Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist
A/N: This chapter picks up immediately upon the events of the previous one, the break serves merely as a change of focus. From Alphonse's eyes, in the Princess' towers, to the golden eyes of his Magely brother …
Edward barely had time to screech a hastening spell before the Dragon pounced, covering the vast expanse of the courtyard with only a couple of bounds. With the spell in effect, he had just enough time to dodge to the side, out of the beast's range, and roll into the protective cover of a massive hunk of masonry as the fortress walls juddered again under the Dragon's impact.
A spitting snarl of anger emitted from the dust cloud thrown up about the creature, and Edward hurriedly passed his staff over the horse-sized rock that sheltered him, rushing the levitation incantation through his mind rather than attempting to say it aloud. With an explosive exertion of will, he threw the rock at the creature, channelling his fear into the force behind the missile, and was gratified by an enraged screech and a meaty thud of impact.
Unfortunately, the rash move left him without cover of any kind, and he cursed, sprinting for the nearest pile of rubble. He scrambled between two rocks twice his size, just in time to escape a jet of flame that seared just behind him. He could hear the immense impact of the Dragon's movements, the scrape of scale, the thump of its steps, the high whine of its furious breathing…he hurriedly knelt, drawing the dagger from his belt to scratch sigils into the dirt at his feet- magic always worked so much better, was so much stronger and more resilient when the symbols that summoned it were physically enscribed upon the world, but, oh, it took so much more time, and he fancied he could hear the beast drawing in its breath to flame…
He slammed his hands down onto the inscription, and felt the rocks about him shift, instantly, toughening and coalescing into an impenetrable shield of diamond-hard carbon. And not a moment too soon- whilst the material settled into a new shape around him, the world glowed orange and white with flame, fire whose heat he stole to hasten and strengthen his magical working.
Ha. He'd like to see the Dragon break through this.
The shattering bang of a massive blow against the side of his temporary fortress made him reconsider that rash thought. He could hear the Dragon's talons scraping over the altered rock, digging and scratching for purchase, trying to find a crack and rip the hiding hole apart.
Edward hoped Alphonse would arrive soon. He'd sent out a call to his brother's mind, with his brother there he could weave his destructive combat spells, but they took time, they needed his full focus, and he could only devote that focus if there wasn't an overgrown lizard determinedly attempting to roast him.
The cacophony of the Dragon's scrabbling, desperate efforts suddenly ceased. Edward heard it hiss and then it pounded away. As it did so, the Mage heard the sound he'd been waiting for- the battle cry of one of Amestris' finest Knights.
With his hands still braced against the circular set of symbols Edward could manipulate his miniature stronghold, easing the rock aside to create a peephole. Blinkered to every direction but straight ahead, Edward had to strain his eyes through the crack to see the hulking form of the Dragon, settling into a defensive crouch, its wings half-raised, its tail lashing like an angry cat's, and through the gap between its body and the floor, between its four, massively-muscled legs, the Mage could make out the armoured form of the little brother, stood strong and tall in the entranceway to the castle, sword raised in challenge.
With a single word, Edward broke the back wall of his diamond-rock structure apart, keeping the curved front wall intact, and stepping out from behind it to signal his safety to his brother. He saw the sword lift and fall in acknowledgement, then turned his attention to their enormous adversary.
Crouched, the Dragon was easily as tall as two draught horses standing on top of one another. Each four-toed, claw-tipped paw was as big as a hunting dog, sturdy legs were tree-trunk thick, and seemed to be plant themselves as firmly. Its tail was appeared to be equal to almost twice its body's length, and the thick yet sinuous neck was at least as long as the creature's legs. Stood next to it, Alphonse's head might just be level with the junction of limb and body, but Edward would barely clear the Dragon's elbow (the Mage spared a second to seethe about that fact). The creature's scales were oily black, the darkest of life-stealing shadows given flesh, so black they shone, black as witching-hour, lightening to twilight blue on the lower edge of the beast's neck, chest and belly. A row of vicious-looking spikes ran the length of the Dragon's spine, wicked curved hooks. And, at its shoulder blades, was the most mystifying sight.
