465 The Dragon Lords (1/2)
The Old World, The Domain of the Dragons, Dragon's Peak
The solitary towering mountain loomed up high into the clouds, its surface black and glittering under the sun. Clumps of white snow covered its peak, while dozens of large cave openings dotted its side. All along the mountain sides, were stone houses and streets, built on terraces. And at the foot of the mountain, were farmlands and orchards that were walled by a black ring of obsidian stone.
Dragons and drakes circled the air, riding the warm thermals with their outstretched wings, while people toiled the fields and tend to the animals. Under the falling snow, the farmlands and orchards were covered by a magic barrier that trapped the heat and steam given off from the dug vents of volcanic hot steams.
Nets covered the crops and orchards that helped channel away the droplets of melted snow as they formed on the magic barrier's surface. The melted snow was in turn fed into aqueducts and reservoirs which provided the people with water.
Deep inside the obsidian mountain, hurried footsteps echoed down the massive cavern as a portly figure dressed in gold and red made his way across the smooth black obsidian floor. He held on to his round cap with two jutting horns on the side as he spotted the massive gold gilded obsidian stone doors with depictions of soaring dragons carved on the door's surfaces.
He paused at the door where several guards in golden robes stopped him, and he bowed, retrieving a golden rolled up scroll and the guards stepped back, returned his bow and pushed open crack large enough for him to past with the heavy doors.
The space behind the doors stretched out into a huge yawning cavern. The space was large enough to accommodate an entire Dragon ship and vent holes alongside the obsidian floor spewed out warm air from the pools of naturally occurring hot springs.
Two rows of standing lamps stood in the middle of the dark cave, creating a lighted path, which he headed down. The air smelled strongly of the demon's breath and was warm enough that the thick silk robes he was wearing started to feel uncomfortable despite the everlasting winter of the land.
Abruptly the lighted path stopped and an expanse of black pitch darkness appeared before him. He quickly went down to his knees and took out the scroll, placing it before him and kowtowed to the darkness and called out.
”Hail the Dragon Matriarch! Queen of all Dragons!” He remained prostrate with his head touching the smooth obsidian stone. ”This servant comes bearing grave news!”
”Raise... and speak...” A deep disembodied voice came from the depths of the shadows. ”What news... have you brought before We...”
”This servant thanks the Matriarch!” The portly elf stood up and unfurled the golden scroll. ”Our spies have watched the lands beyond the Domains and found out that the other nations are moving their air fleets!”
”Has war broke out again?” The disembodied voice sighed. ”Such short lives... yet none treasure them...”
”My Matriarch...” The messenger explained further. ”War has not broke out, but... it seemed the other nations are moving their forces to cross the Sea of Clouds...”
”Oh?” There was a loud grinding and scraping noise and suddenly, a huge serpentine head appeared in the glow of the lit lamps. Golden scales stained with a hint of red glittered against the light, as the Dragon Matriarch crawled forward. Her massive head with two pairs of curling horns was twice the size of the messenger who quickly prostrated himself again at her appearance.
Golden claw guards studded with precious stones rapped loudly against the smooth obsidian floor as the Dragon Matriarch stopped just at the edge of the lamps' glow. Tassels woven out from golden thread dangled down from her curled horns with more precious stones accessories adorning her horns.
A pair of huge golden irises glowed as the Dragon Matriarch looked down at the trembling servant at her feet. ”They have crossed the Sea of Clouds again? Did they not learn the mistakes of their past?”
”Y- Yes, My Matriarch!” The portly elf nodded hurriedly with on the floor. ”Already the Protectorate has set foot on the New World and the Iron Kingdom is following them next!”
”Fools!” The Dragon Matriarch hissed. ”That is... a forbidden land! The Gods put up a barrier... is to prevent any fools from entering that land!”
”Now... these fools have broken through the barrier...” The Dragon Matriarch sighed and mused to herself. ”Will our era come to an end... Just like the Era of the Gods?”
She was youngling when the Era of the Gods had ended, with heavy casualties on both sides of the New and Old Gods, not to mention the number of deaths among the mortals. She remembered the time when the party of Heroes gathered the nations to venture fore into the Sea of Clouds to explore the forbidden land but after many years, not one single ship returned from the Sea of Clouds.
At that time, she was still not the Matriarch. The previous Dragon Matriarch warned the Heroes not to go and denied any assistance to them when they approached the previous Dragon Matriarch for help. Undaunted, they took the risk, wanting to find out the mysteries of the New World.
Now, hundreds of years have passed, the songs and mysteries of the Era of Gods have faded, only the eldest of all species remembered and the foolish mortals were embarking on a path that could spell doom to all.
”Summon my generals!” The Dragon Matriarch ordered. ”We must prepare for war!”
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The New World, The New Kingdom of Mecca, Town of Turnstead
Cork gave a silent signal to his section, as brief snatches of singing floated over with the wind. He carefully shifted a piece of stone rubble from his position as he peeked out from the ruins of a building that appeared to be some kind of shop selling everyday items. Most of the store's wares laid blackened or broken, mixed together with the collapsed roof and walls.
”Why are you hiding like a coward?” A soft feminine voice with a hint of disapproval spoke next to his ear, her breath tickling his ear.
Cork sighed inwardly and turned his helmeted head over and stared at the pretty face framed by a steel helm. ”Lower your volume! We are about to ambush them!”
”But why?” The lady knight asked in a lowered voice. ”Where thou your honor?”