Vegenrage: Dragon Reclaim (22 page)

CHAPTER 16
The Road to Casur

Baisleize heads south over the Ugorian Forest, and about one hundred miles southeast of Casur, the road in the woods starts that leads to the gate at Casur. He is followed by a whole lot of Mountain Flats, and the Chestwerns are charging through the forest, trying to keep up. Flaren and Icerock are close behind Bailseize. They reach the start of the road leading to Casur, and this road is simply known as The Road to Casur. Icerock and Flaren catch up to Bailseize. “Bailseize, I sense the elves are thick here, and there is strong magic here.”

“I sense it too, Icerock. Mountain Flats, the flesh of elf is yours. Take to the forest and draw them out.” The Mountain Flats descend into the forest, and quickly, they are met by a barrage of arrows, dropping many of them from the skies. Just as before, the elves are fast and nimble in the trees, and the Mountain Flats are not much of a match for the elves, but they do manage to kill some of them. Soon the Chestwerns are on the scene, and great battles follow. The Landgangers attack the Chestwerns with their elven riders, and there all kinds of scenes with elves launching arrows, weakening the Chestwerns with deadly strikes, followed by the attacks of the Landgangers.

The Blood Reeds have shown up in force, and the dragons do detect this magical presence because they are here in great numbers. The Blood Reeds are mostly invisible. They rest high in the trees and look like part of the tree, and as the battle starts to heat up, the Blood Reeds make their contribution to the battle. The Blood Reeds are magical, and they have a magical adaptation that they can use in times of famine. The bottom valve on their body can be manipulated magically to instead of just close, it can slide from one side of the sharp end of the body to the other. This allows the Blood Reed to instead of just take a few drops of blood from their prey, they can take about a one foot section of flesh from the prey, and they can then return to their home in the tall reeds where this flesh can sustain them for several months as they slowly digest the food. The Blood Reeds, for the most part, do not hurt their prey at all, but in times of need, when the Blood Reeds are short on food, and this is not very often, they become a deadly predator because many of them taking chunks of flesh from an animal can be, and usually is, fatal. The Blood Reeds use this tactic against the Chestwerns, and the scene is a deadly one for the Chestwerns. The Blood Reeds fly very fast from high in the trees. They look like masses of missiles flying from the sky, digging lots and lots of one foot divots into the Chestwerns, weakening and killing lots of them. This is a pretty spectacular scene. The Chestwerns are gliding in the air with Blood Reeds falling fast, digging into them, taking a piece of flesh, and using their wings to fly away with their food. Landgangers are engaged with the Chestwerns, and the Blood Reeds are flying down, impaling the Chestwerns all over their bodies. This is too much for the Chestwerns. They are just too outnumbered. They fight strong and fierce, but the elves, Landgangers, and Blood Reeds are too much for them. The Mountain Flats and the Chestwerns fight to the end and do kill tens of elves, but they have been outmatched from the start.

Bailseize, Flaren, and Icerock are flying high, letting the lesser dragons do what they can, and then they plan to attack. They see a lone elf flying into the air and approach it. This is Reinlith, and the dragons are quite surprised and fly toward him. Reinlith says some magical words and throws a ball right at Bailseize, and it flies very fast, and as it does, sharp points sprout out of this golf ball–sized sphere. Bailseize immediately recognizes this and yells Dragonball as he swings his right wing with incredible force at it, swerving its path to the left as he flies in the opposite direction. The Dragonball is a magical item with deadly consequences to its victim, and it is attracted to dragons. It will home in on dragons and fly at them very fast. The next dragon closest to it is Icerock, and it flies right at him. The Dragonball is immune to all magic cast by dragons, but that does not mean that strong wind and air currents won’t alter its path, and Icerock swings his left wing very hard at it, flying the opposite direction. Unfortunately for Flaren, it is now too close to him, and he cannot thwart its path, and it strikes him on the right side of his neck, just above his shoulder. He starts to buck and cry in pain as his body expands like it is being pumped full of air. He flaps his wings and kicks his feet, and you know by the way his body is expanding that he is going to pop. He does not pop; instead, he explodes in a huge ball of fire with dark black smoke, filling the sky around him. His body is incinerated, and flames and smoke fill the air. Reinlith returns to the woods to disappear in its cover.

