Sanitation was handled in a similar way, with all waste transported through copper pipes or stone channels that led to a series of chambers located on the eastern lower end of the Weir. A group of dwarf-bred otyughs resided in these chambers. These nasty, grotesque creatures were disgusting, insect-like beings that fed on refuse, excrement, and offal. They basically ate anything they could get ahold of but prefer organic wastes. Their ovoid bodies had four thick stubby legs; a gaping, sclerotized sharp-toothed mouth part; six long, barbed tentacles; and two small eye stalks. Their bodies averaged six feet in diameter, and they weighed over five hundred pounds. They will only grow to the size of their environment however. These creatures could also draw water up through their legs and body and filter it of all organic and inorganic materials for both food and for their exoskeleton. Their bite inflicted a severe infection, but if they were fed with a steady stream of wastes, they were not overly aggressive.
Overall, the otyughs made very effective garbage disposals. They also treated sewage, excreted oxygen through their integument, and produced small waste briquettes that could be used as a clean-burning fuel or for fertilizer. Great care must be taken when retrieving the briquettes, however. Usually Jodem or a wizard cast a sleep spell over the creatures before any of the Weir’s work crews went into their chamber, or several cooling crystals were thrown into their pits, which caused them to go dormant. All of the Weirs and most of the major cities and towns use these creatures to treat sewer flows and to recycle garbage.
The wastewater that flowed into these pits was emptied out of the chambers after it was filtered by the otyughs and then channeled through a series of pipes that collected into a small marshy area to the north of Draden Forest at the base of the mountain. The drinking water was filtered up through the deep underground fissures in the eastern part of the Weir landing. It was treated by several lighting crystals that purified it of any contaminants with a mild electric charge mixed with the air. A filter feeder type of dramite moved the water from the draw wells to the holding tank. These small creatures were another invention of the dwarves; they were created like the otyughs hundreds of years ago and bred for their natural ability to channel and filter water. The dwarves somehow managed to harness these creatures, which were corralled for waste management needs and the creation of breathable air to supplement the natural oxygen-producing molds they cultivated. These subterranean mold growths also produced usable oxygen and emitted small amounts of light. Dwarves even managed to brew a type of ale out of certain kinds of underground molds and fungus (only they could usually stomach this ale, however).
Gallanth landed by the part of the lake that was nearest to the stables. Jern and his work crew were already waiting for him; his team wheeled out two portable ladder platforms. Gallanth knelt down and rested his head on the ground. The stable crew pushed the platforms up to either side of his neck. These ladders were needed, as the girth of the base of the gold dragon’s neck was taller than two grown men. Three rigging experts scrambled up each side of the ladder steps and started to unbuckle the straps that fastened the oversized saddle to the three main support straps.
Gallanth’s saddle could hold three people comfortably (four with slight crowding). Mkel’s front seat held his moveable crossbow firing platform arm, while the back seats just had fastening straps. A small cab could be fastened over the back seats to keep the elements out; it was even equipped with a warming crystal (at Annan’s request) when Gallanth or Mkel wanted to preserve the strength of their magic shields, which can keep the wind off of the rider and passengers. This was not normally needed, as the invisible shield that Mkel’s weapons created could stop wind and rain with little effort.
Once all the buckles were unfastened, the crews connected the crane hooks to the main support rings and gave the signal that they were ready. The crane crew acknowledged and moved two horses forward, straining on the pulley cables and raising the several-hundred-pound flying rig off of Gallanth’s back. The crews then gave the three one-foot-thick leather laminated support straps a quick check and hurriedly moved down the ladder steps, moving the platforms away from the dragon’s neck.
Gallanth carefully rose to his feet and walked into the lake until he was totally submerged. The center of the lake was several hundred feet deep but crystal clear and quite cold (not to a dragon’s thick hide, though). He emerged and walked back to the shallows by the shore, shaking off the excess water and fanning his wings to dry. Dozens of halflings filed into the water and began to scrub Gallanth’s thick hide with a special gritty soap that both cleaned and polished him at the same time. When the workers were done, he dove back into the deep of the lake to rinse off. He then went back to the same position and knelt down, and the saddle was lowered back onto his neck and refastened. Two whole cooked seasoned steer halves were waiting for him upon his return from the lake, which he engulfed quickly. After that, he got back up, thanked Jern and his crew for their efficiency, and flew back to his ledge.
