Refuge: The Arrival: Book 2

by Doug Dandridge

  As nimble as any Ellala of any age the General scampered down the rope ladder released from the dragon’s saddle by the flight chief. Taking a quick look to make sure the ground crew was doing what they were supposed to with his bonded mount, the General then headed for his pavilion, where he was sure there would be food and drink waiting. And then the final planning meeting before the morning’s assault. He smiled as he thought about that assault, and the death and destruction he and his forces would rain from above.

  “General,” said a handsome Ellala in high grade armor, a sir coat with the same Gryphon symbol that flew from the pennant over the other pavilion. “A word, please.”

  “Of course, my Lord,” agreed Jossianli to the man who was his civil, if not military, superior. He noted the tired look in the man’s eyes, as well as the dents and gouges on some of the exposed pieces of plate, and realized that this Archduke had been actively campaigning. The Archduke led the General a short distance from the pavilion, where a half dozen men at arms stood around a light skinned human who was wearing the curious mottled clothing of the invading army.

  “We took this prisoner two days ago,” said the Archduke, gesturing down at the man, who was on his knees, hands tied behind his back. “He is an officer of the Germans.”

  The man’s eyes moved like those of a hunted animal, constantly searching for a threat, or a way out. The General could feel the stink of the human’s fear, but would not be willing to turn his back on this soldier. Not after all he had heard of the military prowess of these people.

  “And what did you learn from him?” asked the General, looking into the darting eyes of the soldier. And how did you go about getting that information? thought the Dragon Lord.

  “The enemy continues to fall back into the forbidden valley,” said the Archduke, looking at the General with a smile on his lips. “They think of it as a sanctuary. Not as the death trap that we know it to be.”

  “Based on what happened two thousand years ago,” said the General, shaking his head, “to those who lived there at the time. These are different opponents. And perhaps they have a better understanding with the Gods than those people did.”

  “Whatever their understanding, they are trapping themselves in the valley, where your flying beasts can pounce on them from above,” said the Archduke.

  The General could see that the Ellala Lord was under a lot of strain. Fighting these invaders with horse cavalry, against the war machines he had heard of, surely could have caused that strain.

  “Any other information?” asked Jossianli, nodding at the prisoner who would probably be adorning some altar of sacrifice in the near future.

  “They only had three of the super weapons,” said the Archduke. “What they call bombs of the atom, or some such. They have used two so far, which only leaves the one.”

  And that is a problem, thought the General, the image of his great beasts being knocked from the air by what to him seemed a God weapon. An unfair weapon in his eyes, though he would never think so of his dragons against a foe without air assets like his. Would the invaders detonate a weapon like that at a place where it would destroy his force, which would seem to the intruders a much greater threat than a bunch of horsemen and foot sloggers? And rightfully so.

  There was a flash across the sky, and the dragons began to screech and growl like they were being attacked. The General instinctively brought his arm up to shield his eyes while his curiosity turned him toward the flash. It was gone in an instant, while a ball of fire that looked like the rising sun rose into the air, many kilometers away. The ball continued to rise, and a stalk of fire and smoke connecting it to the ground grew and grew. Then the ground began to shake, and the dragons grew louder. The General caught the arm of the Archduke when the man started to slip. Next came the loudest rumbling the Ellala had heard in a long life. Drowning out the screeching of the giant beasts, the rumbling crescendoed at a peak of deafening noise, then began to fade into a distant but constant noise.

  “I guess that is the third of the weapons,” yelled Jossianli over the deep sound. The Archduke nodded his head as he looked at the distant sun that was still rising into the sky.

  “My Lord,” called out one of the General’s aids, running up while he looked at the distant fireball. “We have lost contact with Prince Kallisan Mashara’s army.”

  “The Emperor’s brother,” exclaimed the Archduke. “Surely not.”

  “I would guess that the Emperor’s brother is now ash floating in the air,” said the General, trying to hide the smirk he was feeling at the demise of a rival.

