The Darkness of Old; The Ancient Crown; The Winged One

by Hans Bezdek

  “Oh, well thanks for that,” said the guard.

  I sighed, rubbing both of my hands over my face.

  “We need to get in and talk with Laurinaitis,” explained Cassandra. “Could you lower the defenses and let us through?”

  “Do you have an appointment?” asked the guard, glancing down at his paper.

  “Check under Reimar,” Cassandra said to the guard.

  “This is a waste of time,” I mumbled. The only reason we got in last time was because Laurinaitis had happened to be walking in. I doubted we’d get so lucky this time. We’d have to camp out all night and hope to catch him as he left.

  “Ah, yes,” nodded the guard. “You four can go in.”

  “We can?!” I asked a bit too loudly.

  “How’d he know we were comin?” asked Braun.

  “He has you down for every day,” shrugged the guard, flipping through a few pages. “Looks like he was hoping you’d come by.”

  The four of us exchanged suspicious looks. I found that unlikely. Still, we didn’t need to know why we were on the list, so long as we were allowed in. We nodded our thanks to the old guard and entered the building.

  Unlike last time, the hallway that led around the building was fairly busy. None of them paid us any attention as we walked by, serious and concerned looks on their faces. I wondered if word of the battle with the Dar’Ka had already reached the city, but that didn’t explain the worried expressions. After all, we had won.

  “Looks like we aren’t going to have any luck stealing some of their treasures this time, either,” mumbled Dhot.

  Cassandra nodded sadly, her eyes snapping to the glass displays whenever one came into view.

  “Not unless you want to guarantee we won’t get any help,” I shrugged.

  “I-I think we’d better play it safe,” mumbled Braun, casting a worried glance at one of the silver dragons in a heated discussion.

  “Surprising,” said Dhot flatly.

  We reached Laurinaitis’ door after a few minutes and knocked twice. There was a grunt to come in, so I opened the door.

  The golden dragon’s office had seen better days. We were immediately hit with an unpleasant smell, which probably came from the plates of half eaten food that were piled on Laurinaitis’ desk and next to his chair. Maps of Yaerna were scattered around the walls and floors, green and red circles placed in random sections. A couch in the corner was made into a makeshift bed, with pillows and covers strewn about it.

  Laurinaitis himself somehow managed to look worse than his office. There were food smudges over the front of his clothes, which looked like they hadn’t been washed in weeks. The dragon’s hair was up and wild looking, as if he had just spent an hour frantically pulling at it. He was stooped over his desk and scribbling on a map as we came in.

  “Just leave the food by the door,” he mumbled, not bothering to look up.

  “Next to which pile?” I asked playfully.

  Laurinaitis jumped up, spinning around to face us. The smile that came to his face when his eyes fell on me was… genuine?

  “R-Reimar!” he burst out running up and pulling me into a hug.

  I gave a panicked look for help to the others, but they only stared back at me in surprise.

  “Er, good to see you, too, Laurinaitis,” I said, finally pushing him off of me. “Is everything going okay?”

  “Of course!” laughed the golden dragon. “Why do you ask?”

  “I mean…” I said, glancing around the room and then down at the dragon’s close.

  “Oh, it’s nothing really,” he laughed, swiping uselessly down at his robes. “I’ve been so stres-I mean, busy, that I haven’t had much time to change or go home to sleep.”

  “You seem really committed to the job,” chimed in Dhot.

  “Thank you,” said Laurinaitis, misreading his tone.

  “Why are there so many of the same maps?” asked Cassandra, bending down and picking up a few.

  “We’ve received intelligence from our advanced scouts that the Dar’Ka are moving into Truska,” he explained. “I’ve been trying to determine where they’ll strike next.”

  “Have you figured it out?” I asked.

  “I have,” he nodded. “I’m concerned that they’ll head for The Republic of Hur shortly after they’re done in Truska.”

  “That would make sense,” nodded Cassandra, looking over the maps herself.

  “Where are the Dar’Ka striking first?” I asked.

