the Dragon Highlord. Then the dragon dove, its jaws open, prepared to slash the knight apart with its razor-sharp teeth. Sturm swung his sword do a vicious arc, forcing the dragon to rear its head back or risk decapitation. Sturrn hoped to disrupt its flight. But the creature's wings held it steady, its rider guiding it with a sure hand while holding the gleaming-tipped spear in the other.

Sturm faced east. Half-blinded by the sun's brilliance, Sturm saw the dragon as a thing of blackness. He saw the creature dip in its flight, diving below the level of the wall, and he realized the blue was ,going to came up frown beneath, giving its rider the roam needed to attack. The other two dragon. riders held back, watching, waiting to see if their lard required help finishing this insolent knight.

For a moment the sun-drenched sky was empty, then the dragon burst up over the edge of the wall, its horrifying scream splitting Sturm's eardrums, filling his head with pain. The breath from: its gaping mouth ,gagged him, He staggered dizzily but managed to keep his feet as he slashed out with leis sword.

The ancient blade struck the dragon's left nostril. Black. blood spurted into the air. The dragon roared in fury.

But the blow was costly. Sturm had no time to recover.

The Dragon Highlord raised his spear, its tip flaming in the sun- Leaning down, he thrust it deep, piercing through armor, flesh, and bone. Sturm's sun shattered.

Dragan orb. Dragonlance.

Tle knights surged past Laurana into the High Clerist's Tower, taking their places where had told them. Although at first skeptical, hope dawned as Laurana explained her plan.

The Courtyard was empty after the knightg departure.

Laurana knew she should hurry. already she should be with Tas , preparing herself to use the dragon orb. But Laurana r,.at leave that gleaming, solitary figure standing all waiting-upon the wall.

Then, :s'ilhouetted in the rising sun, she sate" the dra~gQ~

Sword and spear flashed in the brilliant sunlight.

Laurana's world stopped turning. Time slowed to a dream.

The sward drew blood. The dragon screamed. The spear held poised far an eternity. The sun stood still.

The spear struck.

,a, glittering abject fell slowly from the top of the wall into the courtyard. The object was Sturm's sward, dropped from his lifeless hand, and it was-to Laurana-the only movement in a static world. The knight's body stood still, impaled upon the spear of the Dragon Highland. The dragon hovered above, its wings poised. Nothing mowed, everything held perfectly still.

Then the Highlord jerked the spear free and Sturm's body crumpled where he stood, a dark mass against the sun. The dragon roared in outrage and a bolt of lightning streaked from the blue's blood-frothed mouth and struck the High Clerist's Tower. With a booming explosion, the stone burst apart. Flames flared, brighter than the sun. The other two dragons dove for the courtyard as Sturm's sword clattered to the pavement with a ringing sound.

Time began.

Laurana saw the dragons diving at her. The ground around leer shook as stone and rock rained down upon her and smoke and dust filled the air. Step Laurana could not move. To move would make the tragedy real. Some inane voice kept whispering in her brain-if yau,stand perfectly still, this will not have happened.

But there lay tile sward, only a few feet from her. And, as she watched, she saw the Dragon Highlord wane the spear, signaling to the dragonarmies that waited out upon the plains, telling them to attack. Laurana heard the blaring of the horns. In her mind's eye, she could see the dr,aganarmies surging across the snow-revered land.

Again the ground shook beneath her feet. Laurana hesitated one Instant more, bidclirig a silent Eaf,eweh to the spirit of the knight, Then she ran forward, .stumbLin.g as 'he ground heaved and the air crackled with terrinring lightning blasts. Reaching down: she grabbed Sturm's sward and raises it defiantly in the air_

~S°l'-'si Ar'atlFr?" shoe cried in elven, her voice ringing above the sounds of destruction in challenge to the attacking dragons.

The dragon riders laughed, shouting their scornful challenges in return. The dragons shrieked in cruel enjoyment of the kill. Two dragons who had accompanied the Highlord plummeted after Laurana into the courtyard.

Laurana ran toward the huge, gaping portcullis, the entryway into the Tower that made so little sense. The stone walls were a blur as she fled past then,. Behind her she could hear a dragon swooping after her. She could hear its stertorous breathing, the rush of air past its wings. She heard the dragon rider's command that stopped the dragon from following her right into the Tower. Goodl Laurana smiled grimly to herself.

Running through the wide hallway, she sped swiftly past the second portcullis. Knights stood there, poised and ready to drop it.

"Keep it open!" she gasped breathlessly. "Remembers"

They nodded. She sped on., Now she was in the dark, oarrawer chamber where the oddly shaped, toothlike pillars slanted toward her with razor sharpness. Behind the pillars, she saw white faces beneath gleaming helms. Here and there, light sparkled oar a dragonlance. The knights peered at her as she

past. ,

"Get back!" she shouted. "Stay behind the pillars."

II.5urrn'I" one asked.

Latxrana shook her head, too exhausted to talk. She through the tb:ird portcullis-the strange one, the one with hale in the center. Here stood font knights, along with Flini This was the key position. Laurana wanted someone here sI could depend on, She had no time for more than an exchange a glances with the d•rrarE, but that was enough. Flint read tE story of his friend in her faze. The dwarf's head bowed far moment,I'ds hand covering his eyes.

Laurana ran on. Through this small room, beneath d doors made of solid steel and then into the chamber of dragon ofrb.

Tasslehoff had dusted the .orb with his han

dker

Laurana cbuldsee inside ix now, a faint red mist swirling

myriad o3lors. The kender stood before it, staring inrlo it,

rjragical ,glasses. perched upon his small nose. -_

""What do I do?"'Lavaarna gasped, out of breath..

"Laurana;' Tas pegged, "don't do this!. I've read-if yes.

to control the essence of the dragons within the orb, the dragons will come, Laurana, and take control of you!"

"Tell me what I need to do!" Laurana said firmly.

"Put your hands on the orb;' Tas faltered, "and-no, wait, Laurana!"

It was too late. Laurana had already placed both slender hands upon the chill crystal globe. There was a flash of color from inside the orb, so bright Tas had to avert his eyes.

"Laurana!" he cried in his shrill voice. "Listen! You must concentrate, clear your mind of everything except bending the orb to your will? Laurana. . :"

If she heard him, she made no response, and Tas realized she

was already caught up in the battle for control of the orb. Fearfully he remembered Fizban's warning, death for those you love, worse-the loss of the soul. Only dimly did he understand the dire wards written in the flaming colors of the orb, but he knew enough to realize that Laurana's said was at balance here.

In agony he watched her, longing to help-fret knowing that he did oat dare do anything. Laurana stood for long moments

without snowing, her hands upon the orb, her face slowly draining of all life. Her eyes stared deep info the spinning, swirling colors. The kender grew dizzy looking at it and turned away, Eeelirg sick. There was another explosion outside. Dust driEked down from the ceiling. Tas stirred uneasily. But Laurana never moved.

Her eyes closed, her head bent Forward. She clutched the orb, her hands whitening from the pressure she exerted. Then she began to whimper and shake her head. "II0," she moaned,