Reinlith returns to the woods where Bronsilith, Gandleleem, and most of the bowelves have survived. Also, Tornsclin and most of the warrior class have survived. They all gather and watch the skies, as now only the dragons are left, but two dragons are more than capable of killing a lot of elves.

“
Gandleleem, take the second and third division of bowelves to the north. We don’t all want to be caught in one place. We want the dragons to come to us, and then we can converge on them. If they stay in the air and attack with magic or breath attacks, we want to be separated.”

“Yes, Bronsilith.” Gandleleem and about two hundred bowelves head to the north on their Landgangers.

“Tornsclin, send your warriors on Landgangers with Gandleleem, and those of you on the ground, stay here and out of sight. Fight well, friend. I will take my elves, and we will head west.” Bronsilith shakes the hand of Tornsclin, and they wish the best to each other as Bronsilith and his elves ride west, and Gandleleem and the rest head north.

Very shortly after all the elves have gone out of sight, Tornsclin and his one hundred warriors on the ground notice as the ground starts to shake, and one elf is pulled underground followed by another elf and another. “Tornsclin, what is it?”

“I don’t know, Gonbilden. Hurry, everyone. Take to the trees.” The warrior class of elves is mainly a fighting class that is well armored and using handheld weapons, but these elves can still function in the trees though not nearly as good as the bowelves. They watch as the ground shakes and up rise the Salcendreepes. The elves drop on them, driving their swords into the Salcendreepes. They pull on the hilts of their swords, slicing through the bodies of the Salcendreepes with their sword blades. They drop off the now exposed enemies and hack and slice at the legs and appendages of the Salcendreepes. This is a bloody and rough battle as the Salcendreepes use their stabbing appendages well. The armor of the elves gives them good protection, and many of the stabs are deflected away from the elves, but many are stabbed through the abdomen and chest to be raised in the air and forced to the mouths of the Salcendreepes where the deadly mandibles of the Salcendreepes cut and slice them to death. Many of the elves are peeled from the armor they are wearing and devoured. The elves are swift and excellent with their swords, slicing off legs and hacking deep wounds into the sides of the Salcendreepes. The elves are fast and use sword in one hand and dagger in the other to stab into the Salcendreepes and climb up the body of them, causing many deep wounds. The Salcendreepes use their appendages to stab at the elves, and some make their mark, and some are hacked off by the sharp blades of the elven swords. The Salcendreepes cast fireballs and lightning bolts, killing elves, and the elves hack into the Salcendreepes and slice deep wounds, ganging up on an individual and hacking them to death. Both sides are taking heavy losses in this battle, but none stop to count. The battle rages on as Icerock makes his presence known, swooping in, snatching elves into his mouth, flying back into the air, and devouring his catch. Bailseize drops to the ground and just walks through the fighting sides, picking elves into his mouth and crunching them in his teeth, crushing them and picking off the armor with his hands, and eating the helpless elves. The presence of the two dragons shifts everything, and Tornsclin’s warriors are being eaten by dragons and Salcendreepes.

Gandleleem and his bowelves have been drawn back, noticing the dragons have landed, and hundreds of arrows fly through the woods, making their mark, pelting Bailseize. The elves know exactly where to strike, and the majority of the arrows have wounded Bailseize’s wings to such a state that they cannot fly him into the air. The warriors riding the Landgangers make a full-on attack. Some landing on the Salcendreepes but most leaping and landing on Bailseize, biting and clawing him. The elves leap from the Landgangers that have latched onto Bailseize, and in no time, Bailseize is covered with Langangers and elves, all impaling him with sword, claw, and teeth. Icerock comes to the aid of Bailseize, blasting the entire dragon with his Breath of Icestorm. This breath attack consumes Bailseize in freezing ice, but the Landgangers and elves are not frozen. They keep on the attack though very cold and being covered in ice. Their adrenaline and rage keep them warm enough to fight on. The elves have their swords buried in the flesh of Bailseize, while they continuously stab him with a dagger in their other hand. The Landgangers bite and rip scale and flesh from his body while digging their claws deep, ripping and cutting him. Bailseize is slamming into trees and knocking them off, rolling over on his sides, crushing elves and Langangers, but there are more to take their place. Icerock blasts again and again, but his ice storm is not enough to stop the attacking elves and Landgangers that relentlessly attack Bailseize.

