War of Dragons

by Andy Holland

  ***

  "Perak, I've just come straight from the frontline. They've begun the assault on the city!"

  Perak, who had been deep in conversation with Eric, glared at Pan. Of course they had; his job was to come here as soon as that happened. They were deep in Red Dragon territory, about half an hour's flight from Obud at a temporary command centre that Perak was setting up at a farm they had captured.

  "Yes, thank you. Have you any useful information to give me?"

  Pan nodded, missing the slight entirely. "The journey there was surprisingly good and we didn't meet any resistance before we reached the city. However, they were in the air long before we arrived. There were quite a few more of them than we expected and they flew out to us to meet the attack head on. Not enough to defeat us, of course, but I think this battle could be a lot closer than we expected."

  Than you expected, Perak thought, having expected strong resistance. Kanesh had come to see him about this on two occasions to voice his concerns on the matter and it was at Kanesh's suggestion that Pan was reporting back to him now. Of course, Perak's own sources provided him with enough information to have come to the same conclusion, so Kanesh needn't have bothered. Kanesh had also suggested that they move the prisoners further away if the attack wasn't going well, advice that Perak had no intention of following.

  "Very good. Ready for another flight, Pan?" Perak asked as he left the tent, followed by Eric.

  "Er, yes, but where are we going? The plan was for us to stay in this location for the rest of the day. I must say, your men have put up this camp quickly. I didn't expect to see so many of them here so soon."

  Perak ignored him, just nodding to Eric as they passed before beginning his transformation. Eric had already transformed and shrieked loudly, calling three times. Perak had promoted Eric to wing commander, as he displayed all of the leadership qualities that Pan lacked and commanded the respect of all of his peers as well as the men that reported to him. All over the camp the men began transforming, responding to the signal. Pan, looking a little bewildered, began to transform as well. By the time he finished Perak and Eric were in the air.

  Perak, where are we going? Pan asked, struggling to catch up.

  Obud, Perak replied. These men are itching for a fight, and I don't mean to disappoint them. Eric, you have your troops; you may go to them.

  Yes, sir. Thank you, sir, Eric replied, quickly flying away to join the dragons he commanded.

  What are you going to do? Pan asked. You can't mean to fight yourself? You're far too senior.

  I will do as I must, Perak replied calmly. This battle may fail without our help and I do not intend for my work to go to waste. Come, lead the way. Pan may have been a little irritating, but he was an excellent fighter. Having him beside him would make this a lot more interesting, as whatever Tarek and Kessick planned to do, Perak intended to fight.

  ***

  Over the city of Obud, Colonel Nabegar, the dragon in charge of the initial attack, was watching his Blue Dragons anxiously, directing them from above. The first wave of attackers had been completely eliminated and the second wave was now fully engaged. His second-in-command, a wing commander called Joket, flew up to join him.

  That's the last of the Purples, Joket declared. We're approaching the point where we have the same number as they do, but without the home advantage.

  Colonel Nabegar was thinking the same thing. Obud was littered with the dead from both sides and the Red forces were down to half their original number, but he had lost even more.

  The Purples were our weakest forces, he countered. They were never intended to survive. They've served their purpose and weakened the Red Dragons. The Purples were the offspring of their slaves; Blue Dragons, but frequently displaying the red hair that betrayed their heritage. Although he didn't care for their loss, he had hoped they would survive longer than this. We still have about a third more than them and these are now our strongest forces. They'll destroy the Reds; it'll just take a little longer than we hoped. His words lacked any conviction. The Reds were larger and stronger than them and were strengthened by their Dragonstones. Normally, they were faster than the Reds, but the Dragonstones allowed the Reds to fly faster as well. There was a real danger that they would gain the upper hand. The battle had been raging for ages now and both sides were getting tired, but the Blues more so, having had to fly so far to get there.

  The bombers will be due soon, Joket reminded him. They can't attack until the air is clear. Even if our men do prevail, they may do so too late for the bombers.

  Colonel Nabegar ignored him, keenly watching the battle. More and more dragons dropped from the air and whatever he said, he also knew that any moment now he would have to give the command to retreat, which would be a failure that he would never live down.

  Look! Joket said suddenly. High above the city!

  The Colonel looked up and saw a sight that lifted his spirit: tens of thousands of new arrivals had appeared from nowhere and were preparing to join the battle. It could only be Perak's forces, although what they were doing here was anyone's guess, as Zygar had given him strict instructions to stay and guard his prisoners. Diving from above, the Reds were yet to notice this new and game-changing threat.

  That's Colonel Perak! Nabegar roared. He's actually leading the charge, the crazy fool!

  Perak spearheaded the attack, his dragons striking the Red Dragons' forces hard and sending thousands to their deaths with the first contact. Although the overall numbers hadn't changed that significantly with the new arrivals, the Reds knew it was the end for them. They were already tired, but Perak's men were fresh and eager to join the fight. They attacked with a furious vigour and despite only being equal to about a quarter of the size of Nabegar's existing forces, it was enough to give them the advantage. The Red Dragons slowly retreated, circling continuously lower until they all tried to seek the safety of their buildings. Perak's dragons were relentless, killing many before they had a chance to hide. As soon as the last Red Dragon disappeared, a triumphant chorus was emitted by the hundreds of thousands in the air. The battle for the air had been won!

