Dragon Wars Book 1 Pt. 03

Baron Silvertree, Ensure you double up on guards for the Estate. I will ensure the same is occurring at all major learning centers across the Kingdom. The Academies and the churches being the big ones. Your team and Field Marshal's Crescent Moon's team all have casters for over 200 locations to teleport to. They can take others where needed. Most evacuations should be handled by land though."

Tallion had a crystal buzzing and Queen Goldeagle nodded. Tallion answered, "Report, I am standing in front of the Queen in open court."

Field Marshal Crescent Moon sighed, "We have reports of almost every ship at sea working to teleport evacuate out any survivors. A few ships were launched hundreds of feet in the air and slammed into the coastlines, new ones. Others found whirlpools and evacuated what they could. I have deployed your men and mine to search for more on the ships still fighting the oceans, in the water, or on the lands that are rising."

Tallion nodded, "Keep at it but inform them to ensure they survive as well. Get the Dragon Field Marshal involved as they can all swim and breath underwater."

Tallion deactivated the crystal and the Queen nodded, "Thank you Tallion. I will work to get you those enchanters. You may go back to the critical work you are doing."

Tallion bowed and he returned to the War Room as he removed the medals and stored them away in a bag of holding one of his wives carried. They felt like lodestones to him around his neck. Tallion answered crystals and deployed people and looked at the map that was next to useless to him.

He spotted a dragon and a Gold Elf who walked in. Tallion sighed and looked at the map. He grabbed the edge and pulled it off the table and cleared it of everything. Tallion looked at them, "Get your books. I need a living breathing map of this continent enchanted into the surface of this table. I don't care how long it takes. I should have looked to have had this done months ago."

The two of them looked perplexed and Tallion looked over, "You are the enchanters I asked for?"

The Gold Elf looked at him, "I have just started casting mythic spells."

The Dragon looked at him, "I was sent, but am in the same situation."

Tallion shook his head and put the old map back on the table, "Go and find the people I ASKED for in your group. Tell them this is costing hundreds if not thousands of lives the longer they delay in getting me what I need!"

Tallion went up to see the Dragon Ambassador, "I asked for the best Dragon enchanter and I get one who can barely cast mythic spells. I need someone who can create a living breathing map for the changes going on in this world. Someone has to have it. Get with the Kings and get me what I need. I cannot address changes to the world if I cannot see them."

Tallion walked out as the Ambassador got on a crystal to the Bronze King, "Tallion just left. He needs a living breathing map of the world for everything that is going on to respond. He said whoever you sent was not talented enough to do the work. He asked for the best."

The Bronze King sighed, "I will come myself. Ensure we have a large section of parchment. I know how his mind works. He is not asking for the spells. He is asking to be able to respond to a world that will be ever-changing for the next year or longer. I can create that request easily enough myself. I will create it here and you can take it to him for me."

The ambassador went out and teleported to Dragon lands.

Tallion was still just as frustrated 2 hours later when the Ambassador walked in and rolled out a new map for Tallion. "The Bronze King did the work himself. Other enchanters are busy right now working on survival in the Dragon lands. He understood your need for this."

Tallion nodded, "Thank him for me, Ambassador."

---

Tallion spent most of the next year in the War Room. He commandeered the room across the hall and had Mala casting up a secure shelter every day for the family to live out of and for him to 'Go home' every few days and spend a couple of hours with the children or making love to different wives.

He had them in shifts as well so they could get him every time an emergency rose. Queen Goldeagle did not mind his using the room as it did not impact her staff at all, they all had food and he used it to bunk his staff as well. It was a clever use of space and saved on time.

The only ones who lived at his home were the 3 Wood Elf cooks who he continued to pay and look after the home. To report any damage so he could get structural engineers to look at it if needed to be fixed.

The new map helped immensely as he worked to move assets in place before evacuations were called for to get more people to safety. That included the destruction of 2 other Moon Elf cities as the plates formed mountains across their location.

Academies and royal compounds were easily saved as they still had crystals for them. Those were a full evacuation over days and emergency evacuations toward the end for the last-minute efforts to pack up the cities.

