# Draconia: Saga of a Dragon Slayer



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

This is something I began working on recently. It isn't 40k related, but I just wanted to submit something here again.  

Feedback is always welcome, and if you actually _like_ the story, even better. :laugh: 

----- ----- -----

_Prologue:_ 


Throughout the ages, man had lived in constant self assurance of his dominion of the world. It was his righteous belief that the world of Ager wholly belonged to him. His weakness on an individual basis was countered by his ingenuity and industrious nature. Through his intellect was the world claimed in his own name, and the gifts offered by the verdant earth were his to enjoy. 

His dominion did not go unchallenged however. Humanity was but one of several sentient races to lay claim to the land, and what he held he held by the edge of a sword or the tip of a spear. Valiant warriors fought to protect their homes and people from the predatory dragons, giant foes who sought to take what Mankind had already claimed. The dragons were few are far between, but immensely dangerous to the far smaller men and women who opposed them. Man could do little against these great hunters, and for a long time his rule was under threat. Until the day that a man of both might and magic succeeded in felling one of the mighty creatures, and the calendar was rewritten with his deed marking the beginning of the next age. At last, Man had hope again.


The old legends would tell of how knights and sorcerers fought off the beasts with enchanted weapons and magic. To counter this, the dragons would fight back with magic of their own. Though for the most part no human could fight a dragon one on one, the use of magic was enough to give humanity more than a good chance of victory on many occasions. Eventually, the dragons no longer attacked alone either... 


A race of lesser drakes, equal in size to a human began to attack alongside their larger kin shortly after Man’s wizards and spellcasters became prominent. These anthromorphic reptilians were almost identical to the vaguely humanoid form of the dragons, but did not bear the wings of their majestic superiors and fought the nations of man by conventional means, wielding blade and shield, bow and arrow, Armour and courage. 

The emergence of these creatures heralded the First Draconic War. The dragons and their lesser kin attacked now in unprecedented numbers, burning all that lay before them as they sought to exterminate mankind from existence. The many nations of mankind found themselves united under one banner and mustered armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The art of warfare was accelerated, resulting in the development of mighty war engines and the refinement of tactics. 

As Man grew more and more capable with gunpowder and long range weaponry, his draconic foe found themselves pushed on the defensive. An arms race of sorts broke out over the next few centuries, but for each advancement made in destructive technology by humanity, the draconians would counter with some new defence mechanism, never once using anything more elaborate than a crossbow for long range warfare. As time wore on, mankind forgot magic, preferring the destruction wrought by ballista and cannon to the fickle energies of the earth.


The war inevitably stagnated, with neither side willing to commit to the final push needed to wipe the other out. And so the draconians retreated back to their homelands in the far west, leaving the united human nation to gradually fall to pieces under the strain of their own internal politics. Several more centuries passed, the constant threat of war returning continuing to fuel technological advancement. The absence of any true fighting made this development horrifyingly efficient, and in a matter of less than two hundred hears humanity had developed man portable weapons capable of citywide devastation, armour capable of withstanding heavy calibre weapons fire and vehicles capable of transport and heavy ordnance. 


This power came at a price however. Such a long time of peace had created a disruptive presence within the now fracturing Empire of Man, and whilst many were content to continue living in peace, just as many were eager to reignite the old flames of war. A political rift was formed, the reigning monarch’s rule under threat from an unknown number of dissidents within his own court as well as a large quantity of civilian sympathisers. A purge was conducted, in which separatist members of government were rooted out and banished to the lands of the far north. Though the Empire of Man controlled a large portion of the planet’s surface equalled only by the draconians themselves, the lands of the far north remained untouched by either, and so the Monarch sent them with their houses and followers to begin their own reign rather than taint what had become a peaceful existence.

The fledgling nation grew at a brisk rate, untroubled by the impediments of research and fear of attack. Within fifty short years, the nation of Regnum had been established. 

The Empire and nation of Regnum grew further as the years passed. Trade was rare and friendship between them remained elusive. Far to the west, the draconians remained unaware of the divide and continued their existence as before, awaiting the day that war would renew. 

The first sign of hostilities came when Empire patrols came under attack by a drake warband. In response patrols were increased, and confrontations increased along undefined Empire borders. The draconians had not been idle in the time of peace, and their own weapons and armour now rivalled those of their warm blooded foes. But if the drakes had become formidable warriors, the dragons had become terrifying nightmares of destruction. Armed and armoured with steel plating over their scales and great weapons of ancient design with modern efficiency, these thirty foot tall monsters had become harbingers of death and destruction for all men who stood before them. 

With the first sighting of these newly equipped dragons and their efficient and disciplined warriors approaching Empire territory, all hope and pretence of a peaceful existence were cast aside. Technologies developed and never utilized were brought back into production, old contingencies were installed and ambassador parties were sent to Regnum to appeal for support. The nation to the North remained silent on the matter, but whether the ambassadors were ambushed, slain or simply ignored was never known. Unable to rely on any uncertainties, the Empire continued to prepare. The once dormant military turned its focus to the west, bringing weapons capable of mass destruction and thousands of men and women prepared to fight and die for their homes. 


The Second Draconic War had begun.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 1*

_ Running. He was running. Bodies all around him fled in the opposite direction, desperate to escape the towering monster that was chasing them down. Helmets and guns were abandoned as the soldiers shed as much weight as they could to aid their escape. He was getting closer, through the fire and the flames he could see the silhouettes of burning skyscrapers and collapsed towers. Among them stalked the thirty foot giant that had been hunting them, the monster that had wrought this destruction. It resembled a human in form, except for the elongated snout that even now flickered with the embers of its fire, the massive membranous wings that hung over its shoulders, and the long tail that swayed from its hindquarters. 

He ignited his grav-pak, anti gravity generators in his heavy armour kicking into gear and allowing him to hover a couple of feet above the ground. With a thought impulse, he kicked his rear thruster, allowing himself to zoom across the battlefield towards the great hunter. Its scales glistened beneath the armour it wore, plates of stylized steel covering its thighs and thorax. One arm carried a giant shield, which would be an obstacle to the weaponry the warrior was preparing to bring to bear. The other bore its sword, which would spell instant and messy death to any foe too slow to evade its swings. 

The speeding warrior checked the readout on his weapon. Incorporated into the suit via his left arm, his plasmacaster readout bipped at thirteen charges left. It would potentially be a challenge, to overcome the massive shield the creature carried and still be able to inflict significant damage with just over a dozen shots. 

He approached it from its left flank, the arm carrying the sword. Lining up his weapon, he took a single shot. The bright flash caught the dragon’s attention immediately, and it ducked just in time to dodge the lethal energy blast. The human soldier kicked his suit into reverse, changing direction rapidly to avoid the backswing of its enormous blade as it knelt into the attack. Still crouching low, it brought its shield around and shifted its position to better cover itself from the firing arc of the deadly gun. There was a tense few seconds as the two faced each other down, the dragon’s eyes looking back through a mirrored helm that covered the eyes and the top half of its massive horned head. 

The dragon made the first move, moving its shield slightly to the side to give its head room to see. With the space now afforded, it inhaled sharply and spat a stream of white hot flames towards its foe. He managed to increase power to his thrusters at the last moment, jetting to the now vulnerable left flank and loosing three shots in succession. One shot hit the dragon’s exposed leg, burning a hole in the armour of its thigh, the second went wide and the third hit directly on the left side of the beast’s large visor. 

A roar of pain cut off the fire as the dragon spun with the blast, preventing the plasma burst from penetrating the skull beneath the armour. As it stumbled, its tail spun wildly around to where he had begun jetting to, and he had no time to react before being hit with a heavy thud. The impact threw him completely off balance and he struggled with the grav-pak’s control systems. As he spun wildly through the air he caught a glimpse of the dragon righting itself and turning back to face him. Something impacted his armour, but there was no heavy thud, there was only a brief flicker of pain in his left arm and leg before he dropped to the ground. He looked up before him, seeing the dragon crouched in front of him, its sword coming down to rest and its shield dropped on the ground behind it. 

He raised his arm, desperately trying to get a shot, but to no avail. It was only then he noticed his left arm had been severed. Attempting to stand proved futile as his leg had also been cut clean off. There was nothing he could do. He stared back at the dragon before him with resignation in his mind. One large cerulean slitted eye stared back through the melted visor atop its head. Its flailing reaction had turned a potential kill shot into a mere glancing hit. He had come so close to felling the creature, but its reflexes had saved it. And now he was powerless, his suit had failed and his weapon was gone. 

The dragons chest swelled up and it leaned in closer. The last thing the warrior saw was an opening maw filled with gleaming white teeth before he was obliterated in a wall of deadly flames. _ 


The transmission ended. 


‘That’s all we have from him.’ Jerome said, shutting down the display and taking his seat once more. ‘We’ll be deployed to finish off the dragons in Outer City while the reinforcements move in to eliminate the drake presence.’ Around them, the aircraft rocked slightly as it passed through turbulence. 

The two others in the rear hold of the shuttle nodded passively. The three of them were Slayers, part of an elite soldiery outfitted with specialist equipment and training designed specifically to kill dragons in multiple scenarios. They wore the same armour as the slayer in the transmission had, and carried the same arm mounted plasmacasters on their left arms. At the moment only their helmets were not worn, allowing them to speak without needing the comm. Network built into their suits. 

‘Do we have a confirmed count?’ One of them, a youngish woman named Lenne asked. Her fair skinned face was framed by medium length brown hair and her blue eyes looked back at Jerome as he checked the datastream that had replaced the fallen slayer’s transmission. 

‘Looks like five confirmed dragons and an unknown number of drake soldiers.’ Jerome reported. 

‘Easy pickings.’ The other slayer remarked, cracking knuckles underneath his gauntlets. ‘Isolate and eliminate, the standard drill right?’ 

‘Sure Jake, if that’s how you want to see it.’ Jerome replied. ‘Personally I prefer not to make assumptions. I’ve been fighting these things for two years now and one thing I’ve learned is that they’re not all as east to kill as each other. Three slayers is considered overkill on a typical mission, but you two are new and the dragons outnumber us in this instance.’

‘Is that rare?’ Lenne asked. Both she and Jake were new to the ranks of the slayers, having only completed their training the month before. Jake had developed a simple cause and effect mentality and fallen into a mindset of any dragon could be overcome by the correct application of predefined drills. Jerome was fervently hoping that the lad’s first real encounter would break that mentality without breaking the kid himself. 

‘Reasonably.’ Jerome answered. ‘Most dragons attack on their own with a group of drakes, sometimes in pairs. They probably committed more this time because they were targeting a major city.’ 

‘Are evacuations complete?’ Jake asked. Jerome checked the screen again, glad that his protégé was at least focused on the task at hand. 

‘Yes.’ He nodded, finding the data he needed in a few seconds. ‘Evacuations were completed earlier this morning, so collateral damage is a tertiary consideration. Our forces are holding the drakes at bay and our artillery and heavy weapons are giving the dragons pause in their advance, but they haven’t been able to hold ground for long.’ 

There was silence for a few minutes as the three of them each ran through the situation in their own minds. The drakes had began their march on the city the night before, and only the current alert level could be attributed to the reasonably low level of casualties the Imperial forces had sustained. The militia had mobilized immediately and begun its retaliation while the local law enforcers had seen to the evacuation of Outer City’s citizenry before withdrawing themselves. The city’s lone slayer had harried the dragons on his own until his demise several hours prior. They could only assume the damage visible in his transmitted vid log was now more widespread. 


‘Drop location will be reached in two minutes!’ The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom and the three of them tensed. 

‘Alright, helmets on and let’s get ready to jump.’ Jerome ordered. He took his helm from the three on the rack beside them and fixed it to the rest of his suit. Lenne and Jake did likewise and moments later the natural static of the helmet’s earpiece faded to be replaced by a consistent resonance broken only when one of them spoke. 

‘Are you nervous Jake?’ Lenne asked teasingly, betraying her own insecurity to Jerome’s experienced senses. 

‘Not a chance!’ Jake reported, equally transparent to the veteran in their midst. This was to be their first real encounter with actual dragons, and one in three did not survive the experience. 

‘Focus.’ Jerome silenced them both. As the superior assigned to lead the novices, Jerome was the one calling the shots. Both of the slayers under his command were under no illusions as to his skill, as he had six dragons to his tally over the course of his two years in the job. There was silence as they calmed their breathing and prepared their systems for the rough treatment they were about to receive. The two minutes was over far too soon and the ramp at the back of the carrier began to open. 

‘Jump in three. Ready?’ Jerome ordered. 

‘Yes.’ They both replied on unison, coming to stand beside him. 

‘Good.’ Jerome nodded and stepped behind them. Before they could react he had pushed them both out into the smoke filled sky. 

‘Three!’ He shouted, leaping out after them with a maniacal giggle. Their startled cries and curses could be heard as easily as they heard his laughter.

‘That was Not cool man!’ Jake shouted over the rush of air. 

‘That’s “Sir” to you, Slayer-Two.’ Jerome called. 

‘That was not cool, Sir.’ Jake corrected himself. By now he had corrected his fall and alongside Jerome and Lenne descended like a torpedo towards the burning city below. The devastation was almost total, the entire landscape beneath them was a ruin, fires blazing through scorched apartment blocks and roads torn up by artillery fire and dragon swords. The battle was still visibly raging below, the lines of imperial soldiers and drake warriors clearly moving through the mess of flaming ruins. Three dragons were visible from their height of just over a thousand feet now, meaning that there were two more currently hidden from sight behind buildings somewhere. 

They angled themselves towards their closest dragon target. At a height of two hundred feet now, they kicked their grav-paks into gear and slowed their descent immensely. They could not achieve true flight, but used in a burst like this along with their inbuilt thrusters it could be as effective as any parachute for making aerial attacks. 

‘Count charges.’ Jerome ordered, checking the shot count of his own weapon. 

‘One hundred shots.’ Lenne answered. 

‘One hundred shots.’ Jake echoed. 

‘Confirmed.’ Jerome acknowledged them both. They touched down now, settling into a low hover barely a foot above the ground. ‘Follow my lead slayers, and stay sharp.’ 

‘Yes Sir!’ They responded. Their hunt was underway. 

From his vantage point offered by his height of over thirty feet, the dragon attacker could see the human artillery long before it was able to draw a bead on him. He approached his target with steady strides, not running but neither taking it slow, as he kept his every other sense actively searching for approaching danger. The ugly block shaped vehicle loosed a blast of superheated energy towards him and he instinctively ducked. His enormous crescent shaped shield came up to block the shot and he felt the heat above him as the plasma began to melt his shield. 

Experience had shown him that the vehicle would not be able to fire again for another ten seconds. He lowered his shield, noting with distaste the top half of it was no longer effective as a defence, and charged forward. Auxiliary fire from the human soldiers pattered from his armour and scales as ineffectively as rain. He hurled his shield at a platoon of soldiers sheltering behind a row of ruined transports, trusting his armour to protect him from lesser weapons and knowing it would not save him from the artillery ahead anyway. Better that he be able to move faster. Their screams were abruptly silenced as the heavy object landed atop them.

The turret moved cumbersomely to try and follow his movements. As he closed the gap the vehicle began to reverse but it was not fast enough to evade the sweep of his enormous sword. The weighted sword was like the designs of the ancient glaives carried by the dragon’s ancestors, but the advances in technology had made the weapons more durable, lighter though still extremely weighty, and wreathed in a field of the wielder’s own bioelectric energy. 

The tank was sliced open along the front of its hull, power to its turret being cut just as it began to charge for its next shot. The incomplete process resulted in a feedback of the plasma fuels cells, and a rupture in the tank’s ammunition container caused an explosion that tore through the hull and sent shrapnel flying in multiple directions. 

A roar of pain escaped the dragon’s lips as a piece of the vehicle’s cannon slammed into his arm just below the elbow. The sword fell from his grip with the shock of the impact and he fell to his knees. Flexing his arm tentatively, he growled and tucked it against his chest. He picked up the weapon with the other hand and stood once more. More small arms fire impacted his scales from the area just behind where the tank had exploded. 

He ignored it and retreated a few steps in the opposite direction until something in the sky caught his attention. Three small objects were falling from the sky, roughly the size of a human and seeming to direct themselves in his direction. He grinned beneath his mask, knowing full well what the new arrivals meant. 


The slayers had come.


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

A good beginning; I certainly want to find out what happens.

I feel the political tension in mankind adds realism to the situation; both sides had a good case before the split so there is plenty of potential for combined human action against the Dragon invasion being prevented by arguments about who was right.

Putting my critical hat on for a moment, you have a few incorrect or inconsistent capital letters in there. For instance:

"...world of Ager *W*holly belonged to him...."

Unless you are aiming for a quote from a religious text (in which case I might emphasise that with italics or punctuation) I think it should be "...world of Ager *w*holly belonged to him...."

And:

"...the predatory *D*ragons, giant foes who sought to take what Mankind had already claimed. The *d*ragons were ...."

Either the Dragons are a proper name throughout or they are not.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

True, I have derped. unish: 

Your diligence is appreciated Sir. I will correct the mistakes here and in my other posting grounds.


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Serpion5 said:


> True, I have derped. unish:
> 
> Your diligence is appreciated Sir. I will correct the mistakes here and in my other posting grounds.


It is not a major derp. I am just a picky old cove.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 2*

‘We’ve been sighted.’ Jerome told them. He led them through a twisting maze of wreckage as they ran down a demolished street towards the main battle. 

‘Are you sure?’ Lenne asked from half a dozen metres to his left. 

‘He’s right.’ Jake interjected. ‘One of them diverted towards our landing zone as we were coming in. I estimate his approach at about one minute.’ 

‘Probably less.’ Jerome corrected. He stopped behind an overturned bus and signalled for the two of them to take cover. Lenne hid behind a large chunk of upturned concrete across the road, while Jake was hidden inside one of the burnt out buildings above her. 

‘No heroics.’ Jerome warned. After a few moments the steady footfall could be heard from the intersection at the end of the road up ahead. From around the tall building on the edge of the intersection, the creature emerged. It appeared to be just over thirty feet in height, had discarded its shield and gripped its sword tentatively in the arm instead. Its other arm seemed wounded, as it kept it tucked close to its body. 

‘Take notes.’ Jerome instructed. ‘And be ready to spring the trap. Don’t move before then.’ 

‘It’s wounded, a vulnerability on its right flank.’ Jake pointed out the obvious immediately.

‘Armour still at full effectiveness, no shield.’ Lenne added, again an obvious point. Jerome held his silence for a few moments longer, hoping they would see something less apparent. The dragon itself still stood at the intersection where it had entered, its keen senses no doubt searching for the prey it knew was there. 

‘Take notice of its behaviour.’ Jerome said to them. ‘It knows we’re here, and is proceeding with caution. That means we won’ be able to take it by surprise. It’s up to us to make the first move. Suggestions? Keep in mind we are still up against four more of these.’ 

‘What if I hit it from above?’ Jake suggested. ‘If you can draw its focus I can get higher and shoot down into its wings and head.’ 

‘Sounds good.’ Lenne added. 

‘If you feel you’re up to it.’ Jerome conceded. ‘Alright Jake, wait until we engage, then move to the higher levels of that building. Lenne, follow my lead but don’t cross my path. Understood?’ 

‘Yes Sir!’ They both replied. Jerome clicked a simple affirmative and waited. A minute passed, the patience of the slayer pitted against that of the dragon as both sides tested the mettle of the other. It was the dragon that broke first, taking two more steps forward cautiously. Jerome sprung out while it was mid-step, loosing a single shot to take it off guard. It ducked the shot and broke into a run towards him. He activated his grav-pak and jetted backwards, leading it on past where Lenne was still concealed. He loosed another shot to keeps its focus centred on him while Lenne lined up a shot of her own. 

She fired, and only the dragon’s acute hearing and quick reflexes saved it as the bolt scorched the air and sailed over the creature’s head. It whipped its tail in her direction, but she was already jetting backwards. It then lurched sideways, barging its way inside one of the burnt out buildings to its right and vanished inside. 

‘Jake! Exercise caution!’ Jerome warned. 

‘I saw it!’ Jake replied. ‘It just went to the floor above me. Pursuing now!’ 

‘Negative!’ Jerome bellowed. ‘Get out of there now! It’s going to try and climb through the buildings to ambush us from another quarter, if you’re still in there and get discovered you’re as good as dead!’ 

‘I think you’re right!’ The nervousness in Jake’s reply confirmed what they had suspected. The creature was tearing its way from one building to the next and Jake was inside the next one on the block. From the street below Jerome and Lenne saw him leap from a smashed wall section and plummet towards the ground. His grav-pak triggered moments before he landed and he sailed cleanly through the air towards the opposite side of the street. 

A pillar of flames shot out after him and he jetted to the side just in time to avoid being hit. He was now rocketing towards Jerome’s location as the dragon’s armoured head appeared out of the same hole he had jumped from moments before. Jake loosed a few shots in retaliation but the creature was gone before they hit, leaving the charred gap in the building even wider, molten metal dripping from where the steel framework had been severed. 

Jerome jetted forward, keeping his jets on a low burn so as not to over-commit. He came up alongside Jake and signalled for Lenne to remain hidden. It hadn’t seen her yet, and that could still be used to their advantage. 

The two of them followed the sound of tearing rubble as the dragon burrowed its way brutishly towards the end of the street where it had first emerged. 

‘Lenne, begin pursuing.’ Jerome ordered. She was doing no good back there if the dragon was not going to stay in the area. She clicked twice over the intercom as an affirmative before Jerome’s attention was diverted back to the matter at hand. He and Jake reached the end of the street first, aiming their plasmacasters upwards as the dragon tore its way free. Concrete rubble, brickwork and torn steel girders rained down, obscuring their shots. Jake fired several shots blind, but succeeded only in vaporizing a few wayward blocks of masonry. 

‘Conserve your ammo damnit!’ Jerome barked. ‘We have four more of these things to get through and we don’t know how skilled they are!’ 

‘Sorry sir!’ Jake said abashedly, jumping back a few feet to avoid a falling chunk of brickwork. The dragon was visible moments later through the clearing dust cloud, retreating slowly while inhaling. 

‘MOVE!’ Jerome bellowed moments before a wall of fire came their way. The dragon had played its cards well, pretending to flee then renewing its attack. Even before the flames had receded it came darting forward, its gigantic sword coming down in a crushing arc above them. Jerome had rocketed backwards barely dodging the fire and the blade while Jake had gone back the way he had come. Jerome caught sight of the dragon following the younger slayer before continuing to move forward towards him. Bolts of plasma seared the air behind it as it moved. With Lenne and Jake in pursuit Jerome would be the easier target. 

‘Come get some!’ He bellowed his challenge and loosed three quick shots. It dodged them with ease, weaving to the left and ducking while readying its sword for a sweep along the ground. It seemed to laugh at his bravado, a deep voiced rumble as it lurched forward into its attack. Jerome jetted straight up, shooting straight down as he did so. Through luck more than design, the plasma bolt hit the blade of the enormous weapon halfway down, destroying its integrity. The sword fell into two pieces as it was raised back into the air. 

With a roar of irritation the giant reptile dropped the useless weapon and glared down at him. At the same time, Jake and Lenne crested the corner of the block and raised their weapons. The dragon now knew it was surrounded. Its plan to swiftly eliminate Jerome before rounding on the other two had not only failed, but left it disarmed. In desperation, it began to inhale sharply. 

‘Fire.’ Jerome ordered simply. From two sides, they attacked, loosing volleys of deadly plasma towards the scaled giant. Its armour was not of the same resilience as its lost shield, and the tight confines of the city streets made it unable to reach its full wingspan. Both it and its fellows had gambled on their size and power being enough to make up for the lack of flight, and that assumption had cost this one dearly. 

Jerome’s shots hit it square in the chest while Lenne and Jake hit it from behind. Its ruptured shoulders spasmed, causing its wings to flail before the melted flesh detached and the membranous limbs fell to the ground. With a gaping hole in its chest, it fell to its knees before dropping prone in front of the senior slayer. 

‘You make number five.’ He said to it, before raising his weapon and disintegrating its head. 


‘Form up.’ Jerome commanded. Lenne and Jake followed him in a loose formation as he led the way towards the sounds of fire and rending metal. He instructed them to keep their grav-paks active at this point, as an attack could come at any moment and an immobile slayer was as good as dead in that situation. It was less than a minute before the next of the giant creatures came into sight, striding down a street in pursuit of two speeding transports. 

‘Fire!’ Jerome commanded. ‘Draw its focus!’ Lenne and Jake complied immediately, not needing to be told to fan out. Jerome increased his speed directly towards the creature as it pulled its shield around to defend itself. 

