Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow (32 page)

A lightning bolt from the blue dragon again struck Gallanth’s shield, but it had the normal power of a standard blue’s breath weapon.
This blue chromatic is getting very annoying
, Gallanth told Mkel as he finally dove forward to give chase to the frilled dragon. It turned and dove to the left to gain speed in an attempt to get away from Gallanth. This was a futile attempt, for gold dragons are fastest of all dragon types. “What is your name, chromatic? I want to know it before I send you back to the underworld,” Gallanth roared to the blue.

“I am Evtrix, a demon dragon, which will be your undoing, metallic,” the blue yelled back in Draconic.

“Your kind has quickly forgotten the lessons of the Great War. Now you will pay for your ignorance,” Gallanth answered the blue as he unleashed a plasma fireball blast, which streaked toward the chromatic dragon, hitting it square in the back. The resulting explosion knocked the blue out of the sky; it hit the ground with a terrific tremor, gouging a huge trench in the earth. Gallanth back winged hard, causing Mkel to grasp the crossbow mount to absorb the jolt. Gallanth then charged the blue as it was attempting to get up on its feet and rammed it with his head at full speed. The big chromatic dragon was almost lifted off of the ground from the force of the larger gold dragon’s impact; it landed hard on its left side. Gallanth then followed up with a cone of fire to finish it off, as the flames emanating from his colossal jaws engulfed the blue. He then gave the salutary roar of both deference for and victory over the chromatic dragon before he launched into the air to pursue the errant green dragon.

A loud cheer erupted from the legion soldiers who witnessed the battle between Gallanth and the blue dragon, both in the air and on the ground. The last organized group of orcs was now being broken, partly because of their lower morale from seeing their lead dragon being slain. Most of the giant dire wolf cavalry had been killed by the paladins, and only the drow were still giving resistance. The legion’s infantry and land dragons were now bearing down on them as well. The orc chieftain was slain by Colonel Sheer with a final downward smite from his dragonstone-imbedded great sword.

The lead line of infantry had their swords, spears, and shields dripping black with orc blood. So far six soldiers had been killed with thirty wounded, and they were being treated to the rear by several battle healers, who set up a wounded collection point. Their momentum was suddenly halted when the other talon dragon landed in front of the infantry line. The three land dragons that were in range quickly let loose their fire breath weapons on the intruding talon. It took the blasts well but still suffered from the burns. It lunged toward the infantry but was intercepted by a land dragon that jumped over the line of soldiers, knocking the fanged beast to the ground. It whirled back and its bladed tail impaled the land dragon in its side, as it roared in pain. The crew lowered their ballista and fired at almost point-blank range into the horned dragon’s back; the spear-like projectile sank into its jagged hide.

The talon dragon pulled back, retracting its bladed tail from the land dragon and poising itself for another attack, when three more ballista spears struck it from both sides. The three large projectiles were fired from the ballista gunners from the injured land dragon’s wingman, and another pair was now charging toward the intruder. As the talon dragon recovered from the simultaneous impact, the three land dragons hit it from all sides, sinking their teeth into its spiny hide and raking it with at least one claw.

This was enough damage to kill the creature, but it had enough life left over in it to strike one of the land dragons on its left with an oversized clawed foot, slashing it across the right shoulder. All three land dragons ripped large chunks of flesh from the talon dragon, finally ending its life as it went limp and fell. The land dragon that had been speared got unsteadily to its feet and crashed on its side, spilling its crew on the ground; they rolled away from the reinforced platform. Some type of powerful poison was at work, for nothing else could have affected a creature of this size that quickly.

Jodem had been exchanging spell blasts with the senior drow sorcerer for what seemed like hours, but it was only ten minutes. The drow’s hideous twelve-foot-wide spider was now smoldering, leaving the dark elf on foot to fight Jodem. Vatara took a hard bank to avoid another disruption ray from the sorcerer, after which Jodem fired a sunburst beam at the drow that blasted through the last of his spell shield and tore through his midsection, killing him. The giant eagle did take a crossbow bolt to the side, just penetrating its feather layer, but he was in no mortal danger, as the hand crossbows of the drow were underpowered.

