Dragon Wars Book 1 Pt. 01

Simply to know the locations and ensure he has the staff to bring in reinforcements when needed at various locations. He is a Half-Dragon and a descendant of our Bronze Dragon King's line even. He was the best one for the job and has been working this for over 150 years already, a century as a General or higher.

We now know he has the backing of the Gods including ours. Yes, Sartior made an appearance with the others. He sent me a message. 'We are where we need to be, and this new Grand Field Marshal will work to save lives over land when the time comes. He knows there is too much open space for the enemy to attack from below.'

That will force a shrinking of the Elven borders. It is inevitable but lives win wars, not land and he knows that is true to a point. Provided we can feed everyone alive on what land we have. He worked the diplomatic efforts to secure the 3 remaining human Kingdoms.

3 others were destroyed in the battles that followed, but those were humans against dragons. Yet 3 human kingdoms are in the Alliance. He has spies everywhere, except here. They use rings of polymorph and many are Half-Dragons with psionic talents or Half-Elven Abominations working for the Elven King's Diplomatic Service.

Some work for the army directly to provide double coverage in worrisome areas. King Goldeagle is protected from psionic intrusion but his aids and this General Golden Sword provide enough for us to know that Tallion was not his choice at all.

He would never consider Tallion for the role. He wanted a 'High Elf' and had 6-12 names under consideration. Yet Tallion has the experience and the arguments of a replacement would occur after he has died. Yet the position will be appointed by the Gods based on their support of the Alliance.

Tallion sees us all as equals in this fight. Not supporting just one race or just the 'High and Mighty Gold Elves' if you will on the Elven side. King Goldeagle has those he deems worthy as 'High Elves' everywhere through the power structure and the various Academies.

King Goldeagle's rule is due to his first wife and their only son. He knows he is on a short leash. If he steps out of line again his wife will likely rule until his children are of age, or should I say, child.

Possibly longer as she does not plan to step down unless she has a good heir replacement in place of her choosing. His son or another she has afterward. The King does not go to her chambers often, preferring the other 2 wives. Things you learn from Gold Elf Generals and handmaidens to the Queen.

The candidate has to be a strong supporter of all factions over just one. Tallion believes we survive if the Alliance survives. Only a declared Champion of the Gods will be appointed to that position as too much is at stake. Our input should be to our champions to adopt this philosophy if they ever want to be considered for the role in the future."

The Gold Dragon King nodded, "We all have champions to talk with and we keep them unknown, even from each other for now. Bahamut will let us or our Champion know directly if they are the next Grand Field Marshal. For now, he gets what support we can give him without jeopardizing our reproductive schedules.

Rebuild our fertile portion of the population is a key goal and they gave us a very defensible and large location from which to work from. 70 years and we will have a boom in our fertility. We have to avoid going into the reserves too deeply and too quickly. Those beyond breeding age are eligible for combat, including Kings and Queens in the front waves of this conflict."

They all nodded their understanding of his position. The position he was chosen to fill.

---

Tallion carried only 6 crystals on him these days and 3 went to his wives. He left the store with a 7th crystal, a matched pair, and another wedding ring when he contacted them much earlier in the day than they expected. "Meet me at the church for Naralis Analor, we have a wedding to see too."

He heard the 3 of them screaming for joy at him adding this 4th wife to the family. They knew he took their advice seriously and Branina always knew what personality types he liked, as she had helped to pick out the other 3.

Branina also knew it would be an early night filled with rancorous unbridled sex and she was thrilled at that very thought that she started getting wet already. She knew the new bride Vilmora would be first, then she and the others in order.

She hoped Flora would be in heat tonight, Vilmora would be in for a show and an experience she would never forget. In fact, she would likely look forward to the events in the future.

The 3 of them got together and teleported outside of the Grand Cathedral to Naralis Analor in the city once outside their home. Tallion's eyes went big and Flora knew her pheromones had just started kicking in, she would be pregnant before morning, not that the sex would stop for days. He had 3 other women to get through first.

They walked down and found the new bride who smiled at them and then went to a side room that had a cleric waiting for them.

