Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 03 Pt. 02

You hear me call out 'ALPHA!' I want you to strike one if you see it. There are four or five ships there. We will have to take them one at a time. Start with the one furthest out and move into each ship. If one breaks from one ship, they might destroy the ship before fleeing or destroy them all. We need to hit them fast, hard, and silent. We want them dead. While in the humanoid form they are just as capable as we are. They have no access to the dragon skills except non-innate magic. Any questions?"

They shook their heads.

He looked at them, "The Queen of the Silver Dragons is taking us out to the location and then teleporting back. If anyone asks, one of you brought us there based on map coordinates."

They chuckled. "She will work to restart the forge with our master craftsman once it is in its new home in the dwarven kingdom. They have a volcano we can attach it too and the Dwarven King actually drools at the thought of this."

They chuckled as they left and then they were outside mounted up and headed over to the embassy.

The Countess stood ready for them. He looked at her, "They know just put us there and head back if you would please."

She got in the middle and they were a few thousand feet up they saw the ships about a mile out. He thought, "Will be interesting." He saw them anchored and spread out a good five ship lengths apart. He spotted the Silver Rose on one end. He pointed toward it. Only four ships thank the Gods.

They came in higher than their ballistas could aim and steep. They landed on the main deck. A lot of them had drawn weapons. He looked out, "Sheath your swords. The elven King sent us." Then repeated it in all three native dialects. They looked at him and a man that he assumed was the captain came out.

Travious looked at him, "Good afternoon."

He looked at Travious, "Who are you?"

Travious looked at him, "Knight Paladin Silvertree son of Branar and Silver Silvertree. The ones who bought this ship and started this navy."

He looked at him and got off his horse and handed him his papers. "Our local ambassador and the Magister from the Arcane Academy."

He nodded, "Welcome aboard. What can I do for you?"

He looked at him, "Assemble your men on the deck so I can talk to them. I am on a critical assignment."

He nodded, "Most do not speak common or elven."

Travious smiled, "I know their languages. Like my father did." He nodded. "Do you know why you are here?"

He shook his head, "Just told to come here and await further instruction."

Travious nodded, All the men assembled and he had two blues on his side. He thought, "Tell the other horses to tell their owner. I have these two, take out the other when they hear the word." He looked at them and in the port province dialect, "Things have been chaotic in the elven Kingdom recently. "

He walked along and Thought, "Karti'Ros when I say alpha sword in the right hand with Moonfire on."

Karti'Ros responded, "Understood wise Knight Paladin."

He continued, "We have had a string of assassins come through. Not just assassins the ALPHA..."

He swung his arm back and cut through both of their necks. They killed the third one with scorching rays and acid arrows. "Captain, stand down. I have a set of glasses here for you. Take a look at what I just took out."

He looked and nodded and then looked at the others. He showed his first officer. He nodded. He pulled all of the rings off of those two and Bree got the other. Bree looked and pointed at the three of them that were necrotic. Travious pocketed those three.

Travious looked at him. "I have to do all of the other ships. Can you signal them not to shoot us? We are here with mission updates they did not want to be sent via crystal."

He nodded. He contacted all of the ships and they responded in the affirmative.

He looked at him," Do not dispose of bodies until we leave the area completely." He nodded. He flew over to the second ship and they had a green dragon here. He looked at the ambassador, "Let me handle this and if they have follow-on questions you take the lead." He nodded his understanding.

Travious looked at every man on the ship and shook hands with them for looking after the fleet his father started so many years ago. That their service was appreciated.

He got to the Green and extended his hand and he did the same. He thought, "Alpha." his sword appeared and ran it straight up through his skull. He looked over, "Ambassador, please give glasses to the Captain."

He withdrew his sword and sheath it after wiping it down. "The ship was infiltrated by a dragon. We are providing your Captain a means to confirm this. This is not to be communicated with the other ships. He walked up and pulled the rings off of the fallen guy after the Captain looked.

She pointed at the ring. "That ring allowed him to infiltrate. Chromatic dragon. We found three on the Rose. Your mission here is extremely important to the survival of us all in the years to come. Stay the course. Do not dispose of the body or contact any ship until we are gone."

