Summer, 1425

“We’re being attacked!”

Immediately alerted, a score of guards came charging out with weapons at the ready-and within seconds half were incinerated by the full fury of an adult male dragon. The survivors quickly scattered, a few brave individuals changing tactics to harass and slow down the dragon by peppering arrows at him.

Mera methodically hunted down these resistors and killed them one by one.

All around, dozens of other people on the farm fled the onslaught, stablehands, trainers, farriers. The bronze dragon slaughtered any and all who came within range of his flames and claws, but did not specifically pursue them.

Instead, he went looking for the wyrms he had sensed.

Mera’s original target, the bound dragon being led to the water trough, had already broken free when the stablehand leading him along fled and had disappeared into the fields. Mera did not search for that individual; there were more. Rather he headed towards the stables where at least a score of dragons seemed to be residing.

Just as Mera was about to reach the doors of the large building it suddenly swung open, revealing another dragon encased in armor. But she was free.

And there was a knight in plate armor mounted atop her.

The knight lowered his visor and then raised his flail into the air while spurring his mount forward.

“Charge!”

Immediately the armored, mounted dragon stormed forward, throwing fire out at Mera as she advanced.

The bronze dragon evaded the charge, then the dragonflame that followed, quickly followed by a bone-breaking swing of flails. Swerving violently back, Mera avoided the blows, only to be doggedly pursued by the opposing dragon and rider. Surprised by the captive’s behavior and reluctant to harm her, the bronze dragon dodged repeated attacks again and again, gradually retreating step by step.

*Dragon! I’m here to save you!* Mera called, but the opposing dragon either didn’t understand or ignored the outreach, and a ball of fire slammed into the bronze dragon’s chest. Luckily the plate armor Mera was wearing protected him from the full effects of the flames, but it did badly singe his scales. Wincing, the bronze dragon finally responded by lashing out with his tail, knocking the forelimbs out from under the opposing dragon and sending her crashing and her rider flying.

Catching his breath, Mera was struck in the back by a fireball, then barely managed to avoid the swing of a mace from a second charging dragon and rider. Mera rolled upon the ground to put out the flames, then responded with fire of his own. Shrugging off the fire engulfing them, the Imperial dragon and rider turned and charged again. A third dragon and rider appeared and attacked Mera from behind, the pair of assailants attempting to catch the larger dragon in a vice. Twisting to avoid the diametric attacks, Mera spread his wings and ascended into the air.

Swerving as well after missing their prey, the two Imperial dragons also took flight and pursued after their opponent, blowing volleys that the bronze dragon barely avoided. However this was what the older dragon was waiting for: as his pursuers paused to catch their breath afterwards, Mera took the opportunity to strike back, hitting one Imperial dragon violently with his tail-and knocking her rider from the sky- before charging straight at the other Imperial dragon, bodily colliding with his opponent and slamming him straight down to the ground.

Disentangling from the fallen figure, the bronze dragon was surprised by yet another charging dragon and rider. Bearing down rapidly, the charging knight was about to strike Mera with a mace when he was suddenly and violently blown out of his saddle. Confused without a rider, the Imperial dragon skidded to a halt and the bronze dragon easily shoved him to the ground. Mera turned to see Jayna standing on the ridge, rapidly reloading her smoking gonne. As a fifth dragon and rider turned to face the Arcadian leader, Jayna shot that knight down as well, causing the dragon to veer off in confusion.

Mera meanwhile ran back to the stables, only to notice stablehands rapidly leading several leashed dragons out the back door.

With a roar the bronze dragon pursued, passing several dragons still shuffling uneasily in their stalls-and two others fallen within their enclosures, evidently dead.

Just as he left the barn, Mera saw the Imperial dragons disappearing into the woods, and a final knight and dragon acting as rearguard. The knight tugged the reigns of his mount, and with a quick trot, the Imperial dragon turned and charged.

Mera immediately counter charged as well, the two opposing dragons facing each other muzzle to muzzle, before the bronze dragon abruptly used his wings to ascend slightly before lunging straight down at the attacking Imperial knight and dragon. Bowling the pair over, the older wyrm snatched up the human with his paws. Below, the Imperial dragon violently snapped at her rival, but Mera responded by using his other forepaw to shove the Imperial wyrm’s head to the ground-and forcing her jaws shut- before focusing on the rider.

As he squeezed, the knight desperately raised his hands in the air.

“Stop! Stop this, Stanton Dragon!” The rider yelled in Auxian.

“Oh you speak now, torturer? Killer!” Mera snapped in reply. “Why should I not make the last few moments of your life the most miserable you have ever experienced?”

“Because this is the future of your people, Stanton Dragon.”

“Slaves?”

