War of Dragons

by Andy Holland

  "Yes. It was only for a minute, but unfortunately he had to use fire to repel the cats, as even as a Red Dragon they were still a match for him. It was that or let the creatures kill Crystal and her companions. This incident was to serve as a tipping point—"

  "Excuse me," the lady interrupted again. "And your son, how is his health?"

  "He's doing well. He was given excellent care by the Worm Dragons, without which he would have perished. He was able to fly within a few days."

  Crystal noticed Seth smirking to her right. Paul had accidentally given away the secret that John was trying to keep from them.

  "Impressive. Is he still taking medication?"

  "Yes, he is. A full recovery might not be possible, but we're hopeful. May I continue?"

  "Of course. But I would be interested in seeing his medical records."

  "What do they mean?" Crystal whispered to Daisy. "I thought John was completely better."

  Daisy shrugged, looking as confused as Crystal. "No idea. John has never spoken of it. Or the Worm Dragons."

  Paul continued his narrative, explaining how the lessons began and how this led to the two encounters with the Blue Dragons and the journey that led them here. The parliament appeared impressed with both John's actions and his decision to suggest an alliance with the Dark Browns. Paul finished and the speaker stood to reply.

  "We would like to thank you for coming to meet us and answering all of our questions. We will now put it to a vote as to whether to facilitate a meeting with the Dark Brown Dragons. All those in favour raise your hands."

  Crystal looked around the room and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that every hand was raised.

  "All those against? Unanimously carried. Congratulations, gentlemen, ladies, your request will be met. We look forwards to hearing from you again soon."

  An elderly gentleman ushered them from the centre of the room and they could hear the speaker introducing the next topic. Mark met them outside the chamber.

  "That went well," Paul commented after they left the chamber and walked towards the exit. "Unanimous decisions are rare. That's a good sign."

  "What happens now?" Arthur asked.

  "They'll initiate contact with the Dark Browns and propose a meeting on neutral territory. They would be welcome to meet here, but unfortunately they wouldn't agree to that. There's a spot on the border we have used in the past."

  "What will happen at the meeting?" John asked. "Do we know how the Dark Browns will react? How are our relations with them at the moment?"

  "As well as can be expected. They are very aware of the threat the Blue Dragons pose and we've been open with them in terms of the limited intelligence we have, which has built some trust, so they will agree to meet just to find out if we know anything new that may be useful to them. But they are aware of our previous attempts to thwart their territorial ambitions and they will never fully trust us as a result."

  "But what about the Red Dragons? Do we know how they feel about them?"

  Paul smiled sadly. "That would be hard to say. I think it's fair to say that generally, Red Dragons are hated almost as much as the Blue Dragons. Don't worry, John, you've done the right thing in pursuing this, as there were no other realistic options, but I'm afraid that success is far from guaranteed. If they help it will only be because they see it to be in their own interests."

  John shook his head. "What I mean is, would my friends be in any danger meeting the Dark Browns? Would we have any guarantees that they wouldn't attack Daisy and the others?"

  "That's a good question, and I won't lie to you, son; the truth is, I don't know. It is unlikely they would do so with Golden Dragons present, but not impossible. I'm not an expert on Dark Brown Dragons, having lived in the Red Dragon Kingdom for so long, but there are a number of people in the government who are experts in this area. I'll find out who can tell you everything that you need to know."

  "I will be with them when the meeting happens," John told him.

  Paul shook his head. "That may be seen as a lack of trust, coming with a guard. I'm not sure that will be allowed."

  John was not to be swayed. "It is how it will happen. Please, ensure that the Dark Browns expect me. I was given the commission to arrange this meeting by the King of the Red Dragons, therefore I have an obligation to be there."

  "They aren't Red Dragons, John. They know what you are. They may not take this well."

  "John, we don't want to jeopardise the meeting," Arthur pointed out. "If you're worried about Daisy, I could go on my own."

  "Out of the question," Daisy insisted. "You'll need my charm. Both of us should go."

