Wiroch: Horizon
#3 of Campaign of Wiroch
Based on the works of
Based on the works of
The war continued to rage on over the Tempestuous Stretch. Drothar seemed to be unwavering in its attempts to conquer Wiroch. Tiralin was becoming ever more wary of the ultimate defeat, the Dragons numbers were wearing thin. The few other scales that had volunteered their services had either perished in battle or left to try to bring reinforcements from the lowlands. The situation was rapidly approaching a conclusion. One that would not favor the Tempests.
Horseman of War
It was late day in Tempest mountains and a small group of Drotharian soldiers were making their way through a pass. Tiralin along with several other Dragons were laying close to the ground, motionless. The Drotharians were completely unaware. But at the same moment, some Scales coming over the mountains from the lowlands were migrating. Tiralin saw this and so did the others, but none dared to warn them. The soldiers weren't in position yet, and if they gave themselves away now, losses would increase drastically.
The Drotharians saw they were civilians yet leveled their weapons on them anyway.
"Hold, in the name of the king!" The leader yelled.
The Scales stopped. Partly because they were surprised and partly because they had weapons pointed at them.
"What is this?" The leader of the scales asked. Tiralin recognized that voice. It was that of Kusedh Arthuk. A large lowland lizard, chieftain of his tribe. He stood at 7'8" and had scales of dark gray. Even eyes as gray as slate, that stared down on the soldiers with anger.
"We hold this land in the name of our sovereign, Olav. Return to your homes immediately!" The Drotharian ordered.
All the lizards he led looked to him nervously. "We seek only to pass, this journey is sacred." Kusedh explained.
"Did I not make myself clear, Savage? Return from where you came, or suffer for your insolence."
Several lizards broke from the group carrying weapons and came to a stop next to their chieftain. Kusedh withdrew a longsword made of the Tempest metal and continued to stare down the Dratharian leader. The civilians retreated several meters and took cover.
"These lands do not belong to you furs." Kusedh said simply, taking a few steps forward. "Blood will be spilled on this path, and all it will accomplish is your demise. Sekra ney medishir, illi sun verra." Tiralin listened to these ancient words: May we thrive, lest the sun never rise. Words that were said by a seer long ago. One who saw the world change before his eyes.
"Last warning Savage!" The Drotharian threatened. Kusedh did not stop.
"Open fire!" He yelled.
The lizards sprinted into the gunfire, many fell to it.
Tiralin stood up and sprinted with them. Her Dragons sprinted after her. The Drotharians panicked and started firing at the Dragons instead of the lightly armored Lowlanders. Only two Dragons fell before they crashed through their lines. Cutting the furs as they went. Blood was draining on the ground as several melee encounters ended with Drotharians biting the dirt. A few lizards fell, and one dragon before the battle was over. They went about and finished off the wounded. Kusedh found the leader alive and still conscious . He lifted the fur to eye level with no expression on his face. "Thed dunhes the nerius." Kusedh said: "I grieve for my brothers."
with that he broke the furs neck, and let him fall to the ground. He turned to face the few Dragons that were left. "Would the leader kindly step forward?" He asked.
Tiralin stepped forward and removed her helmet. She bowed deeply in respect. "That would be me." She said.
Kusedh smiled. "Tiralin? They chose you? That's good news!" He said. "It's been a very long time."
"Yes, it has." She agreed.
Kusedh gestured to the bodies. "What is this? The fur's in our land?"
"Yes. Ones from Drothar sadly." She explained. The civilians came out from hiding and are waiting for their chieftain. "Would you stay with us tonight?" She offered.
Kusedh smiled. "We would be honored. I would much like to discuss events as of late."
"Wouldn't we all." She replied. "We must move quickly and quietly." She placed her helmet on again and gestured for everyone to follow.
They reached their camp some hours later. The Dragons welcomed the travelers and offered some foods and drinks. All of which were accepted. Kusedh and Tiralin pardoned themselves to discuss what news she had. Kusedh followed Tiralin into her tent and sat on the floor covered in the fur of wild animals. Tiralin was lighting some candles she had scattered about. She removed her battle armor and set them neatly on a table before sitting across from Kusedh. She had simple clothes on now.
She wiped her face with her hand and sighed. "It's been bad my friend." She said wearily.
Kusedh was silent for a moment. "Is this full scale war?" he asked.
"As close as we'll ever get I think." She responded. "They will beat us, it's only a matter of time."
He relaxed slightly and enjoyed the silence. "How many Dragons are left?"
"Not many, but I'm sure they think there are plenty more."
