Fall of the Dragon Capital (2)

"Is it so serious?" he asked a rhetorical question.

"We would know," Ronu proposed, "there's a supply wagon in the back of the detachment. We could follow, and then we'd see."

"Draw your weapons, and if you are taken prisoner, surrender," ordered the general.

The detachment stood in the woods for about an hour, waiting for reinforcements from the south. As a result, about half a thousand men armed with cheap swords and spears gathered at the edge of the forest, barely hidden by green vegetation, and waited for a signal from the others. Around six o'clock a small sun suddenly flashed on the central tower beside the ringing of the bell, someone was using a mirror to communicate with the men trapped in the woods.

Suddenly, the detachment stirred and moved. Barely out of the forest, they see traders could be seen pulling crooked sabers and crossbows from beneath their robes. Arrow-struck guards fell from the high walls of the city, the gates could not be closed quickly as the spies infiltrated every alleyway and took control of the main posts.

An alarm went up in the city, but the rushing crowd crushed the guards who fled to the gates. It turned out that capturing the capital was not that difficult. Still, fierce fighting spilled a lot of blood. The inhabitants of the city hastily hid in their houses, and the rebels took them into custody.

Dozens of palace warriors knelt in the center of the city. The last rays of sunlight illuminated the frightened faces. The rebels executed the guards one by one, showing no mercy for anyone. Liam and the marshal and the others huddled closer to the rebels, though they were disgusted by what was happening. By eight o'clock in the evening, there was no one left of the city guards.

This looked very strange. The rebels expected there to be more resistance, but taking out the palace warriors was as easy as drowning kittens. Satisfied with their march, the homegrown soldiers began looting the capital.

"So that's it," Liam marveled, "it's all about the money."

"Money, social inequality, religious beliefs, jealousy..." listed Pittsu.

The first thing the rebels began to do was to destroy the dragon's shrines. These were high pillars in the square and many more throughout the city. Tying a rope to them, they used horses to knock the pillar down. As it fell, it crumbled into pieces, among which precious stones could be found.

The rebels also looted stores, eateries, and galleries. The looting continued until late into the night, and carts of valuable cargo continued to ride out of the gates until midnight. Having completely cleared the capital, the rebels began building bonfires throughout the city.

They dragged civilians from their homes, stripped them of their masks, and commanded them to renounce their service to the dragon. All of their talks was more or less understood by Ron, and he explained it to his friends. They had to take part in the looting as much as they could. They carried and loaded food onto wagons, helped tie up loads, led horses, and so forth.

After the moon had risen, the city was filled with heart-rending screams: the rebels were burning people who had not renounced their religion. Liam couldn't stand it, so he huddled in an alley and covered his ears with his hands. The marshal stood beside him, indignant at what was happening and shielding Liam from prying eyes.

"How about another sneak into the palace," the marshal touched Liam's shoulder and he nodded.

After informing the others of his plans, Pittsu escorted the Head upstairs to the dragon palace. The marauders had already been here and left many holes and swords in the effigy of Zhu-Er, so that it looked like a needle cushion. Liam looked around confused, not knowing what to look for.

He went through several open rooms, then down into the basement. The narrow, dark stairs were damp and slippery, so Liam couldn't go down fast enough. Marshall supported him by the arm, going down first. The basement was dark. After swerving in all directions, they realized they would have to go back for the torch.

While Liam waited, Pittsu quickly brought two torches, and, armed with the light, they stood in front of two corridors. Deciding to split up, they went each in their own direction. Liam's corridor gradually went downhill in a spiral. As he descended, to his surprise, he met Pittsu. Their two corridors joined together on the lower level of the basement.

Suddenly a gust of wind extinguished Pittsu's torch and he stumbled back, his hand resting against the thick bars.

"What was that? A wind?" Liam asked.

"It's a prison," the marshal said grimly, probing the bars.

Liam turned and shone his torch in surprise. Before a new gust of wind blew out his torch, his startled gaze caught the emaciated figure behind the bars in the darkness.

"Zhu-Er!!!!"

Liam screamed, terrified, clutching at the bars the thickness of a grown man's wrist. In answer to his cry, an agonizing groan of misery came from deep within the dungeon.

"Oh God, Zhu-Er, it's really you!!! I have come, I have found you, forgive me friend!"

Liam was distraught and shouted his apologies and words of joy into the darkness. After a moment of weakness, he drew his sword and, putting all his strength into it, struck the bars. The marshal helped him and together they cleared enough of an opening to get through.

"Please contact the general and have them run in here!" he asked Pittsu and, stumbling, walked blindly forward.

When he reached his friend, Liam hugged him and stroked him, feeling the scars and fresh wounds on his skin. He spoke affectionately to Zhu-Er, but the dragon didn't seem very aware of who was beside him and flinched in fear and pain. A few minutes later, footsteps were heard, and a bright light illuminated the dungeon "Ronu and the general had arrived. The dragon was startled when he saw the light and crouched in a far corner.

"Stand back," Liam shouted, "he's been regularly mocked, he's afraid of people with torches," Liam felt a new wave of tears traitorously burst the dam of his composure.