  Perak's troops ascended rapidly, fleeing from the many bolts that were being sent their way from the numerous defensive towers in the city. On the way up he met a familiar dragon.

  Is that you, Perak? Tarek called out as he recognised him flying above the city. I didn't expect to see you here.

  Nor I you. You should be thankful that I am here, however. I've cleared the air for your dragons. Where are they, by the way?

  Not too far behind. I flew ahead to ensure that the air attack had been successful. I had some concerns regarding the progress of the assault, but it looks like you and Nabegar have done an excellent job. Just keep the Reds from retaking the skies and my dragons will have no problems in destroying their buildings.

  Of course, you need not tell me the importance of dominating the skies, Perak replied coolly. Are you going to return to your dragons?

  No, Tarek replied. Technically, I am not leading them. I'm just here as an observer, although if the skies hadn't been cleared, I'd have been telling them to turn around. I'll just wait for them to arrive and watch the destruction. Zygar might prefer me not to be here, but I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and I'm not going to miss my dragons perform. That reminds me, should you be here either?

  Of course not, Perak replied, but if I hadn't arrived the battle would have been lost. I doubt Zygar will care about my interpretation of his orders. I see your dragons arriving.

  Tarek turned around to watch his dragons approach. Even Perak marvelled at the disciplined coordination of the groups of dragons carrying their heavy burdens. Their progress was slow, labouring to carry the huge metal lumps, but they flew steadily and strongly.

  Watch this, Perak, Tarek said proudly. See how accurate they have become.

  Perak had seen them fly before, but even so, he was impressed by Tarek's dragons. The first group had moved in
to position above the city and began to drop the first metal bomb. They carefully guided it as it fell, making minor corrections to line it up with the target. Then all the dragons peeled away before the bomb struck the building with an almighty crash. When the dust cleared, there was a pile of rubble where an impressive building had once stood.

  One less Dragonstone, Tarek declared triumphantly, gazing down at the city.

  Very good, Perak remarked. Can they manage that with each one?

  He didn't have long to wait for his answer, as the second group had already begun their bombing run. They were just as accurate as the first group and a second Stonehouse was reduced to rubble. Each of the first five groups hit their targets, demolishing each and every one of the Stonehouses, leaving the remainder to attack less critical buildings, such as the military and government buildings from where the defences would be coordinated. Then the smaller groups took over, targeting the defensive towers containing the Red Dragons' powerful crossbows that would have otherwise made the ground assault impossible to succeed without heavy losses. Obud was being struck by heavy metal rain and the defenders had no way of stopping their destruction.

  Amazing, Perak said quietly to Tarek as the last of his troops dropped their load. I do believe you've just won the battle.

  We have, my friend, Tarek replied magnanimously. It's all over now. The ground troops will have an easy task. Come, let us fly back together. Neither of us should really be here.

  Perak looked down to watch thousands of Blue Dragons landing all over the city, the third wave of the attackers arriving. These were the specialists in ground combat, who would now begin the laborious task of going from building to building, wiping out the Reds that were spread over the city. With the skies above them still filled with Blue Dragons and the attackers able to concentrate their efforts on one building at a time and outnumber their quarry each time, the Reds had no chance whatsoever.

  Yes, let us leave, Perak agreed reluctantly. Time to join the celebrations...

  Chapter 16 - An appeal to the parliament

  Mark stood up and faced the crowded parliament, ready to address them. Just as with the initial appeal to approach the Browns, news of the Blue Dragon invasion had spread quickly and had resulted in a much better attendance than these sessions would normally attract. Facing the crowded room of black-robed representatives he was determined not to appear daunted by them and spoke as confidently as he could. "I request permission to travel to the Red Dragon Kingdom to both escort our guests home and volunteer to help with their defence. Furthermore, I request permission to seek volunteers to assist me. This does not contradict our laws forbidding acts of aggression and is in keeping with our tradition of minimising loss of life. We have a duty to act, and I request permission to carry out that duty."

  There was silence for a few seconds. The representatives all knew why Mark was here so no one was surprised by his request. The chairman thanked him briefly before asking for responses. The first to speak was an old grey-haired man named Moab, one who Mark's father had named as a likely opponent. He rose to his feet and addressed his comments to the chairman, barely even acknowledging Mark. "Chairman, this still constitutes taking sides," Moab argued. "I am not in favour and recommend voting against this motion." There were quite a few murmurs of agreement. He sat down again, leaving the floor open. The chairman then recognised Solomon, another long-serving representative who was well respected.

  "This act would not be without precedent," Solomon responded to Moab's argument, speaking slowly and calmly. His was a voice that conveyed wisdom and experience, and although, like Moab, he didn't acknowledge Mark, there was a warmth in his voice that Moab's had lacked. "This has been done before and was declared to be legal. In the war between the Green Dragons and the Mountain Dragons, in which the Green Dragons were intent on wiping out the Mountain Dragons, we provided substantial numbers of our forces to defend the Mountain Dragons' three major cities."

