"Why would you ask Damion if he had something to do with them?" Raven asked in confusion, while the others began to laugh.
"Because Krel swears he didn't have them before you folks arrived."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Damion looked away loftily, causing everyone to stare at him suspiciously.
"Father!" Leia exclaimed in an accusing tone. "You gave the man boils?" She snapped her fingers. "Now I understand your comment about repaying him for being such a pain in the arse."
"Leia!" Raven exclaimed with a laugh. She then turned to look at her husband. "Really? You couldn't hold your temper just a little bit longer?"
The others were all laughing uproariously. Dar pounded the table in his mirth, while Sly fell out of his chair altogether. Even Slither began to laugh a strange hissing laugh that seemed distinctly out of place with the huge shadowspawn.
"It was either that or turn him into a toad." Damion murmured defensively. "That man is one of the most infuriating individuals I have ever encountered!"
"I understand how you feel." Bativa assured him, taking a tankard of foaming ale from a servant and draining it dry. He handed it back to the servant, who immediately hurried off with a resigned expression. "Krel has been a constant thorn in my side for over twenty years now. I would like nothing more than to bury an axe between his beady little eyes, but it's forbidden for councilmen to take up arms against one another."
"So what did the Council decide?" Sly asked after regaining his composure.
"Nothing so far." Bativa shrugged. "We'll reconvene in the morning to continue our deliberations. Hopefully we'll be able to come to a decision soon. It takes quite some time to assemble the tribes, and we have no way of knowing how close the Etazk are from setting out from Salastar."
"Actually, we do." Damion pointed out, spearing a large steak with his fork and placing it on the plate in front of him. "Tempest is keeping an eye on the Etazk for us. If it looks as though they're preparing to sail out from Salastar, she'll return and alert us to the danger."
"That's something, at least." Bativa conceded with a sigh. "But if I can't convince the rest of the Council that it's necessary for our people to become involved, we're all going to be in a great deal of trouble."
They spent the next three days lounging around Bativa's private apartments while they waited for the huge chieftain to return with news. Each evening, Bativa would return with the same frustrated expression reporting that they hadn't been able to reach an agreement. It was early on their forth day of awaiting the Council's decision that a heavily tattooed warrior appeared to inform them that they had all been summoned back to the council room.
"Does this mean that they have finally came to an agreement?" Leia asked her father as they quickly made their way up the spiraling stairs that led to the cathedral.
"It's hard to say. The Council may just have a few more questions for us."
"Krel probably just wants a chance to throw a few more insults in our direction." Sly puffed as he stumped his way up the stairs.
"Let's hope they've finally made up their minds." Damion growled darkly. "I'm not sure how much more sneering I can take from that jackass."
They entered the glistening cathedral once again and found the Council waiting for them expectantly. Most of the councilmen, including Bativa, wore grim expressions on their faces as they watched the companions enter the council room, though several of the tribesmen looked livid.
"My friends," Bativa started in a grim tone. "Let me first extend the thanks of the Council. Without your timely warning, we may have never discovered that the Etazk were once again preparing for war. I shudder to think what may have happened if they had been able to sneak up on our people unaware."
Krel, who was sitting upon an enormous pillow which had been placed upon his chair, winced in pain as he shifted his weight, obviously still plagued by the boils which had inexplicably appeared a few days before. He stared at Damion with suspicious eyes, his face pale with pain and anger.
"It is the decision of the Council that the tribes be assembled immediately, and joined with your forces so we may repel the Etazk, and save our fair lands from their foul scourge."
"Very good." Damion breathed a silent sigh of relief. He knew that they would have never stood a chance against the Etazk without the Deola. "As soon as the tribes have been assembled, Bativa can lead them to Crete to join up with our other forces." He glanced over to his old friend. "That is, of course, if you're willing to join us."
"Of course I'll be joining you." The huge chieftain laughed. "Do you really think I'm going to let you run off and have all the fun?"
"This is good news indeed." Damarius nodded approvingly. "The expertise of the Deola with warfare will be invaluable when it comes to training our less experienced warriors on how to defend themselves."
"It's settled then." Gredee, chieftain of the Galaspe clan, declared, casting a harsh glare at Krel, who remained silent. "The Deola and the Dragon Lord shall combine their forces to save the world once again. May the minstrels sing songs of their glories as they ride into battle, bringing the swift swords of justice to their enemies!"
"Very poetic." Sly murmured to Slither in a sarcastic voice, causing the shadowspawn to snort in amusement.
"Would you please shut up?" Leia growled at the scruffy little man, stomping her tiny foot imperiously.
"The council realizes you are pressed for time, Dragon Lord," Gredee continued in a grand tone. "so allow us to bid you farewell, and good luck. Our lives, and the lives of our people, are in your very capable hands."
"Thank you, my friends." Damion told them sincerely. "Your faith in me is humbling. I will do my very best to make sure we drive the Etazk back to where they came from, and bring your warriors back home to Mercedia safely."
Bativa bid his fellow councilmen farewell, then led the companions out of the cathedral and back down the spiral stairs, his face alight with excitement.
