“Lately, King Reshdon, in their capital city Elsidor, is losing his ability to bring the clans together when the situation is required,” General Daddonan concluded. “The Kaskar Empire is suffering from a great deal of internal strife and in-fighting. There is an unusually aggressive atmosphere among clan leaders that has weakened the region.”
“How are they countering the Morgathian and drow sorcerers along with the chromatics?” Jodem asked.
“They swarm the diving chromatic dragon with a barrage of obsidian-tipped arrows and hundreds of the mounted snow and ravenhawks,” General Daddonan explained, “which eventually either drives them off or fells them. The whites usually attack until they are killed or severely wounded, as do the blacks. The greens are more cautious but still are aggressive and sadistic, but they usually retreat. Blues are much more deliberate and will usually fall back after both inflicting and taking a great deal of damage. Red dragons, as you know, are the most dangerous, and it takes several clans in concert to drive one off. The drow and Morgathian sorcerers are just as hard for them to fight, especially if they are on a flying mount. Again, barrages of arrows and spears finally break their magic shields. The Kaskars do have a few moderately powerful sorcerers that have bastardized dark crystals or pieces of a young chromatic’s synthensium as a source of their magic. Their crude craftsmen do synthesize weapons from dragon parts of the chromatics that they manage to kill.” General Daddonan explained. The general moved to show his guests a large map on the wall.
“It is very dangerous to use a dark crystal,” Jodem said with concern, “for its malevolent powers can either seduce or destroy the wielder. Are they getting them through trade or warfare?”
“A little of both,” Colonel Sykes interjected, “but their sorcerers don’t usually last long enough for their crystals to overtake them.”
“This is why now is the time for you, Gallanth, and your whole garrison to come out here. It would be a great bargain, not only for protection but to set up the Alliance for a speedier negotiation to bring the Kaskar clans back into the fold,” General Daddonan added.
“It is also well known that the Kaskars are very distrustful of the Alliance and especially dragons. This is not easy to understand, because they and the kingdom of Freiland share a common ancestry, with the Freilanders being our strongest ally,” Jodem said.
“Yes, but events are changing,” Daddonan said. “It is only a matter of time before some belligerent white or red dragon attacks Elsidor, and then they will beg us for protection. It would be as if you and Gallanth came to their rescue. Gallanth, you are what, over twice the size of a white and a head longer than the biggest red dragon?”
“Yes, General, I can easily defeat six or more white dragons, and it would take three reds to hope to match me, but remember the chromatics breed at a much faster rate than the Alliance metallics. In spite of our power you’ve seen gold dragons fall right here at Battle Point years ago. The fact that we are soul mated and blood bonded with our riders greatly enhances our power, which is what saved us and the Alliance during the Great War. Recently the chromatics and other evil forces have been getting more aggressive and coordinated, which is unusual for them without Morgathian direction. This is why we suspect that Morgathia has regained her strength and is preparing for something on a larger scale,” Gallanth explained.
“Aren’t you more vulnerable to a white dragon’s icy breath weapon?” Daddonan asked.
“Gallanth is more susceptible to cold-based weapons,” Mkel explained, “but not as much as a red dragon is. He is also physically stronger than the most powerful red dragon and more maneuverable in the air, with his spell shield over three times as resilient. A red dragon’s fire has a diminished effect against his golden armored hide, while Gallanth’s plasma fireball will still inflict a severe injury against them. The sunburst beams he fires from his eyes can even tear into a red dragon’s heavily armored hide. His spell casting powers are unmatched by any other dragon except Michenth and Tiamat themselves.
“This is not to dismiss the power of the chromatic dragons, for even a white is a formidable foe. A large red can wipe out an entire battalion in a flash,” Mkel added.
“Here is an image of a red dragon that was seen by our ranger scouts last week, flying over the southwest plains from the mountains,” Colonel Sykes explained as he directed his seeing crystal to show a good-sized red dragon over the projection of the terrain, soaring and scanning the area in front of him.
