DRAGON CAMPAIGN
CHAPTER 9
Honor amongst slaves
Time passed swiftly in the lands of earth. After Zieg and Belzack had rescued the other slaves from an almost certain future of enslavement and torture, they landed the Wergon not too far from an isolated area near one of the regions more unsuitable for Wingly occupation. Once there, the citizens vowed to one day repay their debt to the two adventurers. After promising to return to them with more support, Zieg and Belzack left that area in search of other rebels fueled with the same confidence they themselves held while they continued on their journey to Gurnatrast.
To their utter surprise, as they passed village after village, more and more people would comment on the legendary bravery of two unknown travelers who had single handedly defeated a squad of Wingly guards on a transport to earth. Little did those people know that they were talking with the very same legends that they spoke of. However both men decided it would be best if they not expose themselves as it could lead to very high risks on their part.
Before long, summer had finally come to the toiled, dry lands below and two months time had passed within the blink of an eye yet Zieg and Belzack still could not find any other rebel groups that had the aspiration to follow them into war against the Winglys.
Now, after so much time has passed, Zieg's attire was completely different as he and his large companion where able to acquire more and more armor and weapons throughout their travels. Zieg was now decked out in dark crimson leather armor with a medium length sword sheathed securely in his scabbard which was firmly attached to his armored waist.
Belzack, also wore his own version of black leather armor yet his was not as complete as he opted only to where it over his chest and forearms. However, the big man made up for this lack of protection with the huge mace he now had strapped to his back.
Currently the two were traveling through the isolated area of a forest nearby to the slave town located in the northern-most regions of the lower Wingly Empire.
"Whew! It's hotter then the Vellweb coal mines out here!" Zieg commented, whipping a few vacant strands of sweat away from his brow.
"I don't think I would go that far." Belzack commented, smirking slightly. "Besides, it's your own fault for wearing all that stupid armor."
"Hey it's not stupid, it's smart! Besides, you don't hear me commenting on that bandanna you always wear around your head!"
"It's not a bandana, and that's different. I wear it for sentimental purposes."
"Yeah whatever. That still doesn't overlook that fact that it's scorching hot out here."
Belzack rub the stubble at his chin as he turned his gaze towards the sky. "Yeah… all things considered, I can see why you're so uncomfortable with the weather. It's a lot different here then it is on that floating city in the skies. It's natural that you'd be having premature views of the weather in these different climates."
"It's not premature!" Zieg argued!
"Oh it's not is it? Back when we landed the Wergon in Tarlis two months ago you commented on how it was so cold you were surprised people could survive in these lands on their own!"
"Hey! That was a valid assumption. It was like the arctic down there. I kinda regret leaving those other guys back there with all that cold wind blowing around in the horizons."
"Hmph, don't worry about them. They can take care of themselves. Right now I'm more concerned about what we're gonna do in the next few weeks. This wild mission of yours is becoming more and more far fetched by the day. At this rate we'll never be able to make it to Gurnatrast and make any kind of a real difference there. And aside from that, you might want to keep in mind that if we don't find support soon, the Wingly are bound to catch up with us. It's not that hard to notice slaves who aren't wearing any shackles ya know?"
"It's not fair calling us slaves anymore Bel!" Zieg emphasized the point by lifting up his bare wrist. "See? No manacles here. Until we're caught, we are not bound to the same laws as everyone else."
"Heh, I think you're more happy about your arm finally being healing up, more then you are about not having the manacle anymore."
Zieg let out a short laugh. "There you go again Bel! Reading my mind like an open book."
Suddenly there was a light shift of leaves in the nearby tree branches. So silent was it that if normal people were traveling through this forest trail they would have missed it completely. Fortunately, Zieg and Belzack were by no means normal travelers.
Zieg straightened his back slightly then let out another laugh. "You always do that Bel!" He continued, merrily but the sidelong look he gave his big companion confirmed that he did indeed know that they were being followed. Belzack had traveled along with Zieg long enough to know how the man thought when it came to battle. They would be on guard to surprise those who intended to surprise them.
"Hey I can't help it if you're an easy person to read!" Belzack played along, eyeing the forested tree's around them carefully.
Suddenly, right on cue, three figures quickly sprang from behind them while two more sprang from both the right and left. Five additional figures quickly advanced down the front.
