Sturm rounded a corner to see the Inn of the Red Dragon collapse in a cloud of flame and smoke as a dragon soared in the sky above it. The knight's heart beat wildly with grief and fear.

He ducked into a doorway, hiding in the shadows as same draconians passed him-laughing and talking in their cold, guttural language. Apparently they assumed this job was finished and were seeking other amusement. Three others,, he noticed-dressed in blue uniforms, not red-appeared extremely upset at the Inn's -destruction, shaking their fist at: the red Dragon -overhead.

Sturm felt the weakness of despair sweep over him. He "Tanis?"

sagged against the door, watching the draconians dully, won- "Yes. He came through the back door, just before the dragon

dering what to do next. Were they all still in there? Perhaps hit the Inn. They were all together, in the very center. I was

they had escaped. Then his heart gave a painful bound. He saw standing beneath a doorway. Tanis saw the beam breaking, He

a flash of white. threw Laurana. I caught her, then the ceiling collapsed on top

"Elistan!" he cried, watching the cleric emerge from the rub- of them. There's no way they could have-"

ble, dragging someone with him. The draconians, swords "I don't believe it!" Flint said fiercely, leaping into the rubble.

drawn, ran toward the cleric, calling out in Common for him to Sturm grasped hold of him, yanked him back.

surrender. Sturm yelled the challenge of a Solamnic knight to "Where's Tas?" the knight asked the dwarf sternly.

an enemy and ran out from his doorway. The draconians The dwarf's face fell. "Pinned under a beam;' he said, his face

whirled about, considerably disconcerted to see the knight. ( gray with grief and sorrow. He clutched at his hair wildly,

Sturm became dimly aware that another figure was running knocking off his helm. "I've got to go back to him. But I can't

with him. Glancing to his side, he saw the flash of firelight off a leave them-Caramon-" The dwarf began to cry, tears

metal helm and heard the dwarf roaring. Then, from a door- streaming into his beard. "That big, dumb ox! I need him. He

way, he heard words of magic. can't do this to me! And Tanis, too!" The dwarf swore. "Damn

Gilthanas, unable to stand without help, had crawled out it, I need them!"

and was pointing at the draconians, reciting his spell. Flaming Sturm put his hand on Flint's shoulder. "Go back to Tas. He

darts leaped from his hands. One of the creatures fell over, needs you now. There are draconians roaming the streets. We'll

clutching its burning chest. Flint leaped on another, beating it be all-"

oven the head with a rock, while Sturm felled the other dracon- ^, Laurana screamed, a terrifying, pitiful sound that pierced

ion with a blow from his fists. Sturm caught Elistan in his arms r Sturm like a spear. Turning, he caught hold of her just as she

as the man staggered forward. The cleric was carrying a started to rush into the debris.

woman. "Laurana!" he cried. "Look at that! Look at it!" He shook her

"Laurana!" Gilthanas cried from the doorway. in his own anguish. "Nothing could be alive in there!'

Dazed and sick from the smoke, the elfmaid lifted her glazed ! "you don't know that!" she screamed at him in fury. tearing

eyes. "Gilthanas?" she murmured. Then, looking up, she saw away from his grasp. Falling onto her hands and knees, she

the knight. tried to lift one of the blackened stones. "Tanis!" she cried. The

"Sturm;' she said confusedly, pointing behind her vaguely. stone was so heavy, she could only move it a few inches.

"Your sword, it's here. I saw it-" Sturm watched, heartsick, uncertain what to do. 'Then he

Sure enough, Sturm saw a flash of silver, barely visible had his answer. Horns! Nearer and nearer. Hundreds, thousands of horns beneath the rubble. His sword, and next to it was Tanis's. The armies were invading He looked at

sword, the elven blade of Kith-Kanan. Moving aside piles of tan, who nodded in sorrowful understanding. Both men

stone, Sturm reverently lifted the swords that lay like artifacts hurried over to Laurana.

within a hideous, gigantic cairn. The knight listened for move- "My dear;' Elistan began gently; "there is nothing you can do

ment, calls, cries. There was only a dreadful silence. for them. The living need you. Your brother is hurt, so is the

"We've got to get out here;' he said slowly, without moving. kender. The draconians are invading. We must either escape

He looked at Elistan, who was staring back at the wreckage, his now, and keep fighting these horrible monsters, or waste our

fare deathly pale. "The others?" lives in useless grief. Tanis gave his life foe you, Laurara. Don't

"They were all in there;' Elistan said in a trembling voice. let it be a needless sacrifice:'

"And the half-elf . . :' , Laurana stared up at him, her face black with soot and filth streaked with tears and blood. She heard the horns, she heard Gilthanas calling, she heard Flint shouting something about Tasslehoff dying, she heard Elistan's words. And then the rain began, dripping from the skies as the heat of the dragonfire melted the snow, changing it to water.

The rain ran down her face, cooling her feverish skin.

"Help me, Sturm;' she whispered through lips almost too numb to shape the words. He put his arm around her. She stood up, dizzy and sick with shock.

"Laurana!" her brother called. Elistan was right. The living needed her. She must go to him. Though she would rather lie down on this pile of rocks and die, she must go on. That was what Tanis would do. They needed her. She must go on.

"Farewell, Tanthalas;' she whispered.

The rain increased, pouring down gently, as if the gods themselves wept for Tarsis the Beautiful.

Water dripped on his head. It was irritating, cold. Raistlin tried to roll over, out of the way of the water. But he couldn't move. There was a heavy weight pressing down on tap of him. Panicking, he tried desperately to escape. As fear surged through his body, he came fully to consciousness. With knowledge, panic vanished. Raistlin was in control once more and, as he had been taught, he forced himself to relax and study the situation.

He could see nothing. It was intensely dark, so he was forced to rely on his other senses. First, he had to get this weight off. He was being smothered and crushed. Cautiously he moved his arms. There was no pain, nothing appeared broken. Reaching up, he touched a body. Caramon, by the armor-and the smell. He sighed. He might have known. Using all his strength, Raistlin shoved his brother aside and crawled out from under him.

The mage breathed more easily, wiping water from his face. He located his brother's neck in the darkness and felt for the lifebeat. It was strong, the man's flesh was warm, his breathing regular. Raistlin lay back down on the floor in relief. At least, wherever he was, he wasn't alone.

Where was he? Raistlin reconstructed those last few terrifying moments. He remembered the beam splitting and Tanis throwing Laurana out from under it. He remembered casting a spell" the last one he had strength enough to manage. The magic coursed through his body, creating around him and those near him a force capable of shielding them from physical objects. He remembered Caramon hurling himself on top of him, the building collapsing around them, and a falling sensation.