Pledged in Blood - Chapter Twenty Six (Patreon)

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Chapter Twenty Six

Plan

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Having reached at least a begrudging understanding with the gryphons, it was time to move forward with their side of the bargain. Before we left, though, I wanted to know their plans. I wanted to know where we were going, what route we would be flying, and how they planned to prevent their people from shooting me out of the skies before I even had a chance to land and explain myself. After all, their army had proved to have a habit of assuming the worst and shooting dragons on site. I hoped that with gryphons flanking me in the air, their cannoneers and riflemen would be less quick to open fire, but I needed to hear Sparrow and Blue Jay’s thoughts on it as well. 

The four of us returned to the map room. I settled before the great map Melakar had created, leaving room for Nesh to stand just before me. The gryphons flanked me, their wing feathers brushing my scales as they settled down. With the small size of the room, it was the easiest way for all of us to look at the map together. So long as Sparrow didn’t decide to take up pacing again, we should be fine. 

At first, the gryphons spoke to each other in their own tongue, glancing past me at each other, and gesturing at the map. After spending time around them, I was getting better at picking up more and more of their language. Still, there was only so much I could catch when they spoke swiftly. Best I could discern, they were debating between two suitable locations, but I could not follow the conversation well enough to understand the merits of each

I studied the map while they discussed it. It still struck me just how much land it covered. While it was not the entire continent, I could only imagine it must have been a large portion of it. I wondered again just how many of those locations Melakar had visited in person. A dragon’s wings could carry them a distance nearly beyond measure in ten years. But such expansive, crisscrossing travel was unusual for our kind. Not only did it put us in the lands of so many enemies, but it was not in our nature. 

Usually, dragons only traveled a great distance to seek out a new home. The dragons who left the valley, including my own son, did so not to wander the world beyond, but to stake out a new part of it for themselves. Once they did so, they’d usually stay there. If Melakar had truly been to so many places, then I could not even imagine the things he must have seen. He might well have been the first dragon in history to lay eyes on some parts of the world, or to bare witness to the strange and terrifying marvels dreamt up and constructed by the other thinking races. 

For a moment, a brief moment, part of me was angry with him. All that time spent traveling meant the southern end of our valley had been left unguarded far more often than I ever realized. If I knew at the time, I would have accused him of shirking his duty to sate his wanderlust. Another reason he hadn’t told me the truth. I knew better, now. He must have realized, long before I did, that there was nothing we could do to stop Nesh’s people if they ever invaded our valley. He saw no more use in guarding the southern valley on his lonesome. One dragon could not stop an invasion, but a peace treaty could. 

When my temporary anger cooled, I was happy for him. Melakar had always wanted to go and see the world. No, he hadn’t just wanted to see it, he had wanted to experience it. To lay eyes upon other civilizations, to hear their languages and their music, to taste their foods and drinks, to see the golden sands of the deserts, and smell the salt of the great oceans beyond the edges of the world. At least, in his last years, he was finally able to fulfill some of those wishes. I hoped that despite all the stress, danger and hardship that he must have known, he had enjoyed his travels just the same. 

“Tivos.” Sparrow raised her voice loudly enough to make it clear she was addressing Nesh and I. She turned her face towards Nesh, her ears perked. “We’ve agreed upon Tivos, if you concur.” 

Nesh stepped towards the map, stroking his chin. “Tivos, Tivos…trade city, right? Sort of a small but growing frontier crossroads, if I remember right.”

“That’s my understanding, yes.” Sparrow rustled her wings. “My understanding is that since they put rail stations for both travel and cargo, it’s grown into a local distribution hub for trade, fuel, and so on. A lot of ore shipments from some of the eastern mines pass through there, that sort of thing. Probably some new factories.”

“More importantly.” Blue Jay lifted a forepaw, pointing to the map. “It looks like Melakar was there. Which means, they’ve at least had one dragon visitor they didn’t shoot down.” He glanced at me, ears flattening. “Er…sorry. Poor choice of words.” 

