Scales and Honor: Emerald Secrets

Chapter 13: Righteous flames

As he neared the surface, Arcturus could only imagine what their reception would be. It had not been long since the gnome ran up the stairs, so it was possible they didn’t have a strong defense prepared for three adventurers and a dragon coming up to greet them. Would they fight, though? Were they all tainted? Or just some of them? A soldier such as Bertram saw the world in black and white, but for Arcturus, a paladin of Bahamut, things were never as simple.

Nevertheless, the plan was going to be a simple one. Arcturus would advance with shield of faith thrust forward to throw off some of the energy crossbow fire. Lyndis and Veledar would turn invisible and wreak havoc among the forces waiting to ambush them. Merlia, afterwards, would find a properly concealed place to strategically slay opponents blindsiding the rest of her party. If anyone surrendered, they would, of course, show mercy, but once the combat started, those who joined it would have already forfeited their chance at walking away from it. He said as much as they advanced up the stairs.

“Long as I get to burn those wretched people’s hovels I’m fine.” Veledar hissed, next telling them how much he looked forward to attaining his true size.

With all this going on, he hoped Lyyreth and Cordenth would catch on and join the fight. The cannons posed a major threat, but given that the fight took place inside the fort, Arcturus figured they would not fire at their own men and property. In case of their perceived victory, they would have to explain all the damage to their patron, and a small party such as theirs was hardly worth the loss of their military careers.

In that regard, the politics of Lumara itself worked against its sworn defenders.

Arcturus heard the clamor from above sooner than he spotted the first rays of light spilling onto the steps high above. He picked up the pace as he pulled his sword free, allowing the white light of holy magic to spring forth around the blade. It seemed to ripple like water as it clung to the blade, casting its rays on the bleak stone around them. He bounded up the final steps and charged through the open door with his mirror shield held high to block any energy blasts drawn his way. When springing an ambush that you could not thwart, the best way was to behave in every other way that the opponent didn’t expect, especially when the men lying in wait knew not the capabilities of his sword and shield.

He shouted as he ran out into the open, finding no weapons firing at him, no soldiers surrounding him, no archers on the walls. There were only the sounds of frantic soldiers shouting orders and stumbling about, taken aback by what could only be one reason. He heard the occasional snap of energy crossbow fire, followed by a scream, and then a resounding roar. The roar of a dragon.

"We've got the dragon on the run!" came a shout, followed by the sound of additional crossbow shots.

Lyyreth appeared from the back of the barracks’ roof, bounding over it. His claws ripped up some of the clay tiles, tossing them to the ground as he frantically avoided the energy crossbow shots directed at him. It looked like the dragon had not emerged unscathed however, as some of his green scales were scorched black. As soon as he spotted Arcturus, Lyyreth landed in front of him, panting as the rest of the party caught up to him.

"This wasn’t part of the plan," Veledar reprimanded his fellow dragon before he returned to his proper size in a flick of his tail. “Though it may just saved us the hassle of handling a proper ambush.”

"And where is Cordenth?" Lyndis cut the red off, her head rotating practically around to scan the many roofs.

"A horse enthusiast wanted to impress his mates with his knowledge on our breed." Lyyreth said, lowering his snout down slightly. "And when one of the men touched me at his behest, I got nervous, panicked, and turned back to my true form, to the surprise of the group. I’ve been fighting and running the entire time."

"But you said you were the best at shape-changing!" Veledar snarled. "You gave me a hard time for the exact same reason that thwarted our plan just now!"

"Not now, Veledar," Arcturus said, pointing at the soldiers starting to regroup behind the corners of the barracks, pushing their crossbow bearers in front to loose the occasional errant shot.

“Behind,” Arcturus urged, getting his party behind the cover provided by the prison. “We have about a minute before they group up and approach us in squads. You are all fortunate they are such crap shots, otherwise we wouldn’t have discussions about shape-changing in the middle of a bloody battle.”

"Where is Cordenth?" Lyndis asked again, a certain urgency permeating her voice.

"We got separated in the mayhem that ensued. Figured it would be for the best if we fly away and let them believe we were spies employed by whoever they fear. But then, a gnome came out of the prison and alerted the whole fort, so we decided to interfere in their plans and help you out in the process."

"That was some good thinking. Our best strategy is to find Cordenth, regroup, and set off a few tactical fires to burn strategic spots of this encampment.”

“They’re upon us, Arcturus,” Lyndis warned, readying the rest of her party.

From around the building filed in fifteen soldiers. Half of them carried standard energy crossbows, while one brandished a new design that Arcturus had never seen before. The man holding it was clad in gleaming full plate and carried the large crossbow in both hands, holding it from the top instead of grabbing it from the bottom. It boasted numerous vents and glowed malevolently a dark crimson. The other eight wielded a variety of swords, spears, and axes, flanking their companion clad in full plate clearly to prevent surprise attacks on him.

Lyyreth poked her head for a glimpse, then retreated behind cover as soon as one of the soldiers fired a crimson bolt in her direction. “Well good news! They know where we bloody are. Bad news though. They aren’t friendly.”

"There they are lads! Let ‘em have it!" shouted a man, as if to add credence to the half-elf’s words.

"They have another dragon!" came the cry of another, pointing to the protruding tip of Veledar’s tail that he quickly ducked behind cover. “And he’s a red one! Unless we painted the green one with his blood!”the guards split to take cover behind some wooden crates and boxes that were scattered around.