Cleric Silver Bowl looked at the ladies, "These are all of your wives?"

Tallion nodded, "Yes."

Cleric Silver Bowl sighed, "You know you can have only 3 wives, correct?"

Tallion smiled, "3 elven wives. One is not Elven and with the way the laws are written currently, Half-Dragon or Half-Elven brides are not counted in those numbers."

Flora unruffled and flapped her wings to prove the point. Vilmora looked at Cleric Silver Bowl, "I am of age today, have agreed, and I am infertile based on divination from 3 clerics, including you. So this takes nothing away from any other potential suitors.

I have had none and will be in service to Field Marshal Silvertree here as his personal cleric in the field. Along with 2 of his wives who are infertile now, the only fertile one he has left is Flora the Gold Half-Dragon who is flapping her wings to let you know she is in a hurry for some reason."

Branina smiled, "Because she just started going into heat. We expected it to occur any day now. You have not lived until you have seen the primal mating habits of 2 Half-Dragons tearing into each other."

Cleric Silver Bowl sighed as Tallion slid his paperwork into the open book the cleric held. He saw the title and looked up, "Grand Field Marshal and Champion of Corellon? A Half-Dragon and a Duke?!"

The wives all turned to look at him as Tallion nodded, "Not to be shared. It will leak out here and there, but my family and I will become targets of the enemy eventually."

Cleric Silver Bowl nodded, "All the existing wives renew their vows to Tallion with the full agreement of adding Vilmora to your Family?"

They all said "I do." in order.

The cleric sighed again, "Valmora, do take Tallion into your heart and bed until the day you are separated by death?"

Vilmora smiled, "I absolutely do. For him and his other wives."

The cleric rolled his eyes and nodded, "Do you..."

Tallion interrupted, "I do and if I don't get out of this room soon you will get that experience with 2Half-Dragons in this room."

The cleric sighed, "Then place the ring, kiss your wife, and you are married."

Tallion did just that, "Flora you go ahead and check on the children. I will take the rest of them to the bedroom. We will walk back while you teleport ahead."

Flora ran out of the room and Tallion did everything he could to contain himself from running after her. Vilmora looked up, "Corellon made you his champion?"

Tallion sighed, "Home when we are secure. We will discuss it. Though tonight is a bad night for talking given Flora is in heat."

Vilmora asked, "Should I wait until tomorrow night for you?"

Tallion shook his head, "She will be in heat for 3 days, I could add to that count during that time. More children in her every night potentially, though that has not been the case. The numbers have been reasonable thus far."

Tallion pulled a crystal to General Golden Sword, "Fair warning, Flora is in heat. Contact me when you need to but my response times might be slowed."

General Golden Sword laughed, "All quiet thus far."

Tallion sighed, "Ensure all clerics and druids have earthquake spells and weather spells if they can handle them. All mages, rock to mud, and earthquake spells. The biggest unknown is when the Drow will strike, and where. We need to seal any breaches we find as fast as we find them.

Any missing scout patrols should receive a heavy response. My biggest concern right now. Chromatic Dragons are regrouping and unless they have a strong leader, not likely to come in numbers yet.

Those spells help for land assaults as well but will be devastating to breaches if they occur. Pass the word. Ships, force walls, and weather spells like call lightning and snowstorms to put out fires. Those are the big ones."

General Gold Sword chuckled, "I will send the word to all units to make spell changes accordingly."

Tallion sighed, "With the King's permission, you are the new Elven Field Marshal over Elven forces right now and going forward. See if he agrees. I know he wants a Gold Elf in that position and with me taking over this new one, it opens the door."

General Golden Sword smiled, "He is in the room and is nodding his agreement. Your focus is on the entire world, mine will be on relaying your orders and getting those spells changed out while overseeing the Elven contingent as your right hand."

Tallion sighed, "Diplomatic front, anything happens from underground, the King will need to contact the 2 dwarven strongholds, even if they have not contacted us as they have held on joining us fully yet. It was alluded to twice already in the meeting earlier. We cut off any attacks from underground, where will they go next? I am looking ahead, Your Majesty."

