Rose leaned over a map and asked a few questions to establish where she was in relation to the West. After a few moments, she pointed to the mountains just north into the wilds and said there was an old dragon temple there, as well as a human fortress that was rebuilt in preparation for the war.
Gersius studied the location as Sarah asked if this was on the route the Doan used to circle the mountains. Rose said she wasn't sure but that there were several sites in the northern wilds used by dragons for things she didn't understand. The Doan marching around the mountains and using tunnels to invade the empire had been a plan that came about only fifty years ago.
“They really have been planning this for years,” Thayle said as Gersius considered the logistics of reaching it. The most direct route was to fly in, but that meant leaving the army for days, if not a week. By land, they would first have to reach Gams and the tenuous line he held, then launch an offensive to recapture the land all the way to the Serpentine river. Then they could push north and drive hard for the mountain gap that would take them to this shrine. However, this would alert their enemy to their intentions, and they would likely relocate the targets. If that happened, they would lose their opportunity to strike a decisive blow and reclaim the lost seal of Astikar.
Alayse was present to join the debate that ensued as they tried to figure out how to reach this location without the seal being moved. She was the one who finally suggested they wait for Jessivel to find the tunnel the Doan used to cross the mountains.
“Why?” Lilly asked as she wondered what good that would do them.
“Simple, they used the tunnel to go around the border keeps, so we will do the same,” Alayse said. “We take the army into the north and strike at this temple from behind before they even know we are there.”
“Take the army into the north,” Gersius repeated as he wondered if that would work.
“Doesn't Gams need us to hurry to the border?” Thayle asked. “Won't he be hard-pressed without our army to reinforce him?”
Gersius nodded as they all knew full well the Doan were attacking up and down the line. The untrained soldiers had been sent to reinforce the line weeks ago, but without Alayse and her army, they could not go on the offensive. If they didn't take the battle to the Doan, they couldn't win the war, and it could potentially drag on for years. However, if they could arrive behind the enemy by using their tunnels against them, then they could potentially score another major victory. They might be able to trap a significant portion of the Doan army and destroy it.
“Assuming we did use the tunnels, how can we be sure the Doan won't know we are coming?” Sarah asked. “We have no idea what is on the other end or who might be watching.”
“It's a better chance than trying to fight our way through the entire Doan nation,” Alayse counted. “And you can bet they will move the seal once we get too close to the temple. Your only hope is to take it by surprise.”
“Maybe we could fight out way closer and then fly in?” Lilly suggested.
“They will likely think of that,” Gersius replied as he studied the map.
“Why is recovering this so important?” Rose asked as she listened to the debate.
“Because that man has much to answer for,” Sarah growled. “And with the loss of the seal, his false priests will lose their power.”
“You mean like the women of Ulustrah did?” Rose asked as she tilted her head to the side.
“So it is true,” Thayle asked and turned to regard Rose. “They did lose their power?”
“The night you captured me, they lost all access to their power,” Rose replied. “I found out about it after I returned.”
“The wise ones mentioned something about this to me,” Lilly admitted. “They never admitted the women were powerless, but they did say they were of no practical use anymore. Most of them were forced to marry Doan men so they could at least bear them children.”
“That is what happened to them,” Rose agreed.
“A fitting fate for traitors to the goddess,” Alayse said dryly.
“But, didn’t you say that one woman could heal?” Thayle asked.
“Yes, and she had the aura sight,” Lilly replied.
“I wonder why,” Thayle replied as she pondered it. “Could it be she hasn’t betrayed the goddess?”
“We can ask her when we overrun their armies,” Sarah quipped.
“But I do not understand why they would lose their power if you take this seal,” Rose insisted. “The Goromogoth says their power comes from him.”
“So this fool believes he is a divine,” Sarah stated. “Well, I regret to inform you that he has been lying. They are using an old magic to steal power from the divines and bend it to their will.”