  “Wait a moment,” said Laurinaitis, holding up a hand and looking over all of us. “Before I say anything more, why are you here?”

  “We needed to see if you-” began Dhot, but I cut him off.

  “We’ve come to help you,” I said.

  “Huh?” I heard the other three say.

  “Really?” smiled the golden dragon. “You’re here to help me?”

  “Well, particularly The Republic,” I clarified.

  It sounded like Laurinaitis knew more about the Dar’Ka’s movement than we did. If we asked for his help, he’d potentially hold out on us or make us do something for that information. But if he thought we were already helping him… It’d be easier to convince him to help us stop the black and reds from taking Truska.

  “Right, of course,” said Laurinaitis clearing his throat. “The Republic.”

  “So you’ll tell us what you know?” I asked.

  “Yes, but first you’ll all need to follow me!” said Laurinaitis, heading for the door.

  “Okay…” I said slowly, my eyes narrowing. “Where are we going?”

  Laurinaitis paused in the doorway and smiled back at us. “Why, to present your flawless battle plans to the advisors, of course!”

  Chapter 4

  “This way!” said Laurinaitis cheerfully, leading our group toward the middle of the building.

  Cassandra pulled back on my arm as we followed, giving our group a few feet of space.

  “What is going on?!” she whispered harshly. “We came to ask for their help, not offer our own!”

  “It’s the same thing, isn’t it?” I asked. “By helping us, they’re helping themselves. We can convince them that a good defense is a strong offense.”

  Cassandra hesitated. “Do you really think that will work?”

  “Normally? Maybe not,” I admitted. “But Laurinaitis isn’t acting like his normal self.”

  “Maha! You got that right,” laughed Dhot.

  Laurinaitis glanced back at us. “Oh? Is something funny going on?”

  “N-No!” stammered Braun.

  “But the goblin just laughed,” said Laurinaitis, tilting his head.

  “We were just remembering something that happened to us in Aelric,” I lied.

  “Aelric!” said Laurinaitis, pulling up to a stop as he reached the doors to the town hall’s meeting room. “Of course! Will the elves be helping us?”

  Everyone looked to Cassandra.

  “It’s not like I’ve been in contact with them since we left,” she shrugged. “I’m sure they’d be willing to come help us, but it’s a matter of timing. If the next battle is near the south of Truska, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I’m afraid not,” sighed Laurinaitis, his smile slipping. “I’m sure you four have something else in mind, though.”

  “About that,” I said. “We don’t exactly-”

  Laurinaitis opened the doors and strolled in before I could finish. The four of us exchanged concerned looks.

  “Looks like ya’ll have to play it by ear,” Braun said to me as we followed after the gold dragon.

  The meeting chamber wasn’t as filled as I had initially worried it would be. Roughly twenty gold and silver dragons were waiting on the south side of the room, while a chalkboard was set up in the middle below them. There was a map of Truska stuck to it, with a few red circles and boxes on it. The dragons stopped talking as we entered, giving us their attention.

  “Oh, there’s Varinia!” said Dhot as he waved.<
br />
  The silver dragon smiled and waved back at us. At least we had one friendly face looking back at us. The rest looked mostly confused.

  “Who are these people, Laurinaitis?” asked one of the Councilors.

  “Some allies that will blow your mind with a battle plan!” smiled the gold dragon.

  "What do you mean?" asked another one of the dragons. While he looked very physically fit, there was no denying that he was the oldest of all of the Councilors in the room. His hair was completely silvered and he wore several scars on his face. "Are you saying you don't have a plan?"

  "Er, of course I've got one, Antonius," stammered Laurinaitis, sounding very much like he didn't have one. "However, they spoke with me just a moment ago about theirs, and I couldn't be more confident in them."

  "That doesn't instill me with much confidence. Now is the time for action and taking our lives into our own hands, Laurinaitis," growled Antonius, his fists tightening in anger. "We must spring into action! That's what your father would have done!"

