CHAPTER 9 – THE DEAD MOUNTAINS

Fire Dragon Mountains, near Gallian-Romalian border

Having loaded the supplies for the expedition, Ostland departed Tristainia and flew at full speed ever since. The large steam engine hummed down below, giving power to the three propellers that pushed Ostland forward – allowing her to outrun any airship that used sails as method of propulsion. The coal, though, was a major drawback. Sail ships could fly indefinitely, limited only by supplies; but Ostland required regular replenishment of her coal bunkers. Colbert did equip his creation with a small foldable mast, but it could provide only a crawling speed.

Colbert stood at the helm, guiding his ship to its destination – a small camp deep in the Fire Dragon Mountains; Kirche, who appointed herself executive officer, was by his side, giving orders through several bronze voice pipes and ogling her captain.

'Engine room, how's our fuel?'

The answer came in a second.

'Bunker one at sixty percent, bunker two at sixty-five percent, Ma'am!'

The redhead smiled to Colbert.

'Jean, I like it so much!' She reached for him and placed her head on his shoulder. 'Let's make another trip around the Halkeginia – after this mission! Only you and me…'

'Please, Kirche, I really need to pay attention to the gauges…'

'"Kirche"? Not "Miss Zerbst"? My dear Jean, we're making a progress here!'

Meanwhile, Saito and Louise stood at the balcony under the bridge, contemplating the views. From their place, they could see Guiche and Montmorency. Girl stood at the bow with her arms spread, enjoying the wind playing with her golden locks; Guiche held her by the waist, whispering something – probably love promises. Saito smirked at the sight of unwitting reproduction of the famous scene.

Louise's voice brought him out of thoughts.

'Hey, look! To our left!'

Saito turned his head in the direction she pointed; all he could see was a small dot in the sky. It increased in size, and soon they could see that it was a large blue-colored dragon with a lone passenger on its back. Despite the fact that Ostland was flying at full speed, it quickly caught up with the ship.

'Hey, isn't that a Sylphid?' Saito exclaimed as he tried to make out the details. Colbert also noticed the new guest and gave an order to reduce speed.

Louise was already at the stairs; she waved her husband to follow. 'Come on!'

The dragon slowly flapped its wings, positioning itself over the ship and giving some time for the passengers and the crew to clear the area. Moments later, it landed on the front deck. Its rider jumped down and approached them – a small, bespectacled girl with short blue hairs, dressed in Academy of Magic uniform and wielding a large wooden staff.

'Tabitha, it's nice to see you!' Saito smiled – just to be forced down to the floor by his wife.

'Kneel down before Her Majesty, you idiot!'

The Queen of Gallia shook her head. 'Please, just Tabitha.'

'You want to keep a low profile?' Saito asked as he stood up.

'Yes.' The blue-haired girl nodded and patted Sylphid by the head; the dragon crouched, curled up – and, in a quick flash of light and smoke, turned into a smiling young girl with long blue hairs. Tabitha quickly gave her a cloak to conceal herself – as the dragon girl was completely naked.

'Hiya, folks!' Illococoo cried and went to hug them. 'We missed you so much – right, sis? Hey, where's dinner?'

'Downstairs. Change first.' Tabitha said as she passed a bundle of proper clothes to her familiar. Iloc wasted no time and quickly ran towards Ostland's galley.

'Forgive me for asking, but what are you doing here? You're a Queen now, isn't you supposed to stay at the palace?' Louise asked as they walked to the bow to greet Guiche and Monmon.

Tabitha shrugged; Saito noticed a quick, sly smile.

'I took a vacation.'

…

Two hours later, Louise and other mages gathered at the bow to discuss some school stuff – magic lessons and so on. Saito could barely understand anything, so he gladly accepted Colbert's invitation to chat with him at the bridge.

'Saito, look what I made yesterday!' Professor pointed at the captain's chair. 'While Ostland was loaded with supplies, I've took some fireworks, a piece of cloth – and voila, an ejection seat!'

Saito went closer to look at the contraption. There was two carton tubes strapped to its back; long handles were attached to them, serving as firing mechanism. On the top was a small bag with a large white cloth – the parachute. Several belts ran across the seat, intended to secure user.

