Snaff now was shaking one small fist. "We'll get you, Destroyer of Life! And why shouldn't we? We're the killers of dragon champions!"
Tokk grinned. "So you think you and your comrades could destroy the Destroyer of Life and his army?"
"Of course," Snaff said resolutely.
The party lasted all night and stretched straight through till morning. As guests boarded boats and rowed back to the docks, the comrades found themselves lingering together around the council table and the ragged remains of the feast.
"You know," Rytlock said as he hoisted a barrel and poured the dregs of the ale into a stein, "that's two we've done for the norn."
Eir glanced at him in annoyance. "What?"
"You know-the Dragonspawn was for Nut White-Face-"
"Knut Whitebear."
"And we did this one for Morgan Bloodfist."
"Magnus the Bloody Handed. How much ale have you had?" Eir asked.
Rytlock pointed a claw at her and sighted somewhat unsteadily down it. "Not enough to not be able to recognize that it-I mean, to not notice it's been all norn favors so far."
"Fine," Eir said. "Noted."
"All I mean is, maybe next time we do something for the charr," Rytlock ventured, downing the stein in one gulp.
"Yeah," Logan said with a laugh. "Let's destroy Ebonhawke. But afterward, we have to help the humans by destroying the Black Citadel."
Rytlock looked at his friend with surprised admiration, and then with shocked disgust, and then with a mixture of the two, which looked very much like a hangover.
Logan went on, "Instead of rushing into another fight, why don't we do some-I don't know-diplomatic missions. For instance, Queen Jennah has requested our presence in Divinity's Reach-"
"That's it!" Rytlock crowed. "We'll conquer Divinity's Reach!"
Everyone but Logan laughed at that.
Snaff shook his head. "It's no good doing things for humans or charr, but there is an ancient threat rising beneath Rata Sum."
"What threat?" Eir asked.
"Another dragon champion: the Destroyer of Life. He's raising an army of destroyers to erupt from the ground and swarm the jungles and destroy Rata Sum."
Eir arched an eyebrow. "How much have you been drinking?"
"It's true. Captain Tokk told me," Snaff said. "Rata Sum doesn't have effective defenses. Sure they have the peacemaker golems, but they're used mostly to prevent krewes from stealing each other's secrets. I've tried to sell them true battle golems, but no one on the council listens to me. This is just the sort of threat I was imagining: there's a volcano under the jungle, and its spewing out destroyers. Perfect!"
"You want us to fight a volcano?" Rytlock asked.
Snaff bubbled excitedly, "We could come up with a caldera plug or maybe caldera creme-or even a giant spear like people use to lance a boil."
Eir smiled. "Excellent ideas, all. But first, we'll find out what really is happening beneath Rata Sum. Then we'll make our plans and our golems. If the Destroyer of Life is rising beneath the jungle, he's just made seven deadly enemies."
From Logan Thackeray
To Her Royal Majesty, Jennah,
Queen of Kryta,
Regent of Ascalon
Friend of all Humankind
Greetings,
As you have no doubt heard, Captain Magnus the Bloody Handed, his troops, my comrades, and I have destroyed Morgus Lethe. This brave coalition of norn, human, asura, sylvari, and charr fought for many reasons; but as always, I fought only for you.
Perhaps you have also heard that we were in the midst of celebrating this victory when the threat of another dragon champion came to our ears: the Destroyer of Life. It is a new champion of the Elder Dragon Primordus, and it rises near Rata Sum, homeland of two of my dear friends.
I made a case for traveling to Divinity's Reach first, but my comrades are too eager to fight again, too fearful of what would happen if we let the situation in Rata Sum simmer. Eir keeps us busy with preparation.
Just say the word, though, and I will leave them and come to you. I desire more than anything to see you again, face-to-face. It is my sole consolation that you are before me every time I close my eyes.
Let me know what you wish, and I will obey.
Your humble champion,
Logan
From Her Royal Majesty, Jennah
To the Magnificent Logan Thackeray
Greetings:
I knew you would kill Morgus Lethe. The champion of a dragon cannot stand before the champion of a queen. Your works bring honor and glory to yourself and to me.
Yes, of course I had expected you and your comrades to appear before me, but this next mission does take precedence. I have been in long-term negotiations with the Arcane Council of Rata Sum for a restored asura gate into Ebonhawke. The new gate will bind our farthest outpost to our greatest city. Long the asura have stalled, fearing a backlash from the charr. But when I received your letter, I at last had the bargaining chip I needed.
I will allow my champion to fight this fight, and in return, I will get my superior gate.
This is your greatest service yet to me, Logan, but I recognize the price we both are paying. I fear to lose you, and I want more than anything to see you again. But you cannot fight for me by standing around the halls of Divinity's Reach. The last thing I need is another polished advisor. They are just statues compared to a flesh-and-blood champion.
So, fight for me. Defeat the Destroyer of Life. And in our long separation, I will content myself with letters and with visions of your heroism.
Your queen,
Jennah
BATTLE ON THE LAKE OF FIRE
Damned inconvenient," Zojja said a month later as she tromped behind Caithe and Snaff through deep jungle. "Why'd the Destroyer of Life have to rise so far from civilization?"
"Just be glad he did," Snaff said.
"But the mud," Zojja said, not for the first time. "And the bugs." She slapped her neck, and her hand came away red. The burst body of a gigantic mosquito was pasted to her palm. She shook the insect from her hand, then saw another giant mosquito land on Snaff's face. "You got one!"
Snaff went cross-eyed, staring at the gangly critter. "Look at that proboscis!" he said in genuine wonder. Just then, the bloodsucker rammed its snout right through Snaff's left nostril. He sneezed, a blast of air that shot through the proboscis, inflated the mosquito, and popped it. Snaff gazed cross-eyed at the limp thing, then dragged it from his face. "A design flaw, I'd call that."
From up ahead came a whistle.
Snaff's face brightened. "That would be Caithe. I wonder if she has found something."
The two asura pushed past ferns and fronds and entered a clearing. Caithe stood at its edge, looking down at a black rift in the ground. Sulfuric smoke rose in a long curtain from it.
"That looks like a way in," Snaff blurted.
Caithe held up a hand to signal that the two asura should stay still. Then she stalked soundlessly up to the rift, dropped to hands and knees, and stared within. After a few moments, she motioned her two comrades over.
The asura waddled toward her as quietly as possible, though their stubby legs stirred up the undergrowth and cracked sticks. Soon, they reached the brimstone-reeking rent, knelt beside it, and gazed within.
The jagged cleft descended into a dark cavern beneath the ground, south of Wildflame Caverns. As the asura stared, their eyes grew accustomed to the murk, and they could make out a red glow at the base of the cavern.
"What is that?" Snaff murmured.
In moments, it was obvious: A thousand feet down lay a huge lake of fire. At its center hulked a tormented volcano of ropy black stone. The caldera at its peak was filled with white-hot lava, and red stone poured down the sides. Gases hissed in gray jets from the slopes of the island, and the lake of fire boiled. The whole chamber rumbled like the belly of a titan.
"We're going to need a way to get down there," Caithe said.
Snaff nodded, writing on a pad of paper. He made a second bullet on his pad. "We'll also need some way to freeze the caldera. That's the source of all this lava."