As Gindren’s hammer pounded on the metal plate that was bolted on his stone podium to regain the decorum of the senate meeting, Senator Santoric rose up to answer Kushien’s inflammatory words.
“To address the foolish words of the esteemed and always noted senator from High Mountain Province, we must first look at the simple timing of the events of his allegations. For the Shidanese to have countered the weirs’ attack, they would have had to have known of its intention weeks in advance of even the last meeting between Ibliss and the Capital Weir and senatorial diplomatic entourage. One just does not assemble a fleet of that magnitude in a matter of days; this takes months, so this attack has been planned for a long time. Additionally, I know Senior Admiral Zewal can testify that the Shidanese do not possess the resources, manpower, or organization to amass the armada that was just thrown against us. This had all the trappings of Morgathia, even to the point of their standards just being turned around from the white talon to an upside down moon. For this blatant treachery, I propose that we not only bring down the Kingdom of Shidan but renew open hostilities with Morgathia as a measure of retribution,” Santoric countered and proposed, to the cheers of the majority of the senators present, while strong counter shouts rose from the Enlightened Party portion of the hall.
“While this might have some fraction of potential truth behind it regarding the timing of this attack, it still does not settle the rationale behind the aggression. That reason is hatred and fear of the Alliance and its bullying ways, especially of the weirs and the metallic dragons. This outward and forceful method of diplomacy almost legitimates the desperate measures such as we have seen toward the Alliance,” Tekend stood and smugly pontificated even though he was clearly intoxicated.
“Ha, potential truth is the best that the Enlightened can ever hope to espouse, and how was your ship ride home with your gracious Shidanese hosts, Senator?” Senator Zelmall stood and countered the arrogant Enlightened senator to the laughter of over half the senate and a few snorts from the dragons, including Gallanth.
“The Alliance and especially the weirs have been exerting overt control and pressure over too many kingdoms for too long, and this is now the result. This attack almost bears legitimacy as a result of our actions in wanting to spread the idea of a republic and freedom to others. The Morgathians do not even attempt this in their more efficient method of rule. Why do the Alliance and especially the meddlesome metallics feel a need to interfere when the Enlightened way, when fully explained, is the only path to contentment and order,” Enlightened Senator Bidenj rose to speak out of anger at Zelmall’s counter to Tekend’s argument.
“The Enlightened way is a path to drones and servitude, in the order of the orcs, an ant colony, or Morgathia itself,” Senator Dejent from Eladran Province rose and loudly spoke out, his thin features and steel gray hair accented by his anger at the POE senator’s almost blasphemous words. “When it was formed and united, the Alliance was the most unexpected, complete, and remarkable nation in the history of nations and kingdoms of this world. That day dawned a new era of light and freedom that has shown brightly for all others across the darkness of the world to see and pin hope upon. The Alliance rose as an independent republic among kingdoms, states, and other contrived powers. The fate of millions in the past and present and that of millions more still unborn has and will depend on the courage and conduct of the Alliance armed forces, the weirs, and the metallic dragons and riders. If the Alliance should fall, the whole of this world would slip into the shadow and darkness of tyranny. There would be no Alliance banner coming to the rescue of the oppressed or those in danger. Therefore, your ranting about the so-called evils that you attribute to the republic and the dragons are either sadly misinformed or downright malicious lies,” he finished to the standing ovation of most of the senate and the approving crooning of the dragons.
“The time for a vote is called; the evidence against the Shidanese and the Morgathians is indisputable,” Senator Santoric spoke up trying to circumvent further useless arguments from the Enlightened senators, but Senator Tekend quickly interrupted.
“Before a vote is cast, the involvement of the Morgathians is still in doubt. There was no such direct evidence of them at all besides maybe a few mercenaries that may have served with the Morgathian army,” the portly Senator Tekend stated.
“What do you call the black-sailed warships and the thousand chromatic dragons then?” Santoric angrily rebuked him.
