As Miles and Qersiss flew towards the Nagano Prefecture the young Knight noticed that he wasn’t feeling the cold of the higher altitude. He knew that he should be feeling the bighting chill of the wind and short of breath in the thin air of the upper altitudes. Yet for some strange reason he suffered none of the effects of flying at the higher than normal altitudes. Not even his armor next to his skin felt cold. With none of the old joints and exposed areas of his old White armor his new armor moved with a freedom he could have only dreamt of in the past.

“Lady Qersiss, do you not feel the strain of flying so high already?” He asked of his dragon. Even as she pounded her wings for even greater altitude.

The majestic white dragon just chuckled at her rider’s question. “The higher I fly the easier it is for me to fly Miles. And please just call me Qersiss.”

“I’ll do my best to remember Qersiss. Just remember that I was raised within the Order.” Miles chuckled. “There are certain manners that were beaten into my head at an incredibly young age. Manners that will be hard to overcome at times. I’m sure that you understand?”

“Has our home world changed that much sense mother Tiamat brought to this world to solve those problems of so long ago?” Qersiss wondered loud enough for Miles to hear.

“It has been over five hundred years since you and your brothers last graced the skies of our home world Qersiss. A great deal has changed in that time.” Miles sighed. “The Children of the Sun God Wexdum are now the only official Church of the State. The holy cities are totally controlled by the Children of the Sun God. The King, Queens, and other Nobles dare not oppose the Children of the Sun God. To do so is to court disaster. The desert followers of Dhaenar, God of Freedom were wiped out to the last man. Their women and children were sold into slavery. In our home world true freedom is now a thing of the past Lady Qersiss. Sadly, it was the Dragon Knights of the other orders that allowed this to happen.”

“How so?” Miles could feel the anger of his dragon as it filled her voice. “The Dragon Knight Orders were formed to protect the homelands. They were never meant to be conquerors of any type. What happened?”

“The Children of the Sun God rose to power is what happened, Qersiss. The Grand Druid Constantinus Ypsilanti ordered all of the Dragon Knight Orders with the exception of the White Rose to partake in the final Holy Crusade. A crusade to bring the Word of Wexdum to the heathens of the world.” Miles really didn’t want to talk about the darkest years of the Dragon Knight Orders. Yet he knew that he could not lie to Qersiss or hold back this information from her. Not if he wanted to keep her trust. “Those that did not convert were put to the sword or fell to dragon fire from the skies. It was a dark and bloody time, Lady Qersiss. We of the Dragon Orders have long since withdrawn from the world. Our numbers still grow, but we no longer follow the Church or allow those that do to join our ranks.”

“Does the Church not try to force you once more back under their control?” Qersiss asked in confusion.

“Oh, they try from time to time Qersiss.” Miles chuckled. “But for some reason the idea of facing more than twenty-four legions of Dragon Knights and their partners changes the Church Leader’s minds.”

Qersiss chuckled as she thought about 24,000 dragons and their rides circling over the heads of such foolish humans. “How often does the Church try the Orders, Miles? Is it a yearly occurrence?”

“Every time a new Grand Druid is elected, Qersiss.” Miles chuckled again. “It seems that they all feel the need to show the world that they’re the next great prophet or some such horseshit.”

“Most likely the next great prophet, Miles. It is a human failing. The need to gain power and hold it.” Qersiss chuckled at her rider’s naivety in the ways of the human mind. “Let us talk of lighter things Miles.”

“Agree, Qersiss.” Miles said with a smile behind his visor. Then he had a thought. “Qersiss maybe you can help me unravel a mystery.”

“What great mystery has my knight confused?” Qersiss asked with a chuckle.

“Why is it that I do not feel the cold any longer? Or how is it that my armor is not freezing the way it used too?” Miles asked.

“Ah! You still haven’t realized the full ramifications of the change to your armor by the Lady Chiyoko and her sisters.” Qersiss chuckled. “The magic those five young ladies imbued your armor with is equal to the magic of their own armor. With one exception.”

Miles thought about what Qersiss just said. “I can remove my helm when in public. Whereas they’re unable to remove their masks.”

“Exactly. Unlike you, they are cursed to bare their armor for the length of their lives. You my proud Knight can leave the temple dresses as normal man. The moment they step outside of the compound walls they are encased by their armor. They shall forever be forced to stand apart from the rest of humankind.” Qersiss told her rider sadly about the five Samurai’s cursed armor. “The magic protects you the same way that it protects them.”

“Now, I understand. Like their armor mine is now also a living thing.” Miles grasped what Qersiss was explaining. “Amazing the power those five young ladies’ control. All the mages and alchemist of our home world would bow down to them as teachers. Just to be able to understand the smallest of portions to their massive power.”

