Ch 23: The Great Gate
Imported from SF2 with no description.
I stir awake to the feeling of gentle nuzzles and soft licks against the scales of my neck, groggily lifting my head, I briefly open my eyes to spy both of my mates rousing me with their sentimental affections and return them with a few kisses to their cheeks before we squeeze together in an overdue cuddle.
Releasing ourselves from the pile we'd coiled into, I take the opportunity to head inwards of the cave and refresh myself with the waters while quenching my thirst before turning my attention to Calamities injury. Thankfully the wound was healing nicely with no signs of infection. Thank goodness.
Our heavy footsteps around the cave roused Lesmis from her own slumber, announcing her consciousness with a refreshed and almost chirpy “Morning, my Dragon Lords." Her enthusiasm for us was obvious and kind of nice considering the last couple days of less hospitable challenges fate had seemingly decided to throw our way. Returning some morning greetings I didn't wait to ask if the temple itself was directly above us, to which Lesmis confirmed and upon doing so I began to share my intentions to fly up, close to the mountainside itself to retrieve the Life Relic quickly and discreetly, unfortunately before I could even get half way through explaining my plan I was interrupted.
“Absolutely NOT! My Tyrant" Inferno's voice was stern as she jabbed her snout against the side of my own to startle me out of my train of thought “Never, ever, consider such an foolish action again. Did our talk teach you nothing?" I'd hoped you might have forgotten...
“Alright, alright, point made." I replied with a sigh, I didn't want a repeat of yesterdays events, the one slap was more than enough. Nuzzling her snout as it was still pressed into mine to ease her worries seemed to do the trick and she back off again, sitting herself down. Of course it wasn't just her who didn't like the idea, Calamity's feelings were bleeding into my mind, his concern a little more distraught than Infernos anger and frustration.
“Don't make me chain you to my side, my Dominion." The green dragon stated with a surprisingly stern seriousness. I actually dared not challenge his notion, especially as I felt a hint of lust come from him as the idea lingered in both our minds. Of course even despite our current position and recent stress, he still entertained such thoughts and desires. He truly took his obsession for me to a new level. If not their overbearing protectiveness, it will be their lust that will be my downfall...
With my notion to try and retrieve the relic quickly and alone shot down we decide to take on the task a little more directly and via the Great Gate itself, Lesmis, more than happy to show us the way which I figured wouldn't be too far away, considering the temple was above us after all.
Exiting the cave we are greeted with the sight of pure desolation, the once overbearing greenery of the forest was gone, now before us was a partially deliquesced landscape, decayed and disintegrated foliage had turned to black sludge that pooled and mixed with the dirt below, bleached trunks stood amidst the devastated land, the only things that hadn't been destroyed in the onslaught of acidic rain that had coated the area with the sole purpose of stopping just us three dragons. Quetzalcoatl respected nature, cared and nurtured it. All this damage just to try and stop us! Something is very wrong, the Nature Realms god is not in his right mind.
The journey to the gate was hauntingly quiet as we travelled carefully through the destroyed area, keeping close to the cliff side to avoid standing out too much and to avoid the mess of the sludgy remains of life that tainted the soils around us. Even as we finally escaped the bleak area, barren of life it took a little while before signs of other living things began to sound around us, probably the first and only time I'd be glad to hear the sound of insects around us.
As the base of the mountain trail came into view, a tall, deserted lookout tower loomed overhead, or at least, to a kobold it may seem tall and looming, it was perhaps a couple feet taller than myself if I were to stand up on my hind legs. Extending from the tower was an arching bridge that connected to a small rounded guard post, half demolished. The great gates stone doors lay collapsed and partially buried in the soil path. The intricate and almost splendid carving of two dragons eyeing each other in a posture of wealth and pride was chipped and damaged, likely by the tree trunk that had been fitted with metal and used as a battering ram, that after fulfilling its purpose, had been discarded just to the side of the path itself.
Also shifted to the sides of the path were the decaying and putrid scented bodies of Kobolds and Aventari alike. The bird bipeds hadn't been back it seemed to remove the corpses of their own kind or they simply didn't care to at all. The sight of the battleground and strewn bodies was enough to set Inferno especially on edge, her head lowering and swinging around left and right, overly mindful of any would be assailants hiding nearby.
A sudden clanging of metal as some nearby discarded armour and weapons clattered to the floor startled the rubyesque dragoness, causing her to jump back, her rump practically shoving onto my snout as her wings spanned out and blocking me from seeing whatever was revealing itself. A sudden weight from behind pushed me down as Calamity pounced onto me too, covering my body with his own, all for the sake of protection, though there was likely some slight ulterior motive as I felt his hips wiggle on mine. They are overreacting! I felt their strong feelings of protecting me swell into my mind. I decided to remain complainant towards their extreme protective measures. At least for now.
“Oh my Dragon Lords, praise thee. Have you come to rescue your loyal subjects?" A slightly wizened male voice spoke from beyond Inferno's wing, which shortly after began to retract. An old brown kobold was still hobbling forwards from assumedly his hiding spot, soon standing before us with a scar across his chest. Half of his cream cotton robes torn and stained with his own blood. He must have been struck and assumed too weak to survive for long, kobolds were resilient though and clung strongly on to hope.
“Kela, you are alive!" Lesmis shouted, running to hug the elder kobold.
“Lesmis! Thank the dragons you are alive. Tell me child, is the key safe?" Kela asked while checking Lesmis' health. Meanwhile, Calamity took his weight off me, and Inferno lifted her head from the defensive low stance she'd adopted keeping an eye out for any further immediate danger.
“Explain the current situation?" I asked, interrupting the two kobolds before they could continue to fuss over one another.
“My Dragon Lord, a horde of Aztec Aventari' have taken refuge in the Totem Temple. I don't understand how they have found a way in if Lesmis has the key. However, the possibility that they have found the artefact we are charged to protect is high. Also, the Aventari' have taken a few fellow clan members prisoner at the village and plan to sacrifice them to their God, Quetzalcoatl." Kela explained becoming short of breath. Lesmis encouraged him to relax, prompting him to sit down on some rubble.
“Well, we have the ring now and will deal with these Aventari." I said as Kela waves his arms frantically in front of me.
“My Dragon Lords, please save my fellow kobolds and liberate our village, I beg of you." Kela was down on all fours at this point, begging desperately. Lesmis had joined him in his efforts to convince otherwise. We don't have time for this nonsense.
“I'm afraid we have-" A snorted grumble comes from beside me, looking to the side I notice the annoyed glare given to me from Inferno in my peripheral vision, her feelings of resentment entering my mind. Sighing inwardly, I change the end of my sentence: “...indeed come to save your village." Great, something else I have to deal with now.
“Thank you, my Tyrant" Inferno said smiling a little too smugly, her resentment in my mind turned to joy and delight. Calamity too pushed feelings of encouragement and pride. While I felt mostly annoyed and manipulated.
The main goal of our extraction was right within our grasp, but now I had to take an unnecessary detour. Simply to satisfy my mates. Curses, I have escaped the control of my Sire only to now be controlled by my mates. Did I make a mistake? Not happy with my train of thought, I snap myself out of my line of thinking and focus on moving on to get this village rescue completed so that we could focus on our true task.
“Lead us to your village." I commanded.
“Certainly, my Dragon Lords, this way." Kela said with newfound enthusiasm and positivity as he pushed himself up while Lesmis doted on helping him up.