I shook my head. “It’s alright. Where is this Tivos?” 

“Southwest portion of Diandrios. Near the river.” Blue Jay rose up and gently nudged Nesh aside, then tapped a city drawn on the map. “Here.” 

Nesh moved up alongside him, inspecting the city’s location. “It’s not quite in the wild frontier, any more, but…well, it’s wilderness adjacent, let’s call it.” He pointed out a few other little markings, dotting either side of the line that indicated the river. “These little villages here, Melakar or his mapmaker used different markers for them. They might be non-human.” He glanced back at me. “That might be a good sign, if Tivos is already used to trading with exotics.” 

I lifted my spines, cocking my head. “Exotics?” I had not heard that term from him before, and I could not tell if it was meant as a term of curiosity, or denigration.

Nesh blinked, then scrunched up his face. “Oh, now that I say it out loud, it sounds terribly offensive. It wasn’t meant that way, but it’s probably not the nicest term. Must have picked it up in the city. It just means the non-human races, really. Your urd’thin, your gnolls, your lizards…oh, that’s not the right term either, is it?” He rubbed his forehead, scowling. 

“Va’chaak, they call themselves.” I arched my neck a little bit, trying to keep my corrections gentle. I doubted the humans in his army spent much time studying the cultures of the species who lived wild lands beyond their own frontiers. “We have all those people in the valley, too. The gnolls in particular are rarely fond of humans. At least, those I have dealt with.” 

Nesh’s scowl deepened, and he folded his arms. “Admittedly, we don’t have the greatest history with treating our own species well, let alone other species. Hopefully the continued presence of those villages means they’re getting along well. The gods know we’d be better off making more allies than enemies.” 

“So, if they’re exotic, but we’re monsters…” I glanced at Sparrow, pinning my spines and flicking my tail tip. “Or demons…then what’s the difference? Extra limbs?” I snorted, tossing my head. “Or is it our fire?”

“I…uhm…” Nesh rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…that is…”

I reached out with a paw to tussle his head fur. I knew him well enough now to know he meant no harm, but that didn’t mean I was going to stop teasing him. “Relax, Nesh, I’m only toying with you.” 

“That does bring up an interesting question, though.” Sparrow clicked her beak. “So if humans think of the other bipedal races as exotic, then what are we?” She stretched one of her wings as if to show it off. “We must be especially fascinating and mysterious.” 

“Oh, I’m sure you were!” Nesh blinked when Sparrow flattened her ears. “Erm…still are, I mean. You’re certainly fascinating and mysterious to me! Since I’ve…never really worked with the gryphon legion, or…spent much time with your people, and…”

“I think what Nesh is trying to say is…” I curled a foreleg around his middle, rumbling. “Once you live in their cities and adopt their religions, you’re hardly exotic anymore.” I pulled Nesh back and hugged him against myself, as much to keep him from putting his foot in his mouth as anything else. “Both your points are valid. If they have seen a dragon in or near the town before without engaging them in battle, and if they are used to trading with other species, that may bode well for our odds. Will they have all the medical supplies Nesh will require, and in high number?” 

“They should, yes.” Blue Jay held up his paws. “Now, I haven’t been there myself, but my understanding is while they’re not a very big city, they should be large enough to have what you need.”

“I’ve been wondering about that.” Sparrow chirruped, glancing at the map. “I’m not sure why Melakar would have bothered going to a city that size. Especially as it would have been even smaller when he was there.” 

“Perhaps that was the point?” Nesh leaned over my foreleg to point at a few numbered locations on the map. “From what Ella and I can tell, the numbers don’t correspond to the order he visited places. So it may have been one of his first journeys, sort of, testing the waters by trying to gain admittance into a small, out of the way human city. He may have found it more receptive than somewhere larger and more fortified. Or, if he wanted to see things like rail stations being constructed, or see a locomotive, it probably would have been one of the safest…” He trailed off, shrugging. “Or rather, least dangerous, places to observe such things, early on.” 