  Laurinaitis gulped. "Well, I'm not my father and-"

  "You most certainly aren't," agreed Antonius, his golden eyes glaring at the dragon before him. "I'm just glad Sergius isn't around to see what's become of his son."

  "Sounds like someone's got some daddy issues," Dhot mumbled to us.

  "Those would just be the tip of the iceberg," I chuckled back, but then stopped myself. It was strange to see Laurinaitis so visibly beaten down. I almost pitied him. On top of that, he was an ally that we needed if we were going to get The Republic to join with us against the Dar'Ka. It was about time for us to jump in and save the day.

  Or at least, I thought it was.

  "You watch your mouth or I'll have you dismissed!" said Laurinaitis, suddenly coming back to life. He practically spat the words at Antonius and took a step toward him. "Whether or not you like it, I've been placed in this position by our peers! I don't need you on the war board if you're going to try and undermine me!"

  Antonius and Laurinaitis glared at one another, but the elder dragon leaned back in his seat and quieted down. There were a few awkward coughs from the others as tense silence filled the room.

  "If there are no other objections, I'd like to introduce some of my associates," said Laurinaitis, gesturing and introducing each of us in turn. He saved the best for last. "Finally, this is Reimar Pinespell. I'm sure some of you may remember him from several weeks ago, or perhaps as one of Dmetri's men."

  "I, uh, would prefer if we didn't bring him up anymore," I said through a smile.

  "Very well," nodded Laurinaitis. "Before we hear about their great plan, do we have any updates on when and where the Dar'Ka will be striking next?"

  "We do," said Varinia, standing up to address everyone. "While we initially believed the Dar'Ka would attack The Republic, most likely starting with the border towns or even Mela, the intelligence that we've received shows that they are now looking to attack elsewhere."

  "T-They aren't making a move toward us?" asked Laurinaitis, his eyes widening.

  Varinia shook her head. "Not yet. It appears that they will be making a move on the heart of Truska for now. They will come for Vorova."

  I shared a quick look with the others. While I didn't have a particular love for Vorova, or a particular orc who curated a particular museum there, it was an important city to keep control of. If the Dar'Ka took the capital of Truska, they would quickly win over the rest of the territory. They'd be in a prime spot to attack any of the other lands, while getting reinforcements from Gorland and Ra'Chok. This was going to be an even more important battle than the one for Jiezvall.

  "This is wonderful news!" exclaimed Laurinaitis, his spirits suddenly lifted.

  "Uh... it is?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Everyone else in the room looked equally confused.

  "Of course it is!" beamed Laurinaitis. "That means that this isn't our issue! We can take our time in setting up more defenses along our border with Truska and prepare for the long haul."

  "That would be foolish!" interjected Cassandra, scowling at the golden dragon. "We can't afford to allow the black and reds to control a fortified city in the middle of Yaerna! They'd be able to attack the Republic, Brumark, or Aelric without any problems."

  "Aye," nodded Braun. "It would make this war far harder to win."

  "Sounds like someone else's problem," shrugged Laurinaitis. "It's not like the other territories would help us if we were the ones in trouble."

  "That's where you're wrong, actually," I said. "We've formed an alliance with the other territories, and they've offered their help to The Republic in matters concerning the Dar'Ka moving forward."

  The seated Councilors broke out into excited whispers at this. Varinia gave us a proud look as she nodded to what one of the nearby dragons was saying to her. Laurinaitis was the only one who didn't look pleased.

  "What are you doing?!" he whispered to me. "Why wouldn't you tell me that before I went on about not helping Truska?"

  "You didn't give us any time to tell you our plans," I pointed out.

  "This makes me look bad!" he hissed.

  I faked an apologetic look. Him looking bad was just icing on the cake.

  "This alliance," said Antonius. "You believe it will hold strong against the black and reds?"

  "Yes," nodded Cassandra. "We have complete faith in the Collective."

  "Ugh," I grimaced. "Are we really sold on that name? I feel like we could do better."

  "I'm not so sure how I feel about it, myself," added Dhot.

