The Dragon Council

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Six months ago it had been a peaceful place full of farms, livestock and vineyards, where children played in the local village streets and the small river that ran its length from the mountains down to the sea, brought a steady supply of goods and people up from the larger cities along the coast.

Neha was the first of many villages that dotted the river on this side of the mountains. It was a small village by many standards, with slightly less than fifteen hundred souls going about their business on a good day. A healthy mix of farmers and craftsmen, sprinkled with a few trading outlets there was an almost leisurely bustle on any given day. Other than those few, the majority of the people were employed by the towns main industry, producing wine. The wine from Neha was sought after far and wide for its quality and taste, giving Neha a well-deserved level of prestige among the small villages of the kingdom. It also provided a generous income and a level of comfort making Neha a jewel of the valley.

Neha was nestled in the shadow of the great mountain of Hursag, whose peaks glistened with snow even in the heart of summer. Hursag stood tallest of her sisters on the south end of the range that stretched the length of the Kemet and neatly divided the continent unevenly giving the west more than its fair share of land. The gentle slopes of the lower mountain were in stark contrast to her ragged peaks. Thousands of years of rainfall and runoff had created and then perfected the conditions in the valley. The rich soil and long hours of sunshine provided a perfect base for the fruit crops that grew there. The mountain looming to the east protected it from the harshest of harsh storms while still managing to coax adequate rainfall. The combination of fertile land, gentle climate and the slow flowing river made Neha seem like an idyllic place.

Neha had remained that way until the first giants had come over the mountains of Kemet. Their proper name was Nephilim, but most people simply referred to them as giants. They had arrived on the eastern shore beyond the mountains and quickly razed the towns and cities to the ground. It was hoped that the mountains would stop them from coming further west. That hope was not fulfilled.

During the first raid, many of the buildings were destroyed and over a hundred people murdered by the three Nephilim who had come down through the mountain pass. Fortunately, they had decided that was far enough and retreated back beyond the mountains carrying their spoils of kegs of wine and cattle. That raid sparked a great debate in the capital city of Namursang. It also raised the cost of wine.

Namursang sat boldly in heart of the continent as a symbol of human control of Kemet. It’s high walls and towers made the citizens feel safe. Many were of the opinion that they should retreat inside these walls and hope the giants would get bored and leave.

Neha, however, was not so fortunate in its position or defenses and housing a large army to defend it should the giants continue to come through the pass was simply not practical. It was a week’s journey by cart and horse to the nearest costal city. Considerably further if you chose to trek along the front of the mountain range further north to Namursang. Any help would arrive far to late. Another solution was needed.

Sul, head of the order of Mages was given the task of finding a way to combat the threat. As he watched the Dragons fly their patrols combined with a military encampment near the mountain pass, he took a moment to reflect on how they had arrived here.

A mere six months had passed since he first proposed an alliance with the great Dragons who roamed the mountain peaks and sailed across the lands. His idea had been met with laughter. He had persisted and managed to convince the King to send an envoy to the great Dragon council that resided deep in the mountains. If they could be persuaded to help, they might have a chance at victory. When the King was faced with the prospect of an alliance with the Dragons or no more wine, he acquiesced and silenced the critics.

Truth be told, Dragons were not overly fond of humans and the proposed alliance had not received any significant support from the lords of the land. While there was no open hostility between the them, Kemet history was rife with unfortunate encounters that ended with both human and Dragon deaths. The result, humans feared Dragons. While Dragons did not exactly fear humans, they had learned long ago, that a single human might be easy prey, but an army with archers and ballista’s was not to be trifled with. Since humans numbered in the hundreds of thousands and Dragons in the mere hundreds an uneasy truce had been gained and held for nearly five hundred years.

Six Months Prior

As the Envoy caravan made its way towards the Dragon’s council chambers high up in the mountains, Sul grumbled to himself. When he had suggested sending an envoy to the Dragons, he had not intended it to be him. Now here he was sitting on a horse, his back and legs hurting from being in the saddle all day with a trivial honor guard of 100 archers and 20 knights, apprentice mages and support wagons. It was not enough soldiers for anything but a show. Sul sincerely hoped they would not meet any resistance as traveled the rugged mountain passes. A rogue Dragon or Giant could be around any bend. They had sent scouts up ahead and so far, the trip had been without incident. Sul hoped it would last.

