“Prefect, can she not tell if someone is telling the truth or lying?” he asked.
“Yes, but her anger will blind her truth sense, and I will not be lying, just not divulging the whole story, so this will unfold as it should,” Stalenjh answered.
“What about the sultan’s reaction to one of his cities being destroyed and its wealth pillaged?” Vorten inquired.
“The wily little worm that Dalmach is knows of this and wanted his growing rival to the north eliminated. This action will accomplish this for him as well as consolidating his own power over the Arianan kingdom, for when not faced with a central threat, the mongrel followers of the Kallysh cult will turn on each other. He loses the temporary wealth of the gemstones in one of his cities, but he gains supremacy in his kingdom and a tighter grip on his people. He will also blame this attack on the Alliance, which is why there must be no survivors in Hasera, but overwhelming signs of a dragon attack,” Stalenjh quickly explained.
“Prefect, this is brilliant, but it is still dangerous to manipulate Queen Tiamat, a dangerous game,” Vorten added.
“Yes, but a game that has deep rewards. Now stay outside the chamber, in case she would by chance try to read your mind, and then we will prepare the slave girls for our victory,” the old sorcerer said with a wry smile as he motioned the Talestra guards to move from the doors to let him into the immense chamber of the evil arch dragon.
Stalenjh entered the circular hall to the loud roar-like tirade of the five-headed dragon. Several of the other Talon sorcerers were there or they were casting in with their dark crystals. The drow countess Yveshra and her consort Xylest were also in attendance. This is strange, Stalenjh thought to himself as he walked to his place to the right of Tiamat.
“Stalenjh, are you aware of what has happened?” her green head asked in an angry, hissing tone.
“Yes, My Queen Mother, I came here as soon as my crystal relayed the message from the sorcerer on one of our ships. There must be retribution, and I sent Tbok to inform Sultan Dalmach of our anger,” Stalenjh replied, very careful to skirt the truth.
“I want that city annihilated to every man, woman, child, and beast. I want every structure leveled, so no one will ever know it existed. This will tell those desert-dwelling vermin what the penalty for disobedience truly is. I also want the Kallysh cult crushed in my empire and the growing Alliance Triad religion. It is an affront to me and dangerous to Morgathia. Many are from the conscripts that have dealt with the Alliance and seen both their battle prowess and their weak, forgiving demeanor.”
“Yes, my queen, I have already taken steps to see to Hasera’s destruction. Two army groups have been dispatched ahead of time through the mountain tunnels, and there is a wing of dragons already en route to Naterah to inform Dalmach of his city’s fate and the penalty he will pay for this insolence. Another two wings of your dragons are also readying for battle both here and from Nozok’s provincial army. Three wings of chromatics and the Morgathian, orc, and drow army group will crush the city and alleviate it of its gem wealth for payment to the empire,” Stalenjh laid the plan of attack to the arch dragon.
“Stalenjh, how did you get one of our battalions with your army there without us knowing?” Yveshra stated. Her anger at this news was apparent, evident even on her thin, pitch-black face and in her white eyes.
“My dear drow countess, I cannot help if your western outposts do not share information with their spider queen and her court in Shanaris. This is a drow problem, not mine,” Stalenjh pointedly responded to the countess’s question in a dismissive manner.
“You miserable excuse for a worm, the drow should—”
“Enough of this petty squabbling, the drow will obey my orders. Countess, you can tell your insect queen to maintain better awareness over her subjects; this is about an insult to me and my rule, and it will be answered by all available including any dark elf with the courage to fight,” Tiamat’s black dragon head snapped, silencing any argument from the drow priestess, her dark crystal staff glow dimming to display reluctant acquiescence. A distinct rivalry existed between Tiamat the drow queen Lolth; however, the high dark elf demigod knew that Tiamat was the more powerful. “This gathering is now over, and unless any here desire to sacrifice themselves for the empire and become my dinner, I want you all to leave,” her red dragon head ordered in a deep and frightening voice. All present immediately and hurriedly started to leave the great circular hall. “Stalenjh, inform me when the battle begins; I want to see the city fall,” she ordered the sorcerer.