“There goes our element of surprise.” Arcturus sighed, setting his shield infront of him. He tightened his grip, the familiar adrenaline of battle quickening his heart. He nodded when Veledar turned to him, a pleasurable spark in his cerulean spheres. “Charge.”

Veledar roared out in fury from behind Arcturus as the men took aim with their bows. Arcturus lunged from behind cover with his shield to draw their attention as Veledar bounded over him in with a flare of his vast wings, sending their attacks to cover with his firebreath. The orange inferno swept over a handful of the men unlucky enough to escape. They collapsed flailing, consumed by dragonfire. Before the rest of the men could react, the red dragon swooped over their head, drawing their fire. Given his low glide, his tail found purchase around a man, carrying him several dozen feet to crash into a building’s wall, then slumping to the ground.

While Veledar had the attention of the crossbow wielders, Arcturus activated his shield of faith, letting the blue field envelop him. He saw some of the men swivel their crossbows towards him, but it was already too late for them to do any harm. Veledar had given him the ground he needed.

One of Merlia’s arrows flew over his right shoulder. It struck a man wielding an energy crossbow right in his eye. The victim crumpled to the ground, clutching the arrow with a pained groan.

Eager to pick an easier target than a dragon, their next volley of energy crossbow shots were aimed at him this time instead of the dragon. He saw the one with the new weapon point towards him as he charged forward, encouraging his squad to do the same. “Get the one with the shield!” he screamed, unloading everything his weapon offered on Arcturus.

The red bolts slammed against his shield as he ran, one right after the other. To Arcturus, they felt like mere bumps to him despite the threat they carried. One such shot from a regular crossbow would destroy a normal wooden shield, and a few more could pierce a metal one. However, this new weapon fired the bolts faster like a rainstorm, and yet, they still impacted uselessly against the shining surface, leaving no scratch on its surface. Arcturus grinned at the dismay of the man who had no more shots to spare. The lesser crossbow bolts did not even connect with his shield; instead, they were deflected by the blue field of magic surrounding him. He saw them flow off him like water, much to the collected horror of the guards in front of him.

"It's not working! We have to…" one of the men attempted to change the strategy, only bo be silenced by another of his ranger’s arrows. With a thud, the man collapsed on the ground, as did the ones next to him. Thanks to Merlia’s intervention, Arcturus made it to the rest of them unhindered. He found himself facing eight of the soldiers wielding melee weapons. They stood with their weapons at the ready, guarding the energy crossbow wielding ones as they recharged.

He flourished his weapon, a tentative strike flowing next to test the mettle of these soldiers. They didn’t break, one blocking his weapon for his ally with a clang. Good they weren’t entirely useless. Though they seemed unwilling to advance on him. Their ranks were soon scattered as Veledar flew overhead, letting loose another burst of flame. His attack set the whole barracks ablaze in an orange inferno, incinerating the ones within and breaking the ranks of the men outside of it.

The soldier with the new energy crossbow, having learned from its futility at piercing Arcturus’ shield, took aim at Veledar and let loose a near constant stream of red magical bolts. It sounded like the scream of a banshee as the man fired without interruption. Steam started to billow out the vents like thick white snakes. He tailed the dragon with his volley of energy bolts, forcing him to ascend further into the sky to get out of the new weapon’s range.

Arcturus took advantage of the confusion instilled into the men by the dragon's roaring fire. One of them tried to keep Arcturus at bay with his spear, but with a swift chop from the glowing sword, he severed the thing's head and batted it away with his forearm, following up with a slice that cut the man across his chest. The chain mail provided no defense against the magical enhanced blade; it cut right though the worn metal like a hot knife through butter. Another man took his place and leaped at Arcturus, sword raised high. With a short, brisk shove, Arcturus’ shield smashed into the man's frame with a crunch, causing him to stumble backwards in a daze. Winded and hacking and clutching his broken chest, Arcturus ignored the soon to be dead opponent, striking at a man wielding a sword and shield that rushed forth to defend his fallen comrade. His sword met the man's hardwood shield, cracking by sheer force of strength and sending the wielder stumbling backwards from the paladin's enhanced weapon.

“Don’t go at him one by one. Flank him, you fools!” One of the savvier men attempted to coordinate his panicked brethren. The others attacked Arcturus at the same time and from different angles, meaning to land at least one incapacitating blow in the process. Arcturus was forced to side step a jab from a spear, block a strike from a sword, and back up to avoid being pressed into their lasso. The men pressed their advance, emboldened by the renewed success of their tactic.

At least until Lyndis interfered. The half-elf appeared beside him, holding her hand outstretched. Flames burst forth from her left hand and made several of the men back away while covering their faces with their hands. One unlucky sod that got too close to the source of the spell caught fire and fell screaming to the ground as his body cooked from the flames.

Then, another arrow flew past Arcturus, and with a blink of white magic, the arrow split into four separate ones, angrily seeking victims. They did so, making each one stumble back with widened eyes, some clutching the shaft in disbelief.

"This would be the proper time for you to surrender!" Arcturus yelled, drawing the attention of the remaining soldiers before him. They all but had to look at their fallen and the dying to make their decision known.

“Into the prison,” Arcturus directed them to the place most fitting for their like. “Convince your fellow men to do the same, and I swear on my word as a paladin that no harm shall come to those who discard their arms in front of the prison.

Even the man garbed in full plate discarded his ridiculous weapon, fleeing ungainly in his heavy suit on the way to safe haven.

