Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 04

Jazzia nodded, "We do not judge a people based upon the actions of a rogue few. I heard your orders to your men. What became of the five of them? The one who killed my horse and the four who ordered the attack at the beach?"

He nodded, "They were given 6 weeks of provisions. Sent to sea in a small craft toward the area you call the Far East. Banished and stripped of their status as paladins. The last part was the will of Helnar."

Jazzia nodded, "I need to return to my people, Take our dead back." She reached in and placed two dozen wands into two stacks. "Those will detect the wards, those will allow you to remove them. They can be anywhere on the body or a surface.

I will leave a good portion of my team behind to patrol your skies with your Pegasus riders. Your Pegasus are noble creatures. They listened to our elven war horses that can communicate mentally. To let them know of the dragon and to stop the attack at the beach. If they had not listened then there would have been a lot more death. Not ours but your riders because I would have ordered them to unleash and not remain restrained, Your Majesty.

If any of these mages wish to make themselves known to me, I will evaluate if they should go to an academy to learn. They, in turn, can teach others you might have. It is time your people embraced all the gifts your Gods have given your people, Your Majesty.

They do not compete with your paladins. They bring in whole other skills to the battle. While I am gone have all of your paladins and clerics start to use divination. To know the hearts of your people. If they cannot get through then they likely have one of those non-detection items on.

Your people are infiltrated and it is a problem you will have to address, Your Majesty. The shield will only protect from those on the outside. I ask that you consider my words on your prism while I am gone."

Jazzia activated a crystal, "Duchess Silvertree. My cousin. I need to bring six of our fallen home, let me know when I can do so."

A couple of minutes later, "Now." They teleported inside. "Close it and search for any infiltration. That place had so many wards for listening and tracking. The wards on the floors looked like leaves on the floor of the forest."

She sighed, "Understood." She spoke to one of the horses nearby, "My horse fell to combat in a distant land. I am in need of another mount to carry me forward."

A few minutes later and a Bay roan approached. Jazzia looked at him, "Sig'Taiya"

The horse nodded, "I like it. Sand Storm."

Jazzia nodded and thought, "We are working off of an island with Pegasus riders. There was a rogue element that attacked my men and we lost at least 7 of your brothers and sisters in the fight with them and some to dragons. It was not pretty. Those who did this were banished from their homeland and had their status as paladins stripped by their human God."

Jazzia went and got Staria after getting her new mount saddled up. She stopped home and hugged the other two wives. She sighed, "The rogue element that caused that attack have been banished from their homeland. I could use you Vivia but it is better you remain here and finish those glasses. I will do this with Staria."

She kissed them both again visiting with the kids in both homes for over an hour in each.

Jazzia went out with Staria and another fifty of those wands to remove wards. She showed the stack to Astria who sighed, "That many?"

Jazzia nodded, "Like leaves on the trees."

Astria nodded, "I will keep at it then. Let the Duchess know I could use another thousand blank wands."

Jazzia nodded, "I will do so."

She stepped out and went downstairs. She pulled Staria up behind her and smiled, "You really should get a horse of your own."

She shook her head, "I prefer to fly."

Jazzia nodded, "We will have to survey this island from the air in order to know the height we need to set it and to determine the middle. Then the best place to set up the controls."

She got on the crystal, "Cousin, Astria told me to let you know she needs another thousand of those blank wands. I took 50 from her and only 5 were detection wands."

Jazzia heard her sigh, "Very well."

They rode out from under the shield as Jazzia contacted the King and Traxxa, "Just reporting in. I brought the bodies home of the 6 dead. I leave them to you Traxxa to deal with while I work the issues on that island. I am returning now with a new mount after my last one was killed by a paladin last night, Your Majesty."

She heard King Goldeagle sigh, "I heard it was a rough start."

Jazzia nodded, "The shadow dragon champion is off the field. It arrived last night and I took it out in the ethereal. The explosion caused no damage to the island. They may have untrained arcane casters on that island. Something I may explore if time permits, Your Majesty."