“Yes, my queen,” he quickly answered as he walked out and Tiamat’s five heads started to converse with each other, almost arguing amongst themselves.
Yveshra grabbed Stalenjh’s robes as they exited the hall. “You worm, what do you think you are doing?” she spat at him.
He pulled away from her and answered, “I am exacting revenge for an act of insubordination against the empire and the drow, my dear countess,” he answered with a wry smile.
“I know what you are up to, Sorcerer, but be warned that this will not go unnoticed. Without your precious queen and her chromatic minions, my people would rise up and extinguish you human vermin,” she angrily responded.
“Yes, but since you couldn’t even defeat your own kin, how would you expect to defeat the whole of the empire, my little spider?” he replied making her even angrier.
“Watch your step, Sorcerer, for one day, it will lead you to our web,” the drow countered.
“Maybe, and maybe not. Have a wonderful day, Countess.” He smiled and walked away as he motioned for Vorten to follow him, if only to shield him from a spell cast by the dark elf as they exited down the long black marble steps.
Tbok and the rest of the squadron of chromatics materialized over the desert a few miles to the east of Naterah. As soon as they had their bearings, they formed up and started to fly toward the large city on the horizon. The Talon sorcerer waved his hand over his dark crystal and spoke Stalenjh’s name. “Prefect, we have arrived outside of the city and are heading there now,” he called to the Talon sorcerer.
“Tbok, there has been a slight change in plans. The young emissary I sent to Hasera has been killed by the emir. Luckily, I sent an army group through the mountain tunnels right behind him. They are now leaving the drow passes and moving toward the city. I want you to tell Sultan Dalmach that this act of blasphemy will be dealt with harshly and the city now belongs to Morgathia. However, I do not want Naterah damaged. Is that understood?” Stalenjh ordered firmly.
“Yes, Prefect, but shouldn’t we make the little dung beetle king pay for his people’s arrogance?” Tbok answered.
“No, you have my orders, and if they are disobeyed, there will be a harsh penalty. As soon as you have finished with Dalmach, I want you to immediately go and link up with Nozok and aid him in the attack on the city. Leave nothing standing or alive, but do not damage the city’s treasure. We have many gemstones and much gold to extract before we pull back,” Stalenjh finished.
“Yes, my liege. Traxsus, you heard the prefect’s orders,” Tbok relayed.
“Yes, sorcerer. Dragons, we are to land in front of the desert monkey’s palace and relay a message of strength and then proceed north to link up with our kin and the army that is now converging on Hasera. Then the city is ours for the killing of the emissary of the empire,” the large blue dragon ordered.
“What? No retribution here? We should annihilate both cities. I want blood!” a young red dragon in the formation roared back.
“You will listen to me or become rotting meat for the monkeys on the desert floor. Is that understood?” Traxsus maintained order over the wing that was now approaching the walls of the city. Even though the hot-tempered dragon in the squadron was a red, he was a young red and would not fare well against the large venerable blue dragon Traxsus, who was also a demon dragon.
“S
ultan, there are dragons approaching from the east; we must launch our squadrons of manticores and call arms to the walls. They are here for retribution for the slaying of their emissaries by that fool emir of Hasera. He has brought doom to us all,” Dalmach’s personnel attaché yelled out as he ran into the throne room.
“What is the matter, my friend? Afraid to martyr for Kallysh?” the sultan replied with a smile. “Fear not, the Morgathian dragons will not harm our city. I will see to that, but go now and warn all our forces not to engage the dragons, I want no hostile action against them. Is that understood?” he ordered.
“Yes, my king, I will go at once,” his assistant answered and turned immediately to inform the army chiefs. He ran outside and sent riders to the Arianan Army generals’ citadel. They in turn relayed the message to all the outposts along the wall and the barracks, but one arrived too late and two manticore riders, bent on martyrdom, had already launched and were heading to intercept the dragons. It was a true suicide mission, but their place in their perceived heaven would be fixed for them.
