by Jeff Sabean
“Are you a dragon rider as well?”
“No, human, I am not. I merely convinced Dracorex here to join my war with promises of death and destruction, which is all he lives for,” the shadow elf replied with a chuckle.
“Do not forget treasure,” the dragon interjected testily. “You promised me treasure as well, Master.”
Sighing, Fion nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, and treasure. And I thought we were past this ‘Master’ business.”
Dracorex snickered to himself as he disappeared in the shadows.
Mialin flapped her great wings one time, lifting her several feet from the ground and turning toward the ocean.
“We shall contact you when the council makes its decision,” Ja’ade called back to her companions as the golden dragon slid smoothly toward the water and began to flap her wings to disappear into the evening sky.
“Outstanding,” Tiane whispered from Heishi’s side. “Even shifting into my heat sensitive vision, I cannot see the dragon at all, just a slight heat signature from the elf on her back.”
“Dragons possess many tricks,” Fion answered the young sniper. “Do not underestimate them unless you desire to become a snack for one.”
◆◆◆
The night wind whipped around Ja’ade, her curly red hair streaming behind her as she flew home with Mialin. It was exhilarating being in the air with her sister again after so many days of walking and riding on that smelly boat. She leaned back and closed her eyes, feeling the air currents swirl around her and letting all the worries of the world below slip away.
It was exhausting at times living in two worlds, but someone had to keep an eye on the outside world for her people. So far, the high elves were simply xenophobic, only oppressing those foolish enough to disrupt the harmony of their cities. But now the rumors of attacks on the shadow elves had been confirmed, which showed they were increasing their hatred of other races.
Who would be next? The dwarves? It would be a logical progression once the “evil” shadow elves were eradicated to turn their sights on other races who lived underground. Gnomes? It is easy to fear that which one does not understand, and the gnomes fit that description as they tinkered with machines, creating unnatural devices. Humans would surely be on the list to wipe out, as they were a short-living race and thus always making big moves to be remembered. The long-living high elves could not let that continue.
Then what? Would they eventually bring their wars to their woodland cousins? Or was this Fion simply stirring the fears inside her to raise support for his war? Should she be involved?
That question rolled around in her head as she rode peacefully with her sister, the miles beneath them rolling by. Before she knew it, Mialin turned her head about and nudged her to break her musings.
“We will be home momentarily, my sister,” Mialin stated quietly as Ja’ade opened her eyes. “You should prepare to speak to the council.”
Smiling, she nodded in agreement. “That is what I have been doing this whole time. I have been deciding if this Fion is manipulating our fears we already held or if there is truth to what he told us.”
“And?” her sister asked, already knowing the response.
“We need to stop this poison before it spreads outward from Harmonui.”
“My assessment as well,” Mialin replied, smiling as she turned her head back to look for the clearing by the village where she typically landed. “I just hope the council agrees.”
As the two smoothly landed, guards appeared at the edges of the clearing, waving a greeting to the sisters as Ja’ade slid to the ground. She waited patiently as Mialin transformed into the form of a woodland elf, then the two walked toward the village.
“Greetings, Sisters Xyrstiina,” a young male archer called as the two came to the outer perimeter of the village. “It has been far too long since we have seen your lovely faces here.”
Nodding graciously, Mialin flashed the young elf a smile, then whispered, “Who is that one?”
“I do not know, sister, just smile and wave.”
They soon reached the base of a large tree where Ja’ade reached into a knot hole in the trunk and pulled the lever that lowered a hidden ladder. Grabbing hold, she deftly climbed to the first level of branches, nearly twenty feet from the ground. She looked down, waiting for her sister to follow, then groaned as Mialin leaped up, landing lightly on the walkway.
“Show off,” Ja’ade muttered, suppressing a smile.
“Jealous?” Mialin replied without missing a beat, then winked at her sister as she jogged silently down the suspended walkway toward the first set of houses in the trees.
“Maybe a little,” she whispered as she turned to follow the dragon, who simply giggled as she ran.
As they reached the first set of homes, the walkway split to the left and right, both paths wrapping around the tree and angling further up into the branches. The sisters split up and burst into a run, spinning around children who poked their heads out of their homes as the ladies sprinted past to see what the commotion was.
Ja’ade burst around a corner and almost ran into a pair of young elves, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes in the moonlight, so she planted her staff and vaulted over their heads, unwilling to allow her sister to win the impromptu race. The gem on her staff glowed fiercely, casting crimson shadows across the walkway as she ran on. Several times she ran up the side of the tree on her left, her body horizontal as she dodged obstacles in her path, always angling up toward the center of the village.
Mialin needed no such theatrics, simply hurdling anything in her path while laughing and watching her sister run. The crystal on her staff grew brighter as she ran as well, the golden glow announcing her arrival to all.
Coming around the final turn, Ja’ade hurled a small fireball into her sister’s face as they came side-by-side, running toward the door to the council chambers. The surprised dragon stumbled a bit as the fireball burst harmlessly in her face, but it was enough for Ja’ade to pull ahead and tag the door first.
