Demi got me up dark and early this morning. It was prior to sunrise and her mood was sullen. I felt bad for her, but my hands were tied by a larger power, and I didn't see it changing any time in the immediate future. What do you do for a sullen dragon? The promise of new baby dragons wasn't going to do it because they will have to be in a completely different mountain. The potential success will be performed by others, and she will have to stand in the background while others are heralded by the many. Worse, I'll be part of the acclaim she'll only be able to watch and that sits like a lead lump in both of us. Makes me not want to go.
I spent the whole morning thinking about it and the mood between Demi and I was strained during her bath and our breakfast.
She likes to have her beef cooked to some degree, and not even the smell of freshly seared steak was enough to put her in a better mood. She eventually blew fire over the pan to finish cooking it and gave her steak to another rider and dragon. I tried to think uplifting and positive thoughts, but it didn't so much as produce even one round of bells. Our time eventually ran out and I had to report to the Castle. Demi decided to go visit the Green Grotto and I watched her slowly head in that direction.
I wasn't the last to join the briefing today, but all twelve of the Chosen were already on the Veranda and partaking of beverages. Over the next few minutes, the rest of the riders made their way to the conference table where Queen Mother had charts and drawings laid out. A side note about the beverages, ours were different than theirs. I'm just sayin’. There were no bowls of fruit and no pastries, so I could only assume that this meeting was to be all business. The Ariella wasn't short with anyone, but she didn't allow for deviations to her agenda.
The long and short of the plan was all about achieving the simplistic. The greys would leave a couple of hours before the rest and fly across the river at extremely high altitude. The remainder of the dragons would come in, not only behind them, but at a lower altitude and periodically confer with the greys for updates on troop movement. Each one of the dragons would carry two people, except for Big Red, Arraness and Casiel, who would take the above mentioned two plus one of the Aguivas and their rider, completing our compliment. The Chosen would add their eyes to the lookout, and at top speed we could all make it there between five and six hours. This was going to be a very long flight. The Ariella wanted us on the ground for no longer than one hour upon arrival, which would give us the needed time to complete our part of the mission. The one hour of ground time would also give the dragons the rest they needed before having to fly the same distance home. Both trips would be flown at the maximum altitude achievable for the Aguivas, as their breathing became restricted if they flew or were carried any higher. This restriction does not apply to the grey dragons and since they'll be carrying the Chosen, the extra passengers will have to be selected by which ones are least affected by altitude. That would still put the rest of us at several thousand feet, or less in my opinion as I'm not sure if the estimates given by the Pieces of Eight are accurate. I think it would be less if you only counted their lung capacity, regardless of their other attributes. The Warbirds were not meant to be highflyers regardless of what anybody says. According to Walter, in their flight over from the Provinces they had not flown higher than fifteen hundred feet during the entire flight. I hope I'm wrong about this, but everyone in this meeting knows that fifteen hundred feet is still within Projector range.
The next part of the plan concerned the facility that theoretically held the Aguiva eggs. I could tell from the diagrams, it would not be easy, and the fortification surrounding the fenced areas would have made Fort Knox look like an open car garage. Still, the Chosen have assured Queen Mother that they can get past the fortified spots in a quarter of an hour. I'm supposed to be the backup on this part of the plan, and in the event of the Chosen failing to break over the security, I'm to detonate the outer perimeter. Trust me; this really is a backup plan, no... Last ditch effort, because I can't guarantee the safety of the occupants inside if there is a chain reaction to what I do. We don't know what they have below ground, as in explosives, and therein lies the biggest "IF" to the whole shooting match. Inside the fenced area are a series of pens that we assume are used in the handling of the dragons. Next to the pens are multiple runs that we assume are for exercising the babies and last but certainly the most unknown is the main building, which is below ground. Our best hope is to overcome the security net just inside the fence. Take them out and the assault on the main building looks possible. Set off alarms and what you've got is, at the very least, two to one odds. This needs to be as quiet as possible until we get inside. Then everyone down there will know they've got company. According to the Pieces of Eight, they don't lock the facilities down due to traffic, as the guards rotate in and out on a regular basis. Our job is to ascertain what that rotational cycle is and wait until the appropriate time. The Chosen will spread out and strike fast and hard, rendering the sentries and the inner guard quietly dead.
Looks good on paper, but almost all of our supposed success is based on a people we know very little about. The Chosen.
