Landhapis indeed was furious about the limbo the armies were stuck in. Solummger talked about pushing the final strike now when their soldiers are in good shape and those wounded in the last battles have healed. But it was Skey-Er that made the deciding move.

Yrzlaruki could never prove that some spy broke her beloved machine down and the Eola plane had to be sailed back to Solummger for repair. Without it and so far from the sea where a colony of wingfingers was established, the allies could not search for the enemy from the sky. Yaphara, no matter how far he was willing to stretch his loyalty, would never let go of his three wingfinger dragons and would never reveal the location of a secret saltwater reservoir in Skey-Er territory. They kept meeting with him in the evenings and visited the hidden village in Nogo Forest. Verlar showed another talent and was fast-learning dragons' sign language. Magalla and Ottaine tried it too but found it much more challenging. With little (Magalla) or absolutely none (Ottaine) talent for drawing, without any way to write down a soundless word, they struggled to remember the vocabulary. Yr visited the tribe only once that second evening. She was terrified but not by the dragons but by the consequences she was now facing. As Magalla predicted, she instantly took Yaphara's and the dragons' side which meant, of course, she stepped on the path of treason.

Ottaine was worried. Yr couldn't sleep at night planning and scheming how to save the Nogo's creatures without betraying her country and her king. 'It goes beyond loyalty,' she kept saying, repeating Yaphara's own words, lying in the middle of the night in Ottaine's arms.

Verlar was quarrelling with Magalla every day. She signed as a volunteer in the infirmary and has successfully finished the fast-track nursing course. She was not part of the army though and Verlar insisted she should flee to Gaal before it's too late. She refused and a few times a day they argued about duty and safety. Magalla was mad that Verlar treats her like a helpless girl, Verlar was mad that she doesn't want to realise how serious things can get and was calling her a reckless self-proclaimed hero to which she answered there's no need to recall Kyeta Asdraghom, to which he called for the gods to give him patience and wisdom to understand female brains, to which she tried to cut him short with 'don't tell me what to do, kid' and proudly reminding him their age difference, to which he just laughed which infuriated her and they would always end up in his bed. Hers was too narrow.

Meantime, far beyond the hills and meadows, under the shadow of tall trees, a Skey-Er soldier returned from the west still wearing peasant's clothes and Lanhapis-style hairdo. He talked for hours to the officers and they were making a plan looking from time to time in the direction of a vast half-wild grazing area. A week later another soldier entered the headquarters and announced triumphally: 'It works! Once you tame alpha and beta the rest obeys!' The generals congratulated very enthusiastically and shortly after they sent letters with orders to the divisions.

The trumpet sounded in the afternoon. A metallic voice calling soldiers to prepare for the march and for yet another battle reached the outskirts of the camp and went silent with the whispers of 'finally' following the alarm. Nobody wanted to die, but if there is death awaiting - let it be over.

The Skey-Er was marching north, the allies didn't want them to reach such easy ground with a huge electric fence at their back. More to the south was a better option for a battlefield despite a hilly view.

They marched till the evening and the envoys met with Skey-Er. The armies in the sudden rush of humanity and mercy promised not to attack until morning.

When the messengers came back to see Landhapis and Solummger commanders they swore the Skey-Er soldiers seemed to be digging holes at the back of their stations.

'They are making latrines' they laughed and told some toilet jokes. A few Landhapis officers didn't laugh and asked:

'Are you sure there were holes, not trenches?'

'In that case, maybe we should...' another general asked.

'No. We need to get ready to crush them tomorrow, not waste time on digging.'

'What if they ARE trenches? What if they are planning to keep the battle long? I will not risk it. My Special Forces colleagues will take care of it,' said lieutenant colonel Varsheghom. 'Just in case.'

'You will only waste your time, Varsheghom,' a slim and wiry general looked at her with disapproval. 'It's not wise to spend essudi's energy, and our soldiers' who would provide it. You want to do it for a feeble 'just in case' scenario? We have the battle to win tomorrow.'

