Dragonmasters Legacy Ch 2

Dragonmaster’s Legacy
Movement 1: Rise
By David Sheppard

Chapter 2: Dangerous Pact

      The soft flicker of candlelight provided very little relieve to the undeniable forces of nature.  While the storms rage was restricted to the world beyond the doors, its resounding screams in defiance were too deafening to ignore.  The council had gathered on this night to discuss the increase in erratic weather as well as the inherent dangers of continuing to live by the shores.  This storms appearance seemed only to magnify growing concerns.  None of the council elders could recall a storm so fierce.
      One Galbash elder opened her cloak to let her rodent-like features be revealed.  Her race was famous by large, black eyes which seemed to hold very little emotion other than a glaring intensity.  Her eyes, however, remained a milky white brought forth by growing years.  She knew this as one of her few strengths as her eyes unnerved many who put their gazes upon her.  “These signs must not be ignored.  There is an imbalance within this world.”
      “When the second moon falls from the sky as our prophesies foretell the end, we will listen to your doom saying.  Until that moment, our world remains quite safe.”  The larger Galbash shuffled uncomfortably.  
      She let loose a short huff before pleading her case further.  “We know that only as the final sign but know little of the first ones.  This could be nothing more than Azralas anger or it could be much worse.  Do you wish to see the dragons return in your lifetime?”
      Her proclamation began the room in hushed debate.  The taller Galbash refused to be frightened by such a scenario.  “The dragons were brought forth by the arrogance of man.  Ever has our own race strayed far from their path so ever shall we be spared their fate.”
      “The dragons true goal has never been revealed and remains debated to this day.  One moment, they were ally and within a hearts beat, we found ourselves alone against man.  You may choose to remain safe in the opinion that their wrath was solely for man but I choose to remain with eyes open.”
      Before the taller Galbash could respond, the doorway to the council hall burst open as a young, rain soaked soldier rushed in.  “Elders, we have a situation of urgency that requires immediate debate.”
      “What could be so important as to allow this interruption?”
      “Man.”  The soldiers reply sent yelling debates throughout the entire hall.  The tallest Galbash finally slammed his fist against a large stretched drum skin along the wall.  The loud thud alerted them all that silence had now become law and talking out of turn would become a punishable offense.
      “How can this be?  Where has man been seen?”
      “Their ship drifts dangerously towards rocks less than one mile from the capitals shores.”
      “Then fire upon them until they leave or die.  Man knows they are forbidden from making landfall on Hil’Angale.”
      “They are unable to leave.  Fires have ravaged the ship, they drift uncontrollably, and they seek aide.”
      “Then they are cowards unworthy of life.”
      “They do not seem to be cowards from the signals they have sent.”
      “What of them then?  Read them to the council.”
      “They formally request the aide of the Galbash Council to deliver them safely from this violent sea.  If they are safely rescued, they pledge themselves as servants to the Galbash Council.”
      “They know of the council, this reeks of treachery.  Kill them.”
      “Under Galbash law, those seeking aide from the council must receive debate from the entire council, not just the ruling member.”  The soldier knew he had stepped over a line, challenging the authority of the council leader but he also knew the humans plight was dire and in need of serious debate.  A short silence fell over the council before the tallest member sounded the drum once more, lifting the silence code from the room.  He had expected the room to erupt in noise but most members focused their gaze upon the Galbash woman.  She merely rubbed her two hands across her nose as she closed her eyes.  When she finally spoke, everyone in the room held their breath.
      “Azrala has smiled upon us on this day.”
      The council leader jumped to his feet in protest.  “You would have the stained feet of man spoil our lands?”
      “I would have us finally obtain some information outside of Hil’Angale.  They have pledged their loyalty and what we need, at this time, is information of the other worlds.  Our race has been long since removed from those others, or have you forgotten?”
      “I remember our race rose our arms in battle with man.  For generations our war bloodied the earth below us until we finally found allies in the dragons.”
      “But those allies left us too soon and man overcame our forces.  Azrala interceded on our behalf and declared we should obtain our own world.  We created Hil’Angale for us and we remained isolated ever since.”
      “The old hatreds remain.  How do we know this is not treachery?”
      “It’s not hard to imagine it not be treachery.  After all, it’s fairly easy to destroy ones own ship in the raging storm and gamble that a blood feud one thousand years old would magically be removed long enough to implant agents within our country to eventually overthrow our nation.”
      “You mock my concerns but they remain legitimate.  Azrala has blessed us with this land so long as we keep to ourselves.  Aiding these men may very well break that pact.  And where, then, will we go as Hil’Angale is taken from us?”
      “Then let us agree only upon a short reprieve.  We will take these men in long enough to contact Azrala at the temple to see if this move receives his blessing.  If we have erred in this decision, we will remedy it immediately with their execution.”
      “We shall take the vote then and decide upon the next action.”
      The room began to open into noisy debate.  The elder woman pulled from her cloak, a single bean and held it before her.  “My people, we shall have three choices upon this vote.  Those who wish to aide the humans and us them as agents of our empire shall of course vote Algus.  Algus also means their lives are safe only as long as Azrala himself blesses this decision.  Those who believe we should simply destroy the humans shall vote Femra.  Those who wish us to remain neutral and wait as their inevitable fate ends their lives, vote Osmos.  Only these three choices are valid for this vote.”
      She ran her finger carefully along the seven holes in the floor before her.  She finally rested upon a hole marked by a spiraling sun.  She dropped her bean into this hole.  Around the room, other council members felt around seven holes in front of them before dropping their own beans down their chosen hole.  Below the floor, the sound of rolling beans along hollowed chutes clearly overpowered what little talking was still going on in the room.
      Eventually the council leader stood up and walked over to a small rope in the corner.  As he pulled it, the center of the floor opened up and a large tablet rose into the room.  Across this tablet were seven resting spots with matching symbols to the floors before each council member.  Only three of these locations were taken up beans.  The soldier walked slowly towards the tablet doing his duty of counting the beans in each location.  He finally declared Algus received the most votes.  The council elder finally grunted in defeat.
      “Very well.  The council has spoken despite my protest to this course of action.  Step forward soldier…”
      “Yes, elder?”
      “As you well know, this location for our capital has now become compromised.  Alert the forces.  One half shall come to the aide of these humans while the other half shall begin dismantling the city.”  He turned towards the council.  “You have all been warned as well.  Prepare to relocate ourselves further up the river, beyond the reach of a seaside attack.”
      The soldier began to leave to fulfill his duties as he felt a large hand grip his shoulder.  “I want to know this captains name.”  The soldier turned to see one of their oldest and most respected warriors glaring down at him from under his cloak.
      “We already have his name, Balgus.  He goes by the name of Erille.”
      “I will see to it myself that this Erille remains true to his word.”  The soldier ran back into the raging storm.

      The lightning lit the shores as scores of Galbash soldiers slowly marched towards the waters edge.  One by one they went diving into the rough seas, all of them cursing their fate as saviors of humans.