Thought of the Day - February 2 2022 - Once Upon a Time - Part III

More months have passed and so it is time to tell the third part of our tale

( Thought of the Day - September 6 2021 - Once Upon a Time, Thought of the Day - November 19 2021 - Once Upon a Time - Part II ).

A quick recap. The story is about a fiefdom besieged by dragons that had come from a faraway land. People were dying and so a great fortress was built to protect the people. Those who wished to seek sanctuary within its walls must take a Dragon Card lottery. If successful people could find refuge, those that failed would be called upon to use weapons, bought from the south, to fight the dragons. The system was a great success, many people were protected and saved.

The second chapter talked of the arrival of the more powerful Delta Dragons. 'The Many' in the Fortress were surprised there were still some that chose not to seek sanctuary. 'The Few', who refused to flip the Dragon Card and shunned the protection of the fortress, took their chances with the dragons. 'The Many' became convinced that the 'The Few' were the reason for the continued assault of the dragons. Thus, a medallion was issued to ensure that 'The Few' could not visit any ale-house, work on any farm, or hunt on any land of the fiefdom.

As the dragons kept coming 'The Many' were called upon to flip the Dragon Card yet again.

When we left off, it was a little more than a month before the fiefdoms year-end feast.

The Great Winter Feast was fast approaching and with its coming new stories were being told. Stories of the Omicron Dragons. No one knew from whence they originated, but they were said to be smaller and faster and much more plentiful than the Delta Dragons they feared.

The cry went out "We need to prepare. We need to Flip the Dragon card yet again to ready a list of those that will face them - those that will protect the Fortress for all." The Mages also agreed that this time all class-age children should be added to the Lottery. In the past, it was found that children could easily escape the Dragons; ducking and weaving, rarely could the lumbering beast get a hold of a child. It was felt by providing the children with weapons, they could nimbly fight rather than just leading the Dragons back to their homes, to attack kith and kin.

The Great Feast came and went, although the Delta Dragons were now few and far between, merriment was marred by the worry of the arrival of the Omicron Dragons. One and all now knew of some soul that had been attacked. It was fair to say that the Omicron Dragons were easily driven back but as they came in such numbers now, many in the fiefdom were not spared.

Yet the people soldiered on. There were stories from other Kingdoms that the Dragons were abating, but this was not yet the case in the fiefdom. The new Potions prepared by the Kingdom to the South, the ones that could be used to save those injured by the Dragons, had indeed been fashioned but they were going to the highest bidders, they were few and far between.

A great distraction for the Mages was that there were still people not seeking the protection of the Fortress. While many of 'The Few' fought the Dragons they would not support the Lottery even if it meant being without a Medallion and thus not partaking in the ale-houses of the fiefdom through the Feast. The Mages felt the example of 'The Few' could discourage 'The Many' from the next round of the Lottery. Thus, more and more of the Guilds were called upon to make the Lottery, and residence in the Fortress, mandatory.

After a time, attention focussed on the Cart Drivers; those that had fetched the Great Weapons from the Kingdom of the South, those that had brought the meagre supplies for the fiefdoms Great Winter Feast. "Maybe they," said the Mages "were bringing the Omicron Dragons into the Kingdom!". It was decreed that the Cart Drivers must participate in the Lottery and must take residence in the Fortress if they were to continue to be allowed to fetch goods for the fiefdom from the Kingdom to the South.

Rather than agree to the Lottery, a number of the Cart Drivers from the far reaches of the land decided to travel and confront the Mages. Harnessing their teams of horses and oxen, they would go to the Fortress and they would voice their displeasure for the new decree.

Some of 'The Many' claimed that the Cart Drivers were coming to lay siege to the Fortress! The Criers spread the news of their coming. The Criers added to the speculation of their intent. Thousands of Cart Drivers from far and wide arrived at the Fortress. They took station outside, just as the council of Mages were convening for the Session of the Spring.

While it was clear the Omicron Dragon attacks are abating, many now felt there was a new enemy at the gates - the Cart Drivers.

As we leave the troubled land there are many questions in the air. Will the Cart Drivers be turned away by force? Will the Mages agree, as in other Kingdoms across the water, that with the passing of the Delta Dragons the time of the Lottery has passed? Will the Omicron Dragons leave the land or are they simply lying in wait? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for the fourth and final chapter.

Cheers

Cliff