Zieg and Belzack made no move as they simply waited in the center, their backs facing each other. After getting a better look at them, Zieg noticed that they all appeared to be Gigantos, large mamoth giants ranging from anywhere between 7 to 10 feet tall and just as wide. Normally, just one Giganto could easily crush any human down to size from sheer force alone. Now that the two men were surrounded by 12 of them, the odds were definitely not in their favor.
The bigger of the Gigantos, apparently their leader, silently walked to the head of the group, smirking as he looked down at the two trapped fighters. "Well well well look what we got ourselves here! You travelers no come to Giganto territory. This our land, not yours!"
"Bah!" Zieg spat disdainfully. "That's a load of bull and you know it. These lands don't belong to you! They don't belong to any of us for that matter. While the Wingly still control the skies, they are the ones that currently own this land just as they own all the rest of it in this twisted world we live in."
The lead Giganto's face twisted in anger and he viciously stormed up to Zieg then slammed his fist into the man's stomach. Zieg reeled over in pain but did not draw his sword just yet. Belzack gave Zieg a tentative look but Zieg silently shook his head, then turned it back up to stare the lead Giganto square in the face. The leader didn't notice this slight communication going on between the two as he was still too preoccupied with his anger at Zieg's words.
"You no know nothing, human! You not Giganto, you not know what it like to work all day and suffer for your work."
"Oh I know enough!" Zieg grunted. He painfully stood back up on his two feet still clutching his stomach. "I know what it's like to hate being a slave yet still know I can't do anything about it. The truth hurts doesn't it?"
Once more the lead Giganto's face twisted in anger. "YOU NO MAKE FUN OF ME!" He roared then slammed the back of his fist across Zieg's face. "I Kurthrar, Lead Giganto of this village. I no let no puny man tell me what to feel!"
"Then don't let me tell you how to feel!" Zieg hissed, wiping the back of his hand across his bloody lower lip. "Don't let me tell you anything! Just listen to your own damn heart! What does your conscious tell you?"
"I no do what you tell me to do!" He raised his arm once more, only this time he held his sword in it, prepared to strike down hard upon Zieg. Zieg narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you have so much pride that you can't even bring yourself to listen to reason then I can't help you. I don't want to fight you but I will to defend myself. I can't afford to die by your hands this day."
"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Kurthrar screamed, bringing his sword down swiftly. Suddenly to his surprise, it was parried by a large mace with such force that his sword flew right out of his hands.
Kurthrar stumbled back then glared angrily at Zieg's companion who had been silent up till now. "How dare you? You strong for mere human! No one ever knock weapon from Kurthrar's hands before!"
"There's a first time for everything." Belzack replied. He turned towards Zieg giving a slight motion of his wrist. "Just stand back. Trust me I can handle this."
Zieg narrowed his eyes suspiciously then crossed his arms. "This isn't the time for bravado Bel. They outnumber us by a six to one ratio. The only way we get out of this is if we work together."
"Just trust me my friend."
Zieg continued to regard him with suspicious eyes then finally shrugged his shoulders wearily. "Fine, fine do whatever you want. I'll trust you."
A slight smile formed on the big man's face. "Thank you, friend." He turned back towards Kurthrar who was now waiting in a battle stance. Belzack walked closer towards him. The other fighters prepared to advance when suddenly Belzack threw out his left arm in a halting motion. "Wait! I challenge your leader to a quintav, a battle of blades to see which of us is truly mightier."
"Bah! You human not strong enough for me!" Kurthrar roared angrily. "You disgrace Kurthrar with arrogance. You never can beat Kurthrar!"
Belzack ignored the comment and faced the crowd of onlooker. "By Giganto tradition when a Giganto is challenged to a duel, is it not honorable for the challenged opponent to accept the request or else face the shame of his community? Or has tradition degraded to such a point where even 'that' is not considered righteous anymore?"
The surrounding Giganto's fell silent as they immediately traded looks with one another. Zieg too was shocked at the enormous amount of knowledge his companion had. He gripped the hilt of his sword anxiously, wondering what his friend was up to.
Kurthrar on the other hand smirked arrogantly although a flash of tension could carefully be detected in his eyes. "HAH! You seem to know lot of Knowledge about Giganto tradition outsider. You not like normal human. You different. You smart."