Arcturus' attention was drawn from the surrendering force as he heard the thunderous sound of energy cannon fire. It appeared that three of the towers had gotten someone to man them. Each of the metal cannons firing large beams of brilliant azure energy, streaking across the sky towards the flying red dragon. Veledar kept his attention on the cannons’ movements at all times, staying just out of their reach, forcing them to turn sluggishly so that he could swoop upon them. He started with the cannon closest to him, letting loose his inferno on the gunner, who was promptly reduced to ash. Then, he shifted his focus to another tower, and when he closed in enough, a cone of intense cold sprung forth from the dragon's claws. It washed over the gunner in that tower, freezing the man to his very controls.

Another shot rang, as thunderous as the ones before it. The blue energy beam seemed to pass by the dragon’s chest, but this time, the red dragon roared in pain.. Arcturus hoped that it was only a glancing blow as the dragon paused not for a second while he closed in on the last gunner. Veledar swooped in , snatching the man in his jaws and, with a yank, tossed the man violently into the air, unleashing a roar of victory. The dragon dipped his wing membranes and prepared for another pass, no doubt ready to slay whoever dared approach those cannons again.

Arcturus pried his sight away from his friend striding his way over to Lyyreth who kept a watch on the prison for any errant soldier that might dare lift a weapon off the ground and do something foolish.

"We can’t spare anyone to watch them while Cordenth is still unaccounted for," Lyndis said, only for the both of them to swerve their heads to the loud, crashing sound that could only be a dragon’s doing.

As if to answer her question, Cordenth slammed straight into one of the buildings, sending wood and burning debris scattering around.

"We got this one, lads! Press the attack!" he heard a shout from the group of soldiers that had Cordenth trapped.

"Let me handle this. I’m the only one who can offer him direct assistance," Arcturus warned his companions as they both prepared to head into danger they didn’t fully understand. On his way to the green dragon, with his shield raised in front of him to deflect crossbow bolts, Arcturus could see that his scales were covered in numerous black burn marks just like Lyyreth’s. As soon as he reached him, he shifted his shield to other hand to point it at the enemies and use his free hand to heal the dragon. Magic sprung forth from his palm, flowing with white tendrils over the green scales. Cordenth’s breaths evened instantly, his pained snarl growing quieter as his muscled relaxed..

"I couldn’t have asked for better timing. No wonder Veledar keeps you around," the dragon smirked, winding his tail around the human and pulling him into cover. “Lets not give them a free shot shall we?”

"Or it might have something to do with your inability to shy away from dangers determined to claim your life,” Arcturus allowed himself a moment of amusement before focusing once again on the encroaching soldiers. “Now that you’re healed, I want you to take Lyyreth and head into the air. Help Veledar in destroying whatever weapons the soldiers might use against us, and don’t kill those who don’t want to kill you.”

“But…” Cordenth stomped his claw, a savage snort his retort. “Look what they did me.”

“We’re not like them,” Arcturus cut off the dragon’s train of festering thoughts. “We have to be better than that. Now get a move on.”

Cordenth gave a nod. "Be careful. All of you," His eyes focused on Lyndis, a concerned flash lingering in them. “Especially you.”

"You’re the one who is always reckless!" Lyndis countered back, pretending to brush off fake dirt on her shoulder.

The green dragon rumbled, curling his neck back to his brother and giving the dragon a sly smirk. “Come little brother. We have a job to do."

“You’re only a few minutes older!” Lyyreth hissed, flaring his wings and frills.

The green dragons beat the air like an enemy, pouncing to the air with a wave of scattered dirt. They let loose twin roars that struck awe into the hearts of the men who thought they had them cornered. They tossed their weapons to the ground, raising their hands towards the sky.

Now that the group who chased Cordenth surrendered their arms and headed for the prison after witnessing Arcturus’ healing prowess, the group earned itself a moment of respite, enough to focus on other things.

"So, how do we go about getting this message back to the king?" Lyndis asked.

Merlia care padded her way over. "Dat da time, lass?" She crouched low, behind one of the wooden crates scattered around. Her dwarven eyes scanned for any approaching soldiers, her bow and arrow at the ready.

"If not now, then when?" She snapped to Arcturus, "Hey sir clanks a-lot. You know these people’s forts better than I do."

"Aye.” He shook his head, sighing at her candidness. “The first place we should visit is Bertram's quarters. I imagine he had a sending stone himself, so that he could relay messages quickly to Entis," To his dismay he looked up to see two soldiers too brave and foolish to surrender, thinking they could end this threat all by themselves. They brandished their energy crossbows, looking to put an end to them.

Merlia let fly one of her arrows, catching one of the men in the neck, right above his breastplate. He fell backwards, clutching the arrow. Arcturus heard the dwarf mumble something under her breath as the second man ducked behind a wooden beam for cover. Merlia just calmly nocked her second arrow and drew it back.

"Ya can't hide from me!" she shouted, loosing the arrow. “Me arrows will be sniffin ya out!”

The arrow flew towards the man. When the arrow got close, it curved in a way so that it flew around the beam to strike the man dead behind it. The ranger cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

"Nice shot!" Arcturus exclaimed.

"You tink dat was a nice shot?" Merlia asked with a laugh, patting the oathbow. "It's all in da bow, lad.” She wiped her grin with her thumb, “Though even without it I'm a great shot."

"Now that the way is clear, we should head to Bertram's office before we draw more unwanted attention. With any luck, they will be too busy dealing with all the damage our three dragons are unleashing."