The Dragon Council itself was made up of six of the oldest and largest dragons on Kemet. Their collective wisdom spanned thousands of years. The main cavern of the mountain where they met was larger than many cities. Their meetings were mostly about feeding areas and population control. Too many dragons on a single continent was never a good plan.

As Sul stood in front of the Dragon council, he felt small. The space which at first awed most humans with it size and grandeur, now seemed inadequate as the combined bulk of six large dragons made the cave feel crowded. Feeling a bit like a mouse before the great dragons of the land. He kept his hands folded humbly in his Mages robes so as not to appear a threat, to let them see he was nervous. He wore his official royal purple mages robes with a gold trim and six embroidered stars that let everyone know his status as the head of the order of Mages. His long beard and demeanor had usually afforded him the best of receptions wherever he went. None of this had impressed the Dragons. They looked down on him as they would an annoying child.

He cleared his throat and began to explain the threat of Nephilim was a threat to both their species. He elucidated at length how they had come from the lands to the East across the great ocean. A land where no one, neither human nor dragon had ever ventured and returned.

His pleas fell on deaf ears. The dragons did not fear the giants, and for now they had not bothered them. If the humans had issues with the Nephilim, it was not a problem for Dragons. Zekan Hazi was the largest Dragon on Kemet and leader of the council. He took only a few moments to confer with his fellow council members before he turned back to Sul, his voice booming off the walls of the cavern as he spoke. It was concise message, he denied Sul’s request for aid. Dejected, Sul left the chamber and made his way to the camp outside.

As Sul and his troop marched on their way home from a very disappointing meeting through the same maze of mountain passes the hours passed slowly and he racked his brain as to whether anything else could be done to address the threat without the dragon’s aid. He was not fond of the idea that Namursang take its full army across the mountains and defend its Eastern border. Although now, a war with the giants seemed inevitable. If they came in great enough numbers even the Ballista would not be enough to prevent tens of thousands of soldiers from being killed.

His sullen demeanor emanated outward since they had left the council chamber. Sul hung his head and allowed it to loll sleepily with the rhythm of his horse was they walked along. His long grey beard brushed the backs of his hands like a soft caress. The gentle sway of the horse the warmth of the sun was comforting, but not enough to shake the feeling he had failed. Not quite asleep, but not fully awake, he did not see the lead scout come racing back towards the main troop until the tremor of alarm rang through the entire squad and soldiers began checking equipment and weapons instinctively.

Sul jerked his head up and looked to see the scout speaking to commander Turin at the head of the column. Her armor glinted in the sunlight as she listened. The scout made frantic hand gestures while his horse danced nervously under him clearly wanting to continue their way, away from whatever lay ahead.

Sul, spurred his horse forward along the line of soldiers and quickly came alongside the commander just in time to hear the scout relay his final piece of information. “They are killing it and then they will come for us.”

Commander Turin turned in her saddle as Sul pulled his horse up alongside. Her expression a mix of fear and worry. “It seems there are three Giants who have cornered a young dragon up ahead and are in the process of killing it. We don’t have enough troops to take on a giant, let alone three of them. We need to retreat down the path and hope we can get back to the Dragon council before they realize we are here.”

Sul stiffened in his saddle and sat motionless for a full second as the news settled over him like a veil. Suddenly the veil lifted, his eyes grew wide, “we need to attack now. Surprise is our best weapon and if we move quickly, we will have a dragon as part of our defense. Turin, order your troops to follow me with all haste and let’s try to save this dragon. It could mean saving all of us.” He lunged his horse forward all pretense of sleep was gone. His robes billowed out from the sudden burst of speed. His horse snorted and shook her head. Enlil was an experienced war horse and instantly knew her master meant to attack something. Her nostrils flared as she charged forward into the pass.

Turin swore and began barking orders to the squad leaders and troops nearby, “Form up, follow Sul, we have giants to kill and dragon to save. We have only one chance to surprise them and win, move now, archers on the flanks, knights with me, drive the center.” Then she too charged forward after Sul, her twenty knights already close on her heels. Swords and shields clanking as they leapt into a full gallop.

The archers split quickly into two platoons and began running down the pass after the knights. The support wagons scrambled to get hold of their horses to prevent them from joining the chase. The energy had shifted completely from a morose defeated group, to battle ready in less than a minute. Everyone was on edge.