"I'm no different then any other man you may have come across. Now, do you accept my challenge or do you disgrace yourself my choosing the cowards way out?"
"I accept challenge. By Giganto rights, I now state my claim of victory. If Kurthrar wins, Kurthrar gets all possessions of you and your friend. Kurthrar also will get you two as Kurthrar's personal slaves."
Belzack nodded evenly. "Those are high stakes. I will not go so far as to request the servitude of your people as my victory. I've seen enough slavery in my life to now hate the very sight of it. No, instead all I seek is that you and your men leave us alone and let us be on our way. Once we enter your land, we will no longer be assaulted by any more of your people and that we will have safe passage so that we can do what we've come here to do."
Kurthrar smirked as he licked the bottom of his lips hungrily. "You stupid man for not requesting Kurthrar's men as slaves. But then you stupid man for challenging Kurthrar alone. You be easy meat for Kurthrar."
"Very well then. The challenge has been initiated." Belzack promptly assumed his fighting stance, tightening his grip on the huge mace he held in his arms. Kurthrar grinned wickedly as he slowly withdrew a huge battle-ax from the sheath at his back.
From a few yards back, Zieg watched the scene before him anxiously. "Belzack… I hope you know what you're doing." He mumbled anxiously.
Kurthrar quickly charged in towards Belzack, letting out a loud battle roar. Belzack matched the attack as he too rushed in. Kurthrar swing his ax in a horizontal swooping motion. Belzack quickly ducked the attack then rushed in with his shoulder, slamming it roughly into Kurthrar's chest. The Giganto promptly fell over on his back but rolled out of the way as Belzack rammed his mace into the ground where the Giganto was previously lying. Kurthrar scaled up to his feet and swung his ax at Belzack's unprotected back. The big man just barely managed to move aside as the blade bit deep into his back but not as deep as it would have gone.
Belzack spun around, swinging his mace with the momentum of his movement. Kurthrar fell back as the steel club hammered into his chest ripping away flesh and blood. The Giganto stumbled a few steps but remained on his feet. Both men squared off once more. "You good!" Kurthrar panted heavily. "Not many, manage to hit Kurthrar."
"Just goes to show life's full of nice little surprises!" Belzack replied, equally panting. Kurthrar charged in once more, swinging his ax in a vertical arch. Belzack managed to dodge quickly as he then returned the attack with a rough swing of the mace. Kurthrar ducked just in time then struck out his leg in a mid kick right to the gut. Belzack stumbled onto the ground from the force of the attack but quickly rolled to the left when he saw the ax rushing towards his head. Kurthrar was not quite finished yet however, as he quickly continued the motion giving a quick round up swing before pummeling the blade towards Belzack with all his might. Belzack saw the attack in time and brought up his mace to block. The two weapons collided in a heart rendering blare. Both men shook with strain under the others might. Belzack glared furiously as he tried his best to push up with his mace. It was a loosing battle however, as Kurthrar's roundup had given him the added momentum to take the advantage.
Belzack would not give up though. As long as blood still pumped through his veins, he would still fight. He pushed back once more with all of his might. He could feel the steel mace beginning to crack under the intense pressure. "You strong but your weapon not so strong!" Kurthrar hissed, as he continued to press down harder. Belzack heard the sounds of his mace cracking louder and the lines were becoming painfully apparent.
At the last minute, Belzack pulled back, his mace finally snapping in half. Kurthrar fell forwards slightly from the unanticipated momentum but caught himself before plunging headlong into the ground. Fortunately, it was enough time for Belzack to roll over and get back up on his feet. He discarded the useless pieces of what was once his weapon. Kurthrar stood to full height grinning wickedly. "I win this fight no? It would be best if you just give up right now!"
Belzack clenched his fists returning a firm gaze towards the Giganto. "So long as I am standing, this fight 'will' go on!"
Kurthrar smirked. "Hmph, you got death wish!" The big Giganto quickly charged in towards Belzack, swinging his ax wildly. Belzack waited patiently. Finally when his opponent got close enough, Belzack dropped low then delivering a ground sweep. So fast was he that Kurthrar had no time to react as he fell over the outstretched leg. The Giganto fell down in a heavy thud breaking through some of the earth on impact, his ax sprawling free from his grasp.
Belzack got up to his feet then quickly threw his body into the Giganto before he could regain his balance. The Two men rolled around on the ground wrestling for the advantage. Zieg continued to watch the struggle in frustration. Never before had he seen Belzack fighting this furiously before. The big man had always seemed so calm and controlled. The man he saw now was nothing like his friend. Now Belzack fought with the ferociousness of a caged tiger. He would give no leeway to his opponent yet still it seemed like a close fight. Zieg continued to watch anxiously, confident of his friends strength yet at the same time unsure of the final outcome of this match.
Belzack quickly rolled over behind Kurthrar's backside and locked his arm around the Giganto in a headlock. Kurthrar roared in rage as his muscles suddenly bulged. He then forcefully flipped Belzack over his shoulder, a feat everyone watching, suddenly gasped in surprise at. Belzack fell unceremoniously onto the ground, slamming his back painfully into the solid earth. Kurthrar ran up to the fallen man then dove down, body slamming him. Belzack cried out in pain as the air left his lungs and he was left coughing and hacking for the precious substance. Kurthrar rose up to his feet once more and spat in disdain at the hacking man. He then slowly walked over and retrieved his ax. Belzack was still huddled over, hacking and coughing, completely oblivious to Kurthrar's actions.
"Belzack!" Zieg cried out in alarm. "Behind you Bel! He's got an ax!"
Belzack quickly rose his head just in time to see Kurthrar swinging the blade down straight towards him. Belzack did the only thing he could. He threw up his forearm, effectively stopping the momentum of the ax as the blade embedded itself in his arm. Again the audience was shocked. Even Kurthrar was momentarily taken aback at the big man's drastic actions. Belzack held back the pain as he quickly used the embedded blade as an added crutch. He pulled back so that Kurthrar came forward towards him. He then reeled his fist back and slammed it across the Giganto's face as hard as he could. Kurthrar stumbled clumsily from the vicious assault, ripping the blade from the big man's arm. Belzack ignored the flow of blood seeping from his arm as he quickly spotted the discarded sword he had knocked from Kurthrar's grasp a few minutes ago.
Belzack saw that the Giganto was regaining his senses so he quickly rammed his fist across his face another time. Desperation was beginning to creep its way into his mind. He needed to keep him distracted long enough to be able to retrieve the fallen sword. Thus Belzack continued to pummel the Giganto, blow after blow with all of his might. The huge giant reeled back more and more from every vicious strike, loosing more and more of his balance in the process.
Belzack could feel his strength draining with every strike. He assumed it was due to the exertion and loss of blood. However, it still didn't stop him. He continued to give his all, hitting his opponent with everything he had. Kurthrar's face was now a bloody mess. From the very look of him, Belzack was positive he broke the Giganto's nose and was pretty sure his jaw and cheekbones weren't too far off. Finally Belzack hammered him one final time with every ounce of remaining strength he could muster. Apparently it was effective as Kurthrar completely toppled over from the strike slamming heavily onto the ground. Belzack took that time to rush over and retrieve the fallen sword.
Once he hefted the steel in his arms he saw that the Giganto was only now just beginning to sit up. His face was covered in blood. His eyebrows were puffed and bruised as was his lower lip and cheeks. He was sure the giant had a broken jaw and nose. Yet still Kurthrar groggily rose to his feet, wobbling back and forth. Belzack was panting heavily, his own body giving in to all the taxing exercise he had gone through. Kurthrar glared daggers at him then suddenly rushed up, swinging his ax in desperation. Belzack met the attack, as he clashed his sword against the heavy ax. From the sheer force and desperation of both men, each man's blade snapped upon the others force. Belzack looked in shock at his broken sword and saw that the same expression was written all over what could be seen of Kurthrar's face as well. Just vaguely the two fighters could here the cheers and hoots from the onlookers.
Both men regarded each other with a growing passion for victory. Not one or the other was willing to give up. Kurthrar was the first to act. He threw the remains of his ax aside then hammered his fist into Belzack's face, causing the big man to stumble back. Belzack quickly caught himself and returned the blow, sending Kurthrar back as well. The two men glared at each other then collided in a full tackle. They both began to roll around on the ground slamming their fists into each other.
The heavy cheers from the audience slowly began to die down as the fight soon developed into a bloody death match. Each man gave as much as he took. The other Giganto's were beginning to realize this fight would not end until the other was dead.
Zieg, who had been silent while the others cheered, was anxiously clenching his fists now. 'Come on Bel! You can do this!' He said to himself mentally. 'I know you can take this guy! You've always prided yourself over how you could never be beaten in a fight now prove it!'
The two men continued to pummel each other for a few more heart rendering moments when suddenly Belzack flipped over onto his feet before his opponent could regain balance, then sidelined his fist directly across Kurthrar's face, sending the Giganto plunging headlong into the earth. Belzack continued to watch in anticipation, blood oozing down his nose and mouth. He knew he was covered in bruises from the face to the chest and his knuckles were a bloody mess but still he waited. However, Kurthrar didn't get up. The big man just lay there, sprawled out on the ground, letting out a soft groan of pain before blacking out completely. Belzack sighed when he saw this then immediately dropped to his knees.
The crowd immediately burst out in cheers of a good fight. Zieg rushed up towards Belzack as fast as he could. "Belzack! You ok buddy? Man what the hell were you trying to do?"
Belzack regarded his friend through half closed eyelids. "What are you…. Complaining about…? I … won… didn't I?"
Zieg could help but let out a small laugh at that has he patted his friend on the back.
"Aaaargh!" Belzack cried out. "Not so rough. I just got stabbed back there! Remember?"
Zieg scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. "Yeah, heh heh, sorry about that."
Suddenly the group of Giganto's parted as Kurthrar suddenly shifted then opened his bruised eyes as far as he could. Belzack looked at him wearily, forming his hands into fists once more.
Kurthrar saw this and gave a slow shake of the head. "No more fight…" He said in an exhausted voice. "You beat Kurthrar fair and square… Kurthrar… admire your strength… you can't be… human…"
"It doesn't matter what I am…" Belzack replied. "The bargain stands then correct? I have beaten you so now my friend and I shall get safe passage through your town?"
All eyes were on Kurthrar now as the Giganto slowly nodded his head. "Yes. You go… but not… not after… we take you to… village keep…"
"What do you mean?" Zieg asked, growing suspicious. "That wasn't part of our deal!"
"You… strong man…" Kurthrar muttered, still looking at Belzack. "You worthy of our aid and… respect… You gain honor of Kurthrar and Kuthrar's men… you welcome… in our city…"
Belzack smiled as he nodded his head towards the Giganto leader. "I accept your offer."
Zieg simply laughed in irony. "Heh, they won't listen to me when I try to talk reason with them but they're all ears if you can beat em in a fair fight. Guess I still have a lot to learn eh?"
Belzack nodded slowly. "Sometimes… the trading of blows speak louder then the passing of words…" And with that the big man closed his eyes welcoming the darkness that quickly followed.
****
Rose let out loud battle cry as she charged in towards her opponent. Unfortunately, her opponent was swift and dodged as the dark haired woman struck her sword out. The opponent then leapt back a few paces and fired a single arrow. Rose was a sharp eye however, as she quickly spun around slashing her sword horizontally. The arrow, meant for her heart, split directly in half in midair. The opponent was not deterred. She quickly quipped another arrow and fired. Rose ducked low to evade this one, still keeping her eyes on her target. She quickly sprinted up swinging her sword towards her adversary. The Adversary grinned slightly, blocking the attack swiftly. Rose struck a second time, this time lower. Once again her opponent parried the blow. Rose was not finished. She struck again and again, determined to break through her opponent's defenses. Rose continued this assault increasing in speed until soon she became a blurred image as if she seemed to become locked in a fierce dance of death and blades.
Unfortunately, her opponent blocked every attack, as she appeared to be more skilled then her. Rose narrowed her eyes slightly, frustration growing inside of her spirit. She sped up even more now, yet her form soon became sloppy. Her opponent apparently noticed this as she reached behind her and suddenly pulled out the long sword that was strapped to her back waist. Rose took advantage of this, attacking again. Her blade slightly grazed the woman's thigh before the sword was completely out.
Now Rose and the woman became locked in a fierce duel of blades. The sight, had it not been so intense, could have been seen as a thing of pure beauty. So perfect was the art of their fighting, that one could almost forget about the consequences of the looser. And yet, finally, the battle did end. The woman quickly spun low under a mid strike Rose delivered, then drove out her foot, effectively tripping the dark haired woman. Rose lost her balance and plunged directly into the dirty earth beneath her. She took a minute to collect herself then prepared to rise again. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far before she found herself staring up at the pointed tip of her opponents blade as it was directed towards her.
Rose could say nothing as she stared up at the blade for a few moments more then huffed angrily. She then threw down her sword and sighed. "I guess you win…" She replied in a dejected voice.
Her opponent, the red haired woman known as Shirley, smiled confidently as she lowered her own blade then replaced it into the sheath at her back. "It was a good fight. You have improved much in the last two months. More then I would have ever possibly imagined."
"Rose let another sigh escape her lips as she stood up from the ground. "Yeah but it's not much good if I still can't win a simple match. You weren't even using a sword until the very end that time!"
"The highest virtue of refining one's fighting style is patience Rose. Given time, you'll pick up on your skills and before you know it, you'll be beating me left and right."
"Ha!" Rose promptly walked over to a nearby towel bin, dipping the smooth cloth in the water basin sitting next to it, then ran the wet substance across her brow and face. "Maybe one day I'll have a really good dream and that will be it!"
Shirley chuckled lightly as she walked up along side her dark haired companion. "There are better dreams to aspire to." When she reached for the second towel on the rack she suddenly grimaced in discomfort as she felt a sharp pain at her thigh. When she looked down, she realized there was a thin line of blood seeping from a fresh wound. "Hmm, I'll be. You actually managed to cut me that time Rose."
"Did I?" Rose voice seemed uninterested as she finished wiping the sweat away from her face and arms.
"Yes you did as a matter of fact. I'm much impressed."
"Well I'm glad on of us is."
Shirley rolled her eyes. In the short time she had known the dark haired girl, the two of them became good friends yet still she found that times like this, she wished she could just strangle the girl for her faithlessness. She turned around to face her companion.
The two of them had currently been sparring in Shirley's training hall. Truly her entire domain was nothing short of impressive to the dark haired woman named Rose, yet still it did nothing to change the red heads firm yet humble demeanor. She seemed to be at total peace with everything around her. Rose could only hope that at least some of that disposition could rub off on her.
Now, Shirley walked up slowly towards her. "Rose, I'll be honest with you. I'm much more comfortable using a bow then I am with using a blade. The fact that you were able to force me to have to switch weapons show's that you had me on the ropes. There was only one fault I noticed in your form. Your tragic flaw, you might say."
"And what's that?"
"You're too impatient in combat. You must bide your time and wait for an opening. You can't just create one by force. You've got to let things flow as they will. The reason you lost is because your frustration and impatience got the better of you. If that had not happened, you would have beaten me fair and square."
Rose lowered her head in defeat. "I suppose so. Well perhaps next time we spar I shall take that into consideration."
"It would be wise of you to keep that I mind." Shirley advised. She finished wiping herself off then turned to exit the room. "Rose you finish cleaning up and I'll meet you for dinner in roughly an hour or so. I am going to make my regular rounds of visiting my mother."
Rose nodded in understanding and exited through a separate partition.
Through the two months the women knew each other, Rose had learned a great deal about Shirley. Having been abandoned by her natural parents when she was still a small child, the white dragon known as Warvajiea found her alone and took her in as her own daughter. The dragon was very kind to Shirley and taught her all about the basics of fighting as she pitted her up against random beasts that roamed the area. Even still, as the White had taught her the fundamentals of fighting, she also instilled in her the essence of morality and humility. Clearly the person Shirley turned out to be was proof enough of Warvajiea's success.
Because Shirley was raised by the most powerful of the white dragons, all the other dragons were forced to respect her and treat her as one of their own. With this in mind, Shirley was almost always informed of the happenings which occurred at the dragon meetings and thus she effectively knew about the vastly approaching war that the dragons were now preparing to launch against the Wingly Empire.
Warvajiea had often conversed with her daughter about how much she was against the idea and that she knew of only one other dragon who agreed with her. Shirley agreed whole heartedly with her mother's belief and hoped ever day that the dragons would change their mind.