The green dragon that Gallanth was pursuing had just taken a diving attack on the paladins; he hit one of the Battle Point knights, killing him and his mount almost instantly with its chlorinated acid breath weapon. Gallanth caught up to the green dragon circling around to the east, cutting off his escape route. This gave him and Mkel a little time to get some information from this last evil dragon. “You should have kept flying, chromatic. You might have lived longer,” Gallanth roared at the green.

“I see Evtrix has found his mark several times, gold pogasch,” the green dragon swore at Gallanth. Green dragons had a distinct calculated accent when they spoke Draconic, while blues had an arrogant sharp tone and reds a deep angry dialect, but a commanding resonance. Blacks and white dragons were the least intelligent of the dragon races and tended to slur or shorten their words.

“You could compliment him, but unfortunately he has been slain; however, I will now make it possible for you to join him,” Gallanth forcefully replied. “What is your name before I save your soul, chromatic?”

“Groncelix, but you sound too confident, Gallanth,” the green dragon replied.

“You know my name, puny one?”
Gallanth chided.

“All Morgathian dragons know you by sight and your attack on the black fortress. You should have been killed then and now, for how many chromatics have you slain?”
Groncelix replied.

“Too many, but there is always room to send one more to judgment, toothy one. Your blue comrade fought like a coward in spite of his added strength,” Gallanth said as an insult to keep the green talking.

“Evtrix was a demon dragon, pogasch, consider yourself lucky to have vanquished him,” the green replied with increasing anger.

“He must have suckled on Tiamat’s under tail to gain the little amount of extra power he possessed. Not that it helped him,” Gallanth kept chiding.

“You’re lucky the dark crystal that Tiamat put in his heart was not larger, or your oversize frame would be feeding the orcs, gold pogasch,” the green angrily responded. This told Gallanth and Mkel what gave the blue his extra power and strength, especially to his breath weapon. The corpse would have to be examined.

“Your Morgathian masters must have underestimated the Alliance again, attacking with only five dragons and a hodgepodge of orcs and drow. It must be comforting to have the drow commanding you. How does the heel of the dark elf boot taste, servant?” Gallanth continued, insulting Groncelix.

“Silence!”
he half shouted, half growled.

“How come you and your ilk have been attacking these small insignificant trading posts? Not enough courage or strength to attack Battle Point or a Weir,”
Gallanth snapped back while keeping his voice level, being careful not to show anger, but with a condescending tone. He and the smaller green dragon kept circling each other in the ritual dragons engaged in before combat. Its fifty-three-yard wingspan, while still very large, looked small compared to Gallanth’s full golden wings.

“Why are they just circling each other like that, sir? Gallanth could take that green dragon easily,” one of the soldiers asked Colonel Sheer as everyone looked upward at the standoff in the sky.

“I think he is goading him into giving him information,” the colonel replied, “but I wouldn’t worry about the outcome of this battle, son.”

“Colonel Sheer?” Mkel’s voice came from Sheer’s seeing crystal.

“Yes, Captain,” he replied.

“Sir, when things calm down on the ground, the dead blue dragon needs to be secured. Gallanth tricked a little information from this green about it,” Mkel asked. He also knew that any slain chromatic dragons were to be taken back to Draconia by the Capital Wing to process all of their parts for weapons and such.

“No problem, Dragonrider,” answered Colonel Sheer.

“These villages are just stepping-stones for us. We will piecemeal you from all sides and take your jewels by the sea!” Groncelix screamed back at Gallanth in an almost total rage.

“I am surprised that you don’t have a drow sorcerer as a rider to give you direction and courage, worm,”
Gallanth said with an insulting phrase.

