“I'm here,” Ellas said from inside the room. “I heard they've been sighted.” He came up to me. “Are we ready?”
“We have to be,” I said. “Mossemas, have some refreshments brought here and send the officers in.”
“Yes, Sire.” He bowed and hurried away.
“Ellas, I have a special mission for you,” I said. “You're the only one I can trust with this.”
“Anything. What do you need?”
“I need you to go to Morilren and bring back an army.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Great fuck,” Aras whispered.
We stood on the wall that guarded Renris. The massive gates were closed but not barred because my army waited below in the city streets. Brave men and women, ready to face dragons. For me. It made me furious. Not at them. At the nobles of my dread. All of them. That's who I was staring at. All the nobles from every enclave. Thousands of Dragons ready for battle. Ready to shift into great beasts that could tear my city apart. Even worse, they could kill those brave souls down there with one breath. But that hadn't been enough for them. Among them were war machines. Monstrosities of might and magic built to bring down walls, demolish entire buildings, and murder mass amounts of people with a single strike. Those fucking bastards had brought everything they had to take me down. That's how deep the hatred of the upper classes ran for the lower in my dread.
Even with the magic-users protecting and empowering the troops, it didn't look good for us. My biggest hope was in the Eljaffna. The only way to turn the war in our favor would be to steal soldiers from the other side. I hoped the Eljaffna were hungry.
“We are ready, Your Majesty,” General Kleves said from my right. He was a Hulfrin like my mate, and his horns were tipped in silver for war.
Aras's were tipped in gold.
“Very good, General,” I said.
Commander Fravar was in the street with the Castle Guard, standing near the front of the army. I looked down, and he met my stare immediately, then nodded. Everyone was ready but me.
As I gathered the nerve to launch this monumental war, a man separated himself from the enemy forces below and shouted up at me, “King Lyrandir, you have broken tradition and insulted your nobles too many times for us to endure. But we don't wish for your death. Stand down and save the city from this war. We have a new king ready to take your place.”
“A new king?” my father, on Aras's left, growled. “They held a tourney? Those motherfuckers!”
“Perhaps I should step down,” I said.
“Don't you fucking dare!” my mother snarled, startling me. “This is not about you anymore, Lyrandir. This is about them!”
She pointed down into the streets. Not at the Horns, but at the Dragons who stood before them. Just one unit of twenty, but I knew she meant all the Dragons who had come to support me. Where were the rest of them? They were waiting at the castle for my command to transform. Even with the city mostly abandoned, there wasn't enough room in the streets for thousands of dragons. And yes, we still outnumbered the nobles.Our thousands were more than theirs, even with every noble in attendance. But would it be enough? I wasn't sure.
“Your Majesty,” Risarren strode up to me, his robes flowing and his movements graceful.
With his lean, Eljaffna body, he looked fragile. But when he grinned at me, I saw the glow of magic inside him. It shone through his ice-blue eyes. Those eyes reminded me of Aras in many ways. Strength came in several forms on Serai. And this man was one of the strongest on the planet. A shiver ran through me, and I knew, just knew, that the Goddess had sent him to me. I would have faith in her, him, and myself.
“It's done?” I asked.
Risarren grinned wider. “I would humbly recommend that you hold back your army until after your enemies make their first volleys.”
“What's this, now?” General Kleves asked.
“We are fortunate to have Risarren on our side, General,” I said. “He has taken care of the war machines for us.”
The General frowned down at the machines. “They look formidable, Sire.”
“Ah, but that is a testament to my skill,” Risarren said.
“Did you have any issues?” I asked. “Were you seen?”
“No, Your Majesty,” Risarren said. “Jeven covered us in a dome of invisibility while I worked.”
“You were right.” I nodded. “A magic-user was a better choice than a Dragon.”
