Elizabeth trotted through the sprawling camp at Kwent her mind whirring as she made mental notes and greeted the army captains that rode up to her.
“Greetings Sir Douglas and Donald. How many have you brought?” she asked.
“Five companies of cavalry m’am!” replied the twin brothers in unison.
Elizabeth thanked the pair and rode on. Picking up another familiar face she touched her heels to the side of her horse. “Gabriel! You brought your regiment?”
The Mexican Otherworlder mage looked up from where he was talking to a female musketeer and nodded. “Yup, all twelve hundred of them with four light guns.”
A tall blonde girl with a scar on her face rode up. “Hey Liz. A bunch of regiments from the western front just arrived, about five thousand total. I’ve settled them down, but their leader is waiting to speak to you.”
“Thanks Jessica,” said Elizabeth, smiling at the Otherworlder. “Those must be Count Paxlen’s troops. How are they equipped?”
“Not the best. They have basic muskets and pikes, but not a lot of ammunition or spare parts. They did bring food, though,” said Jessica.
“Thank God for that. I’ll talk to Paxlen during the commander’s meeting tonight.” Jessica nodded and rode off, leaving Elizabeth to forge on.
She soon found Martin and Ginger who were snapping orders to an army of clerks and other commanders.
“We are requesting those muskets for you dammit, but it’ll take time. You’ll have to do with what you have and besides we’re not even marching out yet!”
“No Lady Atlatl, we need alcohol. Yes I know you’re concerned about discipline but this might turn into a long siege and that means the troops are going to need a morale boost every now and then.”
“Ginger, Martin!” Elizabeth called.
“Stay right there!” snapped Ginger.
“Please excuse me,” said Martin. They ran up to Elizabeth who dismounted.
“How are the preparations going?” Elizabeth asked.
Martin and Ginger exchanged a longsuffering glance.
“Could be better,” said Martin.
“Could be worse.” Ginger crossed her arms. “The fifteen thousand you said the Earl was sending with us? A lot of new recruits with a smaller group of hardened veteran soldiers.”
“I’d say about five thousand veterans, mostly cavalry, mages and artillery. Most of our infantry is very raw,” said Martin.
“That’s worrisome.”
Elizabeth turned at Ayax, who’d been silently following her up to this point. “A weaker infantry force will make it harder for us to exploit a breach if it comes.”
“Yeah, by the way Liz,” Ginger’s eyebrow quirked up. “If we’re putting Erisdale under siege, we’ll obviously have to cut them off from the outside. How are you going to cut off their access to the sea?”
Elizabeth exchanged a knowing glance with Ayax, who grinned. Leaning, in so that only Martin and Ginger could hear, she said in a low tone, “I’ve made arrangements with Erlenberg. Let’s say we’re getting a very orange mage with a lot of warships.”
Martin brightened up. “Oh Earl Darius is not going to like that.”
Ginger frowned. “Sorry, what do you mean?”
“Ah, you haven’t met her. Ophelia Voidsailor is one of Erlenberg’s best mages. She’s a bit eccentric, but if she’s coming with warships then we’ll have the sea secured,” said Martin.
“We might even be able to request the Erlenberg warships to bombard the city,” said Elizabeth.
“Surrounded from land and sea. Hm, maybe our odds won’t be so bad,” said Ginger dryly.
----------------------------------------
Ayax was awoken by the scratch of something on paper, either pencil or quill, and the lack of a warm body next to her.
Rising from the sleeping roll, her blanket wrapped around her, the troll followed the dim lit candlelight to the desk where her girlfriend was madly scribbling away.
“Liz, talk to me. What’s keeping you up?”
Elizabeth sprang up and spun around. She raised her arms. “Nothing just…oh dear. Well, um.” She sighed. “I’m worried, and stressed.”
“I thought you said we have the Erlenberg fleet and fifteen thousand soldiers,” said Ayax, frowning.
