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Chapter 1: Mobilize

King Haedric of the Kingdom on Ishmin called for a great host to be formed and to assemble at the borders of the Kingdom of Gree. This was not a move to invade to massive kingdom to the north, but a call to defend all of humanity.

But three days past, the Kingdom of Gree all but fell under an onslaught from the North. Survivors which did not include King Haedric's uncle, King Norman of Gree, fled south to their neighbor seeking refuge. They describe the evil from the North as a blight of demons of all kinds which led a swarm of the undead as any man who fell while fighting swiftly rose up once more and turned their blade against those that mere moments before were their fellow countrymen.

King Haedric's cousin, Lord Tal, son of the deceased King of Gree named himself king and retreated into Ishmin with the last great host of Gree. There he begged Haedric to avenge his people and to help retake his homeland.

Haedric, stricken with grief that followed the news of his uncle's death could not refuse his kin and thus the call for arms was made. Men who swore an oath to the crown rallied from across the kingdom to answer the call and thus and great host of 17,000 met at the northern borders of Ishmin.

Knowing of how the armies of Gree which would have numbered at least 90,000 were cut down with ease, the Haedric called every favor and on every friend he could. Knowing how fair Haedric was, many great heroes also answered the call.

The Grand Lord and Defender Grawning, leader of the Paladin's Order of Light led his holy warriors north. The strength of a single paladin was greater than 10 men and was renowned for being able to take blow after blow to defend their 'herds' from harm all the while dealing out righteous vengeance.

Archmage Phane, mentor and advisor of men for over a century left the Grand Spire with his sorcerers and headed to Haedric's aid. He left, knowing that the evil that came from the North had to be stopped if men were to survive. He would lend his great magics willingly.

The men of the Hunter's Guild, an old and ancient group of men who led great forays into the wilderness to hunt great and mighty beasts believed that this would be a mighty and worthy hunt and therefore rose to honor the king's call.

King Mar of Luthenia to the west rode out with his own host. Being a longtime friend of both Haedric and the people of Ishmin, would not allow Haedric to venture into such danger without his own shield at his back.

King Thane of Padilum to the east marched his own great host and met Haedric's mighty army at the borders and swore his sword to the aid of Haedric. Although the Kingdoms of Ishmin and Padilum had no love for each other and had been at war many times, seeing that King Haedric was willing to leave his borders unprotected from him convinced King Thane of the severity of the situation. He would fight at the side of King Haedric until death took him if necessary.

Many more great men came to the king and took the knee before him pledging loyalty and their service, swearing that they would remain with him until the evil of the North was eradicated and the Kingdom of Gree retaken.

When all forces of the South were together and their camps stretching to either horizon, the great hosts of Ishmin, Gree, Luthenia, Padilum and of all the others that joined numbered near 100,000. Never before had so many come together from so many corners of the world under one banner. Though Haerdric and his fellow kings looked out to their armies and were glad that so many came, a fear also crawled into their hearts for still their number were just barely larger than the Armies of Gree which had marched against the evil in the North and lost. No, they would need more help and fast and yet no help was available. The other kingdoms of the realm either could not or would not send spears and swords.

Haedric knew where the answer laid and he despaired of the thought. For millennia, humans prospered and ventured into the world with little to fear, except for one thing, Dragons. The mighty beasts had always watched the humans and made their presence known. Conflict between humans and dragons was rare, but the few times that sword met scale, the carnage was immense and left behind ruin. This had left the hearts of men weak against the mighty scaled lizards that dominated both sky and earth.

When he bestowed his idea upon the other kings and great men, the argument was fierce. Nearly an equal number both supported it and fought against it. Haedric, Mar and Tal called for envoys to be sent to the dragon strongholds of Bragon and Numor to sue for an alliance. Thane, Grawning, Phane and the Hunter's Guild opposed it calling the winged beasts evil and untrustworthy. Thane's kingdom had tasted dragon's fire once long ago and despised them for it. Grawning believed them to be hell spawn sent by the devil and would not fight alongside those that he called wicked. Phane feared the beasts for he knew no spells that could affect them since dragon scale left them immune to all wizardry known to man. The Hunter's Guild had always sought out to hunt a dragon but had failed in every venture, they respected their strength, but an alliance would forbid them from hunting them in the future.