Half-unfurled, yawning massive over the creature's back, were its two wings, like the wings of a giant bat. It was not, however, their size or beauty that made Edward gasp. Locked about every spine of the Dragon's wings, piercing the thin membrane of flesh every foot or so, were chunky silver rings of metal. The glittering mass of rings were interconnected by dozens of slender chain, tiny against the Dragon but perhaps the width of Edward's wrists. The chains were such that the creature could barely lifts its wings from the their folded position on its back, let alone unfurl them to their extent. They loomed, half-open, over the Dragon, the metal encasing them chiming with the creature's movement.
Edward marvelled at that, even as it caused a sick lump to harden in his throat- who could have so entrapped a Dragon? And why, what could be the purpose of such an enchantment? For an enchantment it was, were those chains but metal, the Dragon would snap them in a heartbeat. Why would any magical practitioner chain a living creature of the skies so, dangerous as it might be, and then leave it to live a grounded existence?
He had no time to ponder the questions, however. The Dragon was drawing up its head, undoubtedly to flame, and his brother was directly in its path. Edward saw Alphonse begin to dart to the side, and swung his staff up, accessing its stored-up, quick-release energy. It took but a heartbeat to forge the charm and expel it, an invisible shield that shattered past the Dragon to cover his brother, just in tiem to counter the promised gout of fire that seared from the Dragon's lips.
The Dragon whirled, with astonishing, python-strike speed despite its bulk, and surged forwards, striking out with its claws. Alphonse scrambled to his feet just in time to raise his sword, steel blade cutting a bright arc through the dust raised by the battle and meeting the Dragon's talons with an impact that drove the Knight back.
The beast roared in pain, drawing its paw back to its chest, and lashed out again as Alphonse charged, sword whirling, dodging the oncoming talons to slash at the Dragon's chest. Quick as a whip, it swung a wingtip down to batter the Knight aside, sacrificing a single wound for a blow that sent Alphonse flying through the air. The Knight rolled as he landed to dampen the impact, winded and bruised but using the impetus of the landing to throw himself back to his feet. Bare seconds after he regained his legs, the Dragon struck again, and he was forced to duck and weave, swinging his sword in a barrage that was as much defence as attack.
Edward dove back behind his shelter and began his furious work. His dagger was a blur of frantic movement as he drew and redrew the sigils he wanted, sigils that worked as a gate to access the magic latent in nature but whose use had to be manipulated through their careful placing in sequence and order. Every few scratched, the Mage would break away from his work to eye the battle, checking that his brother was still fending off the ferocious onslaught from the castle's guardian. Alphonse was renowned for battling monsters and demons, but he had yet to add 'Dragonslayer' to his diverse collection of titles.
And the Knight was tiring, rapidly.
Edward hurried through the final few inscriptions and sent a burst of blue light into the air with a flick of his staff, the signal to his brother. The Dragon screamed as he continued to survey his work, and he was out from behind his shelter immediately, just in time to see Alphonse hit the ground running, dropped from one of the creature's foreclaws as it reared into the air, limbs thrashing, blood gushing from a deep wound above its left eye. The Knight sprinted to his brother, running with the long, low stride of one who is nearing exhaustion, and they both dropped behind the barrier as the ground shook with the impact of the Dragon coming back to earth.
"Hello, brother," Alphonse greeted Edward, swapping his sword to his left hand and shaking out his wrist with an audible wince. His armour was severely dented in places, crunched with grooves by the Dragon's hold, and the Knight's limbs were shaking. Edward banged a fist against his armour, in reassurance, then laid his hands to the earth, igniting the arrayed symbols, pouring himself into the earth and feeling it answer him.
Casting out his consciousness, the Mage fixed the Dragon in his mind's eye, gathering his power for this final strike- the creature was cuffing at the wound on its face, growling reverberations echoing through the ground like the rumbles of an earthquake, and its tail was thrashing with fury, clawing at the earth, its wings straining against their chains as the Dragon snarled its rage. It lifted its head, its eyes narrowing as it focused on the barrier erected by the Mage. It tensed its muscles, nostrils flaring as it drew in air, its head rising as its body swelled, its mouth gaped open to flame…
And the earth beneath its feet burst into life, tendrils of rock and stone flowing up and over the immense body, looping about the long snout to seal it closed, encasing every limbs, even stilling the massive tail. Edward grinned as the Dragon howled its indignation, and threw his own fire into the mix, heating the rock to hasten its movements, then locking it about the Dragon with smug, satisfied flicks of his magic.