“Look! The fools have sent two manticores to challenge us! This will be enjoyable!” the red dragon roared out and sped forward to meet the Arianan riders. Before Traxsus could roar to stop the young red, he met the manticores in a headlong charge. The hideous beasts showered the dragon with a full complement of spikes. While most bounced off his thick crimson armored hide, a few did penetrate and one struck one of the two death knights on his back. The spike did not penetrate the black-iron armor but did knock him off his unsecured saddle, and he plummeted to his death. The small pain the red felt from the spikes made him roar and unleash a torrent of fire that turned one manticore and rider to ashes. He then lunged at the other and met it with outstretched claws, grabbing it by the wings and torso and then sinking his razor-sharp fangs into its neck and back, killing it instantly and taking a large bite out of the hideous lion-like creature before letting it plummet to the ground.
Traxsus had finally caught up to the red and slapped it on the chin with his wing tip, knocking it back into formation. “I said, no fighting until we arrive in Hasera. You have wasted one of your breath weapon strikes on a useless target. One more defiant act like that and I will bring you down myself!” he roared. “Now, follow me to the palace,” he ordered and started to descend on the lush gardens in front of the golden-domed sultan’s palace. They landed in succession with ground-shaking tremors. The dragons fanned out and formed a protective ring while the dozen or so Talestra death knights took posts on either side of Tbok. They walked toward the palace doors, the Arianan decorated guards moving quickly out of their way.
“Sultan Dalmach, I demand an audience,” Tbok spoke out to the gold-and-black-robed monarch, as he walked into the great hallway. Traxsus stuck his head in as far as he could to impose a menacing presence.
“My eminent Talon sorcerer, I am at your service,” he calmly answered as if he knew he was in no danger.
“You are aware of the emir of Hasera’s slaying of our emissaries and delivering their heads to one of our ships?” he half asked half said sternly.
“Yes, I apologize for my renegade cousin to the north; his act of blasphemy is contemptible,” the sultan answered still calm.
“This is just the latest vile act the Arianan kingdom has perpetrated on the Morgathian Empire, and there will be retribution now,” Tbok firmly rebuked.
“Yes, my cousin has been unstable as of late and has caused a great deal of trouble with my Morgathian allies, with his pirating and diminishing sales of gemstones to you. His zeal for the purity of Kallysh is clouding his better judgment,” Dalmach explained.
“Then what do you propose should be done to rectify this insolence?” Tbok asked firmly.
“I would send part of my army north to bring him back into line, but now that he has drawn Morgathian blood, I would see you and your armies do this. And as a payment for the blood they have shed, the wealth of their treasury is yours. As it will take me two weeks to gather my army and arrive in Hasera, the city is yours for that time. After that, I expect all Morgathian forces to leave so we can rebuild and continue our supply of gemstones to the empire,” he offered.
“What if we just choose to stay and mine the gems and gold ourselves?” Tbok countered.
“While you could keep my armies out of the area for a time, the desert would prove inhospitable and you would lose as many of your soldiers to it as to my holy warriors, who are all willing to martyr for their place in paradise with Kallysh,” he said cleverly.
“Then it is done. The city is now under the shadow of Morgathia and will be so for two weeks. Let this be a lesson to you and your zealot followers, that what we will do to Hasera, we can do to this entire kingdom,” Tbok ceded the negotiation, for he knew there was some truth to what the sultan was saying. They would easily defeat the forces there, raze the city, and take the treasure, but to stay and work the mines past this winter would mean a substantially greater force and even greater support for them, and this was the Morgathian army’s weakest point—their ability to resupply themselves.
“May the merciful shadow of Kallysh fall upon you, Talon sorcerer,” Dalmach blessed Tbok, who stared at him slightly puzzled at how he could just let one of his cities fall without more of an argument, but he knew he must be going. He turned around and was escorted out of the palace by the Talestra, and they remounted the dragons. With several angry roars, the chromatics went airborne and headed north as they all started to vanish in teleport.
“Sultan, you saved the holy city. How did you do this and without a fight? You are truly blessed by Kallysh,” Dalmach’s page spoke out as soon as Tbok left.
