Empire in Chains: Act 4, Chapter 22

Chapter 22

『There she is…』

Ilyshn’ish’s trepidation was an odd sensation; a thought with the shadow of her draconic reaction conveyed through their bond. Ludmila was neither a Dragon, nor was she any longer a ‘living’ being, so her companion’s emotions could not be appreciated in their entirety.

The fact that she was not Human rarely entered her awareness as she went about her daily life. She experienced the world as one perfectly capable of experiencing the full range of ‘Human’ sensations and emotions. The fact that formerly unavoidable Human needs had become ‘optional’ felt like a convenience rather than a cause for concern.

When stressful situations arose, however, her new reality became abundantly clear. She was an existence divided between her ‘Human’ self and a physical form constituted out of raw negative energy. Ludmila Zahradnik was no longer a being of flesh, she was will made manifest.

It was commonly said that the Undead were immune to fear, but she now saw this ‘common knowledge’ as a product of imperfect understanding. She could experience fear, but fear could not forcefully impose its influence upon her body. Freezing in fright; fleeing in panic; the flight of rationality in the face of instinct – behaviours of living things that fought for survival no longer held dominion over her.

The reactions of the living were now conscious choices rather than helpless subservience to one’s base nature. She could enjoy food, yet she could not be driven by hunger. She could experience joy, but euphoria could not cloud her mind. Through fury and fervour; grief and doubt, her thoughts remained crystal-clear no matter what happened to her body as long as she willed it so. The only known exception to this was her behaviour around the Sorcerer King, but she couldn’t say that she was unhappy about that.

Ludmila peered in the direction that Ilyshn’ish’s thoughts indicated, unable to distinguish anything against the vast expanse of verdant canopy.

『I don’t see her yet.』

Ilyshn’ish banked slightly, altering her course. There were supposedly several flights of the Imperial Air Service below them as well, but, as with the approaching Dragon, they were too far for Ludmila to make out against the terrain.

『How long until she arrives?』

『A bit over five minutes.』

『Aren’t we too high up to do anything? I won’t be able to see what’s going on below.』

『Our current rate of descent is fine. If this Green Dragon doesn’t plan on plunging into the ground like a giant javelin, she will have to slow down. Given how the convoy is being moved by Zombies and won’t get anywhere soon, she’ll take her time to examine the situation from above.』

The mindset of an immortal being…

As a formerly mortal being, Ludmila still struggled to wrap her head around it. Risks she believed were normal became unacceptable. Plans were formed out of calculations that worked out over years, decades, centuries or even longer. The activities of short-lived races happened in the relative blink of an eye and were considered reckless and short-sighted.

On a conceptual level, some aspects were rather simple. Dying was not conducive to living forever, so one minimised risks that threatened to shorten their limitless lifespan. If something wasn’t safely doable, one could check back later when the situation had changed. Powerful mortals would grow old and die, nature could slowly recover and, in the case of a Dragon, with age came strength.

Other aspects were problematic or even irreconcilable with mortal thinking. A Dragon, for instance, slowly shaped their domains over the course of centuries or even longer. Human pioneers who invested their relatively short lives building a small community in what they considered an unclaimed frontier might be attacked because the local Dragon decided that their development wasn’t in line with the vision that they had for their domain.

To the Humans who were wiped out, it would seem an unprovoked, prideful and evil act of selfish aggression that Dragons were often characterised by in lore. The Dragon would feel no more obliged to explain itself than the Humans had felt the need to ask for permission to settle and develop the lands around them.

That being said, a Dragon’s slow, methodical outlook on life had some glaringly exploitable flaws. Broadly speaking, they were naturally vulnerable to situations where time was limited. The more limited it became, the more they tended to rely on their instincts and natural strength. Since that strength could be challenged by few, if any, Dragons rarely decided to go out of their way to develop themselves as mortals would.

And, so, they had come up with a plan.

『You should be able to see her now. Four kilometres below us.』

Ludmila leaned forward to look over the side of Ilyshn’ish’s neck. A furrow formed on her brow when she finally spotted their adversary.

『She doesn’t look like you.』

『Huh?』

『She looks like a goose in flight. With a long tail.』

『She looks like a Green Dragon in flight. And why would she look like me?』

As the Viridian Dragon Lord banked over the edge of The Blister, Ilyshn’ish accelerated her descent. There were several distinct differences between the proportions of a Frost Dragon and a Green Dragon.

Ilyshn’ish was roughly ten metres long. Her head and neck took up 230 centimetres of that length, her body was 420 centimetres long and her tail was 360 centimetres. Her wingspan was as wide as she was long and she weighed about 900 kilograms. When on all fours, she stood about as tall as a Death Knight.