Jeremy, the leader of the Chosen, acted like this was just another walk in the park, and for all I know, he may be right. For all of our sakes I hope he wasn't blowing smoke because this could get ugly.
The last issue concerned the number of eggs that might be found. The total compliment crew consisted of twenty-one people and assuming each could carry two eggs, that totaled to forty-two. It was doubtful there would be more than that, but what if...no one wanted to have to leave any behind and Queen Mother wouldn't. So, she devised a mechanism that worked in a similar fashion to a fishing net. On the trip to the facilities the net would hold as many small blankets as we could stuff into it. Upon finding more eggs than we could carry, each additional egg would be wrapped in a blanket and placed into the net. Every dragon except the three Aguivas would have one of these devices strapped onto its lower back. Each device could hold two dozen eggs, giving Queen Mother a maximum count of one hundred and forty-four in the nets alone. There was also a small concession concerning the need for that many eggs. The two greys would have to fly at lower altitudes on the way home, which would greatly reduce our visibility for detecting potential enemies.
Once the mission has been completed, the flight home is the last hurdle and admittedly the most vulnerable for our personnel. During their initial flight home, my job is to destroy the installation and reduce the surroundings to a crater. Queen Mother doesn't want whoever created this facility to ever be able to use it again or the ground that it was standing on. I kind of got the impression she was pissed, and trust me, I don't blame her a bit.
During the next few hours, we went through every permutation and every contingency imaginable until we were suffering brain strain. An hour before the grey dragons were to take off, Queen Mother called a halt to proceedings and had refreshments brought in. This time, it was everything you could think of, from fruit to pastries, to dark red liquid and sparkling ginger ale. The meeting was effectively over, and we were being given a wind down period, a time to collect our thoughts and talk among ourselves. Even the Chosen seemed to be at ease and talked freely with the other people there.
It finally came down to the time for departure and Famill was the first to start making his way to the Northern Terrace. Nata said his goodbyes and he too headed for his dragon which was standing next to Famill's. The two grey dragons, Fellonna and Tanicur were facing the Terrace opening and seemed a tad fidgety, but I think it was because they had never flown so far away from home before. The two Chosen, Jeremy and Joshua, came up behind the grey riders and indicated they were ready to mount, but didn't know how. Funny, we had never talked about that during the meeting. The best laid plans and all that.
Nata and Famill showed the Chosen how to scamper up the tail and a few seconds later, they were in position, ready for takeoff. I chuckled to myself, knowing the runway wasn't near long enough for these two dragons to gain flight. It was never a concession when the Dragos built the Terrace because they knew the dragons would use the drop to achieve air speed and pull up as it was attained. A simple enough maneuver, but somewhat hair raising for a newbie.
Famill and Tanicur went first, with only a few seconds before Nata and Fellonna began moving. First one, then the other dropped over the side and disappeared. I'll give credit to the two Chosen, they never cried out and they clung to the grey riders as the two dragons finally began making altitude. Only seconds later, the dragons were approaching the first of the three Ley Gates and their journey beyond the River Styx. Then, they disappeared as if they had never been. Only an hour to go for the rest of us and we would be on our way to the Provinces of Hell.
Demi changed her mind about staying away and came shortly before we left to say goodbye. She had morphed into human form and that made it infinitely worse for me. How do you put yourself in danger when you've got this little girl looking at you and batting those big green eyes? I felt like such a heel, but she never once asked me not to go, and if anything, she gave me the feeling of support. I gave her a hug and promised to be back soon, but the promise felt kind of hollow. I mean, how do we know we're coming back at all? Okay, bad thought.
The dragons, one at a time, ran off the Northern Terrace and then lined up single file to go through the Ley Gates. I was to be the last one through and I hung back to make sure they flew through the gates without a hitch.
As I emerged from the last gate, I could see the dragons arranging themselves into a chevron with all of the riders leaning forward to lessen the wind resistance. At two thousand feet the entire formation began to decrease their altitude and finally settled at seventeen hundred feet. It was better than I had hoped for, but sadly, not enough to keep them out of Projector range. I pulled up to about four thousand feet and had Walter begin scanning for troop movement. I also increased my speed to get a better look at what we were flying into and if I found something, then I could contact the dragons immediately. Thanks to Walter's night vision, I can see for miles in every direction and so far, it looked depopulated.
