Alright, next chapter. This one takes place after a 3-year time-skip.
Edit 5/29/2024: Fixed some more things up here as well. Chapter should hopefully be a slightly neater/better read.
CHAPTER 2: PASS THE SENTENCE...SWING THE SWORD.
Spring, 1538 B.S.
It had been three years since Altamir's dragon eggs had hatched, and during that time, Altamir, with the assistance of his family members as well as some older dragons who understood what it was like to raise younglings, had seen the dragonets go from tiny infants to much larger young dragonets. Dragonets grew very rapidly in both size and maturity in the first year, and by the end of that first year, they were the age equivalents of 10 years old in human years. Then, from here to when they were 11 years old, they would be growing at a rate that was roughly the same as that of human children, mentally-and-maturity-wise (though the rate at which they grew in physical size was much, much, MUCH greater).
So, currently, at three years old, they were all, age-wise, the equivalent of a human children of roughly 12 years old (which was the age that Altamir himself currently was). From nose tip to the base of the tail, Togay was 21 feet long (and nearly 10 feet tall at the shoulder), the others save for Gunesha were anywhere from 14 to 18 feet long (and anywhere from just under 7 feet tall to nearly 8 feet tall at the shoulder) and Gunesha was 13 feet long (and nearly 6 feet tall at the shoulder). Indeed, they were well past the point where any normal human could carry them, given that they were so large and heavy now. Altamir himself had, obviously, also grown. He was now five inches taller (bringing his height up to 53 inches), and his voice had changed early, so while he still sounded quite young, his voice had gained characteristics of, in the words of others, a commanding timbre, and was quite deep for someone his age.
Though, it wasn't like his life was completely free of any and all hardship now. About a year after Ariq's death, Altamir's father, Jyrgalis, had a fatal accident riding a horse. Fatal because he had been severely wounded when he fell off of that horse and was dragged by his foot for a long distance over rocky ground before another rider was able to stop the horse, and he had then died from a combination of blood loss and infection by the next day, joining his oldest son in the afterlife. After the mourning, Sorkhagtani the Elder (as she'd come to be known by, given that the young Sea Dragon had been named after her) had eventually managed to move on and find a new love. That new love in question was a man named Babur. He was of the recently formed Qirqlu clan, formed when a man named Ishpakaya (who was Babur's father) had left the Saka in self-imposed exile with his family after they'd been prominent political enemies of the Saka's leader at the time, the now-late Mihirakula Usun Toyon of the Sakaean Khotan tribe, and had then married into the Nirun-Qangar Surenqai Tribe. He was four years junior of Sorkhagtani the Elder (namely, she was currently 29 and he was 25), but he was, despite his young age, a prominent up-and-coming general in Khingila's service. He was also now Altamir's stepfather, technically speaking, and had, along with his mother, given Altamir a new younger stepbrother in a now year-old little boy named Avitohol. For his part, Altamir didn't mind the man, but made it clear that the position of 'paternal parental figure' was one that only Khingila held now, and Babur had respected that and, so far, had continued to do so.
Regardless, currently, Babur, as well as Khingila, Jingim, Toqtamish, and Taichar, were all returning from having led a great steppe army of Nirun and Qangars, as well as a few units of Seleukian Auxiliaries, to put down a Saka revolt in the Parlataeans' western territory. The subordinate leader of the Saka, Frahatava Usun Toyon (who happened to be Mihirakula's son), had led that revolt with little warning, and Altamir didn't yet know the motives as to why the man had done that. As far as he knew, his uncle was very fair and reasonable as a Khan, and the Saka had previously been loyal just like the Nirun and Qangars. What he did know was that Frahatava had been defeated decisively, and his uncle and cousins were now returning with that man as their prisoner.
Either way, though...
*SPLASH!*
"GAH! SORA!"
Altamir was currently soaked in water after a certain Sea Dragonet decided to at least somewhat live up to her kind's name by taking a running dive into the waters of the Almaz river (also known as the Almaz-Su to the Eastern Parlataeans, and the "Diamond Spray River" to the dragons; it was the large river that ran west-to-east just south of Avraga, the semi-permanent tent city that Altamir lived in with his dragonets), right as he was at its edge nearby. The other dragonets laughed at the sight of Altamir soaking wet.
"Ye alright, Aldy?" Gunesha asked through her mirth.
"Guess I've been bloody worse..." Altamir muttered.
It was then that a mischievous-looking, grinning-like-the-cat-that-ate-the-messenger-pigeon Sorkhagtani the Younger ('Sora' was a short version of that name), popped back up above the surface of the river, muffled giggles spilling out from behind the good-sized river sturgeon that she'd caught...at least before she promptly ate it.
"Sora! I just bloody cleaned these off!" Altamir huffed, irritated.
"Dinnae see why that's my problem!" Sorkhagtani laughed at the sight of her human 'father' (older adoptive sibling, more like) utterly drenched as she strode forward out of the water. "Ye WERE standing taew close to the water, after all!"
"Aye, aye, I ken that! I can tell!" Altamir went to magically drying himself off again. "I was just trying tae get some of it, ye ken!"
"Good thing ye dinnae live in Baktria or Sagartia; I hear they have a problem with thaese crocodiles snatching cattle daewn there!" Gulay threw in. "Pay more attention next time, then!"
"Clearly I should..." Altamir muttered, wondering how to get back at the Sea Dragon. Yes...if Sorkhagtani the Younger was ever late to wake up...Altamir could 'borrow' one of his now stepfather's horns...
Later, Altamir and his dragonets tackled the challenge of making their way through the veritable maze of Avraga's many tents, a bit of an awkward task at times due to how big Togay in particular was getting, particularly with regards to his wings. Soon, they got to Borte, whom Sibel, Konchak, and Arjan were with. Orqina wasn't around...perhaps she was courting Qarachar, that boy of the Qangar Qorchigge Tribe who was her age and with whom she was in love with?
"A few scouts of ours have noted a great herd of wild Auroxen about four or five miles or sae tae the west." Borte was looking away, but Altamir knew the statement was directed at him. "If yer dragonets are hungry, ye could always take them hunting, Altamir."
Altamir looked at his dragonets, who were indeed looking hungry. Particularly Togay, who was the biggest and also with the biggest appetite. "Please, Aldy?" Arjan's nickname for Altamir had definitely caught on with the young dragons...not that Altamir minded.
"I dinnae see why naet." Altamir shrugged. "I'm naet doing anything at the moment."
"If ye're going tae do that, dinnae forget tae bring some back with ye!" Sibel requested. "I wanna skin one!"
"Aye! Same here!" Konchak eagerly joined his sister in requesting such.
"I'll have tae help ye two with that..." Altamir heard Borte mutter.
As Altamir went to get on one of the dragonets, Arjan asked him a question. "Aldy? When will Uncle Khingila come back?"
"I dinnae ken when he will." Altamir shrugged. "They only said that he's almost here. Maybe later today or something like that?"
With that, Altamir got on Peksen's back, and with a little coaxing, the dragonets took off, with him riding with them. He had to say...he truly had fixed his 'horse' problem.
"Where do ye think we'll find the herd, Aldy?" Sorkhagtani asked Altamir as the eight of them were flying to the west.