There were those words again. Rails, locomotives. I did not know what they were, but I decided against asking, for the time. The way the gryphons and Nesh used the term made it seem like common knowledge, and I did not want to appear a fool in front of the birds. Later, I could have Nesh explain it. Or I supposed I could just wait and see the things for myself. 

“We should look at his notes.” I released Nesh from my gentle grasp, then curled my tail around my paws. “That might tell us why he was there. Or give us reason to choose a different city.” 

“Good idea.” Nesh fetched the corresponding book, and started flipping through the pages. “Let’s see…on the map, it’s number 17. Ah!” He came to a stop and tapped the page. “Here we are.” Nesh glanced up at me. “I can’t read your language, but there’s a drawing of a woman’s face, and what looks like the main street.” He flipped the page. “Those are rail tracks, and that looks like a house. A huge house, at that.” 

“A woman’s face?” Sparrow chirped, flexing her feathery wings. “His local contact there, perhaps?” 

I patted the ground before me. “Let me see, Nesh.” 

Nesh brought the book over, and set it on the ground, open to the drawing of the human female. The sight of her stunned me. My spines flared out to their full extent, and my maw hung open and gaping. My heart shivered, flooded with confusing emotions and uncertainty. I knew this woman. In the image, she was older now, with quite a more lines on her face. But the artist had captured her perfectly. The dangerously narrowed eyes, the mischievous smile, the curls in her hair, those were all familiar. 

“I…” I was so surprised to find her staring back at me that I could not even find words. 

“Ella?” Nesh reached out to set a hand upon my neck. “Ella, are you alright?” 

I forced myself to swallow a few times, to try and speak. But when I opened my maw again, incredulous laughter tumbled from me in place of words. I laughed and laughed until the others must have thought something in my brain had finally ruptured. I waved off Nesh’s concern, and finally gave happy sigh. 

Sparrow clacked her beak noisily when my laughter faded. “I take it you know that woman?” 

“I certainly do.” I patted the page, smiling. “Her name is Ayrah, and she was one of Melakar’s favorite and most recent vassals.” I offered Nesh a playful purr. “One of the humans who taught us all your language’s dirty words.” 

“Oh, Lord.” Nesh put his face in his hand. 

“That was a long time ago. She was quite young, then.” I tilted my head, staring at the image. It was done in black ink, and I could not help but imagine if she yet lived, her hair had probably long since gone gray, or white. “No older than you, Nesh, and probably younger. A thief, actually, on the run from your lawmen. Melakar took her in, and she stayed with him for quite some time. They became quite fond of one another. Obviously, I had not seen her in…a long time. It seems Melakar kept in touch with her even after she left his service.”

“So that’s why he was there?” Blue Jay stretched his neck, staring down at the image. “To visit some old human friend?” 

I shrugged my wings. “Seems that way. I’ll have to read his notes to be sure. In any case, if she is still alive, and living in this…Tivos, then I agree. It is as good a place for us to venture to as any. Although…” My heart sank when another realization struck me. “If she is living there, I shall have to try and contact her. I should…” I licked my nose, sighing. “I should tell her about Melakar.” 

Nesh offered me a smile, gently rubbing my shoulder. “I…I think that would be the right thing to do. If you do it, I’ll…be there to support you, if you want me.” 

I lowered my head to nuzzle at his head-fur in gratitude. “Thank you, Nesh.” I lifted my head again, sighing. “I suppose that is a worry for when we arrive. I will not have much time to catch up, anyway. I do not wish to linger in potentially hostile territory any longer than is necessary. Speaking of which, Sparrow, how do you plan to get Nesh and I into this city safely?” 

“That depends on how much you’re willing to trust me.” Sparrow warbled, lifting her crown feathers. “One option would be for all us to fly in together, at low altitude, and just land in their square, or their main street, whatever they have. I’ll declare to their security forces that you’re flying under official truce with us, and so on.” She circled her paw in the air. “Or, if you believe me when I promise not to betray you, you and Nesh could wait somewhere safe outside. Kraas and I fly into the city, explain the situation, and return to fetch you when it’s safe for you to enter.”

