Dragons, Power, Courts, And War (Book 2)
Page 21
Chart 1 Dragon Types and Locations
Planet Predominate Dragons Present
Terrain (F-friendly; E-enemy; N-neutral)
(Allied Planets)
Adapazan Mountainous Golden Dragons (F)
Gladno Forested Golden Dragons (F)
Terra Agrarian Golden Dragons (F)
Valtr Hills Golden Dragons (F)
Cosma Agrarian Golden Dragons (F)
Gonda Plains Golden Dragons (F)
(Enemy Planets)
Rehor Mountainous White Dragons (N)
Black Dragons (E)
Red Dragons (E)
Jing Swamp/Marsh Blue Dragons (N)
Green Dragons (E)
Dietmar Snow White Dragons (N)
Anwyn Desert Brown Dragons (N)
(Neutral Planets)
Isi Plains Grey Dragons (N)
Brown Dragons (N)
Red Dragons (E)
Gerde Mountainous White Dragons (N)
Black Dragons (E)
Red Dragons (E)
Alta Rolling Hills Brown Dragons (N)
White Dragons (N)
Black Dragons (E)
Red Dragons (E)
Maeve Forested Green Dragons (E)
Black Dragons (E)
Red Dragons (E)
Chana Desert Brown Dragons (N)
Asami Water Blue Dragons (N)
Chart 2 Dragon Statistics Currently Known
Dragon Breath Weapon Size Resistance
Race (Feet) To Magic Spells
(F-friendly; E-enemy; N-neutral)
Golden (F) Fire + Electrical 55-70 70%
Black (E) Acid 50 50%
Red (E) Fire 50 50%
Green (E) Rotting Slime 70 15% (snake-like)
White (N) Cold 40 30%
Blue (N) Neurotoxin Paralysis 70 30% (snake- like)
Brown (N) Electrical 60 30%
Grey (N) Suffocating Smoke 50 30%
Locations (estimated number, where known)
(+ means far more came than requested)
Golden (F) Adapazan (40), Gonda (30), Terra (35), Cosma (40),
Valtr (40), Gladno (40)
Black (E) Rehor (40+), Gerde (35+), Alta (25+), Maeve (30+)
Red (E) Rehor (40+), Gerde (30+), Alta (25+), Maeve (30+),
Isi (25+)
Green (E) Jing (50+), Maeve (30+)
White (N) Rehor (25+), Gerde (25+), Alta (30+), Dietmar (40+)
Blue (N) Jing (40+), Asami (40+)
Brown (N) Isi (35+), Alta (40+), Anwyn (40+), Chana (40+)
Grey (N) Isi (30+)
Chart 3 The Barons and Baronesses
Planet Predominate Rulers (Baron & Baroness)
Terrain
(Allied Planets)
Adapazan Mountainous Zoran & Zdenka Vladislov
Tomas & Verushka (Dragon) Vladislov
Jan & Reina (Matous) Vavrin
Gladno Forested Leo & Lida (Vladislov) Matous
Alfons & Valérie Matous
Dominik & Katerina Matous
Terra Agrarian John & Dusana (Matous) Witherspoon
Hank & Vana (Pavel) Witherspoon
William & Ariane (Mondo) Witherspoon
Valtr Hills Stefan & Rayna (Vladislov) Pavel
Zdenk & Zusa (Vavrin) Pavel
Daron & Kamila (Lota) Pavel
Cosma Agrarian Arcangelo & Gabriella Mondo
Bernardo & Berta Mondo
Vincens & Floriana (Mondo) Gervaise
Gonda Plains Gaspard & Andrea (Pavel) Gervaise
Henri & Elizabeth (Witherspoon) Gervaise
Flavio and Adelphe Gervaise
(Enemy Planets)
Rehor Mountainous Storm & Gisela (Hadwig) Clav
Bran & Greta (Hadwig) Clav
Carsten & Kate Clav
Jing Swamp/Marsh Gang & Juan Meerong
Jie & Lan Meerong
Li & Lian Meerong
Dietmar Snow Adolf & Greta (Clav) Hadwig
Burkhard & Cede (Clav) Hadwig
Conrad & Elisa Hadwig
Anwyn Desert Cadfeel & Catrin Alun
Aeron & Beanwenn Alun
Derog & Ceri Alun
(Neutral Planets)
Isi Plains Chua & Alameda Yamitiwa
Hania& Chumani Yamitiwa
Keme & Jaci Yamitiwa
Gerde Mountainous Karl & Madde Ebbe
Emil & Hella Ebbe
Konrad & Karla Ebbe
Alta Rolling Hills Alvaro & Anita Cencion
Basilio & Benita Cencion
Eduardo & Concha Cencion
Maeve Forested Ailfrid & Breana Ahren
Brennan & Caitie Ahren
Cathal & Eithne Ahren
Chana Desert Atir & Aminta Makeda
Amal & Batya Makeda