“We do. It’s just the more I study Erisdale city’s defences, and are most recent intelligence reports, the less I like the look of them. It’s just…I don’t…” The Otherworlder girl closed her eyes. “And now I’m a general. It’s a lot to take in.”
Taking Elizabeth’s hands, Ayax pressed a kiss against her human’s lips, watching as her love’s eyes flew open.
“You’ve led us through countless battles, Liz. You can do this.” Ayax smiled. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re thinking? You told me that sometimes it’s better to just say it out loud.”
Elizabeth giggled. “I should listen to my own advice more often.” She took a deep breath. “So, here’s Erisdale. We have mountains and hilly terrain all along the northern district. It’s defended by walls that block off key passes into the city. The city then slopes down toward a protected bay where the harbour is. There’s probably a chain they’ll stretch across the harbour but that’s actually not the major issue. On one side of the bay entrance is the Water Tower, which is a newly constructed fortress sporting a battery of cannons. If we’re to bombard the city and the citadel, we’ll have to neutralise that, which will be risky.”
“The citadel won’t fire back against the fleet? It’s right across from the Water Tower,” Ayax asked.
“It might, but the walls are quite thin. Hard to scale, but not easy for cannons to be mounted on top,” said Elizabeth. Ayax narrowed her eyes. From the map, the citadel itself looked to be an older design of castle and Elizabeth was right, the walls did look very thing.
The keep itself however…
“Couldn’t they put cannon in the keep? Particularly on the higher floors?” Ayax asked.
“That’s possible. Hmm, I’ll send a note to Ophelia and the allied fleet.” Elizabeth drew a circle with her finger around the citadel, the Crimson Palace. “The biggest problem is that assuming we break through the northern defences, the Crimson Palace is surrounded by a moat and a lot of dense urban buildings. We’ll have cover, but it’ll impede our movement.”
Ayax studied the map. “What’s to stop us attacking along the eastern side of the city along the southern beach? The citadel’s side is exposed from that direction.”
Elizabeth tapped her finger on a contour of the map. “No cover. Absolutely no cover. There’s only sand, sandy gravel and open ground that goes on for several miles. The beach is cut off from the rest of land by the Grey Cliffs. There is a gate on that approach, but I don’t like the thought of digging approach trenches through sand and that gate would be heavily defended.”
“So a frontal assault against the northern section of the citadel itself is our only option?” Ayax asked.
Elizabeth blinked and studied the map again. “When you put it like that, the eastern approach might be easier. There’s only one wall on that side because of how the first concentric wall connects to the city wall.” She sighed. “Hopefully it won’t come to that.”
Ayax pursed her lips, her black eyes on her partner. “Liz, I’m confused. You…you’re good at keeping a secret, but why do I get the sense that the actual taking of Erisdale isn’t the real objective of the siege.”
The human woman managed a sidelong look at the troll. “No, you’re right, my love, but I…I can’t say. It’s top secret.”
“I understand. Just…well, what can I do to help?”
“Stay with me. Like you’ve always done,” said Elizabeth softly, lacing her fingers together with Frances.
“I promise. Now…what’s your plan?” Ayax whispered, pressing herself against Elizabeth.
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Smashed houses and burned fields sprawled ahead of a company of mounted Alavari. At their head, a trorc with a white-bone crown on her head surveyed the scene from her war boar. There wasn’t much left of what had been a prosperous village.
“Well, fuck. Dragon?”
Dragon, muttered Whitey, also known as the Great Crown of King Alan the First of Alavaria.
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Titania grimaced and kicked her boar’s sides. “Come on, I can see survivors.”
Her chief guard, a goblin, stammered, “But Your Majesty—”
“We’re going, Edward. That’s final. Send a message to my step-son Aralik for supplies. Hurry!” With that Titania charged toward the village.
Her boar’s hooves squished ash and kicked up clouds of grey. What they had been when they were whole, Titania didn’t want to know.
She didn’t see anybody until she arrived at the centre of the village, surrounded by blackened houses and shattered ruins. Row upon row of the dead lay on one side, whilst the injured moaned and cried in makeshift cots, the living, many of them covered in soot, trying to minister to them.