"Been giving them that much trouble?"
Tiralin sighed. "We've been trying, but without reinforcements..." She trailed off. "They won't stop with us, you know. They have sent scouting parties farther in. They've been executing civilians, even satiating their lusts with some of them. They fight like the savages, even their king hides deep within his own boundaries."
Kusedh nodded in understanding. "So you think they intend to dominate our lands?"
Tiralin laughed grimly. "At first they said they wanted our metal, but they could not make it like we do, they are too impatient. They are not taking prisoners, they use us and kill us, or just plain kill us." She explained. "If they wanted the secret, they would have to be capturing prisoners. They seek to dominate. I suppose they can get the secret anytime they want to after that."
"Have you heard the situation of their country?"
"Very little. All I know is that they are under attack from the nation of the Fastolf's family. I have no idea of the progress. Thinking they're getting desperate?"
Kusedh shrugged. "It's possible, but I've heard from many travelers that Olav has been sinking into madness. His decisions are a far cry from wise. Believe it or not he's been sending the bulk of his army to defend himself. I have heard whispers that we have been under attack, but most believe it's just a rumor, even I did." He admitted. "But this has been enough for me to believe."
Tiralin talked with Kusedh deep into the night before they both went to sleep. She let him sleep in her tent for the night, before they had to leave the next morning. Both Lowlanders and Dragons went their separate ways. The Lowlanders headed on their Sacred journey for a while before Kusedh told them he had to take care of something before he broke off to the west with a few followers. The rest continued on.
Tiralin still planned and executed many more raids against Drothar troops, but each raid was just pushing them ever closer to defeat.
Standing Tall
A couple days after her last raid, Tiralin had been captured. The last Dragons that fought with her had been executed by the order of a General. She had been captured by the Drotharians. She was now the last Tempest Dragon. She was locked in a jail cell in one of their outposts inside the Wiroch border. She was beaten regularly and used by some of the male furs, but the spark of defiance still burned brightly. She had badly wounded some of them.
She was scheduled to be hauled to the capitol to be made an example of. Her head would be displayed to the nations that stood against him, which would likely gain him nothing. No other nations would find it impressive, but it didn't matter. It was only to fuel his arrogance in the end. To feel strong once more before falling into the abyss of history. She would not let him see fear in her golden eyes, just as his warriors didn't. She slew a great many before finally being captured. The Furs weren't using lethal force, she was always to be an example, by the king's order.
"You better wake up!" one of the guards yelled to her cell. "We're going to be moving soon." He said with an evil smile.
Tiralin stood up and walked to the door, she was wearing no clothes. They had stripped her before she was imprisoned. "I look forward to it." She said simply.
The guard looked her over for a second. "No breasts..." He muttered, sounding more disappointed than anything. "I don't see how your scale mates can stand it. I'd go mad without breasts on my mate."
Tiralin smiled. "Because your mind is weak and attracted to simple things. Our men love us for other reasons." She said nonchalantly.
He stared at her angrily. "I have half a mind to kill you myself!" He yelled.
"Please do." She laughed. "Then your foolish King can parade around with your head!"
The fur turned and walked from the room seething with rage. "Damn that bitch!" He yelled.
The Drotharians managed to cuff Tiralin and began to walk her outside. She was being paraded around in the small encampment completely naked. She kept her head held high as she was lead around. Some of the furs laughed, others whistled lustfully, and others watched in disbelief. They had never seen a dragon before. When they finally did stop, it was an area where vehicles were parked, ready to haul their victim to the city. There was only one problem...
None of the drivers were anywhere to be found. "Captain!?" The fur holding her yelled. There was no answer. He signaled for his guards to go check. They ran over and looked through the vehicles. All of them signaled all clear. Except one fur, he brought back a blood stained arrow.
The fur turned to Tiralin. "What is the mea..." An arrow went through the side of his head, Tiralin reacted immediately, and she rolled away from her captors. Before the body even hit the ground.
"Sound th...!" Another arrow slammed into the one that tried to sound alarm. Several more arrows slammed into their ranks before any knew what was happening. Their guns started firing in every direction, lost in their confusion. Tiralin ran for where the arrows were flying from. Some Scales were running in the opposite direction with their weapons drawn. Tempest Armor covered them. She eventually got behind the scales who were firing arrows and moving after every shot. She found a large group of Lowlanders covered in lighter Tempest armor waiting for their turn to attack. They looked to her with embarrassment visible on their faces.
"Who's leading you?" She asked, not concerned at all with her current condition.