Sul rounded the corner of the pass and came out into an open area nearly a hundred meters across. He could see that the giants had managed to snare one of the dragon’s legs and chain it to a tree. The dragon was frantically trying to escape. She strained to pull her leg free by uprooting the tree. Blood poured freely from several large gashes and cuts across her body. She had a tear in one of her wings that hampered her ability to fly. Her front legs struck out wildly at her attackers but was unable to land any hits that did damage. Her claws bounced harmlessly off the giants shields leaving only superficial scratches.

One of the giants placed his foot on the chain ensuring she could not uproot the tree. The dragon turned and lunged at him forcing him to jump back. He narrowly avoided her jaws as she snapped them shut on his axe handle. She ripped it from his hands and hurled it away.

The giant’s two companions did not miss this opportunity to attack. They swung at different parts of her. One blow from a large club landed squarely on her rear quarter and she grunted and dropped to the ground. The other blow from an axe cut deep into her side just below her wing, so that when she hit the ground she collapsed. Sul could see this fight was over. The next blows would easily kill the dragon as she struggled to turn and face her attackers in a bold act of defiance one last time.

Sul, reacted as much from instinct as he did training and a stream of fire shot forth from his hands striking the axe wielding giant squarely in the back of the head. He screamed and turned towards Sul, his flesh bubbling and burning under his helmet. Sul, did not wait to strike again. The second bolt of fire exploded directly on the giant’s face knocking him backwards cutting off his scream mid fall. The ground shook as he landed, dust billowing around his body.

The giants companions turned to see a tiny human on a horse challenging them single handed. Even the dragon seemed confused. Her eyes blinked as she tried to make sense of what she saw. No human would stand a chance against three giants, no matter how powerful a mage they were.

As Sul gathered his strength for another attack the club wielding giant leapt in the air with the intention of crushing Sul in a single shattering blow. Sul could see the giant’s eyes focused on him; the club raised above his head. Just as he started his downward swing his expression changed, and his leap seemed to halt mid air. The club slammed harmlessly into the ground a few meters away and the giant crashed face first into the dirt as well. Over the giants body Sul could see that the dragon had managed to grab his foot in her jaws pulling him down from behind as he leapt. She bit deeply and tore a large chunk of flesh from his foot.

The giant screamed in agony and tried to roll away from the pain. He twisted the mangled remains of his foot free and scrambled backwards on his hand and good foot out of reach.

The remaining giant had regained his feet and viciously kicked the side of the dragon’s head snapping it sideways and causing her to drop unconscious in a heap. He scooped up the axe she had wrested from him earlier, adjusted his shield and began to advance deliberately towards Sul. His shield held close to his body to prevent Sul from using magic on him.

Sul summoned a spell called dagger of ice. The ice struck the shield and sprayed in all directions. Sul could see the giant smile over the edge of his shield. He would not be caught off guard like his companion, nor would the dragon surprise him. Sul was his and he knew it. He advanced quickly but carefully across the opening readying his axe to strike.

At that moment Turin and her knights burst around the corner at full gallop spreading out to ride down either side of the giant, swords drawn, shields high. They swung at his legs and feet. Anywhere they could see flesh. Tiny cuts and slashes appeared forcing the giant to grunt and lower his shield to protect one side, while swinging his axe through the riders on the other. Six knights went sailing in different directions as the axe pushed effortlessly through their rank. Men and horses screamed, followed quickly by the crunch of bodies landing. Sul ducked as a rider less horse sailed over his head and impacted on the wall behind him.

The remaining knights circled for another pass, but the giant kept his focus on Sul. He knew who the real threat was. A few cuts would heal easily. He began his advance again.

Unfortunately for the giant the archers were next to arrive and began firing arrows at any exposed parts. They struck like dozens of stinging nettles causing him to flinch and pull his shield close to protect his face and eyes. He halted his advance and began to back away from the onslaught.

“Aim for his legs, bring him down,” Sul shouted. Another volley of arrows struck followed quickly by a second pass of the knights. More cuts appeared amongst the arrows that poked out anywhere his armor did not cover. The giant stumbled and fell.

The companion with the mangled foot watched the attack and realized the ending that was coming. He clambered up on his good foot and hobbled off down the path with as much speed as he could manage. “Bring him down, do not let him escape.” Sul pointed after the fleeing giant. The archers turned and began firing at his less protected back. Arrow after arrow found its mark causing him to cry out and lose his footing. He fell several times as he worked to make good his escape.