As she dismounted, a group of orcs with pitchforks and farming implements barred her way.
“Who goes—” the lead orc’s voice trailed off as Titania turned. “No way.”
“Yes it’s me. Now take me to your wounded, and tell me what happened here,” demanded Titania, pulling Second Chance from its holster.
The orc stammered and pointed to a makeshift awning strung up on the wall of one of the remaining buildings. “They’re there um, if you can Your Majesty can you save…save my niece? I don’t know if you can—”
“Show me, and what’s your name?” Titania asked.
“Elaba,” she said. Titania nodded and followed the orc into the tent, throwing her cloak off.
The wounded, or dying children of the village lay under the awning and Titania grimaced at the sad sight. Elaba’s niece was in the corner of this makeshift shelter, and to the queen’s horror, her entire torso was wrapped in makeshift bandages torn from rags. The unconscious orc child was asleep, breathing raggedly.
“Shit. I’m not a healer, but I can try to make it less painful for her.” Titania took a deep breath and cast the strongest healing spell she knew and a numbing spell. To her relief, the child started to breathe easier. “Get me to the next kid, and tell me, what happened here.”
“Here.” Elaba stammered, leading Titania to another boy, his arm bandaged, who stared at Titania with wide eyes. “There were Dragons. Several adults. They were fighting. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Titania looked up from “Fighting each other?’”
“Yeah Your Majesty. Seven massive purple dragons!” exclaimed the orc boy Titania was examining.
Titania cast a healing spell on the boy’s arm and smirked. “Oh really? And how big were they big boy?”
“The biggest one was as big as our small barn. The others were the size of houses,” said the kid excitedly.
Titania glanced at Elaba who nodded. “Our small barn is—was about twenty or so feet high and one hundred feet long.”
That is not a full-sized dragon, Titania. It would be what your kind would call, a teenager. It is odd that purple dragons would fight one another, though.
Titania continued to heal, even as she communed with her crown. Why would it be strange? I thought dragons were quite territorial.
They are, but purple dragons are far more intelligent than the blue ones. It is common for the smaller and dumber blue dragons to fight and kill one another, but the purple ones are rare enough as it is. That they would fight one another indicates a grave dispute between them.
Wait, are you saying that this village just happened to be the unfortunate collateral of a dragon tiff?
That’s exactly what I’m saying.
Fuck.
Fuck indeed, Your Majesty.
Leaving the shelter, Titania took a deep breath and turned to Elaba. “I’ve sent for a team to help you rebuild your village and additional healers. But right now, do you or any of your folk recall where the dragons headed to? Did they die?”
Elaba and the other villagers glanced at each other, shaking their heads. A crowd had gathered at this point, all wanting to get a glimpse of their queen.
“It was so chaotic. Everything was on fire and…and…” Elaba shivered. “I…I’m sorry Your Majesty, I don’t know what came over me. I…”
Titania gently put a hand on the orc’s shoulder. “It’s the shock. It’s perfectly normal, especially with what you’ve been through.”
Elaba blinked, staring at Titania’s hand on her shoulder. “Your Majesty I…I…We…thank you, for your help.”
“You’re my loyal subjects. It is only right,” said Titania. She grinned. “But I do have one request.”
Elaba swallowed. “Yes?”
“Rebuild.” Titania let go of Elaba and walked through the crowd, clasping hands, patting shoulders. “Rebuild this village. Or move. I don’t care. Mourn your dead, cry for the living, but when you’re done, get back on your feet no matter how hard it takes. Don’t fucking give up. That’s all I ask. You think you can do that?”
The villagers, tired and battered, slowly nodded, some murmuring ‘yes.’ Few of them smiled, but Titania could see in their eyes that that was enough.
“Right, Edward, dispense what aid you can. We move out in two hours to track those fuckers!” Titania snapped.
