SWNOVELS Attack: Chapter 6
Under cover of night, three War Dragons fly in formation, heading toward the hidden Marelup castle in the mountains of Moldavia. We are blessed that our queen sent the War Dragons to do the bulk of the flying for us. Fifteen of us were sent to search and study everything we can learn about the castle and surrounding lands. Also, on this mission, we’ll be picking up our spies we left here two weeks ago.
In the distance, we can see the castle peeking out from the clouds in the sky. Edgar and his team land in a secluded field, and we immediately take to the sky. The thermals are in our favor, and we glide, searching at three different heights all at the same time.
At the base of the mountain, we find the remnants of the tunnels Nicodeamus spoke of months ago. The marking stone still stands guard over where the entrance is now submerged. Apparently, the natural spring that feeds the castle took it over and flooded the tunnels and most likely, the first floor.
We cautiously circle over the dense cover at the mountain base; our teams won’t have any difficulty remaining hidden for the assault. Then I notice it. The Lycans and Strigoi have set traps to cause an avalanche of rocks and mud on any who try to invade. I reach out to our Alpha, Arnulf, and let him see through my eyes. I show him the traps and how far up the mountain they reach.
I hear a feminine voice smooth as silk, as a faint echo in connection with my Alpha. I’m asked to head back toward the tunnels, so I change directions and fly back there again. Several passes later, I’m told to resume my search of the mountainside.
The road that once was there has been utterly destroyed by what looks like explosions. Huge holes and chunks are missing from the compacted stone roadway. Cautiously, I circle the castle itself. I land on one of the lower windowsills and look in on the first floor. As I had suspected, there appears to be at least six inches of water covering the floor. I fly to yet another window on the first floor, and that room appears to be dry for the most part. Several windows later, I find what used to be the throne room. Half of it has water; the other part is elevated and dry. I fly around to where the stairwell is and land in its window. The lower portion is flooded and just starting to come up the stairs. From what I can approximate, there’s maybe about eight to ten inches of stagnant water at the foot of the stairwell.
Several sections of the exterior wall have breaks in it as well as missing stones. The wall’s structural integrity is severely compromised. Most of the wall isn’t the same height anymore, with large sections having fallen down over time. Several spots have holes in them that smaller shifters like the Dire Wolves could fit through. The dragons or Great Bears could easily rip that section of the wall down without much effort. The castle is in such a state of disrepair that it may not even be safe to inhabit. These are things the queen and her mates will have to consider after we liberate it from Vladimir.
As the sun begins to set, we take to the trees to observe any movement. Just a half and hour after dark, the Strigoi begin to move around the interior of the courtyard. They seem to move in groups of three, circling the courtyard and then up onto what’s left of the wall to walk its length. There’s no rhyme or reason to their routines; it’s almost as if they are only doing it out of habit.
Two out of three spires remain intact, and both have lights in the available windows. We were not ordered to check the spires, but I’ll report that they are still active at night. The Lycans seem to move through the woods closest to the mountain without deviating from their course. Both species seem to be blindly following orders without regard for themselves.
I summon the others, and we fly back to our dragon transports. Our mission was a success as far as I’m concerned. I just hope our queen agrees. We all assume our positions on the dragon’s back and relax for the flight. I’m in constant contact with our Alpha, and I explain everything that we have seen. The destruction and state of disrepair are very concerning when it comes to our troops’ safety heading in.
The flight back is quicker than the flight out; there is a sense of urgency in Edgar’s flying. It makes me wonder what exactly is going on back in our main camp. We make it back in record time, and Edgar lands in the center of the camp instead of in the field where we took off from. Our queen is waiting for us, pacing impatiently, and is flanked by her six mates. She shoves her way free of them, and her silver dragon orbs stare up at Edgar. I can feel the dominance and power rolling off of her, and it’s frightening. Arnulf, my Alpha, moves alongside her and motions to us on Edgar’s back, cautioning her how easily we are scared by larger predators. Her mouth forms a perfect O and then she mouths sorry up to us. The rest of my team takes flight and heads back to the building we are staying in. Me, I get summoned to speak directly to the queen.
Aurora holds her arm out, only partially shifting it to have a light coating of scales to protect her arm from my talons. I fly down and land softly on the arm she offers me. I feel her arm dip a little to accommodate my weight.
“Look into my eyes, Erik; get lost in the silvery orbs and let me in. I need to see everything you did,” Aurora says in a soft silky voice. It lulls me into relaxing and letting my guard down around her.
Her free hand rests on the feathers on my back as she moves toward a bench and sits down with me. Then it happens. Her eyes lock with mine and take on a white glow—almost like a halo around her silver dragon eyes. I feel the tickle in the back of my mind as images of everything I saw during my flight flashes before me. The temperature around us starts to drop slightly, and I can tell Aurora is angered by her mother’s castle’s condition. It feels like the mental probe goes on forever. Suddenly, she breaks eye contact and strokes my feathers gently.
“Thank you, Erik. You and your team brought me very valuable intel today. I greatly appreciate it. Take the rest of the evening to relax.” Aurora turns her gaze to Arnulf next. “Love, make sure your men are fed and spoiled tonight; my gift to them.” She smiles sweetly, and her whole demeanor changes as she gazes lovingly up at my alpha.
Arnulf smiles and nods then looks at me. “Erik, please carry my thanks back to your team for me. I’ll come to visit later today and bring extra goodies with me.” He lightly dips his head in my direction and smiles. Apparently, we’ve brought back exactly what they were looking for.
Carefully, I leap off of Aurora’s arm and fly back toward the cabin my team and I are staying in. I find it odd that I didn’t give the report as a man. But then again, with all the betrayal that Aurora and her group have dealt with, I completely understand the need for secrecy. I return to the cabin and shift just before entering. True to Aurora’s word, there is a bountiful spread of different meats and cheeses waiting for my return. Dinner has never looked so good. We have a purpose and a leader who actually keeps her promises and cares about her charges. We were told working for a Lycan would be hell; working for a hybrid is fucking awesome.