The Journey 35.

Autumn. The Province Of Wilshaw.

"Head down again?" asks Sunbeam the dragon.
"Might as well" replies Daeliss the dragon rider, who continues with "Go for their cavalry this time.
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon rumbles that he will. Then he dives down out of the morning sky towards the enemy.
They're in the middle of a battle, well it's more like a skirmish really. Here in the province of Wilshaw. Which is considered the first of the western provinces in the kingdom of Terrindim.
There's a battlefront here in Wilshaw, that goes for miles. Where the Balford faction is fighting the Golmard faction.
The rider Daeliss, with her dragon Sunbeam. Who are with the second fleet of the Balford faction.
Are concentrating their efforts this morning upon the enemy ground forces.
For here in Wilshaw, compared to where they were previously fighting in the central provinces of the kingdom.
There's a lot more action taking place down on the ground. As there's more of the armies from both sides of faction war, here in the province of Wilshaw.
As he swoops down out of the morning sky, Sunbeam the dragon sprays fire from his mouth at an enemy formation.
The largest dragon in the Balford faction flings a ball of lightning from his front right claws at the same time.
Which explodes amongst an enemy mounted formation. Whose horses are running in panic as they smell, and see the massive airborne predator coming down at them.
As he scorches hundreds of the enemy army, Daeliss hears her dragon Sunbeam rumbling with laughter.
The large dragon tilts his right wing up, and he sweeps away to the left. Quite low to the ground as he does so.
The commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc feels Sunbeam grab something.
Then she sees him flip something up into the air. It's a horse, and an enemy soldier still in the saddle.
Daeliss blinks as she realises it's a high ranking officer in the Golmard faction's army, most likely a nobleman.
Who is screaming in an uncontrolled manner, as his mount which is dead after Sunbeam's claws skewered it.
Goes tumbling up into the air, with the enemy officer clinging onto it for dear life.
They drop towards the ground, rider and horse. Until they land amongst their own army. Killing a number on the ground, as they die from the impact.
Cheers come from away to the left, where a substantial force in the Balford army are.
They cheer the dragon, and rider. Who have a growing reputation, not just in their own faction.
But now throughout the kingdom, as word of their recent deeds start to spread across Terrindim.
Daeliss waves to their nearby forces, before Sunbeam rises up into the sky. Heading more to the northwest, where in the distance, some of warships from their second fleet, have engaged in battle with some of the vessels in the Golmard faction who are in this area of the province of Wilshaw.
"That's definitely one of the three" says Sunbeam, referring to the three Golmard dragons, who spend a lot of their time on the staging grounds of the Golmard faction, in the capital city Fanile.
"The other two are here as well" says Daeliss the dragon rider, as word has got to them, that all three of Golmard dragons, known collectively as the three.
Are here on the battlefront, that goes for dozens of miles throughout the province of Wilshaw. The first of what's known as the western provinces in the kingdom of Terrindim.
"Best keep an eye out for them" adds the lean, blonde teenager who has been the rider of Sunbeam for the last three years.
"I will" says the large dragon who has been in the Komav family since the egg.
Both Daeliss and Sunbeam know that through they fight well in unison with sir Malfane and his dragon Firelight.
They're not as accomplished in fighting together as the Golmard dragons known as the three.
Who have fought side by side for generations, more than a hundred and fifty years. With a number of different riders.
Experience like that in battle is hard to come by. And the three, are often thought of as the best fighting dragons in the Golmard faction.
Though the recent accomplishments of Daeliss and Sunbeam, is something that not even the three have done.
Killing two dragons in a matter of days. Not done by a single dragon in recent memory.
Hopefully the enemy will be cautious of us, the commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc thinks to herself, who then calls out "Beam get us there quick!".
The next moment, the two of them disappear, as the large, burnt orange coloured dragon teleports them away.
Even though the province of Wilshaw, is immediately to the west of the province of Galmede, in which the capital city of Fanile lies.
Wilshaw is considered the first of the western provinces because of the low population it has.
It's why the battlefront between the Balford and Golmard factions here in Wilshaw goes for miles and miles.
Going across either fairly empty farmland, or more often than not, actual wilderness. Which you'll see an occasional dirt road going through.
Above one such road, the dragon Sunbeam reappears. And he shoots up into the morning sky, beneath some of the enemy warships. Who have engaged with those in the second fleet of the Balford faction.
As Sunbeam darts upwards into the sky, and blasts apart an enemy frigate with a spell.
The rider Daeliss looks away to the right, and as debris of the destroyed enemy vessel falls all around her and Sunbeam.