“Or,” Blue Jay said, leaning around me to gaze at his captain. “We could wait and see what the aerial defenses look like.” 

Sparrow stretched a wing, preening it in thought. “Might be best, though I imagine they’d have at least one aerial defense unit. They’re near enough the frontier where her people used to live…” She waved her wing at me. “And, close enough to where her lands border Shevar to worry about incursions.” 

Blue Jay clicked his beak three times. “Still, they’re awfully small to fear being raided by our enemy.” 

“Which makes them an inviting target for someone looking to strike an unprepared city!” Sparrow slapped her forepaw down.

Sensing a new argument brewing between the two of them, I thumped my tail against the stone floor, loudly enough to draw their shared attention. “We’ll find out when we get there, won’t we? As for how much I trust you two…” I rumbled, tilting my head. “I have not yet decided. You’ll forgive me if Nesh remains the only person from your empire I truly trust, for the time being. But I like the idea of being seen by the city, flying into it information with the two of you. A striking image for people to pass onto your empress. But, either option sounds viable, so we’ll decided based on the circumstances we’re presented with, when the time comes.” 

“As you wish, Dragon.” Sparrow rose to her paws, then ushered Blue Jay aside with a few nips. He squawked a protest, but backed out of her way. She unsheathed a single claw, and traced a line across the map, starting from the southern area of our valley, and moving roughly southwest. “I’m estimating three days flight to reach Tivos, but it may take four, considering we’re all still recovering from…” 

I picked up where she trailed off. “Beating the shit out of each other.” 

“Yes.” She bowed her head, chirruping laughter. “That.” She glanced at Nesh. “You should bring clothes for long cold flights, and food for yourself. We will find shelter if we can, but you should also pack something warm to sleep in. Blankets, a bedroll, something like that.” Then she returned her attention to me. “If you know places along the route we can shelter, that would help. You know this land better than I do.” 

I scanned the route the gryphon indicated. Though a large portion of it crossed through the southern reaches of the valley, they were not sections of my realm I had traveled extensively in some time. “Melakar would have known that part of the valley better, but I recall a series of small caverns here.” I eased up, moving closer to the map, then circled a swath of rocky hills. “And as we pass near the great lake, there are several islands on it which once held fortresses. I’ve been to one of them, in my youth. If it remains mostly intact, we could fit inside. I think it was built by a human kingdom we once offered mining rites to in exchange for gold or some other frivolous treasure. After that…” I traced a claw tip towards where the various borders and frontiers all clashed. “I’m afraid I don’t know. Worst comes to worst, I can tuck Nesh under my foreleg to keep him warm.” I glanced at Blue Jay and Sparrow in turn. “Then I’ll use you as a pillow, and you as a blanket. I’ll be comfortable, at least.” 

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to use the smaller one as the pillow, and the bigger one as the blanket?” From the way Nesh turned and studied the two gryphons, I couldn’t tell if he was joining in my joke, or seriously considering the question.

“We shall be neither!” Sparrow beat her wings once for emphasis, her feathers bumping and brushing my scales. 

I ignored her completely, and answered Nesh instead. “It might make more sense, but I’ve already used Blue Jay like a pillow before, so a pillow he remains.”

“Only for your ass!” Blue Jay snarled his retort, but the sound ended in a frustrated whimper. “That…didn’t come out quite right.” 

Nesh turned towards him, his brows knitted. When Blue Jay just grunted and looked away, I let Nesh wallow in confusion for a moment before I explained. 

“I sat on him.” I lowered my head to rest my muzzle on Nesh’s chin, my ears splayed in smug display. “After I bested him and Sparrow, for the second time.” 

“Yes, yes, Dragon, you’ve beaten us twice.” Sparrow waggled her wing dismissively. “Everyone’s very impressed that a creature twice our size proves a formidable opponent.” 