"How did you manage to finally convince the other councilmen that we needed to combine our forces if we hoped to defeat the Etazk?" Damarius asked the tribesman curiously. "If I were forced to guess, I would have bet gold that the other councilmen would vote against aiding us, and draw their forces back into the city."
"That was never really an option." Bativa informed him with a shrug. "Our warriors would never sit idly by while there were enemies roaming throughout their lands with impunity. The only real question was if we were going to join our forces with yours, or attempt to face the Etazk on our own."
"I don't see where there's really that much of a choice." Sly grumbled irritably. "Neither our forces, nor the Deola, are strong enough to face an army fifty thousand strong. Our only chance of defeating them is to combine our forces together, and even then it's going to take some rather careful strategy, and a lot of luck."
"That's what I've spent the last four days trying to explain to the other councilmen." Bativa told them with a frown. "It took some of them longer than the others to realize that it was the only way. They finally all agreed, though I did have to warn Krel that you would probably turn him into a turnip if he continued to oppose you."
"And that worked?" Raven asked in surprise.
"I think he suspects Damion of using his magic to create the boils that are currently festering on his backside." Bativa snorted in amusement. "Even time he mentioned Damion's name, one of the boils would burst and nearly cause him to pass out with pain. He finally couldn't take the arguing any longer and just gave in, telling us to do whatever we wanted. I don't think he's spoken a single word since."
"You're welcome." Damion smiled in satisfaction.
"How long will it take to gather the clans?" Sly asked, puffing slightly as he trudged down the steps.
"It shouldn't take long." Bativa assured him with a smile. "Messengers have already been dispatched to each tribe to advise them of what is afoot. They will gather their warriors, leaving only a few behind to watch over their women and h
erds, then move to join with your forces in Crete. They should all be gathered within a month." He glanced over to Damion. "What's your next step?"
"We need to hurry back to Crete to make sure our forces are being assembled," Damion replied after a moment's thought. "and then return to Sevria to let everyone know what's transpired. I also need to speak with Tempest, although she's currently keeping an eye on the Etazk for us."
"What about the cities and settlements farther to the south?"
"We sent messengers to Kainpre and its surrounding villages with orders to direct their forces to Crete, though I'm not exactly sure if the nobles there will understand the urgency of the situation. They may ignore our warnings, and try to pull back into the city."
"I'll take care of that." Bativa assured him. "I'll have a few dozen warriors ride south and make sure that they understand the seriousness of the situation. There are also a few small settlements along the coast which we need to be alerted, though I doubt they'll be much help."
"We don't really know exactly where the Etazk are planning on striking first." Sly grunted, heaving a sigh of relief as they finally reached they bottom of the huge spiraling staircase. "We should probably dispatch riders to keep a watch along the western coastline."
"It shouldn't be much of a problem." Bativa disagreed, leading the companions through the crowded streets towards the large platform that would take them into the lower levels of the city. "The western coast is unsuitable for ships of any substantial size. It's far too rocky. The few areas that could handle a large ship are far too small for a fleet. The only place that they could land their army is Sierra."
"That's if they decide to head south first." Dar pointed out reasonably. "They could just as easily head north."
"That's doubtful." Damarius disagreed, shaking his head and causing his brow lock to fall into his eyes. "If you're going to go to war with multiple foes, the best strategy would be to take out the strongest of your enemies first. The biggest threat to the Etazk would be Damion and his dragons, which means they will attempt to conquer the south before moving on."
"That means they are going to attempt to take Sierra , and then head straight for Sevria." Damion frowned. "We're going to need to devise a way to help defend Sierra." He glanced at Damarius. "Got any ideas?"
"A few," The old wizard answered after a moment's thought. "but I'll need to go back to my workshop to retrieve some designs."
They finally arrived at the large platform and quickly hurried aboard, relieved to be clear of the milling crowds.
Bativa threw the lever, causing the platform to shudder slightly and start descending towards the lower levels, then turned back to Damion, his expression serious. "I should tell you that several members of the Council wanted to refuse to your request for aid, and force you to use the scarlet dragons to destroy the Etazk."
"I can't do that." The huge warrior stated firmly, shaking his head. "The scarlet dragons are bound by oath never to harm mortals. I will not ask them, nor force them, to break that oath. We're just going to have to drive the Etazk off the hard way."
The platform came to a shuddering stop on the ground level of the massive fortress city, and the huge chieftain quickly led them to the livery where they had left their horses.
As they approached, one of the stable hands came limping from the stables, his arm wrapped in bandages and suspended in a sling. "Good afternoon, milords." He groaned in a voice laden with pain.
"By the gods, man!" Sly exclaimed in surprise. "What happened to you?"
"That huge stallion you left with us has been a bit... restless." The stable hand winced as he shifted his weight onto his good leg. "He's pretty aggressive, even for a Deolan warhorse."
"That's Storm for you." Bativa laughed. "I've always said that brute was a savage!"
