A/N: A quick note, and disclaimer. I own nothing, except the story itself, and the idea for the Drackoni race. Everything else, DnD, Kim, Shego, all the other characters you recognize, are the sole property of their prospective creators/owners/companies/what have you. I make no money off this, and not sure I could if I tried, but I won't try, so please don't sue me. This is the first thing I've posted in a while, so bare with me, I'm coming off some major writer's block and stress induced burnout. But please, enjoy.
As for the DnD world, time line, what have you, I'm not a DnD player. I mean, I own Neverwinter Nights, but I've never actually done the pen and paper thing. Read a couple of the books once upon a time, but that was years ago, so all my knowledge of DnD is from the few source books I've managed to download, and in true DnD spirit, at least according to the books, I've merely decided to use them as guidelines, rather than set in chiseled stone... MOST of the discrepancies should be explained as the story progresses, I hope, as shall a few things that have happened before the story started that you'll need to know. NOW, On with the show.
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It was dawn when the first clouds of dust were seen on the horizon. The possibility that it could have been as simple as a farmer passing on the mountain trails to the nearby township for trading, a caravan of pilgrims, or even a party of adventurers heading for the ancient temple, didn't escape the blue-scale on watch. However, years of war and death had taught the Drackoni to be cautious at the best of times, and damn well paranoid given the slightest reason. That's why the Watch-Weyr sent a trio of Whip-Tails out through the rocks to scout the pass and find out what they could of the travelers.
As the blue-scale waited for their reports, he sighed as the dust cloud got larger and larger. He had already signaled the Greatwyrm and The Clan Elder when the three Drackoni scouts returned and reported a force of mercenaries and soldiers lead by a warrior clad in black and green armor. They also reported that a captured scout had revealed that their destination, was the Clan-Weyr.
That was why the Council had convened, and what it was here to discuss; the defense of the Brightscales Clan against the children of man. And as her father's personal guard, Kim was allowed to attend the meeting. She eyed the council wearily because she knew what this meeting would decide. Stand and fight, or move deeper into the mountains where only Drackoni could follow.
The first she took notice of was her father. He was a gold-scale, and the current Greatwyrm, chief of the Brightscale Drackoni. Like all of the Drackoni he looked humanoid, mostly. His true race though was revealed in the golden scaled ridges over his eyes, along his cheekbones, and running along his jaw and in two lines down his neck. His eyes were golden and reptilian, and his fingers ended in talon like claws. His black and gold robes covered two other scale ridges that ran down either side of his back connecting his thin wing membranes from his back to his arms. The underarm wings denied him flight, but still allowed him to glide expertly through the mountain peaks.
Kim was always proud when she thought of her father. Not only was he a wise leader, but he was a brilliant wizard. His sharp instincts and genius level intelligence allowing him to understand the workings of a spell to a level beyond any she'd seen. He'd lead the Brightscales for years and kept them safe in all that time. A feat of which few could boast.
Next her eyes settled on her grandmother, the clan elder and another gold scale. Her features reminiscent of her fathers, and though she was first to admit that her father was a much better spell caster, it had been she who taught him. Like her father, the elder had wings that connected under her arms, and wore black and gold robes. In her hand, she held a long black staff, golden dragons etched into the ebony weapon. Though it was formidable in melee combat, its true purpose was to channel pure eldritch energy and allow her grandmother to cast spells without need of preparation, or incantation.
Next her eyes focused on the youngest member of the council. Felix was usually the voice of reason in cases like this. The young white-scale had lost his legs and wings when his family had been caught away from the weyr, and still the young man spoke of peace and possible coexistence with the humans and other, not monstrous races. His white eyes flashed though when any threatened his kin, and he was ruthless when necessary.
Next her eyes settled on Director, a red-scale like herself, but a wingless one. She'd lost an eye in battle and now sat on the council instead of facing war on the battlefield. She was still deadly with blade and claw, and her flame breath was hot enough to scorch even stone to ash, but she rarely used her skills except in training young warriors.