  "Which achieved nothing," Moab countered, dismissing his argument with a contemptuous wave of his hand. "No one remembers the Mountain Dragons; they were completely wiped out." Mark of course knew the story of the Mountain Dragons well, taking a keen interest in the history of their neighbours. Sadly none of the Mountain Dragons made it to the Sanctuary and their form had been completely forgotten, with no Golden Dragons left alive who knew how to transform into one.

  "That can hardly be true, can it?" Solomon asked. "I remember the Mountain Dragons, as do you or you wouldn't have remembered that they were wiped out, and they were not wiped out in that particular war. Our efforts were successful and we prevented the Green Dragons from destroying any of their three cities. Their demise was due to our failure to maintain good relations with the Mountain Dragons. Unfortunately, our forces were expelled by the Mountain Dragons shortly after the end of the conflict and the Green Dragons attacked again immediately."

  The chairman recognised a lady called Orpah, who Mark hadn't heard speak before. "Our forces weren't just expelled, a number were killed, convicted of trumped up charges and executed hastily without a chance for appeal," she said. "I fail to see how anything that happened was our fault. How do we know that the Red Dragons won't turn on us as soon as the war ends? That also has precedent."

  "May I respond?" Mark requested. The chairman assented. "From what I understand, the conflict with the Green Dragons was one where we sent an official force and troops were ordered to go. I'm requesting a volunteer force; it would be up to individuals to assess the risk of the Reds turning on us. I'm willing to accept that risk."

  A young representative called Cain rose to his feet to respond. He was another that his father had warned him about. He was only a few years older than Mark, in his first term as a representative and was well known and very ambitious. Mark doubted he had strong views on any subject, but would just enthusiastically back whatever cause was likely to further his position. "Another volunteer force?" he asked scornfully, addressing his question to the representatives behind him rather than Mark or the chairman. "We have only just authorised a volunteer force to rescue the slaves and we only just had enough volunteers for that operation. Where would you find the volunteers? You wouldn't get enough to mount a serious defence. I would be opposed to sending a force that was too small to succeed and was doomed to die."

  "Let me organise the appeal," Mark replied. "I don't think we had nearly as many volunteers as we could have had for the rescue. I actually believe in what we're trying to do and would be going myself. I'm not convinced that was the case for the rescue."

  "Be careful with your accusations," Cain warned him, glaring coldly. "I organised that appeal, and as I recall, you weren't here for it."

  "And you're still here," Mark pointed out, holding his gaze. "You asked people to do something you weren't going to do yourself. I'm volunteering. I can lead it."

  Solomon smiled and shook his head. "Mark, we admire your courage and enthusiasm, and you may be a captain, but you're too young and inexperienced to lead such a mission. We could never allow it."

  "But I am not," his father stated, speaking for the first time.

  "Please, sir, wait till I have recognised you before speaking," the chairman objected. "You are not a representative."

  "Apologies, chairman. May I speak?"

  "Go ahead."

  "I have spent a long time in the borders between these two lands and know them as well as anyone. I have a long and distinguished career and have more than enough experience to lead this mission. I will accompany my son and lead this mission."

  "We cannot allow that," Solomon replied. "I appreciate the noble gesture but your health is not what it was. Besides which, Paul, we are well aware of your wife's health. Your place is here."

  "May I speak?" All eyes turned to the man sat next to Paul, who had remained silent so far.

  The chairman introduced him. "For the benefit of the representatives, this is Captain Noah, former commander of the capital's defence forces. Ple
ase proceed, Noah."

  Noah was someone that Mark knew well, as he was an old friend of his father's. He was highly respected within the defence force and would be known to many of the representatives. He rose to his feet and smiled at his audience. "This is a mission that requires an experienced leader. Someone who has years of training and experience of combat with the Blue Dragons. I do not claim to be an expert on their ways, but I am one of the few who has fought them before. I have been stationed with the Brown Dragons on several occasions when they were attacked by the Blue Dragons—attacks that were of course, unsuccessful. I have led numerous expeditions into our neighbours' territories, both as an invited guest and clandestine visits, and of course, I fought in the war with the Banshee Dragons. I've served in many different capacities within our defence force and although I have recently retired from active roles, I still train with those who patrol our borders to keep my skills fresh. I volunteer my services to lead this mission and believe that given the right numbers and support, I can lead it to a successful conclusion."

  There was a momentary silence following his statement and Solomon was the first to respond.

  "Thank you, Captain. I doubt there are many who could claim to be better qualified to lead this mission. I propose we vote on granting approval on a conditional basis. We have a leader, but this mission requires experienced support. I propose allowing it on the condition that they have at least five captains volunteer and at least thirty volunteers in total."

  "Thirty sounds far too low," Moab argued. "I'd want to have at least triple that. What do you say, Cain? You organised the last volunteer force."

  "I agree. As I argued before, I'd be very reluctant to risk sacrificing so many of our men on such a foolish venture when it didn't have a chance of success. Thirty would be totally unacceptable. One hundred at least. With ten captains." He turned and regarded Mark smugly. "If the young man thinks he is able to gather that many volunteers, he would have my blessing."