Chapter 67: Festival Calamity

In the valley near the gates of the Dragon caves, the people of Dreko hold the dragon festival to celebrate the unity of the realm and its founder's birth. All the attendees observed around them to see a lively celebration, unlike any they've seen before. Aside from the games and food tents, the performance of the dragon riders was eye candy to the astonished spectators.

Jushiro and his group toured the north side of the valley, where they approached a stage near the dragon caves. There the citizens reenacted the past life of the first king. Ashara wanted to watch, to which Jushiro obliged. Lady Maia chose to join the two while the Aredain guests proceeded with Brenna to the west side. Ashara sat and watched with enthusiasm, watching the live performance. The actors and narrators both showed the founding days of Dreko and how Salamander peak serves more as a symbol than home to the dragons.

Jushiro carefully observed every moment and detail to understand how the kingdom first came to be.

"It's said that the founding king, Arthurious, one of the first dragonkin patriarchs, awoke in a mountain's deepest caves thousands of years ago. There he remained and dwelled as he entered his adult years. He led his clan as their chieftain for two hundred years until he met and fell in love with a mage named Helka. Originated from Valisgard royalty, she traveled to explore the island of dragons. The two eloped in where the great gates to the caves stand today and had seven children. Together with their children, they united the various dragon clans under their house during the great wars and fought the forces of darkness. It wasn't until the fourth great war, did the kingdom Dreko choose the way of expansion and oppression. The war was the second bloodiest, seconded to the first great war, and lasted for about four centuries (thus commonly known as the Four Hundred Years War) until the kingdom of Dreko broke asunder and fought a civil war. In the end, the surviving royal family renounced its rule and passed the throne to a branch family (Whom, king Aeoglin, is descended from). Since the end of the war, the realm chose isolation, barring any dragon from leaving its shores. They feared the power their dragons would inflict upon the world, thus vowing to never interfere in affairs beyond their island home."

The show ended after an hour passed, and the three left to find the others. Ashara stayed close to Jushiro, holding his hand tightly. Jushiro noticed a look of worry on her and asked, "What's wrong, Ashara?"

She pointed to the three hooded men trailing them from afar. She told him how she noticed them following since they left the stage.

Jushiro turned to lady Maia, "Who are they, lady Maia?"

She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. Jushiro then recalled what Aeoglin said to him on the first day. He gestured to the two to head back to the palace. Ashara asked, "What's wrong?" Jushiro couldn't bring himself to explain without alarming her. He gripped her arm the sped through the crowds. He looked back again to see the hooded men disappear. He led the two to an archery tent, where they found the rest of their group.

Sigreth noticed Jushiro in a state of near panic. The look in Jushiro's eyes disturbed him, perceiving something happened to them. Jushiro motioned him to approach closer. He whispered in his ear how a group of men followed them and that they must return to the palace quickly. Sigreth dreaded what Jushiro implied thus chose to oblige his wishes.

But before they could make a move, the sound of a horn sounded in the valley. The sound was dreadful and blatant as it echoed throughout like a horrendous scream. Jushiro looked up and saw them flying from the top of the mountains. The people noticed as well and fled in horror.

"They came down like a swarm of locusts from above the mountain top. Dragons descend in a tide of fire and ruin. Their opened mouths unleashed a barrage of fire at the fleeing citizens, turning the valley into a colossal inferno,"

Sigreth grabbed Ashara, carrying her on his back. Jushiro ran ahead of the group, using his ice and wind magic to carve a path in the fire-engulfed valley.

Some dragon riders noticed Jushiro casting his magic and charged the group. Jushiro drew his ve'blad bow and shot down the dragons. Tumbling into the fire-covered tents, everyone watched until Jushiro told the others to keep up.

"Hurry! We must reach the city!" Jushiro shouted.

They reach the hilltop overlooking the city to see that all is not well there.

"Dragons and soldiers fought in both the streets and skies. Nearly all the city became a battlefield, with scores of corpses littering the roads and towers. The atmosphere around the central palace where dragons engaged in a massive dogfight halted the group's hope to reach safety.

Lady Maia pointed to a nearby shrine that connected to both the dragon caves and central palace. Everyone agreed to her proposal and followed her into the structure. Jushiro would look back one more time to see the waring city as it filled his heart with terror.

Jushiro feared for lord Haugr and king Aeoglin, who remained in the palace with his dragon Beliri.

"Of all times to let my guard down and entrust Beliri in the one place centered in the conflict. Lord Haugr and Aeoglin, be safe. We'll come for you all," Jushiro said to himself, stepping inside the shrine's caves.

Inside the central palace, the bodies of the guards and attendants littered the blood-soaked halls. Rows of armed men stood at attention as a man caped in black strolled into the throne room. He approached a battered king Aeoglin and smiled with sinister delight.

He grabbed Aeoglin's golden-bloodied hair, holding him close to his face.

"Well... How bout that, your majesty! My dear cousin. Can you see it? All around you..."

"Mackenna..." Aeoglin grunted in disappointment.

