“I do not agree with your decision to go after the orb or for your constant need to change the plan. I have warned you that your choices will lead us to ruin unless you stick to the original plan.” Ryo was not trying to hide his feelings from Kana because he knew that if he did throw up barriers that she would not trust him. Even though he strongly disagreed with several of her choices, he knew that if he stayed with her that he would end up on the winning side. However, there were times he doubted that there would be a winner in this particular contest.
“I see…you still do not understand the burdens of leadership. A true leader must be able to adapt to ever changing circumstances. We have not been successful in any of our attacks on the free peoples of Tuwa, so we must change our stratagem. Plus, in the beginning we did not know of the existence of the Orb of Nitesh. That, in and of itself, changes everything.” She had an air of superiority as she spoke.
“You make a valid point about an ever changing situation. Since the beginning of this war we have lost several of my kindred beasts in southern Landen where our armies should have been able to easily overrun the enemy. We have yet to breach the cliffs! Thousands have fallen for nothing!” The usually calm dragon was letting his frustrations get the better of him. He knew that this may actually get through the Kana.
“I understand your frustration…I did not take into account that the druids would reunite and begin their search for the seventh secret druid. I did not count on the guardian council working closely with the peoples of Tuwa. I did not believe that the guardian himself would again banish the dark lord to the icy Bekra Keep in the north!” She was losing her composure as she spoke to Ryo. Nothing is going as it should!
“I share your sense of frustration…we, however, must keep our wits about us. Your former master is trying to unsettle you and push you into doing something foolish.” He turned one of his jet black eyes toward her. “What we need to do is decide what must be done now. We have lost Drogan, but we still have his army in place over Lake Lachlan. You need to determine who will lead them into battle.”
“You are right…why don’t we agree for the time being to disagree about past choices. You and I need to be one as we move forward. I think that we must first finish with our business here and then we will decide what to do after that.” She laid her right hand gently on the inky black scales and stroked Ryo’s neck. It was the first time in a long while they had been able to overcome the chasm that existed between them.
“I think you are right…I will see how close we are to finishing this purge.” Without another word he took off into the air. It was impossible to see where he went because of the thick steam that was everywhere now. A sense of ease came over her as she continued her stroll. She knew that she needed every powerful ally she could find and Ryo was definitely at the top of that list.
After a few minutes the fiery sphere reappeared out of the canyon and climbed high into the sky above Kana. Ryo was circling even higher above waiting for the final command. The fallen guardian swung both her arms upward in the direction of the odd pair. A bolt of red lightning shot at them with great speed from her outstretched hands. The fiery ball and the dragon were melded together by this magic. The burning beast soared a little higher and then went into a steep dive toward the Nairi underground castle. The mutated projectile hit the sandstone structure with terrific force. The ground shook violently and reddish clay dust filled the air. The ground continued to rumble for a few moments post impact. The dragon could be seen standing apart from where he and the fiery ball had hit the canyon wall.
“Home sweet home” Kana said with a wicked grin. She had a sense of accomplishment which felt good considering all the string of failures her plans have had. She had needed a base for her operations and this would do nicely.
Ryo roared as the dust settled. The castle had been transformed completely from the forceful impact. The combination of Kana’s magic along with the dragons had altered the exterior completely. It had the look of one of the ancient dark temples from centuries ago. The symbols representing the four elements were engraved in the jet black walls and pillars. There were demonic depictions along with images of goblins, rock trolls, orcs, and beasts loyal to the fallen guardian. The walls were smooth like marble and were slightly warm to the touch. Even though the surface was completely black, there was a dull red glow emanating from it. The new exterior seemed to pulsate in a rhythmic fashion that was eerily similar to the wall surrounding Agaroth.
“Let us call on our newest friends to come out of hiding” said Kana after she had appeared out of thin air next to Ryo. A fine red mist swirled and then faded after her appearance. The dragon gave her a quick sideways look and then unleashed a long drawn out flame over the landscape just in front of the newly blackened entry to the Nairi castle.
The ground began to shake violently as odd looking creatures emerged from under the canyon floor. They had a hairy look to them that made them look like gigantic fur balls. They stood nearly three feet high and were almost the same size around. There were different colored creatures which distinguished them from their fellows. Some were black while others were shades of different browns. Their faces were obscured by the massive amount of hair, but their noses did poke out slightly. They all had huge black eyes which were extremely sensitive to natural light. To the casual observer they looked like oversized porcupines.
“Be still my friends…I have summoned you only long enough to give you instructions” Kana said swiftly as the creatures closed their sensitive black eyes against the blinding sun. She made a welcoming gesture to the seldom seen creatures. They were considered creatures from a time long ago and were thought to be extinct.
The creatures, which had not been seen in the middle lands of Tuwa for centuries, had four powerfully built legs. Both sets of legs were well adapted for digging or mining. The extra-long hair made it easier for them to move through the earth. What were not immediately visible to the naked eye were the razor sharp needles it used for defense that were shorter than the hair. If they feel threatened, they will roll up into a ball and try to steam roll its assailant. When they get into this position, the metallic spikes protrude from their skin and act as a weapon. If they get cornered they will launch their needles at their enemies. They also emit a musky scent when they feel threatened. There was no way to avoid this particular defensive measure.
“Drugars…I have called you here to request your help in surprising your neighbors nestled in Mount Ennis. I am offering you an opportunity to get retribution on those who have hunted and killed your kind over the centuries” Kana said boldly. There was a soft rustling of quills in reply to this grand offer. It was clear that they were willing to do whatever this fallen guardian wanted so long as they get the chance to repay the dwarves for senseless killings of so many of their kind. They had been hunted as pests or for fun. The musky smell they emitted when they felt they were threatened was one of the most popular reasons for hunting them down.
“We will do whatever you want Kana so long as you keep your promise” replied the head drugar Dorax. He was nearly four feet tall and had a sleek jet black coat of hair. His eyes had an unusual silver hue to them. The drugars cannot speak, but they have superior telepathic abilities that assist them with their mining activities. Many dwarves take their lack of speech to mean that they are lesser creatures or even giant rodents. This misperception is at the heart of the rift between the two groups. The dwarves viewed them as smelly oversized rodents and the drugars thought the dwarves were ruthless bearded nuisances.