by LJ Davies
I took in a deep breath, watching the wispy vapours escape my nostrils as I exhaled. Over the sound of clanking metal and wing beats, a multitude of voices filled the sky. I stood and glanced back toward the fading smoke of the overlook to see most of it reduced to nothing more than a smouldering field of blackened tents and charred wood. The tower I'd destroyed was clearly visible, as were several others that had fallen in the attack.
If the orkin didn’t know where we were before, they certainly see us now. I thought as I spread my wings, my armour swiftly reforming about me.
"One day, you're going to have to explain how that works," Risha interrupted with a curious expression.
"I’m still waiting for Apollo to explain it to me," I responded.
The pair of us moved to the edge of the tower, the wind blowing at our backs.
"How do you know they'll still believe in the legend?" I asked, focusing my eyes upon the mass of winged bodies gathering before the main keep.
"I don't, but what does it matter?" she answered, spreading her wings. "Besides, I can think of a few dragons that definitely will," she added as we took off.
*
Cold wind battered the frosty stone, spinning the dry straw cover into small flurries about us as we landed atop the main keep and made our way inside. The light of dawn poured in through a breach in the wall, illuminating the crumbling remnants of an old room. It was there Risha paused and glanced back at me as something else caught both our eyes.
"Good to see you're back," Boltock stated, his voice far from his normally humorous tone.
Risha wrapped her brother in an embrace as both Neera and Ember appeared beside him.
"Glad to see you aren't too eager to leave without me," the sapphire dragoness joked with her brother while I tensed at the sight of Ember.
She can't think of me as a hero anymore, not even a friend. I thought, head sinking as I shrank back and stammered.
"I know why some of you might be angry – and you have all the reason to be – but..."
An armoured wing settled on my shoulder, silencing my wittering.
"Nothing you did made that choice for him," Ember assured me, glancing back at the others. "The dragon he was died that night. I regret it, but it’s better that way," she added, focusing her attention on one green dragon in particular.
"He'll be down there, you know," I advised her reluctantly.
"I know," she answered, her eyes looking toward the exit.
My eyes followed, and as I slowly began to walk, the rest of them fell in behind me.
*
"We must strike fast and hard, we cannot waste time on saving the others, not now they know we're..."
An intense debate between the leaders halted as the heads of griffins and dragons rose from the war table.
Several more griffins, Ice Feather and Meadow Hide among them, were putting on steel armour, marked by countless glyphs and patterns – Halfbeak's Talon Guard I assumed, taking note of the curved metal hooks some of the creatures held between their foreclaws.
On their backs were what remained of the able-bodied humans, and a wave of relief washed over me to see Tarwin was also present. Yet her eyes were about the only pair that looked unafraid of me.
Is this it? Has the truth really made them all terrified of me? I slowly made my way into the room, passing the crowd until I was only a few steps from the edge of the opening that looked out over the rest of the camp.
Silence consumed the crowd gathered amidst the ruins, and all eyes turned to me. The Cartographer watched from the corner of the room with far more curiosity than the others, until one dragon stepped forward.
The sound of metal claws tapped upon the stonework as Zephyra appeared. I stiffened, blocking out every pair of judgmental eyes and lowered my head in respect as I admitted.
"I'm here to fight."
She didn't take her eyes off me.
"As are we to stand beside you," she stated, falling into a regal bow, quickly followed by the rest of the griffins, hippogriffs, Tarwin, Elders, the Cartographer, his phoenix and Apollo.
The whole room bowed before me, yet it didn't stop there, and like a wave, the gathered crowds all bowed in respect. I looked over them all with an expression that belied the battle of awe and dread raging inside my mind.
It's... Not possible?
Finally, I looked back and saw my friends dropping to kneel and spreading their wings. Until I finally saw Risha, the only dragon to remain standing. I peered into her magnificent sapphire eyes, and for the first time, I asked her the question for which she'd waited.
"Will you follow me?"
She lowered her head to join the others, her bow exceeding the respect and hope the rest harboured, but it meant nothing compared to her words.
"To the very end."
Part III
Age’s Twilight
Chapter 13
The Battle of Dardien
"Welcome to the end of the world," Mordrakk hissed from deep inside my mind.
A cold wind polluted by the stench of smoke and fire buffeted against me. The sun rose high above the gathering clouds and the air carried an unsettling chill. I stood in the midst of ruined walls, no more than four small mounds upon a jagged outcrop at the edge of the grassy sea that was the Midnight Plains. Beside me, were my friends and Apollo, opposite, Zephyra, the Elders and the other leaders.
Stretching out far along the small cliff to either side of us stood a long line of armoured dragons, griffins and hippogriffs, all backed up by two more rows of armour-clad bodies, each one smaller than the one that preceded it. Before us, the snow-dusted grasslands of the plains stretched out to the smoke-marred horizon, the desecrated ruins of Andruid just visible below the black shroud and the fiery glow that beset them.
A vast carpet of writhing black stone and dark armour spanned the whole breadth of my vision, flaming torches and monstrous weapons scattered amongst them. Huge trolls stood in line with their back-mounted cannons. Ogres, giants and goblins broke up the squabbling ranks. While swarms of manticores and chimeras filled the sky.
