Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow (79 page)

Before his last shot, he had to adjust his shoulder position twice, taking him a little off his game, but he recovered quickly. He got up and placed Markthrea in the rack in back of the firing line. He had finished right after Jodem, who also stood up and leaned on his crossbow/staff, grumbling about losing two points of the possible two hundred.

“Don’t feel bad, Jodem, I lost two points as well; this damned unpredictable sea breeze they have here,” Mkel said with a smile.

“I know exactly what you mean, my friend, but this is what keeps us coming back; however, looking at all our groups, they would all have hit a man-sized target in the chest,” the wizard answered.

“Gentlemen, a little tricky today, I even dropped one,” Scandalon said as he got up from his mat.

“So says the brass dragonrider who only missed one point,” Mkel jibed back with his normal smile. “We’ll be neck and neck with each other tomorrow if we keep this up.”

“That adds to the fun,” Jodem added. “Gentlemen, do you have what you need for your production of those new repeaters?” he asked.

“We have a much better idea now, sir; we would like to see you at the snap or close quarter shooting range, if you dragonriders don’t mind,” the lead Capital Weir inventor said.

“You’ll have to settle with just me; my friends don’t indulge in the short range quick draw stuff. My elven brother and I will have to do,” Mkel told the man as Dekeen walked up to them. “A little late, my friend,” he asked.

“Sorry Mkel, I was slightly detained by King Denaris and Queen Eladra. They had several questions of me regarding our fight at Handsdown,” the elf answered as he grasped Mkel’s hand.

“Far be it from us to interfere in the matters of royalty,” Mkel said with a smile, which Dekeen acknowledged.

“I will tell you of these matters later, but it will all come out at the Dragon and Wizard’s Council tonight,” the elf stated. “It is almost as if we were preparing for battle, not a senate session, but these are unique times we are heading into. I have never seen Queen Eladra as concerned as she is now, concerned and troubled. She told us that her powers of foresight have been clouded of late, but again this will be talked about this evening. Let us do simpler things like just enjoy the dynamics of shooting.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more, my pointy-eared friend; the simple act of sending a quarrel hurtling through the air and hitting your target dead center consistently is a satisfying part of life,” Mkel answered.

Dekeen’s eyes were able to estimate distance and adjust his arrow strike like Markthrea’s sight, which could compute range estimates for moving targets and make automatic adjustments for quarrel strikes. He moved up to the firing line and nocked an arrow, drew, and then took careful aim. All elves, but especially Dekeen, were able to automatically ascertain distances and adjust for the arrow drop to hit their targets with amazing accuracy. Mkel saw him sighting in and scoped the target he was aiming at. Markthrea’s sight read six hundred yards, a long shot, even for Dekeen. The elf steadied Elm and let the arrow loose. It streamed toward the target at unnatural speed, almost as fast as the three dragonstone crossbows. His arrow struck just low and left of center.

“Not bad for an elf,” Mkel joked to Dekeen.

“I don’t have a sight with the power of dragon vision,” Dekeen quipped back with his usual half smile.

“It’s all in the tools we have and how we use them; besides, with these new repeating crossbows, longbows will be obsolete soon,” Mkel again teased his elf friend.

“I’ll remind you of that during our next fight when you need backup fires from my elves,” Dekeen answered.

“Just teasing, my friend; we will take a couple of more practice targets here at the long range and then move to the fast fire course,” Mkel explained.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Dekeen as he drew another arrow.

“Mkel, I will shoot with you until you move to the fast fire,” Jodem said, “then I must retire to make ready for the council meeting tonight. Don’t be too long, for we have to go over your speech one more time; I would guess that Michenth and Becknor as well as our arbitrators will want to read it as well to be able to plan our defense against the Enlightened’s venom.”

“Yes, Captain, that won’t be a problem, never enough time when you’re having fun,” Scandalon stated as he got back into position. Mkel almost envied Scandalon at times. Just being a dragonrider and shooting, no other responsibility in the world, but he would never give up being Gallanth’s rider and the command of Draden Weir and his infantry company, as well as the mixed battalion. He truly loved the men he commanded as well as his dwarf and elven comrades.