The three dragons sailed overhead in what appeared to be an attack formation. Veledar let loose a breath of fire, lighting the smithy ablaze. The green dragons flew on either of his sides, letting loose small clouds of poisonous gas meant to deter the humans from extinguishing Veledar’s blaze.

“Head to the prison, forsake your arms and live,” Veledar roared for all the fort to hear. “It’s a far better alternative than getting incinerated or choking on poisonous gas!”

Arcturus led the others through the fort as a constant stream of soldiers hurled their weapons aside and removed their cumbersome armor in the middle of their jog to safety. They passed three groups consisting of several soldiers that dropped their weapons at the mere sight of them, already aware of who this group was.

“You’re doing the right thing,” Arcturus said to them to further stoke their decision. “Head for the prison, and none of you will get hurt. I promise.”

With no one left to stop them, they made it to Bertram's office unhindered. That was until Lyndis went to open the door to the office. Nearby commotion alerted them of another group’s presence, one that seemed concerned with looking through buildings, consisting of four guards and a gryphon. The gryphon had brown feathers and fur covering her body, with teal tipped wings. The four guards consisted of two human males, one elven male, and a human female. One of the human males was Bor, who had a look of complete terror on his face as he looked to the sky above.

“We’re not going to fight you,” The elven man said, lifting his hands to show that he wouldn’t reach for the sword at his hip. “We’re trying to get as many of the helpless victims to the prison, which is where you want everyone to go apparently.”

"The dragons are on our side, and they won’t damage civilian structures unless provoked," Arcturus said, mildly disconcerted with the thought that one of the three might get jumpy and do it anyway. “The prison is large enough to hold all of you. I’ve seen it myself.”

"What about the prisoners?" the gryphon asked, her yellow eyes narrowing. "Are they still trapped below?"

"We got them to safety," Lyndis said with her hand still on the doorknob to the office. "And out of your villainous hands."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Not our hands, I assure you," the elf snapped back. "We’ve been sneaking one prisoner out of here at a time for months."

"Be that as it may, I do not require your aid, so either go to the prison or go about your business knowing that your fellow guards may not share your empathy," Arcturus said.

“But there must be something more we can do!” The elf insisted. “Whoever wronged you is not cowering in huts or digging through ruins for lost loved ones.”

Arcturus nodded, recognizing that the elf was right. "Fine. If you’ve truly been helping prisoners, then you won't mind using this stone to get as many civilians out of here, as well as yourselves when you’re done." He gestured to Lyndis, who pulled the stone from her pouch. "None of the soldiers you cannot vouch for, however. I’ll be the one to decide who gets sent away and who remains in the ruins of this place."

"Lad, what if dey be lyin’ to us?" Merlia cautioned. "Dey could just be tellin’ us what we want ta hear!"

"Then they will have the Emerald Lady to deal with," Arcturus said grimly, thinking about what she would do with those sharp teeth of hers. It probably involved ripping and dismemberment, to say the least. He shook his head to get the image out of his mind.

"Dat is a good point!" Merlia exclaimed. "I forgot about da cranky green witch."

Lyndis walked over to the elf and held out the stone for him. She briefly went over how to use it with them, making sure they understood the activation phrase as well as the hand movement required. The elf and his companions handled the stone in turns, ensuring that each of them knew its inner workings.

"Arcturus...." Bor said slowly when his turn came." All of you... thank you."

"Na problem lad. It’s what we do!" Merlia gave the man a nod and a quick salute.

"Just go and be safe. We shall see you soon enough, Bor. For now, we both have our missions," Arcturus waved them goodbye as they headed for more houses to rescue people from.

"Well, it is certainly nice to see that even in a place such as this, there are good people in Lumara," Lyndis said, opening the door to Bertram's office with a loud creak. "It's nice to see people like you in Lumara," she stopped Arcturus in the doorway by grabbing his hand. "I want to thank you for helping me save Gerald. When I first met you, I… thought the worst of you."

"Don't worry about it. For a split moment, I doubted the group from earlier too. It’s how this world taints us," Arcturus replied, walking into the office. "No matter where you are from and who you are, evil always finds you and tests you." He shook his head, trying to get the image of the torture chamber out of his mind.

"Well, we should probably start checking through his stuff before the evil outside decides to come sniffing," Lyndis pulled open a drawer from Bertram's desk with a clatter, causing some of the papers on his desk to scatter to the floor. Arcturus and Merlia joined in to help as well. They started digging through all the paperwork, drawers, cabinets, and everywhere else Bertram would have kept the sending stone.

"Look wut I found!" Merlia shouted, holding up what appeared to be erotic pictures.

"Merlia!" Lyndis laughed, slapping her hand to her forehead. "Those don’t look like stones."

"Well, now we know wut he kept in here!" Merlia chuckled, starting to leaf through them quickly. "Tink I might keep a few of dese!"

"Merlia!"Arcturus rolled his eyes. He then shook his head and went back to searching through the small chest he found. Unfortunately, he only found a brown cigar wrapped in a red wrapper and various other papers detailing cheating strategies for Arwent, a game played in every tavern of Lumara.

"Wut? It’s quite the exotic collection that he amassed. Some of them feature exotic species too," the dwarf continued to laugh, stashing some of the pictures into her pack.

"Found it!" Lyndis thrust up a palm sized brown stone.

