Warlords Rising

by Honor Raconteur

  “They do. In fact, the elder dragon that came to get us first? He suggested that what we actually do is bring all of the mated pairs that want to go with us and then they can sort out themselves who gets what territories. They will just branch out to the next conquered city when it’s time to do so; that way there’s always a large group ready to fight until we have all of Khobunter under control.”

  Becca gave an approving hum. “That’s smart. He’s right, that’s the best way to do it.” Turning to the mated pair, she said, “We would love for you to guard the place. It is an important city to us.”

  Nolan dutifully translated both ways. “They said they understand this and will keep it from being conquered again.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Trev’nor looked around him slowly. “Ah, Nol? Are you saying that every dragon that’s around us wants to go?”

  “Of course,” Nolan said slowly, puzzled. “I thought you understood that.”

  Becca’s jaw dropped. “What? Seriously?!” There had to be a good hundred dragons crowding around them!

  “These are our volunteers,” Nolan explained, laughing at their reactions. “Most of them are mated pairs, and they’re not interested in pairing up with us, so they want territories of their own to guard. A few of them are hopefuls wanting to partner with us, if we feel like it would be a good match.”

  This was far, far more than they had hoped for. To have so many willing to go was nothing short of astounding.

  “They’re not sure what Khobunter looks like,” Nolan continued. “Trev, can you do that thing Garth does? The mini-map?”

  “Sure, sure.” Trev’nor spread his hands out wide, encouraging dragons to back up. “I mean, it’s not going to be completely accurate, as I haven’t been there myself, and I’m going off a map mostly. That still work?”

  “They just need an idea right now, so they can talk it over and start divvying up territory,” Nolan explained. “And make it larger than that, you have a huge crowd here.”

  In more than one sense of the word. Becca stepped back too, giving Trev’nor space, as he created a topical map of the whole country. The cities and Ruins of Rheben were almost miniatures popping out of the ground, the streams and oasis represented as close to what could be found in nature as possible with only stone to work with. Really, the amount of detail that Trev’nor could pull off was amazing. He might have a finer hand at this than Garth did.

  Finished, Trev’nor looked up at Nolan. “That work?”

  “Garth would be proud,” Nolan assured him with a low whistle of appreciation. Distracted, he twisted to look up at the elder green dragon, the two of them clearly speaking with each other for a moment. “Huh. We’ve apparently mentioned Garth enough that he’s picked up on the name. He wanted to know who it was we’re speaking of.”

  Interesting that he would do that. “That means he’s paying very close attention to everything we’re saying.”

  “I’ve actually been teaching him words,” Nolan told her. “He’s been one of the more avid students. Anyway, back to this. So, this is Rurick?” Nolan pointed to a city at the bottom of the map.

  “Right. And that’s the Ruins of Rheben.” Trev’nor played tour guide on his map, pointing out cities, pausing to give Nolan time to translate. By the time they were through the map, some of the dragons were trying out the names of the cities, although the pronunciation was usually off.

  Becca was relieved they were trying to learn Chahirese, as she couldn’t begin to figure out how to communicate with them. Even Nolan had to cheat outrageously with his magic to pull it off.

  A sapphire blue dragon came and nudged against her side, blinking pale gold eyes at her. After a startled blink, Becca recognized her as the dragon that had carried her here. “You’re coming too?”

  Nolan caught this exchange and answered, “She was one of the first volunteers. She saw for herself firsthand what Khobunter’s like, what we had to do to survive, and she’s very, very angry about the whole thing.”

  This touched Becca, to have someone she barely knew be so angry for her sake. Reaching out, she rubbed at the sensitive spot on the blue dragon’s nose, which earned a happy rumbling purr. “Thank you.” Struck by a thought, she twisted and mouthed to Nolan, ‘Mated?’

  He shook his head no.