'Um… Are you sure it's going to work, Sensei?' he asked Colbert in a slightly doubtful tone.

'Well, I certainly hope so. I intend to test it when we return to Tristain – with the mannequin first, of course; then, I would test it myself.' Professor answered. 'Although I've already installed them for the crew…'

As always, Professor was thinking ahead, Saito thought and smiled. He recalled one of their old conversations – Colbert was eager to see Saito's world; maybe Louise could give him that chance, he thought.

'It looks like that we arrived.' Professor gestured at the view below; Saito went to the window.

The Fire Dragon Mountains, once a great volcano system, drastically changed in the months following Ancient Dragon's emergence. The place was cooling down rapidly, as if the Dragon was the cause of its famous volcanism. The skies were clear of ash clouds, and there were no more lava flows – all had settled down, leaving only barren landscape. Small snow caps already started to form on the tallest peaks.

'Wow, that's a quick climate change, Sensei!' Saito said.

Colbert nodded. 'Indeed it is. Looks like the entire place was tainted by Ancient Dragon – and now, as he is no more, it reverts back to its original form. Some Gallian scholars even propose to rename the region.'

'And they probably should – Dead Mountains would suit just fine.' Kirche muttered as she walked in. 'This place was so magnificent – and all of a sudden it became so unwelcoming and scary…'

'I think I see the camp.' Colbert pointed at several white specks on the ground; as Ostland flew closer, Saito could see that they were actually small tents.

The redhead XO reached for the voice pipe.

'Attention all crew, prepare to land!'

…

Minutes later, Ostland landed near the camp; Colbert and others were already at the gangway, waiting for the crew to lower it. They could see a small group that was there to meet them – a round, middle-aged man in a working attire, accompanied by two young mages. As Professor walked down, the Gallian noble stepped forward.

'Professor Colbert! I am Doctor Francois Du Pont, the head researcher of Her Majesty Charlotte's court. It is my pleasure to welcome you and your companions here. Please, follow me; I will show you our camp and our findings…'

His eyes went wide as he noticed a familiar figure in the group.

'Your majesty!' the leader of Gallian part of the expedition said as he kneeled down. 'We didn't expect you to be there.'

'Please, Monsieur Du Pont, continue your work.' Tabitha said quietly and sighed. It could be quite annoying to receive the royal honors everywhere you were going – especially if you wished to keep a low profile.

Du Pont nodded erratically. 'Of course, Your Majesty.'

He smiled as he saw Tabitha's familiar, who stood beside her master.

'Oh, Miss Illococoo! It's good that you're here. Due to my commitment to this expedition, we missed your dragon form's monthly exam; I would perform it later today.'

Dragon girl, on the other hand, wasn't so enthusiastic.

'Um… I… have… a task. Yes, a task that Big Sis gave me! I'll be quite busy for all day! In fact, I should start immediately! Goodbye!'

As Iloc darted back to Ostland, Saito leaned toward Tabitha.

'She is afraid of doctors?'

'Not doctors. Thermometers.'

'I don't understand – what's wrong with thermometer?'

The Queen of Gallia smirked.

'Guess where it goes.'

…

The camp was a several army tents, painted in white, that were placed around a small crevice; there also was a small makeshift berth nearby, currently unoccupied. Several Gallians, most of them young men in white uniforms – students of Royal Gallian University – went out to meet the newcomers.

Du Pont led them to the central tent. 'Come inside, please – we store all our findings there.'

The group came inside; there were several tables and crates, filled with various artifacts.

'Let me start with our main mission – that is, learning about the AD's origins.' Du Pont said.

'AD? What's AD?' Louise asked.

The Gallian researcher smiled.

'Oh, that's our little internal designation. AD stands for Ancient Dragon.'

Saito quietly took her hand in his. Louise nodded gratefully; she was on the verge of tears. How could this man so casually refer to thing that killed thousands of fine men?

'There were several fire dragon nests – most of them abandoned, but some still active.' He then gestured at one of the crates, filled with large eggshells. 'These are remains of dragon eggs, most of them recently hatched. No anomalies here.'

'And what about live specimens?' Colbert asked. 'Back then, dragons that came under control exhibited very unusual behavior – like they gone mad all of a sudden. After the battle, I've tried to find a carcass suitable for dissection – but they all were too damaged.'

'Unfortunately, I wasn't able to acquire an adult specimen. But…' Du Pont waved at one of the tables; a long object, covered with white cloth, lied on it.

'…Near the place of AD's emergence, we found several newly hatched dragonlings – all of them dead, but physically unharmed. And they helped us to shed some light on how AD was able to control its flock.'

He removed the cloth; under it, enclosed by crushed ice, laid a small, pink-colored dragonling. It was already dissected; its internal organs were removed and lay beside. Guiche winced at the sight and darted outside, murmuring something about need of a fresh air.

Saito raised a brow. 'You used ice to slow down decomposition? That's very clever, Doctor!'

'Amelie, one of my students and a wind mage, came up with the idea and kindly created this ice, so you should praise her, not me.' Du Pont smiled and took a small wooden pointer. 'Now come closer, please, so we can begin.'

'What have we here is a week-old fire dragon male, a species that are endemic to this region. Death occurred about six months ago, at the time of AD's emergence. You may notice that carcass is well-preserved – being magical creatures, dragons decompose way slower than common animals.'

He pointed at the organs.

'As you may see, heart, liver and kidneys are completely normal and presumed to be functioning at the time of death. There is a small amount of volcanic dust in the lungs – but that is present in all breathing life forms in this region. It does cause severe health problems, though; dragons that born here are expected to live for ten to fifteen years less than their counterparts from Northern Germania.'

'The stomach and intestines are empty – indicating that our specimen here didn't ate at least for two days before its death. Which is strange – dragons are well-known for their appetite, especially when young.'

'Excuse me, Monsieur, but what's this?' Monmon pointed at two large bubble-like organs.

'That, my young lady, is fire glands – these are responsible for producing flammable secretion that the dragon can breathe out. Be careful, please – they still contain some traces of it, and any improper handling can result in a fire or an explosion.'

Monmon hastily withdrew her hand; Du Pont smiled at her. 'Dragons are dangerous beasts – even after they died.'

'And that's why I prefer frogs.' girl whispered.

Doctor tapped at the sprawled wings.

'The muscles, especially those responsible for flight, are well-developed. You see, fire dragons are very bad parents – they lay eggs in some hot and dry place, and then forget about them. As the offspring hatches, they are forced to search for food – or face death by starvation. Very often they eat each other – and the strongest survives.'

'Stomach'. Tabitha voiced her thoughts, short as always.

'Yes, you said that the poor creature didn't eat before death – maybe it was killed by its brethren, or just starved?' Kirche was the one who translated Queen's word.

'That was my initial conclusion – until I got to the brain. I didn't remove it from the skull; if you allow me…'

Du Pont put on thin leather gloves and reached for small medical forceps that lay near the carcass. He then picked upper part of dragonling's head – and removed it with a short squishing sound, much to the girls' dismay.

'That's disgusting!' Louise squeaked.

'Forgive me, my lady, but medical science is rarely appealing. Anyway, look here.'

The reptile's brain was very different from that of a human; it could be described as several balls of various sizes that were strung on a thin, spiny bone. Some of the balls were of a light yellowish color, which, as Saito remembered, was a normal color for a brain matter; but the largest ball was deep red, as if soaked in blood.

'And that's what gave me a slight hint on AD's methods of control.' Du Pont said, pointing at the red ball. 'There was a major cerebral hemorrhage – which means, the blood vessels inside the brain ruptured. As the skull of any living creature is a completely sealed system, introducing even a small amount of blood inside would lead to increase of internal pressure, which in turn leads to disruption of brain functions – and, eventually, death.'

'It's very unlikely that a young, healthy being like that poor creature could suffer from a disease that mostly manifests in later life. But, it can happen if one's body is subjected to a very powerful magic. Remember the Battle of South Gotha, when Tristainian troops and Albionian civilians were brainwashed by the tainted water?'

Now it was Louise's turn to grab Saito's hand.