Finally there was her mother. Also a red-scale, she worked not as a warrior, but as a healer. Unable to condone the death of any living creature, she used magic and natural herbs and treatments to heal any who were wounded or sick. Her red eyes rarely missed anything, and her full wings cloaked regally around her body as she sat at the council table.
Her father spoke first, "The scouts report that the force is formidable. There is at least a full squad of spell casters, several mounted cavalry, archers, and foot soldiers. Alongside those are three catapults. We can't match their numbers."
Director spoke up next, "Any soldier in my command could assault ten of theirs single handed. They can not match our strength, magic, or natural abilities."
The elder spoke next, "The question is not can we win, the question is do we fight, or run, and if we fight, what will be the price of victory."
"I might have a suggestion…" Felix spoke, "Though it is risky, it is something I read of in the ancient texts. There is a tradition of champions. Each side will send forth one champion, and they will fight. The terms will be set before the battle, usually meaning the outcome of the entire conflict can rest on a single battle between two warriors. The upside, the costs on both sides are usually much less. The downside… there is no guarantee that either side will abide by the terms, or that who might have won a full scale battle will be the victor in single combat."
"On top of that, there's no guarantee that they would accept the challenge to begin with." Kim's mother spoke up.
"I have a plan," Her father said, "We'll send forth a group with the challenge. If it succeeds, good, if not, our forces will prepare for battle while the wyrmlings, elderwyrms, and those of the clan who are not warriors are moved deeper into the mountains with a small group for protection. With any luck, we'll be able to retrieve them in a few days."
"Then, the question becomes, who will be our champion." Director asked.
Kim saw the faces of all of the council members then, and none were happy. Director, could tell the obvious choice, as her eyes rested solely on Kim herself. The elder, and Felix were not looking at Kim, but rather, at her parents. Her parents had a look on their faces of almost resigned acceptance, but still her father had not spoken to name a champion.
Kim smiled, knowing what her father must be feeling, but it was the best choice, "I volunteer father, I shall lead the party to meet them, as Champion."
Her father turned, a slight sheen of unshed tears in his golden eyes. He knew it was the choice of a leader, but it was hard as father. He nodded, turning back to the council, he blinked the tears away and his voice became that of the Greatwyrm again.
"It's decided then, Kim shall lead a small group forward, to administer the challenge, and the rest of us shall prepare in our own ways. Kim, pick your group, no more than three others accompanying you."
"Yes father," Kim bowed her head before turning and leaving the council chambers.
She moved through the Weyr with a single minded determination, heading first to the chambers of her hatch-mate and best friend. She found him as usual, eating. The blue-scale was roasting a skewer of some kind of meat over a flame, sprinkling it with herbs and spices from a rack near the flame. His blue scales covered his back and like her father, his wings were made only for gliding. Unlike her father, he had a tale that was even length with his torso and covered in a ridge of spines that ended in a lethal spike. His blue eyes were trained on the meat, but his pointed ears twitched as she entered and she knew he was aware of her. Another line of scales covered each of his arms.
As he finished with the meat, he turned his face to her running a talon through the blue spines that made his hair, "We're fighting?"
"At least I am, we don't know yet if the weyr will have to or not." Kim answered, "I lead a small party to meet them, as champion of the Brightscale Drackoni."
He nodded, then turned his head and whistled sharply. A blur of pale flesh darted out of the cracks in the weyr wall and perched itself on his shoulder. The large weyr rat was hairless with eyes like a gold-scale, and sharp fangs.
"Ron, you have the strangest taste in friends." Kim said.
"Hey, don't insult Rufus, and I'm friends with you aren't I?" The blue-scale grinned.
"I rest my case," Kim smirked, "Get your gear together, meet me at the Weyr entrance when you're ready to go. We leave immediately."
"I'll be there." Ron said.
"Yeah!" Rufus chirped from his shoulder.
