The Sundering (49 page)

Night had long fallen and most of his subjects were deep asleep. Only he and the guards outside still stirred. Thrall should have been sleeping, but his concern over this unsettling quest had grown with each day since Brox’s and Gaskal’s departure.

The torchlights flickered, creating shadows that moved as if alive. Thrall paid them no mind until he suddenly noticed that one by the door was solid.

The orc immediately leapt up from his stone throne.
“
Who dares?
”

But instead of an assassin—and there were always plenty of those—a wizened orc wearing wolf skins and bearing a totem with the carved head of a dragon on it shuffled forward.

“Hail, Thrall!” the elder figure called in an oddly-strong voice. “Hail, savior of the orcs!”

“Who are you? You are not Kalthar!” Thrall growled, referring to his shaman.

“I am one who brings news…news of a valiant warrior, Broxigar.”

“Brox? What of him? Speak!”

“The warrior is dead…but dead sending many enemies before him! He has again fought the Legion and cut down so many it would take a day just to count them one by one!”

“The Legion?” The orc’s worst fears were realized.
“
Where? Tell me so that I can gather our warriors and fight them!
”

The almost hairless elder shook his head, then gave Thrall a grin without teeth.
“
There are no more demons! Broxigar and those fighting beside him defeated the Legion and it was your warrior who stood at the pass again, even when faced by their master!
”
The figure bowed his head respectfully.
“
Sing songs of him, great Thrall, for he was part of those who saved the world for you
…”

For a time, the younger orc stood silent, then,
“
This is true? All of it?
”

“Aye…and I bring this, all that remains to honor a hero.” Despite his seeming infirmity, the shaman brought forth a huge, twin-edged ax. Thrall blinked, somehow not having noticed it earlier.

“I’ve seen nothing like it.
”

“It is a weapon crafted by the first druid, formed from the magic of a forest spirit. Fashioned especially for Brox’s hand.
”

“It will have a place of honor,” Thrall whispered, gently taking it from the crooked figure. He eyed it in admiration. Light as a feather and, from the look of it, wood from bottom to head—even the blades—but clearly a capable ax. “How is it you have this—”

But the shaman did not answer…because he was no longer there.

With a grunt, Thrall rushed through the entranceway. He instinctively gripped the ax, suddenly wary that this had all been some intricate plot to do away with him.

He confronted the two guards stationed outside what passed for his throne room. “Where is he? Where is the old one?”

“There’s been no one!” the senior guard quickly answered.

With a frustrated growl, Thrall pushed past them. He hurried out into the open. The full moon well illuminated the surroundings, but still the ruler of the orcs saw nothing.

Not, that is, until he happened to look up at that moon.

And in it, just passing into the night, he saw a huge, winged form.

A red dragon.

Krasus/Korialstrasz veered in the direction of his flight’s lair. Rhonin was with his Vereesa and, through the dragon, the legacy of brave Brox had been brought to the orcs.

Now it was his turn to at last go home…and see tomorrow what the future would bring.

THE END

Richard A. Knaak is The New York Times bestselling Fantasy Author of 29 novels and over a dozen short pieces, including The Legend of Huma, Tides of Blood, and Kaz the Minotaur for Dragonlance, and The Demon Soul for WarCraft, the last published by Simon & Schuster. Born and raised in the Chicago area, he now splits his time between there and the panoramic area of northern Arkansas. His works have been published most recently in Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, German, Spanish, and more. In addition to his work for Dragonlance, he is the author of the popular Dragonrealm series, a number of independent novels, and has penned several tales for both WarCraft and Diablo, based on the worldwide-bestselling games from Blizzard Entertainment. He is also the author of the new manga Dragon Hunt—the first in the Sunwell Trilogy—and the forthcoming sequel, Shadows of Ice, for Tokyopop. Both are also based on the World of Warcraft massively multiplayer game.

The thrilling conclusion to his Minotaur Wars, Empire of Blood, was just recently released in hardcover. Currently, Knaak is at work on Ghostlands—the third in his Sunwell Trilogy—and is just concluding his Aquilonia Trilogy—A Silent Shadow, The Power of Fury, and The Lion’s Den—based on the worlds of Robert E. Howard. Fans of his Blizzard work will be delighted to know that he has also completed another exciting Diablo novel, Moon of the Spider, featuring the necromancer Zayl, and has agreed to write the first epic trilogy for the series, The Sin War.

Those wishing to find out more about his projects, or would like to join his e-mail list for announcements, should visit his website at www.sff.net/people/knaak.