  Oh, so this was one of the hopefuls? Becca found the dragon to be stunning in looks and she had a sweet personality. Perhaps this would be a good pairing? Wanting to test the theory out, she requested, “Nol, translate for me? Ask her if she’d take me for a short flight around this area. I want to study the weather patterns up here and it’s easier if I can do it up high.”

  “Sure.” Nolan slipped around two dragons to be more in line of sight and asked. “She said she’d love to. She said, as a prearranged signal, double tap her to get her attention and point where you want to go.”

  Smart of her to think of that now. “I will.”

  Trev’nor levied himself off his knees, brushing the dirt off as he stood. “Well, I think you’re set here, Nol. You can talk to them about all of this. But I don’t think we should just stand around here and take what they’re offering. Can you ask them if there’s anything they need help with?”

  Nolan gave him a knowing a look. “Tonkowacon manners kicking in?”

  “Can’t take without giving back,” Trev’nor responded with a shrug.

  True, it was bad form to do that, especially with as much help as the dragons were giving them.

  “I can ask, sure.”

  With the boys occupied, she patted the blue dragon to get her attention and then pointed skyward. “Shall we go up?”

  The dragons did indeed have things that needed to be done. Trev’nor got quite the “Magus-Do-List” when he offered his services—everything from creating more nesting caves to extending rocky areas near the falls so there was more ledge room. The green elder dragon was the one that took him around, showing him what needed to be done, with Nolan playing translator.

  Trev’nor wasn’t quite sure why the elder dragon liked to be around them so much. He was clearly done with his initial duty but he stayed nearby anyway. Part of it might be curiosity, as he seemed more determined than most of the dragons to learn how to speak in human languages. He absorbed words so quickly that it almost put Kaya to shame. Part of that, though, might have been that Nolan was the one teaching.

  It took him the whole day to get the nesting grounds right. There were mother dragons up here that were specifically charged with watching over the eggs and making sure that all was well. Trev’nor had the equivalent of six mothers-in-law following him around and making sure that he got every detail exactly right. By the end of the day, Nolan looked as harried as Trev’nor felt, and both boys were glad that finally, finally, the nesting grounds met their collective approval.

  The dragon chief came down himself to take a look. It had amazed Trev’nor, the size of him, as he didn’t think anything living could get that big. How did he even fly, that was Trev’nor’s question. He looked the whole area over with a thorough scrutiny before turning and, via Nolan, stated, “You have done well here, Earth Mage. You have our thanks.”

  With the chief’s spoken approval, even the mothers-in-law had to agree, which meant Trev’nor was finally free. He thankfully escaped back to the perch he had slept on the night before and fell immediately to sleep.

  Day two in dragon territory wasn’t nearly as taxing. All he did was extend ledges and create more tree hollows for nests. The hardest part about this was making sure that the new ledges could hold the weight of several dragons. The green dragon and some of the fledglings happily tested them out for him. The rock didn’t even shift under their weight.

  Satisfied, he went to the next project.

  Nests, as it turned out, were a very personal thing. Trev’nor and Nolan had to speak to each dragon requesting a new nest, asking for their preferences, before he could start on one. It also took their combined powers to grow tree limbs the righ
t direction and then hollow them out without harming the tree in the process. Trev’nor shifted rocks and dirt about to act as an anchor for the trees as Nolan tweaked them to grow just right. It was anything but a simple process.

  After doing six nests in a row, he’d had enough, and wanted nothing more than to get off his feet for a while. Taking the canteen from his waist, he guzzled half of it. “Break time.”

  “I can go with that.” Nolan flopped immediately to the ledge, not minding that the waterfall was close enough to mist him with spray.

  Trev’nor found the spray refreshing and plopped down right next to his friend. He twisted so that he lay on his back, looking aimlessly toward the sky. Overhead, he saw the sapphire blue dragon and Becca fly past, making a wide circle around the area. “Becca sure is spending quality time up in the air.”