'With all due respect, General Snevser, you spent this war planning and scheming, which you do with excellence, but I spent it fighting and watching the enemy. They are not... they are not Landhapis recruits. Skey-Er is in a very bad situation, they are outnumbered and tired. Why then they made the move? A quick suicide? I don't think so. They must have a plan even if it's a bad plan. And a part of this plan is digging stupid holes? I am taking it seriously. Yes, there is a possibility they dug the trenches either to hide in them or to mislead us, although if they wanted to mislead us they would not waste THEIR energy and strength? Maybe they just dig latrines. Don't we want to have the same? Just in case we stay here longer than we wished? I have learnt not to underestimate Skey-Er. Whatever Landhapis might have told us, they are neither stupid nor sick with revenge people. I will dig those bloody holes, trenches, burrows. Just in case.'

She excused herself from the headquarters and gathered all special forces officers and a bunch of volunteers from her division. The soldiers who had served under her command from the beginning have learnt to trust the stern woman with their lives and if she said 'dig' they looked for shovels.

Verlar spent the evening double-checking on the krools and repeating the procedures with Landhapis' new trainers.

Ottaine was obediently digging.

Magalla was in the infirmary preparing syringes with painkillers and learning on a dummy about the use of a misericorde knife, absorbing all the gravity of what she's learning.

Behind Skey-Er camp was a wide and low hill. All night the allies’ spies were checking if someone was hiding behind. The intelligence claimed the whole enemy's army was summoned, which diminished considerably after the previous fights especially the Firewheel Field battle. Even if some troops were hiding in the proximity they would not be enough to change the result. Skey-Er had a well trained and efficient army but that wasn’t enough facing joined troops of Landhapis and Solummger. Now, they were outnumbered ten to one, facing not only krools that could crush the man's skull and cut a person in half with one bite but also faced a professional army motivated by the memory of one woman. That's probably why Skey-Er dug the trenches, preparing for a long-lasting engagement - that was the conclusion the allied commanders agreed on.

The morning arrived too soon, hot and moist with a little rain. In one of the huts, a brother and sister woke up, lazily stretched and rubbed their sleepy eyes. Their mother's gentle voice led them to the corner of the room where the parents bent down above a basket where an egg was cracking. The mother was singing a song the siblings knew so well: a wake-up hymn for an adventure, a lullaby for sweet dreams, a soothing melody to comfort in sorrow, a joyous tune to embrace life. The song was changing every time, all the notes and meaning were there, waiting for the little ears to catch and hear them. Now there was another member of the most faithful audience arriving: their brother or sister was about to enter this world.

Half an hour later the proud father announced the name of his new daughter and the chief of the tribe visited the happy family with traditional blessings for the baby. He exchanged looks with the new baby's father and they went outside. In their trilling voices they talked about the world behind the Forest.

'It is today?' asked the younger dragon.

'Yes. Our Elder friend claims his folk is planning for two or three days later but I could see in the others their tiredness will force them to clash earlier. It must be today, this morning, any moment.'

'When will we know?'

'Our friend will come as soon as he has the news.'

'And... What is your prediction? Which side is going to win?'

'Ah... this is beyond our guess. Too many variables, too many unknowns.'

'We will have time to move north and warn the others. Maybe the Elder Ones change their minds before they kill us.'

'They will not, I'm afraid. Only the Elders can convince Elders. Our only hopes are now fighting each other as we speak. All we can do is wait. Meantime, let us not waste time. You enjoy your new child, today stay with your family. I will gather the rest of the tribe to carry on with the work. The materials we saw last time are easy to copy, the weave is strong. Don't worry, there are still many variables and there is still hope.'

'Do you want to use it to escape?'

'If we must, yes. Or to pay a visit, maybe to rescue... many scenarios will clear up soon. Now go, you have a new life in your house to care about.'

It stopped raining.

When the battle began on the signal from general Snevser of Solummger, Skey-Er stood no chance. They fought bravely, everybody had to grant them that. Using almost exclusively defending tactics they seemed to try to push the line back in a desperate move to hold as long as they could. Strangely, they were using only white arms. No guns, no rifles, no bows.

