Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm (38 page)

As the Morgathians backed out of range of these unique archer units, the Arianan commander ceased their fire and shouted for a victory in the name of Kallysh. Again, this proved short-lived, as over three dozen chromatic dragons started to bear down on the city. The Arianan military commanders shouted orders to the archers and ballista crews on the walls to ready for the imminent attack.

“Emir, how can we survive this attack?” the emir’s aide cried out to his leader totally in the grip of fear.

“This is finally your chance for martyrdom, my friend,” the thick-bearded Arianan monarch said with an almost maniacal smile; his aide-de-camp looked at him, horrified.

“They’ll destroy the entire city,” the slender servant angrily replied,

“Then all of Ariana, all of the followers of Kallysh will finally rise up in defiance and crush the infidels and their beasts, wash the whole world in blood, and then and only then can the true peace of the believers be allowed to flourish,” the emir declared almost in a trance, clearly indicating that through his fanatical belief, he was on the verge in insanity. At that, the silken-robed servant backed away and started to run.

“Hah, look at how they run! This will be a moment to remember, Tbok. The day the Morgathian Empire rained terror on these desert rodents and reasserted itself as the one true power in the world!” Nozok excitedly yelled into his dark crystal as the red dragon he was riding on soared over the desert sands toward Hasera, smoke starting to escape from its mouth in its preparation to breathe fiery death upon the residents of the city.

“Yes, a day to remember, when we wiped out a poorly defended city. Very little challenge, my friend, but at least the treasury will be ours,” Tbok answered, but he was still very concerned that Stalenjh had used him as a pawn in this dangerous game of his—not that it was unexpected, but still, it was not very much appreciated. The lead squadron of chromatics started their dive toward the eastern wall and began to unleash their breath weapons when they were in range. The defenders on the near wall were engulfed in deadly dragons’ fire, multiple virulent burning acid streams, and beams of shattering icy frost that almost eliminated the Arianan soldiers manning those ramparts. The wall itself was struck with multiple lightning bolts, which were blowing holes in the thick mud cement defensive structure.

However, just behind the wall, the back bowmen were ready and sent thousands of arrows into the air, which like a cloud of angry hornets caused the dozens of dragons to split. While only one in ten arrows fired was able to penetrate most of the dragons’ armored hide, the first intense volley was enough to down a white dragon and force a black to the ground. The white who had been caught in the main force of the arrow barrage had literally hundreds of arrows strike its underbelly and wings. One penetrated just under the central armored breast scale and found its way to the beast’s heart. It folded and crashed in middle of the archers crushing dozens. A black dragon was hit too many times in its wings and was forced to land very roughly to the side of the groups of archers. As it stood up, with an angry roar, it breathed the second and last flaming acid stream that it could muster for the day and melted dozens of the archers in a wide arc and then proceeded to move among them, biting, slashing, and crushing many in its path. Those close to it were desperately trying to fire as many arrows as fast as they could to stop the ferocious black beast.

The coordinated arrow barrage forced the chromatics to split and fly toward the inner portion of the city walls, which put them in perfect ballista range. Dozens of spear-sized projectiles hurtled toward the weaving dragons. The larger and faster ballista spears had an easier time penetrating the hides of the chromatics with only the red dragons’ thick hides proving difficult. Two white, two black, and a green dragon fell to the two-sided ambush. While a small victory for the Arianan gunners, it didn’t last, for a few chromatics in the rear of the attacking squadrons still had not used their breath weapons and destroyed several of the ballistae and their crews. An angry Tbok and Nozok cast multiple lightning bolts at the ballista weapons on the lead edge of the attack helping to prevent a continued barrage of spears.

The dragons then continued to pass over the city unleashing deadly spells, raining firestorms on houses and other structures. Freezing icy beams shattered the fleeing residents and thinly built homes, and hundreds of lightning bolts blew down walls and opened gaping holes in everything they struck. The dragons crisscrossed the city laying waste to anything standing and decimating anyone and anything below. Nozok especially was enjoying unleashing spell after spell at the city below, adding to the destruction.