“My cousin was getting too ambitious and whipping his followers into a fervor. He was even eying my throne. For the mere cost of one of our cities and its treasure, I have eliminated one of my rivals, and it cost not one of my soldiers, who are expensive to maintain. We will rebuild the city and take control of the mines there for our coffers. This is what I agreed to with their prefect, Sorcerer Stalenjh,” he answered.
Tbok had received the location of the advancing Morgathian and drow army from Nozok’s dark crystal and teleported in. They were at the base of the mountain range on the northern border of Ariana, just a few miles from Hasera. The rather sizeable army on the ground was at least two or three divisions in strength, over fourteen thousand Morgathian soldiers with an equal number of orcs. The battalion of drow was in the back of the formation and the several battalions of Morgathian cavalry were leading. The Morgathian wyverns and manticore squadrons were slowly walking behind the advancing army, and the siege troops were finishing the catapults and siege towers and beginning to move them with teams of behirs, trolls, and giants. Several other units of grummish, gnolls, and other assorted creatures were mixed in with the army.
Tbok saw two squadrons of chromatic dragons sitting at the base of the mountain pass and had Traxsus glide over to join their squadron. There were almost thirty dragons on the ground already. This is the biggest gathering of chromatic dragons for a battle since the Great War, Tbok thought as his makeshift squadron began to land beside the sitting group of dragons. Nozok was standing in front of his province’s lead dragon, the demon red Hellstrafe, a particularly evil and cruel chromatic. Tbok dismounted and walked over to Nozok.
“Ah, finally decided to join in on the fun, my neighbor to the west?” the short but sinister-looking Talon sorcerer greeted his colleague. “I trust your meeting with the good sultan went fairly well?” he asked.
“Yes, do you know why he gave up his northernmost city without too much of an argument?” Tbok asked.
“The only thing we have to worry about now is the total destruction of this city and the division of its wealth. We must ensure that Stalenjh gets his cut, and the rest will be divided amongst ourselves,” he quickly stated. Tbok was starting to see how events were unfolding. “He w
ill ensure he gets his share of the gem and gold treasure and knows there will be much blood spilled today.”
“I understand; now what is your plan for the siege?” he asked Nozok.
“Siege? There will be no siege. With this number of dragons and your and my magical power, the walls of that city will crumble and their puny army will be crushed. Then our men can have the city to do with what they want as long as the treasury is not touched. The Talestra you brought will ensure that. Trust me, everything has been arranged. Now it is time to have some fun. I haven’t seen a city razed since the Great War with the Alliance, in the unsettled lands and Northern Ontaror. I was only a beginning apprentice then, but now it is my turn to wreak havoc. The chromatics are thirsting for this. We will let the army get to within siege distance and then attack the city with the dragons to force their army out to fight and then crush them,” the Central Province Talon sorcerer explained with his menacing evil smile, almost giddy with the thought of the carnage to come.
While the two Morgathian sorcerers discussed their strategy, the combined Morgathian army group moved ever so close to the city; the orcs within their ranks were barely controllable, as they wanted both a fight and food. Inside the city, the emir’s army was also being worked up into a frenzy, having been inspired by their zealot preachers or Kallysh holy men that the true divine battle was about to begin. The emir gave instructions to send most his army out to meet the approaching Morgathian forces, a tactical mistake in itself, for they were slightly outnumbered and would be wise to fight defensively from the walls of the city. However, the emir’s fervor and the overconfidence of his generals caused them to overlook this fact. Their tenacity was also likely due to the word of the Morgathian defeat at Battle Point. He ordered his manticores to launch to the attack, and the large iron gates of the city walls were opened.
Hundreds of manticores with their white- and purple-robed riders took to the sky as the Arianan cavalry poured out of the city, the mounted warriors brandishing their long, curved scimitars. A few held their traditional two-edged spears. They were all shouting and somewhat undisciplined in their attack but fearsome nonetheless. The emir’s infantry was almost running after the cavalry wildly, waving assorted weapons, including curved scimitars, thick-bladed falchions, reverse-curved swords, and long spears, but was only armored with hide-covered brass shields and maybe a light breastplate or thick woven cloth armor.
Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm Page 28