“Your Majesty,” wheezed a voice. Titania turned to see a child stagger out of the makeshift shelter. It was Elaba’s niece and the orc quickly ran up to grab her arm. “The dragons…they flew east. The big one…didn’t fly far away.”
The child staggered and Titania quickly ran up, kneeling by the orc. “Thank you. What’s your name kid?”
“Elara, Your Majesty,” stammered the kid. She coughed again. “The other…the bigger one, she just flew into the mountains, just north of here.”
Titania’s nodded and ruffled the child’s hair. “Good job Elara, now get some rest.” She winked. “Your queen commands you to.”
“Thank—thank you—” Elara’s eyes closed and Elaba caught her before she fell. Titania watched as the orc woman took her niece back into the shelter, smiling brightly.
In her mind, though, her thoughts were turning.
East? Isn’t east toward my father’s territory?”
Indeed. And it’s specifically the former Lady Sparrowpeak’s domain of Hunter’s Rest, now Helias’s domain.
Well good riddance for that bastard. But that dragon up north is worrying. If we’re near the city of Trebizia, then that means that range is the Ollanian Mountans, which are a maze. We’ll need a skilled geographer to figure out where that bastard is hiding.
You do know a skilled geographer, several, Titania.
Indeed I do, Whitey. I think it’s time I called my bro up for a visit.
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That was how Timur found his sister bunked in a tent, dressed extremely casually but for Whitey on her head.
“Titania? What’s going on?”
The queen sighed. “Well I have a dragon problem.”
Timur froze. “Oh no. Purple or blue?”
“Seven purple dragons, but oddly enough they were fighting each other. Six of them flew west to father’s territory, the one who remained is the problem. It flew into the Ollanian Mountains.”
Timur frowned. “Did you say seven purple dragons?”
Titania arched an eyebrow. “Why is seven—Ah, is it about those seven whelps that swore revenge on Frances?”
“Yes, but…why were they fighting one another and six on one at that,” Timur drummed his fingers on his desk. “If the one fled into the Ollanian Mountains, we need to find it. Which means…you want me up there.”
Titania nodded. “I know you want to stay with Morgan, brother, but I trust you and I recall you worked with the different villages along the mountains right? Trying to improve their crop productivity and mediating a number of disputes?”
“Yes I know the area well.” The trogre prince nodded. “I suppose this might work out. Frances and I found something out from Lightbreaker about Archmage Star and Queen Ulania. It seems…” Timur pursed his lips, wondering how to phrase it.
“Spit it out bro.”
Timur sighed. “Look, Archmage Star assassinated Queen Ulania and possibly with Archmage Zirabelle’s help. It could be why father declared war on the human kingdoms.”
Titania blinked several times. “That…huh.” Scowling, she shook her head. “No, that’s impossible. Why the hell would Archmage Zirabelle assist a human Archmage to assassinate the Queen of Alavaria? Besides, even if it’s true, why does that matter, brother? I know you and Frances have your theory that father has some kind of secret power or plan, but there is none. He’s just an asshole.”
“Knowledge is power, Titania. It might prove important. It’s why I want to talk to see Archmage Zirabelle’s notes, maybe talk to Second Chance, and General Antigones. Or perhaps you can commune with it?”
Titania grimaced. She didn’t move for a moment, before finally groaning. “Fine! I still think this is a stupid idea.” She pulled out her faithful wand, the one that had belonged to her husband’s late wife. Taking a deep breath, she felt out her connection with the wand.
Yo, Second Chance, you heard my brother. There’s no way Zirabelle was involved with this shit.
Second Chance’s presence felt a little like being wrapped in a cool blanket, it touched Titania’s mind and to her surprise, did the mental equivalent of a sigh.
I’m afraid your brother’s suspicions are correct, though, I know very little about what Zirabelle’s reasons for assisting Archmage Star.
“What!?” Titania stammered. Timur briefly smiled smugly, before his sister’s glare silenced him.
“What do you know, Second Chance?” Timur asked.