The entire flight was, thankfully, somewhat uneventful and that constituted my first surprise of the night. The grey dragons were already there and had landed about a mile away from the outlying fence. Collectively, we made our landing directly behind them and dug in, just to make sure we hadn't alerted anyone. After five minutes it was apparent that we hadn't been detected, and we started to fan out in preparation for our attack. I moved over to the far-right side of the most populated part of the compound and crouched down to watch. My suit makes so much noise that trying to be stealthy is a joke. My version is to go in guns blazing, with no care for how much noise I make. With tonight's agenda that would be disastrous. The dragons have backed up a bit further and have laid down to get some much-needed rest. The three Pieces of Eight moved to the far left and as impossible as it seems, I couldn't see the Chosen unless I used night vision to locate them. Even with the night vision I had to hunt to find them all and they were moving so fast that it was easy to lose them. Jeremy knew to watch for the rotation of the guards, and it was only a matter of time until the Chosen made their run on the fence line.
Another five minutes went by, and I was already getting worried that something had changed, when the perimeter guards began making their way to the front entrance that led below. When the last demon had entered the opening, I got a hint of movement several yards away from the fence and six Chosen, while running, pushed with their feet and vaulted over as quiet as a church sanctuary. When they hit the ground, each turned in a different direction and then disappeared again. While I was busy attempting to locate them, I saw one of the guards collapse to the ground, where he laid still. Shifting my vision around I could see the same fate unfolding for all of the guards, and still not one of them had yelled for help or sounded an alarm. The second wave of Chosen had fanned out, positioning themselves where other guards were close to those already taken down. I saw one go over the fence, but I swear the remaining Chosen just disappeared again. When they reappeared, they were standing directly behind guards and struck simultaneously. Over the next ten minutes these nocturnal predators managed to work their way across the pen area to the far side without so much as one guard making a sound. It was an eerie accomplishment that had to have been made possible by their speed and silence. Several of the personnel displayed symptoms of fatigue and I think that also helped our cause. Tired minds make for tired thoughts and in this case, a prevailing lethargy. The fenced in area was now devoid of troops, and as quietly as I could I snipped enough of the metal lacings and pulled posts until a hole was made in the fence. The three Pieces of Eight materialized behind me and we all walked through to rendezvous with the Chosen.
As much as I disagreed, my job was to stay outside and pick off stragglers if they managed to gain egress. The Pieces of Eight were to go in first and with any luck the troops inside would think they were new riders to be stationed there. Analise, who could no longer pass for a demon, was to enter last and hang back until they knew how it would all go down. If it got ugly quick, she would simply go in and that would signal the Chosen to move. If the situation called for abandoning the underground area, then the fight would be brought to the Chosen waiting in the yard. It was at this juncture somewhat hit and miss, and I didn't like it at all. Too much to go wrong, and in situations like this you only get one shot before they rally.
Xan and Caleb sauntered down the stairs and disappeared. It was as if they had been swallowed by some subterranean beast and then a whole lot of...nothing. Three minutes went by and all we could see was Analise standing at the top of the stairs looking down. Then Xan and Caleb sauntered back up the stairs and brazenly walked over to Jeremy.
"These are the worst excuses for troops I've ever seen. Most of them inside are already asleep. It looks like nothing ever happens here. There are no dragons, which means they're all waiting for the Aguivas to hatch, and until then there's really nothing for them to do. Boredom reigns supreme."
Jeremy shook his head and then made several signals with his hands. The Chosen lined up and at Jeremy's nod, they flew down the stairs and spread out in the main room. I only heard the noises and I assumed some of the guards woke up and attempted to fight back. Notice I said attempted. Jeremy came back up the stairs and motioned for me to join them and I abandoned my post and ran down the stairs.
Carnage is really the only way to describe what I saw, and most of these demons not only died here, but died in bed. I guess there's something strangely poetic about it, but I would not want to have been in their boots. Jeremy motioned me over to where he was standing and that's when I noticed the man sitting inside a circle of Chosen.
"I believe this piece of filth is the head of this base. We don't see any eggs, but I think you'll find he knows where they are, and I don't think it's prudent to kill him until he enlightens us."
Jeremy struck the man, and indeed he was a man and not a demon, so hard that his head snapped back cracking the vertebrae loudly. Too much harder, and he might not have been able to talk ever, but the hit got his attention.
"I'll tell you if you'll let me live. I don't care that much about the stupid animals, so if you want them..."