"That would be me." Kusedh was standing in a group off to the side. With a smile on his face.
Tiralin laughed. "What is all this?"
"These are but some of the Scales I've managed to recruit. I appealed to the other chieftains and told them of what I've seen. Only very few didn't volunteer." He explained. "We're leading the attack against Drothar here. Many other encampments have already been hit in recent days."
Tiralin was so thrilled she could have hugged him, had she not been cuffed, and naked.
"Any one got some clothes?" She asked.
"None that would fit you." He replied. Walking behind her and picking at her cuffs. "Do you know where they stashed your stuff?"
Tiralin nodded. "In one of their treasuries I think."
"Lead the way." He said as the cuffs hit the ground.
She walked ahead of the small group for a short while, still not ashamed of her lack of covering. Many fur bodies littered the ground along with a few Scales. The sounds of battle were clearly heard throughout the camp. They approached a small building and entered it carefully. Everyone that was inside was now dead. Tiralin searched for her belongings for several minutes before finally spotting a chest labeled "Savage Lord Goods" Tiralin smashed the lock and opened it. Her armor and clothes were there, along with her favored longsword. She wasted no time throwing on her clothes. She gestured to some of the Lowlanders.
"Help me get ready." She ordered.
"Are you sure your up for it?" One of them asked. "You look a bit roughed up."
Kusedh laughed. "She's more up for it, than you could ever hope to be. Get her armor on, she's looking for some revenge."
Tiralin nodded and let them strap on her armor for her.
When they finally finished, Tiralin slid on her helmet, and grabbed her longsword.
Kusedh smiled. "Looks like their time with us has just ran out... We have a demon on our side."
Tiralin laughed and made her way out the door. "Until deaths embrace!" She yelled as she ran directly to the front lines. All of the Scales ran after her, readying their weapons.
Unexpected Retaliation
From the perspective of Drotharian Troops.
Specifically Col. Gunther Ireur.
They fought desperately against the Savages that threatened to overrun them, but to no avail. The Savages wore the thick armor that made killing them far more difficult.
Gunther was waving his troops forward, trying to get them into defensive positions. They were all panicking, the savages seemed to be coming from everywhere.
"Hold you're ground men!" He yelled. "Do not let these beasts overcome us!"
His men shot at them to no avail. They kept coming, sometimes even after they've unloaded a full clip into them. And one by one his men fell to the Savages, until he was the last one standing. He ran out of ammo and threw his gun down before unsheathing his knife. He looked about frantically as they surrounded him.
"I die in the name of my King!" He yelled in defiance. "Which one of you will send me to the gods?!"
Some of them stepped apart to make room for their leader. It was his former prisoner, Tiralin.
"You would die for someone who wouldn't die for you?" She asked walking toward him slowly.
"Without question." He answered. He kept his reasons to himself. "I would not expect you to understand!"
Tiralin shrugged. She lifted her longsword to him. "Want to try to kill me? Or would you like to drag me back to your King by yourself?" She taunted.
The Furs expression did not change.
"I've already ordered them to stand down Colonel. It will be just you and me." She promised.
"You expect me to believe you?" He queried.
"You don't have a choice." She replied.
They both stared each other down for several seconds, it seemed like hours. Complete and utter silence.
Gunther made his move first, he ran at Tiralin skillfully and attempted a stab. She brushed it to the side with the flat side of her sword easily. He tried to slash back into her, she stepped to her side and smacked him upside the head with the flat end of her sword. He fell over and fought off his dizziness as he stood back up quickly. She waited patiently for him to regain his bearings. He saw no expression on her face, but those golden eyes showed great pleasure in his futile struggle.
"Don't feel like fighting anymore?" She asked, mocking him.
He sprinted at her again, this time in a frenzy. He lunged at her with his knife. It slammed into a thicker part of her armor, she slammed his wrist with her free hand and hit him in the head with the hilt of her sword. He fell far off to the side and hit the dirt, struggling to stay conscious.
She stabbed her sword into the ground and walked to him. She lifted him to his feet and landed a solid blow square on his nose. Gunther nearly blacked out, but again managed to keep aware.
"You cannot beat Drothar..." He struggled feebly. "Our King will see to it your people are all killed."
"I look forward to the day he comes here and tries himself." Tiralin replied with a laugh.
Gunther cringed in anger at the statement. "We are our Kings hand! You will not slay him, you will have to kill all of us first!"
"If you insist." She stated simply.