“I’m not twice his size.” I flicked my tail towards Blue Jay, then smirked at Sparrow. “Just twice your size.” I lifted my head, licking my muzzle. “Is there anything else we need to go over, before we leave?” 

Sparrow tucked her wings against her body. “I’m sure you already understand you’ll have to be on your absolute best behavior while you’re in your lands.”

“For two reasons.” Nesh turned towards me and poked me right between my nostrils. “For one, to make a good impression for yourself, in hopes that word may reach the empress that you’re not a…” He waved his hand. “Dangerous monster, ravaging the countryside, or whatever else she may have been told about you after the attack. And two…” Nesh cupped the end of my muzzle in his hands, softening his voice. “Because I don’t want you to get hurt.” He traced a few fingers near the stitches and scars across my face. “Worse, I mean. So don’t do anything to make anyone feel defensive.” 

“Nesh, I-”

“I mean it, Ella!” Nesh held my chin in his palm, his eyes boring into mine. “Promise me. Even if you’re insulted, or belittled, or…or furious, you’ll keep your claws sheathed and your flames to yourself. Be the Queen, Ella, not the warrior. Promise me you won’t hurt anyone, and…promise me that no matter what happens, you won’t get yourself hurt, either. You’ve…you’ve been through enough.” 

I sighed, and tilted my head to nuzzle at his hand. “Very well, Nesh. I promise you, I will…” I had to force myself to spit out the distasteful word. “Behave.”

“Good!” Nesh wrapped his arms around my head, just under my horns, and hugged it to his chest. “Thank you.” 

“Awwww.” Blue Jay gave a low, warbling coo. “Concubine wubs his big dwagun misstwess.” 

Nesh released me and whirled around to glare at the gryphon. If his gaze were any more fiery, Blue Jay’s feathers would ignite. “Oh, nibble me somewhere indecent, gryphon!” 

Blue Jay cocked his head, his ears half perked in confusion. “Nibble you…?”

I nudged Nesh’s lower back with my muzzle, proud and yet greatly amused. “You’re very bad at insults, Nesh. But good effort.” 

“Yes, well.” Nesh folded his arms, sighing. “Not exactly a skill I’ve practiced.” 

“Would you like me to insult him for you?” I flashed the gryphon my fangs. “Name a body part, and I’ll tell him something foul to do to it.” 

“No, Ella, that’s alright.” Nesh held up his hands, chuckling. “I think he got the point, anyway.” 

Blue Jay clicked his beak a few times. He glanced at Sparrow, who shrugged her wings, then looked back at Nesh. He splayed his ears, a sign of gryphon confusion. “I’m not sure I did, actually.” 

“And that’s your damn problem.” Nesh jabbed a finger towards the gryphon. 

“Nesh,” I said, gently rubbing his back. “That’s not helping.” I turned my attention back to Sparrow, speaking up before Nesh and Blue Jay could continue their amusingly inept spat. “Do you require anything to travel with? Supplies or any sort? The three of us can hunt, but Nesh should bring preserved foods, just in case.” I curled a foreleg around him. “Nesh, you should also bring the warmest sleeping things you can find, and whatever else you think you may need. I’ll bring all my cargo pouches, so I should have room to pack things for you if necessary. The rest of them we’ll save to fill with all your new supplies.” 

Sparrow ruffled her feathers up. “I should like for Kraas and I to get our harnesses back. Mine will have to be repaired, but the humans should be able to make a rough repair job, I think. Enough for it to last me a few days, at least. Then I can get it better fixed in Tivos.” She held up a forepaw, her mottled pinkish pads towards me. “Before you ask, no, I don’t plan to fill it with anything dangerous right now. But it does have symbols of my rank emblazoned upon it, and that may well be key to getting you safe entry into the city.” She set her paw down, preening a wing tip. “I may have to throw my weight around to some of the local military.” 

Blue Jay flashed a gaping-beak grin. “You’d have to have weight to throw around in the first place. You scarcely weigh more than a human.” 

Sparrow hissed at him. “I’ll feel a whole lot heavier after I take you down, and step on your skull!” 

