Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 09

The Crystal Dragon went through his mind and Mercian let him see he had the design, schematics, and crystals to rebuild their system.

He looked over genuinely afraid, "He is immune to mind control. Something from the sword infused into him. He does have all the schematics and crystals to build a new or rebuild Overwatch. They were left to him by Charlus; he is not an enchanter. They are in a shelter that he has blocked access to his own King.

He is the only one who can open the shelter and the compartments the bags are stored in. They are secure shelters. Inside the Elven Capital. His God backed his position and even accused the King of trying to rob him. He does not know the location of the books."

Mercian looked at the Bronze, "Your Majesty, even one of your best confirms what I said. Ask him what happened to Charlus?"

The bronze looked at him and they appeared to be communicating mentally. He looked over, "Take off the top of your armor please, Knight Champion."

Mercian pulled the shirt off and he saw the new symbol. He looked over at the gold and they appeared to be talking mentally. Finally, the big gold flew out of the room throwing rocks everywhere. The bronze looked at Mercian, "What do you want for the crystals for Oversight, Knight Champion?"

Mercian looked at him, "Tell me where the Silver dragons are as well as the brass, Your Majesty? If the metallics are in civil war then that should have been reported. Also, that is Majisa's eldest correct?"

He sighed, "I cannot speak to dragon matters. Yes, that one is her eldest the other two are her second and third born, Knight Champion."

Mercian nodded. He looked at the neutral, "Did you check for my knowledge of Majisa?"

He looked at Mercian and shook his head. Mercian looked at him, "Check, I read about her last night." He went through his mind and went over Jaronac Silver Cloud. The name of the elf who bonded with Majisa to produce these children. He forcefully stayed focused on the word's necromancy ring in the passage. The Crystal Dragon who had not been introduced looked over at the bronze. The Bronze looked over at the two golds remaining at the table.

The copper dragon took off. One of the golds looked at the guard, "Take the prisoner away!"

Mercian waited for the barrier to lower. Mercian gave a kick into Anama'Losgadh's sides and she took off. He cast an energy absorption fire into Anama'Losgadh. He heard, "That did not feel good."

He thought back, "They can hear psionics and verbal I had to signal you some way." He looked back and He had four full-size gold dragons coming down the hall.

Mercian used the rod of expansion and cast a force web and snared all four of them. Two slowed and two went into a slide. He thought, "Shelter Jazzia built. One of them."

They arrived next to a gold guard who just jumped off the edge heading for the palace. He saw Mercian as he opened the portal. He rode inside and saw a room filled with silver dragons. He yelled out, "Activate security welcome home." Mercian heard a loud roar, "Close portal. Deactivate security welcome home."

He looked around, "Tell me that was one of Majisa's first-born children?"

One of the dragons looked at Mercian, "Who are you?"

He looked at his hands. Mercian jumped down and went to the portal and opened the door. He pushed the severed head out of the Gold Dragon he just killed with the defenses. He looked out and they had not converged yet. He pulled out the rod of disjunction. He called out, "Seal portal to only me." He looked at the Silver Dragon, "Mercian Silvertree. Feel like being out of those manacles?"

He looked at Mercian and nodded, "What are you doing here?"

Mercian smiled, "At the moment rescuing you. I was trying to get the alliance restarted and I put together what was going on."

Mercian started releasing the ones who identified themselves as casters. He got 2 of them, "Set access control and security control to the silver dragons." He looked at them, "Was that Majisa's son?"

He looked at Mercian, "One of them. She had 80 before the return and they managed to get us into groups and shackle us here for now. They broke the alliance?"

Mercian nodded, "Yes, going on 50 years. Charlus died. The Dragon Overwatch system was destroyed. You know who is in the other shelters on this level?" One in the back spoke, "More silvers and brass dragons. A few bronze and neutral dragons as well, maybe others."

Mercian nodded, "I am leaving my horse here for the moment. I can gain control of all four of these shelters at this level.

As soon as I exit, I need one of you to close the portal." Get everyone ready in one hour. Everyone that I get freed can attack. Reclaim your home."

They nodded, "Thank you for coming."

