FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The following two days were even harder than the first. Whilst the army forced them to have great discipline and self-control, the knowledge of Tryndamous' black heart weighed heavily on the minds of the patrol, making even just being around the High General a distasteful task. Talking to him became like latrine duty, the job that every dragon tried to avoid with a vigorous passion. It was not helped by constant unsympathetic attitude and criticizing demeanour.

Tryndamous set a punishing pace, getting up at first camp and force everyone to break camp before having a morning meal. Stating that they can eat on the fly. Offering no aid to get everything sorted, packed away and cleaned up. Once it was done, he reprimanded them on being too slow, stating that they need to be quicker before taking flight. Through this time the patrol was able to take to the air much quicker despite Tryndamous throwing up a cloud of dust just like last time.

Once in the air, the High General set a punishing pace, forcing the patrol to keep almost level with him whilst he flew. Gliding for long periods and resting his wings for an hour or two, before actively using them. The patrol got half an hour out of gliding at best, before having to beat their wings in order to keep pace and height with him. None of them daring to try and ride Tryndamous' tail-wind, knowing that it was likely to get the draconem to just turn around and head back to the base camp.

They didn't stop flying at all that day. Not even being allowed to stop for lunch, drink or a toilet break. Tryndamous seemed to not have the bodily requirements of normal dragons, and with knowledge of his true nature. The patrol came to a silent agreement that it would be best to wait and suffer in silence instead of trying to speak to him. Still, it left them on the edge of exhaustion at by the time they were allowed to land, and without Ace's firm will they likely would of just curled up and gone straight to sleep instead of having their dinner before hand.

Their third day with the High General was similar to the second, only harder due to the strain placed on their bodies the previous day. The fourth day however soon proved a difference. They were passing by a small mountain range next to a valley with a river and small road running next to it. To the patrol's major surprise, Tryndamous actually had them land when the sun hadn't even reached its peak. Landing on a cliff, he quickly pulled out a sighter from his bags and looked through it towards the valley whilst the patrol took the time to rest on the rocks. Even sunning themselves slightly on the warm rocks.

"Right on time." Tryndamous growled after a few minutes of silence, collapsing the sighter and turning to the patrol, who had all snapped to attention when he spoke, through they still stayed sitting on the rocks. "The bandits we've been after are at the head of the valley and making their way down the road. In two hours, they will be at the bottom of the valley, and there will we ambush them. Their is five of them, with a caravan. Our aim is to eliminate them all. The one in the caravan is our main concerned, and needs to be trapped inside the caravan. I turn command over to your patrol leader until the mission is completed, whenever it be a success or failure."

Tryndamous said nothing more and stalked away to have his privacy as the patrol gathered round to discuss what to do. Ace quickly turned planning over to Arcantos, as he was the Tactician and it was his area of expertise, not Ace's. Arcantos pondered on this for a few moments, looking of the patrol and evaluating what he knew of their abilities before quickly making a decision.

"Lets eat. The more well rested we are the better fighting condition we'll be in. Plus it will give me time to think and have us not wasting time whilst I plan out our strategy." The patrol was a little surprised not just at Arcantos' quick reply, but what his suggestion was. It quickly got an agreement from the patrol through and they settled down to have a quick meal.

Tryndamous did not like this however, and scowled. Coming back to his feet his strode over until he was casting a shadow across the entire group, angrily demanding. "What do you think you are doing? I told you to prepare for an ambush, not sit around and eat like your having a picnic!"

"This is our preparation." Ace said coolly, purposefully and pointedly missing out the sir at the end. Something that not even the High General missed as he spoke. "The Tactician of our group has stated that we would fight better if well-rested, and that if we ate now the food would be fully digested by the time it came to ambush them. As the leader of the mission, I decided that it was a sound decision. Plus, it gives the tactician time to think and strategize whilst ensuring that the patrol was not sitting idle whilst he does so, allowing us to be efficient in our tasks."

Tryndamous' face darkened at Ace's no to subtle reminders that he was in charge now. The High General swelled up in rage as he glared down at the dark dragon, with the patrol holding their breath. Wondering if Ace was made, as he was the one that knew personally what the draconem was capable off. Yet, to their surprise and relief, all Tryndamous did was growl and move away.

