Chapter 5: Truth

    "Well done Melee!  It has been eons since a feral had been slain, but you did it!" King Pliet congratulated as he stood from his throne.
    "Thank you sir.  My men performed admirably today as well."
    "You are the one that trained them in the skills they used on this day, so the credit still rightfully belongs to you."
    Melee didn't like this attempt at flattery.  An army was only as strong as its weakest soldier and he ensured that all his men were the best.  He kept this thought to himself though; another thought still perplexed him.
    "Your majesty, did you ever get my messenger?"
    "Messenger?  Can't say that I did.  Why did you send one?"
    "When we found the rogue army with a feral, I sent for reinforcements to guarantee victory.  We never saw the messenger return."
    "Ah, well that is troubling.  Did he have a specific route to follow?"
    "The one we took to get where we were."
    "I see.  Maybe he was killed by wild animals."
    "My fellow dragons can easily handle any creature that attacks them."
    "I'll send out a patrol to scout for any remains."
    "With all due respect, I would prefer that I search for him.  I must look for some others that might have survived the Ashleaf and Otwen attacks."
    "Take what is now becoming the most famous commander in the land to do simple patrol work?  Are you mad?"
    "Not at all.  My men deserve a break from combat and as commander of these men, it is my duty to make sure all are accounted for."
    Pliet was silent for a moment.  "Very well.  Your men can return to Modley, but I expect you to not waste too much time on searching for the messenger or whoever else you have in mind.  We have to be on constant alert after what had just occurred."
    "I understand.  It should not take me long."
    Pliet nodded.  "You are free to leave."
    Melee did so and began to head back to Modley to supply himself for his scouting trip.  Pliet turned to one of his guards.
    "Inform the rest of the guard on the recent victory."

-

    He had been scouting the area between Otwen and Ashleaf for two days, with no sign of any survivors that might have made a refugee camp to live in for the time being.  With no fruit bearing from this trip, Melee began to consider stopping and presuming that everyone was dead.  The dragon found a log on the side of the road to rest on and took his seat on the surprisingly smooth wood.
    After pulling a map from a travel pack, he opened it to make note of the routes he took on this trip.  The entire area was essentially checked, including the route between Otwen and Silverburg.  It was discouraging to see that Melee couldn't find that messenger or survivors from the two towns.
    Melee then took a piece of meat to ease his hunger.  The taste was almost nonexistent, but he knew that he had eaten worse.  His teeth easily tore through the strip.
    A few minutes passed and the food was gone.  Satisfied, Melee set back out to return to Modley, his work complete.
    He was still a few miles from Modley when the feeling of somebody watching him crept up his back.  Melee often checked his surroundings, trying to make sure that he wasn't being followed and that he was just being paranoid.
    Another mile was complete, but the feeling remained.  Some nearby brush was starting to rattle now, making Melee pull out his shortsword.  He stopped and turned around.
    "Show yourself!"
    The noise stopped, but Melee didn't budge.  His eyes and ears scanned the area, even if his face never moved.  They perked up a bit when he could hear the light sound of footsteps in the snow.  When he felt that they were close enough, he turned and aimed his sword at whoever was sneaking up.  A brief, but weak scream pierced the air.  Melee saw that it was Sharon standing there, shivering in clothes that only the poorest peasants wore.  His eyes widened and he instinctively went to embrace her to give her some sense of warmth before being overtaken by hypothermia.
    Sharon tried to speak, but the cold and lack of energy within her was making it extremely difficult.  Melee quieted her and told her to conserve energy.  He knew that she would pass out shortly and maybe die if she did not get to a safe place immediately.
    His sword sheathed, he picked her frail body up and began to rush towards Modley.
    The snow was a little challenging, but he still got back to the village in record time.  Sharon did pass out, like Melee expected.  He could still hear her breathing, albeit lightly.  Upon inspection, the village doctor said that she was near entering a coma, but she should be able to pull through with the right treatment.  She told him that it would be a few days before she fully recovered, so Melee left to work on other things until she sent for him.

-

    A week had passed when Melee got this message that Sharon was well enough to speak again.  In an instant, he was back in the large building the doctor owned.
    Sharon was lying in a bed near the back of the room, but she was wide awake.  She smiled as Melee took a seat in a chair sitting next to the bed.
    "How you feeling Sharon?"
    "Pretty good.  I wish this bed was a little more comfortable though," she remarked before laughing a bit.
    Melee nodded and smiled.  "At least you are still alive."
    "That's true.  I was looking for you the entire time since I felt Ashleaf during that attack."
    "Why didn't you come straight to Modley?"
    "I tried, but I kept getting deterred by the royal army and found myself going to Otwen."
    "The royal army?  What were they doing?"
    "All they said was that the area was forbidden to enter at the moment and told me to go somewhere else for my own good.  I thought something was wrong here at the time."
    Melee's smile instantly subsided.  "Was Otwen deserted when you got there?"
    "Not at all.  In fact, I really liked it there for the short time I stayed.  At least until...the royal army came again, but in a large attack force."
    Melee was about to respond, but Sharon stopped him.
    "If you remember, since the alliance was formed, Otwen became primarily inhabited by dragons that knew the area for the new trade routes.  The army didn't resort to violence, but they kept forcing all the dragons out to take them to some unknown destination.  I managed to slip out just before they got to the house I saw staying in"
    Melee crossed his arms.  "So that somewhat explains why the town had no bodies there when I arrived.  Yet, buildings were destroyed."
    "The rogues that attacked Ashleaf probably discovered the town on their own.  Despite its small size, it is one of the most recognizable names in the kingdom."
    "I assume the royal army did nothing with the humans there?"
    Sharon nodded.
    "So...it was true; the rogues were feeding the feral live humans they took as food for it."
    "I can only imagine that horrid sight."
    "Indeed, be glad that you didn't see it."
    "Melee, what of the alliance?  Is it still there?"
    "Pliet ensured me that he would call upon humanity to stop attacking my kind in retaliation for the attacks.  However, after hearing you speak and with how he spoke to me as of late, I believe he is plotting moves behind the back of the entire dragon race.  Things just might be going back to the way things were again."
    "If only our species could just finally stop with this pathetic attempt at staying separate."
    Melee agreed.  "I rather not risk bringing this up to Pliet; a trap probably lies in wait for me to step into when I get there."
    "What do we do then?"
    "The first priority is to get all the dragons to safety.  Modley is a good staging area, but our kind will have to move into the east again for the time being.  If the humans are going to try and repeat history, then our kind needs to be united and near again to ensure our survival."
    "We should get Natalie here as well.  It is known that she is an ally of the dragons and if what you say is true, then she is likely to be threatened as well."
    "Yes.  I will see to her safety after we are done here."
    "And your army?"
    "There are a few I might worry about, but overall, I know they will follow me wherever I go."
    "Still believing in honor, eh?"
    "Any good being, regardless of species, has a sense of honor in themselves."
    She nodded again.  "What should I do?"
    "Just stay here and lay low for now.  No need to risk your life again.  You are free to stay in my home until we can make our next move."
    "Thank you."
    "I just hope all this preparation is just a waste of time and that the humans aren't conspiring against us.  Taking into account what Serent said before I slew him, I should have expected this."
    "The dragon race will always survive.  It is what our kind has been doing since our creation."
    "True, but it is about time we get to live the way we deserve."
    Melee embraced Sharon again before departing.  He instantly set to work on informing all the dragons in Modley to secretly spread the word of the possible treachery at hand.
    The rouges may be gone and the alliance is safe on the surface, but underneath its skin, a new war is just about to begin.
    However, as always, the enforcer of honor will be ready.