I don't know about how the others felt, but this jerk had told me everything I needed to know. My blood pressure was up around the moon somewhere and letting him live was truly my last concern. Jeremy on the other hand, seemed to have his own agenda and struck the man again, this time dumping the chair over, causing the man to wet himself.
"Okay, okay...behind the shelf at the back of this room. There's a hatch, remove the bars and pull. They're all in there, all fifty of them. Just take them and leave, I don't care. They're a drop in the bucket, anyway, trust me. The Darker Lords will just bring more..."
I thought Jeremy was going to kill him right then and there, but I was surprised at his forethought.
"Where did these eggs come from? I'm only going to ask one more time.
Where...Did...These...Eggs...Come...From?"
The man lost his composure, assuming he ever had any and sang a tune, that trust me, nobody wanted to hear.
"Stephen and Diana, the Dark Lords are hatching the Aguivas from the original beasts. The ones in Gehenna...at the Palace. You need me alive. Only a handful of us know how this works and I'm one of them. Without me, you'll never get it right...Do you hear me?"
Well, everybody heard him, and everybody saw him spiral down into incoherency. What was left of him drooled on his chin and babbled about everything and nothing. We tied him to the chair.
While this insignificant worm rattled to himself, the Chosen were carrying the eggs out and placing them in the carriers mounted on the dragons. It didn't take as long as I thought it would.
We checked our supplies and made ready for flight. Everyone took the same positions as before and starting with the greys, the dragons began to run. Two by two, their footfall thundered across the ground and then they took to the air, each pair lifting at the same time, almost as if it had been choreographed. The Aguiva clutched onto the Wyverns and their riders held onto them as they rose majestically into the air.
I waited for almost five minutes and then activated my boot rockets, lifting to about a hundred feet above the installation. Pausing there for a few seconds gave me time to reflect on the events of the night and on the black hearted head of this nightmarish prison. Then I fired three rockets into the compound as I climbed straight up to three thousand feet. The explosion was radiant and lit up the night sky for miles around. It also ended the possibility of ever having this ground become the hellhole it had been made into again. When the smoke cleared there was nothing left but a crater.
I flew circles until I felt and memorized the devastation, then I banked away to rendezvous with my friends. Once again, it occurred to me how The Ariella plans for these events. Sometimes, no matter how badly she wants to be with the assault teams, the knowledge and expertise they'll glean from the skirmish far outweighs her need to be a part of it.
I have to admit surprise during the flight back. There was no troop movement, no ground fire and nothing in the air to impede our progress. Other than the length of the flight and the overall boredom, it was actually quite pleasant. The Aguiva riders became fidgety at about one hundred miles out and pushed away from the Wyverns to fly the remaining miles under their own power. It felt good to see them soar and move like butterflies as the sheer exhilaration of flying free swept past them on currents of air.
The landings at the Northern Terrace were far different this time and one by one everyone landed safely. Queen Mother, Basiliskos and Invectum were all standing at the ramp entrance when I touched down. I was the last one in, and I slowly walked along the rows of Chosen as they carefully unpacked the eggs and placed them into clutch trays. The Ariella looked like a kid with a new toy and kept counting them as if the number would increase with the counting.
Once the clutch trays were all full, each was then transferred to a sled that stood waiting. The sled was then attached to Fellonna, and Nata climbed up signaling Queen Mother as they made their way out to the ramp. It was over a mile down and slow going to reach Commons this way, but infinitely safer. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from everyone there. It had been a very long day and I for one needed to see my dragon, catch a bite to eat and get some shut eye.
The next morning, a fairly large entourage made its way to Mt. Femmes to check on Queen Mother's newest flock of babies. Those going to the meeting were Queen Mother, Basiliskos, Invectum and I. The atmosphere was upbeat, and I had changed my opinion of the Chosen. The job they did the night before was exemplary and for whatever reason, my innate fear of their feeding habits took a hike somewhere during the trip to the Provinces. Go figure, huh? Deliveries are to be made sometime during the day to Mt. Femmes that I'm sure will be welcomed with open arms. Food, clothing, medicine and of course...cattle was slated to be first on the list of so many things we knew the Chosen needed.
The pagoda city had been finished at Mt. Femmes and it had a similar feel to it as the Renaissance fair that is held once a year in Arizona. Small campfires dotted their common area, and they had the conference table set up dead center like the last time.
