Disclamer: I don't own the rights toDragonlance, just in case you were wondering.
Chapter 2
Previously, on Dragonlance Secrets (cheesy I know)
"I dare not speak any more," Dalamar continued, "I have been away from the Tower for too long." Speaking words of magic, he disappeared.
Been away from the tower? Justarius thought, Why didn't he say 'my' tower?
Tasslehoff Burrfoot woke up to something poking him in the side. Grumbling about something or other, he rolled onto his side, only to have the poking continue.
"Stupid kender, rolled on my hat," a voice muttered. "Well, get off it!" The poking continued.
Tasslehoff finally rolled over to see who was being such a nuisance, which was ironic when he thought about it, to see an old man in mouse colored robes poking him with a wooden staff, "Fizban!" Tas cried aloud. "Where have you been?" He asked excitedly, jumping off the ground and embracing the now blushing mage.
"Get off me, blasted kender never knew when to lay off," he said, but returned the hug, for a few seconds. Then pushing Tas off, he held him at arms length, "Now, about my hat?"
Tas quickly retrieved Fizban's hat and handed it to him, "Oh Fizban, I am so glad to see you! I have more stories about my adventures, did I ever tell you about the time, oh wait, you were with me when that happened," he paused to see if Fizban was listening, or looking for his hat.
Fizban was paying attention, he had a very serious look about him too, "Tasslehoff Burrfoot," he said in a no nonsense voice, "shut up."
Tas immediately stuck his hands over his mouth, which was one of the only ways to keep him from talking, and was 'all ears' for the god.
"You are on your way to Palanthas, am I correct?" He asked Tas.
"Why no Fizban, I'm going to Solace to see Caramon! And he'll be so excited to see me. I just came from Palanthas, and I found this potion, and let me tell you, this potion was so weird, it was night blue and didn't have any label on it so I grabbed it to see if I could find someone who knew what it did but then it poked me and," he paused for another intake of breath, when the mage put his hand on Tas' mouth, muffling anything he was going to say.
"It doesn't matter now, you're going to Palanthas," and he hit Tas on the head with his staff.
Tasslehoff's eyes glazed over for a moment, then going back to normal, he looked around him, "Hullo Fizban! What are you doing here?"
"Oh nothing," he said casually, "Now tell me more about this potion of yours." Fizban began walking around the glade Tasslehoff and himself were in, poking around at the trees, muttering about his hat being missing.
"Potion," Tas asked quizzically, "I never said anything about a potion, by the way, your hat is on your head." Fizban felt his head, and the hat on it, "But I'm on my way to Palanthas. Would you like to come? I'm sure Lady Crysania would be very glad to see you."
"Yes I'm sure she would," he said quietly to himself. "But I can't, important business upstairs and all, don't want to miss it!" With that, he vanished.
Tasslehoff put a sad look on his face, seeing the old mage go, then thinking about Palanthas, his sad face was replaced by his travel face, (both of which he was very proud of). He was only a short walk outside of Palanthas, so getting there wasn't much of a problem.
Once inside, was quickly apprehended by a guard, and an old man that claimed that he, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, had stolen his hammer, looking in his pouches, Tas found the hammer in question, and gave it back to the old man, "You must have dropped it," he said happily, "your very lucky I found it, someone might have stolen it." He was turning around, when the guard told him he needed to come with him, and for the second time in two days, which is no where near the record held by Tas' Uncle Trapspringer, Tasslehoff Burrfoot entered the Palanthas jail.
Returning from his visit to the High Tower of Sorcery at Wayreth, Dalamar found the guardians where he left them, circled about Raistlin Majere, master of the past and present, and the most powerful mage to walk Krynn.
Raistlin, who hadn't moved from where he had passed out, finally stirred. Dalamar ordered several of the guardians out of his way, and he knelt down beside the archmage, "Shalifi? Are you awake?" He asked, shaking his robed shoulder gently.
