It was dim inside the grand dragon house. The light of a flickering torch barely illuminated the caverns built by ancient children. The atmosphere was heavy in the conference room, and not because the torches were burning through our oxygen. Those ancient children hadn’t made such a rudimentary mistake. I didn’t know how it worked, but there was wonderful air circulation.
I was joined by Rigel and five other veteran riders. It had been three days since we returned from orc territory, and we would need to decide on our policy henceforth.
“First, let’s go over the current state of things,” said Rigel. “How many dragons do we have left?”
“We’ve refrained from missions since then, so we currently have twelve ready to fly,” reported an old rider with a weary expression on his face.
My Veralgon had just recovered too, though he would need a few more days if I wanted him to fly over those mountains. Just like their riders, dragons simply wouldn’t recover if they were pushed too far.
“Even if we send all of them to burn supplies, they won’t hold out for three days.”
“We’ll need to leave a few behind for emergencies and to carry messages.”
“The wind above the mountains will get even worse when winter comes. Our recovering dragons might be able to make it across, but they won’t make it back.”
“I didn’t think the enemy would be so thorough with their ambushes. We’ve already lost three dragons. We can’t lose any more.”
His brow furrowed, Rigel listened to his men’s somber words as they all voiced their opposition to continuing these operations. They were right, of course. We would be hard-pressed to go on.
At that moment, the youngest of them, who had kept his mouth shut, finally spoke up. “I understand that the situation is fraught with danger. However…” He scanned the faces of the other four. “We’ve achieved nothing. I see this mission as a battle where the honor of the dragon riders is on the line. If we pull back now, we’ll lose all our credibility.”
The seasoned riders had no response.
It was Rigel who broke the silence. “Correct. We cannot back down,” he said somberly. Everyone focused on him, me included. “I made a promise to the king. If nothing is achieved, our honor will be forever sullied.”
I felt like this was all my fault. It was because of my big talk that the dragon riders had to go to such lengths, that they were unable to stop even if they wanted to. I should have been more cautious. I should have said that the plan made no guarantees or that it was my personal opinion.
Suddenly, Rigel smacked the table; the massive disk carved from a single slab of stone trembled beneath his fist. He rose, shouting, “Now that it’s come to this, we must send every capable dragon to the enemy camp!”
The veterans were looking at him blankly.
I cried, “Don’t be so hasty, Rigel!”
“Don’t stop me, Hero! This is all I can do! This is all I have left!” He squeezed out his voice, pressing his clenched fists against the table.
“Stop it! It’s pointless!”
I had learned it firsthand while fighting in that village. Considering the state I’d been left in against a mere hundred orcs, ten-odd dragons would only die in vain against ten thousand more.
“If it’s pointless, then so be it! If we can no longer stand against the orcs, what reason do we have to exist?! It is a knight’s dream to bravely fall before the enemy! We will maintain our honor, even at the cost of our lives! It’s the only option.”
His eyes were bloodshot. I needed to restrain him somehow.
“Rigel, a frontal assault is not the only way to contribute to a battle. The scouts and messengers make an important contribution that directly influences the outcome. There is no one else who can take on that duty. Please, contain your—”
“But then! Our honor! Is gone! For good! A decisive battle! Is where! We! Must! Die!”
He was getting incredibly worked up. What’s more, the old riders who had been against the plan were starting to agree with him. I could see the will to fight flare up in the depths of their tired eyes. It was hopeless.
“Very well. I won’t oppose you.”
“You finally understand! Well then, everyone! Prepare to charge! I leave the rest to you, Hero!”
“W-wait! I won’t stop you, but just wait a bit longer!”
“For what?! I’m always ready to die in battle!”
“Not that. I mean, wait until you have a few more dragons up and running. If you want a most effective attack, wait until everyone has recovered. The dragon riders’ honor can only be fully displayed when everyone stands together. The orcs aren’t going anywhere.”
Rigel groaned. There was a hint of rationality returning to his eyes. Just a tiny hint. But it was a good sign. I didn’t know how much time would be needed for all the dragons to recover, but I prayed he would regain his senses by then.
On the other hand, if the dragons recover too fast, that will mean losing all of them. Wait, did I make another mistake? If I let them go now, we’ll keep the losses at twelve. But I really don’t want Rigel to die for nothing.
At that moment, the door burst open. The man who rushed in was the dragon rider stationed at Dragonjaw Gate for communications. All eyes turned to him.
“I come bearing a report!” he yelled.
He took a moment to collect himself, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath. Everyone waited anxiously for him to recover.
After a deep inhale, he announced, “The orcs have begun their retreat from Dragonjaw Gate!”
Rigel’s eyes shot open. “Really?!”
“I saw it with my own eyes! There is no mistaking it! The orcs were leaving the valley one after another.”
Still staring, Rigel slowly took his seat. In near disbelief, he asked, “Is it true?”
Seeing the rider’s firm nod, he closed his eyes, turned his face to the heavens, and muttered a prayer. We had just received a report of our victory, yet it didn’t feel real. The other riders seemed to feel the same way. Not a single one cheered. They simply exchanged looks as if doubting their ears.
Then someone finally let out a sigh, and the atmosphere, stretched so thin with tension, suddenly broke. His prayer finished, Rigel declared that the patrols would continue until they confirmed a complete retreat with their own eyes. Thus, the meeting came to an end.