Even & Degana Makeda
Asami Water Goro & Kimiko Yoko
Hiro & Fuji Yoko
Jurou & Mana Yoko
Chart 4 The Forty-four Registered Archmages
Planet Archmages (Age)
(Allied Planets)
Adapazan Baron Zoran Vladislov (39)
Baroness Zdenka Vladislov (40)
Baroness Verushka (Dragon) Vladislov (20)
Karel Ambrose (43)
Nadia (Vladislov) Dragon (19)
Marek Aceda (44)
Ivana Jakuba (22)
(Emil and Renata Gold Dragons)
Jakob Hamil (30) (Tratky Province)
Edmund Kamil (28) (Radim Province)
Dana Ctirad (27) (Zavou Province)
Kate Zimir (25) (Veklov Province)
Marjeta Dezda (23) (Vraz Province)
Gladno Zelenka Matous (18)
Nadezda Minik (30)
Katerine Rickena (28)
Josef Bedrich (63)
Terra Ben Weatherby (28)
Lisa Thornbird (26)
Albert Thrace (66)
Valtr Chesna Pavel (16)
Patrik Rudolf (31)
Zikmund Milan (59)
Cosma Bianca Babiana (20)
Alfredo Amadeo (35)
Biagio Casimiro (68)
Gonda Antoinette Avila (55)
Reina Strom (25)
Blanche Clementine (22)
(Enemy Planets)
Rehor Valentýn Ryba (64)
Jing Liang Don (65)
Dietmar Dieter Eberhardt (67)
Franz Aramund (36)
Anwyn Byrnn Arwel (59)
(Neutral Planets)
Isi Jaci Kaya (22)
Chogan Hotah (66)
Gerde Johann Kyler (39)
Lutz Malger (59)
Alta Bonita Blanca (27)
Vilem Casimir (24)
Carlos Federico (68)
Maeve Breana Comyna (45)
Chana Amram Mordekay (50)
Asami Kimi Miko (33)
Saburo Takao (64)
Thus ended the Fall High Council. Later that evening, Barons Leo and Stefan dropped by. Leo said, “Zoran, I can’t help but think that you are on to something about us needing to know more about the history of the dragon race. Stefan and I have been discussing it, and we’ve decided to launch a detailed investigation. There must be records of these beasts somewhere. We’ve extensive libraries on our worlds. If we find out anything, we’ll let you know.”
Baron Stefan added, “Right, I too think that there must be more to these dragons than we currently know or suspect. Just why do they inherently have the ability to mimic human forms? Why not deer or bears or even gators, eh? Why us? Our curiosity is pricked. We’re going to leave no stone unturned trying to find out. We thought you ought to know.”
Zoran grinned. “Thanks. I too will see if I can find anything else on them. Let’s stay in touch.” The three shook hands and the two barons left, while Zoran finished his packing. Around nine, he Shadow Walked his group back home, much to the relief of Archmage Jakob who was anxiously awaiting their return. He did not like the incredible responsibility that he’d assumed. Too much was at stake, but so far, there had been no furth
er dragon attacks while they were gone.
Chapter 11 The United Council
The last week of September, the United Council met for the first time in several years. Dragons were not known for hasty or frequent meetings. Most dragon races did not get along well with the others. However, Aldrick called for a United Council and, as he was one of the senior members, all dragons had to answer the summons. Specifically, two members from each race had to attend the meeting or sixteen dragons all told.
Aldrick and Burk represented the golds. Werner and Lothar represented the blacks. Dario and Dante represented the reds. Alistair and Frank represented the greens. Cezar and Jenryk represented the whites. Bolivar and Ernesto represented the blues. Donatello and Pietro represented the browns. Aeton and Barnabus represented the greys.