"By aether Ace, what the heck are you thinking?! Its crazy to provoke the high general like that, he could of killed you in an instant!" Nova hissed quietly, glaring at her friend as if he was completely and utterly stupid. The black dragon shrugged his wings as he returned to his meal, saying that.

"It was a gamble I admit, but one that I feel was necessary. I needed to know if Tryndamous was willing to follow his word and give up his authority when he said he was going to. Whilst he is unhappy about it, he has. Meaning I am in control of this mission, which considering the sketchiness of it, is an absolutely necessity." The patrol shared looks at this statement, knowing that it was nothing good for Ace to be speaking like this. Nova was the first one to speak.

"Care to educate the less paranoid as to why you think the mission its 'sketchy'?" Arcantos was a little surprised by the sarcasm in Nova's voice as she spoke, and missed the look Ace sent her for the commentary. Through the leader of the patrol did do as requested.

"This area is right on the border between the countries, and thus very heavily patrolled by our forces. Not young-bloods like ourselves, but the actual army. So why haven't they spotted and eliminated these bandits already? If they were bad enough to require military intervention, then they would have been put down long ago. Plus, how did Tryndamous know they would be travelling this way? Its clear that he had this place planned as the ambush point even before we left the base camp, and pushed us so hard in order to get here in time."

"That gives us two questions. First as I've already stated, how does Tryndamous know about their route? Secondly, why are these 'bandits' taking this road in the first place? If their coming from the other end of the valley and follow it through, then they'll be heading straight from the border. Not to mention what type of bandit was so casually take the road in what is known as a highly patrolled area? It doesn't add up... so I'm changing the priority of the mission objectives."

The patrol became serious and thoughtful at this. What Ace was suggesting was a very heavy task for a patrol leader to do, as it showed a distrust for those of a higher rank. When a patrol leader changed the priority of the mission objectives, they and their patrol was meant to report it. They were then be evaluated to see if they were valid for doing so. If not they faced serve disciplinary action. The only task a patrol leader could do that trumpeted changing the priority of the mission objectives was changing the mission objectives directly.

"We stand together." Nova said, reminding everyone of the oath they had made just the other night, looking around at the entire patrol to ensure they understood before turning back to Ace. "Because of this, we will stand with you on this, and not tell anyone of it having passed. As long as you tell us what you got planned and why you think it needs to be done." Ace nodded in agreement at Nova's proposal.

"That is a fair deal. The priority change is simple. Instead of primarily being to wipe out these people that the High General claims are bandits, our main objective will be to identify who exactly these travellers are. We will eliminate them only if they are successfully identified as bandits with a minimal margin of doubt."

"And how do you plan for us to do that? Bandits won't exactly go round carrying a big flag proclaiming their bandits to the world." Sontius was quick to question. Doubt and scepticism written all over his face, despite being the one to propose that they were to all stand together. Ace turned his attention to the air dragon and answer simply and coolly.

"Myself and Arcantos have previous experience dealing with brigands." Whilst sudden information like the type Ace seemed to love to share surprised the patrol, none was no more surprised than Arcantos, who starred at Ace with wide eyes. 'How... how does he know about the incident? It was kept completely hush-hush, so only Tep should know about it'

"Alright, a patrol needs to trust in the abilities of their patrol-mates if they are to be successful. So I'll trust that the experience you and Arcantos have will be enough for this identification." Sontius said after a small pause to digest this information. "As for the reasoning, I think we can all see that. We wish to ensure that Tryndamous isn't using us, that these are bandits we are slaying and not some innocents."

Ace simply nodded at Sontius' words, giving his agreement without speaking. Seeing that the conversation was done, the patrol returned to eating. whilst personally reflecting what had been discussed, or talking with those they felt closet to. Arcantos was still shocked at the depth of Ace's information, and wasn't able to think straight... before a realization struck him like a lighting bolt.

'How did he know about Sontius' ability to produce sound bubbles?' Arcantos looked over to Sontius, who was currently quietly discussing things with the sniper of the patrol. Recalling how the air dragon had been as surprised as the rest of them at Ace's request. 'None of us knew about it, its something one would only discuss with a close friend, which only Ace and Nova could really count as. So how did he know about Sontius' ability?'

