As the rantel continued scanning the valley and trail that lead up to the settlements, Corvan held his breath until the creature unfurled its wings and soared out over the fields.

  Someone grabbed his arm, but Corvan’s yell died on his lips as he twisted around and looked into the face of Tsarek.

  “So sorry, sir. I hope I did not frighten you,” Tsarek said, and a smirk curved across the lizard’s face.

  Corvan wasn’t so sure he was liking Tsarek’s newfound sense of humor.

  “I had to wait for his rantel to leave,” Tsarek said, pointing towards the other side of the river. “Because on the other side of the dam there is a very angry man with a bandage over one eye. He is leading a group of the rebel soldiers and has sent his rantel across the water to find you.” Tsarek cocked his head to one side. “You seem to have made a lot of new enemies in the Cor since you locked me outside the door.”

  “Does he know I’m here?” Corvan whispered.

  “I don’t think so. His connection to his flying guide is not working very well because of his great eye pain.” Tsarek cocked his head to one side. “When did you learn to throw fire? I often heard your mother tell you not to play with it.”

  Corvan waved the question off. “Where is the man with the eye patch now? We need to keep moving along the road. Is he still watching for me?”

  “He already left,” Tsarek said, then he held out a paw and helped Corvan to his feet. “His men refused to cross the flowing water over the top of the dam, so they are returning to their base in the crags. They will not bother us as we journey back to the city, but he is sending two of his best bounty hunters to circle around through the graves of Kadir to find you, so yes, we had better keep moving.” He began walking along the road toward the city then looked back with a twinkle in his eye. “He is offering a great reward for your capture, one even a small Watcher might find attractive.”

  Tsarek walked on and Corvan followed cautiously behind, constantly looking across the river for any sign of the Rebel Leader and then across the fields to see if the Rantel was coming back.

  Upon reaching the top of the river bend, they found the city of Kadir shrouded in a thick bank of fog; the statue rising above it looking like a man with his feet stuck in a snowbank. “The palace must be making sure people stay indoors until the day begins, Tsarek said. “They likely suspect there could be more trouble with the rebels. That is why the fog is so thick tonight.”

  “What do you mean?” Corvan asked.

  “The palace controls the fog and the water that floods the city to keep people afraid of what might happen if they don’t obey the Chief Watcher. It’s done with large machines in the underground river below the karst in the palace courtyard. I saw them working on it after you shut the gate on me. I had to follow the cold water far down into the Cor and then there is hot water too, in the place where they create the fog.”

  “When I was on the courtyard wall, I saw the fog come out of door in the round wall at the feet of the great statue.”

  Tsarek looked puzzled. “There used to be only a small karst between its feet. That’s where they drown people at the water ceremony they call the Wasting. There has never been a wall around it.”

  “I think the wall is new. I could see a lot of people working on it when I came out the portal door up on the cliff.”

  “Do you mean the one you shut on me?” Tsarek asked.

  Corvan nodded. Was Tsarek going to keep remining him of his mistake? It was likely just one of his jokes, but it was getting a bit stale.

  Tsarek pointed toward the city. “The statue karst used to be like the one you were just in, except there is no island in the middle and no great beast. Instead, a water creature with long arms, much greater than the one we fought in the labyrinth, dwells in an underwater cave behind a gate that would be opened whenever they throw someone in.” Tsarek looked up at him, his eyes full of pride. “The gate was shut when I was there, but its arms almost caught me. I had to frighten it away with my fire stick.”

  “And that’s where they control the floods?” Corvan asked.

  “I believe that is how it is done. They can send water running throughout the city streets. They have drowned people to make everyone believe the water sacrifice is required to make the gods happy.”

  Corvan looked across the river at the fog-shrouded city. At first light Tyreth would be thrown into the karst as part of the Chief Watcher’s evil plans. He picked up the pace and passed Tsarek. The lizard’s short legs were working furiously to keep up and Corvan smiled. Surely things would work out better now that he had both Tsarek and the hammer back.

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  They were approaching the lower bridge and Corvan was studying the missing panels in the middle. It looked like the only way across would be to use the chains that remained to work themselves across.

  “The lower bridge is broken,” Tsarek said. “We will need to swim to the other side. There is a stairway up from the river to the roadway that encircles the city. Thankfully there is no city wall in that location, or we would . . .” Tsarek suddenly yanked Corvan down behind the cover of the stone wall. “Rakash,” he hissed pointing a claw in the direction of the fields.

  Keeping his camouflaged hood low, Corvan peeked over the wall. Below them, five people walked in a row along a retaining wall between the fields. One of carried a staff topped by a red globe.

