"Thelvyn Fox-Eyes, you recall my older brother, Dorinn," Korinn said quickly, to remind Dorinn that this dragon was an old friend. "I take it the city is secure once again?"
"We're rounding up the last of the invaders who made it over the wall," Dorinn explained, still somewhat hesitant. "I was coming to look for you. I was concerned for your safety
when the gate wall collapsed."
"I need to gather a large force of fighters and lead them down through the secret ways," Korinn explained quickly. "The dragons are helping to destroy our enemies, but we must still help them in any way we can."
"Yes, of course," Dorinn agreed without hesitation. Dwarves always wanted to play as large a part in any fight as they could. "I must begin to set things in order here, especially the repair of the road. And I should send a message to the lower city so that father will know that the danger is over. It is over, isn't it?"
"It should be over by nightfall," Thelvyn answered. "We still have to hunt down the remaining Masters and either slay them or drive them from this world. They seem to have entered our world somewhere in the mountains north of the steppes. We might have to chase them all the way back there. If you can manage things here yourself, I'd like to take Korinn with me."
"Me?" Korinn asked, confused.
"Every city in Rockhome has been under siege. They might be pleased to see the dragons destroying their enemies, but they might need to be reassured about their new allies."
Dorinn was obviously pleased to continue his duties as the leader of the defenders of Dengar, even if it meant going into battle once again with his warriors. Making himself useful at such a time of need was very important to him, important enough that he was able to overcome his physical limitations by will alone. Aside from the ruined gate, the upper city had suffered little damage during the battle, although the gemstone dragons had once again inflicted damage on a number of the highest towers.
As it happened, the battle in the valley below was well on its way to being over. The dragons had already destroyed or driven away the Masters, and Kharendaen had led a score of red dragons against the invading army. By surrounding the invaders, the dragons were steadily driving them into a trap in a blind canyon a few miles north of Dengar. So far, Kharen-daen's chief concern had been struggling to prevent the red dragons from being needlessly cruel. All the gold dragons except for Thelvyn's bodyguards had left in pursuit of the Musters, since their greater size, speed, and magic were needed to fight the gemstone dragons.
Thelvyn selected one of the gold dragon clerics among his bodyguards to take command of the young reds. Then Korinn Hear Slayer mounted Kharendaen's saddle, which she had brought along in anticipation of this very need. Flying as itwiftly as they could, Thelvyn and Kharendaen made a complete circuit of the cities of Rockhome, beginning in the east with Kurdal and Smaggeft on the shores of Lake Klintest, then crossing the mountains to Evemur and on to Stahl. The dragons had already driven the Masters from all the cities, leaving behind a small force to deal with the invading forces abandoned by the gemstone dragons. Korinn spoke briefly with the leaders of each city and the local commanders, and then they hurried on.
By late afternoon, they arrived at Fort Denwarf. Korinn had been concerned about the safety of the fortress he had been forced to abandon, but the invaders had done no great damage in their haste to push on into Rockhome. Korinn planned to summon a small force under General Balar from Stahl in a couple of days to secure the fortress and begin necessary repairs. The dwarves would feel better once their borders were secure once more. The dragons had already slain more than twoscore of the Masters. The rest had fled across the steppes back toward their base somewhere in the Wendarian Range to the north, with over a thousand dragons in close pursuit.
The Ethengar were in a worse situation, scattered in the forests of the foothills of the mountains of Rockhome. They had witnessed the flight of the Masters and the pursuit of the dragons, but they didn't understand what was happening. They remained as fearful of the dragons as they were of any other enemy, and so they were unwilling to come out of hiding to speak with Thelvyn and Korinn. There seemed to be no way to get news to them until the dwarves returned to Fort Denwarf, and Korinn knew that they would have to remain in the lower mountains of Rockhome for some time to come. The steppes had been completely destroyed from north to south and across its full width from the Northern Reaches in the east to the Highlands in the west. Weeks or even months would pass before the deep grass and the herds would return to the blackened hills of the plains.
