The End Game?

Checkers felt her heart pounding hard. She was breathing heavily in the dragon-fouled air. She was not gasping yet, but she would soon. Get up, get up, she thought to herself. She recovered quickly. The shaft of her spear lay across her shin when she fell. She grabbed it. The fire. The area between the book stand and the walls is a death trap. She could not hide in the darkness now. Out of the room would be away from the dragon, and maybe would buy her time. On the other hand, the dragon loved the book and would not burn it. She had no time to think her choice over. She ran toward her target, and hoped that the dragon would not sweep her away in a sheet of flame.

Was Checkers still on his back? He still felt an itch. He had to make sure that she was gone, or she could be a nuisance.

Suddenly he knew Astra had revived. The tap restarted. He could see what she was seeing. Checkers had fallen off his back, into the shadows that he had cast between the book and the passages out. He fired a flame into the general area where Astra had seen her, and he heard coughing. He was closing in.

Astra now understood that Checkers was now in a fight for her life with the dragon. As she saw Checkers fall into the shadows, she suddenly knew that she was no longer alone in her thoughts. She had given away Checkers' position to Minestus! She could not control her thoughts, but the dragon's attentions were elsewhere. "Run, Checkers! Run for all you are worth, out of the caves! she thought. She knew that she could not help. Without a weapon, she could do little. And the oath! Damn the oath! The oath was to Belboz, and not to Minestus, she told herself. Was that true? She had no more time to think. She now saw Checkers again.

1. She saw a fleeting glimpse of Checkers as she dashed out the passage toward the entrance.
2. Checkers was running toward her!

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree