Dragon Wars Book 2 Pt. 01

Kartanous shut down the stones and stored them. He waited for the door and the King, Queen, and his Grand Master were waiting. The King looked at the sword he wore, "The King's sword?"

Kartanous sighed, "Your chambers. The Queen should join us, Your Majesty."

The King groaned out and they all went upstairs after the vault was sealed. His heir was waiting in the room and bowed to the King and Queen as they walked back in and the King activated the stones.

Kartanous sighed, "The sword is known as the Sword of the Crown. It can only be wielded by a member of the royal family by name, even if they marry into the royal family. As I am Apprentice Kartanous Goldeagle I am qualified to wield it.

It is a relic of the Gold Elf people and this ring has to be worn by the Queen. No other magical rings on that hand can be worn. It is your solemn duty to get it back into the vault until it is needed again when it returns to you. When your son marries it moves to his Queen, the first wife I am assuming is the one who has the keys to the vault.

If the ring is in an extradimensional space or if you are wearing another magical ring on that hand, the sword may be lost when I die. This must be stressed to her as it falls to her and I do not know what the Gods would do to a Queen who failed in this duty.

Else it could be lost or destroyed on the field and end up in enemy hands. No telling what they would do with that. It is the only item I can tell you about from the vault, Your Majesty."

He took his armored shirt off and then his shirt so the King could see the holy symbol now embedded into his young muscular chest. "The Lady of Dreams said I must go alone and she specifically told me to tell you, 'To play nice.'

She does not want my Grand Master going along with me or the other objects to be known. To you or anyone, but those they are given to. I was told they do not belong to the Gold Elf people, Your Majesty."

The Queen took off one ring and slid the other one on and nodded, "Very well, Champion. I was not told why the vault needed to be accessed, just to be there so we could open it. We will make it official now?"

The King shook his head, "Not for another 10 years. When he is finished with his training. Anything else you were told that you can tell us?"

Kartanous thought and nodded, "I know we talked about aerial units, Grand Master. But that is not the case. When I graduate, I am to be sent as a sergeant and you as a lieutenant to General Silvertree until I pass my trial 30 years later.

Then we are to step off the field and each train one more student for each of us. They are sworn to train 10 others once they are Grand Masters with the last 2 being sworn to do the same. Those students at different academies and if we do our jobs, they will both be 3-time tournament champions.

They will likely spend 5 years training fighters and become Grand Masters to do this. This will continue for as long as I can tell. Corellon was concerned about Blade Singers rushing into combat and not enough highly skilled Grand Masters doing the training.

Also, more contentious words. I am the only one who will know who all 4 of the champions are on the field, for now. The future King is a question mark. That both you and your heir should be keeping journals from this day forward and place instructions in your wills that before they are crowned they should read the journals of the previous rulers and not be 'leading blindly.' Their words, Your Majesty."

Queen Goldeagle could not help but laugh at that after their talk last night, "Any doubt about him being a champion is gone now. I will wear this ring, and honor your request. The request of the Gods to safeguard this relic. I will pass along those instructions to my son's first wife.

Impress upon her that it is of more importance than her own life in these matters. Stay out of secure shelters or visiting the Academies that have extra-dimensional spaces in them. What about teleportation blockers?"

Kartanous thought, "What about blockers?"

He heard back, "It is a relic, the entire palace works to block scrying and teleportation based on the materials. It is divine, in nature, and will get through a blocker, but not extra-dimensional spaces. Tell her it was a very good question to ask."

Queen Goldeagle continued, "That goes for you battling inside extra-dimensional spaces as well. Else face the wrath of the Gods if anything happens to that sword."

Kartanous nodded, "Teleportation blockers, the entire palace is set up to work that to a degree. It is a relic it won't be stopped by them as it is divine, in nature. The Lady of Dreams did say it was a very good question to ask as I had not even thought to ask that question."

King Goldeagle sighed, "That goes along with the writ I sent out today on Blade Singers. During a time of war, any 2 or 3-time champion will teach fighters combat skills until they achieve Grand Master Status and train at least 2 students before they can join the war front or continue training from 2-10 students in total before joining the war.

