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Scales and Honor: Emerald Secrets

Chapter 8: No going back

Veledar awoke the next morning with a lazy blink of his eyes. He yawned copiously, with his jaw stretching wide to accommodate for the tongue-curling rumble that followed. He remembered flying back to his quarters and insisting Arcturus keep him company. But where was he? When Veledar moved his front limbs to grab onto the human, the paladin was nowhere to be found, which, of course, became a typical thing to do after he acquired his new abilities.

Veledar stretched and slithered his way down the stairs to devour whatever concoction the innkeeper had whipped up. Some fruit salad, waffles, and bacon were currently on the menu. Veledar paid only partial attention as he was brought stacks of each one. He ate them quickly and was out the door with a quick thanks to the man, practically spraying him with crumbs.

The morning sun shone through the treetops, its benevolent rays feeling warm against his crimson scales. He licked his snout free of any lingering food as he made his way quickly to the training area where there was no doubt in his mind the others would be. Well, he figured at least Arcturus would be there anyway. With the thought of his friend lodged in his mind, the red dragon wrinkled his snout, remembering vividly the events that transpired just yesterday, namely the curse placed on to him.

Veledar growled as he imagined the green dragoness chuckling to herself as she held up her poison-infested claw. He so wanted to lash back at her. In hindsight, attacking a creature that could kill his entire party with a few flicks of her claws was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Even now, Veledar was still amazed by the ferocity he had shown attacking her. During that adrenaline surge, he felt capable of ending her right there.

But I didn't. Probably never will, as long as she holds his life in her claws.

Veledar shook his head off the increasingly distasteful thoughts. Oh, he could not wait to get out of this forest and get back to the task of getting his book back. Then, once that was said and done, he vowed to himself never to come back to this horrible forest.

When he reached his destination, Veledar pounced from the wooden platform to the training ground below. He landed softly on his leathery paw pads, with as little noise a dragon could make. He composed himself with a brief shake of his wings as he approached Arcturus, already dressed in his armor, sparing with the minotaur. It looked like Arcturus was the stronger combatant as he drove the minotaur back with a flurry of expert slashes, leaving little room for reprisal. However, with a shrug of his scaled shoulders, Veledar reminded himself he was not familiar with the silly rules of a duel.

Lyndis and Merlia were nearby as well. Lyndis was throwing fire bolts at a small round target that had been painted with red and white stripes. By the look of the scorch pattern, it looked like she was getting close to dead center each time she swung another firebolt at the target. She must have been holding back, however, since the wood was not simply destroyed by her magic. Merlia, on the other hand, was sharpening her axe with a little wet stone.

"So the lazy cat finally decides to grace us with his presence!" she laughed at the approaching dragon.

"Of course," Veledar perked his head up in his usual proud fashion, ignoring her comment of cat. “I have to give you ample time to prepare for my esteemed presence." he shot back with a grin. "So why are they sparing over there? Did the minotaur say something insulting of me that prompted my valiant knight in defending my honor?" Or was he being an ass?" He settled onto his haunches, tail curling around the ranger as his head followed Arcturus back and forth. "Or perhaps is he showing the minotaur who is dominant? If so, he has become more dragon like than I thought."

"For someone so esteemed, you sure seem notoriously uninformed," Lyndis laughed, tossing another fire bolt at the target, "Arcturus just mentioned he felt rusty after going a whole day without swinging his sword around. Yea!" The rogue pumped her fist as her bolt of flames struck dead center.

“Excitable much?" He rumbled, teasing her with his snout.

“You could do with some practice." Her finger pushed between his nostrils, almost daring him to lick at her fingers. “But there you are. Watching."

That was when Veledar heard an explosion in the distance. The familiar roar of a fireball detonating. He turned to the others, who were busy doing what they had been doing. Internally he stopped to praise himself for having superior hearing to them. He then turned back towards the source of the mysterious sound. He could see a column of black smoke rising above the treetops. Perhaps this is what the Emerald Lady had wanted them here for?

“Valiant knights, fire-spewing rogues and lazy dwarves, I am terribly sorry to distract you from the very important activities you are engaged in, but I think we might be in danger."

“Oh, you'll sure be if you start comparing your fire to mine." Lyndis threw a small ball of fire that dissipated when it met his chest.

“Ya tell him, lass!" Merlia cheered. “I meself had 'bout enough of starrin' at dragon scales."

“Plenty of time for that later. Now, who's going to help me investigate the explosion?"

“Explosion?" Lyndis shrugged. “Fine. If you want to see a big bang, I'll give you one to ruffle your scales for days."

Just after she finished her piece, Lyndis summoned an increasingly large ball of flame that fizzled into nothingness when Veledar head-butted her.

“We've no time for games. Look!" He growled with urgency, pointing to the rising smoke with his wings.

“Focken damnation. I thought you were lockin' horns with me." Lyndis grabbed onto the dragon's proffered horn. “Don't apologize. I deserved that."

“That looks bad." Arcturus slung his shield around his back, stowed his sword. “Here I was complaining about being rusty."

"Figures something big must happen on the outskirts." Lyndis muttered, quickly grabbing her things, "Maybe the emerald twat is more than growls and creepy threats. She knew something like this was going to happen."

"Aye. We might be in for anotha rumble, boys!" Merlia cracked her knuckles, rotating her neck with an amused grin. “Looks like we will have ta crack some heads in! Fine by me!"

Veledar lowered himself to let Arcturus mount him easier. The human quickly clambered up like a pro. His face was stern, lacking the usual smile he wore when they went flying together. Lyndis was the next one up, and she helped the dwarf climb as well. Veledar would have said something about not letting them all burden his back but decided to hold his tongue this time. More pressing things were at claw.

"I surely hope you're not make a habit out of this," groaned Veledar from the added weight. He could probably not fight with all the extra weight, but he could just get them all there faster.

"Don't plan on it! Even yer legs are way fasta than me feet!" Merlia shouted as Veledar bounded towards the smoke.

He felt all three on his back hold him tightly. He tried to go as smoothly as possible, as he did not want any of them to fall off and get hurt. He would occasionally flap his wings through the village to gain speed. Over the root covered ground, around thick barked trees he ran with purpose. The closer they got to the smoke, the more scared villagers they encountered. Men and women alike passed them, screaming in fright. Veledar then heard the same sound from before, much louder this time around.

"That's cannon fire." said Arcturus in shock, "From one of our ships!"

Well that certainly wasn't good news. Veledar did not expect them to send another ship after him. The teams of gryphons were one thing, but a whole squad of trained soldiers aboard one of those contraptions was a tad too much.

“Manticore's bottom. This is happening," Veledar hissed, kicking himself for not realizing they would send a ship. He shook his head as he carried on towards the smoke, where they started to run into less and less people. However, as he looked around the village, the signs of battle were becoming more and more apparent. Some houses had burned holes in their sides from energy crossbows that the Lumarian soldiers carried. The memory of falling from the sky emerged into Veledar's mind. The pain of the wounds stung the flesh beneath his scales.

The dragon shook his head furiously to clear the remnants of the past. He had to focus on the scent of burned vegetation, the wind blowing against his face, and most importantly, the three precious passengers he carried atop his back. His eyes narrowed as he remembered Garroth, the man in charge of everything. If he got to meet that human again, he could not wait to get some rightful revenge.

“I thought this forest had some sort of self-defense!" Veledar growled when he noticed the guards from before were nowhere to be found.

“She must've realized her vines are useless against our canons." Arcturus laughed. “The luck we had, eh?"

“Lucky's the least word I can think of," Veledar said as he continued through the village. Either the aforementioned guards had fled with the rest of the villagers, or were busy fighting the soldiers that were no doubt somewhere else. He was curious how they had even found them. The Emerald Lady had said he would be undetectable.

