Notes: 1) If you see this story anywhere but Literotica it isn't supposed to be there. 2) Because of shorter chapters, this is being posted in chunks.
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*Thirty-three*
His treasure was alone with Syvezar, he could feel it. A low growl escaped him. She preferred the more human half as he feared she would. The elves were trying to steal her and his other half would be easily seduced by them. He would be alone and she would have Syvezar in her elven nest...
"Lord Vedhethrah?" The voice startled him out of his morose thoughts as he paced at the edge of the woods.
Vedhethrah glowered at the human mage standing nearby, its name escaped him.
"Forgive my intrusion. We couldn't help but overhear the argument with Lady Rook."
The snarl that curled his lips and rumbled from his chest made the mage take a step back.
"I wish to be in your good graces and hers, my Lord. If you will allow me to ingratiate myself -"
"What could you do to make my treasure prefer me to my other half?"
The man swallowed and his words came out hurriedly, "The elves have become very fond of Lord Syvezar, but Lady Rook is known to prefer dwarves. When they arrive she'll choose to spend more time with them will she not? If-"
"If I offer the dwarves aid and earn a place with them she will love me more." The dragon eyed him curiously. "I loathe dwarves, but for her, I would defend them."
"There was a more focused offensive being prepared. I don't know all of the details of it but the mines will be under heavier attack soon. I know there have been forays..."
He broke into a wide vicious smile. "Soldiers focusing their attention on the ground? They may not be prepared for a dragon to fall upon them and I would enjoy having an entire field of those who deserve punishment before me."
"I'm pleased I could-"
"You will come with me, mage." Vedhethrah chuckled. "What is your name?"
"Likras, my Lord."
"Likras, dress warmly. The air is cool and the wind is strong. Return to me by nightfall."
The mage bowed and took off at a trot.
Removing his mail shirt, Vedhethrah let his form change, feeling relief as he resumed his preferred shape. The mage could carry the steel clothing, and he would need to be rewarded. Peering into Syreilla's threads he tried to find the way she stole power for them.
Her amusement washed over him and she shared with him the memories of how she did it. Siphon away the power, or destroy the object holding power so that it would be released into the air and gather it that way, then lay it on the mage's feather mark. He felt her trying to peek at the reason he wanted to know and grinned as he hid it from her. Let her come to him if she wished to ask.
Vedhethrah stroked the threads of desire as her annoyance simmered.
When the mage finally returned, he came with an elvish rope and clothes far too warm for their current weather. His expression was vaguely nervous.
"You wish to tie yourself to me?"
"Yes, Lord Vedhethrah. I... you said the wind is strong."
"Do not make the rope too tight, and my chain shirt needs to be brought."
"As you say, my Lord." Likras looked relieved and took up the steel garment.
Once his passenger was in place, Vedhethrah pushed off from the ground and circled before making his way toward the dwarven freeholds. The night was dark and heavily clouded. He stayed well beneath the heavy rain clouds, not feeling the need to hide among them. It took mere hours to reach the rear flank and he took a moment circling above, for the moment unnoticed, in the night.
As with the encampment Syreilla had emptied, this also held a cage in the center. The shapes inside were huddled together. Outside of the camp was a small force of dwarves making their way toward the waiting line.
No doubt they hoped to take the humans by surprise. Vedhethrah grinned to himself, waiting patiently for the dwarves to get close enough to take advantage of the chaos he was going to cause.
When they were in position, he came in from the side, not roaring as he had when Syreilla was taken, but laughing quietly.
The screams and the reek of fear that rose from below thrilled him. Their eyes were on the black sky as the dwarves rushed them. Vedhethrah landed on the cage and felt it give a bit beneath him.
"Likras, free them. I will seek out the mages and priests."
The man nearly fell from his back. "Yes, Lord Vedhethrah."
He pushed off of the cage and what had been beneath his feet crumpled.
"Hevtos' balls!" Likras hissed as he dropped to the ground. "It's alright, you're all safe now." The mage spoke reassuringly before the dragon was fully out of earshot.
Vedhethrah sought out the banners of Isca's priests. He began to laugh as spells were cast, breaking harmlessly against his hide. Landing on top of the one that seemed to be commanding the others and ripping him in half sent a ripple of power into the air. The exhilaration of shredding these men and the ripples of power released as he did were headier than any wine he could remember. He barely remembered to capture it and send it to Likras.
The sound of dwarves calling out to fall back dampened his enjoyment of the moment. Vedhethrah pushed off of the ground and into the air, resuming his attack on the human soldiers.
"Do not fall back! Crush them! I will aid you!" He bellowed out as the humans broke their formation and began to flee. "I am Vedhethrah! The god of punishment and pain. Lady Rook has deemed these human soldiers worthy of my attentions." He began to laugh again as the remaining soldiers threw down their arms and tried to surrender to the dwarves.
They gave him a wide berth as they entered the shattered encampment. Vedhethrah followed the dwarf-led captives to the cage. Likras was standing in front of the still-closed door. He bowed as Vedhethrah came closer.
"I tried to free them as you commanded Lord Vedhethrah but the door..."
"You bent the cage." A dwarf woman inside it whose beard had been cropped scolded with a disapproving frown.
The dragon began to laugh, resuming his more human shape and coming to the cage himself. He bent the steel and ripped the door from its hinges before putting on the mail shirt that the mage was offering him.
"It's just as well." One of the armored dwarves bowed to him respectfully. "They might have run into the battle or been caught up with the deserters. But we can't keep these men in that cage now."
"You can." Vedhethrah gave the dwarf a wide grin. "I can bend it back on so that it won't come off. They can rot in it."
"What would Lady Rook say about that?" The dwarf's bearded chin came up.
"She prefers to give them the choice." Likras spoke up quickly, "Lady Rook gave the soldiers attacking the elves the choice to release the captives and disperse, go home and not rejoin the battle, or they'd burn. She took dragon's fire to quite a few and laid wards like I've never seen to welcome back the rest."
The choice was relayed and the men being held ran into the night without their weapons.
"I doubt they'll stay gone." One of the other dwarves muttered. "You should have let the dragon seal them in."
"I will accompany you as you take these people to a safe place." Vedhethrah shrugged. "If they return, I will make them wish they had met my wife in a foul mood."
"If you find any," Likras spoke quietly to the dwarf woman, "put a feather in your pocket for luck. In a day, she turned the war around for the elves."
"She took the field herself?" Another armored dwarf asked with surprise.
"Not exactly. She sent messengers across to speak to the False Rook and deliver her offer to allow the humans to withdraw if they released their captives."