“They are some amazing young Ladies, Miles.” Qersiss chuckled. “In all my centuries of life. I’ve never seen their like before.”

Miles continued to smile behind his visor. “Qersiss we need to drift a little more to the west. The mountain that we seek is slightly more inland.”

“Tell me Miles. How do you know where we’re going?” Qersiss asked in wonder.

“To tell you truthfully, Qersiss. I just do. I don’t understand it myself, but it is as if I was raised in these lands.” Miles answered with more than a little honesty and confusion. “I just know that the knowledge is there.”

“I see.” Qersiss rumbled. “This smells of Mother Tiamat’s magic.”

“Could the Grand Lady Tiamat really place such knowledge in my head?” Miles asked of Qersiss.

“With an ease that not even the Lady Chiyoko could manage.” Qersiss chuckled. Then explained the obvious. “She is a Goddess after all.”

“True.” Miles answered with a blush to his voice. “We need to pass over those twin peaks just to the east Qersiss.”

“Which pair Miles? There are two twin peaks.”

“The taller set of the two.” Miles grinned behind his visor. He drew on the knowledge that Tiamat had given him of the country. “I think you’ll find this interesting. Those four particular mountains. They’re called the Dragon’s Heavenly Steps.”

“Really? A set of mountains named for Dragons. I’m amazed.” Qersiss really was surprised by what Miles just told her. “It seems Miles that Mother Tiamat gifted you with more than just the knowledge of the land.”

“I don’t understand how Qersiss, but it is like the more I see of this land the more that know. It just seems to seep in like water through the cracks in a dungeon’s wall.” Miles explained begrudgingly. As they passed over the twin mountain peaks Miles spotted the next landmark. “There Qersiss. That valley pass is our next marker.”

“I see it Miles. The one with the still river. Correct?” Qersiss asked.

“That’s the Treacherous Rill, Qersiss. It may appear calm and still. Don’t let that fool you. Those waters are as traitorous an ice-covered lake. One false step and all is lost.” Miles warned her about the river that was rapidly approaching below them. “We will find our next marker at the end of the valley at a fork in the river.”

In response to Miles’ directions Qersiss dropped into a gliding dive that would take them to the end of the river valley in seconds. “Which branch?”

“The one to the left, Qersiss. Careful of the outcroppings.” Miles warn her as Qersiss banked over the left split of the river below. “Qersiss we need to climb up over the ridgeline. Our next marker is on the other side of the ridgeline to the right.”

Qersiss pounded her wings and gained altitude rapidly. Just as she cleared the top of the ridge Miles spotted the last marker. “We just need to follow that road to the north now. We should reach Mount Sunōmaunten within the hour. Just after the noon bell.”

“How shall we find our lost Princess Miles? Have you thought of that?”

“We shall follow your nose, Qersiss.” Miles chuckled then appealed to every majestic dragon’s greatest weakness, their vanity. “I’m sure that you of all the great majestic dragons can sniff out a Royal virgin. Even one hidden amongst a forest the size of the Great Black Bear Woods.”

“Yum. Virgin. Tasty.” Qersiss rumbled her most basic desire filled her mind. With a mighty shake of her head. Qersiss craned her neck back to look at her rider. “That was not fair Miles. Tempting me with such a tender morsel.”

Miles just shrugged his shoulders. Qersiss could hear the mirth in his voice. “You cannot deny that it is the truth though.”

Qersiss craned her neck further back until her snout was inches from his face. She just snorted. “True but still unfair.”

As the dragon turned her head back to see where she was going Miles chuckled. Even as the massive white dragon pounded her wings to gain both speed and altitude. Miles knew that he had the greatest of trackers beneath him. Now that he had challenged Qersiss to find the Princess. He knew nothing would stand in her way of sniffing her out.

As they flew north along the road, Miles spotted a long line of men on horseback. His training let him know exactly what he was seeing. “Qersiss that is a troop of light cavalry down there. Can you tell how many?”

“A full score Miles. No more.” Qersiss quickly answered.

“Damn that makes at least a full mounted squadron of light to heavy cavalry.” Miles spat out. “What are those long metal tubes on the shoulders?”

“I have no idea, Miles.” Qersiss answered as she sniffed the air. “I can smell the black powder and a strange oil coming from them, Miles. They must be some type of projectile weapon.”

Miles thought about what Qersiss said and what Chiyoko and the others had told him of the weapons in this world. “Those must be the rifles or guns that Lady Chiyoko and her sisters talked about. They have a great reach. Longer than the Willow Wands of the Northmen.”

“And just like those Willow Wands unless they can drive a clothyard shaft through two claws worth of granite. They are worthless against my hide.” Qersiss rumbled with more than a little pride. Pride that is well deserved.

