The Dragon Brothers

*Camp Outside Queen Maeve's Castle * Lucian POV

As soon as I heard Maeve's scream I knew the battle had started. It was just a matter of time before our armies clashed. I sounded my horn to rally the forces and let them know to get ready. At this time the gnomes were released to go inside the castle through a secret passageway told by Cyprian to start fighting with the guards on the inside.

I went to the front of my camp and stood before my men. "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! Today we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West and remember that victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting!" I end my battle cry with a roar.

I hear another roar as trolls are released from Queen Maeve's castle. This wasn't the plan but we took the engagement anyway and with my roar my men, the fairies that aren't healers working with Gabe, werewolves, witches, the dragons under my uncle's ruling, and vampires ran forward. We quickly decimate the trolls so Maeve sends out the goblins and we keep fighting.

I decide to blow my horn long once to give the signal for the centaurs to engage and they emerge from their hiding. The ground beneath us is quickly becoming soaked in blood. Arrows have stopped flying from the top of the fortress surrounding Maeve's castle which tells me that the gnomes have done their job well. Thankfully, I don't see many of us being dragged off the field as wounded. I see that Gabe is back flying around looking for wounded but I haven't seen Cyprian and Wolf yet.

We have barely vanquished the goblins when Maeve sends out her fleet of demons. I sound my horn twice for the unicorns that are not healers to engage and I see them running for the field. They easily stab the demons in the chest and pull out their hearts with their horn. I notice some of my fleet are starting to falter with exhaustion and I'm noticing more wounded. So I blow on my horn three times and call on the elves. I finally see Cyprian and Wolf fighting at the top of the battle. Their clothes are soaked in blood and neither stopped to put on armour. Cyprian isn't even wearing a tunic.

Cyprian POV

We just make it to the forest line when we hear Lucian sound his horn to rally his forces. I know there isn't much time left until the battle begins. I need to get Molle to safety immediately.

"Gabe, can you fly her back to our camp and watch over her along with any other wounded that are pulled out of battle?" I say as I'm ready to hand Molle off to him.

"No I'm not leaving you Cyprian." Molle says as she clings to my neck.

"Kitten, this isn't up for discussion. I need to enter battle and you can't follow me." She starts to interrupt me but I shake my head." You don't have any shoes or pants on, you don't have a weapon, and you're still wounded. You can't follow me. I don't have time to have this discussion. If you want to participate then help Gabe with the wounded when he brings them back to camp. Stitch, wrap or stuff wounds. Whatever he needs you to do while he is working on bringing people to safety and healing people. Can you do that for me?"

"I can do that." Molle says happily knowing that she's at least involved.

"Gabe, if she's going to be helping can you heal some of her wounds?" I ask, concerned for her back and the branding scar. I pull up the sleeve to see what the brand is and I gasp when I see it says SLAVE. It makes me shake with anger. "Don't be angry I have had the same brand on my wrist since I was a child or at least as long as I can remember." She shows me the branding that says SLAVE on her small wrist.

"I know about that one. It doesn't mean that they had a right to put new ones on you." We'll have to continue this conversation another day. I hand her off to Gabe and he wraps his arms and wings comfortingly around her then they take flight.

After Gabe and Molly left, Elvin King Arod approached us and asked if one of us would give a victory battle speech to his men. Wolf accepted the honor.

Wolf stood in front of the elvin company. "I expect you to rock every combatant's world that shows you their sword. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory. You will see things that no man could pay to see. It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive. But there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. The enemy should be in no doubt that we are her nemesis and that we are bringing about her rightful destruction. She and her forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please." He finished his speech with a roar and the elves roared back, shaking their weapons high in the air. After giving the speech Wolf and I decided to split up and I would go on the side of the unicorns and he would go on the side of the centaurs. We both quickly hurried towards the battleground. I weaved through the unicorns but King Aliz of the Unicorns stopped us and asked if I would give a battle speech to his men and of course I couldn't turn down the honor once asked.

I stood up in front of the men. "I don't want to get any messages saying, 'I am holding my position.' We are not holding a goddamned thing. Let the others do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. Shall we allow our audacious enemies to violate with impunity the territory of the Republic? Will you permit the army to escape which has carried terror into your families? You will not. March, then, to meet him. Tear from his brows the laurels he has won. Teach the world that malediction attends those that violate the territory of the Great People. The result of our efforts will be unclouded glory, and a durable peace." I ended my speech with a battle roar and the unicorns answered with a roar of their own as they stomped their hooves.

I hear Lucian release the call for the unicorns to engage in battle and King Aliz and Queen Jewel ride up along either side of me. We point our swords in the air and roar for all to hear letting the unicorns behind us know we are about to ride forth then we run into battle. I run straight for the front lines as I want to get inside and get to Maeve before she escapes as soon as possible. I want revenge for what she did to Molle as I know that was a direct message to me. Wolf POV

I want nothing more than to make it inside the castle and make Maeve pay for what she had Lord Garbge do to Emily but first I have to make it through her armies. King Chiron of the Centaurs asks me to give a battle speech in front of his men. I'm not sure why I keep getting asked to give battle speeches. I'm not even good at this.

I step in front of his men. "The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are; but it is the one most consistent with our character, courage, and commitments as an alliance. The cost of freedom is always high, but we have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right; not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, God willing, that goal will be achieved." I end my battle speech by lifting my sword high in the air and crying out. They all follow suit.

I hear Lucian make the call for the centaurs to move out into battle as King Chiron and Queen Endies move alongside me. The three of us hold out our swords and yell, letting the centaur warriors know it is time to fight, and then we charge forward engaging. Where our line is puts me smack dab right in the front of the fighting and it is not long before my tunic is drenched in blood.

We finally break down the front gate and I look to my left and I see Cyprian fighting alongside me to break down the gate. We stumble through and are met by castle guards which are mostly demons but there aren't many and the ones directly in front of us we kill quickly while the rest we leave for the unicorns to kill. Cyprian and I race for the main castle. I let him lead the way as we crashed through the next gate and then up three flights of stairs. When we finally get to Maeve's floor we start to walk a bit more cautiously. We hear noise coming from one room in particular and with each of us on one side of the door we kick it in. But when we get inside no one is there. A great wind is swirling in the room and we look up to realize there is no ceiling. Queen Maeve is on top of a large black dragon with dark green horns, under belly, and spikes. We instantly know he comes from our uncle's kingdom but we're not sure who is.

"Cyprian, that pretty little thing will never be safe. I'll capture her again." Then she throws her head back and laughs.

Cyprian throws his sword at Maeve and it misses her heart by inches but it pierces her lung. She screams out into the night air as she removes the sword and holds her hand over the wound. The dragon turns and they fly off into the night air. Please drop me a comment and let me know if you like the story or the chapter. I love all feedback both critical and complimentary. Check out my other book Prince Justus and the Rogue. You can also go to my facebook page for chapter updates and updates on new projects. https://www.facebook.com/Sammi-From-Anystories-1020524119915