The look on Rose's face said she was not pleased to hear that answer, and she walked away from the table as Lilly went after her. Gersius watched the two enter a quiet conversation as he turned back the map and then asked the logical question.
“Assuming we can find the tunnels, how long do we think it will take to pass through the wilds?” he asked.
“I assume they established some kind of road,” Alayse remarked and studied the map. “They probably took the shortest route through the mountains and did the bulk of their travel on the other side. Even if they didn't take the time to build a proper road, that many feet will have beaten out a track.” She traced a finger along the map, silently measuring the distance to the hidden temple and the prize they so desperately sought. “Five days once we clear the tunnel. Assuming we don't run into any resistance. This is the northern wilds we are talking about. Trolls, bandersooks, dulloch, and gore wolves prowl this region.”
“Not to mention giants,” Thayle added.
“I can deal with giants,” Sarah replied with a hint of pride in her voice.
“Five days to claim the prize,” Gersius said, running a hand through his brown hair. “And then perhaps another five or six before we break out behind the Doan lines.”
“Seven to eight,” Alayse said, running her finger across the map. “This pass they are using looks narrow. It will likely take us a full day to march through it.”
“But then we will have caught them in the very same trap they tried to snare us with,” Thayle said. “They will be trapped between our army and the border keeps.”
“Yes,” Gersius agreed and tapped the map. “But we know the Doan have carefully hidden scouts. The advantage will be lost if just one of them manages to get a report back and alert them to our presence. “
“I say it's worth the risk,” Alayse insisted. “It will take us longer to get there by going through the border keeps, and we can be sure they will move the seal long before we get there. This northern route saves time and gives us a chance to both reclaim the seal and take them by surprise. If it fails, we lose nothing, but if it succeeds, we have gained everything.”
“You really are good at this,” Thayle said with a smile at Alayse.
Alayse nodded back, and the two waited for Gersius to make a decision. He carefully weighed the options as he considered all the ramifications. If they took the army through the tunnels and the Doan broke through the border keeps at any point, it would be a disaster. The army would not be there to plug the hole, and Gams would suddenly find himself surrounded and in desperate need of rescue. However, the keeps were well-defended and receiving reinforcements as they spoke. If they went north and accomplished their goals, it would be a devastating blow to the enemy.
“We look for the tunnels,” Gersius said with a firm voice. “We cannot waste any opportunity to recover the seal of Astikar.”
“I will see to it that they are found,” Alayse said when the tent flap opened, and the very man who would see to that task entered.
“My Emperor and Empresses,” he said with an arm over his chest and a bow of his head. “We found the tunnel and potentially some help.”
“Help?” Sarah asked with a stern glare.
“We surrounded and captured a group of Doan, one of which refused to surrender and had to be chained by a woman of Ulustrah,” Jessivel explained. “She is a firebrand with a sharp tongue and an assortment of knives to make Ayawa jealous.”
“Why is this one so special?” Sarah asked.
“Because she was carrying these,” Jessivel said as he reached into a satchel at his side and produced an assortment of papers. He placed them on the table before Gersius, who picked one up and folded it open. Sarah went for another as Alayse took up a rolled parchment.
“It's a letter to the war chieftess of the Sho'roga,” Gersius said of his paper. “She is being commended on her ability to remain hidden, despite the enemy's dragons searching for her.”
“This is a map of the empire's lands around the border keeps,” Sarah said, holding it out. “It even has the bridges and major roads marked.”
“This is a letter from the wise leaders of the Doan,” Alayse said. “It addresses a woman named Shorri and tells her to commence the attack on the false dragons on the eve of the waning moon.”
“That must be her name,” Thayle said and looked at Jessivel. “You captured the army's commander.”
“Hmm, a lot of women are leading armies these days,” Sarah said with an approving nod.
Gersius caught her smug look and turned to Jessivel to ask if he had indeed captured the woman named in the letter. He replied that he couldn't be sure because the woman refused to give them a proper name.
