[dl] 
	Shard immediately saw the Wraiths swarming forth.  A small group 
compared to the hordes that they had faced at the battle in front of the 
cave, but ...
	The best thing to do would be to free the man while they had the 
opportunity.  <Chal, I'm going to see if I can get that man free.  You 
flame the Wraiths, and don;t let them approach too close, like last time!>
	Chaldecony swooped in low, and Shard slipped off out of the 
saddle, almost falling in the rough landing, running to the condemned.  
He was older, in his mid-forties perhaps, and had obviously been beaten.  
His graying aubirn hair has cut short, as was his beard.  His eyes were 
grey, and held a look of resignation.
	The man stirred.  "Come to ... torment me some more ... eh, 
Vardas?"  He lapsed into a long coughing spasm.  "N-no.  H-hold still."
	Shard pushed the man forward slightly, unsheathed his sword, and 
took careful aim at the chains, swung.  Reverberations lanced up 
through the blade, to jar his bones.  Damn!  That hurt!  He'd have to be 
fast about this, the Wraiths ...
	<Shard!  There are more Wraiths here than we'd thought!  Tarranx, 
Sarathain, and Grall are helping to cover us, but ... !>
	<Doing my best, Chal.>  Shard swung again.
	Chal flamed left, spun right and loosed a bolt of hellflame 
again.  Luckily, it seemed these Wraiths had been expecting little more 
thant their customary dining of human flesh, and were thus staying low to 
the ground yet, but Chal could see that already several were streaming 
Skyward (and Mukale- and T'rend-ward), realizing a far greater meal was 
at hand.
	Sweat had begun to grow on Shard's face; his next, most powerful 
blow threw sparks, and chipped his broadsword slightly.  He loosed an 
unusal diatribe of curses and expletives.  <Chal!  I can''t break this!>
	The Wraiths had reached the other riders now, and it was eerie to 
see them begin combat maneuvers, avoiding the silent evil, the only sound 
was the gentle whoosh of dragonwings flapping and bursts of flame 
erupting like geysers from the dragons' mouths.
	Chal took the opportunity to flame a few from underneath, where 
they'd least expect it, freeing Sky and Grall a bit to maneuver.  <They 
can't cover us any longer, Shard.  Look out.>
	Realizing what his dragon intended, Shard swept his long purple 
cloak out of the way, just as a long, tapered dragon tail, much the 
diameter of a stone support column and thick with muscle, slammed against 
the wooden post on its backside, the opposite side from the unfortunate 
prisoner.  A loud splintering noise crashed against their eardrums; with 
another strike, the post was almost completel broken.
	Chal took to the air, grabbing the post, wrangling it about as 
SHard chopped at it with his sword, attempting to break it loose.  
Chaldecony finally wrenched it loose, and the prisoner came with it, 
borne up into the air by his manacles and dragonwings.
	<I'll be right back!>  And Chal 'ported.  Shard stood alone ...

[back at Marrid]

	Kaylin'sha sat outside of the Med Center.  He worried for his 
rider, and it seemed to him that Kiriminth was extremely happy, but would 
not say about what.  
	Suddenly, in a small flash, Chaldecony appeared, carrying not his 
rider, but a man attached by chains to a long wooden post.  The man was 
badly injured, and Chal smelled of dragonflame.
	With the equivalent of an ironic grin in his telepathic voice, 
Chal set down his parcel as gently as he could, stating, <Hiya Kaylin.  Tell 
the healers to be careful with this one.  He might be dangerous.>
	And with that, he was gone again.
	He returned to take back his rider, and to cover for the other 
dragons as they 'ported as well ....

Josh 'Khan' Kubli


	"There has not been any great genius without an element of madness."
		--Seneca
	"To have power is to experience chaos, the core of human existence..."
		--The Principles of Chaos