"Waves of-" Draaddis was surprised into blurting out his ignorance. Once he had shown his queen his confusion, he decided he might as well explain it. "I knew we planned on trying to bring the parent of the infant fiend to Krynn-"

"Not only that particular fiend, but as many as can come through, " Takhisis hissed. The one perfect eye seen through the black crystal globe paralyzed him. "The lands and races of Ansalon are still divided. The distrust after the Cataclysm is still rampant, but every day they fight less, they draw closer together. I must enter Krynn while they are still at odds. Half a score of merchesti could create just the diversion I need. "

"How-" Draaddis bit back his question. Takhisis was clipping her words, a sign she was impatient to get on with her plans. He did not want to irritate her further.

But the Queen of Dragons and Darkness understood his mind. She gave another hiss that broke another bottle, and then forcibly calmed her emotions.

"We will be able to use the kender's gate stone in conjunction with the one on the other plane. If we succeed in the first effort, then what is to prevent two people from standing far enough apart to create an opening large enough to bring in more merchesti?"

"Your mind, my queen, is both wise and subtle. I stand in awe of it. "

"You have no time to stand, in awe or otherwise, " she replied. "I felt the power of the stones. I felt the tremor of the fabric between planes and after some thought, I understand how they work. It is possible for even the little apprentice to have opened the portal, though she might have been sucked through as well. Fortunately they left her in Lytburg. "

"Yes, fortunately, " Draaddis agreed.

"We'll still get the little thieves and that fiend. Then we can open the portal. Once we have the adult merchesti on this side, you and those you command will lead it on a chase to find its young one. "

The Dark Queen's face lit with a terrible smile.

"In its trail will be a wake of destruction such as Krynn has never known. "

"And then you can enter this world, " Draaddis whispered, trembling in anticipation and dread.

"At which time you and I will travel about the world, opening more portals into Vasmarg, bringing in more merchesti. While they are about their business of destruction in hopes of finding their way home again, we will be building our armies. " "Ostensibly to fight the merchesti?" Draaddis asked.

Takhisis laughed again, this time with delight.

"A brilliant and subtle idea, Draaddis. You are growing in wisdom. We will draw our armies from the very people who would fight against us, and by the time they discover their true leader, they will be mine!" Takhisis' smile of triumph died.

"Draaddis, there is something else I want. "

"Yes, my queen?"

"I want those kender alive. You will keep them prisoners in your underground chambers. When I return to Krynn, they will deserve my special attention. "

"I will do as you ask, my queen, " Draaddis replied with a shudder. He had seen the malice in the goddess's eyes and while he usually felt no sympathy for any creature but himself, he knew the kender would face a horror even he had never known.

Sladge Grafont, bugbear leader of a motley band of eight bugbears and four hobgoblins, scratched his stomach and grinned. He stood on a steep hillside, staring down at the small campfire in the narrow valley. He had been searching for days, but now he had finally found his quarry. Too canny to charge in until he was sure of his course, he would watch the six around the campfire for a few minutes more.

In the two years he had been leading the band, they had not lost a single battle, but none had been as important as this one. Death would be his reward if he failed in his mission.

"Be finding travelers?" Brudge, his second-in-command asked Sladge.

"Think so, think so, " Sladge answered. "Wizard say travelers be six, and six strangers be camping. "

Sladge did not like to think about the wizard that had suddenly appeared in his camp three or four-maybe even five-days before. Sladge had trouble keeping days straight. Draaddis Vulter had promised a reward of good, dwarf-made weapons if they found the strangers he was seeking, but he threatened punishment if they didn't do as he asked.

Shivering at the memory, Sladge reminded himself how the human mage had made a dark shape appear. The black creature, like a dismembered part of a moonless night, had not had a head or feet, or any weapon that the humanoids could see, but it took Mishag. It just enveloped him and he was gone. The wizard had then ordered Sladge to locate and ambush a group traveling east. If he didn't capture them, the black thing would come for him and the rest of his band.

Sladge scratched again as he stood staring down at the camp. How to attack was his problem. He knew how to attack if he came upon a group unexpectedly. He'd just kill everyone and take anything of value… but this battle would be different.

The wizard had told him he could destroy and rob the three dwarves, one a Neidar and the other two Aghar. The two kender and the strange little creature that traveled with them were to be taken alive.

He must also keep his band from searching and robbing the kender, though how he was to do that, he was unsure. They had seen the wizard, they had heard his threats, but would they remember when their blood was hot for killing and pillaging? He did not want to be fed to the black thing because some of his people forgot they must follow the wizard's rules. "Be going now?" Brudge asked.

"Want to be moving too quick, no think, " the leader chided his companion.

"Can be using atl-atl, " Brudge suggested, brandishing his short spear and the throwing stick.

"Brains be leaking out, " Sladge grumbled. Brudge was always too impatient. Sladge also wondered if he was a little bit of a coward. His second-in-command always wanted to attack from a distance. He didn't care for hand-to-hand fighting.

"Wizard say can kill all but kender and thing with hoofs. How tell from here which be hoof-feeted?" Sladge asked. His wisest course was to do exactly as the wizard asked, which meant keeping all his people under strict control. For that, he needed a careful plan.

Brudge scratched his own belly, his head, and his pointed left ear. He looked around, seeking an answer.

"Can kill dwarves, " he growled, low in his throat, his bloodlust already rising. He was still fingering his throwing weapon. Brudge was too smart to endanger himself unnecessarily. That was why he was second-in-command.

"But do something, else sleep ends plans, " Brudge said, pointing to the rest of the band. They were sitting on the side of the hill, slumped against the boles of the trees while their leaders made their plans. "Take earth shake to be waking them. "

Sladge knew his companion was right. They had been searching for the travelers for days with very little rest. At the moment they were running on push time, he called it, understanding but not knowing any other way to describe the nervous energy that came from pushing the body past ordinary limits. Still, he knew they had to use that energy or lose it to fatigue.

"Creep quiet down hill, " Sladge instructed. "Be close, must see which is hoof-feeted before kill the rest. " He waited for Brudge to pass the word to the others and then led the way. His sneak attack might have succeeded if his own fatigue had not caused him to step on a lose rock. He slid twenty feet, snapping twigs off bushes and causing a small rock slide.