SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST
Summary: The Commander and the others are back at the Pact Base Camp, waiting for Logan, Zojja, and Trahearne to recover. Once they do, the attack on Mordremoth is planned.
Chapter six: The Dragon's Downfall
Author's Notes:
I haven't written any of this story in a long time! Maybe even a couple months. That is why I waited until the entire story was done before posting it. Even though this is, in all probability, the last chapter. So, enjoy!
Okay, here's the story now:
At the nearest Pact camp, Eir is pacing nervously. The medic - an asura named Ceera - had even turned the Commander out of the hospital tent.
Logan, Zojja, and Trahearne had all been unconscious when rescued, but the group's main concern is for Trahearne. As a sylvari, he is much more susceptible to Mordremoth's tactics, and the fact that he had not been in a Blighting Tree upon arrival has all of them worried about Mordremoth's intentions.
Eir had been told that the copies of Zojja had... fallen apart partway through the battle with Logan's copies, and Logan's copies had done the same before Eir woke up.
Rytlock seems to be able to... feel things about the rescued prisoners, however.
"Logan and Zojja will be alright," Rytlock informs them. "They'll need a long time to recover, but they'll be alright. I don't know as much about the Marshal, however. I don't know him as well as I do Logan and Zojja. He'll be alright, though. I think."
Uncertainty from Rytlock is a rare thing, but he'd been more and more uncertain about things since he got back from the Mists. Uncertain about new things, that is, like his new magic. Take that away and he is still his old confident self.
Over the next few days, just Destiny's Edge being in the camp boosts morale. Reports are coming back all the time about the Pact's operations in the area and preparing to go against Mordremoth.
The Commander leads their group out to assist the Pact in these operations, of course, but they always hurry back quickly to ask for news of their friends.
The Commander echoes Eir's hope that Trahearne is at least conscious by the time that attack begins.
Zojja is the first to regain consciousness, and the Pact medic Ceera grudgingly allows Destiny's Edge, Taimi, and the Commander - who she glares at hatefully - to talk to Zojja. The rest of the team is decidedly ordered to remain outside.
Zojja is still injured, but it is a relief to Eir to see a Zojja that isn't green and trying to kill her, or creepily attempting to help out despite being a Mordrem. Zojja's first concern is Taimi, and once Taimi reassures her mentor that she is alright, Zojja thanks Eir for getting her out of the Blighting Tree. Eir replies that it was the least she could do.
The Commander anxiously asks Zojja if she has any information about Mordremoth.
"Not really... no," Zojja replies.
"The copies of you spoke - continuously," Eir says quietly.
Zojja snorts. "Probably why I can remember everything they experienced. It wasn't pretty."
"Says a lot of Mordremoth's power that he can do that, and you're not even sylvari," the Commander remarks, as Eir winces.
Ceera comes back in and shoos them out again.
But over the next little while - with the Pact's forces getting closer and closer to combating the dragon itself - Zojja keeps asking to see her friends. Ceera always scowls at the Commander, and Eir wonders why. It's not like the Commander is a sylvari or anything, and Ceera never acts out of the ordinary towards sylvari anyway.
At one point, the Commander is asked to help defeat some Mordrem wurm-thing, dubbed Mordrem Spitfire by some of the troops for it's highly toxic saliva. Of course, the rest of the team goes along, too.
There are three of them blocking the way forward for the Pact, and the Commander her team defeat all three, before returning to Pact Base Camp.
There they find that Logan has woken up, and he has much the same things to say as Zojja.
By this time, Zojja is well enough to be up and about occasionally, as long as she has someone with her.
Taimi had volunteered for this duty, of course, but Zojja doesn't act like she needs it. 'Typical Zojja,' Eir thinks amusedly.
Siege weapons are being built by the Pact - thumpers and turrets and even an Exalted machine, in preparation for taking down Mordremoth's commanders. But the group containing Destiny's Edge is asked to help, as Mordremoth's highest champions... well...