After quickly bathing, Mkel shaved, performed oral hygiene;, and put on a little of the special cream that shielded his face from the wind and sun when flying. He quickly dressed in his Alliance uniform tunic and trousers, gave the still sleeping Annan a kiss, looked in on Michen, and walked onto the ledge where Gallanth awaited.
“You look brilliant, my friend,” he said to his dragon.
“Always feels good to take a swim and a bath in the lake. Jern’s halflings are very good,” he replied. “Is Jodem out yet?” asked Mkel.
“No, but you know he is never late,” replied Gallanth.
“You’re right, my friend, I’ll go and look in his lab,” he said as he walked over to the entrance to the wizard’s laboratory and opened the thick oaken door to Jodem’s work place. The large room was filled with jars, vials, glassware of all sorts containing a multitude of concoctions, and volumes of books, but it was devoid of the Weir’s wizard.
“I believe he is already down at the stables with Vatara, overseeing his rigging for the exercise and his flight today,” Gallanth speculated.
“All right then, we’ll go meet him and the others on the Weir grounds,” Mkel said as he donned his dragon scale mithril-lined armor coat that doubled as his riding jacket.
The dwarven-made riding coat was constructed of dragon hide and scales taken from red, blue, white, black, and green dragons that Gallanth killed in the Great War, as well as chest scales that Gallanth and Silvanth shed on occasion. Dragon scales, which only grow on a dragon’s ventral side, are the hardest known armor on earth. They are almost impossible to penetrate with non-mithril or black iron weapons and possess a distinct magical-resistant property. This, coupled with the fact that those scales and hide were woven together with mithril thread, made Mkel’s jacket very lightweight and flexible, but among the toughest suits of armor known.
Dragon hide itself was basically smooth with small overlapping plates the size of teardrops that when struck immediately spread the impact over a wide area, thus distributing the energy of the blow. The supple quality of dragon skin becomes instantly rigid when some object attempts to pierce it. While flying, it actually helps move air over the dragon’s hide and wings, propelling it through the sky and giving the appearance that it is slicing through the air. This enables the large creatures to soar with great ease and hover with little effort.
Mkel made sure to put his uniform collar out over his riding jacket to show his rank and the symbol of a dragonrider with the crossed sword and arrow of an infantry officer. While he was proud of his rank as a captain and his gold dragon insignia, he did not like to show it off. He was ordered by General Becknor to always display them, even over his armor. Very pretentious but necessary, I guess, he thought to himself as he straightened his uniform. He put on his soft leather elf-made belt that held Kershan, his powerful mithril sword, as well as several other items such as a canteen, a bandage pouch, several bandoliers of his small but
deadly crossbow bolts, and his seeing crystal.
Kershan, his father’s pure mithril single-edged sword, was a weapon of extreme power. The dragonstone that was imbedded in the pommel was originally given to Mkel’s great-grandfather over two hundred years ago; it was the first dragonstone that Gallanth ever made. The sword has been handed down from father to son since then, which was extraordinary, for most dragonstones died with their blood bonded partner. The dragonstone gave the sword extraordinary powers; through its limited intelligence, it was telepathically linked to Mkel. It could react on its own to defend Mkel, deflecting blows or snapping incoming arrows. It also emanated a defensive spell shield with one fifth of the power of Gallanth’s shield. It gives Mkel, an excellent swordsman already, an even greater skill due to its defending ability.
The slightly curved mithril blade could cut through almost any known substance, including rock and steel. Pure mithril had an almost iridescent silvery hue, as if the rare metal had liquid or glass-like properties. All magically empowered weapons were made of some part mithril. Only a precious few, however, were pure mithril, with even Toderan’s holy sword just under nine tenths of the rare metal. Draden Weir, with Ordin’s clan, mined the richest mithril deposits in all the Alliance and therefore produced the most dragonstone and magical weapons.
