Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow (20 page)

“That is the very reason you might be asked to speak in front of the senate, for your father’s sacrifice and unfortunate fate, along with your experience with so many veterans of that conflict and your endeavors to help them. You will need to be heard by those senators who are now indecisive,” Jodem said.

“I thought dragonriders were not allowed to be political,” Mkel said.

“They are not, except for Becknor, but you could give a nonpartisan speech that addresses veteran issues. Everyone knows of the sacrifice your father made to save Michenth,” Jodem explained.

“I understand, but with the growing threats in the east, and the rising Morgathian encroachment, I just don’t know how these, again, ‘learned’ men can come to those conclusions to cut the military budget, to cut veteran retirement pay, and to ask dragons to donate their blood for the heating, cooling, and lighting crystals, rather than sell them to supplement our beleaguered budget,” Mkel replied.

“The one thing you must do is to keep your emotions separate,” Jodem counseled. “By the nature of you being a gold dragonrider, you will be seen as not being objective. I know you loved and still love your father. This can come out in your speech, but it cannot come out as anger toward those who you feel dishonors his and the military’s sacrifices.”

“I understand, but it is hard to suppress my hatred toward their ideals and their actions. For it is one thing for those who have not served to espouse their ignorant views and another to have served and then turn on your brethren for nothing more than political expediency. This is nothing short of betrayal,” Mkel said.

“We will work on your speech after you get your draft finalized, so it is ready in case you are called. As far as the Avenger dragons, you must not forget the other products of our tinkering with the Creator’s work. The horned drakes and the dragon horses are also magnificent, though not as spectacular as a new dragon species. The dragon knights, or mithril paladins as they are now sometimes called, will make an excellent strike force and goodwill ambassadors with a strong arm. They will also take the responsibility of guarding Michenth and the capital from Valianth and Gallanth’s brother Falcanth and the Capital Wing as a whole to allow them more flexibility. They will have three components: a wing of Avenger dragons, a wing of dragon horse-mounted knights, and a ground troop of knights on the horned drakes,” explained the wizard.

“That will be interesting to see,” Mkel thought out loud.

“Yes, and it will give us another, very reinforced dragon wing with which to deal with the increasing Morgathian activity as well as the trouble brewing in the Shidan region and the Southern Ontaror kingdoms. Right now the Alliance and our metallic dragons are stretched very thin. We only have maybe ten young dragons that will be ready to join the adults on the line, and of them there is only one silver dragon, and three bronze dragons, with the rest copper and brass. However, there is a trend of increased mating among the metallics lately, almost as if some part of them knows that their numbers must increase,” Jodem explained.

“Do the Avenger dragons mature faster than the metallic dragons?” Mkel asked.

“Yes, they reach maturity in roughly a year,” Jodem answered.

“That’s a good thing. I just wonder how they will fair against a blue or even a red dragon,” Mkel said inquisitively.

“I have faith they will do very well against them. I wonder if the Morgathians are attempting similar experiments,” Jodem added.

“I guess we will find out more information when we get to Battle Point. Will we be visiting any of the Northern Ontaror kingdoms?” Mkel asked.

“I don’t think we will have time, but it will depend on what General Daddonan has to say. How is Markthrea shooting for you? I saw you basically hit your mark during the practice, but then you were not under pressure,” Jodem said with a grin. Jodem and Mkel were always in friendly competition with each other, for the portly wizard was an excellent marksman with his staff/crossbow combination, which is a deadly weapon especially when used in conjunction with his incredible magic ability.

“You don’t worry about that. We’ll see about my ability when we shoot next time; Markthrea is doing just fine. How is Ordin progressing with the new mithril tips?” Mkel replied.

“They will be making more tips when they get this latest weapon finished and use the shards and leftovers. There will likely be enough for at least a dozen each for us and for Dekeen,” Jodem said.

“Excellent, the mithril-tipped bolts always fly just a little straighter,” Mkel said with a smile.

