Eternal Beasts

Cooler Heads

Jared stared hard into the man's eyes for a long moment, unwilling to give up the chance to end the Lord of Dragons and give them an advantage in the war. Then, abruptly, as he considered the man's words, he found his muscles losing their tense energy.

Whoever this guy was, he was right. Griffon riders didn't kill helpless individuals, even when they were corrupted dragon rider pieces of shit like Karluran. With a smooth motion of his arm and shoulder, his sword was back in his back sheath and Jared let his anger drain, looking down at the polished black floor.

There was one last hiss of protest from Samantha, then all was strangely silent. On both sides there was an anxious stirring as the big man then continued forward, his dark eyes raking over the assembled Enemy. But the Allies were just as nervous as the representatives of the Darkness were. They didn't know who this other griffon rider was either! An unknown factor introduced by an uncaring Fate.

The second griffon rider glanced over his shoulder at Jared, who still stood with his head down in deep thought, before looking over to the Lord of Dragons, just now being helped to his feet by a disappointed Ertann. The dark general commented as he dusted his errant ally off.

"Your timely intervention has prevented the shedding of innocent blood, Kurtis," the cholim tightly noted.

At that, Jared's head snapped back up as he found himself staring at the other rider. Kurtis? As in the last Lord of Griffons at the end of the Second War of Balance? The one that proposed putting Sam and Nikeera into stasis to call back in the future in order to save the flights??

Catching the motion of Jared lifting his head, Kurtis looked at him and winked. Then he was turning back to the cholim general.

"Hardly, Ertann," he said with a low laugh. "I just wanted to save a nasty stain on your nice, clean floor from Jared pinning your lap dog to it like a bug!"

The Allies broke into loud laughter at that, causing Karluran to blush angrily. Which, of course, forced the annoyed cholim general to spend several seconds calming his ally. But, just as the Lord of Dragons was beginning to turn away, he suddenly spun to lunch towards a frowning Jared, barely held back by Ertann's long and wiry arms, his face contorted with hate and rage, his arm outstretched in a clutching gesture.

"FOOL!" Karluran snarled. "You've escaped this time. But, in thirty days, I will not be so merciful!"

In a silent response, Jared touched the cut on his cheek, thankfully clear of corrupting dark magic, then drew his hand across his throat in an unmistakable gesture, earning an approving grin from Kurtis. The Lord of Dragons snarled, then roughly pulled himself out of Ertann's hands and stumble back into the crowd behind them. Still dazedly shaking their heads, Karluran's two wingmen stumbled after him, released by a grim Aaron.

Kurtis then folded his arms slowly and deliberately.

"It is said!" he stated flatly, eyes narrowed as they focussed on the cholim general. Ertann turned back to face the Allies, his narrow, dark face calm once more.

"It is said," he repeated, then continued. "In thirty days the Legions of the Harbingers will move across the River Synn and into the Lands of Sanctuary. We will meet your armies soon after in combat. Agreed?" He turned to ask the Enemy.

"AGREED!" they shouted with one voice.

Nodding, Ertann then turned back to the Allies with a bleak smile, malevolence twinkling in his dark eyes.

"Agreed?" he asked softly. Kurtis pursed his lips and looked over at Jared, who was looking back to Aaron to note his reaction.

The tall tuathan monarch hesitated then turned to face the assembled Allies. There wasn't a sound from them. But the tall tuathan saw and noted the barely perceptible nods. He then turned back to Ertann.

"Agreed," he said, suddenly more tired than he had ever been in his long life.

It had finally started. The Third War of Balance. There was no turning back now! From this point, it would be a thirty day race to see if they could raise a big enough army to halt the sure extinction of what was left of the races of Light!

Erann nodded his own head in response to the answer and stepped back, his arms upraised.

"Write it down!" the cholim general roared, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. "We have a WAR of BALANCE!"

With a flash of brilliant light, his last words were inscribed into the book on the pedestal. As soon as the last word was down, the book slammed shut of its own accord and the tome on its pedestal began to slink with a gentle vibration. Until it was once again a part of the floor, the Book of War gone completely from sight.

As the book vanished from sight, Ertann tugged his hood back up and, with a swirl of his cloak, he had gone back into the crowded Enemy ranks. With a low murmur of satisfaction, the assembled Enemy turned in on itself to follow, slowly filing away into the darkness. Only moments later three long, dark shapes arose into the light streaming in from the open cone.

"Thirty days, lightlings!" Ertann cried from the center dragon and then, translucent wings flapping hard, the dragon rose up and out of Tammen Gall.

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