Bronsilith and his bowelves have made their way back as well and launch hundreds of arrows into the Salcendreepes. Tornsclin and the few remaining warriors gain new momentum and attack the ailing Salcendreepes, along with volley after volley of arrows. Some of the elves on the ground are struck by arrows, but the Salcendreepes are being killed off until the few remaining descend back to the earth, badly wounded.

Icerock has started to launch his breath attack into the woods, disrupting the elves launching arrows, taking away their visibility, and making it very difficult for them to make any kind of deadly arrow attack. Bailseize is rolling around, knocking over trees, and doing what he can to bite off the elves and Landgangers, but they are relentless. More and more keep jumping onto him, making it very difficult for him to cast any magic, and he is losing his strength. He is pulsing with stinging pain everywhere on his body. His muscles are getting weak, and the blood loss is slowing his every movement.

Gandleleem and his bowelves have spread out, launching arrows at Icerock from all different vantage points, and he is being pelted from everywhere with arrows. He uses his breath attack but realizes he is in a real bad situation here and takes to the sky. The remaining elves and Landgangers attack Bailseize, and he is a bloody mess. His wings have been cut to shreds and are just hanging shreds of useless flesh. His entire body has long cuts and slices in it, and he is bleeding to death. He fights with all he has as the Landgangers feed on him while he still lives. The elves on him, along with the Landgangers, are red with his blood, and they keep stabbing and slicing with their swords. Bailseize fights until he weakens to the point that he falls, and the Landgangers and elves hack him up like crazed savages. Bailseize dies as the Landgangers all feed on his remains.

This is a victorious moment for the elves. They have killed all the Mountain Flats and Chestwerns here on The Road to Casur along with a lot of Salcendreepes, but they have suffered great loss themselves. The most important and definitely to become story is that they killed two dragons, and one of them is a dominant dragon. The elves have suffered greatly here. Tornsclin has survived with less than one hundred warriors. Bronsilith and Gandleleem have survived with just a little over one hundred bowelves. There are many wounded and dying elves all around, and Reinlith has his work cut out for him as he does all he can to help magically heal them. Reinlith is doing all he can to heal those in need and is focused on healing the wounded elves when he gets telepathy from Arglon, letting him know that his magic is needed to help protect the king, and this is something he cannot ignore. He lets Gandleleem and Bronsilith know that he must go help protect King Trialani, and they understand. The duties of helping the injured must take place without the magical aid of Reinlith. He mounts his Landganger, and they walk through a Dimension Door, taking them very close to where Arglon and their king are about to face more dragons. There are about seventy Landgangers that have survived here, and this is a battle they will never forget.

Icerock flies away from the Ugorian Forest toward Hunoria, very confused and humbled. He does not know what to do. Should he go to the other dragons or not? He did kill a lot of elves, and for the most part, he is full. He decides to head back to his lair and heal himself from all the arrows stuck in his scales.

CHAPTER 17
This Is Why Trialani Is King

Kertinkpice is heading due east right back toward the palace he recently destroyed. He has Mountain Flats, Barquoke, and Nawlewn following him. They are following high above the road that is carved out of the forest and heads to the gate at the easternmost point of the Ugorian Kingdom. This gate is known as The Entrance to Ugoria. Kertinkpice stops and hovers with all following him as they gaze upon a sight they did not expect to see. Right in the middle of the dirt road sitting on top of a Mountballion is King Trialani himself. He is all alone, but the dragons know there are elves all around, and they sense strong magic is present here.