Mercian sighed, "Not what I had planned. The first father to Majisa was a gold dragon but it was an elf in a necromancy ring. I think it corrupted the children she had before the return. Only a theory."

He nodded, "Good theory. The other golds are just following their ruler. All of those before the return were infertile as well."

Mercian got over to the door. He called out, "Open portal." A wave of flames was shot inside. He ran into them and then teleported over to the opposite shelter and gained entry. Mercian repeated this process without getting detected as having left the first shelter. There were 20 gold dragons at the first shelter half in human form.

All waiting for it to open again. The hour came and it was a flight of dragons as over 800 dragons went to work on the 20 at the shelter. Once they were cleared away it was full-on aerial combat. He threw a few expanded force webs and force walls to slow and impede the golds in the fight.

He went back to the first shelter and thought to Anama'Losgadh, "Sorry about kicking you."

She sighed, "I know you got us out of there. I was trying to figure out what was going on."

Mercian got outside mounted up and they had moved off. He contacted House Silvertree, "Please have the Patron inform the King that I am alive and in the middle of a full-up civil war with the metallic dragons right now. I got his diplomat out hopefully."

The guard responded, "The Palace has been trying to find out if we heard from you. I will have your patron relay the information. The other diplomat said you were kicking a hornet's nest."

Mercian nodded, "Yes, but I had my reasons. I will explain when I return. I will answer if I am able."

He flew down toward the palace. He saw a badly injured silver down. He landed next to him, "I only have so much healing but it's yours."

He shook his head, "Damage is too severe. Thank you for freeing us." He died spitting up blood. He went in search of the others.

He followed the sounds of battle. He saw only silvers and golds in the room and he threw in a blizzard on them and then a second. Ten minutes later and he had silver dragons filing out in a line. He looked at them. "The upper four shelters. I cannot access those. Have you found anyone to open them?"

He nodded, "A couple of bronzes who were free. One was their ruler. Beat up pretty good. We freed him from the manacles. He is a paladin and wants to see you."

Mercian nodded, "I drew what I could away from him."

He nodded, "He said as much. Left him facing one. The gold leader returned. He got hit from behind and manacled. Do not know what their plan was?"

Mercian nodded, "I do. In theory."

He looked at Merican, "What?"

Mercian looked at him, "If I had to guess, Draco-liches. Bodies to experiment on."

He sighed, "We will check the lower levels and give your theory to the Bronze ruler."

Mercian waited around for an hour. He recovered Charlus's will from the mess in the room. He looked over as a gold stuck his head around the corner. He looked pretty beaten up. He looked at Mercian, "You did this Silvertree."

Mercian nodded. "Knight Champion. You keep forgetting that." He threw his last wall of force up along that wall which pissed him off. Mercian mounted up and took off in the air outside and looked back. He was closing. He thought, "Keep flying."

Mercian jumped off the back dropping the sword. He changed forms and flew for his back while summoning the sword. He flipped to get claws on Mercian. Mercian dimension door above his head and Ran the blade down his neck and all the way down his back.

Mercian thought, "You picking him up as evil?"

He heard Varus'Nor, "YES!"

Just as he got smacked by the fucking tail. He looked back to see him heading for the ground for a controlled landing. He dimension doored onto its back drove the blade in and breathed on him.

He crashed the last thirty feet. Mercian went flying and slammed into the ground. Mercian thought, "Is he dead?"

He heard, "Yes, he is dead, oh slayer of rogue dragons."

He thought, "Anama'Losgadh, ground level."

He heard, "I have one chasing me."

He looked up, "Fly straight down."

Mercian dimension doored closer and hit him with a wing lock.

Mercian thought, "Turn away."

He resisted the wing lock so he hit him again. That one succeeded. He plowed up a couple hundred feet of dirt. Mercian dimension doored onto his back and drove the blade into him and breathed on him. He twisted the blade around until he stopped moving. Anama'Losgadh landed near him and he heard, "Thank you."

Mercian looked up and saw 6 silver dragons flying down to his area with a bronze. He reverted forms and mounted up. The Bronze landed.

He thought, "That one evil?"

He heard Varus'Nor, "Yes. It was most definitely evil but likely had a non-detection item on.."

