by Andy Holland
"True, but the Red Dragons are stronger than the Green Dragons. There's more of them and they're larger and Furnace is better defended than any of the Green Dragons' cities were."
"And the Blues are stronger now than when they fought and wiped out the Greens. If only we'd done something then."
Noah shrugged. He didn't disagree with Mark but didn't want him to lose hope. "If we had told the Reds, they'd have just attacked the Greens themselves, or waited till the fighting was over and attacked the Blues when they were weak. We couldn't have saved the Greens. We can save the Reds."
"Anything would have been better than nothing. Now the Blues are strong enough to wipe out the Reds and then they will—"
"They're strong enough that the Reds need help," Noah interrupted. "The Reds have never entered into alliances before. That in itself is a good thing. Besides, you can't really believe this is hopeless or you wouldn't be here. And if you do, you need to hide that from the others. Remember that you are a captain."
Mark nodded. "You're right, of course. When are you flying off?"
"Soon," Noah replied. "I'll go and see Prince Henry now and then we will leave. That young Prince, the twins’ older brother, is going to lead the Reds they are sending with me."
"Prince Gerald," Mark replied. "A good man. Apparently, it's rare for their noble leaders to lead their troops from the front. They prefer to let their less privileged country folk to die in their place. Gerald plans to lead them properly."
"He's not unique though," Noah replied. "The Commander of their Northern Army, Lord Lance, did the same when he was young. He was a very competent leader, but he led a cruel and vindictive campaign. Your father brought back an account of it when he returned a year ago."
Mark shrugged. "These two races hate each other more than any other two; I suspect you can find such accounts on both sides."
Noah nodded. "Of course, but now we're allied with the Reds. Just bear that in mind and be prepared for when they ask you to do something you can't. See you later, Captain."
***
Squadron Commander Ivan led his Blue Dragons silently towards their target, flying low over the ground and brushing trees and bushes with their wings and tails. They had a short flight to their targets and it was essential that they were not seen or their mission would be for nothing. The sun was low behind them, barely above the horizon. There were seven of them, flying in a one, three, three formation rather than their normal 'v' formation, adopting the tactic General Perak had insisted on to make them harder to spot. The bell tower was at the top of the next hill and their instructions were to silence it and destroy the tower. Ivan had spent his whole military career reporting to Perak and wouldn't fail him; the others might fear Perak's retribution, but for Ivan it was a matter of pride.
He spotted the tower and ordered the others to stay as close to him as possible and prepare to attack. He swept silently across the tips of the treetops before gliding up the hill and landing directly onto the wall of the bell tower, listening for sounds of life inside, but hearing nothing. Quickly, he reached inside the tower with a foreleg and took hold of the bell with his claws before pulling the bell towards him and holding it tight against the side of the tower to prevent anyone from being able to ring it. Now that it was secured, he sent two fireballs down through the tower, futilely hoping to kill the tower's occupants. The towers had been designed too well for that and the flames hit nothing more than rock. Someone below yelled out in surprise and pulled hard on the chain attached to the bell to sound the alarm, but Ivan had it held firmly in his claws and the muffled sound was too quiet to be heard from any distance.
One of his other dragons had landed opposite him, ready to grab the bell if he lost his grip and four of the others clung on to each side of the tower. The structure was too strong to be damaged by their claws, but each dragon was carrying a heavy metal hammer which they now started to employ against the tower walls. Using a tool was hard as a dragon, but upon Perak's orders the hammers were tied to a foreleg so it couldn't be dropped and they were able to swing them with considerable force. Broken stones started to shower down onto the bell tower inhabitants below as they began reducing the tower to rubble. The last dragon had landed on the ground and set about igniting everything it could, ready to face any Red Dragons should they appear from the building. Within a minute of landing, the bell crashed to the ground, the top of the tower destroyed. Ivan gave the order to take off and they moved on, yet another successful mission completed.
***
"Take no unnecessary risks," Mark told the young Golden Dragons standing in front of him. "Remember, this is just one battle and there may be many more ahead of us. Survive; and you can fight again tomorrow."
"Surely this is the one which counts?" Levi asked. "If we lose their capital, it'll be all over for them, won't it?"
Mark shook his head. "They could win today and still lose tomorrow, or the next day. If you're still alive at the end of the day, they'll have a better chance of winning this war. Don't sacrifice yourself unnecessarily."
Mark felt the gaze of someone standing behind him and turned to see who it was.
"Fine sentiments, Captain," Noah said loudly. "I couldn't agree more, but will add just one thing. We will win today. The Blues will fly away downcast and despondent. They expect to crush the Red Dragons today, but instead will find themselves beaten by an opponent they never expected to meet: us. We can't win this war for the Reds, but today we will help them save their own capital. And every day counts. The Browns will soon be snapping at their heels, destroying their towns and villages in their south, until they have to withdraw to fight them off. When that happens and it will, we shall not only have peace here again, but peace with new friendships, establishing the foundation for much longer-lasting peace, one we have strived for so long, but so ineffectively until now."
The Golden Dragons cheered his words and Noah clapped Mark on the back, before shaking his hand.
