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Spring, 1333
The next few days continued in silence. Nursing his wound, thoughtfully cleaned, stitched up and wrapped by Dr. Moller, Mera remained immensely annoyed at being restrained by his old vows and being reminded of his time with the Tassurians, while Logan was still somewhat wary of his companion after observing the dragon's clear glee at slaughtering his human enemies. Thankfully, after the destruction of the last band other bandit groups quickly learned to avoid the powerful column, allowing the Stanton Militia to journey through the rest of Eastern Alba unmolested.
Eventually lowlands gave way to the hills of the Western Alban Highlands, farms and settlements both becoming smaller as the soil also became less fertile. Soon the rocky terrain became a great hindrance, as the travelers climbed up steep rocky hillsides only to descend again after a short distance further. Everywhere lay signs of war; burnt-out farms, abandoned weapons and equipment, graves with wooden markers inscribed with fresh inscriptions. The remaining populace, perhaps a third of whom had originally inhabited the area based upon the ruins, watched the Stanton Brigade with deep wariness and suspicion. Logan and the dragon ignored the glares, and for days the unit marched without trouble.
It was the Town of Capestrano where tensions finally came to a head.
The town was at the foot of the Manzanita Hills, and watchtowers glared ominously down upon the Royal Road as human and dragon approached at the lead of their troops. As usual, Logan and Mera were at the head of the column, and after ascending a final rise the dragon abruptly stopped before the settlement, staring in horror and disgust at the display before him.
There were bones. Trasgu, ogre, goblin, cyno and satyr corpses were arrayed around the settlement, with skulls specifically impaled on stakes surrounding the town gates. Hides of a half dozen creatures similarly graced the walls, giving the defensive palisade an eerie display of various shades, colors and patterns.
Logan suddenly realized that there were also dragon bones, dragon skulls at the gates, dragon hides gracing the walls. A half dozen or so individuals in total.
“This place feels more hostile than usual.” Mera grumbled.
The Stanton Brigade had been brought to an abrupt standstill by their leadership halting, and now they milled awkwardly at the edge of town. Usually a delegation would meet up and discuss trade and directions, sometimes folks offered water or food and asked for goods, news, or souvenirs, or simply to gawk at the wyrm, but not this time. This time the streets in front of them were completely empty.
Logan scratched his neck. “Maybe we should try marching around this to-”
“Grab your weapons men! The monsters are coming again!” A voice called out.
“Stupid monsters haven’t learned their lesson!”
Suddenly a mob of townsfolk appeared out from the foremost buildings and woods and descended upon Logan and Mera, waving boar spears and pitchforks in the air.
Quickly the Forester and the wyrm were surrounded by a circle of hostile people, cutting them off from the rest of the Stanton Brigade, who had immediately readied themselves for battle.
“Friends! We are friends!” Logan quickly raised up his hands, gesturing as much to his own forces as the newcomers. Mera looked around, then up at his rider in a mixture of worry and annoyance.
A grizzled old woman, one side of her face badly burned, and clad in worn Alban armor with the rank of major, glared up at the Forester.
“Who are you, human? Why are you atop one of these monsters?”
Logan raised himself atop his saddle.
“I am Colonel Logan Durham, commander of the Stanton Brigade behind me.”
He gestured down at Mera.
“This is my friend and comrade, Lord and Auxian Colonel Meratezatgh the Bronze, Hero of Caldern and Mills Crossroads, major, and I command you to treat him with the utmost respect!”
“Is that the legendary Second Stanton Dragon?” One of the mob called out in shock.
“The Butcher of Miers?”
“The Lord of the Caldern Skies?”
Immediately a massive commotion broke out among the militia.
“You seem to have gotten yourself quite a reputation.” Logan whispered to the dragon.
Mera sighed. “Great. Just what I needed.”
The leader of the townsfolk simply snorted.
“You are the Dragonrider. I guess that makes sense.” She gestured into the air, and suddenly dozens of archers appeared from behind rocks, woods and even tunnels from the ground beside them. Some wicked siege weaponry remained hidden in the shadows, though the glint of bolts and javelins betrayed their presence. Logan and Mera were both taken aback by the scale of the defenses of this town.
“I am Major Revenna.” The town leader declared.
“What happened here?” The Forester asked.
