The sound of the soldiers clanking boots was obvious to Lineak even from a distance and he made sure to remain still and unseen.  He waited patiently until the last sounds of them had passed before continuing his scouting mission.  It took time and in the dark it wasn't easy but he found a hill overseeing the town where he could look down and keep an eye on the occupants of the town and the surrounding area.  Unable to see clearly he didn't waste time trying to build a shelter of any kind.  Instead he grit his teeth and laid down in the damp grass.  Better to be wet and alive then dry and dead.

He drifted in and out of sleep, restless all night.  In the morning he took his time searching for somewhere to create his perfect blind.  After a few hours time he found it, a perfect spot.  With minimal effort he could transform a small ditch into a mostly waterproof residence of sorts where he could spend his time observing the town and its inhabitants.  Watching the town proved incredibly boring.  It seemed as if nobody ventured out of the town unless they were going to a well right outside of town. 

Even more strange the transport hadn't moved since he'd arrived.  Lineak figured with the soldiers on the hunt it would continue ferrying cargo to and from the town and the outpost.  There was nothing.  He turned his attention back to the well surely they had running water? He had been warned about how tech savvy they were.  Then again they did live in a medievalesque town.  The well made sense if they were trying to keep up the facade.

Something about the well nagged at the back of his mind.  Something he couldn't put a finger on.  Tired and hungry he decided to stop his observation for the time being and try and find something to throw down his neck.

Lineak scouted the area looking for game trails or any other evidence of nearby game and came up empty.  He'd have to expand his search.  Mile after mile he walked slowly searching for signs of life finding nothing.  It was almost nightfall when he decided to make camp.  Still in the rolling green hills he looked for basic shelter that would hide him from prying eyes and believed he had found it in a small cave.

He approached the cave enrance and gratefully sat down on a rock right up against the wall.  As tired as he was it took mere seconds for him to drift off to sleep.  He was roughly woken up when a tall scaled lizard like figure picked him up by the shirt and held him up against the cave wall.

"What do we have here? Look it's one of them came to try and kill us on his own.  I say we break every bone in his body and leave the mess in front of their town."

From behind the one dragonborne Lineak could hear others stirring.

"Wait.  This could be the one that ran away."

"If it is we could use his help, and he ours."

"He's one of them, look at him."

"Look at those weapons, they're not from here."

"But look at HIM.  He's not one of them."

"Put him down."

A silver scaled female approached and held out what appeared to be a rodent of some kind.

"It's not much but we don't believe it is poisoned, or we hope so.  So many of our brothers and sisters have disappeared lately we can only hope they haven't begun poisoning vermin to get to us."

"THAT'S IT!"

"Sir we haven't heard back from either of our teams.  If we assume they are total losses that leaves us at twenty five percent combat effectiveness.  We can't afford that.  What would you have me do?"

"We're going to have to utilize shifts.  We're also moving the men from the barracks out unto the tarmac.  If we are attacked I want the men out where they can defend themselves, and us.'

"And the dragon?"

"Are the tests going as we had hoped?"

"Mostly sir.  We lost another handler last night.  I'm begining to believe we won't be able to control it."

"Nonsense it is tech and any tech can be manipulated and controlled.  Tell the handlers they have three days to get things under control.  We may not even have that."

Eyes, lots of eyes, stared at Lineak after his outburst.

"What's IT?"

"You've given me the answer to your problem and mine.  It's so simple I almost missed it.

"What?"

"Quit your rambling and  tell us what you're talking about."

"Hush let him talk."

"Poison is the solution.  It's that easy."

Lineak reached into his pockets searchind for the vials he had placed there what seemed like a lifetime ago.  The things he pulled out in his attempt to find them though made several of the dragonborne exremely irritable.  Claws and teeth of the dead mere trinkets to those in the town were much more than that to those assembled here.  If not for the occasional figure sticking up for him Lineak feared he would have been eviscerated or worse before his plan was allowed to take shape.  When he finally had his small collection of vials in front of him he addressed those present.

