The dragons meanwhile achieved their destination: A hidden stronghold in the
mountains below the pass height. They will find and fumigate Ikaru's gang
here.
The bandits already expect them. Arrows and crossbow bolts are shot; Takuto is
only just missed by a spear. Hisaya, the wing leader, decides not to wait for
the city guards.
He gives the command for attack.
Six dragons fold their wings elegantly to the body and go simultaneously down.
Takuto presses against the fall in order to hold balance. He tightens his
crossbow and shoot at one of the spear throwers before he can hit Tetsu'ko.
The man falls.
Tetsu'ko tears its throat open and emits a tremendous flame. The bandits shout
and search for cover. The fire is so hot that the stone blisters. Short before
the ground the dragon catches its fall and ascends again. This is the most
dangerous moment Tetsu'ko is now almost defenseless. Takuto is well prepared.
He hits two of the bandits with cross bolts who aim at his dragon and is able
to attack a second time.
The other dragons do not have as much luck. One of the animals is hurt badly
at its wing, it rises again only with difficulties. A burning spear hit it.
Hisaya sends the rider out of the danger zone. The dragon screws itself into
air and remains there in observation.
The 5 remaining dragons close their formation again. The animals remain in air
for a moment, and then they fall again towards the ground. Long flames set
fortress and people into fire, the bandits run screaming for cover.
The dragons do not ascend again this time.
Stonewalls become torn like paper, the bandits are rounded up and driven into
the arms of the guards who arrived in the meantime. No one of the robbers
still offers resistance.
Ikaru curses.
His defense was so well designed! Even so this Beasts simple overran him. He
presses himself narrowly to a Stonewall.
The chief of the black tigers is extremely cruel but not stupid. He knows when
it is better to disappear. He gives a sign to his 2 captains and runs onto a
near cave entry. A draft tears him suddenly to the ground. One of these cursed
dragons stands directly over him. His rider, a young lad, threatens him with a
crossbow. On this distance he cannot miss. Ikaru growls like a angry dog and
ducks. He won't have himself captured!
One of his captains throws a knife onto the boy. He barely misses him, but is
hit from the crossbow bolt into the middle of the body. Ikaru uses the moment
of confusion and storms forward, jumps out of the way of the dragon and
disappears in the cave. As he looks back the guards currently overwhelm his
2nd captain.
The boy guides the dragon to the Stonewall, which the animal easily smashes.
Ikaru crawls deeper into the cave and hides into darkness. The boy jumps off
the dragon and looks searchingly around, but cannot find him in his hideout.
Ikaru takes a very close look at the boy. "You would almost have caught
me, chum. You will learn what means to get into my way." Ikaru grins
angrily and finds the way through the cave labyrinth. He thinks of his
revenge, his thoughts revolve around the lad. And it has hardly to do anything
with it, that the boy is dark-haired and distinctly pretty...
The gang of the black tigers is completely destroyed. The guards tie the few
prisoners up. Single vermouth drop: The chief escaped. Hisaya examines its
troop. A hurt dragon and five exhausted pairs. This gang was well prepared; he
could have lost more animals and riders today. The captain of the city guards
addresses him. "Hisaya-sama, there are still the bandits directly on the
pass height. The king wants them annihilated today. When will you
attack?" Hisaya sighs. "If it must be.... We will strike there
in a half hour. Please, be in time above we can't afford more losses."
In the eyes the captain twinkles malignancy. Hisaya knows this facial
expression. He is used to envy. 'Even our allies mean us nothing good.' He
turns away and gives the signal for the departure. The hurt pair flies back to
the palace so that the dragon can be cared for.
The other five dragons ascend to the pass height. They go into combat
formation as a loud, metallic sum sounds. A big spear flies from the mountain
and hits one of the dragons in the middle of the chest. The animal falls
screaming to ground, crushing its rider under itself. The others are almost paralyzed.
Never before has somebody attacked the dragons in this way. The first one who
springs into action is Takuto. He commands Tetsu'ko into nosedive and
immediately attacks the shooting appliance for the spears.
Tetsu'ko destroys the construction with his claws and his flame melts the rest
of the equipment. Screaming the men flee. The remaining dragons also go into
fight. It is a short but vehement combat, of the bandits hardly one escapes.
The guards pulled the ring tight. Linus stands suddenly with a pairs of its
men in front of the captain. He grins vicious. "What is it? Iron or
gold?" With these words, he flings a bag of gold coins onto the way. The
eyes of the captain twinkle greedily. "Gold. And you never saw me."