They nodded. He looked at the Captain, "Nobody stayed below deck correct?" He nodded, "All on the upper deck."

He looked at the Ambassador and the Magister.

"Could you two go back and confirm that question?" They nodded. "We will see you on the third ship."

He mounted up and flew over to the third ship and the Captain was a dragon as was another elven officer. He looked at the Captain, "Could you get all of your crew up here? Would your first officer please confirm. I hate repeating myself. Would you introduce me to your officers while we wait?" He looked at me, "This is my second officer, "Loural Moonbeam.

Travious nodded. He asked the 'captain,' "Can we go to your quarters. Bree with me as you teleported us out here."

She nodded. They walked in and went to his desk and he stood next to the Captain. "Show me where you are located based on your instruments."

He pointed. Travious smiled, "Since the dragons left the compasses have been off a bit. You are about two miles from where you are supposed to be." He nodded. "That is the ALPHA location..."

Travious ran him through the ribs. She hit the first officer with a scorching ray he screamed and Travious rolled onto the desk and stabbed him. Looked at the two of them and sighed. He headed for the door and a third dragon appeared andTravious ran him through. He looked at the first mate, "You the forth in command?"

He nodded. He handed him a set of glasses. He looked at the three of them. He backed out and shouted, "DRAGONS!"

Travious groaned, "We have one more ship to check yet. Be quiet, please! Is this everyone."

He nodded, "You will have a new captain shortly from one of the other vessels. He nodded. The Ambassador came in. Bree stripped the three bodies. He looked at them, "Do not touch the bodies until your new Captain gets here. No contacting the other ship. The guy yelled up to the crows' nest who was sending signals.

Travious yelled, "Shit!"

He jumped on his horse at the fastest speed. Bree was right behind him. They approach the ship.

He was shot at with normal arrows, "Stop firing you idiots in the local dialect. We are the hunters hunting! We are making sure there are no dragons aboard these ships."

He landed. "I am Knight Paladin Silvertree. We have mages using true seeing to find out if any dragons are on board. Please calm down."

He saw two on the deck, He pulled out a crystal, "Your Majesty."

He groaned, "This better be a problem."

He chuckled, "Yes. The captain of the third ship got nervous. When we told him what he was looking for we ended up tackling him to restrain him after knocking him out cold. That ship broke the silence and alerted the last ship. We told them we had casters using the true seeing spell to check for dragons before moving them to the true destination. We are waiting for the Ambassador to arrive."

He looked over at the Captain, "We clear now on my mission Captain!?"

He nodded, "Yes sir."

Travious looked at him, "I am a Knight Paladin! That is like calling the King a Countess! Speaking of Countesses can we get the support personnel from the Countess and have her deploy to the ships now, your Majesty?"

The King sounded suddenly awake, "I will contact her. I should have given you a direct crystal to her."

He sighed, "I am sorry, your Majesty. I just had to get this last ship to stop trying to shoot or attack us."

He responded, "Those resources will be there shortly."

He hopped down and walked toward the railing and the nearest one. They should teleport in right up there. They are the alpha dogs." Travious ran that one through and Bree's spell missed. The dragon jumped over and changed. Goldbar and Instructor Silvertree both hit it with a fireball once it was off the ship. Travious jumped on Shi'Drakon and pursued the white dragon. He put his sword away. He thought "Can we catch him?"

Shi'Drakon responded, "I do not think we can."

He fired an arrow at him and it fell short. "Get me some altitude and send a message back to the others. Get a bearing on our path." He fired another shot and tagged his tail with that one and he roared at them. Travious aimed further out to give him more lead. He fired another and then another in rapid succession. The dragon looked a little haggard but had not slowed as of yet. He finally put a hole in one of his wings and fired two more shots. He saw a shadow over him. A silver dragon flew in for the kill on the white.

He turned away. The Silver took the white into the water. Travious followed it down. He flew in circles where he went in at and another silver went flying into the water. They were gone for about two minutes and the two silvers emerged from the water and they followed him back to the ship. They changed forms as they came in for a landing.