After Jmes died and the sword was retrieved from the slain death knight, Gallanth took it and drove it into the rock face side of his landing, only to be drawn again by the next rider he blood bonded with. Mkel looked at the far side of Gallanth’s ledge and saw the hole where his sword had been imbedded. This made him remember the blood bonding ritual when he joined with Gallanth.
Thirteen years ago, Jodem led Mkel out of the Weir’s Council room with a rope tied to his left arm. He was blindfolded and dressed in the traditional ceremonial blue outfit of a dragonrider candidate. The blue silk half shirt he wore exposed the left side of his chest, with the right pants leg torn off above the knee. Only his left foot had a cloth sandal, which symbolized one’s humble beginnings. Candidates touched the ground with their bare foot and then knelt to take the Dragonrider Oath on a bare knee. The portly wizard led Mkel up to Gallanth with Watterseth, Ordin, and Dekeen standing next to the dragon.
All in the Weir were in attendance, gathered beside the Weir lake on the main grounds, with Jodem officiating over the ceremony after he took the blindfold off Mkel. Mkel stood in front of the gold dragon as Gallanth lifted his huge front claw and pierced one of his three front talons with his back claw, forming a small drop of his green-blue blood that glowed with a soft light due to the power it contained. He then reached over to Mkel’s exposed left breast and, with a grace amazing for the size of his talon, made a single fine cut over his heart. It did hurt him, but not overly so, considering the size of the dragon’s four-foot-long claws. He then put his talon pad on Mkel’s chest over his heart, with the large claw almost covering Mkel’s whole body. He felt the dragon’s blood enter the wound and course through his veins. It seemed to have a life of its own in its directness of travel.
“This will hurt for a few seconds, but then I will be with you forever,” Gallanth spoke to him out loud in common tongue. Immediately following the dragon’s words and a short directed speech, an intense pain emanating from the center of his mind and chest began to expand like a seed undergoing a rapid germination. It was like something was pushing into his mind and his head was going to burst. His knees buckled, but Ordin and Dekeen were right there to grab his shoulders while Jodem was behind him, waving his wizard’s staff over his head, the sapphire dragonstone scintillating in sparking blue light. Jodem uttered an incantation in Draconic to help speed the transition.
This occasionally fatal process was more dangerous with a gold dragon because of their intense power. Right at the point where Mkel thought he was going to pass out, he felt a voice call out to him from inside his head. Don’t worry, my young friend, I am with you now and will be always, Gallanth gently told his new rider telepathically. “I feel you now,” Mkel said out loud in Draconic, the ancient language of dragons and wizards.
Jodem smiled, for only he, Gallanth, the dragons and dragonriders, the elves, and the wizards attending the ceremony could understand what Mkel said, but it signified that the process was successful. Everyone began to cheer and applaud, knowing the bonding was successful and Gallanth now had a rider after ten years of being alone. As wise and powerful as dragons are, they are much stronger when bonded with a human rider, for they are creatures of extremely strong emotions, which can even affect those around them.
“My rider, please kneel.” Mkel then repeated the dragonrider oath as Gallanth spoke the words. Gallanth lowered his head and began to speak. “Cemented with blood, well sprung from the heart and soul, you, here in front of all present, your dragon, and the Creator, do you willingly take the oath of a dragonrider, Mkel son of Jmes?”
“I do,” answered Mkel.
“Repeat after me, my rider,” Gallanth said with an unusual softness in his normally deep and commanding voice. Mkel felt tears roll down his cheeks from the emotion he felt and that which was pulsating from Gallanth. The gold dragon’s voice echoed inside his head as well as in his ears, as a strange new feeling and a voice only he could hear.
“I, Mkel,” Gallanth started the oath.
“I, Mkel,” he repeated.
“Rider of the gold dragon Gallanth and master of Draden Weir,” Gallanth continued.
“Rider of the gold dragon Gallanth and master of Draden Weir,” he said with a smile past the tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Swear to uphold truth, live with honor, fight with valor; whose heart knows only compassion, whose power you and your dragon are blessed to wield protects the weak, whose wrath brings justice to the wicked, and whose might upholds the Articles of the Alliance with the light of the Creator to guide our way.” Mkel repeated the words, with each one burning deeper into his conscious. The power of those words still resonated with him.