‘Sir what are you planning?’ Jake asked in a worried tone. 

‘Never mind!’ He replied. ‘Keep firing! Focus on the centre of the shield, if you can melt through to where the grip is on the other side you’ll render the whole thing useless.’ 

‘I’m on it!’ Lenne answered. She aimed a few well placed shots for the shield, not trying to circumvent the dragon’s defences but rather to breach them altogether. Jake followed her lead, and Jerome was satisfied to see the shield beginning to droop in the creature’s grip. It halted its steady advance and readied its sword to swing down at the unsuspecting human. 

Jerome diverted into a zigzag in anticipation of its attack, but to his surprise it did not swing. Instead, it hurled what remained of its shield towards the other two and ducked sideways, burrowing into the nearest building just as its ally had before. 

As troubling as it was, the shouts of alarm from his own companions worried Jerome more. He jetted back towards their location as fast as he could, alert for the dragon’s reappearance but not slowing down. 

‘Jake! Lenne! Report!’ He commanded. 
‘I’m okay!’ Lenne responded. ‘Jake’s taken damage.’ 

‘Slayer, report!’ Jerome repeated. 

‘I’m sorry Sir!’ Jake answered. ‘I was hit by rubble from the shield hitting the building next to us. My caster’s out of commission, it won’t fire!’ 

‘Damnit!’ Jerome cursed. If Jake couldn’t make use of his plasmacaster he was not going to be of effective help. ‘Never mind, fall back to our troops’ position and render assistance against the drake soldiers. Switch to secondary ammo, Lenne and I will finish this.’ 

‘I’m sorry Sir.’ Jake said again, rocketing away from the battleground and leaving a trail of smoke behind. 

‘Stay sharp.’ Jerome ordered, but Lenne was already scanning the buildings, following the trail of disruption as the dragon tunnelled its way through the close knit buildings with the two remaining slayers following closely. After three changes it reached a taller than normal skyscraper and began to climb up inside.

‘It’s climbing?’ Lenne was bewildered. 

‘It’s running.’ Jerome corrected. ‘This one’s encountered slayers before. We’ll break off and choose a new target. There’s no use in pursuing something beyond our reach.’ 

Lenne made to reply, but a crackling over the intercom interrupted her as Jake cut in. 

‘Sir, there are incoming aircraft heading towards your location!’ 

‘Friendly?’ Jerome enquired, leading Lenne further into the city as he asked. 

‘Unknown.’ Jake replied. ‘They passed overhead just now, they’re definitely not Draconian design, but they don’t look Imperial either. Advise?’ 

‘There’s nothing we can do until we know more.’ Jerome replied simply. He pulled up at a corner where he could observe four lanes at once, and waited for an opening. A few moments later the sound of whirring blades could be heard and the aircraft began to hover above the city. The design was similar to Imperial helicopters, but the shape was different to any patterns he was familiar with and the emblem painted on their side, though difficult to make out, was clearly not the silver crown of the Empire. 

‘What are they doing?’ Lenne asked. There were six of the craft, hovering in a loose formation towards the city central district. 

As if to answer, two of them turned to face the building where the dragon had hidden itself. From either side just behind the cockpit, two arrays of weaponry emerged, from this distance appearing to be missiles. Before the situation could register, they had opened fire, unleashing a salvo of rockets that tore through the building in seconds. A reptilian cry of pain briefly mixed in with the sound of explosions and tearing metal before falling silent. The once proud building collapsed upon itself in a blazing ruin, leaving little indication of what it had once been. 

‘Who the hell are these people?’ Jerome wondered out loud. As soon as he voiced the thought a draconic roar sounded from across the city and one of the giant reptiles rose into the sky. It carried its sword but no shield as it raced furiously through the sky towards the craft. As he always was when he saw them in flight, Jerome was impressed by the speed in which the dragon was able to close the gap. Several missiles were launched, but in flight the agile reptile was able to evade the attacks. That was not to be its saving grace however, as the helicopters dispersed once it reached less than a hundred metres and then opened fire with previously unseen Vulcan heavy machine guns. 

‘It looks like they’re on our side.’ Lenne observed. The aircrafts’ machine guns were not enough to penetrate its armour but they easily tore through its wings. It flailed wildly, losing height before barely managing to cling to the upper levels of the building Jerome and Lenne were sheltered beneath. Its immobility, even for a moment, proved to be its doom as now the missiles were able to acquire their target. 

‘Oh shit...’ Lenne cursed, as they fired. Seconds later, chunks of masonry and charred dragon flesh began raining down. The two of them managed to jet out of the impact zone in time, but this left them clearly visible in the open. Four of the six craft disappeared from their view, but the other two remained above, and one of them even began to descend between what buildings were still standing to better scan the streets below. 

Another transmission from Jake confirmed what Jerome had begun to suspect. 

‘Sir! They’re opening fire on Imperial forces!’ He shouted. ‘We have to retreat, our tanks can’t get a lock and are being targeted!’ 

‘Give the order on my authority to retreat.’ Jerome said calmly. Above him and Lenne, the craft that had begun to descend trained its weapons on them.

‘Looks like you were wrong Lenne.’ He said to her. ‘They’re not on our side at all...’


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent: a third side to the scrap!

My one niggle is in the description of the unknown aircraft: the namimng of the machine guns ("...opened fire with previously unseen Vulcan heavy machine guns. ") immediately made me think "How do they know what the guns are called?", which broke the flow. I feel they would by more mysterious if you just called them "...previously unseen heavy machine guns".

If you were emphasising the similarity in technology then possibly, "...opened fire with previously unseen weapons, like Imperial Vulcan heavy machine guns." would keep the mystery.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

I can see how that was unclear. The naming was merely Jerome's closest observation based on what he was familiar with. I should have done more to establish the existence of these weapons among Imperial forces.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

A line of shattered concrete and a wall of lead lay behind Jerome as he swerved to avoid the incoming fire. The armoured helicopter followed him at an infuriatingly stable distance, rendering the plasmacaster on his arm useless as the bolts would dissipate before impact. He continued to dodge salvo after salvo, staying ahead by mere inches as he hoped fervently for the pilot to give up the chase. Lenne had been forced to disengage just as rapidly, retreating in a different direction and being pursued by the other aircraft. 

‘Sir they’re herding me towards the drake battlelines!’ She called to him. 

‘Can you divert?’ Jerome asked absently, too focused on keeping himself alive more than anything. An explosion to his right forced him to jet to his left, offering a few moments of respite as the helicopter vanished behind the building just behind him. 

‘No!’ She responded. ‘I’ll be forced into confrontation with two dragons if they keep pace. I can see them already!’ 

‘Try and slip past.’ Jerome advised. ‘With any luck they’ll engage each other. I’ll try to give this guy the slip and give you some backup.’ 

The sound of machine gun fire from behind forced him to rethink those plans even as he tried to formulate some way to survive this. Quickly scanning the ruins all around him, he realized that he would need to gain higher ground. But that would be a risky prospect...


* * *


Alone but for one companion, Ticya moved as quickly as she could towards the main battlegroup. There was already a loss in the energy field being generated, and the deaths of two of her companions so far was felt keenly. On her shoulder, her drake protector steadied himself by gripping one of the many spines that jutted from the back of her head tightly. Through one eye she saw the readouts of the drake warriors up ahead, through the other she saw clear rubble and smoke, the visor blasted through from her encounter with the slayer earlier that day. 

‘Slow down.’ The voice on her shoulder called to her. ‘You don’t want to run headfirst into combat without knowing what you’re up against.’ As well as this, he was not too eager to be too far from the main draconian battleline. 

‘I killed a slayer earlier.’ Ticya said proudly. ‘Not bad for my first battle wouldn’t you say, Trekan?’

‘You were fortunate.’ Trekan said sternly. ‘Very fortunate. Now slow down.’ She reluctantly complied, pausing at the edge of the street and waiting for the sounds of gunfire and rotors to pass. As she waited, Trekan climbed down quickly and readied his crossbow. He approached the edge of the corner as Ticya watched his precise and calculated movements. She was here to learn as much as to fight, and Trekan was her teacher. 

In appearance, a drake and a dragon were very similar. Both had bodies covered in hard scales, both had heads sporting four long backwards curving horns and a nest of smaller spines that grew longer with age. Elder members of their race sported long spines arranged into elaborate hairpieces that sometimes incorporated blades and formed weapons in their own right. Ticya’s own spines were still fairly short, reflecting her age. They barely reached down to her shoulders while those of Trekan stretched almost halfway down his back. He wore armour similar to hers, but carried no shield or sword, instead relying on crossbow and bracer for attack and defence. 

‘The aircraft is pursuing a slayer at a height of about sixty feet.’ Trekan said to her. ‘If you move quickly, you might be able to catch it off guard. Go while it’s trapped halfway down the street!’ 

‘Right!’ She growled enthusiastically. ‘I’ll be right back!’ She broke into a run and rounded the next corner, coming up behind the helicopter as it unleashed another barrage upon its slayer quarry. She noted that the human had somehow ascended into one of the building lower levels on the left side of the street, causing the craft to lower itself slightly to get a better line of sight. An interesting tactic on the human’s part in her opinion, as she wondered why the helicopter did not simply bomb the building as they had done earlier. A closer look made her realize that at this height, the vehicle itself risked being showered with debris and so its pilot had resolved to pepper the floor with machine gun fire instead. 

Two flashes of plasma fire seared the air, barely missing the helicopter as it veered to the side. By ill fortune this brought Ticya within its arc of sight, and it reacted to her presence immediately by beginning to ascend. Two more plasma bolts flew past the craft as the slayer came within sight of the building’s crumbling outer walls. Ticya leaped into the air, swinging her sword into a long downward arc, but the craft had already moved beyond her reach. 

The pilot must have realized then that it had no options, as his vehicle could not fire rockets at this altitude and its machine gun would not penetrate the dragon’s armour. Instead he pulled out, reversing and travelling down the adjacent street to seek a new target. The slayer was left standing on a burned out balcony with a vulnerable dragon on the streets before him... 


* * *


Trekan cursed the impetuous nature of his pupil as he fled the firing range of one of the helicopters that had begun to hover towards the draconian battleline. One of the slayers in pursuit had been foolish enough to flee in their direction, and while some of the drakes had begun to take pot-shots at the human, the war machines had trained their focus on bringing down the aircraft. 
Trekan however was no fool. The instant the craft had stopped moving forward, he knew what was coming. A salvo of missiles surged forth, fanning into a wide firing pattern that decimated the bulk of the advancing war host. Ballistae were torn apart and drake warriors burned alive in the explosions, causing Trekan to roar in horrified defiance despite not being able to do a thing about it. His gaze settled on the human slayer, who despite the drake presence less than a hundred metres away, was far more concerned with the aircraft above. 

Trekan abandoned his position and began to move further into the city, towards where Ticya had run to. He had not heard anything he had associated with the aircraft’s weaponry from that direction, but whether that was a good or a bad sign he could not say. His tail stretched out behind him as he leaned forward into a sprint, claws scraping the asphalt beneath his feet. The sound of screams could be heard behind him, the smell of smoke and charred meat surrounded this entire area and there were precious few viable targets in sight. His crossbow would easily punch through most man portable armour, including the advanced suits worn by the slayers, but he was not yet willing to kill the human given that it was in possession of a weapon that might bring down the attacking aircraft. However slim the chance of success was... 

He sought shelter in the crumbling ruin as the draconian lines scattered. As he watched the battleline fall to pieces and his fellow drakes die in droves, he fervently hoped that Ticya was alright. 


* * *


When questioned on this later, neither of them would be able to give a clear answer as to exactly what had gone through their heads at that moment. The slayer stood on the edge of the third floor of the burned out building with a clear shot, and the dragon stood immobile before him in the street. With the helicopter gone for the moment, the two of them simply stared at one another for what seemed like hours. 

Jerome recognized the dragon almost immediately when it turned to face him. It was the same one they had seen in the slayer’s vid log earlier, bearing the same battle wear on its armour and devoid of its shield. 

Ticya stared back, wondering why the human didn’t take the shot. With the time he hesitated, she could have spun and crushed him in her fist, but the fact that his aggression was tempered spoke more than the simple hatred that ran through their races. 

There was a new threat. He had a weapon capable of defeating it, and she had the mobility to bring it to bear. The choice seemed simple and the logic was flawless. 

The slayer raised his gun, not to aim at her but to mimic firing into the sky. The one eye he could see narrowed as she met his invisible stare with scrutiny before nodding slowly. She extended her arm, allowing him to run along the scales and ascend her shoulder. Her every instinct screamed at her to swat the man aside and crush him, to shake him to the ground and burn him to a crisp, but there was more at stake than there had been earlier and for the moment their war had to be put aside. He reached her shoulder and jetted the final leap to land atop her head, using one of her horns to steady himself before gesturing with his gun mounted arm for her to move.

With a light roar of affirmation she began to move, following the trail that their pursuer had fled in and flexing her wings in anticipation. The language barrier between them meant that they would have to guess each other’s intent and act accordingly, so the dragon resolved to be as straightforward as possible while hoping her unlikely ally would do the same. 

Their target had seemingly decided to pursue one of the other dragons, his shield discarded and his sword useless as he climbed as rapidly as he could in an attempt to clear the buildings and become airborne. Explosions followed the creature at an uncomfortable distance as it desperately fought to stay ahead. 

‘Go!’ Jerome called. ‘Get the jump on it!’ 

Only the gist of the words passed Ticya’s literal understanding but the intent was clear. She jumped to bring the human’s weapon into effective range and clung to the building behind it. It realized too late that it was being pursued, beginning to rotate but it was not quick enough. The plasma from the weapon on Jerome’s arm impacted in two places as he fired, one melting a hole in the main cockpit and the other destroying the integrity of the tail section halfway down. 

It began to sink, power to the rear propeller failing and causing it to spin wildly. The dragoness resisted the urge to leap out and finish it herself, content to watch it crash into the ground below with a thunderous explosion. 

Ticya roared in triumph, the dragon they had saved roaring with her as they both descended to the ground. What may have been a curious glance passed from the other to the slayer nested on her head as she passed her fellow. Jerome did not speak or attempt to communicate further, realizing that this truce was as likely to end in his own death as their enemies unless he betrayed the dragon before it could betray him. 

But as she began to approach the second helicopter, breaking into a run to prevent it from locking on, new thoughts began to enter his head. What if the dragon would actually honour their truce afterwards as a way of gratitude? He was helping to save their lives as much as his own peoples’ at the moment, so would that endure once these foes were gone? Machine gun fire interrupted these thoughts as their quarry opened fire. Jerome refrained from firing his own weapon as he caught wind of the dragon’s intent. 

The craft had not made a move to ascend, the pilot seemingly having acted rashly upon seeing the enraged creature approach. Because of this it was still well within reach of the dragon’s own attack. She inhaled sharply and spat a quick stream of fire at the craft. It exploded immediately under the intense heat as the fuel lines were melted and ignited. 

At the same time further ahead, the third dragon still alive succeeded in destroying another helicopter by dropping onto it from above. No sooner had he landed atop the shredded vehicle than he himself was torn apart by missile fire from another helicopter approaching from the opposite direction. Ticya dove into a side street to avoid a second salvo from ripping her apart. She ducked back out immediately after the missiles had sailed past and spat fire into the air. The helicopter pulled back to avoid the flames but it could not escape the range of Jerome’s plasmacaster. It fell as its fellows had, and formed a smoking fireball on the torn ground. 

An explosion behind her threw her forward. She landed hard on her side, throwing Jerome into the air before he activated his grav-paks and drifted back to the ground. It was not enough to stall his impact completely however and he found himself impacting the side of the nearest building with a heavy thud. The dragon was moving again in moments, already on her feet and running before the human could orient himself. He panned his gaze around, but there was no sign of her or the craft that had almost killed them both. 


Jerome paused for a moment. His ally had kept moving, leaving him behind which meant she was as good as dead to him at the moment. He checked his plasmacaster readout and groaned loudly upon seeing that his circuit was fried. Probably an overload or damage from the impact he just took, but in either case his weapon was as useful now as a metal club. 

Movement on the side of his vision caused him to snap around and he saw a drake approaching him at a rapid pace. The drake ran on all fours, reminding Jerome of a charging leopard as it roared and came straight for him. Unable to switch to secondary weaponry in time, he braced for the impact instead. Despite all the protection his armour offered from a creature this size, he was still hurled to the ground heavily as the drake drew its crossbow from the harness on its back and levelled it directly at his head. 

‘Where is Ticya?’ The drake snarled, his reptilian voice hissing through the words as he glared his hatred at the human beneath. 

‘Ticya left me behind.’ Jerome answered simply. ‘She continues to hunt the aircraft alone.’

‘You did not slay her?’ The drake asked, seeming surprised. 

‘No.’ Jerome answered simply. ‘I did not.’ 

The drake seemed to relax slightly, confusion entering its eyes. Jerome did not hesitate, batting aside the crossbow and triggering his rear thruster. He shot directly upwards, delivering a swift elbow to the drake’s shoulder and seizing his weapon as he rose. When the pair crashed back down to the concrete below, the tables had turned with Jerome aiming the weapon at his reptilian foe’s head. 

‘Don’t move drake.’ He said. ‘You’re a prisoner now.’


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent allies-of-circumstance twist.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Thank you. Is it chance? Or perhaps a precursor for something yet to come. :secret:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 4*

Trekan took the time to meditate. Surrounded by four walls of concrete broken only by a steel door, he had been stripped of all but the most basic clothing and left here alone for the past two hours. He needed to stay calm despite everything that had happened. The battle had been skewed the moment the third military force arrived, whoever they were. The aircraft definitely had the look of human technology, yet the human army had been just as devastated by them as the Draconian forces had. 

He clutched at his chest despairingly as his focus waned for a moment. They had taken the pendant that hung from his neck, the Stella Memoria. It was a device of incalculable importance to both him and Ticya and its absence threatened to drown him in sorrow. With a concentrated effort of will, he forced himself to think of other things.


It was another half an hour before he heard several sets of footsteps approaching. He stood quickly, intending to meet whoever was coming on his feet rather than sat like a sulking child. The footsteps stopped just outside his door and he kept his gaze forward. He startled as two previously unseen panels appeared on either side of the doorway and four gun barrels were pointed at him from behind what had moments ago seemed to be a concrete wall. The door opened a few seconds later and a human entered. He had the look of a warrior with extensive experience. He wore no armour, instead sporting a simple set of plain fatigues.

‘Good day.’ The human spoke. ‘My name is Jerome. I am a Class Two Slayer attached to the defence of Midguard City. What is your name and rank?’ 

‘I am Trekan. Guardian Protector to Ticya.’ The drake answered. ‘Jerome, your subordinates have taken something precious to me and I desire its return.’

Jerome was silent for a few moments as he seemed to think on this. Eventually he nodded. 

‘That sounds fair.’ The human said. ‘I assume you’re talking about that pendant that was around your neck. May I ask what significance it holds?’ 

‘It is a sentimental item.’ Trekan replied. Jerome nodded to one of the guards, who promptly withdrew his weapon and began jogging back down the hallway. 

‘Now then.’ Jerome began. ‘I want some answers. Do you know who it was that attacked us back there? They weren’t Imperial forces, that is all we know.’ 

‘They were not ours either.’ Trekan answered. ‘But even you could not deny that they were definitely human technology. Correct?’ The drake’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

‘That does appear to be the case.’ Jerome conceded. ‘However it doesn’t explain why they were here or who their target was. They attacked indiscriminately, they killed forces on both our sides. It stands to reason that their agenda involves both of us, unless this was a case of some pre-emptive strike from Regnum.’ 

Trekan shrugged and raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m not familiar with this “Regnum” you speak of.’

‘Really?’ Jerome nodded. It made sense in truth, the draconians had little way of knowing what had transpired in the east since the cessation of war centuries earlier. ‘They’re a nation apart from us. Separation occurred a few centuries back and they now inhabit the land up north as their own country.’ 

‘You suspect them?’ Trekan asked. 

‘I do.’ Jerome confirmed. 

‘This is interesting.’ Trekan nodded thoughtfully. ‘We resumed the war because we thought you had instigated it. But now it seems as though this third faction is involved. If what your people claim is true, then it could well have been Regnum who re-ignited the war between us for their own gain.’ 

‘Not something I’d put past them.’ Jerome conceded. ‘With that in mind, I’d like your help with something.’ 

‘Name it.’ Trekan answered, eager for any chance he had to get out of here. 

‘Following the withdrawal of your own forces and our establishment of our base of operations here, one of your dragons continues to hide in the city. We need your assistance in convincing them to leave.’ 

‘It is likely Ticya, and she is probably here for me.’ Trekan replied levelly. There was a tense moment between them as Jerome tried to discern any ulterior motive to the drake’s words. 

‘...What is your relevance to her?’ Jerome demanded after a few moments.

‘As I said to you before, I am Protector to the Guardian Ticya.’ Trekan explained. 

‘She is a Guardian?’ Jerome asked quizzically. 

‘Indeed.’ 

‘And you’re her... protector?’ The human continued in confusion. 

‘That’s right.’ Trekan explained. ‘I protect her from the threats that she cannot perceive, just as she guards us from the threats we cannot defeat.’ 

‘She’s at least thirty feet tall.’ Jerome said incredulously. ‘Apart from a trained slayer team, what could threaten her? What threat could you protect her from?’ 

‘The Immaterial.’ Trekan replied, beginning to show signs of frustration. ‘It seems apparent human, that this is not a concept you will easily grasp. Now, do you want my help or not?’ 

* * *

Ticya ducked below a collapsed tower and punched a hole in the wall of the building it was leaning on. She quickly crawled inside, reaching the back of it as the tables and chairs within scattered before her flailing limbs. Her wings scraped the ceiling above her and she cursed with a growl. Trekan had gone and gotten himself captured, a brilliant move from someone who earlier had the nerve to lecture her about caution. On one of her fingers, a ring pulsed with emphatic energy and for that instant she felt a sadness she had hoped not to feel again. 

Behind her, the scout vessels continued to search. They had not seen her yet, or at least she didn’t think they had, but even so eliminating them served no gain. If she killed them, it would confirm her presence and more would come. Maybe even slayers. 

The thought brought her back to her encounter earlier. For the short time it had been necessary, the slayer human had been willing to fight in concert with her to bring down several of the enemy aircraft. So their logic was not dimmed by hatred at least. That alone had raised her respect levels for them, even if only slightly. 

She clawed her way through to another skyscraper. This time instead of tearing her way out the side, she pushed upwards, breaking a hole through the first floor and beginning to climb. She couldn’t tell from inside how intact this building was, but it would suffice for now until she could figure out what to do next. She had to rescue Trekan. Without him, without his guidance and his memories, she would fail as a guardian and be utterly bereft of purpose. 

* * *

Almost another hour had passed much to Trekan’s irritation. Jerome and his escort had vanished, leaving him once more alone in his small cell. They had not even had the decency to leave him anything beyond a small container of water which he struggled to drink because of its shape. It had been designed for human lips and half of it had splashed to the floor when he tried to take a small sip. He had since figured a knack for it but decided against too much in case he was left in here for more than a day. The pendant had not been returned despite Jerome’s earlier promise, and its continued absence grated heavily on his mind. 

He breathed deep as he focused on more pleasant things than his current predicament. His first days as an appointed Protector sprung to mind, the initial sessions of bonding and training he had undergone with Ticya and the more experienced guardians had been a pleasant experience in the several years past. Never once had they imagined the possibility of defeat. 

Then the war had become a reality, and the harshness of the situation had taken them by surprise. Since the fighting had resumed, over a dozen guardians had fallen in battle and the idealism they had once stood for was fast being eroded in favour of being better able to survive.


At length, the human returned. This time however he was in full armour, once more outfitted as the slayer he had been on the battlefield. In this he took up the entire doorway, the bulk afforded him by this destructive suit almost doubling his mass. There was silence for a few moments before the plasmacaster on the human’s left arm raised. 

‘Protector Trekan.’ He said. ‘You will come with me.’

‘To my execution?’ The drake demanded. 

‘No.’ Came the simple reply. ‘Come. Now.’ Jerome stepped aside to free up the doorway, his tone neutral and his face hidden left Trekan no hints whatsoever of the man’s intentions. ‘Quickly. We don’t have a lot of time.’ Jerome continued.

‘Then lead the way.’ Trekan replied suspiciously. Jerome nodded, setting off at a brisk pace towards the same antechamber they had come through when the drake had fist been imprisoned. As they passed through Trekan noticed that the guards had all been rendered unconscious. He slowed to survey the scene in confusion.

