The Known Lands

Suddenly, even though it was a dark night outside, both bishops could see an object with some type of red, flickering lights rapidly approaching the window.

"What the . . . " Michael started to demand. Before he could finish the sentence, however, the hurtling object crashed into the window, spraying shards of glass in all directions.

Each bishop quickly covered his face with his arms. What they saw when they looked up made each of their hearts skip a beat. A giant flying creature, its flame-red eyes glaring at them, its face oozing what looked like black blood from cuts it had acquired from crashing into the window, hovered just outside of Michael's room in the night air, its large wings flapping wildly back and forth. And a figure, covered in a hooded, black cloak, its eyes just as frighteningly red as the flying creature's, sat in king-like fashion upon the animal's back.

Alexander realized with horror that this thing outside of Michael's window was one of the bats of Maleficus, one of the bats which Speaker Marin had informed Council about only four days earlier. But what in the name of the stars was the bat and its rider doing outside of Michael's window? What were they doing in Illos when the war was still far to the south? Suddenly, the bat attempted to fly forward into the room itself. Fortunately, its body was too large to pass through the window frame. Failing at that attempt, the bat somehow managed to flutter its way backwards about twenty feet, and then it came hurtling towards the window again. The creature smashed into the Chancery, actually shaking the floor of Michael's room.

Alexander and Michael watched with dread as the granite stone on either side of the window frame cracked upon the impact. However, the opening was still too small for the bat to fly through.

Alexander had been dazed, almost as if in a trance, as he watched the bat wreak its destruction. It was Michael who snapped him out of it. "Alex, wake up already. We have to get out of here."

Nodding, Alexander immediately helped his friend to his feet. The move caused Michael much pain, but the sight of the hideous bat and the thought of what the two servants of Maleficus might do to them helped him not to concentrate so much on his painful side. Alexander walked on the elder bishop's left, his arm wrapped across Michael's back and underneath his right arm.

The two bishops had made their way around the foot of the bed, and then another ten feet closer to the door, when the flying creature struck the window frame again. This time, several of the fractured granite blocks fell out of the wall and onto the hardwood floor. The bat attempted to fly through. Again, the frame was still too small for the beast's large body to pass through.

Alexander glanced over his shoulder. Through the smoky dust cloud in the bedroom, he saw that the bat was fluttering backwards one more time, preparing to charge the Chancery once again. Then Alexander looked at his friend's face. Michael was very pale in color and sweating tremendously. He was beginning to gasp for air.

Alexander was worried that if the bat didn't kill Michael, this fast-paced walk for safety might. "Only a little bit further, friend. Hang in there."

Michael didn't answer him. He was too busy concentrating on the flight for safety, too busy trying not to faint from the pain in his right side. Alexander and he had somehow managed to make it out of his bedroom and through his sitting room, all the way to the entrance door to his quarters.

As Alexander turned the doorknob and pulled open the door, both bishops heard the bat strike the north wall for the fourth time. Instinctively, without even glancing back, both men knew that the bat and its rider had at last broken through the window frame. As rapidly as possible, Alexander half-helped, half-pushed his friend through the open door.

As the young bishop was gripping the doorknob and pulling the heavy oak door towards him, he saw the bloodied bat and its black-cloaked rider hurtling towards him, through the archway which led into Michael's bedroom. He could almost tangibly feel the hatred which was being spewed forth by the two servants of Maleficus. Fortunately, Alexander was able to slam the door shut in time, just as the bat and its rider rammed into it.