Raulin's Oath

Javaron sat in the War Chambers alone, gazing at the large map of Palidonaya that was etched into the mammoth circular table. How could the Dragon King have gained this much territory? Once Belamoris had burned, Shadow Walkers overran the coast of Casparnia. The herds of Equus were under constant attack from the Dragons, their plains ablaze. The only stronghold was located on the southern coast of Apollo. The Council would be convening shortly, and he needed some sort of plan. As he sat pensively staring at the map, the clapping of a single set of hooves echoed throughout the chamber. His eyes turned to the door as Thauleon, King of Apollo, entered the chambers.

Thauleon bowed his head as he entered.

“There is no need for formalities, Thauleon. Enter and tell me of Apollo.”

“There is no Apollo. The Dragons attacked from all land borders, pushing the herd to the south. The herd was unable to take flight with the Dragons upon us. Those who escaped used the underground tunnels to reach the coast. They were forced to leave the mainland to the south. I alone was able to make the journey here to report.”

“How many remain?”

“A hundred, maybe less. All of Equus now belongs to the Dragons. Lenovia is the last country left on our continent.”

Thauleon’s eyes burned with anguish, his ribs protruded in waves. Soot, dirt and blood soiled Thauleon’s body. Javaron dropped his eyes to the table and moved a stone figure of a dragon to each of the countries of Equus. “Lenovia may not stand alone. We have sent word to Faendell and Mirnalduhr.”

Thauleon let out a crazed laugh. “Hope is lost. The Dwarves will not venture out of the mountains, and while Faendell has been plotting its revenge for a century, it also has been in a self-imposed exile. Our only hope is to find a land that the Dragons cannot reach.”

Javaron bowed his head. As he sat in silence, the War Chambers began to fill with Council members. He was acutely aware of how his response today would shape his legacy. Great leaders were born through great adversity, and he would not fail his people in their greatest time of need.

“Leaders of the Seven Kingdoms, we meet today to decide the fate of all who follow us. The Dragon King has taken all land east of the Silent Forest. We are the last stronghold remaining.”

There were murmurs throughout the chamber as the news of defeat sank in. Whispers of doom filled the chamber as the murmurs turned to bickering. Xersa, the leader of the Aphrodite herd, was the first to address the room. “What hope do we have? The dragons are not vulnerable to any of our weapons. They kill all who oppose them.”

Javaron stood, slamming his fist on the table. “Silence! We always have hope. We will stand and fight to the last one of us if necessary. Yes, the weapons that we have will not harm the dragons, but there is a blade that was forged that could aid us.”

Brannan of Casparnia stood. “My King, that blade has been lost for a century. No one knows its whereabouts. Some say that the Blade of Atonement was destroyed as a part of the agreement that ended the Great War.”

“Aye, I have heard these stories as well. They are not true. The Blade of Atonement is gone, but it was not destroyed. It was taken to the city of Derge in the Dwarven country, where it was remade to form two daggers. These Daggers of Derge are in our possession, as well as the knowledge to forge a new weapon that can be used against the dragons.” Javaron summoned Arkas, Arietta, Nova, and Jerry into the room.

“Jerry, will you show the daggers that you used against the hunters?” At this request, Jerry drew the daggers from their hidden sheaths. Javaron continued, “I give you the Daggers of Derge. The last remnants of the Blade of Atonement.”

Again, murmurs traveled around the room before Timara rose to speak. “How can we be certain that those are the Daggers of Derge? Furthermore, what use are they against a full-grown dragon?”

Jerry met Timara’s gaze and replied, “The hunter that I faced called them by name before I killed her.”

Javaron continued, “We all know that the hunters are smaller versions of wingless dragons. They were created by the dragon king to hunt any that he desires. They have the same body armor that a full-grown dragon has, therefore these daggers could be used to slay a dragon.”

Jerry interjected, “I had difficulty penetrating the body armor. I had to go for eyes.” He shivered at the thought of the other hunter he had not killed himself that had been swallowed by sand.

The room again erupted in murmurs. How would this help? Which one of them could ever get that close to the mouth of the beast, and would they have the same effect?

Arkas stood. “We know how to create a weapon to use against the dragons.” The room fell silent. “We visited the Record Keeper. He shared the secret to the creation of the Blade of Atonement. Though the price is high, we can and will forge another weapon.”

Neoma was the first to ask the question. “What price do you speak of?”

“We need a sacrifice of the purest blood in all of Palidonaya. The sacrifice of the King of Equus. The weapon must contain both the horn and the blood of the Royal Line.” Arkas’s eyes turned to Raulin as he made this statement. “This sacrifice must be made in the mountains of Mirnalduhr so the magic can be immediately captured during the forging of the weapon. The price is great, but it is the only way.”

Javaron spoke next. “We must plan our next steps carefully. We need allies if we are to drive the dragons back to Draconis. We have sent word to Faendell, but we must follow the letter with an emissary to meet with the Queen of Ice. We must also send a party to Mirnalduhr to forge the weapon. Finally, we need information from Draconis. Rumors abound that Lucius is cultivating his offspring. Enough dragons to overrun all corners of Palidonaya. If this is true, we must find his breeding grounds and destroy the offspring before they hatch.”

Javaron continued, “Gustoff has volunteered to travel to Faendell with a small party to plead with the Queen. Thauleon. Once you have had adequate nourishment and rest, will you take him to meet with the queen?”