Edward released the spell. He'd immersed himself in it so deeply that he physically flew backwards into his brother with a clang of steel, and both Mage and Knight grinned, one behind his visor. Alphonse clapped his brother on the back and manoeuvred them both upright. Edward's head was pounding with effort, spinning with dizziness, and his limbs were choosing their own directions, contrary to the commands of his brain. Too much magic in one day, he decided, wryly, as the brothers stepped out from behind Edward's little stronghold to gaze at their adversary.
With its jaw bound shut, the Dragon could only snarl in a muted, muffled fashion at them, its muscles twitching beneath its bonds of stone. Edward noted, with a critical craftsman's eyes, the artistry of his workmanship- the rock held solid, living stone risen like a geyser and wrapping about the Dragon's form as gentle and simultaneously undeniable as ivy tendrils.
Beside the Mage, Alphonse raised his sword in salute, then sheathed it with a flourish. He glanced at his older brother, a question in his eyes. Edward might have like to delay their departure, study their opponent, but the rock prison would only hold the Dragon for so long, and the thought of killing it whilst it was bound settled queasy and vile in his stomach like nausea. He shook his head, presenting his staff and then bowing his head to the creature, which responded with an intensifying of its enraged struggles.
"Let's go," the Mage told his brother, his voice firm with triumph.
They turned their backs, trudging across the gouged, shattered earth of the courtyard, littered, now, with the debris of battle, to the cool inner sanctum of the castle. Their legs were heavy with weariness, their bodies and minds aching and bruised, but victory filled their blood like light, rich and syrupy, the chirruping bounce of triumph and accomplishment surging inside them, giving strength to tired limbs and exhausted hearts.
Edward turned to ask his brother if he found the Princess, and caught sight of a green blur hurtling down a nearby staircase towards them, a member of the royal family running as unrestrained and undignified as a peasant shepherdess before she hurled herself at Alphonse, her laughter like the silvery peal of bells.
The Knight staggered under the impact, his arms coming up around her, spinning her into his embrace with a shout of his own, joyous laughter.
"You did find her then," Edward grinned, leaning on his staff to watch the lovers' reunion.
The euphoria lasted for approximately five minutes.
Alphonse was just setting his lady back on her feet, and reaching up to cup her cheeks with his bloodied gauntlets, when an almighty crack sounded from outside.
The blood drained from Edward's face, and he had just enough time to spin on his heels before a raging behemoth struck him, tons of flesh and scale grabbing and pinning him to the floor with an exultant roar. The Mage struggled, trying to bring his staff around to bear, when a jaw bigger than him slid open to reveal the Dragon's fangs, mere centimetres away from his face, bathing him in foetid heat as the Dragon panted over him, its claws laying oppressively, crushingly heavy over the Mage's body, imprisoning him helpless to the freezing stone of the floor.
He could not help but reflect upon the irony as living scale, shockingly hot, encased him as he had encased the Dragon. Blinkered by the Dragon's flesh, he could only stare up at his death, the sheen of his doom written in the glitter of light off serrated fang, so close he could see the tiny fault-lines and cracks that made up each tooth.
He heard Alphonse scream his name, heard the Princess just scream, and hoped, desperately, hoping against hope, that they would escape.
The world stilled around them, coalescing bright and sharp upon this one, unending moment. The Mage studied his killer's alien face, abstractly; two horns protruded from the Dragon's crown, and a sort of ruff extended from both cheeks, flared with anger and tipped with little spikes. The Dragon's head was structured more like a horse's than a snake's, though it had elements of both, and more like a wolf's than either. Its nostrils, each as big as a fist, were slitted ovals above its wide mouth, a jaw that bulged with muscle. The Dragon's eyes, this close, swam with a myriad of colours, like the heart of a pearl, incandescent and immutable, swirling vortex of the entire spectrum of light, bisected by a narrow slit of black pupil.
Edward's senses, heightened by the pounding of his heart, the imminent certainty of his demise, picked out every individual ridge in the scaly skin that pressed him down, wondered why the Dragon didn't simply lean to crush him, or snap him up with those jaws, then realised that, even as the Dragon had borne him to the ground, his brother had drawn his sword, ignited the flame within it with single word, and must now be raising it to strike, only halted by the proximity of the Dragon's teeth to his brother's face…
The moment stretched. Sweat trickled down Edward's back, down his cheek, and he found himself urging Alphonse to get on with it, already.