Then it did it again along the coast for Cromorna and all the way over to Valinta. The entire map shifted over this time, impacting the Snow Elves the most who they evacuated with the now General White Oak and champion of Solonar easing any violence and getting cooperation as the tilt of the world had changed.

The shields had to be shut down as the diamonds in the sky moved outside of the areas, more aptly the land moved away from them as none of the cities still sat on the coast. What became north and south changed with it some. The Dwarves were now south of the Elven Capital city.

The Dragons to the South West. The Avlora Kingdom further off to the east, the oceans between Avlora and Valinta freezing over as part of the northern ice pack. The Chromatics were believed to be further south and into the South-west and South-East shorelines of the continent that hung over the equator now, but they were uncertain of their location.

The system the Dragons used did not account for this big of a shift and was not worldwide. They would work to make it more global in time but now was not the time.

As lands continued to expand westward for hundreds of miles and mostly mountainous with a large swath of desert. All new lands were on the other side of those mountains and only for Valinta. Tallion stayed out of the political discussions that Queen Goldeagle had to deal with them looking at all of their ports. Sea levels rose to 85 feet before they lowered back down to being 15 feet lower than before.

That made the ships in the elven port sit on the floor of the harbor. Dragons moved them all out so excavation work could be done. The King of Cromorna finally settled on a new location with Queen Goldeagle further inland and further south than the dwarves. They would be landlocked with no need for a navy.

Near one of the new mountain ranges that held an elven City previously. It had large waterfalls and a river that ran to the ocean but too narrow for ships. A new Kingdom called Grandfalls. Closer to the Dwarves. Avlora won the land lottery, as far as being accessible by the ocean, as they had miles of land headed to the Far Eastern part of the world.

All the ships in its harbor were moved to the waters by dragons. The farmers would remain but the Capital of Avlora would move further off to the coast by over 150 miles. The latest King Quaranna wanted all new docks and a walled city at the cove he found.

Queen Goldeagle reached agreements with him to run the Elven navy out of the new ports instead of trenching through 78 miles of 'new land' to the older elven port that no longer sat on the Water, at least while the war raged. Avlora bought the ships used and no longer needed by Cromorna.

Valinta shortly followed suit and merged their navy with Avlora's navy, selling them the ships that all humans would use going forward. With the leveling of the land around the port, not in the new lands, Queen Goldeagle decided to turn it into a farming town to help feed the elven people. Over 250 miles away from Avlora and squarely in the elven territory.

---

Loth's Drow rode out the year with many cave-ins and mass destruction of existing buildings. Her 113 million survivors had fallen to 69 Million, She had lost more than the 1.4 Billion people she had when this all started, as her followers had been breeding more, but not enough.

The Deaths since the first fissure showed were at 1.5 Billion people. Those numbers continued to fall as her people fought for land, resources, and slaves amongst themselves. In this world, she was heavily weakened. 2 elven champions did most of this damage and one still lived as far as she knew.

The Under Dark Layers shifted as well, a globe inside of a globe that broke their existing bearings, but Loth had no idea by how much just yet. She cared not that over 50% of those deaths were in internal wars she had allowed over that time.

Another 30% were from wars she launched at the surface. The rest from wars her followers had amongst each other and what the elves did. She still blamed Corellon and the Elves for her dilemma and IO for resetting the fucking board on this world.

The Lady of Dreams who took her champion off the field and Corellon's champion whose efforts worked to kill over 187 million of her people by Drowning and crushing them to death for the attacks the Drow launched against the elven people. She stewed in her hatred of what was going on with this world.

This abomination Tallion Silvertree. Then IO with his request to reset the board. They were both on the top of her mind. All previously known tunnels were collapsed, her people divided into 2 groups knowing of the survival of the others through magical communication, teleportation, and the clergy when Loth bothered to respond.

The 'ocean attack' had collapsed everything on the other side of 'The Waste' which filled in the crevasse that had been there since the beginning, partially due to the plates getting pushed together and caused it to close. Partially from the volcano that erupted over that area that filled tunnels with toxic steam and smoke until they were sealed.

