I wasn't just going to wait around to be rescued.

The burning port lit up the sky to the south, and I knew deep down that it had to be Corvax. He'd come for me. I also knew that he was taking a huge chance. There were a lot of guards in the castle and the distraction wouldn't keep them busy for long. I might not know how many warriors Corvax had with him, but it couldn't be as many as Ashir had guarding his home.

And if he was going to take a chance coming to find me, I couldn't hide away and hope that he'd get here in time.

The door was locked, of course. After a moment's futile battering with my fist I looked around for a better way out, and saw the connecting door to Ashir's room. A quick check told me it was locked too, but it didn't look nearly as sturdy as the door to the corridor.

With a grin, I picked up a lamp from one of the tables. It was heavy, ornate iron inlaid with gold, and it had a pleasingly hefty feel as I swung it at the door handle. After a couple of strikes the wood gave and the door popped open. Once again, the Perhar Protector had spent his wealth on something that looked impressive but didn't hold up to use.

Raising the lamp as an improvised bludgeon, I stepped through. A weapon like that wouldn't do me much good against Ashir, but it was better than nothing and I was determined to give him some bruises to remember me by if we did fight.

Fortunately, though, I was alone in his bedroom. It was, if anything, more ridiculously ornate than the room he'd given me, and I shuddered to look at the crude display of wealth. No time to gawk, I told myself, pulling the door closed behind me. I have to get out of here.

For a moment, I considered pulling down one of the many weapons that adorned the walls of the room, but I decided against it. The swords were huge, heavy things and I had no idea how to use one effectively. Sticking with my trusty lamp seemed like a better idea, so I hefted it and opened the door to the corridor.

No one was there, thank goodness. Between whatever was happening down at the port and the attack on the castle, the guards had better things to do than to keep an eye on me. That made me grin and promise myself that they'd regret their decision.

Okay, so... any attack has to come in from the roof, right? I didn't know much about warfare, especially not Crosan warfare, but that sounded right to me. Trying to force open the castle doors would take too long. And besides, something in my heart told me that Corvax was above me. Time to start looking for the stairs.

The castle was in chaos as I hurried through it. I heard shouting from the staff and smelled smoke on the air. Whatever was happening it spread chaos through the Perhar castle, and I just hoped it would last long enough for me to get clear. And that I was going in the right direction.

If I reached the roof without finding Corvax, I wouldn't have anywhere else to go. That thought sat like a leaden weight in my mind, and I tried to ignore it as I pressed on.

The door ahead of me burst open, sending me jumping back. Through it came one of the Kalpan mercenaries, feathers bristling and long knife in one hand. He stopped dead at the sight of me, and for a moment we stared at each other in shock. All kinds of little details stood out in that moment. The texture of his feathers. His one broken fang. Was this one of the survivors of the band that attacked me at the spaceport? I thought I recognized him, but I wasn't sure.

I didn't waste time thinking about it. If he called for help it could be the end of my escape, and that was if he didn't just gut me with that evil-looking knife. It was now or never.

Leaping forward, I swung the heavy lamp in an arc that ended with a dull thump against his head. The dog-like alien staggered backward, caught by surprise, and that gave me a chance for a second blow. And a third. The alien slumped to the floor, motionless, and I stood over him panting for breath. The wickedly sharp knife caught the light as it slipped from his hand and I shuddered.

If he hadn't been so surprised to see me, I'd be dead now. The thought was sobering, but I couldn't let it stop me. I'd made my choice, and I'd stick to it.

Hoping that the alien's fellows weren't close, I stuck my head around the doorway he'd appeared through. Beyond it was a long gallery that I thought I remembered from the walk to my room. Were the stairs beyond it? Maybe. If I remembered right. I hadn't exactly been thinking clearly when I arrived, and the palace was hard to navigate.

I glanced back at the unconscious alien. Anywhere was better than waiting here for him to wake up again. Shutting the door behind me I hurried through the gallery. The sounds of violence were getting closer, or at least louder, and that probably meant I was heading in the right direction.

The fact that I was running towards the fighting seemed stupid and reckless, but on the other hand, that would be where Corvax was. Just the thought of seeing him again brought a foolish smile to my face and I hurried forward, desperate to reach him.

The far door opened when I was half way across the room and I froze. Barreling through it wasn't my beloved Corvax but Ashir, his face dark with fury and drawn sword in hand. Crap.

His eyes went wide and he charged at me. Without thinking I threw the lamp at him, but his reflexes were faster than the Kalpan's had been — his sword flashed up in a block that sent the lamp flying, and then he was on me.

I threw a punch and felt it connect, but it didn't even slow him down. Everything happened faster than I could follow, Ashir's hand catching my arm and twisting, slamming me against the wall painfully. The room spun around me and the next thing I knew, the tip of his blade pressed against my stomach.

"You," he hissed, a terrifying rage in his eyes. "You did this, you brought them here."

"You're mad," I answered before I could stop myself. The blade pressed closer and I swallowed. "How could I have done that? Think about it!"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Ashir said, baring his teeth. "What I do know is that you'll suffer for this outrage."

He was too strong to fight, and I had no way out of his grip. Squirming, I tried to escape anyway, but it was futile and we both knew it. His hand closed on my throat, squeezing tight, and the world darkened around me. Grabbing at his wrist weakly, I tried to pull free. But my strength ebbed and all I could see was Ashir's cruel smile.

Not like this, I told myself, gathering all my strength. He thought so little of me that he'd relaxed his defenses, and he wasn't wrong. I didn't have the strength to escape, but maybe I could do something else...

Putting all my strength behind it, I punched him as hard as I could. My fist met hard muscle and it felt like I was hitting a tree, but whether it was from surprise or pain his grip loosened. Just long enough for me to draw a breath and shout.

"Corvax!"