Arcantos' gaze turned back to Ace, considering him seriously for a few moments before turning to look at the rest of the patrol. None of them seemed to share his concerns or questions, they were to busy discussing the suggestion that Ace had laid out in front of them... and the mission as a whole from the sounds of it. Looking over everyone, Arcantos connected another set of dots.

'No... its not just Sontius he knew about. But all of us. Ace didn't state what our unique ways of manifesting our elements are, but he knew about them. He could most likely state what they are with ease. But this information isn't something that is freely given out. It might be that no one here has actually told the other members of the patrols about it. The only ones who would know are... the higher ups. The squad second and squad leader.... and as they don't stay constant over the three years, its likely that they have profiles on us all with confidential but important information on it. Such as our affinity for unconventional or... 'wrong' way of using our elements at least, as well as that incident that I was in all those years ago... could he have got his hands on such profiles and read that? Is that were he got the information?

'But how? The squad second and squad leader are expert soldiers, we're just young-bloods. They have so much experience compared to us that we can't pull any tricks against them. Hell, they basically challenge us to try and sneak stuff from their tents but they catch us no matter what tricks are used.... except, Caross almost managed to pull one off when he asked me for advice in sheer desperation at the challenge and how he was considered the bottom on the rung when it came to it.'

'Ace said it wasn't just our natural elemental manifestation that was unconventional about us, but our minds. The way we thought and processed information was different. I've heard that I'm a very creative tactician, and the only way to beat my patrol during the battle-games is by overpowering us, not out-smarting us. I never really believed it, but what if its true? Could this be how Caross almost managed to pull it off? Because I'm unconventional, I use techniques and tactics that even veteran soldiers aren't expecting?'

'Ace said all of us were like that, including himself. Is that how he managed to get his hands on the profiles? Darkness dragons do make legendary scouts, and even those who don't follow that route get some training in stealth using their elements. Its likely that he could of gotten training from a darkness dragon scout to further his abilities... and how precise is that ability of his to track the position of living beings? Can he pick up subtle movements, like the movement of the head? If so, he could use that power to have an estimation of a dragon's area of vision, and use that to greatly help his ability to sneak around.'

'So, he likely has the ability to have gotten his hands on our profiles. The question is did he, and if so, why?' This series of thoughts quickly flicked through Arcantos' head as he quietly examined the black dragon in front of him... only for Ace to turn from his conversation with Nova, giving him a quick smile and nod. The movement so quick that Nova actually missed it as Arcantos rocked back in shock. 'Did... did he know that I figured out he might of gotten his hands on our profiles and acknowledged it? Surely not. He's smart, but he can't be that smart... right?'

Shocked from this revelation and uneasy question, Arcantos forgot the task he was meant to be completing whilst the patrol was taking their break and meal. Coming up with a plan that would allow them to successfully ambush the 'bandits', which had been turned into identify first, and then potentially kill them. So focused on Ace, Arcantos was startled when Sonitus suddenly spoke to him.

"So Arcantos, got a plan yet?" Arcantos visibly jumped at this, and momentarily panicked when he felt the attention of the patrol on him, as he had drew a blank at what Sonitus meant... and even when it clicked moments later he had no idea. However, he breathed in deeply, before letting it out, trying to find calm as he tried to search for a few more minutes.

"Well, me and Ace need to identify them first, right?" The patrol nodded at this, as Arcantos began to scramble for an idea as he winged the conversation as much as possible. "Which means we need to be able to see them, and I mean actually see them in clear detail. Not just know where they are so we can snipe them."

"So, you plan to be up close and personal?" Sontius asked curiously, with Arcantos considering the idea for a few moments, looking back at Ace and mulling over his considerations about his abilities and source of information before nodding.

"Yes, Ace likely has even knowledge in darkness to keep us hidden in the undergrowth next to the road. This will allow us to identify them, plus as such close range they wouldn't have much time to defend themselves if we struck. I was thinking that if they are bandits, I could unleash a burst of lighting to disorientate them, with the flash being a signal for you to kill them."

"But wouldn't such a flash blind us as well?" Nova questioned with a small thrown at the idea. "Plus its risky, the lighting would hurt Ace as well, and if they recover quickly they could turn and attack you two, which would put you in a serious risk."

