Flight of Dragons - The Deeds of the Kings of the Sauromatae

[Chirurgeon]

Just got around to reading this...very cool keep it up :two thumbs:

[Aaldaemon]

@General Appo: Babai is just one of the many characters I would rename in truth... but no, he's not my main problem... poor ByeBye has been doing time watching the Saka in the East... the character I would rename is Aspaurg... someone of importance for the future... but I've increasingly gotten used to his name, so it will probably stay that way.

@Chirurgeon: Thank you for reading, and the praise, I doubt I will ever come to 10% of your stamina, but I'll try.

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Update is coming in a few minutes, I have to sort a few minor things out, before the Dragon breathes again.

[Aaldaemon]

Part VI: A Tie of Blood



The camp stretches on the crests of the hills overlooking the great city of the cape. There is a strange order about the encampment, with tents clustered around banners laying limp in the calm air of evening. The camp is curiously quiet, as men watch a host of riders approach.

The riders follow a tall, dark haired man, his face that of an eagle looking for his prey. He wears the silvered scale of high nobility, and men bow as he passes by. The warriors behind him are all picked men, their faces stern, and cold as steel. Their scale armor marks them as the guards of royalty, and men do not dare cross their path.

They snake their way between the clusters of felt tents to a great ger lying lonely on the tallest hill. The great Dragon banner of the King overlooks the great felt tent, but it is limp, no movement in its tail.

The guards around the ger do not challenge the dark haired man, as he dismounts. Two of his warriors follow him in, as he enters the tent of the King.

The inside of the great tent is bathed in the light of torches. At its center the King lies on a mound of furs, his long white hair a silver halo as the light of fires whispers in the cheerless air. Several men are clustered around him, ants near the fallen giant. The voice of the King shimmers softly, a wailing rustling, among shadows.

And there I had the goddess, shattered… shattered… to show them the impotence of their gods. His voice breaks off, as the scribe writes down his words.

To see a God… to see a God… The King’s chest heaves, and labored breath comes forth. His eyes stream silver in the light of fires.

To see a God shattered by the Dragon… shattered. His eyes dim, as his mind clouds, then they open and fix themselves upon the dark haired man.

My King, I am come, the man says, as he bows to the Dragon.

The King shivers in his furs and shadows play around his eyes. Light dances on his brow, and grim ghosts whisper in his ear.

Who are you? The King asks, as he shifts to better see the dark haired man.

Alouthagos, your son, Lord, the man says in a clear voice, watching his father on his mound. The King squints, a wave of weakness passing through his mind, then clarity comes.

Alouthagos, my son… You have changed… The King sighs, a thousand memories marring his silver brow. A Dragon, a Dragon, soon, my son. A Dragon soon...

The dark haired man's face remains still, then the corners of his lips twist.

Father, the prince says, I’ve brought him to you, as you ordered. I trust you will find him satisfactory.

The King’s eye brighten, then they cloud, as he remembers all the truth, his voice but a whisper:

Bring him in, I wish to see him now.

Alouthagos nods and one of his guards exits the tent. A few moments later he returns, a boy in tow, a short lad for his age, with smiling eyes.

Bring him closer, the King says, shifting in his furs, I want to see him better, to be sure.

Alouthagos pushes the boy forward, and he comes before the King. The old man gazes at the boy and frowns, his wearied mind lost in the wailings of the past.

His hair is red and gold my son… red and gold... Too strong perhaps… too strong.

He takes after my daughter Lord, Alouthagos says, a hint of worry in his voice. If he won’t do, I’ll bring another… Babai’s son perhaps…

The King seems not to hear, but then nods, and he stares into the boy’s eyes. Their eyes entwine, the old King’s vision haunted still by memories of bygone wraiths. They scream at him, from shattered dreams, the past a sword to cut his heart.

Tell me boy, he asks, do you know the story of the serpent and the sword?

The King’s stare rests on the child’s face, as shadows dance at the edges of his clouded mind. The boy’s eyes glint silver-blue as fire lights them in the Dragon’s sight.

Yes, King, I know it well, he answers, without doubt.

The Dragon smiles, his vision cleared at the last.

Of course you do, Abeakos says. You are Dragon blood in truth.

He laughs, a great mirth come upon him, as he coughs blood. A stream of it snakes its way across his chest. His men look on with worry on their faces, but the King’s mirth is not to be contained.

