Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm (25 page)

“Yes, but your aerial duel during the race was a little, let’s say, overzealous,” General Becknor injected.

“I would agree with my rider. Gallanth and especially Captain Mkel do tend to take on too much on their own. They fight with an ever-present ghost over their shoulders. I believe it is from a sense of duty and responsibility, with a fear of not living up to Jmes’s memory and not wanting that same fate to befall anyone else’s children or dragon. Those are hard feelings to overcome, but I believe they will eventually. This is the emotional transfer we dragons get from our bonding with our riders. Remember, we still don’t know how Gallanth survived that day he attacked Aserghul, but it undoubtedly helped tip the scales of that hellish battle. Unfortunately, a heavy price was paid,” Michenth added.

“Yes, their feelings on this, is one of the many things that has made them so strong and effective. While we must steer them and guide them, we also must not stifle that drive and that dedication. Do you understand what I mean?” General Becknor added to his dragon’s comment.

“I do, sir, and I would never take away what they accomplished and what they are capable of. All will be needed with the storm that is to come, with enemies both abroad and within our own borders. These conflicts will test us all, and especially those of Draden Weir. We just wanted to make sure that their habit of strict self-reliance was more thought out,” Colonel Therosvet explained.

“Yes, together, they are a powerful combination. Mkel’s emotions add to his dragon’s power immensely, and that is even discounting his dragonstone weapons, especially his skill with his crossbow. My rider and I know your power of foresight, and you, like us, sense they are to play a large role in events to come. We just want to give them every chance to be able to shore up their weaknesses, for if we don’t, the Morgathians and the chromatics will. And we can’t afford to lose a single gold dragon, not until our numbers are replenished,” Valianth added.

“Again, we understand, my young friend. We will guide them and all our brothers and sisters on this perilous and uncertain path that lies ahead. But we must exercise caution as well. Thank you for your efforts, but now I must rest, for I should make an appearance at tonight’s dance and celebration. With recent events, I need to instill a confidence in both our own and the citizens of the republic as well,” Michenth added as he put his head down.

“By your leave, Lord Michenth, General Becknor,” Colonel Therosvet and Valianth bowed a salute to their leaders, Therosvet putting his fist over his heart, and turned around to walk back out to their landing to get ready for the end-of-the-games celebration in the weir.

The Capital Weir was abuzz all afternoon in preparation for the celebration and dance. The weir’s families, hired help, and the halflings were scrambling about putting up decorations and preparing the food for all the weir personnel, guests, and their mounts. A steady rise in the din of the gathering workers and guests was slowly building off the interior walls of the mountain. An almost electric feeling was in the air in anticipation of the evening’s festivities. The weir’s minstrels and bards were practicing as were their elven counterparts.

“Well, Gentlemen, I believe it is time to help these Capital Weir feather wings lighten their stores of ale,” Mkel said to his companions as he walked out of his room and onto the landing. His entire Draden Weir group was there except Crystinj. “Where is our young lady shooter?” he asked.

“Ah, you know of your kind’s females, always trying to look more to the eye than they really are. Not dwarf women, up front and rough, that’s a woman for you!” Ordin scowled.

Mkel laughed for he knew his dwarf friend was hungry and wanted ale, and lots of it.

“I’m here, my grumpy little friend,” the young woman said as she walked briskly from the hallway smiling at the dwarf, her blue eyes accented by her medium-brown hair.

“Well, then I suggest we take the walk down,” Mkel said as he moved toward the long winding steps to the ground floor of the weir.

“Why don’t we take the lift?” Jodem suggested.

“I need the walk, my wizard friend, as do we all, and it is only several dozen flights of steps down,” he replied with a wink to Toderan at the portly wizard’s disdain for exercise.

“I will meet you at the dance; I want to converse with Talonth, my rider,” Gallanth said.

“We’ll see you there, Gallanth,” Mkel answered, as they all followed him down the long sections of carved-stone steps that led down the two hundred feet to the weir floor. After a long descent down the winding stairs, during which they laughed and joked—Jodem and Ordin complaining about how the dwarves had invented the water counter lifts that allowed the inhabitants to be lifted or lowered from all the dozens of levels of the immense hollowed-out mountain—they stepped out onto the weir grounds.