"I killed many men in that town the first day I was there.  After searching their bodies I found these.  It is my belief what it holds within is what they are poisoning your water and your food with.  I also believe that we, or I, can use it against them.  I went to study them and I believe them to have only one source of water for the entire town."

"So what the town's guarded.  Protected by magic even stronger than our own."

"Perhaps.  I was led to believe it is protected against dragons.  Not against me.  Additionally the town's well lies outside of town.  If I can make it to the well without being seen I might be able to poison it and kill all the bastards within."

"What about the other place? The place where they take the dead bodies?"

"I don't know about bodies but the other place, the other place I think I'll need your help.  Lots of your help."

Draconic grins broke out in the dim light within the cave.  It looked like the dragonborne were itching for a fight.  If they wanted one they were sure to have one.  He just hoped there were a few still alive afterwords.  More importantly he wanted to be alive afterword.

"So? Are you in?"

Wind and rain pounded the remaining soldiers who cursed their lot in life less than they cursed their commanding officers.  Out in the elements and all they had to protect themselves were the occasional tarps.  Tents were a thing of the past in this tech savvy environment.  You'll have the best living quarters we can provide for you.  The locals will be hostile but no match for your sophisticated weaponry and magic.  Lies all of it was lies.  The men grumbled and complained, the more they did the lower morale dropped.  The lower morale dropped the lower their chances of escaping their deaths dropped as well.  None of the soldiers thought of this though as they struggled with the elements fighting to stay warm each eager for their chance for guard duty as the watchtowers would offer protection from the rain at least for a time.

"So you're saying you, and only you, are going to sneak over to the well and poison it.  What heppens if you're seen?" I can promise you they have a spell to restore the water."

"He needs us.  He just doesn't realize it.  Gather your men we're going to war."

"Wait.  What? The whole idea relies on stealth not battle."

"Your stealth.  We're going to help you with it.  You've heard of a distraction before haven't you?"

The idea did have merit Lineak supposed but if the spells around the town were as potent as he thought they might be things could get ugly, and fast.  He thought back to the first dragon that he'd seen.  Something there was out of place, wrong.  Think damnit think.  Nothing he tried could get him to come up with what was wrong with the dragon taking sheep instead of attacking the town.  Damn that town.  Once everyone inside was dead he planned on watching it burn to the ground.  Well that might have to wait untl the outpost burned first.

The dragonborne were gracious hosts as much as they could afford to be anyways.  They offered Lineak a place next to the fire and offered him a blanket as well to help fight off the chill.  More rodent was passed his way something he gratefully devoured before calling it a night.  The morning was gong to come quickly, too quicky. 

Two hours before dawn Lineak was gently shaken awake.

"Come on time to get going.  The army is formed and we're on the move already.  We plan to attack from the northwest corner of the town.  That should draw them the farthest away from you.  We'll press the attack for as long as we can to buy you enough time to sneak in, deploy the poison and then leave unseen.  I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you.  Thank you for everything.  Your hospitality your help, for everything.  I don't know what I'd do without your help."

"You'd do what any dragonborne would do.  Die fighting."

"Now I'm dragonborne?"

"Honorary, if you live through the next few days."

Lineak chuckled dryly before stretching and preparing for the upcoming day.  If he lived through the next few days indeed.  That was a mighty big if.

The sun had just risen over the horizon when its rays fell upon hundreds of scaled figures running towards the town.  War chants, screams of rage, and battle hymms filled the air as they charged forward.  The town seemed unconcerned as within daily life continued as normal.  Not a raised eyebrow not even a hello out of place.  It was if the approaching horde didn't even exist.

The first group came within twenty yards of the town before stopping seemingly puzzled.  They turned towards their brothers and sisters in arms and begin swinging blades, clubs, and axes.  Friend faced friend, brother faced brother, and in some instances brother faced sister.  Nothing could faze those who got too close to the town. 