  "Accompanied by me," John stated firmly. "A third party can only calm matters, not make them worse."

  "Then it should be me who goes," Mark countered. "Your impartiality is compromised by your relationship with Daisy. And you only have to watch you two for a few seconds to see that you two are together. You know nothing of the Dark Browns, their customs, how they talk, how they fight. I do. I'm not counted as an expert, but I have dealt with them a number of times. And you know that you can count on me to look after her. Them," he corrected with a smile.

  "Your brother is an excellent flier, John," his father added, "and has plenty of combat experience. If a Golden Dragon must go, he'd be a good choice. Although I'm still not sure they'd accept it."

  John frowned. "It would have to be a condition of the meeting. And I'd want to be close. Somewhere in sight, just in case."

  Paul shrugged. "I will see what I can do. I don't think anything will happen quickly though."

  "But the invasion could happen any day now," Arthur objected. "Every day counts."

  Paul nodded. "I'm aware of that, but just as it took you time to reach us, communicating with the Dark Browns will take time. Don't worry, the parliament know the importance of this and won't delay unnecessarily. But just don't expect any news for a couple of days at least. Mark, would you mind escorting them all back to Immigration House? John and I need to attend another meeting. I expect we will be there all day."

  "Of course, Father; will you be at the party this evening?"

  "That's hard to say; I dare say John would like to attend, but he has to see some doctors afterwards. It depends on how long that takes."

  "Of course. See you both later."

  Daisy turned to Mark, looking a little confused. "Why is he going to see a doctor? I thought they were happy with the way his wounds were healing."

  Mark nodded. "They are, but John failed to mention what happened in that valley to them when he arrived. He probably forgot about it."

  "Does it matter?" Crystal asked. "I mean, he's fully recovered, hasn't he? It was a long time ago."

  "Let's let the doctors answer that one," he replied evasively. "Shall we walk back, or would you like to fly?"

  "What's this about a party?" Seth asked. "This hasn't been mentioned before."

  "Really? I apologise for that. It's why Leah took you shopping yesterday. It's being held in honour of your arrival. It might be a bit formal for your liking, as it's a government organised event, but it shouldn't be too long, and—"

  "We'll come," Jenna interrupted. "What time do we need to be ready?"

  Mark shrugged. "I'll have to check, but it'll be shortly after sunset probably. The clothes you ordered yesterday should arrive this afternoon. Didn't Leah explain why you she was taking you all shopping?"

  "I'm not sure why you think there needs to be a reason for that," Jenna replied.

  "So that's this evening," Seth confirmed. "What about this afternoon?"

  "That's up to you really. I think Leah wants to spend some time with Crystal; she mentioned something about working on your transformation. Did you ask her to help you with that?"

  Crystal shook her head.

  "I guess John must have suggested it to her," Mark said. "Don't mind it if she's rude about John—he really wouldn't care. He told me as much."

  "I mind," Daisy objected. "Why
does she have to be so unpleasant?"

  Mark shrugged. "She's jealous. She's working in the part of government responsible for foreign intelligence, but hasn't been assigned to anything out of the office. She's bright, ambitious and very hard-working, but isn't great with people so I'm not sure if she'll get assigned any time soon either. Her whole family worked in foreign intelligence and she wants to live up to her parents’ expectations. John is four years younger than her and has already done what she desperately wants to do."

  "Great. So, Crystal's going to see her cousin," Seth said, clearly uninterested in discussing Leah or John. "What will the rest of us do?"

  "Well, John had thought of showing you all the zoo. He hasn't been for many years but he loved it when he came here. Admittedly he was very young at the time…."

  "A zoo? What's a zoo?" Seth asked.

  Mark laughed. "It's a place where you keep animals, for people to go and see."

  "Like a farm?" Daisy asked.

  "No, nothing like a farm. It's worth seeing, especially if you've not been to one before. We've been everywhere, so no other nation could boast of a zoo with as many types of animal as us. It would be easiest if I show you. What do you think?"