King Goldeagle smiled, "We will wait and see what transpires. Flora being in heat generally means you are off the field for a few days. If something happens, we will contact you."

The crystal went dead. Field Marshal Golden Sword had been promoted and sworn in 20 minutes before the contact. He chuckled and went about sending out the new orders.

---

Flora teleported home and spoke with the nanny, Crisna, a Half-Elven woman they took in to help get her off the street 15 years earlier. Flora smiled, "The children doing well?"

Crisna smiled back, "Thus far. They are teething. The newborns. You usually go into heat when that occurs."

Flora smiled, "I am and he knows it. We added another wife today. That gives him 3 Elven wives. My being a Half-Dragon muddies the water. We chose an infertile Cleric to have their backs in the field."

Crisna smiled. "I've seen him naked on many occasions. Does he know we spend time together when they are all in the field?"

Flora smiled, "They all know and it was agreed upon. He needed one with healing skills in the field else he might have taken you as a bride as well. It is still a possibility, being a Half-Elf of Moon elf lineage."

Crisna smiled, "I have no interest in males or being a mother myself. What he packs between his legs is another matter. That thing scares the hell out of me. What we do together is slow and loving, mostly. Until you get your fist and arm into me. What you 2 do when you are in heat is primal and fast."

Flora nodded, "I know, I enjoy both, but from him, I am wanting primal and fast even when I am not in heat, though it is limited, except with that ring I made him. Gods I love that ring! You notice the other wives are all nice to you. They know your role with the children and keeping me entertained when the wives and he are away so often.

That is why you have such a large bed because it was expected by them. I have an agreement to keep you out of our marriage bed unless they all participate. Nothing says you have to be a wife.

Yet, he could sense your disdain for males. Especially those who do not believe you should be in the city even. He was the first to agree to this arrangement. 'It was only fair,' he said."

Crisna asked, "What if I became one of his wives?"

Flora smiles, "Then your lack of skills and being here means you would likely be a mother. You would have to love him as much as the others. You want me to suggest the idea? We have our very own cleric now who could perform the ceremony?"

Crisna sighed, "I am not a virgin as you know."

Flora smiled, "Branina and Teresna were both widowed in the wars when he married them. They gave him 8 children. I have given him 12 so far and was a virgin the first night. I went into heat immediately! The other wives got quite a show. He would not object to having more children. He just does not want you uncomfortable. Why he has never approached the subject with you."

Crisna smiled, "Then he is interested in me?"

Flora took her up to the room, "They are walking back. My pheromones were getting to be too much in that small room. It buys Tallion time to do the new bride, or brides if you agree. The other wives before he works to spend the next 3 days ravaging me."

She walked over to a shelf that had trophies on it. She brought it down and showed it to her, "2nd place, Cross Academy Blade Singer Tournament. He was only married to Branina at the time. The other is 1st place from 5 years earlier. She helped to choose all the future wives, including you."

Flora reached her hand in and pulled out a dust-covered box and opened it to show her a wedding ring, "Branina and Tallion bought that together the day you were hired, 15 years ago. He could sense your reservations. She could see the lust in your eyes, especially for me. She insisted on having it if the occasion ever arrived. Now you know the rest of the story."

Crisna pointed at the trophy, "I figured he would have gotten first place again."

Flora smiled, "He did. He asked Branina to cast detect magic and look over the opponent. She was a much higher level of a caster than he was at the time. Not counting the cloak of non-detection, he had 4 other magical items on him she detected, including boots of speed.

She pointed it out to judges before the match started. They removed the cloak and found 6 items on him, but they let him keep them. They stated, 'He was facing a Half-Dragon who had too many advantages. This leveled the field.' Tallion asked, 'I am allowed to bring these advantages into play? As I had not in previous matches.'

They relented on that point. He unbound his wings and flared them out at the beginning of the match. The boy nearly pissed himself. The boy went to cast a spell. Tallion charged forward, knocked the practice sword out of his hand, and the circle. Tallion hit him with a lightning-breath weapon to the face and wing-buffed him out of the circle.