Even in his home world the properties of dragon hide were desired above all others. For more than just the warmth. Dragon hide was so tough that it took special tools to even cut, tan, and cure the raw dragon hide. Hide that was only harvested after a dragon died of old age or accident. The laws of his home world prevented the hunting of wild dragons. Those would did often ended up dead from the battle with the dragon.

As they approach the small village of Sunōmaunten Qersiss breathed in deeply. “We must go higher on the mountain Miles. More towards the top.”

“How much higher?” He asked quickly as he watched what had to be the other five cavalry units searching the lower reaches of the mountain.

“The Princess is three quarters of the way up the mountain. That is where her trail leads.” Qersiss answered with a rumble. “Her scent is strongest from near that one watchtower.”

Lower Basecamp 3, Mount Sunōmaunten

Viceroy Kagae Michimoro was in a foul mood for several reasons. The first was he hated traveling by horse. Second, he hated the mountains. Third, he hated being cold. Lastly, he hated having to deal with military men. If it wasn’t for the current Minister of Labor sending him to this Prefecture on orders, he would still be at home; but the threat of there being an illegitimate Royal heir with a greater claim to the throne was just too great to be allowed to continue.

Sighing he looked up at the basecamp watchtower. This was the last one to search. If the bastard heir wasn’t here, then he would just have to torture their guide. The man had been leading them from one deserted basecamp to the next. He had given orders to burn the ones they had already searched as a lesson to the people of this region. The lesson was a simple one. Any attempts to hide the false heir was an act of treason.

Kagae was brought out of his dark thoughts as the current Captain of the Cavalry troop walked towards him. Kagae could tell the man brought bad news by the slump of his shoulders. “Well. What is it Captain?”

“The heir is not here Viceroy. I do have some good news though.” The Captain stated gradually. At the wave of Kagae’s hand he continued. “There is a trail leading further up the mountain around back.”

“Bring me that worthless fool you call a guide.” Kagae snapped.

The Captain didn’t even think twice as he followed the Grand Viceroy’s orders. He knew that his life depended on this man’s good will. Grand Viceroy Kagae Michimoro had already killed three other captains while in the field. When this mission had started the Captain was a lowly Second Lieutenant. For each failure, a Captain died. He found the Yuki no akuma boy hiding behind the troop’s supply wagon. Grabbing the boy by the back of his neck. “Come on boy. The Grand Viceroy wants a word with you.”

At just ten seasons Amachi Tsuneari was really wishing that he could get away from these men. If he had been smart, he would have run when his mother ordered him, when the Army first appeared in their village. But he couldn’t leave his mother alone to face those cruel men on her own. Nor could the other four boys that were forced to help them. Amachi knew that the men within the village were planning on rescuing their parent. Until that happened, he and the other four boys had no other choice but to help the Army to find his friend Ren and her mother Setsu.

As he was pulled in front of the Grand Viceroy Amachi was surprised to the man who carried the wireless telegraph. The Viceroy, or as Amachi like to think of him the Wessel, sneered down at him. “Tell me boy. The trail behind the watchtower. Where does it lead? Don’t lie as your life depends on it.”

“Sir, that is the trail for the upper basecamps. It is the only one.” Amachi answered honestly. Then looking around at the horses. “Though you won’t be able to take your horses up that trail.”

“Why?” Kagae snapped.

“The further you go up the trail the steeper it becomes. There is one point that is no wider than a footpath.” Amachi knew that there was only one way to get his point across about taking the horses further up the mountain. “Sir, that trail is also one of the few trails on Mount Sunōmaunten that has parts which are covered in ice and snow year-round.”

“What does that mean?” Kagae demand not grasping the threat that the trail presented to his men.

“Sir, the horses cannot climb an ice- and snow-covered path that is no wider than what a man can walk. They’ll buck at the first sign of danger.” The Captain explained what the boy tried to avoid. “We must walk from here.”

“You have to be pulling my leg Captain. Walk up that mountain?” Kagae screamed. “You expect me to walk?! Up that mountain?! Are you insane?!”

“Excuse me sirs?” Amachi figured that if he told about the watchtowers at the upper basecamps. They would think twice about climb the trail. “There is more you should know about the watchtowers of the upper basecamps.”

“What is so important about the watchtowers? Aren’t they the same as these?” Kagae demanded of Amachi.

“No sir. The upper basecamp watchtowers all have at least one cannon. We use them to control avalanches in the winter.” Amachi knew that what he was about to tell the Grand Viceroy would really piss the man off. “But Ren and Setsu only need to reach basecamp four.”

“Why that basecamp boy?” The Captain snarled he did not like what he was hearing.

“Basecamp four is the highest basecamp, sir. It also has the largest gun. That cannon covers all approaches to the village and to the basecamp.” Amachi quickly answer the man.

“How big is the gun boy?” The Captain demanded as he raised his hand. “What kind of shells does it fire?”

