Armies of the Dragon (Book 2 after Warriors of the Dragon)

Earth & Fire

A/N: You'll be glad I cut this chapter into three. It was way too long!

Isolde woke when the first sun's rays crept over the trees and found she was in a cold room. Her eyes darted to the overly small fireplace. The fire had burned out and the old stone building was colder than she thought possible at the end of the summer. She got up and Markus knocked on her door.

"Hey, are you up?" his voice was muffled by the door.

"Yes! I'll be right there." He heard her response. Even though it was quiet in the tavern, Markus couldn't bring himself to be more than a room away from her. Even though they were supposedly safe in Earth Kingdom Territory, something about the Princess in her tattered dress was making him nervous about commoners taking advantage. He tried to get Boris awake, but it was like waking Turrock during the winter... he thought to himself. He left him a note even though he was fairly sure his old childhood friend Boris had never learned to read. He was the butcher's boy back where they were from outside of the city of Valhalla. Markus had been the reason Boris had joined the army and somehow Boris' size or maybe it was his kind stubborn heart, he became a 'Browncoat' or dragon rider of the Earth Kingdom forces. His dragon seemed to fit his personality and was big, stubborn, and had a soft heart just like Boris.

Isolde was ready quickly and Markus had left all the money he had with the innkeeper before they dashed to get to the dragons.

"Where's Boris?" Isolde asked before she drank as much water as she could manage from the water pouch she had attached to Sabine.

"I couldn't get him up. I left him a note. Maybe he'll get someone to read it to him. Knowing him, he'll be asleep until midday." Markus answered, feeling a pounding in his head from the mead he had last night as he climbed up onto Turrock using the straps from his thick leather saddle. When he got to the saddle, he had a better view of Boris' large Wyvern named Brawl that was sleeping beside Turrock with his leathery brown head on the long bones of his thick wings. Markus could see the teeth of his bottom jaw from his underbite and the wrinkles between Brawl's eyes that stretched up onto his forehead and reminded him a little bit of the slight worry lines on Boris' forehead.

"Okay, let's go." Isolde said resolutely, feeling her stomach slosh with water as she positioned herself in Sabine's smooth, worn saddle and hoped that the water would be enough to prevent her from feeling sick from the overly strong red wine she had drank last night.

*

They flew as fast as the wings could carry them and after a long journey over forests, towns, and villages, Isolde and Markus were glad to see the dark city of Gaul. It was one of the most heavily armed cities in Earth Kingdom Territory due to its location close to many of the other Territories like naiad and the edge of Undine territory where sometimes Duvendis could be seen flying. The stone of the square castle was charred black in many areas from the dragons that frequented it. It housed the largest dragon breeding and training facility in the Earth Kingdom located at one large end of the castle. Often instead of meeting in Kings City where the Royal Court and Noble Council resided, the Earth King would choose to meet allies like Duvendis, Undine, and Naiads in Gaul. It was a show of force to see the many soldiers training in the expansive grounds and the upper floors of the towering castle had guest suites that were suitable for nobility with dragons, though some of the more affluent and less militant nobles would often complain about the minimal décor and lack of lavish bathing pools in their chambers. The naiads never stayed long, because instead of hot water always filling the bathing pools, they had to summon the maid to fill the trough with hot water and then they would get mad that not only is the bathing tub small, but the water never stayed warm long enough for them.