The allied commanders didn't like it. Such bravery just to fight as long as they could? Before they're killed? No, it wasn't Skey-Er way.

Their use of cold weaponry was explained when the krools with new riders and leaders from Landhapis that had been trained by captain Vorgeghom made the move. Skey-Er has learnt from the previous encounters. They saved rifles and crossbows to shoot the dragons, aiming at the soft spots like eyes and opened mouth, or the throat. One soldier would swing a stone with a sling sending it above the krool's head and the other with a finger on a trigger would wait for the dragon to look up and expose the neck. They also used a very clever manoeuvre with explosives that happened to be some very smelly gas. Unfortunately for Skey-Er, it didn't affect humans and only one-fifth of krools got confused or lost direction for a short time. The krools were hard to slow down and even harder to kill. Yet the Skey-Er soldiers managed to put down a few.

On the wing of the line, while making a shield, Yrzlaruki whispered to Ottaine:

'They are losing. It will be over today.'

'I know. When it's over... when Landhapis wins...'

'They kill the dragons. All of them. They kill this planet's future.'

Ottaine looked at Yr with widened eyes. Is that what she was thinking about the dragons from the Forest? If so, Yr would do anything to stop Landhapis. Anything.

'Princess, don’t wait for me. It's time someone starts talking,' Yr said and without looking back as she stepped into the chaos towards a proud figure on horseback in Skey-Er uniform, seen in the distance.

Ottaine watched her fighting with the sword, pushing forward without stopping to kill. Yr had a gun with a full load and didn't use it on the enemy holding sables and spears. She used all her force and power to just go, further and further. Long minutes later Ota saw the Skey-Er rider retreating with a tied captive. So that was Yr's plan, to get caught and speak face to face with someone in power.

The allied forces were winning. One hour more and it's over. Skey-Er was trying to desperately hold the positions, hiding behind walls of shields and barricades of krools' dead bodies. You could see their desperation, many didn't try to hide tears coming from the pain and fatigue. They were standing on shaking legs, shooting the last quarrels and bullets.

And suddenly, the air was pierced by a loud blow coming from all directions. The fighters stopped for a moment, the pairs of sparing enemies froze. Landhapis and Solummger looked around surprised, Skey-Er exhausted soldiers cried with relief.

The sound was nothing anybody ever heard before: harmonious yet chaotic, orchestral yet wild. It was accompanied by rhythmical stomps from behind the hill, getting louder and faster.

While the allies' troops soldiers were shaking with fear asking 'what is that?' one soldier in a navy uniform, holding a dragon tamer staff, was standing still, listening. He shook his head in disbelief because all of a sudden he understood. Verlar recognised the loud sound that resembled a giant wind instrument's reverberation.

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'Where is the commander? Where is Varshgom?' he asked a soldier next to him.

'Varshgom? She's been captured. Lileghom commands this section,' the woman answered.

Verlar didn't have time to think of the meaning of the news. He had to get to the commander as quickly as possible.

'Ottaine!!!' Verlar was shouting and running as fast as he could. 'Move!!! I need to speak to Lileghom!' he was screaming, pushing the soldiers and knocking them to the ground. The sound was getting closer, Skey-Er soldiers were shouting something that sounded like 'Hold on, they're coming!' and one by one moving backwards, step after step, vicious grins on their faces. Solummger and Landhapis didn't understand what's going on. The sound, the shaking of the earth, the Skey-Er rush to the trenches...

Verlar finally reached his friend.

'Ota! Listen to me!' he gasped. 'This sound... this... this is dragons! Crestelmetts!'

'A what?! What are you saying?' she didn't understand.

'A species of dragons. Native to the continent. It's their sound,' he was short of breath but there was no time to waste. 'Dragons. Herbivorous. Massive. Look!' the last word he said pointing behind the Skey-Er army at a small hill. The top was now being filled with a long line of beasts the size of krools. The sound was now deafening.