The argument nearly tore the alliance that was built upon mutual interest and survival down before they even had the chance to march into Gree. That was until a cloaked being who had watched from the shadows emerged and urged them to allow him a word. He beckoned them to seek the help of dragons for he was man of the lost Kingdom of Renock, an ancient civilization that had once prided itself on its alliance with dragons. The man who announced himself as Mortick, told stories of how once men rode dragons into battle, not as mounts, but as companions and brothers in arms.

The men of Renock were no more, their kind dying off, killed by the kings of old who feared the dragons and led great campaigns of extermination. The war was one of true horror as tens of thousands died in the inferno of fire and steel. In the end, the dragons fled to their strongholds and few ever ventured forth from their lairs.

Mortic explained that if they could convince the dragons that they are not the same as their blood thirsty ancestors then there remained hope that the dragons would honor their old alliances and join their crusade to the North.

When the Paladins voice their objects of hell spawn and devilry, Mortic reminded them of their oaths to protect men from all that was unholy and stated that the true devilry was in the North were men rose from the dead. He reminded them that if all failed then they would fail in the one objective and the world of men would fall.

This convince them that despite their objections, the dragons would help defend men from the true evil that pushed against them now. They once again pledged their mighty hammers and shields to Haedric and once again stood beside him.

When King Thane spoke of how the dragons scorched Padilum many centuries before, Mortic reminded him that this was only after the kings before him led the armies of men against Renock and slaughtered many dragons. He reminded him that it was war and the dragons did no more to his lands than the old kings did to theirs.

With this, Thane grudgingly took a knee and asked forgiveness of Haedric so that he may stand by his side once more and to cast aside old grudges. The swords of Padilum were once more joined with the ranks of men.

When Phane told of his fear that there would be no defense against the dragons if they became treacherous and turned against men, Mortic reminded him that never once did a dragon attack a human before being attacked first. He reminded him that humans are in fact those that are more treacherous citing many stories that were familiar to those gathered.

Phance being the oldest and wisest among men knew these words to be true. He pardoned himself for his ignorance and gave his staff once more to the cause of men to use his magic to fight off those that would threaten them.

When the men of the Hunter's Guild voiced their desire to hunt the great beasts and that their traditions forbade them from turning their great bows against an ally, old or new, Mortic reminded them of the blight that existed in the North and that there would surely be great and powerful beast up there. He reminded them of how the 90,000 men of Gree could not stop it when records show that 500 men could bring down even a mighty dragon.

Inspired by the potential of the hunt that laid in the North, the hunters bowed before the kings and stated that their arrows would rain down upon whatever monsters they would face.

With the entirety of the men who came North united once again, they named themselves the Crusade of Man and marched for Bragon and Numor, the great strongholds of the dragons. Bragon was in the Great Black Mountains which created the border between Luthenia and Gree to the west. Numor was located with the belt of volcanos which laid on the southern border of Palidum to the east and was justly called the Red Scar.

Knowing that time was short, Haerdic led the hosts of Ismin and Gree and had the Paladins and Mortic to accompany him to the Bragon to the west. The rest of the Crusade of Man, led by King Thane would march east to the Red Scar and Numor. The hope was they could convince at least one flight of dragons to help by reminding them of the old alliances with men.

Mortic had told them of the pride of dragons and how they rarely took their oaths back. The problem was, of all of the men who marched, only Mortic had the blood of a true Renock within him and since he rode with the descendants of the old kings, he knew not of how they would react. His counsel would not help, it was up to the Kings to convince the dragons to lend them their aid.

The scourge in the North, much to the relief of the men could not go where winter had not already settled and that gave the men of the south some months to prepare. The march was long and could not be quickened for the risk of starvation was there if the supply trains were left too far behind.