"Dalamar, have you any idea how I have escaped the Abyss, and our Queen's wrath?" Raistlin rolled over, and pushed himself up on his shoulder, looking around the entrance to his tower. "It's been so long," Raistlin whispered quietly to himself, and his hand went absentmindedly to where he would have laid the Staff of Magius, had he not given it to Palin, then, realizing it wasn't there, he snatched his hand back. "I suppose you've been to Justarius?" His hourglass eyes turned on Dalamar, and the elf was forced to look away.
"What did you think I'd do? Welcome you with open arms? Of course I informed him, and if you are capable, then I suggest you accompany me to the conclave tonight," he said coldly turning around and walking towards the stair case.
"Yes, I suppose I should go with you," Raistlin said in a tired voice, at which Dalamar stared in surprise, never having seen his shalifi show any weakness. Raistlin stood up, grasping the wall for support, and waving his hand, sent the guardians away.
Dalamar held out his arm to the archmage, Raistlin took it, and speaking the spidery words of magic, they disappeared from the entrance of the tower, reappearing in Dalamar's office. "I hope you don't mind," Dalamar gestured at the room, "I sealed your laboratory, and only you can release the guardian from its post."
"That's fine with me, I have no intension of entering my laboratory for some time anyway." Raistlin replied, and gesturing towards the window, a stick flew in and into his hand. It quickly conformed into a suitable walking staff for the archmage, and content for the moment, he simply looked about the room.
Suddenly, the archmage turned and grabbed Dalamar's arm as the elf was about to sit down, his hourglass eyes wide, "Where are my nephews?"
Tanin, Sturm, and Palin Majere were riding near the back of a small group of Knights of Solamnia. Being knights themselves, Tanin and Sturm could have been riding near the front, but they chose to ride next to their magi brother. All three were sweating profusely, Tanin especially, his robes making the extreme heat of the day seem twice as bad as his brothers felt.
"Don't you know any spells that will make it cooler?" Sturm asked Palin, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"I can't do anything about this weather and you know it!" Palin shot back, also wiping his forehead.
Tanin, who was riding slightly in front of his brothers turned in his saddle, "Stop bickering, Sturm, you know Tanin can't change the weather anymore than you can sew. Palin, you know very well that Sturm is just trying to be annoying."
The two brothers looked down at their hands, Palin ashamed for yelling at his brother, and Sturm for starting it.
Sir Llewelyn ap Ellsar, Knight of the Rose and commanding officer of the knights was riding at the head of the column when a pageboy suddenly galloped beside him, "Sir Llewelyn! I just saw a ship coming towards the beach up ahead."
"A ship?" the knight stroked his moustache, "Do you know what ship it is?" The pageboy shook his head, too tired to speak, "Well then, shall we investigate?" Sir Llewelyn turned to his assistant, "Inform Sir Horan that we will investigate this ship sighting at once." Waiting for a few moments, he then turned his horse towards the beach ahead, the rest of the column following suit.
Arriving at the area the pageboy had sighted the ship at, Sir Llewelyn waited for Sir Horan to catch up with him. "Where is the ship young man?" He asked the pageboy.
Pointing off into the sea, "Right there my lord, it's a bit hard to see now, but it sticks out pretty good every so often." The ship in question, which was only a small prick on the horizon became visible, "Wait a tick," the squire said, "there's three now!"
"Three!" Sir Llewelyn spun back around in his saddle, looking where the page was looking, but he did not see three, he saw five, and the first ship was quite visible to him, a black dragon ship, followed by, he assumed the other four, were headed towards the beach. "Get Sir Percival," he told the pageboy.
"No need Sir Llewelyn, I'm here," Sir Percival said, coming even with Sir Llewelyn. He was accompanied by Sir Horan, "What seems to be the problem?"
Pointing towards the ships, Sir Llewelyn gestured for the knights to come closer, "Do you recon there are more?" He asked quietly.