'Shit!' Ottaine was watching them through her binoculars. 'Look at those lances' she said. Verlar took out his spyglass. The crestelmetts, a hundred or more of them, were carrying riders holding enormously long spears, at least three metres long. Verlar spotted men standing in the first row, holding sticks with coloured ribbons, just like his.

'Bastards!' he whispered. 'Ottaine, they have trained dragons. They are about to ride on us any moment, crush us with their feet, pierce us with those spears like flies with the needles! Save your soldiers! We stand no chance! Save your people!'

The trombone-like sound of crestelmetts' skulls now mixed with Skey-Er soldiers' cries of joy and crescendo of shaking ground. The mass of dragons and lances went down the hill, Skey-Er army dived into the trenches and holes they had prepared for this moment the night before, putting shields and desks on top like trapdoors.

Ottaine looked at Verlar with despair.

'I'm too weak...'

'So do it! Use me! Now!' he shouted without hesitation.

'I promise I'll carry you to safety,' she said and took all his energy.

A moment later she ordered all the soldiers around her to run to the trenches she and other essudi dug the previous night when Yrzlaruki made the decision despite the generals' disapproval. She took barely conscious Verlar and they dived in the nearest trench.

'Yr saved our lives' Verlar whispered when he and Ota squeezed in the hole with other dazed soldiers. Above them, the battle turned for Skey-Er from slaughter to triumph. Verlar and other soldiers looked up at the sky and listened to approaching footsteps. Suddenly they saw a shadow above their heads, some people screamed and a moment later there was only darkness for all of the people in that trench.

Crestelmetts, half-wild dragons roaming the eastern parts of the continent vast grasslands were captured mere weeks ago by desperate people who had observed Solummger tamers and learnt from the battles with krools. They stole their enemy's techniques in training the large beasts and discovered to their relief that those giants who live in herds of two to five tens are easy to tame. All you need to do is to identify the leading couple and start working on them. The dragons' distinctive feature was the way they communicated with a low pitch sound produced by crests on their skulls. And yes, they could be taught to use it on demand. When they sing all together in tens the effect is breathtaking and terrifying to those who had never heard it. A massive brass orchestra echoing between the hillsides with a range of twelfth playing in instinctive harmony, with narrow vibrato on the lowest notes and waves of crescendo from one end of the flock to the other. Skey-Er mastered the conducting in the time of need and did it perfectly. Their soldiers, having been prepared for what's coming, knew how to behave, when to run to the hiding. Landhapis and Solummger, taken by surprise, could not stand a chance.

The surprise worked the way to victory. The herds were kept miles away, the battle was not supposed to start so soon. The intelligence miscalculated the rate the troops would march at Skey-Er. Maybe it was for the better, the soldiers became even more motivated to hold the enemy until the dragons and spear-bearers arrived. The presence of the hill was bliss from gods or fortune, it added to the effect of shock for the allied forces: they didn't see the army of dragons, only heard them without knowing what this could be. When the rescuers stopped on the hilltop they gave the Skey-Er soldiers time to retreat to the trenches and running down increased the speed of the singing dragons. Shortly, the battle was over. Allied troops of Landhapis and Solummger waved the white flag.

Magalla has heard the stories about the Firewheel Battle. While waiting for the end of the massacre, terrified and trembling, she heard nurses remembering that day.

'I thought I would never stop smelling blood and guts when I go to sleep. But of course, I got used to it,' said one next to her.

'For three days I couldn't rest my head. Sewing, stitching, draining, cutting, sewing, stitching... on and on and on,' joined another.

'And sawing,'

'Ah, don't remind me. I had to cut all four limbs from one boy. Can you believe, when he woke up and we told him he was...'

'Devastated and wanted to die. I know. Seen that, been there.'

'No! He was so happy to be alive! Yes, true story!'

A cannonade of shots could be heard followed by a scream of thousands of men and women. Magalla jumped on her chair.

'Oooh, we have a sprog here,' she heard someone's voice, very slightly shaking. 'You are one of the new volunteers?' She confirmed with a nod.

'You are... unusual for a Landhapis woman. This hairdo, the independence, boldness... Who are you?'