"A change of plan and a change you'll approve of: Prince Henry has requested that I stay on the ground with him and the commanders, coordinating the battle."
"At last he's done something sensible," Mark remarked. "Who will take your place on the mountain?"
"My second-in-charge was to be Micah, so now he will lead."
Mark knew Micah from his days in the Defence Force. He was also a veteran from the wars with the Banshee Dragons. He nodded approvingly. "An excellent choice. He will do a fine job."
"I'm sure he will; he's the most experienced captain here." Noah sighed. "I wonder how much I'll be able to do down here. Forgive me my cynicism, but I suspect I'll be far removed from any danger, standing next to that Prince. I wonder if I'm not there as his protector more than anything else."
Mark nodded. "He's hardly an inspiring leader. Still, I guess that's what you get when your leaders are selected based on birth rather than ability. The West are lucky to have Gerald; they could have easily have had someone like Henry."
"They could indeed. Good luck, young man, and I'll see you soon."
Mark shook his hand before rejoining his men, leaving Noah to go and join the Prince and the Red commanders.
***
Commander, did your men destroy all of the warning towers? Perak was flying above the advancing army and Wing Commander Eric had flown up to join him.
They did, sir. Not a single bell was sounded. Unfavourable reports regarding the number of kills, sir—
That is unimportant, Perak interrupted dismissively. Our job was to ensure the attack was a surprise, well, as much of a surprise an attack of this size can be. There will be kills, don't worry about that.
Below them the air was full of Blue Dragons, orderly arranged into squads of seven, flying in 'v' formations repeated thousands of times. The army was on the move and had the numbers to end the battle for Furnace in one day. The troops below them were those reserved for ground fighting, those that would engage in the most brutal and barbaric of the warfare, th
e painstaking task of going from building to building finishing off the enemy one by one, ensuring that none had survived. They were flying slowly, saving their energy for the fight on the ground.
Some way ahead of them and only just in sight were a hundred or so huge metal lumps hung suspended from groups of dragons. They were currently engaged in the tricky task of transferring the weight from one group to another, as the objects were too heavy to for one group to carry all the way. Their task was the most skilled, but the least risky, carried out when the battle for the skies was over and the enemy had retreated to the safety of their heavily fortified buildings. These huge lumps of metal would rain on the city, smashing the buildings and reducing the fortified towers to rubble. These dragons flew even more slowly, weighed down by their heavy cargo, and had set off a long time ahead of the ground combatants.
Even further ahead were the advance party, those led by Kessick. There were tens of thousands of troops, most not expected to last the first hour in the bloody battle for the skies over Furnace. Once that was over the battle would be as good as won and Colonel Sadik would take over, leading the bombardment, before Colonel Tiam led her troops to slaughter the few survivors.
Perak would be involved in none of this, watching from the rear. He was a skilled and brave warrior, but knew he offered more through his strategies and planning than through leading a charge, much as he would have liked to have done so. He was pleased to have overtaken his two main rivals, Tarek and Kessick, but it pained him to know that Kessick would lead the main attack on Furnace, a battle that would probably be the most celebrated one of the campaign, should it prove successful.
Eric would also have liked to have been playing a more important role and Perak could have used his influence to have him command troops under Kessick. However, Eric was proving too useful to risk wasting in such a manner and he knew better than to ask Perak again.
Sir, our advance scouts approach, Eric told him.
Perak looked ahead and saw three Blue Dragons flying against the direction of the army.
What news do you have? Perak asked. Why have you returned so soon? The battle can hardly have begun.
The three dragons turned as they approached and flew just below him, keeping pace with Perak and Eric. It had not begun, but the Red Dragons are already in the air! They had been warned!
Perak fumed quietly. His plan had failed and there would be no surprise attack. His one contribution to today's battle would amount to nothing. Sensing his anger, Eric immediately began to protest. Sir, my men assured me that not a single bell sounded—
That's alright, Wing Commander, Perak interrupted, catching a glimpse of gold high above them. The Reds were not alerted to our presence by their feeble warning towers, he said irritably. They have allies….
***
They are almost here, Jude announced as he landed on the balcony at the front of the Palace. The battle will commence any moment now.
Noah nodded his scaly head. Jude's scouts had been providing him on updates on the Blues' progress over the last hour and their arrival was expected. The commanders were all with him, along with Lord Oscar Redwood, Lord Lucius Greytower, Lord Jamie Blackash and the twins, who Gerald had asked to be kept with the commanders, presumably to keep them safe. Despite the fact that none of them in the room were likely to join the battle, all had transformed into dragons and were watching from a large hall on the second floor of the palace.
Any change to their formations? Noah asked.
No, Jude replied. They are still in three groups, with the first a long way ahead of the other two. The first are clearly tasked with clearing the way for the second, who are carrying huge metal objects, for destroying the buildings. The third are presumably there to attack on the ground. They're going to try the same approach they used so successfully in Obud and Black Rock.
Well, they'll have to contend with our army first, Lord Oscar replied smugly. They won't find it so easy to clear the air over this city.
No, sir, Jude replied. They have sufficient numbers to defeat your army. They can clear the air.