Jazzia heard him chuckle, "Thank you for keeping a measured response. He told me you took him to Griffon's Peak to show him his people's future. It was eye-opening for him. He said he got sick later in private and had horrible nightmares because his God gave him the battle from both General Goldeagle and General Tranosa, by your request.

I then told him who Goldeagle was to me. Made it even that much clearer to him that we listen to our champions. I have not been the best at listening to you but I am working on it. You have saved my life a couple of times. General Goldeagle with the blades is coming to terms with his mother's death. Six other houses have followed your example and then my own.

We are going to have very well-equipped fighters with this war. Traxxa told me earlier they removed another 12 dragons from the dragon homeland. One human warship was destroyed in the fight as the dragon changed below deck. They rescued most of the men from the other ship. Bodies were promptly destroyed. Rings were taken to the forge or held for purification. Depending on the type."

Jazzia nodded to herself, "Thank you. Both of you."

She let the crystals fade out as she teleported them back into the human open-air throne room. She let Staria down. She looked over at the Countess. She smiled, "All of the elven war horses lost were taken to the beach and burned."

Jazzia looked at Staria, "We have an island to survey. A new home to put up and we will close in on this island and see what we think about heights and locations."

They had a crowd gathering. Some clerics and a few kids. One of them asked, "How do we know if we have magical talent and it is not some kind of fluke?"

She looked at him, "Show me what you can do. He stuck his hand out and we watched him create a small flame in his hand. She looked at it, "That is magical. What the girl behind you is trying to do is not magical but psionic."

She looked at Jazzia, "How did you know?"

Jazzia smiled, "I am immune to mind control. I can sense the direction. Talk with Sig'Taiya here or the Countess. She can communicate that way."

She thought to her, "Because of some of the gifts of the god I can talk to you this way."

Her eyes lit up. She looked at the boy, "Take this wand and flick it uttering Activate." He did so and saw the dragon marks. Jazzia handed him 8 of the other wands. "Those wands will help to remove them. Do your King a favor and help to find and remove them."

He nodded. Jazzia handed the other four off to different clerics and gave them the other wands to dispel what they found, "The royal family and the people first. Then your palace and temples or other great places of learning. War rooms or the like." They nodded and left.

She looked at the King, "I spoke with my King. It sounds like we both had a hard time sleeping last night. That was my first time at that battle site. Hopefully my last. For the time being, I would like to continue setting up my home here in case we need to meet to discuss something sensitive, Your Majesty."

He nodded, "I agree. We lost two paladins and four Pegasus while you were gone. The paladins combing the city brought down two dragons in hiding. With the aid of some of your casters."

Jazzia sighed. Staria changed forms and they took to the skies. Jazzia rode her new mount over the island.

About an hour into it and she spotted a small ship coming up on a beach. She went down and saw the 5 former paladins walking ashore. Two had swords drawn. She landed a distance away from them and drew her blade. Three of them stopped while the two with the drawn blades came toward her. She flipped off her horse and moved toward them. One went high and the other low with their swings. She caught a blade across the side as she took the head off of that attacker.

The one left came at her and Jazzia swung under his blade and cut his throat out. Four Pegasus riders landed. She held up a hand and looked at the other three, "Toss your weapons and sit down here." They complied. She walked over to them and cast teleport circle and took them to Griffon's peak. She looked at them, "Welcome to your new home."

She teleported back and mounted up.

One of the riders looked at her, "What did you do with the other 3?"

She looked at him, "Took them home. Their new one on Griffons Peak. Ask your King about the place. He went and saw it yesterday. You have a ship to dock and supplies to keep now."

She went back to the air and finished scouting. She returned to the palace about the same time Staria arrived. They went into the courtyard and cast up a new shelter and went inside.

The King approached and Jazzia had left the portal open for him. He addressed Jazzia, "They found 32 of those runes on me."

Jazzia nodded, "Not unusual."