He wiped his damp eyes with a quick movement and placed his hands on Zhu-Er's cold scales again. Ronu gave his torch to the general and, throwing his leg over, climbed through the bars. In the weak light he examined the dragon, listened to its breathing, peered into its eye sockets and jaws. Then he took Liam aside and said:

"I'm sorry, but he's really been mistreated all this time. He's exhausted and dehydrated, but much more dangerous is his state of mind. He recognizes no one and is driven only by his instincts. He doesn't even have the strength to get back on his feet on his own. It will take a long time to recover him."

"Then we'll use the medallion," Liam said firmly.

Ronu nodded silently and retrieved a neat bundle from his robes. Unwrapping the silk handkerchief, he took the artifact, tossed it into the air, and it fell like a golden lasso around Zhu-Er's neck. In an instant, the dragon's enormous body glowed and began to shrink before the astonished people's eyes, and the result was a haggard, naked young man lying on the ground.

Ronu rummaged through his bag and pulled out some spare clothes. During the transformation, the heavy shackles had fallen from Zhu-Er and now lay as an ugly reminder of centuries of humiliation next to the puny child's body on the ground. Liam grimaced in pain at the sight of the chains and gently slipped his pants and shirt over the young man.

Zhu-er lay there with his eyes wide open, but he couldn't perceive anything around him. Then Liam took him in his arms, and he seemed lighter than a feather. Still shaken by the latest events, Pittsu and Tishow lit the way up and, in silence, followed beside Liam and Ronu.

Liam looked back at the dungeon one more time before he left, and his heart clenched with pain. Chasing away the tears that were coming, he resolutely went upstairs, toward the light and air, to freedom, to give his tormented friend a breath of life.

Night had barely begun to give way to morning, and the whole capital was in the smoke of fires.

The rebels had set the city on fire on four sides, and now it was extremely difficult to breathe. People fled the capital, and our heroes made their way alone between the blazing houses through the widest streets. Eventually, they found themselves trapped in a firetrap. The hot air was scorching, and the ash and smoke squeezed unsolicited tears from their eyes.

"We'll never get out of here!" shouted the marshal.

"Azinoth!"

The general yelled, and suddenly the great dragon Tishow was descending from somewhere in the sky upon the burning square. He had excellent stamina, so the sea of fire and exploding munitions did not frighten him. He obeyed his master's commands with the calm demeanor of a battle dragon, and the men took turns sitting on his back. Then they took to the air and flew toward the portal.

Behind them, the capital of the dragons was ablaze in the darkness of dawn, and refugees were streaming north in small groups, carrying modest belongings in their hands. Many had removed their masks and were astonished to see each other's faces, reacquainting themselves with those who had lived near them for years. People didn't moan or complain, they went to start life anew, counting only on their strength.

Liam cradled Zhu-Er's cold body all the way, and the sunlit clouds reflected in his wide open, trusting eyes. Once there, they descended to the ground, and the general returned Azinoth to his space.

Liam opened the portal and stepped into it first, carrying Zhu-Er, followed by the others. The bright sun was blinding, and Liam squinted: they were standing on the cliff again, surrounded by Tishow's soldiers. It was time to say goodbye, but the general stood still.

"If I destroy this portal, I will need to rebuild the platform to move," Liam said his thoughts aloud, "what to do?"

"Stay a while longer," suggested Tishow, clearly unwilling to let his guests go, "it will take a few days to repair the platform."

The general walked over to Liam and took Zhu-Er from him, then stepped down from the cliff.

"Destroy the portal right now. " Tishow said with a glance at the young man.

Liam nodded and asked the marshal and Ronu to step off the cliff. Then he crossed his arms and, concentrating, released a powerful pulse that burned the spiral to the ground. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Liam checked to see if the portal had crumbled and tried to open it, but as expected, it didn't work. The rock was now just a piece of rock. He turned to face his friends in satisfaction and together they returned to camp.

Under the guidance of Ronu, who was an expert on dragons, Liam took careful care of Zhu-Er, giving him some water every two minutes.

Unfortunately, the rivers on the planet had dried up, or else Zhu-Er would have recovered quickly. Liam stepped out of the tent and looked around. Then put his hand on the ground, trying to feel the energy circulating.

Gradually the core condition improved, so Liam walked a few kilometers deep into the valley and found a dried-up lake. Sitting on the ground, he meditated for two hours, regaining his strength.

When he felt he had rested enough, he immediately poured his energy into the spring that fed the lake. At first, nothing happened and the marshal who came to see what was wrong sat silently beside him.

He yawned and stared sullenly into the distance when suddenly a faint murmur of water reached his ears of genius. He rose to his feet and looked where the sound came from. He had to go down, and then he noticed the ground darkening and a stream flowing from several springs.

Liam continued to pour in his strength, and the marshal ran after Zhu-Er. While he arranged to get the young man to the site, the bottom of the lake was completely covered with water, and it kept coming. The underground springs grew wider and faster. After waiting another half an hour, the marshal and Ronu carefully lowered Zhu-Er into the water.

Ronu gently washed his body and then entered the water with him, holding only his face above the surface. The moment Zhu-er blinked and squinted blissfully, Liam fell unconscious, completely exhausted.