Getting them to tunnel toward each other to reunite her people proved to be a challenge. Her mages on the surface had died in the days before the Comet. The pact with Null had been broken.

He met her in the Abyss and informed her the day after the meeting with 'The One', "They died in the coastal flooding. The 2 Draco-liches they worked on failed. The dwarves I had are dead and we don't have the lives to create another.

Your males died as well in another part of the city when the building was crushed and the Duergar are no longer an option, being extinct. Averil, Dragonborn, and Duergar. Which race will be next in this world? We have our own problems attempting to recover.

This Abomination Champion of Corellon is a concern to us all, yet the world has not settled and he has struck you hard for your attacks. He destroyed the Duergar who were more numerous than the Averil that Tiamat killed. Tiamat is furious but also amazed by the ruthless manner he has attacked the Drow in all of this.

Right now nature from the cataclysm is our biggest enemy at the moment. The board is not in place and you are on your own for now. If you even survive. We will look at your people again once you surface again. If you ever do on this world."

Null left as he saw how badly wounded she was with what was going on and did not expect the Drow to survive the year on this world. If they did, they would be hunted, bred, and used to make Draco-liches as he had no plans to go digging for corpses he could not use.

---

The Chromatic Dragon Gods did the only thing they could do at that point. A ploy to buy time as they had to buy time. Tiamat, Task, and Null all contacted Sartior to meet on the Astral plane. Sartior agreed, only if Bahamut, Lendys, Hlal, and Tamara were all present as well. The 3 dragons finally agreed to the inclusion of them all.

Tiamat looked across, "IO did not reset this board of this world for us to all fight to kill each other off. He wanted us as the Alpha predators of this world. The planet has finally started to settle. The Dragonborn people are gone at the hands of IO himself in this world.

Million of them he sacrificed because they hunted us. Sartior's kind is the peace bringers. Just because The One stated we would be at war for 10,000 years would not necessarily make it so. We want to open up negotiations for peace upon this world."

IO arrived at the meeting uninvited, "You wish to balance the scale of your forces Tiamat because you lost many for breeding Half-Dragons. You lost many ancients with your attack with your Avatar.

Task's Champion was the first dragon champion to fall. Null's efforts to create a Draco-lich have failed and he is missing supplies he can only get from the elves and dwarves for his sick experiments. This is not an effort for long-lasting peace.

This a ploy to establish a truce. Nothing more. To try and watch the Alliance built by the Metallics fall apart and make the mortal races more available to you. To allow the human race time to rebuild and be viable for the war you wish to have had. You do not seek true peace.

Not yet, and not for long. Easy enough to prove. Will you pull all of your Chromatics away from Humans, Giants, Orcs, Ogres, Kobolds, Drow, and Gnolls. No pursuing of the other Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, Fay, or Centaurs for the same frame of time, else be banished from this world forever? Would you still live in these lands and remain out of their conflicts for the next 10,000 years?"

Tiamat looked at Null who hissed out, "No. You want to deny us cattle for 10,000 years! The resources I need to create Draco-liches for 10,000 years?! NO!"

Tiamat looked over, "A Truce then, for 1,000 years. You working your efforts and us working ours in separate lands. We are on the same continent and we are separated. An adjustment period to adapt to our new surroundings. Caused by the Dragon's Heart Comet."

Bahamut spoke, "You know our alliance with the humans could not stand a truce that long, they would drop out of the efforts. The real reason is you want Tallion Silvertree off the field. To keep him from doing any more harm."

IO laughed, "Yes, but he is not a dragon and not a concern to us. He is a Half-Dragon. Neither is the humans abandoning this Alliance. Or the other races for that matter to both groups, as it will occur on both sides."

Sartior was not happy, "You bring me here to talk peace when all you want is a truce to begin again in 1,000 years. I will keep my neutrals with the Alliance until a lasting peace is what you seek if this is to be done. 1,000 years of peace for the dragons to rebuild."