The Morgathian army had taken advantage of the chaos and shock effect caused by the dragons’ attack and had rushed the stone and iron gates. The lead battalion forced a pair of giants to the fifteen-foot-tall gate doors, and they began pounding them with their metal spiked clubs. This was answered by a squad of somewhat brave Arianan soldiers pouring two cauldrons of boiling oil on the brutes, which immediately forced them to their knees screaming in agony. Insult was added when several archers sent flaming arrows that struck the giants, setting their twelve-foot-tall hulking frames ablaze to finish them off.

The incensed Morgathian warlord ordered his remaining behirs to fire on the gate, and several apprentice drow sorcerers and clerics cast disruption and shatter spells at the large doors as well. Soon, with the multiple strikes, the reinforced doors buckled and gave way. A shout of victory rippled through the Morgathian army and the drow, and they began to pour through the gate. Several dozen of the first attackers through the breach were met with a volley of arrows and were cut down, but the mad rush of black-chain-mail-clad Morgathian soldiers soon overwhelmed the remaining defenders, and the drow nimbly darted in and were cutting the lightly armed archers down with the speed of their black-iron long swords.

The Morgathian death knight warlord started to lose control of his army as they moved into the city but was able to direct the drow to move along the walls and eliminate the remaining ballista gunners. As the chromatic dragons continued to unleash destruction on the remaining standing structures in the city, the pillage, rape, and massacre began. As Hasera was ablaze, Nozok and Tbok directed the dragons to land and drop off the dozen or so Talestra guards to surround and secure the palace and treasury buildings. The heavily armed death knights were joined by the remaining drow and moved into the palace, eliminating any guard or servant they encountered. Soon, they were dragging the emir out of his palace. He was thrown at the feet of the two Talon sorcerers and their dragons Traxsus and Hellstrafe.

“Well, oh mighty and holy Emir! Behold your city is in ruins, your people are slaughtered, your women are violated, and your holy temples are rubble. Your gold and gemstones will be ours, and we will see that this city is nothing but a memory. This is the price for insolence to the Morgathian Empire,” Nozok coldly said to the emir, who was forced onto his knees by the two Talestra.

“Infidel! Dragon vermin! I will soon spit on you from paradise,” the emir spat back.

“Then we will help you get there. Hellstrafe?” He stepped back and motioned to the imposing red dragon, who breathed a small cone of searing hot fire engulfing the monarch. His screams were only silenced when the dragon’s head reached down and clamped his razor-sharp fangs onto the burning man and lifted him into the air, biting down and then swallowing him.

“Now, we’ll let the men have their fun for the rest of the day and until tomorrow, and then we have to empty the treasury and prepare it for shipment back to Morgathia. Use the captured Haserans to load the treasure and then kill them. First, we shall divide the gemstone shares for us and Stalenjh, and then have the Talestra and the drow oversee the gold and silver being placed in the wagons and guarded for the long trek back through the tunnels. What a glorious day, my friend!” He looked over to Tbok and smiled.

“Yes, it has been too long since we razed and plundered a city. This will be the first of many, and to the destroyer goes the spoils,” Hellstrafe’s deep and sinister voice boomed over the group as he reached down and grabbed a sack of gems from a drow carrying it toward them. He then flicked up several with his pointed tongue and quickly swallowed them. Traxsus followed suit.

The senators started to arrive at the Capital Weir in a long train of carriages and some even by their own hippogriffs. Becknor and Therosvet had the weir ready for their arrival with personnel to greet and escort them to a staging area with refreshments. This was more for the Enlightened senators before they all loaded up on the Capital Wing dragons and headed out to the Shidanese capital, Dagrad, to meet with King Ibliss for this all-important diplomatic envoy. As the senators continued to arrive, the weir’s horn blew signaling a dragon’s arrival. Becknor and Therosvet looked to the weir entrance to see Canjon fly in on Amerenth.

“I see our message, along with Master Hestal’s, made him decide to come on this mission,” Therosvet spoke softly to Becknor.

“Yes, he had to cancel a lengthy diplomatic visit that would have taken him to Freiland and then to the Kaskar city of Elsidor. Hestal and I knew we needed to send him, with his ability to smooth feathers when they get ruffled by harsh words in negotiations,” Becknor answered even more softly to his second in command, so as to prevent any senator from overhearing his conversation.

