Dragoon's Teeth

"A poet can write about a man slaying a dragon, but not about a man pushing a button that releases a bomb." ~ W. H. Auden

There weren't always dragons in the Valley of Ataúd, but nowadays, there were too many to count. The armies of Bel-Katran & Dorn-Atrax had recently razed two distant districts to the ground, leaving very few human survivors. Although it was called a valley, Ataúd was actually a broad canyon that circled the globe of Draco Primus. Within it, seven districts remained to be conquered by the vicious Dräägz⁠. From the Northern mountains, Dragoon Ereboz looked down on the dukedom of Logoz. Simultaneously from the Southern ranges his twin, Dragoon Eroz, oversaw the duchy of Ludoz.

Those brothers were originally human colonists as well as gifted students of archaeology. However, when they each found a Royal Gemstone, Ereboz became possessed by Bel-Katran while Eroz succumbed to Dorn-Atrax. These Dräägz⁠ had asserted their will and suppressed the awareness of their host bodies, forcing them to commit crimes against humanity. They'd also endowed them with supernatural strength and draconic armor, which furnished special powers upon them.

Early in the morning, Ereboz used Bel-Katran's augmented vision to watch as his Drakes flew into the airspace above Logoz. A small number of these blizzard breathers had been slain during the last raid, but it was an acceptable loss and Ereboz felt confident that they would trounce this town's defenses to emerge victorious once again. Nonetheless, they were swiftly met in midair by four score enemy aircraft. Those sky skimmers made the sound of rolling thunder as they approached. Flying in formation they released an opening barrage consisting of explosive morning stars that shot armor piercing skewers every which way. The entire first wave of Drakes became riddled with shrapnel that felled them; each smoldering through the air before hitting the ground to make a deafening THUD!

Irate, Ereboz sent in a second wave that scattered on the wind to engage these newcomers in one-on-one combat. The Drakes succeeded in their ploy and brought down half the sky skimmers using a deadly combination of crystal claws, frigid phlegm, and tail lashes that caused them either to explode midflight or tumble to the tundra below before grinding into resounding crash landings!

Pilots still in control of their vehicles survived by withdrawing, which restored the Drakes' aerial dominance. However, their advantage was only momentary. Unbeknown to them, suborbital missile platforms had been calibrating their targeting sensors for cold blooded creatures. Said platforms loosed their ordnance and rained fresh hell on Bel-Katran's forces—effectively neutralizing any threat they might pose. It was Ereboz who had no choice but to call for retreat then.

Elsewhere, Eroz focused his attention on Ludoz as a legion of Dorn-Atrax lizardmen closed in on that township. They too flew on reptilian wings, carrying shiny shields and various types of close quarter weapons. It didn't take long for eighty more sky skimmers to intercept their advance. Although this time, those supersonic jets responded by casting wide electrified nets that sewed up their saurian quarries inside dozens of sizzling pockets.

Enraged, Eroz spurred on his reserves, which swarmed the war planes and took out many of them with expertly aimed javelins as well as axes. Instead of a straightforward dogfight, this lofty melee was composed of pure mayhem. Sky skimmers dropped like flies to the valley floor, often entangled with kamikaze 'Komodos' that used their acidic spittle to get at any hapless humans whom failed to eject from their otherwise comfy cockpits. All undamaged craft tucked tail, returning posthaste to base. Thus, those Dräägz⁠ won back aerial ascendancy. Albeit merely temporarily, since suborbital missile platforms were readily locking in on each individual lizard's position.

A sulfurous salvo lit up the evening horizon and rapidly vapourized the larger part of the lizardmen's number!

Having succesfully defended the colonial settlements of Draco Primus, General Kaoz chose to make an announcement on behalf of humankind. Within the very clouds hanging over both Logoz and Ludoz, a holographic image of his bearded face addressed the offending Dragoons:

"Hear me, Dragoon Ereboz of Bel-Katran, and Dragoon Eroz of Dorn-Atrax—I am General Kaoz. It is I who has seen to the annihalation of the forces which you have fielded today. Know now that we humans will not tolerate any further incursions into our domains; nor shall we forgive you for the destruction of districts Mythoz and Pathoz. Go hide in your caves and await us. For sure as the sun sets, we will descend there and hunt Dräägz⁠ unto total extinction!"

Needless to say, Ereboz & Eroz were seething with a most poignant ire. Yet neither of them could do much at the moment that would countermand General Kaoz' dictum. Notwithstanding such a shameful defeat, things weren't quite so simple. Via the diadems that they wore on their foreheads, Bel-Katran & Dorn-Atrax were acutely aware that a young woman named Nyx was playing host to their mutual mother, Renna-Ür. They knew that the Matriarch of Dräägz⁠ wasn't impressed with the agression exhibited by her sons. As a result, either brother had sent a detachment of enforcers to prevent Nyx and her entourage from obtaining whatever top secret objective they were after. Hence, the Dragoons withdrew in full confidence that a comeback was imminent.

Even then, deep beneath the planet's craggy surface, Nyx, four human bodyguards and a few thousand grey skinned Gnomykh were halfway to the armory at Abyzz. So far, they were unaware that cold Drakes and lizardmen were rushing to forestall their mission's success...

To Be Continued?

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