Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm (36 page)

“What? Do you think you’re the only one who talks to Eldir? I want this section to be able to reach out and make ghosts, and with their ability, these accurized crossbows, and these enlargement sights, I think they will be able to accomplish that,” Mkel said confidently knowing of the skills and mettle these ten formidable archers possessed.

“Well, welcome to Draden Weir and the garrison company. I know Captain Mkel welcomes you, and so do I,” Toderan spoke to the assembled squad.

“Good. Now it is time to sight those finely crafted tools in. Gentlemen, Young Lady,” he motioned to Crystinj and all in the group to follow him. “I also want the archers of my company to see what those weapons can do,” he said smiling as he led the group back over to the firing line to rejoin Jodem and Poteignr and introduce the newest members of the weir.

Stalenjh and Vorten were walking from the fortress’s outer meeting rooms toward Tiamat’s chamber as many guards, servants, and sorcerer apprentices were scurrying about; it looked as if something had stirred a hornets’ nest. The echoes of the thunderous and angry voices of Tiamat were reverberating all throughout the dark stone halls and corridors of the fortress.

“Prefect, I assume that Queen Tiamat now knows of the envoy’s demise?” Vorten asked his master as they climbed the last set of marble steps to get to the top level of the arch dragon’s lair and the central gathering chamber.

“Yes, the news was just relayed through one of the junior sorcerer’s dark crystals to Aserghul. The Arianans delivered the heads of our friends to one of our ships in the Ontaror Straits. Our queen mother doesn’t take kindly to insults and will now demand retribution. This has worked out almost perfectly, my young apprentice, for Tiamat, while very intelligent and cunning, is also predictable at times. As soon as she orders me to destroy the city and seek retribution from Sultan Dalmach, our cut of the gemstones will be forthcoming,” Stalenjh whispered to Vorten.

“Prefect, can she not tell if someone is telling the truth or lying?” he asked.

“Yes, but her anger will blind her truth sense, and I will not be lying, just not divulging the whole story, so this will unfold as it should,” Stalenjh answered.

“What about the sultan’s reaction to one of his cities being destroyed and its wealth pillaged?” Vorten inquired.

“The wily little worm that Dalmach is knows of this and wanted his growing rival to the north eliminated. This action will accomplish this for him as well as consolidating his own power over the Arianan kingdom, for when not faced with a central threat, the mongrel followers of the Kallysh cult will turn on each other. He loses the temporary wealth of the gemstones in one of his cities, but he gains supremacy in his kingdom and a tighter grip on his people. He will also blame this attack on the Alliance, which is why there must be no survivors in Hasera, but overwhelming signs of a dragon attack,” Stalenjh quickly explained.

“Prefect, this is brilliant, but it is still dangerous to manipulate Queen Tiamat, a dangerous game,” Vorten added.

“Yes, but a game that has deep rewards. Now stay outside the chamber, in case she would by chance try to read your mind, and then we will prepare the slave girls for our victory,” the old sorcerer said with a wry smile as he motioned the Talestra guards to move from the doors to let him into the immense chamber of the evil arch dragon.

Stalenjh entered the circular hall to the loud roar-like tirade of the five-headed dragon. Several of the other Talon sorcerers were there or they were casting in with their dark crystals. The drow countess Yveshra and her consort Xylest were also in attendance.
This
is
strange,
Stalenjh thought to himself as he walked to his place to the right of Tiamat.

“Stalenjh, are you aware of what has happened?” her green head asked in an angry, hissing tone.

“Yes, My Queen Mother, I came here as soon as my crystal relayed the message from the sorcerer on one of our ships. There must be retribution, and I sent Tbok to inform Sultan Dalmach of our anger,” Stalenjh replied, very careful to skirt the truth.

“I want that city annihilated to every man, woman, child, and beast. I want every structure leveled, so no one will ever know it existed. This will tell those desert-dwelling vermin what the penalty for disobedience truly is. I also want the Kallysh cult crushed in my empire and the growing Alliance Triad religion. It is an affront to me and dangerous to Morgathia. Many are from the conscripts that have dealt with the Alliance and seen both their battle prowess and their weak, forgiving demeanor.”

