nd unstrapped his heavy breastplate. as soon as it fell aside, the dwarf reached over his shoulder with the still-clawing hand and gave a great sigh of pleasure as the fingers scratched his back. "how long do ye think it'll live?"

"longer than you, i hope," the drow replied, closing his eyes and shaking his head helplessly. "not very long, i imagine."

"bwahaha!" athrogate bellowed, then, "aaaaaaaah."

"the next time we face such creatures, i expect you to follow my lead," jarlaxle said to athrogate the next morning as the dwarf fiddled once more with his skeletal toy.

"next time? what do ye know, elf?"

"it was not a random event," the drow admitted. "i have been visited, twice now, in my reverie by a beast i had thought destroyed, but one that has somehow transcended death."

"a beast that brought up them skeletons?"

"a great dragon," jarlaxle explained, "to the south of here and ..." jarlaxle paused, not really certain where hephaestus's lair was. he had gone there, but magically with a teleportation spell. he knew the general features of that distant region, but not the specifics of the lair, though he thought of someone who would surely know the place. "near to the snowflake mountains," he finished. "a great dragon whose thoughts can reach across hundreds of miles, it seems."

"ye thinking we need to run farther?"

jarlaxle shook his head. "there are great powers i can enlist in defeating this creature."

"hmm," said the dwarf.

"i just have to convince them not to kill us first."

"hmm."

"indeed," said the drow. "a mighty priest named cadderly, a chosen of his god, who promised me death should i ever return."

"hmm."

"but i will find a way."

"so ye're sayin', and so ye're prayin', but i'm hoping i'm not the one what'll be payin'."

jarlaxle glared at the dwarf.

"well, then ye can't be going back where ye're wanting - though i canno' be thinking why ye're wanting what ye're wantin'! to go to a place where the dragons are hauntin'!"

the glare melted into a groan.

"i know, i know," said athrogate. "no more word-songin'. but that was a good one, what?"

"needs work," said the drow. "though considerably less so than your usual efforts."

"hmm," said the dwarf, beaming with pride.