"Aye, I dinnae see it around here..." Gulay seconded the Sea Dragonet's question.
The Pyrrhian Steppes were vast and wide open, and aside from the occasional Baktrian Riverine Colony in its southern reaches, there were, for the most part, no permanent fixed structures on the grasses and plains. As such, it could be rather easy for someone to get lost if they didn't know how to figure out where they were or where they were going.
Luckily, a relatively simple way to deal with this problem was to identify one's landmarks - yes, they existed on the steppes. Like a river, for example. The Almaz River was one such landmark. Given that it was large and ran west-to-east and back, upon thinking over where Borte had said the herd of Auroxen was, Altamir made his decision. "Follow the river and go west. If we look tae our north, we should be able tae find that herd."
"Really? Uh...alright..." Peksen seemed a little unsure of this, but decided to roll with Altamir's advice.
As they flew along, Altamir decided to briefly shift the subject while they were going to where the herd was. "Sae, haew are all of ye doing on yer reading and writing?"
"I'm doing alright..." Chagatai replied.
"I'm naet!" Togay complained. "It's hard!"
"Is it?" Altamir asked the Mud Dragonet.
"It is! I cannae seem tae remember the words enough tae put them down! And the letters jump around like frogs on the scrolls!"
"I guess I'll have tae go ask my uncle to see if Yasagur is available tae help ye with that..." Yasagur was Babur's older brother, and a man of learning who was close to Khingila, being a high-ranking scribe and scholar among the Parlataeans. Even before he'd become a part of the family with Babur marrying Altamir's mother, Yasaur had taught Altamir how to read and write, and even now, he would even occasionally help the Dragonets learn when available.
"Just asking, Aldy, but why are ye wanting us tae do this 'reading and writing' stuff?" Sorkhagtani asked again.
"My uncle says that it could help ye later on in life." Altamir responded. "Especially when dealing with the peoples who put a great deal of importance in it." There were five main "scripts" of Pyrrhia. The Tarantine Alphabet was used for Tarantine (obviously), Dardanian, Qartubinian, Gergovian, Galatian, Gothian, and 'Common Tongue' (also referred to as the "Dragon's Language", thanks to it being the primary language of the dragons of Pyrrhia), the Attican Alphabet was used for, well, the Attican Language, the Metodian Script was used for Polabian (which it was originally invented for), the Parlataean Besheg was used for Nirun, Qangar, and Saka, and the Abjad was used for Manathirian and Panji/Panjistani.
"Alright..." Shiban then noticed something to the north. "Oi, Aldy, I think I found the herd!"
"Where?" Upon looking to the north as well, Altamir saw it also. "Alright, there it is!" This got cheers from the other dragonets.
"Yeah!"
"Finally, food!"
"Time for some hunting!"
"I ken, I ken!" Altamir was aware of how excited they were. "But I think we should go about it a certain way!"
"Haew?" Peksen asked.
Altamir responded to that by raising his hand into the air...and instead of summoning his sword, like usual, he instead summoned what looked like a thick metal spear with a very sharp, heavy tip.
"...with that?" Sorkhagtani asked, seemingly incredulous. "But we'd have tae get really close for that tae-"
"It's a heavy javelin!" Altamir eagerly replied. "It's meant tae be thrown distances and hit whatever it hits hard!" Unlike most Parlataeans, Altamir wasn't really a big patron of the bow, as whenever he tried to draw, he always seemed to go too hard with it and so always ended up breaking a perfectly good bow. Instead, he was better at throwing javelins, and his far-above-average strength that came with being the Luuzada meant that he could easily handle and even throw with accuracy such a heavy one that most humans likely wouldn't even be able to hold it well, let alone throw it.
"...oh." Sorkhagtani finished lamely, but then perked up. "Oh, I see! We're supposed tae fly-by and stick one tae the ground from above?"
"Aye!" Altamir affirmed. "Let's get a little lower so that I can throw this big lad at 'em!"
The aurox grazed quietly with its herd, unaware of any danger that was to come. There was none around. No lions, no wolves, no tigers...no nothing. Not even any of those flying beasts...for the moment.
It was not expecting any danger. It did not know any danger was about. It did not see any danger coming.
And it certainly did not see the large, sharp, metal object hurtling through the air and cascading down upon its head...
*SHLUCKPANK*
...until it was too late.
Upon seeing one of their number impaled through the skull and killed instantly by this deadly object, the rest of the herd took off running, for danger was afoot, and it had already claimed one of their own.
And very soon after, seven winged beasts, a human astride one of them and the air fanning out from their great wings flapping rapidly as they came in for a landing to blow the grass to the wayside, descended upon the fallen quarry.
"Whoa! Right through the head!"
"Great shot, Aldy!"
"Wish I could throw like that!"
Altamir and the dragonets descended on their now-slain quarry. It was clear that the aurox was dead already, so there was no need to worry about "mercy-killing" it.
"Sae, when do we get tae eat it?" Togay asked eagerly, getting a laugh out of the other dragonets.
"Ye'll get yer chance, lad!" Altamir chuckled. "Let's get six more first, so that we'll have one for each of ye, and then we can go back tae figure out how tae divide them! Ye can hold it for naew, but dinnae eat it just yet!"
So, once Altamir removed the large, heavy javelin from the Aurox by way of summoning it back to his hand and got back on Peksen, and once Togay took the quarry animal in his front limbs, the boy and his dragonets took to the air again to hunt more of the beasts. It was a simple task, thanks to the dragonets being able to fly a fair bit faster than the beasts could run, as well as Altamir's great strength and good throwing arm and aim with that Javelin, and so only took about ten to fifteen minutes. When such was done, Altamir and the dragonets took the hunted Auroxen back to the tent city, Altamir magically carrying the ones that the others could not.
When they got back, they landed in almost the same spot they took off from. Borte, Sibel, Konchak, and Arjan were still there, but now, Yasagur himself was here as well.
"Well, that certainly did naet take very long." Borte remarked, seeming somewhat impressed. "Ye've always been good at hunting, Altamir."
"I have." Altamir grinned. "My dragonets and I present ye these seven Auroxen..." Then, though, the sounds of teeth shearing and crunching through meat and bone became audible, and Altamir caught Togay eating one already. "Er, six Auroxen." This got Sibel, Konchak, Arjan, and the other dragonets laughing, while Borte rolled her eyes. "We'll give ye three of them, and then my dragons will have the rest of them."
"Sounds about right tae me." Borte seemed to agree with that. "Try tae make sure that Togay daes naet eat them all, though."
"I'll have tae do that." Then, Altamir turned to Togay. "Togay, leave the rest for the others. Yer siblings need tae eat taew, ye ken, and I'd like to give some to Borte while I'm at it."
"Mmm? Mmm...mhm." Togay had his mouth full, so he wasn't able to outright say words, but he seemed to reluctantly agree to this.
Once Altamir had made sure that Borte had her three Auroxen so that she could help Sibel and Konchak skin them, he divided the remaining three Auroxen among the other dragonets, since none of them ate nearly as much as Togay did. Once that was done, Altamir turned to Yasagur.
"Sae ye've returned, yer grace." Yasagur greeted Altamir. "I was just about tae say that yer uncle and our tribe's portion of his army is within eyeshot. He's finally here."
