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Chapter 5

“I don’t think I’ve seen a man turn that color before.” Snorted Veledar, tapping his sharpened claw on a silvery breastplate upon the wall, where it was joined by numerous others.

“Before or after you started yelling? Cause do I need to remind you, draconic yelling sounds awfully like a dragon rampage.” Arcturus mused, fitting himself into a navy gambeson that’d been offered to him. It was snug, clearly made for a man slightly smaller. He gave a heavy sigh, tracing the stitching. Sure there had been no time to get his gear, commander Gray had insisted, but that didn’t mean he had to enjoy the offerings they gave him.

They found themselves in the middle of the fort’s armory, surrounded by rows of armor and weapons of various types. Rifles, swords, pikes and spears, each of them well maintained and bearing the marks of the rampart pegasus. It was well maintained, lacking a hint of dust, where lanterns kept the darkness of night at bay. Men and woman kept their distance from the pair, whispering to one another as they took up a solid fourth of the room.

Arcturus lifted the sections of chainmail they’d offered him, clearly offerings meant for those new to the order. Free of a custom fit, or pristine design, someone was having a laugh at his expense. Going into battle with these offerings? He wondered if they wanted him to perish at the end of an skeletons pike.

“After, definitely after.” The dragon shook his head with a grunt, keeping an eye on the rafters above. He’d not be catching his horns this night. “And is it my fault that they don’t know my language?”

“I’m just saying, you can’t be mad at them.”

“Who said I was mad? Me?” Veledar placed a paw to his chest, “I was merely intrigued, was all. Do you think they all turn that color when I yell?” He shifted to peer across the room with a mischievous rumble, passing over all the guardians as his eyes traveled to every weapon or armor piece within the hold.

“Calculating how much it’s worth?” Arcturus asked, watching the dragon’s nostrils flare. Inside he could sense the revulsion over the smell. “Or going to rant about the smell of oil again?” He chuckled as those sapphire eyes darted away from where they’d been locked, the dragon acting as though he just hadn’t whispered the value of an adamantine sword to himself.

He padded across all the suits of armor, scoffing at their design and heraldry. “Even if I was, which I wasn’t. None of this stuff compares to the masterwork suit that you usually have wrapped around you.”

“Is that why you keep me around? For the suit’s value.”

“It is one of the many reasons.” The dragon plucked at a hanging shirt of chain, hissing as it jingled at his touch. “Should I worry about you jingling about like a festive cart? I thought this was supposed to be a stealthy mission.”

“Don’t worry.” He slipped a chain shirt over himself, tapping at the metal rings, “Your complaining will give us away miles before we get close to the enemy.” The dragon’s harsh snort and snapping to him only made him chuckle, warding away his paw, “Come now, I don’t need to end up on the floor.”

“And yet you say such things. It’s like you enjoy being batted by my paws.”

Arcturus smiled at the playful beast, currently sticking his snout inches from his face. “Its amusing things can pierce your scales so swiftly.” He applied a single smooch, chuckling as the dragon pulled back with an exaggerated gasp of disgust.

“I certainly know you didn’t call me thin scaled, the worst insult a dragon can call another. It implies weakness, malnourished, a less than prestigious nature!” Veledar padded around the armory huffing and venting, hissing as Arcturus finished donning his armor.

True it wasn’t his equipment, but that’s why he had the dragon. One sword of adequate size at his side, a few daggers just in case, a shield adorned with a rampant pegasus in a circular shape. It would have to do. He caught the dragon as he was still ranting about his pride, unaware that a handful of ruby knights had entered to gather their equipment. They didn’t say a word to Arcturus or Veledar, silence followed them like a cloak. Their eyes were seas of worry and doubt, flicking between the pair for the briefest of moments. Did they not think the mission would be a success?

“Arcturus, I don’t think you’re listening to my complains. Nor value my contributions.” He fluffed his wings, “I can get us there far stealthier than their horses or those raggedy catbirds.”