I told you we shouldn't divide our forces, Prince Henry complained. We should have made one big stand here and now.
No, your Majesty, Jude replied. They have the numbers to eliminate your entire city defence, just in that first wave.
There are really that many of them? Lord Oscar asked incredulously. If so then we are lost. Lord Oscar, along with Lord Greytower, Lord Blackash and the twins, had not been told anything about the plan, which had been kept as secret as possible to avoid the possibility that the spy would steal them and leak them to the enemy.
Far from it, Noah replied, and none of this is a surprise that we are not prepared for. Thank you, Captain. You are dismissed.
Jude flew away quickly, heading south.
Where does he think he's going? Prince Henry asked. The Blues are coming from the south-east.
We've been over the plan, Noah replied patiently. Jude has an important task to perform. He will lead the other attack.
I thought he was just your head scout, Lord Jeremy said. Is he up to this task?
He is very able, Noah replied. Concentrate on the battle in front of us, commanders, it is here that your attention is required.
Precious little we can do from here, Lord Daniel grumbled, we should be leading up there.
Noah said nothing, although agreed with him entirely. Up above, they could just see the advancing Blue Dragons flying in battle formation.
How many are there? Gasped Daisy. There must be hundreds of thousands! Did we really fly over this many dragons?
Kessick's forces were a sight to behold; the three hundred plus units of twelve hundred flying in nine columns, the 'v' shaped squads of seven repeated countless times. The city defences in the air were considerable, but were dwarfed by this juggernaut rolling towards them.
Our troops will be utterly destroyed, Lord Blackash said despondently. They don't have a chance.
Not without taking many of those Blues with them, Lord Greytower responded grimly.
Your troops will do fine, Noah replied confidently. They just need to follow the plan.
The Blue Dragon Army were just moments from reaching the city and having been silent so far, suddenly filled the air with their piercing screams. If the terrifying sounds unnerved the Red Dragons flying over the city, they showed no signs of it and took this as a cue to fly out to meet the enemy.
At least fifty thousand Red Dragons had been circling the skies above Furnace. A formidable force, but they looked small compared to the approaching army. Yet they charged towards the Blues bravely and without hesitation and the clash of the two forces was sickeningly loud. Almost immediately dragons began to fall from the sky, a rain of blue and red.
Where are your damn Golden Dragons? Lord Jeremy asked angrily. We're going to get massacred.
Noah paused wearily. You know where they are, Lord Jeremy. They have no part to play here.
High in the air, the fighting was continuing with neither side holding back. The Blues forces fought without reserve, attacking relentlessly but without caution and dying by the hundred at the claws of the larger more powerful Red Dragons. But eventually their superior numbers were beginning to show as the Blue Dragon Army surrounded the Reds to attack from all sides and the battle began to turn.
Suddenly a loud cry was let out and the Red Dragons, moving as one, dropped into a dive and headed back to the city. The Blue Dragons were caught by surprise and didn't react immediately, letting forth loud angry screams when they realised that their quarry was escaping them. They dived after the Red Dragons, but they had given them too much of a head start. The Red Dragons plummeted towards the city, their foes in pursuit some hundred or so metres behind.
Come on, Arthur muttered. They can make it.
The room was silent, watching the dramatic events unfold. The Red Dragons would reach the city first, but the Blue Dragons would be right behind them and few would
be able to get into buildings fast enough to avoid being attacked from behind and above. All throughout the city, large doors opened, targets for the landing dragons to aim for, through which they would be safe. The Red Dragons fell into lines, heading towards pre-arranged destinations. Fast-approaching behind them and growing louder as they approached the city, the Blue Dragons' harsh screams reverberated through every building in the city, with thousands of inhabitants watching anxiously as to whether their brave defenders would escape the onslaught.
Will they get away? Daisy asked anxiously.
Be quiet, child, Prince Henry replied. We can't see the future.
Noah knew what question she was really asking. Your brother is not amongst those dragons, Daisy. He is quite safe, for the moment.
The Red Dragons flew over the city walls and the foremost began flooding into the large buildings. But they were too many coming in too quickly and many had to turn at the last moment to avoid crashing and landed in the open streets, away from the protection of the fortified buildings. All the Dragons landed within a minute, but over half were out in the open.
They'll be killed! Daisy cried, forgetting herself.
Seconds behind them came the Blue Dragons, their cruel screams sounding almost gleeful, their intended victims immobile and at their mercy. Suddenly, a bell sounded and several thousand bolts were released from the powerful crossbows fixed in the defensive towers. Barely a second later a second volley was launched and then a third. Thousands of Blue Dragons dropped from the sky, too slow to react to the new threat.
The fools! Prince Henry said gleefully. How did they not see that coming?
They did, Lord Robert replied grimly. Look up at the skies; not many followed them to the ground.
Sure enough, high above the city, the vast majority of the Blue Army were circling, shrieking triumphantly.
But I don't understand, Prince Henry replied. We just saw thousands killed.
A tiny part of their force, Noah replied. They know about our city defences.
Still, overall, a successful first part of the day, wouldn't you agree? Prince Henry boasted. And without requiring anything from your lot, Noah.