Growling, Mialin arrived a split second later, eyeing her sister dangerously.
“Do not think I would hesitate to kill you for such tricks, little sister,” the dragon warned.
“You can kill me, but you can’t eat me,” came the reply with a slight twinkle in the tone.
“That’s what you think.”
Before the playful argument could escalate, the door to the council chamber opened, and the tribe’s chief stood in the doorway, smiling at the two.
“Grandfather,” both ladies said in unison, respectfully bowing to the ancient elf.
“Welcome home, ladies,” the chief said warmly, unable to hide his joy at seeing them. “Causing trouble already, I see?”
“Only a small race to loosen up after our trip,” Ja’ade replied with an impish grin. “Someone is just angry because she lost.”
“Cheater,” came the reply as the two embraced the old man.
“Come in, we must catch up,” the chief exclaimed, turning to pull them inside.
“We must gather the council, Grandfather,” Ja’ade said soberly as they walked inside. “We have important news that must be given immediately.”
“You realize it is the middle of the night?”
“Trust me, Grandfather, it cannot wait.”
Chapter 12 – To Attack, or Not to Attack
A hush fell over the council chamber as the chief stood to speak. In this tribe of woodland elves, each member had the right to attend meetings of the council, so when the word went out that the Xyrstiina had arrived and requested an emergency meeting, almost every member of the tribe rushed to listen. The council chamber could not hold the entire village, so the windows and doors were opened, and the crowd pressed in from every angle to hear what was being said.
“My granddaughters have important news,” the chief began quietly, every elf in attendance collectively holding their breath for the news. He left the introduction brief, then steppe
d back and waved Ja’ade forward.
“We have just come from the city of Terminus, far to the South on the coast. The tyrant who ruled that city has been removed through a hostile takeover, leaving a vacuum in leadership. A half-orc that goes by the name of Shenroc has stepped into a leadership position in that city and is attempting to make it a safe place for all who wish to call his city home. My sister and I assisted to a small degree in securing his position in the city and are proud to have done so. In the process, we made the acquaintance of some humans who originate from another plane of existence. They are powerful warriors and fight to protect the innocent and those who cannot defend themselves.
“We then traveled to the city of Eskanda, which has become overrun with the undead. We assisted our companions in escaping that city unscathed and continued our journey North along the coast to the high elf city of Harmonui. En route to Harmonui, we received a communication from Shenroc explaining that a shadow elf by the name of Fion visited him in his city. This Fion explained to him that the high elves of Harmonui have been systematically working to eradicate his people, who have done nothing to provoke their wrath.
“I know we have the same opinion of shadow elves as those of Harmonui do, but in the past few days I have made the acquaintance of two: this Fion and his brother Di’eslo, who was imprisoned in Harmonui after entering the city in good faith that he would be accepted for rescuing Queen Linnie’s sister from an orc king. Our experience with these two leads us to believe they are being truthful when they say they have never attacked any innocents and are simply reacting to the unprovoked attacks against their people. As I continue, I simply ask you to ponder whether you have any firsthand knowledge of shadow elves killing innocents, or if they are all legends passed on by our ancestors that may have been embellished over time.
“These two shadow elf brothers are planning to destroy Harmonui...”
A collective gasp spread across all listening, and Ja’ade paused for silence.
“Queen Linnie’s sister is with the shadow elves and the other-worlders and plans to fight on their side against her city. She has stated that if Linnie is removed, she is next in line for the throne and will stop the violence. In the process of breaking some of their group out of the dungeon of Harmonui, we also assisted in releasing a score or more prisoners of the city whose only crime was attempting to live in the city of high elves.
“As Mialin flew us home, I spent the time deciding if we should involve ourselves in this war. Is it a just war? I believe it is. But does it involve our people? The answer is no, not yet. But I emphasize yet, because I have seen the arrogance of these elves, and truly believe they will not stop with destroying the shadow elves. They will then move on to the dwarves, the gnomes, the humans...anyone who is not of their race will eventually be targeted. We must side with this alliance and stop their evil from spreading now before it is too late.”
As she finished speaking, no one moved, spoke, or even breathed loudly for many minutes. Each member of the tribe was lost in his or her own thoughts, wondering whether it would be advisable to go to war with their high elf cousins by siding with the notorious shadow elves.
“You truly believe this is the proper course of action, my granddaughters?” the chief asked, looking at both ladies one at a time.
“I have lived a very long life,” Mialin replied, bringing knowing smiles from the crowd. No one knew exactly how long a dragon’s lifespan was, but it was much longer than any elves alive.
“I have seen your ancestors come and go. I have lived among your people peacefully and have lived through wars. I will say this: I have never once seen a shadow elf attack your people. Ever.”
This brought a collective gasp from the crowd, and many heads began to bob in agreement.