"At least one of us is productive.” He chuckled, “Now, we just need to find someone willing to send a message,"

"Why not git Veledar ta send da message? Git him all intimidation like!" Merlia suggested while digging through a pack lying in the corner of the office.

"What are you even looking for? More dirty art to steal?" Lyndis quipped.

"Nah, sated that particular need. Now I be lookin’ for loot, gems, cigars, booze, anyting dis arsehole kept here," Merlia shot back, tossing papers onto the floor. "Hah! Found some!" she cheered, pulling out a small silver flask with the engraving of a gryphon on it. Arcturus walked over and handed her the cigar that he had found. "Tanks lad!" she stashed these, too, into her pouches, "Now I can leave dis place happier den da red baby is in da sky."

Roars from outside drew Arcturus' attention back to the matters at hand. "Well, enough pilfering the dead captain’s belongings. Back to getting someone to send this message, and I know just where to go."

Arcturus walked outside to see Veledar glide overhead. The dragon opened his maw to let loose another wave of fire down onto the burning barracks. Arcturus heard a chorus of screams cry out from the direction of the dragon’s breath. Right behind his force of destruction were Lyyreth and Cordenth, picking off what Arcturus assumed were survivors with their poisonous gas. Concerned that the dragons turned their ire on those willing to surrender without much pressuring, Arcturus picked up the pace as he started to make his way to the point where the dragons had focused their breaths. It was possible he could find survivors there.

He looked up as he ran to see Veledar turning to start another attack, this time swooping down on the supply depot where several crossbow wielders gathered in a squad to try and take on either of the dragons. However, this time came the earth-shattering sound of thunder, like it was only a few feet from his ears. He watched two blue lances shoot up from where he was heading. The bright lights of magical energy collided with Veledar as he swooped overhead. The dragon roared in pain as he was struck from the air and forced out of Arcturus' view. The loud, ghastly sound of splintering wood filled the air, and he couldn’t help but picture Veledar crashing into a building, his wings broken and bloodied from the impact. He heard the dragon let out another, weaker roar of pain, soon dwarfed by the cheers of men. Energy crossbows soon filled the air with the non-stopping sound of their snaps, their brethren emboldened by the success. Arcturus willed his feet to go faster as he ran towards his friend, shield at the ready, mind steeled and ready to do whatever he had to.

With every step, his concern for the red dragon began to take over his military discipline. He could feel pain coursing through his limbs with every step, though deep down, he knew it was not his own. It was almost like it was coming from the dragon himself. He did not know how, or why, but it was happening. It was the only thing that made sense to him as he rounded the corner of a building, passing burning wreckage after burning wreckage.

He rounded the last corner as Veledar continued to roar out over the sound of the energy crossbows. When Arcturus finally found him, Veledar was backed up against a building together with Lyyreth and Cordenth, all three dragons protected by a golden dome of shimmering magical energy. Facing the trio was a collection of soldiers that stretched as far and wide as the shield allowed, all brandishing energy crossbows. They spread out effectively, so that if the dragons unleashed their breath, they would only be able to snag maybe one or two of the soldiers while exposing themselves to the fire of others in the process. Five of the soldiers were carrying the larger crossbow from before, firing nonstop lines of constant red energy shots at the edges, hoping to catch a dragon’s tail or wing. Despite all the shots from the men, Veledar's shield was holding. It rippled like a pond’s surface as the myriad of bolts impacted it, seemingly undamaged by the onslaught.

Knowing that they were temporarily safe, Arcturus shifted his attention to the large, eight-foot-tall construct that stood across Veledar, similar the ones he had seen in the woods. Where those had six limbs to brandish weapons, this one had two large energy cannons on either side of its torso. The end of the cannons ended with a propeller-like device that was spinning, heated steam rolling from it. If those cannons proved to be like the ones on the walls, Arcturus figured they had to recharge every half a minute before they were able to fire again. Ample time to get some sort of attack in.

Arcturus looked to the walls above the fort. His first thought was to have Merlia and Lyndis get to the towers and use their own cannons against them in a surprise attack. Surely the beams would be able to make short work of the gathered men. However, he also had to take Veledar’s shield into account, as well as Merlia’s and Lyndis’ positioning. He was not sure how long the dragon's defense could hold. To top this whole dilemma off, he had to somehow keep one of the enemy soldiers alive to leave a message. Sure, going to the prison to ask one of those who surrender seemed like the simpler option, but none would be too quick to aid him, and using force to coerce them made him a hypocrite.

No. It had to be one of those still fighting. His eyes quickly found one of the men wielding an energy crossbow that shouted orders to the rest of his men. He was balding fella that bore a scar on the back of his head, his age and poise hinting at a life led in the service of Lumara. Good. It meant he had something to lose.

"Any suggestions?" Arcturus asked when Lyndis and Merlia caught up to him. "We need the balding man over there alive."

" I could turn invisible and take him hostage," Lyndis proposed, tugging on her cloak suggestively. “I know you’re thinkin it.”

"How ‘bout we take down da blazin’ metal ting first!" Merlia pulled out an arrow, already readying herself. "We gotta lot of magic between da tree of us. Dat done, I cast a good ole fog cloud, giving da dragons cover! ‘Cause we already know dey fight just as good in it! Den da men betta start beggin’, cause dose dragons will make short work of ‘em!"

Arcturus had no time to think things through, so he picked Merlia’s option for its effectiveness and simplicity. "Very well, Merlia," he patted her on the back encouragingly. "Let’s get to it before Veledar’s shield runs out."