Ceera still hasn't let anyone in to see Trahearne, but Rytlock's reports are increasingly worrisome.
"He's restless," Rytlock reports. "His mind is troubled and divided."
Canach snorts. "Of course it is. He is a sylvari, and we are right on Mordremoth's doorstep."
"It would seem like it is his mind, Rytlock," Caithe adds, "but his mind is his own. He won't give in."
That simple statement, devoid of any 'buts' or 'only ifs', lifts the hopes of the group for a time.
The next day, the Commander is restless. "I must see him," she declares finally. "Whether Ceera allows it or not, I will."
The Commander slips inside the hospital tent when Ceera is out, and is instantly worried. Trahearne is unconscious, but twitching, and muttering to himself inaudibly.
The Commander watches him anxiously for a moment, before whispering to him, "you are a sylvari of the Pale Tree. You are Trahearne, Marshal of the Pact. You can resist this Elder Dragon. Caithe and Canach and countless others are doing it, I know you, Trahearne, can too. You are Trahearne. You, Trahearne, cleansed Orr where it was thought impossible. You, Trahearne, formed the Pact, which defeated an Elder Dragon where thought impossible. Trahearne, you are a doer of impossible things. You, Trahearne, can reject Mordremoth from your mind. I know you can, Trahearne."
Mordremoth's tactics are to overwhelm a person's sense of self, their sense of who they are. Using Trahearne's name repeatedly, the Commander hopes, will help. She quietly leaves the tent and returns to her group.
"It is too early to tell," Rytlock says, forestalling the questions.
Later, Ceera makes her first report on Trahearne's condition. "He seems better," she says stiffly.
"Speak to him," the Commander urges.
"Use his name," Caithe adds. "It helps, trust me."
"Remind him who he is and what he has to fight for," Canach informs the asura.
"It will work better coming from those he knows well," Rytock tells her.
Ceera just huffs at them and disappears into the tent again. However, later she calls in Caithe. She avoids looking at the Commander.
"Why doesn't Ceera like you?" Eir asks the Commander.
"She blames me for the death of her mate, Tonn," the Commander sighs. "I was on a mission with him to blow up a Dead Ship near Orr, and he was caught in the explosion. She's blamed me ever since."
"Oh." Eir knows exactly how the Commander feels. 'Is it an asura thing?' she wonders, glancing in Zojja's direction.
Later, Rytlock reports that Trahearne seems to be more... settled, if not much. When Ceera is out, Caithe, Canach, and the Commander slip in again and speak to the unconscious sylvari. The Commander notes that he had stopped twitching and muttering to himself. They speak only of happy things, using Trahearne's name and/or rank as often as possible. When they leave, he seems more peaceful, somehow.
The next day, Pact troops start marching to the three gates of Mordremoth's sanctum.
Zojja and Logan urge them to go with the Pact's troops.
"You will be needed," Logan informs the Commander, looking her in the eye. "You being there will boost morale, calling to mind the last Elder Dragon and how you took it down with relative ease. With Caithe, Eir, and Rytlock there, as well as your new friends, it will be enough to make up for me and Zojja and Trahearne not being there."
The Commander glances in the direction of the hospital tent. "Let's all go in and check on him," she decides. "Only a few at a time, so as not to disturb him much, but I get the feeling it'll help."
After that, Rytlock reports a noticable change, before the group leaves to help assault the gates of Mordremoth's sanctuary.
As it turns out, the Commander's group is needed greatly, as Mordremoth's commanders are very resilient and dangerous.
The Pact takes them down with difficulty, and decide to wait two days, ensuring there are no further threats in the area, before marching on Mordremoth itself.
The Commander's group returns to Pact Base Camp, where Ceera has let Logan and Zojja in to speak to Trahearne. As the two are still weak from their ordeal in the Blighting Pods, they don't have much else to do.