“Yes but you still need to have a smooth, reactionless follow through, for without good body and mind mechanics and the synchronizing of trigger control and proper breathing, having a mithril bolt tip or steel will not make a difference,” Jodem said with a little more seriousness. “Your accuracy saves lives and means less injury for Gallanth,”

“You know I hit over ninety-nine out of a hundred targets that I aim at, and with the power of Markthrea’s energized bolts, I have a lot of confidence in my ability. Not overconfidence, but confidence,” he replied.

“Yes, but you do have problems with your release at times, especially when you think of your father. Remember he was not a missile soldier and did not shoot regularly. There is no shadow you live under, and you have nothing to prove but to yourself. Not to me, not to Gallanth, and not to your men other than that you care for them and their well-being,” Jodem added sternly, for he was not only Mkel’s friend but his shooting mentor as well.

“I know that up here,” Mkel said as he pointed to his head, “but I have to incorporate it more completely down here,” as he then pointed to his heart.

“I know that your father’s death still affects you greatly. He was a good man, but duty and responsibility to the Weir, the families, your men, and Gallanth must be your top priorities. So far you have been able to use your grief and emotion in constructive ways, as strength of your fortitude, but it could easily consume you if you are not careful and Gallanth does not watch closely enough,” Jodem said to him with all sincerity.

“Gallanth is overprotective, so I’m not too worried,” Mkel replied with a smile, which hid the watering of his eyes.

“Yes, your forty-five-yard-long gold dragon big brother does watch out for you in so many ways,” Jodem teased, with a large grin. “On another note, I think that Sergeant Gresh and platoon senior sergeant Macdolan wish to speak to you before dinner about Lieutenant Howrek.”

“What is the issue?” Mkel asked.

“I don’t know, but it is something to do with the exercise,” Jodem added.

“I better go down to the meeting room and read the reports that were submitted. Thanks again for everything; I will see you at dinner. Oh, Dekeen and Beckann are coming and they are bringing their best elf musician to accompany Tegent,” Mkel said as he shook Jodem’s hand and began to walk out toward Gallanth’s landing.

“That will be interesting. I greatly look forward to it. See you then,” Jodem finished.

Mkel walked out of the wizard’s laboratory, passed Gallanth’s huge sleeping frame, and made his way down the winding side stairs to the Weir’s main floor and walked across the wide landing to the head council room.

He walked into the large room and found the written reports from his junior officers regarding the drill. Just as Jodem said, there was a special note from Sergeant Macdolan in the drawer as to keep a sense of privacy. Macdolan was an excellent leader with a good sense of proportionality. While he cared a great deal about his men and was a very tenacious fighter in his own right, he could be cantankerous and occasionally mildly self-serving.

The note addressed his concerns regarding Lieutenant Howrek’s performance as of late, even questioning his mental state. Macdolan stated that he almost panicked during the exercise when his platoon was tasked to simulate the break in the line for the elven infantry to reinforce. He had to grab Howrek and physically restrain him from running out in front of the whole line when the elves showed up. He expressed great concerns about Howrek leading the platoon into battle if and when the next major engagement came.

There had not been a major fight for a long time, mostly skirmishes of a company or less of orcs, along with a couple of moderately powerful evil creatures that Gallanth and the mixed Weir company handled with relative ease. This was changing now with the news that Lupek and the rangers brought back, and the chance of a serious fight was growing more likely. Mkel knew he would have to address these concerns and counsel the lieutenant tonight after the celebration dinner.
No sense in ruining a man’s dinner
, he thought to himself.

Mkel then quickly read through the other assessments from his junior officers from all platoons and sections. Even Ordin wrote a few sentences, which was almost unheard of. The elves and dwarves, while they fought for Mkel, Gallanth, and the Weir, did not truly answer to him. It was a friendly agreement mostly based on the respect for him and especially Gallanth. Dwarves were not known for taking the time for such “frivolous” matters. If it didn’t have to do with mining, fighting, eating, or drinking, they usually did not care, preferring to just go back underground to deal with their business affairs, mining, and metal work.