“Survival. Your people are dying off. You know that.”

“Shut up.”

“You want your people to live? This will ensure it.”

“I will free my people from your bondage.”

“These won’t be able to survive in the wild. You know that. They will be hunted like deer to extinction.”

“So they will be raised in miserable captivity and slaughtered like dogs in your human wars? That is no existence.”

“It is something. We treat them well until they are needed for war. We feed them well, keep them fit, and suffer more to keep them happy and ready. We are not cruel to them. Your people will perpetuate. ”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re here, and you’re going to try to kill all of us humans and perhaps some of your own. Perhaps there is a chance that I can make you understand what we’re doing.”

There was a long pause. “What is your dragon’s name?” Mera finally growled.

“Tulpar. Her name is Tulpar.”

Jayna had her gonne and the ready, uneasily scanning the environment for new enemies. Only the fallen knights, guards and barnworkers, remained, dead or wounded. Most of the dragons, deprived of their riders, milled around aimlessly, without even the sense of responding to Mera and Jayna’s presence.

“You are performing a monstrosity and I should kill you for this insult.” Mera finally seethed. “But I will let you go if you give me the key to their bonds. Tell Tulpar and the other dragons to stop attacking me. Let me free them, and I’ll let you go. You are not worth me further wasting time.”

The knight rapidly nodded.

“I will.”

***

Thirty minutes later and the fight was over. Of the twenty-odd dragons at the farm, Mera had defeated six, two of which were significantly injured. The Imperials ran off with four.

Another ten were still tied to the stables or scattered about nearby. The stragglers were rounded up around the farm, then with the skeleton key in hand, Jayna went from stall to stall, freeing the trapped Imperial dragons. Two Imperial dragons were dead, their throats pierced by misericorde as they stood helplessly in their stalls. Mera gave a small prayer for the fallen and prompted the Arcadian commander to go unlock their chains as well, even if they could no longer enjoy their freedom in life.

With Jayna leading and Mera shepherding them along, the freed Imperial dragons left the stables and joined the others, after which Mera set the building aflame.

As the stable roof collapsed, the bronze dragon turned to his new charges.

*Hello. Does anyone know Draconic?*

The Imperial dragons, freed from their armor and metal, looked dazed and stupefied, and they shied away from the larger dragon’s presence.

*Friend?* One of them finally asked in poor Draconic.

Mera nodded. *Friend.*

The other dragons looked at each other awkwardly. Mera’s face dropped.

“What are you going to do?” Jayna finally asked. The bronze dragon shook his head. “I don’t know, Jayna. I really don’t.”

***

There was little to do. Mera scavenged out supplies from the destroyed farm, and released it for the freed captives. A quick trip back for Healer Ananya brought treatment for the injured dragons as well as possible, and as night began to fall some of the Arcadian stablehands went to lead the walking freed captives back to rebel territory-back to Road’s End.

Meanwhile, Mera and Jayna returned to the Southern Arcadian Army. The bronze dragon had become very quiet, while the Arcadian commander had taken time to send for Chagraff to research the Dominion’s dragon farms.

Several days later Jayna finally broached the subject to her companion.

“Do you remember someone named Andre Rogers?”

Mera shook his head. “No. I don’t recall that name.”

“He was a wealthy Alban merchant who worked for General Wilker-”

A bolt of recognition came through the dragon. “The Alban. Yes I ran into him a few times. He tried to capture me and kill your grandfather. I reduced him to ash. He’s been dead for decades.”

Jayna shrugged. “Well, his project survived. That came from the King of Auxia himself. It went through the Fall of the Walkerites and the rise of the Jamersonians.”

“How did they enslave my people?”

“No one knows, but it was during the Dominion’s alliance with the Miscabbard cult.”

Mera went silent again.

After a long pause, Jayna continued.

“However it began, these farms raising dragons started around thirty years or so ago. The plan has been a secret for years, but people know about them locally if you ask. The project is not that old, so the dragons aren’t mature or powerful enough yet to be the kingdom’s decisive weapons. Still now that the Jamersonians are losing to us, they are throwing these young dragons into the fight.”

The bronze dragon turned to the Arcadian. For the first time, Jayna saw Mera look sick and horrified. She quickly continued.

“They’ve been bred for war. They’ve never seen freedom, only the stables. They are not exactly slaves, they are mounts.”

“How many of my people are in these prisons?” Mera finally asked.

“There’s a dozen of such farms. I’m guessing at least a hundred, maybe more.

The dragon stopped and stared at the Arcadian leader.

“I am helping you fight this war. Now you’ll do something for me as well. Help me rescue my people. Help me save them.”

Jayna nodded. “We are talking about a revolution. Everything changes.”

---

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

From  Axelon!