“Did she give you anything to call her by?” Alayse asked.
“Yes,” he replied with a nod. “She calls herself Dances with knives, as do several others.”
“What an odd name,” Sarah said.
“It’s an honorary title,” Gersius surmised. “She is probably a skilled knife fighter.”
“Judging by the wounds she inflicted on five armored men, I would have to agree,” Jessivel said.
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“What did you do with her?” Alayse asked.
“I put her in the cage with the wise ones,” Jessivel replied. “I doubt we will get much out of her, though. She has been calling for the commander of our army to duel her. She refused to speak about anything until we have bested her in combat.”
“Isn’t her presence here proof we bested her?” Thayle asked.
“She considers chaining her with a magical blessing to have been cowardly,” Jessivel replied. “Oh, and she insists we have no honor.”
“Big words coming from a woman whose army we just annihilated,” Alayse said. “But if she wants a duel with the armies commander, I will give her one.”
“No,” Gersius replied with an upheld hand. “I want to try to talk to her first.”
“What can she possibly know that will be of use to us?” Sarah asked.
“Hopefully, the location of the planned event,” Gersius replied.
They gathered in the portion of the camp set aside to hold the Doan prisoners. Gersius was surprised to see Jessivel had brought seven back, putting them in a wooden cage the size of a large tent. The wise ones stood in one corner, arguing with a woman with short brown hair and armored hide on her shoulders. She carried herself like a warrior and paused in her argument when they noticed his approach. Her eyes instantly locked on Gersius and the approaching group as a smile spread on her face.
“Do not speak with him,” one of the wise ones commanded.
“I will speak with who I wish,” the woman shot back as she turned an angry gaze on the three women who stood near the back of the cage.
“There appears to be no love lost between the wise ones and their general,” Alayse said in surprise.
“The wise ones act as the voice of the dragons,” Lilly commented. “I bet she blames them for their absence in the battle.”
“And entire people led by women,” Sarah said in amusement. “And all they do is march to senseless wars. I expected better.”
“The dragons are the true leadership,” Rose interjected. “And below them are the clan leaders, though we never speak to them directly. We have created a system of using the wise ones to relay our commands. Their authority extends from us and is respected by some, tolerated by others.”
“Do you know this woman?” Gersius asked.
“I don’t know of her,” Rose admitted. “But I didn’t care much for the people. I only managed my region at the command of the Gorromogoth, they were sheep to me, and I did not bother to learn their names or purposes. I only know the names of the few wise ones I dealt with.”
Gersius tried not to take her callous words to heart as he approached the cage, and the women inside went silent. The brown-haired woman boldly faced him with great decoration and color in her leather armor.
“You are a woman of significant title,” Gersius said as he arrived ten paces from the cage.
“I am, or was the commander of the Doan army,” she said in a voice as cold as death.
“I was not aware the Doan appointed women to such positions,” Gersius said, trying to bait her ego.
“The Doan value their women,” she replied. “We are the mothers of their strength and the ones who keep the ways.”
“Is that why you forced the women of Ulustrah to marry?” he asked.
Shorri smiled and took a more relaxed stance before explaining that such a role was all those women were good for. Had they been effective warriors, they would have been used to fight instead.
“It was a woman of Ulustrah who dragged your miserable hide back here,” Alayse pointed out.
This got a response from the angry woman whose hands clenched and her aura filled with rage. Still, he was impressed at how well she kept her calm, never allowing that anger to show on her face. She was meeting her great enemy and refused to show any hint of fear or cowardice.
“It is the way of the weak to pray to the corrupted divines,” the woman said at last. “That you used such a means to capture me only proves you are not worthy.”
“Why were you still here?” Gersius asked. “Your army was defeated, and you managed to escape with your life. So why did you remain?”
“I will not abandon those I led,” she replied. “I waited at the tunnel to see the last of them through. If my forces are to be routed, I will be the last of them to leave the empire.”