As she advanced into her Adult stage and beyond, her short neck would retain the same proportions relative to her body, but her tail would grow longer. Since Dragons grew throughout their lives, Ludmila wondered how large her companion would eventually become. Kilistran, Ilyshn’ish’s mother, was nearly twenty metres long while Olasird’arc, the White Dragon Lord, was an Ancient Frost Dragon who was reportedly a few metres longer than Kilistran.

The Green Dragon below them had a tail that was the same length as her body. However, her head and neck together were longer than her tail. Her wingspan was wider than she was long, so, to Ludmila, she looked as she had described her: a goose with a long tail. A green one.

『I’m just used to seeing Frost Dragons, I guess.』

『That’s silly. Why would we be the same? We’re not even the same species. If you’re going to be discriminatory, at least use something sensible. Like colour.』

As the Viridian Dragon Lord circled below, they continued to circle above. Ilyshn’ish closed within a kilometre of the ground.

『…aren’t we getting a bit too close now? What if she has Job Class Levels with detection Skills?』

『I doubt that will be the case. If she does have them, it wouldn’t be enough to matter.』

『How did you arrive at that conclusion?』

『A relative sense of strength between my mother, my father and this Green. Additionally, there’s the size of her domain. It covers roughly a quarter of the Empire, making it slightly larger than my father’s. That means she is more powerful than my father, but not by a huge margin.』

『This domain thing…is it going to be a problem in the future? How large is yours?』

『About the size of the territory that you granted me. I thought you did that on purpose?』

『It was a coincidence…or maybe it was a product of intuition that I never realised until now. Are you going to need a bigger territory in the future?』

『I’ll take as much territory as I can get, of course. That being said, Dragons only really care about the domains of who we consider competitors. This also applies to Dragons of different species. A Frost Dragon will only really care about the domains of other Frost Dragons. Crystal Dragons also share the same frozen habitats, but our relationship with them is a bit complex and there aren’t any around here anyway. Additionally, since you are a Warden, I trust that you will do what you can to uphold the world’s balance in your territory.』

『What about the rest of the Frost Dragons?』

『They’re still getting used to life in the Sorcerous Kingdom. A Dragon won’t establish their domain until they’re comfortable with settling in a certain place. In the eventual case that they do, we were all brought up in each other’s personal space so you could say that we’re accustomed to being around everyone else if necessary.』

『Out of curiosity, is establishing a domain one of the reasons why you decided to become my companion?』

『Of course? Nothing is ever for a single reason – everything is interconnected and cannot exist without everything else. A Dragon wouldn’t willingly become a pet just because they like someone.』

Below them, the Viridian Dragon Lord finally landed, blowing away dozens of Zombies at the head of the column. They were gliding five hundred metres above, but her roar sounded clearly over the wind.

“Thieves! You dare take what is mine?”

Ludmila looked from the Ancient Green to where her Undead forces were positioned. The Dragon Lord was far from where she needed to be. She issued an order to her Death Knights.

『Send the regular Zombies in. Keep the Squire Zombies in reserve. Let’s see how cautious she is…』

Containers of treasure fell to the ground as the Zombies advanced. The Dragon backed away.

『Why is she doing that?』

『Do you know how annoying it would be to pick up everything if she broke those vehicles and containers? There are plenty of fragile things in the treasure, as well.』

『That’s unexpectedly pragmatic.』

『Oh, sure. Look at me, I’m a dwagon. Rawr.』

『Where did you pick that up from?』

Ilyshn’ish pitched upwards as the Viridian Dragon Lord took wing. She levelled out again when the Green Dragon stopped to hover in place.

『The Human whelps in the harbour village. They run around in circles with their arms held out, making these little roaring noises. Then they kick over piles of sticks and stones. The anti-Dragon propaganda inherent in Human culture is vicious–oh, Fireball.』

A sphere of flame billowed out to consume the Zombies forming a pile in a vain effort to reach her. Ludmila ordered the Death Knights to pull their remaining forces back, scattering them all around the trees. Rather than pursue them, the Green Dragon stopped to inspect each wagon along the way.

『She’s really taking her time…』

『Treasure is more important than Zombies, after all. Rationally speaking, there’s nothing around here that can even come close to challenging her.』

『Then I guess we wait…』

As their opponent sniffed at the riches abandoned along the trail, her sheer size became apparent with the wagons next to her for comparison. The Viridian Dragon Lord was a bit under three times the length of Ilyshn’ish. Dragons were lighter than similarly sized terrestrial animals, but she should still be at least twenty times more massive than Ludmila’s companion.

Simply hearing about the might of an Ancient Dragon paled in comparison to what she saw. She wasn’t sure if the Death Warriors waiting in ambush could survive a single slash of her claws. Ludmila couldn’t even sense how powerful she was: only that she was overwhelming.