This is in honor of Tallion returning to training and doing 15 Blade Singers with 12 of them after the truce was called. Staying off the front lines to be trainers. For as long as this Alliance stands. How will you get around that?"

Kartanous chuckled, "The Gods saw to that by sticking a magical amulet into my chest. I cannot compete in any more tournaments because of that, Your Majesty."

Grand Master Goldeagle chuckled, "We will serve and train together then?!"

Kartanous shook his head, "After we finish we will be assigned to different commands. I don't know which ones. We have 30 years under General Silvertree together. There must be a lot of knowledge under her to be learned in that time to place us both there."

Grand Master Goldeagle nodded, "True, she is one of the last of Tallion's daughters. Also a Blade Singer, but her father would not train her. She found another to do it. Tallion imparted a lot of advice to her from what I heard.

Not many Half-Dragons pursue that now because of the loss of lifespan. Many felt they could not follow the code to return to train one student for 30 years. By that decree, if they started at 10, got through training by 40, 20 years for trials minimum. You are under order to wait 30 years?"

Kartanous nodded. "They would be 90 years old and 60-90 years on the field if they could still handle a sword by that age. Likely 30-50 years maximum. They could be full-up battlemages in 20-25 years and have no training requirements to do others. Same for Arcane Archers by comparison.

They win 2 or more tournaments and you are talking 50 years old and they could get through 3 students, perhaps as 4 would be pushing it as a dedicated instructor. You can get dressed now and go. My wife has had her eyes opened to your naked muscular chest and her share of laughter at my expense."

Kartanous got his shirt and armor back on along with the cloak. He bowed to the King who unsealed the room and left. Once out of the place he walked quickly to the Market district.

---

King Goldeagle looked at his 2 present sons, "This is what you will have to contend with when dealing with Champions. In the palace, and the field."

They both smiled and bowed to their father and mother before heading back to the Academy for now. His heir Brancart grabbed the previous Queen's journals and took them with him. Queen Goldeagle chuckled as he left. She kissed her husband, "Even a King gets served humble pie on occasion. I know I have as Queen."

The King chuckled and nodded, "Humility and accepting those things I cannot change." He heard the Lady of Dreams chuckle in his head.

---

Kartanous got to the shop, found the enchanter, and told her what he was looking for. She handed him the package and the Lady of Dreams showed him a visual of the village and the house. Kartanous stepped out of the shop and teleported into the village and startled some children at play. He waved to them and knocked on the door.

It was a small home with 2 women and several small children inside as they opened the door. He sighed, "I am Apprentice Goldeagle I was sent to find Shirana Elm."

The lady at the door looked to the other wife and he stepped in. They both did not seem happy about that, "I am here under orders."

Their husband stepped out of a back bedroom as Kartanous set the diplomacy stones down and sealed the house. The husband, Rondalius, glared at the young Gold Elf, "What do you want?"

Kartanous sighed and took his armor and shirt off quickly. To show the symbol in his chest. "I was sent to see the selected Champion of Rillifane Rallathil."

Kartanous dressed and pulled out the cloak, the bow, and the necklace. "You are to put that on, the cloak and the bow are yours. As are those diplomacy stones to secure your home from being heard, teleportation, and scrying. Only discuss this when those stones are active.

I got those from the King just over an hour ago. He does not know who you are. Only I do for now, and the Gods. As soon as you don the necklace I will leave. My being the Champion of Vandria Gilmadrith is not to be known for another 10 years.

Shirana being known is a secret for now. You will receive further guidance once you rest. I have no answers beyond delivering this to you. Moving on to the next champion I have to deliver gear today on behalf of the Gods.

I would say another lesson in humility for those of the royal house. But it is only I who knows and is aimed at making me more humble about my place in all of this as we will all face different foes."

Shirana looked at him, "You expect me to take my shirt..."

Kartanous shook his head, "If you wear his holy symbol, put that on and you will know what I say is true. You do not have to reveal yourself to me. But the house needs to be silenced while you do that."

Shirana grabbed the necklace and put it on. The sound was near deafening in the small house and woke several sleeping children. Kartanous sighed, "Sorry, I will go now."

