Master of the Hoard - Chapter 38 (Patreon)

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." --Dwight D. Eisenhower

The next five days were completely dedicated to work and everybody chipped in. We were constantly busy, neglecting everything but the work we had set before us. Our scouts were away constantly, most of them concentrated towards the north east, ensuring that we wouldn't be surprised by an invading army. The rest of us just bowed our heads and got to it. Since my presence wasn't needed most of the time, I focused on training Ursam. With my mini-map now constantly updating the map of the tunnels, I was rarely lost anymore as I was away training with the massive monster. It was a delightful feeling. Sure, getting used to handling a three-dimensional map took some time, but we stayed within a couple of hours' walk of the lair. Between the two of us, there was not a living thing that could touch us. My big boy was improving, too. A mixture of treats, a claws-on approach and a ton of encounters, and it finally got to the point where he wouldn't attack until I gave the order. The xp was diminishing, but the learning experiences were golden. I did, however, give up on getting him to let go of any prey he had already munched down on. Besides, I didn't want to cull his predatory instincts entirely.

As for the work in the lair, the results did not disappoint. I guess, when you're putting 50 motivated people to work and their lives might depend on the result, you're bound to see results fast. We finished the secret tunnel in one day, completed basic weaponry for everybody two days after and got everybody back to training while the shamans slaved away on the finer details of the pit trap.  On the fifth day, a proud Creziel caught my attention and showed off the finished sliding mechanism covering the trap.

His eyes gleamed as he spoke. "It’s not done. The trap still needs work. The spears need to be affixed and the sides are still rough, but... just look at it." With a hint of concentration on his face, the floor silently slid into the wall, revealing the deep pit below. I bowed down to feel the surface of the rock holding the pit trap and it was as smooth as a polished marble tabletop.

"Incredible. How did you make it this smooth?" I squinted, looking at the hole where the rock floor had disappeared into. "And how do you keep it this silent?"

He beamed. "The Crawls did the first part. Hard work simply chipping away, to get the floor mostly even. Then detail work with smaller hammers. Finally, I took over, with lots of sand. Plenty of sand and concentration. You can keep quite a large pile of sand moving constantly if you detach yourself from the progress. Since the grains aren't too heavy, it doesn't take that much effort to keep everything working away on the surface. As for the silence... that's just an added bonus. With the smoothness of the floor and the rock itself, it's almost too easy to move the rock." He shrugged. "We will have to keep it clean to ensure that rocks don't get stuck inside the hole to block the process - but we're done. The real work is over and done with, and we just need to add a few details to the pit."

And... that was that. In record time, we had finished everything on the initial to do list. The accomplishment should have filled me with joy, but instead I just felt apprehension for what it meant. I thanked Creziel profusely and went off to look for Aelis. Half an hour later, the scouts were off, and the rest of us remained in the lair, waiting nervously for their return. Or, well, I mostly waited nervously. I made damn sure that everybody else was kept busy.

I went to see the leader of the Crawls, Erk, for a nice little chat, keep him up to date on the latest developments. I might as well not have bothered, though. The ugly beast was busy pounding small rocks with a large stone sledgehammer.

"Hello, Erk."

"Master."

"We could end up going to battle with another dragon soon."

The concentrated frown on his wrinkled face deepened. "Go get weapons?"

"Not yet. I will tell you if we leave."

"Yes, master."

The crunching sounds of the sledgehammer filled the awkward silence. "So - is there anything you want me to prepare for a fight?"

"Food. Weapons."

"Okay. Good talk." I walked away, shaking my head. In a way, they were the perfect workers. That is as long as I was able to keep myself from cuffing them around the earhole any time I was forced to talk to them.

We had at least a day, probably two or more, before the scouts would return. At a hunch, I asked Jazinth and Creziel to experiment with the creation of shields or other protective equipment for the Crawls. I was already picturing the strong beasts ducking behind huge, crowd-control size shields, that would allow them to get within fighting distance with reduced danger from ranged weapons. According to Creziel, it was a tough order, given the weight that would be needed to lug around a stone shield. Simple bone shields covered with leather or skin might be a better investment.  He was probably right too, yet I figured I might as well set them on the task. I told them all I could remember about different kinds of armor, and we ruled most out right away, but they promised they would look into the possibilities.

Two days later, the scouts returned and we gathered in my room again. To my relief, everybody was present and it looked like they had managed the journey without any fights. When everybody was gathered, Aelis launched right into it: "On the whole, we have succeeded, Sire. With one exception: We never saw the dragon."

I smiled. "Take your time, Aelis. We're not going to decide our approach before we know everything."

She nodded. "So be it. I would deem our mission a success. We scouted out the Urten without being spotted. There are at least thirty of them. They are armed with rough bone and metal weaponry, and a few are even armored. They travel in packs, mostly three to five Urten together and clearly working as underlings. They tend to journey out and return from the same place, centered three hours further east from where we spotted them the first time. They also have scouts roaming the place without hunting or gathering - that, or their people are allowed to run around the place without any tasks. I sincerely doubt this is the case."