He looked at them, "These two are a part of the group who helped get us the Eternal Forge. What saved our asses during the dragon civil war. Captain, here is a set of glasses for you."

He looked at the dragons, "How far off is this ship from where it needs to be?"

He looked at Travious, "About a half-mile that way. But we are days or weeks from getting it."

Travious smiled, "Can you handle dwarven explosives?"

He shook his head, Travious looked around, "One of the casters has to have the spell to let someone breathe underwater."

He saw one guy raise his hand. He smiled, "This works you will be heroes. Which of our dwarven sappers wishes to be a hero to the dwarven people?"

One of them looked at Travious, "How would that make us a hero?"

Travious looked at him, "The Eternal Forge or Great Forge if you will, was not destroyed by the volcano, it is not going to be damaged by your explosives. It is a relic. But if you attach those barrels to the side of it that might save them days or weeks of digging to get it out. It is headed to the dwarven kingdom with agreements and assurances that it will be open to all allies."

They looked at each other and both walked over to the mage. He hit them both.

The two dragons followed the instructions on getting them into the water. They took it from there. He looked at the Captain. "Get your first officer over to the ship I just left. The captain, first, and second officers were all dragons."

He pulled his rings and searched his body. "Just like this guy. Bree can you go back to the last ship and search for anything warded. Also, anything that might be there for communication. Let me know if we'll be spending the night."

She nodded. He contacted the King, "Your Majesty, we got one on the last ship a white took off. Our casters got it with a couple of fireballs. I pursued it and got a couple of arrows when I caught the shadow of a silver going for the kill. I backed off and circled the area where they fell into the water. A second silver joined the first.

I assume the white is dead. One ship, the top three officers, were dragons. The third or fourth mate, whatever it is called. I left in control until they get the first officer from this ship to the other. As they now know what they are here for we have the dwarves helping out by planting dwarven explosives to try and speed things along. We killed three on the Silver Rose.

A Green Dragon on the second ship. The three top officers on the third and two on the fourth ship. I think we need to get these glasses to our other ships as soon as possible. Send them all to port if you need to, Your Majesty."

He sighed, "I am glad you cleaned up those four. I cannot trust even the captains on the ships from what you are telling me."

Travious nodded, "Tell them they are picking up some equipment to do salvage work at the sunken island, Your Majesty That should get them to come."

He laughed, "That it might. How many did YOU kill on the ships?"

He sighed, "Two on the first, one on the second, all three on the third with the help of Bree on one of them. One of them on the fourth ship."

At that point, 6 silver dragons and two dwarves came out of the water and onto the ship. He looked at them, "I am on my crystal to the King. Was there anything you wanted to add about that white?"

The one chuckled, "Your Knight Paladin from what I hear is a good strategist. We picked up his psionic communication with his mount. We got the order to assist. He put three or four good holes in that white. I do not know what in the hell he is shooting but it did some damage."

Travious smiled, "I will show you in a minute. Any other directions, your Majesty? Other than taking a couple of days off."

He laughed, "No, I got you doing what you need to be doing. Keep an eye on things from there until it is on the ship and sent to its new home."

He nodded, "Understood. Would you let the Countess know she will need to take my wives home and that I am fine, your Majesty."

He laughed, "We need to get you a few more crystals to communicate with Dragon Slayer."

Travious chuckled, "When I take them down in dragon form that will be an accomplishment, Your Majesty."

He laughed at him, "Do not sell yourself short. I want those that went on this mission to come to the Palace when all is said and done."

He smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty"

An explosion went off and the six silvers dove into the water with the two dwarves empty-handed. They Came back up, "It will take a few more or one really big one."

He nodded, "My father and grandfather loved sappers. I used them to help destroy most of the orc valley. We got 12,000 enemies gathered in an area where we had teleport circles. Battlemages teleported it in and dropped it on them. Meanwhile, I was the lone rider on the hill with Shi'Drakon here screaming at them. Next thing they know body parts are flying.