A Mountballion is a huge creature, standing thirty feet tall. It is amazing how the largest of creatures feed on the smallest of living things. A Mountballion is a mountain dweller. These creatures live high in the Krasbeil Mountains. They are enormous with long legs, thick muscles, fortified knee joints, and dexterous hands at the end of all four legs. They have long thick talons at the end of each of the four fingers and one thumb on each hand. They have rope-sized fur that hangs from the top of their hunched backs all the way to the ground and underneath that they have another coat of fur that is much finer and completely covers their body in a warm suit, allowing them to survive the coldest of temperatures. They are white with dark streaks running down their bodies, looks like the pure white snow that is tarnished by car tracks plowing through it. Their enormous size allows them to survive the negative zero temperatures high in the mountains, and you would not believe that such a large heavy creature could walk around the mountain and cliff faces the way the Mountballions do. The talons at the end of their hands are so thick and so strong that they dig right into the frozen rock, and they can walk on vertical cliff faces. They are low in numbers and only live in the Krasbeil Mountains. They also have a twenty-foot prehensile tail that is thin and very strong. It is not like they swing around the mountain cliffs, but this tail is always feeling around behind the Mountballion, feeling for any kind of outgrowth or strong piece of ice or rock to hold on to and give added stability to the Mountballion. Some Mountballions do fall to their deaths, but this is extremely rare. They have evolved to live in these conditions and move with ease on the mountains but very slowly. They do not have sharp teeth; in fact, they don’t have any teeth at all. There are no natural predators to the Mountballion, even in Krasbeil where there are many. They have soft fleshy wide mouths with thick moist nostrils that stay unfrozen because they are always exhaling very warm air. Under all the ice-covered rock here in the mountains are mosses that grow very thick on the rocks like sponges, and the Mountballions walk around and over the mountains, constantly scraping away the ice with the talons on their hands and expose the thick mosses. They have very thick coarse tongues, and when the moss has been exposed, they lick it away and mash it up in their mouths that don’t have teeth but a plate that runs around the bottom jaw and up just above their large tongue. This plate closes into a plate in the roof of their mouth, and they mash up the moss and then swallow it. This is yet another magnificent creature that has evolved only in the Maglical System. Anytime they need to drink, there is always a handy supply of snow and ice, providing the purest and freshest of drinking water.

Trialani sits high on the back of the Mountballion in a saddle made especially for him. The saddle where he sits has been tailored to fit him perfectly and widens as it rests comfortably on the tallest part of the Mountballions hunched back. There are four straps that run under the belly, holding the saddle secure. You can’t even see these straps because the fur on the Mountballion is so thick, but they are there. The saddle is also tied to the fur on the top of the Mountballion, so it is very secure.

Trialani looks very different. He is wearing brown leather pants that are stitched with many long thin pieces of leather going up his legs and across. The leather looks like it has been lacquered and is very shiny-looking. He is wearing a soft walnut brown leather shirt fitting him nicely, going from his waistline up and over his shoulders and down to his elbows. He wears an armband on each arm that has leather straps that comfortably run between his fingers and thumb. The armbands go all the way up to his elbows, and there is a large dagger in a sheath that rests on the outside of each arm. There is a smooth round emerald at the base of each dagger, showing their value and probable lethality. He has the Snow Gold Trinket laying from its chain and clearly visible laying on his chest. Trialani holds two reins that go down to the mouth of the Mountballion, and he raises his right hand.

“You dragons did not learn your lesson. You come back. You think you will have better luck this time, Kertinkpice? Maybe you will be the next Rippencore. We have not forgotten all our ancestors that have been taken by the dragons. We have grown as powerful as the dragons, and the loss of elven life to the dragons is coming to an end.”

“Yes, I remember your ancestors, Trialani, and they were yummy. You may think you are as powerful as the dragons, and this is your chance to prove it.”