He tapped the stones and stepped out. He teleported to the Academy in Xantria.

---

Shirana looked inside her shirt and cried out, "By the gods."

She looked at the bow. "Mine is better." She picked it up and it changed in her hands but only to her eyes. She looked at her husband Rondalius and the first wife Dorresna, "Do you see this?" They both shook their heads.

Shirana looked it over, "It looks to me to be a composite longbow. Ironwood, with razor-sharp thorns and runes upon it." She saw a tag on it and looked at it and nearly dropped the bow but caught herself, "Drake Wood's BOW! It has been lost for centuries! This Gold Elf walks in and hands me a Wood Elf Relic!"

Her husband Rondalius looked at her as his jealousy boiled under the surface, "You sure?"

Shirana nodded and then identified the cloak. It took her two attempts to get it and she put it on and then took it off, "Elvenkind with high protection and a god-like non-detection on it. Hard to identify. Something tells me the Gold Elf was not lying."

As Shirana looked inside her shirt, "Like that was not telling enough." She lifted her shirt up to show Rondalius and Dorresna who now saw the glowing holy symbol in her chest between her pert C-cup tits. "I must have been chosen for a reason. I will learn more he said when I rest. Lady of Dreams probably. Not looking forward to seeing her."

She took that tag off, showed it to both of them, and then threw it in the fire to burn, "Ficka Gold Elves had it! All this ficka time locked away like it was a part of a ficka Dragon's horde probably! Well, it's back where it belongs in Wood Elf hands at least. They say don't shoot the messenger, now I'm not so sure."

---

Kartanous spoke with several people and got pointed to the right room. He knocked and the Moon Elf looked at him, "Sorry I am on my way to meet up with a quasi-friend."

Kartanous pushed him into the room, "I am Apprentice Blade Singer Goldeagle. Your friends can wait for just a minute."

He pulled out the staff and threw it to him and then the sash, bracers, and necklace, "Put your holy symbol on and then that necklace."

He pulled the stones and activated them. Fallius'Sia was getting pissed, "You might be a Goldeagle."

Kartanous took off his armored shirt and his shirt at the same time and looked at him, "I am more than a Goldeagle, Champion of Corellon."

Fallius shut up at that point, "You're saying I am Corellon's new champion? That the Gods sent you to tell me?"

Kartanous sighed, "Put that necklace on with your holy symbol. That will tell you."

Kartanous put his shirt and armor back on, "You are the 8th person today I have had to flash my chest at including the King and Queen to get you this gear. Just do it already. Humility only goes so far before it becomes humiliation."

Fallius sighed and did it as Kartanous already had his fingers in his ears as the ringing went off and Fallius'Sia saw the symbol in his chest, "Ficka me!"

Kartanous nodded, "Being a Goldeagle is no ray of sunshine either as I had to gather all that for the 3 new champions on the field. Moon Blade died, I will be known in 10 years. A secret until then.

You will work to never be known, except to your wives and the Dragons. Don't go flashing that around until you look to get married. By the look on your face, you had some woman lined up to meet and I just crushed that?"

Fallius nodded, "Yeah. I graduate tomorrow. Been of age a couple of weeks. I cannot say this one is the one, she is way over-the-top in her demands. Things only a Goldeagle could do if he were the King and had our Gods' backing in the matter. She is very pretty, but extremely high maintenance. Now I will have to get guidance on relationships."

Kartanous sighed, "I am the only one who is supposed to know about you for now in the Elven Kingdom. The sash, bracers, and staff are yours. As are these diplomacy stones.

Don't lose them and don't ask me what anything does as I don't know. Expect to spend your night in front of 1 or more Gods tonight to get answers that I don't have. Also your wives I would assume as that symbol would be impossible to hide."

Fallius heard in his head from the Lady of Dreams, "We are not out to destroy your dreams. You should find out if she is truly interested in that with you. I can tell you she is merely playing at wanting to get married. She has no real desire for marriage or sex as she only sees it for power. She will break things off yet again because you are late yet again.