Bahamut looked at the others. They knew if they did not accept a truce at this point the Alliance would break with the Neutral contingent breaking ranks.

Bahamut looked across, "500 years. This is your one chance to call for a truce. One day I may call for it on our behalf as the Leader of the Metallic Dragons. Not Sartior as he might call one to save you in the future, yet again. It is his threat of division that is saving you now.

Not your request to us, their threat of division. You have to honor it for the same period, and we may only call for them once. We would also ask that IO limit the age on Half-Dragons to that of one and a half-times that of a Half-Elf by humans.

No more than 180 years from now at conception. At the genetic level for metallic, Neutral, and Chromatic Half-Dragons. To keep them from becoming a new race of Dragonborn which you sacrificed for dragon hunting. For all of those not yet conceived.

This will give us some assurances that the human populations and the others you have control over are allowed to recover. As the champion you fear is a Half-Dragon of the Bronze lineage and the reason for this truce, we would ask that it be looked upon as such."

IO thought about Bahaumuts request. He was not denying them life, but if they wanted to bring an army they had to allow the populations to recover first. Limiting the age would be a step in the right direction as 'The One' had stated the Half-Dragons could be worse in the end.

Tiamat glared, "Why would we agree to that?"

Sartior looked at him, "Because Truces are not lasting peace. You spoke of needing time to recover, which includes those whom you would be breeding with. It would limit the number of Half-Dragon combatants after the truce ends.

We do not wish for you, my contingent anyway, to be destroyed as you freely admit you are not wanting peace. Simply an advantage in time to recover from your poor planning. The same advantage IO would require both sides to pledge or the dragons involved are killed.

The Gods who direct the actions are banished from this world forever, for those on either side who should work to break the agreement. With all uncontrolled lands being a no dragon zone based upon existing borders. This would cover those not in the Alliance and not within your grasp currently."

IO thought to 'The One', "Would this be allowed? It would affect the percentages of those who could be bred with. Especially on the chromatic side."

The One responded, "It would be permitted during this time. An interesting solution was proposed by others. We would decrease those allowed to interbreed during a truce to only 1,000 maximum to a single female each by species. Males to a single female, if they die then they are finished. As your populations grow if you will. No age exceptions for fertility during a truce."

IO smiled, "Those breeding in your respective areas would also be limited to no more than 1,000 Dragon for each faction by species and only to a single spawning partner. If the partner dies or becomes infertile then that one is done for those 100 year periods. Not counting existing males in existing consensual polygamy relationships, which are few and not a significant factor for those beyond those in the next 100 years.

To balance the field, there will be 2 females to every male going forward who are counted in these numbers. Restoring fertility to dragons will be my choice and even across species which I will not allow during the truce. No exceptions for dragons infertile by age during a truce.

They become infertile from Half-Dragons, then they will remain that way during the Truce. Aftward, it goes back to the other Gods to restore fertility to all of them and to allow for exceptions for the elderly.

A thousand years of peace among the dragons fighting each other. I will tell you the War clock is not stopped. These truces add years to the fifth age and are not counted toward the 10,000+ years that 'The One' has signified will be the case.

Your alliances with those you have are yours to maintain and support, including the breeding requirements as now modified for a truce. You send your races into hostile lands, and the invaded party can react with Dragon's support. Not under active Dragon control."

IO displayed a map that included most of the world. Yet the Alliance area was 3 and almost 4 times the size of the Chromatics areas.

"Not the invaders. They must stay out of the fighting and out of these neutral zones. Your incentive for keeping the leashes on your dogs' Tiamat. Same for you and your Alliance Bahamut, for those that remain. I do see a division in the humans occurring because of this.

That is not my concern and these dragon free-zones give them time to rebuild free of either group if they choose. Some may join your alliance before the Truce ends. The Chromatics might form a Dark Alliance as well. To work diplomacy through third parties, for these assets to sign into this effort.

Teaching Chromatic Dragons diplomacy should be entertaining to watch. When those Alliances are established those 'spots' on the map will change to reflect the current state of those aligned, and those not aligned. These alliances have to be legal to the rules of the societies you negotiate with."