The bandits disappear rapidly into the rocks while the captain pockets the
gold. A good deal. And he got the riders; that makes it up twice....
It is a tragic day for the riders. Two dragons and three riders hurt, a rider
including dragon dead. They fulfilled their task but the price was high.
Takuto bandages a small scratch on Tetsu'ko's foreleg. He is slightly
injured himself, but worries first for his dragon. Tetsu'ko rubs his head
gently on him. Takuto ruffles him automatically.
The king will give a banquet this evening as celebration of the victory.
Takuto is not in the mood for celebrating, the price was simply too high.
Hisaya takes care of his animal and comes to him. "Will you also
come?" "I have to. He will only use it in order to send us home but
I can't ignore an official invitation." Hisaya senses bitterness in Takuto's
voice. He rubs gently over his back. "We will have some weeks of rest
after this and can recover in the great nest. You will see, the world already
looks very different in our base. We are there at least among friends."
Takuto smiles at him briefly. "I'll let bandage my wounds now. We will
see us then this evening." "Until then." Hisaya gazes after him
briefly and goes to his quarters. Perhaps it still becomes nice. He simply
likes this lad.
The banquet is large, opulent and really boring. The food is outstanding; the
wine excellent, but the loaded visitors are extremely dull. The only topic
today is the burglary into the treasury. That the dragon riders finished some
gangs and a rider including dragon died for it, is only of marginal interest.
Takuto feels this celebration so repugnant. The king considers their task as
finished and sends them home, at best already tomorrow. Takuto sighs.
If Koji waits for him in the "Full Cup"?
He decides to go into the city. Maybe he'll find him there. It will simply do
him good to talk with Koji. Takuto does not like to admit it to himself but he
somehow likes him. He hardly has contact to other people normally but Koji has
something that attracts him. Takuto visits Tetsu'ko briefly, who chews
peaceful on his cattle. The big dragon recovered amazingly fast from the
strains and makes a satisfied impression.
Takuto enters the tavern at the port a half hour later. It is very full but he
cannot detect Koji. Instead he sees someone else. Ikaru stands suddenly before
him and grins maliciously. "Well, who do we have there? If that is not
our little dragon rider. Without your dragon you are nothing, boy."
Takuto tenses his muscles; he immediately recognizes Ikaru and attacks him skillfully.
The first kick hits the giant surprisingly at the hip however before Takuto
can attack again, a red-haired man packs him. "Ikaru, hold it. We can
demand a nice ransom for that one here." Takuto's hands are soon tied up
behind his back. Ikaru growls and hits him brutal into the face with his
backhand. Takuto sinks into the knees, is dragged up again roughly.
No one of the persons present dares to help him. He notices a fair lad who is
shoved out of the way by the red-haired man. Linus and Ikaru disappear with
him through the rear exit.
They drag him through a labyrinth of subterranean corridors, until they arrive
at a kind of dungeon. Takuto is completely lost, he doesn't have a clue where
he is or how he can find the way back. He is pushed into the cold room and
lands on a primitive bed. Ikaru drags his head into the neck and kisses him
coarsely. "Ikaru, what do you think? If we want ransom, you can not
damage him." "Linus, I want no ransom. The boy came into my way once
too often, I want something very different from him. And after that, " he
strokes over Takuto's throat with his finger "I'll stab him, just
for fun." Takuto becomes pale. He fights the rising panic and stares at
Ikaru without a word. Linus plants himself up in front of Ikaru. "Forget
it! We need the money. 40 Gold coins are a nice sum; you won't spoil this for
me because of your lust. Take another one if you are so horny. This one here
not." Ikaru jumps up. Before he can grab Linus by the collar, Linus' men
are around their boss.
He has no chance.
Ikaru gives annoyed in. Linus is after all his friend, probably the only one.
"Okay. If it has to be ... However, if the deal should not work out, the
lad belongs to Me." " All right. If the king does not pay, you can
do with him whatever you want." Ikaru ties the lad onto a ring in the
wall. He bends over him and whispers without letting Linus hear it: "You
are lucky, boy. But don't worry, the night is still long and Linus does not
always pay attention to you." He packs Izumi's chin rough and once again
kisses him. Then Ikaru gets up. "I am hungry. Let's go and eat
something." The men leave the room closing the heavy door behind them
with a loud thud.
Takuto is left alone in the darkness.