"Thirty. How would you judge them, in terms of strength?”

She held her paws behind her back. “If we were to ambush them without you, just the Crawls, Clenchers and us, I would give us even odds of defeating them. Roth would be the one to ask.”

I nodded. "An impressive force then. And the dragon? Are you certain that it is a dragon?"

"Yes. Once we figured out the area they were ranging from, we took a better look. It is a lair, no doubt about it. A huge, open lair, littered with refuse from the Urten and a massive hoard in the center of the lair. The hoard is clearly protected by some shimmering magic circle. There would always be Urten working inside the lair itself and I dared not move closer. The lair sported a cave opening to the back. I am confident this is where we will find the dragon."

"Seems like a sensible suggestion. Anything else?"

"Well, the stench was bad. Urten by themselves are rather foul, but they also use their fire skills to manipulate metals. The results of both are unpleasant to inhale. Also..." Aelis hesitated, glancing at me.

"Go on. You know I never get angry at somebody for speaking their mind."

"Alright. It is merely this: I know that you are fixated on an alliance. However, if we were to set up a series of ambushes, between yourself, us, the Crawls and Ursam, we should be able to take down their numbers quite easily before the enemy dragon becomes aware that something is afoot. Should we really take the chance on an alliance?"

Jazinth frowned, looking like she was going to lose her temper on the small scout, but I held up a paw. "You are right. This is a gamble and one we shouldn't go into without thinking it through." I lay down, making myself comfortable before addressing everybody. "So sit. Say your piece. We're not leaving until everybody's had their say."

It took longer than expected. These things always do. Hell, even if it's just a matter of deciding which kind of screw to use, you'll find eight different opinions and a willingness to defend your choice to the death. This was... slightly more involved. In the end, I stretched my legs, stood up and arched my back like a cat. "Okay. You have all had the chance to express your thoughts and concerns. My turn." I started with Aelis, pointing my tail at her. "Aelis, you and Roth both think the wise tactical choice would be for us to attack right away. I agree. However, I also believe that we will be able to defeat this enemy regardless of what happens. Just look at what we have prepared lately and think how well we did in the battle with the red dragon. Should they attack us right now, half the Urten would end down in the pit trap and the rest would end up overwhelmed by the Clenchers."

I didn't wait for Aelis to respond, however, moving on to the next one. "Jazinth? You surprised me, I must admit. I did not anticipate your support, but I'm glad I have it. I share your misgivings, by the way. The risks of the dragon turning down our offer and going on the offensive are not to be underestimated. There's an old saying where I come from that never made sense to me, except it does now. If you want peace, prepare for war. It basically means that we want to be big, tough and scary enough for anybody out there to be too afraid to contemplate anything but peace."

"Creziel. Your point is a good one, also. You do not think that contacting them is a good idea. Rather, we should focus on growing strong and strengthening our defenses, avoiding all contact until we cannot avoid dealing with this dragon from a strong position. Unfortunately, I believe you are forgetting something crucial. Growth. Every single predator inside this mountain is fighting. To survive and rule over all other predators. Dragons are no exception. I would ask you to consider exactly how strong we would be, if we hadn't taken chances and forced the confrontations we have lately. Which level would you have without fighting the Clenchers, the dragon and the Dweelers?" Forestalling his comment, I shook my head. "Regardless, just focusing on this single dragon is shortsighted. Make no mistake, this is a lethal competition. We are competing with every single predator and group of predators in the lower layers. Even if we outpace this dragon and his Urten, there are other hatchlings and their henchmen fighting to grow stronger than us and take us on."

Creziel looked down, chastised and I faced the final Talpus. Arthor looked straight into my eyes, defiant. "Finally, you, Arthor. You still believe that we should collapse the tunnels and focus on easier enemies. I must admit that I am surprised." The tall Talpus glared at me, affronted. "You have proven to be wise beyond your years, capable of looking at the long haul and able to make tough decisions. However, in this, you are shortsighted, hoping beyond hope that the enemy will just ignore us or miss our presence?" I shook my head. "Dragons are clever, Arthor. You said so yourself. We are known for being cruel, megalomaniacal, fond of treasures and, above all, clever. And still you hope the dragon will just ignore three collapsed tunnels and not investigate?"

He snarled at me. "Well, it beats the alternative of just baring our necks to an enemy in the hope that he will spare us out of kindness!"

"Do you really believe that? Do you think I'm betting on the dragon to ally with us due to kindness? Forget that. I am betting everything on him being clever. Clever enough to think, understand what he is up against and realize that our offer is not made from a position of weakness. If he can understand that he is outnumbered, he can also be led to see that we have the advantage here."