“We suspect she has scouts searching for the scattered elements of her army to lead them back to the tunnel,” Jessivel added.
Gersius nodded, once again impressed by the woman’s desire to see what remained of her army safely recovered. She was planning to remain until the last man or woman was safely away.
“So, the great blood spiller has finally come,” the woman said, folding her arms.
“I regret no blood that I have spilled in defense of my home,” Gersius replied. “If you wanted to avoid bloodshed, you should not have attacked us.”
“It is the right of the strong to conquer the weak,” the woman spat as she began to smile. “Have you come to accept my challenge?”
“I have come to ask you some questions,” Gersius replied. “And if you are so strong, why are you the one in the cage?”
The smile faded from her face as she shot an angry glare at the three wise ones. Gersius struggled not to smile as her aura filled with rage but admired her ability to remain calm and keep the outrage from showing on her face.
“I have nothing to say to you,” she replied.
“I know you were the commander of that army,” Gersius stated as he approached the bars. “I also know you needed to ambush me and use a superior number of dragons if you were to have any hope of defeating me.” He waited to see if she had any biting words as her aura flared with hatred and a twinge of regret. “Now, you have been defeated, and your army destroyed while mine is blooded but still strong. We will march west and begin sweeping you from the plains, then cross the serpentine and chase you all the way back to your dirty holes.”
“You will never break us,” the woman growled as she approached the bars. “And I already know this is just a test to see if you can provoke me. The so-called wise ones have told me you want to know about the dragon's plans and our remaining armies. I will tell you nothing while I draw breath and even less when I am dead.”
“Then I have no use for you,” Gersius replied in a flat tone.
“You will deny my challenge then?” she asked.
“He isn’t the commander of the army,” Alayse interrupted. “I am.”
The woman turned her gaze on Alayse and began to laugh, claiming that Alayse was a flower of Ulustrah, whose women were all weak. Gersius saw the anger flaring in Alayse's aura, but she, too, kept her calm. Gersius offered the woman her freedom in exchange for the information, but she demanded her duel.
“She technically has no right to make that demand,” Lilly said as she came to stand beside Gersius. “The wise ones outrank her here. She cannot speak for them.”
“I will speak for myself,” Shorri insisted, but the oldest of the wise women stepped forward. Her face was creased with age, but her hair was still dark, and her eyes were full of fire.
“You will speak when we permit it,” the woman interjected and came to the bars. “I am Zahain, wise woman of the Doan. And we will not tell of the Dragon’s plans.”
“They probably don’t know it,” Sarah said. “All this is bluster.”
“We know everything!” the red-headed wise woman shouted from behind.
“Why do you waste words with these weaklings?” Shorri asked as if the idea were detestable.
Zahain turned her old eyes on the younger woman and explained that she was speaking to a dragon. She then pointed to Sarah, Thayle, and Lilly. Explaining that they were all dragons, walking in human form. Shorri finally looked surprised and demanded to know how and Lilly explained it.
She told the story of Balisha and Solesta and how they wanted the dragons to learn things like love and art from the humans. Thus they were given their human forms and told to go into the human lands to learn from them. All was well until dragons started to fall in love with humans, and they began to share themselves. This made Balisha delighted, but it angered Solesta. The two began to argue over the plan as Solesta grew concerned the dragons were losing their nature. It all came to a head one fateful night when a female dragon prayed to Balisha and asked for her blessing to bare a human man, a child. Balisha granted the prayer and Solesta flew into a rage; thus, the first dragon war began.
The woman looked hesitant to believe her story, and several had flashing lights above their heads. Gersius could see they wanted to call her a liar, but they themselves had been deceived. None of their dragons had shared the secret that they had a human form or spoke to them with any measure of courtesy.
“I need proof of these wild claims,” Shorri said. “If you are a dragon, show me.”