Looking towards the five ships, Sir Percival said, "Those ships probably have, fifty men each, judging by their size, at least a quarter will be slaves or paid servants, we have 200 well trained knights, sixty pages, and Paladine, we won't loose. Superior numbers and training have never let anyone down."
"Should we send a few knights to warn the surrounding area?" Sir Horan asked.
"Nonsense, we will squash these upstart, 'Dark Knights', evil turns on itself Sir Horan, we will never loose as long as that remains true." Sir Percival boasted.
The knights lined up on the beach, ready for the battle, watching as the five dragon ships drew nearer. At the back of the lines, as he was waiting, Palin felt the Staff of Magius grow very warm, he turned to look at it, and saw a black robed mage standing next to him. Calling to mind a defensive spell, he held the staff up pointed towards the mage. "Who are you?" he asked loudly, the heads of his brothers turned at his voice.
"Put down the staff Palin, I mean you no harm." The mage said quietly.
"What are you doing Palin?" Tanin hissed between clenched teeth.
"What do you mean? I'm talking to this black robe." Palin replied, not taking his eyes off the mage, and surprised that Tanin hadn't noticed him.
"What mage?" Tanin asked. Looking to where Palin was pointing with his staff. He turned from the boats coming ever closer, and walked towards his brother, "There is no one else here."
"No one else here? Can't you see, there's a black robed mage standing right beside you!" Palin practically yelled.
"He can't see me nephew," the mage said quietly. "Only you can, unless I choose otherwise." The mage moved closer to Palin, and he could feel the heat radiating from the robes.
Nephew! He called me nephew! Palin thought to himself. Seeing Tanin looking at him strangely, he put the staff down, "I'm sorry Tanin, the head it making me see things."
Giving his brother another worried look, Tanin turned around and got back into line with the other knights, and stared at what all the others where staring at. Hundreds of ships now replaced the five. All of them swarming with knights, and blue painted giants. He nearly lost his nerve and ran, only the thought of the shame he would bring kept him standing still. "Palin, you need to leave." He said dully.
"What are you talking about, I'm not leaving Tanin I'm-" he turned and saw the ships, and all thoughts of the mysterious mage left him, the mage beside him turned as well, staring at the ships in seeming indifference.
Sir Llewelyn ap Ellsar, knight of the Rose, stared at the force of ships, seeing his death drawing nearer with each pull of the oar on the ships. Getting a hold on himself, he turned and faced the knights lined up on the beach, "Knights! We cannot win this fight, we shall not flee either. We will die gloriously in battle, and go to Paladine, to our final resting place. I ask only that you die with your wounds on your fronts." He bowed his head for a moment, a tear fell down his cheek and fell off his chin. So many young knights, he thought to himself, some on their first outing. And now they are to die because some cannot help but conquer. He straitened, his tear shed, "Est Sularus oth Mithas!" He yelled, drawing his sword, turning to face his death.
"Est Sularus oth Mithas!" The knights yelled together, drawing their swords as well.
Tanin and Sturm broke formation and turned towards Palin, "You need to leave!" Tanin said, grabbing Palin's shoulders, "We are going to die here, you need to run, go with those who will warn the area."
Palin pushed Tanin's hands off his shoulders, "I'm not leaving!" He yelled back, seeing Tanin about to protest he continued, "You and Sturm may have sworn oaths, but I did too! I made oaths when I took the Test! And I can't go back, not knowing what happened to you, I can't go back to Solace, look Mother in the eye, and live with myself!"
"Palin, this isn't a game!" Sturm said, standing next to Tanin, "We are all going to die."
"If you were in my place, would you leave?" Palin asked his brothers, firm resolve on his face. He answered his own question, "No, you wouldn't, why? Because we are brothers, because none of us could go home, no knowing what happened to the others. I'm not leaving, and nothing you can do will change that."
End Chapter
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