Inferno Legacy: Loyalty of the Dragon (Book Two)

Chapter 33

Cody wandered the corridors in the depths of the mountain, hearing the steady ring of pounding metal as blacksmiths worked to continue making tiny scales. Eventually he reached his destination, where he found Inferno standing proudly beside a tall pile of the armor pieces. The dragon bent down his head and twisted it around as a tall man fitted the scales together to form solid plates around his skull. Omen, and two others Cody didn't recognize, watched from a distance.

"Is there enough to begin making the armor?" Cody asked as he approached.

Omen looked over in surprise. "Yes, we've already made plates that cover Inferno's entire core. We're still working on a helmet, and from there we can begin fitting his neck and legs, and tail and wings after that. It's tedious work, but the resulting armor is effective."

"Are you ready to be fitted?" one of the strangers next to Omen asked.

"I suppose I am," Cody answered slowly.

Omen himself grabbed a handful of scales and brought them over. "What should I do first?"

Cody shrugged. "I suppose a chest plate would be a primary concern."

Omen nodded and silently got to work. The two others watched for a moment but went to help finish Inferno's helmet. Cody was forced to stand still as Omen slowly hooked the scales together with small, tough tabs that ringed their edges. It was a somewhat odd experience as a few scales turned into a tough necklace that eventually grew out to cover all of his chest, then his stomach, back, and arms. Surprisingly, Omen seemed to enjoy the slow, seemingly repetitive work of latching the scales together. When it was finished some time later, the blacksmith helped Cody pull it off, and as simple as that a fully functional piece of body armor had been made. Without a word, he began to fit scales together around Cody's legs.

A minute later Saga walked in, her tail dragging softly on the stony floor though her soft hatchling scales made little noise. "Can I speak with you, Cody? Inferno as well?"

Cody took a moment to read her facial expression before asking, "Is it alright if Omen stays?"

"Certainly, so long as you trust him."

"Of course," Cody said.

Omen gestured to the three that were helping Inferno with armor for his legs and said, "They are trustworthy as well, I've known them since we first came to the Hidden Mountain Pass."

Saga nodded. "Very well. It would seem that Queen Blissful has not been entirely honest with us."

"What do you mean?" Cody asked in surprise. He had trouble believing the queen would lie.

The albino dragon paused before answering, "She told me this morning about some of the goings on in the Dreamkeeper's lives, to help me understand how they...think, I suppose. While she spoke, she let slip that there may be war in the future for her people. She did not say when, but I did learn that they have had quarrels with their enemies recently, the Reajon, they're called."

"I think I've heard mention of them before," Cody answered, suddenly troubled. Omen and the others continued working in silence.

Saga nodded. "It would seem that Blissful launched a large raid on one of their camps only a short time before they found you. She assured me that we were safe and that the Reajon were defeated before I excused myself."

"What are the odds of that being the case?" Inferno grumbled quietly in their minds.

"Slim," Cody answered. "If a small army were to appear when you're a risk of starting a war, headed by a group of dragons...."

"Most would be afraid," Saga commented. "No doubt she was desperate enough to hope that you would, in the very least, frighten away immediate attacks if she kept you around."

Cody bit his lip as he thought a moment. "It would stand to reason that some citizens would be afraid of us then."

"They're all terrified. Some are just desperate enough to hope it works." Inferno pointed out.

"As a last ditch effort," Saga suggested, "I've theorized that Blissful must be trying to get you to swear service to her and then use you to fight her war, at the head of your own army while her people remain safe from harm, as a last desperate attempt. She's been preparing you for the slaughter, it would seem."

Cody shook his head and replied, "No, I won't believe that. The Dreamkeepers have proven themselves too noble to send innocents to be slaughtered. If we head an army, she will at least be a part of it. It's lucky for us, else she might have turned us and the refugees out long ago."

"We still have a problem," Inferno added.

Cody nodded his agreement. "We will stick to the plan, it's our only option."

Saga sighed, a grim look on her face before she said, "You're right, we will do what needs to be done and hope we don't end up fighting the Dreamkeepers for our lives. And...we will express strongly that we wish to be their allies."

"We know nothing of the Reajon, we cannot hope to fight them when we do not even know what they are, or what we are looking for."

"They will tell us, and prepare us if we express a ready willingness to help," Saga pointed out. "Prove to them that we are a force to be reckoned with, and that we will rain fire on all their enemies."

Omen stood then, and Cody suddenly remembered he was there. The blacksmith looked him over and said, "We will arrive at the ceremony in force, as many armed and armored warriors as we can gather, and proclaim the Dreamkeepers the greatest people in all of the MountainPass."

"Yes," Saga agreed, looking Cody in the eye, "We will tell Queen Blissful that we will fight the Reajon with her, and fight valiantly. Tell them that we already know of the threat, and promise to protect them from their foes."

Cody thought it over, then added, "And then we can convince her to fight with us for True Bane, so that we may get our homes back."

e