She spots her cousin Jarmic's battlecruiser, the Dragon Flame. Locked together with an enemy vessel of a similar size. With members of both crews, boarding the other vessel.
With barely a glance that way, Sunbeam casts a spell. And the next moment, a large number of the enemy crew still onboard their triple masted vessel.
Find themselves in midair, away from their warship. And falling out of the sky.
Even from where they are, Daeliss can see her cousin's crew, and the Balford faction soldiers onboard with them.
Cheering as over fifty of the enemy of the vessel they've locked up with. Are falling out of sky, dropping rapidly towards the ground, on this cold autumn morning, here in the province of Wilshaw.
The rider Daeliss looks quickly around in the sky, and spots an enemy dragon nearby.
It's one of the three, and Sunbeam has spotted it as well.
Though both rider and dragon are cautious to take it on. For the simple reason it could be bait for a trap.
As that's a well known tactic of dragons who work in unison during battle. Especially those dragons in the Golmard faction known as the three.
The commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc doesn't know which one of the three it is.
As they all look similar, especially considering they're all the same shade of red.
It's only by their slight size differences, and the protrusions two of them have on their heads, that you can tell them apart.
"Hold back?" is what Sunbeam the dragon asks of his rider.
"For now" says Daeliss, whose family has had Sunbeam since the egg.
"The other two close by?" asks the teenage dragon rider.
"A few miles away to the west, fighting further along the battlefront" is the reply of the large, burnt orange dragon, who after biffing an energyball at an enemy warship, is hovering in midair, a good thousand feet above the action.
The rider Daeliss then sees within her mind, vision of the two other dragons in the Golmard faction, who make up the three.
They're attacking more of the vessels in the Balford faction's second fleet, further away to the northwest.
She sees sir Malfane and his dragon Firelight, and two other dragons in the Balford faction, trying to repel them.
"There's another one close by" says Sunbeam, after the vision in the mind of Daeliss disappears, after he dragon drops the viewing spell he was showing her.
"Attacking our ground forces" adds the large dragon that's been in the Komav family for about a century, though he didn't actually hatch until about eighty years ago.
"I see it" says Daeliss, who at the age of sixteen was the youngest dragon rider in the kingdom, and infact at nineteen, still is.
After a quick look in the direction of her cousin Jarmic's battlecruiser, she says to her dragon "Go for it".
The largest dragon in the Balford faction rumbles in pleasure, then he dives down out of the sky.
He flings an energyball at an enemy airship, and whips his tail at another one, as he goes shooting down between them.
With Daeliss clinging onto the saddle, the large, burnt orange coloured dragon heads straight for an enemy dragon, flying low over some fields, spraying fire at a formation in the Balford faction's army.
At the last moment, the enemy dragon, a smaller beast. Darts forward, to avoid getting smashed into by Sunbeam, who dropped with all four sets of claws, extended out below.
There's a squawk like sound that escapes from the enemy dragon's maw as it evades the much larger dragon in the Balford faction.
In the saddle, Daeliss has her small hand held crossbow ready, as her dragon Sunbeam gives chase.
And in just a few quick wing strokes, the large, burnt orange coloured dragon is upon the enemy dragon.
Who lets out another squawk as Sunbeam batters it's wards. Almost depleting them by half. Just before it vanishes when it teleports away.
The Balford dragon could follow it, but instead he turns on his side to the left, and with his claws out to the side, he slashes at another enemy dragon that's suddenly appeared next to him.
It's one of the Golmard three that was nearby. Which slams into Sunbeam, sending them both tumbling through the air.
Daeliss clinches onto the saddle with all her strength. Seeing the ground, then sky, and the red enemy dragon. And so on, and so on, as they all tumble sideways through the air.
The two dragons that are clenched together by the claws, are flung apart, upwards into the morning sky.
They end up being just five hundred feet apart, at under a thousand feet in altitude.
Both Daeliss and Sunbeam recognise the red dragon from the Golmard faction, as Redflame. The so called middle dragon of the three. Simply because he's the middle in age.
The pointed horns, like bull horns really. Are the dead giveaway that it's Redflame.
Who though shorter in length that Sunbeam, is almost as bulky as the large, burnt orange coloured dragon who has been in the Komav family since the egg.
The two dragons from enemy factions who are at war with each other.
Briefly eye one another up. Then they both fly at one another. Not bothering to cast any spells. As this fight will come down to strength, agility, guile, and straight out viciousness to see who the victor is.
As they try to be the first to deplete the other's wards, so that they can try and deliver a lethal blow upon their opponent.
