-Two Worlds II- (Chapter Eleven: Along the Path of Dragons)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Title: Two Worlds II: The Heart of Darkness
Series: Royalty
Book: 4
Chapter Eleven: Along the Path of Dragons
Author: Cilia
Author's e-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Pairings: Well duh!
Distribution and Archiving: List archivers and anybody else who has my stuff
can go ahead. Other's please tell me if you chose to archive this.
Disclairment: Joss owns some and I own some. But hey I think I write better
then he so he can just pucker up and kiss it for all I care.

Summary: Nine years have past in the Old Realm since the deperture of
General Elisabeth Anne Summers after the Battle for Necirs and the following
Search for Willow. Now Willow Summers, her wife and Leader the Alliance
Council must bridge the gap between the worlds to seek out her out, the
darkness is rising and the Last Hero of Necris is needed now more then ever.
So the final story in Royalty Epic begins.


-Two Worlds II: The Heart of Darkness-
Cilia

Chapter Eleven: Along the Path of Dragons

Elisabeth took a long hard look around the group gathered in the meeting
tent, present were, Willow, Cordelia, Tark, Trist, Litni and Tare. She?d
called a meeting of the command staff to discuss their next course of
action. The appearance of the dragon and of the reappearance of the Shadow
spy had thrown a big monkey wrench into her plans. Now she had to decide
whether to march on the Heart of Darkness or follow the dragon.
?I know this is no democracy, but since many of you are not under my
command I felt that it was only right to let you have a say in where we go
from here,? she explained.
?In light of recent events I do not think that this changes anything, our
objectives still remain the same, we must destroy the Heart of Darkness,?
Tark stated calmly.
?I say we follow the dragon, not that it counts for much,? Litni muttered,
still visibly shaken from the defeat she?d suffered at the hands of the
Shadow.
?I?m with Litni,? Tare said simply.
?Trist, Willow, Cordelia?? Elisabeth asked.
?I?ve followed you before General I trust your judgment,? the lieutenant
said.
?I say we follow the dragon,? Cordelia said. ?We need all the help we can
get,? she added. Elisabeth nodded and her eyes settled on Willow, when she?d
woken up the mage had been gone from their bed and Elisabeth felt that their
actions last night might have been premature.
?The Dragon must have been sent by somebody with great power and like
Cordelia said we need all the help we can get. Also if we follow the dragon
there will most likely not be more attacks on us and it will also keep our
spy occupied,? the mage answered in a cold analytical voice.
?Then we set out and see where the dragon goes,? Elisabeth exclaimed. ?Get
the troops ready, we?re moving out in a candle mark,? she ordered and the
group filed out. ?Mage Willow a word please?? she asked and the mage
stopped.
?You weren?t there when I woke up,? she said.
?I needed to study the dragon,? Willow said, but Elisabeth just gave her a
look.
?I was scared okay,? Willow exclaimed and threw up her hands.
?Scared?? Elisabeth asked with a raised eyebrow.
?It?s been a while,? Willow said with a blush. ?And last night??
?You were scared, I understand,? Elisabeth nodded. ?Just next time just
leave a note or something? 'cause my nerves aren?t exactly made of steel you
know,? she said with a small smile.
?I?ll? I?ll do that, but now we really need to go? wake up the troops,? the
mage stammered, causing Elisabeth?s smile to grow.

~*~*~*~

Litni kicked at an innocent pebble as she looked up at the dragon that
circled overhead, this was uncanny. Hell this was down right frightening and
very, very familiar. The scenery didn?t help much either. Shear cliffs rose
up on both sides and the passage was only wide enough to allow the soldiers
to march through it in single file, anything else would force every other
soldier to walk on the rocky path was raised above and it was an uphill
march.
At the top of the trail just before starting the decent into the Dark Lands
was a high plane that was a good place to camp and to be ambushed. If the
Shadow spy was following them he had better had good shoes since she wanted
an even rematch and he probably wouldn?t be able to give that with sore
feet.
?Eyes on the surroundings not the sky,? Tare said and adjusted her pack and
snapped Litni out of her thoughts about lifes little mysteries.
?Yeah sure,? Litni muttered as she looked down and then to her sides.
?Don?t worry you?ll get to kick him around sooner or later,? Tare said with
a smile.
?Oh I?m counting on it,? Litni exclaimed. ?I may be an elf, but I have a
certain respect for the Drow way of doing things,? she said with smile.
?What women going after men? Trust me it?s the same everywhere, we decide
they follow. We?ve just taken it a step further,? Tare said.
?So you like Tark?? Litni asked and turned a pointed look towards her
friend across her shoulder.
?I? he explained some things,? Tare said.
?And?? Litni asked with a smirk, while keeping her eyes firmly on the road
ahead.
?He?s? nice, in a calm and always in control, way,? Tare explained.
?Women seem to like that for some reason,? Litni stated. ?That and that god
awful excuse for a smile,? she added.
?You're just immune,? the Drow answered with a smile. ?And then lets not
forget his knight?s nature,? she added.
?Okay I get the point, daddy is hot as hell thank you very much, now stop
before I turn around, stop the march and put some serious hurt on you,?
Litni said and threw up her hands, while Tare only smirked.