  Arthur shrugged. "You know the city best; we will go with your suggestion."

  "Excellent, that's agreed. Crystal, Leah will meet you at Immigration House, so we'll say goodbye now if that is alright. Come on, you'll all enjoy this….

  Chapter 8 - Official Party

  Crystal glanced at the clock on the wall of her room for the tenth time. It was nearly time to leave for the party and she was tired of waiting for Jenna, so went to see if Daisy was ready. "Ready to go?" she called as she knocked on the door.

  Daisy opened the door and peered at Crystal. She looked a little unsure about something. "I suppose so. Do you think this dress is alright? It's not too short, is it?"

  She opened the door a little wider to reveal her outfit. It was a shimmering red dress, not particularly short for someone from the West, and Jenna wouldn't have thought twice about it. Naturally, Daisy looked stunning.

  "Wow, Daisy, you look amazing," Crystal replied in awe. "I forget how long your legs are."

  "Oh, thank you. You look very pretty too. You don't think it looks inappropriate though, do you? This is an official event and we are representing our people."

  Crystal groaned. "I'm sure Jenna will be wearing far less than that, if she ever gets ready, so I doubt it matters. Besides, you bought it here, so it must be the sort of thing they would consider appropriate. John is going to regret missing you looking like this."

  "Don't you think he'll make the party?" Daisy asked. "That would be a shame."

  Crystal shrugged. "He's never seemed like a party person to me, so it might not bother him. How was your afternoon, by the way? Did you enjoy your trip to the zoo?"

  Daisy nodded, smiling. "It was excellent! They have so many animals that I've never even heard of let alone seen. They even had those horrid cats that attacked us in the valley. They still look terrifying even behind bars."

  "Wonderful," Crystal replied with a laugh. "Doesn't sound like I missed out after all."

  "Oh no, it was really nice and it was perfectly safe. We should have one back home. I'll speak to Grandfather about building one as soon as we get back."

  "What was perfectly safe?" Jenna asked, appearing from her room wearing a rather revealing blue dress.

  "Daisy was telling me about your trip to the zoo."

  "Oh, yes, safe apart from the assault on your nose. The whole place stunk."

  "It wasn't that bad," Daisy protested. "Apart from those squirrels. They eat the most repugnant fruit you could ever imagine, Crystal."

  "I thought I was going to pass out," Jenna said. "I really did. It makes me sick just thinking about it. Anyway, where are the boys? Have you knocked for them?"

  "They'll meet us there," Daisy replied. "Arthur knocked on my door while I was getting ready and said that they weren't going to wait. They've gone ahead with Mark. Leah will take us."

  "Typical," Jenna complained. "Well, let's get a move on. Let's not waste any more time here."

  Twenty minutes later, they arrived with Leah at the presidential palace. Mark was waiting for them at the steps leading to the south entrance and was dressed very smartly.

  "Welcome, ladies," he said with a smile. "I must say, you all look fantastic."

  Jenna twirled on the spot. "We do, don't we? I must say, I quite like your country's taste in clothes. Perhaps we could visit that street again before we leave."

  Mark laughed. "I'll leave that pleasure to Leah." He nodded to her politely. "You're looking lovely tonight as well, Leah."

  Leah nodded curtly, clearly not pleased to see him. "Thank you. It's beginning to get dark. Shall we go in?"

  Mark nodded, and they followed him into the palace. Crystal noticed that two burly men followed Leah, carrying heavy batons, and realised that she had seen them at Immigration House; they had followed them there.

  "Your security," Leah explained, noticing her curiosity. "You're new arrivals and your friends are from a rather unpopular race. It's quite normal for new arrivals to be assigned some protection, especially at night."

  "Daisy, Jenna, would either of you like a drink?" Mark asked, quickly changing the subject. "Some wine, perhaps?"

  "You have alcoholic drinks?" Crystal asked. "But I thought Golden Dragons can't drink alcohol."