"You'll be far enough away not to be affected, or on the other side of the wagon." Arcantos said as his plan quickly clicked together and he smiled in relief glad he had a solid plan. "You all have solid range combat abilities, so you can all be positioned some distance away and try to pick them off when I give the signal. Nova, your roll will be different. The caravan will likely have a metal lock, I want you to hit the door with really hot fire, melt the lock and make it impossible to open and set the caravan alight. Once you've done that, you can move in to take any survivors out. Sonitus, you only need to take one shot before moving in, everyone else stay away and give ranged support. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Ace said immediately without any hesitation. The rest of the patrol weren't as quick to decide, but eventually they all followed Ace's lead and accepted Arcantos' plan as a sound one, allowing the blue dragon to let out a silent sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness... I'm really not got at improvisation, and got pretty lucky there...'

Ace began packing up after the agreement was made, saying. "We best head down to the valley. We don't want these travellers spotting us in the distance, even if they don't become suspicious. Once there, Sonitus can scout round for a suitable ambush point." The patrol was quick to obey these orders, feeling restored by their rest, even with the tense discussions they had shared. Arcantos sent a quick glance over to Tryndamous, wondering whenever or not they should tell them of their plan at all, but decided not to, as it risked him discovering the change of objective priority and it would waste time. Ace was the leader now, not the High General.

In five minutes, the patrol had left the cliff, leaving only crumbs as signs that they had ever been there. Taking of by jumping of the edge and gliding down to the valley bellow, being careful to dip down towards the tree level so that any travellers would find it hard to spot them as they flew towards the centre of the valley.

It took them about fifteen minutes to arrive at their destination, Sonitus spotting a clearing a good distance away from the road and not in eye-sight. With the fifteen minutes that the patrol had for the meal, they had approximately one and half hours left before the travellers would be around the area. This gave Sonitus ample time to vanish from the group in order to scout up and down the road for a good position for their potential ambush.

Whilst they waited, most of the patrol did some stretches, keeping themselves limber and their bodies ready for the action to come. Whilst Arcantos understood their reason for these actions, he thought that it was a bit to early to do some stretching and didn't join them. Instead, he allowed his mind to drift slightly, turning to the story that he had been working on before the High General did, and began to ponder how exactly he could develop the characters and the scene he was on more, without having too much purple pose.

Sonitus took approximately fourty-five minutes to complete his scouting mission. He made his way over to Ace to discuss his findings and the ambush points they would be using. As the two dragons talked, Arcantos did his stretches, making sure his muscles were ready for action... even if he was going to be waiting for about half an hour before the possibility of action.

Once Sonitus and Ace had come to an agreement, they lead the patrol silently to the road. Arcantos himself surveyed the chosen ambush point himself. There was bushes along the road that a dragon could hide themselves in if they completely flattened their bodies, but that would make it horrible to run or attack if discovered. Any tree's or nooks in the lands were a reasonable distance away from the road as well, and the river was running across the other side. All in all, it didn't look like an ambush point... which would serve their purpose brilliantly.

The patrol quickly scattered to the chosen hiding spaces. Ace and Arcantos crouched behind the bushes, with Ace pulling the natural darkness towards them to make it harder to see them, through not creating an unnatural dark spot. Sonitus slipped under the river, relying on an air bubble to keep himself warm and able to breath, whilst the others took positions further from the road. Then... there was nothing to do but wait.

It was a tense wait. Not all that uncomfortable, as they were all used to what civilians would call 'rough conditions', and they were free to move a bit until the bandits were within hearing range. But just waiting for the minutes to tick by, knowing that within moments they would be in a life or death situation did not make it entirely comfortable.

Eventually, they picked up the sound of hoof falls. Obviously the bandits were using a breed of horse to pull the carriage, through from the hoof-steps alone it was impossible to tell what exact breed. Still, it signified to the entire group to fallen into an expectant hush, knowing that it would only be a few minutes until they could hear the other noises of the small caravan.

The creak of a carriage and its wheels, the murmur of voices and even the small click of claws against the stone of the road were soon to follow the hoof-steps. Ace and Arcantos shared a glance upon hearing the voices and claw-clicks. No bandits would be so loud unless they were extremely arrogant or rather stupid. Both of them felt that they were unlikely.

