"No Fighting In The War Room!" Segment Of My Book "Planes"
Passes later, the four arrived at their destination. Maller and Conroy were gently dropped down right inside the entrance of Corova, the greatest work of architecture in all of Maldora. It was carved directly out of the mountain from layer upon layer of carefully shaped stones; and was truly a sight to behold. At its back lay the remainder of the mountain out of which it was carved.
Numerous small pieces carved out of the mountain that weren't used were simply piled up near the wall in case something should, by some miracle, penetrate Corova's defenses. Fenrir, however, had no doubt that their foes possessed such a device that could bring it down. But what such a device could possibly be was unknown to him and he tried not to think about it too much.
Fenrir led Fafnir to the nearest landing area and removed the saddle from his companion. He then retired to the nearest tavern and took his well earned and much needed rest. Fenrir was surprised to find more than three times the normal number of Skyriders had checked into the inn, and he made sure he was never out of range of communication of his lifelong companion in case something should happen unexpectedly.
His thoughts and sights were drawn away from his room to the guard towers outside. They rose up and up; seemingly never ending and Fenrir didn't need his dragon to carry him up there to know they were packed to the brim with watchmen. It had the highest number of guards in their world, but would it be enough to outlast their foes?
A single round from one of their explosive weapons might be all it took to send it tumbling into a mess of stone and wood. Their weapons had proved to be something of immense and terrible power to them time and again. He refused to worry, however, for Maller and Conroy would see to it that everything would be done to prevent it from coming to that. But would that be enough?
No! He wouldn't think about that. He did his part, he earned the chance to rest and relax, so Fenrir stretched out as far as the bed would allow him, which was more than enough. It was the first time in many Suns he was able to sleep on a bed instead of at a campsite or on his dragon's back, and he found the comparison not even close.
Maller and Conroy made their way to the council room which lay at the exact center of the capital. Numerous citizens went about their various tasks that ranged from swordplay, distribution of spellstones to every citizen, (For the first time in hundreds of Turns) to bringing wood to reinforce the drawbridge, and in bringing extra supplements of arrows and bolts for longbows and crossbows for those who stood ready on the wall. Conroy made sure to get a replacement for the spellstone expended during the battle even through Maller's rebukes.
The drawbridge was thick wood backed up by layer upon layer of stone and, more recently, wooden braces which had to be removed for the gate to be shifted, much less opened for anyone to enter. Triple the normal numbers of guardsmen were posted on the wall, a hint of some huge disaster already come or coming very soon.
The moment they looked around, they knew something was wrong. Every person, citizen and guardsmen alike, was covered in multiple layers of armor and had not one, but two weapons on them, most often a spear and sword for the knights, and a bow or crossbow with an axe for the archers; whom also had extra layers of plated armor over their twelve ring-segmented chainmail, along with extra sets of arrows or bolts.
Shops that were normally open at all Passes were not only closed, but boarded up as well; the only exceptions being the smithies producing the weapons and armor for distribution which reported record amounts of profit. Arrows were produced almost in the blink of an eye, no doubt from the weapon smith's use of magic to help heat and shape them.
"What's happened here?" Conroy asked Maller, the now partially rested Captain.
"I don't know." Maller said, completely shocked and horrified by what he saw.
Everyone around the city was eyeing them suspiciously as if they'd never seen them before. Both continued at a slow, careful pace, never an arm's reach from their swords or each other. The lamps located along the walls every few feet lit their faces and gave them an eerie, ominous glow. The stones that composed the walls were only just visible from the lamplight. The flags that stood atop the towers were silent, save for the occasional light breeze that made barely more than a whisper.
The dirt pathways leading to the various possible destinations were now a blurred and scattered mess from what Maller and Conroy guessed was from a very busy Sun with dozens, if not hundreds of people passing through. After about a half mile more, the dirt paths were replaced with ones paved with stone and led to many different areas, most of them now closed, that spiraled every which way.
At the end of one of these stone pathways, the one that stretched the longest distance (about another quarter mile), they made their way to the Council Chamber and its massive doors of stone and wood. Maller's fist pounded against the door time and again before they heard the latch being undone on the other side as it slowly creaked open by a tiny slit.
Inside another door lay the Council Chamber and in the main room itself were twelve councilmen, each from a different Fort in the realm. Each councilman was responsible for reporting and addressing all the goings-on of their specific Forts; and only brief periods existed where outsiders were allowed entry, and at those times, they had to either bring word of a matter of grave importance, or have a prior appointment.
The chamberlain was trusted to ensure they had one of the two and waited for them in the chamber just before the meeting room.
"State your business!" He told them and made sure they went no further until they did as he said.
"I am Maller and this is Conroy. We come to report on the scouting mission." Maller told him.
"Scouting mission? I was told it was abandoned when they couldn't be found. Where are the rest of them?" The man inquired.
"Right here, I'm afraid. No one else survived." Maller told him, getting a shocked reaction from the chamberlain.
"What happened that only you two survived?" He then asked.
"We were attacked. And not by anything we've encountered before. Please, it is urgent that we speak to the council at once! The rest of our world might be in danger if we don't!" Conroy told him and took control of the conversation, gesturing aggressively with his hands as he spoke; bringing a surprisingly powerful skill of persuasion into it.
The man nodded a few times then said, "Very well. You may proceed, but do hurry." and opened the massive doors for them.
