by Andy Holland
Kanesh nodded politely, but was unimpressed. Farak had shamelessly given the key command positions to his own colonels. Farak and Nabegar were related and Kanesh suspected that this was the only reason Nabegar had become a colonel. He had never met Colonel Tiam and wasn't sure if he wanted to. She was the highest ranking woman in the army, so he had made sure that he had read her file and found that she had a reputation for being particularly unpleasant. Sadik was competent and was pleasant to talk to, but Kanesh had read his file as well and knew all of his dark secrets.
"Not so much a new plan, then," Zygar commented. "Sounds like your plan for Obud."
"A very successful campaign," Farak declared.
Zygar frowned. "Sadik and Tiam are not bad choices, but use Kessick for the first wave. The man's a fool but he inspires the men and knows how to lead in the air. I have my doubts about Nabegar; he was lucky over Obud and without Perak's intervention the result would have been very different."
Farak's eyes narrowed for a moment, throwing a sharp glare at Perak, but he merely nodded in agreement. "Being Furnace, a larger force would be required. I suggest that you put a number of Divisions from Xanot's and Perak's armies under my command to bolster both the air assault and the bombing run."
"You need no more dragons for the bombing run," Tarek responded sharply. "If the air is clear then the numbers you have already will be enough."
Farak glared at him, irritated by the interruption and by being challenged. "This is Furnace, their capital. There's no reason to hold back on this one. Extra troops will allow us to win with greater ease."
"Or a greater opportunity for losses," Tarek countered. "My dragons are not easily replaced, having had months of intensive training. You have more than enough to flatten Furnace; any more would be unnecessary. We still have Newcastle and the West to take; we can't risk not having enough for those attacks."
"They won't be lost!" Farak snapped. "If I have enough troops I'll wipe out the Reds with hardly any losses."
Zygar raised his hands, signalling an end to the discussion. "I see you have reservations about the plan, Tarek. Do you doubt our chances of success?"
Tarek shrugged. "This is their capital. Their defences will have been strengthened by those that fled Black Rock and Obud and if they have any sense the West should have sent reinforcements. They'll know what to expect, having seen what we did in the cities they lost, so have a chance to plan a response. Given the size of our army I don't think they can beat us, but I see no reason not to be cautious; besides, I don't see extra bombers can help. Farak just needs extra dragons in the first wave."
Zygar stared at Tarek coolly for a moment before speaking. "Does anyone else share his concerns?"
Xanot spoke up immediately. "I'm not keen on moving too many troops to the east. There are far too many dragons in the area as it is. If my dragons are needed, then they could join up with Farak's forces on route to Furnace."
Zygar rolled his eyes. "You're not still worrying about that stupid creature are you?"
Perak and Tarek exchanged confused looks. Kanesh decided to enlighten them. "General Xanot is concerned that having too many dragons near to the Circle of Death might attract the monster. Farak's command centre is not that far from the Circle."
Perak was still a little confused. "Why haven't you moved into the land you've captured? I thought most of your men were here."
Farak shook his head. "Enough to defend the place, don't you worry about that. But most are still in my old command centre outside of the Reds' old territory. There isn't another suitable location for so many troops. We'll relocate once we've taken the capital."
"Could the monster actually threaten our troops?" Perak asked. "Has it ever left the Circle before? I thought it was bound by the Circle."
"We think it may have ventured outside—" Xanot began before being interrupted by Zygar.
"Not that we know for certain and it definitely hasn't travelled that far before. Xanot, your troops will join Farak's before they leave. You're to send two divisions."
"Two divisions isn't that many—" Farak grumbled, but was cut off by Zygar.
"What about you, Perak? Any concerns?"
Perak shrugged. "Taking Newcastle first would be my preference. Leaving it till later means a longer border to defend and the plan was always to take it before Furnace."
"Newcastle can wait," Zygar replied. "They haven't the numbers to counterattack. If they did it would be a blessing. They'll be much harder to kill if they stay in that wretched city."
"The Browns," Xanot began. "We should be dealing with them. They're capturing too much land, and they'll—"
"Wait till later," Zygar finished. "The Browns can be stopped but we can't take too much of their land. Not until we're ready to fight the Golden Dragons as well. Farak, you'll have to make do with what you have. Your numbers are more than enough to take Furnace and I don't want to leave ourselves exposed elsewhere. But I approve of your plan, with one word of caution; do not be reckless with our troops. Learn from Pushak's mistake. Bring me the full details tonight once you have finalised the plan."
"General, I think my men may be of use here," Perak ventured. "Not in the same capacity as last time, but I see a way in which they can play a part."
"Not too many," Zygar replied. "The Northern Army was badly weakened by that fool Pushak. Newcastle and the North needs to be contained."
"Just a few thousand," Perak replied. "They won't be missed."
Farak shrugged. "I'd prefer a lot more. What's your plan?"
"The two of you can discuss it later," Zygar interrupted. "I have other matters to attend to. Farak, Tarek, Xanot; you may leave us."