Lilly nodded and asked several women of Ulustrah to help her by standing in a tight line for her to hide behind. Lilly undressed as the women in the cage watched with looks of awe, and then the transformation began.
Gersius smiled as Shorri's eyes widened at the sight of the great swirling mass of white smoke. She raised an arm as if to protect herself but stumbled black when a blinding flash, like lightning in a storm, burned her eyes. She stumbled a few steps, blinking to clear her sight before she could look through the bars and see the truth. Lilly had not been lying, as before her stood one of the great dragons, with scales as blue as a summer sky.
Lilly intentionally shook the ground as she came forward, lowering her head to peer into the tiny cage. The Doan warriors cowered at the back, as did two wise ones. Only Shorri and Zahain stood strong enough to meet Lilly's gaze, but they trembled at the awesome sight.
“Now, do you believe me?” Lilly asked in her dual voice to lend power to her words.
“Why would they not show us this?” Shorri demanded of the wise one.
“They keep their secrets,” Zahain replied.
“They don't show you because they are ashamed of it,” Lilly answered for them. “They believe that by having a human form, we will all succumb to the weakness of loving humans. We will all eventually seek to share in that love and soil our blood with yours. They see you are vermin and tools, useful only for bringing them food and metals. All those dead you left in the field of battle died so they could further separate themselves from you. They seek a way to destroy Balisha; as long as she exists, the dragons will have a human form. Once she is gone, so too will our ability to mingle with your kind and share in your ways.”
“Why would they seek such a thing?” Shorri asked.
“Because they are cursed,” Lilly replied and softened her voice. “When Solesta was finally defeated, her last act of madness was to curse the dragons. She bound their hearts to be like the most hardened hearts of men. They are vain, greedy, violent, and arrogant. They cannot feel love, or empathy, or compassion in any form.”
“Then how is it you are here to explain all this?” Shorri asked, gaining some strength.
Lilly nodded at the woman's wise question and began a new story, explaining how their Gorromogoth sent a dragon to murder her. She spared no detail of how badly she was broken and left to crawl in the dirt and die a slow wasting death. She then spoke of the human champion who arrived to save her, but because of the curse he had to bind her to keep her from harming him. The Doan listened in amazement as Lilly explained how that binding broke her curse, and for the first time, she saw the world as she should have. She learned how to love, and eventually grew to love this man who had come to save her.”
“But, he is the man?” Zahain said and pointed to Gersius. “And he is a dragon.”
“No,” Sarah interjected and stepped forward. “He is still human.”
“But we all saw his eyes,” Zahain insisted. “He has the fire.”
Sarah came to the bars to stand beside Lilly's head. “He is bound to myself and Lilly and shares in our power. You see, Solesta had it wrong. It wasn't the dragons who were becoming weak by sharing with men. It was men who were becoming strong. By being loved by a dragon, Gersius and Thayle are slowly gaining our gifts and, over time, becoming more and more like us. They are no longer human, but not quite a dragon. They are something in between, something powerful and wonderful, and your dragons do not want you to know this can happen.”
“This is not possible,” Zahain said. “A human becomes like a dragon?”
“You should show them,” Alayse said and looked at Thayle. “I know seeing it had a dramatic impact on me.”
“You drew a sword on me,” Thayle scolded and folded her arms. “And tried to banish me from the temple.”
“I was in shock,” Alayse said. “Just as these women can’t accept it, I was so overcome by what I saw I didn’t know what to think.”
“Hmm,” Thayle said and asked for some space.
Gersius stepped back as his wife unlaced her dress and opened the back for the wings that would soon appear. Before the amazed eyes of the Doan, she was shrouded in a white mist, and a second flash stung their eyes. A moment later, a reptilian form emerged with wings, a tail, and curved horns. Thayle held her dress to her body, but it was clear that she was no longer human.
“By the masters,” Zahain gasped. “It is true. They have become like dragons.”
“Why would they not want us to know this?” Shorri asked. “What purpose does keeping this serve?”