“Be nice.”

“Fine, those amusing catbirds.” Veledar hissed, “Which I might add-“

He placed a hand upon the dragon’s chin, cutting him off and earning a harsh snort. “You worry about the wrong things Crimson, when what we should be concerned with is far closer than you’d think.”

“Precisely.” His eyes narrowed, “He’s standing right beside me, insinuating that I’m not good enough!”

Rolling his eyes he gestured to the knights, starting to adorn their armor. Unlike the handouts that had been provided to him, they had lovingly crafted plate mail. Polished steel embellished with inscriptions of crimson roses and golden lines that crisscrossed each inch. Pristine boots and gloves of blackened leather, complete with flowing, regal red cloaks.

“So? More knights.” Veledar huffed, unimpressed. “I could throw a rock and hit one around here by mistake.”

“Not just any knights dearest dragon.” He corrected, “The best within the order of the guardians. Each of them has seen countless battles, master of the sword and axe. Courage is their shield, nobility their cloak. If paladins of Lumara were not a thing, I’d wager they’d be the best warriors in all Sethera.”

The dragon tapped his chin, “Do tell me, does this explain why each encounter is a constant battle between keeping my calm and flaming them to death?”

“I’m sure not all of them can hate us simply for where we’re from.”

“Speak for yourself. I don’t live in Lumara.”

“Technically, you lived on the outskir-“

Veledar rolled his eyes with a hiss, “I was not one of your itty-bitty subjects.”

He turned his back to them, leaning close and cutting off the dragon’s derailing of the point he was trying to make. “I’m saying, there’s something off about this entire operation.”

“You heard the wolf. The one who thought dragons were neat. They would rather keep this among themselves. Which, knowing the ledger of our friends and Nivra, I can understand. Your people and I didn’t have the best first introductions either. They sent a dragon hunter after me!”

“Granted, you did smash up a house.”

“After they stole from me!”

Arcturus sighed, he’d let him lead it away yet again. “Veledar, look to those knights again. Do they resemble the description that I gave you?”

Veledar peered to them with a flick of his tail. Each of the Ruby knights was about complete with gathering their weapons. They looked rather plain, if but a bit silent. “Knights as you said. Far less handsome if that’s what your worried about.”

He got a playful smack, “Look to their faces. I’ve said they must have had countless battles, faced great foes. I’ve seen men wage war and the effect it has on veterans. True there is concern, but look deeper, they are worried about something.”

“Well of course.” Veledar pulled back with a chuckle and grin, “They have not a dragon as close to their side as you. In terms of safety, you are vastly in a better position.”

He’d love for that to be true, but even now the gaggle of men were sharing occasional looks. Not one was talking or joking as they usually did, or he remembered in his own unit. That fact ate at him, there was a piece of information that wasn’t being told to them. “It’s more than that. Something’s not right.”

“And you’re being paranoid?” Veledar scoffed.

“You were the one that decided to follow me.” Arcturus hissed, “Insisting they were trying to get me alone-“

“And that was before I showed up and that excellent commander Gray explained things.” Veledar curled around him with a sigh, “These poor men and woman before us are on the precipice of something grand. They get to bear witness to the birth of the story that will be told from Rothdell to the abysmal halls of your Entis. One of Crimson Sky and his shiny mate. Undead before us? Hah, merely a steppingstone.”

His arms crossed as the dragon continued with his optimism. “Don’t you think you’re being a tad naive?”

He opened and closed his maw, finally answering with a growl. “Perhaps. But suppose we grant that you are right, not saying you are, what then? Do we refuse and leap upon them at this very hour?”

“Just keep your eyes on them.” He sighed, “That way if I’m leaping at shadows, we’ll be fine. If not…” He pat the weapons at his side, “We’ll be more than prepared.”

“Very well, I suppose that’s the least of which I can do.” Veledar replied, butting his snout against the man’s chest. “But I do demand that I get repaid for such use of my attention.”

