*
Thor woke screaming.
He sat up, looking all around, sweating, breathing hard, trying to figure out where he was. He was still lying on the ground, on Argon’s mountain. He must have fallen asleep here. The fog was gone, and as he looked up he saw that it was daybreak. A blood-red sun was breaking over the horizon, lighting up the day. Beside him, Krohn whined, jumped into his lap, and licked his face.
Thor hugged Krohn with one hand as he breathed hard, trying to figure out if he was awake or asleep. It took him a long time to realize it had just been a dream. It had felt so real.
Thor heard a screech and turned to see Estopheles perched on a rock, just a foot away. The large bird looked right at him and screeched, again and again.
The sound sent a chill up Thor’s spine. It was the same screech from his dream, and at that moment he knew, with every ounce of his body, that the dream had been a message.
The King was going to be poisoned.
Thor jumped to his feet and, in the breaking light of dawn, sprinted down the mountain, heading for King’s Court. He had to get to the King. He had to warn him. The King might think he was crazy, but he had no choice—he would do whatever he could to save the King’s life.