Finally, their targets came into sight, and Arcantos let out a surprised breath at the sight of them. Eastern dragons... the slick, snaky cousins to the dragons that surrounded them. Not only that, but they didn't have the tough, rugged look of bandits. Instead, they were cleaned, groomed even, with polished metal armour. Their horses - which Arcantos could now see were light horses - were very well bred animals that looked like they could be just at ease in a dressage competition than pulling a carriage on the road.

This alone was enough to convince Arcantos that these dragons were no bandits, but the carriage itself... or more importantly, the symbol emblazoned on the door to the front tipped it in his favour. Arcantos recognized it instantly as an emblem of one of the eastern lords, and knew no bandits would ever dare to forge it. They likelihood of it being stolen property didn't even cross Arcantos' mind, not with how relaxed the caravan was.

Arcantos turned his head to look at Ace, and saw the darkness dragon looking at him calmly. No words needed to be said, the conclusion was clear and obvious. These were no bandits, and instead were much, much more dangerous... fully trained soldiers that could likely kill the entire patrol even with the advantage of the ambush.

That wasn't all through as Arcantos turned to study them. The obvious wealth and power of the convey pointed to the dragon in the carrige to be a very important person. Either a dragon in high standing with the lord whose symbol was emblazoned on the door, or the lord itself. If that was true, an attack would have grievous political consequences...

Arcantos looked back at Ace, and saw the same thoughts going through their mind. What if this was no accident on behalf of Tryndamous, but a deliberate act? He was ruthless, moral-less, and had a legendary hatred for eastern dragons. Sacrificing a few second-years in training in order to kill a eastern lord wouldn't be an issue for him, especially as he was getting rid of those less likely to fit the mould and basically worship him as a living god.

Just as this realization swept over the two dragons, they heard loud exclamations from the guards. A mixture of shock and worry. Hurried, they turned to look, abandoning stealth momentarily in fear for what they might be too late to stop, a fear that was sadly realized. For as the convey passed the ambush point, Tryndamous had stepped onto the road. Five rocks levitating around him, with a much large one hovering behind the draconem.

Even as Ace and Arcantos leapt to their feet, with Ace shouting out a warning to the guards - Tryndamous struck. The guards were good and quickly. Some diving to dodge, whilst others constructed hasty defences. Tryndamous however was the High General, the most powerful fighter in a civilization that worshipped such power. They never stood a chance, and they were all tossed back by the powerful attacks, dead.

Tryndamous saw the two dragons leaping up and heard Ace's shouted warning, and gave them a look of absolute loathing. Ace knew he was contemplating killing them, but it seemed he decided not to as he would have to kill the entire patrol and that would have been messy. So instead he simply turned his attention back to the carriage and shot the large boulder at it, intending to completely demolish it. As the light horses had stopped at the sudden death of the guards, it was a sitting target.

Yet, the small hesitation was enough for Arcantos. Bounding forwards he managed to come up alongside the carriage as Tryndamous fired his attack, and Arcantos threw all of his power. All of his training and his desperation into a burst of air to knock it to the side. Power welled up inside of him before bursting out, the wind howling as it forced the boulder aside, through not stopped or slowing it at all as it shot past the carriage, out over the river, and crashed into a grove of tree's 500 meters away.

Arcantos didn't stop moving even after his desperate attempt to save the life of the last member of the caravan, instead placing himself in front of the carriage, directly in between it and Tryndamous. He was lucky that the High General wasn't preparing another attacked, shocked that a second-year had managed to deflect his attack, through Arcantos knew he would quickly realize that it was simply the result of a magic surge.

"They aren't an enemy!" Arcantos called out, banking on Tryndamous surprise and his previous decision not to eliminate the entire patrol to keep himself and the occupant of the carriage alive. "These dragons aren't bandits, but civilians! Travelling back home after a visit to the Western Dragons, we made a mistake!"

Stating that Tryndamous had made a mistake would have been a mistake in on itself Arcantos knew, especially as a Tactician thinking of how someone could of made such a mistake and coming to a realization of Tryndamous' likely plan was not that much of a stretch. Instead, by spread the blame, not only was the High General not put on the defensive, but any suspicion of the true plan being figured out was vastly reduced.