The knights also turned their attention to the fleeing, crippled giant, now crawling on all fours there were lots of exposed areas where a sword could carve away chunks of flesh. They quickly surrounded him, hacking away with vigor. The giant screamed and swatted with one hand killing more of the knights and injuring another goodly number. The sword strikes were taking their toll and he collapsed. Turin leapt from her horse and drove her sword deep into the giant’s throat. Blood sprayed forth like a fountain drenching her armor and everyone else close by. The bright red blood glinted as it rolled off her shining breastplate and she had to blink her eyes to clear them despite having her face shield down.

Sul was focused on the remaining giant who had regained his feet and stood eyeing him from behind his shield. It was clear he did not know whether he should fight or run. If he turned his back, he was exposed. He decided that the best way out was through and lunged forward at Sul.

The axe struck the magical shield Sul had been preparing and it rang like a giant gong. Sul was knocked off his horse from the impact and hit the ground with a heavy thump, knocking the wind out of him.

The impact reverberated back up the giant’s axe breaking the handle and shattering the arm that held it. The giant arched backwards, falling with his arm leading the way. He landed awkwardly, axes pieces raining around him. His arm was uselessly splayed above his head and his eyes blinked trying to remain conscious, but the impact was to much and darkness swept over him. He let out one last grunt before his body went limp.

Sul moaned as rolled to his side and pushed himself up to his feet. He hurt everywhere, but he was alive and that was victory. He could see Turin riding back towards him with her remaining knights. Only six of whom remained on their horses. It was a high price to pay, Sul hoped it was worth it. He hobbled towards the giant in front of him and noted the giants deep breathing. He was not dead. Turin’s horse slid to a stop as she jumped down. Blood still dripping off her armor, she did not hesitate and proceeded to cut the throat of the last giant as he lay unconscious. She turned her head to try and protect her face from the blood that sprayed forth as she stabbed. The giant’s breath gurgled, and he fell still.

That dirty task completed they both checked the first giant to ensure he was also dead. Sul’s, blast of fire had incinerated most of his head. There was no threat there.

That just left the dragon, her tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth. Blood continued to ooze freely from her wounds and her wing was so damaged that a long flight would not be possible.

Sul, ordered soldiers to remove the chain from her foot while he tried to determine which of her wounds were most severe. The one on her chest just under her wing and near her heart from the axe looked the deepest and he began his healing there. He did not have enough strength left to heal her completely. He just hoped to heal her enough to save her, until he rested awhile.

The wound closed part way and the bleeding stopped. Her breathing smoothed out and she appeared for all intents and purpose to simply be sleeping.

Sul, found a nearby rock and settled himself down to rest a minute. He closed his eyes and felt the cool mountain air on his face. He had been so preoccupied he had forgotten how crisp and clean the air smelled up here. Free from smoke, free from animals, free from sweat and toil. He could see why the dragons preferred it.

He was aroused from his bliss as a young apprentice offered him a cup of steaming tea. Sul blinked back to the present and took the offered tea with thanks. The apprentice nodded and went on to other duties. Helping get the wounded patched up or serving tea as needed.

Sul took a deep drink of the tea. It was prepared exactly as he liked. The slightly bitter taste of the healing herbs softened with a touch of honey. He could feel his strength return as the warmth flowed throughout his body. That was good, as there were still several wounded soldiers and a dragon who would not survive the day without healing. He took another sip closed his eyes for a few minutes, then got to his feet to see where his skills were needed most.

He surveyed the open area which was being turned into a makeshift war camp. Wagons rumbled into view and fires were being set up. Wounded knights were lined up to one side and several squires were already collecting weapons and armor from the dead in preparations for burning the bodies. It had been less than an hour since they first encountered the giants.

Sul checked on his dragon patient one more time as she slumbered peacefully. He moved his hand over another of her axe wounds, closing it almost completely. He put his hands on her rear leg. He could sense the bone was shattered. It was not life threatening but she would need healing before she could walk anywhere. He resisted the temptation to start that process. No, he said to himself she will live now. Make sure we save any of the knights we can first. With that he moved slowly and stiffly towards the wounded knights.