Kim turned making her way toward the darker portions of the weyr next, her sense of smell leading her toward the halls of her second oldest friend. The young silver-scale, like Ron, was pouring over a fire. On his however was a cauldron and Kim was almost certain that the pale green liquid within was not edible. His silver hair was swept back along his head, flowing along two silver horns. Unlike most he had no scale ridges on his eyes, his face unmarked by scales at all. However, his neck, arms, chest, and back were all scaled and his wings draped around him like a cloak as he worked at the cauldron.
"What can I do for you Kim?" Wade asked as he added a bottle of some powder to the concoction on the cauldron.
"The council has named me as a Champion of the Weyr, I'm to lead a small group out to meet the oncoming force. If all goes well, single combat may save us from an all out war. If not, I need a group to watch my back as we thin their numbers a touch and retreat back to the weyr." She smiled as the young wyrm moved the cauldron from the fire and began to siphon off portions of the contents into small clay spheres.
"You think you'll need some surprises then. I'll pack for a little fun." The silver chuckled as he started to fit the spheres into holders on a bandolier.
"Meet the rest of us at the weyr entrance as soon as you're ready. We leave once we're all there." Kim turned, "And Wade, bring something really special. I have a feeling we'll need it."
"Hmm… I think I have just the thing." He picked up what looked like a glass sphere, filled with silver light.
Kim grinned as she walked away from the young inventors chamber and towards the temple. The next member of her group would be at the same time, a little harder, and much more intriguing to acquire. The temple weyr held shrines to many of the deities of their ancestral race, and the Drackoni worshipped faithfully. Only the evil goddess, Tiamat, and the undead god Faluzure, were denied worship in the temple halls of the Brightscale Drackoni.
As she entered the halls of the Temple Weyr, she knelt first at the shrine of Io, paying her respects to the leader of their pantheon, then at the shrine of Bahamut, asking for wisdom in what was to come. Next she stopped at the shrine of Garyx, asking for a strong flame, and sharp claws in battle. Then she turned and headed for the deeper temple, were each of the deities had worship halls instead of the small shrines. As she came to the hall she wished to enter, she knelt again, and asked the patron for her blessing and acceptance within her halls.
"Tamara's welcome to The Red Daughter, and mine to you Kim. How may the humble servant of Our Goddess aid the Champion of The Brightscale Drackoni?" The copper-scaled priestess turned to Kim, her eyes flashing a bit, but a smile on her face.
Her features were the most draconic of any Kim knew among the Drackoni. Were most had only a ridge of scales over their eyes, and the occasional horns along side the spines that made up a Drackoni's hair, Monique was special. Her nose was scaled, and when it met her eye ridges, they swept back into two Copper-plated horns like a helm, and harder than steel. Her cheekbones were connected to the scaled nose as well and swept back like two thin scaled blades, a single black spine at the end of each. The copper-scales wings were under her arms, like the Greatwyrm's, but unlike the Greatwyrm, hers did not stop at her waist, they traveled from the length of her fingers, down to her feet, and wrapped around her arms and legs when not in use, the many joints of the wings allowing them to fold carefully, and encase her arms and legs in a thin layer of hardened scales.
"I take it most of the Weyr has heard the plan by now then Monique?" Kim asked.
"Word travels fast, especially if one listens to the prayers within the temples. What do you need girl?" Monique dropped a little of the temple formality with her friend.
"Ron, Wade, and I are heading out soon. I'd like a well trained healer, and cleric to aid us. You're the only one I trust." Kim was blatantly honest with her.
"You know how I feel about battle Kim," Monique turned to the temple proper, a hard look in her eyes, "But I can also feel the force coming to attack us. There are undead among them, and Tamara can not allow that to stand." Monique clutched her clawed hand in front of her chest, a soft prayer leaving her lips.
"I need people I can trust on my back Mo, I'll not make you come, but I hope you will." Kim said.
"A price, Red Daughter." Monique's voice echoed with an unearthly quality, and Kim looked around, noticing that the temple hall seemed suddenly devoid of sound, except for the two of them.
"A… price…" Kim said, not sure if she was still speaking with Monique, or something else.
"A price, for the anguish my priestess will face in what is to come. Like all of my followers, she is a strong warrior, but she is a priestess of mercy, life, light, and love." Monique turned back to Kim, and her copper eyes were now shining with a blinding silver light.