Queen Mother began applauding the Chosen as she got close to the table, and we picked it up too. All of their leaders performed a slight bow and began applauding her in return. Everyone had smiles on their faces and the mood was festive as the personnel lined up behind the respective chairs they would occupy for the meeting. Queen Mother was the first to sit down and we immediately followed. She let her eyes travel slowly around the table and smiled at each and every one of them. A young Chosen girl walked over and placed a drink on the table in front of her and performed a curtsy prior to walking away. The Ariella thanked her and turned back to the meeting.
"Flawless...Gentlemen, your performance last night was flawless. A perfect strike executed with precision, and I couldn't have asked for more, believe me...I'm impressed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
The three of us from Mt. Drago gave the others a round of applause and stood while we performed it. The Ariella put her hand up and gestured for us to sit.
"I know the eggs have been placed in your Nursery, and thanks to Jeremy we had a temperature at which to start them. So, since we have no idea how far along they are, we'll just have to wait and see. We've already covered the dangers of having Aguivas around children, so the only thing left is the impression schedule and how that will operate."
I'm not sure what was expected, but the Chosen weren't big on impressions based on rotation. Their version was they live in the mountain and take care of the dragons...sort of...the Dragos are obviously there and doing most of the work. Anyway, the Chosen believed they should have first chance at the dragons, and that was assuming they even wanted them. There was some concern among their people that dragons just weren't meant for Chosen and they should shy away from actually dealing with large reptiles. Needless to say, it got complicated. It's not often you get to hear people arguing about things they admit they're not sure they even want. Like planning a maybe for a rainy day. In the end, based on this one incongruent oddity, they conceded to Queen Mother's mandate.
The Ariella's idea for fair was in reality, just keeping it simple. She would post a log in three different places where you could write down your name if you were interested in becoming a dragon rider. The names on the list would be called in three waves to attempt an impression with one of the fifty Aguiva dragons. Each person would be given a period of fifteen minutes to achieve a bridge between themselves and the dragon, and failing to establish contact, would be led away. The next person would go through the same thing until the candidates were finished. After everyone had agreed to these suggestions, The Ariella went on.
"Now, for the most important part and an ingredient that we only just recently were told about. It is not only radically important, but absolutely critical. The Pieces of Eight, the demons in the Down Below are the only riders we know that have impressed with an Aguiva Warbird. So, almost everything we know about these dragons came from these men and woman. In this particular case, what you do and what you don't do will have a profound effect on not just the impression, but for the life of the Warbird. As you know, the Wyverns are born knowing their names and can call for a rider at any time, both before or after they hatch. This one fact is not to be applied to the Aguiva Warbird because they do not know what their names are, and they've never had names in any previous incarnation.
So, before anyone can be let in to impress, they have to already know the name they would give the dragon. Whatever happens to be on your mind at the point you make contact, becomes the dragon's name. We think the Aguivas find it to be a term of endearment no matter what the word is. So, it doesn't take too much imagination to understand how the new Aguiva dragons could wind up with some pretty strange names."
The looks of disbelief were apparent on the Chosen's faces and those looks weren't lost on The Ariella.
"As an example of how this has worked so far, we'll take Caleb and his Warbird, Seven. When he was given his turn at impressing, and this was back on the Provinces, he was told to go to cage number seven. In the installation where he was assigned, their cages were numbered. I so hate these creatures being numbered. Anyway, he was led into the appropriate row and was looking at the numbers as he made his way to the Aguiva. He glanced up at the number plate when he got there and murmured the number, the dragon heard it, and then identified with it. Game over. His dragon announced the name mentally to him and that was that. Seven. The Pieces of Eight list is one hundred and seventy-five names deep, and in some form they're all like that. What we don't need are names based on vulgarity or racial prejudice. Understand too, that if the Aguiva had not chosen him, then none of this would have taken place and we would be talking about someone else. In other words, just showing up doesn't guarantee you'll impress with these dragons. In that sense they're just like the Wyverns because they choose, not us."
The Chosen leaders assured Queen Mother that the guidelines would be adhered to, and they would monitor each candidate prior to their attempted impression. She seemed satisfied and then asked for a tour of their Nursery. The request was graciously granted, and the head of the Nursery was called to the table. Queen Mother chatted with her upon arrival and after that, the meeting was effectively over.