“Pogachhhhhhh,” Groncelix’s words ended in a roar, and he turned abruptly and started to fly at Gallanth in a direct attack. Gallanth knew he had finally pushed the green over the edge, for its vanity got the best of it. Groncelix opened its long toothy mouth and spit a focused stream of fiery acid. Gallanth quickly banked to intercept the green dragon and answered by breathing a cone of fire to burn the acid before it hit him. After the two breath weapons cancelled each other out, Gallanth then fired a sunbeam burst from his glowing eyes, which struck the green directly in the chest. Mkel fired an exploding bolt at the dragon, which hit it on the front left leg.

Groncelix reeled from the double impact as Gallanth gave a forceful downward thrust of his wings to gain air speed. He roared as the two dragons collided in midair. The green dragon was off balance when Gallanth struck him, and he took the impact from the much larger gold with a tremendous crash that echoed over the plains. Gallanth’s outstretched claws pierced the dull forest-colored scales and hide on its chest and side, pushing the green dragon backward in midair. It roared in pain from the impact and Gallanth’s claws.

The wounded green was being pushed back and down by Gallanth’s more powerful wings and sheer size. In desperation, it swung its long neck around and bit down on Gallanth’s left shoulder, but only half of his teeth sunk into the incredibly strong golden hide. Mkel drew Kershan and, with two hands on the long pommel, swung the sword in a forceful downward stroke, which sliced through the green’s jaw and upper neck. It reeled back, with bluish-green blood spurting from the large gash from the mithril blade. Groncelix weakly raised his right claw and swiped at Gallanth’s side, which caught Mkel’s left knee and just penetrated his dragon-skin leg protectors on his riding saddle. The green dragon’s claw more bruised than cut his leg because of its sheer strength, but the end result was that it was still incredibly painful. Mkel thrust his sword into the dragon’s green forearm as Gallanth roared and turned his large head, biting Groncelix in the neck, which delivered the final blow, slaying him.

Gallanth quickly looked down to see if there was anything below him and released the dead green dragon to plummet to the ground. His victory prayer/roar echoed across the battlefield, and a loud cheer arose from the Battle Point soldiers below. They had just broken the last of the orc organized resistance and were in the process of splitting up into smaller platoon-size units to root out any enemy hiding in the village. “We did it, Gallanth,” Mkel said to his dragon mate.
Yes, but that was a much tougher fight than I expected. These new classes and types of dragons disturb me, though. This battle will likely lead to more questions than it will answer
, Gallanth replied.

“I think the paladins and Jodem are still fighting the drow. Want to give them a hand?” Mkel asked. Almost before Mkel finished his sentence, Gallanth had already started to bank around.

“Impact!” the senior soldiers shouted to their more inexperienced comrades as the green dragon hit the ground only two hundred yards from their position. The resulting tremor caused those nearby to be knocked off of their feet. Colonel Sheer ordered a company to secure each of the three dragon carcasses, for they would be made into weapons and armor; they were quite valuable. The bodies of chromatics were always used for these purposes; when a metallic dragon died, they almost always were teleported out of existence. Some say they returned to Heaven, but the dragons said they just went to fight for the Creator and the spirit in the afterlife. In any event, both stories likely had a ring of truth.

The dwarf and elf smiths as well as human master smiths would tear apart the chromatic dragon corpses and use everything from hide to bones for weapons and armor. Even the synthensium was used to empower certain weapons and to create potions with special abilities.

“He did it, outnumbered four to one, and he took them all out!” shouted a young infantry soldier.

“There was never a question in my mind. You should have seen him during the Great War, son. He killed over two dozen chromatic dragons and then attacked the drow and Morgathian capitals alone,” a senior sergeant said.

Gallanth had turned and was now flying over the town and the cheering Alliance soldiers as he headed toward the northeastern fields outside Handsdown. The drow were being pushed back by the paladins and Jodem, but there were still some stubborn pockets of resistance. As Gallanth and Mkel cleared the village, they could see Jodem engaging the last drow sorcerer, who was fighting a delaying action for the remainder of their forces to begin a retreat. This was hastened by the sight Gallanth bearing down on them.