Never mind any overt display of power, just watching from a distance drove doubt into her mind. The ‘plan’ increasingly seemed like a foolish gamble built on blind hope and desperation.

『How many hits can you take from her?』

『How should I know? I fully intend to dodge.』

『So you’re confident you can dodge?』

『Probably? She might be strong, but she’s not Lady Shalltear.』

『You can tell the difference? I can’t distinguish anything above Soul Eaters.』

『This Green Dragon is stronger than my father…somewhere around Miss Alpha? Except for the whole Dragon thing. Additionally, size has its advantages and disadvantages.』

“I know you’re there,” the Viridian Dragon Lord’s voice drifted up from the trees. “You cannot hide from me.”

『Hiiiieeee!!!!』

『She’s addressing the Death Knights.』

『Oh. I-I knew that.』

Ludmila instructed the Death Knights to form up on the trail and had the Death Priests continue to hold their positions. The Green Dragon moved towards them, tail lashing against the trees along the way.

“Thank you for lining up so neatly. Now, it is time to pay for your crimes.”

『Be ready to heal. Don’t get hit twice!』

The Dragon Lord swatted away a pair of Death Knights, sending them into the trees. The Death Priests healed them as they sailed through the air. Ludmila watched through her Life Essence as their ‘health’ abruptly dropped, then just as abruptly returned.

『If your defensive Skill activated, lie still.』

Both Death Knights rose to their feet. The attack wasn’t as bad as it appeared. Another pair of Death Knights were swatted away. With their adversary in position, Ludmila turned her gaze towards the Death Warriors hidden behind the Dragon. She activated her offensive aura.

『Get yourselves ready. Death Knights: pull that Dragon back further into the trees – keep her distracted.』

Ludmila could only pray that the Dragon Lord didn’t notice the Death Warriors setting themselves up behind her. She had masked the vibrations coming from their bodies and amassed Zombies to fill the air with the odour of rotting corpses. The remainder scattered around the trees would hopefully make the Death Warriors difficult to distinguish as they positioned themselves to attack.

The Death Warriors started loading their crossbows.

『Death Priests: hit her with something flashy!』

Familiar pillars of flame streaked down onto the Green Dragon. No change registered in Ludmila’s Life Essence.

『Those spells didn’t hurt her?』

『All Dragons have natural Spell Resistance proportionate to their power. Those Death Priests are far too weak.』

She was hoping for at least some damage. At least their adversary did not appear to notice what was going on behind her.

『Keep at it! Death Knights, see if you can get some damage in.』

The Death Knights made it all of three steps before the Viridian Dragon Lord turned and smashed them away with a single sweep of her tail. Then, she turned on the nearest Death Priest.

『Get behind the tree! Start putting bolts in her!』

Even as Ludmila focused on one Death Priest, another behind the Dragon was slapped into the distant undergrowth with the return stroke of her massive tail. Simultaneously, a gouge appeared across the tree that the other Death Priest had barely dove behind in time.

How could the warriors from the legends possibly fight this?

Their adversary delivered death in every direction at once. Her teeth; her claws; her tail…she didn’t even have to look. With the benefit of Blindsight, everything within the Dragon’s reach was under threat. Her wings could crush assailants and cast them away. Scores of Zombies and Squire Zombies were destroyed simply from their gargantuan adversary moving around. Even without her breath weapon and casting no discernible spells, the Viridian Dragon Lord was toying with a force of Undead capable of laying waste to dozens of nations.

The Dragon jerked to a stop as the first of the crossbow bolts whisked through the air and buried itself in her flank. Four more joined it, forming a neat little line in her side.

『Keep attacking! Spread out so she can only reach one of you at a time. Use the trees to avoid her – she’s big, but they’re much bigger.』

Five more bolts came in. Even with the incredible offensive power of the Death Warriors combined with her battlefield aura, their target’s health barely moved in Ludmila’s Life Essence. A furious roar shook the air and the Dragon Lord charged.

『Second group, attack as soon as you’re ready!』

Their adversary ignored the new attacks, twisting its long neck around an ancient trunk to snap at the Death Warrior moving behind it. The others nearby switched to heavier weapons, throwing axes and javelins from beyond their target’s reach.

The Viridian Dragon Lord drew her head back as the Death Warriors pelted her with their ranged weaponry. Physical attacks were barely doing anything.

『Death Priests, summon Wraiths!』

If physical attacks weren’t doing the trick, maybe incorporeal attacks would.

『She’s trying to leave.』

Below, their target turned to walk by some of the Death Warriors heading towards the clearing through which Ludmila had been observing most of the fight. The Undead drew their greatswords and scored glancing blows as she passed.

Ludmila called her glaive to hand.