***

The next morning the sun rose quietly over the mountain and found its way into Sul’s tent. It caressed his eyes and he opened them slowly, only to close them again because of the brightness. He turned his head away and moaned softly. His cot was plush considering it was a field bed and his tent was adequate with room for a wash basin and desk should he need to send messages. He slowly looked around as his eyes adjusted to being awake. His body hurt everywhere from the battle yesterday and would likely continue to hurt for days to come.

He sighed and pushed the covers off, sliding his feet onto the cool floor of the tent. He could smell breakfast being prepared on the fires outside and his stomach growled in response. He donned his casual robes and pushed open the tent flap.

The scene was not quite what he was expecting, then again, he was not sure what else he should have expected. Commander Turin was seated on a large rock eating her breakfast and having a conversation with the young female dragon. Soldiers and camp staff scurried about on various errands and the entire clearing resembled a small village.

Commander Turin had not yet donned her armor and her loose-fitting shirt and tight trousers showed her well developed muscles. Although she was not much younger than Sul, she had somehow managed to not lose any of her vitality. In fact, as Sul observed she seemed stronger and more confident with each passing year. She was as strong as most men and a better sword fighter than anyone he knew. She preferred to wear her hair to her shoulders but tied back when she fought. If Sul didn’t know her, he would have easily though she was half his age. Each of us has our strengths he sighed and made his way towards them.

His apprentice saw him emerge from his tent and rushed over with a bowl of steaming porridge and a cup of hot tea. Sul took both gratefully and made his way to join Turin and the dragon.

He could see several of the knights he had healed the previous day were sitting up and eating. That was a good sign. Someone had placed a crate conveniently across the fire from the dragon. Sul sat down on it placing his tea beside him. He smiled at both Turin. Then looked at the dragon. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Her voice rumbled as she spoke in the human tongue. “Like I flew into a mountain side and tumbled the whole way down being poked by trees and rocks as I fell.” She smiled as she spoke, “But I am alive, thanks to you and your soldiers.” She nodded her thanks, her eyes shining with a light glistening of moisture and gratitude.

“Turin, here was just informing me of your journey to talk to the council. I think, given the recent events we should go back and try that conversation again.” She looked directly at Sul.

Sul, smiled to himself as he hungrily shovelled a spoonful of hot porridge in his mouth. It was not the best of manners, but frankly he didn’t care right now, he needed food.

“My name is Shandian Hazi, but you can simply call me Shandi.” The dragon spoke. She turned and took a large bite of the horse that had been prepared for her breakfast. It was one of the Knights horses that had been killed yesterday. It was a better fate than simply being left to rot Sul thought as he stuffed another bite in.

Shandi chewed softly, almost politely compared to Sul’s gulps. It seemed odd to him that she was more refined than he was. But then dragons were one of the most intelligent and refined creatures on Kemet, especially when compared to humans.

“Shandian Hazi?” Sul, let the name register. “Are you the daughter of Zekan Hazi?”

“I am,” she smiled as she chewed. “Which should make for an interesting discussion when we present your case next time.”

“Indeed.” Sul swallowed and caught Turin’s eye. His gamble was going to pay off. They would have the alliance with the dragons against the Nephilim. They had lost eleven good knights in the fight, but many more lives would be saved by having them on their side. He could see that Turin also saw this and as much as she hated losing soldiers, the knights who had given their lives, might just have saved the kingdom.

“How quickly can we be on our way back to the dragon council,” Sul directed his question to Turin.

“We can be ready to move by tomorrow, depending on your strength to heal today.”

Sul frowned and ate another large bite of porridge. The battle was over, but he was exhausted today. “Let’s start with that leg of yours,” he motioned to Shandi’s leg. “You aren’t going anywhere with that broken like it is.”

Shandi turned her head around to survey her own leg which hung gingerly barely touching the ground and wiggled her toes, “It does hurt like I have a large blade stuck in it.” She mused.

Turin rose from her seat, “I have preparations to make. We survived three giants, yesterday because we surprised them. We’ll need to move quickly and quietly and get word back to Namursang. The Dragon human alliance has not started yet, so let’s keep safe.” Turin strode off in search of a messenger.

Sul let himself feel the warm morning sun on his face a few moments longer. Then he sighed, it was time to get to work. With a little luck and The Dragon Council blessing, there would be Dragons over the valley by mid summer.