“I will also add,” she continued, “that this Fion has a powerful ally with him. He has made an alliance with Dracorex, an ancient shadow dragon who boastfully refers to himself as the Dragon King. Dracorex lives solely to destroy and amass treasure, and he appears to be in an uneasy alliance with the shadow elves. This leads me to believe that the stories of the elves being bloodthirsty and utterly evil have been exaggerated, or Dracorex would be more comfortable with this Fion.”
“How long do we have to decide?” the chief asked after a few moments of silence.
“The war has been set in motion already,” Ja’ade replied. “When we broke into the dungeon and released prisoners, the rulers of the city have no other course of action than to retaliate. Fion has stated that he has an army en route from his city several miles below the surface, and that they should be arriving within the week. He also has an army of orcs marching toward Harmonui who should be there soon as well. The attack is imminent, and they need our assistance.”
“Then let us vote,” Grandfather replied, looking around the council table at the other members.
◆◆◆
The vote was unanimous in favor of supporting the attack of Harmonui on the condition that Gabrielle would be instated as the queen and would cease hostilities immediately.
The following day, Ja’ade and Mialin were gathering the tribal warriors in preparation for their run back to Harmonui. There were around 130 elves gathered, which was all they could spare while maintaining a guard of their village, although more wanted to join.
A young female stomped up behind Ja’ade, her scraggly red hair bouncing as she approached and cleared her throat loudly several times until she turned to acknowledge the newcomer.
“May I help you?” Ja’ade asked, trying to figure out who this was and why she looked so perturbed.
“You can let me join the war party,” the young elf answered, her blue eyes blazing with anger.
“I apologize, but I do not know you. Why would I bring you with me?”
“I am a trained warrior too! I take the time from my cooking position with the tribe to train with your archers for two days every month and am just as proficient as they are with a bow!” the angry elf replied, stamping her foot. “They never give me the respect I deserve, but they will if you take me with you to fight!”
One of the commanders of the tribe’s warriors approached, attempting to hide the smirk on his face.
“Lady Ja’ade, it is true. We have been training her for a few seasons now, and she went along one time on a mission to Eskanda with my security detail for the ambassador. But she has never been in a battle, and I am not sure this is going to be the right time to test her training,” the commander stated, then paused to let Ja’ade decide what to do.
“What is your name?” she asked the young elf.
“Am’eria Waesren,” she replied defiantly, “and I can fight just as well as anyone here.”
“Well, Am’eria, far be it from me to keep you from earning your place in the tribe. If you prefer to be a warrior instead of a cook, we will find a place for you to fit into the war party. But know this,” Ja’ade paused, looking directly into the young elf’s eyes, “if you die, and there is a strong chance you will, your blood is not on my hands.”
“I’ll show you all that I can engage and destroy the enemy as well as any of you!” Am’eria replied, then turned and stomped off.
“She is going to die,” Mialin commented as Ja’ade watched the fiery young elf stomp away.
“It’s her decision. I would not normally bring her, but she is going to make life in the village miserable for everyone else if we leave her here. Let her come and prove to us how tough she is,” Ja’ade said with a smirk.
With that, the order was passed down the ranks to finish preparations: the elves would leave within the hour to join the war.
Chapter 13 – Reinforcements Arrive
Fion received the call from Ja’ade early that morning informing him that there were archers en route to support his attack. Her facial expressions in the holographic image of the dragon rider showed she still did not trust him, but he did not need her trust: he needed her archers.
Disconnecting the ca
ll, he turned to his brother.
“What is your opinion? You have lived on the surface for several years now: is she trustworthy?”
“Yes,” Di’eslo replied without hesitation. “If I have learned one thing of her people in my time here, it is that they will not break their word. The woodland elves tend to stay away from the rest of the races, but they are loyal and honest. She will arrive when she says she will, and her warriors will fight fiercely for our cause.”
Nodding in appreciation, Fion rolled out his map of the area, mentally adding the elven archers to his attack plan. He could visualize the shadow elf army converging from the East, the orcish army blocking the road to the North, and the small contingent of soldiers from Terminus with the woodland elves on the West, leaving only the ocean side of the city open.
“It will not be enough,” he whispered, staring at the large amount of ground on the western side of the city to be covered. “We really needed those Chondri to fill in the holes,” he said louder, looking to his brother for support.
“We will make it work,” Di’eslo responded, looking to Dracorex lounging at the edge of their camp. “We can put the two dragons on that side to bolster their line, and I am sure the other-worlders have some tricks they can play. Did you hear the story Aki told of how they accidentally opened the sinkhole? They possess devices capable of decimating the enemy that only require a few of our people to employ.”
“Yes, that is true. When this Shenroc arrives with his people we will start to build our plan of attack with the other-worlders. Our people should be here any day now, so we will need to keep watch and keep them hidden until we are ready to reveal our forces.”
“I wonder what happened to Tylo the Blue,” Di’eslo mused.
“Why do you wonder this?”
“The ocean side of the city is still open. We have no navy to provide, but if there happened to be other ‘gentleman adventurers’ in the area, maybe we could provide an assault from the South as well?”