“A chimera?” Jorick asked. “Could this be the thing the gnolls allied themselves with?”

The creatures answered Jorick’s question for him.

“You have kept us waiting for much too long!”

“We have followed your commands and we have nothing to show for it!”

The chimera circled the room, the great flapping of its wings dispersing the smoke. Evin’s eyes watered and he muffled a cough as dirt flew into his mouth.

Finally, the chimera landed on a pile of stone on the opposite side of the room, where part of the chamber’s wall had collapsed.

The gnolls’ shouting grew louder and louder. They stomped their feet and raised axes and swords high. As one, the crowd surged forward toward the chimera, seemingly prepared to scale the rubble to attack the beast. The villagers cowered along the walls.

Rearing back on its hind legs, the chimera’s goat head bleated as its lion head roared. The dragon head took in a breath, then opened its mouth wide. Flames arced from its jaws, exploding against the ground in front of the encroaching gnolls. Several of the gnolls flew backward, screaming. The dragon head roared.

Evin ducked and covered his head, his ears ringing. Bits of scorched stone fell from the ceiling and pelted his back like a heavy rain.

When the ringing in his ears faded, Evin realized that the gnolls had ceased their ranting. Peering again through the old metal railings on the balcony, he watched as the chimera set down on all fours, the eyes on all of its heads scanning the room. The gnolls stood back, silent.

After a long moment, the chimera’s dragon head pulled back its lips and began to speak. In the sudden silence, the chimera’s voice boomed through the vast room.

“I understand that you are uneasy,” the chimera said. “And I understand that all of this waiting has been difficult. But you have proven loyal allies for now, and I assure you, once my plan sees fruition, you will have all the good meat you can handle, more meat than you could ever have dreamed of, so much that you shall never again hunger for flesh or thirst for blood!”

A murmur rumbled through the crowd.

The chimera flapped its great red wings and began to pace back and forth on its pile of rubble.

“We are all captives here,” it went on. “Within these walls, magical creatures of all kind are kept caged as though we were mere animals. But soon, we shall rise up and free ourselves of our shackles. We shall burst through the wall that surrounds us and retake the lands that are rightfully ours!”