“Yes, my queen, I have already taken steps to see to Hasera’s destruction. Two army groups have been dispatched ahead of time through the mountain tunnels, and there is a wing of dragons already en route to Naterah to inform Dalmach of his city’s fate and the penalty he will pay for this insolence. Another two wings of your dragons are also readying for battle both here and from Nozok’s provincial army. Three wings of chromatics and the Morgathian, orc, and drow army group will crush the city and alleviate it of its gem wealth for payment to the empire,” Stalenjh laid the plan of attack to the arch dragon.

“Stalenjh, how did you get one of our battalions with your army there without us knowing?” Yveshra stated. Her anger at this news was apparent, evident even on her thin, pitch-black face and in her white eyes.

“My dear drow countess, I cannot help if your western outposts do not share information with their spider queen and her court in Shanaris. This is a drow problem, not mine,” Stalenjh pointedly responded to the countess’s question in a dismissive manner.

“You miserable excuse for a worm, the drow should—”

“Enough of this petty squabbling, the drow will obey my orders. Countess, you can tell your insect queen to maintain better awareness over her subjects; this is about an insult to me and my rule, and it will be answered by all available including any dark elf with the courage to fight,” Tiamat’s black dragon head snapped, silencing any argument from the drow priestess, her dark crystal staff glow dimming to display reluctant acquiescence. A distinct rivalry existed between Tiamat the drow queen Lolth; however, the high dark elf demigod knew that Tiamat was the more powerful. “This gathering is now over, and unless any here desire to sacrifice themselves for the empire and become my dinner, I want you all to leave,” her red dragon head ordered in a deep and frightening voice. All present immediately and hurriedly started to leave the great circular hall. “Stalenjh, inform me when the battle begins; I want to see the city fall,” she ordered the sorcerer.

“Yes, my queen,” he quickly answered as he walked out and Tiamat’s five heads started to converse with each other, almost arguing amongst themselves.

Yveshra grabbed Stalenjh’s robes as they exited the hall. “You worm, what do you think you are doing?” she spat at him.

He pulled away from her and answered, “I am exacting revenge for an act of insubordination against the empire and the drow, my dear countess,” he answered with a wry smile.

“I know what you are up to, Sorcerer, but be warned that this will not go unnoticed. Without your precious queen and her chromatic minions, my people would rise up and extinguish you human vermin,” she angrily responded.

“Yes, but since you couldn’t even defeat your own kin, how would you expect to defeat the whole of the empire, my little spider?” he replied making her even angrier.

“Watch your step, Sorcerer, for one day, it will lead you to our web,” the drow countered.

“Maybe, and maybe not. Have a wonderful day, Countess.” He smiled and walked away as he motioned for Vorten to follow him, if only to shield him from a spell cast by the dark elf as they exited down the long black marble steps.

Tbok and the rest of the squadron of chromatics materialized over the desert a few miles to the east of Naterah. As soon as they had their bearings, they formed up and started to fly toward the large city on the horizon. The Talon sorcerer waved his hand over his dark crystal and spoke Stalenjh’s name. “Prefect, we have arrived outside of the city and are heading there now,” he called to the Talon sorcerer.

“Tbok, there has been a slight change in plans. The young emissary I sent to Hasera has been killed by the emir. Luckily, I sent an army group through the mountain tunnels right behind him. They are now leaving the drow passes and moving toward the city. I want you to tell Sultan Dalmach that this act of blasphemy will be dealt with harshly and the city now belongs to Morgathia. However, I do not want Naterah damaged. Is that understood?” Stalenjh ordered firmly.

“Yes, Prefect, but shouldn’t we make the little dung beetle king pay for his people’s arrogance?” Tbok answered.

“
No
, you have my orders, and if they are disobeyed, there will be a harsh penalty. As soon as you have finished with Dalmach, I want you to immediately go and link up with Nozok and aid him in the attack on the city. Leave nothing standing or alive, but do not damage the city’s treasure. We have many gemstones and much gold to extract before we pull back,” Stalenjh finished.

“Yes, my liege. Traxsus, you heard the prefect’s orders,” Tbok relayed.

“Yes, sorcerer. Dragons, we are to land in front of the desert monkey’s palace and relay a message of strength and then proceed north to link up with our kin and the army that is now converging on Hasera. Then the city is ours for the killing of the emissary of the empire,” the large blue dragon ordered.

