By Volk-Oboroten'
Unsupported by nothing but frigid air under bat-like wings, in the frozen, star-lit void, Lowenherz flew over the frozen forest. He peered down into the dark woods with his leonine eyes, wondering if Nasoj's soldiers were hidden in the trees, preparing to attack Starven. The town had been full of rumors during the past week, as many worried about how the wizard would retaliate for their refusal to send tribute. Others were even more uneasy about the presence of the draconian camp just outside of town.
Looking down, Lowenherz saw the light from the waning moon glint off dark scales. The draconians must be on patrol again. Even though the reptiles said they were devoted to the cause of fighting Nasoj, Lowenherz did not trust them. By Akkala, he was certain that they were evil.
Noticing the first hint of light appearing in the southeast, Lowenherz decided to head back to Starven. By dawn, he would no longer be a manticore. He certainly didn't want to encounter a draconian alone, while reverting to human form.
As he flew to the south, Lowenherz remembered an earlier battle in the woods. Just before dawn six days ago, while flying over a patch of nearby woods, he had encountered a band of lutins armed with bows. He killed one with a poison dart from his tail, just as it was about to fire its shaft into a dire wolf.
After the sun rose, he discovered that the wolf had been Valaric, leader of the anti-Nasoj rebellion, in lupine form. The wolf-warrior then told Lowenherz that the Forest Queen knew of the manticore's skill in dispatching lutins, and wanted to reward him for aiding her emissary. Valaric had handed Lowenherz a gold object he called an "ankh," formed like a needle with a cross-bar.
Lowenherz did not wear the badge, despite Valaric's insistence that it would provide magical aid from his Lady. Lowenherz had already sworn his allegiance to Akkala, and was sure her aid would be more useful than anything from the wolf's Lady of the Tauremorna. He was especially suspicious of Valaric's ties to the draconians, who seemed blindly loyal to this unknown Queen.
----------------------------------------------------- As Lowenherz landed in a copse of trees near Starven, a column of Nasoj's soldiers trudged through the woods many miles to the north. They intended to make a surprise attack on Starven before dawn, to punish the village for its crime against the wizard's tax collectors. However, just as the men reached a bend in the road, their leader heard a vicious hissing sound.
"Watch out! It's one of those draconians!" said one man, clutching his sword.
Grabbing a bow, another man yelled: "Move aside. I need to get a clean shot at it."
The draconian stretched out a clawed hand toward the first man. There was a flash of light, and a glowing yellow-green ball of energy flew toward the human soldier, striking him squarely in the face. The man screamed and a sharp, acrid stench filled the air as the acid-spell burned into his face and eyes.
The wizard's loyal troops surged forward to fight the reptilian menace. After several minutes of battle, one warrior finally plunged his sword into the creature's neck. The draconian gasped in pain, and dark red blood sprayed the soldier's face.
"Die, monster!" he snarled.
The draconian made a sound like a strangled laugh. "My death is for the glory of my Queen!" it said. Then it clasped the golden ankh around its neck and spoke a single word in its own harsh tongue. In an instant, a ball of fire appeared where the monster and its opponent had been. The blast of flame quickly burned the flesh off the bones of draconian and soldier alike, and spread across the road to sear the flesh of those nearby.
As the remnants of the column began to bolt, losing all military cohesion, more draconians arrived from the trees. By dawn, the fighting was over. Nasoj's men were all dead, or in headlong retreat. As the draconians celebrated their victory, a robed figure appeared on the road.
"Master Scathamond!" said one draconian. "We came here just as you ordered. Most of the humans are dead. The few cowards we couldn't catch have fled into the trees."
Looking at the skulls lying in the pile of ashes, the mage said: "Clean them up, so I can use them for necromancy later. I was sure you could dispose of Nasoj's rabble quickly. The Queen has great confidence in your fighting abilities."
Wings twitching in excitement, one reptile said: "We will make the draconians a great power again. Humans once feared Lissek Vaal, but they will dread us even more. Nasoj's men never expected us to ambush them."
After probing some of the freshly exposed bones with a stick, Scathamond said: "Of course not! I set up the ambush. I've worked inside Nasoj's realm for many years, performing missions for the Dark Lady in the Dragon Mountains. After losing the Moranasi, Nasoj is desperate for aid from powerful magic users. He just didn't know that I serve another. So, it was easy to direct his men to this location. This way, they will be useful for our cause. Did you bring the egg?"