Night had long since fallen by the time they had returned to Dengar. The upper city seemed to glow under the golden light of hundreds of lamps and flickering torches, for the dwarves were already hard at work on repairs. Their first concern was with restoring the damaged portion of the gate ramp and the gate itself, since there was no way to carry goods in and out of the city while that access was blocked. Dragons had already lifted the body of the amber dragon out of the trap in the gate fort and were helping to fix the collapsed platform.
"Now, there's something I never expected to see," Korinn said as they circled down to land. "Dragons working alongside dwarves. How were you able to manage that?"
"I told them the dwarves would pay them a hundred gold crowns each for their trouble," Thelvyn said, staring straight ahead as he spoke. Finally he couldn't help smiling, and he turned his head to see if the dwarf was taking him seriously. "Actually, the dragons are genuinely concerned about the Masters. And being helpful to someone else is such a novelty to them that it piques their interest."
Kharendaen glanced at him briefly, as if she wanted to dispute his last remark about dragons, but she found that she could not. The gold dragons would, on rare occasions, offer some help to adventurers of other races if their quest and their motives seemed worthwhile. But for the most part, dragons were seldom helpful, even to each other.
Thelvyn circled wide, giving Kharendaen a moment to drop down quickly and settle onto the paving stones of the market square before the entrance to the lower city, a scene of great activity as the dwarves worked to restore Dengar. Everyone hurried out of the way as the two dragons approached, giving them far more room than they actually needed. Thelvyn dropped to the ground just as Korinn was climbing down from his saddle. The dwarves cheered loudly, and most of them rushed forward as soon as both of the dragons had folded their wings, but others paused to stare in awe and mutter among themselves when they saw that Thelvyn wore the Collar of the Dragons. He was pri-vntely amused to wonder if their admiration was for him or for the wealth of gold and jewels in the collar.
Korinn lifted his fist to the crowd in a triumphant salute. " The Masters are gone, their armies scattered. Rockhome once more belongs to the dwarves. The dragons have brought us victory!"
The dwarves cheered again, then began to chant his name rhythmically. Thelvyn was grateful that dragons lacked the capacity to blush. Kharendaen poked him gently with her nose, reminding him to sit up straight.
Then the crowd parted, and King Daroban himself stepped out to greet the dragons, together with his eldest son. Daroban still wore his armor, but Dorinn had changed to more casual dress and appeared to have rested some, possibly against his will. He was leaning on a cane and walking stiffly. The crowd fell silent as Daroban came to stand before Thelvyn.
"Greetings, Dragonking, lord of the winds," he declared.
"Greetings, Daroban, lord of the caverns," Thelvyn responded. "I have no wish to speak dark words at a time of celebration, but I cannot forget that we have won only the first battle in what will be a desperate war. Now that the Masters have seen what the dragons can do, they will be far better prepared for us next time. We have to be ready for them."
King Daroban nodded gravely, while the dwarves listened in silence. "I appreciate your warning, and I pledge to you all the assistance the dwarves have to give. We know now that if the dragons fall, then Rockhome must also fall in time. What can we do?"
"I have
already called a council from all the nations of our world to meet with me in Braejr," Thelvyn explained. "I need for you to select a representative to attend that council, someone you trust well enough to vote on important matters and whose judgment must be binding. You must be prepared to set aside all past differences with those who must now become your allies, at least until our common enemy is defeated. We must all stand together, dwarves and elves, men and dragons, or we will surely be defeated."
Daroban nodded grimly. "So be it. I understand that the Immortals themselves have selected you to be our leader. You have proven yourself devoted to your duty, and I defer to your authority in matters of our common defense. I hereby appoint my son Korinn to be our representative to your council, and to serve you in any way he can as your companion and advisor."
