Perhaps what surprised Thelvyn most, at least at first, was that Windreach, like all cities, had large areas devoted to shops and markets. The elves of Wendar in the wild, forested mountains surrounding Windreach were under the protection of the dragons and traded with them freely, not only food but also wood, metals, and gems for a variety of uses. Dragon craftsmen kept workrooms throughout many parts of the city, where they made such things as furnishings for their lairs, weapons and leather harnesses, and other goods that dragons needed or fancied. One of the most common professions practiced here was the making of jewelry, since dragons throughout the world often brought parts of their treasures here to be reworked from human, elvish, or dwarvish forms into jewelry of their own styles and proportions. The jewelers of Windreach were among the most skilled in the world, many having practiced their art for hundreds of years.
Several hundred dragons were in residence at Windreach at all times. Due to the wishes of the Great One, even the shape-changing dragons remained in draconic form at all times while they were here. Windreach was a place of rare honor and trust among the dragons. Many of the permanent residents kept their hoards here under only a minimum of security, without fear of theft, and fights or duels between dragons were strictly forbidden. Only rare battles of supreme political dominance were tolerated, and those fights had to be ta" ken outside the city.
Drakes and other dragon-kin were permitted as long as they were of intelligent breeds, but the dragon-kin typically found the company of true dragons intimidating. Renegade dragons were not trusted and were never permitted; they would almost certainly be slain if they tried to enter, especially after the theft of the Collar of the Dragons, for dragons who did not conform to draconic law were not tolerated. No other races were permitted. Humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings approaching under innocent circumstances would be turned away, while thieves and mercenary adventurers and any evil humanoids would be slain. The only exception was the Eldar. The wild elves of Wendar were left to themselves.
The most outstanding and remarkable feature in all of Wind-reach was the Hall of the Great One. Standing more than twelve hundred feet above the floor of the extinct volcano, that towering edifice of smooth white stone was the tallest in all the world. The two dragons leapt out from the ledge, passing over the roofs of the city as they gathered speed before they began to climb steeply in a wide circle around the Hall of the Great One. The lowest floors comprised the Treasury of the Dragons, where the most important and valuable artifacts and treasures of their race had been gathered through the years. The Collar of the Dragons, the greatest of all their heirlooms, had been kept there through the centuries since the time of the founding of Windreach. Several floors above the treasury were occupied by the Parliament of the Dragons, including the private chambers of the members of the parliament.
The entire top half of the Hall of the Great One had been reserved as the stronghold of his clerics, with their own lairs and their places of training and research. Kharendaen led the way, climbing higher and higher until they were far above the outer wall of the city. The winds here were almost always strong, so that the two dragons had to fight increasingly fierce crosswinds. They took special care not to be thrown against the wall of the great building. Level after level, the Hall of the Great One became steadily narrower as they continued to climb, their circle becoming tighter and tighter.
Soon they neared the top, flying swiftly in and out between the highest of the great spires and towers of the Hall of the Great One. As she moved nearer to a group of the highest towers, Kharendaen suddenly darted toward a wide ledge of white stone set in the outer wall just beneath the steep, cone-shaped roof of the highest tower. She turned sharply to land on the ledge, which was barely large enough for Thelvyn to land as well. He made a desperate leap at the other end. The ledge was nothing more than a simple shelf of smooth stone, without rail or parapet. There was a small recessed area in the back of the ledge that offered slight protection from the treacherous winds, with a large door leading into the tower, Hanked by large glass windows.
Sir George dropped down from his saddle and retreated into the minimal safety of the recess, as far from the edge as he could get. The bulk of the two dragons offered him some protection from the cold wind, which threatened to pull them from the ledge. Even the dragons had to fold their wings quickly and crouch low.
Moving cautiously, Kharendaen approached the door. There was no handle or latch visible on the outside, not even a keyhole, although the door began to open by itself as she stood before it. They passed through the door into a chamber of vast size, large enough that it filled that entire level of the tower, although its exact proportions were difficult to gauge. Most of the hall was filled with deep shadows, as dark as night, broken by shafts of light that poured in from a few widely spaced windows. Great columns of smooth, white stone stood like ghostly sentries at the edge of the darkness. The dragons slowly descended the wide steps into a large recessed portion in the center, the only area that was well lighted.
"Come along, Sir George," a voice said. "There is nothing to fear."
They turned abruptly to see that the Great One awaited them patiently on a small area like a simple stage above the recessed area where they now stood. He appeared not in his more authoritative guise of the great three-headed dragon, but in his less threatening form of an older dragon of some small, dull goldish gray breed that had long since disappeared from the world. This form was probably close to what his appearance had been in life. Sir George made a helpless gesture and descended the steps to join his companions.
"You have found the collar and unmasked your true enemies," the Great One began. "Indeed, you could not have done better. Unfortunately, the gemstone dragons will have learned from this that they do not dare take the Dragonking lightly. Nor are they likely to underestimate the dragons of this world, whom they have looked upon as far beneath themselves. I fear that you must expect them to be better prepared in the future."
"You seem to know a great deal," Thelvyn observed.
"Do not expect that I have special knowledge of such things," the Great One explained. "I know only what you know, what I have heard you say between yourselves and to Marthaen, for I am often with you even if you cannot see me. I know these gemstone dragons, for I fought them long ago. But my awareness cannot extend into their world."
"But there was obviously much that you knew or expected," Thelvyn said, with a note of impatience. "You could have spoken a bit more plainly when we talked with you in Silvermist."
"Yes, I could have," he agreed. "Indeed, I would have preferred to have given you better warning of what to expect. But I have not been acting alone in preparing the champion who will defend our world. Many Immortals are allied to my cause, but it has always been necessary for us to act circumspectly, remaining cautious of the limitations that we must respect to maintain the balances of good and evil."
"It has always been best for us to proceed cautiously in dealing with mortals," a woman's deep, resonant voice spoke from out of the darkness. The voice was that of the Immortal Terra, although the dragons could see only an indistinct form standing in the deepest shadows. "Thelvyn, you must not forget that you are still young, especially for one of your race. I still believe that it was better to be safe with you."
"Safe?" Thelvyn asked incredulously, although his two companions were obviously apprehensive that he was being so direct with the Immortals. "You allowed us to be sent completely unprepared into a stronghold of the gemstone dragons."