Very very little. Archmage Zirabelle told me not to commune with her when she was planning with Archmage Star. She told me that she had a very very good reason, but that it was critical that it remain secret. After all, it was essentially treason.
“Did she leave a hint? Anything?”
I know she left a private journal and diaries. If his Highness can make a stop at the Manor, then he can peruse them with the General’s permission.
“Convincing my husband will be the hard part, but I’ll talk to him. Timur, when can you get up here?” Titania asked.
“I’ll be leaving in a few days. I’ll just need to plan the search through Ollania,” said Timur. He stopped and frowned. “What happens when we find that dragon?”
“You’ll have a few mages and a company with you. Also, I was wondering…” Titania grinned. “Do you want to work with your mother again?”
Timur’s eyes widened. “Wait, we took the Academy of Magic?”
“More like they came to our side once Antigones managed to shove their garrison off. Berengaria is being a bitch, but with the Lapanterian army under Prince Sebastian holding up General Helias, my husband could force her to retreat,” said Titania.
Timur nodded slowly. “I dare say the war’s…looking rather good for us now.”
The rightful Queen of Alavaria snorted. “I think you’re being far too optimistic brother, but you have good reason to be. The war does seem to be on course to a resolution and seemingly in our favor.”
“Mm hmm. Have you heard from Roranoak? They’ve made no moves on our borders, surprisingly enough, not to mention they’ve just been rather quiet,” said Timur.
“Well as to why, we found out they just broke out into civil war. People do not like the peace they struck with our father, which suggests that this is not his work,” said Titania.
“That’s…still unfortunate, though, I suppose this works for us,” said Timur. He sighed. “I’ll be on my way to you. I’ll just have to say goodbye.”
“Take your time with that brother. I think that blasted dragon will still be here,” said Titania, grimacing.
----------------------------------------
To nobody’s surprise, Morgan did not take the news well at all.
“Can you take us with you, uncle? Please? I mean, I have plenty of magic to use,” she said.
“That would be a horrible idea, Morgan, but I appreciate you wanting to help. The thing is though we might end up fighting a dragon. A young dragon, but a dragon nevertheless,” said Timur.
“Which is why I should come with you, Timur,” said Frances, crossing her arms.
“Dear, you’d provoke the dragon simply by being there. I’d like to try to negotiate with it if possible. I don’t want to become another Dragonslayer,” said Timur.
“You want to talk a centaurfucking dragon, uncle?”
Frances frowned at Morgan’s language, before pursing her lips. “Centaurfucking?
“It’s a common Alavari curse, master,” said Hattie, from where she was quietly sitting in the corner of the house’s second floor study.
“How have I never—ah, right, Timur’s a prince,” said Frances to herself.
Timur frowned. “Morgan, where did you even learn to curse like that?”
“The humans. Besides, isn’t the dragon the one that put that scar on Hattie’s face?” Morgan hissed.
“Morgan, that was its mother, and she’s dead. I orphaned them,” said Frances quietly.
“And I forced Frances to,” said Hattie.
Morgan wasn’t sure why, but she suddenly didn’t know what to say. The air suddenly got very thick, and cloying. Was it Hattie’s downcast eyes or Frances’s deep regret? All Morgan knew was that she’d said something wrong that hurt them.
“It’s alright, Morgan, you weren’t there,” said Frances, smiling gently, as she patted Hattie’s shoulder. “In any case, Timur…I don’t agree but I know how important this is to you and we need to find out what Archmage Zirabel wrote down.”
Morgan averted her gaze. “When will you be back, Uncle?”
“I’ll be back quickly,” said Timur, smiling brightly. “Speaking of which, Morgan, we ought to show you the fields atop of Ahtelda-Aoun. You haven’t been there yet and they’re really cool.”
Morgan grumbled, knowing her uncle was trying to distract her, but she didn’t want to cause him more trouble than she already had so she nodded.
She didn’t see Timur glance at Frances with a concerned look, or how her teacher’s smile didn’t quite spread across her face.