They shot at the long-range targets for another half hour, and then he and Dekeen went to the fast fire range, where the course of fire was rapid shots at twenty-five yards. Elves had a distinct advantage here due to their faster reflexes, but with Mkel’s crossbow and its fast loading capability, it equaled the playing field. This course of fire was based on both time and accuracy. While not nearly the precision called for in the fifty- and hundred-yard course of fire, you still had to basically hit center mass on a man-sized target in seconds, and Dekeen was especially fast. After several runs at this range, Dekeen slightly edged out Mkel on points, especially on the last stage, where they had to engage four targets with six arrows in six seconds. They then both finished up at the fifty- and one-hundred-yard precision firing, which he liked the best.

After they finished, they walked back to the Weir and joined the rest of the Draden contingent in the dining hall for the evening meal. Everyone had a hard day of practice to prepare for their events, which would take place over the next several days, but the Dragon and Wizard Council meeting was the topic of discussion at the dinner tables. It was unusual and rare for the two councils to meet at the same time, but Mkel knew the importance of the matters of the time, both foreign and domestic.

While the food was good, it still fell a little short to Draden’s halfling cooks at their Weir tavern. “Captain, how do you feel the senate will react to your motion for the veterans?” asked Gimbelon, one of Mkel’s soldiers.

“Well, I hope I can make as good a throw at them as you do with your spear, my good corporal, but you are much better at that than I hope to be with the senate,” Mkel said.

“Sir, you and Gallanth defeated a chromatic wing and helped destroy a whole Morgathian army; these POE senators don’t stand a chance against you,” Gimbelon said.

“Well, I wish I shared your confidence, but this is a different type of battle, and to be honest with you, I almost prefer to face the chromatics. At least they’re honest in their evil,” Mkel said back with a smile, reiterating what he had spoken earlier, but the words and sentiment still deemed true.

“Well sir, we all have faith in you, and I know you will come out ahead. You are fighting for veterans rights!” Gimbelon encouraged his commander.

“Thanks, it is really appreciated, especially from a troublemaker like you; I will need the support.”

“Never a problem, sir,” the young soldier replied. Mkel felt a sudden sense of pride and accomplishment at both his soldier’s sentiment and his loyalty. This feeling was one that few would ever know, except those who successfully commanded an infantry or similar company or unit, and then only for the right reason. Personal glory was not an option but a detractor, for only a strong, cohesive, well-trained, combat-ready team was the true reward for a commander. Especially if that team knew their leader was looking out for them and truly cared about them, not just to enhance their own career. He did indeed love his men, but he also feared for them in that he and Gallanth couldn’t protect them with the dark storm that he knew was coming. He hoped and prayed the Dragon Council could make sense of all this.

Dragons

Amerenth
(am-ur-enth) — brass dragon and Alliance dragon ambassador along with his rider Canjon, Capital Weir

Arathus
(ah-rath-us) — blue dragon at the battle for repatriation in the unsettled lands

Asharanth
(ash-ur-anth) — female silver dragon and mate to Talonth

Auroranth
(aw-roar-enth) — silver dragon, mate to Strikenth at Capital Weir, and fastest dragon in the Alliance, rider Andrace, wife of Padonan.

Aventh
(ah-venth) — silver dragon in the Capital Weir wing, rider Jontzim

Baranth
(bar-aunth) — young silver dragon at Eladran Weir, rider Altmed

Batuul
(ba-tool) — black dragon at the battle for repatriation in the unsettled lands

Breigor
(bray-gor) — land dragon in the Draden Weir garrison

Bruntoth
(brun-toth) — Avenger dragon in Draconia

Caraeyeth
(ka-ray-eth) — Female copper dragon originally from Eladran Weir, but eventually moves to Draden to be Gallanth’s wing mate, rider Heathiret