“General Becknor, I was told that only you and the colonel here were going as the weir’s part of the diplomatic mission. I will not allow another infernal self-proclaimed diplomat dragonrider to ruin negotiations between us the Shidanese king, and I also demand that you get more of your overgrown lizards down here to ferry us to Shidan. The importance and status of these key senators demands only one be carried per dragon, and—” Tekend pontificated until he was interrupted by Becknor’s irate response.

“First, Senator Tekend, we are conveying you to that despicable despot king at the request of Premier Reagresh. How we do this is our business. You have no say in these matters. It surprises us that you would even consent to ride a dragon, much less request the Capital Wing, knowing your dislike for them and their riders,” Becknor shot back.

“We will show you contemptible, brutish, warmongering, treasure-hoarding lizard riders what it means to truly negotiate with those of noble stature, not greet monarchs with drawn swords and dragons’ breath. And I demand that there is no aggressive action or movements from your dragon puppet masters or yourselves toward the peaceable peoples of Shidan. As a matter of fact, we will bring our own personal security, for we know they are refined enough to show restraint, unlike the barbaric mithril knights and Draco Guards,” Senator Terrjok interrupted in his normal condescending manner.

“Senators, I will allow the second Capital Wing to also convey your entourage to placate your overly inflated self-ingratiating egos. But hear me now; if the Shidanese are foolish enough to make one aggressive move or attack our envoy, I unequivocally state that we will respond with overwhelming and devastating force. And as for your security, if they can best the mithril knights and Draco Guards in a practice duel, they are more than welcome,” Becknor replied with an unusual fierceness to his voice.

Just as Senator Tekend was about to give a feeble response, Hestal appeared out of nowhere behind the senior dragonriders—much to the Enlightened senators’ dismay, for the wise and very clever wizard was almost impossible to win a debate with.

“Is there an issue here, Gentlemen?” he calmly stated, one hand on his staff, the dragonstone just slightly glowing, and with a half smile on his thin but strong-featured face.

“No, Wizard, are you trying to attend this diplomatic mission to cast spells on those who don’t agree with the Wizards’ Council’s enslaving ways?” Tekend condescendingly asked the wizard.

“We know, my dear senator, that wizards and dragonriders keep their promises, unlike the vast majority of the Enlightened faith. We promised not to attend, so we will not; however, you said nothing of the dragon ambassador not accompanying this auspicious crowd to meet with such an important, caring, and understanding ruler. This is our and the weirs’ gift to you, for the ability of Canjon to talk to foreign leaders and conduct the smoothest of negotiations is widely known. So this will be allowed; your guards will not, and in our infinite deference to your importance to the Alliance and the weirs, we will have enough dragons to give you the best ride our magnificent winged benefactors can muster,” Hestal spoke with an almost enhanced ability to express a message.

Senators Terrjok and Tekend nodded a response and quickly walked away to gather their elitist comrades. Becknor talked into his seeing crystal to ready the second Capital Wing for the flight to Shidan. Several of the non-POE senators who were going stated that they could double or triple up on the dragon flying rigs with no issues.

Hestal and the two Weirleaders were curious because the Shidanese had not let a diplomatic envoy in their kingdom in years, especially any with Alliance dragons, but now they would allow the whole Capital Wing. Plus, the Enlightened senators hated the dragons and only rode on them when absolutely necessary. This request for a special envoy to Shidan with all this power totally contradicted their normal rhetoric as perpetual pacifists, never wanting to put on a display of force. They preferred to negotiate with a handful of Alliance drachlars rather than from a position of strength.

“This doesn’t feel right, but there will be two very powerful squadrons of metallic dragons there. The question is how long will I have to wait before our two illustrious senators put their own feet in their mouths and I have to enact a measure of common sense?” Canjon walked up to them smiling but still concerned. “Sorry, I happened to overhear the conversation, sir, Master Wizard,” Canjon interjected as he greeted his Weirleader and the apex wizard. “I hope this very unique and unexpected trip is worth the fence mending I will have to do with the Freilanders and especially the Kaskars.”