An unknown time later, Lyrelee and Tale Splintersteel awakened. Both of them saw Ferros and, though the

priestess's eyes widened in dismay, neither said any shy;thing about the Hylar's rapidly advancing affliction. Shortly, a column of Zhakar guards arrived, with the captain informing Ariakas that they would escort the companions to the king. Rackas Ironcog himself would show them the fungus warrens.

"This is one tour I'm not going to take," Tale Splinter-steel noted as the others prepared to leave. "I have some old companions I'd like to see. I'll meet you back here before dinner."

"Very well," Ariakas agreed, not displeased to be rid of the wretched dwarf for a few hours.

The monarch of Zhakar met them as they emerged into the Promenade. The fiery glow emanating from the two large side caverns continued to cast the vast hall in a reddish hue, and Ariakas could not help but be im shy;pressed by the spectacle of the tall columns stretching up into the midnight distance. The beastlike statue framing the king's throne loomed in the darkness like a living creature, protecting-or menacing-the monarch who sat at its feet. Two ranks of the lizard-mounted cavalry flanked the walk. The beasts bowed their scaly heads in tribute as Ariakas walked past.

Rackas Ironcog sat in his great throne at the feet of the massive statue. The king wore a long, fur-covered robe, and when he rose and advanced toward his guests, the garment trailed onto the floor behind him.

"The guards will escort us," Ironcog informed them. "There are things in the warren that are not always friendly." Without elaborating, the king started toward another large cave mouth extending from the vast cav shy;ern. Ariakas noticed that Tik Deepspeaker, too, accompa shy;nied them, though the savant remained well in back of the royal party. Ariakas walked beside the king while Lyrelee and Ferros Windchisel followed along behind.

The warrior gestured to the large, smoldering cave mouth across the promenade. "It would seem that you keep large fires burning in your realm," he observed.

Rackas Ironcog nodded. "The passages beyond that cavern extend to the very bowels of Krynn!" he boasted. "From far below, the flames of the great Lavasea itself rise to warm Zhakar."

"A sea-beneath your city?"

"Indeed. That fiery lake is the source of the fire and lava throughout the Khalkists-and we dwell nearest its heart!"

They passed into the small cavern opposite the great, smoldering cave mouth and followed a chiseled stone corridor.

"We have a long descent-though not nearly so far down as the Lavasea," the king informed them as they reached one of the metal cages signifying a lift station. An advance company of the guards, about ten warriors, descended first, and while the group waited for the cage to return, Rackas Ironcog did some explaining.

"The warrens of Zhakar are an extensive network of caves and caverns, mostly dating back before the Cata shy;clysm. The network is divided into three sections, with the nearest of them the lizard warrens. There we raise the creatures you've seen around here."

"They look like good mounts," Ariakas noted. The potential speed and power of the subterranean steeds had indeed struck him as very impressive. If the Zhakar could somehow be allied with his draconian horde, the warrior calculated that a company of lizard riders would make an excellent strike force.

"Good food, too. You've seen the warclaws up here- they're the ones that our most accomplished fighters use. But there are far more of the fastclaws-rarely ridden, but commonly used for meat."

"I see," Ariakas muttered, none too taken with the notion of a reptilian repast.

"The second warren is the water warren," the king continued. "It serves as the great cistern of our kingdom

– a reserve that would last us for many years of drought, should the mountains dry up overhead."

"And then there are the fungus warrens?" guessed the human warrior.

"Aye. They were begun as the primary food source of Zhakar, and many of their chambers still serve as useful farming quadrants. Here, for example, we grow the mushrooms from which we brew our tea. The drink pro shy;vides the only relief we get from the discomfort caused by the mold plague. But I gather that you are not inter shy;ested in the fungus we use for food?"

"No-it is the one that has caused your plague that we desire." Still, Ariakas thought, at least that explained why the Zhakar forced themselves to drink the stinking tea he'd first noticed in the Fungus Mug.

If the king had any questions as to why these visitors were interested in such a product, he gave no indication. Instead, when the empty lift cage finally returned to their level, he gestured them forward. Another ten guards waited while the royal party entered. "They'll follow us down," King Ironcog explained.

"If you think it's necessary," Ariakas replied coolly. "Though you'll find that we can take care of ourselves pretty nicely."

The significance of the remark wasn't lost on the Zhakar ruler, who looked meaningfully at the mighty sword worn on the warrior's back. "Of course-of course!" he agreed. "But you must understand-as your host, I simply couldn't allow any threat to be offered to your person while you are the guest of my kingdom."

"Your solicitude is very reassuring," Ariakas said wryly, wondering if the king in fact desired the guards to protect himself from his guests. Of course, the warrior meant what he'd told Whez Lavastone the day before- he was nobody's assassin. He would deal with the monarch of Zhakar and leave it to the dwarves to settle the issue of who their ruler was to be. At the same time,

of course, he would not hesitate to respond quickly and violently to any overt treachery on Rackas Ironcog's part.

The cage rattled downward through the shaft in the rock until it finally clanked to a halt on a solid stone floor. Guards outside the lift threw the cage door open, and the four passengers emerged into the warrens.

Immediately Ariakas was struck by the pungent scent in the air. In a way it reminded him of the Fungus Mug back in Sanction, though the stench here was far more overpowering-and yet, somehow, at the same time more natural. It was as if the entire cavern had been steeped in the stuff of the bitter Zhakar mushroom tea, yet all the liquid had been poured away, leaving only pervasive and strong-smelling dregs.

In addition to the odor, the air was extremely humid. Somewhere not too far away they heard a gentle lapping of waves against a stone shore, and Ariakas suspected that the water warrens were very nearby. Still, the light from his glowing gem showed nothing more than a sur shy;rounding cave of slick, wet rock. Several passages led in different directions.

"This way," said Rackas Ironcog, leading them toward one of the passages. Avoiding the king's trailing robe, Ariakas fell into step beside him, while his companions followed behind. Ironcog paused only long enough to let the file of warriors precede them into the darkness, while the rattling of the lift behind them announced that the Zhakar of the rear guard had arrived in the warrens. The cage door opened and the other warriors emerged and followed.

A steady, rhythmic drumming pulsed in the corridor before them, seeming to come from very near at hand. "What's that?" Ariakas inquired, as soon as he heard the noise.

"Don't worry," the king reassured him. "It's a pair of my drummers in the vanguard. We like to announce our

presence so that some of the, er, less cooperative inhabi shy;tants of the warrens know we're coming. It gives them the chance to get out of our way, and avoids an unpleas shy;ant encounter for all concerned."

"What sort of inhabitants are you talking about?" wondered the human.

The dwarven monarch did not elaborate.