You nod to Sidorna and race to the griffin. Ankylon catches your eye, and he nods in your direction.
“Go!” he yells. His sword lashes out, the silver flames lining the blade flashing, and one of Malureon’s enchanted shadows shivers, shrieks, and shrinks to a normal shadow once more. “We shall catch up to you. Delay Malureon until I arrive!”
Sidorna springs into the griffin’s saddle, and you settle behind her.
“I do hope I can remember how to fly one of these things,” mutters Sidorna, gripping the reins.
You ask if she has ever actually done this before.
“Of course. Well. Once,” says Sidorna, and snaps the reins.
The griffin leaps from the roof of the Magician’s Tomb, spreads its wings, and soars into the sky over Cintarra. Sidorna lets out a delighted whoop as the griffin flies towards the Prince’s palace. You have to admit that the view of the city is grand. Or it would be, if the ridiculous red plume of Sidorna’s hat did not keep blowing into your face.
The Prince’s palace comes into sight, a looming edifice of fortress walls and buttressed tower. But one tower, the Red Dragon Tower, stands higher than all the others. The storm clouds overhead are beginning to swirl around it, and the lightning flashing between the clouds shines an unnatural shade of green.
Evidently Malureon began his spell before he came to steal Lady Miranda.
You see a black shape rising towards the pinnacle of the Red Dragon Tower. Malureon, still riding his nightmare, dragging Lady Miranda in his shadow like a fish caught in a net.
“Now!” says Sidorna, snapping the reins. “Avaunt, villain!”
The griffin lets out a deafening battle shriek and swoops upon the nightmare.
Malureon’s head turns, his mercury-colored eyes narrowed, and the nightmare banks, curving around the Tower, and the griffin turns in pursuit. You fling a dagger at Malureon, and the weapon buries itself to the handle in the elven magician’s shoulder. But again black slime bubbles from the wound, and the dagger crumbles into ash. Malureon doesn’t even seem notice. You wonder why his shadow doesn’t reach out it snap your neck, and you realize that it can’t, not while it’s dragging Lady Miranda through the air.
The nightmare climbs, making for the Red Dragon Tower’s crown, and the griffin pumps its wings in pursuit. But then the nightmare dives, folding its leathery wings, and a blast of scarlet flame lances from its mouth. The griffin swerves to the side to avoid the flames. Unfortunately, it swerves sharply enough that you topple from the saddle, and you see the ground rushing towards you.
Rather quickly.
However, you’re within reach of the Tower’s side, and if you act at once, you might be able to arrest your fall before the ground does.