Lineak heard the commotion and crept in slowly working his way through the tall grass moving slowly, cautiously.  It seemed things weren't going all that well although he couldn't see anything from his vantage point.  He decided to hell with stealth and made a leap from his position moving quicker almost in a run towards the well. 

"Those fools out there killing themselves.  I hope they know it just makes our jobs out here easier."

"All those bodies and we don't have to send out teams looking for them.  I wish they'd had the gall to attack so much earlier.  Something had to set them off though."

"You think that guy who came to town?"

"Nah, if I had to guess they finally realized how many of their kind we've killed."

The voices caught Lineak by surprise and he was forced to stop midstride.  He cursed his lack of patience before cursing even more his inability to read what had been right in front of him with the first dragon.  The town had some incredibly powerfull spell to confuse dragons! That explained what was going on as well as the first dragon's behaviour.  It made so much sense and now dragonborne were dying left and right for his ignorance.

The voices faded into the distance and Lineak sighed in relief.  He might be able to do his duty after all and complete his mission.  It didn't take the sting of all the lost lives away however.  He made his way to the well, reached into his pocket and removed six vials opening each and dumping the contents down the well.

The dragonborne weren't stupid.  They pieced together what was happening but the mission came first.  Bodies of friends and family piled up outside the town before it was deemed enough time had gone by.  Slowly they turned from the town and began disappearing back into the tall grass.

"Are we going to let them have the bodies of our fallen?"

"No.  They're in range of arrows any that try to touch our fallen tonight die by our hand.  Tomorrow, after they drink, they'll be dead anyways.  We'll collect our brethren then."

A roar of aprroval shot through the ranks of the dragonborne the sound just barely reaching Lineak's heightened sense of hearing as he diappeared back into the grass on his way back to the dragonborne's cave.  It appeared as if today was a success but if this was the easy part.  He hated to think what was in store for them all when they approached their other objective.

The cave was mostly empty when Lineak arrived.  Puzzled he directed his attention to the few dragonborne present.

"I know they're not all dead where are they do you think?"

"They're proud and don't want to leave the dead behind."

"They don't want them to butcher our own either."

"They want to see the poison decimate that place."

All of the points seemed valid Lineak wished they could have left a token force behind though and rejoined him for a celebration.  Well, no.  A celebratory feast of rat didn't seem like much of a feast.  The sooner they got back though the sooner they could depart and get this madness over.  In time he assumed the poisoned water and poisoned food would return to normal.  He hoped dragonborne and even full dragons would be able to thrive when they did.

Voices came in from the cave entrance and Lineak smiled it seemed as if part of his wishes had been heard and granted.  Some of the men were back.  He would do his part to praise their valor and try to mourn their fallen with them.  Surely more would die in the days to come.  But if things went like they did today... If things went like they did today he hoped there would be this small number that made it back.  But the job will be done and they'll be free of these evil beings.

At the town a curious few of the townsfolk descended upon the fallen dragonborne.  After the first two were cut down by waves of arrows the curiousity ceased.  Within hours all sounds ceased coming from the town.  Intrigued the force wanted to move in to take a further look but the recent losses were too fresh and painful to even begin thinking that way.  They would wait and let the foreigner look for them.  He had at the very least earned that honor.

In the cave one of the returned approached Lineak.

"It's done.  Come with us."

"Done?"

"They are dead.  We need you to look inside and make sure.  Will you do this for us?"

It would take a few hours to get there and hours to check the buildings in town but Lineak was going to make sure that each and every resident of that town was deceased before he left it.

The rain that began coming down could not deter Lineak's cheerfull mood.  They had won! He wasn't sure of the cost just yet but they had won.  His escort was a bit more somber and that worried Lineak.  What exactly had the cost been? How bad had the losses been? He tried to stay in an upbeat mood but the more he thought about the battle and how it could have played out the more his mood was ruined.