“The standards on those vessels were not the Talon ships of the Morgathian fleet, and there has been a growing number of instances of the chromatic dragons working independently of the Covenant and Tiamat as of late. Even in the attacks on Battle Point and the eastern border with the fire giants, no Morgathian standards were displayed. Look at the attack on Dagrad and Hasera to see the pattern of war from both our weirs and a province of Morgathia, which was not evident in this latest attack. As far as an invasion of Shidan, it will likely be repulsed, for they are renowned desert fighters and it is their territory they will be defending,” Tekend weakly argued his untenable position.
“This is utterly ridiculous and beneath even Enlightened contempt. The Morgathian Talon standard was simply turned around to appear modestly Kallysh, and many of the ships that had the Blood Wolf pirate flags were so freshly made that the paint had run for they didn’t have time to be sewn. A poor attempt at a ruse. The attacks on Battle Point and the fire giant incursion were also clearly of Morgathian origin. As far as the Shidanese, you have all seen the crystal images of the weirs’ strike and how effective it was. The Shidanese and most of the Kallysh Southern Ontaror kingdoms talk big of war and their warriors’ prowess and bravery in their lotus smokehouses. However, in real battle, they fall easily to Alliance steel or just run for their lives like the true cowards they are,” Canjon, the dragon ambassador, said in an irritated fashion.
“How dare you talk of the Shidanese and Kallysh in such a manner! I personally witnessed the Dagrad soldiers fight the wings of chromatics to a standstill with nothing but their manticores, bows, and spears. They did not need dragons of their own to fend off the rogue chromatic threat to their capital city. The chromatic dragons were likely just looking for treasure simply to sustain themselves since the Alliance’s metallic dragons hoard the gemstone supply, using their strength to deny others of their kind adequate treasure and resources. This is very likely the reason that this isolated attack occurred against our coasts and especially Atlean Weir, due to its intrinsic wealth as the largest trade city’s fortress,” the gray-haired Senator Tekend angrily espoused.
“Yes, the chromatics were just trying to get their fair share of the metallics’ treasure, for they are likely starving. They were mistaken in attacking the innocent cities, likely due to hunger, and Atlean was the only city actually attacked and even then with very little damage,” Senator Turbic added to Tekend’s comments.
“This is the most idiotic theory I’ve ever heard. Then, Senators, why did they attack the city itself and not just the weir, or did those burning buildings by the harbor confuse you?” Senator Zelmall answered. “Did it occur to you, Enlightened Senators, that the metallics and our armed forces stopped them before they could get to any of our other coastal cities, as happened here in Draconia? This is the most blatant perversion of the truth I have ever heard. Unless you are delusional, you are shallowly engaging in devious and arrogant deceit,” he pointedly argued back.
“This is what I call ridiculous; simply put, our own dragons of the republic and our armed forces stopped them before they had much of a chance to cause mayhem and destruction. This is the most dim-witted argument I’ve ever heard, or maybe you are slightly delusional or possibly bordering on arrogant deceit. Did you also forget the massive armada that bore down on Atlean that was stopped by the dragons and the fleet, as well as the ice ships that had to be built in secrecy?” Senator Santoric continued to pressure the Enlightened for
um.
“Yes, speaking of those overpriced ships and these new breeds of dragons among others, how much did this cost the poor of Draconia who need more assistance and handouts from the republic? As a former high-ranking admiral in the Alliance Navy, let me remind the senate body that for any measure brought against Morgathia, definitive proof is needed that those were indeed their warships. No seeing crystal image or dragon memory can state that the true Talon flag of Morgathia was flown over a single vessel,” Senator Katsleez, a former admiral now turned POE, stated with his typical arrogance and condescension. The recently elected Senator Katsleez represented the northeastern portion of Draden city and province. He was a self-serving, self-righteous politician that Admiral Zewal had to relieve because of his incompetence and lust for power. Naturally, he found his way into politics, especially Enlightened politics, which welcomed him in with open arms.
