Ward of Lights, Enchant Creature
Illus. Mike Dringenberg

Catacomb Dragon, Creature
Illus. David O'Connor

Lightning Reflexes, Enchant Creature
Illus. Tom Kyffin

Fighting the horrid monster does no good, I think. I must burn the tree rather than nurse the choke. I circle back around the hut, Chouri at my heel. As Bwire watches his creature do its worst, I sneak to his side, bone knife in hand.

As I look over the hillock, I see Fola recover, then cast a strange sorcery on Four of Four. A second later, my goat is ringed in black light as bright as day, and charges the monster. Four of Four's horn enters the thing, but it does as much good as my bone knife did. The monster attacks at once, but the black glow is replaced by a swirling rainbow of lights. Every time the monster reaches for Four of Four, my shining goat slips out of its grasp. That goat, he has had a hard day, but he learns to cope. I smile for that.

Bwire's attention is on the fight. I know stories of cowardly wizards who hide behind their unwilling thralls. This Bwire, he embodies those stories. There is no greater evil than placing your charges below yourself.

And then I hear it, a flapping sound like no bird I have heard. High overhead, the dragon of Fola's nightmares spans the sky. Fola looks up, paralyzed with fright. Her greatest foe, and she is powerless.

The chase goes on below, but in a moment there is a change for the worse. The circle of lights around the goat disappears, and at once Four of Four becomes as a bolt of lightning. The monster takes the charge, and for a breath is rocked back and shaken. But then it recovers, and snatches the goat around the ribcage. With a hellish laugh, the spirit raises Four of Four above the earth, preparing to dash the goat to the ground below. No moment like this moment, as my grandfathers say.

"Die, sorcerer!" I shout as I plunge my knife into Bwire's back. He lets out a scream, and reaches for the only resource he has. With one outstretched arm, he pulls the very air toward him. The monstrous spirit is caught in the wave, and is pulled backwards, and vanishes into Bwire's pulsing hand. At once Bwire grows stronger and healthier from the sacrifice, and my bone knife clatters to the earth, having done no harm.

"Whooof! Hack!"

The spirit that held him gone, Four of Four drops to the plain. He lands on his stomachs--oh, will that hurt him!--and coughs out the Yellow Rock! The source of all my dismay tumbles along the plain. Bwire and Fola see their prize, and get ready to run for it. Instead of killing me with his newfound might, Bwire seizes his chance to glean the Yellow Rock for his evil schemes.

So I trip him.

Wham! Bwire hits the grass. Fola snatches up the Yellow Rock and shouts some gibberish I do not understand. A great light radiates across the land. When it clears, a figure appears next to Fola, the Yellow Rock goes dull for a breath, and then Fola raises the rock to the sky.

Whooooooooosh!

The rush of air deafens me as the dragon overhead comes plunging down, sucked into the Yellow Rock, disappearing in a thunder of screaming air. I dive for cover, and see Chouri already has her head in the dirt. My goatdog has a breath more wisdom than me.