‘Don’t stop!’ Jerome called. 

‘What is the meaning of this?’ Trekan hissed, his suspicion returning. 

‘My superiors decided on your fate.’ Jerome replied. ‘You’re of no value as a prisoner as far as they’re concerned, so they decided on execution scheduled two hours from now. You and I both know that there’s more at play here than our war. I’ll do what I can from my side, you need to do what you can for your people. Make them aware of the new threat from Regnum.’ 

Trekan hurried his pace to keep up with the human. They entered a small room almost adjacent to the antechamber where a host of items were stored. Jerome hastily opened one of the many cases that were built into the wall and withdrew the pendant Trekan had been after. 

‘Sorry about earlier.’ Jerome explained. ‘The request was waylaid before it could be completed. Your execution was decided at about the time I visited you earlier. So I made some arrangements, but we don’t have much time.’ 

‘Why would you do this for me?’ Trekan demanded. ‘There must be something more than a mutual enemy motivating your actions?’ 

‘Not really.’ Jerome replied simply. ‘If this fighting is serving no purpose, we might as well stop it. I’m not given to the old hatreds, I fight because it is required.’ A silence passed pervaded only by the sound of footfall. ‘And it is now not required.’

* * *

Less than ten minutes saw them exit the compound unseen by Imperial personnel. Jerome led the drake through the back of the complex and out an unguarded gate. Seeing the ease of which he was able to leave prompted the question. 

‘Where are all the guards?’ Trekan asked. ‘Have you had some hand in this?’ 

‘It wasn’t necessary out here.’ Jerome explained. ‘Guards weren’t posted to the rear exit of the compound because the threat would only come from one direction. A patrol passes by every five minutes though so don’t slow down!’ 

Trekan did as ordered, increasing his pace to keep up with the human, who had activated his grav-pak and seemed to glide on the air just above the ground. After a quick glance at the surrounding area the drake realized that they were in fact behind the city, further in towards Imperial territory. They ran for another ten minutes before slowing down and beginning to alter their heading. Jerome was leading them back towards the ruined city itself, which begged of the drake another question. 

‘You’re looking for Ticya aren’t you?’ Trekan enquired. 

‘If she’s here for you, then it makes sense to get you two back together.’ Jerome answered. ‘Besides, the two of you will be able to travel faster than you alone back to your people.’

‘My respect for you grows by the minute.’ Trekan admitted grudgingly. Whether or not Jerome heard was difficult to tell as no response was forthcoming. As they entered the ruined city central district, silence began to descend. 

‘She’s out here somewhere...’ Jerome said softly. ‘Do you have any way of drawing her attention?’ 

‘Of course.’ Trekan replied, before inhaling sharply and bellowing her name. ‘TICYA!!!’ 


Ticya snapped to attention. Trekan’s voice rang clearly through the empty streets and it was not two seconds before she was moving towards it. He had called her name and that meant he was alive. But was he in danger? He had been captured so how was he out here now? Unless... they were using him as bait to lure Ticya into the open. 

She slowed, mindful of this possibility and not wanting to fall into a trap. As she crept closer to the sound, avoiding making any noise with the ease of a practiced hunter, she kept her senses aware for the sounds and scents of additional human soldiers and machinery. The wreckage of the city made it difficult to discern scents among the rubble and scorched remains, the deathly silence made it easy to determine where Trekan was, and just as easily determine that he was almost alone. 

Almost. As she stepped into the town square where Trekan stood, she caught sight of the slayer standing a few metres behind him. He was a hostage. Her initial suspicion was correct. Pausing momentarily, she stepped out of concealment, deliberately kicking down what was left of the corner building into rubble and walking with heavy steps towards the two. Her hand moved deliberately to rest on the hilt of the sword sheathed at her back and she growled at the slayer menacingly. It was the same one she had allied with earlier, she was certain of it. 

‘Step down.’ She commanded. ‘Release your prisoner.’ 

‘Stop!’ Trekan interjected. ‘Ticya, I am not a prisoner!’ He held up his hands to show he was unbound and at the same time Jerome clearly and slowly pointed his plasmacaster away from both of them.

‘This is true... Ticya!’ The human called. ‘The ones who attacked us before are not of the Empire, nor are they with you. They instigated this war, and you two have to warn your people.’ 

Ticya pondered this for a moment before deciding on her course of action. She stepped in close, making as if to pick up Trekan in her gigantic clawed hand. At the last instant, she darted forward, seizing the human in her powerful grip and pinning his weapon to his side. If he attempted to fire, she may lose her hand but he would vaporize himself in the process. Her wings unfurled as she scooped up Trekan and leaped into the sky. 

Whatever protests there might have been were lost to the wind as her wings carried her at incredible speeds towards the west and her homeland...


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Intrigue abounds.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

It is somewhat liberating to be able to write on an original setting. 

40k based stories do tend to be restrictive I've found.


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Serpion5 said:


> It is somewhat liberating to be able to write on an original setting.
> 
> 40k based stories do tend to be restrictive I've found.


Indeed; apart from some fluff for my armies (which is not my best work) I have never got anywhere writing in GW universes.

As a challenge to myself I am making an effort this year to actually get some GW written, to see if I can overcome the problem of grim-dark-war-porn syndrome. If nothing else it lets me classify Dan Abnett as research so I can reread his books without feeling I should be doing something productive.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Dave T Hobbit said:


> Indeed; apart from some fluff for my armies (which is not my best work) I have never got anywhere writing in GW universes.
> 
> As a challenge to myself I am making an effort this year to actually get some GW written, to see if I can overcome the problem of grim-dark-war-porn syndrome. If nothing else it lets me classify Dan Abnett as research so I can reread his books without feeling I should be doing something productive.


Sweet. 

Good luck to you.


----------



## gothik (May 29, 2010)

ooooooooooooo i like this.....i like this very much nice one Serp x


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 5*

It had been hours since Jerome had been taken prisoner, and the cursed dragon had not stopped flying since she took off. He was held tightly in her grip without any freedom of movement whatsoever. If he fired his plasmacaster he could destroy her hand, but such a thing would also succeed in vaporizing his lower half. So for the time being, he was a prisoner. He noted down as many landmarks as he could and tried to keep track of the distance travelled, but as the day wore on the task became increasingly difficult. The steady continuous beat of wings seemed to have no detrimental effect on her stamina. 

It had been the better part of the day when they finally stopped, and Jerome was set down roughly to the ground. They stood now in a stretch of open grassland with nothing in any direction except for the mountains to the west. As he willed his sleeping legs to keep him upright, he looked up at the dragon in anger and fought to keep his caster by his side. 

‘What the hell is wrong with you?!’ He demanded. ‘I was releasing your prisoner, there was no need to capture me!’ 

‘Capture you?!’ Ticya asked indignantly, one hand remaining on the hilt of her sword at her back as Trekan rested on her shoulder. ‘Far from that, human, I brought you here for something else entirely.’ Her grip tightened. 

Jerome slowly shook his head in warning. ‘This is not the time for that.’ 

’Is that up to you?’ Ticya jeered, crouching and jabbing a massive clawed talon at his chest. It did not pierce his armour but it did knock him back several steps. Her eye glared through the gap in her helm and the sword slid free of its sheath by a few feet. 

‘Don’t push your luck you oversized –‘ 

‘ENOUGH!’ Trekan roared, catching them both by surprise. ‘Bickering at this stage is pointless. We’re almost home, so we might as well keep going.’

‘What?’ Jerome asked astonished. ‘You expect me to walk into the heart of Draconia? What makes you think I’d be welcome? Or even survive for more than five minutes?’ 

‘Oh, you’re resourceful, you’ll figure something out.’ Ticya answered uncaringly, standing up and beginning to step away. 

‘Ticya, shut up!’ Trekan interrupted, leaping down from her shoulder before the height became too much. ‘He has a point, why did you think to bring him here?’ 

‘I...’ She stammered nervously for a few moments before answering. ‘I don’t know. It just seemed to happen. I was acting on instinct, I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.’ 

‘What part of your instinct says take the human with you when fleeing?’ Jerome asked incredulously. 

‘Hunter’s instinct for one.’ Ticya giggled back. 

‘For Bahamut’s sake, can you please stop arguing?’ Trekan snarled. Jerome was surprised at how easily the small drake was able to cow the much larger dragon and wondered just how this relationship of Guardian and Protector actually worked. 

‘If I have no choice, then fine.’ Jerome said grudgingly, admittedly impressed by the drake’s assertiveness. ‘But I refuse to stay longer than I need to.’ 

‘That would not be wise.’ Trekan interjected. ‘In the city, you can claim my protection. You will not have that courtesy anywhere else.’

‘You’d be burned, crushed, stabbed, eaten, or beheaded by whoever found you.’ Ticya said, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. ‘It would be a shame really, after how close we have become these past few hours.’ She punctuated her words with another reptilian giggle and started walking towards the city. 

‘Just make sure you tell them in advance!’ Trekan called after her.

‘Alright, relax!’ She replied exasperated. It reminded Jerome of a father scolding his daughter and he grinned under his mask. The grin disappeared a few moments later when Trekan turned his stern gaze back to him. 

‘What is it?’ Jerome asked as Ticya flexed her wings ad took off into the air. 

‘Your armour, and your weapon.’ Came the reply. ‘You can’t enter the city as a warrior. If you want my protection, you will need to be unarmed. You must enter the city as a diplomat rather than as a soldier of the enemy.’ 

Jerome baulked at that. It was one thing to enter a draconic city, at least he had thought he would be able to keep his weapon. But to walk in unarmed and without any form of protection but this drake’s word? He weighed up his options as he watched the dragon’s silhouette become smaller as it sank towards the city on the forefront of the horizon. He could trust Trekan, the drake seemed almost too naive to be untrustworthy and came across as sincere. 

Still, he was but one and could not be used as an accurate indicator of what his race was like. Ticya had proved that not all would be so welcoming, and the thought of being crushed or eaten by something like her was not a pleasant one. 

In the end though, there was no alternative. He would not survive the journey home by himself, even if he used his jet booster conservatively he would be forced to traverse the majority of the distance by foot. He would more than likely be picked off by a dragon or else starve to death if he even tried. 

‘I don’t seem to have a choice.’ He admitted reluctantly. ‘This better not be a trap.’ 

‘Honestly?’ Trekan seemed incredulous. ‘What would we gain with... well, one slayer? You’re hardly a high level prisoner and if we wanted you dead chances are you’d be a cinder by now. So are you coming with me or not?’ 

‘Yes. But one thing.’ Jerome replied. 

‘Yes?’ 

‘This armour is heavy, and I don’t want to be carrying it around if I’m not allowed to wear it. So what will happen to it?’

‘It will likely be placed under guard until you take your leave.’ Trekan explained. ‘You need not fear for your possessions. Now let’s go. They should be expecting us by now.’ 

* * *

The approach to the city was a nerve wracking experience for Jerome, and even as he approached he could not help but be reminded of the irony of the situation. Never once had he been afraid for his own life in the manner he was now. He had experienced surges of adrenalin of course, and he had known intimidation, but this was something different. This was a true primordial fear. Something about this place just felt... different. 

He looked at the gates with a mix of awe and dread. They were at least fifty feet high and a gigantic dragon stood either side. One hand gripped his other tight as he prepared to remove his weapon bearing gauntlet first. 

One of the giant guardians turned its head to look down at him and he froze. After a few moments the dragon turned to the wall where only now Jerome noticed a line of drake archers. 

‘Don’t stop.’ Trekan warned. ‘Remove your armour, they’re preparing to let us in.’ 

Jerome did as he was instructed, removing his plasmacaster and gauntlet first. He followed with the other before moving on to his greaves as the gigantic doorway opened. A cart approached, reminiscent of the old wooden carriages abandoned long ago. As it came closer Jerome could see that it was in fact hovering rather than rolling and was drawn by a separate propulsion unit. A single driver sat on the front of the vehicle as it pulled up beside them.

Trekan and the driver exchanged a few words before Trekan indicated that Jerome should continue. As his armour was removed over the course of the next two minutes Trekan loaded it into the back of the hovering cart. 

In short order the two of them boarded the vehicle and they were moving once more. Now Jerome felt truly vulnerable as they passed under the enormous archway into the city itself. It reminded him of some ancient citadel given an ultra modern twist. The buildings were all of traditionalist design yet they had a technological aspect to them that spoke of an elegance largely absent from Imperial designs. 

‘How does it feel to be here?’ Trekan asked. 

‘Well it certainly isn’t a place I ever expected to see.’ Jerome responded. ‘And it is... impressive if a little bit intimidating.’ 

‘Just a little bit?’ Trekan pushed. 

‘Well, considering my job...’ Jerome replied awkwardly. Trekan was silent but nodded in understanding. The craft carried them down what appeared to be the main street leading directly to a large building at the city centre. Drake citizens stared in confusion, some in fear and others in suspicion or anger at the human being ferried towards their state leaders. 

‘Don’t worry.’ Trekan said to him. ‘Despite appearances, we aren’t normally given over to bias. The Council will hear your claims with an open mind before we decide on a course of action.’ 

‘What’s likely to happen to me afterwards?’ Jerome asked. 

‘So long as everything remains amicable, I imagine you’ll be allowed to go free.’ Trekan answered. ‘Where or when I cannot say, but there is little cause for a pointless execution given the circumstances.’

‘I hope you’re right.’ Jerome said, doing his best to avoid the pointed stares of the drake populace as they made the final approach to the capital building. 

* * *

Escorted by a contingent of six drake warriors and a single guardian who led the way, Jerome and Trekan were taken to what appeared to be an audience chamber. The design of this room along with everything he had seen of this building and the city itself so far made it clear that the dragons were an integral part of the drake society. Though he tried, he could not remember his history lessons well and struggled to recall which race had emerged first. 

Once they were seated in what looked like him to be the addressor’s pulpit, the guardian and drake escorts withdrew. The dragon left the room entirely whilst the drakes simply took up positions guarding the door. Moments later a jolt of motion startled the man as the pulpit began to rise. Far from being in the audience chamber as he had thought, he had in fact been beneath it. As the pulpit continued to rise, it passed through a gap in the ceiling and entered an open area on the capital building’s roof. 

Here for the first time, Jerome laid eyes upon the ruling body of Draconia. Before them now were five seats, two of them enormous and seating dragons, the other three much smaller and seating drakes between the two larger ones. All five of them were bedecked in ceremonial garb, looking every bit like royalty as they looked upon Jerome and Trekan with scrutinizing eyes. 

One of the dragons, his face hidden behind the traditional guardian mask, gestured to something behind the two addressors and the beating of wings alerted them to another dragon approaching from behind. Jerome recognized Ticya from the light wounds she had sustained, but she was now devoid of her damaged helm and armour. For the first time Jerome was able to see what colour her scales were; a turquoise aqua not unlike her eyes. She gave a small nod to the two of them before meeting the eyes of the Council.

‘Guardian Ticya,’ One of the dragons began. ‘Protector Trekan, and Slayer Jerome. The three of you have expressed a desire to bring an important matter to the attention of the Draconic Council. Know that you will be held accountable for your words here and fallacies will be met with harsh retribution.’ 

‘We understand, Majesty.’ Trekan replied. ‘In light of the most recent battle, new evidence has made it apparent that our invasion of the Empire was unwarranted.’ 

‘A hefty claim.’ One of the drakes, a female, spoke up. ‘If what you’re saying is true, hundreds of soldiers and dozens of guardians have given their lives for nothing. This would be quite a disturbing truth.’ 

‘Understandable Highness, but the truth rarely shows concerns for mortal comfort.’ Trekan replied with a small bow. ‘Unfortunately, it appears as though both sides have been manipulated by a third faction we were unaware of. Jerome is better suited to explain it than I am.’ 

Jerome felt his heart race as seven pairs of reptilian eyes focused on him. ‘I... It was the nation of Regnum. A separatist faction that deviated from the Empire a few centuries ago.’ He explained nervously. ‘It is understandable that you would have no knowledge of this occurrence, be we had thought them to be of little consequence. When your forces invaded, we sent emissaries requesting aid but were seemingly ignored.’ 

‘And they instigated the war, so you believe?’ The other dragon, a female, asked as she leaned in closer to him. 

‘We were attacked during the last battle by a third force as Trekan explained.’ Jerome continued. ‘They killed indiscriminately on both sides. At least two dragons as well as a high number of drake and Imperial forces before they were brought down. It was only with Ticya’s help that I was able to kill any of them at all.’ 

‘Why would this third nation send their forces to die?’ The same drake woman from before asked. 

‘They were extremely well equipped.’ Jerome answered. ‘Their firepower was extremely destructive and the aircraft they used were considerably manoeuvrable. If not for the combined efforts of both sides they could easily have won.’

‘This Regnum...’ Another drake, male, began to speak. ‘Where are they located?’ 

‘They were originally exiled from the Empire for their warlike approach to politics and development.’ Jerome explained. ‘We sent them north, being the only land that neither race inhabited.’ 

There was silence following this, as the drakes and dragons present exchanged uneasy glances with one another. After a few moments of quiet muttering it was Trekan who finally spoke up. 

‘That land... It is not just uninhabited wastes.’ He said. ‘It is the site of the first clash between human and dragon where the human was the victor. It is where Bahamut fell.’ 

‘Bahamut?’ Jerome asked. 

‘The first Guardian.’ Ticya explained. ‘That land, up north? It is sacred land to all dragons. If humans have settled there, then we will wipe them out.’


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 6*

‘It isn’t right.’ Jerome repeated for perhaps the seventh time. He looked out over the cityscape from the north again, glancing over the drakes below as they went about their business. ‘Genocide over a simple misunderstanding?’

‘I agree with you Jerome.’ Trekan replied, standing across from the human in the temporary living quarters they had been assigned. ‘None of us went into this war with the desire to kill for its own sake. Despite whatever your hatreds may compel you to believe. But we cannot simply oppose them openly and attempt to defy their will.’ 

‘What do you suggest then?’ Jerome asked. 

‘The Council will respond to reason and logic.’ Trekan explained. ‘It bodes unwell to speak ill of them, but they have not personally seen a conflict in almost a century. They look at things with a detached air and make decisions on what seems the most rational choice at the time.’

Jerome turned his gaze skyward, watching as a dragon flew overhead with what appeared to be a gigantic animal carcass of some sort. It glided down gracefully through the darkening sky and landed somewhere out of sight where presumably it intended to feed. Trekan did not push the issue and withdrew to inside the apartment. Jerome followed moments later, as much to continue the conversation as to avoid being a lone human below a sky that could be harbouring an unseen dragon. 

‘I don’t know how convincing I can be.’ Jerome said. As Trekan sat on a lounge, Jerome sat opposite. ‘I would... appreciate your help. And unless she share’s the Council’s views...’ 

‘Ticya is not given to simple hatreds.’ Trekan said, interpreting the man’s thoughts. ‘Her jibes at you and immaturity can be attributed to her age. Despite her years, she is still barely adolescent by dragon standards.’ 

‘Good to know...’ Jerome replied. 

‘Just rest and think on it.’ Trekan told him levelly. ‘It isn’t as if they’ll make any final decision tonight. If we’re lucky we’ll have a week to sway them.’

Jerome simply nodded and grunted in reply. With a deep sigh he entered one of the apartment’s rooms and forced himself to lay down on the oddly shaped bed and relax as the sunlight vanished from the windows.


With Jerome finally relaxing, Trekan returned to the balcony. He leaned over the edge and gave two taps on the masonry to attract the attention of Ticya. She had been hidden just beneath the balcony out of sight while the drake battled to get the human to sleep. 

‘Ready?’ She whispered, rising silently to stand eye level with Trekan.

‘Yes.’ Trekan replied. He stepped onto her proffered hand and made his way to her shoulder as she stepped away and spread her wings. When she was sure he had a good grip of her spines, she leaped into the air and directed herself southward back towards the City Capital Building. The place shimmered in the twilight of the dimming sky and she slowed her descent to enjoy the view for a few moments longer. 

‘Do you think they’ll listen?’ Ticya asked. 

‘I cannot say.’ Trekan answered. ‘I couldn’t even say for sure whether Jerome will agree to this himself at this point. But if it can reduce the amount of blood we shed then it will be worthwhile.’


The rooftop of the Capital building was bare except for a lone drake, one of the Council Members from earlier. He had removed his ceremonial garb and now wore nothing but a simple robe and a bracer on one arm. His spines, as was tradition, were woven in a complex seven part braid and hung almost to his tail, signifying great age. As Ticya landed before him she dropped to one knee, partly in bow and partly to allow Trekan to step down from her shoulder. 

‘Lord Sinokre.’ Trekan hailed the drake noble, who nodded in return. 

‘Protector Trekan, Guardian Ticya, welcome.’ He said, his voice speaking of a century’s worth of wisdom in the very least. ‘What ails you two that you seek my guidance?’ 

‘We wanted to discus the new state of aggression against Regnum.’ Trekan explained. ‘And we wished to discuss it with you, beyond the ears of the elder guardians.’ 

‘I see.’ Sinokre answered. ‘Are you still of the mind that this issue can be resolved peaceably? For if that is indeed the case, I feel I should remind you of how unco-operative humans have been in the past.’ 

‘We know, but we believe it is worth a try.’ Trekan answered. 

‘I know you think us of the Council to be detached from the greater picture.’ Sinokre continued. ‘But rest assured, we consider every aspect with the due process it warrants. Do not forget that each of us have been warriors at one point, and it is even the province of the Guardians to enact the Final Sanction should the dire need arise.’ 

‘I am aware of this Lord.’ Ticya said. ‘But I do not believe now to be that time.’ 

‘Lord Harasar would disagree with you.’ Sinokre rebutted. ‘In fact, immediately after our meeting today, he advocated that we dispatch a Guardian at the first opportunity to enact the Final Sanction. The Council is considering his words, and so far the support seems to be in his favour.’ 

‘My Lord...’ Ticya was deeply concerned. As a Guardian she could understand the Final Sanction on a primal level that no drake could comprehend. That one of her fellows, Harasar, was considering it was a deeply disturbing notion. ‘If we go ahead with this, there is no going back. There is no way of knowing what we might do to the world. I understand the situation may seem grim, but I promise you there is hope!’ 

‘I agree, truly I do.’ Sinokre nodded. ‘But I am only one, and the word of a Guardian holds greater sway than mine. Especially a Guardian Councillor.’ 

‘Is there nothing we could do?’ Trekan asked. 

‘It is a difficult situation.’ Sinokre continued. ‘On one hand, all Guardians are tasked with upholding the stability of the world. They do this according to their own judgement of course, yet they are expected to adhere to the will of the Draconian Council.’ 

‘Yes... My lord?’ Ticya nodded in agreement but was visibly confused. 

‘Where these interests clash however...’ Sinokre paused and met the dragon’s eyes with his own. ‘I would naturally expect it to be obvious which prerogative must take priority. I am confident that the two of you will make the right decision in this regard.’ 

‘Understood. My Lord.’ Trekan said, bowing and smiling as he read the underline of the Elder Councillor’s words. ‘Thank you for granting us this audience.’ 

‘Of course.’ The elder drake nodded. ‘I hope I have provided what advice you needed.’ With this he offered a curt bow and began to withdraw to the platform that would carry him back to the inner section of the Capital Building, leaving the Guardian and her Protector alone. 


‘Clever, old one.’ Ticya mused. Her wing beats were steady as she flew the two of them back to where Trekan and Jerome had been housed for the time being. 

‘I agree it was subtle, but I think what he meant was clear.’ Trekan agreed. 

‘Easy for you to say.’ Ticya replied with a light sigh. ‘I’m the one who has to make the call. I’m the one they’ll peg the blame on. I’m the one who will suffer the consequences.’ 

‘Yes, but considering the alternatives?’ Trekan pointed out. There was silence following this, as she landed and allowed Trekan to re-enter the house via the same balcony as he had left.


An irritating scratching sound woke Jerome from a light sleep and he rolled over to see the source of the sound. Before he could ask what the hell the drake was doing, Trekan motioned for him to be quiet and beckoned for him to follow. Once back out on the balcony where Ticya waited, he began to explain the situation. Jerome listened intently, and seemed to understand reasonably well the fragile nature of the situation. 

‘I see.’ He said once Trekan and Ticya had done explaining. ‘So... technically you are within your rights to act as you please... But this would be in defiance of your leaders?’ 

‘I couldn’t get in any... real trouble.’ Ticya explained. ‘Though I imagine there will be few pleased members of the Council. Particularly Harasar.’ 