'I'm not from Landhapis. I'm your fellow, from Solummger.'

Instantly she was surrounded by the rest of the team.

'I know! You are that woman who travels with the army and finds the best deals with the locals!'

'I haven't... well. Yes, you can put it like that. And now I wanted to be of use and signed for the nursing course. Here I am.' A senior nurse or maybe a doctor reached out her hand:

'Welcome on board. We are happy for every pair of hands and eyes. I hope you don't faint right away,' she said with a warm smile.

'As a newbie, you can choose what to do after it's over. You choose between staying here, where the wounded will be carried or you can go out with the field team. Your duty would be tourniquet or misericorde. Don't worry, it will not be your decision to make. I mean hopefully not yours.'

Magalla took a deep breath. They are risking their lives at the very moment: Yr, Ota and he.

'I want to be out in the field,' she chose. If anything.... She wanted to be there.

Hours later, still horrified by the sight and sound of the dragons Skey-Er brought with them and how they were used, Magalla walked the battlefield with two others. She killed three soldiers impaled by a lance and didn't blink an eye. She only focused on delivering the silver blade's kiss smoothly and quickly. The reflection will come later, maybe during sleep. She pressed countless cloths to the wounds, tightened bleeding limbs, held hands and gave painkillers. She also stomped on heads with surprise frozen forever in the eyes.

She saw a body of crestelmett and soldiers helping to move it. A silhouette in a Special Forces uniform was sitting bending next to it, covered in dirt. The essudus was removing something from underneath the dead animal. When the mass of meat and bones was rolled away the other soldiers joined in removing lifeless bodies from a hole beneath. One after another, dragged and put on the ground. And then Magalla saw one of the bodies removed from the pit was wearing a Navy uniform.

'No. No, no, no,' she started whispering through already flowing tears. 'No, this can't be. No, no.'

She ran to the trench and kneeled on the ground. It was him, lying motionlessly with an ash-colour face. She couldn’t see any chest movement.

'Magalla!' she heard Ottaine's voice. She looked up and saw a tired, dirty face smiling at her.

'He's not dead, Magalla. None of them is. They are just drained. I drained them,' she said and looked at the dragon's body. Magalla understood and laughed with relief. The dragon fell on the trench and trapped people inside. Ottaine had to use an enormous amount of energy to move the carcass and free people that had been hiding in the ground.

'Go, do your duty. I'm staying here and I'll watch them. You'll have your man back.'

Magalla wiped her tears and stood up.

'And... where is Yr?' she asked.

'She was captured by Skey-Er. Before the dragons,' Ottaine pulled Magalla and finished speaking into her ear: 'She thought, we all thought, Skey-Er will lose. She got caught on purpose, figured out this would be the only way. We can't lose Nogo. We must do everything we can to stop this Landhapis madness. Those people don't know what they are fighting for. None of them. But Skey-Er? I can't read minds but I could swear their leaders all know the truth. When I was in that trench, after the dragon collapsed, I heard Skey-Er soldiers laughing and saying 'You won't control the forest, bloody islanders'. And then I heard... Never mind. We all kill at war.'

'You say Skey-Er was told that Solummger wants to control Nogo?' Magalla couldn't believe it would go this far, the misinformation war.

'I don't read minds. I don't know. They are motivated, they know it's not about farmlands or revenge for burnt villages. They won't stop and you know what? I'm glad they won't. Landhapis must be stopped, even if I'm to give my life for that, they must be stopped. Their king, his ego and his fear. Go, the wounded and dying are waiting for you. Go.'

It seemed hours until they were able to stand up and return to the camp. Verlar was the last one and Ottaine started to worry about her friend. A medic spotted them and stopped to ask if they needed his help. When Ota explained he checked on Verlar and said he could be given a drip to help him but the infirmary was already running short.

'Give him that to drink,' he said, handing Ottaine a bottle with some liquid.

She gently lifted his head and started pouring the medicine in his mouth and soon he was able to sit down.

'What happened?' he asked.