An hour into the trip the rain ceased and the sun began to warm the grassland.  A giant rainbow became visible both things bringing a small amount of joy back to Lineak.  The dragonborne he was with remained stoic however.  He shrugged and continued walking please don't ruin this day for me guys he thought.

The final hour passed in complete silence the escorts leading from the front as they walked.  As they came down a hill towards the town a loud roar came from the remaining army as they spied Lineak.  It seemed they were happy to see him after all.  The feeling put a grin back on his face as he walked quicker towards them.

"Thank you, thank all of you.  Words can't express how proud I am of all of you.  Of what you sacrificed today of what you accomplished today.  Songs will be written about this battle for years to come.  I only wish that could host a feast in your...."

The white dots on the hillside made Lineak burst into laughter, thoroughly confusing the army.  He fought back his laughter wiping tears of joy from his eyes.

'A feast! We feast tonight.  Their animals, they would not poison their own food supply!  Tonight we dine on sheep.  Two days hence we dine on blood!"

The roar this time was even bigger than before as whoops and hollers were released.  A flurry of feet and men were off to find meat for the feast.  Lineak decided no time like the present.  He took a deep breath, blew it out and walked towards the town.

It was as he remembered it, mostly.  The occasional body lay on the street where it had died surrounded by vomit and reeking of feces.  That was such a dirty part of death that most people didn't realize.  With a sigh he began going building to buiding seeking signs of life, only to snuff them out one by one.

Only when he was sure the town was empty did he leave and join in the festivities.  Although the feast was made more solemn with the burning of the fallen.

The feasting lasted well into the night before loud obnoxious shouts told the merrymakers what they could do with their continued talking.  Lineak still not asleep laughed to himself as he heard the varied desctiptions of what they could do to themselves and with what if they wouldn't go to sleep.  He could only hope the comradarie of these folks would remain intact as they moved towards their next objective.  He had no problem remembering the nature of the terrain that faced them.  This was not going to be easy and the only way they stood a chance was if they kept the element of surprise.  Rather than try and figure out a correct azimuth to their destination from the current position Lineak decied to go the same way he had the first time.  He would head to the tower and then turn west.  With his plan set in his mind he closed his mind and drifted off to sleep.

He awoke in the morning to find the dragonborne had, for the most part, risen ahead of him and were ready to be on the move.  He grinned not knowing how he had gotten lucky enough to fallen in with these wonderful beings and then walked towards he front of the column that was getting formed. 

"The ruined tower a few hours march is where we're going first.  From there it's about a day to a day and a half before we'll lay eyes on the enemy.  Come on let's move."

The hours went by quickly filled with unique marching songs, strange curses, and the occasional burst of laughter from groups in the column.  It was hard to believe they were on the warpath.  The absence of tower stunned Lineak and the others who had been there before.  Small bits of stone and a fine powdery film were the only indication that the once proud structure had ever existed.  Lineak was at a loss for words when a familiar voice crept into his mind.

"You've done well.  Now go, there's more to do.  Farewell."

Whatever had happened here Lineak felt it had accomplished more than just destroying the citadel.  It had to have played a part in the upcoming battle.  He thought back to all of the boots he had heard the night he walked towards the town and gasped.  Could it be? Was it possible all of those men could be dead? Anything was possible but he didn't want to get his, or the others, hope up just in case it wasn't true.

With an urgent sense of purpose he once again gathered the army and directed them to the west.  The going was rough, very rough.  However the dragonborne had proved themselves to be equally tough and resilient to boot.

((ooc damn having things to do at work)))

Back in the temporary housing of the local dragonorne a debate had been raging for the past day and a half.

"So once again you're saying the men can't do it on their own? We aren't a strong enough race to handle what is let of them?"

"No.  But we do need to give them a help.  I have a plan that could save many, many lives.  Won't you please listen to me?"