“I don’t know sir. I swear. All I know is that it is big and can shoot to the far end of the Hummingbird Pass.” Amachi cringed in preparation for the hit. He knew that the Captain was angry.

“Sir the boy wouldn’t know because he has never been beyond the lower basecamps.” The one man from the village that agreed to be a guide. “None of the boys know what is at the upper basecamps. I do.”

“Then tell us already.” The Captain snarled.

“Not that it will matter in the long run. Setsu and Ren can rain down hell on your people the second you come into view.” The man grinned. “And that will happen just after you clear the tree line. Which is about one thousand more feet up the side of the mountain.”

The man pointed towards the trail then up towards where basecamp four sat. “Once you start up that trail, they’ll see you coming in about three hours. If they aren’t looking down on us already. After that the first one-twenty-five-millimeter High Explosive round will impact amongst your troops. The next around will be an airburst antipersonnel-armor flechette round with a kill-range of twenty-five meters at just over ten meters above your heads. It will arrive fifteen seconds after the first round. The next round again arriving fifteen seconds later will be another airburst round. Only this one will be a White Phosphorus round. Until nothing is left.”

“Why would a village need such weaponry?” The Captain asked.

“Unlike those who live in the large cities and the capital Captain. We still face the occasional bandit horde. With the nearest military base more than a day’s march we must defend ourselves. During the summer months we keep a ten-man crew stationed at each watchtower. With one exception. Upper basecamp four.” The man grinned. “There we keep double that number.”

“Bah! The man is only trying to buy the bitches time to escape Captain.” Kagae snapped. “Even if they had access to those types of weapons. There is no way that two women could use them.”

The village man started to laugh. “You really have no idea of who you are dealing with. You poor ignorant fool.”

“Kill this fool Captain! NOW!” Kagae ordered in a rage.

“Kill me and you won’t get up that trail.” The village man countered. Then looked over at the Captain who was already unholstering his sidearm. “The boys won’t be of help to you either.”

“What does that mean?” Kagae snarled. “It’s just a straight path.”

“You only wish that. You go up that path without a seasoned guide and you’ll lose at least half of your men during the climb.” The man smiled as he drove the knife home and twisted it. “That is long before you come within the range of Massive Obsidian Blaster. That’s only if Setsu hasn’t already ready set the gunsights for combat. Then you have to deal with the Livingstone Ice Falls. Good luck with that, boy.”

“What are these Livingstone Ice Falls?” The Captain asked with a great deal of trepidation filling his voice. The villager just grinned. “Answer me!”

“A full dragon’s tail of continuously moving ice that you have to cross over. Something than only seasoned ice climbers dare to try without a guide.” The man’s grin grew with each word. “And right now. You’re chasing the two best mountain guides in the whole Prefecture. Do you finally grasp the situation? You’re outclassed, and now that they have most likely reached upper Basecamp four. You’re totally outgunned. You lost before you started. You and your men never really stood a chance in hell.”

A shadow passed overhead as the man finished speaking. The shadow forced all those gathered there to look up. The sight that greeted the fifty-five men and five boys sent fingers of icy cold fear down their spines. The Captain was the first to react. Turning to the wireless telegraph operator.

“Wire the other troop commanders. Orders are as follows. Engage the dragon. Use all weapons to bring down it down. Kill that beast before it reaches the upper Basecamps. We must not let that beast reach the bastard heir.” The Captain ordered the man harshly. Kagae looked down at the Captain with anger blinded eyes. How dare this commoner take command of his task force. “This is now a military matter, Grand Viceroy. As the senior commander on site. I am now taking command of the Taskforce.”

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A MATTER?!” Kagae screamed as he reached for his pistol. He was going to kill this upstart. He never got the pistol clear of the holster. The Captain shot Kagae between the eyes with his already drawn pistol. The smile that graced the Captain’s face finally reached the man’s eyes as he lowered his pistol.

“At least now this operation can be run properly. Kill the boys and bring this old fool with us.” As the Captain turned to head for the trail. The sounds of rifles could be heard from one of the other basecamps. “Now we shall see just how the legendary hide of a dragon stands up to modern weapons. I doubt that even a dragon can stand up to fifty caliber machinegun rounds.”

Upper Basecamp 4, Mount Sunōmaunten

Ren and Setsu had reached upper basecamp four just before sunset yesterday. Her mother and her had made the trek in record breaking time. For once Ren didn’t bitch about her mother’s pace. Setsu took the first watch through the night. At sunrise Ren sent her mother to get some sleep. For the past six hours she had stood watch in the tower’s observation room. She had used the powerful long lens telescope to scan the lower camps.