Jeremy wanted to know if I'd like to see their main armory, and I left with him as Queen Mother headed toward the far north wall where the Nursery was located.
The Chosen had an impressive array of weapons that they had built over the years. It included entire sets of battle armor that rivaled the best I'd ever seen. Their battle blades were based on the Warlord style sword which was popular among warriors who are in excess of six feet tall. Their armor was gold in color and polished to an incredibly high sheen. I found it to be reminiscent of medieval armor, but lighter and more durable. I also wondered why with this kind of battle implementation; they hadn't worn it on our latest run. Jeremy had a strange sort of pensive moment and turned to me after I asked.
"We only wear the dress armor when the enemy deserves that level of respect. The demons we fought yesterday were the dregs even of their own army and would never qualify as honorable opponents. We knew that before we left."
There's a lot to learn about these people and very little of it has anything to do with their teeth and their eating habits. I had already figured out how serious they were about survival, but I had no idea about their views concerning honor and how deep it ran.
"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I didn't mean to insult your honor or come across as an insensitive dolt, although it looks like I managed to do both."
Jeremy grinned and thumped me on the shoulder.
"No harm done, my friend. You just didn't understand. Let's get something to eat while you wait for Queen Mother."
It took about an hour for The Ariella to come back from her tour, during which time I spent eating in front of Jeremy. I have no idea what I ate, and I don't want to know. I couldn't identify the flavor, but it gave me a sinking feeling that I couldn't shake. I ate light and took as much time between bites as I could. When she finally came into view, it was the excuse I needed to abandon the meal and head back to Mt. Drago.
Demi met us as we stepped through the gate, and she seemed excited and eager to share her news with us as we left the area.
"The Dragos have been working on the new Pub."
Everybody in the mountain knew that, and Queen Mother basically gave her the standard "uh huh" and kept flipping through her notes from the meeting. I could see Demi getting ready to blurt.
"The new area is actually ready to be occupied and serve drinks."
This time Queen Mother looked up from her reverie with an inquisitive look on her face.
"And you came to meet us so you could tell us about the new pub?"
Demi turned her head the way she does. Living proof that dragons can be cute, which I know, is wrong on so many levels.
"Perhaps you'll get excited when you have seen it. It really is quite marvelous and so much bigger too."
Queen Mother stopped, crossed her arms, and tapped her foot on the floor.
"Okay, we'll go and look at the quite marvelous new Pub, and I promise to act thrilled and amazed."
Oh, let me count the ways that something is amiss. Just in the last few statements I've counted way too many. I suddenly got a picture in my head of the three of us flying to Commons, so maybe I should voice it.
"Here's an idea...why don't we fly to Commons?"
Queen Mother gave me a smile and stepped over to climb on when Demi plopped down. I climbed on too and Demi wasted no time getting airborne.
A few minutes later we exited from the main corridor and banked around to make our way to the brand-new Pub and Eatery. I heard a sharp intake of air from The Ariella and then we landed. She spent no time hopping off and stood there dumbfounded in front of the gigantic banner which hung across the entire wall facing out. The banner said...The Ugly Duckling.
Queen Mother was getting misty eyed, and right about the time I figured she would start grumbling about her allergies, she turned on me with a conspiratorial look.
"How long have you known about this?"
I really didn't think she would react this way, so I was rather taken aback.
"That isn't the point, Ariella...it's the sentiment that's important."
The look she gave me after that statement was totally unidentifiable.
"I know that Tanis. I was wondering how the entire mountain managed to keep this a secret from me when I'm supposed to be, Queen Mother. You know, plugged in and in the know, person at the top with no one keeping secrets from her. You remember that lady. So, I was just wondering."
Hey, I for one don't know how they did it, but I'm not about to tell her that. Instead, I looked around without making it seem like I was looking around until I spotted what I needed...a distraction.
"Oh, look Queen Mother, it's Princess Rhylana, and it looks like she needs to talk to you...my, what a coincidence."
She laughed and stuck out her tongue at me but turned to talk to our new resident Princess.
"Good afternoon, Princess. How can I help you today?"
Rhylana smiled and did the little Princess curtsy.
"I wanted to congratulate you on your new Pub and Eatery. I heard how this all came about, and I was moved. Perhaps you could join me for a bite to eat?"
Queen Mother tossed me a glance. I did a miniscule nod, she walked away with Rhylana and I walked off with Demi. I'll meet with The Ariella later.