The Commander and the two sylvari seem to help the Marshal the most, besides Logan and Zojja. The five speak to him softly and slowly, but there are often periods of silence.
"One of Mordremoth's most common tactics," Canach informs them, "is to speak his thoughts into a sylvari's head with such speed that he never gets a chance to think his own thoughts."
Upon seeing the positive effect of having these people by his side, Ceera grudgingly lets other members of the Pact come and wish Marshal Trahearne well.
By the second day Trahearne is drifting in and out of consciousness, and, by noon, he has awoken fully, remaining awake for about half an hour, talking to the Commander and her team, before dropping off to sleep again.
Ceera is pleased by this development, and Rytlock informs them that it is true sleep, restful and necessary. Trahearne had won the battle for his mind, rejected the dragon's sinister will.
"I wonder what would have happened if Mordremoth had won?" Kasmeer wonders.
Caithe and Canach are silent.
That night, Trahearne wakes up again, and is greeted by the hopeful faces of the Commander and her team.
After a few minutes of quiet talk, Trahearne asks where the war is at.
"We've breached Mordremoth's inner sanctum," the Commander informs him. "We're going to go in and kill every living plant-thing in there tomorrow."
Trahearne shakes his head. "That won't work. He doesn't really have a body anymore - he is the whole jungle."
Braham huffs. "So we burn everything that's jungle?"
"That wouldn't work, you silly," Taimi says, rolling her eyes. "Remember those vines that were attacking the waypoints, before I fixed them? There's no way we can get all of this dragon."
"Should I call back the soldiers?" the Commander asks Trahearne with a concerned frown.
Trahearne frowns.
"We need to find the weakness." Logan grins, glancing at Caithe. "Remember those giant devourers back when we first met you?"
Caithe smiles back. "We stomped the base of their tails."
"Where their main attacks come from," Rytlock adds.
"Mordremoth's strongest weapon is his mind," the Commander realizes. "But how...?"
"The same way it's been attacking us," Canach speaks up. "If we push back rather than simply resisting, it might help."
"No... no," the Commander mutters. "It's attacks come through the Dream. That's why the Nightmare Court seem... less susceptible. I would guess the Soundless feel it even less."
Trahearne opens his mouth to speak, but then he frowns. "The only person that could give us access to the Dream is the Pale Tree, and she... is she still... hurt?"
The Commander frowns. "The only way to find out would be to go to her directly, in the Grove. And if she's not awake, we'll have a real problem. Is there a way for already-awakened sylvari to access the Dream? I mean, aside from when the Pale Tree let us in after Claw Island."
The three sylvari in the room shake their heads.
The Commander frowns, thinking.
"Snaff," Zojja says. "Snaff went into Kralkatorrik's mind with the powerstone laurel. We have more people now, and we have people who've been... training in the art of mind-battles."
"Now that's an idea," Eir realizes, nodding. "But do we have a powerstone laurel?"
Zojja frowns. "No," she sighs at last.
A wide grin breaks out on Logan's face. "But I did bring a hole-in-my-pocket," he informs them, picking the coin-sized ring out of his pocket. "It's the one I used to get to Ebonhawke from Glint's sanctuary," he explains, to shocked looks from his guildmates.
"What's a hole-in-your-pocket?" Taimi asks curiously, peering at the thing.
"A portable asura gate," Zojja grins. "To anywhere."
"Only places that are already known," Rytlock adds.
"Sounds more like a mesmer portal to me," Kasmeer observes.
Zojja frowns. "I suppose you could call it that. Either one works, but that's not the concern. Snaff's powerstone laurel was destroyed when the Branded got to him, and I have no idea what happened to the one on Kralkatorrik."
Caithe smiles. "What if it's still on him?"
The non-Destiny's Edge members in the room are waiting until that group finishes discussing things in DE-language to ask their questions.
"Even if we had the time to build another set," Zojja is saying, "how would we put one on Mordremoth?"
"Capture a turned sylvari?" Canach suggests.