Unfortunately the dragons did not change their mind and now Shirley was going to converse with her mother. She knew the bad news she would receive even before arriving to her. A few days after she met Rose, her mother told her the dragons would be preparing their assault in only two months. That time had passed and all she could do now was wait in anticipation for the inevitable. Regardless of how drastic the situation was becoming, it still warmed Shirley's heart whenever it came down to paying her mother a visit. She loved her more then any other living being and she was more and more fearful about her mother's safety with the threat of the upcoming war.
Shirley entered a dark room where everything was pitch black. Only one beacon of light filtered in the darkness and that was at the center of the room emanating from a small white orb. It was this orb the Shirley now walked up to. It acted as a direct telepathic link to her mother. No one else knew about it outside of Shirley her mother and Rose and the three of them intended to keep it that way for as long as eternity. Shirley placed her right hand on the orb now, opening her mind to the great white dragon.
"Mother…?" The red-haired woman called out tentatively.
'Hello sweetheart. I was waiting for you to contact me earlier. What kept you?'
"I apologize for the delay mother. I was training with Rose again."
'Oh? Rose you say? How is she faring? She seemed to have a noble spirit when last we met.'
"The very same spirit continues to burn bright within her mother, if not brighter even. She's greatly excelled in her training. The only problem now is that she still lacks the patience and serenity that could so greatly improve her skills."
'She has had a rough life my dear. You must understand her situation.'
"I've been trying to open up to her but sometimes it seems like she doesn't want to let me in."
'Remember what I have often told you about patience my dear. She must come to terms with her own problems in her own way. Give her time. I am confident that she will find the truth in herself one day.'
"I am confident as well mother. Rose is truly a spectacular woman. But on to more pressing issues, how have you been? Has there been any change in the council?"
'Unfortunately no… that is actually… what I wanted to talk to you about…'
"What's wrong? Have they started already?"
'Not yet. Thulrax is still putting the finishing touches on his forces. He has just about nearly every remaining dragon on the ready now with the exception of the young.'
"But Zanatos is still against it right?"
Shirley could feel the light smile pulsing from her mother's consciousness at the very thought of the red-eyed dragon. 'Yes sweetheart. Zanatos is still very firmly rooted against the idea.'
A light devious smile formed across Shirley's lips. "So that means you 'have' spoken with him recently?"
There was a slight hesitation in her mother's response before she got the answer she knew was coming. '… Yes… I have.'
"Well?" Shirley pressed, a full smile now on her face. "Have you taken my advice and done what I told you?"
This time there was even more hesitation and Shirley had to control the light giggle that rushed from her mouth.
'… I… have not told him yet, no.'
"WHY?" Shirley nearly shouted in alarm.
'Darling please, not so loud.'
"Sorry mom, but no fair beating around the bush! Come on! If you really like Zanatos you should tell him about your feelings! I mean your both the same age right? So what's the problem?"
'My dear, you are still young. There is still much you have yet to learn about our ways. As you know, I have not always been the strongest of the white dragons. Zanatos respects me for my strength and skill as did he respect my brother before he died during the first war with the Winglies. Zanatos has always looked towards my brother as his own sibling. And he has regarded me as his little sister. Even now he sometimes refers to me in such a way.'
"But that's only sometimes mom! You don't know! His feelings for you could have changed by now. You should just let him know how you feel."
'Perhaps one day child, I shall be as brave as you make me up to be and I will present the issue to him. Unfortunately, for now, more pressing matters grab out attention.'
"Just exactly how bad has it escalated?"
'Bad my dear. As I have said before, Thulrax is only now providing the finishing touches. The grand attack is not far at hand now.'
"When will it start?"
Shirley could detect another pause only this time it was not as amusing as before. A wave of dread threatened to enrapture her heart as she waited for the response.
'In two weeks my dear. The attack will start in two weeks. Their target is more direct then ever. They wish to make their first strike on the very heart of the Wingly Empire… Vellweb!'
Shirley's eyes widened as she took in a sharp gasp. "Vellweb… two weeks…?"
'Yes child…' Replied the weary voice of her mother. 'The dragon race is all but doomed.'
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 10.