  “We will have to avenge his death,” said the aid in a hushed voice.

  “Yes,” said the General with a shark like smile, thinking of how his star would rise if he destroyed the Prince’s killers. “We will avenge his death on the morrow. Would you join me for dinner, my Lord Archduke?”

  * * *

  “Not another one,” yelled Anni Goebbels, shielding her eyes, the flash of a detonating nuke lighting the horizon.

  Dirk cursed under his breath. It only seemed like yesterday that he had seen one of the damn things going off in his rearview mirror. This one seemed to be much further away, or much weaker, or both. But it was still disconcerting to see one of those fireballs rising into the sky.

  “It’s probably roasting a bunch of those evil Elves,” said Peter, a smile on his face. “And maybe a passel of those ugly guys they use.” He too had covered his eyes. A yelled from outside the car and he quickly turned his attention back to the road, pushing the brake pedal and stopping before he hit a bunch of pedestrians who were also gawking at the far blast.

  “That would be a good thing,” said Anni, her frown turning to a smile. “That’s right,” she yelled waving a hand out the window. “Nuke the hell out of those fuckers.”

  “And that’s the last one,” said Wolfgang, nodding his head toward the cloud.

  “Why do you say that?” asked Reinhold from the back seat.

  “One of the soldiers told me there were only three,” said the bass player, holding up three fingers. He ticked off two. “They already let off two of them, so that leaves one. And that would be the one.” He pointed at the cloud which was now leveling off.

  “Well,” said Dirk, listening to the cheer that was rising from the people watching the aftermath of the nuke as if it were a party. “I hope they got maximum bang for their buck.”

  “I hope it scared the hell out of the Elves,” said Anni. She grunted as she looked out the other window and saw a quartet of the Wood Elves standing on the side of the road, frowns on their faces. “I don’t think our friends approve.”

  “I’m not sure I do either,” said Dirk, watching the Elves talk among themselves. “But we’re against a hard place, and the damned Ellala are swinging a rock at us. We have to do what we can to survive.”

  “And now that they’re all gone??” said Peter, gesturing toward the cloud that was starting to collapse on itself.

  “Now we depend on the same powers the natives use,” said Dirk, a smile stretching his face. He watched the military truck just ahead that had their equipment strapped to it.

  “Like musical magic?” said Karl Wilhelm in a slurred voice. “That is so cool.”

  “And they haven’t seen anything yet,” said Dirk, nodding toward the truck. “I can’t wait to see what an electrical set does.”

  * * *

  “This doesn’t feel like what I thought magic would be,” said James Drake, tossing balls of fire through the air with Stephan Neigal. The other Mage/schizophrenic caught the balls with his hands and twirled them back toward the scientist cum Mage. The fire didn’t burn either of the men, though they could feel the heat and knew it to be real fire.

  “This is not how magic is to most,” said the Ellala Mage, Killistia, who had been teaching the humans the rudimentaries of magic, and found them to be much more powerful than any she had ever encountered. “Most mages have to learn how to manipulate the powers t
hrough words, gestures, mental states, and belief. You are all natural mages, able to manipulate the powers of the fields that are your calling. All you need to learn is the discipline to control it.”

  The fire flew back across and Drake missed the ball, which hit the sleeve of his shirt and set it afire. Drake waved his arm while the fabric flashed to ash. He examined the now exposed flesh as the cloth fell away and the fire went out. He was unsurprised to see that the skin was not injured. The fire never seemed to injure him, though he knew that the other elements, such as cold and electricity, sure could.

  “I feel more like the Human Torch than a magician,” he said to his instructor. Seeing the puzzled look in the Ellala Mage’s eyes he thought how he could explain it.

  “On my world we have mythological stories of super beings. People who can manipulate energies beyond what real people are capable of. The Human Torch was one of these creatures. He could turn his entire body into fire, throw balls of flame, even fly.”

  “Fire mages have been able to turn themselves into living flame,” answered Killistia, turning her emerald eyes on the man and sending a thrill down his spine. “Maybe someday you will be able to do so as well. But not yet, I think.”

