As Dalengor toured the Shadow Dragon and Drow camp with Tantu, she could see that not everyone was on board with the Realm Trinity Empire\u2019s goals. She decided to speak with her old friends about this and gather more information. She was once a member of the higher-ups, so it was easy for them to explain the situation in secret through bits and pieces. The basic story was that the current General of all Shadow Dragons, Ank-tu, was a more public proponent of eternal war, pleasing Oyed mightily. His father, the previous General, was slightly more subtle. As she talked with her colleagues and friends, she learned their true feelings on the matter and so arranged a private meeting with Dotan, Tantu, and a Shadow Dragon woman. Dalengor explained the whole situation to Dotan. \u201cYou were there in each meeting!\u201d urged Dalengor. \u201cHe\u2019s shot down any suggestions of peace with Realmfleet! He\u2019s so bent on keeping a grudge!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI understand your logic,\u201d said Dotan, \u201cbut I don\u2019t reach the same conclusion as you. Look, like everyone here, I\u2019m not pleased with Ank-tu\u2019s leadership, but it\u2019s not clear whether what you propose will succeed or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve urged Dalengor to invite our friend here,\u201d signed Tantu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, a Midwife, if her crest is any indication,\u201d muttered Dotan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cListen and join us!\u201d urged the Shadow Dragon Midwife. \u201cI know things about Ank-tu\u2019s birth! His troubled rule will fall in the telling and pave the way for an alliance with Realmfleet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat would you know that could possibly\u2026?\u201d Dotan\u2019s question was interrupted as Ank-tu and a company of soldiers arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, well, well, what have we here?\u201d he purred. \u201cIt looks like a few of my councilors whispering in corners like handmaidens. About what, I wonder?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf only you would hear our council!\u201d pleaded Dalengor. \u201cAs our people suffer, I\u2019ve urged d\u00e9tente with Realmfleet!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd I told you,\u201d snarled Ank-tu, \u201cthat I would rather writhe in the Depths than treat with the ones who broke my parents\u2019 hibernation eggs!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose specific people are dead!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen every race under the Realmfleet banner will serve as the object of my vengeance!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey are innocent in your parents\u2019 murder!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo one is truly innocent, just less guilty!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never wanted to go this far, but given the internal threat to the Shadow Dragons, I have no choice. Ank-tu, you refuse practical solutions to credible threats. You ignore our people\u2019s suffering. You endanger our race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd sedition does not?! Speak your last, Dalengor, before I have your tongue!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake her tongue, bastard son of Lak-tu,\u201d threatened the Midwife, \u201cand I will slice your throat open as I should have done ages ago!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBastard son?\u201d asked Dotan. The Midwife took that as her cue to reveal the truth to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was the one who helped his mother give birth to him!\u201d she explained. \u201cIt was only two years later that she and Lak-tu married! She was a prostitute that had no choice but to marry him unless she wanted to die along with the baby! I was at that rushed wedding! Your best claim to leadership of our people is moot!\u201d Ank-tu then slapped the Midwife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow dare you!\u201d he roared. \u201cI succeed Lak-tu by his decree!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSucceed him, you have,\u201d replied Dalengor, \u201cbut the Shadow Dragons demand new leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom you?! Realmfleet dog!\u201d Ank-tu turned to Dotan. \u201cKill her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou said nothing to disprove the Midwife\u2019s claims!\u201d snarled Dotan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho cares if I AM a bastard child?! I still rule the Shadow Dragons! Now, I repeat, kill Dalengor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGo to the Depths!\u201d roared Dotan. \u201cBy ancient law, no illegitimate child may claim anything of their parents, especially leadership! I serve no bastard!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTraitor!\u201d shouted Ank-tu. He turned to the soldiers that accompanied him. \u201cYou will destroy them as your General commands!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLak-tu is dead!\u201d answered a soldier. \u201cYou know ancient law as well as I do! We will serve our immediate commander! Lord Dotan, orders?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCapture the bastard, but do not kill him!\u201d ordered Dotan. Unfortunately, not all the soldiers sided with Dotan and his group. This was enough to start a fight between the two sides as Ank-tu\u2019s supporters tried to kill the rebels. A soldier on Dotan\u2019s side then threw his enemy to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou would still serve Ank-tu?!\u201d asked the rebel soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis family conquered our tribes!\u201d answered the enemy. \u201cWe owe his bloodline our loyalty! We are all bound to honor his will!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry that we\u2019re on opposite sides, then,\u201d sighed the rebel soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over with the fight over Ank-tu, Dalengor let Tantu mount her and followed the bastard Shadow Dragon to the sky. Tantu pulled out a crossbow and lined up her shot, then pulled the trigger, releasing the arrow and piercing Ank-tu\u2019s wing, causing him to cry out and crash to the ground. He was surrounded by his loyalists as everyone came to see the whole thing. Dotan arrived with his soldiers. \u201cHe has revealed himself to be a bastard child!\u201d he announced. \u201cBy ancient law, we must renounce him!\u201d There were only a few that truly supported Ank-tu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy General!\u201d urged a loyalist. \u201cWe are too few! We must withdraw!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Retreat to the Drows\u2019 sector!\u201d ordered Ank-tu. They blasted a path clear and fled to the eastern part of the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is bad!\u201d signed Tantu. \u201cIf they rally the Drows now, we\u2019ll never get out of this alive!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d assured Dalengor. \u201cI have a plan. I just hope Arsha\u2019s successful in convincing Mordek that my apparent treachery was part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mordek looked to the north, his gaze hardened, and his mind plagued by thoughts of vengeance. As he looked on, he heard the voices of Arsha and Delselii call his name. He turned to see them approaching him. \u201cWhat may I do for you, my children?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLord Mordek, the plan\u2019s going well!\u201d reported Arsha happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe plan?\u201d asked Mordek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe plan to increase our numbers!\u201d answered Delselii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know, the real reason why Dalengor\u2019s with the enemy!\u201d elaborated Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou mean her treason was part of a plan? Since when is a filthy traitor a good thing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLord Mordek, let me explain,\u201d answered Arsha. \u201cAfter a little chat we had before the city was lost, Dalengor and I planned on turning the Shadow Dragons and Drows against Oyed. She explained that the majority of Shadow Dragons and Drows don\u2019t want eternal war, so she would infiltrate the camp, convince them to rebel against their leaders or turn the leaders to our way of thinking and then we\u2019d have more soldiers to work with! The Shadow Dragons instigated a coup against their leaders and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had not thought you gullible, Arsha,\u201d interrupted Mordek. \u201cA Shadow Dragon\u2019s schemes serves only to benefit them. How could you fall for such lies?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLord Mordek, have faith in Dalengor! Have faith in me!\u201d Mordek snorted before vanishing in a fireball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You know, if we were desert dwellers,\u201d mused Delselii, \u201cI think Mordek just said a discouraging word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hope he doesn\u2019t do anything rash. I don\u2019t need them driven away.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Dalengor toured the Shadow Dragon and Drow camp with Tantu, she could see that not everyone was on board with the Realm Trinity Empire\u2019s goals. She decided to speak with her old friends about this and gather more information. She was once a member of the higher-ups, so it was easy for them to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,237],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-3267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-4-trials-of-light-and-dark","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3267"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3268,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3267\/revisions\/3268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}