Dagon looked in the mirror at his new clothes. He wore a thick white jacket with a thick hood lined with fur. Gold was sewed into the coat and decorative gold bits were attached to the shoulders and back. He wore a black shirt underneath it and jeans, a belt around his waist. Dagon admired himself in the mirror, and couldn't help but think that he looked like a royal, which both flattered and bothered him.
"Ya done in there?" Came Gänhir's voice.
Dagon turned to the door. The room he was in was lavish and rich, white walls with gold trim and a floor of quartz. A single, large window let a flood of brilliant light into the room that shimmered on the floor. Rich furniture decorated the room and a large bed was tucked in one corner.
"Yeah, just about." Dagon called.
It had been about two days since their arrival in Leina, and Dagon had received three different outfits, although the current was his favorite. He walked over to his bed and picked up a sword from it. The sword was about as long as his arm and was heavy. It was silver with a Drakeagen stone in its hilt. Supposedly he could put magical energy into it to strengthen it.
As he grabbed the sword, he stared down at his new arm. It was a metallic silver with screws and notches holding it together in a complex system of small parts. A Drakeagen stone was embedded in the elbow, shoulder, and back of the palm. He could store magic in them to use later.
Dagon took a deep breath as he latched the sword to his belt. War was at their doorstep. According to scouts, forces had begun to move towards them from the West and South. Soon, they would have to fight.
Memories began to berate Dagon's mind; images of sitting with his father upon Gena, the bloodshed, ashen skies of scarlet, the heaps of burnt, rotted flesh, the blood soaked earth. Everything suddenly came flooding back to him, and his nightmares have been much worse than usual.
And now it was about to happen again. It had happened so suddenly and so fast he couldn't comprehend that it was happening. At one moment he'd just been on a quest, searching out the Dragon Gods, and now he was about to go to war as his father once did.
He clenched his metallic fist as he stared down at it. He could feel nothing in the metal limb, but the motions came and went with memories of how they had once felt; phantom feelings. Like he could feel each touch and motion, but not really.
Dagon looked up at the ceiling. *Father…* he thought, *give me your strength..*
He walked over to the door and opened it, seeing Gänhir and Bella there waiting for him in the hall, their shadows cast long by the brimming light from the windows.
"Took you long enough." Bella said.
"Sorry. It's just.."
"You don't need to explain. Trust me, I understand." Gänhir said. "There must be a thousand painful memories returning to you. But you need to push them aside. This isn't the same war, it's a new age, and things will not end the same. Understand?"
"Yeah.." Dagon responded, avoiding Gänhir's gaze.
"Good. Then come, we need to prepare."
Gänhir led them down the halls to the stairway to their dragons. Dagon got upon Sephtis's back after the brusque greeting. Everything was so tense and cold. He was uneasy and felt anxious, unable to think calmly.
"We are to go to the Western gates. Most likely, the Sectad soldiers will be the first to reach us, as Serrakon is the closest region. We will meet then head on with our full force, and that will hopefully keep their focus as our main force makes their move." Gänhir spoke.
"Our main force?" Gena asked.
"Yes. We will be in charge of defending, we as in Gena, me and Shiratt. You, your dragon and Dagon and Sephtis will lay low on the outskirts within the crags, out of sight. You will be accompanied with half of the Dragon Kin pairs, the other half will be devoted to defense. Once the Sectad forces cross our border and the fighting begins, after they are focused on us, you will come in from behind and, hopefully, sweep them and eliminate them all in a quick victory. This way we can devote the rest of our focus on the other armies that will surely follow."
"Sounds like you've thought this through." Ellira growled. "I understand why Bella and I would be the main force, we are fast and agile, but why Dagon and Sephtis? Wouldn't they be better for defense, as the mercury spikes and his other magic could be used for protection?"
The dragons lifted off, flying slowly through the city towards the West gate. The city was almost completely empty now, all the residents either prepared to fight, or in hiding.
"No, if he were to come in behind with an unexpected spell, such as spikes as you mentioned, it could catch them off guard and have a high chance of taking out a large portion of the soldiers. Yes, he'd be good for defense, but the sheer power of his spells would be much better spent for a crippling ambush. After that, then yes, he would focus on the defensive." Gänhir explained.
Then they reached the wall, and Dagon's heart skipped a beat as their dragons landed. Off on the horizon was what looked at first like a storm of black clouds.. but Dagon quickly realized that it was an army of countless dragons and drakes, and on the ground below them were soldiers charging on foot.
A desert-brown dragon with a rider atop it approached them.
"So these are them?" He asked Gänhir.
"Yes. This is Bellirick. He will be in charge and take you to the crags, follow him and listen to what he tells you." Gänhir spoke.
"Understood." Bella said.
Dagon turned back to the army beyond. "And so the sky is painted black.."