Mkel guessed that Ordin and his clan were hungry for a fight with the giants, for those two races were mortal enemies. In spite of their rumblings and often sour attitudes, a stronger ally in battle you would be hard-pressed to find. This was especially true in a close fight, where they tended to specialize. The elves were almost always on target in any regard, so they did not have much need to critique unless it was of others, save dragons, for which they had great respect. They function and move as one in battle, being slightly telepathic with one another. This ability made their formations and maneuver seemingly flawless. Alone, elves were deadly with a bow or blade; in unison in an infantry line, their swords swung with an almost dazzling synchronized grace.

Mkel made a couple of specific comments regarding the few weak points for the garrison on his report but did not include any direct issues regarding Lieutenant Howrek.
It is better to clean out one’s own house before asking for help,
Mkel thought to himself. He was always very accurate with the assessments of the garrison’s performance, not berating, but also not aggrandizing their performance or capabilities. He knew their strengths and limitations as well as he knew his own.

When he was done with his report, he called the sergeant on duty for a messenger rider to take the scroll to the regiment’s headquarters so Colonel Wierangan could review it. He could have called him directly with his crystal, but this was not an urgent matter, plus Wierangan preferred to read paper rather than view images on a crystal. The messenger arrived in a short time. He was one of the younger hippogriff riders, probably fifteen or sixteen, the son of a soldier who had been killed in battle.

“Sir, Machuen reporting. What is your order?” the young boy asked.

“Just take this to the regiment’s headquarters and drop it off for Colonel Wierangan. There is no hurry but for you to get back for the evening meal,” Mkel said to the lad with a smile. Mkel was friendlier than most Alliance officers, who tended to be much more serious, or at least take themselves too seriously.
People respect genuine leaders, not bombastic know-it-alls
, Mkel thought to himself. Maybe this part of his personality or leadership style was due to him being a dragonrider, for Colonel Lordan had a similar style. It could also be in part to his father’s death when he was at an impressionable age, for life was too short and precious to be boorish and irritable.

“Now get going, and here’s something for your family,” he said with a smile as he tossed a shiny gold Drachlar to the boy. One gold piece of Alliance currency was worth than one hundred pieces of silver or Drachmeres; it had the embossment of Michenth’s head on one side and the image of Warrenton, the first premier of the Alliance and Founding Council member, on the other side. The boy took the coin and smiled with a nod to Mkel as a gracious thanks. He then turned with the rolled parchment in his hand and started to walk to the stables.

Alliance currency consisted of three primary types of coins and certain gold certificates backed by the Alliance banks. The highest value coin was the gold alloy Drachlar, which was just a little over an inch in diameter. The basic silver alloy coin, the Drachmere, was worth one hundredth of a Drachlar and was about half the size. It had an embossment of Michenth again on one side and Jondam, the second Alliance premier and Founding Council member, over an elven oak leaf emblem. A ten Drachmere piece was a slightly larger silver coin worth ten Drachmeres and was the size of a Drachlar. A fifty Drachmere piece was half again larger than a Drachlar and worth fifty Drachmeres. A rarer but still used one hundred or silver century Drachmere was twice the size of a Drachlar and worth the same.

The third type of coin was a copper alloy piece called the Fenig. It took ten or twenty Fenigs to equal the worth of a Drachmere, depending on which size of Fenig. The smaller Fenig was exactly half the size of the Drachlar and worth one twentieth of the silver piece. The larger Fenig was worth one tenth of a Drachmere and was three quarters the size of a Drachlar. It had the embossment of Jetham, the third Alliance Premier, on one side and the characteristic dwarven arch with a hammer and axe on the other side. Most basic monetary transactions were performed with Drachmeres and Fenigs, with Drachlars usually reserved for more substantial purchases or for the ease of carrying fewer coins. Alliance currency was the most stable monetary system in the known world, with all other kingdoms and states emulating it.