‘But we can worry about that when the time comes, and it likely won’t be of concern to you anyway.’ Trekan added. 

‘So your question to me is...?’ Jerome already suspected, but still desired confirmation. 

‘Will you come with us?’ Trekan asked. ‘We know what needs to be done. We know how to stop all this but having a human on side will make it easier. Especially should infiltration be required.’ 

‘I’ll be taking my armour.’ Jerome warned. ‘I can’t pass for a citizen of Regnum in that.’ 

‘But you can pass for human.’ Ticya said with a laugh. ‘ I’m sure we can... acquire more relevant clothes on the way if we need to.’ Jerome was silent for a few minutes after this as he weighed up his options. If he declined to help them and they left anyway, he would then be left alone in a city full of drakes and dragons on the other side of the world from home. If he went with them, he was relying on the two of them to watch his back as he watched theirs on this mission. It was a risky proposition, and was far from ideal but still boded far less ill than an extermination of the entire region as seemed to be the alternative. 

At length, he made his choice with less difficulty than he apparently displayed. ‘I’ll do it. When do we leave?’ 

‘As soon as we’ve retrieved your armour.’ Trekan replied with a feral grin. 


Night had begun in earnest now, and Jerome and Trekan moved stealthily through the darkened streets with the practiced ease of the warriors they both were. Ticya had retreated to her own normal roost to retrieve her secondary set of armour. When the artificers returned later in the week they would replace her original repaired set without a second consideration. It was not for them to question her absence, so they would likely have a good head start before anyone else was dispatched in their wake. 

Jerome noticed the seeming absence of street lights, instead the city was illuminated to a faint degree by a single light atop the Capital Building. This made keeping to the shadows an easy prospect, but as they ventured closer to the hangars and armouries it became apparent that this itself was hardly necessary. The streets were empty. 

‘Does nobody come out at night?’ Jerome whispered as they crossed a junction, their footsteps padding softly as they ran. 

‘Generally no.’ Trekan answered. ‘But it has been known for dragons to wander the cities at night, when no drakes are at risk of being crushed underfoot.’ 

‘Why?’ Jerome asked. 

‘I asked Ticya once.’ Trekan explained. ‘Dragons seem to have an appreciation for aesthetic design. They love the architecture of this place. They also seem to have a fondness for jewels and other shiny trinkets. I don’t understand it fully myself.’ 

‘They like shiny things?’ Jerome laughed. ‘I’ll have to remember that!’ He gave a cautious look over his shoulder as they rounded the final corner to approach the armoury. The place was attended by a single guard on the outside, the first they had seen on the streets so far. Though this one was alone there would probably be more inside. 

‘Wait here.’ Trekan said, leaving Jerome standing in the shadow of the nearest building as he approached the armoury entrance. The guard noted his arrival with disinterest and simply gave a nod of greeting. 

‘Forget something did you, Protector?’ The guard asked. 

‘Indeed.’ Trekan replied. ‘Might you allow me access please?’ 

‘Of course.’ The guard replied. ‘Follow me.’ He opened the door with some kind of lock as Jerome judged, and entered. Trekan stepped forth to follow, signalling to Jerome at the same time. Jerome knew what to do, following at a discreet distance to escape the attention of the guard. Trekan walked with deliberately heavy steps to further mask the human’s presence. To Jerome’s surprise, the interior of this complex was similarly deserted. He wondered briefly, before concluding that this place must have practically zero crime. But if that was true, why would even a single guard be required? 

Perhaps he was simply an attendant, and his job was to assist visitors rather than protect from intruders. Jerome felt a momentary surge of respect for the stability of their society, but such naivety would be remarkably easy to exploit if this knowledge fell into more unscrupulous minds than his own. 

Trekan was keeping an eye on each and every room he passed along the way, and at one such junction he made a signal behind his back. Jerome increased his pace and ducked inside the room that he had indicated. 

‘Yes!’ He grinned enthusiastically as his armour became visible in all its constituent parts atop several workbenches. It seemed as though the drake attendants of this facility had been studying it, but a quick inspection revealed that there was no damage. He worked as quickly as he could to don the armour, and if he had an accurate estimate of his time he would have wagered well that he had beaten his own personal record. 

Armed and armoured, he peered around the corner and triggered the extra sensors in his helm. His vision was clarified and his hearing was amplified, allowing him to make out the sounds of footfall further up the hallway heading in his direction. It would be impossible to run at this point without giving away his position, so instead he activated his grav-pak and skated silently on the air back the way he had come. 

Once outside, he returned to the shadows and deactivated his suit. It was barely a few minutes later when Trekan emerged, accompanied by the guard and carrying a sword and several small daggers. His armour seemed to have become more substantial as well and he walked back the way they had come, vanishing from the guard’s sight as he rounded the corner where Jerome waited. 

‘Did you retrieve everything you need?’ Trekan asked. 

‘Yeah.’ Jerome nodded. ‘My plasmacaster hasn’t been fired since we left the city back in the Empire, so it still has a hundred shots before depletion. What about you, are you set?’ 

‘Yes.’ The drake nodded as well. ‘We should get moving now, the sooner we’re out of here the better. Ticya will meet us at the city’s north. Let’s go.’ 


When they arrived, Ticya was indeed waiting for them, once more fully bedecked as the Guardian she had been when she first joined the invasion of the Empire. Resplendent in shimmering armour and bearing the massive sheathed sword and shield of her calling, Jerome had to fight the instinctive urge to raise his weapon and fire. He wondered if she was having the same thoughts as Jerome and Trekan approached.

‘So we’re really doing this?’ She asked nobody in particular. 

‘You tell me.’ Trekan retorted. The look they exchanged afterward confirmed what she needed to hear. It would not do her well to rely on Trekan’s insight forever, sooner or later she would have to make the decisions a Guardian was expected to make. 

‘We’re doing this.’ Ticya confirmed. She lowered a hand, allowing both the human and the drake to climb her arm and take up a position on her either shoulder. With a deep breath, Her wings spread apart and she leaped into the black sky above.


As they flew, each was left to wonder how this brazen act of defiance would end.


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

I like the continuing political intrigue.

I have two possible changes to suggest:

(i) As most of the paragraphs are quite short the multi-line breaks for new sections look very similar to the single line breaks for new paragraphs, especially on a wider monitor. It might be clearer if you used section markers, e.g. ***

(ii) the dragons have a love of aesthetics but there are not many detailed descriptions of architecture and such in the story; for instance, after leaving Jerome to sleep you describe the flight to the capitol building with a single sentence. If you added more details of the city it would (a) show the dragons as aesthetes, (b) contrast their city with the ruins in which the battle was fought, and (c) make the reader feel the destruction more if the war reaches the dragon's home.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Dave T Hobbit said:


> I like the continuing political intrigue.
> 
> I have two possible changes to suggest:
> 
> (i) As most of the paragraphs are quite short the multi-line breaks for new sections look very similar to the single line breaks for new paragraphs, especially on a wider monitor. It might be clearer if you used section markers, e.g. ***


I do this because Heresy tends to clump text together. The single line breaksa are just a new line, the double line breaks are a new paragraph. I don't normally write like this, but I have to read these as well so it isn't going to change.  



> (ii) the dragons have a love of aesthetics but there are not many detailed descriptions of architecture and such in the story; for instance, after leaving Jerome to sleep you describe the flight to the capitol building with a single sentence. If you added more details of the city it would (a) show the dragons as aesthetes, (b) contrast their city with the ruins in which the battle was fought, and (c) make the reader feel the destruction more if the war reaches the dragon's home.


True that, I was actually trying to cover this leg of the story and keep the word count to rough'y 2,500. Still, I suppose I could have spared a few more sentences, and I will consider editing them. Thanks. 

I will include a more expeditious chapter in the near future as I cover the events of the Draconian Capital's reaction to what just happened. 

Thank you for your critique. :victory:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 7*

Only rarely was a drake given to moments of indulgence, but as the water slowly rose to be at the same level as his chest, Sinokre let out a long sigh of contentment. Trekan and Ticya had vanished, and their human visitor was gone as well. Though he could never openly admit his personal views to anyone outside of the Council, it was a relief to know that he had at least been straightforward enough to help the relatively young Guardian make her choice. He sat now in a small pool of heated water within his own sanctum. By noble standards it was rather sparse, with only a few pieces of furniture and the bathing room. 

Their design had changed little but for the incorporation of the technologies that allowed them to function. The curved archways of the olden times still held true to this day, along with the archaic embossed tiles that made up the walls of his and others’ dwellings. Depicted on these tiles were varied images according to individual taste among the occupants, but Sinokre’s dwelling was a monument to fallen heroes of legend. 

As his thoughts wandered of their own accord, he felt an appreciation of why the dragons felt such admiration towards the aesthetics of drake design. Even the segmented armour and curved plates that protected them were of drake innovation and it was not unusual to see a dragon bedecked out even in times of peace. 

Now however, the armour was fully justified as the Council was wont to assign Guardians to battle zones at a moment’s notice. Constant duties of administration and organization had taken a toll on the old drake, and the withdrawal of Draconian forces from the Empire allowed a break in his normal routine that he exploited to its fullest. Or so he had hoped to. 

The peace was shattered as a heavy impact sounded outside followed by several equally thunderous footsteps. Sinokre sighed again, this time in disappointment as the visitor made themself known. 

‘Sinokre!’ Harasar’s voice boomed out. ‘Come out, I would speak with you at once!’ 

‘I will be with you momentarily!’ Sinokre bellowed back. Growling as he moved, he rose out of the refreshing water and replaced his robe after drying himself. With deliberately slow steps he approached the balcony that was situated at the northern facing of his sanctum. Harasar stood waiting, bearing the full armour and ceremonial garb of both a Guardian and a member of the Draconian Council. An elaborate shield and sword were gripped in either hand.

‘Your ploy has failed, my friend.’ Harasar said softly beneath his mask. 

‘What do you mean?’ Sinokre demanded, alarmed by the presence of the elder dragon in full battle armour. 

‘The Council has decided.’ Harasar explained. ‘Myself, Durell and Zania have voted in favour of declaring War on Regnum. Liikus voted against, but even your vote with hers was not enough to carry the decision.’ 

‘Why wasn’t I informed?!’ Sinokre roared. 

‘Had it been relevant, you would have been.’ Harasar retorted. ‘It no longer matters. Whatever subtle hint you may have given to Trekan and Ticya will be of little consequence. I will leave with the advance of the army tonight, and once our forces have completed withdrawing from the Empire they will be redeployed behind me.’

‘This cannot be!’ Sinokre snarled. 

‘But it is.’ Harasar replied with a laugh, before turning and striding confidently towards the city’s edge where the advance of the Draconian army was beginning to muster. Sinokre watched with a sense of foreboding and impending disaster. The human Jerome had made it clear that the Regnum military forces they had seen were just one weapon in an unknowable arsenal. There was no way of knowing what the Draconian Army would face. 


* * *​

They had flown through the night, stopping shortly before sunrise to rest. Several hours had passed since then and the time was approaching late morning. The sun was yet to peak in the sky and hunger had begun to make itself felt. A light breeze whistled through the forest around them, filling the clearing they had chosen to rest in with an odd natural melody. 

‘Who’s up for griffin?’ Ticya asked, setting the two smaller passengers on the ground and stretching her legs as she stood back upright.

‘Griffin?’ Jerome asked. ‘Around here, really?’ 

‘You’ve never had griffin?’ Trekan asked. 

‘Well no.’ Jerome explained. ‘They’re somewhat rare and as such they came under hunting protection a few years back. What few they managed to farm are typically kept as pets for the nobility now.’ 

‘Griffins rare?’ Ticya laughed. ‘Those things are everywhere this side of the continent. You just watch, I’ll have two back here in no time at all!’ She planted her shield in the ground and removed her sheathed sword, letting it fall with a solid thump. She vanished between the trees in moments, even her size dwarfed by the immense stature of the canopy. 

‘Griffins numbers are very high around here.’ Trekan told the human. ‘Probably because their preferred habitat is forest.’ 

‘I see.’ Jerome nodded. ‘There are scarce few forests out on the Eastern side. I guess they just left the region or got killed off.’ 

A moment of silence preceded Trekan’s next question. ‘What is the extent of the wildlife in the Empire? I admit I saw precious little while I was there. A few flocks of horses and the odd shoal of sahagins, but nothing approaching the scale of the deeper forests around here.’ 

‘Sahagins are a pest.’ Jerome said. ‘They’re on the same level as manticores for destruction.’ 

‘Pesky sahagins. We managed to drive them out of Capital Region, but they still sometimes plague our outer settlements. Rarely though, I don’t imagine the idea of ending up as dragon lunch helps their bravado.’ 

‘Wouldn’t think so.’ Jerome laughed nervously. ‘That’s half of why there are so few slayers. Not many pass the fitness requirements, and of those that do, not all of them have... well, the courage needed to face down a dragon.’ 

Trekan chose not to pursue this subject and silence fell between the two of them while they waited. In the distance and all around them, the sounds of wildlife could be heard. Various birds, small chattering monkeys and ground based fauna calling to their own across the vast expanse of trees. Trekan kept his head raised, as if waiting for something. 

Two high pitched screeches of fear and pain sounded simultaneously as somewhere Ticya completed a successful hunt. Less than a minute later the enormous trees parted as she returned to the clearing with a squirming horse sized griffin clutched in each taloned hand. The bizarre creatures continued to cry out through their beaks, thrashing their hind limbs fiercely but to no avail. Ticya brought the smaller of the two creatures down, pressing it firmly into the ground and wrapping her finger and thumb around its neck. An audible snap sounded moments later and the creature stopped moving. 

‘So. Never had griffin before eh?’ Trekan turned back to Jerome. ‘You’re going to enjoy this.’ 

Before the human could answer, Ticya shot forth a burst of flame. Not so much as to obliterate the creature as she had done in battle before, but enough to see the beast’s carcass thoroughly cooked in a matter of moments. Trekan took out his blade and approached. Taking the cue, Jerome withdrew his own knife and approached the still smoking flesh of the creature. 

The still living griffin in Ticya’s grip had ceased its struggles and cries and simply hung limp in her hand with its eyes closed to slits. 

‘What’s wrong with it?’ Jerome asked as he worked his knife through the meat.. ‘Did it just... give up?’ 

‘Yes.’ She answered. ‘Griffins hunt either alone or in mated pairs. This one...’ She brought the subdued creature up level with her masked face. ‘...Just saw his mate all but incinerated. He has no will to live now.’ 

‘Why didn’t you kill him first then?’ The human asked, a slight tinge of disapproval evident in his tone. 

‘Then she would have reacted the same.’ Ticya retorted. ‘There is no gentle way to go about this Jerome. Hunters hunt. Prey dies. That’s just the way it works. I wouldn’t expect someone from a race that farms to understand.’ Without further delay she drove a single talon into the griffin’s throat, ending its life swiftly. She then proceeded to bring the fresh carcass to her maw and bite down. Jerome expected the thing to be torn in half, but instead she engulfed the creature completely and in two swift gulps the griffin was gone. 

‘Hurry up.’ She said to him, gesturing with a giggle to the cooked griffin he was halfway through carving. ‘Eat what you can, so I can finish the rest.’ 


* * *​

‘Liikus!’ Sinokre called, attracting the great dragon’s attention with a spark of psionic energy from his own mind. 

‘Sinokre?’ She replied. As she turned from her meditations, her wings unfurled to assist in her balance. Rising to her full height atop the northern wall of the city, her silhouette struck an imposing figure against the sky. Sinokre was momentarily awed, impressed further by the fact that she was even more imposing than Harasar had been earlier despite being utterly bereft of armour. 

‘The vote has been lost.’ Sinokre continued. ‘War is declared.’ 

‘Despite my protestations, yes.’ Liikus replied sadly, stepping and kneeling down to be closer to eye level with the elder drake. Her eyes scanned the streets around them, but the mobilization had required the duties of every one of the city’s denizens, and as such there was practically zero chance of being overheard in this corner.

‘We must go.’ Sinokre asserted. ‘We must join this advance and ensure Harasar does not divert it to his own whim. I do not trust his motivations.’ 

‘Nor do I, Sinokre, but if we dissent the greater will, it could tear the Draconian Alliance apart. For two Guardians to disagree is bad enough, but two Council members? Such a thing is unheard of among the masses.’ Liikus’ frame tensed as her mind processed these thoughts, her turquoise glinted scales catching every ray of sunlight.

‘I know.’ The drake replied. ‘But what would be worse? Harasar enacts the Final Sanction and tears this world apart? Or worse yet, somehow bends the Titan to his will? I agree with Ticya’s views, this world is not so far gone as to need such drastic measures.’ 

‘Such a course of action is pointless if we are not prepared to strike Harasar down.’ Liikus pointed out. ‘I highly doubt Ticya is up to such a task, and as I said, my defiance of the greater Council’s will...’ She trailed off. 

‘Yes.’ Sinokre said, a sudden sly tone creeping into his voice. ‘But... the Slayer holds no such boundaries, does he?’ 

‘Sinokre...’ Liikus visibly baulked at the mention of the word, and the drake instantly knew; Even Liikus feared the prowess of the slayers. And if one as powerful as her did, so too might Harasar. 

‘You’re afraid of him?’ Sinokre said levelly, less a question than an observation. 

‘...Yes.’ She admitted reluctantly. ‘I was with the engineers when they examined his armour before our first meeting. I tested its resilience myself. Without a sword, I could not crush or damage it. And having seen them in action before... Yes Sinokre, I am very afraid of the Dragon Slayers.’ 

‘All the more reason to seek his aid!’ Sinokre hissed. ‘You weren’t afraid of him when he was unarmed were you?’ 

‘Of course not.’ She answered with a growl. She picked the drake up in one hand and began to walk towards the Capital Building. ‘When he is unarmed I could crush him or eat him as easily as any other little thing. Now please, let’s focus.’ 

‘Where are you taking us?’ Sinokre asked, struggling to balance on her palm as she strode. 

‘To get armoured.’ She replied. ‘The coming fight could be the End of the World, and I will not have it said that the Council sat idle.’


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 8*

A strong wind had cropped up since Ticya resumed flying. She and Jerome were protected by armour but Trekan had been forced to ride with his eyes firmly closed and a bandana wrapped around his head to prevent his eyes from being dried out. Regardless it was not a comfortable flight for any of them, as even the dragon found her wings straining to keep up her earlier pace. Several times over the course of her flight she came close to losing control and plummeting to the ground, but perseverance and her own strength kept her aloft. She flew at a height of several hundred metres to better see what lay ahead. 

After five more hours, the sun was beginning its final approach to the horizon and Jerome took notice of how exhausted the Guardian had become. He couldn’t get her attention by voice, so instead he tapped his foot heavily upon her shoulder. She nodded slightly, jerking the two of them momentarily forward, and began to decrease her altitude. 

With the advantages afforded by his inbuilt visor, Jerome was able to judge the best landing spot and guided Ticya to a clearing that was largely overgrown by the canopy of the jungle below. He held tight and called for Trekan to do the same. Pushing through the tree branches, she landed heavier than normal and dropped her shield with aloud crunch of fallen leaves and branches. 

Trekan gave a strained roar as he released his grip at last and allowed the dragon to lower him to the ground. Jerome leaped down of his own accord as she crouched, the spring loaded servos in his armour reducing the impact considerably. For the first time that day, Ticya removed her helm mask, breathing deep of the humid air and trying her best to relax her aching wings. 

‘Are you doing alright?’ Trekan asked. His concern was evident. ‘We need not go any further tonight if you don’t wish to. We’ve already gained a massive had start.’ 

‘But it may not be enough.’ She protested. ‘Just give me an hour or so to rest.’ 

‘I don’t think so.’ Jerome said. ‘What good would it do us if we get there, need to fight and you’re too exhausted? Take a real break this time and get your body clock back in order.’ 

‘But we could cover so much ground!’ She protested. Trekan and Jerome both simply stared back at her and shook their heads. After a minute of this tense standoff she finally relented and settled into a more comfortable sitting position. ‘If you too are going to be so stubborn...’ 

Trekan sat down beside her and began unloading a few small items from his pack. They appeared to be simple baubles at first, but as he applied them to her skin she seemed to relax more. Jerome held his curiosity in check, reasoning that if they wished him to know they would tell him. Another question from earlier however, popped into his mind. 

‘What is the Final Sanction?’ He asked. 

The two Draconians looked back uneasily, clearly reluctant to answer. Jerome couldn’t tell whether it was for traditional reasons or whether it was a tactical military secret that they did not wish to divulge. 

At length, it was Ticya who spoke up. ‘The Final Sanction is a failsafe, put in place by the Ancients of this world to be used in the event of an irreversible catastrophe.’ 

‘Irreversible catastrophe?’ Jerome asked. ‘You mean like the end of the world?’ 

‘Precisely.’ Trekan answered. ‘When the state of the world has reached the point where salvation is impossible, any Guardian can enact the Final Sanction. We only have a vague idea of what it actually does.’ 

‘What is this... vague idea?’ Jerome pushed further, eager to hear what this could lead to. 

‘I assume you are aware of the fate of the Dragon King Bahamut?’ Ticya asked. 

‘... Can’t say that I am.’ Jerome shook his head. 

‘Really?’ Trekan was surprised. ‘Your history does not record the first of the dragons to be slain by a human? The founder of the Guardians was cut down by a man of prodigal power and strength. It marked the beginning of the war in earnest! How can you not know this?’ 

‘Our histories were recorded differently.’ Jerome replied. ‘Obviously for your side, the focus was on this... Bahamut. On ours, we revere and tell stories of the Saint George.’ 

‘He is the one who slew Bahamut?’ Trekan asked. 

‘Presumably.’ Jerome answered. ‘The stories say he forged a blade from a stone that fell from the heavens. He wrought it with enchantments and spells of immense power, and he used it to slay the oldest and greatest of the dragons. Most educated people of today don’t put much faith in that tale though.’ 

‘Well I can assure you, the tale is very true.’ Ticya leaned forward slightly as she explained her side of the story. ‘Saint George did indeed use powerful magicks to fell Bahamut. But the Dragon King’s spirit was too great to be vanquished. It lingered on, and eventually it found rest within the hearts and minds of all other Guardians. To this day, every dragon is born with the instinctive knowledge of the Final Sanction and the memory of Bahamut’s defeat.’ 

‘You... remember it?’ Jerome asked. ‘Even though you weren’t there?’ 

‘I do.’ She nodded. Her eyes narrowed in focus or pain, Jerome could not tell. He became aware of a soft yet steady warmth surrounding the area. It took him a few moments to realize that the energy was in fact radiating from her. ‘Let me show you what I see, what I feel. Maybe then you’ll understand why I can’t let this happen.’ 

Jerome felt light headed as the energy field increased. Trekan stood, seeming to have some sort of influence on Jerome as the human sank to his knees. The trees and forest began to fade and swirl in his vision to be replaced by rocky crags and jagged cliff faces. In seconds he went from forest to desert, and bore witness to a standoff that had taken place thousands of years before... 


* * *


_‘No more will mankind suffer the tyranny of your cold blooded kind!’ George snarled. The knight was resplendent in shining armour and carried a sword of blue flame. His opponent, a dragon of black scales and volcanic forged metal armour, stood opposite the human at a distance of one hundred paces. Bahamut was truly a mighty figure, standing at least a full hundred feet in height.

‘No more will your kind torture this Earth.’ Bahamut retorted. ‘To steal its life for your own twisted ends.’ The creature lunged forward, enormous gauntleted talons swinging down to crush and annihilate his human foe. George darted aside, fuelled by the magic of a hundred mages pooled into one, and struck back with a weapon that held the power of a sun. 

The King of all Dragons and the founder of the Guardians was sent reeling, a deep wound across his chest eliciting a massive roar of anguish. As he turned to retreat several paces, his tail whipped around and slammed George into the air. With a spell of flight, the arcane warrior knight took to the sky and began to circle back towards his giant foe. Bahamut blasted a series of fireballs into the air, but the nimble knight was able to dodge them all and once more swept a searing blade of deadly magic across the great king’s metallic hide. 

‘Curse you!’ Bahamut roared, spreading his wings and taking flight. As he gained altitude, he began to glow with a nimbus of pure spirit energy. A field of lightning grew about him and the clouds themselves seemed to respond to his call. The sky darkened and thunder boomed as lightning flowed between the raging storm cloud and the mightiest of draconic kind. ‘Face the power of the cosmos, be struck down by the spirit of the universe itself!’ 

The dragon king immolated into an avatar of fiery vengeance and let loose another roar of unbridled fury. In his hands manifested a sword of flames and a shield of lightning. 

