Dragon Tide Chronicles: Dawn Rising

Chapter 73: Requiem of Chaos

Chapter 73: Requiem of Chaos

Xah’mmad lands next to us, a grave expression on his face. “Come, Danica, Alexander. The battle has begun, and we must intercept him. He moves to destroy Order as soon as possible, and the major symbol of Order is…”

A bead of sweat forms and rolls down my cheek. “Is… what?”

He regards me with a sad eye. “Civilization is the ultimate accomplishment of Order. If Ramok wipes out the nations, the world is done for. However, I will buy us enough time to confront him.”

I clench my teeth together in frusteration. “How?!”

The dragon arcs his might head high into the air, and lets out a deafening, trumpeting roar that resounds across the land, reverberating with the great ancient power he possesses.

The call spreads across the globe, sweeping high and low. As the ancient wyrms and their young drakes hear it, they add their own Voice to it, a growing Call that soon ignites the whole realm of dragons itself. Soon, not a trace of the sky can be seen, so great their numbers. And for the first time, a Chromatic crosses paths with a Metallic, a bitter enemy, and they idly acknowledge each other briefly, before setting their true course in motion. The Shatterer, the Betrayer, he has risen, and it is he who created the nightmare in the hearts of mortals, that fear that makes all who behold them hate and despise them. Far too long, the Dragons suffered under the curse of Ramok’s betrayal.

The dragons go to war, with the intent to kill. Their cries of battle sing of a time long before them, created by ancestral memory. Historians have only seen evidence of a Dragon War once before. The conflict had been terrible, yet it was against a superior foe. Dragonkin had only once before united, and in their tongue, war is, ‘Drakio Maliafes’. It took a long time to learn, but the term means in Ancient Dragonic,

A Dragon’s Tide.

Screaming, the great host of dragons descend on their betrayer, once a brother in talon and fang. The might beast Ramok struggled under the surge of fire and fang, his enemies far too small to hit, like a swarm of bees. Ramok is forced to abandon his hate filled course of destruction, and desperately attempts to shake his opponents, used to doing battle with far greater dragons in size. His scream of frusteration sends them scattering, but they quickly regroup, incensed by their fury.

Xah’mmad and Alexander watch the Scry Sphere with grim expressions as we fly towards that violent scene.

“Do you think they can stop him?” Alexander asks softly.

“Of course not. They may be fast, but if Ramok can assess the situation, he will find a solution. He may be insane, but that DOESN’T mean he’s stupid.” Xah’mmad replies bitterly.

My thoughts are filled with worry, for the dragons. “Will they be ok?”

Alexander gives me a look. “Have some faith, that’s every able-bodied dragon on the PLANET. They’ll be fine, even if Ramok beats them. He’s not interested in them at the moment.”

He was right, Ramok was still focused on AVOIDING them. If he focused his attention, he probably could deal with them quickly. And quickly indeed he is.

Soon, the battle against their hated brother turns, Ramok, utilizing his superior size and strength, whips his mighty wings about, causing miniature hurricanes to toss and whale on the much smaller dragons, sending them scattering. As it continues, with fewer and few dragons returning, Xah’mmad grows ill with worry.

Soon, the scene fades into view, and just as well, as he swats away the last standing dragon. His savage eyes look around in satisfaction, and he appears to be about to fly off again, when Xah’mmad sends out a mighty roar.