The Dragon Knights themselves were high-degree paladins who had sworn oaths to defend the dragons and especially their riders, for the cause that is the Alliance. They were Michenth’s and Becknor’s handpicked warriors, guards, escorts, and limited emissaries. They were chosen from the best among the paladins of the Alliance for their courage and virtue and swore lifetime oaths pledging their lives to the arch dragon and his rider. They were given dragonstone weapons and took a potion that contained a minute drop of Michenth’s blood, which gave them great strength and constitution, magic resistance, and keener senses. They now mounted dracogriffs, spiked drakes, or the avenger dragons.
The troop veered toward the crowd so they could get a better look at them and their riders. They then circled around and turned into the color of the blue sky in the background, almost becoming invisible in the air. The powerful squadron then began to fly toward the west, turning back to their original color almost as if appearing out of teleport.
“Gallanth, these are pretty impressive creatures. I bet they will give a winged horse a run for its money and with more to bring to the fight,” Mkel said to his dragon.
“These new flying mounts aren’t as fast as the winged horses; but they are much tougher, however, not quite as intelligent. They will make fierce and loyal mounts for the knights, being one of the elves and the Wizards’ Council’s better creations. Of course, they couldn’t have created them without our Michenth’s help,” Gallanth said with a slight touch of humor and a hint of pride.
“That sounds a little of pride, my large friend,” Mkel answered.
“Just plain truth, my rider,” Gallanth started to say when his head sprang up as Canjon’s amplified voice echoed over the crowd and bounced off the side of the mountain again.
“Fellow Citizens and Civilians of the Alliance, the only way to properly introduce the most powerful dragon wing in the world is by a dragon, so without further delay, my illustrious dragon, Amerenth, will officially introduce the Capital Wing,” Canjon announced as his dragon moved up right behind the platform, his slender, frilled dull brass-colored head poised right above and behind his rider.
“Good friends of the Alliance, it is both my honor and pleasure to introduce the powerful Capital Wing,” the brass dragon’s sharp but booming voice rang out to the crowds immediately followed by his salutatory roar. A set of challenge roars were heard from around the side of the mountain as Valianth led the other gold and silver dragons from around the weir in their classic V formation, with the two silvers, Tigrenth and Lionoth, behind the leader. The gold dragons, Eagrenth and Falcanth, followed next, with the four other silvers—Draconth, Aventh, Strikenth, and Sabrenth—on the outer wings of the V. Immediately after the Capital Wing’s challenge roars, the air was filled with the salute roars of the over two hundred dragons perched on the alcoves all up and down the side of the mountain. The very earth seemed to tremble with the combined ear-shattering dragon challenges.
“The Capital Wing, led by Valianth and Colonel Therosvet, is escorting our new young brothers and sisters. The combined creation of the elves, our wizards, and the metallic dragons, I am pleased to let the Alliance witness the debut of the avenger dragons!” Amerenth proudly announced. The five dull metallic brown/bronze-colored avenger dragons then emerged from around the side of the mountain. Though roughly the size of bronze dragons, they looked slightly smaller than their larger metallic guides; they shifted toward the stands and flew by with a slow pass to allow the spectators to get a good look. Their paladin riders’ gleaming armor sharply contrasted with their mounts’ darker hues, all bearing a new standard of a black flag with a gold wing cradling a silver and bronze sword.
“The standard their Dragon Knight riders bear has the new colors of the avenger dragons. The black is a symbol of the evil they are bred to destroy. The gold wing and silver/bronze sword symbolize their metallic heritage and the vengeance they will bring for all injustice,” Amerenth stated as the crowd cheered and the perched dragons gave lower-toned approval warbles and roars. Once the cheering died down, he continued, “Now for you all to witness the most awesome demonstration of magical power and draconic might ever seen, the Capital Wing will perform its combined strike!” he stated as the wing swung around in perfect formation and began to fly toward the stands. Valianth then led the wing into a dive, and on his cue, they all unleashed their breath weapons at once, and the gold dragons also fired their sunburst beams. Their riders fired energy bolts from their dragonstone weapons, and the wizard riders cast a fiery meteor spell. The combined strikes rocked the ground asunder and ripped gaping holes in the earth by the target site with brilliant explosions. The crowd went mad with excitement; the power unleashed by the wing was awesome.
“How could anything survive that, Gallanth?” Mkel asked his dragon.
“It would make you think that the Shidanese and the Morgathians were insane. If not for Tiamat’s deceptive mind, you might believe that to be true. Valianth did seem to miss his intended target by a couple of yards though,” he said to his rider, knowing that it would make Mkel and everyone else present who knew of the slight rivalry between the two gold dragons smile.
The powerful wing swept down and over the stands before veering hard to the right in perfect formation. A stream of either smoke or fog mist trailing the gold and silver dragons from the either superheated or super cooled air created by their breath weapons left a unique trail behind the Capital squadron. They kept swinging to the right as the five avenger dragons began their dive. Darkenth led his young siblings in the strafe attack.