She looked over the table and adjusted the map. He looked to try and get Jazzia's attention, "My riders came in and told me about your encounter on the beach. I told them if they are at Griffon's Peak they are living in a cemetery."

She nodded, "I do not know the current state of things. Food might have recovered since then. As far as getting down goes that is another matter. They have buildings if they do not mind sharing with the dead. The chromatics might pick up there tracking runes and make a snack out of them. The fact is they are away from here and you had to expend no resources on them."

He looked at Jazzia, "You do not call me, Your Majesty."

She smiled, "Habit I got into with my King. Being in my own home as he put it. He dropped that. His mother got tired of it over the years. When her son took over all of her meetings were informal. Only the throne room which she avoided unless it was something big like bringing back a long-dead house.

The final survivors found in human slaver hands. It was a niece from her departed husband's side of the family. A cousin to the King. My Father found her. As he put it, she was given to him to try and stop his activity in the region.

Her son was a half-elf from being raped but she still loved him. She saw to it he got married to two women and started having children. She then rejoined the Knights. The group she worked with before she was put into slavery.

I have not heard anything concerning her since. Her house lives on though through her son and his children. Thought destroyed for over 200 years. Have you given any thought to the prism?"

He nodded, "We want our people to hang onto it but we do not want it kept here to make our people a target. Trying to resolve that."

She nodded, "Easy to resolve." She placed a portable hole on the table, "Give that to your champion. He can put it inside of that. I will come out later and thank you for letting us get it to a secure place.

Even though your island is now visible. It is safer this way. Your champion holds it for you until your lands are cleared and any dragon not found yet will report that the invisibility around the island is gone. They will likely flee or come after me assuming I know right where it is. I will make it clear it is in the sphere that covers the Dragon homeland as our most secure location. In a shelter only open-able by the creator of the shelter, your champion, and yourself.

I do not know which enchanter, but I know the location and cannot access it myself. You know the shielded location if only you knew where the entrance was, or your champion with the same problem. Double layer security. It takes two to get access."

He chuckled, "Sounds like you have done this before."

Jazzia looked at him, "My father did with the forge. No bags of holding should be anywhere near the portable hole. Not something you would likely have with your people. That can be folded up and worn under his armor like an extra layer of cloth.

If it does not fit then we would have another problem. Let me know regardless. Take your champion to it in silence. Say nothing then come back here. The hole cannot be opened in here because of the nature of this space. Listening runes will not work in here."

The King nodded, "We will be back shortly."

Half an hour later and he walked in with his champion.

She looked at him, "Strip Champion. The king had thirty-two removed from him. If you have any, I will see them and I got a wand to remove them. He took off his clothes and Jazzia found four on him. "I got rid of them. You can dress."

Staria came in Jazzia looked at her, "Staria and I are the ones who typically create the shelters together we can make them permanent forever. As the creator, we are the only ones who can always enter. The home I created and she cannot enter it unless I give her access. I did that after the last home she overrode my lockout and I had to threaten to start casting fireballs to get them to leave.

I was rather pissed off that day. I bring this up for a reason. Bahamut gave me the talent to cast draconic magic and it led to one huge fight with the Countess, the Queen of the Silver Dragons. About the books from my ancestors' library that had draconic spells in them. Why was I given this power by Gods if not to use them? You have at least one psionic and one arcane caster who have made themselves known to me.

They have talents. They have them for a reason. You can question Helnar's thinking in allowing such abilities or you can embrace the tools he is making available to your people in order to protect your society. The choice is yours.

If you want me to, I can take any and all of them with such gifts to Quatarsia where they will get training and be welcomed. Just let me know. Living in fear of God-given abilities because of society's inability to accept them should not be the norm."

The King nodded, "I will consider this and pray on the matter. Psionics is a harder issue to tackle."

Jazzia nodded, "Our horses communicate through it and I could speak to the person who approached me through it. Because of my abilities, I have been granted. I am immune to mind control. The offer stands."

