Mkel looked at the three who stood before him with utter contempt. The killing of an innocent, of a child, he could barely keep his rage intact. He wanted to slice them apart there and then. The gemstone on Kershan was glowing bright red, almost scintillating, reflecting his anger. Gallanth felt this and spoke up. “Bring the accused closer,” he said with a deep and angry tone. None that stood in judgment by gold dragon could tell a lie, and the three men began to tremble before him.
“Look into my eyes,” he demanded of them; they all turned their heads away, as if trying to avoid staring into the sun. “I said look at me now!” His deep voice grew almost to a roar, with the force of the dragon’s words almost pushing them back, echoing throughout the Weir landing. They tried to resist Gallanth’s order, but their faces wrenched against their own will and turned toward him as he lowered his massive head, putting his chin close to the ground to look at the men at eye level. “You, Bashier, I see evil in your heart, you held the little boy down. Gremker, you also took part in this heinous crime, laughing at the horrific act as it was taking place and aiding Bashier. And you, Salas, what you have done can only be mirrored by the darkest of the chromatic dragons. I find you all guilty by your own thoughts and memories, and you will suffer unimaginably for this crime against the innocent.”
“Wait, I demand a civilian trial for my clients in the magistrate of my choosing,” the defense arbitrator from Draden said before being interrupted by Mkel.
“Dragon justice applies to a crime against an Alliance soldier or their family, which supersedes civilian law, arbitrator. You and your other guilt-ridden Enlightened scheilsach have no jurisdiction here,” Mkel snapped at the arbitrator.
“I will not be insulted by a dragonrider or any other …” the Enlightened arbitrator started to argue.
“Silence!” Gallanth roared. “Your warped sense of justice and misplaced guilt does not hold credence here. No creature can tell a lie in my presence, and these vermin are all guilty. The Articles of the Alliance bear truth to this even if you are foolish enough to doubt my word, arbitrator,” Gallanth scolded him.
“This is Alliance law as stated in the third clause of Article 13, you as an arbitrator should know this,” Fogellem, the Weir’s own arbitrator, spoke up.
“These men are civilians and not subject to Weir jurisdiction, for that child was not a veteran or active veteran’s family member,” the arbitrator argued. “I demand that …”
“You demand nothing! They fell under Weir law when they killed an Alliance soldier’s child, now leave this Weir before I have you in chains for contempt,” Gallanth demanded as he moved his slightly opened jaws toward the arbitrator; a low threatening throat growl emphasized his displeasure, and in an instant, the Enlightened arbitrator became overwhelmed with fear at the close proximity of the dragon. He ran away screaming at his frightful presence.
“Now vermin, you shall know your fate. Bashier, you shall join the raiders as one of their guests. If you survive the trip back to the sea, you will likely fill the bellies of the saragwin as a sacrifice if you are not worked to death at their oars. Gremker, for your role in this crime, I sentence you to death at next dawn by the dwarf axe. Ordin smiled at that statement, knowing his brother enjoyed dispensing justice. When the prisoner heard this, he pushed one of the guards away, knocking him down, but he was stopped cold when Kershan sprang from its sheath in a flash, flew into Mkel’s open hand, and then was thrust into his midsection. The large man stood there stunned at both the speed and pain. Mkel then sliced him down through his groin. The mithril blade cut so neatly and cleanly that the long wound did not bleed for a couple of seconds. As the man grabbed his abdomen and crotch, Mkel lifted his blade over his head.
“When you get to the underworld, tell Tiamat a gold dragonrider sent her another soul to feast on,” upon which he deftly sliced him from the left shoulder through the chest and out the opposite rib cage. Gremker stood emotionless for a second before his body fell into two pieces.
“Salas,” Gallanth continued as if nothing had just happened, “for what you have done you will be cast into the pit of the otyughs, where you will be eaten alive over the course of several days. This will cause you excruciating pain as they rip out chunks of your flesh and then cauterize it with their acid spittle.”
“Guards, take them away, their very presence disgusts me,” Mkel could barely gather the words as he seethed in rage, still gripping Kershan, its dragonstone ruby pulsating with power.