"What of my cousins? Ye ken, Jingim, Toqtamish, and Taichar? Are they coming back as well?"
"Nae need tae worry, they're returning as well." Yasagur assured. "Jumaduq and Babur are also coming back." But then, Yasagur's voice took on a much harder tone. "Though, yer uncle and yer cousins are returning with Frahatava, who is naew our prisoner. Yer uncle says that he will have a task for ye with regards tae that man in particular, yer grace."
"A task?"
"Aye, a task. I'm sure that he will elaborate when he gets here."
"Alright..." It was then that Altamir decided to bring up the matter with Togay. "Alsae...Yasagur?"
"Yes, yer grace?"
"Togay needs help with his reading and writing. He says that the letters jump about on the scrolls like frogs for him."
"Do they truly?"
"Aye, they do."
"Ah...sae he'll need particular attention. Very well, I'll see what I can do as soon as I have some spare time. For naew though, ye could perhaps go and greet yer uncle and cousins. They've fought quite the battle against the revolting Saka, I've heard."
So, once the dragonets had finished eating, Altamir led them to the north side of the tent city, where they saw the sight of his uncle, cousins, and in-laws at the head of the returning host. Altamir noticed that his uncle looked a bit exhausted.
"Uncle! Ye're back!" Altamir didn't know if his voice was in earshot or not.
It was, however, as his uncle indeed replied back. "Aye...at last! Lost some good men and women tae that bastard Frahatava!"
"Yasagur said that ye had a task for me with regards to him!"
"That I do! Surprised the messenger had the thought tae remember that!"
As Altamir was about to say something to his uncle from a distance again, Gulay noticed something. "Eh? Who's that lass being led by Taichar?"
At first, Altamir thought that Gulay had simply noticed an unfamiliar female horsewomen who couldn't keep up with the others on her own because she was nursing an injury (yes, it happened on occasion). But when he looked at Taichar and looked at who he was leading...he was given pause.
She was red-haired (as many of the Saka and some of the Nirun and Qangar, like Altamir himself, were) and looked fairly young - perhaps his age, perhaps a little older or younger, and she was dressed in a rather striking, patterned, multicolored degel of red, green, yellow, orange, and blue that Yasagur had described as being rather common among the Saka nobility, which made her stick out like a sore thumb against the armored Nirun in plainer degels that made up the rest of the horse riders coming her way. She seemed to be constantly wearing a 'mask' on her face, figuratively-speaking, and her green eyes were dull and seemingly devoid of any joy or liveliness.
"What's she doing here?" Altamir asked himself more aloud than he'd intended.
"Political hostage, I'm afraid." His uncle's voice then came again, now closer and within regular talking distance, and Altamir had realized that he'd been looking at the girl long enough that now his uncle was only about ten feet away from him, and he mentally cursed himself for getting distracted. "She's one of Frahatava's daughters. Her mother gave her tae us in exchange for the Saka avoiding any further bloodshed. She will be our ward so that we can ensure that the Saka dinnae revolt again."
"Haew are we supposed tae treat her, then? She looks younger than Sibel or Konchak."
"We're naet going tae be like wild animals with regards tae her, lad, dinnae fash yerself." Khingila replied, seeming to notice Altamir's worried look and tone of voice. "We'll treat her as one of our own...at least as much as possible, anyways. Though, I'm naet sure haew she'll regard us, given that we're about tae execute her father for treason and leading a senseless rebellion."
Altamir could see, feel, and hear that his dragonets were shocked at hearing this.
"What?"
"Wait..."
"Really?"
"E...Execute him? Ye mean ye're gonna kill him?" Gunesha outright protested. "Why would ye do that? He's her dad!"
"There must be a penalty for his actions, lass." Babur, who was at Khingila's side, replied. "Whether he's a father or naet, his act of needless rebellion has resulted in thousands of deaths, a very good tumen commander of ours among them. On top of his having broken a critical law for which the penalty IS death, it also would naet be fair tae those who died if we let him live, naet tae mention that it would alsae send a bad message tae those around us if we did."
"Sae that's my task, uncle? To be the one to take his head?" Altamir asked.
"That it is." Khingila nodded. "Do ye have any objections, lad?"
"Nae...just wondering why ye're naet the one doing it this time. It was ye he revolted against, after all, uncle."
"Aye, it was. But ye're nae a little bairn anymore. I thought it was about time justice falls tae ye for once. Ye ken what it entails, do ye?"
"Pass the sentence, swing the sword?" Altamir knew exactly what his uncle was asking of him. "Look him in the eyes and hear his last words before passing that sentence?"
"Ye pay attention, lad." Khingila sounded impressed. "I'm glad for that." Then, he shifted a bit on his horse. "Regardless, first, we'll eat, and then, once we do, ye shall carry out yer task on that man."
"Got it." Altamir affirmed.
So, with that, Khingila, Jingim, Toqtamish, Taichar, Jumaduq, Babur, and the many other soldiers and warriors on horseback, made their way past Altamir and his dragonets and trickled back into the tent city.
"Sae ye're going tae do it yerself." Sorkhagtani the Younger, as the Sea Dragonet was nicknamed, remarked to Altamir. "Ye dinnae seem like ye have a problem with that."
"Cannae really afford tae." Altamir shrugged. "Even if I did nae want tae do it, I'd still do it anyways. Sometimes, ye got tae do things ye dinnae like. Especially if ye're a leader on the steppes."
At the family meal that afternoon, Altamir noticed that the Saka girl, whose name was apparently "Tamuriyah", was there with him, his little brother, and his cousins, as well as his uncle and two aunts. "Sae uncle's keeping his promise." Jumaduq was also there, having recently married Borte.
Tamuriyah wasn't eating, though, and Khingila soon noticed. "Why are ye naet eating? Daes the food look bad tae ye?"
The girl shifted a little bit. "Nae...I just...dinnae feel hungry tonight. Someone else can have it."
Khingila just shrugged. "Very well, yer loss. Ozlem and Temulun did a bonnie job with this one."
Altamir did understand why she might not have had much of an appetite. Anyone who was both made to live somewhere hundreds of miles away from their home region AND was to have their parent executed, possibly right in front of them, likely wouldn't have one either.
The meal time progressed quieter than normal. Likely not only because of Tamuriyah's unfamiliar presence, but also because of what was to come afterwards. Good thing that neither Altamir nor his little brother or cousins were particularly squeamish, or Frahatava's upcoming execution would have resulted in the fine cooking going to waste in the worst possible way. As they were eating, though, Altamir noticed that there were faint marks visible on Tamuriyah. She had to have gotten them somewhere. Did the soldiers give them? No, that couldn't have been it...Khingila would have had such soldiers whipped for doing that to her, as he always valued discipline and order among his troops. But then...who?
Altamir finished his first meal up fairly early, his powers also making him someone of a 'big eater' (though he always burned through his meals fairly quickly thanks to fighting, training, and doing various activities with his dragonets), so, he moved to take the meal that Tamuriyah had refused. As he did so, he looked at it and then at her again, and upon her giving a slight nod, he took it and began to go through it as well. As he did so, he nonetheless hoped that she wouldn't refuse every single meal she was given until she starved to death.