He didn't.
A voice broke the silence.
"Traditionally, such a situation would be known as a stalemate," it said, deep, rough and amused.
Edward gaped. He could almost hear the clang of his brother's jaw dropping to match his. He stared up at the Dragon. It had lifted its long snout away from Edward and was looking down to its right (ah, so that's where Alphonse was) with its elegant serpentine jaw tilted and its tongue flickering out between enormous fangs.
"You…talk?" the Knight said, eventually, somewhat thrown by the revelation.
The talons trapping Edward to the floor tightened in irritation and the spiky tail swished like an affronted cat's. "I am not one of your dumb countryside lizards," the huge creature hissed, seemingly more offended by that than the sword that Alphonse was pointing at it, or the Mage's staff that Edward was now straining for with his fignertips. It drew itself up, its chest expanding in a way that made Edward frantically cycle through his fire-protection incantations. However, the creature merely huffed its indignation and continued; "You might afford me a little more respect. Dragons commanded this world long before humans blighted its landscape."
Its voice was unmistakably male, rich and low, edged with a growl.
Edward might have been offended himself by the 'blight' comment, but his primary concern at that moment was to prevent the massive claws from crushing him to death. He could hear, but not see, the little anxious movements that Alphonse was making from the scrapes and clanks of his armour. He prayed his calmer, more patient brother would keep his head. He tended to lose it where Edward's safety was concerned, but perhaps a fire-breathing Dragon would be enough to cool his ardour. Perhaps.
The Mage cleared his throat, drawing lazy, slit-pupilled attention to him. If it could talk, and take offence, it might be possible to reason with the beast. "So, erm…" Edward's mind blanked in sheer terror as the reptilian head moved closer, then began to function again when the creature settled. "Look, erm, sir, we're…we're really sorry about breaking in and, er, trespassing without knocking and, and, attempting to kidnap your," Edward hunted frantically for an appropriate word and settled on, "guest."
Winry let out what might have been a gasp or a snarl. It was hard to tell whilst concentrating on not being eaten.
"But, er, you see, the thing is…you know, you took her first, she was ours first, you had no right to-" Edward paused, aware that for once, he wasn't trying to antagonise someone, then finished somewhat pathetically with, "we're just very sorry, we only wanted to get our friend back."
In the silence that followed, he could feel the communal bemusement in the atmosphere. He didn't dare turn his gaze from the Dragon's, but he could easily picture the baffled incomprehension that would be crossing over his brother's face beneath the armour.
Opalescent eyes blinked a couple of times. The shift of the Dragon's tail over dusty stone sounded loud in the quiet.
"I'll fix the wall, if you like," the Mage offered, when the silence remained unbroken.
White teeth flashed suddenly in Edward's vision. The Dragon tossed his head back, letting out an odd, guttural roar, a weird shudder shaking the huge body. A loud clanking signalled Alphonse's alarmed reaction- Ed had no idea what he was doing, but it sounded drastic, so he yelled, "Al, if you move one inch I'll turn you inside out and knit your intestines into a loincloth!"
His whole attention on the agitated Dragon, Edward didn't register a response from his little brother. He was too busy trying to work out if he might be able to struggle free, if he could just reach his staff they might stand a chance, he had no idea how he'd managed to upset the creature…Which was when he realised that the Dragon, rather than drawing himself up in anger to toast him, was in fact laughing. Dark scales were rattling against each other as his chest shuddered with amusement, and his wings, in their metal harness, were shaking as he bellowed his delight to the lofty ceiling.
"Oh, little mage, truly you are the first of my visitors ever to offer apologies for attacking my castle and threatening my life!"
Edward fought the urge to bristle. He was not little!
That said, the Dragon was the size of a small townhouse, so it understandable that he might mistake the Mage for being smaller than he in fact was. Besides, getting him in a good mood was conducive to not getting crisped. Edward was about to speak again when the Dragon abruptly stopped laughing and fixed him with an unnerving, intent look. "You and your comrades are deeply devoted to one another, are you not?"
"Yes."
The black head bowed. "Admirable. Truly admirable. To risk death in the name of love, rather than foolish honour or empty glory, that is an admirable thing. You interest me, mageling."