"What do you want?" The lead councilman demanded.
"We come to report the results of the scouting mission, my Lords." Maller said with a respectful bow.
"Bah! Everyone who went on that scouting mission was killed!" Another councilman said.
"Not everyone. We were the only two to survive and report back. Our message is one of grave importance. Not just to you, but to the entire realm." Conroy said, taking over the report.
"What do you have to report?" A councilman said, after he instilled silence from the rest of them with a hand.
"My Lords, we come to report that our realm is being invaded." Conroy reported.
"No invader has broken these walls in more than three hundred Turns! And they will never again be penetrated while we stand watch over them!" The head councilman said, and everyone vocalized their agreement.
"My Lords, our invaders are like nothing we've ever seen. They carry sticks which fire deadly pieces of metal. Ones they can fire more than once, and can pierce everything but our shields." Conroy said in urgency.
"And how many of these...invaders are there?" One of them asked while rubbing his chin.
"Hundreds were what we saw, but it's more likely that they total in the thousands. But there's more." Maller answered this time.
"More, you say?" One of them said in surprise.
"Yes. They carry weapons of even more terrifying power than the ones my comrade has described. Ones that can turn the very ground in on itself, ones that can kill dozens of us at a time." Maller and Conroy said interchangeably.
"It all makes sense now..." The head councilman said in growing fear.
Then the council members turned to each other and shared whispers, ones not loud enough for either of them to hear. After each one finished the discussion with the one next to them, they reported to the next one, and the next one. When all of them finished, there was silence until the council leader addressed the two combat battered commanders.
"I'm afraid I have news to report to you as well." The lead councilman said.
"What news?" Maller inquired.
"Half the councilmen in this chamber have reported they haven't heard from their respective Forts in many Cycles. These...invaders, you speak of, is it possible they could have attacked other Forts before you confronted them?" He informed and inquired.
"The Skyrider who brought us here claimed that numerous cities were attacked and destroyed. The city of Morwynia, we saw with our own eyes, was burned to the ground. And the Dragonlands have been attacked as well." Maller said with a nod.
"Oh? Tell me, what is the fate of our dragon friends?" The lead councilman asked and cocked an eyebrow.
Then, it was Conroy who spoke up. "The dragons survived their invasion and drove them off with barely a casualty to themselves. They have fared far better than we could ever hope to do."
Every councilman nodded to this information; dismissing it as something they suspected but didn't know. More whispers were exchanged before Conroy spoke up again.
"My Lords, I think it is in our best interests to go to the dragons and ask for their help." Conroy informed, and Maller turned and gave him a glare for not mentioning this to him beforehand.
"Tell me, what reason would they have for helping us?" Conroy was asked by the lead speaker.
"If and when our world is attacked, our invaders will not stop. They will go after the dragons, and this time, they may well succeed. We need to convince them that if we do not work together, both our races will be wiped out. We must do whatever it takes to secure an alliance with them. We must convince them to help us!" Conroy told them with great conviction.
After a brief discussion with the rest of the council, most of them giving nods, the lead member said, "You two have made some very valid points. Very well, we will send word to the dragons and call for a meeting with them. In the mean time, I think it is in the best interest of everyone if the rest of the surviving Forts would evacuate and head here where we will be waiting for our foes when they come for us." The head councilman said, turning and looking at the other members for their thoughts on what would be best, and got only nods of approval.
"When the war reaches its peak, Corova will be the site of the final battle. You two have served the realm very well!"
Conroy and Maller turned and faced one another before they looked back at their audience for an explanation.
"Do not think such loyalty goes without equal reward! You two have the entire realm in your debt. Please, simply name whatever it is that you desire, and we will make sure you receive it." He said with a smile.
"I would like a place to sleep, as well as a place and the means to practice spells and combat." Maller told them.
"It will be done!" The councilman said, somewhat surprised that it was all he wanted, then turned to Conroy and said, "And what is it you desire, Sir...?"
"Conroy, My Lord." He began but was interrupted.
"Conroy? That was the name of The Hero of Corova, wasn't it?" The councilman asked.
"Yes, it was." Conroy answered and, when shown he was to state what he would like, said, "I, too, would like a place to sleep. Also," he continued, "I would like transportation on the back of my own dragon, armor made to protect them, and to lead them in battle."
"May I inquire, as to why?" The council leader inquired.
"My Lords," Conroy began and clenched his eyes shut for several Blinks before he spoke up again. "I was a Skyrider many Turns ago. My dragon was killed during the War for Unification. Since then, my mind has focused on very little other than wishing to go back to prevent myself from losing him. Armor will not only make an already formidable foe even more difficult to overcome, but it will ensure that they can keep going as long as possible. As well as helping to prevent other Riders from suffering the same fate I did." Conroy told them and gave them a shocking confirmation to his true identity.
The head councilman appeared shocked and surprised as well, and then their reaction to what he said echoed through every other member. After more whispers were exchanged, they all nodded in agreement, knowing that the Skyriders were the brunt of the force of their military during times of war. Guards in heavy armor approached Maller and Conroy with weapons drawn.
"It will be done!" The lead councilman said.
"Guards, escort these two out! See to it they are rewarded for their loyalty to the realm!" He then ordered, as the two were escorted off the premises, and the council went to do their part.