After the family was done eating, Khingila stood up. "Well...time tae get this literal bloody business over with. I assume ye've prepared yerself for yer task, Altamir?"
"I have." Altamir replied. "But I want tae do something first."
"And what's that?" Khingila raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going tae take Tamuriyah aside and ask her what sort of man her father is like. Why he revolted, if she kens why."
"And the purpose of that?"
"Tae determine haew much sympathy I should show that man before I take his life."
"...very well, lad, dinnae take taew long. I want that man gone by tonight."
So, Altamir went over and gently took the hand of a slightly-surprised Tamuriyah and led her outside the tent and past the guards to where his dragonets were waiting while the others went to make for the execution's setup.
"Ye'd...really ask? Why'd ye bother?" Tamuriyah seemed to ask in turn, seemingly not knowing why Altamir was wasting his time with asking her. "Ye're going tae kill him anyways."
"I want tae ken first. What was he like? Was he good to ye? Did he treat ye well?"
"N...Nae. Nae he was naet, and nae he did naet." Tamuriyah shook his head, to which Altamir was a bit disappointed to start with. "Neither did my mother, either, but he was worse about it. I was nothing tae him but a pawn. Whenever he thought I was acting 'out of line', even just the slightest bit...the beatings came."
"...really?" The disappointment turned to disgust; the source of the marks became clear. "He did that? Anything else?" While he wasn't looking at any of them, he could tell that his dragonets were horrified.
"I...I was naet allowed to have any friends...and I was naet allowed tae shoot a bow or hunt or even touch a sword or spear, and I was naet allowed tae eat or drink anything at all unless he said sae. Sometimes, when I did something he did nae like, no matter how small, instead of beating me, he'd starve me until I submitted. He told me that, as his daughter, I was his tae command however he pleased, and that my purpose was to serve him and tae do whatever he wished, nae matter how terrible it was, and that if he commanded it, I was tae do it, even if it meant me dying."
Already, the disgust was overlaid with shock. "By the gods...and what else? What of your siblings, if ye had any?"
"I have a few other brothers and sisters. He...did naet treat them any better, and just like with me, he ruled over them with an iron fist, and the things he did tae me, he did tae them as well. And..." Then, Tamuriyah stopped speaking for a bit...shaking.
Upon seeing this, Altamir, admittedly acting on pure impulse, leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, surprising her.
"Wha...why do ye care?" Tamuriyah sounded confused. "Ye've nae one horrible to live with!"
"Except that I did at one time." Altamir replied. "An older brother. He was naet exactly steady in his head, and I had tae kill him because he tried tae kill me and my little brother Arjan. I ken what it's like. Ye're naet alone here." He then gently urged her to continue. "Sae, what else did he do?"
"I..." Tamuriyah hesitated a bit before going ahead with it. "One of my older brothers named Rautastaxma...my father saw fit to sell him to Wērōd, the king of Panjistan, as a slave."
Altamir couldn't help but feel his face contort into a disgusted snarl. "Wērōd? Why? And did he naet ken that my uncle and his predecessors dinnae allow slavery whatsoever?" He hadn't heard his dragonets say anything for a fair bit; they must have been speechless in horror...and he couldn't exactly blame them for that.
"He kenned that. He did it anyways because he wanted tae make an alliance of sorts with Wērōd, so Wērōd, if he wanted tae, could invade the rest of the Parlataean steppes, and then Baktria and Sagartia after that, and my father would get rich and wealthy as a satrap as a result, and have all the slaves he wanted tae do his bidding. And he wanted tae get away with it. He told me that if I ever said a word of this tae anyone he didn't approve of me saying it tae...he'd kill me."
Altamir's jaw fell open at that...before he clenched it into a hard line. "Oh...sae he's THAT sort. Nevermind, nae sympathy for him at all. Dinnae worry about him anymore, I'll kill him first tae make sure he can never carry out his threat." Then, Altamir looked about, before saying, "Well, I think we've kept my uncle waiting long enough. Do ye want tae stay here, or do ye want tae see Frahatava die? Either is fine, but-"
"I want tae see him die."
"...oh...that was fast." Altamir was caught off a bit at first, but re-composed himself. "...right. Togay, can ye get her on ye back? In case that slime tries lunging at her, I want the biggest one of ye tae be her shield against him."
Togay nodded, and carefully picked up a somewhat startled Tamuriyah and gently placed her on the 'sweet spot' between his back and the base of his neck. Then, Altamir got on Peksen, and began urging the dragonets towards the gathering towards the center of the tent city, with Tomirish in tow.
As they moved towards the gathering, Jumaduq came up to them. "Ye're keeping yer uncle waiting, Altamir." Now that he was family (however indirect), Jumaduq had taken to calling Altamir by name, rather than an honorific.
"It's for a good reason, Jumaduq. Dinnae worry." Altamir replied, now very intent on severing Frahatava's head from his body.
When they finally got to the gathering, there was the wooden block, upon which the condemned was to be beheaded when the time came. Waiting near it were Altamir's uncle and cousins, as well as Yasaur and Babur. Around them, a crowd was gathered, which parted for Altamir, Tamuriyah, and the dragonets.
"Ye've kept us waiting, Altamir." Khingila's tone was somewhat dry once his nephew got there. "I hope ye've a good reason for that."
"I do, uncle." Altamir replied. "Frahatava's treason went further than just revolting against ye, uncle; he was alsae wanting tae give Wērōd, king of Panjistan, a road tae invade Parlataean lands. He alsae treated his children very, very badly, including Tamuriyah here, who told me this. In fact, he sold one of her brothers tae be Wērōd's slave."
Altamir then saw his uncle's face go ashen, while hearing the crowd gather around gasp and murmur. Then, Khingila looked directly at Tomirish, a fire in his eyes. "Is this true?"
"I wish it was naet." Tamuriyah replied honestly. "But it is. It's something I lived when I was under his thumb. And his wife, my mother, never did anything tae stop him; if anything, she was all taew happy tae go along with what he did."
Khingila then looked at her for a few seconds before nodding to himself for a bit and saying, "Then that makes it all the more important that he dies before the sun sets."
At that, Altamir stepped off of Peksen and took a few paces towards the block...before stopping and turning around to his dragonets.
"I dinnae want any of ye tae look away." Altamir ordered, making sure to sound as serious as possible. "My uncle will ken if ye do."
His dragonets all understood right away, and nodded. Even Gunesha, who now seemed to understand why the man was being executed. As for Tamuriyah...
She had the following to say: "Quench my father's thirst for blood. Forever."
Altamir nodded to that in turn and then made his way to his uncle, and the executioner's block. As he did, a line of soldiers parted to reveal two of them muscling along a man clothed only in tattered rags with arms bound behind his back, his black hair and beard tangled and matted and covered in dirt and mud, and his dirtied face was perpetually locked in a scowl. This was Frahatava. Different-looking as he was from his daughter, Altamir just knew it.
"Ye ken what tae do, Altamir." His uncle reminded him.
"I do, uncle." Altamir replied, summoning his Qanda to his hand and resting the blade upon his right shoulder.