It was not meant to be. You are one of 7 she has been talking with, though her demands are outlandish, even I could not give her all of them and that says a lot. You are number 3 on her list right now. Sorry, she just scratched you off her list yet again. It was not being late just this time, it had to do with the other 18 times.

With 9 occurring while you were off flirting with 3 other women. Women, she found out about, including her roommate who is not a good choice, and her younger half-sister that she cannot stand."

---

Kartanous returned to the training ground and found his Grand Master, "Hostile environment nearly for both of them. Regardless it is done."

His Grand Master ran him through the morning and afternoon drills back-to-back with no breaks and found he picked up a speed edge and a definite increase in stamina as he had become tired of it before his student had. He finally broke for the day and sent him off to eat as he went home to his family.

---

It was the dream state and one very annoyed Wood Elf, Shirana Elm was there. She sighed as she walked forward to find only Rillifane Rallathil waiting for her. She kneeled before her God.

Rillifane Rallathil sighed, "First, rise champion."

Shirana did and looked around waiting for her to appear, "I expected the Lady of Dreams to be here. I am glad she is not."

Rillifane Rallathil sighed, "The elf you want to be angry at is already dead, Queen Golden Crown, who had the bow since it was used to attack her great grandfather generations removed and many years before was the last to know of its importance.

It was captured and stored. King Goldeagle did not know about it, had never even been in that vault or opened it before today. It was secure and it was used in an unauthorized attack against other elves. I had no room to complain about it being stored until needed after that attack which went against my wishes even.

Your issues with Moon Elves and the loss of your Grandfather King during the conflict that was the civil war was not the doing of all Moon Elves. You will learn more from General White Oak. The Lady of Dreams will be talking with you more than I. She sets up these meetings for us. She is a conduit for me to talk with you right now.

No, I cannot go to you directly to express my will on matters. Corellon and I have been at odds at times and we have both made moves that have annoyed each other, but he is the leader of the Gods. I chose you because of your value to the Wood Elf way of life.

He approved of you because of your arcane ingenuity in the new spells you created to be more friendly for being in the wilds and also your Dragonblood. Our mission for you is potentially long and will have you traveling all over the Kingdom. The Lady of Dreams Champion killed the last Drow Champion.

Quite spectacularly we might add as it was impressive. We expect another, but do not know when. The Lady of Dreams will let you know of suspicious activity. You will form a hunter squad of 10-11 others to travel with you. None knowing you are the champion, except one. General White Oak will be looking for you. To get you to meet the Wild Elf Elders tomorrow.

They will know who you are as it will buy you passage to travel all of the Elven lands to search for Drow assassins and spies. The Drow Champion even, if she eventually shows. You will be gifted with true seeing. To see those invisible and polymorphed.

You will also gain from a neutral Dragon ability in your Dragonblood. Being able to send one-way messages to your team, and potentially others who are allied to coordinate attack actions. General White Oak will get you set up to succeed.

You will have periods of downtime due to pregnancy for the next 2-5 years. We don't know when they will surface. Get a poison immunity ring on you. The easy way to do that is by asking for one from General White Oak. Asking for anything is not something you are fond of doing, but should be done."

Shirana sighed, "Both you and Corellon chose me for this?"

Rillifane Rallathil shook his head, "I chose you. He approved of you being an excellent choice. You are my champion. Use your talents. There are aspects of the amulet in your chest you will never be able to identify. You will discover them.

Mythic magic is embedded in the amulet. Your dexterity and stamina are increased to make you more resilient as well. Keep that cloak on and work to attack from the woods when you can. Coordination and working with others is the key to success.

Keep a map, plot sighting, and attacks. General White Oak will aid you with this. He will contact you when he hears something that needs to be investigated as well. Now this team will not be all Wood Elves, it will have some Moon Elves, all rangers, and one other arcane archer, with one druid coming from the Wild Elves even.

The last is my doing. To show Corellon that Wild Elves are just as invested and do not need to work under this King. You want these other Arcane Archers to use spells like yours, then teach them your new versions. Being secretive in an Academy is one thing.

Being secretive with a Moon Elf who only has fireball and you wanted them using Earth explosion instead is another matter. Yes, you will follow the Wood Elf ways but you have to get the others to do the same.