‘Your weapons will not save you!’ George retaliated. ‘You magic cannot compete with mine!’ As he spoke these words, the storm in the sky above was twisted to the whims of the human demigod below. In a matter of seconds, a hurricane of unfathomable power wracked the skies. Bahamut was forced to drop his altitude, landing at the same time opposite his human adversary. 

‘Do you not see what you are doing?’ Bahamut roared. ‘You seize control of the natural elements and twist them to your own designs! Magic was not meant to be used like this!’ 

‘Magic is our only way to oppose you!’ George bellowed. Raising his sword, he bellowed an arcane incantation and Bahamut was struck from all sides by lightning infused with a dark purpose. The great dragon was struck low, falling to his knees in pain as his conjured instruments of war dissipated. Knight George lunged forth, his blade of death singing with bloodlust as he drove it into the metal plates that covered Bahamut’s chest. ‘Now die!’

‘GYAAAAHHH!’ Bahamut’s scream of anguish split the skies above as his spirit was torn from his flesh. The ground began to shake and rupture, and the human knight let the firm grip he held on his spells fade. The aura of magic that had surrounded the man vanished as the dragon’s final breath escaped his lungs. 

‘What’s happening?’ George demanded. As he struggled to keep his footing beneath the shaking ground beneath him, a terrifying realization began to dawn. He looked at the still form of the slain dragon, and realized that he had doomed the world to a slow demise unless he fixed what he had done... _


* * *


The dream faded and Jerome found himself once more kneeling in the forest clearing. He looked back at Ticya and Trekan with adrenalin still pumping through his veins as though he himself had just been fighting the Dragon King.

‘That was...’ He stammered, unable to form the words to describe it. 

‘The death of our King.’ Ticya answered. ‘The first of the Guardians.’

‘Not that.’ Jerome shook his head. ‘The... magic? That was real magic they used? How can that be true? Magic is the stuff of fairytales and legends, there is no way it can actually be real!’ 

‘Magic is very real.’ Trekan responded. ‘It was far stronger back in those days, when the King still lived. Since his passing, it has been fading year by year. To weave a spell in this day and age requires a level of focus and stamina that few but the best protectors can manage.’ 

‘What about you? And Ticya? Can she use magic?’ Jerome asked. 

‘Magic was once the province of all Guardians.’ Trekan explained. ‘But since the decline began, the effort has become too much for most of them. To guard against this, the Protectors were formed to fulfil this role for them. But it can be too much even for us at times. And before you ask, I will not be performing a simple spell just to appease your curiosity. The energy I would expend is too valuable.’ 

‘I wouldn’t ask it.’ Jerome said, only half truthfully. ‘But could you at least try to give me a scientific explanation for it? Magic just seems too...’ 

‘It is the sentient spirit within the planet reacting to the will of the caster, so to speak.’ Trekan explained. ‘Humans used to be far more attuned with the natural order, but as your technology progressed, this link faded. The pollutant nature of your machinery is harmful to the earth and life force. Using magic within your realm is all but impossible. Out here, it is stronger, but the effect your kind have had is affecting things everywhere.’ 

‘Is that why Harasar want to use the Final Sanction?’ Jerome asked. 

‘Precisely.’ Ticya nodded. ‘He believes it can be used to wipe out your kind and return Draconia and magic to ascendancy. I believe it is something far more sinister.’ 

‘Like what?’ Jerome pressed. Ticya remained silent, simply reaching for her mask. 

‘Most of us believe it is a failsafe, designed to simply destroy everything.’ Trekan explained. ‘I for one do not believe the world to be so far gone that we need to end it. It is an unnecessary extreme.’ 

‘I see.’ Jerome concluded. He looked up to the darkening sky through the jungle canopy and saw the first flickering signs of the stars emerging. Though normally he would be awake for several hours more, the abrupt nature of their departure had thrown his sense of timing off completely. As much as he wanted to continue discussing the topic, he needed sleep and it was clear that the others did as well. 


Trekan stood, giving Ticya a quick nod before scaling a nearby tree and creating a perch among the branches. Jerome did likewise, not quite as agile but still very capable. The weight of his armour made finding an adequately strong branch somewhat difficult, but he succeeded in the end and found a place to settle. Once both of them had settled in, Ticya curled up on the ground below. She had replaced her mask to hide the guilty expression that bore her features. She knew what was there, but she did not yet trust Jerome enough to tell him. For now, the Titan would remain a secret... 


Despite his fatigue, Jerome found himself too concerned over what he had learned to truly sleep comfortably. The dragon below him, and all others for that matter, had the potential to destroy the entire world if this was true. Yet she and Harasar were at odds to if this was indeed the right path to take. Initially, Jerome had sided with Ticya but now he found himself wondering something else; If she did not intend to use the Sanction, then what was she going to do?

More importantly, what did the Final Sanction itself entail, and was it something that could even be stopped? If it was some kind of magic artefact from a lost age, maybe it wouldn’t work anymore? Maybe it wouldn’t even be there? But what if it was? 

He wondered if it would be something he could destroy. Would Ticya let him do it? Perhaps it would reach the point where he would have to kill them both after all. Perhaps infiltrating Regnum and sabotaging them from within would not be enough. 

Regnum. Situated supposedly on the site of the Final Sanction itself. What if they had already found it? What if they knew what it was? And worst possibility of all, one the Draconians were clearly aware of... What if they were planning to use it?


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

An interesting thaumaturgic paradigm.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Thanks Dave. That's exactly what I was shooting for.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 9*

One fitful night’s sleep later saw Jerome once more preparing to spend the day on Ticya’s shoulder as they covered the last leg of the journey towards Regnum. Trekan had at some point through the night fashioned a harness from loose vines and sap which would allow him to sit backwards on the inside of the dragon’s shield, held in place by the straps of the shield itself as well as Ticya’s forearm. Though it wouldn’t be a great deal more comfortable, it would stop the wind from blasting him in the face. 

This in turn allowed Jerome to occupy the space between her shoulder blades, a much more secure position than before and one he presumed was usually occupied by Trekan himself. At this altitude however, it would do the drake little good as the wind would be just as big a problem as it had been previously. So Jerome said nothing as they secured themselves in place and Ticya took to the air. The morning air held a chill that bit at her scales and caused her wings to shudder on the drawback of each flap. It would be several more hours before the sun would be of a sufficient height to warm the air significantly. 


* * *


Lenne sighed as she began transmitting the data she was inputting. It had been almost a week now and still there was no sign of enemy forces. It was as though the Draconian army had completely withdrawn from Imperial land after the attack by the mysterious third faction. 

Or at least, it had been a mystery until outrider scout units on the Northern border had happened upon more of the aircraft inbound to another Imperial City. With advance warning, the Imperial High Command had been adequately prepared, and these helicopters were gunned down before they could close to a lethal distance. A sweep of the area had found two surviving pilots, and rigorous interrogation had revealed them to be from Regnum. 

There was no longer any doubt of that, but now in question was the status of the Slayers themselves. With the dragons no longer on the attack, and the forces of Regnum now seemingly mobilized, it seemed as though the slayers like everyone else would be redeployed to the north. Lenne was not opposed to doing her duty, but she had only ever faced draconians before now. She wondered if her nerve would hold up as well when forced to kill her own kind? To his credit, Jake had held up remarkably well even after his near death experience earlier, and with the disappearance of their commander Jerome, he had even been appointed as Acting Master Slayer for the region. 

Lenne took one last look out over the empty cityscape, before ceasing the transmission and relaying the data. The few seconds of silence would be enough, it would show that there was still no activity. With Jake’s word and this information, it should be enough to secure their new assignment; to join the Invasion Force that was being sent to counter-attack Regnum... 


* * *


The first signs of civilization became visible shortly after midday. It was Ticya who spotted them first, fields full of crops being tilled by farmers wearing the clothes of peasants. Jerome could not see anywhere near the level of detail that the dragon could, but as he adjusted the zoom function on his helm, he was able to pick the differences between several groups of people tilling the fields, and a few more lavishly dressed individuals standing in the shade of the nearby farmhouses. They had the look of nobility, or at the very least, overseers. 

‘We can’t let them see us!’ Jerome called, leaning forward so his voice would reach her ears concealed under her spines and helm. 

‘I know.’ Her voice rumbled back. ‘But I cannot hide up here! If they see us... we’ll just have to eliminate them before they can report our presence.’ 

‘I don’t want it to come to that.’ Jerome said. ‘Can you go higher?’ 

‘I can, but Trekan would not survive a higher altitude than this.’ She answered. ‘You wouldn’t either unless that suit of yours is vacuum sealed.’ 

Jerome cursed under his breath. His helm and the backup respirator built into the chest cavity were sealed, but none of the joints were anything more than servo and empty space with a loose silicon covering. 

‘If we can pass overhead without any of them looking up, we should be fine.’ She assured him. It was a task easier said than done, as the fields were vast and the skies were clear. Nevertheless, she had resolved to try, and she slowed only for a few moments to relay the situation to Trekan. He agreed and she increased her pace, keeping an eye on the ground below. Jerome did likewise, scanning one position then another to ensure that nobody had seen them. 

Perhaps inevitably, their luck ran out. Jerome swore aloud as one of the farmers pointed skyward and screamed. Ticya emitted a roar of frustration before tilting forward and beginning a steep dive. 

‘I’m sorry Jerome.’ She said as they descended. ‘Nothing else can be done. They all have to die or our cover is blown.’ 

Jerome did not reply, but he knew the dragon was right. He held on tighter as she sped up in her descent. Beneath his feet, he could feel the rush of air as she inhaled deeply. Three bright flashes of light almost blinded him as she released three well aimed fireballs. The nearest farmhouses went up in fiery explosions, scattering the overseers and farmers alike. 


‘Drop me here and keep going!’ Jerome called as Ticya approached the ground. She complied, swooping overhead in a tilt that allowed Jerome to leap clear. Engaging his grav-pak, he glided to the ground gracefully and switched from his plasmacaster to secondary photon ammunition. 

Three farmers rushed him bearing harvesting tools. Any thought that these could have been oppressed peasants were quelled by the zeal apparent in their eyes. He gunned down two of them with ease but the third managed to close the distance and swing his whirring harvester blade. Sparks flew from Jerome’s armour at the crude device impacted. With barely a shred of effort thanks to his servo enhanced suit, Jerome wrenched the device from the man’s grip and used it to crush his ribcage against the ground. Still hovering, he skated on the air towards where the Overseer of this area had begun to retreat into one of the barely intact farm houses. As the slayer closed the distance, he saw into the ruin where there was a crude communications array. 

With a sigh of disappointment, he switched back to his primary ammunition and fired a shot just as the overseer leaped the boundary of the ruin and approached the array. The plasma blast impacted with a blinding flash, incinerating the machine and the fool who had thought to use it. With a few more shots from his photon caster he had cleared this area, and turned his attention to the other houses up ahead where Ticya and Trekan had landed.


Ticya landed with a heavy crash directly atop one of the farm houses and stomped down, crushing it to rubble beneath her taloned feet. Small arms fire pattered harmlessly from her armour and scales as she leaped clear and swung her sword down and into a sweeping motion. With practiced ease she cleaved through three of the farmers and two overseers. With a controlled stream of fire she set the fields alight, trapping the few farmers who had tried to flee. 

Something heavy impacted her from behind, and a burning sensation spread down her left shoulder. She turned to see the watchtower that oversaw the entire region. As she made to move towards it, another rocket was launched from the nest atop it. Though the weapons of slayers and heavy artillery were a dire threat, these simple rockets were not designed with dragons in mind and the shield she carried stopped them clear. 

She roared in anger, lowering her stance and charging the tower furiously. With a heavy impact, several of the guards mounted in the structure fell. The height, almost double that of Ticya herself, was easily enough to end their lives as their screams ended with a pair of sickening crunches. Another rocket, aimed directly downward exploded on her helm and obscured her vision with flame and smoke. With a growl of irritation, she cleaved her blade through the base of the tower. As it began to fall, the lone survivor up top dropped his weapon and began to fall. In a moment of anger and malice, Ticya opened her maw and caught the unfortunate victim. He did not even have time to scream before she gulped him down whole and alive. 

She lashed out again, pushing the dislodged tower away from her and setting the collapsed ruin alight. Now she took to the sky, scanning the entire field to ensure not one of the Regnumians had been missed. When she was satisfied that she had gotten all that were here and saw that Jerome had cleared the area he had been dropped at, she did a fly over and set fire to the rest of the fields for no purpose other than to deny these resources to the enemy. 

When she landed it was in a small patch of clear ground amid a sea of flames. Jerome glided above the fire to hover beside her. Trekan, having been nested within the shield the entire time, looked up at his charge and nodded. It had been a brutal act, but necessary in the grander scheme. As Jerome jetted back atop Ticya’s shoulder, he exchanged a glance with both her and Trekan. Like most of his ilk, he had never taken another human life before whereas for the draconians it was a natural act they had been forced to perform for much of their recent past. With no further words necessary, Ticya spread her wings and leaped into the sky once more. 


* * *


A golden giant at the head of a small army, Harasar strode with purpose and righteous zeal. Behind him were several hundred drake soldiers, fitted out with armour, spears and crossbows. Resembling the armies of old, but with technology far in advance of those olden times resembling the weapons of wars long past, the draconian vanguard had set out for blood. Harasar was not alone among the Guardians; seven other dragons had chosen freely to follow him in this path. As well as this, another eleven were preparing to leave with the main army. He smiled to himself, knowing that for all their technological might, the pitiable nation of Regnum would fall within a day once the Titan was awakened, and the Empire would soon follow. 

The beating of wings from behind caught his attention, and he turned to see Liikus approach the head of the column through the air above. She glided into descent, eventually landing beside Harasar and meeting his visored gaze with her own. On her shoulder was Sinokre, similarly armoured as befitted a Draconian Leader.

‘Guardian Councillor Harasar,’ Liikus began, making a show of her presence for the assembled warriors behind them. ‘We will join you in this endeavour. May victory be ours.’ 

‘Your presence is welcome.’ Harasar lied, unable and unwilling to show dissent before the masses. The Council had always ruled by appearing unified, and to demonstrate otherwise on the cusp of war would be to invite disaster for the morale of their troops. ‘We will surely benefit from your added might, Guardian Councillor Liikus and Councillor Sinokre.’ 

Their marching resumed. Liikus kept pace with Harasar at the head of the formation but set Sinokre down to ride a hovering chariot alongside the Vanguard’s appointed general. Taking every effort to ensure that her thoughts remained concealed, she spoke directly to Harasar using a psionic link. 

_Understand this, Harasar._ She began. _You may believe the Titan to be the answer to all of our problems, but I sincerely hope this pride will not be the cause for any regrettable actions on your part. The humans may be fallible, but who are we to claim perfection?_

_Do you not see the futility of your ways?_ Harasar retorted. _The Final Sanction exists for one purpose, it’s necessity is inevitable. You may claim it is not needed now, but for how much longer will this be true? Regardless of other factors, The Titan will walk the Earth at some point._

_A poor reason to doom a world so full of potential. Its need could be a thousand years away Harasar. You cannot know for certain that the humans are irredeemable._ Liikus was grateful for the Guardian masks worn by the two of them, no doubt hiding the snarls of contempt they bore for one another. 

Thankfully silence prevailed for most of the day’s march after that. When they intermittently rested, The two Guardian Councillors kept to their own devices. Liikus in particular was apprehensive of just how she would interfere with Harasar’s plan without coming into direct conflict. 


Of course throughout all of this, neither Draconia nor the Empire were aware of each other marching on Regnum...


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Another good chapter.

My niggle is the last sentence which - rather than adding tension - made it feel a touch flat to me.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Easily fixed. Actually, just deleting that one made it seem better.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 10*

It was a sight unlike most any Imperial citizen would ever see, save those who were now being sent to destroy it. The many spires of Regnum’s southern city were reminiscent of some sort of termite mound in their placement, though their design spoke of an aesthetic not unlike the semi-gothic nature of old Imperial structures. Each spire held what looked like fire points and some of the larger ones also had multiple level balconies. 

‘We won’t even get near that place.’ Jerome shook his head. In the mountainous north that cradled this city, hiding was not a problem, but there was still no clear approach to the city itself. As it was, they nested on the crest of a small mountain some 800 metres roughly from the city’s edge. Even if she were able to fly at top speed, plainly situated defence turrets would shoot Ticya out of the sky in short order. 

‘It doesn’t look especially big.’ Trekan remarked. ‘Do you think it’s even worthwhile investigating here? Perhaps we should just continue and worry about the Capital directly...’ 

‘If we are discovered, any escape could be cut off.’ Ticya warned. ‘It would be prudent to eliminate any threat from behind.’ 

‘Which will in turn, destroy any element of surprise we might have.’ Jerome concluded. ‘So we need to decide what’s more important. Personally, I favour stealth.’ 

‘I agree.’ Trekan nodded. Ticya snorted softly but relented. 

‘We still need information.’ She insisted. ‘Jerome, that means you’re our best bet for infiltration.’ 

‘I knew this was coming.’ Jerome muttered. ‘Alright then, we’ll need to take a prisoner.’ He thought for a few moments on the best way to go about this, but no matter how many options he considered he inevitably drew the conclusion that he would have to fight without his armour. This was neither going to be easy nor pleasant. At length, he turned to Trekan beside him and the massive form of Ticya behind them and nodded. ‘I have an idea.’ 


* * *​

Rarely were there visitors to the city of Tegus, and typically these were of either military inspection or complaining peasants from the fields to the South. Both were easily dealt with for Matikk, he simply waved in visiting officers and messengers and sent away the bulk of the peasants. Only the direst needs warranted real attention, complaints of the peasants’ sore feet were simply a waste of time. 

So when Matikk spotted a dishevelled man in the distance, approaching slowly in a ragged and shivering manner, a sigh was his first reaction. But as the man made his final approach to the city gates, Matikk realized that this was no peasant. It couldn’t be. The stranger was a well built man in his prime, too muscular to be a peasant and almost clean shaven. He stumbled the last few feet and fell to the ground. Matikk rushed to his aid, dropping the rifle he carried to the ground as he crouched down. 

‘What happened to you man?’ Matikk demanded, concern plain in his face and in his voice. The man rolled onto his side and looked up at Matikk. His clothes had been all but torn to shreds and he bore several cuts across his face and chest. Through shivering lips the man uttered a single word. 

‘Dragons.’ He passed out, leaving Matikk to heft the limp form alone and carry him back inside the guard house. 


He left the young man on the couch and called immediately for the next shift. Despite his counterpart’s protests, the call was answered and his replacement filed out less than five minutes after. Once his duty here was complete he called ahead to the medical centre and informed them of his find. As he made to lift the stranger into a sitting position to wake him up, the man’s eyes fluttered and opened. 

‘You’re awake.’ Matikk said, handing him a change of clothes. ‘That’s good, can you stand?’ 

‘Uh... I think so.’ The man stood and took the clothes. Matikk indicated a bathroom just beyond the foyer. He nodded and walked shakily through the doorway. 

‘What’s your name soldier?’ Matikk asked. 

‘Um... Jerome.’ Came the answer. A few moments later Jerome emerged from the other room dressed in the standard green fatigues of Regnum and with a clean face. 

‘What’s your rank?’ The guard asked. ‘And what happened to the rest of your unit? You mentioned dragons? Were you attacked?’ 

‘I don’t know how to answer these questions.’ Jerome replied. ‘I think the dragons have some kind of mind trick. It must be playing with my memory.’ 

Matikk was silent for a few moments. ‘That doesn’t sound like any dragon I’ve heard of.’ 

‘Really?’ Jerome responded. ‘Well... maybe I’m just in shock... It could be trauma or the cold playing with my head I guess.’ 

‘Right.’ Matikk nodded, but in truth a suspicion had begun to dawn in his mind. It was probably nothing, but he decided then and there that he would have to keep a close watch on this Jerome. He made a note to keep the man under guard at all times until he could be identified against national records. In the meantime, he would just have to play the part of babysitter. 



Jerome was thankful to be inside after having to endure the chilling northern air on his approach to the city. But now he was in somewhat of an awkward position, having to pretend he was a dishevelled survivor of a dragon attack until an opportunity presented itself. As soon as he could, he had to obtain a Regnum soldier’s uniform and scout this place as thoroughly as possible. If he could, he would try and capture and officer and bring him back to Trekan and Ticya. 

He absentmindedly rubbed one of the cuts on his face. To make the story convincing, Trekan had all but insisted that he bear fresh battle wounds, and Ticya had all but held him down while the drake raked his claws across his chest and across his cheek. Though Jerome grudgingly admitted it was a sound idea, he was nonetheless irked. Particularly since they chose to inform him conveniently after he had removed his armour and weapons. 

This guard would be a problem it seemed. The most favourable course of action at the moment was still risky despite its potential benefits. Matikk would be an obstacle unless he was removed, and since they guards had just changed shifts at this gate, this was going to be the best time to do it. All he needed was an opening. Fortunately, despite the apparent importance of this job, the young man Matikk showed little sign of an experienced warrior. 

Guilt began to gnaw at Jerome’s mind as he took in the surroundings and formulated how he was going to do this. Feigning continued fatigue and sluggishness, he approached Matikk with a false smile while the guard had begun to prepare the two of them a light lunch... 


* * *​

‘Think he’ll be okay?’ Ticya asked, playing with the limp suit of Jerome’s armour in her hand. She had shown less concern at the time of his departure in keeping with her supposed attitude, but Trekan smiled softly to himself at the concern now plain in her voice. ‘I mean he is... pretty small.’ 

‘You are a dragon, Ticya.’ Trekan responded. ‘Most others are small compared to you. I’m sure Jerome will be fine. If worse comes to worse, he should be able to improvise enough to fight his way out. He’s fought Guardians and won, no offense, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for him down there.’ He tried not to let his own concern show through, instead trying to focus his mind and detect any resonating magic fields in the area that might indicate some sign they were going in the right direction. 

‘Stop comparing me to other Guardians.’ Ticya retorted. ‘We all know one’s skill does not indicate everyone of the same class’ skill.’ 

‘There you go again.’ Trekan shook his horned head and rounded on her. ‘You think you outclass other Guardians do you? You are centuries younger than most of them, and have fought in all of one complete battle!’ 

‘I survived didn’t I?!’ She protested. ‘I know I’m not really seasoned yet, but I can only get better from here.’ 

‘I don’t want to have this argument again.’ Trekan cut her off. ‘However, it was interesting to see you’ve grown a sort of attachment to him.’ He grinned at her indignant reaction. She shuffled on the spot hurriedly and hastily placed the armour suit on the ground. 

‘It’s respect!’ She insisted. ‘One warrior to another, don’t tell me you don’t feel it as well!’ 

‘Oh, I do.’ He replied simply, looking back at her levelly. ‘But it is still amusing to see you do the same. Humility is a trait all too rare among dragons. Especially Guardians.’ He let the words hold their weight in the air for a moment, but as he spoke them it brought forth another thought. Not all dragons were enlisted in the ranks of the Guardians, and the rogues that weren’t may have been the cause of Regnum hostility to begin with. After all, Draconia had not differentiated between human factions, so there was little reason to believe a human wouldn’t mistake a rogue dragon as representative of Draconia’s intent? 

The thought seemed to have occurred to Ticya as well, hardly surprising considering the psionic link between them. And yet, if a rogue dragon or more than one had begun hunting in this area, perhaps the defences of this place and others would be tighter than they thought...


* * *​

Jerome hefted the corpse into the container and closed the lid on top. The weapons cache seemed like a decent place to hide a body for a short term, and so after donning the unfortunate Matikk’s uniform he exited via the back of the guard house and began to head deeper into the city. This place was not as large as Outer City had been, nor would it rival most cities in the Empire but given the relative youth of Regnum this was hardly a surprise. 

There were practically no people on the streets, and the few he saw were of a military role. None paid him any heed and no security measures tried to stop him. Each soldier carried no more than a sidearm and a stylized sword. With no other indication of what to do or where to go, he simply headed towards the nearest tall spire and began taking mental notes. For the most part, the ground was paved with simple concrete and the buildings looked to be constructed no differently to Imperial engineering specs. The green icon of Regnum, a single spread wing, adorned each building. He hadn’t been able to make out the detail on the aircraft back in Outer City, but given this clear view the emblem became clear. It was the mark of one of the old political pro-war parties from before nation separated from the Empire. 