She punched him in the stomach as hard as she could. He fell forward, breathless. He struggled on the ground for a few seconds before he felt a pressure on his neck. Darkness embraced him shortly after.
Recuperation
From the perspective of Tiralin, and the Wiroch soldiers.
Tiralin stood with one foot on the neck of the Fur she had beaten. Proudly she looked to the Lowlanders. Seeing a spark in their eyes.
"Well done my brothers and sisters!" She began. "I am very thankful to all of you for rescuing me, whether or not it was your intention. I am glad to see you all working together to remove these trespassers. However, I regret to inform you that I am the only remaining Tempest Dragon left in this area. All of my Tribesmen have been executed for their insolence to the sovereign of Drothar." She stepped off the dead one and turned to face Kusedh. He was walking toward her with a somber look.
"It pains me to hear that." He said. "I have great sympathy for you." He stopped next to her.
"Are you leading all of the attacks?" She asked. Disregarding his sympathies.
He shook his head. "I'm only taking care of the region around here. Several others are to the north and south, leading similar strikes."
"We need to discuss this matter further." She suggested. "I need to know the entire situation we face."
"Of course." He agreed. "There is also another matter to discuss, which we shall once we return to camp and get you cleaned up."
He gestured to the troops. "Let us return, for tonight we celebrate another victory!"
The soldiers all cheered and started to move out. Tiralin and Kusedh followed closely behind.
Tiralin and her rescuers reached the camp some hours later. Where there seemed to be hundreds of Lowlanders and even some Turel Dragons. Who had come all the way from the Turel mountain range in the west.
Turel Dragons had brighter coloring than their Tempest counterparts and still had their wings. The Tempest long ago adopted a ritual in which they would cut off their wings at a young age, to learn humility, to learn that sacrifice is necessary. Tiralin had removed her wings long ago, as a rite of passage. She did believe it was necessary.
They both excused themselves and Kusedh led her to his tent. She removed her armor as he lit candles to fend off the growing darkness.
"It's been an interesting couple months my friend." Tiralin said as she removed her last piece of armor.
Kusedh just laughed and continued lighting candles. "Indeed it has. Although I would say the last couple years has changed the way we will do things forever." He finished lighting the candles and gathered two clay cups.
Tiralin sat next to a small table and relaxed. "I suppose so..." She shrugged. "So how did you manage all of this?"
"I had to get all the tribe leaders to meet with me first, which was admittedly easier than talking them into fighting with each other." He filled the two cups with water and sat across from Tiralin. "It was no easy feat." He slid one cup over to her. She drank from it thirstily.
"I would imagine not."
"I managed to get some of them to send scouts to check the border. Sure enough they duplicated my report. Troops coming to us from Drothar. After it was confirmed, they started discussing options. We all figured pushing them back was a better option. We've seen what they have done in the areas they have dominated. It was hell..." He sipped from his cup. "I also told them that your Tempests have been holding them for a long while."
Tiralin laughed sullenly to herself. "Not as long as I would've liked."
Kusedh looked to her with sadness. "You did as well as you could, Tiralin. You stayed strong, even after being their prisoner."
"They had no hope of breaking me, for I have endured worse." She looked into her cup of water, studying her reflection. She looked very tired. "We are stronger than them, than they could ever hope to be. Yet they think they can break us so easily. We would've broken them inside an hour."
Kusedh simply nodded. "They can be strong, I've fought a couple that nearly took me."
"But their arrogance makes them weak!" She said suddenly. "When I look into their eyes I see that pride that would crush an empire, one way or another! If they remove that arrogance, that pride, they could be a behemoth of a nation. Yet they are locked in it, their view of perfection! They do not see how they can improve themselves, without stepping over others to reach their vision..." She stopped. Kusedh was giving her a curious look.
"We have, more or less remained the same for thousands of years. How can you claim they need to change?" He asked.
She smiled with a glint in her eye. "Like you said my friend, this will change the way we do things forever. Whether we like it or not, we need to change."
Kusedh shook his head in disbelief. "How do you think that's going to happen? These people haven't been exposed to anything different their entire lives."
"They are already exposed to something different. They fight against Furs they have never seen before, they fight together like they have never done before. Our world is changing, Kusedh. And I think it's time we changed with it! They don't see it yet, but they are all destined to be brothers once this is over. That is something I will gladly fight for."
They raised their cups and drank to the statement.
They talked until Tiralin literally passed out from exhaustion. Kusedh blew out the candles and sat at the far end of the tent.
"She's right, all the things we know, all the things we do. Will inevitably change." He thought to himself. "But will it be for better, or worse?"