"Lets suppose for a moment that I did make a mistake in the identity of these dragons." Tryndamous said coldly, advancing towards Arcantos and the carriage as the patrol watched with baited breath. "I have already killed five of them, killing one more won't make a difference." Arcantos nearly lost his breath at this, and swayed on the spot, only to find Ace was by his side supporting him, and wathcing the High General approach. At the same time, the bipedal dragon became aware of the sound of scuffling behind him. "In fact, killing the last one is clean-up duty. Leaving no witnesses behind to give false information and slander to those eastern scum."

"Slander like the High General of the Western Dragons performed an unprovoked attack and murdered five guards in cold blood?" Ace said coldly, making Arcantos tense up at the direct challenge, as well as the soft noise and scuffling that followed from behind. "Because that's what it looks like to me, and I'm serving in the army, would you go far to suggest that I would lie to the High General's face at all?"

Tryndamous replied with a growl that Arc swore making the very ground shake as he glared viciously at the shadow dragon. "I did not murder anyone. I was completing the task that you had failed at, eliminating a group of bandits that had been terrorizing the country-side. A task that you didn't even attempt, as you simply allowed them to roll straight past your ambush site. Pathetic and cowardly actions that will be marked against you and your squad."

"I changed the mission objectives." Ace said firmly, as Arcantos mentally screamed at the darkness dragon to shut up and stop provoking the giant draconem that could kill them with a mere thought, aware of the thick silence that had fallen. It was almost like the entire valley had become devoid of all life save the three of them. "I had concerns about the information provided to use about these bandits, and decided as patrol leader it was best to ensure that we were facing actual bandits. As both myself and Arcantos have had encounters with brigands in the past, we can identify them effective."

"I've encounters more bandits than days you two have been alive." Tryndamous sneered at Ace's statement, already breaking a stone from the path to hover threateningly in front of the darkness dragon. "What makes you think that you two are more qualified at identifying whenever or not these dragons are brigands more than me? And pick your words carefully, it is within my full rights as the High General to execute a soldier for insubordination."

"I was a bandit." Ace said bluntly and calmly. He said it so plainly that it took Arcantos a few seconds to register what exactly Ace had said. Once it did click however, Arcantos barely managed to flinch in shock at this information. Ace was only twenty, how could he not just have been a bandit, but have been pardoned and allowed to join the army? Even if this was his compulsory three-year service. The High General didn't display must surprise at this, as he lowered the stone.

"I suppose scum do know scum better than normal dragons." Tryndamous said with no reluctance in his voice, confusion Arcantos momentarily before realization dawned. Tryndamous knew about Ace's past, the entire army most likely did. He was working to create distrust for Ace due to the past. "Still, I know Eastern Dragons, and they would leap at the chance to slander us. Turning this unfortunate mistake and tragedy into a purposeful attack against their kind. So why should I leave this last dragon alive, hmmm?"

Here, Ace glanced at Arcantos, saying nothing. For a few moments, Arcantos was blanking, wondering why Ace was looking at him... and with dawning horror, realized that Ace had only directly confronted Tryndamous because he believed Arcantos had a solid reason to step up against the High General, and hadn't been acting on a spur of the moment decision. With how Tryndamous was growing a cruel smile on his face, the High General had seen right through Arcantos.

"T-their a l-lord." Arcantos said, stuttering at at the intense focus on him by Ace, Tryndamous and the rest of the patrol. Tryndamous frowned at this, giving Arcantos time to take a deep breath and calm himself before continuing more strongly. "The dragon inside of the carriage is more than likely a Lord of the East. Not only does the carriage carry the symbol of a Lord, but it is pulled by Light Horses. Light is considered the highest element to eastern dragons, second only to Aether. To use such a regarded animal for a simple task such as pulling a carriage requires one to be of high status, and there are few others compared to Lords."

"But that does not mean that it is a Lord inside of the carriage itself, simply that the carriage and horses are owned by a Lord." Tryndamous said with a growl, surprising Arcantos with the comment. Then again, the High General was proving himself to be rather clever in ways that suited him, and Arcantos began to wonder if all of his victories really were completely legitimate. As it was, Arcantos would have to take a gamble and play his final card.