On our way to the Emerald grotto, I noticed Princess Rhylana's Aguiva, Nexus, circling close to the pub. He finally landed on the wall where he clung contentedly waiting for his rider. I wouldn't have believed the elbow feet would have been strong enough to perform that feat, no pun intended. This was a first-time event as far as I knew, and it reminded me of the old west where the cowboys hitched their horses up to the post in front of the saloon. In this application, the Aguiva would, for all practical purposes and after its rider had dismounted, hang itself on the wall and stick its head under a wing to take a nap. It's pretty similar to a bat hanging on a wall. Absolutely awesome. The spot the dragon chooses would be somewhere close to where the rider was occupying himself. Imagine a Wyvern doing that, pretty funny, huh?
I knew that Betty would figure out that Demi and I never cleaned our area this morning...well, at least not up to her standards. Section leaders are supposed to set a good example for the rest of the troops. Hey, I keep my armor shined and battle ready. I keep my dragon clean, most of the time, but with mundane things, I have to admit...I'm pretty much a slob.
Well, I was right. Betty, in her inimitable way, had cruised up and down the main corridor looking into everyone's area and taken notes. I have been in good company because our area was only one of the areas she found slovenly in the Emerald Grotto. Hey, her word, not mine. So, I stood there and verbally took my punishment and swore we would get better, yada, yada, yada.
After Demi and I had cleaned up the area to the newly improved Betty standards, we headed back to The Ugly Duckling for a quick bite and some music. I had heard that several people around the mountain had volunteered their services musically and I was very keen on listening to them.
Demi and I landed out in front of The Ugly Duckling at the same time as several of the Pieces of Eight, and we chatted for a few before entering the pub. I couldn't help but notice their dragons also took off after a minute and circled to land on the wall like Rhylana's Aguiva, Nexus did. That act seems to have caught on fast; I love looking up and seeing them perched on the walls.
Demi morphed into human form, and now that the initial shock of her changing has sunk in, I never get tired of watching it, and we crossed the threshold of Mt. Drago's newest pub. The doors had been left open, and I call them doors loosely. Each side is about the width of three conventional ones, and they hinge. During the hours of operation, the doors are collapsed and then swung open, leaving an enormous cavity to accommodate even the largest of people, and trust me, we've got some whoppers. Since the mountain functions on a twenty-four seven shift clock, The Ugly Duckling is for the most part destined to be open all of the time. The doors, I think are for those rare times when Queen Mother wants everyone to know the pub is closed without having to travel a long distance to find out.
Once inside, I noticed almost everything about the new pub is an upgrade from the last. The tables are still made out of rock, but there's about four times the number of them; I estimate there to be about one hundred and twenty-five. Like I said, this constitutes a massive upgrade. The chairs are no longer flimsy like their predecessors, and they have cushions making them quite comfortable. The chair frames are still made out of wood, but it's thicker and very substantial. You might have to hit someone with them repeatedly before they'd break. Elfred will be especially glad to hear that.
Over to the far right of the area is an actual stage and there are musical instruments lined up at the back. Several of the Dragos are getting set up and we'll probably have music in a short while.
The bar takes up about half of the far wall as you enter and has bar stools lining up across the full length of it. A huge mirror with intricate scrollwork has been mounted to the wall and its half the length of the bar. There are large boards on either side of the mirror with day-glow marker written on them, giving dozens of selections available here at the pub. The place smells like alcohol and beef, which by the way, is a pretty good combination. Along all the rest of the walls are pictures of ducks, geese and dragons. I know what you're thinking - those three don't really go with each other - but you'd be surprised at how well they do. It fits the story Queen Mother told to the mountain. Right now, it's amazingly empty, but this is the first morning The Ugly Duckling has been open. Demi had previously misheard the name of one of the drinks and is now certain she wants one. The bartender, a man named Dickey, the same Dickey that had previously worked at The Golden Flyer, actually erased the name on the drink board and respelled it to the mispronunciation Demi had asked for. Only a few have recognized it for what it was supposed to be, and the name stuck. Demi asked for a Charley Temple. It's a nonalcoholic drink, and once you put the cherry into the 7up or ginger ale, it becomes irresistible to kids of all ages, no matter what species.
"I got this one, Dickey."