  “Hey, guys. Look at this,” called out a voice from across the field.

  Katherine Heidle stood across the way, lightning coming off of her brow as she waved her hands in the air. Clouds were gathering over her. Clouds that were dark and swirling. And part of the cloud was moving downward from the center.

  “Stop,” yelled out the Ellala Mage, running toward the woman while the winds began to blow across the field.

  “What,” said Katherine, looking over at the Mage, her concentration on the clouds lapsing. The clouds broke up in the swirling winds, and the lightning flashed away from her hands and into the sky.

  “That is dangerous magic, my dear,” said the Ellala, waving a finger at the female schizophrenic/Mage. “If you released a tornado here, in this crowded valley, and do not have complete control, the result could be devastating.”

  “Oh,” said the woman, her face flushing. “I didn’t realize.”

  “One day you will be able,” said the Ellala, smiling. “But this is not the day.”

  “How about a flower for my beautiful baby,” said Marcus Strom, walking up and moving his hands over a nearby bush. Flowers bloomed instantly on the bush, going from new budded to full flower in an instant.

  “Thank you Marcus,” said both women, human and Ellala, in unison. Both broke out in musical laughing as they blushed.

  “I love this place,” said Marcus, pulling two flowers from the bush and handing one to each female with a bow. “I can think clearly for the first time in my life. No medications sapping my strength. No goons keeping me locked up.”

  “I agree,” said James. “I can concentrate on anything, and keep my mind focused. It is wonderful. I might even be able to figure out the physics of this place.”

  “The genius,” said the Ellala Mage, touching James on the cheek. “I have never met anyone with the intellect you possess. And that the other humans of your group share. It is hard to believe you were so crippled on your own world. I too see great things ahead for you.

  “For all of you,” the Mage said, waving her hands and sending streaks of colored light into the air.

  “Now it’s time for dinner,” said James, looking at the smiling faces surrounding him. “We’ll have to do this again tomorrow.”

  Everyone laughed in agreement as they made their way out of the field and to the mess tent down the road.

  * * *

  “What a beautiful animal,” said Warrant Officer One Jessica Stuart, looking into the large, saucer shaped golden eye of the creature. A deep rumble rose out of the chest of the dragon with each breath, much like the purr of a cat. She felt a calm washing over her from that purr, despite standing next to a twenty ton creature sporting teeth big enough to cut her in half. One that could also swallow her whole.

  “Gallandralla is a beautiful girl,” agreed the Ellala who piloted the great beast. “She is the treasure of my life.”

  “The big reds made me feel afraid,” said Jessica, running a hand over a smooth golden scales on the side of the dragon’s head. A head that was longer than her entire body. “I don’t feel that way about these guys.” She gestured around the courtyard of the cliff top castle, where a dozen of the beasts, most smaller than this matriarch, were bedding down for the night.

  “They are beloved of the Goddess,” said the Ellala dragon rider, Mishanana, patting the dragon on the other side of her face. The rumbling grew deeper and the dragon gently rubbed her head into the hand. “They are creatures of good, unlike the reds.”

  “Well, we’re glad to have you here,” said the helicopter pilot. “We’re spread kind of thin in the air as it is. And this evil empire had what, hundreds of the reds?”

  “Over six hundred total,” said the rider, his brows furrowing. “We have about a hundred to oppose them.”

  “And it takes forever to raise one to this size, huh,” said the human, nodding her head.

  “Maybe not forever,” said the rider, “but over a thousand years to get one to maturity. Most of the dragons here are still juveniles.”

  Juveniles at ten tons, thought the pilot, frowning. It would take centuries to raise an air force from these creatures.

  “I need to be getting back down the mountain,” said the Warrant Officer to the Ellala rider, who was the squadron leader. “I would like to see you fly these guys tomorrow.”

  “Perhaps you would like a ride on Gallandralla,” said the rider, patting the giant on the head and then following the human as she walked to her hummer.