They wanted to disqualify him, the boy was a Golden Crown heir, far down the list. Dead now obviously. Yet Tallion and his Grand Master pointed out that the boy had used those items in every match, not just against Tallion. An agreement was reached.

The boy was awarded first place, so the royal family would save face, Half-Dragons were barred from Cross Academy Blade Singer tournaments except against other Half-Dragons in a separate category going forward. He had won twice before and the one 5 years earlier for the Cross Academy though he fought a different opponent.

He did not care about trophies. He cared about honor on the field. He made the argument, successfully, that the boy lacked honor. Not by cheating him, but cheating every other opponent in the previous matches to even be facing him by having that gear on.

They could not leave the field, and he had checked the boy himself earlier, he only spotted 2 items at that time. That was when he asked me to do it, to know if there was more. He was doing way better and moving faster in an earlier match, his first, against the previous champion of that Academy.

Queen Golden Crown ordered the transcripts of the decision sealed from everyone. The boy found he needed to atone for his action, which from what I heard he did. He eventually returned the trophy as part of his atonement, though it was never sent to Tallion.

That would have required breaking the seal the Queen put in place. Tallion did not care as he taught a valuable lesson to others instead. Tallion trained 3 Blade Singers, all Half-Dragons when the time came.

When he was made a General he stopped training by not accepting any recruits. He did not have the time to dedicate to them and they were only required to train 1 other. He had done 3, all of whom became local champions at the Academy.

The Cross Academy Tournament was the only one where Half-Dragons had to compete separately. He was the only one bringing them, they would go and he would talk with those that won and those that lost.

He provided guidance to them, though his students were barred from competing as there were no competitors for them to face. His actions in battle would define him going forward in protecting the Elven people. Queen Golden Crown never spoke to Tallion about the tournament or for any other reason.

She did decree in High Elf lands that no Half-Dragons could be trained as Blade Singers. She felt that was an affront to the Gods. Now she is dead, and he is the Grand Field Marshal over all of the allied forces as of today."

Crisna looked shocked, "King Goldeagle chose him?"

Tallion walked in with the other ladies and sealed the room. "No. Corellon chose me with the backing of 30 to 40 other Gods from humans, gnomes, halflings, and dragons backing the decision. The Dwarven gods agreed that when their people signed on they would support the ruling that was made. As no Dwarven representatives were there, it was a moot point today.

He considered it a compromise, because of my mixed heritage, but I was the best candidate they have at the moment. Eventually, it will be another, also chosen by the Gods. That one role, to coordinate the battle strategies over the world fell on my shoulders today when he named me his Champion.

Corellon stated the position could only be filled by a chosen Champion from the Gods known to all in the Alliance. I am a placeholder to stem the flow of blood until I die and another is selected to fill that role."

The Lady of Dreams appeared in the room and everyone took a knee, "Corellon's choice of words was not meant to be a slight against your heritage, though many have seen it that way. Including King Goldeagle, Queen Goldeagle, Duke Golden Sword, and yourself. I am here to correct that perception now.

I will be visiting the King's Dreams tonight to set that record straight with him. He had already made General Golden Sword the new Field Marshal for Elven forces when you contacted him. I will send him a short message in his dreams as well and one to the Queen.

Your plans and his aligned, though he thought he got away with something. You are not a placeholder. With as much activity that is going on you see where compromises and hard choices have to be made.

You are the only one who is seeing the world this way at the moment who is on the field. Keep in mind we helped to create you as did Bahamut. You had to prove yourself every day and every step of the way because of that heritage like Crisna has to do.

That will continue, because of your heritage and those around you. Corellon made you his champion because you were the most qualified and you bridged the initial gap between the Dragons Alliance and Elven Alliance. Without you, our people would not stand a chance in what they are facing.

In 100 or 500 years another champion might be in that position, maybe even longer. When Dragon Wars happen, we cannot predict when our people will die. A Dragon Champion is most likely to follow you. Again, 100 years from now or 500 years from now.

Then another Elven champion, maybe even a Half-Elf champion one day as you have opened doors. Too much is at stake to discuss what-if situations. Have Vilmora officiate the marriage for Crisna.