“Just add it to the bill.” Smirked Arcturus.

“I suppose.” The dragon frowned, glancing over the knights and then to his red scales. He brandished his forepaws, eyes traveling from his chest back along his red-orange underbelly and to his tail. “Am I not to get armor on this little adventure?”

“You? I don’t think they have armor for dragons in here.”

“Fremra did.” He snorted, “Do you think they’ll let me fly back to retrieve it? Quick pop in there and back, hardly know I’m gone.”

“Doubt it. They didn’t even want us going back to get my gear.”

Veledar lashed his tail, brow furrowed. “All I’m saying is, why ask of me to try on the armor, when it’s going to be absent for every time I go into battle?”

“Perhaps you should wear it everywhere we go, then you can never be caught unawares.”

He snorted, snapping his jaw shut over the idea. “All the time? The armor clashes with my scales anyway, too many lightning bolts…Don’t want to give the mortals the wrong idea-“ The dragon cut himself off as a team of sapphire guardians clad in blue tabards arrived, led by none other than Alonso of the ruby guardians.

The man crossed his arms across his decorated chest plate, his brow furrowed and brown eyes of steel. Axe on his hip and shield at his back, he was more than ready for the night ahead. “Have long enough dragging your feet?” Alonso growled, clearly not over their encounter where Storm had perished. “The longer you take, the more time the undead have to spirit away what treasure we hoped to relinquish from them.”

“Well, if it isn’t the blight upon our scales.” Veledar slid between them with a growl. His wings fluffed as much as they could as his chest swelled, clearly trying to intimidate this man. “I thought the air smelled foul when we were brought here. Arcturus tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, but I knew it was you. Come to say hello? Or just to test my patience on if I should see how flammable, you lot are.”

“You heard me beast.” Replied the knight, “I have not the time to play this game with you. Are you ready or not?”

“Arcturus and I can take as much time as we require. First and foremost, I’d like to register a complaint with his armor. It’s clearly inadequate to protect him.”

“That’s all that we could manage. What you see here is for others, members of the guardians.”

He tossed his head with a snort, “Cling to that when we’re off for an important mission? Are you trying to shoot yourself in the foot?”

Arcturus slipped under Veledar’s wing, hoping to stop this little spat before it escalated further. “The armor is most pleasant.” He said with a laugh, feeling the daggers of his dragon’s gaze upon his face. “I’d prefer my own, but I can understand the secrecy. Crimson here was just going on about our companion’s exploits on our absence.”

“And yours.” Alonso said, “Or have you forgotten we’re currently lacking a dragon of legend because of you?”

“I believe that was ruled the lich’s doing. Of which we made sure he was obliterated from this plane.”

“Regardless. I have come to collect you. It would appear as though you’re fit for the flight ahead, despite the ill greeting from your dragon-“

“Keep it up and I can make this exchange even more unpleasant for you.” Veledar’s nostrils flared, “If you keep blaming my Umraadi for things outside his control.”

“Regardless.” He thrust a finger to Arcturus’ chest. “I want you to know that the lives of these men and woman matter to me, yours does not. What we do is for the safety of Struport and our lands, I’ll not tolerate your group’s recklessness in the face of danger.” He gestured to the soldiers behind him, all of different sorts and sizes. “They have family, wives, husbands, children of which to return to. I won’t let you place them in needless danger, and if it should come between saving your life and theirs, I will choose them in a heartbeat.”

“Here I thought it was supposed to be an alliance between us.” Replied Arcturus with a sharpened gaze. “Not exactly the most uplifting pre-battle speech I’ve heard. But know this, I’ll protect each one of your guardians as though you were my comrades. Worry not for my safety.” He held the underside of Veledar’s jaw as it slid over his shoulder with a look that could kill. “I have him for that.”

“Then we understand each other.” Alonso gestured over his shoulder, “Now shall we depart? The sooner the mission is complete, the sooner we can be rid of your presence.”