“It would be an honor, Your Majesty.” Thauleon bowed his head.

“I volunteer to go to Faendell as well,” shouted Arietta. “We need to have another female along to help relate to the queen, and Grandpa Gus, I mean, Gustoff. He could also continue teaching me how to use my powers.”

“I’ll go too.” Nova turned to face Arietta. “I go where you go.” Arietta nodded solemnly, with appreciation.

“I can take three, but no more, as the journey will be across the sea with no stops. Belamoris is now enemy territory.”

“Very well, Thauleon will take Gustoff, Nova, and Arietta to meet with the queen.”

“I will go to Draconis to gather information.” Jerry couldn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth. “I can make myself invisible for periods of time. This will give us the best chance.”

Javaron sighed, turned to Xersa, and inquired, “Could you accompany Jerry to Draconis?”

“I cannot take anyone with me. My powers do not hide others, just me,” Jerry said, hoping that no one would catch his lie.

Javaron responded, “You will need passage to the capital in the mountains. Xersa could wait in hiding for your return.”

Xersa replied, “I will take Jerry to the capital and wait there for his return.”

Raulin was the last to speak. “I will need a group to accompany me to Mirnalduhr to forge the weapon. Dimitri will be one, as he is my most trusted. Who else would accompany me on this quest?”

Arkas stood. “I will, as I have the information that the dwarves will need to forge the weapon.”

Javaron nodded his approval. “The rest will remain here to fortify the capital. The Shadow Walkers draw closer each day. Raulin, you must make haste, as each passing day brings the dragons closer to our doorstep.”

The Council adjourned, representatives from each state filing out, making their way to begin preparations. There was no discussion as they left that War Chamber, no joyful banter that usually followed a meeting of the Council. The somber mood that had fallen over them would remain for many days to come, as all knew that sacrifices would be made and friends would be lost. The survival of the Seven Kingdoms balanced on a razor’s edge, and the failure of one mission could be the tipping point that would cause the downfall of the entire realm that the Council ruled over.

“Xersa?” Jerry said, the mountain range in sight.

“Yes, Jerry?” She turned her head away from her white-feathered wings, as she’d been preening her feathers before being interrupted.

“So, how does this work? I’ve never ridden a flying horse.”

Xersa laughed. The boy was covered with a layer of dirt and grime that had accumulated on his skin through his journeys. “The first thing that we are going to do is to get you a bath. I don’t need that dirt on my coat.” Her pastel-pink fur had finally been cleaned after saving Gustoff, and she was not interested in having to bathe again so soon.

While Jerry was bathing and getting a clean set of clothes, Xersa began planning their trip to the dangerous mountain region. She decided that she would alter the route that she took to bring Gustoff to Dragon’s Bane so that she could avoid any unwanted attention from the patrols of the Dragon King.

Jerry returned for inspection by Xersa. She was amazed at the difference in his appearance. His skin was two shades lighter and his new clothes were not tattered, each piece relatively new. The final addition to his uniform was a long, hooded, black cloak that would hopefully keep him sheltered from the biting wind. They were ready for the trek to Draconis. He climbed onto her back, and she groaned before stretching her wings and racing forward. They spread gracefully, and she leapt to launch herself into the air. Jerry let out a loud whoop, seeing that they were airborne, but the joy did not last as they rose higher and higher into the sky.

“Ease up, kid!” Xersa yelled over the wind, the sensation of pain at his fingers gripping her hair bringing her out of focus. She banked around a tree, striving to get higher to avoid most of the trees embedded into the massive mountain. Jerry’s eyes were squeezed shut, and he buried his face into her mane, wrapping his arms around her neck. “Relax! I’m not going to drop you, just try to enjoy the view,” she suggested lightly, and he shook his head.

The capital city of Aridol was magnificent from the air. The stone structures reminded Jerry of the books that he had read that described Camelot. His heart was racing; he did not like heights, and they were approaching the level of the clouds. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Xersa’s mane. He remained in this position for the rest of the trip that lasted through the day and into the night.

They were nearing the main city, where the castle was located, and Xersa knew she would need to get out of the air. “Look,” she demanded. Although his heart was racing, veins spreading icy fear throughout his whole being, he could not be happier that he looked. From above, the city of Draconis was quite beautiful. The dim glow of fairy lights made the city emit such a pleasant feeling, it was like a home away from home. This seemed odd, considering that nowhere else on this planet had he been at peace. “We’re landing,” Xersa said uneasily, her legs kicking a bit as she steered around trees gliding gently to the ground. Her feet hit the soft underbrush of the forest, and Jerry cocked his head, inhaling deeply.

“Mint?” he asked softly to himself. An animal comparable to a deer leapt only a few paces away from the pair, scurrying out of sight, and birds chittered happily all around them.

“For Dragon country, this is incredibly beautiful. It still feels… it feels wrong.” Her words were but a whisper, something that Jerry chose to ignore. He felt nothing wrong here; everything was right and good in these woods. “I’ll tuck myself away into a thicket; you have a week before you have to check in. If you don’t, then I leave to get help,” she said, and Jerry absentmindedly shook his head. He inhaled once more, relishing the scent, then worked to raise all of his shields for protection. He would be entering the heart of the enemy, and there was no room for error.