'I managed to get several bodies for an autopsy; their brain sported the same signs of a massive hemorrhage, while the rest of the body was healthy, barring current traumas. It is interesting to note that this magic seemed to actually care for the person it affected; they were able to perform some basic tasks to keep themselves alive – eat, drink, sleep. They were unable to perform complex tasks though – like tending wounds; some died of a blood loss or various injuries, many of them non-fatal if treated in time.'

'As I recall, some eventually recovered.' Monmon said.

'The amount of damage that brain receives usually depends on power and duration of the spell. In case of South Gotha, it was both factors: people drank the tainted water and got struck by magic. As there were no other major water sources, they continued to drink it, accumulating damage. Those soldiers who were subdued and evacuated did not receive another dosage; besides, they got a qualified help. Thus, the spell worn out, and they were able to recuperate.'

Monmon shuddered as she remembered how she was asked to lend her skills to help affected Tristainian soldiers. It was a quite unpleasant sight – several tents full of men with drooling mouths and burning eyes, strapped to the beds, muttering about Henrietta and their desire to kill her. Many did not make it, dying in agony; and most of those who managed to survive were deranged husks, doomed to live under the constant care. Only a handful of patients, most of them young and physically healthy, were able to fully recover.

'Now, let's get back to our little reptile. My theory is that upon its emergence, AD let out a spell – most likely, some form of Elven Ancient magic – that was designed to reach for all the dragons in immediate vicinity. Our dragonling had a bad luck to be near – and it got a charge that was too powerful for its young brain. Poor creature most likely was paralyzed on the spot; it died some time later due to excessive brain damage.'

'Mind Wipe.' Again, Tabitha was laconic.

'Are you referring to the spell that Tiffania Westwood used against AD's minions, Your Majesty? You see, being half-Elf, Miss Westwood have magic that is a mix between Elven Ancient magic and elemental magic that Men use. It looks like that it not only dispels any magic that affects the mind, but also heals the brain – at least, judging by the reports; I never saw it being used. A truly remarkable spell. Sadly, I was unable to contact Miss Westwood and invite her to take part in my research.'

I'm starting to really hate scientists, Saito thought.

'But let's move on to the purpose of your visit – our most mysterious finding.' Du Pont said as he covered the dragonling's remains and removed the gloves.

'It's in the crevice, right behind the camp. Initially, we settled to the north from here. About a week ago, one of my students stumbled upon it – and we've decided to relocate here. Come, I'll show you.'

'Excuse me, Monsieur Du Pont, but where is Romalian envoy? I've been told that this is a joint effort between two countries.' Colbert asked.

'Oh, Prince Borghese was called back – some urgent matters, as he told me. But he should be back shortly – today, actually.'

'Borghese?' Kirche asked, clearly puzzled. 'Is that the same… ?'

Young assistant's head appeared in the tent's doorway.

'Monsieur, the Romalians has returned!'

Du Pont nodded to him, and then gestured to the Tristainian group.

'Why don't we go outside and meet them?'

…

Having escaped from a vomit-inducing situation, Guiche decided to explore the camp.

First thing he noticed was a small young brunette with short hairs and big green eyes. She was struggling with a box filled with various magical hardware; it was sufficiently large to obstruct her field of view. One hesitant step, then another, girl's feet caught a small rock…

'My beautiful lady, let this noble knight lend you a helping hand!' Guiche exclaimed as he caught the falling box. 'Ow, it's heavy…'

Girl smiled. 'Many thanks, noble sir! Please, be careful – these are Monsieur Du Pont's instruments, they're very fragile!'

She guided him to the place near the central tent. 'Please, put it here.'

As Guiche obeyed, she looked at him. 'Thank you for your help, noble sir! I don't recognize you – have you arrived on that advanced ship?'

'Guiche de Gramont, Captain of Her Majesty Henrietta de Tristain's Undine Knights, at your service!' he bowed. 'And may I know the name of such beautiful lady?'

Young Gallian girl giggled and blushed. 'I'm Amelie.'

'To answer your question, Miss Amelie – yes, I have arrived on Ostland to help you with anything that you may need. And may I say that I never expected to meet such beauuuUUUAAAIIIIIEEEEE!'

Amelie covered her mouth to hide a wide grin as she watched Guiche being dragged away by a tall, blonde girl dressed in Tristainian Academy of Magic uniform.

