Drakis saw them.
It was Jerakh, the manticorian leader of Timuran’s Second Octian. Half a dozen other warriors from their Centurai had joined Jerakh in climbing to their own cramped haven atop a broken stalactite on the far side of the causeway.
“They’re trapped like we are,” Ethis yelled over the din. “If the molten river on the causeway does not kill them, then it must be at least three hundred feet to the floor of the cavern.”
Drakis was finding it hard to breathe.
“Well, Drakis, trapped at last,” Braun said with a sick smile. “I guess no one is going to know why you fought after all.”
Five notes. . Five notes. .
Mala will forgive. . Mala will forget. .
“We’re not trapped!” Drakis shouted as he picked up Braun with both hands, dragging the Proxi to his feet. “Can you propagate a symbol far enough to reach that pillar?”
Braun shook violently in his hands, his eyes refusing to focus.
“CAN YOU?”
“Of course,” Braun drooled slightly, his words slurred. “I’ll have to draw a gate symbol here first.”
“Do it!” Drakis spat, releasing the Proxi with a slight but emphatic shove.
The ledge shook again. KriChan leaped back just as a section of ledge gave way under his foot.
ChuKang grabbed the human warrior’s shoulder. “What are you doing, Drakis?”
Drakis turned. “Those warriors don’t have a Proxi. They cannot fold off that stone pillar without one.”
“Then they’re lost. .”
“No!” Drakis shouted perhaps too emphatically. “We have our Proxi make a gate symbol here on our ledge then propagate it across to that ledge where Jerakh is sheltered. We get the Tribune to fold us all over to that other rock and then all of us fold out from there.”
“There isn’t much room over there,” KriChan added, his heavy brow furrowed.
“They’ll make room. . or cook.”
ChuKang nodded and turned to the Proxi. “Make it happen, Braun.”
But the Proxi was already finishing the inscription of three interlinking rings in the stone of the ledge. Sweat was pouring from his brow and he looked up with unfocused eyes, but the arc of bright light flew from his staff and fell with precision exactly in the center of the stone pillar on the far side of the molten causeway.
“Now, Braun! Call on the Tribune!” Drakis shouted in his face.