“What? No retribution here? We should annihilate both cities. I want blood!” a young red dragon in the formation roared back.

“You will listen to me or become rotting meat for the monkeys on the desert floor. Is that understood?” Traxsus maintained order over the wing that was now approaching the walls of the city. Even though the hot-tempered dragon in the squadron was a red, he was a young red and would not fare well against the large venerable blue dragon Traxsus, who was also a demon dragon.

“Sultan, there are dragons approaching from the east; we must launch our squadrons of manticores and call arms to the walls. They are here for retribution for the slaying of their emissaries by that fool emir of Hasera. He has brought doom to us all,” Dalmach’s personnel attaché yelled out as he ran into the throne room.

“What is the matter, my friend? Afraid to martyr for Kallysh?” the sultan replied with a smile. “Fear not, the Morgathian dragons will not harm our city. I will see to that, but go now and warn all our forces not to engage the dragons, I want no hostile action against them. Is that understood?” he ordered.

“Yes, my king, I will go at once,” his assistant answered and turned immediately to inform the army chiefs. He ran outside and sent riders to the Arianan Army generals’ citadel. They in turn relayed the message to all the outposts along the wall and the barracks, but one arrived too late and two manticore riders, bent on martyrdom, had already launched and were heading to intercept the dragons. It was a true suicide mission, but their place in their perceived heaven would be fixed for them.

“Look! The fools have sent two manticores to challenge us! This will be enjoyable!” the red dragon roared out and sped forward to meet the Arianan riders. Before Traxsus could roar to stop the young red, he met the manticores in a headlong charge. The hideous beasts showered the dragon with a full complement of spikes. While most bounced off his thick crimson armored hide, a few did penetrate and one struck one of the two death knights on his back. The spike did not penetrate the black-iron armor but did knock him off his unsecured saddle, and he plummeted to his death. The small pain the red felt from the spikes made him roar and unleash a torrent of fire that turned one manticore and rider to ashes. He then lunged at the other and met it with outstretched claws, grabbing it by the wings and torso and then sinking his razor-sharp fangs into its neck and back, killing it instantly and taking a large bite out of the hideous lion-like creature before letting it plummet to the ground.

Traxsus had finally caught up to the red and slapped it on the chin with his wing tip, knocking it back into formation. “I said, no fighting until we arrive in Hasera. You have wasted one of your breath weapon strikes on a useless target. One more defiant act like that and I will bring you down myself!” he roared. “Now, follow me to the palace,” he ordered and started to descend on the lush gardens in front of the golden-domed sultan’s palace. They landed in succession with ground-shaking tremors. The dragons fanned out and formed a protective ring while the dozen or so Talestra death knights took posts on either side of Tbok. They walked toward the palace doors, the Arianan decorated guards moving quickly out of their way.

“Sultan Dalmach, I demand an audience,” Tbok spoke out to the gold-and-black-robed monarch, as he walked into the great hallway. Traxsus stuck his head in as far as he could to impose a menacing presence.

“My eminent Talon sorcerer, I am at your service,” he calmly answered as if he knew he was in no danger.

“You are aware of the emir of Hasera’s slaying of our emissaries and delivering their heads to one of our ships?” he half asked half said sternly.

“Yes, I apologize for my renegade cousin to the north; his act of blasphemy is contemptible,” the sultan answered still calm.

“This is just the latest vile act the Arianan kingdom has perpetrated on the Morgathian Empire, and there will be retribution now,” Tbok firmly rebuked.

“Yes, my cousin has been unstable as of late and has caused a great deal of trouble with my Morgathian allies, with his pirating and diminishing sales of gemstones to you. His zeal for the purity of Kallysh is clouding his better judgment,” Dalmach explained.

“Then what do you propose should be done to rectify this insolence?” Tbok asked firmly.

“I would send part of my army north to bring him back into line, but now that he has drawn Morgathian blood, I would see you and your armies do this. And as a payment for the blood they have shed, the wealth of their treasury is yours. As it will take me two weeks to gather my army and arrive in Hasera, the city is yours for that time. After that, I expect all Morgathian forces to leave so we can rebuild and continue our supply of gemstones to the empire,” he offered.