Reaching the first tower, he circled around the building until he located what appeared to be the entrance. The layout of this place was disturbingly familiar to him, and after a second look around he realized why. The place looked and felt like a military complex. Its small size made sense now, for it was not a city at all. He turned back to the entrance, a simple double doorway with a basic push mechanism. He pushed it open and stepped inside. Immediately he noticed two security guards standing either side of him, but like the others neither of them paid him any heed. 

He was greeted with a nod and responded in kind before advancing further. No salutes, no presentation of documents and no required reason to be here. It was, in a way, extremely unsettling to think that this was the norm for Regnum military. His hand wavered slightly above the knife hidden under his vest. Despite the apparent ease of his infiltration, it remained possible that he may yet be discovered. By his reckoning, he had less than an hour before the murder was discovered. He needed to find and somehow kidnap an officer or at the very least assess the potential threat this place posed. 

He found a staircase close to the main entrance corridor of this tower and began to ascend. The stairs seemed to stop after three levels and a number of small rooms lines an open antechamber of sorts. Two more guards were stationed here. In stark contrast to the rest, these two carried heavier rifles and took notice of his presence immediately. It seemed his luck had run out. 

‘Identify yourself soldier.’ The first commanded. He was a well built man, slightly larger than Jerome himself and wore a bald scalp under a green bandanna bearing the Regnum Wing. 

‘Jerome.’ Jerome answered simply. 

‘That’s it?’ The guard sniggered. ‘What are you, trying to be funny?’ He laughed and turned back to his fellow guard. ‘I need a rank and id numb-!’ 

The guard’s words were cut off as Jerome lurched forward and seized the man’s rifle by the base end of the barrel. With one swift movement he aimed it at the second guard just as the wielder tightened his grip on the trigger. The second guard fell after a loud crack and a blinding flash that sounded like a plasma bolt. 

Jerome noticed two things at once. First was the second guard, disintegrated from the torso up. Second was the burning pain in his palm where he had gripped the barrel of the lethal weapon. He did not notice the first guard’s fist hammering down. He dropped to the floor under the heavy impact, but managed to roll aside before a second blow could be struck. 

Lashing out with his legs, he managed a scissor kick which brought his opponent to the ground beside him. In one swift movement he drew his knife and slit his adversary’s throat. 

‘What the hell is...!’ A female voice was cut off as a woman emerged from one of the rooms only to be cut off in surprise. Jerome fumbled but quickly grabbed and raised one of the rifles before she could un-strap her own. 

‘Drop it!’ He commanded, rising slowly while keeping the deadly weapon trained on her. She glared hatred back at him, but did as she was told. Once the gun was on the floor, Jerome took a few steps closer then stopped. The woman stared back still, her short brown hair cut into a bob that framed an obviously young face.

The change in her expression from hatred to irritation confirmed his suspicions. She was concealing further weapons. He smiled at her and shook his head. 

‘Lose the jacket.’ He ordered. ‘And the pants.’ Her eyes went wide with shock and fury but he did not relent. Slowly and with calculated movements, she took off her fatigues and stood before him in her underwear and a loose vest. A knife was strapped to her leg. With a slow movement she unstrapped it and placed it on the floor beside her gun.

‘Happy now?’ She grumbled. 

‘Not quite.’ He ushered her back against a wall and lifted her clothes. Shaking the jacket revealed several items within, so with one hand he emptied all the pockets while the other kept the rifle trained on her. He checked and emptied her pants pockets as well before tossing them back to her. 

‘Before you redress yourself, lose the vest.’ He said to her. She practically hissed at him but did as she was told. 

Jerome could have killed her already, but the presence of guards and the slightly different markings on her uniform led him to believe that she was a person of significance, likely an officer or liaison of some sort. Either way, she represented the intelligence that they needed, and with her as a prisoner, it was time to leave...


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

A cunning plan.

I look forward to discovering that Regnum are not the bad guys either. :wink:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Dave T Hobbit said:


> A cunning plan.
> 
> I look forward to discovering that Regnum are not the bad guys either. :wink:


:shok: 

Heheheeh. I wouldn't write anything that predictable at all! :grin:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 11*

‘What’s the quickest way out of here?’ Jerome demanded. ‘Without being seen?’ His prisoner continually diverted her hateful stare between him and his stolen weapon. The plasma rifle would make a mess of anything and everything if it went off in close proximity, so trying to grapple with him for it was a very bad idea. 

‘You’re an idiot.’ She shook her head arrogantly. ‘There is no way out of here for you. The only way to get out of this building is to go back the way you came. And I’ll call for help the second I see somebody.’ 

‘I guess we’re stuck here then.’ Jerome smiled and sat down on one of the lounges near the far wall. His rifle remained trained on her the entire time and he leaned back leisurely. After a few moments he put his feet up and laid down. 

‘What are you doing?’ She demanded. 

‘You’ll crack before I do.’ He said. ‘You try to escape, I’ll kill you and walk out of here like any other visitor. Your security here sucks by the way. Why is everything so lax?’ 

‘We relaxed our protocols because it got in the way.’ She answered. ‘The dragon attacks were starting to take a toll.’ 

‘Dragon attacks?’ Jerome was confused, and sat up with a concerned expression. ‘But how can that be? The Draconian army hasn’t mobilized yet. How can they be attacking you already?’ 

‘It’s not Draconia you idiot!’ She snapped. ‘Wild dragons live in this area! We’ve been attacked on an almost weekly basis! Security was relaxed to allow our men to get to shelter easier without having to waste time with keycards or any of that bullshit!’ 

‘So dragons that aren’t Guardians?’ Jerome asked. 

‘What the hell are Guardians?’ She asked. ‘No, they’re just wild dragons preying on us for food and fun! We’ve counted seven different ones so far. Who the hell are you anyway?!’ 

‘My name is Jerome.’ Jerome answered. ‘I’m a Slayer in the Imperial Armed Forces. Recently we were attacked by Regnum aircraft, so I’m here to investigate. Now you can either start providing answers, or I’ll look for someone who will.’ 

‘Hmph.’ The woman answered. ‘Commander Elayne. What do you want to know, Slayer?’ 

‘Why did you attack the Empire?’ Jerome demanded. 

‘Political reasons I guess.’ Elayne shrugged. ‘I’m not the Chancellor, this wasn’t my decision.’ 

‘Fine.’ Jerome conceded. ‘But do you realize that by doing this you reignited the war between Draconia and the Empire? We were at peace.’ 

‘That was the intent.’ Elayne shrugged. ‘Better you bear the brunt than us.’ 

‘Well, you played your hand too soon.’ Jerome matched her snide grin with his own. ‘Both sides know it was Regnum now. There is a truce of sorts, and the Draconian army at least has begun to march north. Dragons included.’ 

Elayne remained silent at this. 

‘Where’s the nearest transport hangar?’ Jerome demanded. 

‘Go to hell.’ Elayne spat. 

‘Where?’ Jerome repeated. The standoff continued for three more minutes. Elayne was stubborn and prideful, but Jerome had the patience of a born hunter and inevitably the woman snapped and shook her head. 

‘Base of this building!’ She hissed. She pointed to a stairwell across from where Jerome had entered. ‘There’s another stairwell there, so you can get down to the scout hangar.’ 

‘Good.’ Jerome nodded. ‘Let’s go.’ 

‘What?!’ She protested. 

‘You think I’m leaving you here?’ Jerome laughed. ‘Hell no, you’ll be coming with me to ensure I get out safely. And then, you can be our tour guide to the rest of Regnum.’ 

‘You can’t force me to commit treason against my own nation!’ Elayne cried defiantly. 

‘Oh shut up!’ Jerome yelled back. ‘There is so much more at stake here than the security of a single nation!’ He moved forward and motioned with his gun for her to lead the way. With a hate filled glare she let out a sigh of defeat and turned to the doorway. Jerome made sure to stay a few paces behind her, to give him adequate time to react if she turned on him, and room to keep her in his sights if she attempted to run. 

As she had said, there was indeed a vehicle bay in the lower levels. He took note of their design and apparent function, committing to memory what he could. There were four large tanks that seemed reasonably well armoured, but likely wouldn’t survive a swing from a Guardian’s blade. Several dozen smaller scout class vessels dotted the spaces between, and it was one of these that Jerome ushered Elayne towards. 

‘So where’s the exit from here?’ he asked. 

‘Exit tunnel to the north of the hangar.’ She replied grudgingly. ‘It’ll put us out just outside the base’s boundaries. So where exactly do you plan to take me?’ 

‘Not too far at first.’ Jerome answered. ‘We need to link back up with some friends of mine. After that, I’m sure you can provide a clue as to where we head next.’ 

‘You’re dreaming.’ Elayne responded snidely. ‘I’m not helping you do that at all!’ 

‘Yet here you are.’ Jerome answered. ‘Now get in. And let’s go.’ There was no further arguing from the woman as she climbed into the driver’s seat of a nearby scout vehicle. Jerome climbed into the back seat of the small four wheeler and ensured the canopy was in place before giving her the signal. She turned on the ignition and kicked the engine into gear. Flicking a switch on the console, the scout began to roll forward and thrum with what sounded like an old combustion engine. Jerome did not question the vehicle’s propulsion method, figuring that a nation with second rate technology like this would not have the advanced reactors that the Empire had developed. 

Elayne rounded the perimeter of the hangar before approaching a ramp at the far northern side of the chamber and ascending. A door opened at the end and they emerged into the daylight of the world above ground. Jerome quickly glanced back to get his bearings before retraining his weapon and gaze to Elayne. They had exited to the north of the city. Jerome tapped her shoulder and pointed in the direction of where Ticya and Trekan were left waiting. Of course, Elayne had no idea yet just who Jerome’s “friends” were...



* * *



‘We should go back!’ Trekan said. ‘What if Jerome is already out? He could be walking right into that thing!’ From his vantage point on Ticya’s shoulder he gripped her spines firmly to keep from falling off the trembling dragon. 

‘Did you see the size of her?!’ Ticya exclaimed in protest. ‘I had no idea dragons could grow that big!’ Her breath was still ragged with the effort of fleeing so hastily from the sight of the enormous monster. 

‘Neither did I.’ Trekan confessed. ‘It seems unnatural. What I don’t understand is why she seemed so hostile. It’s as though we were...’ 

‘We trespassed on her hunting grounds.’ Ticya confirmed what Trekan had suspected. The dragon in question had been a giant even by the standards of the guardians, and the presence she radiated in the bioelectric field of the area was immense. Even if Ticya was a better combatant, the size difference and raw power her foe could generate meant that the young Guardian was outclassed. Ticya herself was roughly thirty feet in height, average for most guardians her age. Though elders may reach a size of thirty five or even forty feet as Harasar had, no dragon in recorded history had ever reached the impressive sixty foot height of this one. 

‘So what do we do?’ Trekan demanded. They had flown as fast as Ticya’s wings would carry her towards the cusp of a nearby mountain and looked back with worried eyes. Neither of them could see the small city from this vantage point and it was an ever increasing risk that Jerome would be taken by this enormous huntress if they stayed too long. 

‘I’m going back for him.’ Ticya said. ‘If he comes out of there early, like you said, he’ll be killed.’ 

‘Don’t think you’re going back without me!’ Trekan said, tightening his grip as her wings spread and began to flap. With a single powerful leap she began to soar back towards the city as fast as her wings would take her with sword and shield gripped tensely in either hand. Her breath was ragged and short, evident of the fear that even now wracked her form. 

At length, three minutes saw them find their target. The giant wild dragon was approaching the human settlement with what almost looked like a casual gait, unfazed by the mass destructive weapons she was strolling towards. Her spines hung below her waistline, her scales reflected the sunlight with a brilliant violet and her hands were devoid of anything to call a weapon. Similarly she wore no armour, indeed no garb of any kind, clearly trusting in her scales to afford her the needed protection. 

For a creature that size, perhaps her age and scales are indeed the equal of any armour. Ticya thought suddenly. She had been intimidated before, and was even more so now. But the situation had not changed, she could not risk Jerome being caught in the open with this dragon lurking about. She had to trust that her volcano forged sword was up to the task at hand. 

She landed heavily a few hundred metres behind the towering giant. Inhaling sharply she spewed forth a jet of white hot fire that enveloped the larger dragon from the legs up. Ticya maintained the breath for a full seven seconds before she ran out of flame, doing her best to conceal her exhausted panting as her foe slowly turned around. 

As was expected, the enormous dragon was unharmed by the younger dragon’s fire, at best lightly singed across a few of her softer scales. Her face was a mix of amusement and annoyance when she saw the much smaller dragoness in her midst. 

‘Do you want to play, little one?’ The giant asked with a smile. ‘I’ve been alone out here for so long with only humans to play with. It would be a nice change to have a game with another dragon. Even if you are a little... Well, little.’ She giggled softly. 

‘Don’t mock me!’ Ticya growled, doing her best to hide her fear. ‘I am of the sacred Guardian Order! I am of Draconian purity and I will not be cowed by the likes of a rogue, no matter how big you are!’ She bared her fangs and sword in a combative stance. 

‘Wait.’ The elder dragon shook her head and raised a hand. ‘Why do you care that I’m about to attack a human settlement? I’ve been here dozens of times already. Why does this particular trip have you worried?’ 

Ticya paused. Maybe she could reason with the larger dragon? ‘I... I have a friend in there. Just... Just let me get him out of there then you can do what you want.’ 

‘Hmmm.’ The large dragon thought for a moment, her glittering form sending flecks of light dancing around her as she swayed. ‘No. I don’t think so. You’ve said nothing to convince me that your course of action would be of any benefit, and I have no objection with fighting you whatsoever. So if you wish, you can try and defend him by force as you were before, or you can accept his loss.’ 

‘No!’ Ticya roared. ‘Get away now!’ 

‘I won’t.’ The giant replied. ‘You’ll just have to defeat me then.’ 

‘I’m fine with that.’ Ticya snarled, her rage outweighing her fear as she began her charge. With her shield down and blade held ready to swing she ran headlong towards her foe. At the last few hundred metres she leaped into the air and spread her wings. With a single flap she propelled herself at high velocity towards her target and roared as her blade arced overhead. 

‘Fool!’ The enemy dragon snarled, executing a small jump to the side whilst lashing out with her tail. The lurching guardian impacted the flailing tail heavily and was thrown back with almost no effort at all. ‘You’re carrying too much weight. You can’t believe you have the ability to match by power?’ 

‘No!’ Ticya growled back. ‘But I can still outfight you!’ She again tried to lurch forward into an attack and once again was thrown back by the far superior strength of her adversary. 

‘No, you cannot.’ The larger dragon replied simply. ‘You have neither the speed nor the strength to overcome me. Your sword means little when my reach already exceeds yours. And that useless shield just slows you down further!’ 

‘Shut up!’ Ticya roared in exasperation. ‘Just shut up and die!’ She sprang herself across the ground in an attempt to impale the larger dragon’s leg with her sword, but once again her foe simply moved to quick for Ticya to keep up. The giant snapped her leg upwards before stomping down hard on the blade. The sudden jerk of motion wrenched the grip from Ticya’s claws and before she could react she found herself being hefted upwards by a powerful set of clawed fingers around her throat. 

‘Do I need to put you down?’ The giant asked with a low growl. She brought the smaller dragon close, so they were face to face before narrowing her gaze and making a decision. ‘You’re going to be a pest. I’d rather not kill you, but I am going to make sure you don’t follow me.’ 

Ticya struggled to speak but was unable to form words through the iron grip that held her aloft. A sudden shooting pain in her gut informed her that she had been punched, incredibly hard by a fist of ancient harder than rock scales. The breath escaped her in an instant and as she dropped from the dragon’s careless grip she collapsed in a crumpled heap. She looked up through clouded vision to see the other dragon walking away without a backwards glance. 

Fighting through the pain, Ticya tried to stand. She tried to force herself to plant a foot firmly on the ground and push herself upright. But as soon as she attempted to take another step the pain intensified. She fell back to her knees and vomited up the semi digested remains of her last meal before collapsing sideways and losing consciousness. She still had hope however. 

Trekan was safe.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Apologies to those following this here, but due to the next few chapters containing certain plot elements outside Heresy's AUP, they will not be appearing in this thread. I will edit this post as I complete them and should you still wish to read them, PM me and I will PM you back with a link where you can find them. 

I do this because I refuse to censor my own work. 


EDIT: This will continue here from Chapter 13.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 13*

Jerome awoke with a scream and sat bolt upright. His eyes burned in the daylight and he trembled with the pain remembered from his last waking moments. He blinked furiously as he forced his eyes to focus and looked down at his hands and body. They were... fine. Tender but still fine. With confusion he looked up, his eyesight clearing to reveal Trekan knelt a few metres away and panting heavily. 

‘What happened?’ Jerome asked. ‘The last I remember, I was...’ He trailed off as he caught sight of Elayne on the grass nearby. Her body was a mess, wracked with acidic burns and exposed musculature. She still breathed, but her eyes remained closed and she convulsed with every breath. 

‘You are both lucky to be alive.’ Trekan explained through panting breaths of his own. ‘Had we not found the giant dragon when we did you would have been lost to us. So who is she?’ 

Jerome forced himself to look away from the near dead woman before he answered. ‘Officer of that station. Not sure how high up she is but she should be able to give us a basic layout of Regnum in the least.’ He looked around, noting that it was only the three of them in this clearing. ‘Where is Ticya?’ 

‘She’ll be back shortly.’ The drake answered. ‘She’s gone to retrieve your armour and her shield. When she gets back, we’ll help this woman like we helped you. I healed you first, as you were much worse off.’ Trekan stood and took a few steps away before looking back. ‘We can’t afford to lose much more time.’ 

‘Why’s that?’ Jerome asked. ‘Are you concerned about the Draconian ground forces catching up?’ 

‘Not so much.’ The drake replied. ‘We certainly have enough of a head start on the ground forces. It’s the possible outriders that have me concerned.’ 

‘Well as long as Elayne co-operates, we should manage to stay ahead.’ Jerome said, standing and stretching his arms and legs. ‘Speaking of which, do we have an actual plan for when we find what we’re looking for? How will we know when we’re at the right place?’ 

‘Ticya will know.’ Trekan answered. ‘All Guardians are attuned to the resting place. When we get there, she’ll sense it. In the meantime, her memories will continue to pull her in the right direction. All we can do is trust her.’ 


Close to half an hour later saw the Guardian return. She carried her shield on one arm and the small form of Jerome’s armour was in the other hand. She landed heavily and lowered herself to her knees. Jerome nodded and smiled a greeting, noting that even under her mask she was audibly panting. Ticya dropped her heavy shield off to her right hand side and set Jerome’s armour down before him with her left. The slayer was visibly grateful to be united with his wargear. 

It was only partway through re-armouring himself a minute later that Ticya took her own mask off and Jerome was able to see just how tired she really looked. ‘What happened to you?’ The slayer asked, the tone of his voice betraying his concern. 

‘I... I tried to fight her.’ Ticya explained. ‘Before she went to the city. I tried to stop her from attacking you. But she was too strong for me. She pierced my armour and left me bleeding to death.’ 

‘Why...?’ Jerome asked, his eyes widening in horror as he noticed the massive rent in her abdominal armour. 

‘Because... She would have killed you.’ Ticya answered. ‘She almost did. If you hadn’t done what you did, I might not have been able to save you.’ 

‘But the fool would have tried anyway.’ Trekan added with a slight laugh. ‘We are glad you’re alive Jerome.’ He nodded in a slight show of friendship to the man. Though it was true that the Guardian and her Protector were very much capable of managing this task alone and in truth Jerome was probably slowing their progress, they were willing to endure it for the aid he could provide. And more recently the affinity that had begun to develop between them. Jerome was a perfect example of hope in Trekan’s eyes, proof that even humans could recognize the greater value of life. 

Jerome looked down for a moment, and then his eyes were lost to them as he placed his helm over his head making his expression unreadable. He looked over at the still ragged form of Elayne and began to approach her. 

Trekan walked over as well and looked up at Ticya. After exchanging a glace they both nodded and Trekan knelt down beside the dying woman. ‘Now Jerome, you will witness magic for yourself. Pay close attention and see the power your technology has cost you.’ He raised a hand and held it with outstretched fingers above the woman’s chest with his eyes closed. 

What happened next defied all that the human understood of science. Ticya leaned forward slightly and seemed to fall into a sort of trance. As he watched the air between them, Jerome became aware of a distinct warmth, a haze of energy passing from the dragon into the smaller drake. This energy seemed to make Trekan glow as though he was luminescent. Eventually the light pooled in his outstretched palm before washing over the injured form of the officer Elayne. The slayer watched in disbelief as the flesh re-knitted itself and the scars vanished. 

Jerome looked from the freshly healed form of the woman to Trekan then up at Ticya. The two draconians seemed utterly drained by the energy expenditure, but there was no denying that what Jerome had just witnessed was an ability well beyond the understanding of modern Imperial science. As much as he wanted to pepper the two of them with questions, he held back in knowing that they would all require rest for the time being. 


* * *


Engines thrummed on the ground all around him as well as in the air above. Jake had positioned himself on the forward prow of one of the rolling warmachines, partly for convenience should he need to leap into action and partly to be plainly visible to the men marching behind. Lenne was likewise positioned on another vehicle’s prow several rows over. He sighed shallowly and panned his gaze over the empty horizon again. The sun was barely cresting the horizon at this early hour and the temperature was freezing the air all around him. 

His suit was temperature controlled of course, pressurised and regulated to be a constant temperature but he felt a pang of sympathy for the several hundred soldiers who could not fit in the numerous transports rolling alongside the one he rode on. The endless plains that stretched before them would be the primary objective for the next few days. Once they cleared the known boundaries of Imperial Fringe territory, their pace would accelerate, scout flyers would be dispatched ahead and the true invasion would be underway. 

‘Lenne, give me a report on your side.’ He asked, more from boredom than protocol.

‘All units are proceeding at optimum pace.’ She replied in a bored voice. She had given the same reply not half an hour earlier and it had been just as boring back then when the marching had begun. Technically, they were not in positions of command, instead serving as a detachment on their own initiative and advisors in case of unexpected Draconian interference. 
‘Roger that.’ Jake confirmed. Following this he set his armour to remain static and relaxed inside of it. Nobody would notice at this stage if he went back to sleep for a few hours. 


* * *


Hours had passed and the sun was beginning its descent. Ticya and Trekan had recovered most of their energy but Elayne remained for the time being unconscious. Trekan had warned Jerome that it could be some time before she awoke, but nonetheless the slayer had insisted that they should resume moving at the earliest chance. He didn’t tell them it was to preserve his plasmacaster’s ammunition stores which would deteriorate to beyond usefulness in a matter of less than a week. 

And so they grudgingly acceded to his wish. Ticya allowed Trekan to take his place in the nook of her shield while Jerome carried Elayne in one arm up onto the dragon’s back. Ticya shakily took off and continued to fly due north. She kept her altitude low in order to keep breathing easy for herself and her less than optimal passengers as she headed back to hide among the mountains. The three discussed between them and decided that it was time to rest. As soon as they had discovered a suitable spot to spend the night, Ticya would hunt again to allow them a decent chance to recover their energy. 

When they landed, Jerome made it a point to secure his prisoner before she woke up. Ticya left them in a dense clump of trees on the lower side of a mountain facing northeast, and Trekan and Jerome were able to fashion a makeshift rope out of a vine that had attached itself to one of the trees. With her hands bound, Elayne woke to see a figure of metal accompanied by a figure of scales. 

‘What the hell happened?’ She asked frantically, scrambling into a sitting position. Her eyes went wide when Trekan leaned in close. 

‘I saved your life human.’ He said coldly. ‘That’s what happened.’ 

‘That can’t be.’ Elayne said, shrinking back from the drake. ‘I was...’ 

‘It’s true.’ Jerome said. She calmed slightly as he spoke, seeming to recognize his voice. ‘It was Trekan and Ticya who saved us.’ 

‘Jerome?’ She said. ‘But how? What did they do, rip the dragon open and-‘

‘Yes.’ Jerome interrupted. ‘Exactly that. Then Trekan was able to heal your wounds and mine. So now that we’re all fine, we’re going to spend the night here and then we’re going to continue with the mission we set out on to begin with.’ 

Trekan turned and walked a short distance away. Jerome did not pursue why and instead knelt down beside the woman to try and reduce the appearance of threat. Although she had woken up after a long sleep and a healing spell, it was apparent that she was still exhausted and would have to eat something before she would regain any real energy. Much like Jerome himself and the two draconians. 

‘Why would you do this?’ Elayne asked him, her voice barely a whisper. ‘Why would you ally yourself with... dragons? Drakes? Does the kinship of your own kind mean so little to you?’ 

