The last of the Dragons-Set 2

284

3 Days Later

"Your Excellency, a word, if I may." Sir Ivan said as he entered my tent.

I nodded and motioned for him to sit. He nodded back before making his way to the table and pulling a chair from under it for him to sit. Tahli and Amy both sat next to me at either end of the table, with Bailey standing by the tents entrance as an additional guard.

"What may I do for you?" I asked pleasantly.

He coughed, before straightening his back.

"Word of the victory on the water has spread like wildfire. Messengers from four other camps have already returned a confirmation that they received word of the battle and its outcome. They return with the word that your dragons and their power are more than welcome by all, and that the entirety of our people wholesomely accept you as our true Queen." Said Sir Ivan.

I nodded with a smile.

"Wonderful to hear. Will there be anything else?" I asked.

I paused.

"Well, it is my place to advise you as your hand, and I must advise that you continue the slaughter while you have your enemies on the run." He replied.

I raised one eyebrow, waiting for his reply. He seemed nervous to speak, but regardless, spoke his mind.

"There are still many Marvin ships that serve the Marvin clan. Somewhere around three-thousand. It took only two of your dragons to send nearly two-thousand to the bottom of the coastal sea. With all five, you could easily destroy what remains of the Marvin fleet. And with no fleet, the Marvin's will be an easy target for the others to attack. The battles that follow will not only destroy what remains of the Marvin's, but many of the other clans will loose men as well. If you can achieve this, then you will have destroyed one of your enemies, and inflicted numerous casualties on many of the others." He said.

I pondered for a moment, unsure of whether or not to take Sir Ivan with any degree of seriousness.

"Why would this tactic not work with every clan we are currently facing if that logic is to be believed?" I asked as I sat up.

"The Marvin's have a small fleet, but their sailors are far better trained and their ships more heavily armed and armored. It would take five ships from any other clan to bring down one Marvin ship and her crew. By destroying the Marvin fleet, you open the door for the other clans to gang up on the Marvin's. If this happens, one of the best trained fighting forces in this war will be lost, and your remaining enemies will do the rest. The Marvin's control a massive territory with hundreds of thousands of followers within it just north of our own borders just beyond the forest. The flight there should be fast, and uninterrupted." Sir Ivan replied.

I looked to Tahli for guidance. She nodded her head ever so slightly, in agreement to Sir Ivan. I reversed my attention to Amy, who also nodded in agreement. I sighed, and looked back to Sir Ivan.

"Three dragons." I said.

He seemed puzzled as he tilted his head to the side.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"We will take three dragons. The three largest. The mother and her child will remain behind. They will not be of much use." I said.

"But Your Exc-"

"Enough." I snapped.

"That is final. Three dragons will fly north to destroy what remains of the Marvin fleet. No soldiers, nor ships will accompany us. We will fly north and rid the waters of every ship that flies a Marvin flag and sail, opening the gateway for our remaining enemies to surround and destroy the Marvin forces. After this is done, we will plan our next moves accordingly." I said as I stood up.

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Your consideration is an honor." Sir Ivan said as he stood up and bowed, before turning and exiting the tent.

"Guards, ready us three horses and an escort of a dozen men. We ride to the northern hills where the dragons roam at once." I ordered.

The guards outside my tent bowed, before hurriedly ran off to fetch us a group of horses.

"We ride close together, dive on them from above, and strafe until they're all ablaze. Fly carefully. No heroic moves. This is a risky proposition, but Sir Ivan is right. If we can sink their remaining fleet, they will be vulnerable. The remaining clans will take advantage of that no doubt. Fly carefully, and fair skies." I said as I started towards my approaching horse.