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Gorlee laughed. “Catch me if you can!”
    The man with the bright crystal on his neck whirled. Hatred filled his eyes. He held the amulet up high.
    “Kill him! Kill Nath Dragon!”
    The soldiers turned their focus from the dwarves and started to run.
    “Not you!” the Overseer said. “Stay put! Let the dragons handle this.”
    Gorlee sprinted for the fields, taking quick glances over his shoulders. Dragons were fast. Six-legged dragons were even faster.
    Stupid idea! This isn’t going to do it!
    The dragons were gaining.
    Ah, if I could only turn into a rover horse. Why can I only do races and not the animals? Why can’t I make stuff up? Be strong as stone and still able to talk and fly? I wish I could spread wings like an eagle and fly away. Guzan!
    He glanced over his shoulder. The dragons would be on him at any moment.
    Never thought I’d see the day when I might not see the next.
    The farmlands stretched out all around. The plowed fields were muddy, slowing him down. Gorlee’s breath started to labor. Go for the cornfields.
    I never run!
    He stumbled and fell into a mud hole.
    Splash!
    He scrambled up, feet deep in the mud, and found himself eye to eye with three dragons.
    Sultans of Sulfur!

Chapter 10
    A ll the soldiers turned toward the voice of Nath Dragon, who waved his arms in the air yelling like a fool and dashed away like a deer. Brenwar didn’t hesitate. He batted the spears away and snatched War Hammer off the ground. He swung. Bang!
    An orc lay on the ground with a large dent in its helmet.
    Brenwar swept the hammer left and right, knocking the soldiers aside, cutting a path right through them. Nath was out of sight, and the dragons raced after him.
    Glitch!
    A spear jabbed into the back of his shoulder.
    Brenwar whirled.
    A gnoll’s flail caught him full in the chest. Down Brenwar went.
    One by one, the soldiers of Barnabus piled on top of him, clawing, biting, and stabbing. His dwarven armor was the only thing keeping him together.
    He jammed his fist in a lizard man’s snout one last time before they pinned his arms and wrists down.
    The orc stood over him and kicked him in the ribs. With its knife, it shaved the hair off his coarse arms. “Any final words, Dwarf?”
    “It’s raining,” Brenwar said.
    “Huh?” the orc grunted, holding out his palm, watching the rain splatter on it. “That’s it. Sounds like you rattled his skull, men! Ha!”
    They let out a round of throaty chuckles.
    “I’m not finished,” Brenwar growled.
    “Oh, please do finish before you die.”
    “It’s raining … Dwarves!”
    Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!
    Dwarves fell out of the sky like giant bearded pumpkins and landed on the soldiers. Bone crunched. Guts squished. They started swinging and singing. The Soldiers of Barnabus were overwhelmed. And then the dwarves cried out at the same time.
    “GRAADA-STOOK-SAAY!”

    It was hot. Smothering. Nath was pinned down underneath the heavy burning beams. Fire engulfed everything around him. His eyes were filled with smoke. The fire was blistering hot. Painful. Agonizing. But dragons don’t burn. Not by normal fire. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t suffocate and die.
    He shoved up on the beams with all his strength. “Urk!”
    The beams started to rise.
    He gathered his knees under himself and put his back into it.
    Push, Dragon! Push!
    The air was thin. His head became dizzy. The hot lights started to dim. He started sagging toward the floor.
    Crash!
    The burning wood beneath him caved in and down he went into the crawl space beneath what was left of the assembly room floor. The movement of cool air greeted him. A glimpse of darkness gave him hope. He pushed away the burning beams and fought his way through the debris. Flames rolled under the flooring like a bright orange roof. Crawling on hands and knees, he headed out. Fiery holes emerged above him. The entire floor warped and crackled. He found the edge of the crawl space and