"Monique may ask anything of me…" Kim said, meeting the eyes as they seemed to pier into her soul.
"A kiss then, and my priestess will be with you…" Monique's hand came up, caressing Kim's scaled cheekbone, and sending a thrill through her.
Kim nodded, her throat suddenly tight as she felt the touch of the being inhabiting Monique, her scales tingling. Kim's eyes widened as her friend moved forward, the Copper-Scales eyes still glowing with that divine silver light and locked on her own. As she felt Monique's breath touch her lips, Kim finally closed her eyes as her heart thudded in her chest until she was sure that the entire temple heard it. Suddenly she felt the caress of the other Drackoni's lips on her own and her mind exploded with images.
A green skinned elven women in black and green armor with a pair of flaming green swords. A blue skinned human in black pale blue robes. A human queen sitting on a throne, surrounded by ladies in waiting. Two armies on either side of a field. A tower that reaches into the sky. And finally, a magnificent dragon with scales in all the colors known to dragonkind.
When Kim opened her eyes again, Monique was standing a foot away, and the world had resumed it's normal pace. She looked around a bit more, gaining her bearings.
"Did you see what I saw Monique?" Kim asked, her eyes falling onto the copper-scale.
"Tamara's gift to you Kim, I saw nothing…" Monique shivered, "Though I did feel the kiss."
Kim blushed, "Will you fly with us?"
"My goddess has spoken, my sword and my breath are yours." Monique smiled, "I shall meet you at the entrance of the Weyr.
Kim smiled, "I look forward to it." Then she turned, carefully leaving the temple halls and heading to her own weyr.
As she entered her dwelling, she shed the light armor that she wore around the weyr, and in her duties as her father's protector, and began to pull on her battle-armor. Her red eyes flashed as she pulled the white and red plate on. She kept seeing the green skinned woman she knew she'd be fighting, and could only wonder what the rest of the vision had meant.
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Shego's eyes raked over the path ahead of them. It was narrow, with two huge cliffs making up the walls on either side. Perfect for an ambush if the monsters had spotted them. She looked back over her men, eyes raking along the archers, cavalry, and the legion of undead under the control of one of the necromancers. It seemed like a formidable force for a horde of beasts, but then again, these were the last descendants of dragon kind, so maybe it wasn't such a mistake after all.
This was a force prepared for a small siege though. That seemed to imply that the beasts they were fighting were intelligent and capable of planning, or at least much stronger and more powerful than an average human. She'd heard the tales of Dragonmen swooping from the air and carrying away women, livestock, and even razing fields and burning villages.
Not that she had a problem with those things herself, but the people who were paying her wanted the dragon men dead. That meant that she was out here, leading a force of soldiers, mages, undead, and mercenaries, against a force she'd never encountered before. Not an ideal situation, but at least she was free of her thrice damned brothers.
Shego looked back to the troops once again and her eyes fell on the captain sent to act as intermediary between herself and the kingdom soldiers, "Lord Fiske!"
"What do you want, Elven?" The dark haired man road up, his face a barely concealing his disgust at dealing with her.
"What do you know of the monsters we're facing?" Shego asked, ignoring the man's obvious distaste.
"Like their draconic heritage, they are monsters of the most vile caliber. They kidnap young women, pillage our fields…" He paused as she interrupted him.
"I've heard the tales. I wanted to know of their intelligence, their skill in battle, their motivations, their culture…" She looked at the man.
"They're beasts, and deserve no consideration other than that necessary to see to their destruction." His sneer as he eyed her told her he had similar considerations for elves.
"You're a fool Fiske, you need to know an enemy if you wish to defeat them. If they're nothing but brutish louts, then we're in no danger. If, like the tales of dragons before the fall, they are intelligent, capable planners, then we're in position for an ambush. " Shego pointed out.
"They're beasts." He said again.
That's when they crested the hill, and saw the white flag flying over a small group of Dragonmen, "Well it looks like your 'beasts' have prepared a welcoming party for us."