Red dragons were the most powerful of the chromatic dragons and perhaps the most cruel, evil, and aggressive. They were very greedy, vain, and covetous, boldly attacking anything they saw with a confidence that many times superseded their intelligence or judgment. Red dragons were extremely powerful physically, with only gold dragons being stronger. They bullied other chromatics and led lesser evil dragons in battle if only to hoard the glory and the treasure, or under the direction of a particularly powerful sorcerer or group of Morgathian nobles, who could mediate them through both their own power and threats from Tiamat.
The reds had a malevolent and threatening appearance, with their scales being a dull crimson red with hints of black on their wings. They slightly resembled silver dragons in their face and head, but their snouts were slightly thinner and narrower in appearance, with black streaks accenting their crimson coloration. Their bodies and wings also resembled silver dragons, with the same large wings and tail length, as well as back ridges. In general, they had a more sinister appearance, with a greater neck frill and narrower eyes.
With their heads not being as broad or powerfully built as a gold dragon’s, their bite was meant more to tear than to crush. They had two protruding, twisted horns that swept back from the top of their heads and also spawned a small row of horns that ringed the top of their eye sockets. Chromatics in general had twisted main skull horns as opposed to the smooth horns of metallics. The red dragon snouts were sharp, with several teeth that protruded from their mouths. Their eyes and nostrils also had very sharp edges, adding to their sinister appearance. The red dragons had the longest wingspan of the chromatic types, averaging sixty to sixty-five yards, and they were thirty to forty yards long, approximately the same size as a silver dragon. Their immense size and similar wing outline caused them to be confused with silver dragons when viewed from the ground as they flew overhead at high altitude, for their silhouette was almost identical. This was not a good mistake to make.
Red dragons had a particular disdain for humans and elves but they remotely respect power. While they were as large as silver dragons and more physically powerful, they were slower and much less maneuverable in flight. They were also natural enemies of silver and gold dragons and attacked silvers on sight, even attacking a gold if goaded into doing so. The more intelligent gold and silvers usually played on a red dragon’s vanity, for the powerful reds were not used to being challenged. While these evil specimens had powerful magical abilities, the gold dragons always prevailed, and the silvers almost always succeeded in a fight. This was due to their superior intelligence, faster recharging breath weapons, and spell abilities derived from having a blood bonded rider. In spite of this, the red dragons’ pride usually provoked them into a fight, which was usually their undoing.
Even with this realization, red dragons still believed themselves to be the epitome of dragonkind, and they resented the superior power of gold and silvers. They were apt to fly into a blind rage in an instant over an insult, a stolen piece of treasure, or a challenge to their strength. These rages often led them to raze entire towns. Their competition amongst themselves also led to conflict. Red dragons loved attacking copper and brass dragons when they could catch them.
They as a species led the charge, under Tiamat’s direction, against the dragons’ blood bonding with humans. Reds only allowed the most powerful humanoids to ride them. This was done out of fear, mutual lust for destruction, acquisition of
treasure, or simple convenience, but always for their best interest, unless they were otherwise coerced. Their temporary riders were not blood bonded, so the telepathic link did not exist, making them a less effective team than metallic dragons and their riders. It also did not increase their magical power or enhance their breath weapon. They worked with the leaders of the Morgathian Empire out of necessity and quest for treasure, as well as hatred of the metallic dragons and their human, elf, and dwarf allies. They were, however, still not easy to rally, with Tiamat being the only creature the red dragons obeyed without question. The five Usurper dragons also helped Tiamat control the chromatics. Only a very powerful sorcerer, death knight, or warlord can control a red dragon.