The three generals glanced at Perak and Kanesh, wondering why they were being kept back, but their blank expressions showed they were just as surprised as they were. Zygar said nothing till the three of them had left the room.
"The General is not well," he began. "He hasn't been for some time. We've kept it as quiet as long as we can, but it can only be kept a secret for so long."
Perak looked confused, clearly having no idea who Zygar was talking about. Kanesh decided to spare him any embarrassment and spoke up before the younger man could. There was only one person Zygar would refer to as the General.
"That is only to be expected at his age. He was not a young man when he handed over to you, and that was almost twenty years ago." Zygar was referring to his predecessor, General Amok, who had ruled as Prime Minister ever since retiring as head of the Blue Dragon Army.
Zygar shrugged. "Well, he's made no secret of the fact that he'd like to retire soon. Much as I'd like to keep him in the role, I can't risk him dying as Prime Minister—especially not during a war and without having named my successor."
Kanesh struggled to contain his excitement. Zygar must have chosen his successor and was about to tell them, meaning it would have to be one of them. It could only be him. Zygar would never expect someone as young as Perak to run the army and especially not a newly-promoted general. Of course, that applied to him as well….
"Has General Amok's health deteriorated any more over the last few days?" Perak asked. Kanesh barely managed to hide a smirk. The question was so unlike Perak, who never had any interest in anyone's health and despised small talk.
"We're not here to discuss his health," Zygar replied. "No, we're here to discuss what we do about it. The General, and probably most of the army, has been asking who I will name as my successor ever since General Regan died earlier this year. He wants me to name a successor, allow him to retire and then name myself the new prime minister and hand over power to a new head of the army."
"Well, it is the way that it has always been done," Kanesh agreed.
"Not always," Perak replied. "Twice both positions have gone to new faces and occasionally the head of the army has left with the prime minister staying. There's no obligation to follow the normal convention."
Zygar smiled. "Quite. And so it will be today. I am not
ready to retire quite yet; I have much more that I need to do. When I finally retire, many years from now, the Reds, Browns, Golds and all the rest will be history. Until then, I'm staying. Which is why you are both here. Kanesh, you will be my new Prime Minister. I'm sorry to say that your spell as Head of the South-West Army will be the shortest on record. No reflection on your leadership, I assure you; just your political skills. You'll be a fine Prime Minister. Perak, you will be my successor. You didn't manage to become the youngest general, but you will be the youngest one to be named successor. Expect a long wait, but should you survive, you will be the next head of the army. Any questions?"
Kanesh and Perak were speechless. Neither had expected this; Perak, like Kanesh, would have known that he was too young to lead the army and would have been wondering why he was even in the room. Kanesh hadn't considered the possibility of taking over from General Amok and was struggling to get his head around it. Perak was the first to speak.
"When will it be announced?"
"In good time," Zygar replied. "The attack on Furnace takes priority, so not till after then. Convention requires than I announce to the generals first, so that'll happen after the attack. Before it's announced I'll need to discuss with you the changes I will be making to the army after the war. You'll no longer be part of the army, Kanesh, but you will be needed to make the changes work."
"Of course. Thank you. You won't regret this decision." Any disappointment over being passed over for head of the army had quickly evaporated with the realisation that that was never likely to happen anyway and he had just been elevated to a position that he had never thought possible. He glanced at Perak, whose expression was completely unreadable. He was a cold one. He was glad that he had Zygar and not Perak to work with; Zygar was no less ruthless or determined than Perak but at least he had a human side.
"No, I don't think I will regret this decision. I expect there will be a couple of disappointed generals, but they'll live. Remember, both of you, not a word to anyone until I announce this decision. Dismissed."
Kanesh and Perak left the room wordlessly, not speaking till they were outside the house in the warm sunshine.
"Congratulations, Perak," Kanesh said, extending his hand. "Hard to believe we were both just colonels a few days ago."
Perak shook his hand, his expression serious and hard. "I never doubted I would reach this position. Zygar singled me out years ago and has entrusted much to me already. This was always to be my destiny."
Kanesh gave him a wry smile. "Perhaps the timing caught you by surprise?"
Perak actually laughed at this, something Kanesh had never seen him do. "I'll concede that. Congratulations, Kanesh. Prime Minister."
Chapter 26 - Return to Furnace
Crystal felt herself being lowered to the ground and she loosened the top of her bag to cautiously peer out. They had been flying for hours and she was glad to be let out of her bag. However, since leaving the limits of the Circle she had heard the shrieks of the Blue Dragons almost continuously and they had been audible till just a few moments ago, so she was a little surprised that they had landed.
"Is it safe?" she asked Levi, who had transformed already.
"Not really," Levi whispered in reply, leading her to where the others had gathered under some trees.
"Then why have we stopped?" she whispered back.
Mark answered for him, his voice low but calm. "The other groups of Golden Dragons are with us again. We're now in between the Blue Dragons and territory still controlled by the Red Dragons. We've already seen quite a few Red Dragons and witnessed a few clashes with the Blues."
"It would be a little ironic to have brought you this far to have you killed by your own people," Noah added. "I think it's time to do your own flying, don't you?"