"Well, it can't be a normal sylvari, it might interfere with the signal, going through two minds," Zojja agrees. "And putting the other laurel on a normal sylvari might help their connection, since any sylvari is still connected to Mordremoth. But that still brings us back to the question of how to build a new pair in anything like a timely fashion."
"We don't have to worry about travel time," Logan reminds, "but we also don't want months of preparation like we had with Morgus Lethe."
"Hey, Elder Dragons are a lot harder than dragon champions," the Commander points out. "We should actually be spending more time on preparation."
"If you recall," Rytlock inserts, "we only spent a few hours planning for Kralkatorrik, and Snaff and Glint died."
Caithe frowns. "Mental invasion is going both ways, this time," she reminds everyone. "Sylvari should be left out of the planning stage, or we won't surprise Mordremoth in the slightest."
"The dragons know everything their minions know," the Commander remembers. "No offense, you three."
"None taken," Caithe says instantly. "I've had my whole life to get used to this, you know."
"I just wish you'd told us before it was too late," Braham observes.
"Honestly, though, we should have thought of it on our own," the Commander explains. "A dragon has a plant domain, and the sylvari are... well, sylvari, not to mention nobody knew where they came from..."
"Can we talk about the plan for defeating said dragon?" Braham huffs.
"Problems!" Taimi sighs. "Marshal Trahearne here is obviously a genius at planning an invasion - just look at Orr - but he's also a sylvari, meaning if we want said invasion to work better, he can't be in on the plans."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine without me," Trahearne replies.
Just then, Ceera comes in. "He needs rest," she snaps, shooing them out. "You've been conversing in there forever, and worrying about battles is the last thing he needs right now."
"Looks like we don't get a choice," Rox observes as Ceera hustles them out.
"Well, the first thing to do is cancel the march on Mordremoth - for now," the Commander notes. "I'll take care of that."
The team tests Logan's hole-in-his-pocket to make sure it works - it does, despite having been inside a Blighting Tree. Then, Zojja and the rest of Destiny's Edge travel to Rata Sum to see if there is anything in Snaff's old lab that would help.
At first, nothing seems relevant - just a couple unfinished golems, which Destiny's Edge recognize as prototypes for Big Snaff and Big Zojja.
"Aha!" Zojja exclaims, upon this being mentioned. "Eir, there should be powerstone laurels in the cockpits."
Eir peers inside the gigantic golems and finds a laurel in each, and brings them to Zojja.
Zojja looks them over. "Hmm. We have two, and they're mostly finished - it shouldn't take long to make them workable - but we have two of the same type. Snaff and I would use these to control our golems. But the requisite powerstone to receive the signal was built-in the golem. The laurel that Glint put on Kralkatorrik was one-of-a-kind. But I do think I could patch these up to function the same way. I'll need time, though. Days, perhaps."
"Could Taimi help?" Eir wonders.
Zojja nods. "Definitely. Can you get her?"
Eir turns back to the portable asura gate, still glowing on the floor, and steps through.
She finds Braham and Taimi talking to Rox.
"Oh, hi, Eir!" Taimi says upon seeing her. "We were discussing Mordremoth's tactics. It's like Canach said - Mordremoth is playing mind games, and not just with sylvari."
"Oh?" Eir asks.
"When he had us fighting those copies of Logan and Zojja," Rox points out. "It was supposed to be mentally challenging, fight what looks like our friends."
Eir nods. "I think we thwarted him mostly, though. But Taimi, Zojja wants you help. She can explain better than I can."
"On my way!" Taimi replies, scrambling into Scruffy's cockpit.
Eir blinks. 'She was using Scruffy to get around long before she met Zojja,' Eir realizes. 'Scruffy is like a miniature Big Taimi.' "Taimi, how do you control Scruffy?"
Coming from Scruffy, Taimi's voice sounds metallic. "His controls are just like a normal console or holographic interface. Nothing special."