The red dragons preferred high mountains and caves for their lairs, and they would like nothing more than to plunder a Weir for its wealth and location. While they could swim, they adamantly disliked the water, leaving that realm to the black and green dragons. They would occasionally form pacts with fire giants along with orcs and drow, and occasionally with evil mountain giants. Chromatic dragons and the evil giant races always had an uneasy relationship, however. Many times, fire giants took young dragons and used them as guards and mounts until the dragons became large enough to rebel, then they might become the slaves. The chromatics and mountain, fire, ice, and common giants suffered tremendous casualties during the Great Dragon War, but they all reproduced much faster than their good counterparts. The red dragons were also not known for taking care of their young, but the females protected selected clutches. They preferred fresh meat, with young human or elf maidens and children considered a delicacy due to them also deriving power from their fear. They also consumed sulfur-bearing rocks along with gems, to give them the power for their breath weapons and magic.
Red dragons did not have the ability to create dragonstones; however, they could empower certain weapons, usually made of black iron, with fire ability by adding a drop of their blood. Weapons that were empowered in this way, such as swords, axes, and certain bows, could only sustain their power for a limited amount of time, after which they needed to be recharged by the dragon, who usually only did so at a great price or favor. They can enhance dark crystal, but again the effects are temporary, but with this substance more powerful. Red dragons had the second toughest armored hide, equal to silver dragons, which offered them tremendous protection and fire resistance (with the exception of a gold dragon’s plasma fire blast).
They were strong flyers but not as fast or as maneuverable as metallic dragons, preferring to fight on the ground if possible. They only had limited magical ability, which was mostly fire based. This was due to them not being bonded with a human rider, which was also a disadvantage in combat with metallic dragons. Red dragons did have the power of suggestion against weak-minded creatures, which they used to their advantage. Their tails did not have the broadened terminal fin that gold dragons did, but they had large dorsal ridges. They liked to pick fights with coppers, and they usually had the upper hand over the smaller earth dragons. Additionally, their power of teleportation was more limited than that of a metallic dragon, both in the number of times they could use it and in accuracy.
Jodem spoke up, “the important thing to remember is timing. If an attack such as this would occur to either Elsidor or one of the southern kingdoms, we still could not respond or help unless we are asked. I do know there is a planned visit to the northern city. Our ambassadors are currently negotiating this now. Likely Mkel, Gallanth, and I will attend along with Slidess and Trikenth and a contingent from Draconia.” Jodem had interjected somewhat forcefully, much to the surprise of Mkel. He must have been talking to the Wizard Council yesterday, he thought to himself. “The elf queen Eladra has also had disturbing visions as of late. She sees danger from both the east and the west of the Alliance. Her vision from the east was that the people of the low plains are in danger. This is partially why we are here to investigate,” Jodem further explained.
“People of the low plains in the east?” General Daddonan asked. “Could she mean the village of Handsdown? It is a small but growing trading village located about a hundred miles to the east of here at the edge of our territory. We have an infantry platoon there with cavalry and a small aerial contingent as an outpost that we rotate every week or so.”
“I would send them reinforcements as soon as possible,” Gallanth said, “just as a precaution. I too am feeling a looming danger in that direction.”
Eladra was the queen of Allghen Forest, the central elf realm within the Alliance that was treated as a separate nation within the republic. She was more powerful than any wizard or sorceress in the land. Her magical power alone stopped a whole division of orcs during the Great Dragon War, and she felled at least three red and blue dragons herself. While Gallanth as a gold dragon, Jodem, and to a lesser extent silver and brass dragons had a limited power of foresight, Eladra was the most gifted by far. She was so revered, by men and dragon alike, that they renamed a Weir after her: Eladran Weir. Mkel only saw her once, when he bonded with Gallanth. She resembled Beckann to a certain degree but was even more beautiful, with her gold and platinum hair and iridescent aqua-colored eyes.
“I will send a hippogriff squadron to drop off the rest of that company, just to make sure. Colonel Sykes, please see to this immediately,” General Daddonan ordered.
“Yes sir, right away,” the colonel answered as he nodded to both the hippogriff and infantry battalion commanders that were present.
“I guess I will not be able to convince you to break your defense pact with Draden and Colonel Wierangan,” he said again to Mkel and Gallanth.