Haedric wondered how the dragons would react to an army of men at their doorstep even if they meant no harm. He couldn't go alone as an emissary since Mortic also describe the dragons respect for a show of force as well, but that was a double bladed sword since an army could also be taken as a hostile action as well. More so, he worried about how Thane would negotiate since he had no love of dragons. He decided that it was too late and that he needed to concentrate on the issue at hand.

The mood of the soldiers was surprisingly giddy and many who had once feared were now curious and anxious to set their gaze upon one of the legendary beasts for few remained who had seen one. Though some did voice their concern, none would go against their kings for their loyalty to the cause was too great and situation too dire.

As each day passed, they grew closer to Bragon, an area that no man had entered and left alive before and now it was in sight. Haedric knew that since the Great Black Mountains were in sight, they were surely being watched. Much to his surprise, he was relieved since no attack come out of Bragon to incinerate them.

Mortic, who was now one of Haedric's trusted advisors, bid him, Tal, Grawing and himself go into the stronghold alone. Their show of force at the enterance of Bragon would already be evident and by sending on only those worthy representing men alone, it would show that they meant no harm of which Haedric agreed.

The four men entered the shadow of the mountain leaving instruction that if they did not return in 5 days, they were to leave and not retaliate. The captains did not object, merely bidding them luck and farewells.

The men were not alone in the mountains for long as a mighty beast of red and silver flew down to meet them. None, not even Mortic had ever seen a dragon and were entirely enraptured by its appearance. It stood 12 feet high, 20 feet long and its wings spanned 40 feet. It stood there waiting and watching.

Mortic who he himself was awestruck quickly remembered the traditions of dragons and bowed and the others quickly followed suit.

The dragon, pleased with them, turned and slowly began to walk down the path and the humans quickly followed, insure of what to expect. They were led for several more hours until they reached what was unmistakably Bragon. The walls of the mountains had been carved away and into to create the sense of a city, if it could be called that. The eyes of hundreds of dragons could be seen watching them from above. This should have frightened the humans, but their curiosity quickly overruled any fear that they had for fear disappeared when death was not evident.

The red and silver dragon led them into a lit cave where they gazed upon an even mightier sight, a dragon so large it must have been 5 times the size of the once guiding them. He was covered in blue and green scales, each of which would have been the size of any of their heads. Each claw the length of an arm and the tail itself would have been large enough to smash down a castle wall. The dragon, according to Mortic was Azsteric, the King of Bragon.

He sat upon a stone throne which was barely large enough to accommodate his size. Gold and jewels were strewn about the cave in large mounds. The glittering of so much wealth by the reflections form the flames that lit the room blinded the men for an instant. The cavern itself was immense with the throne in the very center. To the sides were at least 20 other dragons of varying size and colors, but none as large of Azsteric.

After taking a few moments to gaze upon the grand beast, the humans bowed and waited for a reply.

One sound echoed through the cavern, "Speak." At first the men did not realize that the deep and baritone voice came from Azsteric who had decided that even beings as treacherous as men deserved to be heard out. When the realization struck them, Haedric wasted no time.

King Haedric attempted to remain regal and introduced his companions and explained the blight from the North that had ravaged Gree. He told them of how men from many places had come together to fight off the evil that threatened the. He especially made sure to take time to explain Mortic's involvement and his lineage which caused some sound from the other dragons that had begun to gather around. He then told the dragon of his own lineage and how the kings before him were those that had driven them into the mountains so long ago. This got no reaction, the cavern was absolutely silent.

Fearing for the worst, Haedric threw himself onto his knees and begged. He pled for some sort of compassion for forgivingness for what his kin had done. He asked that they remember the time that they once trusted men and to once again give them the chance for times have changed. Seeing the man who commanded tens of thousands at his knees and crying for a chance to save them softened the old dragon's heart.