She smiled at the foolish attempts of the Army’s Cavalry soldiers. They were clumsy and noisy. They had no real understanding of how to move through the woods. She giggled when a horse, at basecamp one, stumbled throwing its rider. As much as she wanted to use the 125mm cannon just to show them that they weren’t safe. She followed her mother’s instructions. Setsu had already laid the gun sights on the Livingstone Ice Falls. She knew that the first shell they would send ‘down range’; as her mother called it, would not be the expected High Explosive shell.

Ren giggled as she thought about how her mother planned to use two opposites to deliver their first strike against the enemy. The White Phosphorus shells were used for more than just fighting off the occasional bandit raid. Those shells were used more often than the HE shells to break up the ice sheets that gathered along the upper ridgelines. Ren and Setsu had the most experience with the WP shells. Because whenever the village needed to bring down an ice sheet during the winter months the village elders would send them up to man the cannon.

Ren returned to watching the soldiers down at the lower Basecamps; movement high over the southern ridge drew her attention. Turning the powerful long lens telescope towards the movement it took her a few seconds to understand exactly what she was seeing. “MOM! COME QUICK!”

Startled from her slumber by Ren’s yell Setsu bolted from her cot. Not bothering to pull on her boots Setsu ran up the steps taking them two at a time to the observation room. She knew that Ren wouldn’t have screamed like that for no reason. Bursting into the observation room she looked for her daughter. Finding her standing over by the #2 long lens telescope Setsu asked her panicking daughter. “What’s wrong Ren? What has the Army done this time? Who did they kill?”

Ren’s only answer was to step to the side. With a voice filled with wonder and fear. Ren asked. “Mother look through there and tell me what you see?”

Setsu stepped up to the telescope and put her eye to the eyepiece. The sight in the telescope that greeted her was one out of legend. “Your eyes do not deceive you child. That truly is a majestic dragon. Straight out of our nation’s long dead nightmares.”

“Does that mean the Dragon Samurai have come for us mother?” Ren asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

“If that white dragon has a rider on its back. Then the answer is yes. If not, then it is a wild dragon passing through the Prefecture.” Setsu never took her eye from the telescope. “They do still appear from time to time in the higher mountain ranges of the inner Prefectures.”

“I know mother, but those wild dragons are celestial dragons. That is a majestic dragon out there. It has to be a snow or ice dragon that comes this way. Those massive bat-like wings mark it as such a dragon.” Ren countered quickly. “None of the wild dragons from here have such wings.”

“Ren stay here and continue to watch that dragon.” Setsu ordered her daughter. “I need to go put my socks and boots on. My feet are getting cold.”

“Yes ma’am. Could you bring me up a hot cup of tea please. The pot should still be hot.” Ren asked of her mother as the older woman head down. Only to receive a wave of a hand. Ren placed her eye to the telescope to watch where the dragon was heading. As the white dragon neared the mountain and Ren was able to make out more detail. She could tell that there was indeed a rider.

Her attention was drawn towards the stairs as Setsu returned with two cups of tea. “Here you go dear. Just the way you like it.”

Setsu handed Ren a cup of tea and took a sip of her own tea. “So, anything new with that dragon or the Cavalry down at the lower basecamps?”

“Yes, ma’am. The white dragon has a rider.” Ren answered after swallowing. “Though the rider doesn’t fit any of the descriptions from legend.”

“How so?” This peeked Setsu’s attention more than anything else Ren could have said just then. “In what ways?”

“This samurai’s armor is solid silver. Unlike the ones from legend there is no other color marking their element of power.” Ren explained.

“Let me see.” Setsu stepped up to the telescope and peered through it. “I see what you mean. It should at least have red, blue, white, yellow, or black. None of these colors are present in this samurai’s armor.”

Setsu stood up straight in thought. “I wonder.”

“What mama? What is it?” Ren almost demanded when Setsu didn’t continue right away. “What are you thinking about?”

“There is an obscure legend concerning one of the Dragon Samurai. One so ancient that most Temple Scholars have declared it as heresy.” Setsu took another sip of her tea and took one more look at the strangely armored samurai. “This legend tells of a samurai that comes from a foreign land. A sixth Dragon Samurai who is raised in the ways of the European knights.”

“I thought that all of the Dragon Samurai came from here mother.” Ren said with even more confusion. “That and there were only five of them.”

“As I said child. The legend is ancient and considered heresy. Most Temples do not teach or even allow this legend to be spoken of. If the rider was only carrying a lance. Then I would know for sure.” Setsu grunted.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of gunfire echoing up the mountain from one of the lower basecamps. Setsu swung the telescope down towards lower camps two through four. What she saw made her cringe. “Those damned fools! What are they thinking?!”

“What? What have they done mother?” Ren demanded as she reached for the long lens binoculars. “Oh, my GODDESS! Are they mad?!”