The reds, blacks, and greens were hostile and argumentative towards this whole summons. “All right, Aldrick, all right. You got us here. We can’t not come. So what is so dang important that we have to have a United Council? This had better be good!” growled Werner, the black.
Aldrick, the gold, began, “Twenty years ago dragon-kind was on the verge of extinction on Voss. All of us were starving to death. It was these humans here in the Federation who offered us a new chance a life, a new place to live where food is plentiful. Without their help, we would have all perished by now. Yet, within the last few years, some of us have been attacking, robbing, extorting, and outright murdering our human benefactors.”
He looked at the reds and blacks in particular. “I know that you have burned and destroyed an entire village of a thousand men, women, and children on Adapazan. I know that you attempted to storm the fortress at Brn, Adapazan. I know that you greens have been murdering humans for mere sport on Jing. This conduct is not acceptable and must cease immediately.”
“Many of us have working relationships with the planet rulers, providing protection in exchange for gold and gems. Yet, you reds, blacks, and greens are now biting the hand that feeds you and that has saved your race some twenty years ago. You have to stop harming the humans and robbing them,” Aldrick, the gold, finished up.
“The hell we do! Damn, the only good human is a dead human. You cannot trust them for anything. They’ve killed two of our leaders,” Dario, the red, pointed out. “Plus, they’ve just recently murdered the wife, who was only seeking revenge for the slaying of her leader mate!”
“Hey, they slaughtered nearly a dozen of our finest fighters,” Werner, the black, added. “Plus, it is these damnable humans who are sneaking into our dens and murdering our children while we are out hunting for food! We’ve lost three young. The reds have lost four. Even the whites and browns have had some of their children slain while they were out hunting.”
Aldrick, the gold, was taken aback. He knew nothing of this and asked for more details, which both were more than ready to provide. He was shocked to hear that at least a dozen young dragons had been slain by humans in their very own homes, all while their parents were out foraging for food for their children.
“Besides, Aldrick, we reds were just obeying Baron Clav. It was he who begged us and paid us to rob some gem shipments on Adapazan. We were just doing what he asked. You can’t blame us for that,” Dario, the red, justified.
“The barons have gone back on their business deals with us,” Alistair, the green, added. “We deserve what we bargained for, don’t we?”
Barnabus, the grey, said dryly, “Well, we greys are enjoying the humans who gave us a new home on Isi. We’ve had no troubles with them at all. We find their company rather enjoyable, Alistair.”
Donatello, the brown, said mildly, “We’ve had no problems on Isi with the humans yet. While we don’t go out of our way to meet humans, they haven’t caused us any real trouble. However, we have lost a couple of children. Say, how were you able to ascertain that the children were murdered by your humans?” The discussion digressed for sometime.
“I think that we should just dissolve our agreements with these barons and leave the humans completely alone,” declared Bolivar, the blue. “That way, there are no more troubles of any kind.”
“I like that idea. Just leave them alone,” Donatello, the brown, agreed.
“That doesn’t work. We tried that,” complained Cezar, the white. “Still the humans seek out our dens in the frozen mountains and murder our young while the adults are out seeking food. We cannot allow this. After all, we only have one child about every ten years or so. Killing our offspring cannot be tolerated by we whites.”
“Besides, there is something else that you do not know. The humans are passing off on us fake gems now. Yes, they take quartz crystals and use magic to make fake diamonds out of them. How stupid do these humans think we are?” complained Dante, the red.
“And another thing that we’ve found out,” Dario, the red, added quite seriously, “their Archmages are now making Dragon Slaying Swords! If this does not show us their true intentions, nothing else does! Are we making Human Slaying Swords? Hardly!”
“Oh we don’t need such things,” Bolivar, the blue, said quite bored with the proceedings.
“I say call for a vote!” Dario, the red, bellowed antagonistically. “I say let’s attack these despicable humans, remove them from the planets. All in favor?” Aldrick, the gold, had no choice but to allow the vote since protocol allowed any representative to call for a vote at any time. The reds, blacks, whites, and greens voted yes. The browns did as well.
“I say let’s vote to leave the humans alone, abandon all trade and relationships and ignore them completely,” Bolivar, the blue, declared. “All in favor?” The blues, the greys, the browns, and the whites voted yes.