"You're still asking us to bet on him being less cruel than clever, and come to terms with being weaker than us. I will not do it. I won't risk my own life on this scheme and, by the Spirit, I will not condone throwing our lives away on this mud-brained scheme."

I stared down at the curmudgeonly Talpi. "Alright. This is a huge decision and I will not force it, this time. I will, however, put it to a vote. Should we try to ally ourselves with the dragon, ambush it or avoid it entirely?"

Roth spoke up first. "Ambush. Everything else is stupid."

Jazinth shook her head. "Two. Dragons. What would stand against us in this mountain if we had two dragons fighting together? Ally."

Aelis stood erect, arms firmly fixed behind her back, but her emotions were in turmoil. Eventually, she looked up. “It flies in the face of my every instinct. My choice has been made, however. I stand with you, Milord. Ally.”

Arthor's eyes still stared into mine. "We have always avoided dragons. This is how we have survived. However, since you are all ignorant enough to ignore that, I say we ambush it."

I nodded. "You all know my position. Ally. Keep growing. Stop fighting to survive at the bottom, but stay on top."

That left Creziel with the opportunity to either create a tie breaker or decide everything. The tiny Talpi avoided the eyes of everybody. After almost half a minute of silence, he raised his head and faced Arthor. "Arthor. You have been with us and protected us through countless dangerous situations." His weak, mental voice gained in strength as he continued. "Throughout this, you have helped us with knowledge from our ancestors, guiding us on how to live, move and survive. However, we were still failing. We need to change something, if we want to thrive. I thought that simply building our home into an impenetrable fortress would be enough, but I see how that's not enough. I say we ally."

Arthor took it well, all things considered. Within moments, we were past the initial panic of "Holy shit, we're really doing this." and plotting what to do. We had no interest in forcing a confrontation near the enemy lair, giving him home base advantage, but needed to express upon the other dragon that this was not a matter of us crawling on our knees to plead for his help.

I scratched that annoying spot under the ridge on my head. It always seemed like it was hard to get the claw in just right. "So, our best bet is probably to get the dragon to leave his lair so we can have a nice, friendly discussion where he doesn't have the opportunity to jump us."

Aelis shook her head. "Apologies, Milord. Keeping our group hidden the day we spent there was hard enough in itself, and some of their scouts came close to our hideout. Urten are crude, but they have an excellent sense of smell. Even with illusions, we would have a hard time keeping you hidden as well. Especially since we don't know if the dragon is even in the lair or when he leaves. I hesitate to say this, but perhaps we should just send somebody in."

I grimaced. "I really don't like that idea. Who's to say that they will even let anybody approach him?"

Jazinth spoke up. "I believe I can answer that. Arthor, you know of dragons and you know of Urten. If a person were to show up on their doorstep, bringing gifts, do you believe that the Urten would dare act on their impulses?"

He snarled. "No. All our stories point to Urten being violent and cruel, but not stupid. Besides, like Crawls, they are often chosen as minions. The odds of them doing something stupid right on the dragon's front step where he could find out… it would not happen.”

I smiled. “Good. Then there’s just the question of what I should bring and how we’re going to prepare in case the dragon attacks me instead of seeing the point.”

They started talking all at once, until Jazinth let out a keening shout, catching everybody's attention. “You are not going, Onyx. I am.”

I snorted. “Forget it. I’m the one who’s-”

“Stop.” The apprentice looked me straight in the eye. “That is not going to happen. If the tribe loses you, we are back to where we started, running for our lives with no way to improve ourselves. I am not going  to allow that. I am going.”

Arthor stretched out an arm towards her. "Jazinth, I believe this foolish beyond-"

"Arthor. Please." Something passed between the two, an intangible decision and Arthor lowered his eyes. Jazinth turned back toward me. Did I just miss something? I feel like I did. "I'm doing it." The well-groomed Talpus looked me straight in the eye again. Something had changed in her. It wasn’t just attributes either. She stood tall and pride emanated from her. "You want proof that we're strong? Well, by now, we're bound to be tougher than any other Talpus grouping inside the mountain. I can look the dragon straight in the eye, tell him that it's in his best interest to ally with us and mean it. Should I die? You’ll still get the chance to kill them all."

"Are you sure? You know the risks involved."

She nodded. "I am. And I am the right person to do this. I am clever enough to talk on behalf of us all without embarrassing us and cocky enough to hold my head high. Should it fail, the tribe will be better off losing me than losing Arthor or anyone else of significance."

There were more words after this. Of course there were. More discussions, more objections, precautions and issues. However, Jazinth's final words did end the majority of the discussion. She was going and that was final. Even Arthor slowly came to terms with that fact, and the discussions turned more practical in nature. Who would go along with her? How would we keep an eye on her? How would we know what happened? Should our forces stay nearby in case of an emergency? We slowly whittled away at the issues, coming up with the best solutions possible. Late that evening, the Talpi were practically keeling over with tiredness and I wasn't feeling too energetic myself, but we were done.