"Wait a moment," the mayor interrupted, stepping out through the gate. "Look! It's the dragons."
Led by the Dragonking, a small band of dragons circled down from the north to land in the field just beyond the east gate. The invasion force had not yet reached the city, although Thelvyn could see narrow columns of soldiers and lines of wagons hardly five miles to the east, stretching back toward the mountains in the distance. The mayor and the captain of the city guard hurried to meet with Thelvyn as soon as he approached.
"Will the dragons protect us?" the mayor asked, almost pleading. The nearby Flaem appeared distracted, and most were obviously in varying degrees of pain. The will of the Masters was already like a storm raging in their minds.
Thelvyn shook his head sadly, hating to refuse such a desperate plea. "The Masters were warned before I could summon a force of dragons from the east. The dragons won't be here any sooner than dawn tomorrow, and your city will not endure that long. But we will defend you for as long as we can."
"We'll fight beside you!" the captain of the guard declared vehemently.
"I appreciate your spirit, but you mustn't," Thelvyn insisted. "Tell me quickly how bad it is in the city. How far does the influence of the Masters reach?"
"Not too many yet," the mayor said. "Our problem is that their influence is becoming stronger, and it's becoming harder for us to resist."
Thelvyn glanced at Kharendaen, who was frowning. "It will only get worse, especially when the Masters themselves arrive. The city is indefensible, even with the help of myself and my dragons. I suggest that all those who still command their own minds flee Braastar at once. Even your garrison force, which should follow as a rear guard. We will hold this gate until the Masters themselves force us to withdraw."
"But where should we go?" the mayor asked.
"South, to Braejr. I'm hoping that the Fire Wizards can make use of their special powers to break the influence of the Masters, and the dragon sorcerers will be gathering there tomorrow. Our best hope to protect your people from domination rests in Braejr."
The defenders of Braastar hated to abandon their city, but they were quick to agree to Thelvyn's plan. The mayor left to make preparations for the retreat of all those who still were in control of their wills and desired to leave. Fortunately many of the people could be placed on barges and small boats to float down the Aalban River to Braejr, arriving considerably sooner than those who would walk or ride. The soldiers of the city garrison closed and barred the east gate, then hurried to assist with the evacuation of the city.
As soon as the gate was shut, Thelvyn prepared to do what he could to buy some time for the evacuation of the Braastar. The other dragons in his company stayed close beside him, lying on the ground near the wall of the city so that they could not easily be seen across the couple of miles of open fields between them and the distant forest. So far, Thelvyn had yet to see the gemstone dragons themselves, and that led him to wonder if they even knew that he had arrived with his small force to defend Braastar. They were bound to know soon enough, once he attacked their army. That was why he was holding back, buying every possible minute for the evacuation of the city.
Even if the Masters didn't know he was at Braastar, he would soon be forced to reveal his presence. Moving out a short way from the gate, he sat upright with his head lifted and his tail looped around his legs. Then he closed his eyes and tried to open himself to the powers of the Great One. He knew he was asking for something the Immortals might not be able or willing to grant him, powers far beyond those commonly extended to their clerics. And yet he had to chase all thoughts that he might not succeed from of his mind, believing with all his heart that he was asking for powers that were within his right to possess. He was, after all, the Dragonking, and nearly an Immortal in his own right.
"What are you going to do?" Kharendaen asked quietly.
"I'm going to try to fight the will of the Masters," he answered. "If I can dispel their magical influence over this city, then the people of Braastar will be able to evacuate much easier and faster."
She looked uncertain. "Can you cast a spell to dispel magic on such a vast scale?"
"I have no idea," he admitted. "Perhaps, if the Immortals are willing to add their powers to my own, I might be able to cast such a spell."
Thelvyn stared toward the east with the intent, penetrating gaze that was unique to dragons, as if he faced the Masters directly and was locking his will against their own. Then he concentrated all his powers upon his spell, as if weaving layer upon layer of magic upon that one spell until it had grown many hundreds of times greater than usual. When he released the spell, it was as if it pulled away a large part of himself as it was cast, leaving him so empty and weak that he felt dizzy and could hardly lift his long neck for several moments.
Then the Masters recovered from their surprise and began their own attack, increasing the force of their summons. They
i ouldn't break Thelvyn's defense, and yet he could not completely shield the people of Braastar from their summons. because Thelvyn had cast the spell on so many people at once,
it had affected them all to different degrees, failing entirely on some of them. While this spell was ordinarily a permanent one, the massive scale at which it had been cast made it weak unci vulnerable to the influence of the Masters, so that it would hide over several hours. At least he was able to give many of
i he Flaem some relief from the distraction and the pain, freeing some who had not previously been able to flee and making
II easier for others to escape from the city.
For now, Thelvyn could only wait, resting while he could, us the invading army drew slowly but steadily closer. His spell of protection wouldn't last very long, and he had poured so much of his own energy into working his magic that he would have to regain his strength before he could cast another spell.
"Are you well?" Kharendaen asked, concerned.