  “That’s a palace staff,” the lizard said. “One of the soldiers was carrying it when I took the cloth. The Rakash is returning with the soldiers to report that the one they believe is Tarran has escaped.” Tsarek gripped Corvan’s arm tighter. “He will also report my trespass in the Cor to the Chief of the Watchers. I fear there will be great trouble for me now.”

  Corvan glanced over the wall. The group was close enough that any movement along the river road or an attempt to cross the lower bridge would be detected. “The soldiers won’t come up here to try and cross the broken bridge, will they?”

  “They must know its broken because they are passing through the fields to take the high river road so they can go into the city at the upper bridge, the one that connects to the portal door.”

  Corvan waited for the joke about shutting the door on Tsarek, but none came. Tsarek was too busy checking out the river side of the road.

  Corvan checked again and noted that the wall the soldiers were walking on ended at the edge of the fields then climbed a steep path to join up with the river road. He crouched back down. “Do you think they’ll reach the city before the water ceremony?”

  “I do not believe so. That trail is longer, and they will be moving slowly because it is very narrow and climbs up and down the cliffs near the river. Few people choose to travel that way, as they fear they might fall into the water and drown.”

  “But they’ll see us if we try to use the broken bridge,” Corvan said.

  Tsarek sat back against the wall. “Then we must find another cat to skin. The dark cycle will end soon, and the Wasting always takes place during the first segment of light.”

  Corvan’s stomach knotted. He couldn’t be late getting to the temple karst. He had to get there before they threw Tyreth in and the water creature grabbed her. Crawling on all fours to the river side of the road, he looked across to where the outlet from Madam Toreg’s secret city flowed out under the bridge. “If we need to swim to the other side could we use the fire sticks to go through that water outlet? It leads to another city. Madam Toreg is there, and she can send her grey men to help us save Tyreth.”

  Tsarek shook his head. “I cannot let her or anyone else in Kadir see me. Those who serve the Chief Watcher will kill me on sight, and those who fight the Watcher will kill me for being of his kind.”

  “I’ll speak to them on your behalf,” Corvan said. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

  The lizard laid his paw on Corvan’s arm. “You don’t understand, Corvan. If you are seen with me, they will most certainly kill you as well.”

  Corvan shook his head, but realized it was true. His best friend in this hostile underground world would always be seen by everyone else as their enemy.

  He placed his hand on top of Tsarek’s paw. “It will be better once we get back to my world.”

  “No, Corvan.” Tsarek’s dark eyes clouded over. “I have decided that I must stay here in the Cor. Your world is not my home, and our family cannot accept me either. I have even been shot at by that large boy who lives near the rock. You cannot protect me in your world any more than I can protect you in mine.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Tsarek swallowed. “Our ways are parting, Kalian. You must go ask for help to rescue your friend and I will swim up the river and go inside the karst. I can hide under the edges where the palace guard cannot see me. If you get in trouble at the Wasting ceremony, you should jump into the water. I will have breathing sticks for you, and you can swim away with me.”

  “What about Tyreth?”

  “I will have enough fire sticks for her too if you can convince her to go in the water.”

  “But how will we escape from the water creature with the long arms?”

  Tsarek grimaced. “I will do my best to keep it away.” He pulled two smaller fire sticks from his bundle and quickly trimmed the ends. “You will need these to make it through that water tunnel. The water is coming out very fast so it will be hard work. If you find it difficult to breathe, use both at the same time. It was the only way I could make it through the fast water to find you in the Molakar karst.”

  Corvan took the two sticks as Tsarek slipped over the low wall and hung by his claws. Corvan leaned down to him and touched his paw. “Tsarek, you have not called me ‘sir’ much since you came back.”

  The lizard cocked his head to one side. “I guess after all we have been through, I am thinking of you as my friend—sir.” He grinned. “Like the Lone Ranger and Tonto.”

  “Where did you hear those names?”

  The blue streaks on Tsarek’s face flushed. “The Kate’s mother watched it on her TV box, and I would peek in through the window.”

  Corvan shook his head, grinned at his friend, then gave him a quick wave. “See you soon, Tonto.”

  “If my claws were free, I would return the waving to you, for I too hope to see you soon—Kemosabe.” His eyes twinkled. “And this time - don’t shut the door on me.” He pushed off the wall, dropped into the water and his trail of bubbles worked its way upstream.

  Corvan leaned out over the low wall and looked down into the water. His heart beat faster. He’d never jumped from anything this high.

  “Don’t move!” A hoarse voice whispered in his ear and a sharp point dug into his back.