"Storm is as gentle as a lamb." Leia told them, leaping to the big stallion's defense. "He just acts aggressive because that's how everyone expects him to act. He's really just a big pushover."
"I'd hate to disagree with you, young lady," The stable hand disagreed regretfully. "but I've been working with horses my entire life, and I've never seen such an aggressive beast. I think it may be half crazed. It pinned me to the wall with its rump and bit three of my employees when they attempted to help me get free. They won't even go back into the stables as long as it's in there."
"I thought you tribesmen were supposed to be fearless warriors." The young girl mocked, causing Bativa and Sly to burst out laughing.
"We're fearless, not stupid." The stable hand replied, blushing slightly at their laughter. "I'm not going anywhere near that brute."
"Oh, bother." The young girl rolled her eyes, then turned and stomped off into the stables. She returned a moment later leading the huge smoky grey warhorse by his reins. "See? He's harmless."
Storm gently nuzzled her with his nose, then sighed in satisfaction as the young girl began to stroke his neck.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing." The tribesman murmured in astonishment.
"Be careful," She warned the stable hand, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The big scary horse might get you!"
Storm nickered happily, then began scuffing at the stone floor with his steel-shod hooves, sending sparks flying.
The stable hand stared at Leia and Storm with disbelief for several long seconds, then without another word, he limped off to retrieve the rest of their horses.
"That wasn't very nice." Raven told her daughter in a disapproving tone. "You need to learn to be more diplomatic when dealing with people. You're going to be in charge of Sevria someday, and you'll be expected to behave in a manner that reflects your standing. You won't be able to just bully everyone like that."
"Why not?" Leia asked, putting her hands on her hips. "That's what father does, and it works for him."
Everyone laughed at that.
"Are you going to head north with us until we reach your tribe?" Damion asked Bativa while they waited for the rest of their horses.
"I have a few things that I need to take care of here before I set off." The huge tribesman shook his head regretfully. "It shouldn't take me more than a day or so. Once I have everything settled here in the city, I'll go collect the rest of my tribe and lead them to Crete."
"Once you reach Crete, I would like you to take command of the forces already gathered." Damion told him seriously. "Make sure that each and every man is trained. The Etazk are trained warriors who are experienced in combat. Many of our people have never even picked up a sword before, let alone been in a real battle. They're going to need all the training they can get if they're to have any hope of surviving."
"I'll see to it, my friend," Bativa promised him, grasping the huge warrior's hand in farewell. "And I'll make sure to send warriors to Kainpre to insure their cooperation. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help once they understand the seriousness of the situation."
They watched as the huge chieftain disappeared into the crowd, then started off through the busy streets, leading the horses by their reins.
They reached the main gates leading out of the city two days later, just as the sun was setting on the horizon.
"Finally!" Leia sighed in relief as they made their way out onto the massive bridge leading across the churning White River. "I thought we were never going to get out of there!"
"I thought you liked Mercedia." Damion commented, lifting his daughter up and placing her onto Storm's broad back.
"I do," Leia told him, scooting forward to give her father room to sit. "but I can only take the smell of unwashed bodies and cow manure for so long before it begins to make me ill."
The sudden rustle of feathers drew their attention to Snowfeather, who had appeared from the battlements above the gates.
"It's about time." The huge owl hooted, dropping down to settle on one of Damion's shoulders. "I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten yourselves lost in there."
"We ran into a small delay." Damion told him aloud. "You could have
come in with us, you know. You wouldn't have had to sit around waiting on us."
"Thanks, but no thanks. The smell off all the cattle makes my eyes water. Besides, I needed to catch up my sleep. Were you able to convince the Deola to help?"
"A few of the Deolan councilmen tried to be difficult, but in the end, they agreed to assemble the tribes for war."
"That's good." Snowfeather chirped in a pleased tone. "That means were not going to have to fight this war all by ourselves. Where are we heading now?"
"Back to Crete to update them and look in on the forces gathering there, then we'll head back to Sevria. Once we're home, I'll contact Tempest to find out what the Etazk are up to, and ask if she knows anything about that strange dragon we encountered."
"Are you going to go after the beast?"
"I can't." Damion frowned. "The problem with the Etazk requires my full attention. Besides, how do you hunt down an invisible dragon?"
"Good point." The huge owl hooted. "Let's just hope this veiled dragon doesn't decide to attack again. It's a little difficult to fight off something that you cannot see."
Chapter 9
They arrived in Crete ten days later to find a huge encampment that was bustling with activity had been constructed on the outskirts of the city. Hundreds of men milled about aimlessly, watching with bored expressions as a few small groups of men nearby trained with swords, spears, and pikes. Another small group was off to one side practicing with long bows, using several large crates as improvised targets, while those gathered looked on unenthusiastically.
"This doesn't look very promising." Sly grunted, frowning as he looked around the encampment. "Most of the men here don't even have weapons."
"What do you expect?" Dar asked, watching as a fistfight broke out between a pair of onlookers. "Most of these men are farmers and laborers. They probably haven't even seen a real battle before."
Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) Page 13