"How did they even find us?" Arcturus asked, as if reading Veledar's mind.

"They probably tracked Veledar to da forest, then lost track of 'im. Probably explain why dey didn't descend upon our training arena." replied Merlia.

Veledar thought the dwarf made sense. IF they didn't know where he was, all they had was to just pick a place and start searching. Although the red dragon also wondered why they had attacked days later if they had the ship. Why not attack the day arrived?

"Why wait to attack if they knew we were hiding beneath the canopy?" Veledar grumbled, passing yet another battle scared building.

"If this is Garroth we are dealing with, he probably asked for reinforcements. Now if the king somehow knew about the Emerald Lady, then there is likely more than one ship up there." Arcturus state, grim look on his face.

They were close now. Veledar could smell the smoke and hear snaps of the crossbow fire.

"Time to get off. Except Arcturus of course." he stopped, lowering his body for his friends to get off. He felt all but Arcturus leave his back. The man's voice took on that of a commander, yet tired.

"Lyndis, Merlia, find a good position but watch out for me. I'll try to reason with Garroth. See if I can convince him to turn back towards the capital." But Lyndis wasn't having any of it.

"Do you think you can just convince him to leave? His gryphons made you fall!"

"I have to speak with him. Need to give him that chance at least."

Her eyes narrowed, sharp as a sword."I hope that, for your sake, he listens then."

"Well that's why I have all of you. If he doesn't listen, we will have to force him to leave."

He patted the dragon's scaled neck. "So if things go south.... well you, know how to fight better than most men I served with... Come on, Veledar, Let's see what the future has in store for us."

Veledar bounded forward and quickly left the two others behind.

"So what you said about talking to him…that's just a rouse, right?" Veledar snarled, rembering the aching pain from that fall, the uncertainty of his life. “Because I owe him pain for almost killing me." He imagined the smug look on the human that had believed to have killed him. How he'd relish the chance to see his eye widen at how healed he truly was. If fates were willing, he'd show him what happens when you injured a dragon so greviously.

" The plan is to get him to leave peacefully." The man's tone tried to sound confident. Although, to Veledar, it sounded as though he was convincing himself he could save an already eroded friendship. 'That's the first priority."

"You know he won't listen to reason. He is not as kind or benevolent towards dragons as you are. Do you remember how I fell from the sky trying to save your life? You can thank him and his orders for that."

"I do. I remember how you clung for life in my hands. If not for Bahamut's selflessness, you…you would've been…." Arcturus trailed off, that night still heavy on his mind.

"Exactly." hissed Veledar, bounding over a log with a growl. He'd try to not enjoy batting around the armored brute like a cat to a toy.

"I'm asking you to find forgiveness in your heart. Please." begged Arcturus, "Garroth is a driven man, but…he might just be following the wrong set of orders. He probably thinks you killed me, or if it isn't that, charmed me into servitude."

Veledar thought about it for a moment. He loathed the idea of not paying the man back for his deeds. He could feel his anger welling up inside of him, but with Arcturus' words, he felt it simmer. He decided to give Arcturus one chance to get this man to flee.

"You have one chance to get him to leave, Arcturus. Fail, and you know what happens better than anyone."

Thankfully, after a moment of silence from Arcturus, the human replied with a weak, "Alright"

Veledar redoubled his efforts. He ran so fast that he nearly collided into one of the green dragon twins. With the sound of his claws scrapping into wood, he avoided the dragon at the last possible moment.

"Hey, watch those clumsy paws." Lyyreth growled.

"How about you don't just stand there when you are clearly under attack?" Veledar shot back, He was about to ask him why he was just standing there when Cordenth landed next to him and shook his head.

"Where is Lyndis?" Cordenth's words were laced with worry. Veledar thought it was a bit odd the green dragon was so concerned with Lyndis' safety, but he shrugged it off.

"Back that way." Veledar pointed with his tail, flexing the frill. “They are sneaking around to get a better view of what we're dealing with. Arcturus here was going to try and get these people to leave peacefully."

"Thanks, I'll go with them then." The green drake spread his wings and bounded towards Lyndis last position.

“I'm not about to stay behind on yet another adventure, even if I'm probably not very well equipped for my first serious battle." Lyyreth glanced over the smoking village, his paws kneading the forest floor. "Mother suggested this morning to stay behind and let her guards deal with it. I couldn't in my heart let that happen."

Veledar nearly smirked at that. If not for the impending fight he'd have cheered at that kind of bravery out of the meeker brother. "I'm surprised she did not discipline you over yesterday's disagreements,"

"Well, she is far from thrilled, but she's our mother. She still cares… in her own way." Lyyreth mumbled. "Regardless, we decided to go against her wishes and protect our home."

"Not for much longer. Maybe after such a deed she will grant your request to leave?" replied Veledar with a smile. "Now let's find these people before they do more damage to this village."

Soon after they saw the bodies of guards, with holes blasted clean through them, the mood shifted towards the somber side.

"Energy crossbows…," Arcturus' tone was grim. “If you have any sort of shield spell. That's what's going to help deflect them."

Veledar stopped as his concern for the human grew. Arcturus leaped off the dragon. Veledar turned his snout to the sound of shouts. It sounded like there was a whole damn army outside the village now. He must have had worry on his snout, because Arcturus grabbed his face and looked into his eyes.

"Don't worry so much. if things go bad I have not only you, but two kick-ass adventurers and dragons to watch my back!"

Veledar sighed as he tucked his worry deep inside of him. He was being silly, to think a few humans and their light-spewing crossbows could stand against his might. Of course, it would work out. He was Veledar the Magnificent after all. He also figured the two mediocre dragons could handle some soldiers.

With courage replacing his worries, the red dragon felt his heart beast faster as he readied himself for battle.

"I will head out there and talk Garroth down." Arcturus paused as he looked towards the large collection of sounds. "If I can't do that… let's worry about that at the right time," he frowned. Veledar imagined the thought of anyone killing their friend was distasteful.

“Go. Go! We'll put a stop to this either way,"

Arcturus stayed quiet for a second, and Veledar fidgeted impatiently. "Well…see you in a bit," Arcturus took a deep breath and set off towards the voices coming from the clearing ahead.

Veledar turned towards Lyyreth, "Like I'll ever leave this in his hands alone. Come with me, sneeze-snorts. Our task is to keep an eye on him, to ruffle your scales up, keep your snout down, and try not to sneeze, for things are bound to get messy."

* * * * * * * * * *

Arcturus left Veledar behind, hearing the two dragons plan their next move. He hoped that they could stay hidden for the duration of his negotiations. After all, he did not need anything that could possibly set Garroth off. He breathed in again, trying to not focus on the possibility of killing his friend.

Curse this whole situation. If only he had killed the dragon like the king ordered him to...

Bile rushed into his mouth Arcturus felt disgusted at that thought and crammed it back into the deepest corners of his mind. It was complete nonsense, to think death as part of the solution. Veledar was now one of his most trusted friends, just like Garroth.

Arcturus stopped moving before the clearing where all Garroth's soldiers were gathered. He breathed in deep one last time, like a man on the edge of a plank.

Well, here goes nothing.

With great effort, he willed himself to step forward, raise his hands and shout.

"Nice day for a stroll through the forest, innit?"

He walked out into the clearing where at least fifty soldiers in assorted red leathers and chainmail resided. There were mostly armed with energy crossbows, with some having swords, axes, and spears strapped to their backs. They of course greeted him with snarls and weapons held high.

"Got another one of em cultists!" came the rugged voice of a woman painted with black streaks over her face, "Looks like he is smart enough to surrender!"

“Saves us the trouble of huntin' him down!" another man shouted., face pockmarked and speckled with crimson.