With a huff, Azsteric decided that before he helped them, they needed to be educated on his own history and began to speak to the men who listened intensely for it was the only thing they could do.

Azsteric talked about the four ages of the world. The creation of the world, the rise of dragons, the introduction of men and finally the rise of men. It was believed by the dragons that the world was created 25,000 years ago and that during that time, the first dragons emerged and held dominion over the relatively barren waste. These first dragons were given the task by the gods to watch over the world as it grew and to protect it from the evils that may sprout. This led to the second age as dragons prospered in the new world which like the dragons, flourished. Then at some point, a flight of dragons became greedy and attempted to control the world. The black flight of dragons were selfish and cared not for life. A war erupted and the chaos left much of the world burnt. The gods were displeased with this and thus created man, a race that had the curse of a short life, but the gift to do much in that life. The first men, backed by the gods and the uncorrupt dragons drove the black flight of dragons away after many millennia of war. The first men would create the Kingdom of Renock. Thus began the rise of man.

Azsterick stopped there for men knew the rest and knew of their treachery. He also told them of how he was there when the other kingdoms destroyed Renock. Though his mind was filled with thoughts of revenge, his heart ached for the day men and dragons would cooperate once more and he had his chance.

Azsterick told Haedric that he would help to honor the alliances of old and to uphold the charge that was given them by the gods for Azsterick feared he knew who was behind the evil that had erupted from the North.

Azsterick himself was too old to leave Bragon, but he sent out his son, Asmirl to be his eyes and ears. Along with Asmirl, 300 other dragons would go and fight. Azsterick made sure to send out messengers to Numor to tell them of his choice and asked that they atleast give it thought.

Unknown to all men was why there were two dragon strongholds. After the dragons fled from the ruins of Renock, there was a disagreement on how to move forward. Azsterick believed that humans should be left alone and that in time, they would become trustworthy again. Another dragon, Trymal thought that humans could never be trusted and wanted nothing to do with them. This rift would eventually divide the dragons who now live in Bragon and Numor.

Azsterick warned Haedric that Trymal would most likely close his gates on them. This worried Haedric for Thane may decide to force his way in since he did not care to be shunned by anyone, especially dragons. He hoped that the messengers would arrive to stop anything drastic from happening for his own men would have to march for one month to reach Numor. Once again he decided that there was nothing else that could be done at the time.

On the morning of the fifth day, Haedric and his companions left the mountains, much to the relief of the soldiers who cheered at the sight of the mighty scaled beasts. Their hearts were filled with joy at the thought of having dragons behind them when they fought. After a day of celebration, the Crusade made their way once more to the border of Gree where they would wait for word from King Thane.

Haedric was surprised to see men already at the rendezvous location and even more surprised to see that it was another host from Gree, a mounted host of 6,000 knights.

After many warm welcomes, the commander of the host, Lord Unok told them of the condition of Gree. Many hosts were trapped in the cities with no escape. While some fell, others still held on. Lord Unok estimated that another 17,000 soldiers were besieged at the walled city of Naxwell and could be put to use of they were liberated.

King Tal felt obligated to rescue his beleaguered soldiers as that was the duty of a good king and yet he knew that only half of the crusade was present. Even with dragons, it may not be enough to launch the invasion of Gree so soon. The decision gnawed at the mind of the young king who had never had to make such a decision.

After many days of thought, King Tal made it clear that he would take all of his Great host and would launch an attack to relieve the city and to create a beachhead for the rest of the army when the time came for them.

Haedrick who would rather wait for the rest of the crusade to arrive could not convince his cousin to do anything else. He knew that King Tal was indeed supposed to do whatever he could for his people, but his forces alone, while the largest of all of the great hosts, would still only number at 32,000 with the knights included. In any other situation, it was a healthy number, but not much was known of the enemy at the time.

It was known that there were demons and the undead to make up the majority of their forces, but their numbers were unknown, their leaders remained a mystery to men and their main goals were shrouded. It did not matter to King Tal, the next morning he left with his great host and marched back into Gree to retake his home.