“I doubt you could step up that high.” 

“Must you always act like a damn fledgling?” Sparrow flared her wings. “You could at least try and act professional.” 

Nesh glanced up at me. “They must have been lovers for years, at least.” 

I nudged him with my muzzle, chuckling. “If not decades. Do you know where their harnesses have gotten to?” 

“Yes, I can dig them out. And there should be enough supplies around from Melakar’s older vassals to make some half-decent repairs.” He patted my chest. “I can supervise.” Though he didn’t say it, I knew what he really meant. He’d watch them closely to make sure they didn’t slip anything dangerous in for Sparrow to use. While I doubted she’d betray our truce now, I’d prefer to be safe, just in case. Nesh turned back towards Sparrow. “Speaking of your harness, do you think you and I could have a chat sometime, about all the things you had packed in there? Some of those substance were quite rare, and a few I wasn’t even familiar with. Also, did you bring them specifically for dragons? If so, how did you measure their effectiveness, before hand? Is that knowledge you’ve personally gained from battle with dragons, or is that something gryphons learned in the past? Or do-”

“Nesh.” I touched his arm with my forepaw. “You’re rambling.” 

“Right, sorry.” Nesh wrung his hands. “Point is, can we talk about the things you were carrying, sometime.” 

Sparrow ground her beak, ruffled her feathers, and finally sighed. “I suppose at this point, spilling more secrets isn’t going to hurt. After all, I can only be court martialed once. But I don’t want to talk about it tonight.”

“No, that’s fine, and thank you in advance.” Nesh gave her a little bow. “I promise not to tell anyone. It’s just that I want to learn as much about Ella’s species, as I can.” He ticked off a few fingers. Their anatomy, biology, physiology, and that includes things like…” Nesh switched to the fingers of his other hand. “Weaknesses, vulnerabilities, dangerous allergies, immunities, and so on. And how such things were discovered. There’s all sorts of books around about those things, but most of them I’ve found so far are in the dragon language. I…” He wrung his hands again. “I actually think I’d like to write my own book about dragons, but…I’m going to need extensive research.”

Sparrow tilted her head, gazing at Nesh. “When we have time, and I’m in the mood, we can talk. For now, how about you find our harnesses so we can ask our friends to start the repairs? Tomorrow, Blue Jay and I will hunt enough food to last the others while we’re away.” She turned her attention to me. “With the dragon’s help, if she’s willing.” 

“If I’m asked respectfully enough.” I arched my neck a little. “We’ll leave most of it in the snow, so it freezes. That will keep it from spoiling, and they can bring it in to thaw it or cook it as they see fit.” 

“That works for me.” Sparrow stretched her front legs out, her paws splayed. She yawned, thin gryphon tongue protruding from her beak. “I’m getting tired. Let’s find those harnesses, so our friends can get started on them first thing in the morning. Then I can get some sleep.” 

“Very well.” I pushed myself up to all fours. “Nesh, let’s bring their harnesses, and then retire for the evening as well.” 

So that it, then. Before long, I would be on my way to a human city. There were few more dangerous places in all the world for a dragon to visit. Yet it seemed Melakar had made a habit of it, nonetheless. I told myself if Melakar could do it, I could do it too. But I was not Melakar, and I possessed not half of his diplomatic gifts. I would have to rely on Nesh, and even the damn gryphons to keep me from overstepping my bounds, and ruining any attempts at alliances before they started. There was something else that worried me, too. For in my heart, I knew the truth. 

Cavorting with humans had gotten Melakar killed.

Yet, here I was, about to follow him into that very same storm. I had taken up his ideals, and now bore his hopes and dreams of an empire for dragons upon my wings. But that weight had crushed him, in the end, betrayed by the same humans he hoped to build a future with. Now all I could do was hope that sharing his cause would not also mean sharing his fate. 

What manner of fool was I, then, to believe that following the same path would not lead me to the same end? 

A hopeful fool, I told myself, but a fool just the same.