Arcturus scanned the crowd of gathered men as, one by one, they seemed to add to the comments. He picked out the symbol of Garroth's men on only five of the soldiers. The others here were just mercenaries by the looks of their rugged clothes and worn equipment. Arcturus noticed not one of them was brandishing with the symbol of Lumara. His attention was drawn to the five bearing Garroth's symbol. Those were his fellow adventurers. The tallest was a half-orc clad in dark leathers covered in white fur. He brandished a large axe that seemed to be glowing from the runes etched on its blade. Next was a halfling in chain armor with a shield emblazoned with the black ram of hades. He clearly was a cleric to the god of the underworld. She wore a dark scowl over her green eyes, as the other mercenaries still mumbled and talked between themselves.

Arcturus' eyes found the third was a human in half-plate, all scarred and dented from many battles. Attached to his belt were two longswords. He had almost no hair over his bald head, and sported a large scar over his left eye. He wore a stare that would tell any other person to just keep on walking. Fourth was a girl clad in a brown robe with a thin green stripe at the bottom. Her brown hair had little leaves and twigs still stuck in it. First thing that came to Arcturus mind was a druid. Lastly was a wicked looking dwarf with a black goatee. He was ordering the other men around to keep their eyes on the trees. He was wearing dark green studded leather armor, with an assortment of blades strapped along it.

From the adventurers, Arcturus' eyes fell upon a pile of bodies they were gathering. It appeared as though they were unconscious. There were clearly villagers, and among them were children. Around the clearing's edge he could make out the bodies of more guards, who were clearly un-moving. Arcturus figured they might be dead, as Garroth's men were not trying to retrieve them.

"I want to speak with Garroth. Please. If he is available, send him forward so we may parlay." He tried to remain calm, no sense fanning the flames.

Some of the mercenaries lowered their weapons to this. Good. He made some progress, at least. Although, despite his small victory, he could feel Veledar's eyes upon him, watching for any sign of trouble. All it would take would be a single argument or threat, and no doubt his red scaled savior would be on his way.

"I am right here!" Came a gruff voice from behind the enemy lines. “What is this nonsense about a cultist willing to surrender? Them blasted fools never had the wits to," It was Garroth. The mercenaries parted like water, one by one, to reveal the stern face of his friend, all garbed in his usual dark suit of plate. His face was filled with fatigue, his eyes were sunken in, almost as if he had gotten no sleep at all."Well Gods be damned. Arcturus! How in the blazes have you found your way in the ass of this stinky forest?"

“Was about to ask the same thing of the man brave enough to endure the stench alongside me." Arcturus chuckled.

“Can never stray too far from the call of adventure, can you?"

“Can you?" Arcturus taunted back.

“Still the same man I know. C'mere, you old wolf! Or wait. Lemme come to you. With all the cultists roamin' around, my men are less than amiable to friendly introductions."

The man practically ran over to him, before suddenly stopping eight feet in front of him. Garroth looked him up and down with his eyes.

"Good to see you're well." Garroth scratched his neck. “I feared the worst when the beast snatched you into the sky. We tried our best to, you know, save you from his vile clutches. I honestly did not expect to see you alive. How did you escape him? I am sure it's a great tale." Garroth gestured to the men, "After we run him through, we can return home and talk about his horrible deeds over an ale or two. Maybe get a few women to warm out beds eh?"

Garroth sounded genuine in his words. Arcturus pointed to the corpses, then to the pile of unconscious villagers. “Excuse me for asking, Garroth, but if you're hunting a dragon, what's with all these corpses?"

"Ah," Garroth turned to look before crossing his arms, "We encountered resistance when we seized a foothold. The guards did not give us any other choice. They attacked us relentlessly, like a pack of rabid wolves. Honestly, it's a miracle my groups still intact. I had to send a gryphon back to the king and request additional reinforcements."

"As any commander should." Arcturus nodded. “What about the others? There's women in there. Children barely old enough to hold their own weapons."

"As demented as the guards that shackled them in this forsaken place." Garroth waved dismissively, 'We are freeing these people from this dragon cult. The she-dragon forces them to live here, and brainwashes them into eternal servitude, Arcturus! I have not seen something this vile in years. Honestly, there might be no way to fully remove the curse, but we'll try. Oh, we have more than enough room on the ship to bring the whole village back to our healers."

"Don't get carried away there now, boss. We're not here on a save and recover mission." yelled the halfling from behind with a grin.

"It's just a decent man would do. You'll get your share of course," Garroth shot back, then turned back towards Arcturus.

“This she-dragon…what do you know of her?"

“Too much, brother. Too much. You must be ravin' mad to enter her forest, but I suppose no dragon's beyond your ability to slay, eh?"

Arcturus tried to think of a proper joke, but unfortunately, Garroth had spent enough time with him to read his emotions long before words even came out.

"By the king's wizened beard. You met her." Garroth's smile evaporated from his face, "Did she get to you?" His arms reached to grab onto Arcturus' shoulders. “Tell me, Arcturus. Did she turn you into one of her servants?"

The rattling of his armor brought his mind back to the dream he had back in the inn.

“N-no. Garroth, I'm still me!" He pushed the man's gloved hands off him. “You don't need to rattle my armor like I'm new to this."

“Gotta be sure, lad. Few men ever return from these woods, and the lucky few who manage come home changed, like they've left a piece of them in the she-dragon's hoard."

Arcturus shivered again. He dearly hoped that is not what she had done. He did not want to think about what Veledar would do if Garroth turned out to be true. The dragon would probably try to kill her, and not stop his onslaught until he either died or accomplished his goal.

"I do not believe so…although she placed a curse on me to stay within the forest's boundaries until our bargain is done."

"Bargain?" Garroth shook his head, disbelief present on his face. “What are you talking about, lad? Why would you even…"

“It's temporary, I assure you."

“She cursed you! There's no way you'll ever get out of her forest in one piece. The dragon needs to be put down! You understand how dangerous she is!"

“Garroth, it's just a deal like you have with the king."

“That's horse dung. We both know what dragons think of us. How they use us!" Garroth turned to gesture to the piles of dead and unconscious people.

Arcturus felt a sudden pit in his chest. He was right. If the Emerald Lady hadn't exerted such tough control on her village, maybe those people would still live.

“See?" Garroth gestured back to his army. "That's why I'm here. Why all of this is needed. When we found out or red beast had headed into the forest to unite his powers with the she-witch, the king sent us a message. It contained knowledge about the she-dragon that lives here. Abilities, quirks, history. We have everything we need to put an end to her reign of terror."

“But…Garroth…a lot of men will die."

“A small price to pay for freeing our forest from her grip, don't you think?" Garroth pointed up to the sky. “It's the king's wish to remove her from our kingdom's borders. He even sent another ship filled with soldiers to assist. He really wants her dead, but the red one…Oh, he wants that one as dead as the witch, almost as if it were life or death."

Had the king known about the Emerald Lady? What else was he in the dark about? Arcturus wondered about the developments that took place in his kingdom during his absence. He had to keep Garroth talking. The more he said, the higher the chances to obtain a peaceful outcome. After all, the man certainly seemed forthcoming with information.

"So how many men did he send for this endeavor?" Arcturus asked. “She is huge. Several thousand years old at least, and more dangerous than you can possibly imagine."

“What you see here is the vanguard, all bought and paid for through legitimate means. Got some gryphons on the boats in case she takes to the skies." Garroth replied, holding up his hand and raising a finger with each addition. “The king also dispatched a paladin with fifty more men, along with some surprises for the she-dragon. Hell, we even took your advice and brought fire resistance gear to make sure these beasts give us the least amount of resistance."

"So why isn't this area swarming with your soldiers?" Arcturus looked around, wondering if there was a second group wandering around unchecked.

