Tracking Down Belboz

We hope that the mental tug of war which Belboz/Minestus is having with Checkers will last long enough to give us the time that we need to find him. All the time he's engaged in that, with any luck he won't be able to divert any of his attention to doing any more devilry with the Crystallic. Even a momentary lapse of concentration would result in his losing his hoard. That was one reason for having Checkers become a Dragoness, of course. The other was that it offered the only chance of saving her people.

The atmosphere is tense as we trek though the tunnels. We have to pause at every interesection, whilst the mazes try to determine which way we should go. I can tell that poor Artizza is particularly on edge, not knowing what Belboz might already have done, or be about to do, to her husband.

I wonder what will happen if the tug of war is still in progress at the moment when we kill Belboz. Will Checkers automatically get his hoard? We don't have one of our "own" dragons along this time, who would no doubt know. Perhaps my husband knows, but I don't want to risk distracting him with questions at a time like this.

The most ironic outcome would be if Checkers was to win the tug of war too quickly. Though that would greatly weaken Belboz, he would then have no alternative but to use the Crystallic. I imagine that he would try to use it to get his hoard back and probably to destroy Checkers too. Once that was achieved, he could turn his attention to us.

1. Then we reach Belboz/Minestus's lair. As we'd expected, he is in his draconic form.

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