"Only got a lightning arrow spell left after, though." Merlia twirled the arrow through her fingers, "so one of you two must back me up with something better."

"I only have the magical rapiers, and they seemed immune to my cantrips yesterday." Lyndis pulled out both of her rapiers. "I figure I turn invisible and look for an opening on the thing while you two keep it busy. Maybe down a soldier or two in the process. Lots of people were hurt down there."

Arcturus just nodded in agreement. "Then I will charge forward with a shield of faith spell. Should be able to wash off most of the lesser crossbow fire. I have no idea how it will handle the bigger one, though." He then looked to see that, while the normal crossbows were taking snap shots off at Veledar's shield, the bigger ones never stopped firing. Perhaps they won’t turn and will instead focus on the dragons.

"Any better ideas before we start?" He said, breathing in deeply and setting his shield at the ready. He gripped the handle on the inside tight.

"None that I can think of. Let’s get this started!" Lyndis clasped her brooch and activated the invisibility cloak, disappearing from view. Arcturus muttered "Spaan", summoning forth the familiar blue, shimmering shield of magic, after which he charged towards the metal monster towering over them, shouting a battle cry to get the soldiers to focus on him. He heard several yells from the men as he covered the ground quickly towards the construct, the squad facing Veledar shifting their attention to him instead. With each step, he felt like he was reliving that one fateful moment in Entis, where Dread Flame had butchered his family. This time though, he was going to make it in time. He held his shield high as the construct swiveled to face him. He saw the cannons had stopped letting out steam, hinting that they almost cooled off.

Shit. He didn’t count on it turning, let alone do so almost as fast as the men.

Arcturus clenched his teeth as the thing fired its twin cannons in a brilliant light of blue magical energy. The clap of thunder was near deafening at this range, and he could not hear Veledar cry out to him. Even the men had ceased their fire to see the foolish knight reduced to ash.

"ARCTURUS!" he imagined the dragon shouting, fear all too present in his roar. “THE BEAMS ARE MAGIC! THE SHIELD! USE THE SHIELD!

He gripped the shield’s handle tightly as he ducked behind it to block the beams, holding a deep, painful breath in his chest.

The twin beams slammed into the mirror shield in an instant, their sheer force of a battering ram. He gritted his teeth and held fast as his arm and shield trembled from the crackling magical fury. That was when he felt something from within, calling from the shield. He could feel the magic swirling within the shield, begging to be released. He had to return it quickly or lose his chance. So, he focused his gaze on the construct and pictured the beams turning back on it. Sure enough, in a brilliant stream of light, the beams rebounded towards the construct. They carved twin holes into the metal monster, slicing the cannons clean off.

At the same time, an arrow sparking with electricity sailed past the paladin, striking the empty space where one of the cannons used to be. It lodged into the machine’s frame glowing an angry yellow before exploding, bathing the construct in bolts of slithering electricity. The thing started to squirm and spasm as a cascade of sparks showered the area. Only stopping with a metallic screech, plumes of blackened smoke coiling up from it’s marred hide.

With a determined smirk on her face, Lyndis appeared out of thin air ontop of the metallic horror. She flourished her rapiers before plunging both of them down into the thing's red eye, causing a flash of golden light the moment she pierced the crystal lying at its core. She back flipped off the construct as it collapsed onto the ground as nothing more than a pile of twisted metal.

Arcturus saw the one giving orders fall silent, dumbstruck by what his party had achieved in such a short time span. Though that only lasted for a few fleeting moments.

“Well kill them!” The man barked, slapping two next to him on the back.

Merlia was faster. Her thick fog already engulfing the squad of soldiers before they had the chance to take aim. It spread across the area, invading every inch with a cloud so thick that you could not see your own hand right in front of your face.

"Now, Crimson Sky!" Arcturus shouted. "Let them have it!"

The dragon unleashed a mighty roar, that seemed to ignite the air aflame. It even eclipsed the two others to join him, a terrible song of the coming death that no man should hear. But here they were.

Arcturus lowered his weapon, raised his shield, and signaled to Lyndis and Merlia to fall back behind cover. His breath slowed as pity had sunk into his bones.

"Surrender now!" he shouted over the sound of energy crossbow snaps filling the air, followed by a scream of pain. It ended abruptly, followed by a dragon’s snarl. "Surrender and you will be shown mercy!" he stopped to wait for a reply and, soon enough, he earned it.

"WE SURRENDER!" shouted the man who’d been giving orders. "MEN, THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS! FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS, YOU WILL ONLY END UP KILLING EACH OTHER!"

"Listen to your better, you blind fools. Any of you holding a weapon when this fog lifts won’t live long enough to get a second chance," came Veledar's voice from the fog, deep and terrible. If Arcturus did not know the dragon as well as he did, he would have been pissing himself in his pants for sure. "Do I make myself clear?" Silence hung in the air as Veledar gave his message a chance to sink in before reinforcing it with an ear shattering roar. "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Yes, of course, absolutely sir dragon!" came a collection of pitiful cries from the survivors.

"You heard them, Merlia," Arcturus requested. "Lower the fog."

"Right away, lad."

Arcturus watched as the thick fog began to evaporate before his very eyes. The first thing he could see were the flames that consuming every building, making it seem as if each one possessed a crown of flames. Next was the towering gaze of his dragon r, his blue eyes filled with equal parts restraint and savagery as they scanned the collected mass of kneeling soldiers. Then came the forms of Lyyreth and Cordenth, standing several yards away with their snouts plastered in blood. It dripped from their maws slowly, painting the ground beneath them

Only six soldiers remained, every single one of them shivering as they threw panicked, furtive glances at Veledar. Arcturus could see that not even one of them held a weapon.

