'That we're all here.'
'All right, I'm ready,' said Denser. 'All of you done the necessary?'
The Unknown jogged out of the cave briefly but could hear Denser speak.
'Eilaan, as soon as I begin to prepare, we can assume the demons will be onto us. We need a flattened Cone ready right away. You up for it?'
T know what to do.'
'Good. Well, it may bring the hordes down on our heads but at least we'll be warm and dry. Unknown, may I?'
'Be my guest.'
Denser closed his eyes and developed the FlamePalm construct. The simple casting was complete in moments and he played the flame over the stones in a circular motion. They began to emit heat. Smoke curled lazily upwards. The blue of Denser's spell played over their exposed surfaces and took on a cycle of its own, bouncing and reflecting as Erienne had described. The warmth began to fill the shallow cave.
But from all around them, the sounds of the demons changed and a new call grew. It was a call of fury and it was taken up by myriad throats, gaining quickly as it neared.
The demons had found them.
Chapter 43
'1 have your signature, my Dragonene. We are coming.'
Sha-Kaan broke the contact with Hirad Coldheart and wheeled in the air. In the day since their last contact, he had probed the human's mind and found it stressed and active, denying him safe access. And during that same time the damaging battle in the skies of Beshara had finally burned itself out but the cost to the dragon population and that able to travel with him had been severe.
Almost four hundred dragons had perished in flame and fall, taking from him more than a fifth of those who had originally assembled on the plains and offered such hope. Now, they numbered a little over fourteen hundred. It would have to be enough.
Around him, the Kaan and most of the Naik circled, guarding against further trouble. Yasal was on the ground, talking with representatives of the recendy warring broods while those that had taken no part were flying distant defensive patterns. It would take time to gather them all and Sha-Kaan was not confident that all would come.
He rose high above the circling Kaan and Naik and gouted flame long into the clear sky. He roared and dived, pulsing out his message, demanding their attention and their respect.
'Our time is now,' he sent. 'Gather in the skies, my allied broods. Put aside your petty squabbles. We are already weakened and we cannot afford further diminution of our strengths. The battle for our futures and for all those of our melde dimensions begins for us.
'Fly, my friends. Fly to me.'
Sha-Kaan dipped below his brood who were forming up as they had drilled. Around them, Naik did likewise. From the ground, he saw the dust flood the air, a thousand wings beating skywards. The pulse message would be passed out among the Stara, Veret and Gost. Soon those that still believed would come.
Yasal-Naik barked his relief that the call had finally come through.
'So your human has survived and made his journey.'
Sha-Kaan pulsed feelings of warmth and pride. 'Did I not toll you he was tenacious? I never doubted him.'
'Then you were alone.'
'I alone understand his capabilities.' Sha-Kaan turned his head to Yasal as they flew side by side. 'And what were the results of your diplomacy, young Naik?'
'I have salvaged much of the support but none will fly with the Skoor. They are dismissed and with them must go an equal number of Kaan and Naik to ensure they do not abuse their temporary advantage in our skies.'
'It is as much as I could have hoped,' said Sha-Kaan. 'But it leaves us a further eighty mouths short. We take with us barely more than thirteen hundred to do battle with our enemy.'
'Then we must all fight as hard as two,' said Yasal.
Sha-Kaan inclined his head in respect. 'You have grown, Yasal. It makes me almost glad this crisis fell upon us.'
'And I, Great Kaan.' Yasal's mind pulsed regret. 'We have lost so many to each other over the cycles. Perhaps our future will be more productive.'
'We can rule the skies together.'
'Yes, we can.'
The two master dragons flew into the centre of the gathering. Though they were much reduced in number, the acreage of wing and scale remained truly awesome. The days of drills and organisation had benefited them in structure in the sky. Each brood was formed and solid. The outlying patrols swept and dove and the mass was prepared.
'Now is the time of greatest risk,' said Sha-Kaan. 'Now we will know whether our talk was believed.'
'Does it matter if it is not? If you see what I mean.'
'I do and to us perhaps it does not. But it matters to Hirad Coldheart. He expects and we must deliver.'
Sha-Kaan led Yasal high above the massed ranks of dragons. Beshara's last and only hope.
'Now is the moment of trust. You know me and you know my honour. Yes, many of us have battled in the past but now that must be consigned to history. Now we fight for our survival. And for that
I give to each of you the trace signature of my Dragonene who sustains me.' He pulsed the signature.
'And now, I exhort you all to follow me. Save us, save every dimension we hold dear. Be ready to fight.'
He switched out of Beshara and drove through the void to Hirad Coldheart.
Tessaya's warriors were holding but only just. Elves were with them, their fast blades and skilled movement disrupting the ul-karron attacks. Reavers and strike-strain concentrated on attacks from above, quick-fire strikes that dealt swift death to those snatched but cost the enemy more than the allies.
The Lord of the Wesmen, flanked by four lieutenants, strode into the tower complex and demanded audience with Dystran and whoever else commanded the eastern forces, such as they were.