He looked at the bronze, "I got 3 of them. One with the shelter door security and two with a blade. I helped with the ones in the throne room with the blizzard I threw but your Silver Dragons beat them down."

He looked over, "You got their leader?!"

Mercian nodded, "I went for his back and when he flipped, I dimension doored over his head and ran the blade the length of him; that fucking tail hurt though. Then dimension doored onto his back and ran the blade home while I froze him over. He was badly injured before we started fighting. Sword detected them both as evil. Varus'Nor suspects they were wearing non-detection items to keep you from noticing. Do you have control, Your Majesty?"

He nodded, "The other golds are being questioned. The neutrals were released. They confirmed what you thought. They were trying to use forbidden magic to do Draco-liches. They did not succeed but they killed 33 in their experiments thus far including the last of Jazzia's children that you asked about. You have got a serious reward coming to you, Knight Champion"

Mercian sighed, "Why not work on the Alliance, Your Majesty?"

He chuckled, "It will be a few weeks for us to finish cleaning this mess up. I just got off the crystal with your King. I will contact him back but he wants you back in the city and to the palace. Let's keep it informal for the moment."

Mercian nodded, "I will ride to the main gate."

He nodded, "Understand. These 6 silver dragons will see you out." He rode out healing himself up along the way using a wand. He teleported to the main gate of the city.

He had 12 royal guards and Mercian looked at them, "Let me guess, the King wants to see me."

The Guard Captain nodded, "He was fit to be tied 3 hours ago when he sent us here."

Mercian nodded, "I only killed 3 gold dragons."

He looked at Mercian, "You fucking serious?!"

Mercian nodded, "Yes, long story but they got corrupted at birth. They were doing horrendous things. Sword picked them up as evil when I sliced through 2 of them. The third I killed indirectly using shelter security."

They rode to the palace. The Guard Captain walked him to the King's audience chamber. Lucian was there. She looked like she was about to spit fire at him, yet again. She looked at Mercian, "You play a fucking dangerous game!"

Mercian nodded, "If he had said anything other than getting you out of the capital, I would have teleported you out of there."

She looked at Mercian, "City shields!"

Mercian nodded, "Easy to get around. Teleport onto the wall and have the horses jump off. Then we teleport off before they hit the ground. Journal, one of my relatives did it to evade royal guards in the Elven Capital. Yet another ruler who did not like listening to a champion. That one was not yet an adult. Did you read the Dragon's Axiom by Jarron Silverleaf?

Required reading at the Academy? You should have known he was acting like a red instead of a gold dragon. Consider re-reading the book, all 36 volumes. As a diplomat, you should know those. He was not thinking clearly and I used it to get you free to report back.

I found the shelters Jazzia built and they were being used to house Silver and Brass dragons like prisoners. Some neutrals as well. I am sure others were in the other 4 shelters I could not access. That was just the shelters that I could access. Majisa had a set of children before the return.

The father was an elf but he was using a necromancy ring holding a gold dragon body. That ring corrupted 80 of her young. There were journal entries from Serius Silvertree added about sporadic communication with the Dragon Queen.

It was her son or sons who failed to deliver the messages. With the sword, I took control of the 4 shelters I had access too. They had to open the other 4 they had been built that could be open to dragons and half-dragons only when they were created. I teleported out of the first when they tried to fry me as I came out. I teleported across to the other shelter, moving from one to another. I told the first group we would attack in an hour.

It was 800 to 20 at the shelter. I still killed 3 of the corrupted golds. Remember Charlus mentioned in his will that Majisa's death was suspicious to him, Your Majesty? They will be cleaning up that mess for a few weeks. Remember dragons take the long view of things.

It would not be surprising that Bahumut took a long view with those 80 dragons, to see if they could be salvaged. He did ensure they were all infertile. When they did what he suspected they would do he stripped away the power they needed to make it work. Blinded them to the world by taking out their Overwatch. They were working on creating Dracoliches and failed 33 times in the last 50 years. The last of Jazzia's direct offspring were killed in those efforts. Anything else, Your Majesty?"

He shook his head, "Can I expect more of this erratic behavior?"

Mercian smiled, "Read your predecessor's journal going back to the days of Eldar to Charlus. You will see a pattern of champions picking up on the information going on around them and putting conspiracies together.