"Maybe you should talk to Zojja about Scruffy - after her current project. She might have some hints for you," Eir replies amusedly, before leading Taimi back to the portable gate.
When the two appear back in Snaff's laboratory, Zojja looks up.
"There you are. Taimi, the most important rule for now is not to ask questions on how or why or what, unless you need to follow directions." When Taimi opens her mouth, Zojja cuts her off. "I know it's not normal, but we're pressed for time, and explaining everything would make it ten times longer. I'm not sure I could explain half this stuff the way Snaff could have."
Taimi nods cautiously. "What is it we're doing for now, though?"
"Trying to fix up these powerstone laurels. It's nothing like anything you're taught in Synergetics - these were Snaff's shining jewel, unique. I probably don't know all of his secrets."
"If you're not going to be explaining, why not have Eir or the others help?" Taimi asks.
"Because they won't understand what anything I'm talking about means!" Zojja replies in frustration. "Time is of the essence, we can't allow Mordremoth to rebuild his defenses while we're stuck here talking about the nuances of golden hats!"
The rest of the group try not to laugh at Zojja's explanation and Taimi's obvious confusion.
"Eir," Logan says, turning to the norn. "I'm sure Zojja won't need any help but Taimi's - we should head back to the Pact camp. See what we can do."
"Leave the gate open," Zojja calls, already fiddling with one of the powerstone laurels and giving instructions to Taimi.
Back at the Pact camp, the Commander is readying the team - minus sylvari - to go spy on Mordremoth's garrisons.
After several days, Zojja and Taimi have a working set of powerstone laurels, and the Commander's group - referred to as the Spawn of Steel (another play on the names Dragonspawn's Destiny and Edge of Steel) - have captured several turned sylvari.
Nobody speaks to these Mordrem Guard, or to any other sylvari regarding their plans, leaving Mordremoth in the dark.
However, false plans of attack and strategy are discussed, with the sylvari present and participating, and pretending to follow them out, thus leading Mordremoth along, or at least confusing him as to their real plans.
But by the time Zojja and Taimi approach the Spawn of Steel with the laurels, the Pact has already had to push back against Mordremoth twice, to prevent the dragon regrowing it's defenses.
Trahearne, recovering much more slowly than Zojja and Logan had, is still doing fairly well, although Ceera insists that he and Logan stay under her care. She would have said the same of Zojja, but the others 'convinced' her that letting Zojja work on the powerstones is the best way to defeat Mordremoth.
Zojja had also found some gray powerstones, which, she reveals, she is planning on using on a Mordrem, to cut off it's connection to Mordremoth. Then she can test the laurels on the disconnected Mordrem to make sure they work.
After this test is carried out - by which time Trahearne is almost completely recovered - and Zojja learns the intricacies of the powerstone laurels, she briefs the Spawn of Steel on what she knows.
"It's harder to focus on expelling the intruder when you are physically or otherwise occupied with something," Zojja reveals. "What we should do is have the Pact attack Mordremoth, and right at the crux of the battle, start the mental invasion, as well."
"We're putting the invading laurel on a sylvari, right?" Braham checks.
"Yes," Zojja nods. "Unfortunately, we'll have to tell them exactly what they're supposed to be doing, but hopefully this information being sprung on Mordremoth will surprise him. At the same time, we can use the gray powerstones to cut off some of his more powerful minions, hopefully shocking him enough to get a foothold in his mind.
There is some debate as to which sylvari should use the laurel, but eventually everyone - including the sylvari - agree that Trahearne should use it.
"He's gone the farthest along the road to turning, but not turned, than any of us," Caithe explains. "He knows most about the dragon, it's weaknesses, and how to combat them."
"That means I'll be leading the Pact against Mordremoth physically," the Commander sighs. "Not that I dislike doing that," she adds hastily, "but I'd rather be here."
"I understand, Commander," Trahearne replies. "I'm sure Mordremoth will let you all know when it is defeated."