"Good," Thelvyn answered. "I will leave behind a small force of dragons until all the invaders have been hunted down. A couple of dragons will remain here at all times, to carry important messages and patrol your mountains for any sign of the invaders. I must now divide my force of dragons into equal parts and garrison them in different parts of the world so that we are ready to move quickly in response to the next attack, wherever it might come. But enough of grim words. It is time for a little more celebration and a great deal more work."
The dwarves cheered once again, and then the crowd began to break apart as they hurried back to their tasks. Thelvyn felt a great sense of relief. If dwarves could work side by side with dragons and even defer to his authority, there was good reason to hope for the success of the alliance.
"Will you be coming below?" Korinn asked.
Thelvyn shook his head. "As Dragonking, it befits my new station to remain in dragon form. I must seek my chief advisors, and then I will leave for Braejr at dawn. Will you be ready?"
"You will find me here."
The dwarves drew back, cheering once again as the two dragons leapt into flight. Thelvyn led the way, climbing quickly into the night sky above the lights of the city before he turned to glide slowly beyond the edge of the escarpment. During his approach, he had seen in the valley the lights of large fires, where the dragons remaining at Dengar were making their camp for the night. He hoped to find Marthaen or Jherdar there, although he had to be satisfied to wait when he did not find them. While he waited, young dragons eagerly brought roasted meat for both him and Kharendaen.
Marthaen arrived several hours later, near the middle of the night. Kharendaen had been lying curled in sleep, but Thelvyn had been sitting up on his haunches staring at the moon, lost in thought about the challenges he still faced. He moved quickly aside so that the older dragon would have room to land in the clearing.
"The Masters are gone," Marthaen reported simply as he folded away his wings. "They are swift and gave us quite a chase, but we had a force of a hundred dragons waiting in the Wendarian Range to intercept them. Only seven of them escaped us in the end, destroying their worldgate behind them. Apparently they were using only that one gate, since rhey had a large supply base hidden in a deep valley nearby. There was evidence of tens of thousands of soldiers spreading out from that one base to establish lesser camps in the foothills before they pushed into the steppes in a single line more than three hundred miles wide."
Thelvyn nodded slowly. "The dwarves thought there were a couple hundred of the gemstone dragons, but they had to admit that they had no way of knowing for certain."
"I would say they overestimated the number in their excitement. We found no more than some fourscore in all. As long as we have them completely outnumbered, we have no cause for concern."
"We don't dare count on that," Thelvyn said. "How many dragons did we lose?"
"We suffered a couple of hundred injuries, but few of them were serious," Marthaen answered, obviously pleased. "But I don't believe we lost a single dragon. As I say, we overwhelmed them with our numbers and caught them off guard. I am curious about one thing, however. When you and Kharendaen fought them in their own world, did you find them so strong? If you did, then I've underestimated not only you but my little sister as well."
Thelvyn laughed quietly, but Kharendaen looked fierce as she puffed out her chest proudly. "You must not forget that the clerics of the Great One are trained warriors. But to satisfy your curiosity, I found the Masters as swift and powerful in a fight as any mature gold dragon, but no more so."
"They seem to be stronger here in this world," Thelvyn said. "Their leader was at least three times as powerful as he should have been, although the others didn't seem as strong. And I would very much like to know why they are stronger here-if it is the result of some enchantment, or if they draw power in battle from the one who is called the Overlord. I also wonder if their enhanced strength is somehow due to their return to their true home world. Remember that the gemstone dragons came into existence when they tried to raise themselves to the level of the Immortals. They failed, but we don't know just what they might have done to themselves yet."
He paused a moment, then glanced at Marthaen. "At least I know now what the Collar of the Dragons is supposed to do for me. It enhanced my strength and powers tremendously when I faced the Masters."
"Legend always said the collar would enhance the powers of the Dragonking," Kharendaen pointed out.