'I had to Demand you again. I'm sorry.'

'No, the battle. Who won?'

'They did. Skey-Er.' She said. Verlar's adrenaline level went up right away. They looked at each other, smiling and happy.

'Hey, at least pretend in front of the others that you are devastated,' Ottaine reminded him.

'Magalla was here. When you were dragged out from the pit. She thought you were dead.'

'Did you tell her?'

'Of course I did. But before I explained to her what happened I saw what I saw. She loves you, Verlar.' He didn't say anything but Ottaine saw the answer on his face. It made her think of Yr. She was not heard of since the battle ended.

Magalla didn't get much sleep for the next few days. She was told it's not as bad as the Firewheel and that's when she realised she has enormous deposits of weakness in her. Physically, she could do more than any other nurse, it was the mental strain that challenged her the most. Seeing death and pain, often not being able to do anything to help, catching sleep on the floor. The wounded didn't just die or healed overnight. She nursed suffering men and women, changed their bedsheets, cleaned them and smiled at them hiding her impulses. She learnt there is nothing repulsive if you want to show true kindness.

Verlar came in to see her but she never had any time, until the day they buried the last dead, the seriously wounded were transported to the city and the rest started recovering.

The next day after she had her first undisturbed night of sleep Yrzlaruki returned.

Her soldiers welcomed her with cheers and shouts of joy. She explained that after the allies waved the flag, Skey-Er generals in the act of goodwill released the prisoners. Later on, face to face with Ottaine, somewhere between silent hands holding and lovemaking, she told her about a deal she made with the enemy. Ottaine called friends and partners in crime so they could listen to what had been agreed upon.

'They have four generals and a field marshall, currently in their capital. All five know about the Deinos Project. And their king of course. When I said Yaphara's name I was 'arrested' and met the generals.'

'Were they suspicious of your essudus powers?' Ottaine asked.

'They were. I told them everything, with a little demonstration too. I even suggested they use Yaphara's precautions, with passwords,’ she laughed shortly. 'They reached Yaphara the next day, he confirmed we are on their side. So here is the plan: because the war is not over yet (Landhapis refused to capitulate) I will try to get to our field marshall or even the king and once I can talk face to face, I'll tell them the truth. Fair play or not I will convince them to retreat from the continent. Then when it's done I will be explaining why I used my influence illegally. I know it's risky. Yaphara will use his spies and back me up if needed. And yes, I've made up my mind. It is a cause worth fighting for.’

'What do we do?' Verlar asked, ready to act.

'They want you,' she looked at Ota and Verlar, 'to speak to generals and convince them to look into Landhapis' misleadings and break the Treaty. As you know, we have been suspecting Landhapis haven't been honest with their allies, that's why Ota was sent into Skey-Er territory. Officially, your mission failed. Now we re-tell this story but carefully. If needed, you speak about Yaphara and Nogo Forest but please, try to stay away from the subject until I can get to the marshall. He is in Rekeeren, Landhapis king, Pulgek, might be feeding him all this 'Skey-Er's mass destruction weapon' tale.'

'What about me?' Magalla wanted to know.

'I told them there were three of us. Only soldiers. Trust me, it's always better not to show all your cards.'

'Don't protest, Gally. Yr is right. If anything goes wrong we need you to stay away from suspicion,' Verlar tallied with this decision.

'Yaphara will be having our backs, hopefully. Come on people, let's win this war,’ Yrzlaruki finished and told Verlar and Magalla they could go.

She felt so tired. The war, fighting, losses and now the responsibility.

‘We all are in this. Together.’ Ottaine reminded her.

‘I know, princess. And I hope we succeed. If we don’t – at least we will try.’

‘Come here. You need to relax. Come to me,’ Ota said and pulled her closer. She gently started kissing her lips and neck, unbuttoned her shirt and caressed her breast. Yr moaned and hid her face in Ota’s hair.

‘I love you so much, princess. You are my haven, darling. Come on, before we run out of time.’

They hid in the shadows of their tent where Ottaine was making Yr astounded how fast learner she had become.