"All busy on the ships, preparing for the final confrontation, if we even get there before sundown," Garroth pointed up, "Damn vines started reaching for the ships overhead. The cannons have been good at cutting them off though. So, we split up. Keep the vines busy with the ships while we hunt the red dragon. It's harder now. For some odd reason, the orb we've been using to track him down has stopped working."

“The orb I retrieved from Vargus' castle."

“The very same!" Garroth's stern look was pulverized by his forthcoming smile. “If you had that with you, the beast would've never prevailed. Speaking of, have you seen the dragon? Perhaps you could tell us his whereabouts. Make use of that fancy training of yours."

Despite going out here to talk Garroth, deep down, Arcturus still felt the urge to join his friend. Adventure together like in the good old times. It only lasted for a moment though, as those rebellious thoughts had been quickly replaced by the waves of pleasant memories, he made along Veledar's quest.

"Garroth…this quest of yours is doomed. Take your men, take your ships, and get out of here on those life boats of yours before you do something stupid. Nothing waits for you here but death and pain."

"Wha?" The man scratched his black plate. “It sounded like you told us to… leave? But…but why? Oh!" Garroth chuckled, as if he just came to a sudden realization, "Now is not the time for practical jokes, my friend. We might not be born dragon slayers, but I know a thing or two about cutting things." Garroth squeezed his fists, undoubtedly eager for the feel of his blade within them.

"I wish that was so. Please, leave with your lives. You will not be killing any dragons today."

“I…I see," Garroth's smile gave way to the same stern face. “Well, I hoped a day like this will never come, but it looks like the she-dragon had you wrapped up in her tendrils. Damn it, Just damn it all!" Garroth stomped the ground and thrust a finger right in Arcturus' face. “You're the greatest man I focken know. Am I to believe there's nothing left of the Arcturus I know?"

“Garroth, you're not listening-“

“I want to talk to my friend. My real friend!"

Arcturus took a step back when the man lunged as if to grab onto him. Garroth stopped his advance, the look on his face becoming more sour, yet not completely devoid of hope.

“What? You've nothing to fear from me. I'm still the same man you drank with."

“You're tired, Garroth. How many nights have you remained awake, dreaming of the day when your blade pierces the dragon's heart? This quest of yours -this vengeance- is eroding your sense of reason."

“Rhahaha. Reason? Do you even hear yourself?" Garroth took a deep breath. “I'm not the one cursed by the dragon here, brother, but I won't stop until I find a way to save you. Come on, old wolf…we've been through so many adventures together. Don't give up on us, on your kingdom. Remember the old days. The oaths you took when the king's sword touched your shoulders. The men you served with; men who are even now waiting for you to return home!"

Home…a decrepit room in a city that started to rot from the inside long before Arcturus even met Veledar. Whenever he thought of home, the dragon's warm wing came to mind, along with the warm paws that kept him safely tucked against the dragon's scaled chest.

“Entis is not what it used to be. The whole of Lumara has changed. The king treats the elves -our allies- no better than this she-dragon you hunt. Why do you think so many people sought refuge here in the forest?"

“I'll have no more of that nonsense, lad!" Garroth barked, holding up a hand to gesture to the forest, "Look around you for proof of the dragon's vile nature! This witch doesn't want to save these people. She keeps them here as slaves! We are the ones doing the saving, and with no help from a paladin who swore to help those who cannot help themselves!" Garroth then pointed to his chest, " I have been your friend for years! Listen to my voice! That red dragon hurt our kingdom, burned our fields, killed our people. Don't let his shiny scales delude you. Underneath all that sparkling beauty hides a beast thirsty for the blood of the innocent."

Arcturus sighed as he looked to the desperation of his pleading friend. "The dragons have done nothing to my mind, Garroth. I'm the same man I've always been. And I'm telling you, the red dragon you hunt is innocent. Our king just wants him dead for his own personal reasons."

“You're lying."

“And you're too drowned in your vengeance to realize he is not a beast that needs putting down. Dragons are just like us, Garroth. All they want is a patch of land to live in, a friend to lift their chin up whenever they're feeling down or encourage them when they're scared."

“You're deluded to even put dragons on the same level as the men you ate, fought, and drank with. Those beasts killed thousands of us. Do the lives of the soldiers you've lost mean nothing to you? How about your family? Selena would be rolling in her grave if she was here to bear witness to her husband's words, and Geoffery-“

“Enough!" Arcturus took a step forward, staring down his friend with the authority of a true commander. “You will NOT drag my family into this. You understand?"

The man held his gaze for a few seconds before his eyes fell to the ground below. “I…I'm sorry. The Arcturus I knew wouldn't deserve that."

“I'm done trying, Garroth. Make your choice." Arcturus said. He desperately hoped for Garroth to listen to reason, throw down his arms and leave. Hell, he wanted Garroth to join him, but Garroth just shook his head.

"I hate to see what you've become, old friend," Garroth muttered weakly, as if every hope he had died with his old friend. "My friend, a dragon slayer known throughout the entire kingdom, reduced to yet another puppet of the same accursed race that killed his family." Garroth started to pace in front of Arcturus before stopping, standing up straight and turning back to him with a face full of determination. "Don't worry, my friend. I'll honor the memory of your family by bringing you home. Hear me? I won't give up on you! Even if I'll lose my men, even if the vile dragon forces us to fight, I will make sure we get back your mind, and make those silver tongued, vile-scaled devils pay!"

“No. Fighting will only-“

“Tell us where he is. Or has your master forbid you from revealing his location?"

"Crimson Sky is here in the forest, but I won't let your sword cross his claws. We can prevent a bloodshed today, and all you have to do is turn back and go home. Leave, Garroth. Go home before it's too late." he pleaded. He could almost feel Veledar's anticipation building within him, threatening to escape.

"That is the dragon's name, huh?" Garroth's armor clanked as he continued to pace around. “We will not be leaving you to your fate, Arcturus, despite what lies the dragon has enchanted you with. We did best him last time we met, and by the pool of blood sprayed onto the snow, we nearly took his life. So, don't you worry about our safety, my friend. With two ships, another paladin in reserve, and over a hundred men, we have this handled." Garroth then crossed his arms as his men seemed to be restlessly holding their weapons. "Now are you going to show us where Crimson Sky is hiding?"

Arcturus looked to the soldiers as they clutched their weapons tight, ready to fight. This was going exactly as he had feared. "N...." he began to say.

"I AM RIGHT HERE, HUMAN!" roared Veledar as he leaped out to land right next to Arcturus. The dragon thrashed his tail and barred his teeth, "and how my blood has yearned for this!"

"Wonderful...Now fire!" Garroth shouted in urgency.

Arcturus went to sling his shield down, spontaneously performing the shield of faith spell from earlier. A pulsating white arrow flew from the woods, exploding among soldiers in a myriad of screams. Some ran for cover, others asked where that came from. Though none were louder than the shouts of panic as not two, but eight green dragons burst forth from the surrounding foliage with great, ground trembling roars. With a thrash of their tails they flew right towards the mercenaries,green gas spewing forth like an unending tide to bathe some in thick, green death.

"Dragons! Focken dragons!" the men screamed as Cordenth and Lyyreth touched down. The first wave of shots went wild, some aiming for the illusions instead. This all worked for their advantage. The greens pounced with wicked snarls, smacking men around like toys. Through grunts and pained cries, sharpened talons sliced through the hide and light chain like butter. The grass soon was marred with streaks of crimson, like a good painter sketching their art. Those not felled by the dragon's claws coughed as poisonous gas filled their lungs. Men and women alike fell on the ground like flies, clasping their throats as they gasped for a breath that would never come.

"Poisonous gas!?" a man with eyes the size of large grapes shouted at Garroth, "You said dragons breath fire, you incompetent swine!"