Trialani talks from atop his Mountballion in a deep loud voice that can be heard by the dragons high up in the sky, and the dragons hover, flapping their wings gently as Kertinkpice sends his reply in a much deeper and stronger voice. The dragons are hesitant to just attack. Only Trialani is visible, but the dragons can sense the trap has been set for them. Kertinkpice orders the Mountain Flats to attack so he and the other two dragons can watch as the elves are drawn out and attack.

The Mountain Flats attack without caution and form a mass of large darts flying like arrows right at Trialani. The Mountain Flats are met with volleys of arrows flying up at them from both sides of the road from the treetops, and the arrows are deadly. A dozen of the Mountain flats fall from the arrows, but the rest make their way right for Trialani. The Mountain Flats have already given the location of many of the elves in the trees, and Nawlewn and Barquoke take advantage of this knowledge. Nawlewn flies over the trees to the right side of the road, letting loose his Breath of Brame, sending freezing cold into the treetops, freezing the trees instantly and dozens of elves that cannot elude the breath attack. Nawlewn repeats this four times, and he flies back and forth over the trees. Barquoke does the same on the other side of the road. Barquoke has a much more sinister breath attack. His Breath of Diatox is a thick black cloud, very black in color like the smoke of burning tires. This cloud sinks slowly to the ground, and any living being that breathes in this black cloud has the oxygen in their bodies turn to carbon dioxide. This is a horrible way to die. The victims suffer painfully, twitching and contorting as their bodies suffocate. Barquoke sprays cloud after cloud over the trees on the left side of the road. The cloud descends slowly, so many of the elves can outrun the cloud, but one breath of this cloud is fatal, and many cannot escape its horrible death. The dragons have already dealt losses to the elves, and they have not even lowered to the ground yet.

The Mountain Flats are attacking Trialani, and he doesn’t move a muscle, and the Mountballion does not seem excited at all. The Mountain Flats get within twenty feet of Trialani like streaks of black, and Shenlylith appears growing from the Snow Gold Trinket, a huge snow elf form of herself, growing enormous three times the size of the Mountballion. Shenlylith extends her wings wide and engulfs all the Mountain Flats in one closing of her wings, and they are gone. Shenlylith shrinks back into the Snow Gold Trinket and is gone.

Kertinkpice sees this and raises his head to the heavens with a very loud roar. Nawlewn sends waves of very sharp ice shards at Trialani from very far away, and Barquoke sends flaming meteorites from his wings from Trialani’s other side. These are powerful spells, and before they reach Trialani, they are deflected away by a magical barrier that these spells cannot penetrate, and they devastate the surrounding forest, setting it on fire from the meteorites and splintering it from the pelting of the ice shards. This draws the elves out in force. They have been studying the dragons and can make attacks of their own now. Arglon rises from the forest far behind Nawlewn and out of sight, riding his personal steed, a red-feathered falcon half the size of the dragons but a fierce predator and large enough to fly fast and strong with Arglon on its back. It approaches Nawlewn very fast, and Arglon is chanting a powerful spell. Nawlewn finally notices the sound behind him and turns just as Arglon casts his Cannonbolt spell that shoots from between his hands, very large, powerful, and fast. It makes its mark, hitting Nawlewn right below his neck and sinking deep into his chest cavity. Nawlewn screams in pain as the falcon dives for the ground near where Trialani is, and the dragon is pulled to the ground and let loose of the Cannonbolt spell. He is swarmed by elves. The bowelves on the ground launch tethered arrows into Nawlewn and use the combined weight of dozens of them to hold him on the ground as the warriors attack with their swords.