Finally, the man was brought to the block. There was a great deal of rage and contempt in his brown eyes, showing his indignant fury at having been defeated, having all power and control taken away from him, and also at the fact that the one who was to take his life was still but a bairn. Altamir made a point of looking the man in those eyes before asking the question. "Sae, Frahatava Usun, former Toyon of the Saka...any last words before ye die?"
The man said nothing for a long moment, before snarling. "I should be ruling ye, ye damn brat. I should be ruling every man and women here. They should be my slaves! Ye all should be my slaves! Yer bloody 'uncle' had tae get in my way...take from me what is mine by right! If only my host was naet full of weaklings and cowards who dared nae stand behind their rightful ruler!"
Altamir narrowed his eyes at the man, before planting his sword into the ground in front of him (showing to onlookers how the blade was, in total length, just over two thirds of his own height) and briefly looking at the soldiers holding the man and then at the block, and then back to the soldiers again and nodding. The two soldiers then pressed the man down upon the block, while still keeping their own heads, limbs, and bodies out of the 'belt of death' that would soon be the area between the man's head and body, giving Altamir a clear, unobstructed area to swing down.
Then, Altamir passed the sentence. "Frahatava Usun of the Khotan. For the crimes of treason against the Khan and also yer own people and children, as well as enslavement of a child of the free steppe...in the name of my uncle, Khingila Khan, ruler of the Parlataeans and all the Pyrrhian Steppes, as well as in the name of yer daughter, Tamuriyah Usun, Toyontochi of the Saka, I, Altamir, Prince of the Parlataeans and Luuzada of Pyrrhia, sentence ye tae die."
And so Altamir took his sword again, pulling it up before swinging it first behind him, then overhead and down upon the man's neck...and hard.
*SHLUCK!*
The man's head bounced and rolled along the ground for a bit before coming to a stop, the light in the eyes leaving after about a moment or so. As the two soldiers took the now-headless body away, blood still spraying from the stump of what was left of a neck, Altamir unsummoned his blade, letting the blood upon it fall back to the ground, before going over to the head (which was also still spurting blood from it) and picking it up by the hair. Looking into the now lifeless eyes for a moment, Altamir then walked over to where his dragonets and Tamuriyah were. Togay, Chagatai, and Gunesha seemed a little disgusted by the sight of the severed head (again, couldn't blame them), while Sorkhagtani, Gulay, Peksen, and Shiban seemed indifferent to it.
"Did any of ye look away?" Altamir asked them firmly.
"I...flinched a little..." Togay admitted after a few seconds. "Daes that count?"
"Depends. Did it make ye look away?"
"...nae. It did naet."
"Then that's what matters. Good."
As for Tamuriyah...she smiled.
"Freedom from him at last." Tamuriyah sounded positively relieved.
"It's just as ye asked." Altamir said as he presented the head. "I have quenched his thirst for blood."
Then, Altamir went to his uncle with the head, and handed the head off to a soldier who had his hand outstretched for it.
Khingila, despite the horrors of what the now-dead condemned man had been planning, nonetheless seemed proud of his nephew. "Well done, Altamir. Ye've taken tae heart what I've said about why we pass the sentence and swing the sword; sae that we remember what death is, and sae that we dinnae become cowardly towards the task. The nature of death, and that anyone can and will face it, is something that rulers who hide behind paid executioners and killers soon forget. Rulers like Frahatava...and as for him, we'll leave his judgement tae the gods for his sending brave men and women tae their deaths in his name for such a 'goal' of his, and for treating his children like disposable objects. His head will be sent back tae the Saka, specifically to his naew-widow, who has been forbidden from assuming leadership of the Saka, to warn of what will happen when one acts and carries themselves in the ways that he had. His body will be left for the vultures...and that's naet counting if even they find him taew disgusting tae pick at."
Altamir nodded, now pitying those vultures. They deserved better meat than that.
"I still cannae believe ye actually cut his head off, Aldy." Chagatai remarked that evening to Altamir, as they, the other dragonets, and Tamuriyah were gathered around a fire. "I did naet expect all that blood either."
"Aye, that was a lot of it." Shiban agreed. "Didnae ken that humans had sae much."
Altamir shrugged. "Well, ye dragons do have a lot yerselves. Ye ken, given that ye're bigger than us and all."
"True..."
"Then again, it's naet like that laddie had that thing on straight to begin with." Sorkhagtani remarked, to chuckles from Gulay and Peksen.
"Nae, he did naet." Tamuriyah sighed, much more seriously. "I had to live with him...glad I nae longer have tae."
"Ah, dinnae worry about him anymore." Peksen put her large, scaly forelimb around the girl. "Naew ye can hunt, ride, wield swords and shoot arrows bows tae yer heart's content!"
"As long as ye dinnae aim one backwards on that last one." Gulay deadpanned, albeit with a bit of a smirk, to more chuckles from the other dragonets. "Thaese arrows have got tae go somewhere."
"I'll have tae get one of my cousins to help ye on that one." Altamir scratched his head with a bit of a grin. A grin that fell, however, when he noticed Tamuriyah's mood. "Uh...something wrong?"
"I...dinnae want tae go back." Tamuriyah finally answered. "Tae my area of birth."
"Why?" Togay asked.
Tamuriyah sighed. "...it would mean going back tae a land where I've always been like a stranger, even though I'm supposed tae be a princess or the like there. And it would also mean going back tae my mother...the woman who stood by and did naething tae stop my father from doing what he did. I ken I'm supposed tae return once I've grown out of being a ward of Khingila Khan...yet, while I speak the Saka language, keep the Saka customs, and wear the Saka steppe attire, that's it. I dinnae feel like I'm truly a Saka other than that. Honestly...while I'm supposed tae be a…political hostage here, or whatever he said…this is the first time I've felt 'at home' anywhere on the steppes."
"Oh..." Gunesha looked down for a bit, and then at Altamir. "Aldy...is there a way that we can make sure that she daes naet have tae return tae where she was born once she's nae longer a ward or hostage or whatever?"
"Hmm..." Altamir thought about it for a bit, but then remembered something. "Well...I think that if she marries someone here or something, she can get out of having tae go back tae her people's part of the steppes. I heard my mother's mother got out of having tae go back tae her people by marrying the man who became my maternal grandfather."
"...I supposed that would be the way out." Tamuriyah sighed. "But I dinnae ken if anyone will want tae do that with me here. I'm nae sure if anyone will want the daughter of a traitor..."
Altamir looked around at his dragonets for a bit in thought...
...before making a decision that he was determined to make sure that he wouldn't regret. "Well, if nae one else will do it...then I will."
Tamuriyah and the dragonets looked at him in silence for a long while. Looked at him like he'd just sprouted three heads.
"...ye...ye would do it?" Tamuriyah asked, a little shocked.
"I mean...it would be when the two of us are older, and if nae one else does it before I do, but...aye, I will. It daes naet have tae be for love or romance or that fancy shite...it's for keeping ye from having tae go back tae the woman who betrayed ye and us and everyone else on the steppes."
"It's a plan, then." Gulay agreed. "But we'd have tae ask Khingila if we can do it..."
The next morning, Altamir was up to find that none of the dragonets were awake. There was nothing wrong with them, they were just still asleep. "Probably took them longer tae sleep after I relieved Frahatava of his head."