"Then lets ask open the door as ask them personally." Arcantos said, surprising not just Tryndamous but also Ace from the straight forwards option Arcantos has presented to them. "Eastern Dragons pride themselves in their flexibility, so if they are visiting the Western Dragons, they will do their best to learn our language. Not only that, but the dragon in the carriage has been reacting to our conversation further indicating that they understand us."

Tryndamous looked at Arcantos for a few moments, as if considering if this young-blood was actually real. If he had successfully managed to outmanoeuvre him. Eventually through, he muzzle lifted into a cruel grin that sent chills down Arc's spine. "Very well, go ahead and open the door, let the dragon inside of the carriage come forwards and introduce themselves to the entire patrol. Then we will see if they deserve to live or to die."

Arcantos nodded and turned towards the carriage, however he only managed to take a few more steps before Tryndamous spoke. "Of course, if you open that carriage and they are of no worth, then I shall execute you both for insubordination. If you simply stand aside and allow me to eliminate the last witness to avoid unnecessary slander, then I shall... overlook your mistakes."

"We trust our judgement." Ace said before fear could truly begin to take hold on Arcantos at the High General's words. "A solider is always risking their lives. Trusting their judgement in order to make the right decisions to survive. This is no different than that, and we have been training for such scenarios for one and a half years. I think we can accept your terms... if you accept that if the dragon in the carriage is a Lord, we must be allowed to make an attempt to right the wrongs that have been wrought this day."

'Geeze Ace, I know you have a grudge against the High General, but your the one who warned us about him, so why don't you follow your own warning?' Arcantos said, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as he waiting for Tryndamous' reply. Who looked surprised at the turn around done by Ace at least, until he smirked and started laughing. A small chuckle that developed into a full-blown, head thrown up dark laughter that ended with him smirking at Ace.

"Gusty young-blood aren't you? Very well, I accept these 'terms' of yours. Open the door, so you can learn that the High General is never in the wrong. Not that it will matter of course because your death would soon follow." Ace just looked defiantly back the draconem, as Arcantos gathered up his courage and stepped forwards. Reaching for the handle of the door and pulling it open.

Stepping forwards was a dragoness of amazing grace and dignity. Her shining silver scales and slim body were not particularly beautiful, but with her way of movement would still turn heads... which was rather important as the cloth that covered her face gave her profession away, making Ace's expression falter as Tryndamous chuckled once more.

"A female with a covered face? Even one such as myself knows that it means that this dragoness is nothing more than a whore. Likely a disgusting hybrid among the border towns that a passing lesser lord took an interest in. Such a shame that all your defiance and effort was all to save a slut."

"The term is Courtesan." Arcantos said coldly, surprising Ace and Tryndamous as he turned to look at the High General, his gaze as strong and cold as ice-steel. "And your information, out of the thirty five Eastern Lords seven of them are Courtesans, one of which is even a High Lord. So the fact that she wears a Courtesan's mask is not important, what needs to be paid attention to is her armlets."

Both Ace and Tryndamous glanced down at this, looking at the dragoness' forelegs. Quite clearly, she had two bands around her left leg, which were made of A shimmering purple metal. Ace breathed in deeply when he realized what they were made out of, whilst Tryndamous let out a small growl of displeasure.

"Aetherium. The same metal that the Aether Guard uses for their armour. Only the Lords of the East are allowed to have armlets made out of Aetherium, with two bands indicating that she is a Lord, not a Lesser Lord or a High Lord." Arcantos fell silent, allowing this information to sink into the two, as well as the patrol. Ace slowly smirking as realization drew onto him as the High General began growling louder.

"In other words, the High General is wrong." Arcantos finished, looking defiantly back at Tryndamous, challenging him to go back on his word. To kill a Lord of the East in cold blood and two soldiers under his command simply for revealing a mistake he had made. The earth draconem looked back with fury and hatred in his eyes.

"You will regret this." He promised coldly, before spreading his wings and leaping into the air. Leaving all three dragons coughing at the dust-cloud that he created. By the time it cleared, the High General was already far away and the rest of the patrol was tentatively coming to join Ace and Arcantos. Ace watched Tryndamous leaving with no expression on his face, only turning away when Arcantos spoke up.

"Come on, we have a Lord to tend to."