After a round of applause, Jodem called Watterseth for a prayer. The cleric raised his glowing dragonstone mace, stepped up to Mkel and Gallanth, and began to speak. “May we all pray,” his deep voice boomed over the gathered crowd. All present bowed. “Mkel, please kneel,” he stated.
Place your hand on my talon, my rider, Gallanth told him telepathically. Mkel knelt down on his bare knee, as Gallanth lowered his massive head almost touching his nose on the ground. This was repeated by all the other dragons present for the ceremony that were standing behind the crowd. Mkel placed one hand on Gallanth’s talon and the other on his snout.
“Creator, we give thanks for the events of today, the bonding of a young rider to our friend and protector Gallanth, and in now knowing that his loneliness is gone and his power to spread good, to vanquish evil is increased tenfold. We all rejoice in the bonding of rider and dragon, remembering the sacrifice of all our comrades that fell defending the Alliance and the Creator’s principles of benevolence, love, and freedom. We thank that all assembled here—men, women, elves, dwarves, halflings, and dragons—live in peace and brotherhood for the benefit of all. We wish Mkel and Gallanth a bonding and strength that will last for centuries and pray that the Creator watches over them and guides them, giving them the wisdom and the strength to fulfill their duties. May they always keep the love that they now have for each other and the power which they will derive to dispense justice, as the Creator’s love to all of his creatures gives us strength. Amen,” Watterseth finished.
Then something that could only be described as mythical happened. As Gallanth raised his head, two iridescent tears rolled down from his huge glowing golden eyes and fell to the ground. The hot liquid crystallized immediately, and the grapefruit-sized teardrops shattered when they hit the ground, splintering into hundreds of small diamonds. It was said by the Alliance historical scholars that when the Creator’s earthly spirit was killed by Tiamat’
s minions, all the metallic dragons shed crystal tears. That was two thousand years ago and has since been known only as an accepted myth. All present, even the normally nonemotional elves, stalwart dwarves, and hundreds of battle-hardened veterans of the Great Dragon War, were wiping tears from their eyes. Dragons’ emotions, and especially Gallanth’s, could wash over anyone close to him like a tidal wave.
“It is now time to rejoice!” Gallanth’s booming voice broke through the silence of the incident. Everyone cheered and moved toward the Weir’s tavern.
Mkel remembered this day as one of the happiest of his life. After the ceremony, when he went back to his quarters besides Gallanth’s landing, he felt a much weaker tug at his mind.
“That is your father’s sword, Kershan,” Gallanth said to him. “It is calling to you; reach out your hand.” Mkel remembered reaching his left hand toward the sword imbedded in the stone wall. The ruby dragonstone began to shake and glow intensely in a sparkling red light. The powerful sword broke free of the rock and flew to Mkel’s outstretched hand. The sword’s grip was made of a strong elven dark oak wood rapped with a small piece of white dragon hide and fastened with a smooth twine for better handling. Kershan felt almost vibrant in his hand, and he could feel its presence in his mind. While it couldn’t talk, he could sense its emotion and intent. From that moment on, the sword was never far from him. Later he would feel the same connection with his crossbow and his ring, both of which had Gallanth’s dragonstones imbedded in them.
Mkel shook himself out of his self-induced daydream and put on his backpack, which contained several essential items including ninety bolts to his crossbow, Markthrea, and many other items for day to day activities and survival tools. He then grabbed his powerful range weapon and began to climb up Gallanth’s securing straps. He swung up into his saddle and mounted the crossbow on the firing spindle arm that secured and stabilized it during flight. This setup allowed him to swing it in an almost 360 degree arc and move it up and down to provide Gallanth flank protection fires while still enabling Mkel to attack targets on the ground. “All ready, Gallanth,” he yelled to his dragon mate. Secure your flying straps, my rider, Gallanth replied. “All right,” he answered as he grabbed the remaining two of the four straps and hooked them onto the rings on his belt.
Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow Page 9