Just as he decided that he could really enjoy taking up flying as a way of life, Tas reached the top of the shaft. The air currents held him even with the stone floor of a torch-lit chamber. Tas waited a moment to see if he might start flying again, and he even flapped his arms a bit to help, but nothing happened. Apparently his flight had ended.
I might as well explore while I’m up here, the kender thought with a sigh. Jumping out of the air currents, he landed lightly on the stone floor, then began to look around.
Several torches flared on the walls, illuminating the chamber with a bright white radiance. This room was certainly much larger than the tomb! He was standing at the bottom of a great curving staircase. The huge flagstones of each step-as well as all the other stone in the room-were pure white, much different from the black stone of the tomb. The staircase curved to the right, leading up to what appeared to be another level of the chamber. Above him, he could see a railing overlooking the stairs-apparently there was some sort of balcony up there. Nearly breaking his neck trying to see, Tas thought he could make out swirls and splotches of bright colors shining in the torchlight from the opposite wall.
Who lit the torches, he wondered? What is this place? Part of Huma’s tomb? Or did I fly up into the Dragon Mountain? Who lives here? Those torches didn’t light themselves!
At that thought-just to be safe-Tas reached into his tunic and drew out his little knife. Holding it in his hand, he climbed the grand stairs and came out onto the balcony. It was a huge chamber, but he could see little of it in the flickering torchlight. Gigantic pillars supported the massive ceiling overhead. Another great staircase rose from this balcony level to yet another floor. Tas turned around, leaning against the railing to look at the walls behind him.
“Reorx’s beard!” he said softly. “Look at that!”
That was a painting. A mural, to be more precise. It began opposite where Tas was standing, at the head of the stairs, and extended on around the balcony in foot after foot of shimmering color. The kender was not much interested in artwork, but he couldn’t recall ever seeing anything quite so beautiful. Or had he? Somehow, it seemed familiar. Yes, the more he looked at it, the more he thought he’d seen it before.
Tas studied the painting, trying to remember. On the wall directly across from him was pictured a horrible scene of dragons of every color and description descending upon the land. Towns blazed in flames-like Tarsis-buildings crumbled, people were fleeing. It was a terrible sight, and the kender hurried past it.
He continued walking along the balcony, his eyes on the painting. He had just reached the central portion of the mural when he gasped.
“The Dragon Mountain! That’s it-there, on the wall!” he whispered to himself and was startled to hear his whisper come echoing back to him. Glancing around hastily, he crept closer to the other edge of the balcony. Leaning over the rail, he stared closely at the painting. It indeed showed the Dragon Mountain, where he was now. Only this showed a view of the mountain as if some giant sword had chopped it completely in half vertically!
“How wonderful!” The map-loving kender sighed. “Of course.” he said. “It is a map! And that’s where I am! I’ve gone up into the mountain.” He looked around the room in sudden realization. “I’m in the throat of the dragon. That’s why this room is such a funny shape.” He turned back to the map. “There’s the painting on the wall and there’s the balcony I’m standing on. And the pillars. . .” He turned completely around. “Yes, there’s the grand staircase.” He turned back. “It leads up into the head! And there’s how I came up. Some sort of wind chamber. But who built this . . . and why?”
Tasslehoff continued on around the balcony, hoping to find a clue in the painting. On the right-hand side of the gallery; another battle was portrayed. But this one didn’t fill him with horror. There were red dragons, and black, and blue, and white-breathing fire and ice-but fighting them were other dragons, dragons of silver and of gold ….
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