The Verdant Academy’s botanical garden was one of Koda’s favorite destinations. Its winding pebble paths wove throughout lanes of exotic trees and vivid wildflowers. A small pond accented the garden with its lush lotuses growing from the lily-pads that calmly floated on its still surface. Koda rested dazedly on the pond’s bank, a book spread open on his chest. Wildeye amusingly played with a toad.

“Imagine if this was our life, girl; just lazing about without a care in the world. So much has changed…” He trailed off, lost in thought. His armada was to leave within two days’ time. He could not help but wonder how many young souls he had sent to die on the shores of Varis. But before those thoughts could send him spiraling into a deep despair, a voice called out, distracting him from all of his worries.

“You will be bored by the end of the week.” Koda looked behind him to see Megan approaching.

“I suppose so. I guess we’ll never find out, will we?” Koda smirked teasingly.

“Word on the wind says you were looking for me,” Megan said, plucking an apple from a nearby hanging branch.

“I was. Then I got distracted by the allure of a lazy afternoon,” he admitted.

“You wish that my school and I join your forces,” she said bluntly. She did not need to be a seer to know what was on his mind.

If she was going to get right down to it, Koda figured it best to be frank, “And?”

Megan knelt down to scoop up the toad that Wildeye had been unknowingly frightening. Wildeye gave off a whine as her newfound playmate was abruptly taken from her.

“I can’t,” Megan replied, sounding genuinely let down.

“You can’t?” Koda questioned, taken aback by the response.

“I am the Headmaster of a mage academy, Koda. The Mage Council forbids us to take sides in ‘petty political disputes.’” She mockingly spoke the last words.

“But I need you by my side!” Koda insisted.

“My hands are tied, my pupil.”

Koda took a deep breath to calm his thoughts. He set his disappointment aside, seeking ways around the problem, “Could you send me volunteer mages? I can really use any skilled spell caster that I can get my hands on.”

“I will see if we have any students willing.”

Koda bowed before his master, “I thank you… for everything. You have gone above and beyond to not only be my teacher, but a guide and friend as well.”

Megan bowed back, “Same to you, Koda.

***

The Serpent Sea separated Long Whisper from Varis. It was aptly named for the many snake-like sea serpents that lurked in the murky depths below. Once, long ago, the sea serpents were not the only thing that struck fear into the hearts of seafarers, but also the pirates that terrorized the Serpent Sea. However, the glory days of swashbucklers and buccaneers had long passed.

Koda’s armada was two hundred ships strong and was now closing in on the northern beach after a two days’ journey. However, it was not a dangerous voyage. Estinia currently dominated the waters of the Serpent Sea and was currently laying siege to Varis’ capital city.

“How close are they now, captain?” Koda asked Captain Faircloud. He and several other nobles watched the line of Estinian ships slowly trudging closer to their position. Although they seemed a ways off, they were still a threat. As Koda’s fleet drew closer to the northern beaches it was apparent that part of the sea had a “welcome party” of sorts waiting for them, consisting of several enemy ships.

“They be in our cannon range in half an hour,” The captain said as he lowered his looking glass from his eye, “M’Lord, It ain’t the blasted ships that be scarin’ me, but them drakes in the sky.” Faircloud pointed a shaky finger up towards the skies. He took a swig from a wine bottle to calm his sea-worn nerves.

Koda and the nobles peered through the sky, spotting the large shadows of the dragons. Soaring through the clouds, a flight of forty lesser dragons could be seen. Each being manned by a drake rider and flying in sync with one another.

“My king, it would seem we are sailing to our deaths,” Lenfell Raindancer said fearfully, his cerulean eyes glinting in the high noon sun.

“Those drakes will decimate us, never mind the twenty ships on either side of us preparing to blow us out of the water!” exclaimed Sove Breezerunner. Her voice was just shrill enough to grant Koda a slight headache.

“Captain, Varisian banners await us on shore, do you see them?”

“I see banners, M’Lord, but not Varis,” the captain said with slight disdain in his words.

“Southtail?” Koda said, slightly hopeful. But he knew the truth. The Estinains had been laying siege to Varis City for at least a week. Stonewall, the mountain pass city to the south, had been under Estinian occupation for even longer. The chances that Varis could actually send troops or aid to Long Whisper for their landing was a long shot. Koda would have to split his forces in order to both relieve Varis City and to reclaim Stonewall. But the question remained: How many forces could he safely land on the beaches?

“Estinians, M’Lord,” said Faircloud, confirming Koda’s fears.

Koda’s face was stiff, but turned grim. His options were few. He had enough ships to win a naval battle, but with the drakes above and the forces on the beach, he was not sure how much of his army he would have left at the end of it all.

“What are your orders, your grace?” Lenfell asked.

“We suppress the ships with a cannon barrage while we push as many landing craft onto the shore as possible. We need to strike hard and fast. We’ll win no matter what, but the victory is hollow if we lose too many of our forces. Varis awaits our aid!”

“What of the drakes?” asked Sove, a bit more calmly than when she spoke before.

“I will leave them for the Silent Ones. We shall see just how great Jedeo’s might truly is.”