The smell of death hung above the vast orkin army like carrion above a rotting corpse, but it was nothing compared to what every soul stood about me knew was coming. The rattling of metal plates and the light ringing of blades sounded rhythmically as the waves of uneasiness coursed through everyone.
I glanced to my left, toward a slightly lower part of the ruined walls, where I saw Mordrakk's illusion staring at me knowingly. I looked past him and his darkness faded, albeit another sight took its place.
"I never thought it would come to this," I told Risha, and despite her evident fear, she glanced up at me.
"Guess we haven't crossed that bridge yet," she responded.
It's not a bridge I ever intend to cross. I thought, as the thunder of drums began, accompanied by the roar of the orkin war chant.
"One force's numbers do not make up for another’s superior skills," Halfbeak observed.
"No, but I'm confident it doesn't harm their chances," Zephyra answered, before rounding on all of us.
"Halfbeak, take your talon guard down the right flank, get the Mordrins through so that their explosives can deal with the far right tower. Queen Eirian you and your sorcerers see that the left tower falls," the princess commanded, and the pair moved without question to opposite ends of the battle line.
"Vulkaine, you and the others should stay with me down the centre. Once the orkin lines are broken, we make straight for the palace," she added, looking to the old fire dragon and the other Elders.
All clad in their own sets of finely-crafted armour, bearing the same seal as the temple banners.
"Guardian, you and your wing deal with the centre tower and draw out their leader," she finished, and I nodded.
The wind settled, leaving a brief silence as the princess turned and stepped forward, claws tapping on the frost-laden stone until she reached the peak of the ruin. As her gaze passed from face to face,
I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. But as she raised her head high, she dismissed any doubt I had.
"Soldiers!" she began, tall and proud before the lines of battle-ready warriors.
"Warriors of Dardien, Storm Peak and the Silver Winds, all who now stand before me, all who would fight to fell this evil, rise up now!" she continued, and as she did, all heads rose tall, armour chiming as a hundred wings spread.
"Our alliance has stood for over a thousand years, and this is not the dawn we will see it fall, not while any one of us still draws breath. No! Today is the day we fight for what is right, today is the day we strike a blow at the heart of darkness itself and make it known to the world that the kingdoms of old have not faded into the night, have not been broken! We will make sure all who would oppose us know that we shall not stand idle, that we will not give in to be forgotten!"
A courageous cheer overcame the distant chant, but any will to add my own voice to the chorus was stolen by what I knew was about to happen.
"Today, we will step back into the light! Fly steady, my brothers, sisters," the princess roared, before pausing and peering down at those standing directly before her. "Friends." Her voice grew soft, before rising to a crescendo.
"Let this day be remembered as the day we took back our legacy!" She turned to face the smoke-strewn horizon, silver flames flickering from her nostrils. "For victory!"
Her wings exploded like lightning from her sides before she dropped over the edge. There was a roar of fire and an echoing wave of eagle calls as everyone around me followed like a great wave erupting from the mountainside.
"And it begins," Mordrakk rasped.
I closed my eyes tight, and even though a thousand wings thundered like a hurricane about me, the world went silent, muting every moment that followed. The roar of the wind was quiet as it tore past, the calls of those about me lost in a frozen void. My heart beat like a drum, putting those of the orkin to shame, and my dragonfire burned like the flames of a furnace, occasionally purging white vapour from my nostrils.
The long, drawn out hail of a horn and a rattling wave of armour crossed the sea of orkin below as they took up battle-ready stances. The first strike came from the great cannons, as multiple booms rang in harmony, the bright flashes that followed swatting dragons from the sky like flies as they exploded into miniature suns. I plunged forward, swerving to avoid the steel hail, arrows and ballista fire. The rest of what I guessed I should call my wing by now followed in perfect, fluid motion.
Others around us weren't so lucky, and all I could do was watch dragons, griffins and others alike being blown apart. A tally etched into my vision as I saw the spiked balls explode, while crude arrows impaled others. Fearsome manticore calls signalled the engagement of multiple feline hunters, their claws, teeth and stinging tails thrown into a frenzy as their riders opened fire with poisoned arrows and dark magic, plucking more allies from the sky.
In retaliation, a virtual rainbow of fire burst through the swarm as dragons, griffins and manticores clashed together. Amidst the storm of beasts, the far larger and stronger chimera proved to be more dangerous, driving us closer to the army below, forcing me to avoid an intense hail of arrows. Without conscious thought, I coiled back, breathing a white-hot torrent of fire. The wall of bristling spears was reduced to ash as many more dragons joined the burning assault, searing any arrows that were fired in retaliation.
Several hippogriffs swooped into battle lines, their regal flight formations becoming an arrow of pulsating lightning and magical wind, casting the enemy aside like autumn leaves. As arcane sparks lanced through the horde like an incinerating web.
Griffin formations proved just as lethal as they cut swathes through the orkin with talons and razor-sharp beaks. All the while, I struggled to maintain my attention on anything for too long as a far larger adversary appeared before me. I'd never seen a troll so close before, but the great brute reared up on its hind legs to meet me.