"If not, I'm sure all the Mordrem Guard suddenly recovering their senses will alert us," Canach says dryly.
"And then will come the difficult task of convincing the Pact not to hold the fact that they turned against them," the Commander sighs.
"We'll deal with that problem when it gets here," Eir says firmly.
"We would go with you," Caithe adds, "but I don't think Trahearne should face this battle alone."
"Certainly not!" the Commander replies. "That's why I wanted to stay - nobody can face an Elder Dragon alone. But if I have to go, then you should all stay."
"Not of all of us need to stay," Braham replies. "I'll come with you - this dragon needs to know what a punch to the face feels like."
The Commander smiles tightly. "I'll see if I can arrange that."
Trahearne nods. "Not all of you need to stay. I'm sure some of you would do more good on the front lines than here."
In the end, it is arranged that Caithe, Canach, Logan, Zojja, Kasmeer, and Taimi will stay with Trahearne, and Braham, Rox, Rytlock, Eir, and Marjory will accompany the Commander and the Pact.
The Pact has been keeping the passage clear, and the Mouth of Mordremoth - which Pact forces have reported is nothing like Zhaitan's Mouths - is exposed to any attack the Pact might make.
Eir follows the Commander down the path, bow ready. Her anxiety is at its peak, enhanced by the fact that Garm is still missing. She refuses to think about what might have happened to him, and instead concentrates on the coming battle.
As the Pact fights the Mordrem commanders, the Commander leads the Spawn of Steel against Mordremoth's physical representation - a long, scaly, snake-like wyrm - from the air. All of them had learned the art of the glider from the Commander while Zojja was building the powerstone laurels, and now they strike at the Mouth of Mordremoth, locating weaknesses and exploiting them.
In the height of battle, the Commander contacts Eir through the communication radios that the Order of Whispers had supplied.
"Eir, you still have those vials of gray powerstones Zojja gave you?"
"Yes, Commander. I'm aiming for Mordremoth."
"No, that would block Trahearne from getting in. Get those Mordrem commanders. Free up the Pact to help us in the air."
"Understood," Eir replies. She glides away from the snake-like representiation of Mordremoth, and flies towards the floating islands where the Pact is fighting the dragon's champions.
She extracts the glass bottle from her pocket and aims for the Mordrem, which is flailing with an axe, and felling many Pact soldiers.
The glass shatters on the thing's head, distracting it for a moment, before Mordremoth roars in fury. The Pact swarms the motionless Mordrem and defeats it, and Eir calls them into the air.
Eir returns to the Commander with the Pact soldiers who had a glider to hand, and the Commander takes charge of them.
Eir finds the other Mordrem commander, which is being fought by a division of the Pact led by Laranthir of the Wild. They are doing much better, and Eir decides not to waste the powerstone liquid on that one.
Just then, Mordremoth roars, a terrible sound that shakes the ground and the air, and knocking Eir out of the sky. She manages to redeploy her glider momentarily, catching her descent before she crashes into an island, but Mordremoth's fury seems unbounded, and her glider crumples, dropping her ten feet to the island below her. She is not harmed - much - nor is her glider unusable, but everything is shaking so bad she decides it is wise to stay low until Mordremoth's anger subsides some.
A few minutes later, the snaky form of Mordremoth plows straight through the island she is on, tearing a great hole through the island. She watches in shock as Mordremoth curls around the island, crumbling it. She falls out the bottom of the loop Mordremoth had trapped her in, and glides away, glad the shaking had stopped.
She regroups with the Commander, who confirms that Trahearne's mental attack has started.
"Our job now is mostly to distract him," the Commander reminds Eir. "Don't bother about dealing fatal wounds, but painful ones. Be as annoying as you can be."
"I'm on it, Commander," Eir replies, saluting.
"Take the explosives the Pact got from the Exalted," Marjory adds. "They are loud, painful, and come with a bright flash."