The draconian leader replied, "Pryftan the mage has secured the dragon egg in an incubation chamber. We also brought a vial of water from the Tauremonra, as you instructed."
"Send Pryftan forward." said Scathamond. "Gather the bones of the dead humans together in a pile, so I can use them for my spell. We need to increase the number of draconians."
Pryftan soon arrived, carrying the treasured dragon egg in a magically heated vessel, holding it in his taloned hands. During the previous summer, one of Scaramond's acoyltes had stolen it from a weakly guarded nest in the Dragon Mountains. Pryftan's servants, who had guarded it for the past few months in a draconian lair, brought flagons of water from the Black Forest.
"We need blood now," ordered Scathamond, pointing to a body. "Tear open the chest of that human, and place his heart on top of the pyre of bones. Then pour the water onto the mass."
As the reptiles prepared to carry out Scathamond's orders, they noticed that the body was still moving. They proceeded without a moment of reflection, tearing flesh and bone asunder with fast blows from sharp claws. Any order from one of Lilith's mages would be obeyed without question.
Scathamond spotted a draconian approaching him, with puffs of steam rising from his nostrils. Greeting the fire-drake, Scathamond said, "Urulok Vaal. I need your flame to ignite the pyre. Then, I can perform my spell properly."
As Scathamond removed some magic gems from his cloak, Urulok Vaal opened his heavy jaws and aimed a blast of fire at the bones. The pyre soon glowed red, quickly burning the heart set on its top. Once it turned black, Pryftan poured the water on the blazing mass.
"Place the egg on top of the pyre," said Scathamond. "Pryftan knows what to do know. I trained him in sorcery from the time he was created."
As the draconian mage started chanting, Scathamond held his staff in the air. Gems fixed to its top began to glow. Meanwhile, a draconian priest arrived carrying the sacred ankh of Lilith.
Next, a ray of golden light burst forth from the center of the ankh, striking the white surface of the egg. It abruptly cracked and began to darken. As Pryftan continued to chant arcane words, Scathamond focused his magical powers on the egg, which was now almost entirely black.
Oily slime streamed down the sides of the egg as it started to grow. As the egg expanded, it pulsated in rhythmic waves, oozing dark liquid onto the burned pyre. Realizing that the first rays of the sun were about to appear, Scathamond hurled a gem at the writhing oval.
As the first light of dawn struck the forest, the egg transformed into a glowing green-black mass. The dark cloud swirled for a minute, but then began to coalesce into shapes. Within a few minutes, the mist cleared, revealing the forms of three newly created draconians.
"Take them to the Tauremorna," ordered Scathamond. "Urulok Vaal will start training soon. I am confident all of them will grow up to become loyal servants of Lilith." As the magically created reptiles stretched their scaly wings, Urulok Vaal moved forward. The two foot long draconians reacted by following him instinctively. Soon, they vanished down the road.
Pryftan turned to Scathamond, and asked, "Are you going back to the Dragon Mountains in the spring? We've been told that more dragon eggs are needed to add to our perfection."
Adjusting some gems on his staff, the mage said, "There may be other ways to add to our power. I've heard stories about the were-dragons of the Eastern Desert. The great worms are said to have great cunning, savage fighting skills, and much ability at black magic. Some claim that they blend the best elements of humans with the excellence of a draconian."
Pryftan said, "I have never traveled far from the Tauremorna. But we have news that you may find valuable. Lord Black Fang captured one of the beast-men from Metamor Keep."
"The dire wolf?" said Scathamond. "He's been one of Lilith's most reliable servants. Did you see this beast-man he imprisoned? I've always been curious about them."
Coiling his tail in disgust, Pryftan said: "Lord Black Fang held a vulpine-man called Misha in the Dark Keep. My mages wanted to use him, to find out how the spell worked. When I saw him, I sensed a strange weave of a fox and human characteristics. If only I could have explored those strands of magic! But Black Fang insisted that he should be set free."
Noticing the sun rising higher above the horizon, Scathamond said: "It's a new day. We'll have other opportunities to learn about these Keepers. Just think what would happen if we could blend human and draconian characteristics. Imagine if we could transform the humans in these villages into reptiles, devoted servants of the draconians, and of the Dark Lady."
The draconians hissed in agreement as they marched behind Scathamond, down the road to Starven.