As they fly at the Golmard dragon Redflame, the rider Daeliss silently tells Sunbeam to be weary of the two others in the three, away to the northwest along the battlefront, who could turn up out of nowhere.
The large Balford faction dragon tells her that he will, just before he smashes into the dragon Redflame.
The two dragons, with their riders clinging onto their saddles. Grapple as they bite and claw at one another. Trying to deplete one another's wards.
Sunbeam with his greater wingspan, as he grabs onto the enemy dragon, drops down out of the sky.
Redflame, seeing that the larger dragon intends to fly him into the ground.
Breaks free, and wings away, before disappearing. He doesn't go far, as he reappears just a couple of thousand feet away. Circling around, and heading back in this direction.
Sunbeam who doesn't bother to cast in a battle like this. As he has learnt that those precious moments in casting. Could cost you a chance in defeating an opponent's wards to deliver a killing blow.
Comes to a halt in midair, backwinging to keep in position.
The rider Daeliss, who in the last week and bit, has been in this position quite a lot. Where an enemy dragon is trying to kill her and Sunbeam.
Once again silently cautions her dragon about the other two dragons in the group known as the Golmard three.
Sunbeam who silently tells her that he's keeping an eye on them, as they fight further along the battlefront to the northwest.
Snaps his wings forward, then sweeps them back, and shoots forward as he sees the dragon Redflame is flying directly at him again.
The large burnt orange coloured dragon in the Balford faction lets out a startled squawk. And quickly veers away to the left, as suddenly a pair of rifts appear in the sky. Right in the path between him and enemy dragon Redflame.
The rider Daeliss can't actually believe what's she's seeing. For after she blinks in surprise at the two rifts suddenly appearing.
And as her dragon Sunbeam veers away. She sees the twin royal dragons, Blackflame and Whitefire shoot out of the rifts. Right into the Golmard dragon Redflame.
The commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc can hear the loud squawk of alarm from the Golmard dragon from where she is. Just before the dragons known as the twins, slam into it.
Blackflame and Whitefire, the two largest dragons in the kingdom of Terrindim. Who are at least thirty feet longer than Sunbeam, and even bulkier.
Crash into the dragon Redflame at speed, with so much force. That his wards are basically wiped out in an instant.
Daeliss after the battle she and Sunbeam had against the Golmard dragon Deepsun in the province of Smalsare, where they killed the enemy dragon. Thought she knew how vicious dragons can be in battle.
But her thoughts on that completely change as she watches the massive black and white dragons of the king of Terrindim.
Blackflame and Whitefire look completely feral, almost wild and out of control as they attack the Golmard dragon Redflame.
Whitefire has the left wing of Redflame in her maw. And she thrashes her head from side to side like a ferret ripping apart a rat.
Meanwhile Blackflame, who is the slightly larger of the twins. Who are smothering the smaller red dragon.
Has Redflame's throat between his massive jaws.
And as he bites down upon the neck of the Golmard faction dragon, he rips his rear claws down the belly of Redflame.
In just mere moments, the dragon Redflame is falling dead out of the sky, with his left wing ripped off. His stomach torn open, and entrails falling out of them. While his head hangs by basically a thread.
As he falls out of the sky, the momentum tears his head from what's left of his neck.
While further up in the sky, the dragon Whitefire is chewing on something. It's Redflame's rider, as the large white dragon eats him and the saddle he's on, whole.
There's a loud bugle like roar from the dragon Blackflame that can be heard across the sky.
And the rider Daeliss as she looks at the twins, sees the wild look in their eyes as they scan the skies.
The commonborn dragon rider who has noticed the alarming fact that the twin's rider, king Crassil of Terrindim isn't with them.
Looks around and sees that in this part of the battlefront, the combatants are breaking off from one another.
In the sky, airships from the Golmard and Balford faction are quickly moving away from each other.
While down on the ground, the opposing forces are also disengaging after what they've just witnessed in the sky.
Suddenly the royal dragons Blackflame and Whitefire disappear.
Sunbeam who is backwinging to keep in place, says in a stunned tone of voice "They're going after the two". Referring to the remaining two dragons known as the Golmard three.
"Hell" says Daeliss Komav as she tries to take in the complete and utter destruction of a dragon by the twin royal dragons.
"Something's happened" says the commonborn dragon rider, who then asks "Do you know what?".
"I don't" is the reply from Sunbeam who is just as stunned as his rider and what they've just seen.
"We better go and find out" says the rider Daeliss as she wonders what has happened, that it's got the twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire to leave the capital Fanile and attack the dragons known as the Golmard three . . . . . .