Good, there was to be no more bloodshed then.

"What are you going to do with us?" One of the braver men inquired of Veledar. "Eat us? Maul us? Incinerate us?” His words caused the others to mutter to each other in panicked whispers.

"I will do no such thing,” Veledar said, folding his wings tight to his sides as he made his way to Arcturus. "You will go to the prison, where the rest of your people who had enough common sense currently reside. On the way there, share the wisdom you have attained here with your comrades, otherwise it is them I shall eat. Now, which one of you is in charge?” Veledar started to slowly circle them like a hunting cat as Lyyreth and Cordenth cordoned them off to make sure none left before their business was concluded.

"That would be Captain Bertram!" the man that had been shouting orders yelled out.

"Unfortunately, your captain lacked your foresight and was appropriately handled!" Veledar sneered in the man’s face. Arcturus saw the man turn his head to the side, closing his eyes, expecting the worst to happen.

"This means I require the next one in command. Come on, you egg-head," Veledar tapped the top of his head with a talon. “Give us what we’re looking for, so that the rest of your squad can carry their piss-stained pants somewhere else.”

"T-that would be me, Crimson Sky!" the man dramatically dropped to all fours, his hands touching the ground as he wailed. "I’m not like Bertram! I’ve done no wrongs in me life and hurt none that didn’t wish to hurt me first."

Veledar chuckled, offering the man his tail to help get him up. "Have some dignity, will you? You surrendered, which places you under the mercy of the paladin standing over there, which I dare not tarnish. Besides, I need something from you. A simple enough task, to be sure."

The man hesitantly gripped Veledar’s tail, using it to hoist himself onto his two legs. "Whatever it is you need, I will make sure you get it." The man looked up as Veledar focused on him with predatory eyes. It looked like the dragon would rip the man to pieces in an instant, as his frills on the side of his face quivered ever so slightly.

"I need you to send a message to your king." Veledar gestured to the burning fort around them with a wingtalon. “In it, you shall mention that every fort such as this will be burned by my fire, for I will take from him as he has taken from me," Veledar snapped his teeth inches from the man's face at that last bit, causing the man to flinch.

He then shared a glance with Arcturus, who shook his head at the proposition. It wasn’t that he didn’t agree with it; Veledar could see the determination to punish Lumara burn deep within his eyes. What he wanted—what he needed—was for Veledar to be better than that.

Veledar’s frills twitched in frustration as he turned to the man, favoring him an elegant smile. “And please do mention that, while the king must pay for what he has done, his subjects do not. So, he shall give a public decree that all such forts will be abandoned, otherwise you and the rest of the survivors will all spread the tale of how he willingly let those people die when he could simply prevent it.”

The man nodded, gulping down audibly. "I can certainly accommodate, if only I—"

"Got the sending stone right here," Lyndis pulled out the stone and held it aloft for all to see. She then casually strolled up to the man and placed it in his hand. When he moved his hand away, Lyndis grabbed his wrist, squeezing it with all the strength she could muster. “Do not omit any word of what the dragon said.”

"Thank you, minion," Veledar grinned at her, causing Arcturus to chuckle under his breath as the rogue muttered a few curses, shaking her head.

The man held up the stone and spoke what Veledar had wanted him to say. His voice remained eerily smooth throughout the process, drawing from every ounce of his inner strength as a leader to keep his words even.

"It’s done," he said, trying to hand the stone back to Veledar who just looked at him, puzzled. “What am I supposed to do with it? Swallow it? Minion, scoot over and do me this other service.”

Lyndis groaned audibly but did as he requested. “I am not your minion,” she kicked Veledar’s ankle hard enough to make him wince in discomfort. At least none of the men dared to even attempt a smile, most likely too terrified.

"Well then, this means our business is concluded. I suppose your king will send someone to rescue you, so go make yourself comfortable with your fellow men in the prison you built until we’re out of sight. Then, you can do what you please with the ruins. They’re yours to keep," Veledar lifted his snout, smiling at his work. Arcturus saw the pride in his blue eyes, punctuated with a final, satisfied drag of the air.

“Shite,” Merlia said, aiming and loosing an arrow faster than Arcturus could blink. “Got a rowdy pair o’ gryphons flying our way.”

"Diraak, don’t!" came a screech from above them. Arcturus looked up to see a grey feathered gryphon flying straight for Veledar with his talons out, ready to strike the dragon down. The gryphon was being followed by another one with white feathers, clearly female. Unlike the attacking gryphon, she seemed intent on catching the grey one.

“Don’t,” Arcturus shouted his own warning as he drew the crossbow he had grabbed and activated the rune on it instinctively, without even looking at it, while taking aim.

“Don’t? Are ye speaking tae him, or tae me?”

“Both,” he said with a low, hushed voice before he raised it so that Diraak could hear. “Your leader surrendered. You have nothing more to fight for. Give up, else you’ll force my hand!”

When the gryphon showed no signs of slowing down, Arcturus fired several bolts in quick succession, each of them striking precise spots in the gryphon’s body to incapacitate him without causing him lasting damage. One impacted the beast’s chest, causing the cat bird to screech in pain as its feathers burned. His second pierced the bone of the gryphon's right wing, causing it to wobble in the air. The last shot struck one of its talons right before it tried to slash at the retreating dragon.

