoping that Tiamat would be to busy with Luingirth to be able to move much. In steps he felt the angle beneath his feet change, indicated he was close to where the five necks sprouted from the body.

Nordan finally regained his feet and shook his head one final time to clear the last of the dizzying effects his spin had taken on him. Stepping into it, he threw his hammer as hard as he could, not realizing until it was to late that he was then without a weapon. The effects were worth it, however, for with a deafening crash the hammer connected with the head of the green dragon where it's upper and lower jaw met. The head dropped suddenly, stunned badly by the wound that shattered its gargantuan jaws. Nordan stopped running in surprise, then grinned like a fool at how powerful the hammer Helmut had given him appeared to be.

Martin heard the loud sound of thunder and looked up to see the green dragon head fall stunned. Seizing the opportunity, he charged over to where it was hanging near the ground. Looking up, he saw the damage that Nordan's hammer had done and was momentarily stopped in awe. Shaking it off, he ran around behind the head and drew back his sword. The angle was awkward, as only the end of the dragons snout was touching the ground, but with a few mighty swings, Martin had cut deeply into the side of the green dragon head's neck and cause its blood to spurt forth in rhythmic caustic spurts.

Being so close to the source of the noise, Kelnozz was deafened. One sword, no vision, fresh air, or hearing, he did the only thing he could do, he started swinging wildly. He smiled in grim satisfaction when he felt his sword bite into something, and continued to worry away at it with the blade, praying that when he finally took another breath the poisonous gas would be dissipated.

Nordan ran forward, seeing his hammer on the ground not far from where Martin was bleeding the green dragon head. He reached out for it as he got closer, in case he needed a last minute dive, and was shocked when his hammer disappeared before his very eyes. Before he could blink or finish his surprised stop, it had appeared in his hand. He was so surprised that he dropped it.

Staring down at it, Nordan opened his hand and willed his hammer to come to him. Sure enough, it reappeared in his hand. He grinned, dropping it and doing it again, all thoughts of the battle around him were forgotten.

Forgotten until Kelnozz crashed to the ground near his fight, jerking spastically as the final discharges of the blue dragon head's electrical breath weapon played out their effects on him. Nordan looked up and saw the blue dragon head staring down at them, mouth just closing. It opened again and reared back to prepare for a lunge that would put both of them in its maw. Nordan pulled back his hammer and threw it again, calling out Garrick's name in the motion.

Kelnozz gasped in air in spite of the pain it caused his tortured ribs. The lightning bolt had blown him off the dragons back, taking him out of the range of the poisonous gas, but causing him further injury from the electricity and the fall to the ground. He looked up through a haze of pain and saw Nordan's hammer connect with the blue dragon head, right between the eyes. His hearing was just returning when another thunderbolt struck him deaf. The blue dragon head fall, however, landing just shy of them. It was clearly slain, with the shaft of Nordan's hammer sticking out of the large hole through the skull.

Luingirth broke free of Tiamat then, beating his wings weakly but enough to gain him some distance from the clutching arms and two remaining heads. He was scarred and wounded in many places. However large the cavern was, there was only so far he could fly, and he ended up landing behind the companions and gaining a few moments respite.

Kelnozz raised himself up, still clutching one sword in hand, while Martin backed away from the now slain green dragon head. Nordan summoned his hammer back to his hand and grinned stupidly. Tiamat turned to face them then, three heads dragging but two clearly still fully functional.

Martin ran around the guardian dragon and started hacking at the back of its leg again, as he had earlier. Kelnozz drew a dagger with his empty hand, wincing as he forced two broken fingers to grip the hilt. The black dragon head turned to see what Martin was doing, while the red dragon head studied Kelnozz and Nordan.

"Fire, Nordan!" Kelnozz said, forcing himself to spit out the words in spite of the pain to his chest. "Red dragons breathe a cone of fire!"

Nordan looked to the water leading to the tunnel but had no way to try and drown the dragon. He had no idea what Kelnozz was talking about, other then telling him something every child knew from fairy tales. "Get away or he'll kill both of us in one breath!" Kelnozz said, pushing him to the side.

Nordan ran then, muttering something about Kelnozz's parentage. He threw his hammer in mid stride, hoping his luck would hold out. The dragon head dodged the throw, however, and instead a clawed hand reached out and grabbed Nordan around the waist. The barbarian was lifted high into the air and brought closer to the dragon's mouth.

Martin hid behind Tiamat's leg to avoid the black dragon head from spitting acid at him. What he wasn't prepared for was the dragon's tail slapping him from behind hard enough to send him sprawling to the ground. The dragon head took that chance and spat out a stream of acid at him. Martin tried to roll out of the way, but his right arm he left out to push himself off with, and that arm was hit by the spittle. Martin screamed in agony as his arm was eaten off just below his elbow in a matter of seconds, armor, gauntlet, and all.