Aeoglin remained headstrong and silent until the man punched his face until blood and teeth dropped to the floor. Aeoglin persisted in silence until the man stopped and ordered his men, "Bring them to me,"

Aeoglin watched as the guards brought forth the attending lords, including lord Haugr. One of the guards also carried a sheet-covered cage. The man uncovered it to reveal a scared Beliri inside.

"Quite a find today, boys. We struck gold!" said Mackenna.

"What... (cough) Do you intend to do with her, Mackenna..."

"Use her, of course! A dragon matriarch is a rarity these days, Aeoglin. It's time for the heirs of Arthurious to take their true place as it should be,"

"Your kind gave up the throne because they knew what trust and loyalty they had..."

"A king doesn't ask nor require it! A dragon doesn't concern itself with the opinions of sheep. War is coming, Aeoglin. Soon the bane of the last king of Valisgard will rise anew! And our dragons will burn a path to victory," Mackenna said, smirking down at a defeated Aeoglin.

Aeoglin listened with horror to what his insane cousin asserted in the throne room. His head lowered in shame to his weakness. All he could do was wallow in self-pity and disgust, unable to do anything. "I'm sorry... I failed you all. Jushiro, all my hopes lie with you, now,"

Inside the caves under the valley, the group made their way to a catacomb. Brenna explained how the first dragon kings lay in rest there. Bronir asked what their next course of action entails for now.

Jushiro insisted on returning to the palace to rescue the trapped lords and king Aeoglin.

Lady Maia protested in doubt, "The central palace must already be captured by now. And with the city fell to the insurgents, we need a new plan. There's a fortress city in the port of Autumn's Reach. Lord Erling, who's close to his majesty, should have the sufficient numbers we need to retake the capital,"

"The port is all the way north of the island! We don't have time to..."

"What, Jushiro!? Huh? Attempting a break-in and rescue would do no good for either of us. There's no way we'd succeed with only seven of us, not including your daughter. We need an army if we're going to save everyone," Lady Maia stated.

Sigreth and Bronir spoke on behalf of lady Maia's advice. Sigreth tries to reassure Jushiro they'll rescue everyone once they have the help. Jushiro stood in disbelief until Ashara spoke up to him, "Father, I want to save Beliri too. I want to see her safe just as much. But I'm not convinced it's possible right now. Lady Maia is right..."

"Listen to your daughter, Shiro. Please trust us on this," Sigreth said.

Jushiro finally relented and followed Lady Maia through the darkened tunnels of the mountains. On the way, Jushiro remarked with surprise how far the tunnels stretch from the city. Brenna explained how the dragon caves connect with a series of tunnels dug out by the dwarves that connect the capital to its ports in the event of a total loss of the island. Ashara observed with amazement the craftsmanship of the tunnel's interior.

Sigreth saw Jushiro's worrisome face and firmly grasped his shoulder to shake him out of it. Jushiro nodded "thanks," as he wandered lost in thought over the anxiety of Beliri.

Hours passed as the group could see a small glimmer of sunlight illuminating the dark halls. Brenna informed, with confidence, they made it to the port city. Ashara, relieved to hear, rushed ahead of everyone else until Jushiro grabbed her arm to halt and warn her.

"You shouldn't run off like that. What if rebels are lurking outside? Exercise caution, Ashara. I can't afford to lose you too,"

Ashara apologized and slowed her pace remaining behind Jushiro in the center of the group. Outside the tunnel, the group found themselves miles from the capital, seeing the ocean ahead. "There it is," Lady Maia said, pointing to the port city of Autumn's Reach. But Jushiro noticed something amiss from where they stand. Everyone stared with alarm to see the city in flames with dragons fighting in flight. Near the shore, an armada of ships sails toward the city harbor. Seeing nowhere is safe from the insurgents, Maia refused to waiver and chose to charge in to save the city.

"Come! If we don't save the city, there won't be a chance to take back the capital!" Lady Maia stated.

Jushiro asked Bronir and Brenna to look after Ashara. She begged him not to go, but Jushiro promised to return for her. Ashara relented and remained in the caves.

Lady Maia remarked they'd be too slow going on foot. With no horses in sight to mount, Sigreth reminded her there's nothing else they could use. Lady Maia instead stepped back a bit, and instantly, her body emitted a bright flash. Her human form grew and changed into a dragon. Everyone looked with amazement until she called out to them to climb on her back.

The three men climbed onto lady Maia's back, feeling uneasy flying a dragon for the first time. Ashara watched with wonder and envy, seeing Jushiro ride a dragon.

Unable to speak in dragon form, Lady Maia telepathically articulated them to hold on tight. They all heard and gripped her spines tightly. Lady Maia spread her wings broadly as she sprung herself high, flapping her wings. The power from her wings caused the surrounding winds to gust violently, knocking Ashara and the others off their feet. She looked up and watched as the dragon flew to the port with speed. Jushiro viewed the city coming into view more, bracing himself for another fight.

"Once again, I thrust myself into the fray. Without the port city's lord and armies, it'll be next to impossible to reclaim the capital. My friends from Archhill and Beliri are waiting for me to rescue them. With the knights of the court and a dragon matriarch, I can only pray for our chances to repel the insurgents."