Veledar spun around before the gryphon called Diraak could even touch his scales. In one swift motion, he pounced on the dazed gryphon and pinned him to the ground. The gryphon let out a pained gasp as Veledar pressed a claw against his throat, the fight in his eyes being replaced by fear as he squirmed, his struggle forcing the dragon’s grip to tighten.

"Please don't hurt him!" the gryphon from behind screamed as she landed before them gracefully. She turned trembling and gasped as Lyyreth and Cordenth flared their wings. "Please spare him!" she begged, "We both mean to surrender!"

"Traitor!" the gryphon spat as he continued to flail within Veledar's grasp like an unruly child. Working dirt into his feathers. "The paladin there is a good for nothing traitor! Skraaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!” He shrieked in pain as Veledar dug his claws deeper into the gryphon’s flesh.

"I suggest you speak kindly to my paladin. He is the only reason more than three quarters of your fort are cowering in the prison you built!" he snarled, pressing down again on the gryphon to get his point across. The cat bird shouted in pain once again.

"Please!" the female gryphon pleaded. "Diraak, do you truly wish to die here? To fight after everyone else surrendered?"

“That is mighty foolish indeed,” the newly appointed commander of the ruined fort said, kneeling beside the gryphon. “Diraak, you bird-brained fool, it’s over. It’s all over. Look around you!”

While he did, Veledar turned to the female gryphon. "What's your name, gyphon?"

"Azurisz," she spoke softly, her eyes locking on her brother's struggles. “He’s always been too proud for his own good.”

"Aye," the commander said, grabbing him by the sides of his head to whisper words too soft for Arcturus to understand. Whatever he said, it caused Diraak to cease his struggles with a resigned sigh.

“He’s not going to give you any more trouble,” the man said to Veledar, beads of sweat adorning his brow.

"You better not squander this opportunity." Veledar got off the gryphon and walked a few feet away, curling around Arcturus with a threatening growl. Dirraak did not move from the spot, preferring to lie there in the dirt. Azurisz rushed to her brother, but he simply batted her away with a wing, turning his head from her.

"What about the prisoners?" Azurisz turned her attention to Veledar after she looked around at all the burning buildings.

"They are in a safe place. Your concern is touching, little kitty bird." Veledar swayed his tail slightly, pulling his head back with a slick tilt to the side.

"Thank the gods. I have been helping set some of them free, after…well, it’s too long a story," she said after sharing a look with the commander, who seemed equally surprised.

"You too?" asked Lyndis, baffled.

"You…my sister…!?" Diraak gasped, spitting blood from his beak and onto her white feathers.

"Looks like he needs some help," Arcturus said, strolling over to the gryphon who attempted to lash out at him with a talon. Arcturus swerved away from the strike, then used his foot to pin down his paw. “I’m not asking, Diraak. I’m offering.”

Diraak turned his head and glared at Arcturus with his green eyes. "I do not need help from a trai......" his words were replaced by a deep breath of relief as Arcturus placed his hand of his chest to heal him.

“Feels better, eh? As every fresh start should.”

His most prominent wounds mended, Diraak scrambled onto his feet and trotted away sullenly.

"That settles things between us," Veledar snapped, causing the soldiers to suddenly stand at attention. "All of you will be staying here, and if I spy any of you following us, I will return and find creative new ways to teach you the meaning of disobedience.”

The soldiers all gave him quick quivering nods, their eyes wide as they watched his tail thrash about.

"He does remember we can teleport, right?" Lyndis whispered to Arcturus, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I think he is too caught up in the performance," he replied back, watching as the dragon went on about making sure they understood his orders.

"Fine. Enough threats. Time to go." Veledar turned his head towards Azurisz. "Azurisz, was it? You best come with us as well, unless you would rather stay here." Veledar pointed his tail towards the soldiers. Azurisz only nodded in reply as she looked to her brother, only to find him gone from sight. She dipped her head before walking over and taking a stand near Veledar.

Arcturus mounted the dragon after he had crouched down. He knew it was not going to be for long, but he couldn't wait to be in the sky again. He could feel a small sense of anticipation building in his gut, and it almost felt like he could feel Veledar's own relief at departing from his place right alongside his. He looked down to the soldiers from the dragon's back. They stared back at him with squinty, angered eyes. Like he was nothing more than a monster he used to read about. He graced them with a hardened look, setting his hands on the dragon’s neck. Already his mind started to ease.

"Ready?" Veledar asked.

"You know we can teleport using the stone, right?" Arcturus whispered to the dragon.

"Of course I know, but flying’s far better than muttering some stupid incantation that always ends with irritating dizziness!" the dragon spread his wings and bounded into the sky with a mighty flap. They spiraled upwards into the sky, the horrid blot of a fort growing smaller by the moment with each eager flap of the dragon’s wings. Those sharpened looked appeared in the vast blue horizon, judging him without words. It was hard to believe he’d been like those soldiers once. How long ago it seemed now, ages even. Almost like it had been a past life.

Veledar curled his neck, flashing him a knowing smile, a need to go higher twinkling with the sun. Almost begging for his compliance. So Arcturus returned it, letting the warmth it provided flow from his cheeks to the core of his being.

“Well go higher then!”

The dragon roared his approval, beating the air with his vast wings, scattering any cloud foolish to get in their way.

He had a different life now. One on the back of a dragon.