Jerome looked back at her. His face was hidden but hers displayed every ounce of the sincerity of the question. It was at this moment that the slayer realized just how segregated the nation of regnum had become. No contact with the Empire had meant that every one of the fledgling country’s descendants had become just as indentured to the old hatreds as the Nation’s founders had been. It was almost a pitiable situation, but Jerome was not one to let ignorance be an excuse. They could educate Elayne, try to convince her of the reality of the situation. If that failed... 

‘We were at peace Elayne.’ Jerome said simply. ‘Because of what your people decided to do, we had to learn to fight again. I wasn’t always a slayer. When I was a boy, I wanted to be a chef. When the Empire came under attack, I realized that my future was no longer likely to happen. They thought we started a new war. We thought they’d come to destroy us.’

‘They do want to destroy us.’ Elayne whispered back t him. She laid back down and shook her head. ‘It’s all they’ve ever wanted. It’s what they were born to do. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen. You haven’t been to the places I have. Tucked away safe in your little Empire.’ 

‘What are you talking about?’ Jerome demanded. ‘What have you seen?’ 

‘There’s a place up north.’ Elayne whispered. She kept her voice low so that the form of Trekan a dozen metres away wouldn’t hear. ‘It looks like it was built by some ancient race. We found it almost thirty years ago, and it was our vindication. It proved that we were right, that the draconians wanted to destroy us. So we accelerated our military development. But then. Then the wild dragons started to appear.’ 

‘What proof?’ Jerome asked. ‘And how do you know it was them?’ 

‘We don’t.’ She shrugged. ‘All we know is that it definitely wasn’t us. Who else is there? They have technology. They have weapons to match ours. Why else if not to destroy?’ 

‘You didn’t answer my question.’ Jerome pressed. ‘What proof do you have?’ 

‘A machine.’ She answered. ‘An enormous weapon of destruction. I haven’t seen it for myself. The researchers and the government sealed the place up to prevent any potential breach. They say it could destroy the entire world, but it was intended for us. So far they haven’t been able to destroy it or dismantle it, but they’re still trying.’ 

‘You don’t know what it does?’ Jerome asked, also whispering at this stage. ‘You have no real proof that it’s a weapon then. You have no proof that it was put there by the dragons. You have no proof they made it to destroy us. This is all just paranoid delusion put in place by your leaders’ propaganda.’ He stood after this and took several steps backwards. 

‘You’re wrong.’ Elayne said simply, sitting up once more. ‘I hope I can convince you before it’s too late. If your dragon friend is going after this device it can only be to activate it.’ 

‘Actually, that’s what the Draconian Council wants.’ Jerome explained. ‘We actually left unsanctioned in order to reach it before them and prevent it from being used. If it’s any consolation, I intend to have a talk with them regarding this information you’ve given me. Don’t worry, I’ll be discreet.’ 

Before Elayne could protest further a large slender form swooped by overhead. She watched in terror as the creature turned in midair and made a gentle glide to land in the space just before them. As the dragon landed, its sword in one hand and three dead griffins in the other, the woman began to tremble and hyperventilate. 

‘Don’t worry, that’s Ticya this time.’ Jerome said. ‘She’s the dragon who saved our lives. You’ll be fine as long as you co-operate. I won’t let them hurt you.’


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Interesting progression; someone is wrong about the real threat but I am not sure who.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Then my plan is working. k:


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Serpion5 said:


> Then my plan is working. k:


Or I am being kind following my previous prediction of your plot before you had even written it :wink:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Yea, but still no confirmation on whether you actually were right about that. :wink:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 14*

This time, Ticya had brought back three griffins rather than the two from before. At a glance it seemed like it was a complete family, two parents and a smaller one likely the chick. Jerome noticed that this time she had killed them before bringing them back. Perhaps his comment earlier had hit a nerve or something? In any case, he couldn’t deny he was looking forward to eating something. He was about to take a step forward then stopped, wincing as Ticya collapsed to her knees immediately following her landing. 

Trekan rushed forward straight away, placing a hand on her knee and climbing onto her leg. He reached up and rested a palm on her lower ribs, shaking his head briefly afterwards. ‘You shouldn’t push yourself so hard.’ He scolded her. ‘I would have thought now of all times you’d realize you’re not invincible.’ 

‘Maybe not, but I’m closer to it than these three were.’ She replied with a cocky voice despite her panting as she dropped the three griffins on the ground. ‘I tried to find something different, but no luck. Trust this to be the one place in the world where griffins are the most common prey.’ 

Trekan was about to speak further but Ticya simply collapsed sideways and fell into a deep sleep. Her sides rose and fell with every breath as she slept. So the drake simply laughed and dragged one of the griffin carcasses to where the pair of humans waited. 

‘You’ve had an effect on her.’ Trekan said to Jerome. ‘I never thought I’d see her so concerned over the loss of a human life.’ 

‘Well you still need me am I right?’ Jerome pointed out. The drake was silent as he began to carve the flesh from the beast’s midsection. The two humans watched with morbid interest as they awaited Trekan’s reply. It was almost a minute in coming, but eventually Trekan sighed and gave voice to his thoughts. 

‘Whether she realizes it yet or not, she has developed a fondness for you.’ Trekan said. ‘Even I will admit my grudging respect for you as a warrior is quickly becoming a sense of camaraderie. For too long now it seems, the differences between our races have blinded us to everything we had in common.’ 

Jerome smiled beneath his mask. Not from the touching words of the drake, but this level of honesty was a gateway to the next level, and Jerome had no patience to spare for the next step. 

‘So...’ He began. ‘Would you go so far as to say you trust me then?’ 

Trekan gasped softly and stopped what he was doing. A single slitted eye focused on where Jerome stood before the drake turned his horned head and met the slayer face to face. ‘I suppose I do... Slayer Jerome.’ He replied resolutely. ‘So now tell me, what prompts this? There’s obviously something on your mind.’ 

‘The Final Sanction.’ Jerome said plainly. ‘What is it, and how do you plan to stop it?’ 

Trekan visibly flinched. This was obviously not what he had expected, or had feared in the very least. ‘That is not for me to reveal. Only Ticya can make that call.’ He paused for a moment. ‘You have my trust Jerome, and I won’t betray you but neither will I betray hers. Sorry.’ 

‘Then I’ll ask her when she wakes up.’ Jerome replied. He spared a sidelong glance at Elayne who stared back with a neutral look and said nothing. As Trekan continued to carve the best meat from the griffin’s flank and rump, Jerome took it on himself to build a fire in lieu of waiting for Ticya to wake up. Elayne sat and watched silently, not in a co-operative mood but neither was she naive enough to believe she’d be able to escape. A skilled drake warrior and Jerome’s highly mobile and deadly armour made that a certainty. 


It was three more hours before Ticya awoke again. Her first course was to eat what she had hunted before, something Jerome left her in peace to do. Following that, Trekan took her a short distance away. Jerome felt slightly uneasy with this. If the drake was mentioning his question before Jerome had the chance to, it could potentially hinder as much as help. 

He kept his stance neutral as the two of them returned. Trekan dropped off her shoulder as she knelt down and approached. The dragon’s mask was removed and her eyes focused as she looked down at him. 

‘Ticya will talk with you.’ The drake told him simply. ‘I’m going to stay here and question the prisoner.’ 

‘Just like that?’ Jerome asked. 

‘Just like that Jerome.’ Ticya answered. ‘You want answers, and I will give them to you. As much as I know. As much as I have seen.’ Her eyes narrowed almost invisibly as she spoke the words and held out an arm. As much as he wanted to hesitate, he saw that she had left her wargear lying a short distance away where she had spoken with Trekan. With him in full battle gear, she was essentially placing herself at his mercy. 

He nodded gratefully and jetted up her arm to take a place on her shoulder. To his surprise, her wings spread and she took off into the air with a jolt. Her head angled back slightly, so that a single large eye looked back at him, studying him. She changed directions seemingly at random, seeking simply to pt distance between them and the other two rather than choose a specific spot. After a brief flight, she landed amid a clump of trees, allowing him to step off onto a tree branch before she sat down before him. The tree’s height put him at eye level with her and he took note of what she was doing. 

_This is unusual._ He thought to himself. By deliberately putting him at equal height, she was treating him as an equal. Not looking down at him or speaking sideways, but conversing at eye level and face to face? In an effort to match her respect, he drew back his own mask so that she could also see his face. 

‘There is a titan dormant beneath the earth of the Northern Plains.’ She said. 

‘A titan?’ Jerome asked. ‘Is that all? What is its purpose?’ 

‘According to the memories we inherit, the titan’s purpose is total annihilation.’ Ticya explained. ‘It wakens when the world is on the brink of death. It kills everything that’s left. It gathers all the life energy left to the planet and leaves, to sail the cosmos and find a new world to begin anew.’ 

‘A failsafe.’ Jerome nodded understandingly. ‘So it cleans the slate and starts over. So what is it exactly? Some sort of... magical manifestation?’ 

‘It isn’t actually seen directly...’ Ticya paused, as if trying to formulate the best words for the explanation. ‘We see these memories in our dreams. But the Titan itself, it is never truly perceivable. I wake after every time and can’t recall its appearance. So I don’t know whether it’s magic in nature, or a dormant dragon waiting to be woken up, or anything else. All we have is this fleeting memory of what it does.’ 

‘Do you know where it is?’ He asked. 

‘Vaguely.’ She nodded. ‘It’s buried beneath an enormous mountain surrounded by five smaller ones. From above they form a pentagon with a point in the centre. There’s a hidden cave somewhere in the central mountain that leads to the chamber where it sleeps. I also know that if we keep travelling north, we will eventually find it.’ 

‘So we don’t really have a time frame then...’ Jerome said half to himself. Numerous thoughts began vying for his focus at once, and he briefly dwelt upon them all in turn. The fact that the Draconian and Imperial armies were likely both heading in this direction as they spoke. The fact that Regnum could very well be sitting atop an entity that waited to destroy the world. The fact that in a matter of days his plasmacaster’s primary fuel cell would degrade beyond usefulness and the fact that they had a prisoner who may or may not prove reliable. 

Then there was the thought of what Elayne had told him. A machine. The Titan. A machine... 

‘Knowing this, will you still help me?’ The dragon asked, snapping him out of his brief reverie. 

Jerome looked back for a few moments before nodding. ‘If I can. But I must ask, what exactly do you plan to do? And on top of that, how much help can I be?’ 

‘That...’ She replied with a long pause. ‘I do not know yet.’ 


* * *


‘I think we’re almost there.’ Jake called to Lenne. His grav-pak thrummed with energy as he zoomed alongside the Imperial scout speeders. He estimated that they were at least fifteen kilometres ahead of the main column’s advance and were at last beginning to see signs of civilization. A small community, perhaps an outpost or simply an outlying town on the fringes of Regnum territory. 

‘Roger that.’ Lenne’s voice sounded. She had stayed with the main advance for security purposes, as insurance against ambush while Jake accompanied the scouts for much the same reason. ‘I take it you’ll be engaging?’ 

‘Affirmative.’ He answered. Kicking his jets into a higher thrust, he shot out in front of the skimmer craft alongside him and with a simple hand signal ordered the advance. The clicks in his commlink sounded the pilots’ affirmatives and over the roar of the engines he could just make out the sounds of weapons powering up... 


Three missiles from the skimmers formed the initial salvo, hitting the closest watch tower with a devastating explosion that ruined the foundations and brought the structure crashing down. Just under a kilometre from the threshold of what was now revealed to be a small town under garrison, sirens could be seen and heard as the militia reacted to the oncoming threat. 

‘Keep firing! Level as much as you can before we get close!’ Jake ordered.

‘Yes Sir.’ The squadron leader confirmed, before relaying the order and dealing out specific targeting points. More missiles sailed through the air towards the nearest buildings and parked vehicles. Jake’s mind briefly dwelt upon the possibility of a civilian presence before he dismissed the thought. War was not kind, and he could not afford to pretend it was. 

As the group of seven skimmers closed in, Jake slowed his approach slightly and primed his own weapon. He watched as the squadron broke formation and began to rain indiscriminate fire upon the buildings row by row. An explosion rocked the sky as one of them was shot down by a man wielding a rocket launcher. Seeing that none of the craft were in a suitable position to strike back, Jake jetted forward to end the threat himself. Radio chatter between the skimmers was a constant background noise and it allowed him to keep loose tabs on what they were up to.

He noticed that more men and women were pouring onto the streets now. Many equipped with weapons, simple assault rifles mostly, probably just standard issue equipment to the local militia. The man with the missile launcher saw Jake approaching and hastily reloaded. Taking aim quickly he fired, sending a rocket and high speed towards the similarly speeding slayer.

Jake angled his body just in time to avoid a direct impact. The rocket detonated off centre, throwing him heavily off course but only inflicting superficial damage. He quickly corrected his course and continued to close the gap. He switched into his secondary ammunition and gunned the soldier down with a burst of photon fire. 

A huge explosion in the centre of the small town shook the ground and most of the people on the streets fell to their knees. 

‘What was that?’ The slayer demanded, pivoting on the spot and loosing a salvo of photon blasts into an oncoming band of militia fighters. Bullets pattered from his armour as he advanced, cutting and blasting his way through the hastily arrayed defences before him. 

‘I targeted the main hangar Sir.’ One of the pilots replied to him. ‘They must have had a quantity of fuel there.’ 

‘That worked out nicely!’ One of the others chimed in. 

‘They’re beginning to rout.’ The squadron leader informed him. ‘Slayer, your command?’ 

‘Secure the settlement.’ Jake ordered. ‘Take no prisoners, but do not pursue. Let them flee, on foot only. Shoot down any vehicles you see. There’s a good chance we’ll catch up to them before they get far.’ He disengaged his rear thruster and hovered in place for a few moments as he observed the site of the small skirmish battle. The ambush had been undeniably effective, but so many things weren’t right. 

Regnum had left a town out here. It was ill defended and isolated, with a poorly equipped militia and seemingly no direct avenue to receive reinforcements and flee if necessary. Over the sounds of gunshots and missile explosions in the background, Jake’s thoughts were unable to reconcile the situation. 

‘The area is secure Sir.’ The Squadron leader interrupted his reverie. The skimmer pulled up a short distance away and set down on the charred ground between two town houses. All but two of the remaining did likewise within a short distance of each other. The last two remained airborne, orbiting the settlement to ensure that what few survivors had managed to flee would not be returning. Now, the silence after the tumult. 

And no matter what ramifications may come of this, ultimately Jake’s mind continuously wandered to Jerome... 

Where could his mentor possibly be?


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 15*

‘More to the west.’ Elayne said. ‘But don’t shift your direction just yet, there’s another way station you can bypass if you head straight north for another ten miles.’ 

‘Thank you.’ Ticya replied. Her strides increased as she picked up her pace. Elayne sat cautiously on her right shoulder, still untrusting but Jerome had been able to convince her to take this ride. Trekan occupied the nook in her shield and Jerome, no longer needing a ride since they were travelling on foot, was able to glide alongside her. His grav-pak was active but he kept his thrusters powered down for the time being to conserve his fuel. 

‘What’s the size of the way station?’ Jerome called. 

‘Small.’ Elayne answered. ‘But they only need to press one button to send an alert. Ambush is impossible.’ 

‘Assuming it’s small enough, reinforcements from there won’t be an issue?’ Ticya queried. 

‘No. It’s only real purpose is to relay messages.’ Elayne explained. Ticya nodded, her enormous mask shifting with the motion. Elayne involuntarily reached out to steady herself, taking hold of one of the long spines that jutted from the guardian’s head. She released her grip almost immediately, feeling slightly embarrassed. Ticya didn’t even register the action. 

They moved at a brisk pace for a good portion of the day. But both Jerome and the draconians knew they were losing ground when they had to travel like this. Still, with Elayne persuaded to take them directly to the Regnumian Capital they were bound to save some time. If they were fortunate, their arrival would coincide with that of one of the advancing armies, thus making their small band a low priority for the defending military. 

Jerome made a habit of panning across the more direct path Ticya was taking periodically. He did so under the pretence of keeping as much in the sight of his limited helm’s view but his real reason was to continually monitor Elayne. He was well aware of her mental state. She was afraid of Ticya, angry with Jerome and hateful towards Trekan. Her only reason to aid them at this point was self-preservation. 

The thought prompted another. She could not be trusted once they reached their destination. They could not simple release her or they risked being betrayed and discovered. However, neither could they afford to have her trailing behind them where they risked being attacked at an opportune moment. It was a distasteful thought, but the most logical course of action would be to eliminate the woman once she had outlived her usefulness. 

He panned across Ticya’s path again, glancing at the Regnumian officer on the giant’s shoulder as he did so. Nothing. There was no guilt at the idea and no regret for what he had already put her through. He sighed, slightly disappointed in himself but realizing that it was the inevitable result of Slayer psycho-conditioning. 


* * *


‘They’ve been here.’ Harasar said. Alongside him, Liikus and two of the other guardians looked down at where he knelt. The enormous corpse of the rogue dragon had had its abdominal region decimated by what were definitely dragon claws. ‘Incredible that they survived against... this.’ 

‘Perhaps she tried to stomach more than she could handle?’ Liikus suggested, noting the grievous wound to the wild dragon’s abdomen. ‘Or maybe Ticya was able to ambush her...’ 

‘That seems unlikely.’ Harasar interjected. ‘In any case, we know we’re behind them now. We’ll scan the immediate area to see if they’ve done anything else here before we move on.’ 

Liikus nodded, and gestured to the two guardians to pan out and do a quick search. Now standing alone with Harasar and the giantess corpse, she was able to speak more freely. ‘What do you expect to find around here?’ 

‘A rogue dragon would dwell near a viable hunting ground.’ Harasar explained. ‘It seems likely that there be a human settlement close by. Little else would choose to exist in such a barren stretch of land. The humans however may have built one of their cities or towns nearby.’ 

‘And you intend to destroy it?’ Liikus asked. 

‘We can ill afford the luxury of allowing them potential reinforcements.’ Harasar retorted. ‘You should know that. We are at war Liikus.’ The female councillor said nothing further, instead walking away and watching for the guardians to return. It was ten minutes before the two silhouettes reappeared in the sky and began to descend. 

‘What did you find?’ Harasar demanded, moving to pull his shield and sword from where they had been planted. 

‘There is a settlement my lord.’ The first guardian to land answered. ‘My apologies, but we were detected. No doubt they are preparing an attack.’ 

‘Size?’ Harasar asked. ‘Give me an estimate on their numbers.’ 

‘Small settlement Lord.’ The second guardian replied. ‘I estimate less than a hundred soldiers and minimal effective wargear. Our guardians alone should be sufficient for the task, and I do not believe we will even need all of us.’ 

Harasar and Liikus exchanged a glance. With a quick psionic exchange, they reached a decision. If their guardian’s estimate was accurate, the four of them could destroy this outpost without diverting their main force. It was seconds later that Harasar signalled the two guardians to lead them back. There would be no survivors here, none that might attack them from behind. This much at least they would agree on. Liikus met Harasar’s stare with only a small nod as they spread their wings and took flight.


The settlement was indeed small compared to the Empire’s cities and towns. Whether this was due to the younger nation’s limited resources or a deliberate design was unclear, but whatever the case it would only make it that much easier to destroy. Harasar wasted no time, initiating the attack with a volley of flames along the western wall as he swooped past. Retaliation came almost immediately as defensive turrets whirred into life and began firing upon the intruders. Liikus raised her shield as she swooped in to land on the wall. Heavy machine gun fire pattered harmlessly from her shield as she strode across the wall and brought her sword down upon the turret.

The crude but destructive device was shattered by the elegant blade that had been forged millennia ago by artisans of the highest skill. The Guardian Councillor kept her momentum going and cleaved a second turret before her heavy footfall began to destroy the wall’s integrity. She leaped clear as the wall collapsed, blasting a stream of fire that engulfed an armoured vehicle as it exited a nearby hangar. The tank continued to roll for a few more moments before becoming still as the crew within were cooked alive. 

Harasar had begun to lay siege to one of the larger buildings, cleaving great ****** of masonry from the walls in an effort to collapse it on its neighbour. One of the guardians had taken up a defensive position nearby and lashed out with sword and flame at those who attempted to intercept his lord. Liikus was now in the air, drawing fire away from the others as she circled around the wide perimeter to choose her next target. 

She was not idle even in search however, spurts of flame and swoops of her weapon leaving rubble and blazing ruins in her wake. Eventually she settled on a target and began to focus her ire. The building she had chosen appeared to be an armoury or warehouse of sorts for the tools the humans used to wage war. A few well placed swings of her energized sword brought the northernmost wall crashing down before she curled her tongue to deliver a concentrated stream of white hot fire directly into the heart of the structure.

Well versed in the ways of human technology, Liikus positioned her shield forward and braced herself. Just as the elder dragoness anticipated, the human building detonated fiercely, blasting shrapnel and debris in all directions. Even with shield lowered, the force was enough to thrown her back several steps. A series of crashes moments later signalled that Harasar had likewise succeeded in knocking down the cluster of towers he had set his sights on across town. 

Three forms rose into the sky, silhouetted against the flames. Liikus spread her wings and joined them as the four guardians looked down on the vision of destruction and death they had wrought. Only a few patches of concrete were still visible on the ground now, and the flames had begun to leap from one building to the next, engulfing any who were caught in their path. 

‘Finish it.’ Harasar ordered simply. Moving into a circle pattern, the four dragons began to spiral outwards and set ablaze any part of the settlement that had thus far escaped their wrath... 


* * *


Ticya had become frustrated with being earthbound and instead begun to fly at a low altitude that was at least manageable for the unprotected Elayne. Jerome was able to keep up at ground level by initiating a low burn on his thrusters that allowed him to match her low flying pace. 

After a few more hours like this she swooped in low and landed in a crouching position. Jerome pulled up beside her and raised his mask, relieved to finally be able to breathe some fresh air. 

‘There’s another mountain range ahead.’ Ticya explained. ‘We’re getting close.’ 

‘The capital is just beyond there.’ Elayne explained. ‘After the first clutch of mountains you’ll come to the centre of the whole range.’ 

‘There should be a set of mountains in the centre as well.’ Trekan added. 

‘There is.’ Elayne nodded. ‘The capital is built into the side of the central one. It spreads over the plains underneath and partly underground.’ She said nothing more after this, reluctant to breach the topic of what had been unearthed in the process. But they all knew what was there and they were all thinking on it at that moment. 

‘Alright.’ Ticya finished. ‘We’ll go as far as we can tonight and then we’ll find somewhere to rest on the way. Hopefully we’ll make it to the capital either tomorrow or the day after. The we can figure out what we’re actually going to do...’ 


_Flames licked at the air all around him as he ran, trying to find somewhere that the dragon had yet to destroy. He stumbled as a burning pillar fell in front of him, forcing him to double back and hope that another way ahead was clear. 

Jerome couldn’t remember how this had happened. He had awoken in the midst of a burning city and looked up to see an enormous metal dragon in the sky above. Was this the titan? It resembled a complete set of draconic armour but carried no weapons. Its metallic wings did not flap, instead remaining static as the being simply hovered in the air above. 

There was an unholy and terrifying roar before the flames had spread and intensified. And then the dragon had vanished, leaving Jerome alone to die in the fire. The heat threatened to overwhelm him, but he pressed on, finally finding a gap in the wall of flames and darted forward. He felt his skin blistering as he surged through, pushing himself to take three more steps before collapsing to his knees. 

He panted heavily from the effort, crawling forward to put as much distance between himself and the raging inferno as he could. A gleam of silver caught his eye on the periphery of his vision and he turned his head. A rocky outcrop, silhouetted against the burning horizon stood alone with a brilliant glowing sword held aloft from beneath. 

He scrambled to his feet and ran towards this prize, desperate to at the very least die with a weapon at his side. He climbed as fast as he could, earning several cuts and scrapes as he went. With every effort he could muster he wrapped his blistering hands around the hilt and pulled. A shower of sparks landed at his feet as the blade came free and he held the sword in a battle ready pose. 

As if this was the cue it had been waiting for, the giant metallic beast landed a few hundred metres in front of him. Flames reflected off its metal armour as it slammed heavily into the earth, shaking the ground beneath Jerome’s feet. His breath grew ragged as he realized that his was his death. Unlike his battles before, here he was unarmoured and equipped with only a primitive sword. There was no slim chance of success this time. 

‘Are you ready to end this?’ The dragon asked. 