Darkenth
(dar-kenth) — Avenger dragon in Draconia

Draconth
(drey-konth) — Silver dragon and member of the Capital Weir Wing, rider Senior Captain Gresson

Doomshadow
(doom-sha-dow) — Black demon dragon of Tiamat’s court and member of the Usurper Five

Eagrenth
(e-grenth) — gold dragon of the Capital Weir, rider Willjon, a fearless warrior and veteran of the Great War

Evtrix
(ev-trix) — demon blue dragon at the battle of Handsdown

Falcanth
(fal-kanth) — gold dragon of the Capital Weir and Gallanth’s brother, rider Lloydell, a friend and comrade to Jmes during the last Great Dragon War

Fellith
(fell-ith) — female Avenger dragon in Draconia

Fieranth
(fyr-anth) — large bronze dragon, wing mate to Talonth, at Eladran Weir

Gallanth
(gal-onth) — largest and most powerful gold dragon in the Alliance and Draden, lead dragon, rider Captain Mkel

Glaiventh
(glayv-enth) — bronze dragon and senior dragon of Machren Weir, rider Sighbolt

Groncelix
(gron-sell-ix) — green dragon at the Battle of Handsdown

Havocfire
(ha-vok-fyr) — lead demon red dragon of Dreadstone’s Northern province of Morgathia

Hellstrafe
(hell-straif) — lead red dragon of the central province under Talon sorcerer Nozok

Infernex
(in-fur-nix) — Ashram’s lead demon red dragon of the Northwest Morgathian province

Kadanth
(kay-danth) — female gold dragon, daughter of Gallanth and Silvanth, bonded with Vicasek

Kakol
(kay-kol) — green dragon at the battle for repatriation in the unsettled lands

Kearideth
(kir-ah-deth) — female brass dragon from Draden Weir, rider Crystinj

Killenth
(kill-enth) — bronze dragon, wing mate to Talonth, at Eladran Weir

Klaxtor
(klax-tour) — blue dragon at the battle for repatriation in the unsettled lands

Krekon
(kray-kahn) — red dragon at the battle for repatriation in the unsettled lands

Krysanth
(kry-santh) — brass dragon at Talinor Weir and wing mate to Selenth, rider Scandalon

Liberth
(ly-berth) — female Avenger dragon in Draconia

Licanth
(ly-kanth) — bronze dragon and senior dragon of Rom Weir, rider Keisem

Lionoth
(ly-on-oth) — silver dragon in the Capital Weir Wing, rider Delker

Livoth
(ly-voth) — female bronze dragon, mate to Nemareth, at Ice Bay Weir

Luminenth
(loom-in-anth) — female bronze dragon, mate to Zumanth

Machrenth
(ma-krenth) — gold dragon of fame at the battle off the Adelif Peninsula during the Great War and the namesake of Machren Weir; invented the V formation tactic

Magnanth
(mag-nanth) — bronze dragon, wing mate to Glaiventh at Machren Weir

Michenth
(my-kenth) — arch dragon, lord of the metallic dragons residing at the Capital Weir; also known as the mithril dragon, most powerful dragon in the world, rider General Becknor

Rapierth
(ray-pierth) — bronze dragon and senior dragon of Atlean Weir, rider Bkert

Raptoth
(rap-toth) — bronze dragon and senior dragon of Lancastra Weir, rider Turjon

Rexkald
(rex-kald) — green dragon of Tiamat’s court and member of the Usurper Five

Saarex
(sahr-ex) — green dragon at the battle for repatriation in the unsettled lands

Sabrenth
(say-brenth) — silver dragon in the Capital Weir Wing, rider Colonel Pikelar

Sallanth
(sal-anth) — brass dragon, at Lancastra Weir

Savrenth
(say-vrenth) — bronze dragon hatchling, at Ice Bay

Scimenth
(sy-menth) — bronze dragon and senior dragon of Ferranor Weir, rider Hardren

Selenth
(sel-enth) — senior copper dragon and lead dragon of Talinor Weir, rider Dkert