They both watched as the white dragon rose high into the air as suddenly punched by something. Then it circled over basecamp two before diving. Less than fifty feet above the tree tops the dragon belched a massive tongue of flame. The two women watched on in sheer terror as the dragon’s flaming breath was racked across the basecamp area from one end to the other. As the dragon pulled up out of its sweeping attack bolts of lightning reached downward from the knight to strike at several points.

Ren and Setsu both focused on the dragon’s rider. There in their right hand was a twenty-foot heavy lance. Even as the dragon turned to attack a second time the lance continued to unleash brilliant flashes of blue-white lightning. On the second pass over the basecamp the dragon unleashed a blast of freezing breath that not only covered the area of the original attack but put out the flames from her first attack. The knight unleased six more lightning bolts on the basecamp. Each time one of the lightning bolts struck the ground huge chunks of ice were blasted skyward. Along with human bodies.

Ren and Setsu watched as the duo swung around for another blistering attack. This time, only the dragon attacked. The dragon’s flaming breath turned the once frozen area in steam and ash in their passing. With pounding wings, the dragon flew on towards basecamp three. Ren turned to her mother.

“By the Goddess Toyotama and her brother Wolong! Mother signal that rider. Have them call off their dragon!” Ren pleaded with her mother.

“I will not Ren. Neither shall you.” Setsu snapped angerly at her daughter. “This is combat. This is how a dragon fights. Let this be your first lesson as an Empress, daughter. One that should haunt you to the end of your days.”

“And just what lesson would you have me learn by letting that beast rampage across our mountain.” Ren snapped back with the same level of heat and anger.

“That the price of freedom is the blood spilled on the battlefield. The blood of men and women on both sides of the conflict.” Setsu ground out between clenched teeth. It was taking all her restraint to not slap Ren. “Remember this day, Ren. Because when you become the Empress, the final responsibility for sending men and women into combat lays upon your head. No one else has that responsibility. Only a nation’s leader has this duty. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“That the final authority of a nation’s military actions always ends with a nation’s leader.” Ren answered with her head bowed in shame over her anger.

Lower Basecamp 3, Mount Sunōmaunten

Amachi and the other four boys all stared in fear towards basecamp two. The old man that had come with them though knew what was coming. He grabbed Amachi by the right arm. “Get the others Amachi and run. Run as fast as your legs can carry you. Don’t stop until you reach the ski-lift.”

“But Master Sugai, what of you? Will you stay here?” Amachi asked of the man who had taught so many of the young boys how to ski.

“Don’t worry my boy. I’ll be along shortly. I just need to distract the Captain long enough for you boys to escape. When you get to the ski-lift demarcation at the top of the number one slope this is what I want you to do.” Sugai quickly gave the boy his instructions before turning Amachi around and giving him a gentle push. “Now get going.”

Amachi did as he was told by the village ski-master. He made only one stop. He made sure that the other four boys understood what they were to do. They waited until Master Sugai started a fight with the man on the wireless telegraph before running back towards their village. The gunshot that rang out behind them lent speed to the five boys’ flight. They would run like the very hounds of hell were nipping at their heels until they reached the top of the ski-lift. Amachi would never forget the man who gave up his life to save all of theirs. None of the five boys would forget him.

In the skies above Lower Basecamp 3, Mount Sunōmaunten

Miles and Qersiss were in full battle rage. They were not going to let those soldiers that dared to attack them live. They would all leave this mountain in a pine box. Miles had been willing to avoid a confrontation with the local military. He had no need to prove his bravery. He was a battle tested knight in his own right. He had won his spurs at the tender age of 16 years.

That was until the first group of soldiers fired on them with their rifles and a heavy machinegun. When the first rounds hit Qersiss she was caught unawares. She naturally jerked upward away from the sudden painful impacts. Qersiss roared in anger. “By the Goddess that stung! What manner of arrow travels unseen to the naked eye?! I will burn all who dared such a cowardly attack upon my person!”

Miles wasn’t too happy with the attack either. He summoned his battle lance. “To me Thunder Struck! Bring your wrath!”

Their first attack destroyed the heavy machinegun and scattered the horses. Their second attack destroyed the watchtower and supply wagons while turning the men into ice sculptures. Their last attack on the basecamp turned the frozen men and trees into vapor and ash. Both dragon and knight knew that there were more soldiers on the mountain. Both also knew that they had fired the first shots of this battle. They only had one choice to make. Do they destroy them all now, then rescue the Princess. Or just fly on to where the Princess was currently hiding.

“Qersiss I shall leave this you. Do we continue to wipe out these foolish soldiers or do we fly on to the Princess?” Miles felt that he should leave the decision to his dragon. After all she was the one who was assaulted.

