Dragon's Khu'meir

Chapter TwentyFour

The war table was huge. Around it were a great many dragons all in heavy armor bearing weapons and different kinds. The table depicted a huge map and outlined across it were the kingdoms that I'd kept hearing about quite often. There were a few others that I didn't recognize but they were out to the outliers of the map. Maybe I'd ask Nakiirn about it later.

Natirien leaned over the edge of the table and began moving the pieces that were placed across the map as he spoke. "Their movements are becoming more strategic. Rather than attacking us head on, they're attacking our smaller settlements. In doing so, they're dwindling our numbers. Their overwhelming warriors have washed over our settlements like a tidal wave. Those that had been stationed there as simple guards were easily disposed of.

"We have attempted to intercept their groups with no avail. It seems they're always one step ahead of us," Natirien added on a sigh. He'd finished moving the pieces around and leaned back. I wasn't a warrior, nor was I good with battle plans, but what I was looking at on the table was clearly a massacre -and it wasn't a good sign for us. Red dragon pieces that indicated the enemy had grown in number since beginning our discussion. The blue pieces that had represented the king and his men, were few in number and most of them were centered around a spot on the map where I could only assume our present location was at.

I was standing at the far wall, away from the door we had come through. And from where I stood, I had the perfect view of the table on the raised section of floor. Nakiirn was standing next to his father, his back to me. Dakoya was just next to him, but slightly turned so I could only just see his face. Taisei was on the opposite side of the room, though I wasn't sure if it had been Nakiirn who had told him to be there to keep away from me, or if it was just a coincidence. Either way, he was far away enough that I didn't have to pay him any attention. Even though I had seen him so little since our children were born, it was still a little unsettling to be in the same room as him.

Speaking of, before we had come to the war room, I had asked Orion to look after our little ones. I knew him and trusted him more than any other dragon in the palace, besides the three dragons I knew in the war room of course. Namor had not wanted to let me go, but was convinced after Orion had shown him a small bit of raw meat. It was the first time I had seen Namor try to breath fire. It was so cute to watch him fail and get annoyed at himself. The others however had been easily persuaded to go with Orion and for a moment it stung a bit, only because that had been the first time I was going to be away from them for a long period of time.

I was pulled back to the meeting as one of the dragons spoke loudly to catch my attention. He was tall, taller than Nakiirn, and seemed quite bossy to me. His voice sounded almost demanding of respect.

"Your Majesty, we should pull back to the palace. Their current path will bring them to our gates in a few days' time."

"Sataima is right, your majesty," another dragon spoke up. This one was not as tall, nor as firmly spoken as the first.

Natirien looked between the two then glanced over to Nakiirn. "What of you, Nakiirn. What do you think?"

Nakiirn seemed to straighten where he stood and looked around, likely to meet the eyes of his fellow dragon warriors. "I believe this might be our best path, Hathos. We have lost many of the outer settlements. What we can do is call back those that are still in the remaining towns. Evacuate the citizens and shelter them here at the palace. We can fortify our hold here far better than we could out there."

"Not to mention bringing more fighters back to our walls," Taisei offered from the other end of the table.

I didn't want to agree with Taisei, but he had a point. It would be better if we had more fighters here. Because that way, if there was an attack, we might have the numbers. But that didn't mean I was any less worried than before.