Veledar let out a gout of flame towards Garroth when Arcturus pulled out his sword. His friend rolled out of the way just at the right time, the flames barely licking his armor. Several crossbows fired at Veledar, but with a flick of the dragon's tail and flash of white light, the shots rebounded off the dragon's sparkling scales. It had appeared he took the paladin's advice.

The soldiers ran screaming as Arcturus witnessed his friend's ambush come to fruition. He charged at Garroth and aimed his sword with deadly purpose, only for his friend to draw his own and block it with a clang. Arcturus looked to see that Garroth's friends were busier trying to fight the two green dragons than help their leader with him. Lyyreth was currently busy avoiding a net wreathed in fire, warding away the halfling wielding it with teeth barred.

“I think our green friend requires help." The dragon snarled, bounding past Garroth, tripping the man with a swift swipe of his tail. As the man scrambled for balance in his heavy suit of plate, the dragon opened his maw, gave his tail a twirl, and a cone of intense cold sprung from his maw to envelop the halfing currently wrapping Lyyreth's neck as the net turned into a whip. Arcturus took advantage of this and sliced his friend across the arm. The only strike he could manage, as Garroth swiftly rolled to the side and managed to push the paladin back with a swift kick.

Arcturus coughed. Stumbling back, he relied on Veledar to keep Garroth at bay before he could re-engage. That came to an end when the red locked eyes with the paladin, turning to ward away any incoming mercenaries with a cone of red-orange flames, bathing some in fiery death. Then Garroth came for Arcturus. The man seemed not deterred by his fall, nor the flames of the dragon. Quite the contrary, Arcturus landed no hits whatsoever, as all his attacks managed to be parried in time by Garroth's swift reflexes.

“Come your senses already!" Garroth traded blows back and forth as they danced across the rampaging battlefield. That was until a strike met an unarmored portion of Arcturus' armor. The paladin felt the blade graze his arm, thankfully a glancing blow.

"My mind has never been clearer." He grit his teeth, meeting the man's next attack with his shield. “It's you who is deluded." He had to admit, Garroth was a fine swordsman, and was starting to suspect he had let him win all these years. He even suspected that in all his rage and fury, Garroth was holding back, trying to get through to him. They passed over the fallen bodies of the fellow mercenaries, one poor soul getting tossed from Veledar into his fellows like some poor game of bowling.

Garroth's eyes hardened with their next meeting of blades, firm hands gripping his sword ever tighter. "The focken dragon's hold is too strong! I am sorry, my friend, but I may have to hurt you.". Arcturus' suspicions were confirmed as Garroth pushed him back with quick strikes from his blade. It was as he found a hidden reserve of speed. It was all Arcturus could do just, deflect, block, and fall back as the flurry of attacks overwhelmed him. The last dull thud of the metal on his shield made his arm ache, practically collapsing backwards from the strength behind it.

"Come on, you bastard. I've seen you kill dragons twice bigger. Fight through it!" Garroth's voice cracked as his pleas fell upon deaf ears. His sword once more tasting a glimmer of the paladin's blood. “Fight it, damn you! I know you are stronger than him!"

All around them was chaos, as a few remaining soldiers had started to flee into the woods, far away from the three angry dragons. Plenty lay dead amidst the blood-soaked earth, with green feathered arrows sticking out of them. Even the adventurers that had been joking with the warrior were now fleeing, color all gone from their face as one of their fellows was slammed so hard into a tree he never moved again. Even Garroth's resolve seemed to waver as his men called for him, begging the man to retreat. This fight was over.

“Looks as though you're losing. I warned you friend. This could have been avoided." Arcturus grunted as he crossed his sword with that of his friend. “Leave. Now. Before more dead finds you."

“Curse you dragon! This is all you. All this death is your fault!" Garroth sneered, retreating with a savage swipe of his crimson speckled sword. “Whirlwind of death, just like all your kind!"

Garroth's eyes could kill as he stared at Arcturus, then to Veledar, who was busy avoiding the human fighter with swords. He retreated a few steps back, then pulled a glowing stone from his pocked, "Send in the constructs, paladin! The focken dragon is here! Get ready for us, everyone else is dead." Garroth then reentered his stance before striking at Arcturus once again, "Your coming with me, you brazen bastard! I won't let you kiss that monster's ass a day longer! How could I not call myself a friend if I gave up now?"

Arcturus held his ground as sword met shield, His friend desperately fought for an opening in his shield wall. He saw the adventurers turn and flee as Veledar incinerated the fighter with a breath of fire. He had to end this before any more people died.

Arcturus let the energy flow into his sword with a thought of Bahamut. When his sword met Garroth's once more in a clash, there was a flash of light and an explosion of power. Garroth's great sword shattered as his friend was tossed to the ground, a bloody gash on his torso. Garroth stared at him, eyes wide in shock as he pulled a potion from his pouches. He chugged it quickly, spitting some out in disgust. Within moments he stood up, clutching the wound as it began to heal itself. His eyes did not leave Arcturus as he gave him a look as if he were one of the dragons he had been talking about.

"They have imbued you with magic." he exclaimed, his voice full of pain. "He didn't just control you. He fockin' turned you into his weapon!"

Garroth turned to whomever was left standing from the combined assault of adventurer and dragon, "Retreat!"

Moments after Garroth shouted this, a rolling fog overtook the area around Garroth and his men. It was so thick that Arcturus could not make out anything in front of him. Although, by the sound of the screams of the remaining people, this did not stop the dragons in the slightest. Like the apex predators they were, teeth and talons found those foolish enough to stay. The paladin was left gasping, fingers trembling over his sword as painfilled cries sung them a cacophony of death.

Suddenly a great wind blew the fog harmlessly away as Merlia emerged from the forest. "Notin' like a good ole gust o' wind" she yelled, looking ever so smug. She flourished her bow, knocking another arrow with a hearty laughed. “Look at them flee! Like little girls they scramble!"

Arcturus looked to the field of corpses scattered all over the blood drenched clearing. Though death he despised, they had won. The civilians were not hurt, and those that had died had been avenged. Cordenth and Lyyreth were piled into each other, licking each other's wounds, their green scales painted bright red with a mix of their own blood and that of their victims.

Veledar made his way to Arcturus. Blood dripped along his curled lips, a snarl that refused to die down even with the conclusion of the conflict.

“He escaped." The dragon panted, hardened eyes finding Arcturus' own. “I thought you could best him."

“He was always the better swordsman." The paladin sighed, looking away as the dragon's frills trembled slightly in and out. “I scared him off. He ran with the rest of his mercenaries. Maybe it will keep him away for good."

“That choice might come to bite you in the rump in the future."Veledar walked past Arcturus and roared out to the forest, "Good run, you coward! Next time we meet, I'll get my claws on you!"

Merlia looked to the corpses as she stowed her bow. Her face was stern as she retrieved her arrows. There were no witty lines, no compliments, no anything of her typical banter.

"In da end it wasn't much of a fight." she said, "dis was a slaughter."

Arcturus could not agree more. Garroth's squad was hardly prepared for three dragons. Not to mention they were only geared out to fight fire-breathing dragons. He walked by the corpses and plucked an energy hand crossbow from one the many bodies. He felt it in his hands. It felt good, to finally have his hands on such a useful tool once again. With a strained smile, the paladin thrust it back into the holster that had been empty ever since his energy crossbow had broken.

That done, he looked around and wondered where Lyndis had gotten to, but he never got the chance to voice his question, as a dozen metal orbs fell from the sky and impacted with the earth. They threw up dirt every which way as Arcturus and his allies scrambled away from the impact sites. Arcturus noticed the engraved runes on the stones, with a red eye in the center. Above it was a brown plate that had the symbol of Lumara painted on it. Arcturus' mind went into a panic as he realized what these things were. War constructs made to break the enemies' lines. Those without magical weapons or spells.