The blond let out a strangled noise. He had absolutely no idea where this was going, but he would be prepared to bet his remaining limbs and his entire magical knowledge that he was not going to like it. Judging by the renewed scrape of metal-against-metal, neither did Alphonse. Ah, his brother was too clever for simple Knighthood!
The Dragon continued to study him. "Practitioners of magic have one sacred rule above all other, do they not? Equivalent exchange. You attempt to justify your meddling by clinging to a self-imposed restriction, that the universe neither sees nor contemplates."
Edward gritted his teeth at the slight. "Yes," he replied, tightly.
"Then I propose a trade. Your armoured friend may take his Princess, we have had enough time to grow weary of each other, and you will remain here in her stead. When time equal to her imprisonment has elapsed, you have my full permission to attempt an escape by any means necessary, including my own death at your hands. Does that sound fair?"
Alphonse's gasp was audible through the grill of his helmet, but Edward didn't even stop to think about it. "Deal."
"Brother!"
"Ed!"
The creature nodded agreement, ignoring the respectively anguished and aggrieved outbursts from Edward's companions. "Then we have an accord."
The massive clawed paw lifted, allowing Edward to stand and brush himself off. The Mage looked over to his brother, who had an arm around Princess Winry's waist and his sword raised, torn between protecting her and attempting to rescue Edward.
"You go ahead, Al!" he called, unwilling to step out from underneath the Dragon in case it thought he would try and escape. "I'll get out of here before you know it!"
"Brother!"
Edward hid a wince at his brother's tone and plastered a confident smirk on his face. "You know I can handle this easy, get out of here, the pair of you!"
There was a tearful note to the plea now. "But, Brother…Brother…I…"
Winry clutched at his breastplate, her eyes overbright. "Make sure you get back in one piece!" she yelled, her voice barely tremulous. "I didn't fix you up just so you could become a Dragon's toothpick, bean-boy!"
"WHO'S A MICROSCOPIC BEAN WHO NEEDS AUTOMAIL PLANTING CANES TO GROW HIGH ENOUGH TO BE SEEN?"
"Enough!" The Dragon raised himself to his full, impressive height, drawing back his head as if to flame. "Your quest is fulfilled, leave my castle at once!"
Alphonse started at that, raising his sword and taking a step forwards, but the Princess tugged at him, shaking her head with her blonde hair falling into her eyes, standing on tiptoe to speak urgently to him. The Knight wavered, visibly torn in two directions, then lifted his visor to cast a despairing look at his brother, who forced his grin to stay in place. A heartbeat later, Alphonse tightened his grip on Winry, and they both turned away. Edward watched them go, clinging to each other, forcing themselves not to look back. His heart sank in his chest, and he wondered, for a moment, what would result if he tried to followed.
A gout of fire spilled from the Dragon's lips as he watched the intruders leave, and he snorted, the talons of his nearest paw scraping deep furrows into the stone.
Perhaps not, then. Well, he had a few months to figure out an escape. Edward gulped. He just hoped his host wouldn't grow hungry for human flesh in that time. He glanced up to find it giving him a calculating look.
"Follow me," the creature ordered, brusquely. He twisted fluidly, smooth as a snake, and began to pad with surprising lightness out of the cavernous hall. Edward followed, seeing little choice in the matter. "Your name is Ed?"
"Edward. Edward Elric, or Fullmetal Mage." The Mage kept his tone politely respectful. It would be wise to answer willingly to the Dragon's whims for now, he had to get close enough to him to discover any weaknesses the beast had. Hopefully there would be several glaring ones to facilitate Edward's escape from his newly-decided imprisonment. Mind, Winry had looked as healthy and high-spirited as she ever had, despite her not-inconsiderable term under the Dragon's guard; the creature couldn't be as cruel or bestial a master as the stories claimed.
"Edward Elric? The name is familiar. You must possess a formidable reputation, for it to have reached even my isolated ears," the deep voice mused. "I wonder how much it will add to my own, that I managed to defeat you."
The blond bristled automatically. Despite the praise, he had to clench his fists tight about the staff and grit his teeth until his jaw muscles protested, just to avoid snapping into a mad flailing rage. Blows to his freedom, he could handle. Blows to his pride…
Whatever torturous plans for revenge upon his massive scaly adversary were forming in his mind, they were all obliterated the moment the Dragon led him over the threshold of their destination. The Mage halted in the doorway, completely gobsmacked, as the black Dragon proceeded ahead of him. He haHe"You actually do sleep on a heap of gold?" Edward was astounded. "Is that not a little uncomfortable? And extravagant?"