Wine! Bring wine! He says, as a servant scampers to obey. A cup is brought and the King drinks, while blood oozes darkly on his sunken chest.

Baran, he says, red wine mixing with the fever in his blood. Come forward, come.

A golden haired man approaches and then kneels before the King. His fine scale armor marks him as one of the King’s own loyal bodyguards, a fierce battle companion for many years. The King drinks from his simple cup, then tells the kneeling man:

Guard this boy with your life Baran, with your life. He is in your care. Fail him not.

The warrior bows his head, and offers a pledge:

My King, my life is his, to the end.

Your hand then man, give me your hand,the King asks. The warrior stretches his hand, and Abeakos makes a cut in his palm, his crescent hilted dagger drinking blood. He gently marks the boy as well, then their hands he entwines.

To the end, the King now agrees, and he dismisses the warrior, to look upon the child.

The King stares at the boy for a long time, as shadows flicker past his eyes. His glass is raised, as his vision clouds.

To the end! He says. To the very end!

Outside the tent, the serpent’s tail lifts in the wind.

[Aaldaemon]

First of I have to apologize to those who dislike storytelling, and want more action and more screenshots. You see I tried hard to bring those forth, but the grand plan came first. I did try to limit myself... you see this part was actually about three times this size, and there were four more short narrative pieces I wrote before actually coming to my in game mistake I keep mentioning... I obviously hacked what was supposed to be the update to pieces, canned those other parts, and came down to this which I think is a manageable read.

Worry not! There will be action in the future, battles, blood, screenshots...(although probably not a lot in the next update - maybe 3 screenshots at the most - mea culpa - mea culpa) you name it. In fact I've played quite a lot in advance and my folder swells with battle screens, which is a bad thing because I'm getting confused about many of them... nothing like saying "oh yes, this is the flanking maneuver in battle X, when in truth it was more like the rout in battle Y" . I will try to make sense of it all though to be sure...

[General Appo]

Beautiful. Don´t worry about what we think, just write what you feel like. If you start feeling restricted in your urge to please your readers you´ll soon lose all motivation to write on.

[The General]

First of I have to apologize to those who dislike storytelling, and want more action and more screenshots. You see I tried hard to bring those forth, but the grand plan came first. I did try to limit myself... you see this part was actually about three times this size, and there were four more short narrative pieces I wrote before actually coming to my in game mistake I keep mentioning... I obviously hacked what was supposed to be the update to pieces, canned those other parts, and came down to this which I think is a manageable read.

Worry not! There will be action in the future, battles, blood, screenshots...(although probably not a lot in the next update - maybe 3 screenshots at the most - mea culpa - mea culpa) you name it. In fact I've played quite a lot in advance and my folder swells with battle screens, which is a bad thing because I'm getting confused about many of them... nothing like saying "oh yes, this is the flanking maneuver in battle X, when in truth it was more like the rout in battle Y" . I will try to make sense of it all though to be sure...

Oh, ask not for forgiveness, when we owe you thanks!

I happened to have some Agalloch playing in the background when reading the latest update, and it fit the story well, mhrm.

Eagerly waiting for more (whether it be battle and gore, or more about the storyline).

[Aaldaemon]

@General Appo: True enough. Motivation is key, but I feel like I might have to take motivation lessons from Chirurgeon or MarcusAureliusAntoninus. Very hard to emulate such aar longevity.

@The General: Thank you for your support mate! There will be more to be sure, because Abeakos isn't done yet... and I just love writing about him. You've seen the "official" history in the first three updates, the epic one in the next ones, now we're getting into the complicated reality behind the Dragon... and there's the twisted master plan that holds it all together.

[Aaldaemon]

Ok, update is coming later today. I did a bit of reshuffling of material to better fit my grand plan - which takes precedence over _all_ things. - so you won't get what I originally thought you will be getting this update -The last chapter might have looked as a pointless introduction of characters to some (who needs boys, princes and bodyguards eh? ), but trust me it wasn't. Some stuff going in it was quite critical to the story, bonus points if you figure out what part was truly critical. (although maybe you shouldn't get bonus points because it was beyond obvious - but still )

Anyway this next chapter is even more so...(critical that is) I would normally be a lot less obvious but I doubt people wish to read lots of pages hiding the important stuff... so it's going to be very revealing and to the point... I'm triming the material down to make it a manageable read, and solving some RL stuff too, then update will come.