"Get Ready!"

The orbs started to rustle as they grew limbs from their round forms. They each had set of hulking legs and three sets of thin metallic arms. The center set of arms carried a large crossbow device that seemed to be loaded with dull iron harpoons. Arcturus could not have imagined seeing these outside the major war zones. If the king had sent these things for such a small skirmish, it seemed he really wanted to see Veledar put in his grave and was willing to throw anything to accomplish this task. Arcturus had seen these constructs wade through troops with ease, hardly taking any damage at all, for they were crafted with mana crystals at their cores all wrapped up in magic reinforced shells. Their bodies were immune to any non-magical attack. He had seen whole walls collapse on them, only for the spiderlings to emerge from the rumble with the same thirst for slaughter. Lyyreth found this out first hand as he tried to claw one, only for his onyx talons to scrape uselessly against the silver plating. The constructs pulled great swords out of their bodies with each other set of arms in unison. The green dragon darted away, leaving the construct he was fighting to slice at thin air.

"You have to use magic!' Arcturus sprinted to a construct, avoiding a deadly swing. He swung his sword, letting the might of Bahamut flow through him. The sword sliced right through one of the thing's silver legs. The construct toppled, but still it fought on with its other limbs. One great sword struck Arcturus' shield, once again making him thankful for the magical protection it possessed. If the blow came at full force, he imagined he would have been tossed back by the construct's inhuman strength. He sliced off one of the thing's limbs as he was forced to avoid the incoming attacks. The thing finally was stopped as an arrow bathed in lighting struck the thing in the center of its red eye. Electricity then lit the construct up as it flailed around, before falling to the ground in shambles.

"Great shot, Merlia!" he shouted to the dwarf, who gave him a cheerful nod in response.

"You owe meh, paladin!" she cried right as she let loose some more arrows to another construct that Lyyreth was currently engaged with, for the dragons did not seem to be having the same luck that he had against the construct. Lyyreth had been caught by a net that apparently was electrified. The dragon was squirming and clawing through pained grunts while the construct advanced towards his exposed throat with its wicked looking blades.

Cordenth was running from two as he tried to avoid their swords, yet at the same time, stay close enough so that the constructs had not seen fit to use their harpoons on him. "My breath does nothing!" he shouted as he turned to shove one construct away, but it landed undamaged in the grass. Despite flying away being a valid option, Arcturus was amazed the dragon was staying to fight alongside them. Cordenth turned and opened his maw to let out a cone of intense cold. The cone of bitter winds washed over one construct still chasing him. Its body all froze up as it halted. The dragon then lashed the thing with his tail, shattering it upon the ground.

Veledar however seemed to be doing the best out of the dragons. He did not even seem to have to use his magical spells to do it either. He was currently holding down one of the constructs in his claws as he bathed it with his dragon fire. The construct's eye area melting away in the intense heat. Only to be tossed aside with a triumphant roar. Veledar then shot out a bolt of lightning from his raised claw, hitting a different construct, and chained to three other ones. Each one was struck with this bolt of lighting, and Arcturus watched the red eyes shatter as each one of them collapsed to the ground.

With no time to waste boasting, the red dragon bounded towards the other constructs, dodging swords as he went until he found himself breathing fire once more onto them.

Lyyreth's roar of pain brought Arcturus back out of his thoughts. He had to form a plan. First was to free Lyyreth. The poor dragon would most likely not last much longer.

"Merlia, help Cordenth! I got Lyyreth!" he pointed to Cordenth who had currently landed on the ground with a pained snarl. Arcturus could see the dragon now bore a large gash in his left flank that was oozing blood.

"Ye got it, Arcturus! Hey ya large tin can! Say 'ello to my tiny friends!" she shouted as another volley of magical enhanced arrows flew towards one of the constructs harassing Cordenth, each one hitting a part of its plating with metallic clangs until one finally hit the vital eye, shutting it down forever. When Merlia started shooting another construct, Arcturus had already started his charge towards Lyyreth.

He readied another strike like the one he had felt Garroth in their duel. He focused on his goddess once more with each step. The construct did not pay him any mind as it advanced on the struggling dragon. Arcturus almost felt sorry for it as he raised his sword high. He brought it down as hard as it could, and it exploded with a bright flash of light. The construct shuddered for a moment before exploding in a cloud of green smoke. The net that had been electrifying Lyyreth stopped with a big sigh of relief from the green dragon. Arcturus leaped over as Lyyreth sliced the net off with his claws.

"Timely intervention. To think I almost became prey to that thing…" Lyyreth's snout wrinkled with a hiss between pained breaths,

"Scary, huh? Learn about them in your books?" Arcturus placed his hand on the dragon's warm scales.

“Not exactly. What are these constructs?"

“I'll tell you later over a mug or two," He focused on healing the dragon. His magic flowed into Lyyreth like a wave of positive energy, refreshing the dragon almost instantly.

"You know, that spell of yours feels great." Lyyreth sighed as he stood straight up. They both then turned to the sound of yet another construct crashing to the ground, followed by the deafening laughter of Merlia.

"Ya tink yer people could build better toys Arcturus? I could do dis until me arrows run out!"

"You know, I think the dwarf scares me a little." Lyyreth chuckled casually, before bounding off to help the dwarf with one construct that was heading right for her.

"No need to tell me that," Arcturus mumbled, looking around to find that Lyndis had yet to reveal herself. Veledar, however, had melted another construct before getting tossed aside by its brethren. Veledar roared angrily as he got back up and charged that one head on. Arcturus had to admit, they seemed to have the situation under control for the time being. With the might and arcane powers of the dragons combined and the magical weapons they possessed, the whole party seemed quite capable to handle the constructs.

Arcturus looked up to see the form of two large airships overhead. Their energy cannons seemed currently busy shooting down untold numbers of vines that had ripped the Arcturus and his party from the skies days previous.

Good to know she's doing some work, at least, even if she could've moved her lazy scales over here and give us real support, he thought before turning back to the pressing matters at hand. A new wave of constructs bared down on them, fresh from the cargo hold of the ships. Arcturus met some of them with attacks from his sword up until he had been tossed back onto the ground after he had carved one like a turkey. He landed with a heavy thud, groaning at the hard feel of the ground.

"No time to take a dirt nap you metal-clad sloth!" Veledar roared in fury after he torched yet another construct.

“Yeah well, you try fighting a master swordsman and an army of these things in full plate," Arcturus stood up, waving a sign into the air. Another cast of the spell shield of faith encased him in a shimmering blue field. He moved next to Veledar as four of the constructs surrounded them with their wicked blades held high.

"You seem to be doing fine though. Too fine, one could say. Let me even the odds a little bit," he said, twirling his fingers and letting loose three bolts of eldritch power. They struck the closest construct, only for the thing to ignore the minor nuisance for the most part as they did with the physical damage.

“That's all?" The dragon snorted. “I thought you've got something useful down your metallic sleeves."

“Next time," Arcturus sighed. Perhaps they were enchanted to resist minor magical spells as well thanks to recent innovations. Luckily though, the spells used by the dragons proved strong enough to pierce through such protection. They seemed to be doing well. Between Veledar's breath and their spells, the constructs seemed to thin in numbers.

That's when a roar burst forth from Cordenth's maw. Arcturus got a quick glimpse of the two dragons trying to keep the constructs off Merlia while she was raining arrows into them one by one. Arcturus wondered why the dragons kept from launching forth any more spells, but immediately figured they had expended their spell power for the day. His previous thoughts about them doing well were certainly getting snuffed out fast. The situation was certainly going south without something to help them right now. The green dragons could definitely not keep Merlia safe for long, and she only had so many arrows to fire. Already she down to a mere two or three left within her quiver.