"ARCHERS!" Fiske called.
In answer to his command a score of archers surged forward, nocking arrows as they moved into position. They drew back and fired before Shego could even call for a hold. Shego watched impotently as the arrow flew in a graceful arch toward their targets. Her eyes widened though as the group moved closer together and the leader spit fore a huge cone of flame, the searing heat disintegrating the arrows in mid flight before they ever reached the group. The dancing red and yellow climbed to an amazing fifty foot height before the dragon's breath was halted.
"FISKE! YOU IDIOT!" The green skinned elf backhanded the man off of his mount, "I am in charge of this mission! You are to follow MY orders, not give orders of your own! You could have just killed the only chance we have of gaining ANY intelligence on this mission. If you step out of line again, I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"
She turned to the soldiers, "ARCHERS! STAND DOWN NOW! DO NOT ATTEMPT THAT AGAIN OR I'LL SEE TO IT THAT THE NEXT TIME THAT DRAGON ROARS IT WILL BE AT YOU INSTEAD OF YOUR ARROWS! THEY ARE UNDER A FLAG OF TRUCE. SOLDIERS UNDER MY COMMAND WILL ABIDE BY THAT FLAG!"
She looked out over her men, seeing them cowed before her rage and the impressive display of the dragon before them, then she turned back to Fiske, "Mount up, we ride to meet them!"
She watched as the disgruntled captain mounted his horse, then turned her own steed to the Dragons and rode toward them with him close at her side. As they neared she got her first good look at the group. The leader wore shining white armor with a red dragon design on the breast plate. The plate armor was sculpted perfectly to the girl's body, and somehow accented all of her curves while still providing protection and flexibility. The armor halted at her neck, revealing two lines of scales that ran up either side of her neck and all the way up, her ears pointed and scaled. The scales continued up to surround her face like an exotic design, creating a brow ridge with two small black horns on either side of her head just over her eyes. It wasn't a coincidence that Shego noticed the color of the scales matched her hair exactly. She had red eyes with slit pupils and they bore directly into the green skinned elf. Two glorious red wings spread out behind her and fluttered a bit as she decided to fight or fly. In her hand she held a black wood staff, runes running its length in blood colored carvings.
To the leader's right was a male about the same age in simple brown leather armor. His scales weren't as elegant as the leaders, but unlike her, he had a long tail that ended in a lethal looking spike, and his wings were folded around him like a cloak, his blue hair short and in a messy style. He wore a katana at his side, his hand resting on the hilt.
On the leader's other side was a short male with silver hair and horns, but a surprisingly human, if dark skinned face. Only his silver eyes, and fanged teeth killing the illusion, as he eyed Lord Fiske. While his face seemed human, his arms were covered in silver scales, and his silver wings draped over him in a flowing cloak. He carried no obvious weapons or armor, wearing only a silver robe with black accents, and a belt of pouches around his waist.
The last member was a dark skinned female with copper colored scales, but where the silver's face could seem human, the copper could not. She had no hair at all, merely two helm-like horns and scaled cheek ridges that gave her a purely draconic appearance. She wore a breastplate in deep black with a seven pointed star over her heart, and Shego could not tell if her arms and legs were covered in copper colored armor, or merely their own scales. She wore a huge scimitar naked on her back.
Shego's eyes took in the leader again after making the circuit of draconic beings, then nodded to her, "My apologies for my captain's foolishness, I am glad that you were not harmed by his… over zealous actions. Is this…" She gestured, "An attempt to negotiate, or do you seek to surrender?"
Shego knew this was no such thing, but she'd play the part till she discovered what was truly at hand, then Fiske decided to speak again, "This is ridiculous! They're beasts, and they send CHILDREN to represent themselves so they must be cowardly beasts as well!"
The red's eyes flashed as she turned to eye Fiske, "Wade," she gestured to the silver, "Is the youngest of us, and he is in his forty third cycle," she turned to Shego next, "You ride with an elf, so you should know that very few beings are as short lived as you humans. How old are you elf?"
