Chapter 7
The war against the humans had been far more challenging than Ironclaw had predicted, and the losses were mounting. Every time he sent dragons out to fight, fewer returned than were sent. Despite the setbacks, the Fire Dragons under his command never questioned his authority or blamed him for the deaths of their comrades. It was as if Ironclaw’s hatred of the humans was contagious, and when a dragon perished it only convinced the others they should fight on.
“What do you have to report?” Ironclaw snorted when two of his scouts flew in from the south.
“We burned several villages, but the humans are switching from wood to stone, and it’s making it harder to repel them,” Spike replied.
“I don’t want excuses, I want results!” Ironclaw shouted.
“We did spot a couple of Fire Dragons heading south that we didn’t recognize,” Ember interrupted.
“What do you mean, you didn’t recognize them? All Fire Dragons are under my authority now that we’re at war,” Ironclaw snarled in anger.
“We thought they might have been new recruits from the Emerald Isle,” Ember replied.
“I already used all of those up. What did these two mystery dragons look like?” Ironclaw fumed.
“The larger one was dark red, and the other one appeared bluish. I don’t know for sure because we were high up in the clouds when we saw them,” Ember admitted as she looked over at Spike to make sure her description was accurate.
“You idiots, that was Draig and Sapphire!” Ironclaw yelled at the top of his lungs.
“How can that be? You executed both of them on the stone of punishment months ago,” Ember insisted.
“I was about to, but when the humans attacked us, I flew over to protect the other dragons. I assumed the humans would kill them once they took over Snowdon,” Ironclaw grumbled.
“Why would they kill Draig and Sapphire? You said they were helping the humans?” Ember questioned.
“Of course those traitors are helping the humans, but that doesn’t mean the savages didn’t turn on them after they got what they wanted!” Ironclaw shouted as he tried to cover up his deception with yelling.
“Sorry I asked,” Ember replied indignantly.
“Don’t ever question what I say, you yellow-bellied peasant. Now, both of you go back to the area where you saw Draig and Sapphire last, and try to figure out what they were doing!” Ironclaw ordered. Ember and Spike looked at each other, and then flew off without arguing with him. They didn’t like having him order them around, but anyone who crossed Ironclaw disappeared without a trace, or ended up on the stone of punishment for treason.
“Ironclaw, what’s wrong? I heard you yelling at Ember and Spike,” Talon asked in a meek voice not wanting to further anger him.
“It would appear that Draig and that blue devil have cheated death again.”
“What? The humans didn’t kill them in the attack?”
“Apparently not. Maybe they really are helping those savages. Either way, they must be found and killed so that our lies about them are never uncovered,” Ironclaw insisted.
“I wonder where they have been hiding all this time?” Talon asked.
“I don’t know, but while I wait for them to come back, why don’t you go down to the lake and see if you can catch some fish for both of us,” Ironclaw suggested.
“Aren’t you coming down to the lake with me?” Talon asked.
“No, I’m going to stay here and keep watch,” Ironclaw replied.
“Alright,” Talon remarked as he flew off.
While Talon was busy fishing, Ironclaw lounged about for a few hours wondering how his brother had escaped from the stone of punishment. He knew Draig was strong, but he had bound him twice over with eel skin rope, and no dragon could break free of that. The other thing he couldn’t understand was why his brother and the blue devil didn’t come after him? It wasn’t like Draig to let things go. As Ironclaw sat there trying to figure things out, he saw Spike fly in from the east and quickly disappear into his den without reporting in.
“What’s he up to?” Ironclaw mumbled to himself as he walked over to his den to find out.
“Why didn’t you check in?” Ironclaw yelled in an angry voice as he poked his head into the entrance to Spike’s burrow.
“Because bad news does not sit well with you,” Spike replied from the depths.
“Get your tail out here and tell me what’s going on!” Ironclaw demanded. Spike slowly ascended from the depths of his den and then paused in the shadows as Ironclaw glared at him expectantly.
“The humans have designed a new weapon that can shoot an arrow much further than a bow. We have lost the eastern lowlands to them as a result,” Spike revealed.
“Then go to the Emerald Isle and order all of the remaining dragons hiding over there to come to our aid!” Ironclaw ordered.
“There are no remaining dragons in Ireland, they were attacked by the humans earlier today, and the island has fallen to them,” Spike admitted as he slowly backed into his den. Ironclaw gasped at the news, and as he was about to take his anger out on Spike, he heard Ember and Skarn call his name.
“Did you find Draig or Sapphire?” Ironclaw snarled as he turned to question them.
“No, but we think they may have visited a sheepherder’s ranch in the lowlands. They are the only humans that live in the area where we saw them coming from,” Ember reported.
“Did the sheepherder or his family see you passing overhead?” Ironclaw asked.
“No, we stayed up in the cloud layer like normal,” Ember replied.
“Good, we don’t want that filth to know we are watching them in case they are helping Draig,” Ironclaw remarked.
“Do you want us to go back there?” Ember asked.
“No, Talon and I will pay them a special visit, and if we find out they know my brother, then we’ll kill them,” Ironclaw replied as he looked over towards the lake. “Talon! Get back up here!” he shouted.
A moment later Talon appeared from the darkness holding a fish in his claws.
“I only caught one, but you can have it,” he said in a cowardly voice that clearly smelled of fish.
“Never mind that, we have to go pay the sheepherder a visit,” Ironclaw remarked.
“Oh, you must be hungry if you want a sheep for dinner,” Talon replied.
“No you fool, I think Draig and Sapphire went to see the sheepherder, and I want to know why,” Ironclaw snapped impatiently.
“Do you think they saw us, I mean, saw something we need to take care of?” Talon asked as he tossed the fish over to Ember and Spike to distract them from his slip of the tongue.
“I don’t know, but we’ll soon find out,” Ironclaw said as he watched Ember and Spike tug on separate ends of the fish seemingly unaware of Talon’s mistake.
“When are we going?”
“Right now,” Ironclaw replied.
Once they were far enough away from Snowdon so that no one could see them in the moonlight, Ironclaw smacked Talon across the face with his tail midair.
“What was that for?” Talon whimpered.
“If you ever mention we were at the meadow where Sapphire was attacked again, I will kill you myself. Is that clear?” Ironclaw snarled.
“Yes,” Talon replied in a submissive tone.
“Good. Now let’s go see the sheepherder,” Ironclaw said with an evil look in his eyes.