He nodded slowly. "I just need to rest. Can you go into the eity and find the mayor? Tell him to keep his people together in one group when they leave the city. I can protect them better with my magic if they're close together."
Kharendaen looked dubious. "If they remain together, we're going to have a difficult time protecting them from the gemstone dragons."
"Actually, it should be easier," Thelvyn said. "There aren't enough of us to confront the gemstone dragons if we have to divide up to protect the people of Braastar."
The dragons waited patiently, remaining hidden by lying flat in the deep grass while they awaited the approach of the invading army. Kharendaen returned a few minutes later, reporting that the evacuation of the city was proceeding quickly, although it was not particularly well organized. Most of the people seemed to have decided on their own to flee the
city once they heard that the invading army was only a few miles away. Consequently there was a great deal of chaos, which hampered the Mayor's efforts to organize an orderly evacuation. Many of the refugees were already on their way south on horseback, in carriages, or even in farm wagons. Since they seemed to be moving along fairly quickly, they probably weren't in much danger from the Masters, and so they would have to be on their own. The rest were heading to the river a few miles to the west, where boats and barges would transport them directly to Braejr.
The problem for the dragons would be to hold the city long enough for everyone to get away, then guard the disorderly fleet of boats and barges as it drifted along the river. It would be a tall order for only ten dragons, and their success would depend greatly upon whether or not the gemstone dragons moved against them in numbers they could not fight.
By late that morning, the army of the invaders was only about two miles from the city. For the first time, they could be seen ; fairly clearly as they followed the road through the scattered woods just beyond the open fields. Thelvyn guessed that there were at least twenty or twenty-five thousand troops in all, and he was privately amazed that the Masters had been able to summon such
a large force through the gate in such a short time. Beyond an occasional draconic form riding the winds in the distance, there was little to be seen of the Masters, a tactic that made it hard to guess their numbers or their intentions.
Thelvyn considered his options quickly and then had his dragons withdraw back inside the city. If the invaders attacked, ten dragons were more than enough to keep an army of soldiers from scaling the wall. If the Masters themselves attacked in superior numbers, the dragons might be able to hold their own briefly by using the protection of the wall. Next he sent Kharendaen back through the city a final time to check the progress of the evacuation.
Kharendaen returned a short time later with her report. "The last of the barges and boats have just set out. More people are on the road to the south. There are only a few stragglers still leaving the city."
"After we are forced to leave, I will still have to do what I can to shield those who are fleeing south from the summons of the Masters. I only hope that Alessa can find some way to use the Radiance to help me."
"Do you think we will have to fight?" she asked.
Thelvyn considered that. "The invaders are still two miles or so away. They won't be near enough to challenge us for another hour, and there is no reason for us to be concerned until the Masters come. We must fight them for as long as we can, to keep their attention on us rather than the people fleeing south."
The invading army began to move out into the fields just to the east of Braastar shortly after noon. They gave every indication of preparing for an immediate attack. Thelvyn left the wall of the city briefly to make final preparations. He found that the ragged collection of boats and barges had already drifted several miles down the river. He began to hope that they might actually escape. He stayed just long enough to renew his spell of protection over the citizens of Braastar, although he had to rest a few minutes before he could fly back to the city to rejoin the dragons waiting to defend the east gate.
Thelvyn was surprised and rather alarmed to see that the invading army had already organized itself for attack. Rank upon rank of soldiers waited in a strange silence in the fields, the closest lines barely a hundred yards out from the wall. Hither they did not yet know that a force of dragons was waiting for them or else they had lost all fear of the dragons. The Masters were still only distant forms flying over the treetops in the distance. As he watched, they broke into four groups that slowly circled around to attack from different directions. Thelvyn could see that there were at least a score of gemstone dragons in each of the four groups.
"Pass the order quietly," Thelvyn said. "Have the dragons spread out about a couple of wingspans or so apart, so that we can try to hold as much of the wall as possible. Remind them to listen for my orders. If the Masters come in force, we might have to get away from here quickly."
Because he had not been watching over the wall, he was surprised when grappling hooks and ladders suddenly appeared at the top of the gate, scraping and rattling as they were set into place and the ropes pulled tight. He took a deep breath to prepare his flame, then stood up on his hind legs to lift his head over the wall. The moment his head appeared, dozens of arrows began snapping and bouncing off the armor of his face so that he had to close his eyes and drop back down behind the protection of the wall. The invaders had been waiting for the dragons, with companies of archers standing ready to drive them back.
Unfortunately Thelvyn already had his flame ready, and all he could do now was to turn his head and let the blast of dragonfire wash over the paving stones of the street behind him. He couldn't risk lifting his head over the wall to use his dragon-fire on the attackers. While he had survived the first volley of arrows unscathed, he was fearful of an arrow or crossbow bolt penetrating the light armor of his face. At least the invaders would be vulnerable to the dragons the moment they tried to come over the wall. He moved back from the wall and waited, ready to attack anyone coming over the parapet with his flaming breath. His companions on either side of him did likewise.