'Good luck, Sir Guiche!'

It was the tall blonde who answered.

'Believe me, he'll need it!'

…

Couple of minutes later, the group came up to the berth. Monmon scolded Guiche all the way, not letting the poor guy go; Louise even noted a couple of new expressions. But all the talks were cut short when they saw the ship that just arrived.

A beautiful yacht hovered up in the air, waiting for the mooring crew to secure her. It was a large two-masted schooner, with hull and sails painted in bright white color. Her railings, coated with gold, glittered in the sunlight. She was supported by four wings, each as long as the ship itself. Saito was surprised to see several gun ports at the sides; quite strange for a clearly non-military vessel to have armaments rivaling that of a cruiser, he thought.

'Kirche, that yacht – it's Scire, right?' Monmon asked, finally releasing her boyfriend from his humiliating position.

Redhead nodded. 'I wonder, what Golden Prince does here? Usually he doesn't leave Romalia.'

'Golden Prince?' Saito whispered to Guiche.

'Valerio Borghese. He's a banker and a man of fortune – the richest man in Romalia, and some sources says that he is the richest man in whole Halkeginia.' Guiche answered with disdain; it did not go unnoticed by Saito.

'I take it that you're not too fond of him?'

'Well, in commoner's terminology, he is a sleazy bastard. In noble's terminology, the same. Better part of Halkeginia owes him money, and he does not shy away of any ways to squeeze them out.'

'And why he is called the Prince? I thought Romalia is ruled by the Pope.'

'It is, but there are several noble families whose leaders call themselves princes. Of course, this is just an honorary title – except for Borghese; his influence rivals only that of the royal courts. Be very careful around him.'

It took about a minute for the crew to fold the wings and moor the ship; immediately, two sailors in Romalian uniforms proceed to lower the gangway. Seconds later, Saito saw the sole passenger disembarking – and it was one of the most unusual Halkeginians he ever met.

It was a tall man in his late thirties, with short combed hairs and thin moustaches. One of most striking features about him were his clothes; instead of lavish costumes with various mantles, plumes and frills so popular with Tristainian and Gallian nobles, he wore a relatively simple cream suit – not unlike that of Earth-made bespoke clothes popular among billionaires. Matching shoes and white shirt completed the look.

As he approached the group, Saito was able to discern his facial expression. It wasn't pompous or contemptuous, but it was filled with firm confidence. Although he put on a most sincere smile, his black eyes were ice-cold and calculating – and as they slid over Saito, he felt a light shivers.

Guiche was right – Valerio Borghese was a man who was worth the fear.

Borghese kneeled before Tabitha. 'Your Majesty Charlotte de Gallia, it is truly a pleasure to welcome you here. I am deeply sorry for such circumstances; if I had known about your visit, I would have prepared a meeting more befitting your status.'

'There is no need, Prince Valerio.'

He then went to Colbert.

'I take it that you're famous Professor Jean Colbert?' Golden Prince asked, shaking his hand.

'Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Valerio.'

'The pleasure is all mine, Professor. I hope our good Doctor didn't bore you too much with his grim pets?'

Colbert raised a brow. 'N-no, not at all.'

'Good. Du Pont, I see that our guests also brought supplies; ensure that they are unloaded and properly distributed.'

The Gallian doctor frowned. 'But I was about to show them the crevice…'

'It certainly can wait, Du Pont. Not that it could disappear all of a sudden, isn't it?'

Frustrated doctor, shaking his head, walked away; the Romalian turned to Tabitha.

'Your Majesty, I would be honored to invite you and your companions to dine aboard my ship. Scire's salon is crewed by the finest chefs that can satisfy the most demanding taste.'

Author's notes: Tabitha, Queen of one-liners.

What I never liked in ZnT:F is its lack of details, especially in AD's arc (damn, I like that term!). What is it? How AD is able to control other dragons? Why is he likes Void mages as a light snack? So I've decided to address some of these questions, in a scientific way. Hope you like it!

Also, meet Valerio Borghese, the last of major OCs. Google if you want to learn about his name (they're not related, by the way – I've took only name); as for his personality, Guiche made a great description.