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The Great War
Written by Enly
Story by Enly & Roja
Edited by Annatira, Phildaburn, and Roja
Artwork by Roja
Chapter 10
"I thought we’d be moving on by now, it’s been two days since the attack. I’d think Mazhiez would go searching for answers," Velor muttered to Meer as they sat among the rocks above Dra Leont.
After spending a day in the fort, they’d felt they should help out some until Mazhiez decided what to do. Taking shifts guarding the pass was not exactly the most exciting thing and it was terrifying to gaze at their city filled with monsters, but it was work and it made them feel useful.
"Mazhiez is pretty upset. He just needs some time to recover," Meer pointed out as he twirled an arrow in his hands. Most of the monsters had given up on making feeble periodic assaults on them. That was a good thing, seeing as the pass wouldn’t be held long against any real attack.
"He seems fine enough when we go to the fort, what are they’re calling it again?" Velor tossed pebbles between his red tinged hands and dropped them boredly to the ground far below.
"Telmont, at least the stone one will be named that once they knock down the wooden stuff they threw up. And Mazhiez was still running on the adrenaline of battle. He and his sister were close, her death hit him hard."
"Death? Who said she’s dead?" Velor snapped his palm shut and clutched angrily at the pebbles while he turned to glared at Meer, he knew Kiylee as well and would have his own grief over her death.
"Oh be realistic Velor! No one but us made it out of the city, Iscalrith and Dra Syn have confirmed that." Meer countered, he didn't know Kiylee as well and didn't understand why Velor, Mazhiez, and several others refused to accept the truth.
"There are always the boats," Velor asserted grumpily, with an arrogant attitude.
"The boats that were being thrown into the water by giants and were surrounded by black ships filled with dragons and cyclops?" sighed Meer. Both he and Velor were confident they were right, despite the fact they saw hope or despair in the other's argument.
Velor quieted and stared out at the city again. The draegoni flags had been torn down and the gates lay broken on the ground, it pained him so much to look at it. He couldn't see the docks, but he could imagine them. Recalling how he could once stare into the smooth surface of the calm water and see his green haired reflection stare back, he tried not to think of the foul ships and muck of the monsters that now filled the beautiful waters.
"What about the docks on the north pier?" the thought came to Velor suddenly as he imagined the city at its finest.
"They’ve been unused since the construction on that temple, by request of the city council," pointed out Meer.
"Yes, but there were still a couple boats there no? And the dock is far enough north that they might have made it out around the invaders."
"Meer!" an approaching draegoni interrupted their conversation.
"Zyque!" Meer smiled broadly and jumped up to embrace the draegoni. Velor stood and turned around.
"And who might this be?" Velor questioned.
"My cousin," Meer smiled. "He has been on Seridia for quite some time now. When’d you get back?" He questioned Zyque.
"About a week ago, I was in Glacmor with my brother for awhile, then I was called out here to help build the fort."
"It’s good to see you again cousin," Meer tried to smile again, he was overjoyed to see his cousin, yet the city in the distance prevented the mirth from crossing his face.
"You as well, and it’s a pleasure to meet you," Zyque looked questionably for a name as he turned towards Meer's companion.
"Velor," the tall draegoni muttered grouchily. All these new people around coming in from different duties, he didn’t like not knowing everyone.
"Don’t mind him he is just a grouch," Meer instructed.
"I must sadly admit however that I did not come up here solely to say hello. Mazhiez spoke for the first time since this morning, he has some sort of news," Zyque admitted.
"News?" Velor questioned. "How did he get news?"
"Haven’t a clue but I’d like to find out what it is and he wouldn’t say a word until Durron gathered all his bunch. So I came and got you two," explained Zyque.
"I suppose he wants that lot of orchans and dwarves to come with us wherever he decides to go then," Velor sighed, tossing the last of his handful of pebbles over the cliff.
"Go? Won’t he stay and help the draegoni?" Zyque asked puzzled.
"You obviously don’t know Mazhiez," Velor shook his green haired head and went to go find the captain in charge of the draegoni on watch, to explain they were needed elsewhere.
*****
The three draegoni wandered into the small tent camp that Durron and Mazhiez’s assorted companions had set up. Both leaders obviously had dedicated comrades that would follow them anywhere.
"There you are," Mazhiez grumbled. "That makes twenty eight, plus Meer’s cousin and we have twenty nine, everyone is here."
"Now will you tell us what you called this stupid meeting for?" Jeeve groused. The past couple days spent waiting for news and commands at the fort, with the lingering shock and grief, seemed to have put everyone in a bad mood.
"Are orchans always so rude?" Velor snapped at the bulky bald figure.
"Are you always so dense?" Jeeve countered, his almond colored eyes ablaze with anger at the impertinent draegoni.
"Quiet!" Durron roared, glaring past his thick black eyebrows. "Can’t you all learn to get along or do we have to give you time outs every five minutes?"
"Forgive me master dwarf, but I am not accustomed to spending time with orchans, dwarves and the few humans among you. And now that I have to I’m glad I never did before," Velor sneered.
"Velor that is enough," Mazhiez glared. "We will work with Durron and his men, or we will join the draegoni regulars. I think I know which choice you prefer."
