Legends of the Dragonrealm: Shade Read Online Free PDF

some caution. “You will have to accept that she no longer needs to listen to us. If she does listen, it will only be out of respect, not duty.”
    “Well, I pray that she understands the need for caution. Just until we can deal with the push by the Black and Red . . .” The wizard’s expression darkened further. “And I don’t want her anywhere near our hunt for Shade.”
    “What happened with that, Cabe? We were so thorough with everything.”
    “Lord Blue, I think. I can only guess that he did something to the spell to weaken it enough for Shade to destroy it, then used that as an excuse to try to slay the warlock. Another untrustworthy Dragon King, as if that should’ve been a surprise.”
    The Gryphon made a clacking noise with his beak, a sign the others had long recognized as marking the lionbird’s desire to make a particularly unpleasant point.
    “It may not have been Blue’s doing that caused the actual escape from the spell. I believe that he was simply making use of the moment. In truth, I suspect the hand—or hands —of someone else in this matter.”
    “‘Hands’?” Grave concern tinged Cabe’s tone, concern and understanding.
    The Gryphon cocked his avian head and stared back at the wizard with one unblinking eye. “Yes, they would have much interest in anything concerning Shade.”
    VALEA BEDLAM REAPPEARED . . . but not in the Manor as she had promised. Rather, she materialized not all that far away in another part of the palace.
    The chamber was clearly one fashioned after the Gryphon’s tastes, with mementos of battle hung on most of the walls and a long table covered with maps and charts in the center of the room. The huge oak table might have been the focus of attention in the room if not for the vast and intricate tapestry that all but covered the far wall.
    But even as all of this came into focus, Valea immediately turned to face the iron door behind her. The thick, bolted door had clearly been designed to keep the chamber secure and would have succeeded against most intruders, even those wielding some form of magic. Even now, the door glowed a soft blue, a sign that the spells cast upon it were in play.
    However, the blue meant that there would be no repercussions for her entry, even though it had been without the Gryphon’s knowledge. Valea was one of those granted permission to enter here. Now she used that trust in her by the lord of Penacles to betray not only him but her very parents.
    Two hulking statues that appeared to have been forged from the same source as the door flanked the entryway. They looked as if someone had begun to fashion a pair of identical figures resembling brutish warriors but had stopped after barely beginning. Each had one fist raised to its chest and the other hanging at its side. Like the door, they glowed a soft blue.
    Had she been some invader, those two statues—iron golems, actually—would have stirred to life and seized her even as she solidified. They were the latest variation of one of the Gryphon’s favored protections for the most important item now residing in this chamber. After some recent attempts at violating the original sanctum byboth known and unknown parties, the lord of Penacles had recently moved the prize in question to this special place and crafted this pair of sentinels. Valea was well aware that the spells cast upon them were potent enough to give even her parents pause.
    Cabe’s daughter relaxed only slightly upon seeing that she would not be attacked. The Gryphon might have other new traps in place, and he would also be furious if he discovered what she intended.
    Valea did not even want to think of how her father would react.
    Aware that she might be noticed at any moment, she turned to the reason for her intrusion. The tapestry fluttered lightly even though there was no breeze in the windowless room. Other than the door and the golems, the only illumination radiated from four pale white globes set in curled bronze