“We deal with this foolish men first Miles. We offered them no harm. Yet they attacked us without provocation. I will see them all driven before me in abject terror first.” Qersiss roared in anger. Miles could tell that Qersiss’ bloodlust would take a while to cool. “Then we shall rescue this Princess. Not before.”

Miles just nudged her side with his right knee. “Then we need to angle more towards the down slope for the next basecamp Qersiss.”

The dragon just followed his directions. She knew that her knight would guide her towards the next group of soldiers. She also knew that he wouldn’t stand in the way of her revenge. As she flew towards the camp Qersiss worked up a good head of gas in her second stomach. As she approached the basecamp Qersiss strove for altitude before diving on the gathered men and horses. She unleashed the full might of her fiery breath on the camp.

As she pulled out of her dive, Miles pointed his lance at the watchtower. With one strike of lightning from his lance the watchtower was blasted to nothingness. Miles sent a second bolt into what he had discovered to be these soldiers’ main weapon a heavy machinegun. Miles twisted in the saddle to point his lance at one last target. The supply wagon. One bolt later the wagon was turned to splinters flouting in the wind.

Not done with venting her anger on the soldiers, Qersiss flipped over on her left-wing tip. Dropping back down to just over the treetops. Qersiss let her speed carry her over the camp as she blasted the area with her frozen breath. Men, horses, even the trees were once again turned into frozen sculptures. She didn’t attack the basecamp for a third time. Instead she powered her way for altitude. Once she reached the correct altitude she turned towards the last basecamp. Fifteen minutes later that same basecamp shared in the fates of the first two that Qersiss attacked. Just like the Cavalry troops at the other two camps. They too shared in their icy and fiery fates.

Qersiss and Miles had no idea of the other two basecamps on the backside of the mountain. If they had the last two Cavalry Troops would have been destroyed to the last man. Little did the two know that their unbridled fury had been witnessed by a very small group of boys and two women. Nor would they know how far reaching the consequence of their attack would be. The Battle of Mount Sunōmaunten would be one of the shortest and bloodiest in this world modern history. This one-sided battle would also go down in the nation’s history by another name, Massacre at Mount Sunōmaunten.

Upper Basecamp 4, Mount Sunōmaunten

Setsu and Ren stared down at the ruins of the three basecamps. The two women were still having a hard time grasping the full impact of the dragon and rider’s attack. Ren looked over at the only weapon that they had at their disposal that might have a chance at stopping the beast. Even then she had her doubts that the 125mm cannon could actually harm the dragon. She and her mother had loaded the weapon with a WP round not an HE round. She had seen how the fires the dragon had started didn’t even phase the beast. She had seen how the bullets of the heavy machinegun just bounced off its hide. The battle between the cavalry troops and the dragon looked more like a battle between ants and an angry water buffalo.

“Mother, have you ever seen or heard of such a one-side battle before?” Ren asked with the voice of a scared child.

Setsu nodded her head. “Yes, Ren. Seventeen years ago, just before you were born, within the nation of Aryanna, during the Franco Revolution. There was such a battle. The Frank’s sent a force of seven hundred to raid a research facility deep in the heart of the Black Mountains. The research facility sent out just four of their newest weapons to defend the facility. They were steam powered wagons covered in iron plates. These wagons were armed with Dr. Richard J. Gatling’s newest Gatling gun mounted inside of a swiveling turret. Of the seven hundred men two hundred lay dead and more than two hundred more were wounded. The attack was completely crushed.”

“My god. Mother if Aryanna has these types of weapons. It is no wonder they no long suffer revolutions.” Ren gasped out.

“Ren our own country now has those types of weapons.” Setsu sighed. “We just call them by the more common name now of boilers.”

Setsu looked down at where the lower basecamps once were. “Though I doubt that even a full battalion of those powerful weapons would stand a chance against a majestic dragon in full battle rage.”

“What about heavy cannon mom?” Ren asked as she pointed to the 125mm cannon.

“Heavy cannons might be able to damage or kill a dragon.” Setsu answered honestly as she nodded her head in thought. “But they would have to hit the dragon first, Ren. Heavy cannons take time to aim, load, and fire. Yes, you and I can load, aim, and fire Obsidian Blaster, but it takes us ten to seventeen seconds between rounds. Our average time is fifteen seconds. Nowhere near enough time to target something as fast moving as a dragon.”

“What about the military’s new Sky Wings or armored airships? Couldn’t they get close enough?” Ren was trying her best to figure out a way to attack a dragon that was in flight.

“Think about the speed of the dragon, and its natural maneuverability. Sky Wings, and armored airship just don’t have the ability to keep up with either of those natural gifts of a dragon.” Setsu pointed out. “A dragon only has to turn inside of the Sky Wing’s turn radius or climb over the top of an airship’s lift bag. Then bang. No more Sky Wing or airship.”