The celebration had basically already begun, in spite of it not supposed to be officially starting until the supper hour. Many of the weirs’ competitors and well over half of the Capital Weir inhabitants were on the grounds, and several were heavily engaged in drinking and conversation. The weir minstrels and their elf and halfling counterparts were setting up for the night’s entertainment. The Draden Weir group walked over to the gathering. Mkel could see that his friend Bkert, the Atlean Weirleader, was already well on his way to being drunk. Mkel thought to himself,
this
is
a
good
time
to
approach
him
about
a
favor.

“Bkert, you sea dragon, I see you’re already having fun with the ale!” Mkel called out to him.

The tall, lanky dragonrider turned slowly to face Mkel and smiled his big, wide, toothy grin that accented his boyish demeanor.

“Mkel, welcome, and congratulations for you and Gallanth on the games,” he said as he took Mkel up for a hug.

“Bkert, my friend, you and Rapierth did fairly well at the undersea strike race,” Mkel answered.

“My dragon and I just like to swim. What can I say? Here, have an ale. You are way behind,” the bronze rider replied as he took a mug of ale from a nearby tray.

“Well, I do have to catch up, my brother,” Mkel said as he took a long draft from the tankard. The sweet, wheat-heavy beer tasted good, even though he had just barely come down from the effects of drinking for several hours in the earlier afternoon. “My friend, I have a favor to ask you before we get too down the road of having fun. I heard you have a brass egg ready to hatch, and it’s a female. I would like to send you one of my soldiers who I think is dragonrider quality,” he explained.

“Well, sure, send her to Atlean in a week or so; the egg is getting ready to hatch. We always welcome fresh talent, especially beautiful talent,” he emphasized with a wider smile.

“I’ll have Gallanth talk to Rapierth about it for coordination, my friend.” Mkel smiled with his reply, for he liked the quick answer he had received.

“
I
have
already
asked
Rapierth,
my
rider;
he
will
let
me
know
when
the
hatchling
is
ready.
We
will
get
your
apprentice
to
their
weir
,” Gallanth answered his question, as the dragons had all gathered in the back of the grounds to eat and converse, with several swimming in the center of the large weir lake to the southern end of the grounds.

“
I
have
faith,
my
friend
,” Mkel answered telepathically.

Mkel waved for his friends to come over and join him in ale with the other dragonriders; Jodem, Toderan, and Ordin grabbed ales and drank especially heartily.

The Capital Weir minstrels started to play a lively tune just then, as Gallanth called to Mkel again. “
My
rider,
I
have
a
surprise
for
you
,” he said to him.

“What, my friend?” he answered, as he turned around to see his wife and son walking toward them. Silvanth moved off to stand beside Gallanth.

“My love! Michen, my boy!” he said as he bent down to scoop the little boy up as he ran to him. Annan was dressed in a silky, flowing, but revealing light-blue dress that accentuated her thin but curvy figure. Her long brown hair with its golden streaks flowed over her shoulders, and her slender, slightly tanned legs moved with grace as she walked. Her large, opulent eyes stared at him, and she looked stunning. “Gallanth, why didn’t you tell me they were coming?” he asked his dragon out loud.

I
wanted
it
to
be
surprise
for
you,
as
I
also
told
the
watchtower
guards
and
the
land
dragons
on
duty,
not
to
announce
Silvanth’s
arrival
, he answered telepathically from across the weir grounds as Silvanth walked up to him and they bowed to each other, touching their eye crest horns as a dragon gesture of affection.

“I told Silvanth to tell your dragon I wanted to surprise you, my love, and Michen wanted to see his father,” his wife almost answered her husband’s mental conversation with Gallanth.

“Well, I’m very glad to see you both. It has been a good week but a long one,” he answered and hugged her with Michen in his arms and gave her a kiss. “Now that you are here, let’s enjoy ourselves. The food is excellent, as is the ale.”