Jazzia looked at the map. "This spot is the center we would need to access."

Staria nodded, "This island is about the size of the elven capital. I know how high up to set the focus."

Jazzia looked at him, "We need a few locations that can be secured in this area that could be used for the control room. Closer to the center is better, but not required. He looked at her, "Why more than one?"

She smiled, "To flush out any spies or dragons in the area. We select one and monitor it for someone coming in and adding dragon marks to your controls. To find out passphrases you require for entry into your shields.

They can also monitor your progress. To be able to tell if it has been moved. Now I know paladins have this thing about being honest. You can thank me for securing it. Then confess you have no knowledge of the location of the shelter. Both true because we have shelters in the sphere. We know those locations and you do not. The fact that the item is not in the shelter is irrelevant.

Anyone asks about the item you can both say; as the only ones who know, that the item is secured and you do not know the location of our shelters. Other than those shelters are in this sphere we built."

They both nodded and Staria smiled, "Smart like your father. I created the shelter for the forge. Anyone asked the forge was in a secure cave until the time it would be installed. The inside of that shelter looked like a cave."

The two of them chuckled. "It also never left dwarven lands keeping his promise to the Dwarven King. It was set so only certain people could open it."

Jazzia nodded, "We have mages on contingency watches over the area. They are sweeping for draconic runes. The entire area is under a shield. Similar to what we are building here. The forge runs at all hours with craftsmen from the humans, dwarves, and elves.

Preparing more weapons for the conflict and stocking them in case this war goes long. Also, if the forge has to be relocated or lost because of the return. That much land falling onto the world will cause some changes.

---

For the next two months, everything went according to plan. Dragon wards dropped off. They did take four arcane and two psionic casters away to be trained. They wanted the arcane casters back but felt they were not ready for the psionic practitioners.

Half of the arcane casters agreed to return after a few years of instruction and with books to train others. The others wished to remain and did so with no issues from there King. The relic never left their hands.

King Goldeagle went and reversed who the leader of the forces would be. Making Jazzia the General overseeing the return fight and a Dutchess for her work. Both on the sphere and for securing the other relic from capture while working as a distant diplomat to the Pegasus riders. King Goldeagle had finally seen the wisdom of the Champion leading that effort.

---

Staria had never had Bahumut talk to her personally, until today. He sent her a message, "Staria, tell the champion you want to talk with her alone in the secure shelter. Not even her sword. Have her put it into her bag of holding for now."

Staria looked at Jazzia, "Trust me, please. I need you to store your sword in a bag of holding and talk with me privately in the shelter."

Jazzia looked at her and nodded, "Of all the dragons I know you have always been the one most forthcoming in matters."

She did as she asked.

She set up the Pegasus Riders with a shelter in which to store the object and made it permanent with Staria. They had their own secure vault and the artifact was effectively off the field for now. Jazzia experienced 12 blackouts and disconnections from her Gods and sword during this time that Jazzia could not explain. Even when asked by the Lady of Dreams. Each one had been preceded by a request for a private conversation with Staria.

They assumed it had something to do with Bahamut as he had a vested interest in this champion and the Alliance they had forged. Bahamut may have been aiding Helnar with something in this effort as most occurred while in Helnar's land, or in the Dragon Sphere.

Only one occurred in Elven lands. Karti'Ros was 'out' and not stored for half of those but only reported a series of movements during that time to access secured storage compartments in the shelters Jazzia built. Jazzia said or thought nothing during this time to her sword.

The Pegasus rider's Champion of Helnar grew into adulthood and sparred with Jazzia on a few occasions. He picked up a few pointers from her. His God wanted him in the Far East. They offered transportation to a group of 40 Pegasus riders to Queens Island.

Knowing it was a relatively secure location from which to leave for the mainland. They could move based upon Helnar's direction from there. While the bulk of his people remained safe and secure. The attacks on the eleven-border diminished as they waited for the return.

After Septa 1st 7196 the dragon riders and Shadow riders lived in the sphere.