“Damn you browns and whites! You can’t have it both ways!” screeched Dario, the red. “Make up your minds! Kill the humans or ignore them. The two choices are mutually exclusive. Are you idiots?”
“Ignoring them is safer,” a bored Bolivar, the blue, answered him.
“He has a point,” Aldrick, the gold, pointed out. “If you escalate this conflict into all-out war, we may lose that war. The humans vastly outnumber us. They have a lot of Archmages. Besides, they also have the Duskas who are going to be extremely difficult to slay. If you go to war with the humans, you may well be signing your own death warrant. Humans are slow to forgive treachery, for treachery is what this is. They gave us sanctuary and life when we were dying. Attacking them is just that, treachery. It may take generations of humans before they forgive such treasonous acts.”
“Besides, we are learning magic spells from them,” the bored Bolivar, the blue, added.
“He has a point there,” Pietro, the brown, agreed with him. Several others nodded.
“Quite true. Look, my own twins received the very best magical training from the human Archmage. We’ve never before had any dragon achieve Archmage status, but my twins did, thanks to the human Archmage,” Aldrick, the gold, played his trump card, hoping for the best.
Ernesto, the blue, replied, “Yes, we must not forget that. Dario, if we attack the humans, they certainly will never again give us magical training. We can’t have that, now can we?”
“That’s easy for you to say. It wasn’t your child that was murdered,” Dario, the red, retorted.
“Well, if you escalate this into an all-out war, expect the humans to murder all of our children. They will not stop until all dragon-kind is extinct on all sixteen planets,” Burk, the gold, declared. “Think about that for a minute. We are few and they are many. Yes, we are vastly more powerful than all of the humans, but they have many Archmages and Duskas. In the end, an all-out war will spell our doom.”
“You are just saying that because you are a human lover,” Werner, the black, countered, though he was a little taken aback with Burk’s sudden prophesy. There was a ring of truth to it. “I bet that you will fight against us and with the humans if war it becomes,” he taunted Burk, the gold.
“He’s already done just that with us reds. He and Aldrick laid a trap
for us and killed a red on Adapazan,” Dario, the red, pointed out.
“You reds were about to murder the humans who were making that gem shipment. You launched a fire attack. Had they been humans and not we golds, why all ten of them would have died. We prevented the humans from taking far more serious actions against you,” Aldrick, the gold, explained. “I call for a vote. We do not want to start a war with the humans. All in favor?” The golds, browns, blues, greys, and whites voted in favor with it. “At least we agree on that.”
“We don’t agree on that!” Dario, the red, snickered. “Count us reds, blacks, and greens out of that one.”
“Oh that doesn’t matter,” the bored Bolivar, the blue, replied. “You know the majority wins. That was a majority vote. No war with the humans.”
“For now, perhaps,” Werner, the black, stated antagonistically. “Just you wait until your children get murdered. Then, we’ll take another vote.”
“Don’t do foolish things, Werner,” Aeton, the grey, admonished the black. “You know very well that the golds will come after you if you break the majority vote and attack the humans again.”
“Well, we won’t start a war, but we will defend ourselves,” Dario, the red, finally acknowledged the voting.
“Thank you. I will speak with the humans and see if I can get to the bottom of their slaying of our young. If they have been doing so, I will see that they cease it immediately,” Aldrick, the gold, then made his offer of appeasement. The others nodded and the meeting ended. However, the reds, blacks, greens, and whites stuck around after the others left, per the prearranged request of Werner, the black.
“So why do you want us to stick around? The weather is finally becoming ideal. Snow lies over much of the lands,” Cezar, the white, asked somewhat curious but also rather impatiently. At last the temperatures on the white occupied planets were to his liking, bitter cold.
“Well, Aldrick’s meeting went as expected. He’s not facing the loss of his children and mates. Oh no, not him, the human lover. No, it is we who are suffering mightily,” Werner, the black, replied argumentatively. “We blacks have adopted a new policy that is stopping the murdering of our children. One parent always remains with the young. I suggest that you all adopt a similar policy. Yet that does not address the loss of our young. We only breed once every ten years at most. Losing a child is devastating on our population. We need to find a way to make that up and I have an idea just how.”