"Cowardice is what that is.  We won't hear any more of this talk.  Look at what they were able to accomplish already."

"Can't you see we accomplished it with help?"

"Get her out of here before I lose my temper."

Lineak looked around at the force and grinned this was it today was do or die, possibly both.  After the long march through the horrid terran their objective was finally in sight.  Just over the next rocky ridge and then that horrible open field.  That field, he had forgotten about it.  Open field with maching guns facing towards it.  It would cut the men down before they had a chance.  He grimmaced perhaps some of the dragonborne would have a plan of some kind otherwise the battle would be over before it began.

Cries from some of the forward scouts caught Lineak's attention and he gingerly began moving forward.  All along the base of the rocks enemy soldier's remains lay strewn about.  Some half chewed on others with throats torn out remained untouched oherwise.  Lineak approached one of these and peered closely at it.  I he would have to guess at the nature of the wound he would say wolf bite?  The hair on the back of his neck stood upright as he vaugely recalled howling and the response the last time he had been here.

A meeting with some of the leaders and a stratey of sorts was hammered out.  With the depleted manpower of the enemy force all that had to happen was getting within striking distance.  That was all.  The dragonborne seemed optimistic Lineak wasn't quite so sure.

The assault began from the rocks simple spells to blind the men in the tower were cast only to be reflected back on the casters.  More advanced spells followed fireballs arced toward the gate and guardtowers but were dispelled by some invisible force.  Other spells targeted the ground around the towers while strung gusts of wind were summoned to batter them as well. Each spell was met with the same result.  A collective groan rose rom the attacking force moments before the defenders loosed their counter volley.  Mortar after mortar began began being rained down upon the dragonborne army.

Shouts of pain from the wounded and dying soon filled the air.  This was quickly turning into an unwinnable fiasco.  The sound of somethin airorne approaching from behind them disheartened the dragonborne even more.  A transport ship was coming to reinforce the outpost.

Both armies watched with differring emotions as the transport flew directly into one guard tower aftter the other almost as if intentional.  Damaged beyond any hope of  flying away the pilot instead decided to crash it into the tarmac in the hope it would kill as many soldiers as possible.  With the towers negated the dragonborne gave a massive war whoop befoe running in for the kill.

Firearms clashed with thirteenth century weaonry in a deadly duel with lethal consequnces for the losers.  The soldiers who had been so demoralized by the wind and rain were now stunned by the recent loss of life caused by the transport.  The horde of savage dragonborne who they had deemed unworthy even the slightest amount of respect put most into a panic.  Those that tried fleeing were gleefully chased and cut down.  Others fallling back on their training tried to find defensible positions.  These soldiers proved problematic. 

Sporadic gunfire and the occasional grenade could be dealt with, and was. The outpost commander found his worst fears realized and ran towards a specific hanger as if his life, and those of his men, depended on it.  He hurridly uttered the words of a spell to unroll the hanger door hoping that all the time, money and lives dumped into this venture were not in vain. 

The door opened and three figures emerged into the sunlight.  The commander greeted all three running towards them.  All three greeted the figure approaching with a strange numbness considering the circumstances.  He was unable to grasp the severity of the situation before dead fingers grabbed hold of him and teeth ripped into his flesh.  The monstrosity the hanger contained unleashed a massive roar, made even louder by the hanger, and walked into the sunlight for the first time.

The mop up work almost complete the dragonborne army were in a celebatory mood.  Sure there were still a few enemy soldiers to contend with but most were trying to find ways to sneak away.  They were well aware that death waited for them if  they did not vacate the area.  Nobody was ready for what emerged from the hanger.

The dragonesque figure stood twent feet tall its body stretched from tip of the masive snout to the tip of its tail an astoundin forty feet.  Scales partially covered the entire beast.  Huge gaping holes were visible where bone and metal were visible.  The wings tucked down for the moment gleamed as the sun reflected off of their metalic surface.