“As of right now, no sir, but I will contact Colonel Wierangan to see if some compromise can be reached. It is as much a matter of courtesy as upholding my word as an Alliance officer and dragonrider, and is something that must be discussed in person not over seeing crystals,” Mkel answered.
“All right, Dragonrider, I will also talk to him when I can arrange a trip back west, as soon as I can break away from here. Until then, I know we can count on you all if we have our backs against the wall. We do have a special treat for you, Jodem and Gallanth. The legion is having an inspection today, in Gallanth’s honor, and you are welcome to attend. Afterward, there will be a celebration, feast, and dance to welcome the beginning of the harvest and to honor our hopeful future dragon and rider allies,” Daddonan said, giving a nod to Gallanth.
“It is disheartening to see a general grovel like that. Beg to a captain and a dragon,” Colonel Sykes whispered to Colonel Ponsellan, the commander sitting next to him.
“We graciously accept your invitation, sir,” Mkel said.
“You need not honor me, General. I am always happy to serve the Alliance and help protect its inhabitants and further the cause of light. And Colonel Sykes, it is not considered groveling to ask for help to protect your soldiers,” Gallanth added, putting the legion second in command on the spot.
“As you say, Master Dragon,” General Daddonan said as he stood up, triggering all in military uniforms to stand up and salute the legion commander as he gave Sykes an evil stare. “Captain, Master Wizard, I will have an attendant see you to your quarters.”
“Thank you, General,” Jodem answered with a slight smile as they started to walk out onto the landing field to get their gear from their mounts. The day was turning out to be beautiful and sunny, with a slight warm breeze. There would be time before the legion assembly in the afternoon to settle in and walk around. “You handled the general well, my friend,” Jodem whispered to Mkel after they were outside. “You didn’t cave into his request, but you also did not outright dismiss him either.”
“What do you think Colonel Wierangan will say?” Mkel asked.
“There will most likely be a compromise, with Wierangan consenting to have the garrison perform exercises with Battle Point on occasion and come to their aid if needed, until they get a d
ragon or two from Draconia. Plus, like the general said, we do have a degree of autonomy,” Jodem added.
“Time will tell,” Mkel responded. “It should not be long before an Avenger dragon or at least a brass or copper can be stationed out here. Freiland should be getting Turanth, the young bronze dragon,” Gallanth said as softly as possible.
“That is, if the POE senators do not try to block the move,” Jodem answered as he and Mkel moved their gear into their rooms beside the legion headquarters, facing the landing field so he and Gallanth could see each other through the window of Mkel’s room.
“The senate has its agenda and we have ours, Master Wizard. The Enlightened senators have only been emboldened from former Premier Bilenton’s tenure,” Gallanth replied as he lay down and started to fall asleep in spite an ever growing crowd of onlookers. Both legionnaires and civilians gathered to get a peek at the big gold dragon, who looked impressive, even when sleeping. Jodem told Mkel that he wanted to see Andellion before everything started and wish him a speedy recovery, and also to get a little information from him regarding his fight with the drow.
The next several hours passed quickly, with Mkel watching as hundreds of Alliance soldiers, horses, hippogriffs, and land dragons poured out of the barracks and stables. The legion at Battle Point was slightly modified from the standard Alliance legion design, in that it was larger and most of the infantry units were horse mounted, similar to Eladran Weir’s legion. Not all were skilled to fight mounted like paladins, but they rode for rapid transportation because of the distances they had to cover out there on the plains of the unsettled lands. The basic legion was composed of roughly six thousand soldiers. This included three medium infantry battalions and a heavy infantry battalion to form the infantry regiment, a land dragon battalion, a heavy horse cavalry squadron, a catapult battalion, a sapper unit, a support corps battalion, and a ranger company. The Battle Point legion had four infantry battalions instead of three, and all were mounted. They had two additional medium cavalry battalions to supplement its heavy cavalry battalion that formed a regiment. This was also done to counter the roving gangs of bandits that plagued the area, preying on the many trade caravans, as well as the Kaskar clans that frequently broke the treaty and raided towns and merchant wagon trains.
Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow Page 19