"Ye ken what they say about awakening the sleeping dragon, do ye, lad?"
Altamir turned around to who told him that, and saw an initially serious-looking Babur... "Babur...wha-"
...before the latter's 'serious' face cracked and gave way to a wry grin and a chuckle. "Ah, just pulling yer leg, Altamir. Yer dragonets seem tae be late sleepers this morning."
"Seeing a head roll for the first time would keep anyone up." Altamir mused. "Surprised tae see ye here. What's the reason?"
"Yer uncle Khingila wanted ye tae start learning a thing or two about strategy and tactics on the battlefield. Ye're at the age where it's naet a bad time tae start, and ye may one day lead the peoples of the steppes intae battle."
"I guess I'd have tae at some point." Altamir shrugged, before looking at his dragonets. "Though, right naew, I'm naet going anywhere without these lads and lasses nae kenning where I am. They'd panic. Panicking dragonets are naet a good thing in a human city of tents."
"Sae ye'll need them tae wake up, then?" Babur then pulled out something, and Altamir realized that it was a small horn. "Good thing I still have this on me."
"Guess sae." But as Babur was about to blow it, Altamir put his hand up to halt him. "Though, I only want tae wake one of them up this way. It's just a little 'reply' tae her soaking me wet at the river."
"Alright, whatever ye say." Babur rolled his eyes.
So Altamir carefully got Togay, Gulay, Chagatai, Gunesha, Peksen, and Shiban up one by one. That left only Sorkhagtani still asleep.
"Naew for the wake up call." Altamir signaled with a massive grin. "Stand back when ye do it, though."
And so it was then that, when he and the others took a few steps back, Babur blew the horn.
*"FWOOOOOOOOOOOOT~~!"*
"WAAH! WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA...WHAT IN-!"
Altamir nearly fell over laughing at the sight of the oh-so-regally-patterned Sea Dragonet...flopping and floundering about like a fish out of water as she woke with a big start. The other dragonets couldn't help themselves at the sight either, and even Babur was having a ball. A few other passersby had a laugh at the spectacle also.
When the laughter subsided, Altamir finally heard Sorkhagtani grumbling. "Ugh...this is what I get for splashing ye yesterday, ain't it?"
"Might be!" Altamir said innocently, with a massive grin. "Could also be because ye did naet wake up early enough! Maybe try tae get up earlier next time?" He tapped the Sea Dragon's shoulder for emphasis, still grinning.
"Ggh...fine, I'll make sure, I guess."
Then, an amused Babur nonetheless cut in. "Alright, naew that ye're all up and awake...come on, Altamir. It's time tae start ye on learning strategy and tactics." And so, motioning to follow, Babur begin walking, clearly having somewhere in mind.
"I hope it's interesting." Sorkhagtani muttered as she, Altamir, and the other dragonets began following the young general. Altamir, in turn, gave her a 'trust me, it will be' look.
When Babur finally got to where he was leading Altamir and the dragonets, it became clear that it was a training area of sorts. A few tribespeople, armored and not, were around and were either sparring, shooting arrows, or riding horses around (or doing some mixture of either all three or two of the three).
"This is one of a few areas here in Avraga where we train our troops." Babur explained. "It allows for our lads and lasses tae get a feel for their weapons, their armor, and their ridership, sae that they may have a general idea of the things they may need tae do in a battle. Of course, training is nae substitute for experience, and it will mean naething if they're naet led well, but it's still important."
"Alright, sae, if ye're tae talk about 'strategy and tactics'...why are we here?" Sorkhagtani asked, interested in seeing the tribespeople fight and spar, and in the archery and the ridership that was around her, but seemingly not in much of a mood for lectures.
"It's because I'm wanting tae give an idea of the different troop types that are led in our armies and in the armies of others as a good place tae start." Babur replied seamlessly, before turning back to Altamir. "Indeed, there are several different types of soldiers and troops and whatnot. There are three main categories of of these types of troops: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Infantry are troops and soldiers who fight on foot. Cavalry are troops and soldiers who fight from horseback. And Artillery are soldiers who use machines and large weapons tae hurl large objects long distances."
Taking a breath and pausing a bit, Babur continued. "Some countries and nations have armies that are stronger in certain areas than others. Obviously, for us Parlataeans, it's cavalry. Our cavalry makes up nearly all of our armies, and we're very well kenned the world over as being among the best there is when it comes tae mounted warfare, and most other peoples here on Pyrrhia acknowledge that we're the best on the continent in that regard. And that's because it is the best-suited fashion of warfare for our lifestyle, and also because we have fought for many, many, many centuries in this manner. As such, we've learned a great deal on what works and what daes naet work when it comes to warring in such a manner."
"Indeed." A new, female voice sounded, and Altamir looked to his right and saw a woman approach. She was very tall (at least 70 or so inches tall, and taller than Babur, who, for all of his talents, was only average-sized for a man his age), and had a quite commanding presence. She was Toregene of the Choros Clan of the Nirun Jungar Tribe (of the same Clan and Tribe as his aunt Temulun, in fact), and Altamir knew her as having previously been one of Babur's subordinate Commanders, and one of his best and most trusted at that, to the point where she'd apparently become promoted to being a general in her own right, and she most certainly earned it. "Flat or level open ground is ideal for cavalry charges, and ideal targets for thaese targets are foes that are either vulnerable tae attack from the sides or behind, or are in loose formation; broken ground or trees will slow them daewn or perhaps even bar them altogether, and infantry in tight formation will likely naet only resist charges, but will alsae butcher horse and rider alike due to even the heaviest of cavalry naet exactly being suited for extended close combat against anything that is naet other cavalry. Many enemies of ours ken this and try tae exploit these weaknesses...but they forget that we have our bows and our arrows. Even if and when we cannae outright charge them, we can rain arrows upon them while remaining mobile and out of their reach. Whenever we use this combination of horse archers and heavy cavalry, and use it properly, we can smash any opposing army big or small."
"But what if the enemy army is wearing lots of heavy armor and carrying big shields?" Chagatai asked. "Would that be a problem?"
"It could be." Babur acknowledged. "Altamir's predecessor as Luuzada, Tomur, faced such a challenge against the Tarantine Legions during his conquest of Pyrrhia. The Tarantines do indeed wear heavy armor and carry large shields intae battle, and they did even back then against Tomur. His solution was tae first lead that army along through the desert and weaken them with exhaustion, and then, when the battle finally came, he had his horse archers rain daewn arrows upon the Tarantines continuously from afar; the Tarantine Armor may indeed be heavy, but it's nae completely invulnerable, and Tomur kenned tae exploit that. Eventually, his foe got desperate and tried tae charge out of formation at his army, and he simply had his heavy cavalry charge them right back from the sides. And sae he achieved victory over them, despite how his army was only a third or sae the size of the Tarantine one that he destroyed that day."
"Sae thaese are the boots I'll have tae fill..." Altamir mused.
"They do say that Tomur was the greatest leader the world ever saw." Toregene agreed. "But I'm sure ye've got it in ye tae live up tae what he built."
"Alright...so what about infantry and artillery?" Gulay asked. "How tae use them?"