  "We can't," Mark replied. "But look around. This city is home to a lot of other races, most of whom are represented here. We try to accommodate their customs, as long as they don't conflict with our laws."

  "I'll have some wine," Jenna said.

  "We'll go with you," Daisy added. Crystal guessed that she probably didn't want to stay with Leah. They followed Mark through the throng of people and Crystal realised he was right; the event was a mixture of many different races. She caught a glimpse of Clay waving over to them, smiling broadly, but then he disappeared into the crowd. Before they could reach them, they were intercepted by one of the members of parliament, still dressed in his official black robes and looking a little out of place in the party.

  "Ah, Crystal, isn't it? I'm Elijah, the representative for the Rose Valley in the south-west. How are you enjoying being back home?"

  Crystal hadn't thought of this place as home yet. "I'm not sure, sir; this is all rather new."

  "Yes, of course; it will take time to get used to it. And you two, what do you think of our capital? Is it anything like what you had expected?"

  Jenna shrugged indifferently. "We didn't know what to expect."

  Elijah bombarded the three of them with questions and before Crystal realised it, she became trapped talking to him and two other representatives for almost an hour. Somehow Jenna and Daisy managed to escape, leaving her at the mercy of the dullest guests in the room. Eventually Mark rescued her and she quickly found Jenna, who was surrounded by a group of young men.

  "I'm going to look for Daisy," Crystal said to Jenna, desperate for an excuse to leave the room.

  "Fine," Jenna replied, not really listening. She was in her element, having their complete attention.

  "I think I saw her go to the buffet," one of the men told Crystal before turning back to Jenna. Crystal shook her head in disapproval as she wandered off. If Jenna had any intention of trying to get back together with Arthur this was not the best way to go about it.

  She put her cousin out of her mind and pushed her way through the crowd. To the side of the main hall was a large room where a long table had been laden with all manner of delicacies, which Crystal had been able to see whilst trapped talking to the representatives but hadn't yet enjoyed properly. One of the doors to the room was closed and she couldn't open it, so she struggled across to the other door and went in.

  It was a big room, but it was surprisingly empty and it took a moment for her to register what was happening. On the other side of the room, six men had surrounded Dais
y, who was backed into the corner of the room. One of them was just locking the nearest door, the one that had been closed.

  "Think you're better than us?" the nearest man to Daisy snarled. He was very dark-skinned, and Crystal vaguely recognised him. That was it; she remembered seeing him from the trip to the Sanctuary yesterday.

  "I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you're talking about," Daisy replied, her voice weak and shaky.

  "No, you wouldn't, Princess," a second man snapped. "Don't recognise our faces, do you? Just another race you attacked and stole land from."

  "I'm sorry, I know some of our history, and I know we did some terrible things, but that was a long time ago—long before I was born."

  "Sorry?" the first man said with a laugh. "You're sorry because you're in here with us. Not holding your nose now, are you Princess? But we heard you yesterday. We saw how you looked at us. Not enough to have murdered our ancestors, you feel the need to insult us as well?"

  "I really don't know what you mean—"

  "Liar!" The man raised a knife to Daisy's face, who shrank even further into the corner.

  "Leave her alone!" Crystal cried in alarm. The men swung around to notice her for the first time.

  "Oh, look, one of our Golden masters," one of the men sneered. "Here to give us our orders? It's dark, little mistress. Can't transform now, can you?"

  Another man spoke up from behind her, making her jump. He closed and locked the door through which she had entered the room. "This little Red insulted us; we will have satisfaction. Stay out of this unless you want to get hurt."

  "I'll scream," Crystal warned him, backing away from him in fear.

  The first man who had spoken shrugged. "And then we'll leave this knife in her eye and still be out of here before anyone can get through that door. We were planning on just leaving her something to remember us by, just a little carving. Your choice."

  "There'll be none of that." Crystal swung around to see that Jonah had entered the room through another door, one which led outside the building.