  “She said there’s something wonky about the weather patterns up here,” Nolan responded almost absently. “She’s almost got it figured out, I think, she’s just double checking to make sure she hasn’t jumped to conclusions. But have you noticed? It’s always that dragon that takes her up.”

  “I noticed.” Trev’nor grinned skyward. “How much you want to bet those two pair up?”

  “I don’t take sucker bets.”

  The green dragon laid down next to Trev’nor and put his head squarely on Trev’s lap. Only Trev’nor’s feet poked out the other side. Used to this, he obligingly scratched, sending the dragon into rumbling purrs.

  “Speaking of pairings…” Nolan drawled. “You do realize by now, I hope, that this particular dragon likes you?”

  Trev’nor froze, head creaking around to stare at Nolan with wide eyes. “Come again?”

  “Our options of pairings are not just the young ones,” Nolan chided, eyes laughing. “Is that what you thought? Some of the elder dragons, like this one, don’t have mates and so are willing to go into Khobunter.”

  Actually, no, Trev’nor hadn’t realized any of that at all. He could barely tell ages when it came to the dragons. He only knew this one was older because he was bigger than most of the adolescents and Nolan had told him he was an elder. Otherwise there was nothing about his range of motion or actions to indicate his age. But it was true, in the time he’d known the dragon, he’d followed Trev’nor around like an oversized puppy. And he could admit that he’d grown rather attached.

  A dark gold eye opened and locked onto Trev’nor’s. “Like Trev,” he rumbled in a voice deeper than mountains.

  Trev’nor had a moment where it was honestly hard to breathe. There was this sense of hovering on a thin line, as if his future could go either direction. It was a little scary. He felt a surge of anticipation shoot up his spine and he had to wet his lips twice before he could speak. “Do you really? I mean, we’ve known each other four days. Are you sure?”

  “Sure,” the dragon answered promptly.

  “They don’t need to think like we do, Trev,” Nolan inserted quietly. “Their instincts are a lot better than ours when it comes to others. Remember, Kaya knew Krys all of five minutes before attaching herself to him.”

  That was a very valid point. In fact, that threw the situation into an entirely new light, as it had been watching the bond between Kaya and Krys that made Trev’nor want a dragon to begin with. They were such amazing friends, such good partners, that it would make anyone want a dragon.

  For the first time, Trev’nor decided to trust in another’s instincts more than his own doubts. If this dragon thought they would be a good pairing, then he wanted to believe that, and work to make it true. So he took a deep breath for courage, or maybe just to fight down the butterflies in his stomach. “Then, want to partner up with me?”

  That considerable tail flicked back and forth in a happy wag, and he raised his head long enough to give a very human-like nod. “Partner. My partner.”

  Trev’nor sat up enough to lean against that massive head and breathe deeply. “Good,” he whispered against warm skin.

  “Your habit of making snap decisions is going to scare ten years off of me,” Nolan complained to him.

  Not worried, Trev’nor just laughed and sat back. “It was the right snap decision.”

  “It usually is,” Nolan allowed, making a face, “but still. Alright. I guess we need to think of a name for him?” Nolan confessed to the dragon, “I have no idea how to translate your name into Chahirese. It’s very long and complicated.”

  This was the first Trev’nor had heard about him having a name. Well, of course he did, the dragons’ had their own sense of naming. “Really? How complicated?”

  “Seriously, I have no idea how to even try. It has to deal with a certain feeling of wind and air and sky that only Becca would probably understand.”

  The dragon’s eyes bounced between the two of them, only partially following all of this. There was no way he had the right vocabulary to understand. Trev’nor tried to break it down into simple terms for him. “Can’t say your name. Too long. Can I give you one?”

  Head canted, his dragon looked at him for a moment before declaring. “Garth.”

  Trev’nor blinked at him, not following. What did Garth have to do with any of this?

  “Name me Garth,” the dragon stated, then blew out a breath, satisfied with his own words.

  “Ahhh…” Trev’nor looked to Nolan, lost on why his dragon wanted Garth’s name.