Thelvyn paused, waiting and listening. The assault on the wall had grown curiously silent, and no one had climbed the scaling ropes that were already hooked over the wall. Moving closer to the massive timbers of the gate, he could hear only faint sounds from the vast army that was gathered outside the wall. Then he heard the sound of some large beast running, and a moment later, he leapt back in alarm as the gate was struck with tremendous force, nearly bursting the crossbars.
The other dragons hurried to help him hold the gate, but Thelvyn knew that the battle to defend the wall was already lost. He was certain the gemstone dragons were attacking the gate, and he was just as certain that they must have come in overwhelming numbers. When Kharendaen rushed up to him, he sat up on his haunches and turned her to face the middle of the city.
"Trying to hold this gate is pointless," he told the dragons. "We have to save ourselves to protect the people fleeing."
He leapt forward, leading the way. He turned sharply as soon as he came to the first side street in order to get his dragons quickly out of sight from the main street in case the gem-stone dragons broke through the gate in the next few moments. ' the last of the dragons had only just darted down the narrow side street when they heard a tremendous crash as the Masters hit the ruined gate a second time. Timbers splintered, and huge shards of wood were sent hurtling into the walls of the surrounding buildings.
Thelvyn's only interest was in leading the dragons far enough away that the Masters wouldn't see how few of them there really were. Braastar still had not been completely abandoned. There were still people of Flaemish descent who were too far under the influence of the Masters to seek escape. They wandered the streets in bands, seeking out enemies who had been their own countrymen only hours before. The enslaved citizens elected to keep well away from the dragons.
Thelvyn led his companions diagonally across the city until they came at last to the south wall. Although there was no gate in this section of the wall, the dragons simply leapt over it. Then they flew quickly west toward the Aalban River, so low over the fields that the tips of their wings brushed the high grass. Only when they reached the banks of the river and turned south did they dare to fly a little higher.
They followed the river for several miles before they came to the drifting mass of boats and barges filled almost to overflowing with refugees. The people cheered loudly when they saw the dragons; Thelvyn wondered if they realized that the dragons had retreated to the river only because the city had fallen to the invaders. He was circling around to land on the nearest bank when he became aware a young gold dragon was struggling to overtake him. He locked his wings to drift over the river, waiting for the young dragon to move up beside him.
"The Masters are not far behind us," the dragon reported. "I was the last of our company, and J could see them following us across the fields from the city."
"How many were there?" Thelvyn asked.
"I could not tell for certain. Many more than us, I am certain."
Thelvyn nodded, and the young dragon turned and circled back to join the rest of their company. Thelvyn realized he had to make a quick decision. He had to decide whether to stay and defend the people fleeing Braastar or to save himself and the other dragons for more important battles rather than risk all their lives in a battle they could not win. It was the most difficult decision he'd had to make in some time, since he knew what the answer had to be. He didn't dare chance losing his own life needlessly, even to save the population of an entire city. His loss might well mean the defeat of his entire world. After a moment, he turned to land on the grassy east bank of the river, waiting while the others joined him.
"This is a battle we cannot afford to fight," he told the dragons simply. "Once the Masters discover how few of us there are, they will surely force their advantage against us. Our only hope is to try to bluff them. Follow my lead closely, but be ready to retreat in a moment."
"What about the people of Braastar?" Kharendaen asked quietly.<
br />
Thelvyn could only shake his head. "Perhaps the Masters will leave them alone."
Thelvyn knew had badly it stung a dragon's pride to run from a fight, but there was no other choice. Hopping out to the edge of the bank, he spread his wings and leapt into the air, then waited for his companions to join him. Once all the dragons were in flight, he led them close to the east bank of the river, flying barely over the dark water of the river almost within the shadows of the forest that hugged the riverbank. With any luck, they would remain unseen until the last moment.
Luck was with them. Thelvyn was unable to see the gemstone dragons until they suddenly passed almost directly overhead, yet even then they were so intent upon their attack that they failed to see the dragons just below them. There were at least two dozen of them, their company composed mainly of large amber and ruby gemstone dragons. The gold dragons angled up sharply, and their swift flight carried them abruptly into the rear of the pack.
Following Thelvyn's lead, the dragons attacked quickly and furiously, using claws, fangs, and flames to inflict all the damage they could in the first few momencs of their attack, ripping into the vulnerable wings of the gemstone dragons to knock them out of the fight. The rest of the gemstone dragons circled around to attack as soon as they could, but by that time, Thelvyn had broken off the attack and led the dragons back down almost to the surface of the river before they turned and darted beneath the cover of the forest on the east bank. They weaved tightly in and out among the trees, their wings crashing through the smaller branches. Heavier and less agile, the Masters could not fly among the trees and were forced to follow the dragons above the tops of the trees.
Thelvyn planned to lead the Masters away from the river as far as he could, realizing that his only hope to save the people of Braastar was to get the Masters to pursue him. He wondered how long he could lure the Masters into following them. If he had to, he would send the other dragons away; he was the one the Masters wanted, and he would lead this chase into the Colossus Mountains if he had to.
D& D - Mystara 03 Dragonmage of Mystara Page 24
