The Dragoness Queen

Chapter Seventeen: Meetings

Adrian Wrynncurth arrived a week later.

Relma stood atop a plateau looking out over a hilltop to where the Black Dragon was swooping toward them. She could see Estela upon him, and also Jomas on what appeared to be another golem.

Raising a hand in relief, Relma waved. "Wrynncurth! Wrynncurth over here!"

Wrynncurth landed before them. "Relma, jolly nice to see you, old girl."

"Relma, are you alright? Did they hurt you?" asked Estela, dismounting quickly.

Relma thought she ought to ask Estela's same thing, but she didn't have cat ears or paws, so that was a good sign. "No, but I think I've been able to enlist Durag as an ally."

"What?" asked Estela. "How, I mean-

"Explain now."

"It's a bit complicated, but I think that we can use Durag to set up a dialogue between the factions," said Relma. "We can play them against one another to pressure them into peace."

"What about the Dragonfire Shield?" asked Estela.

"The what?" asked Relma.

"The Dragonfire Shield," said Estela. "The thing we came all the way out here to steal! The artifact you wanted to get for Vanessa!"

"Oh, right, that," said Relma.

"Yes, don't tell me you forgot!" said Estela.

Relma thought about the Dragonfire Shield and what it represented. Finally, she shrugged. "Eh, Vanessa was probably just trying to get us out of the way anyway. Maybe we could hand it over as an act of goodwill if we get it.

"We don't need it."

"What do you mean you don't need it?" asked Estela. "Vanessa won't even consider our requests without getting it. And the Conquista wants you to kill Durag to get it.

"How is allying with Durag a supplement?"

"Vanessa only gave us that quest because she thought it would be impossible," said Relma with a shrug. "Even if we completed it, she'd probably just lead us on a wild goose chase. I've actually got a much better idea to deal with the problem while bringing pressure on her.

"Did Ajax contact with you?"

"He said you sent him with a message," said Estela. "I sent a message to Father with it, and also got Gormath to send one to him as well. I vouched for the Conquista and also gave Father a report on their weaponry.

"I think that horses have real possibilities in the Calishan Wars."

"Well, that's a long way off," said Relma. "Do you think King Tyus will be willing to not invade?"

"Probably, yes," said Estela. "Father isn't the kind to make stupid risks. Still, he wants revenge for Otto."

"Right, well, in any case, I have a plan to fix that," said Relma. "Wrynncurth, I want to get a meeting with Prince Bryag of the Dragon Empire." Then Relma paused and looked to the entrance. "But first, Wrynncurth, could you come inside? Durag has been very interested in meeting with you for a great many centuries."

"Oh, is he?" asked Wrynncurth.

"Relma, stop, what is going on here?" asked Estela.

"I'm trying to set up a peaceful solution to these problems," said Relma. "Wrynncurth, Durag has some very... well, questionable experiments. I was hoping you could look at them and, perhaps, convince him to change them."

"Well, these experiments seem interesting," said Wrynncurth. "Very well, no harm in having a chat on the subject."

"Peaceful solution..." said Estela, looking around. "We're fighting a legion of undead commanded by a lich of unfathomable evil. And he's supported by a warrior culture who burns the souls of those they capture on eternal flame! I don't want a peaceful solution!"