Eir nods and takes off with the others, pelting Mordremoth with the Exalted explosives - designed to be used from a glider.
Mordremoth twists around in a fury, and his gigantic head sails straight at Eir.
Her glider won't carry her out of the way fast enough, so she disables it and falls out of the way, before redeploying under the dragon's belly. She hurls another explosive as her glider scoots out from under it, the shrapnel from the exploded container raining harmlessly behind her.
She soars back up on an updraft, just clearing the dragon's head again, this time by soaring above.
"Why is he focused on you?" the Commander asks.
"Maybe he's angry that I survived when he planned on killing me," Eir replies.
The dragon comes straight for Eir again, and she manages to toss an explosive in it's face as she drops out of range again.
The dragon roars in pain, thankfully not shaking the world, but still distracted from the mental assault it is undergoing. It curls in on itself, before unraveling speedily, its tail flailing out and knocking everyone out of the sky.
It twists and plunges downward after them. Eir and the others get off shots at it's head, several explosives catching it in the eyes, and one landing in its mouth before going off, much to Mordremoth's surprise.
The Spawn of Steel take the time to fly out of the falling dragon's way, and when Mordremoth comes up again, Eir is crouched behind a boulder on an island.
Mordremoth's snaky body trails behind it's head as it searches for somebody to attack. When its gaze is directed away from Eir, she soars up in the air and drops on the dragon's back. She makes her way toward its head, leaving timed explosives along its spine.
When they begin exploding, Eir is already at its head, and the dragon thinks she is still down by the island. She holds on while the dragon flails, and when no more explode on its back, it thinks she is off of it. But she is still hanging on, and still has a good many explosives with her.
She throws one out just in front of the dragon's nose, where it explodes. While it is recovering from surprise, the Commander and the others throw more in the dragon's face, and Eir plants one at the base of its neck before backing off.
When that one explodes, Mordremoth roars again, though if the timing is coincidental or not Eir does not know, as the explosive just dented the dragon's scales. She does the same thing in the same place, repeatedly, digging a hole in the dragon's scales at the place that is generally weakest.
Then, Marjory cleverly rigs one of her bone minions with a glider and a harness chock-full full of explosives, and directs it to fly down the dragon's throat. Being so small, the bone minion manages that feat with ease, particularly when the others toss more explosives in it's face while it glides in.
When it explodes, at the same time as Eir's latest explosive in the base of the dragon's neck, the dragon roars again, shaking everyone out of the sky.
Eir falls to an island below, and she is certain she broke several bones. The islands and the air are still shaking uncontrollably.
After about five minutes, Eir hears a voice through the communicator.
"Let's do that again!" Rytlock crows.
Marjory laughs. "I don't see why not. It certainly distracted the dragon, and made it angry."
"Go for it, Jory," the Commander replies.
Eir crawls to the edge of the island and drops, deploying her glider, which she can still control with ease, despite not being able to walk.
When Marjory tells them that the minion is on it's way, the others all pelt Mordremoth's face with explosives and quickly land, not wanting to be injured like last time.
This time, the bone minion does not explode until a full five seconds later than last time, and therefore it is deeper inside the dragon when it does.
This time, the islands actually crumble from Mordremoth's rage, and Eir does her best to stay in the air by continually redeploying her glider even when it fails.
This barely works, and she flies to firm ground as soon as she can keep her glider up steadily.
The Pact and the Spawn of Steel gather there, as well, and watch Mordremoth confusedly chasing the falling chunks of island.
"Trahearne's doing well," the Commander notes.
"The bone minions are very expendable, Commander," Marjoy reminds. "I think they do the most good as explosive couriers."
The Commander grins. "Go ahead, Jory. And find any others who can supply expendable 'explosive couriers', as well."
While the necromaners and mesmers are at work doing that, those who are injured are seen to by the medics on the scene.