Kelnozz rushed forward as best he could, but found himself standing in front of Tiamat at the same time that Martin was screaming. He hacked at what was reputed to be the softer belly of the dragon, but found this myth to be untrue. From centuries and longer of curling up on hordes of treasure, Tiamat's belly had gems, coins, and small bits of metal imbedded in it. His sword still cut into it, but the wounds were small and no threat to it.

Roaring another challenge, Luingirth returned then, landing next to Tiamat and catching the thick neck of the black dragon head in his jaws. He clamped his jaws shut and tried valiantly to sever the head, but Tiamat's scales and muscles were to thick. The red dragon head turned to regard what was going on and it opened its mouth to spray its flames upon Luingirth's body.

Nordan knew it was his moment then. The beast still clutched him next to its neck. He summoned his hammer back and swung at the might red neck, smiling in satisfaction when his hammer connected and heard the sound of bones crunching. Nordan swung again, this time at the mighty fist that held him. It fell open in stunned pain and he fell to the floor heavily.

Picking himself up he ran towards where the red dragon head had fallen. With hate filled eyes the head saw him approach and snorted when he got close enough, flames leaping out at him. Nordan dodged to the side but still felt his hair singed and breath taken away by the heat. He jumped up and scrambled to the top of the red dragon head, then swung his hammer a final time, crushing the skull and slaying it.

Realizing it was soon to lose the battle, the black dragon head sought to escape from Luingirth. It used its remaining forelimb to claw at him. It's tail thrashed helplessly as Luingirth slowly squeeze the life from it. After several minutes, the incredible beast lay still, slain by the four companions.

Luingirth took a few steps away from Tiamat's corpse and sat down wearily. He began to tend to his wounds then, licking at them as a pet would. In many cases his scales had been rent to display torn flesh, and other areas were blackened or damaged by fire and acid. Martin was clutching the stump of his arm in shock, the acid had cauterized the wound. Kelnozz walked over to Tiamat's body and was unhappy to see that the dragons body had fallen so that it was laying upon his other sword that was still in its side. Scowling, he sheathed his remaining sword and dagger and limped over to where Martin sat. Nordan joined them a few moments later, still grinning triumphantly.

"Now all we have to do is find the place to put the keys to release the dragons," Kelnozz said casually.

Martin looked at him, focusing on something for the first time. "I just lost my arm!" He shouted. "How in the nine hells am I supposed to fire a bow or ever wield a sword again? Enough with your dragons, I'm worthless now!"

"Martin, doesn't your grandfather have one arm as well?" Nordan asked, in far to good of a mood to be disturbed by Martin's outburst.

"Yes, so?" Martin spat out. Then what he said hit him. He began thinking about it said, "This must be a sign! Yes, that's it!"

"Grandfather, I will not fail this test!" Martin said, looking towards the heavens. "I will prove to you that I can survive this wound and be as great as you!"

Kelnozz looked to Nordan with a questioning look. Nordan just shrugged and looked around the cavern. A large tunnel led off from the back of it, easily large enough for Tiamat to move through. Nordan began walking towards it, with a limping Kelnozz following after. Martin stopped staring in fascination at his injury long enough to realize they were leaving him. He followed after, leaving a curious but weary and wounded Luingirth behind.

"So that was Tiamat?" Nordan asked after a few moments. "I'd though Tiamat to be the lord of dragons or something?"

"Nay," Kelnozz replied, speaking softly and slowly. "Tiamat was the guardian the chromatic dragons left behind to guard the seal and the good dragons. A chromatic dragon of each color was sacrificed in a great magical ritual to create Tiamat."

"You could have warned us it was there," Nordan admonished, even though his tone didn't sound angry.

"Aye, I could have," Admitted Kelnozz with an apologetic smile, "but I forgot."

Nordan stared at the elf for a moment incredulously, then guffawed and clapped him on the back hard. The scowl and groan from Kelnozz reminded Nordan of his injuries. Martin caught up to them, his bastard sword gripped awkwardly in his off hand.

---

The tunnel continued on for nearly a mile underground before it ended in an even larger cavern, though this one obviously carved from the stone with its uniform sides and height. Easily a hundred feet to the ceiling, it was five times that in diameter. In the middle was a great ring made from mithril and carved into the likeness of hundreds of dragons flying in a circle. It was suspended by mithril support beams extending to the floor and the ceiling. The same glowing gems that illuminated the outer cavern also illuminated it inside. The glow was reflected in here by the hoard of wealth that had belonged to the five dragons that had become Tiamat, as well as additional offerings and tributes in the six thousand years since.