Every ally except the dragons has had that happen. This was just their turn. Before we approach the dwarves, we should get the Alliance Overwatch back up and check them over, Your Majesty. We have no idea as to what trouble awaits us with them but I doubt it will be as simple as walking in and getting a piece of paper signed."

He shook his head, "Why do I feel like I have no control."

Mercian looked at him, "Your Majesty, champions have asked that question about their own lives. We learn more about each other and we will be fine. I am better in the woods as a scout than in a court. However, I did learn enough to keep from tripping over my own anatomy.

What I did to the Dragon King the Knight Paladin did to a warlord involved with slavery. He pushed it so he would make a mistake. Reveal himself. I got him to break in court to the point he had to leave or go into open revolt against the Bronze Paladin King in the room.

The blade wielder's journal came in handy with strategy, in court, and in the air. Clearing the field of those who did not need to be in the fight once I saw a fight was coming. I knew that as soon as I saw the force field. Eldar got put in one with the Council of Nine to 'protect him' from chromatics who wanted him dead."

The King sighed, "Spend a few days at home."

Mercian smiled, "I got a bride or two to start looking around for. I would prefer one but we will see what the gods throw at me. We will see, Your Majesty."

He unsealed the door and Mercian bowed to him before leaving. He got up on Anama'Losgadh and rode her to the market gate. "I am knocking."

He heard, "The door is open."

He teleported inside and then went into the home and brushed his new mount down. Mercian thought, "Still sorry about kicking you."

Mercian heard her chuckle, "You got us out of there and the one-off of my ass. Thank you for that."

Mercian walked out and straight into his mother and the Patron who glared at him. He sighed, "I am uninjured, now. The horse is uninjured, 3 corrupted gold dragons fell to my sword or a shelter blade. There were 80 of them. Remember Charlus's will saying Majisa's death was suspicious?

It was. All of the children she had with the elf and the necromancer ring were corrupted and infertile. I already talked with the King. I got his diplomat out of there before I made a break for it.

The last of Jazzia's children died in experiments to try and create a Draco-lich. It was a mess but that was why I was set on that course. To expose the corruption and get them to come back to the table over the Alliance. Those imprisoned had been since before the Alliance fell."

His mother softened her stance and hugged him. The patron had his answer. Mercian looked at him, "What did he take?"

The patron looked over and chuckled at Mercian, "He was waiting to see if you came back from dragon lands. Nothing so far. I was busy talking with the King for a few hours relaying what I knew while he relayed what he knew. Thank you for contacting the house. I did try to reach you at one point."

Mercian nodded, "Probably while I was in one of Jazzia's shelters. Food and then sleep. My new horse flew great today. Anama'Losgadh is her name."

Hermina nodded, "Tomorrow what is the plan?"

Mercian shrugged, "I figured to start the search for a wife, mother."

She nodded, "Hopefully that is less violent."

He nodded, "I shut the King down when I put that necklace on in the middle of his court and told him about Charlus. I got knighted as the selected champion. Then Corellon Larethian appeared in the King's Audience Chamber and told him to leave my property alone as I needed it and he needed to stop. That should hopefully stop them from trying again. I am being watched by Overwatch."

He walked over and ate a quick meal. He then went toward the training ground. Being one of the youngest He had not moved out of this area of the home into one of the many expansions on the estate. He stripped down and crawled into bed.

He figured he would be at the falls and it occurred. He took a knee when she appeared. The Lady of Dreams called out, "Rise champion."

He sighed, "This has to do with finding a wife?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He sat down and stuck his feet into the water, "I thought someone would have talked about the other stuff from today. Getting an idea if my theories were correct."

She sighed, "They were correct. Your approach like a lot of champions was chaotic but that is to be expected. Now to wives."

He looked at her, "I am curious about something. A lot of what happened with Charlus and several other champions seemed to revolve around Aerdrie Faenya, yet none of the champions ever talk about seeing her."

She nodded, "True, Corellon Larethian chose me to represent the others. When you started talking wives it alerted her and she alerted me."

He looked at her, "I am still confused and I only ask these questions to avoid what Charlus went through. Was he at odds with you or her? He just never got any clarification. He never asked the question."