Wings lifted in an unconcerned draconic shrug. "When one has accumulated treasure that one has neither use nor desire for, what else can one do but sleep on it? Before humans began to dig metals and jewels out of the ground, we Dragons had no use for them." The creature narrowed his eyes. "Though we do have a fondness for objects that catch the light."
Edward grinned, unthinking. "So, you're saying that Dragons like shiny things?"
"As you say. We are strange beasts. And gold feels nice against scale." Abruptly, the Dragon mounted the pile with an effortless bound, and draped himself languorously over the gems and precious objects, their radiance reflected in his obsidian scales.
Edward contemplated the creature, considering him anew in the brilliance of the hoard. He was ignoring the Mage, fussing at his pricey bed like an enormous, deadly, reptilian puppy. Huge muscles bunched and relaxed as he made himself comfortable, and Edward was once again made uncomfortably aware of how easily the beast might dispatch him to the afterlife, should he push it too far. In this moment, however, he was exhibiting purely peaceful characteristics; capable of intelligent thought and reasoning, fierce pride, a sort of reptilian hedonism, irony, child-like fascination with precious things; Dragons were clearly composed of a finer stuff than their legends would attribute them. This creature was, unlike the innocent and simple animals of the land, both bestial and human, possessed of individualism and thought, perhaps even spirituality…
It was entirely fascinating. Edward could feel his fingers itch for ink and parchment. If he was to be imprisoned in close quarters with the beast for months, why not use the opportunity to advance his name as a scholar? Why not produce a treatise on the true nature and being of Dragons, as observed and recorded by Edward of Elric? Let the hunckbacks at the university scoff at his credentials then!
His musings were interrupted by the bass voice of the subject of his thoughts. "I have not yet returned the courtesy of telling you my name," the Dragon said, suddenly. Impulsiveness, a trait of instinct within the refined art of conversation and social interaction? The beast continued, "It is Roy."
Silence.
"ROY? Your name is Roy?"
'Roy' pointed his snout to the floor in a gesture that Edward recognised as acknowledgement.
"But…you're a Dragon! You should have a name that's arcane and mystical and, and, more than three syllables! You can't be called Roy!"
The Dragon sniffed. "I don't see why not, 'Roy' is as good a name as any other. My mother, I think, wanted to call me Zartuuslaraeus, but Father pointed out that by the time you'd finished shouting it out to warn me of impending danger, I'd already have an axe in my throat."
Practical names, for such impractical, legendary, mythical beasts. The mind boggled. The academic world would be begging for this treatise after a mere chapter.
Roy spoke again. "Now that we are fully introduced to each other, it would be prudent to explain to you the code of conduct I expect from my guests. Your life, your freedom, your ability to move, all of these things are dependent upon me. It is according to my discretion that food is provided for you, and it is upon my sufferance that you remain uneaten yourself. I am being clear?"
"Quite," Edward agreed, determinedly not at a squeak.
The Dragon yawned, and resettled itself on top of the gold with faint chinking sounds. "In return for your continued ability to take breath, I will require you to provide me with entertainment if I wish it, companionship, and one or two minor domestic tasks about the castle. Anything within these walls, you may explore- anything. I trust you would not be so gauche as to attempt thievery at my expense, but the library, the galleries, any of the dungeons or keeps- they are all at your disposal, so long as you obey my wishes. Is that agreeable?"
Edward wondered, briefly, how the Dragon would react if the arrangement was not agreeable- possibly, he would find himself well-toasted before sunrise. "That is most acceptable." Besides, the library sounded fascinating…
"Excellent. Now, I pray that you will forgive a dismissal; I need to rest. There are, alas, few rooms within the main keep furnished for human comfort. The Princess herself preferred the romance of the tallest tower, they often do, but the west wing of the main keep is closer and warmer, if you do not object to my proximity."
"My thanks." Edward sketched a brief bow (See, Al, I can be polite if the circumstances are life-threatening enough!) and took his leave, his brow furrowing in deliberation as soon as he was away from his captor- how might he escape this prison? Would it even be possible with such a formidable opponent guarding all exits? And just how deeply could his study of the creature probe?
He came to an abrupt halt, staring about himself in consternation. More importantly, where was the west wing?
