"How come we got the hard job?" complained a cutthroat, chopping at the boards supporting the mine ceiling with an axe.

"Stop complaining," spat Dillard, swinging his own axe at the boards.

"Well, couldn't we just use one of those giant crossbows that Kobalix's minotaurs made and shoot them at this mine?" asked the cutthroat.

"We'd need another distraction and there's nothing to burn nearby," replied Dillard.

"Oh,"

The mine shuddered and dirt drifted down between the cracks in the rocks, causing everyone to cough. "Everybody out," coughed Blackaxe. "I'm going ta take the Swathick axe to this place!" He coughed again. Dillard and the cutthroats hurried outside and Blackaxe began smashing the rocks themselves at the entrance.

A vast groan came from the mine and the ceiling shuddered. Blackaxe struck again and fled the tunnel. It collapsed just behind him and a huge cloud of dust shot forth like a crossbow bolt engulfing the knight. He emerged from the cloud, coughing and stumbling.

"The minotaurs are coming," shouted a cutthroat urgently.

"Quick, everyone into the boat," ordered Dillard, helping Blackaxe.

Putting his ear to the door, Wynic listened carefully and whispered the conversation that was on the opposite side of the door.

"Tell them to get my ship ready, and to wait for my signal, General. I want to be half way across the lake when Arthian goes up, up, and away!" Kobalix laughed.

"What about that group the Empress sent?" asked a nasal voice.

"Leave them. They are just a pests. Mosquitoes! If I swat at them, they'll either retreat or be squashed," laughed Kobalix. "Now move!" he yelled.

A door slammed and the sound of boots clomping came from beneath the floor. "There's more than one secret stairway marveled Waytorn. "I'll bet Kobalix doesn't even know about this one!"

"Okay, how do we go about capturing him?" asked Rades, leaning against the wall.

"Simple," said Pothax, "we just charge in, surround him and knock him out."

"Good enough," agreed Eluth. Eluth tended to let these discussions be handled by the others, unless he got impatient or nervous.

"Okay. On three," said Pothax. "One-two-three!" Wynic busted the door down, ripping through the huge map that had been hanging over the hidden doorway.

Kobalix jumped back from where he had been standing beside the window and drew both scimitars.

"Block all the exits," shouted Sardias, charging over to block the other doorway. Derick entered behind her, aiming his crossbow at Kobalix. The companions had neglected to remember to block the door they had cam through, so Kobalix saw his only chance and darted past Derick, throwing the squire aside.

Victoria managed to shoot Kobalix in the minotaur's arm, but it appeared to be nothing more than a minor hit. Wynic started after him. "Wynic, stop!" she yelled.

"I'll catch him. The rest of you go join up with Blackaxe and Dillard. They might need your help!"

"Where's Wynic?" demanded Dillard, helping Pothax into the boat.

"Kobalix got away. Wynic went after him," explained Pothax. "Quickly, did you collapse the mine?"

"Sure did! Blackaxe nearly choked to death in the dust," replied Dillard.

"Did not!"

"Whatever," said Carlo, "we got to get out of here! The place still might blow sky high!"

"What?" cried Dillard.

"No time to explain," said the commodore. "Everyone grab an oar and start rowing!"

"We can't leave Wynic behind!" cried Victoria.

"He'll be okay," lied Dillard stoically, but Victoria saw right through it. "I've seen him in tougher situations."

Victoria sat down in the stern of the boat and wept.

Wynic could see Kobalix ahead of him now. He started to run faster. He's slowing down, he thought. Which doesn't make sense, minotaurs can run for hours without getting tired. He's planning to turn and attack.

The gap between the two warriors was now twenty feet. Kobalix ran around a corner and climbed out a window hoping Wynic would run right on by.

The assassin wasn't blind, indeed he was twice as observant as the average person. He too climbed out onto the two foot wide spiral that went around the tower.