  “I would love to,” said the human, her face breaking into a smile. “It looks like I’m going to have to learn to fly one eventually if I want to fly at all.”

  “And I would like to see what it is like to ride in one of your machines,” said the rider, his eyes shining. “Before such wonders are gone from this world.”

  “It’s a deal,” said the human, sticking out her hand. “You give me a ride on yours, and I’ll show you what mine is like.”

  The Ellala looked at her offered hand for a moment before realizing what the gesture meant. He grasped her strong hand in his delicate one and gave a vigorous shake. A moment later Jessica was on her way down the mountain road, wondering if she would sleep much tonight, with the promise of a dragon ride tomorrow?

  Chapter Twenty

  “Enjoying your new position, Colonel?” asked Lt. Colonel Simon Hardessy, walking up to the campfire around which sat the four immortals and some Conyastaya friends.

  Paul Mason-Smythe looked away from the Elf priestess he had been conversing with and sprang to his feet, offering a salute to his former Battalion Commander.

  “I am supposed to initiate the salutes, Colonel, don’t you know,” said Hardessy with a laugh, then offered his hand.

  “It doesn’t seem real,” said Paul, taking the proffered hand in a huge paw.

  “We tried to get him brigadier,” rumbled Kurt from across the fire. “Like myself and Ismael, but the General would not go for making one so young a general officer.”

  “Damned cheeky of him,” said Paul, gesturing for his former CO to take a seat at the fire. “I don’t think the man likes us very much.”

  “He sees us as a threat to his authority,” said Levine, handing the British Lt. Colonel a bottle of beer. “We are an asset that he will be glad to use. But as he is in a hostile land, with a disparate grouping of forces, he cannot afford any challenges to his command. I think he is correct in his thinking about that, at the moment. But not correct in feeling that we are a threat. I have no intension of trying to take over from a commander who, in my opinion, is doing an excellent job.”

  “Well,” said Hardessy after taking a pull from his beer, “that commander is having my men turn in their modern weapons on the morrow, so we can swing swords and learn to marc
h in formation like a bunch of bloody Romans. I’m not sure I like that idea.”

  “Eventually we will all have to learn to fight like the peoples here,” said Levine, gesturing with his almost empty bottle. “Or better than the people here. And the Romans are an excellent choice for imitation.”

  “I would like to see the looks on the Elves’ faces,” said Paul, looking around the fire, and noticing that he had Elves sitting with him. “I mean the other Elves. When they see those rectangles of several thousand men maneuvering against them on the open field. I bet they shit their britches when they go up against them.”

  “Well, we will be the poster children for the idea,” said Hardessy. “I just hope we don’t get fried like our tanks while we’re in those tidy little rectangles.”

  “I am sure that is also being looked at,” said Kurt, reaching into a cooler for another bottle of the precious beer. “And I hope the brewing of beer is also being looked at.”

  “It’s being looked at,” said Levine with a nod. “We think we may have a way to short circuit their magic, at least the long ranged fireball and electric bolt type. And Colonel Hardessy. Yours will not be the first to march around like legionnaires. There are American paratroopers and German mountain troops already practicing the Roman arts of war. Several thousand of them, enough for several of those rectangles. And our Conyastaya friends are well on the way to training up to be auxiliaries.”

  “Comforting,” said Hardessy with a laugh. “One rectangle will be yelling airborne as it moves forward, while the other will be scrambling over rocks like mountain goats. Wonder what our distinction will be?”

  “Have another beer, Colonel,” said Kurt with a laugh, pulling another bottle of good German brew from the cooler. “Tomorrow will be the time to worry about tomorrow. And it promises to be a beautiful day in our peaceful valley.”

  Paul looked up into the sky, at the two moons that were half disks above, and the myriad of stars that surrounded them. He could feel the magical aura of this place, the enchantment it was weaving over all of them this night. Not a bad place to be stranded, he thought. And he would have millennia to enjoy it, if the other two immortals were to be believed.