“My fellow avengers, it is now time to show the Alliance and our metallic brethren what we can do!” Darkenth bellowed out to the others and ended the sentence with a roar, which they all echoed as they dove. As they approached what was left of the target field, they almost simultaneously opened their fanged jaws and emitted a twisted, translucent beam of focused sound energy. The sonic beam pounded the ground like hundreds of dwarven hammers, sending dirt and debris flying into the air. The reverberations from the blasts echoed like waves of thunder across the field. They all then pulled up and joined the Capital Wing, flying in behind them. The crowds were cheering again at the demonstration of the two powerful wings.
“Most impressive, Master Jodem, you, your fellow wizards, King Denaris, Queen Eladra, and Lord Michenth are to be complimented. They are very welcome and will be most useful in the conflict to come,” Gallanth commented to the Keystone Weir wizard.
“Jodem, do you know their lifespan and magic using ability?” Mkel asked.
“Gallanth, you are correct; they will be very helpful in fighting the growing number of chromatics and those new talon dragons. Mkel, as far as we know, they will only have the lifespan of an average man, and they cannot use magic or create dragonstone weapons. This is likely, for even with them being derived from pure dragon blood, you can never create a life greater than the original donor. In any regards, they are still very powerful and will give a red dragon a challenge,” Jodem answered.
“Citizens of the Alliance, please give our new dragons and the Capital Wing a token of our appreciation,” Amerenth spoke out as the crowds cheered.
“Yes and their riders. The best among our Dragon Knights were chosen to mount the avenger dragons. A powerful force they will be for the defense of the republic. Now we will begin the official Ceremony of Flame, to ignite the pyre as both the official start of the games and to remind us of the light that the Draconic Alliance is, keeping away the darkness. We also do so to honor the souls of those who have sacrificed all to keep that light shining for the freedom that the republic has brought to its own peoples and those around the world. Now Amerenth will chose a worthy son of the Alliance to help us light the way,” Canjon announced.
“Gallanth, did you talk to Amerenth?” Mkel asked.
“My dear rider, do you doubt me?”
“Never, my
precocious friend,” he replied as Canjon and Amerenth walked over to a section of the stands that was reserved for the widows and children of fallen Alliance soldiers. The honor guard standing in front of the group parted as the dragon and rider approached.
“Now, my honored children, who wants to go for a ride?” Amerenth asked the gathered families. They all shouted to be the one. “My little hatchlings, you will all get a ride by either myself or by one of my fellow dragons, but I was told by the wise and powerful gold dragon Gallanth of a boy, a very brave boy, who faced down a death knight out in the far reaches of Battle Point. Tylorn of Handsdown, would you please step forward.” The surprised boy hesitantly stood up with a look of both surprise and anxiety. “Come, my young one, and have no fear. You are among the honored today, as is your father.”
“Tylorn, come, my young lad; my dragon’s smile is much worse than his bite,” Canjon stated as he walked over to the stands and grabbed the boy’s hand. He led him down to Amerenth. Canjon then directed the Draco Guards to help the rest of the children into the flight basket that had been brought out from behind the stands.
Mkel remembered when Gallanth wanted to take him to the games to sit in the Gold Triangle box, (the Gold Triangle was the symbol of the families of Alliance soldiers and sailors who fell in battle; this brought an exalted status to the family, for the Alliance always took care of the widows and their children), but his mother forbade the gold dragon from doing so. Gallanth honored her request at that time, but he knew of the future.
The Draco Guards escorted the children to the flight basket and secured them in. Canjon helped Tylorn up onto Amerenth’s ridged neck and strapped him into the first seat, or the fighting seat, which he would normally occupy and then strapped himself in the seat right behind him. Once he was given the signal that all the children were secured by the Draco Guards, he yelled to Amerenth to take off. The brass dragon spread his wings and turned his head to the basket beside him.
“My little hatchlings, please hold on and close your eyes until we are airborne; even my short wings kick up a lot of wind and debris,” he explained to the children. The brass dragons’ ovoid wings made them the ideal sprinter flyers and best at sustained hovering; sometimes, they were even called butterfly dragons. Amerenth then took off, grabbing the retaining ring on the ropes of the basket. He carefully took up the slack on the ropes and gently lifted them off the ground. They flew slowly toward the tower behind the center stage platform and hovered in front of it.
“Now, my young friend, put your hand on my sword and take careful aim at the top of the tower,” Canjon told Tylorn. He drew his long sword and leveled it at the top of the tower in front of the boy, who also put his hand on the pommel. “Now think of fire and a shooting star, and then focus on the tower,” he directed the boy. Tylorn saw the amethyst dragonstone on the pommel start to glow, and in a joint effort, his hand and Canjon’s pointed the mithril-alloy sword at the top of the tower. He could feel the sword almost pulsate in his hand, and then it unleashed a fiery ball of energy toward the iron bowl on top of the tower. Amerenth reared his head up and fired a small ball of fire at the same time; they both struck their target, immediately igniting the pile of Otyugh briquettes inside it. The flames rose forty feet in the air and signaled the official lighting of the torch to start the games. The trumpets and drums then began to play a fanfare, which started the parade of the competitors from the far side of the stands.
“Excellent job, my lad,” Canjon told the boy.