"Ah, right..." Babur continued further, "...there are different types of infantry, with those types variously wielding swords, spears, pikes, axes, bows, javelins, and whatnot, as well as them being varying degrees of armored or unarmored. They all have their own unique purposes depending on the type...but in general, let's just say that the best way tae use infantry is like a living, moving fortress. If ye want tae win the battle with infantry, ye must naet let yer fortress 'crumble'...but ye must make the ENEMY'S fortress 'crumble'. Alsae, keep in mind that infantry are going tae be slower than even the most heavily-armored cavalry, sae the best way tae make sure the enemy daes naet flank ye is tae make sure that the infantry work together with yer own cavalry. Given that we are a horse people, most 'infantry' will either be from allied nations, or auxiliaries. And as for artillery, they operate thaese heavy weapons that project large objects great distances, but the size of thaese machines means that they can be vulnerable tae attack if nae protected properly. They're excellent for besieging enemy fortresses or walled settlements, though, which will help us a great deal if we have tae take cities and we have such machines, as, otherwise, sieges are naet exactly our strong suit."
Just then, though, the sound of Altamir's Uncle's voice came. "Babur? Are ye available?" Altamir turned to see Khingila, who had Tamuriyah with her. Altamir didn't know why, but he felt this...flutter whenever he saw her. He's probably have to ask someone he trusted about it later.
"Hmm? I was in the middle of my lesson with Altamir, but I'm available, yer gra-er, Khingila. Do ye need me?" Babur sometimes referred to Khingila with the same propriety from his days of before he became Altamir's stepfather.
"Sorry tae interrupt that lesson, but...are ye and Toregene available tae teach this lass here haew tae use a bow? Her father prevented her from even touching one while he was still alive, and she needs tae catch up with the others."
"Of course, yer grace." Toregene replied with a slight bow before turning to Altamir and his dragonets again. "Well...I believe that we'll have tae cut this particular lesson short for now. Perhaps we can resume at a later date."
"At least ye have the basics." Babur agreed, before going over to help Tamuriyah.
"It feels like it's really hard tae lead an army." Togay remarked as he left. "It would be taew hard for me..."
"Naet for me." Sorkhagtani replied.
"Naet for me either." Peksen agreed.
"Ah, come on, ye two, of course it would be." Altamir rolled his eyes. "What Babur told us was naet even the half of it. There's also keeping the army well-fed and watered and supplied, there's maneuvering the army on the campaign to anticipate an enemy army's movements and avoid ambushes, there's using and countering subterfuge, and there's alsae making sure, or at least trying tae make sure, that ye dinnae lose yer good commanders and generals and whatnot in battle, making sure yer troops are trained properly, and then a whole lot of other things, taew."
"...oh..." Sorkhagtani and Peksen went at the same time in response to hearing this from Altamir. Clearly they hadn't thought of all of that.
"...I guess ye'll be the ones leading thaese armies when that time comes?" Shiban chuckled.
"I'd have tae." Altamir shrugged.
"Aye, because ye have sense." Gulay remarked, which got her the side-eye from Sorkhagtani and Peksen.
Later in the morning, Altamir and his dragonets were walking back towards their family's tent. Temulun was currently the only one there, patching up a degel (a form of traditional steppe wear) that had a few wears and tears in it. When she saw the little brigade arrive, she briefly looked up at them before looking back at the degel. "I heard yer intended lessons were cut very short."
"They were." Altamir shrugged. "Tamuriyah needed someone tae finally teach her haew tae use a bow. She should have had a different father than the one she was born taew."
"Indeed…her 'father' was a piece of work. Yer mother and uncle and other aunt and I are all quite impressed that ye took his head when the moment came." Altamir allowed himself a small grin at this, before Temulun asked him a question. "Sae...ye intend tae marry her one day?"
Altamir was caught a bit off-guard by the question. "Huh? Uh...well...if nae one else does first."
"I will say I find it impressive that ye still give her room tae find someone else...though I can tell that's naet the only reason."
"I mean...I'm still naet completely sure if I'll be able tae do...ye ken...all the things related tae marriage and all..." Altamir paused a bit, trying to form words. "...if that's what it comes down tae, I'll still do it for her anyways tae keep her from having tae be a stranger in a familiar land, but..."
"I'd usually say that it's unlike ye tae be this nervous, Altamir," Temulun remarked, "though, given that the occasional horror story of a marriage plays out for others in front of our eyes, it's very understandable. Ye ken that marriage can be a delicate thing, do ye?"
"I...I do."
"Sae then, let's say, Altamir, it really daes come down tae ye being the one tae marry her. Ye'd have tae be willing tae give her the sort of happiness that her sorry excuses for parents never gave her if ye want her tae give ye happiness in turn. Would ye be willing tae do that?"
"I would. I truly would."
"Good. I'm glad that ye'd be willing tae do that for her if that time were tae come."
It was then that Shiban, clearly curious about something, decided to cut in and ask a question. "Alright...uh...speaking of parents...this might sound random, but who were ours? Haew did Khingila get our eggs for Aldy from them?"
"Hmm?" This question actually made Temulun look up again. "Well...ye are old enough tae ask such questions, I suppose." Once she put the finishing touches on the Degel, she set it down to answer Shiban's question. "I kenned this question was going tae come one day. The truth is...both simple and naet sae simple. See...this might surprise ye...but all seven of ye are, technically-speaking, royalty of yer respective tribes of dragons."
Altamir didn't ignore how the dragonets all had their eyes go wide at hearing this. "Wait, really?" Gulay, shocked for once, asked incredulously.
"Sae...we're all princes and princesses and stuff like that?"
"That ye are." Temulun affirmed. "In fact, the queens of those respective tribes themselves presented the eggs. There's a reason for that. A few, actually."
"What are they?" Altamir asked, wanting to know.
So Temulun explained. "Well...ye see, every previous Luuzada that has ever been born on Pyrrhia as of naew has grown tae be a great leader for nae just humans, but also dragons. Particularly for dragons, I must add, as despite the fact that Luuzadas were always human, each and every single one sae far has naet only ruled all seven dragon tribes, but also been very popular with them, more than even many of their own leaders, I might add. As such, I believe that the queens and royals of each tribe may be wanting tae capitalize on it. They're likely predicting that ye will be another such 'great leader', sae if they have dragonets and dragons of their blood at yer side, it will make them look more legitimate, make them look like they have a greater right tae rule. Of course, there are some that are alsae doing it out of genuine loyalty, particularly Karmin of the Sky Dragons, but other than that...it's at least likely just another sign of politics at play."
The awe and wonder that the dragonets had at this discovery that they were royalty had very quickly deflated into disappointment and ambivalence, and Altamir found that to be both sad and kind of funny.
"Oh...that's bloody lame." Peksen muttered.
"Eh...ye cannae always expect things to be glorious and romantic." Gulay shrugged. "I thought it would be grander than 'politics' as to why Altamir had all seven of us given tae him, but ah well..."
"That's just the way life is sometimes." Temulun agreed. "It should naet change anything between ye and Altamir in practice, I hope."
"It will naet." Gunesha replied. "Aldy's still Aldy." The other dragonets nodded in agreement.