Kelnozz wandered over to the hoard, drawn by the promise of items and lore so old as to come from a time when the elven peoples were one and far mightier in the magic then they had since fallen. Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn towards a long sword that lay unsheathed amidst a pile of goblets, jewelry, silverware, and other weapons of power. He picked it up almost reverently, his wounds forgotten. The sword balanced perfectly in his hand, as though it had been meant for him. He nodded and placed it happily in the sheath that had been empty at his side.

All the companions cast about the treasure for useful items. Martin found what must have been a heavily enchanted long bow used by elven hunters from ages past. He fumbled about for quite a while before he was able to string it and replace his old bow with it. Neither Nordan nor Kelnozz had the heart to ask him how he was going to use a bow with only one hand.

Finally finding nothing else that they felt they must have, they turned their attention back to the inactive portal in the middle of the room. Kelnozz reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out first the glowing white gem, then a black gem that somehow emitted a black glow. He studied the portal and saw that there were places in it along the bottom where the gems were obviously meant to be placed. Trying each holder, he finally found the proper holders for both of the gems.

Instantly there was a flash of light. Kelnozz stumbled and fell back from the portal, gasping in pain but not heeding it as he stared up at the spiraling energies that now played across the portal. He crawled backwards away from it and stood up finally next to his companions.

They waited breathlessly, wondering what would happen next. After several long moments of nothing further happening, they relaxed enough to look around the room and at each other.

"What now?" Nordan asked, letting his hammer relax and lower.

"I'm not sure, I had thought that we could release one type of dragon with each gem, perhaps we need all of them?" Kelnozz wondered aloud.

Martin moaned slightly and collapsed to the ground then. In moments both Kelnozz and Nordan were at his side, examining him. Other then the missing arm, Martin had no serious injuries.

"What's wrong with him?" Nordan asked, noting how painful his arm injury must be, but still surprised that Martin would be affected as badly as he was.

"The shock of the wound, I think," Kelnozz replied, equally surprised at the always strong but silent ranger's condition. "Come, there is nothing for us here, we must acquire the other keys to the portal. Let us take Martin to Innowendyn and continue our quest."

Nordan nodded and carefully scooped up the fallen ranger into his arms. Letting a lost longing look fall upon the dragon hoard, the companions left the portal and returned to where Luingirth waited.

Explaining what had taken place, they queried Luingirth as to what he thought of the portal. He was in agreement that all five of the keys were needed. As for Martin, he was as uncertain as the rest of them.

They tried everything from shaking to slapping to dousing water on Martin in an attempt to wake him up. When nothing worked, Kelnozz finally relented and sat down on the rocky ground. Taking off his boot, he removed his ring that enabled him to magically teleport to Loralost and placed it on Martin's finger. Searching through his pack, he finally found some rolled up parchment and some charcoal. He scribbled out some words on it, briefly describing what had happened, then rolled the parchment back up and placed it in Martin's shirt.

"What are you doing?" Nordan asked, confused by Kelnozz's actions.

Kelnozz did not answer, but instead reached his hand out and placed it on the ring on Martin's finger. He whispered a few words in ancient elvish under his breath. Nordan gasped in surprise when Martin disappeared, accompanied by a soft pop as the surrounding air rushed in to fill the empty space he had once occupied.

"What did you do to him?" Nordan said, alarmed.

"I sent him to Loralost," Kelnozz answered, putting his boot back on and standing up. "I had a magical ring that would succor me to Loralost. We could not get Martin out of here without traveling underwater, which in his state, would surely have been fatal."

Nordan nodded, understanding what had happened. "Where to for us?"

Kelnozz thought for a moment then headed towards Luingirth. "Cuivegirth, methinks."

"Aye, time to kill another dragon," the grinning barbarian followed Kelnozz to mount Luingirth's back.

---

In spite of the alliance between the evil races and the chromatic dragons, the humanoids fled in terror as the great form of Cuivegirth settled down in front of Alesha's palace. In a matter of moments Alesha stood in front of Cuivegirth, hiding her displeasure at the dragon's tail have crushed a nearby barracks.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, oh great one?" Alesha feigned pleasure at seeing him.

"Thine friends hath breached two of the five seals. Tiamat hath been slain, it is nigh time they are dealt with!" Cuivegirth stated. "Thou will accompany me!"

Alesha ground her teeth in rage. Kelnozz was ruining her plans. First Kaergothryl, then Aglarond. To discover that her worst fears were confirmed caused her to see red. "A moment only, mighty dragon," Alesha said. "They force my hand sooner then I like."

Alesha summoned a page and after scribbling down some things on a piece of parchment, she turned back to Cuivegirth and said, "My armies have been set in motion. They are not yet at full strength, but if my intelligence is right, Kelnozz's forces are in even more disarray."

Cuivegirth nodded and offered Alesha a step up to his back, then with a snort of noxious breath, took to the air. The spiraled up high into the air before setting out on a southwesterly course.

Continued in Chapter 13

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