"What about the Blue Dragons?" Jenna asked. "I thought I could still hear them when we landed. Will we be safe from them?"
Noah shrugged. "That does depend on how many of them there are, but I think we can keep you safe. We will fly as Golden Dragons."
"That might be a bad idea," Seth replied. "You may be attacked by our army."
Levi laughed. "You are aware of how slowly you fly?"
Seth bristled at the slight. "We are faster when we're near our cities. Our Dragonstones are pretty powerful."
Levi looked at him blankly. "What are Dragonstones?"
Noah answered the question before Seth could reply. "They're part of the Red Dragons defences. They look like large red gemstones and are made using special scales from each Red Dragon in a city. They're used by Blue Dragons as well and the Green Dragons used to have them. Giving a scale links a dragon to a stone and while they are near to the stone they are faster and stronger."
"How near?" Mark asked.
"They're effective while you're flying over the city," Arthur replied. "They make our cities much harder to attack. They're the first things that the Blues will try and destroy in order to weaken us."
"And the Blues know where to find them as they had a spy in the city," Noah added. "They make quite a difference; they're one of the main reasons these three races survived for so long. Defenders always have a big advantage."
"Can't you just move them?" Mark asked. "Hide them in other buildings?"
"Doing so would render them useless," Noah replied. "It is the same for all Dragonstones."
Mark nodded. "Well, this is very interesting, but it doesn't answer our question. What would you like us to do? Shall we sneak in as Red Dragons?"
Arthur shook his head. "Of course not. If we fly as one group, seeing us flying with you should prevent any Red Dragon attacking you. Besides, Jenna's right. There are still too many Blues here. Let’s take no unnecessary chances."
"Either way, staying on the ground any longer is unnecessarily dangerous," Noah pointed out. "The Blue Dragons are still active here." He nodded at the Golden Dragons, who transformed and took off, leaving just Mark and Noah with the five youngsters.
"Transform," Mark instructed them. "Don't worry, we'll turn away to give you privacy." Mark and Noah transformed and turned their backs on the five, who began their more sedate transformations.
Done, Crystal said to them both, finishing last.
Mark turned to face her and the other four Red Dragons. He nodded his golden head approvingly. Good, now take off. We're in your country now, so you can lead the way if you wish.
The five took to the air and immediately found themselves surrounded by the Golden Dragons, who seemed to be constantly moving around them. They heard a blood curdling screech to the left and they watched two of the Golden Dragons peel away from the group to head off the danger. They returned just moments later, fresh blood on their claws.
It feels good to be flying again, doesn't it? Crystal said to Jenna. Being a passenger wasn't that much fun.
Yes, I suppose so, Jenna replied. Her thoughts sounded anxious and distracted. Although it would be more enjoyable if we weren't worrying about Blue Dragons.
Mark and Noah seem more than capable of taking care of them, Crystal said. She studied the ground beneath them. Maps were never her strong point and she didn't know the Eastern Principality that well, so didn't recognise any landmarks. Do you recognise where we are?
Not really, Jenna replied. Although I have the nasty suspicion we're a lot further from where the border should be than I would have hoped.
Do you think they've captured Obud? Crystal asked nervously.
Jenna didn't have a chance to reply as Noah flew near to them and drew their attention. We have company ahead. Jude tells me that there are a number of Red Dragons heading straight for us. We could go around them possibly, or you could meet your countrymen. What would you prefer?
We will meet them, Arthur replied firmly. We can't be wasting time dodging our own people or we'd never get there before nightfall.
Noah paused. As you wish. Just expect a little hostility when we meet them.
It will be fine, Arthur replied. Just hang back
and I will do all of the talking.
Perhaps it might be better if we were a smaller group, one of the captains suggested.
Good idea, Micah, Noah replied. He gave an order and the seven groups that had joined them ascended high above them until they were out of sight, leaving just the original group. The remaining Golden Dragons dropped back a little, flying behind the Reds. They could see Jude high above them and some way in front of them, so expected to see the Red Dragons at any moment.
There they are, Seth announced as a group of twenty dragons appeared on the horizon.
What are they doing here? Jenna asked. That's far too small a group to be flying around here. They'll be killed.
Perhaps they don't realise how close the Blues are, Crystal replied, or how many are here.
You there, the lead Red Dragon from the approaching group called. Identify yourselves and explain the presence of the intruders.
Prince Arthur, third in line to the Western throne, his sister Princess Daisy, Crystal and Jenna, daughter and niece of the Commander of the Southern Army and Seth, a distant relative of the King, Arthur replied. Identify yourselves.
Captain Dunn, your highness, of the twenty-seventh reserve unit. It's good to see you return your highness, but please, explain the presence of these intruders. Who are they and why are they flying with you? The two groups were close to converging.
They're our escort, Arthur replied. Are you aware of our mission?
Yes, your highness, to form a treaty with the Brown Dragons. But the treaty didn't include allowing the Brown Dragons to enter our territory and these are not Brown Dragons, are they?