His thoughts would have to wait however, as the new four constructs in front of him made their move. Now Arcturus had seen how Veledar fought on the ground, several times in fact. How the dragon would slice through flesh and armor alike with his claws, bit with his maw, and strike with his tail. However, it came to him as a surprise when they had started to work in tandem. There were working almost in sync perfectly. He would duck so the dragon's tail would throw one construct away from him, shove another into Veledar's line of fire when the dragon blew his breath, so that instead of one, two melted instead. And when the dragon's undefended spots were under threat, Arcturus swiftly parried the strikes with sword and shield alike. It was not even a fight anymore. It was a dance. And if this teamwork with the dragon could be perfected even further, they would surely be a fierce team on the ground, as well as in the air. In less than two minutes, all four constructs lay in shambles around the two of them, with nary a scratch on either dragon or paladin. Though he could feel the weight of his armor. He imagined fatigue would weight heavily after this battle. Lucky if he managed to walk back to the inn.

"Impressive fighting. Why, I almost took you for a dragon there." The dragon tossed him a weakened smile, breathing heavier than he usually did.

"I'll take that as a compliment. You did good as well!"

"Now dat ya two are dun jerkin each utter off, come help us!" shouted Merlia as she ducked from one of the constructs' attacks. The dwarf had to roll out of the way of yet another attack as her two dragon defenders had been driven away from her. Cordenth and Lyyreth leaped about the battlefield, desperately trying to avoid the terrible reach of the metal constructs arms. Although Arcturus noticed they were still trying to get to Merlia, and not simply taking off and leaving the dwarf to her fate.

That's when a golden funnel of flames wrapped two of the constructs in its embrace. Arcturus could see the two just disintegrate from the flames. Arcturus looked over to see that Asterion had emerged from the woods with one of his hands up in the direction the funnel he had spawned. In the other had he was holding a large hammer besides his normal garb of clothes. Almost on cue from the minotaur's arrival, another of the constructs was vaporized from a bright blue energy beam that sliced the thing in two steaming halves.

Arcturus looked up to see just above the treetops was a lifeboat with its energy weapon pointed in their direction. Lyndis captained it, waving at them with a large smile on her face.

"Look what I found! And to think they just left it there with only two lazy guards protecting it!" Her glee could not be more apparent as she sliced another construct in half with the ship's energy weapon. The four remaining constructs reacted immediately. Two of them fired off their harpoon guns with a loud crack. Both pierced the boat Lyndis was on right where the crystal powering it was held. Arcturus had to appreciate the constructs for a moment. Annoying as they might've been to the lot of them, they were efficient at times.

The lifeboat dropped like a rock to the ground below, but Lyndis did not seem to be worried. When it finally crashed to the ground, she leaped seconds before, and with a flick of her wrist, the half-elf landed softly onto the ground. Arcturus was going to ask her if she was ok, but was interrupted again when one of the constructs decided to take his head off. He blocked the blade with a loud clang of his shield, getting pushed back and knocked to the ground.

The thing advanced on his prone form but was knocked to the ground itself by his red protector. Lyndis leaped onto it, plunging her rapier deep into it's red eye, cheering her victory.

"See? You set them up, and I'll knock them down." she smiled just as the red dragon tossed another one between the two of them. She repeated the motion once more with a happy shout.

Arcturus and the others faced the last two constructs that were currently fighting Asterion. For his cumbersome size, the bull was holding his own quite well against the two metal behemoths. He would duck and dodge the swords that slashed at his tender flesh as he brought his hammer to bear on the metal. It would flash with a yellow light similar to how Arcturus' own weapon did, followed by the crunching of metal. Asterion leaped back, facing the two now as they advanced on him. He held a hand to up and harshly drew a line down in the air. From thin air dozens of swords filled the air around one of the constructs, slashing wildly as they floated around the enemy, suspended by an unseen force. The one caught in this blazing trap of steel was sliced to ribbons by the swords as it tried to head towards the minotaur. It collapsed a mere three feet into the sword cloud.

The others gave a cheer as they bounded towards the last one left. Arcturus couldn't believe it at first. They had not only bested fifty mercenaries and a group of adventurers, but they had demolished twenty-four of Lumara's war constructs. It certainly was good to have dragons on one's side. Before they could reach the last damaged construct, a shot rang out from the sound of a harpoon gun.

What in the blazes was that? Arcturus' eyes jumped to the one in front of them. Surely it could not be from that one, its harpoon gun is still loaded.

Arcturus stopped mid charge when realization hit him like a cold, crippling avalanche. He turned and saw it had come from another damaged construct, one they had thought destroyed, crawling pitifully on the ground. The thing was looking at them, with angry red glowing in it's eye.

"Cordenth!" Lyndis' shriek stabbed at the paladin's heart.

Arcturus turned to see that the green dragon lay on his side between Lyndis and the construct. The harpoon from the rifle was lodged in the dragon's chest, the sharp tip poking out the other side, dripping with fresh, steaming blood. He had apparently jumped in the way for Lyndis. Smashing sounds signified the last construct being destroyed. As soon as that business had been completed, the whole party rushed to the wounded dragon's side. Cordenth was gasping for breath, not quite managing to swallow enough air due to the crimson froth that oozed from his trembling jaws. Arcturus figured the harpoon pierced one of his lungs.

"Oh, you blazin' focken bastard. Why? Why did you have to do something so moronically brave? Gods that was a stupid thing to do, I could have dodged it!" she ranted at the dragon, her voice cracking. The green dragon tried to reply, but whatever he said came out as a gurgled mess of blood.

"Shhh, shhh, Don't talk," She closed his maw with her palm, tears forming in her amber eyes. “You need to preserve your strength, Cordenth."

"We need to get the harpoon out if we are going to heal you." Arcturus dropped on his knees besides the dragon's gaping wound, taking charge and removing his gloves. "It will just be in the way when we use magic, but it will hurt..." he turned towards the two other dragons present. "Veledar, Lyyreth," he shouted like a captain commanding his troops, "I need you to pull that thing out fast. We won't have much time to save Cordenth once the wound's left agape."

The dragons nodded in unison. If they minded being bossed around they did not voice their disapproval. He guessed even his proud Veledar realized the gravity of the situation. The dragons placed claws around the harpoon as Lyndis held the gasping Cordenth's head in her lap.

"Hold on. We'll get you through this, Cordenth. You'll pull through." The half-elf stroked Cordenth's neck as his eyes squeezed shut.

"On the count of three. One…two…three!" Veledar growled as the two dragons yanked out the harpoon. Cordenth gave out a weak gurgle as blood rushed out of the cavernous opening left by the vicious harpoon. Arcturus swiftly put his hand on the dragon, and did what he had done earlier for Lyyreth. The magic flowed into the dragon in the usual fashion, but the wound would not close. Arcturus realized in horror that he might not have enough power left to save him. He looked to still gapping, bloody flesh. Frozen, eyes wide. He didn't know what else to do. Not to heal a wound so grievous. The dragon went limp as his head thumped to the ground.

"It's not working!" Lyyreth roared, his teeth bared. "Try harder, human!". Arcturus tried to will more magic into the spell, but none was coming.

“N-no…it cannot end like this. Bahamut, please…"

But no aid came from the goddess. Not even a faint whisper that she was still listening to her chosen paladin. Arcturus continued the spell up until his light ran out. His eyes widened and his heart sank. Cordenth was going to die right here, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Asterion!" his brain screamed at him in realization. "Asterion!" he shouted to the bull, who had casually walked over, clearly taking his time to do so. "You're a cleric, right? Your healing far eclipses mine. Help him, please!"