  Nolan looked just as confused, so fell to Dragonese to ask for an explanation. It must have been a good one, as he got that look on his face that said he was going to start laughing any second.

  “Nol?” Trev’nor prompted impatiently.

  “This is good.” Nolan bit his lip but even so a chuckle escaped. “Right, so, we’ve been mentioning Garth on and off for days, right? Apparently he’s figured out that Garth is an older person that is wise, or at least has a lot of authority back home. I explained Garth as a mentor and teacher, but he’s taken his understanding past that. So, to him, Garth is a powerful name and one that is suitable for him.”

  “Garth,” the dragon maintained, growing stubborn.

  “He won’t hear about any other name,” Nolan tacked on, finally losing the battle and laughing outright.

  “But that’s going to get really confusing,” Trev’nor complained, although even he saw the humor in it. “I mean, how do we keep the two separate? Magus-Garth, Dragon-Garth? My Garth, the other Garth?”

  “I guess so.” Nolan shrugged, looking innocent, but he was still laughing on some internal level. It was clear in his expression. “Either way, he’s not changing his stance on this. You’re stuck with Garth the Dragon.”

  It looked like he was at that. Well, Garth would likely get a kick out of this later, when they finally did call home. Resigned, more than a little amused, he faced his dragon and said, “Garth it is.”

  Garth gave a contented purr and settled back down for more scratches.

  The man really was a legend in his own time. Even dragons wanted to be named after him. Trev’nor looked forward to the day when he could spring this surprise on his old teacher. “Nol, you are hereby banned from telling Garth this over mirror.”

  “And miss his reaction? Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Becca descended from the blue dragon’s claws with a small sigh of relief. She truly enjoyed flying, no doubt about that, but her hair kept flying into her face and there was only so much of that a girl could take. She really had to come up with a method of keeping her hair secured that worked more than five minutes. She patted the dragon on the leg as she descended. “Thank you. Good flight.”

  The dragon purred back at her, bumped her gently with her nose, then took several steps back before taking off again. She was no doubt hungry, after having carted Becca around for a good portion of the day. Becca certainly was, as she’d skipped lunch entirely. They were coming up short on foods to eat, but with a Life Mage in tow, she was certain that it wouldn’t be a problem for long. All she had to do was find Nolan.

  Due to
common sense, she did not cook up in any of the trees. For one thing, she didn’t want to set the whole forest on fire. For another, she needed a ready source of water. After asking, the dragons pointed her in the direction of a shallow depression near the water that shielded her cookfire from the wind, while at the same time giving her the space she needed. It wasn’t perfect, but no campfire ever was. It worked and that was all she cared about.

  Before leaving this morning, she had put several lines into the river in the hopes of catching something. Really, the situation called for a net, but she didn’t have one to use. She went there first to check but not only was every line empty, there were a few that looked frayed at the end. She eyed one of them suspiciously. “I think something is amok.”

  “You would be correct,” Nolan answered, coming to squat down next to her. “The fledglings figured it out this morning that fish could be found here. The adults tried, but they’re sneaky when it comes to food. By the time they caught them, they already had the fish in their mouths.”

  She let out an aggravated growl. “Scamps.”

  “You know, that’s exactly what the chief said?” Nolan chuckled and shrugged. “The young don’t always do what they’re told. It’s part of growing up.”

  “The older ones don’t do it either.”

  “Like us?”

  “Like us,” she agreed. “Well, Nol, since you’re here, catch me some fish.”

  “That I can do.” He turned an intent gaze into the water.

  Now that she thought of it… “Does this bother you? Luring in animals to eat them.”

  “It did once, when I was about six and I figured out where the yummy meat on the table was coming from,” he answered almost absently. “But really, to a Life Mage, plants have as much life force as any animal. Eating vegetables and fruits only doesn’t make it any better for me. I had to learn to be alright with eating both plants and animals because I couldn’t really differentiate between the two. To do otherwise is a path to madness.”