Kobalix swung his scimitars at Wynic's head and chest. The assassin rolled away, nearly falling over the edge. If he'd fallen, he thought, thank God it was only a ten foot drop to the parapet.

Kobalix rushed the assassin, pushing him over the edge, but Wynic reached out and grabbed Kobalix's arm, pulling him along.

Tumbling through the air, he landed cat-like on the parapet. He had fared better than Kobalix, who landed roughly on his side with a curse, dropping a scimitar. Taking the bastardsword with both hands since he had dropped his shortsword in order to grab Kobalix's arm, he kicked Kobalix's scimitar away.

"Mine!" spat Kobalix, rising to face Wynic.

The two opponents weapons clanged together tentatively, and they began a ritual of life and death that seemed as old as time. Each testing the other for weaknesses to exploit, for advantages.

Kobalix was the stronger, more trained of the two. Wynic had his experience, speed, skill and tricks. His tricks failed on Kobalix's superior training, but Kobalix appeared to be getting tired. Why?

Could he be drunk? wondered Wynic, but dismissed that thought. Kobalix wouldn't have gotten up from that fall so easily if he'd been drunk. Maybe I could distract him? thought Wynic. "Why did you kill Nebonex?" he shouted since he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Are you stupid?" snorted Kobalix. "He was an incompetent. He should have been building an Empire, conquering the world, not making trade negotiations with an inferior race!"

"So you want it all for yourself then?"

"Of course I do! That fool didn't deserve to be Emperor. I did the Empire a favour getting rid of him, and soon I'll be rid of your inferior race, and the world will be all mine!" cried Kobalix fiercely.

"That includes the criminal world, doesn't it?"

"Of course it does, how can one rule the whole world if a part is missing?"

"But won't you just reverting the world to what it was during the Vormian Dynasties?"

"The Vormian Dynasties were a time of triumph, power and progress. What was wrong with it?"

The sudden change in Wynic's efforts startled Kobalix. He started forcing the minotaur to move faster, in order to defend himself from Wynic's quick thrusts, and his occasional dagger throws. The result was Kobalix started to grow fatigued, and frustrated. The assassin decided to start going faster and faster, hoping that Kobalix would soon lose his temper, and do something rash.

"Look," cried Roreed, pointing up at the citadel walls Up on the parapets, two figures were struggling back and forth.

"Wynic," murmured Dillard. The companions stopped rowing and watched the battle high above.

"Derick," said Sardias, " could you shoot Kobalix from here?"

"No, they're too far away. I might hit Wynic by accident," replied Derick, staring at the battle upon the parapet.

Kobalix made a sudden mad rush at Wynic and tackled the assassin. The Doxon stumbled back, dropping Gith's sword and unsheathing a dirk.

Kobalix had dropped his scimitar and was trying to push Wynic over the edge of the parapet. This time there was nothing below for at least a hundred feet. Landing on his back, he stabbed the minotaur in the stomach. In return, Kobalix shoved his horns into the assassin's arm.

Dragging his injured arm, Wynic squirmed away from the minotaur, reaching for Gith's sword. He felt Kobalix's hands close around his waist, and being lifted off the parapet. He grabbed the bastardsword desperately and stabbed Kobalix in the chest. The minotaur stumbled and cursed, and the two fell from the parapet to the waters below.

The bastardsword got tangled in Wynic's frayed cape, and he reached inside his tunic and gripped something he'd almost forgotten about. The ring.

Victoria screamed and tried to jump from the boat, but Blackaxe and Carlo barely managed to restrain her. "Get rowing," roared Carlo, over Victoria's screams.

The companions rowed hurriedly over to where Wynic had entered the water and Rades and Sardias dove into the water, looking for the assassin.

Sardias surfaced gasping with one arm tightly around Wynic's waist. With Waytorn, Pothax and Dillard's help they hauled the assassin aboard and laid him down on the bottom of the boat, which was filling with water again. Rades began to bail.

Derick checked the Doxon's pulse. "He's alive. Barely," he said.