“Yes, this blatant misuse of vital treasure and funds by the weirs is a disgrace, just as is their treatment of dignitaries, both foreign and domestic. A certain respect needs to be instilled in these arrogant dragons and their riders, and maybe then incidences like this incursion on Atlean could be prevented,” Terrjok added with a bit more of an angry tone in his usual condescending manner. This was likely the result of his being left behind in Shidan after the chromatic ruse attack and being forced to travel in less-than-luxurious conditions in a Shidanese merchant ship. That voyage had to take a long route to get to one of his company’s ships, which had eventually ferried him home past the massive naval battle that was underway.
“Ha, Enlightened Senator, you should have asked your good friend King Ibliss for better accommodations, like his own royal pleasure ship, to ferry you home,” Senator Cheyneck spoke out to the laughter of the majority of the senate, including snorts from the dragons. Senator Cheyneck was from the mountain region between Ice Bay and Ferranor Weirs and Provinces. He was a very intelligent, dedicated leader, but still had a razor-sharp sense of humor. His quick wit and pointed speech had made him quite a considerable political force in the Alliance. “And as for not boldly displaying the Talon flag of the Morgathian Navy in battle, Senator Katsleez, if you need more proof that this massive armada was not of their making, then you spent too much time at sea crushing your peers to get rank. The salt water and sea breezes have affected even your short-lived sensibilities,” the senator said with a sarcastic smile on his face, his receding gray hair accenting his devilish blue eyes and sharp features.
Just then, the dragon knight guards at the senate hall’s entrance announced a dignitary’s entrance. The sea elf king walked onto the senate hall floor and stood to be recognized by Senator Gindren, his pale greenish-blue skin was accented by his finely crafted light-aqua-colored scale armor, which he was wearing indicating he was fresh from battle.
“The senate recognizes the king of the sea elves, Aleslade. We are honored by your presence,” Senator Gindren announced to the senate body.
“Dragons, Senators, Dignitaries, and Friends, I want to first apologize for not warning the Alliance of this treacherous Morgathian attack. We were unfortunately struck with a massive saragwin hoard reinforced with many kraken, giant sharks, and dragon turtles. My people had to fall back almost to your shallows and into Sauric Bay before we could stem the onslaught. Their dark crystal enhanced shamans and kraken cast a dispel over our seeing crystals and we could not warn you. Most of our territory was compromised, except a few of our strongest undersea castles, and many of our whales were lost. We did stop them just short of the coast, but by then, their armada had slipped by and began their attack. If it wasn’t for your young bronze dragons from Freiland and your weirs, we would have been annihilated. Once the metallics arrived, the battle turned. We are now reclaiming our lost territory and silencing the last of the enemy’s resistance. As far as the nature of the attackers, a saragwin shaman we captured stated it was the Morgathians that had been helping them build up their forces for months in preparation for this attack.
“Their numbers are very diminished now, but they and the small remainder of the Morgathian and Shidanese fleet are sailing at full speed back east to their friendly ports in the Kallysh-held archipelago island kingdoms to refit before the long sail back to Morgathia,” the water elf spoke out in his strong, slurry accent; their vocal cords were more accustomed to speaking underwater.
Senator Hilrodra looked over to Senator Terrjok and Katsleez to challenge King Aleslade. Terrjok, even in his own arrogance, knew from experience that challenging an elf in a debate was almost always a losing proposition; his last tongue-lashing from Queen Eladra still stung. He subtly shook his head to decline the fight. She then peered at Senator Katsleez, who, while still angry at Senator Cheyneck’s comments about his military record, was deep down a coward and lowered his head. Senator Tekend was still feeling the effects of the wine from the previous night and this morning and was unable to be an effective debater as indicated by the stupidity of his earlier comments. She knew she had to take the lead on this one.
“Senator Gindren, I wish to address the senate in light of this new information,” she said.