About three hundred made it back. We killed 28,000 with a series of lightning strikes through the valley. We control that valley now and they are looking for a new leader after I killed the last one. We lost 17 elves of 27 in my group and all but 5 of our elven Warhorses. But their champion is off the field."

They nodded. One looked at me, "I heard stories about your father and Grandfather."

Travious smiled, "Sparks got to watch the fireworks with a Rumble Axe."

They chuckled and nodded, "If Rumble Axe was there those numbers are spot on. More or less."

He looked at him, "I adopted the strategy my father used on these ships and applied it to the valley. I have to ask. If you put a launch out and put your barrels in it could you not plant more at once?"

He looked at Travious, "You part dwarf?"

Travious shook his head, "Just want to get home to all of my wives."

They chuckled and nodded. They put a launch out and then one from another ship and they moved out with it and two dwarves coming out. He looked over, "Others want in on the glory!"

Travious smiled, "Get to it."

He looked at the ship, "I want you to ensure those four dwarves' names are sent to the King for their superior work underwater even!"

He nodded, "Will do."

Travious smiled, "I am flying back to the Silver Rose. I want them to move closer to the action. Ambassador and Magister please head back I would like the other two to stay on in case we have an issue. You have a teleport location if needed."

They nodded and teleported away.

Travious sighed, "They have other jobs. Stealing a couple of instructors is not as big of a deal. The last Magister I stole got disintegrated on that raid in the valley. Also, where my sister and Great uncle died."

He mounted up and headed over with the others in tow. He looked at the Captain, "I want you to move closer to the action. Head toward the explosions."

Travious looked at Bree, "You have a metamagic that will let you help teleport that thing to the dwarves?"

She nodded, "I have the widen rod from Staria. She loaned it to me as she is 'stuck' doing shelters but thought it might come in handy in the field. From what I have been told about the forge it should fit inside the circle if standing. She foresaw the need for that possibility based on an earlier discussion she had with the Countess and you."

He nodded and looked at the Captain, "I want it standing on this ship for my parents. I work for the King and have no rank. I am allowed to steal assets if needed including all of your officers and you."

He sighed and got his ship moving and took them there. Bree looked at Travious, "Found a couple of communication crystals. I put them in my bag. Belonged to those we took down."

Travious nodded, "Three mated couples of silver dragons."

She nodded, "I noticed."

They arrived as they exited the water and the big fireworks went off. They dove back into the water. Two of them put dwarves in the launch. Thirty minutes later they had the forge out of the water and placed it on the deck of the Silver Rose. The dragons nodded to him, "Thank you for the suggestion."

Travious shrugged, "Once you were exposed it seemed logical to get them involved. Captain! I would like the four dwarves who helped on this to take a trip home. Let them claim their glory for a job well done."

The Captain nodded, "I oversee these four ships and I am shocked at how badly infiltrated we were."

Travious looked at him, "My Great Grandmother Staria crafted the first of these glasses. My great Grandfather researched the spell when they showed up on assassins."

He looked at Travious, "Why did it take so long to get to us?"

Travious looked at him, "You had to be dragon aware. Know which ones are good and which ones are bad. They take forever to craft and they are a major secret. At least they were."

Bree teleported away with the forge and the dwarves. Travious activated the crystal to the King, "You free to talk now, your Majesty?"

He chuckled, "Just sat down to morning meal with my mother."

He smiled, "You should be getting contacted by the dwarven King any second now. As a forge has now been delivered with the help of his sapper's explosives. I sent the 4 who did the underwater work back with the forge as heroes of their people."

The King laughed, "That is the diplomat talking. Wait just a second." He heard him talking with the Dwarven King. He heard laughter and a generally good conversation.

Bree was back, "I used a scroll to get back here. I have another if you want to be at home with all of your wives."

He shook his head, "We can get some sleep here. I am talking with the King."

The King responded back, "What are your plans."

He sighed, "Sleep. We will be in an extra-dimensional space so the crystals will not work but the Captain of the Silver Rose can gain access to the portal so long as they do not drift far from it. Request they stay here for the night. I am sure he needs to get his Captains together and assign some new officers, your Majesty. Unless you need me somewhere in particular."