Jerome recoiled in shock at the sound of the beast’s voice. It was not Bahamut’s voice as he had expected to hear. It was... Ticya’s... He had not the time to process this information before the dragon surged forth, maw open wide and enveloping him in blackness..._


Jerome jerked suddenly to the side lashing out ferociously with his suddenly armoured and empty fist. The sound of cracking wood informed him that the tree he had gone to sleep against had buckled under his high powered swing. 

He stood shakily and looked around. The night sky hung above, eerily devoid of stars for some peculiar reason. Ticya’s large form was nearby, her midsection rising and falling with each breath as she slept. Trekan was propped up against her coiled tail and Elayne rested against another nearby tree. 

At first it seemed as though nobody had heard his sudden outburst, but after a few moments Trekan’s head moved and he rose slowly to his feet.

‘Nightmare?’ He asked, walking over and taking a look at the tree Jerome had leaned on. There was a huge chunk of splintered wood and the entire tree now leaned to the side from there on. ‘Must have been quite a bad one.’

‘Yea.’ Jerome answered. ‘Fire. A giant metal dragon. And I had nothing to fight with but an old sword.’ 

‘A giant metal dragon?’ Trekan asked. ‘Like Bahamut?’ 

‘Looked like.’ Jerome nodded. ‘But didn’t sound like. It was...’ He hesitated, unsure of how the drake would react to hearing that it was Ticya in his nightmare. ‘Well, someone else. Someone female.’ 

Trekan simply looked back levelly. ‘You are afraid of her.’ He said simply. ‘A dragon’s soul exists on more levels than a human’s, and it interacts with others far more directly.’ 

‘What are you saying?’ Jerome demanded. 

‘Ticya is fond of you.’ Trekan explained. ‘Her soul is reaching out to yours and her dreams will begin to entwine with your own. But as long as you are still afraid, your own mind will react violently like this. It will subconsciously fight her. And that is a battle you will never win Jerome.’ 

‘So what can I do?’ The slayer asked. Fear had crept back into his heart now, a discomforting notion that threatened to destroy his prowess as a warrior. 

‘That’s simple.’ Trekan answered, placing a hand on the human’s shoulder. ‘Just accept that the two of you are friends. As well as making this easier to cope with, it will also make both of you much stronger.’


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 16*

‘Finally.’ Trekan breathed, clenching a fist in triumph. Beside him, Jerome and Elayne looked on with a sense of finality. It had not been easy or enjoyable, but by pushing themselves to their limit they had succeeded in reaching the Capital in just over a day. Though tired to the point of exhaustion, at least now they were in sight of their target. 

They were perched now in the mountain range that surrounded the Regnumian Capital, hidden from view and potential defensive fire. Ticya had scaled the mountain further, searching for not only a place to rest the night, but potentially a place to roost on a more permanent basis. There was no guarantee this would be over soon and they had all agreed they might need somewhere to fall back to for an extended stay. 

‘We can move in and begin to scout tomorrow.’ Jerome added, noting the darkening sky as the sun began to set. ‘I say we start looking around in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun comes up under cover of darkness.’

‘I agree.’ Trekan nodded. ‘Do you have a more specific plan in mind?’ 

‘That depends…’ Jerome said, turning to Elayne. ‘On how much information our Regnumian friend is willing to give us. What can you tell us about the layout, the easiest way to access the underground facility?’ 

‘Why?’ Elayne demanded. 

‘If we are going to have any chance of finding, and if necessary, destroying the titan, we need to know what we’re getting into.’ Jerome answered levelly. 

Elayne narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze to Trekan. His slitted irises met hers and she found the nerve to ask the question. ‘Are you really willing to destroy the Titan, that machine buried under the mountain?’ 

‘If the Titan is a mere machine…’ Trekan replied. ‘Then much of what I have spent my life believing is a lie. It is also likely that Harasar knows the truth. If he seeks to weaponize it, then I would rather see it destroyed.’ Elayne was silent for a few moments following this before she answered. 

‘Then I will help you.’ 


* * *


Ticya had found several suitable resting places, but the one she occupied now was definitely the most convenient and well hidden. Concealed behind a ridge, it offered a view of the surrounding mountains and a short flight upwards would take her to a perch where she could see the capital without putting herself at risk. The others were at the foot of a mountain about half a mile from where she was now, probably plotting a course of action that would take effect the following morning. For the time being she was content to wait. She settled down into a crag and watched, trying to get an idea of how far attacking a city that size on her own would get her. Likely not far. But this was undoubtedly the place. The feeling that permeated her dreams now soaked her mind that very moment even as she was fully awake. It was definitely down there, beneath that very mountain. 


Almost half an hour had passed before the sound of beating wings snapped her out of her reverie. Stirring in alarm, she scrambled to get to her feet and pulled her sword from its sheath. Her wings flexed but she did not take off yet. If she flew blind she risked being tackled or flamed out of the sky, and further she risked detection from the humans in the city below. 

After a few more seconds, she was able to ascertain the direction and began to climb to clear the line of sight to the city. Once she was clear she took off, leaving the rocks and climbing in altitude. A dark shape could be seen in the sky and it was now shifting its course to head straight for her. In the dimming dusk light she could make out the form of a Guardian, the beating wings of a dragon and the armaments and armour of their calling. 

She had been seen. The two of them began to circle each other in the sky, both holding swords and shields at the ready. The hovered around each other for a tense thirty seconds before Ticya finally spoke. 

‘Have you been sent to kill me?’ She asked, her voice almost daring her adversary to try. 

‘My mission was simply to scout.’ Came the reply. ‘But I am… tempted to try, Ticya. You have disappointed us all.’ Ticya recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to Ekael, a Guardian renowned for being fanatically devoted to the old ways and stories. Stories that most modern day draconians considered to be no more than mythology. 

‘Just my luck to run into a zealot like you in the middle of nowhere.’ Ticya said mockingly. 

‘Nowhere? I think not.’ Ekael replied humorlessly. ‘You can sense it too can you not? The Titan sleeps nearby. When I relay this information to Lord Harasar, our victory will be inevitable. Your futile quest for personal glory will fail. Even as a Guardian, your decision to stand alone will see you destroyed by these humans.’ 

‘You have an unusually high amount of faith in their success.’ Ticya retorted. ‘Or do you simply have so little faith in me? I who have felled slayers?’ 

‘Your accomplishments mean naught in the face of your false convictions!’ Ekael snarled. 

‘Then leave, and carry out your quest.’ Ticya answered simply. ‘For you obviously have nothing to fear. I’ll just keep going to my death and you can all clean up my mess. Now get out of my sight. I’m done speaking with you.’ 

‘Hmph.’ Ekael snorted. ‘Part of me hopes you survive, if only to die by my hands rather than theirs. Fare thee well, traitor. I may hope, but I will not expect to see you again.’ He gave one last growl before turning and flying back the way he had come. Ticya began to drift downward as he vanished into the dark night, eventually shifting into a glide and heading back towards where she had left the others.


Trekan and Jerome had begun discussing in greater depth their most likely course of action. Elayne listened nearby, still heavily involved in convincing herself that she was following the right course of action. Ticya’s heavy footfall drew all of their attention as she scaled the crags with ease to rest in the ridge just below. Her head height sat even with them where they stood. 

‘Find somewhere?’ Jerome asked. Ticya simply nodded and offered a hand for the three of them to climb aboard. She scaled the rock face to avoid casting a silhouette on the sky and circled behind the mountain they were on. Once clear she jumped into a low glide to carry them to the spot she had found a few mountains away. Jerome and Elayne climbed down onto the ridge but Trekan stopped short. 

‘Something is wrong.’ Trekan said, still on her shoulder and looking directly into her eye. 

‘I just encountered Ekael.’ Ticya confessed. ‘Our betrayal is confirmed. You and I are no longer considered to be of Draconia.’ Trekan was silent, mirroring the dragon’s own somber mood. Jerome said nothing now, and Elayne likewise was tactful enough to keep a respectful silence. In the silence that followed, the four of them found themselves staring from their vantage point down at the city below. 

It was a surreal sight, infusing each of them with the knowledge that they could all be dead by tomorrow’s end. Jerome, alone among former enemies in unknown hostile territory. Elayne, helping her former adversaries to break into her own home city for a cause she was still unclear on. Trekan, following his charge into the most dangerous task they had ever undertaken. And Ticya, leading them all on a mission whose importance only she could fully grasp… 


* * *


_More flames. A dead city once more surrounded Jerome as he tried to shield himself from the heat and the smoke. His armour was once again gone but he still held the same sword he had acquired before. The gusting wind shifted directions overhead, following the enormous shadowy form that swept overhead repeatedly. Jerome remembered Trekan’s words. He was supposed to accept this somehow, but what was he supposed to do? 

He squinted, searching through the flames for something to stand on, something to increase his height and catch the metal dragon’s attention. Pushing his way through the smoke and the rubble, he finally found a building fragment that seemed reasonably intact. Ignoring the blistering heat on his palms and feet, he made his way to the top and brandished the sword in an effort to gain the great beast’s attention. 

It worked, and the giant metal form stopped its course to hover above and before him. Acceptance, Trekan had told him, but how was he supposed to convey that? By surrendering? By the drake’s own account, to lose this struggle was to invite destruction, so the logical course of action was simply not to fight. He had to surrender. 

He held the sword aloft before the apparition of Ticya and let the creature see it before he tossed it aside and spread his arms. The flames seemed to be closing in all around as the dragon watched him impassively. Had it worked? He lowered his arms slightly before reaching one hand towards her. Suddenly the ground lurched beneath him and the metal giant shifted its position. 

Without warning he was hurled into the air by an unseen force. Flames seemed to follow him before he realized that the chunk of rubble he had been standing on had been ejected into the air by a column of fire erupting beneath. His limbs flailed wildly as he tried to grasp some sense of direction before the flames vanished to be surrounded by walls of glimmering metal. The great dragon’s wings appeared on either side of him as he fell, plummeting down into the same open maw that had engulfed him before. 

He screamed, not just in terror but in pain. Pain of what would have been his death and the pain of failure. Darkness surrounded him and the heat of the fire was replaced by the cold void of shadows and despair… _


…Before he awoke again, a flailing fist pounding a piece of rock to dust as he sat bolt upright. The servos in his suit strained as they attempted to match his shuddering limbs and his breathing was ragged and shallow. He looked around, noting with curiosity that nobody had been roused from the noise, not even Trekan who had woken before. Though to be fair, he was exhausted and had no reason to believe otherwise that they all were too. 

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he rose and made his way out of the shallow cavern they had used as shelter. He gave a backwards glance as he stepped out into the night, seeing the uncounted stars he had never seen before. Ticya was capable of flying at phenomenal speeds, an ability which had allowed them to traverse half the scope of the planet in a matter of days. Were the Draconians not reliant on an army of soldiers to hold their own, a clutch of dragons may have been already attacking the city below. 

Jerome took a look as he passed a gap between the crags. The city was lit up even at this hour, so reminiscent of the Imperial cities close to the Empire’s heartlands. He raised the visor on his helm, feeling the chill night air on his face and breathing it in. He sighed at reaching a decision and starting with his helmet began to remove his armour one piece at a time. 


Ten minutes of combined contemplation and armour removal saw him standing in nothing but his undersuit as he stared down at the mountain and city. In one hand he held the arm piece that incorporated the plasmacaster and photon blaster. The photon blaster held the same limitless ammo count it always would, while the plasma cell had shown signs of decay. Far from the near one hundred shots a full cell would grant, their travel time had seen it decay to the point where he would have less than forty effective shots at most. 

The cold night air whipped at his face and exposed hands as he stood in perfect stillness. Only his hair waved slightly in the chill breeze. It had grown out a bit in his time away, something it tended to do rather rapidly without fortnightly visits to a barber. He ran a hand over his face, noting that at least his inability to grow facial hair had proven to be an advantage in this venture. 

He dropped the armour piece onto the pile with the rest of them and knelt down a short distance away. The city lights gave him something to focus on as he pondered the situation he found himself in on as many levels as he could think of. Acceptance. What the hell was it supposed to mean? Fighting the monster in his dream hadn’t worked. Surrendering hadn’t worked. What else could he do? 


As time passed he found himself falling into combat drills and fighting forms to help himself relax. The stars passed steadily overhead and as the sky moved over his head so too did his thoughts move within. He now found himself with more options than he had been given before, but with time so short for them now he wondered if it would be enough. 

All he could do was hope. Giving one more glance to the sky, he decided that he was ready to try and sleep again. He re-donned his armour and scaled the rocky path back up to where the others still slept, not wanting to be taken unprepared if something should find them before the sun came up. As he settled back down a discreet distance from the others, he silently prayed that the nightmare would not come twice to him in the same night…


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent: more Dragons.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

It needed more right?


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Serpion5 said:


> It needed more right?


The yay was caused by there being more of this story; although, as you ask, more dragons is always good - except when your in a small space.


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

So... More dragons. On it. :chuffed:


----------



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Chapter 17*

The sky was still very much in the grip of night as Trekan began to move. Behind him a short distance ran Elayne, the two of them approaching the city from the south in the hopes of finding a way in while security was low. Jerome and Ticya would wait back in the mountains to continue the fight if Elayne and Trekan somehow failed. Ticya had been extremely reluctant to let her drake companion go without her, but in the end she allowed him his wish. If they found a way in, their plan was to sneak Jerome inside afterward and cause a distraction from within while Jerome headed straight for the Titan itself. 

Ticya was their ace card, their reserve should anything go wrong. While she wouldn’t be able to level the entire city by herself, even a brief attack would be a sufficient distraction while the others made their escape. Trekan glanced backwards, hoping his mental state was calm enough to assure her he was okay. 

‘The closer we enter to the mountain the better.’ Elayne pointed out. ‘But the guards there will be much more frequent than everywhere else.’ 

‘And better equipped I’d wager.’ Trekan added. 

‘Unfortunately.’ Elayne confirmed moments later. As the two came to a stop before a snow covered rock formation, they surveyed the wall nearest to them. It slanted in towards the increasing slope before tapering off at the point of being vertical. 

‘That won’t be difficult to climb.’ Trekan observed. ‘But I’m a bit more concerned with what’s directly on the other side.’ He turned to Elayne for suggestions. 

‘Well whatever’s there, our odds are better in the dark than waiting for the sun to come up.’ She replied. ‘Also, I can’t climb anywhere near as well as you.’ He simply grunted a short laugh before beginning to advance towards the wall at a slow but steady pace. After a minute of cautious stalking, he signaled for Elayne to follow and broke into a run. 

He stopped and pressed himself against the concrete wall alert for any danger. Elayne arrived seconds later and crouched beside him. ‘Do you hear anything?’ 

Trekan scented and tasted the air while panning his head around. ‘I can’t detect anything around beyond the two of us. It might be clear, but let me check first.’ He placed his hands upon the wall, digging his claws into the recesses and pulling himself towards the top. Within seconds he had surveyed the other side and dropped back to crouch beside his human ally. 

‘What are we up against?’ She asked. 

‘Surprisingly little.’ Trekan answered. ‘I saw seven patrols in the area, four of them at the door. The four I can take care of but the three wandering patrols could potentially mess things up.’ 

‘Leave them to me.’ Elayne said. 

‘Alright. Get on.’ Trekan said. He clung to the wall and allowed her to climb onto his back. She tightened her grip as he ascended, barely slowed at all by the extra weight. He slid over the top and rounded, lowering them both as silently as he could. The paved ground was cold beneath his feet and even the air in the compound seemed colder than it had been outside. Elayne dropped off immediately and pulled him into the corner where the outer wall met the concrete face that had been plastered over the mountainside. 

‘You said you can handle those four?’ Elayne pointed to the large metal door less than a hundred meters further down. ‘I need a knife or something so I can take care of the other three.’ 

‘I can only spare this.’ Trekan drew a small throwing dagger from a belt under his top and handed it to her. ‘Will it be enough?’ 

‘I’ll make it work.’ She answered. ‘Now hurry.’ She took the knife and began to creep along through the shadows back towards the western end of the city. Trekan watched her go for a few moments before beginning to advance towards his own targets. When he was close enough he scaled the walls once again, coming to a stop just above the twelve foot door itself. Two powerful spotlights would have revealed any intruder but one coming from above, a fatal flaw in their security layout. 

Almost too fatal. He looked out across the city from this new vantage point, noting with a mix of trepidation and relief the numerous structures that could only be turrets positioned in among the buildings. Relief that no sentient race could be so stupid. And trepidation that this place would be difficult to lay siege to, even for a compliment of Guardians… 

He put the matter from his mind for now, turning his focus back to the immediate task at hand. He still had two throwing knives and his sword. Positioning himself carefully on the protruding door jam and using his legs and tail for grip, he drew a knife in each hand and aimed for the two guards to the right of his position. 

His aim was near perfect, a knife embedding in the back of each soldier and they fell to the ground in breathless heaps. Their two counterparts on the opposite side of the door had barely reacted before being bore to the ground by a mass of scale and steel. Two seconds, four kills. Trekan grinned, realizing that he had just set a personal record. Ducking back so as not to remain in the light, he seized the limp corpses and dragged them hastily from view two at a time. 

From the shadows of the nearest building, he studied the terminal beside the door. It was a flat panel dotted with almost a dozen digit buttons and what looked like some sort of scanner. He wondered if he would need the aid of an officer to gain access… 

After another two minutes of waiting, Elayne appeared at his side. He had detected her approach by scent and by sound, but her movements were not those of an ambusher so he remained at ease. ‘That terminal there.’ He pointed. ‘It requires human operation?’ 

‘Yes. That’s a palm scanner.’ She nodded. ‘Likely keyed to one of those… guards.’ She hesitated briefly at seeing the small mound of corpses nearby. 

‘So I need a hand.’ Trekan concluded. Elayne looked away as the drake lifted a limp arm and cleanly sliced it from its connecting shoulder. ‘Will this work?’ 

‘It… should.’ She answered, visibly trying not to gag. The two of them approached the door hastily but quietly. 

‘I don’t understand why security seems so… low.’ Trekan wondered out loud. 

‘There really isn’t a great deal of threat from inside.’ Elayne answered. ‘The place was designed for repelling a large scale attack, the network of smaller outposts are designed for advance warning. With my section probably gone, alert level would still be low. But that’ll probably change real soon.’

‘I estimate still a few days before the Draconian army gets close enough to begin attacks.’ Trekan said as they made the last few meters to the door. ‘With any luck we’ll have figured out our next move well before then.’ He raised the severed arm and pressed the palm to the scanning device. The surface glowed a dim green before another set of lights illuminated and a line of text flowed across the screen. 

‘It’s requesting the key code.’ Elayne said. 

‘Do you have it?’ Trekan asked. 

‘No. Just type anything.’ Elayne said. ‘And get ready to run back to the walls.’ 

‘What good will that do?’ Trekan demanded. 

‘Trust me.’ Elayne said. ‘You need to get out of here. There is almost definitely a way inside from somewhere on the mountain itself. When this code fails, security will flood out. That will be my chance to get inside, I’ll find the other route and let you and Jerome in from there.’ 

‘No. I’m staying with you.’ Trekan insisted. ‘I may not get another chance to get back inside. Jerome is more capable of that than I am. Especially once security goes up.’ 

‘Then you’ll have to be quick, quiet and virtually invisible.’ Elayne replied. ‘And I still don’t think it’s a good idea.’ 

‘Save it.’ Trekan told her. ‘And get ready to do what you have to.’ He dashed back to the wall and climbed it as he had before, beyond sight of the lights and waited. Elayne took a deep breath and entered a sequence of numbers, hoping but at the same time preparing to run the moment she was done. As expected, mere moments after she pressed the final key alarms and sirens sounded and lights began to blare, illuminating every shadow. 

Trekan shifted his position to directly behind one of the overhead spotlights, hoping to conceal himself in the glare. Elayne however had realized that she would not get the chance she expected and instead began to flee. Trekan was powerless, only able to watch as more figures began pouring into the street. Dozens of them lined each pathway, all converging on the doorway and heading straight towards him. 

After a few more moments, the doors hissed open and more guards and soldiers emerged. He was never going to get a better chance, but still he needed a diversion. A scream followed by the sounds of clicking gun parts echoed nearby as Elayne was finally captured. Many of the soldiers were still alert, but attention near the doorway was thankfully less than it had been moments before. He swung down and in, over the heads and briefly into the spotlight. As quick as he could manage, he clung to the ceiling of the inner complex, a steel grating in a dimly lit corridor. 

He tore a hole in the grate and crawled up inside, out of sight and began to move further inwards. He advanced cautiously, stopping when somebody moved past and trying to discern which was the best direction to take. 

He paused as more movement beneath him approached, much more than usual. He peered through the grate and watched, eyes widening as he spied a heavy contingent of guards escorting a bound and gagged Elayne. She was blindfolded, stripped of all but her undergarments and had heavy chains around her wrists bound behind her back. 

But she was alive, and mostly uninjured. What she had done had seen her captured and despite her being still a potential risk, he couldn’t bring himself to simply abandon her at this point. He followed the group, four guards leading the way and four more following behind, from his hidden vantage point above. Cabling and pipe work made the travel difficult, so he kept a discreet distance behind in case he made an incautious misstep. He counted what he had as he traveled, no throwing knives left but he still had his sword and a studded strap he could wrap around his hand or wrist. 

Ten minutes into the complex and Trekan was forced to stop as they came to a doorway. The wall separating the corridor from what lay ahead continued up into the vents above, barring his progress and forcing him to divert his path along a different route. Still, he made a mental note of which direction he needed to head as he searched for a way around. He only hoped he would find her in time. 


* * *


Jerome rested on a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. Ticya lay beside him, her head just a few meters to his left as her body and wings sprawled over the ground behind. From below, their silhouettes would blend seamlessly with the rocks around them as the starlight shone down. In less than an hour the sun would begin to rise and they would be forced to hide, to wait for word or else take decisive action for themselves. 

‘I don’t like letting him go alone.’ Ticya said softly. 

‘He’s not alone.’ Jerome replied. ‘Elayne is with him.’ 

‘I meant… without me.’ Ticya sighed. ‘I know he says he has more experience, and he does… But he’s still so much smaller than me. I feel responsible for protecting him just as he protects me.’ 

‘I can’t begin to imagine what that partnership must be like.’ Jerome said. ‘But I do understand how it feels to be responsible for others’ lives. Before all this, I had two rookie slayers under my command and tutelage. Lord only knows what has happened to them.’ 

‘Lately… The bond seems strained.’ Ticya said suddenly. ‘As though there’s something… between us. I don’t know what it is. But when my mind reaches out to his, I feel it wandering elsewhere and I don’t know why… And these dreams. I am haunted by these dreams.’ 

Jerome turned his neck to the left, looking at her focused eye through his own visor. His thoughts came to rest on what Trekan had told him before and he wondered if the fledgling subconscious bond between them was the cause. His own nightmares and now hers… He had an idea but needed a simple question answered to be sure.

‘The nightmare. What happens?’ Jerome asked. A deep sigh sounded before Ticya explained herself. 

‘The capital city is in flames all around me, I have no armour or weapons and a broken wing. I can barely move, and there’s a slayer nearby.’ She shifted her position slightly, visibly discomforted. ‘I tried to fight… But he was too fast. He shot through my defenses and aimed his gun and then… He fires, and everything goes dark…’ 

Jerome suppressed the urge to reveal the details of his own nightmare, but it did seem to confirm what Trekan had told him. What was more surprising was that her mind seemed to be reacting much as his own had. 

‘I’m sure it’s just tension.’ He said at last. ‘This whole situation is anything but relaxing after all.’ 

‘I hope you’re right. But I still feel…’ She stopped talking suddenly, and both of them heard the sound of beating wings in the air approaching. With a swiftness that belied her size, Ticya scooped Jerome from where he stood and crawled hastily into a small crevice in the rocks nearby. They were both on alert now, scanning the darkened sky for signs of what were most likely enemy dragons. 

Jerome spotted them first, the white light function in his visor allowing him to see in the low light of the night sky. ‘Four of them.’ He told Ticya. ‘They might be an advance party sent to… wait.’ 

He paused as the group of dragons halted in their advance. Three of them circled the fourth as it gave several gestures in different directions with its sword. As they fanned out, the leader remained hovering in place. Jerome conveyed this development to Ticya and she shook her head in dismay.

‘They’re not scouting for city weaknesses.’ She explained. ‘One of them found me earlier while you were checking the area. He left, but it seems Harasar wasn’t so willing to leave me alive.’ 

‘So that means…’ Jerome realized the danger immediately. 

‘Yes.’ Ticya confirmed. ‘They’re here for us.’


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Oooo.. a cliff hanger.


----------