“Yes, Tylorn, your father would be proud of you. Now it is time to join your friends, cheer the competitors, and celebrate,” Amerenth commented as he began to fly the length of the amphitheater. He then slowly flew them back to the stands and set the basket down. The competitors, who were soldiers from all of the Alliance legions, naval infantry regiments, and weirs, began to march past the stands. Different sections of the crowd cheered for their favorite legion or weir as they passed, identified by their colors and the projection of the competitors by the wizards.
As soon as the competitors passed review, the games began. Because of the sheer size and span of the seating that covered a broad swath of the north side of the mountain, several events took place at different points along the parade field. The wizards had the highlights of each event projected in multiple images above the crowd so all in the stands could see; they could also view it in their seeing crystals. The first event was the ground joust. The best paladins and cavalrymen from all over the Alliance competed in this. The sword and spear competitions were also starting later that day; they would also be projected for all to see. Canjon announced the unarmed combat, aerial jousting, and land dragon competitions would take place over the next two days. The archery matches would be held the following two days after that, followed by the ever popular dragons’ fire and dragon thunder foot games.
The thunder foot game pitted all the weirs against the Capital Weir; there were twelve dragons on each side, the same number of land dragons and giants, and this year, the spiked drakes as well. A large oblong ball made of the substance from the elf gummy tree was used as the playing piece. Each team attempted to move the ball to a goal at their end of the parade field. The game made the very ground shake from the stampeding of the immense creatures, hence its name. Men played the same type of game, but the civilian version was called the hand-and-foot game. The day after, all the races—horse, hippogriff, giant eagle, winged horse, and the final event, the dragon race—would be held.
Mkel hoped the soldiers of his weir would do well, but his mind was on the fire giant gathering and Lupek with his rangers attempting to keep an eye on them. This would be the first fight in which he would have to lead his whole garrison and the entire Keystone Weir combined battalion into battle. It was not a drill anymore; some of his men could be injured or killed, especially if what Lupek saw was only the beginning. The Alliance would win the fight, he felt confident of that, for Draden Weir’s and Eladran Weir’s combined strength would be enough to deal with them. However, one of the first things they taught all Alliance officers was never to underestimate the enemy.
“My rider, do not worry yourself about the fire giants today. Lupek and his rangers have them under watch. He will let us know of any movement. Remember, they are not Alliance dragons, nor are they Alliance soldiers, so they do not have our capabilities,” Gallanth tried to put his rider’s mind at ease.
“Yes, my young dragonrider, this is the Honors Day Games. These are to remind the good citizens and civilians of the Alliance what sacrifice and freedom mean and the gratitude for such. We also have to shoot in a couple of days, so get your mind in order; your weir is looking to you to keep a positive outlook,” Jodem commented in his normal way, hoping to ruffle Mkel’s feathers and get him back on track.
“You’re both right; I’m just concerned,” he answered.
“Mkel, what do I always tell you for your shooting?” Jodem asked him.
“Wherever you are, be all there; it’s all about focus and gaining control by letting go,” Mkel answered with a smile.
“Exactly, Lieutenant Ablich and Company Senior Sergeant Pekram can handle anything for a short time until we get back there. Even if there would be an emergency, Silvanth and Beckann will not let anything happen to Michen and Annan. There is no fury like an expectant dragon and an angry she-elf wizard,” Jodem explained in a soft, joking manner.
“Or like a scorned Freiland wife. I’d rather face a rabid red dragon without my sword than one of those,” Lawrent yelled over to Mkel as he and Toderan walked out from the entrance of the alcove onto the landing.
“I know what you’re saying, and it doesn’t just apply to raiders’ wives,” Mkel answered back to Lawrent with a smile.
“Has the joust started yet? I have a good feeling about Robouch, in spite of his attitude at times,” Toderan mused. “Swierchaej and Gimbelon are also competing today in the s
word and spear matches. They will do fine. I have faith in those boys and in Poteignr for the archery competition. I heard he has a good coach,” he said as he looked at Jodem with a smile that was accented by his thick moustache; he knew that the young soldiers received the same marksmanship instruction as Mkel had from the portly wizard. “We’ll see if our outspoken Gimbelon can throw his spear as well as he throws his opinions.”
“He is a tough soldier deep down, and I expect him to do fairly well. I was watching him practice last week during the trade celebration with the Freilanders. Not like him to miss a party or ale. He can toss that stick pretty consistently,” Mkel added.
“He has a driven heart but a troubled mind. I have faith he will perform his best, if not just for bragging rights with the garrison,” Gallanth opined.
“I believe you are right, Gallanth, and I also have a bet on Lieutenant Wheelor and his crew for the land dragon competitions. I saw him review the images of the Handsdown battle and the proficiency of the Battle Point crews, and he has his title to defend. As far as Poteignr, I know he will do fine. He has a good attitude and also works a great deal with Cleric Watterseth. He has an eye to the Creator,” Jodem answered.
“My friends, the joust is about to start,” Gallanth said just before the trumpets sounded announcing the start of the joust. “I would also keep an eye on Terrence. He is a very skilled hand-combat soldier,” he added.
Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm Page 11