Dark Weapon Rising
Chapter 6
The Army
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Mal followed the foul smelling beast down into the dark and cold mountain almost entirely blind.
The massive presence in front of him turned around and paced backwards, "We are almost there. Your army awaits you, Master, they should be quite anxious to lay eyes upon you for the first time. They have given up everything the serve you."
Mal nodded in acknowledgment as he tripped over a small stalagmite and narrowly avoided being sent to the cave floor.
Mal didn't know what to say. He was awe struck by the welcoming this foreign race of Apes was giving him. He'd never been treated specially by his own race before. In fact it had been the opposite of this with his own race. Maybe this race knew just how special he was. It made him truly feel important for the first time.
A light at the end of the tunnel began to get brighter as they neared it from a distance. Eventually the soothing light illuminated the cave well enough that Mal could now watch his step, and not long after that they got to the opening. "Here is your army!" the giant ape announced looking out over the ledge and into a giant illuminated pit.
Mal looked over the edge and nearly fainted. Millions of apes stood in perfect rows that made perfect squares of pure muscle. Each of the members of the assembly was decked with a spear, sword, shield and they all wore purple coats with a yellow stomach that matched Mal's appearance. The giant ape looked over to Mal, "I hope that they will suffice your future needs. Of course this will not be your only tool. We have done more preparation than what you may have imagined in order to make sure that this run will last as long and as well as possible."
"I'm not sure that I know what kind of 'run' you are talking about," Mal objected questionably.
"Oh, you may not now, but know that whenever you need us we are waiting for you here in this mountain side. Whenever your life of innocence and equality slaps you on the wrist and reminds you that you are something far greater than the rest of their kind you'll come here to the only place you'll know to hide. Then, and only then you will begin to understand."
Mal looked up at the beast fearfully, "um,"
"Here, here I'll return you to that other life since it will soon be calling for you, but just remember this and know that millions have sacrificed just to serve you, master. We're right here waiting for you."
The next morning Terrador walked into the training room walking past Shandra. She winked at him as he went by invoking some excitement, but not much.
Walking past a few other familiar dragons from his generation he was unable to find Mal in the group. Walking back into the main hallway of the training area and going straight through into the worship caves he finally found Mal. He was sitting curled up at the base of an old war hero so ancient that the name plate had worn down to the point of unread ability.
Tears dampened the floor in front of Mal's face and created small pools upon on stone and dirt floor of the cave. "What is it, Mal?"
Mal looked up from the neck of his tail with his watery blue eyes and considered Terrador's green body with disbelief. "How did you know that I would be here?"
"I, uh, just walked back here worried for your wellbeing. You weren't in the training room so I went looking for you," Terrador replied as he suddenly regretted finding his friend in this state.
"Well, go away!"
Terrador held back a tear as he felt himself begin to cry for a reason that he did not know. "Sorry, Mal," he apologized as he progressed away from Mal.
"Terrador, wait!" Mal called after him as he suddenly got up and chased him down, "I'm sorry, it's just that the advisory board has taken away my rights as a dragon. I'm not allowed the full extent of my training. I always had dreamed of being something great and important and influential, but now, all of that is gone."
Terrador's jaw dropped, "I'm… I'm sorry Mal, I had no idea what was going on."
"Nah, don't be, it's not your fault," Mal soothed Terrador as he broke down upon his shoulder.
"I just kept thinking that maybe they'll repeal the judgment this whole morning. It wasn't until early this morning that I pulled out my government book and realized that judgments cannot be reversed. Now, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'll never live the same life again."
Terrador began to break down at the disparity of the situation, "I'm sorry, Mal, I'm really sorry."
Ignitus left his home a few minutes later than he had hoped. The streets and skies were entirely devoid of life as everybody was off elsewhere and getting in their days work already.
Turning his head back to avoid the sun's blinding rays he caught the glimpse of a massive movement towards the edge of the city. "What in the name of the ancestors is going on?" he asked to himself turning around to survey the disturbance.
Thousands of strange purple beings stormed towards the city unopposed. The sound of shattering glass resonated throughout Warfang as they set a few of the outlaying buildings into a blaze.
"We're being attacked!" he exclaimed aloud as he shifted his flight pattern slightly and slowed.
Immediately the sound of chiming bells for the top of the watch tower rang throughout the countryside pulling all of the workers from their place of work and into the skies.
Fireballs from the point of invasion were launched towards a small spec in the sky which was struck multiple times before it fell below the city scape.
Ignitus slowed wearily as he looked around and found very few dragons still accompanying him in the skies. It wouldn't be long though.
In the distance Ignitus could hear the invaders chanting the name, "Malefor!"
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