"One hundred and ten, and yourself, Red Wyrm?" Shego asked.
"You have me bested by twenty five years. I heard your words to this fool earlier, as well as those to your archers, "She smirked at the look on Fiske's face, "Dragon's have very sharp ears, and eyes." She turned back to Fiske, "Since you are not the leader, I'll thank you to keep your peace."
Shego smirked as Fiske silently fumed at that statement, then turned her attention back to the leader, "You called for this meeting, do you wish to discuss terms?"
"We can tell from your direction, and your numbers, that you ride for war with our clan, we don't know why, but that can be seen too in time. What we do know, is that we do not wish a slaughter on either side. We propose to settle this honorably, a battle of champions. I, as the champion of The Brightscale Drackoni, against a champion for your forces." The red scale stepped forward, away from her party.
"You expect to try and answer for your crimes against us with an honorable challenge when you're nothing but a beast in the guise of civilized creatures? HOW DARE YOU!" A swift backhand from Shego silenced Fiske before he could say anything else.
"My compatriot is a bit, excitable, but he raises a good point… you truly expect to end this by a mere test of champions?" Shego eyed the dragon girl carefully.
"If you win, the Drackoni will surrender, and you may escort us all to your kingdom as prisoners. If I win, you take you take your soldiers, and leave." She looked back at a subtle cough from the Copper-Scale, "And you allow me to incinerate your undead horde. The Goddess Tamara despises such creatures, and since her cleric is among our group, she can not in good faith to her goddess allow them to remain in existence."
" You make a mockery of religio…" Another hard backhand unhorsed Fiske before he could finish his statement.
"FOOL!" Shego said, "They could wipe us out in this path easily with a few breaths, and on top of that, they're giving us the chance to capture an entire hoard of them alive, without risking a single man!"
"Then you accept my challenge Elven?" the red smiled as she signaled for her followers to step a little farther back.
"I accept, and I'll be your opponent." She turned to Fiske, "By the end of this battle, I'll have earned my pay and then some, by capturing an entire village single handed." Shego smiled as she dismounted, "Back to the men, and see to it they do not interfere."
Fiske mounted his horse and turned it back to the men, "AND FISKE! IF YOU EVEN THINK OF BETRAYAL, I'LL BURN YOU TO ASH MYSELF!" Shego yelled out.
The disgruntled lord snarled as he spurred his horse back toward the men. The five warriors watching him all wore their thoughts on their sleeve as they considered the dark hearted martial artist, before Shego turned back to the red.
"I am Shego, First Daughter of the house of Go, Elven Blade Mistress and Soul Knife of the Green Flame." Saying that she held out each of her hands and two flaming green long swords flared into existence in her hands.
"An impressive display, Shego," The red spun her staff as she walked toward the elf, "My name is Kim, The Red Daughter of Greatwyrm Goldenscale, Champion of the Brightscale Drackoni, master of the staff, and practitioner of the arcane arts."
"Rules of battle?" Shego started to circle the red-scale.
"As the challenged, it is your right to choose the rules." Kim offered.
"No flame breath, and no high flying, I'll not ground you, when that is obviously your way in battle, but I'll not have you dive bombing me from the cliffs either. Other than that, I believe we're evenly matched." Shego spun her blades in a flourish as she locked eyes with the red scaled warrior.
"Very well, then shall we begin?"
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Lord Montgomery Fiske had spent years perfecting his martial skills. He'd spent more rising in the ranks of the Queen's armies to become captain, and three times that mercenary scum had raised her inhuman hand to him. She'd also belittled and insulted him. He could not let that go unpunished, not to someone so far beneath him. He rode back to the men alright, because every last one of them was loyal to him.
He smirked as he stopped his horse next to them, and turned to his archers, "Prepare a volley of steel arrows, and ready one of the catapults, they're preparing to battle a challenge, but we'll slaughter every last inhuman thing in these mountains." he smirked as they quickly went to obey his orders, "And send me the best marksman you have, I want to be sure an arrow claims the life of that worthless elven slut!"