“War. This is a rugged land, inhabited by rugged and individualistic folk. Our town was behind the Tassurian siege lines around Alba, and became a no man's land during the Great War, devastated from repeated raids and counter-raids by both sides. Capestrano changed hands seventy-four times, and the Other Men tried four times to take this town through battle.” Major Revenna scowled at Mera. “The last two times they sent dragons.”
Mera avoided eye contact.
“They finally stormed our town a month before Caldern, but could proceed no further. We held them all off at Manzanita Gap. We did our duty. The invaders choked on their ambition down the Betakinin Coast.”
“Your defenders are a credit to Auxia.” Logan bowed. “The kingdom deserves your thanks.”
The major brushed off the comment, and instead stared at Logan.
“Tens of thousands of troops passed through our community. You weren’t here before?”
“No, I fought in the lowlands of Cnaeus.”
“And your dragon?”
Logan shook his head. “No he did not fight West of Alba. After the Deluge, Anhake went East and we fought him in Cnaeus, Corioli, and Ardea.”
There was a long silence. “Fine. I assume your dragon has the pardon of the king or something.” Major Revenna muttered.
“He has, with a medal and the New Army rank of Colonel.”
The militia commander snorted again.
“Very well and good for him. The Second Stanton Dragon may have paid for its crimes fighting at the capital- according to the king- but not according to Capestrano. If not for the fact that you and your army are clearly veterans, we would have killed your drake immediately.” She made a circular gesture in the air, and the defenders disappeared behind their hidden positions, as the mob in front backed off.
“We have had enough of fighting and enough of monsters. This meeting was a professional courtesy between the two of us.” Major Revenna pointed to a path leading away from town.
“Leave.”
Logan sighed and nodded. “We will honor your request, Major Revenna. May Capestrano find peace again.
Eighties - Killing Joke
From
Chickenzaur!
Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63973750/
The next few days continued in silence. Nursing his wound, thoughtfully cleaned, stitched up and wrapped by Dr. Moller, Mera remained immensely annoyed at being restrained by his old vows and being reminded of his time with the Tassurians, while Logan was still somewhat wary of his companion after observing the dragon's clear glee at slaughtering his human enemies. Thankfully, after the destruction of the last band other bandit groups quickly learned to avoid the powerful column, allowing the Stanton Militia to journey through the rest of Eastern Alba unmolested.
Eventually lowlands gave way to the hills of the Western Alban Highlands, farms and settlements both becoming smaller as the soil also became less fertile. Soon the rocky terrain became a great hindrance, as the travelers climbed up steep rocky hillsides only to descend again after a short distance further. Everywhere lay signs of war; burnt-out farms, abandoned weapons and equipment, graves with wooden markers inscribed with fresh inscriptions. The remaining populace, perhaps a third of whom had originally inhabited the area based upon the ruins, watched the Stanton Brigade with deep wariness and suspicion. Logan and the dragon ignored the glares, and for days the unit marched without trouble.
It was the Town of Capestrano where tensions finally came to a head.
The town was at the foot of the Manzanita Hills, and watchtowers glared ominously down upon the Royal Road as human and dragon approached at the lead of their troops. As usual, Logan and Mera were at the head of the column, and after ascending a final rise the dragon abruptly stopped before the settlement, staring in horror and disgust at the display before him.
There were bones. Trasgu, ogre, goblin, cyno and satyr corpses were arrayed around the settlement, with skulls specifically impaled on stakes surrounding the town gates. Hides of a half dozen creatures similarly graced the walls, giving the defensive palisade an eerie display of various shades, colors and patterns.
Logan suddenly realized that there were also dragon bones, dragon skulls at the gates, dragon hides gracing the walls. A half dozen or so individuals in total.
“This place feels more hostile than usual.” Mera grumbled.
The Stanton Brigade had been brought to an abrupt standstill by their leadership halting, and now they milled awkwardly at the edge of town. Usually a delegation would meet up and discuss trade and directions, sometimes folks offered water or food and asked for goods, news, or souvenirs, or simply to gawk at the wyrm, but not this time. This time the streets in front of them were completely empty.
Logan scratched his neck. “Maybe we should try marching around this to-”
“Grab your weapons men! The monsters are coming again!” A voice called out.
“Stupid monsters haven’t learned their lesson!”
Suddenly a mob of townsfolk appeared out from the foremost buildings and woods and descended upon Logan and Mera, waving boar spears and pitchforks in the air.
