Page 102 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
“How are we going to hear anything the commander says?” he asked
Bailey’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “They’ll turn on the microphones, and that will boost his voice so it’s loud enough for everyone to hear him. You’ll see.”
He was most curious to see how that would work. “Wouldn’t it be easier to use magic?”
“Maybe, but this is just as effective and doesn’t use up magical power,” she said.
Of course, she had a point. He continued to struggle with the idea of human technology when he’d always relied upon other means. Perhaps with time, it would make better sense to him.
A couple more minutes passed. It had to be a little past one in the afternoon, and there was much to do in the next few hours. He hoped this speech was inspiring enough to be worth their trouble. Everywhere he looked, people were getting restless, and some of the dragons had taken to cleaning their claws or wings. They wouldn’t wait much longer.
Colonel Melvin pulled the microphone from the stand, holding it close to his mouth as he walked the stage and gazed toward them. “Can everyone hear me?”
Aidan’s eyes rounded in amazement, as did many others near him. The commander’s voice had boomed louder than he’d thought possible. Everyone shouted their affirmative, and a few dragons let out a short roar. A shifter from the Straegud stood in their beast form next to the stage. He began translating the coalition commander’s speech for those who weren’t fluent in English, speaking telepathically to all their kind within a few miles. Aidan could hear those words as well.
“All of you who made it here this afternoon have my sincere gratitude. We have much to do before this war begins, but marking this occasion is important. Only a few short months ago, none of us would have believed we could sit together like this in peaceful coexistence.” He paused and gestured toward Aidan and Bailey. “You have those two to thank for that.”
Murmurs of agreement rose around them as Aidan nodded at him, and Bailey’s knuckles turned white where they gripped the edge of her seat. Her urge to kill dragons was rising again, but in a handful of hours, she could release that need to her heart’s content. He rubbed her back to calm her, and she forced a small smile. It amazed him how she no longer reacted to his presence as a dragon. Instead, he could calm her, but they had no idea what had changed.
“Many of us have been fighting each other for years. Among the sorcerers and dragons, that battle has raged for even longer. Having said that, it was difficult for humans to set aside our differences as well. We have lost countless lives since the dimensions merged, and many of us continue to struggle, but we should take pride in what we’ve accomplished here today. Every leader from among our varied races understands that if we want to survive, we must unite against a far greater enemy. One that wants to destroy everyone here—mind, body, and soul.”
“Boo!” some people shouted. A few dragons huffed steam or growled.
The commander paced the stage, looking at each section in the stands as he spoke. “Even among humans, we have had our differences in the past. I went through the rosters and found we have representatives from many faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many others, including one who practices Zoroastrianism. Ourfighters can trace their lineage to all the inhabited continents and come from every race. It’s a gift that in this hour of need, so many have volunteered to put their lives on the line for a greater good.”
Cheers and shouts rose from the coalition section at hearing this. Aidan hadn’t heard of most of those religions, and he doubted any dragons cared, but it clearly meant something to the humans. Bailey had spoken of wars fought over the millennia because of various disagreements among their kind.
Colonel Melvin gestured toward the green dragons rimming the stadium. “When the slayer, many of you know as Bailey Monzac, suggested we needed to bring in as many dragon clans as possible for an alliance, I thought she’d lost her mind. How could we possibly work with our enemies? Never mind that someone like her would even consider the idea of it, though, in my defense, I had no idea at the time dragon blood coursed through her son. She’d already proven differences could be overcome.”
Aidan put an arm around his mate, whose cheeks were turning red. “Couldn’t he have left me out of this?”
“You deserve the credit,” he replied, kissing the top of her head. “He’s right to do it.”
“When she made the suggestion, she had already bridged our relationship with the Straegud, having greater foresight than me, and through them, we gained two of the East Coast pure dragon clans who were willing to join the alliance. It still impresses me that two hundred and forty of the Jarkan arrived a few days ago, and shortly after that, one hundred and eighty of the Tarogan arrived. Neither of these clans reside near the front lines, but they understood the importance of what we’re doing, and they answered the call. You have our gratitude,” hesaid, saluting a group of dragons perched on top of the eastern section.
Aidan was impressed Colonel Melvin knew where they were located. He recognized who they were since every toriq who arrived had to swear a blood oath to him, and he designated the land where they could reside until the war began. Perhaps the coalition leader’s shifter translator had helped him.
After they dipped their heads, the commander continued, “I want to thank the Straegud and Craegud for traveling such a great distance for this fight as well. A handful of years ago, I wouldn’t have considered an alliance—even with dragons who could take human form—but I understand now how foolish I’d been not to give them a chance. Our relationship with the Straegud has been transformative, especially for trade and security. We couldn’t ask for better allies.”
Syrus, who sat a few rows down, raised his fist in acknowledgment.
“And then there are the slayers.” The colonel turned to that section. “As we all know, they are genetically programmed to attack any dragons they see. The ones here today volunteered to learn control so they could participate in this war. They are a great advantage, but only if they focus on the enemy and not our allies. Most of our slayer force couldn’t do it, but everyone here trained relentlessly so they could. I appreciate the iron willpower it must take to set aside one’s instincts, and I’m certain the dragons present here today do as well.”
A few of the shifters laughed.
Bailey let out a strangled sigh. “He has no idea.”
The coalition slayers had hunted soon before they arrived, so they hadn’t quite reached their limit yet. Theywouldn’t feel the strain as much as the local ones. Rayna had already headed to her position near the Oklahoma-Texas border and likely fought the urge to attack Galadon, but Conrad sat in the stands with the other slayers.
He appeared as stiff as Bailey, but at least he wasn’t seated in the middle of dragons. It would have been easier for her if she hadsat with her kind. She and Aidan agreed, though, that it would send a stronger message of unity if she stayed by his side.
“And finally, we have the sorcerers,” the commander said, gesturing at the smallest group in the stadium who sat closest to the field.
Javier dipped his chin, and Verena gave him a broad smile, but the rest didn’t move.
“If not for them, we wouldn’t have the shield protecting our territories, nor the spelled weapons that will give us a great tactical advantage. Our soldiers are especially grateful for the many contributions they’ve made to them. While there are certainly evil ones—those controlling the Kandoran as a prime example—the sorcerers operating with us have worked hard to ensure we have a chance at victory.”
Cheers from the human section went up, but not from anywhere else.