  "No one offered anything better," said Cassandra. "I'm just working with what we have."

  "Is there a sort of repeal process for this?" I asked, looking at the others. "Sounds like Dhot is on board for a name change. Braun, what do you-"

  "Would you quit your bickering!?" shouted Antonius. "We don't care about the name!"

  "Sorry," the four of us mumbled.

  "Now then," continued the golden dragon. "Do you think that this Collective will be able to help us at Vorova? We don't know the specifics of when the black and reds will strike, but we know it is imminent."

  "I can relay a message back to the dwarves and blue dragons at Jiezvall," offered Dhot. "They probably can't risk too many of their troops since they're still recovering from the battle a few days ago. It'll be better than nothing, though."

  "Me people and me king, Julfr, should be available," added Braun. "They didn't arrive at the battle until it was practically done. I'm sure they'll want to get some fightin in."

  "Some help is better than no help," said Antonius, seeming pleased with this news.

  "I completely agree," said Laurinaitis, inserting himself back into the conversation. He was never one to pass up taking credit. "This is why I've decided we will join up with the Contingent and lend them our forces."

  "Collective," corrected Cassandra.

  "Exactly," nodded Laurinaitis. He strolled over to the map of Truska and gestured at it. "I believe now is as good a time as any to share with us the battle plans you've envisioned."

  I rolled my eyes but played my part and approached the map. It was time to do some improvising.

  "Well," I began, speaking slowly as I went. "Since Vorova has such high walls, it would probably be best to keep any ground forces we had inside the city until the Dar'Ka launched their attack. That would help us hide our true number, so they didn't know what they'd be up against."

  "What about us dragons?" asked Antonius. "Would you want us inside the city walls as well?"

  "No," said Cassandra, stepping forward and pointing at the forest surrounding Vorova. "The golds, silvers, and any extra blue dragons can hide in the woods around the city. When the Dar'Ka approach, they'll spring a surprise attack on them from the south and north of the city."

  "Right," I nodded. "The ground troops can then rush out and fight the distracted Greeners."

  The Councilors were quiet for a moment as they thought over our tentative plan. Laurinaitis fidge
ted as we waited, a concerned look on his face. I guess he thought this was important for him.

  "I think that could work," nodded Antonius in approval. "I quite like it, actually."

  "Happy to help," I smiled back.

  "Yes, I knew you would like it!" exclaimed Laurinaitis. "Wouldn't have brought them before you all if I didn't okay it first myself."

  "But you just learned the attack was on Vorova, too," pointed out Dhot.

  "Shall we move on to the logistics?" asked Laurinaitis, blatantly ignoring him.

  Dhot glared at him and began to open his mouth, but I quickly moved over to the goblin and nudged him.

  "Just let it go," I whispered as the rest of the Councilors were speaking with Laurinaitis about how to move their troops and win to do so.

  "But this was our plan!" he argued.

  "I'd rather win this upcoming fight than take the credit now and potentially lose The Republic's help."

  "That's very mature of you, Reimar," smirked Cassandra. "Did getting your butt kicked by Ulrich change you for the better?"

  I didn't warrant that with a response.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning we found ourselves in an inn near Ravendale's gates. We had been dismissed shortly after we told the Council about the Collective and the battle plan. Since we would travel separately from the caravan that would be heading out from the city, we were free to leave and figure out our own way to Vorova.

  "Why ain't we goin with em again?" asked Braun as we ate.

  "They'll move so much slower than we will," I replied. "Plus, do we really want to get stuck with a bunch of gold and silvers? I can only imagine how boring the conversation would be."

  "We'd be mostly with the humans, though," pointed out Cassandra. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad getting to know some of the people we'll be fighting alongside."

  "Maha!" laughed Dhot. "I get it!"

  "Get what?" I asked.

  "She's afraid to fly again!" laughed the goblin, taking a bit out of his biscuit. "That's why she'd rather go with The Republic."

  "That's not true!" she said, blushing.