“The senator from East Atlean Province is given the floor,” Gindren stated.
“While we all respect and admire our esteemed sea elf allies and partners, there still remains no definitive proof of Morgathian involvement in this invasion besides the hearsay of a few of your sea elves, a half-man half-fish shaman, and our dragonriders,” Hilrodra stated in a vain attempt to counter Aleslade’s statements.
The sea elf king immediately answered her challenge, “We thought that you and the Enlightened senators might state this, so we have come prepared.” He then pulled out his seeing crystal and spoke a command in his thick elfish dialect. A platoon of his personal bodyguards walked onto the senate floor with an assortment of Morgathian weapons and standards that they recovered from the ocean bottom. All were from the massive naval contest that occurred all along the lengthy Alliance coastal waters. Three of his magic-using shamans walked into the hall with their wizard’s staffs’ dragonstones glowing as they struggled to keep the black-iron dark crystal halberd sorcerer staff of the late sorcerer Dreadstone under control.
The dragons immediately stirred as they all sensed the great evil that had just entered the senate hall. Hestal and Jodem raised their staffs to aid the sea elf shamans in controlling the powerful Morgathian weapon. The halberd then settled back to the ground and stopped shaking as the two powerful wizards placed it under control. The dragons still winced at the presence of the weapon that had ended several of their kin’s lives, but Gallanth was especially bothered as he had just felt its sting.
“How could this be? I shot the evil weapon out of Dreadstone’s hand. I thought it exploded!” Mkel said out loud.
You must not have hit the dark crystal directly. The explosion you saw was what the late sorcerer had in store for you if you had not shot first, Gallanth answered him telepathically.
“As you can see, good Enlightened senators, all of these items are of exclusively Morgathian origin, but especially the deadly staff of the Covenant Talon sorcerer that Lord Gallanth and Captain Mkel slew in this treacherous attack,” Aleslade explained.
“Maybe Dreadstone went rogue and gathered this army and armada on his own,” Hilrodra suggested feebly.
“Never, Senator. While evil does conspire against evil, not even a Covenant Talon sorcerer and provincial overlord, such as Dreadstone was, could command so much without Tiamat’s and Stalenjh’s consent,” Queen Eladra spoke out of turn, which was unusual for her but commanded the absolute attention of the large senate gathering.
“Additionally, we have captured a Shidanese Black Scarab assassin whose ship had ventured too close to our sacred island off the Alliance coast. He and several of his compatriots were fleeing back to Shidan and had obviously never been in our or the Alliance waters. When my elves boarded their disguised s
hip, they took them temporarily off guard and killed two of my kin with poison darts. We slew all but one who was more than willing to talk to us after being persuaded. He confessed to the whole Morgathian-backed measure against the dragonriders, all in preparation for the Morgathian invasion that was to be solely blamed on Shidan. He also stated how many of the Enlightened Party officials had conspired with them to gain access to Alliance land and get close to the weirs,” Aleslade continued to the shock of the majority of the senate and dismay of the POE officials. At that, the whole of the senate erupted in shouts and arguments with many senators almost coming to blows.
Senator Gindren’s hammer pounded and echoed off the stone walls in an attempt to bring the chaos under control. The senate was being ripped apart with the news of this treachery. The Enlightened senators and party officials were put on the defensive, and like cornered animals, they were getting vicious.
“These claims are totally unfounded and likely contrived to put our honorable party and movement under a false light!” Senator Terrjok uncharacteristically shouted out above the fray.
“We will not tolerate these false, trumped-up charges, especially from a half-fish, pointy-eared green aberration of nature,” Senator Tekend finally gathered enough cognitive capacity to engage in the quarrel.
“Senator, that was uncalled for and an insult to our sea elf allies. How dare even you, of all the arrogant, insolent statements—” Senator Tomsfred began to chastise Tekend for his inflammatory remarks when Hilrodra quickly injected to keep the debate alive and stall a vote for war.
Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm Page 60