Mkel’s anger must be calmed, Jodem thought to himself. Toderan called for several soldiers and Weir servants to remove the pieces of Gremker’s body and clean up the blood.
“His body is to be cast into the otyughs pit,” Jodem ordered. “Salas will have the pleasure of his company while the foul creatures tear him to shreds.”
“Mkel, it is over now; breathe easy.” Gallanth’s words caused him to refocus and lower his mithril blade.
“Justice has been served; it’s time to move on,” Jodem said as he walked over and put his hand on Mkel’s shoulder.
“I will see to the boy’s funeral and to his relatives, Captain,” Toderan interjected.
“Stellaynan, Jorgest, take our guest to his new home,” Lawrent ordered two of his men, who grabbed the criminal, punching him in the stomach and the head as they dragged him to one of their ships.
“Are you all right, my friend?” Jodem asked Mkel.
“Yes, just not use to killing a man before breakfast,” Mkel answered with a slight quiver in his voice.
“I understand, but just remember that the blood of the guilty and the evil doesn’t stick to mithril,” Jodem said in a comforting tone. Mkel looked at the gleaming blade of Kershan and saw that there was not a drop of blood on it. All had quickly dripped off.
“My rider, ease your mind, justice has been served today. Jodem’s words ring true. Those men can no longer hurt anyone, and their evil dies with them. Go with your friends, get something to eat, and let this unpleasantness pass into history. We have a celebration today in the merging of man and dragonstone, Gallanth said lovingly to Mkel.
“You’re right, my dragon,” Mkel replied as he sheathed his sword.
“Ordin, I will meet you at the central hearth by the noon hour,” Gallanth said.
“Yes Lord Gallanth, I’ll have Dorin and the mithril there. It is almost heated to its peak now and is ready for your fire. Master Mkel, can you call Dekeen to bring Eldir and a good elf wood staff for the other dragonstone?” Ordin asked.
“Consider it done,” Mkel answered with a smile. After he called Dekeen, they all went to breakfast. Several hours later, Ordin and Dorin walked up from the lower levels, with Dorin holding the glowing piece of mithril. Gallanth, Mkel, Jodem, and Toderan were already assembled at the central hearth located by the main entrance to the dwarfs’ lower levels. Dekeen and Eldir had just arrived and were prepared for the arduous task ahead.
Mithril, being the hardest known substance in the world, was also the most difficult to work with to create tools and weapons. In its pure form, it was even harder than most dragon teeth and bone but had almost a living quality, making it tricky to form. Silvanth had not yet returned from Battle Point yet, so only the initial heating and forming of the metal could be done. Dorin placed the rough mithril rod in the center of the hearth on a blackened stone pedestal and backed away immediately. Gallanth moved closer to the hearth and, with a controlled blast, engulfed it in flame. He kept the stream of dragon’s fire billowing for several minutes. When he stopped, the mithril was glowing so bright that dark glass was needed to observe it directly.
Dorin and Eldir picked it up with special mithril-tipped tongs and placed it on a mithril-plated anvil just in front of the hearth. Everyone near the hearth had to activate their cooling stones to take the intense heat emanating from the special metal and the dragon fire.
Ordin walked up to the anvil with Donnac in his hand. He spoke in dwarvish to his brother and Eldir, who moved the metal to a particular angle, which he then struck. The resulting thunderous clap and shower of sparks was like a small but brilliant explosion. He, his brother, and Eldir had performed this ritual many times, for it was they who created Toderan’ s holy avenger sword, Dorin’s axe, Lupek’s javelin, Pekram’s great sword, and Lawrent’s frost sword, just to name a few. It was a very arduous and delicate process, but incredible to observe. This was the ultimate in arms smithy. Ordin’s hammer rung throughout the Weir’s landing with every calculated blow.
Silvanth’s roar announced her arrival. Mkel took out his seeing crystal and spoke directly to the Weir sentinel itself, the dragonstones that were the eyes of the dragon head statue that looked over the archway of the Weir entrance. He asked it who was accompanying Silvanth and to show what it saw over the Weir lake. The image of the brilliant silver dragon appeared over the calm water, with twelve griffons flanking her, all heading for the entrance.