Setsu and Ren stopped their conversation as the subject of that conversation flew overhead. Setsu looked her daughter dead in the eyes. “Gather your pack and equipment child. Hurry.”

“What about you mother?” Ren asked of her mother.

“I shall stay here. The army will come for me.” Setsu told her daughter bluntly. Then snarled. “And when they come. They’ll pay in blood for every inch of my mountain they cover.”

“Wrong mother. This is also my mountain. If I have to leave, you do as well.” Ren snarled then grabbed her mother in a tight hug. “Please momma, come with me. I couldn’t bear the thought of your dying up here all lone.”

Setsu sighed and returned her daughter’s hug. “Very well, I’ll come with you dear. Dress heavy. The air will be much colder in flight.”

As the two women headed downstairs Miles and Qersiss landed in front of the watchtower. As he dismounted Miles patted Qersiss on her up shoulder. Pulling off his helmet Miles looked up at Qersiss with pride. “That was well done Lady Qersiss. You showed restraint when you had no reason to.”

“They were foolish, Sir Miles. I lost my temper at first and let my bloodlust take control. I should have given them all a chance to escape. Instead I gave into my need for vengeance. Something that I would not have done just a mere five-hundred years ago. For that I truly apologize.” The white dragon actually appeared to have the reddish hue of a blush to her cheeks. “I should know better for one my age. My brothers would reem my tail for such unforgivable actions.”

“Then we shall not tell them.” Miles told her with a cheeky grin. “If they ask which I doubt they will. We shall tell them that we gave them a chance to retreat. Only when they refused did we attack. During our first pass we only targeted their supply wagon and scattered their horses. When they still refused to retreat did, we attack them directly. We were forced to attack until they finally decided that their losses were so great, they had no choice but to quit the field.”

Qersiss chuckled at the description of her rampage by her knight. “Miles has anyone ever told you that you’re a silvery tongued devil?”

“Only a few times Qersiss.” Miles chuckled with more than a little mirth in his voice. “My Dragon Master wasn’t the only one who watched his daughter closely when I was around. More than a few of the Senior Knights had a habit of sharping their swords in front me.”

“I see. You must have been quite the devilish Romeo with your Order’s walls.” Qersiss chuckled as she gave her knight an appraising look. “I think I shall have to warn my brothers. Just so they can keep an eye on you so they can protect their riders’ virtue.”

All of the majestic dragons knew of the Dragon Knight Orders from Miles’ home world. Not only were they military orders, they were in truth massive communities of families. Everything that one would find in a medieval village would be found within their walls. Though there was a difference within those walled forts. All were treated with an equality that was not found elsewhere within a medieval society. Even the poorest of village children were given a chance to join the ranks of Dragon Knights. To include girls.

“Aaahh! Qersiss! I’m not that bad.” Miles grumbled as he kicked the dirt at his feet. Then grinning up at the massive snout that hovered just before his face. “Besides, I’m not crazy enough to chase after the rider of any dragon. I don’t taste good and have no desire to find out what the inside of your belly looks like.”

“You know something Miles.” Qersiss snorted with a chuckle. “For a human you show a rather remarkable amount of intelligence.”

“More like a sense of self perseveration Qersiss.” Miles laughed. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Setsu and Ren. “Ah! Here comes the goal of our quest now.”

“It is an honor Ladies. I am Miles the Fair a Knight of the White Rose Dragon Order. Sworn defenders of the Goddess Tiamat. Rightful riders of the Snow Dragons.” Miles bowed to the two women as they slowly approach him and the dragon. With a wave of his hand towards his dragon. “And this is the Lady Qersiss, Defender of Womanly Virtue. As time is of the essence. I’ll give you a leg up for mounting. If you’ll allow me.”

“Miles the young Lady is a Princess of the Empire.” Qersiss rumbled then smiled down at Ren. “Quit ogling her.”

This caused Ren and her mother to burst out laughing as Miles blushed. Ren smiled up at Qersiss. “You must have your hands full keeping this silver-tongued devil in line Lady Qersiss.”

“Not normally Princess.” Qersiss grinned. “The presence of my brothers has a tendency to discourage male suiters towards their riders.”

As miles helped the older of the two women to mount. He looked over at the grinning Qersiss. “Any man in his right mind. Would think twice about pissing off a majestic dragon. they get rather protective of their riders.”

“I take it that they become extremely protective of their female riders, Sir?” Ren asked Miles as she stepped up behind her mother.

“I can only tell you this, Majesty. I know that no female Dragon Knight has ever walked down the wedding aisle without their virtue intact.” Miles stated bluntly. “Their dragons kind of ensure their virtue stays intact. At least until their wedding night.”

Setsu gave the white dragon a thoughtful glance. “Qersiss, do you know if any of your fellow dragons might be in need of a rider?”

-----tbc-----