|
Evening came and we continued to travel, for the mountains were
near. Syrin left the road, uncovering a secret trail large enough to
drive the wagons down it single-file, and soon enough we came flat up
against one of the Firebird Mountains. V'heress came to the fore and
opened the magical passageway, closing it behind when all the slaves
had been dragged through. The interior was unlit, yet all the dragons
knew the place by heart; I listened to them make their way easily
about, dragging the clumsy chained slaves down separate corridors.
Gradually the other dragons split off, taking side passageways while
Syrin merely drove his loaded wagon down and down.
It took an hour of driving, twisting and turning in caves that
seemed large by echo of sound, now deep beneath the earth. I had
heard no other sounds of travel save our own for the past ten minutes
when the cart stopped suddenly. Syrin got out and began to unload the
other goods he had brought with him, pushing them off on some kind of
roller, leaving me alone in the dark, in pain. I thought of a
thousand hatreds and tortures and escapes before Syrin returned, torch
This time he locked the short leash to his wrist as well as my
collar, and led me into his high-ceilinged cave. I walked on stone at
first, but soon fine inlaid tiling as we entered his home proper; a
...(cont.)
|
|