The explosive method seems to work nicely; Mordremoth is in pain and distracted, and Trahearne is burrowing deeper into the dragon's mind, just as Snaff had once done to Kralkatorrik.
"Alright, stop the explosives. We'll make Mordremoth wonder what happened," the Commander orders.
And indeed, the writhing, very obviously injured dragon seems very suspicious of everything. The Commander's group is hidden by mesmers, and the dragon is suspiciously alone.
After a while, it goes still in the middle of the air, and the Commander orders a renewal of the explosives.
This time, Eir and some others alight on the dragon's back - Mordremoth doesn't seem to realize it - and plant explosives everywhere. And then, several dozen bone minions fly down Mordremoth's mouth at once, exploding simultaneously with the ones outside it's body, and jolting Mordremoth out of the mental battle with Trahearne.
It roars, but everyone is alreaady back on firm ground. The ledge, however, begins crumbling, and everyone scrambles backward.
Then, it curls into a perfect spiral and stays in that general shape, though it is writhing.
The Commander flies out and hovers in front of its face. It seems to be trying to lunge at her - because it does, slightly - but doesn't do anything effectively.
"I think Trahearne has won a victory in the dragon's mind," Eir notes. "The dragon isn't dead yet, though. Maybe we should pack a hundred bone minions down its throat and see what happens then."
The dragon goes out in a rumbling, sky-shaking, terrifying action. It roars so tremendously it is felt even at the main Pact camp where Trahearne is mentally battling the dragon. It then curls up on itself, tighter and tighter. More bone minions explode inside of it, and the bright light of the explosion can be seen out of the dragon's mouth. The dragon squeezes into itself, squishing. And then it falls. Down, down, until suddenly Eir hears a tremendous BOOM.
After a beat of absolute silence, the Pact erupts into cheering. The sylvari are the loudest, most shouting some variant of 'he's gone!' or 'I'm free!'
The Pact returns to the base camp, where a celebration is already being started.
Trahearne and the others who hadn't been with the Commander have wide smiles on their faces, and the group congratulate each other on every point.
Trahearne seems to know exactly how the Commander's fight had gone, purely from how focused Mordremoth was on the mental battle.
The celebration is loud, and even rivals the one held at Fort Trinity after Zhaitan's defeat.
And then, halfway through, Zojja lets out a tortured, long-drawn-out groan.
"Zojja? What's the matter?" Eir asks.
"I know it, they're going to, they're going to, and even Snaff's genius condemns me," Zojja groans.
"Zojja? What's going on?" the Commander asks in confusion.
"They're going to make me an Arcane Councilor, I just know it, it was my invention, they don't know it was Snaff's, and since he's dead they'll give it to me anyway, and Snaff got out of it last time by selling it off as Klab's work because he invented the thing, and..."
Logan, Rytlock, Eir, and Caithe all burst out laughing.
"And Klab!" Zojja realizes. "He'll give me director of pest control, and then he'll be free! Oh, no..."
"I'm sure you can decline, Zojja - " the Commander starts.
"It doesn't work like that," Caithe replies. "The best she can do is not return to Rata Sum."
"Or return without anyone knowing," Logan puts in. "Hole-in-your-pockets go undetected, I'm sure. If they're coming, just get out using it, and leave Taimi to tell you when they're gone."
"Oh, Zojja," Rytlock grumbles. "Why can't you just be happy?"
Zojja glares at Rytlock. "I was being happy."
"Actually, she was," Caithe observes. "For Zojja."
"See? Caithe's happy too," Zojja snipes.
Author's Notes:
Finally, this story is DONE!
You know how long it's taken me? Months! Since before I started the Tassof Series! Of course, the Tassof Series is, most likely, the reason I didn't finish it sooner, but... whatever. (Whatever you! No, wait, wrong story...)
Did you get the reference at the very end? That was hilarious.
Now I have to go make sure the rest of the story is up to my writing standards. They've changed a lot since I started writing, you know. See you when it's posted!