Without interrupting his gaze at the trio working on forming precious metal alloy, Gallanth spoke out, “I see Captain Decray brought friends; General Daddonan is accompanying him, along with several of his rangers.”
“I better let Colonel Wierangan know,” Mkel said. “Maybe they can hash out this whole support pact issue while they are both together.”
Silvanth soared in from the entrance, flew over the lake, and back winged next to the group, just in time as Dorin and Eldir picked up the still glowing piece of mithril and moved it back to the hearth. Annan dismounted, gave Mkel a sideward look and smile, and proceeded to their quarters. Mkel knew she had no interest in the whole weapon making process and ceremony, but she would come back as soon as she changed, if not just to be by her husband. Mkel was surprised she had left with Silvanth for Battle Point without him knowing.
As Dorin and Eldir backed away from the hearth, Silvanth reared back and breathed a narrow icy beam onto the forming sword. The sword quickly cooled, with a billowing cloud of steam rising from the metal. Gallanth then moved in and engulfed the blade in his searing hot dragon’s fire again. A gold dragon’s fire could melt iron and steel in seconds, depending on its quality, but this heat only made mithril malleable. Ordin quickly placed a steel rod into the rough mithril sword blank to increase its mass. With the intense heat, the steel only took seconds to melt into the mithril.
The rapid heating and cooling of the mithril both sped up the forging process and strengthened the metal itself. Once mithril was actually brought up to forging temperatures, it would take hundreds of gallons of water to cool the metal and a fair amount of time. A silver dragon can do this in seconds. Dorin and Eldir moved the glowing mithril back to the anvil, where they and Ordin again proceeded to make coordinated and successive blows with Donnac.
A crowd began to form to watch the delicate and brilliant display of teamwork in the forging of this new weapon of power. Decray and General Daddonan walked through the crowd to Mkel and Toderan. Mkel gave the general a quick salute and motioned them over.
“I hope your trip with Silvanth was a pleasant one,” Mkel whispered.
“Your silver dragon is very precocious,” General Daddonan said with a smile.
“Females are females, sir, regardless of the species,” Mkel smiled back, as everyone around him muffled their laughter. “This is something that should not be missed,” he added, confident that Decray did not know that this weapon was being formed for him. Ordin’s hammer strikes rang again and again as the blade of the sword began to take shape. The process took almost three hours before Ordin’s final blow signaled the sword was ready for finishing. Gallanth and Silvanth had to heat and cool the weapon over a dozen times. Ordin had mixed about 20 percent steel with the mithril in the sword, for 100 percent mithril weapons were reserved for dragonriders only. Plus with mithril being such a rare metal, that the other 20 percent of the left over metal would be mixed with dwarven steel to make stronger weapons for several soldiers or arrow and bolt tips for Mkel and Dekeen.
As Silvanth gave the bare blade one last quick cooling, Eldir then went to work preparing the pommel with a tight and intricate wrap of dragon hide from one of the many chromatics that Gallanth had felled, interwoven with mithril-laced twine. As he was preparing this, all that had gathered moved to refresh their drinks and eat some of the food on the trays that were brought out from the Weir’s tavern as snacks. Jodem had the gems that were to be made into the dragonstones and was preparing the spell he needed to aid Gallanth and Silvanth for the ceremony.
After a short time, Jodem spoke up in a slightly enhanced voice for all to gather and be silent. “Please all gather for the merging ceremony,” the wizard called out. By now, Dekeen and Beckann had arrived. Beckann was always present at the creation of a dragonstone weapon, for she also aided Jodem in the process.
Jodem raised his staff, and the dragonstone at its top glowed brightly, at which all grew quiet. “This merging of a dragonstone and man is a momentous occasion,” he began. “Every time a new instrument of power is created, this not only brings dragon and man closer, but also springs forth new power to fight for justice, freedom, and the Alliance. These brothers in arms that have been chosen to accept this trial and responsibility will be rewarded with the newfound strength to bring light to the world by vanquishing darkness. This bonding will yield a new extension of themselves and create a powerful ally in their ability to protect the weak, bring justice to the wicked, and further the righteous cause of the Creator in his benevolence. Cleric Watterseth, please grace us with a prayer.” Jodem finished as he looked to the Weir cleric.