Reinlith is on a Landganger, and they have been riding under the black cloud. Reinlith is casting repulsion magic on the cloud, sending it back into the air and reducing its concentration, making it much less lethal. Kertinkpice attacks with a huge pink cloud of his Breath of Pinplosion, covering all the elves surrounding Nawlewn. Trialani rises, magically flying up to meet the pink cloud, casting a spell of his own. The Pinplosion starts to rain down a fantastic pink rain of exploding drops that hit a large dome created by Trialani and explode far out of harm’s way of the elves. Nawlewn is thrashing and turning, sending elves and Landgangers flying into trees and one another. Landgangers are jumping on Nawlewn, slashing with their claws and biting with their teeth, and warriors are stabbing and slashing him with their swords. Nawlewn is fighting fiercely, crushing elves and Landgangers under his paws and biting them with his jaws. Barquoke flies down and lands by him, grabbing Landganger and elf in his jaw, biting them in half, and casts a wind spell, sending many of them on the ground away. He bites the tethers and does all he can to free Nawlewn but is now in the line of fire from the elven arrows and Landgangers himself. The arrows that hit him are met with a quick jerk of his body, sending the elf and Landganger flying, and he bites the tether. He uses his flexible neck to run his head along both sides of his body, biting off the Landgangers and killing them very quickly.

Kertinkpice lands in front of the Mountballion and faces his head to the left and breathes his Pinplosion in a fantastic way in a half circle from left to right. This time, his breath attack does not come out in a cloud. It flies from his mouth and looks like a liquid flamethrower, a thin streak of pink liquid, but when it hits something, it explodes with a much more concentrated and powerful explosion. The Mountballion is right in front of him but still is not in the least bit agitated. Trialani watches as the streak of Pinplosion makes its half circle, and as soon as it hits the Mountballion, it disappears, and Trialani is left, magically hovering in the air. Unfortunately, many elves and Landgangers cannot avoid the devastating attack. They exploded and were cut to pieces by this breath attack that kills over one hundred in one half-circle sweep. Nawlewn and Barquoke are immune to this attack, and many of the elves and Landgangers exploded all over them. Trialani watches as the forest around him becomes red with the blood of his kin.

“This is for my sister!” Trialani yells as he flies foot first at Nawlewn, and his left foot impales Nawlewn’s left eye. His foot sinks almost to his knee, and Kertinkpice and Barquoke watch as Trialani drains the life force of Nawlewn with powerful magic. Trialani’s body shimmers blue and green as Nawlewn’s life force is drawn into Trialani’s fingertips, and he grows as Nawlewn shrinks. Trialani pulls his foot from the skull of Nawlewn, now eight feet tall, and kicks the shrunken body into the woods with a powerful kick. Trialani turns and walks toward Kertinkpice, completely ignoring the fight that is taking place with Barquoke as he leaves it behind him to pursue Kertinkpice.

Barquoke attacks the elves on the ground, biting them and feasting on the flesh of elf and Landganger. The remaining elves and Landgangers swarm him. He is hit with arrows, magic missiles, and lightning bolts from Reinlith. The Landgangers jump on him, one after the other, and this is a bloody and deadly fight.

“That was for my sister. You will be for my brother.”

Kertinkpice raises the fans on the back of his head and sways his head to the left, growling with his impressive teeth showing. “Come on, elf. Let me see what you have.”

Trialani walks toward Kertinkpice and says, “Barkon.” Barkon is the name of his Mountballion that Shenlylith has provided him with, and he rises from the earth, and Trialani is lifted into the air, sitting in the saddle. Trialani now stares down at Kertinkpice and pulls a bugle from the Bag of Holding that he has. He sounds the bugle with a great breath, and from about a half mile behind where Barquoke is still fighting, the elves come out of the trees—Vorgillith and Stromgin with their two hundred strong horse riders. They charge Barquoke, fully armored, and the front line has very long sharp lances. They charge fast and strong, and Barquoke cannot evade the advancing horse riders because the elves and Landgangers on him are already making it impossible for him to fly or run away. Just before the horse riders get to Barquoke, all the elves and Landgangers on Barquoke jump off him as he is impaled by a dozen lances that seriously reduce his life expectancy. The horse riders surround Barquoke, and he manages to fling some of them into the forest with his powerful front paws and bite some of them, but the riders impale him from all over, and he is losing his life. Reinlith rises in the air above Barquoke and lands a lethal lightning bolt into his head, burning his brain and exploding his skull. Barquoke falls dead, and the remaining army falls behind their king.