Asterion looked sternly at Cordenth, back to Arcturus, then to Lyyreth, "No," the bull said calmly. “I shall not."

"No!?" Lyyreth roared, leaping to Asterion with his teeth bared. "You heal him this second or so help me I will rip you apart!"

"Then go ahead. You'd be doing me a favor," Asterion closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his jaws. “Though there can be a way that benefits us both. I will make sure your brother lives another day, and you, in turn, will convince your mother to free me from her grasp." Asterion met Lyyreth straight in the eye, a castle wall to the dragon's gaze. "Guarantee that my terms will be met, and I will save your brother's life. Refuse," Asterion gestured to Cordenth, "And you'll have to live with his death just as I have."

"Really? You're using his life as a bargaining chip?" Lyndis shouted at the bull, giving him almost the same death glare that Lyyreth was giving Asterion. "He's fockin' dying. What kind of cleric are you, to stare at an innocent dragon breathe out his last?"

The bull maintained his eiree calm, gesturing to the dragon once more. "The kind that lived long enough to understand how the world really works. Hence why the dragon here should make up his mind quickly."

Arcturus watched Lyyreth desperately think for an answer. This was his brother, after all. Would this price -any price- keep him from saving Cordenth? This was a smart play by the bull. Ruthless, but very smart.

“This is not the right moment to bargain, bull," Veledar hissed. “We'll share plenty of words if that is what you want, but the time's not now. Not while this dragon's giving out his last breath."

"That so?" The bull pointed a finger at the red dragon's snarling snout. “What do you know of slavery, dragon? To be bound by a leash that does not waver before the mighty slash of your talons nor gives way before the most elusive of spells?"

“I get it. You had it rough. Rougher than me, or Arcturus, Lyndis, or anyone I ever know, but nothing good ever comes from rage." Veledar breathed deep, trying to summon the same clarity Arcturus often displayed in such situations. “Believe me, I know what it feels like to hate. The man who led this group brought me within an inch of my life, and there was nothing more I wanted than to feel his feeble body break in the sharp embrace of my claws. I wanted to end him no matter what that meant for the rest of my party…but there is another man who led me to the truth."

Arcturus' breath froze in his chest when Veledar looked into his eyes. “A virtuous man who understands the value of life no matter if it comes in the form of a human, elf, dwarf, or even dragon. He…he saved my life, and if you stood in this dragon's place, he'd undoubtedly save yours. So I ask you, Asterion, as someone who dedicated his life to save others, can you truly not find it within you to show this dragon a sliver of mercy?"

“I…" The bull's iron-like resolve weakened for a moment as his eyes fled to the picture of pain, given shape. Bloodied and gasping, Cordenth was just about ready to give his last breath.

“Your words are touching, dragon, but the bull you speak of is no longer here to hear them. My life is not my own. It had not been ever since his mother put the collar around my neck." Asterion thrust his hammer at Cordenth, as if everything was suddenly his fault. “I've tried patience. I've tried wisdom. But if the only way to pay for my salvation is that one's blood, then so be it, because this time…is the only time when the word of a slave carries weight."

“Really?" Veledar shook the ground with a mighty whip of his tail. “I hope you delight in the bitter taste of your vengeance, bull, because today, you're anything but a cleric." Veledar stomped away with a roar.

Everyone was shocked. Arcturus, most of all. “Asterion…" he began, only to have the bull turn his back on him. Lyyreth was now his target, only, the green dragon had anything but fight left in him. “I suggest you answer quickly, dragon. I have heard your kind cannot be brought back from the dead."

"Fine. Do it. Do it already!" Lyyreth spat the words, stomping his paw roughly on the ground.

"Do what, dragon?" Asterion said.

"I'll make sure you get to spend the rest of your miserable life outside our forest. Now heal my brother you miserable cow!" The dragon's snarl only made Asterion's grin grow larger.

"Wise choice, dragon. You've just saved your brother's life." The bull held up a hand,placing it on Cordenth's side. "vahraan" he whispered. Dazzling white light washed over the dragon. Arcturus watched the gaping wounds close as the light seemed twist around them, eventually piercing inward. With a large gasp of air, and quite the cough, Cordenth's eyes opened.

Lyndis hugged the dragon tightly around his neck. She held it for several seconds before pulling away to smack the dragon hard on the right of his snout with a resounding thwack.

"Don't ever do something so stupid again, you hear me?" she scolded, wiping her eyes soon.

"We're even," Cordenth said weakly, before collapsing into the grass.

Asterion just looked around to the others, before spreading his arms wide. "feyal vokras ahraan" he said as he gestured to all of them in turn.

There was another flash of brilliant light that hopped from person to person like an excited frog. Like a warm blanket was wrapped around him the magic cascaded through the sore human. In a flash the ache in his body was gone, leaving him to release a pleased sigh. He nodded, thanking the bull not only for himself but that of the dragon.

"There is no need for thanks battle brother." The bull clasped a firm hand onto his shoulder plate. His eyes grew harder, flicking in Cordenth's direction. “But the green's spawn is another matter.," With a heave he swung his hammer over his shoulder. "Now let's go see the emerald bitch before she gets a chance to recover. She might be occupied with your friends." He cocked a horn to the airships still hovering overhead. Though they seemed to be turning, heading back to the city whence they came. Their cannons were still firing, probably at any vines still chasing after them.

“Yeah, well, not for much longer. Not after what we just gave them."

"Don't you think we should rest for Cordenth?" Lyndis snapped, before Asterion cut her off with a snort and stomp of his hoof. Her eyes burned with amber fire.

"A chance for this one to recover is time for the dragoness to recover as well. We leave now while her power is spent. Unless you believe she will honor her promise to remove the curse from your paladin."

Asterion had a point again, if there ever was a time to try and force the dragoness to do something, it had to be now. He turned to Lyndis whose gaze kept traveling back to the Cordenth. He then looked to Veledar who was standing tall, regal.

"Sounds like a good plan Arcturus. What is there to think about?" the dragon grinned, "We go in, teeth bared, and make her take that curse off you by force if needs be."

“Teeth bared is what got us into this mess. When will you learn that vengeance is never the answer?" Arcturus pointed stuck a finger to his nose the moment it lowered. “If I do this thing, you will hold back whatever animosity you have for her and let me negotiate. I don't want you making it worse."

“Yeah, because this worked so well with Garroth's band of goons." Veledar snorted dismissively. “If I hadn't arrived, they would have shot you to pieces."

“She's my responsibility, Veledar. The curse is mine alone to bear. If you can't compose yourself around her, then I suggest you find a place to work out your issues, because there will be no more bloodshed today."

Arcturus followed the cleric, right past Merlia, who simply shrugged. "Donna ask me lad, I agree wit the dragon on dis one. We best force her claw now, while we might hav tha uppa hand."

“We'll see what happens once we get there," Arcturus' frown only deepened at the dwarf's words. “Lyndis here can stay with Cordenth and the villagers. If you want to make sure he recovers," he swiveled to Lyyreth next,"You take us to the Emerald Lady so we can discuss the removal of this curse and the cleric's freedom."

The green dragon gulped, sneezing as he contemplated the demand and that of facing his mother. He shifted from paw to paw, tail flicking too and fro over the grass. Finally he stopped, looking to Cordenth with trembling frills, unease fluttering about his eyes. The marred brother only smirked, groaning as Lyndis placed a hand to his neck.

“I'll be alright. Go. She'll listen, one way or the other."

Lyyreth crawled over to his brother. Green scales rubbed against each other as the two dragons nuzzled at the other's muzzles. Soft whines and rumbles were exchanged before Lyyreth broke off from his still-weakened brother with another sneeze. He turned to Asterion with a heavy sigh, "Well, come on then, let's get this over with."