With a huff Velor seated himself on a stone along with the rest of the group.
"There, now that we’ve all calmed down," Mazhiez gave Velor a nasty look. "I received some news from Annaeh and Assain: there is trouble at the port, as well as a boat from Dra Leont."
Uproar ensued, Mazhiez’s men immediately dying to know about the ship. Who had been on it?
Durron’s men wanted to know how in the world he had gotten word from the twins. And soon enough the whole group was yelling at each other over how stupid their questions were.
Durron watched the scene grimly, and then turned to Mazhiez who was seated right next to him. The draegoni had his head in his hands.
"It was your idea," the dwarf grumbled. Mazhiez knew he had meant it to be more of a joke, yet recent events did not make such things easy.
"I had hoped they’d work out their differences more easily then this. I’m not so sure any of them really understand the enormity of what happened in Dra Leont."
"Do any of us?" Durron pointed out. "Let me handle this, they'll cool down easy enough. They're all just uptight and worried after everything in Dra Leont, but they know their place. You go talk to Sam and explain our plans."
"Thanks," Mazhiez said, rubbing his forehead. "I’m not quite ready to yell and get them all in line yet."
"That’s what you have me for," Durron sighed.
The dwarf watched his tall friend stand and slip away toward the fort and then turned to establish some sort of order and explain what was going on.
Mazhiez made his way quickly away from the argument; he didn’t have the patience to deal with it at the moment.
"Sam?" he called hesitantly as he opened the door to one of the small wooden shacks.
"She’s in the third building on the right," a draegoni informed him.
Whispering thanks Mazhiez closed the door and went to the building he had been directed to.
"Maz," Sam nodded to him as he entered. As usual she was hard at work, and after greeting him she turned back to whatever she was doing, bowing her crimson haired head over a desk.
"I received word from Annaeh and Assain," Mazhiez told her.
"Oh? I received no word a messenger had arrived." Sam glanced up curious.
"They sent a villager back on one of their horses, but he simply came to our camp then returned to the village the moment his message was delivered. I guess he didn't want to stay away from his friends and family long," explained Mazhiez.
"Very well, what did he say?" asked Sam, now giving Mazhiez her full attention rather than working at the same time.
"A dragon ship landed at the port and has trapped most of the villagers in their houses. Yet more important is that a draegoni ship from Dra Leont docked there before the monsters arrived. Some escaped the city!"
"Oh? Well we should send some troops up there right away shouldn’t we general?" She spoke.
Mazhiez started to say something else then glared as he realized Sam had just called him general.
"You will be resuming your duties as a general correct?" she asked. "I believe you are left as the highest ranking officer in all the draegoni lands with those generals at Dra Leont gone."
"There is a reason I insisted on being referred to as Lord rather than General for all those years," Mazhiez glowered, giving the shorter flame haired draegoni a glare.
"I would think it was time you put that aside and do your duty for your people."
"My duty? For my people? What do I owe them? I pulled them through the invasions of humans in the Ice Wars and all the thanks I get are watching Jarraas be decorated with medals for bravery! That half assed fool never did a real day's work in his life and he gets credit for my deeds? I made an oath I would never serve the King and Council again and I intend to keep it."
"Mazhiez," Sam raised her voice agitated. "This isn’t about you or the draegoni! This is about Draia. You have a duty to use the skills you have to protect those in need."
"Duty? Do not speak to me of duty Samara," she cringed as he used her full name. "You have never seen true war; petty skirmishes and battles, nothing more. You speak to me of duty after you watch friends die because an idiot didn’t do what was needed fast enough."
"I heard what happened to your friend Erresh and I’m sorry. But I also heard you refused to help Jarraas the night before the attack."
"He was given the highest military position, it’s the council’s fault for appointing an idiot."
"So you think it’s alright that those innocent people all died! What if you could have helped or changed something the night before? What if you’d listened to Jarraas. You are not the only one who lost friends and family in Dra Leont. You could have done something Mazhiez, there are people that would be alive now if you had helped."
Mazhiez quivered with rage and grief. He could never explain it to Sam that no one regretted his choices more than him.
"I’ll take my men north to help the port," he said quietly. "General Samara, please inform the king and council that I have officially resigned from my position and no doubt those that follow me north would appreciate the same service. I’ll let you know who is accompanying me."
Sam watched without a word as Mazhiez turned and left. Then let a tear slip down her check. Her mother had been in Dra Leont and Mazhiez knew it.
Storming back into the tent camp, Mazhiez growled orders.
"Pack up we’re heading out!" he proclaimed. "I trust Durron explained everything."
"I did," said Durron coming out of a tent. "What’s the rush about?"
"We’re leaving," Mazhiez responded simply.
"It’s late afternoon. We’ll get nowhere before it gets dark," Velor complained.
"Then we will ride through the night, now get ready or you’re staying."
The tent camp was down and packed within an hour and they were ready to move out when a group of soldiers came out of the fort.
"You’re abandoning your duty?" Zyque questioned.
"I am abandoning my position among the draegoni so that I may fight for Draia."
"We’d like to come with you then," one of Zyque’s companions stated.
"Well come along then. Perhaps we can all do more good defending Draia for Draia rather than riches for a foolish Draegoni government."
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