“Yes, the ale is particularly good, and there is more over there by that large roasted steer. Come, little dragonrider hatchling, come with Uncle Ordin, and we and your pretty little nanny will get something to eat,” the brawny dwarf’s smile came clearly through his gruff brown beard, as Janta giggled at the rare dwarf compliment.

“Ooordin,” the little blond boy said as Mkel handed his son over to the waiting arms of the dwarf, who threw him into the air and caught him deftly, but very gently—not much to catch a toddler compared to a thunder hammer.

“Let’s all go,” Jodem ushered the group to the food tables. After they ate, the bands began to play catchy dance tunes and sing-along songs. Mkel was always pleased to see his wife dance; her slender body could move like flowing water. The night went on with festivities and good cheer, in spite of Mkel’s slight anxiety over the senate gathering and his testimony. Jodem’s and Gallanth’s plan to get him to relax worked perfectly.

CHAPTE
R 
 IV

Senate Gathering

T
he following morning after the end of the celebration came too early. The ale and wine from the night before still haunted Mkel’s head, but a small swallow of one of Jodem’s healing potions dulled the pain. They quickly got dressed and went down to the Capital Weir’s dining hall and ate breakfast. Gallanth had already soared down to the feeding corral and engulfed a whole steer. The other Draden Weir mounts were also fed to their contentment. They would be waiting today at the stables adjacent to the main Draconia governmental pyramid, which would be a good rest for them given the races of the last few days and the efforts they put forth.

As soon as they were all ready, they mounted and were airborne. Gallanth led with Jodem, Toderan, and Dekeen close behind them. Fogellem and of course Ordin were riding on Gallanth. Jodem called to Mkel through his seeing crystal.

“My young friend, I just wanted to talk to you about the events that will unfold today one last time before we get to the senate hall. Remember your speech, and remember the points that the Enlightened senators will likely attack you from and the responses we rehearsed. The truth is on your side, and that is as powerful as being astride your mighty gold dragon with your whole weir behind you,” he said with a smile across his broad face. Mkel always took comfort in his mentor’s advice and friendship, not to mention his powerful magical ability in a fight and his equally powerful intellect and wisdom in all other endeavors. He was glad to have both Jodem and Gallanth by his side this day, for he would need them.

They sailed around the Capital Weir Mountain and lazily angled toward the center of Draconia and the massive pyramids that housed the power structure of the Alliance. All were flying just fast enough to maintain flight, as if subconsciously they were in no hurry to get to their destination. Gliding over a thousand feet above the city, they made their way to the central pyramid and entered into the circular holding pattern around the great structure. They had to wait their turn to land in the grassy mall or parade area in front of the main entrance to the immense thousand-foot-tall structure.

As they slowly circled the great Senate Pyramid, Mkel scanned the city below. The buildings and structures of Draconia were also all well made and as sturdy as the central governmental pyramids. Dwarf-made concrete and brick were extremely strong materials and when reinforced with the dwarf-made steel rods made for excellent structures. Most buildings in the city were constructed in this way, but the larger or taller ones were built in a pyramid shape for even greater strength. In the exact center of the city, the Senate Pyramid reached a height of over a thousand feet and was ringed by four other pyramid structures that rose six hundred feet. The center structure was the capital seat of the Alliance. It was the center of the government of the republic, and while holding the senate and all vital works and directorates, it was the home to no one. Its flat-top mounted a massive mithril and gold triangular-shaped symbol that shone brilliantly in the sunlight and also glowed in the focused lighting crystal illumination at night. All services were centered from there as well as the ringed Great Hall for the senate gathering arena. One of the two smaller surrounding pyramids that lay east and west of the main structure actually housed the senate’s working chambers, with the other being the Grand Alliance Arbitrators Court and Council on the west. The pyramid to the north was the premier’s temporary home and housed all his support staff as well as one of the Dragon Knight orders that were sworn to protect the premier in office. The last structure to the south was the headquarters of the Alliance Army and Navy. This was the collective center of power of the Alliance, where all decisions and indecisions were made.