Drakon was quite, he had been for a century or two and it was difficult to break his habit. Not that he needed to talk, at the point he and his brothers in arms were at in their relationship with one another words had been...more or less undesired, if not wholly discard. He was quite due to the loss of Nature, yet even he could see the need for the Burning. A pity, he would have enjoyed spending time under the woods, if only the Fae and other anceint wooden beings would bloody well get with the times. Even he as a fallen Grail knight had made it a point to learn the times from random strangers whenever he wasn't following HER orders.
Still, concern for his masters plans for the future outweighed his desire for silence with his brothers, and so he approached his master as he motioned for his brothers, well four of them to head off to their assignment, leaving him and Galkrond to follow their master to the Gisoreux with the second half of the legion of the dead...and the newest members of their seemingly endless army. Just the thought of how many had died in these few lands alone in noble bretonnia worried the Dragon Lord. How many unattended bodies some random necromancer could have toiled if they had but the fraction of his masters power?
The prospects...were rather unnerving. Still, it was time once the two armies with their reinforcements and the garrison was complete to speak with his master.
"My Lord, if I may be so bold as to ask you a question?" Drakon asked, his voice as gnarled and stiff as wooden trees groaning in the wind as his nature took hold.
"You May Drakon, what is on your mind?" Dracul the Father of Dragons and so many other titles and names spoke, his tone light and conversational even as his children took flight above the army, the march of the dead either silent or broken only by the shuffling of gear and the sound of the gear of the legions of dead clanking with each other, no breathing besides the number of dark beasts and the necromancers and wizards among the teeming masses of dead flesh and bone or beastial fury.
"My lord i must ask you, was it wise to anger the fay like this? I am sure that the cleansing of the woods was needed, as it had been too long since true nature had taken hold...but to anger the fay would not yield more corpses or anything else besides satisfaction of a dead foe? So i must ask of you my lord, Why?" Drakon asked, his tone curious and stance one of confusion as his ethereal beast made of the wind of life walked alongside his master.
"Humph, a good question, yes the Fay would not yield much resources, and if any information I could take from their wretched hands would be little to no use of me, unless it was for ancient lore or perhaps mundane things that would lead to stagnation...yet I must do this, for a Grave Debt has been unpaid for Centuries. Yes, a Blood Debt of my Predecessor, robbed and murdered by the elven gods. I intend to collect my due, either from their flesh, their treasures, or their loyalty for all time. if they give none of these...i will burn Athel Loren to the ground. Simple as that, and if they have a issue with me doing so? Then they would be wise to acknowledge that I rule these lands now." Dracul snarled out as he felt the old memories of his predecessor flow up to his mind, of the broken deal, stolen power, and when he fled to recover his strength...murder by a elven godess who could not stand his form. Yes...how many centuries has his children passed the soul-memory of the slain, plotting their vengeance even in the darkest depths of their soul's?
How could he as the New Father of Dragons not complete this Grudge, and to Tear the elven BITCH apart and devour her whole as she dies SCREAMING within his gullet.
"I see my lord, i understand now, thank you." Drakon nodded as he calmly returned to his position behind his lord. No wonder why his master seemed so angry when he ordered the woods to be purged...the memories of dragons were long indeed, and more so of their souls...if the song was any indication, the oldest grudges of dragon-kind were being brought up to bear, one that even he could feel with his bond to the Dragons of the Forest...and there was indeed MANY grudges that will take centuries to finish off.
If this was what the good Dwarves of the mountains had to deal with all the time, all the more he could now sympathize with them, this indeed was a heavy burden to bear, yet he would bear it all the same.
Anath Raema, he would remember that name until he found a way for his lord to truly kill her, he would wait...and one day, his wards would rule the forest instead of the other way around.
Beyond and unknown to Drakons thoughts, Dracul/Aleksander plotted...it wasn't strange really to see the former simple vampire plot, yet his plans stretched to the next century as he planned and plotted the rise of HIS kingdom, his realm for his children, and that of HIS people. He normally wouldn't have spoken so much before a campaign, preferring to plot the next few moves he would need to do, calculate the number of dead he has in his roster, and the exact positions to ensure minimal casualties while maximizing his gain. As well as planning how to intergrate his new lands. Dwarf quality roads would be a must, as well as their expansion to allow ten men to walk abreast with room for their arms to move freely.
Yes, that would be one thing, but as well as gaurd posts for the living and dead every few miles...he had noted a appaling number of empty places where they would have been perfect for guard-houses and warning beacons for any raids. Not even a single bird-house to give raven messengers. A pity, their loss was his gain, and with how information was sorely lacking in these days due to how bretonnian peasants were treated and how merchants were almost all but conspired by the nobility to be brow beaten to massage their overblown worthless pride.
He would admit some nobles DID reach his expectations of what a noble should be, as well as used their privilege's responsibly...a shame only so few were left from his rampages...As it was however he still had a task to complete...and a trap to orchestrate. The BITCH will come, one way or another...the witch will be devoured, and if Orion or Ariel have a problem with his ways, then they can come talk to him directly. especially since they allowed the wretched beastmen to walk under their so-called precious woods. If they had even done as they preached the beastmen would have been exterminated so long ago.
Bah, he would learn more of what those foolish wood sprites are like when the rest of his children join him, as well as when his trap is set. The Savage Hunt wouldn't miss a second chance at the dragon she couldnt claim a trophy of...and with how few and weak the elven race was becoming even with the darker kin's numbers? All he had to do was find the right place and prepare to Slay a Goddess. One might say that was easier said then done, yet they forget one thing, she was a hunter...not a warrior.
Thus, for a being more then willing and ready to truly wage war, she will be unprepared...and he WILL take her power and throw whatever remnants of her are left to burn in his abyss. This he swore on the dragon song, a fitting repayment...and if athel loren stood in his way? Then so be it, he would show them why he was The Dragon.