『We’re…we’re really doing this?』

『We have to. She hasn’t taken nearly enough damage to make an impression. Pain is the only thing I want her to leave with.』

She ordered her forces to pursue, forming a half-circle behind the Green Dragon. Ilyshn’ish made one final turn before rolling into a vertical dive. The lush terrain filled Ludmila’s vision as the wind whipped over them. She activated Ability Boost as the Viridian Dragon Lord dominated her field of view.

Their enemy launched herself from the ground; Ilyshn’ish slammed into the base of her neck. The Green Dragon’s head whipped forward and smashed into the jungle floor. Ludmila was violently pressed into Ilyshn’ish’s back before the Frost Dragon recoiled from her strike, tossing Ludmila up to land in a heap on the Dragon Lord’s back.

『Well, that was funny.』

『Hurt her while we can!』

The Undead swarmed in. Ludmila got up from where she had landed on the Green Dragon’s back, looking for a place where they could leave a lasting impression. Even with their target lying prone, the Undead were having trouble getting through the Dragon Lord’s scales. A guttural noise reverberated from the trees as the Viridian Dragon Lord stirred from the stunning impact. She was taking damage, but it still wasn’t enough.

『Can we freeze one of her wings?』

Ilyshn’ish turned her head and released a torrent of supercooled breath. Lines of frost webbed over leathery membranes and froze the undergrowth beyond as the Dragon Lord’s left wing slowly discoloured. A piercing shriek filled the air. The world lurched as their adversary rose to her feet.

『Do as much as you can to that wing!』

『Are you getting back on?』

『Just go!』

Ilyshn’ish ran along the extended wing, slashing away as she went before taking flight. The Dragon Lord turned her head towards the departing Frost Dragon. Ludmila’s glaive split and flashed into the shoulder joint of the damaged wing as she repeatedly employed her strongest Martial Art. A few seconds later, she was unceremoniously bucked off the Dragon’s back.

『Get those Wraiths in her face!』

“INSECT! You d–”

The Dragon Lord reared back as twenty Wraiths flew up at her head. Ludmila took a quick inventory of her Death Knights before jabbing at one of the Dragon’s rear legs. A shadow crossed over her as the Dragon’s tail swept in. She was too close to its base to be struck, but three Death Warriors further out were smashed away.

『Focus on her rear legs! Ilyshn’ish, strafe her with your breath when you can.』

『But–』

『There’s only one person here that isn’t immune to cold.』

『I suppose that’s true…』

Ludmila was jostled away as a leg shifted into her, smearing her with acrid blood. She was vaguely aware of her right arm, shoulder and ribs being shattered. Teeth snapped in the air as the Dragon removed the Wraiths in twos and threes. Ludmila added Wind Stride to her ongoing Ability Boost to better react to the Dragon’s movements, then winced as one of her Advanced Strike Arts hurt her. She scaled back her attacks, glancing around while she waited for her regeneration to catch up.

『Death Priests, summon fresh Wraiths once you lose yours. Death Warriors, pull back and switch to ranged attacks – we’re going through mana too quickly. Death Knights, stay out of reach once your defensive Skill has been expended.』

Keening wails filled the air as more spectral Undead flew in. Ilyshn’ish streaked by, drawing a line of rime straight up the Viridian Dragon Lord’s back. Ludmila pressed her own attacks while desperately trying to keep track of everything going on around her. Three dull clunks sounded in the air as the Dragon knocked away a set of Death Knights with her foreclaws in rapid succession.

How long before she breaks?

All around them, bushes and smaller trees were uprooted and flattened. The ground was churned into a muddy mess. With her Freedom effect, it did not affect Ludmila, but neither was the Ancient Green slowed in the slightest. A volley of crossbow bolts whistled over Ludmila’s head. Half of them bounced harmlessly off of the Dragon’s scales, twirling end over end as they fell around her.

The powerful kick of a hind leg was met with Ludmila’s Fortress. Even with her equipment, it wasn’t enough to stop all of the damage and she was hurled back. Head low, she charged in under the lashing tail. Another frozen assault raked over them. This time, the Viridian Dragon Lord raised her head and spewed a swirling cloud of green gas in Ilyshn’ish’s wake, but the Frost Dragon was already well away.

『She’s starting to panic!』

Ilyshn’ish exultant declaration resounded in her thoughts. The Green Dragon lunged forward through the hole left open in their formation. Ludmila lost her footing as the ground heaved and the tip of the Dragon’s tail whipped over her head.

By the time Ludmila lifted her face from the mud, their opponent was already at the edge of The Blister. Ilyshn’ish swooped in, nipping at the flanks of the Viridian Dragon Lord with one last frozen breath before their fleeing foe vanished into the jungle.