Darting aside, I narrowly avoided the crushing blow of its mighty fists, while several orkin weren't so lucky. Taking the opportunity, I swerved about its flank, blasting the mass of platforms supported amongst its dorsal spines with a surge of fire. The crude structure ignited like a dry bed of leaves, consuming the lethal siege weapon before the whole thing exploded with a fiery boom and the creature toppled.
The explosion threw me out of the archers’ range, the others remaining close behind me, cutting down a pair of manticores and turning a chimera into a ball of fire as we ascended back into the aerial fray. Up here, the air was cold and brutal, filled with the thunder of wing beats.
As we fought our way through the sky-borne combatants, the snowy plains slowly slipped away, replaced by the dense ruins of the cliff top city. The world moved at such a pace it resembled a great sheet being pulled out from beneath me, each beast I cut down leaving another mark upon that endless scroll of Mordrakk’s tally.
Such a vast number of winged creatures cast a shadow – it was as if one great monster were swooping down from the stars to smash against the world with a cosmic fist. As the rising sunlight broke, illuminating each armoured body, it was as if the plates and scales of each warrior were like gleaming stars.
Never what I had in mind when I wondered if dragons could fly to the stars.
Even so, the sky grew darker, filling with the smoke and pungent stench of the orkin’s crude industry. Another pack of manticores forced us down toward the city, where we narrowly avoided the blast of cannon fire as we entered the polluted air directly above Andruid.
The river channels flowing through the tight ruins provided the best means of avoiding fire and getting around quickly. Yet the many bridges spanning the shore also became good firing positions for the orkin artillery, as did the wooden frames clinging to the crumbling structures. It was like Taldran all over again, and just as I'd once seen that wretched city burn, I didn't hesitate to set the foul place ablaze.
This time there's no holding back. I assured myself as the great wooden tower came into view, and I began plotting a course towards it.
That was when I heard the boom of more cannon fire. I swerved up with the others close behind as more blasts followed. The first, sent a storm of smoking projectiles through our formation. Although I hated myself, I prayed for those emitting the painful shrieks behind me, while selfishly begging that it was anyone dear to me.
As the initial shots subdued, I saw more flying formations drop down over the city, arrows bouncing from armour and scales alike. With wings locked tight at their owners’ sides, claws outstretched, dragons and griffins in union plummeted toward the smoke and fire, tearing into the orkins’ savage battalions, ripping them from boardwalks and bridges, while destroying cannons with arcs of magic and blasts of dragonfire.
The orkin were swift to retaliate with volleys of arrows and ballistas. Large, cumbersome ogres strode amidst the hordes, throwing chunks of ruined buildings. The weapons mounted upon the trolls proved more of a challenge. More of the great beasts reared up, shielding the artillery within their spines and slamming their fists down upon anyone who flew too close.
I forced my attention away as the clatter of armour, the flash of cannons, magical fire and the sharp ring of clashing blades battered my senses with their horrifying symphony. I focused on my racing heart, each sharp intake of breath, and despite the carnage, the small shadows closing in about me confirming the presence of my friends.
As if taking one deep breath, the air about us seemed to pause, and I looked up just in time to see a swirling storm of hippogriff sorcerers. Blue lightning gathered around the left-most tower, blowing the great orkin structure into ruin and hailing the distant cries of victory from our forces.
They got one? Good, just two to go! I noted, fully aware the battle was far from won.
Another booming horn rang out from another of the towers, and from the centre of the ruins a new swarm of manticores bearing elite orkin riders flew up like angry wasps from a hive. They rose
in formation, blocking out the sun and my view of the centre tower, before forcing us to dive down amidst the ruins.
"Go under them!" I called, as I swerved abruptly.
I found myself flying inches above the frozen river. The others followed close behind, as did at least half a dozen manticores swoop down into our path. Orkin laden bridges flashed by overhead, forcing me to turn back toward our pursuers as they struggled to navigate the tight terrain.
"Do you really want to be flying straight at them!?" I heard Neera shout, and by the look on everyone's face, I was sure they all thought the same thing.
I just nodded, opening my wings, slicing the first rider clean in half, engulfing two more with fire, while Ember and Boltock's claws cut down a third. Another found out just how sharp Neera's weapons really were, and ice encased the last as Risha flew by, the extra weight ensuring the orkin became very familiar with the frozen river below.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure!" I called back the moment we were free, while the faldron simply appeared pleased she’d had the opportunity to kill more orkin.
"Come on, we still need to get to the tower," I urged, looking up at the structure in an effort to formulate another way through its defences.
I wasn't given long to ponder, as a hail of arrows and rocks flew down from the walls on either side of us. Several of the crude projectiles glanced off my armour, before I unleashed a torrent of flame onto the battalion of archers. The swarming creatures stood no chance, but as they writhed and heaved in the fire, many more projectiles forced us higher.
I sent another fire bolt into a tower, forcing the orkin to rain from it like a flaming waterfall. Torrents of coloured flame consumed several more barricades as my friends came round at my rear, their armour holding up well against the arrows. The same could not be said for the thrown rock that crashed into me, knocking me from the sky.