~*~*~*~

Elisabeth walked near the head of the column, with three different things on
her mind. First of would the supply wagons make it up the climb, they?d made
it through the forest but that had been with massive help from both Cordelia
and Willow and right now any massive use of magic could alert the Shadows to
their approach. Second her soldiers wouldn?t be ready to fight once the
climb was through, not at the resting point nor when they walked down into
the Dark Lands and she could see the mountain peaks starting to darkens as
they got closer. Third was of more personal nature, namely her relationship,
if you could call it that, with her estranged wife, so far they?d kissed,
shared a bed and promised to return home to their daughter whom the other
had only seen briefly.
?We?re walking along the Path of Dragons,? Cordelia said snapping her back
to reality, Elisabeth looked back, but when she saw nobody she glanced to
her side where the Ranger floated.
?That isn?t good for morale you know,? she commented.
?Don?t be so quick too judge also it will make the Dragon think twice in
case he gets hungry,? the Ranger answered as she lowered her flight so she
appeared to be walking.
?You don?t think he?ll eat us?? Elisabeth asked looking up at the Dragon
where it had taken up a perch about a mile ahead.
?First of all it?s a she and second Dragons aren?t the most predictable
beings you?ll meet,? the Ranger explained.
?You called it a being, why??
?Well they aren?t beasts, they?re too smart for that, but they are primal,?
the Ranger explained. ?Like me,? she added.
?So you are primal now, never would have guessed,? Elisabeth said with a
smile.
?Oh you?d be a surprised who is and isn?t primal,? Cordelia exclaimed
sounding very much like the young woman Elisabeth had once known.
?So who is primal?? Elisabeth asked sounding very young.
?Well your mom is, so is Willow after a fashion although she keeps it under
control. You see those who are primal are those who are connected more
directly to the background of being,? Cordelia explained.
?The background of being?? Elisabeth asked with a raised eyebrow.
?Best word for it, but not everybody is connected the same way, you and
Willow are normal examples of somebody that are wired up to the background,
you have your various powers and she has hers. Your mom is given her
connecting through a high power, but the principles are the same,? Cordelia
explained.
?So what?s the different between you and me?? Elisabeth asked.
?Your powers are something that is installed into you, your strength and
speed are powers given to you, you don?t control the power you just control
the abilities it gave you,? she explained.
?So who gives the powers and why are you avoiding my question?? Elisabeth
asked.
?The powers are given by The Powers That Be, godly types you know, but the
sometimes it happens at random, like with me,? Cordelia explained.
?You aren't answering my question?? Elisabeth sing sang.
Cordelia just smiled and started floating backwards.
?In due time you?ll find out,? she said as she disappeared into the column,
leaving Elisabeth muttering about why all her friends had turned into
cryptic, mystical beings.

~*~*~*~

Tark was bringing up the rear with Willow and Trist, making sure the supply
wagons made it up the narrow trail and also guarding the columns rear in
case of another surprise attack.
?Push!? he ordered as he and five other Drow pushed a supply wagon that had
gotten derailed back onto the path, having foreseen this kind of situation
he?s made sure the wagons they used were narrow, but the road was so small
it barely accommodated them. The wagon lurched out of its hole and onto the
road once again as the group gathered on the road. They?d bound their feet
in heavy leather to protect them from the rocky ground the path was built
on, that and some magical help from Willow made things easier, but not much,
?We?re getting left behind,? Willow commented as she joined them.
?We?ll catch up,? Tark stated as he wiped his brow.
?Feeling your age?? Willow asked with a grin.
?I doubt it,? Trist bellowed from behind them. ?After all, kissing the fair
Tare would take centuries of any Drow!? Willow looked up and grinned at the
Drow General.
?Tark is there anything you would like to share with your friends?? she
asked with a glint in her eyes.
?Only to correct a mistake, since I did not bid Lady Tare farewell with a
kiss,? Tark said in his calm voice as he adjusted his hood. While Willow
just smiled.

Next up, Litni has her rematch with the Shadow and his name is revealed at
long last and this time our little elf is through with playing fair. All
this and more in Chapter 12: In the Land of Shadows and Sun