"Yes, but no one could ever tell me how it works," he insisted, then frowned. "Tomorrow I must fly to Braejr to try to convince a group of people who normally do not get along that they must work together. I also must convince them to allow several hundred dragons to be garrisoned in their countries."
"Let Korinn Bear Slayer tell them about the invasion of Rockhome," Marthaen suggested. "That should improve their opinion of dragons."
*****
Thelvyn and Kharendaen left early the next morning, flying directly across the mountains of the Altan Tepes and the northern Broken Lands to Braejr. All during the flight, Thelvyn was concerned that this journey might be a waste of time. When he had left Braejr days before, Darius Glantri had been trying to use the considerable influence of Thyatis to arrange for a first meeting of parties to join in an alliance. Unfortunately, he had no idea of how much success the Thyatians had. He could only hope that a number of representatives had gathered and begun to work through their differences, setting aside past rivalries and complaints.
It was possible that the invasion of Rockhome had given them something to think about. Thelvyn now had the almost unquestioned support of the dwarves, and he had expected them to be among the hardest to convince. Of course, they now had experienced the danger of the Masters firsthand, and they had reason to be grateful. Thelvyn expected most of the other delegates to be far more reserved in their support. He wondered if he were beginning to think too much like a dragon, but he had to admit that it was far simpler to slay an enemy than to argue with an ally.
Their appearance over the city failed to raise any cries of alarm. That worried him, since he knew the generally bad opinion that the Flaem had of dragons. He had yet to prove that his armor was heavy enough to turn aside an arrow. He was apprehensive as he descended toward the yard of Solveig's house, waiting for the shrill challenge from a griffon. When he had landed in the yard and folded away his wings without hearing so much as a squawk, he began to hope that the griffon stables really had been moved to another part of the city.
Thelvyn moved aside quickly so that Kharendaen could land as well. They were both surprised when the door of the warehouse opened and a young gold dragon poked his head outside to stare at them. Thelvyn needed a moment before he recognized the young male as an old friend, the cleric, Sel-daek, who had journeyed with Sir George the previous year in search of the Collar of the Dragons. Sir George himself emerged from the front door of the house a moment later, followed by Solveig White-Gold and Darius Glantri.
"Korinn!" Solveig called when she saw the dwarf climbing down from his saddle. "Then the invasion of Rockhome is over?"
"Aye, thanks to the Dragonking," he declared. "The Masters were nearly
all destroyed, and their armies are broken and scattered. But our good dragon here is quick to remind me that the war is far from over and the worst still ahead."
"It seems I have no need to remind you," Thelvyn commented, watching while Kharendaen slipped out of her saddle. He turned to Darius Glantri. "We have indeed won a battle, mostly because I was able to trick the Overlord into believing that the dragons had refused to follow me. Now he knows better, and I expect that his next attack will come very soon and with far greater strength. We must be ready. I hope you can tell me you've had some luck in calling together a council to discuss an alliance."
"Then I can indeed contribute something to your good mood," Darius replied. "If Korinn Bear Slayer is here to represent the dwarves, then we now have delegates from all the major nations and a few minor ones. Even the Alphatians have sent a delegate-an affable chap, very eager to please, if a bit nervous at finding himself in the Flaemish realm."
"I want to talk to them as soon as I can. . within the hour, if possible," Thelvyn said, turning to the door of the old warehouse where Seldaek still sat. "I assume you moved the griffons somewhere else."
"We have them in the stables near the north gate," Solveig explained. "We had reached the point where we had too many griffons on hand to stable them all here. I've had the lair restored to the way it was when you left last year. The bed might be a little small for the two of you."
"We don't need a great deal of room," Kharendaen said succinctly. "But there is most certainly not room for three. Sir George, you will have to do something else with your friend."
"We've been preparing some lairs for dragon messengers in a warehouse near the palace," Solveig explained. "This place has been reserved for the private abode of the Dragonking and his consort. Do you need anything? A moose for lunch? A couple of virgins, perhaps?"
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