When it was just after noon, Altamir's dragonets were napping after their meal, with Gulay in particular sunning herself under the great orb of light's high noon brightness, while Altamir himself was staying close by to make sure that nothing and no one disturbed them unrightfully while they rested. Them being able to rest and sleep easy was something that he always treasured, even if it came at the expense of his own.
"I'll naet have them suffer through a nightmare of a daydream on my watch." Altamir thought. Though...it wasn't the only thing on his mind. That other thing in question?
Whether or not he would follow the 'path of the conqueror' that Tekuder and Tomur in particular walked.
Yes, those two walked it and attained great glory and the unity of the entire continent (well, 'just about' in Tekuder's case), and both were revered by the Parlataeans and the dragons, and at the very least respected by many other peoples. But they also shed a great deal of blood in achieving what they achieved. Yes, they were both still noble, honorable men who adhered to (what were now) traditional Parlataean standards about not harming or killing non-combatant civilians among the settled peoples, and were genuinely merciful to those who voluntarily submitted to them, but they nonetheless led incredibly bloody conquests against other peoples. For Tomur, it was the Panjians, Tarantines, Qartubinians, Manathirians, and Aetolians who bore the brunt of his conquests (the other peoples having either allied with him or wisely submitted voluntarily to his rule), and he did things like butchering a Panjistani army four times his own army's size in a single battle, sawing in half a defeated Tarantine Emperor groin first, and leading the first large-scale case of dragons fighting in human wars by having the Sky Dragon Queen of the time lead an army of her own to burn the entire Aetolian fleet, and by the end of it, he had amassed a kill count of many, many thousands on a variety of battlefields. Tekuder had been similarly bloody in his own conquests, which saw him personally kill the Sagartian King in battle, and cut and arrow his ways through the forests and mountains of foes from the Galatians, Gergovians, Dardanians, Gothians, and Polabians, and he'd ALSO stained the desert sands red with the blood of enemy armies of the Manathirians and Panjians, and only a freak accident that resulted in his death had stopped him going after the Aetolians and Tarantines.
Even if and when led by those with honor, war was still a hell of its own. It led to many newly-made orphans and widows and widowers, it tore mothers and fathers from daughters and sons, and it left many newly-made scars on those involved, be they physical, mental, or both at once. War was a disease, a pestilence that, despite all attempts to contain it, always spread from land to land, driven by the natural propensity of both humankind and dragonkind to pride, arrogance, feuding, and power-lust.
For all of his willingness to kill when necessary, Altamir had no love for war. He didn't see the glory in it like some did. After all, what glory was there to having to kill tens, hundreds, thousands, and taint a green land red with blood over something trivial? What glory was there to having to tend to so many wounded and bury and burn the dead afterwards? What glory was there to having to comfort and care for so many widows, widowers, and orphans? What glory was there to watching villages, towns, and cities burn day and night?
What glory, if at all, was there to war? Altamir couldn't think of any.
It was then that footsteps came, snapping him out of his thoughts, and Altamir turned and saw, of anyone to come to him and his dragonets, Tamuriyah.
"I still find it hard tae believe that someone gets tae raise dragons as if they're his own brothers and sisters." She still was without a smile on her face, but that was to be expected, given her background. "How long have ye had them?"
"Ever since they hatched three years ago." Altamir answered. "They were small enough for me tae hold in my lap when they did. Naew they're all at least horse-sized…and Togay is likely at least elephant-sized or approaching it."
"They grow quickly. Then again, all dragons do compared tae us humans." Tamuriyah knelt down near Gunesha and started carefully stroking the young sand/night dragonet's scaled head, making her smile in her sleep. "Ye love them, do ye?"
"With everything I have."
"I wish my mother and father could have done the same for me."
"I do as well." Altamir nodded solemnly, but then asked about her training. "Sae, haew's archery going sae far?"
Tamuriyah shrugged. "They say that I aim well, but also that I'll have tae get stronger. I could barely draw that thing tae its full length once, let alone several times...sae I agree." As she continued stroking Gunesha's head, Tamuriyah seemed to be thinking about something, before... "Altamir, ye're the Luuzada, are ye?"
"I...I am."
"Do ye intend tae follow the path the previous ones took? Do ye seek tae conquer and unite the continent under one banner?"
"I...dinnae ken if I want tae." Altamir was honest about how he felt; no point in lying. "Even if they spared non-combatants from harm and were merciful tae those who surrendered without fighting, they still sent many, many, many people tae the afterlife. I just dinnae see the glory in that. I just dinnae see the glory in killing thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, in making so many widows, widowers, and orphans, in the ruin of sae many villages, towns, and cities. War is akin tae a festering wound. I'd rather naet partake in it if I dinnae have tae."
"Sae ye dinnae ken if yer answer is an 'aye' or 'nae'?"
Altamir shook his head.
"I understand." Tamuriyah clearly had nothing against him for it. "Given haew many of the Saka died for my father and his...desires, I get it. But..." She paused for a bit, before saying, "...that daes naet mean that it will naet happen. Wērōd's still alive and ruling over the Panjians with a tyrannical iron fist. He still wants tae invade us."
"Oh...right." Altamir, upon hearing this, sighed. "Sae the choice is naet even in my hands after all? If that's the case...fine, I'll go for it. But I want tae 'conquer' at least some parts of Pyrrhia without any bloodshed. Maybe if I do what Tomur did with thaese who had allied with him and let anyone who allies with me keep their crown and throne while I have my own above theirs, and make sure that I lead well their soldiers and warriors that I have lent tae me...then I might be able tae do that." Then he also started stroking the scaly head of one of his dragonets (this time Gulay). "But I'd do well tae make sure everyone kens that I dinnae do this for some imagined 'glory'...but instead sae that thaese I love, and the people I lead, will one day never have tae fight another war on the same continent again, and sae that Pyrrhia will finally ken peace."
When he said this, he briefly looked at Gulay, who also smiled in her sleep at his touch much like Gunesha had at Tamuriyah's.
Tamuriyah smiled also. "I ken ye can do it, Altamir. I ken ye can become the leader that Pyrrhia needs."
Altamir still wasn't exactly keen on the idea of shedding the blood of so many...but if he was still able to avoid TOO much bloodshed, and was able to rule fairly...then maybe this could work.
But as for today...he still had those lessons for Togay with Yasagur. Once the dragonets were up and awake from their napping, he and them would have to get that taken care of.
...yeah...I'll admit that I still think this chapter's a little messy. I may end up rating the story up to "M" as I go along. Right now, though I'm just going to address a few things:
Yes, I know, this one and the previous one are both big chapters...I'm going to try to make sure that the next one ISN'T something that's, you know, 10,000 words long. Key word "try"...
The sizes of the dragonets are something I'm still trying to figure out. I mean, even in the canon books themselves, the sizes of dragons and dragonets, especially compared to, say, humans, are very...inconsistent, to say the least. Same thing with even the Graphic Novels, to a lesser extent. I'm admittedly kinda just throwing numbers out there to try and get a rough idea as to how big the dragonets are supposed to be at this point.
I'm also still trying to figure out how I want characters like Altamir, his siblings, and particularly Tomirish. I don't know, I might want to go back and rewrite this chapter a few times if I think problems rear their head as time goes on...
Anyways, I'll see you next chapter...whenever I get that up...