Quickly the Forester and the wyrm were surrounded by a circle of hostile people, cutting them off from the rest of the Stanton Brigade, who had immediately readied themselves for battle.
“Friends! We are friends!” Logan quickly raised up his hands, gesturing as much to his own forces as the newcomers. Mera looked around, then up at his rider in a mixture of worry and annoyance.
A grizzled old woman, one side of her face badly burned, and clad in worn Alban armor with the rank of major, glared up at the Forester.
“Who are you, human? Why are you atop one of these monsters?”
Logan raised himself atop his saddle.
“I am Colonel Logan Durham, commander of the Stanton Brigade behind me.”
He gestured down at Mera.
“This is my friend and comrade, Lord and Auxian Colonel Meratezatgh the Bronze, Hero of Caldern and Mills Crossroads, major, and I command you to treat him with the utmost respect!”
“Is that the legendary Second Stanton Dragon?” One of the mob called out in shock.
“The Butcher of Miers?”
“The Lord of the Caldern Skies?”
Immediately a massive commotion broke out among the militia.
“You seem to have gotten yourself quite a reputation.” Logan whispered to the dragon.
Mera sighed. “Great. Just what I needed.”
The leader of the townsfolk simply snorted.
“You are the Dragonrider. I guess that makes sense.” She gestured into the air, and suddenly dozens of archers appeared from behind rocks, woods and even tunnels from the ground beside them. Some wicked siege weaponry remained hidden in the shadows, though the glint of bolts and javelins betrayed their presence. Logan and Mera were both taken aback by the scale of the defenses of this town.
“I am Major Revenna.” The town leader declared.
“What happened here?” The Forester asked.
“War. This is a rugged land, inhabited by rugged and individualistic folk. Our town was behind the Tassurian siege lines around Alba, and became a no man's land during the Great War, devastated from repeated raids and counter-raids by both sides. Capestrano changed hands seventy-four times, and the Other Men tried four times to take this town through battle.” Major Revenna scowled at Mera. “The last two times they sent dragons.”
Mera avoided eye contact.
“They finally stormed our town a month before Caldern, but could proceed no further. We held them all off at Manzanita Gap. We did our duty. The invaders choked on their ambition down the Betakinin Coast.”
“Your defenders are a credit to Auxia.” Logan bowed. “The kingdom deserves your thanks.”
The major brushed off the comment, and instead stared at Logan.
“Tens of thousands of troops passed through our community. You weren’t here before?”
“No, I fought in the lowlands of Cnaeus.”
“And your dragon?”
Logan shook his head. “No he did not fight West of Alba. After the Deluge, Anhake went East and we fought him in Cnaeus, Corioli, and Ardea.”
There was a long silence. “Fine. I assume your dragon has the pardon of the king or something.” Major Revenna muttered.
“He has, with a medal and the New Army rank of Colonel.”
The militia commander snorted again.
“Very well and good for him. The Second Stanton Dragon may have paid for its crimes fighting at the capital- according to the king- but not according to Capestrano. If not for the fact that you and your army are clearly veterans, we would have killed your drake immediately.” She made a circular gesture in the air, and the defenders disappeared behind their hidden positions, as the mob in front backed off.
“We have had enough of fighting and enough of monsters. This meeting was a professional courtesy between the two of us.” Major Revenna pointed to a path leading away from town.
“Leave.”
Logan sighed and nodded. “We will honor your request, Major Revenna. May Capestrano find peace again.
Eighties - Killing Joke
From
Chickenzaur!Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63973750/
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Western Dragon
Size 2911 x 1428px
File Size 1.7 MB
I don't think they want visitors...can't quite put my finger on why, but there's just a very unfriendly vibe.
Also, glad to know those skulls are all locally-sourced and all-natural...since plastic doesn't exist yet. I always approve of using all-natural remains, just like I do.
Also, glad to know those skulls are all locally-sourced and all-natural...since plastic doesn't exist yet. I always approve of using all-natural remains, just like I do.
NGL, without knowing more of the story, I don't know how well a single dragon would fare against a town such as this, what with there being a show of only melee weaponry. I can't help but feel that the people of Capestrano simply ambush people, creatures, whomsoever, and kill them. And they just felt that doing so to this many people would've been too difficult to do in this instance, hence "Leave". Sus Town is Sus!
Well, next scene is here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/62873520/ . They do have some abilities, and they are bitter folk, but do have some honor. Sus is correct, however.
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