I looked over at the girl who had spoken as she walked out of the back room and nodded. Demi and I both smiled. The girl was one of Demi's new acquaintances, and she seemed to look forward to their social interludes. Her name was Jenni, and her father was one of the Drago engineers that worked closely with The Ariella. Since she turned eighteen, her presence was nearly always felt at the Ugly Duckling, no matter what time of day. A lock of fire engine red hair slid in front of her eyes as she leaned over the bar, and she blew sideways to push it back. The rest of her hair was kind of a medium brown, making the single shock of red stand out like a beacon in the night. She stood only five foot five, but her personality was so aggressive that you would have thought she was much larger. Piercing brown eyes burned a hole through you during conversations, and you could tell she was not a person to trifle with. Demi tells me that Jenni's been dating the Blacksmith, Helup Ironfold, recently and the two have become quite the item.
While we're standing there enjoying our Charley Temples a klaxon goes off. Here's the thing, I didn't know there were klaxons here in the mountain. This is a highly communal environment, and the dragons transmit to just about everybody at one time or another. I walked over to the entrance of The Ugly Duckling and looked out over Commons. Electric carts were scurrying toward the Wheel by the droves, and people were running from every direction toward the center of Commons. Demi sidled up next to me and put her hand on my arm.
"Queen Mother is calling for everyone to meet here in Commons. She wants it right now, and it usually means that it's for more than just information. Probably an emergency that would concern more than just the riders. We should get out there quickly. We could take our time if the call had been for a town meeting, but not this."
There was an odd tone to her voice that I had never heard before. That probably meant she had no more idea about what this meant than I did. That is not normal.
It took almost an hour for everyone to assemble, and the crowd that finally sat there waiting for Queen Mother to explain what was going on, was immense. Even the leaders from Mt Femmes were in attendance. I once went to the Astrodome to watch a game during a World Series, and it didn't have half the number of people I was looking at today. Just the movement of the people made a horrendous noise, and they were trying to be quiet. What I hadn't noticed was the public address system that had been set up earlier. When The Ariella spoke, it was so loud you could hear her breath between sentences.
"Thank you for coming today on such short notice. I wouldn't have done this if it hadn't been important."
She paused and took a really big breath while she let her eyes wander around Commons.
"It has come to my attention that the Dark Lords are not content with just ruining the lives of the people under them on the Provinces. That is truly bad enough.None of us have ever liked it or approved of it, but the Provinces belong to them, and the size of their armies have made it impossible to do much about it. I am made to understand that the Provinces are apparently not large enough to satisfy their cravings for conquest and destruction. Now they want our lands and our people. Regardless of the size of their armies or the size of ours...this is where I draw the line."
Queen Mother held both hands in the air to quiet the crowd.
"Please...I know what everyone is thinking. They can't get here because of the barrier. It has existed since the beginning of time, and it has always held...and it always will. Therein lies the problem. We have become complacent and lazy. We fly dragons, but there's never really been a disaster large enough to tax our resources or demand more of us than we had ever given. We always take care of what the world throws at us, but when was the last time we had the enemy banging on our door? Does anyone remember? Well, I do. The flight of the Aguivas should have been a wakeup call for everybody, not just the Pieces of Eight. They fought for their lives because the conditions where they lived became too much. Have we ever seen this kind of activity before? No, we haven't. Have demons ever defected before in such large numbers? No, they haven't. Think about this...What do we do when they get here? Are we prepared? It's not just about numbers; it's about training, expertise, and a will to survive. I will NOT throw large numbers at an enemy knowing we will lose large numbers of lives. That's not good enough and what's worse...They have dragons...and that my friends, is unacceptable. Those are my children and I want my children to come home.
Accelerated training schedules will be passed out tomorrow morning. Every dragon, dragon rider, and ground troop will be expected to train to these standards because I can't bear the thought of losing any of my friends and my children. The section leaders will report to the Veranda at the six o'clock bells tonight. Tomorrow morning, they will pass on the instructions to their respective grottos and the support teams assigned to them. Thank you very much. That will be all."
A very odd feeling emanated from the dispersing crowd, which pervaded Commons. It felt like different levels of fear, but with this many people it quickly became oppressive. I'd like to believe that if attacked, the mountain would rally. The truth is...it would probably be a massacre. The fear I had been feeling from the crowd suddenly became my own. If the enemy came to the mountain, not even what Walter and I could bring to bear would be enough. Not even close. I have to admit; it was a humbling thought.