“I told you, they see you as vermin,” Lilly explained. “And they do not wish to share their power with creatures that are so far beneath them. It isn't their fault; they are blinded by the curse and unable to change their ways. But you must understand they plan to take the choice to mingle with humans away from all dragons. Whatever they intend to do on the eclipse is meant to destroy Balisha, and if they succeed, I will never be able to share my love with my husband again.”
“Likely, they will lose their dragon gifts as well,” Sarah added. “Men will forever be severed from dragons, and they will no longer have a use for you. We will become two cultures that see one another as a threat.”
“This cannot be,” Shorri stammered and shook her head. “I refuse to believe this.”
“Look at her,” Sarah demanded and pointed to Thayle. “This is what Solesta wants to stop. Humans and dragons becoming one culture and people. She sees no value in your lives outside the food and labor you can be terrorized into providing. You are being used, and your lives are wasted by those twisted by her curse. None of you are to blame, not even your dragons. All this falls on Solesta's head, and if you do not help us find this location, she may very well win, and your so-called masters will no longer need your services.”
The Doan woman looked at Thayle and looked upset, but they held their ground, saying that they had always followed the will of the dragons. If they wanted to keep these things secret from the Doan, they must have good reasons, and they would not question them. Only Shorri seemed to be truly bothered by the display, but she differed to the wise ones and would say nothing except that Lilly's story had to be lies.
“How do you dispute the dragon woman standing right before your eyes?” Lilly demanded.
“I do not dispute it,” Shorri replied. “But I was raised to obey and will not deviate from my path now.”
“Is there no way to make these insufferable people listen?” Sarah growled.
“Yes, there is,” a voice said as all heads turned to look at Rose. She stepped forward, her eyes glowing with red fire as she regarded the wise ones. “You accept her challenge as their champion,” she said, pointing to Shorri. “By dragon law, a dispute between peoples can be settled by a battle of champions. The winner is proven right and the losers must accept the outcome.”
“How do you know the dragon law?” Zahain asked as she shrunk away from Rose.
“I am one of your dragons,” Rose replied. “Your people know me as Karalistra.”
“The dragon of the western barrens is here, walking among our enemies?” Shorri gasped.
“You have betrayed your brethren,” Zahain accused. “Did the other dragons who were supposed to aid us do so as well?”
Rose looked hurt by their accusation but Gersius stepped close and asked how this challenge worked. Rose explained how both sides would appoint a champion to fight in their honor. They would meet in a ring, and both sides would clearly state the matter to be decided, then the two would fight to the death. The winner would be proven right.
“Hmm,” Gersius said as he looked at the dangerous leader of the Doan army. “Does it matter who we pick?”
“It must be somebody who fights with weapons,” Rose said. “It would be dishonorable for you to put a battle priest or weaver against her.”
Gersius nodded and approached the cage to face the three wise ones. “I will put up a champion to battle yours but on the following terms. If we win, you tell us everything you know about this plan of the Goromogoth. I want to know exact times, places, purposes, etc.”
“And when we win?” Shorri said arrogantly.
“You all go free,” Gersius replied. “I will ensure you are returned to your people unharmed. I will also allow any of your remaining army to escape.”
“Then I accept your terms,” Shorri said, folding her arms. “But I hope your champion is good. I carry the title Dances with knives for a good reason. I am the deadliest knife fighter the Doan has ever produced.”
“She is very skilled,” Jessivel agreed. “She wounded five men in heavy armor before we could chain her.”
“We will be free before the sun sets,” Zahain agreed.
“I will fight her,” Alayse offered, but Gersius raised a hand.
“No, I want her challenger to meet her as equal as possible,” he said.
“So, somebody who fights with knives or short weapons,” Sarah replied as she knew exactly what he was thinking.
Gersius nodded and turned to Lilly as he started to smile.
“Lilly, bring me Ayawa.”