The tall cleric moved beside Jodem and raised both his hands as he said, “Let us pray; Great Creator, may your grace through your ever living spirit shine upon these candidates and their hearts be pure enough to accept this gift. May they pass your trial to serve you for the greater good and enable them to demonstrate your power and mercy. We pray they will remain your faithful servants and honor all those who have sacrificed in your name for the good of the Alliance and the light that it sheds, as well as our thanks for our dragon protectors and the wisdom and strength they bring to the world. Amen.” As Watterseth finished, everyone raised their bowed heads.
“Lord Gallanth, I yield to you,” Jodem said, stepping back from the dragon pair for the actual performance of the ceremony.
“My mate, please proceed,” Gallanth said, letting Silvanth perform her ceremony first.
“Rainebard, step forth,” she said in her feminine but deeply commanding voice. Lawrent’s young wizard apprentice cautiously walked toward the silver dragon. “Raise your right hand and echo my words. Do you, Freiland raider, ally to the Alliance and friend of this Weir, accept this trial of your own free will, which if successful will bestow upon you a heavy responsibility to pursue justice, confront and vanquish evil, and protect the weak for the rest of your years?”
“I do and enter the trial of my own free will,” Rainebard replied.
“Then prepare yourself, young wizard,” she finished. With her final words, Jodem and Beckann both raised their staffs, dragonstones glowing. The well-cut sapphire gently rose from the dwarf’s hand and levitated in front of the Silvanth. She raised her right front foot and deftly pierced her one toe with her opposite talon. She then placed a sizable drop of greenish blue blood on the gem, which immediately soaked into the sapphire and began to glow. “With my blood does this consecrate. Raise your hand, Rainebard,” she requested.
The young man raised his right hand, upon which she very deftly cut his palm with her huge talon. This was the critical moment in that when he grasped the suspended gem, it could either accept him or kill him. Swallowing hard, he reached forward and grabbed the swollen, glowing sapphire. He immediately felt his whole body start to tremble as if he were about to be struck by lightning; the stone glowed in his hand with an int
ense brightness. Just when he thought he was going to pass out from the pulsating energy emanating from the palm of his hand, the sensation ceased and he felt a distant but noticeable presence in his mind. Dorin and Eldir moved in quickly and began to fasten the new dragonstone to the elven oak staff with tiny mithril-woven bands, aided by magic from Silvanth, Jodem, and Beckann.
They finished very quickly and together handed Rainebard his new wizard’s staff, which he quickly grasped, for dragonstone weapons will defend themselves and their bonded wielder. At this point, the crowd erupted into applause at the successful union of dragonstone and its wielder as well as for another wizard to join their ranks.
“Welcome to the order, brother,” Jodem whispered to the young wizard as he released his grip from the new staff.
“Thank you, Silvanth, and your entire Weir for this,” Rainebard answered with a tear in his eye. All mentioned gave a slight bow in acknowledgment.
“My mate,” Silvanth said, looking to Gallanth and taking a couple steps back as the gold dragon moved forward.
“Captain Decray, ranger leader of Battle Point, step forward and prepare for the trial of blood and stone,” Gallanth said to the ranger, who looked puzzled. “This is long overdue, my friend, and may the Creator be with you,” the smiling Mkel whispered to Decray as he walked over to him and then led him up to face Gallanth. With a quick shake of his right hand, Mkel walked back over beside his dragon.
Jodem and Beckann released the emerald gemstone and levitated it directly between Gallanth and Decay. “Decray, do you, as an officer of the Alliance, enter this trial of your own free will, which if successful will bestow upon you the enhanced power to pursue justice, confront and vanquish evil, liberate the oppressed, and protect the Alliance and all her citizens in accordance to the Creator’s merciful decree?” Gallanth said in a firm yet almost hopeful tone.
Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow Page 52