The dragon twitched its tail back and forth as it studied the battlefield in front of it.  Cocking its head to the side it stared towards the crashed transport before roaring into the air.  Within seconds dead soldiers and dragonborne began to twitch.  Seconds later they were on their feet and lurching towards the living intent on devouring flesh.  The dragon not satisfied with the horror it had unleashed unfurled its wings and beat them furiously causing small tornados to form that flew into those staring at it in awe. 

Those caught in the wind soon found themselves torn apart by flying debris.  Those fortunate enough to avoind the wind soon were face with an undead army immune to most weaponry it would seem.  Soldiers found bullets did nothing when striking the bodies themsleves.  Dragonborne placed blow after blow piercing vital organs with no effect.  Only when the brains were piereced did the bodies appear to fall dead once more.

Taking to the air the masive dragon semed to take a strange pleasure in diving and killing individuals with teeth and talon.  After several such kills it would once again cast that unnatural spell to reanimate the dead helping to create and sustain a massive undead army.

"The dragon we must kill the dragon!" Lineak shouted into the choas.  If there was to be any chance at living that strange beast had to be killed.  First though it needed to be brought to the ground.  He had no idea how that was going to be possile.  He thrust his knife throuh the dead unseeing eyes of the nearest undead as he pondered the situation.  Automatic rifles lay all over the ground perhaps he'd have some luck bringing the dragon down with those, he doubted it.

All around him dragonborne were being taken down by the undead their flesh devoured by others.  Soon there would be nobody left to fight the flying fiend.  With nothing to lose Lineak ran and grabbed the nearest rifle.  He aimed it into the sky and pulled the trigger.  The rounds that struck scales seemed to ricochet, others seemed to find their way into the body throuh the holes in the exterior and did nothing.  The few bullets that struck wings caused small sparks but did little else.

The bullets might not have done any damage but they did attract the dragon's wrath.  It flew higher looking down at the chaos below attemptin to find the source of its discomfort.  Lineak once again picked up a rifle and sent a barrage of bullets towards the creature.  Unaffected the dragon dove towards the nuisance. 

Fear froze Lineak in place as the dragon circled higher before turning to plummet towards him.  I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm so dead the thoughts repeated through his mind.  As the dragon closed the distance a switch turned on in Lineak's mind.  He brought the shotgun to his shoulder rolled to the ground on his back and fired.  It as impossible to miss at this distance he thought.  Furiously he pumped the shotgun racking another round and firing.

The first blast struck the dragon in the chest hitting mostly scales which absorbed most of the damage altough it did darken a few of them.  The second blast struck the dragon's underbelly.  One of the large holes was present there and it took the brunt of the damage.  Metal melted and then propelled by the force of the projectile in turn wreaked its own havack inside the belly of the beast.  The dragon roared in agony but it was hardly finished.  It reached down with its talons to grab hold of the tiny prey that had managed to harm it.  Lineak found himself encased in a prison of metal and bone, helpless.

Not helpless.  He used his frustration with the situation to his advantae usin it to fuel his change.  As the dragon rose into the air Lineak transformed into the hulking killing machine known as a werewolf.  Filled with a renewed strength he fought through two of the dragon's talons and begin to climb up its leg.  Digging in with long powerful claws he made his way up a leg.  The arduous climb could have been his last as he nearly fell repeatedly.  At the end of his climb he swung legs up into one of the holes in the dragon's torso slipping in underneath a rib.  Inside of the monstrosity Lineak attacked with a vengeance only to find he wasn't causin any damage whatsoever.

Think damnit.  He sat inside the flying beast as it dove and ascended time and again.  His body once again morphed this time back to human.  He had tried a rifle, he had tried the shotgun, time for the revolver?  He drew it checked to make sure all six bullets were loaded and began firing.  The dragon's agonized roar was music to Lineak's ears as he continued firing shot after shot.  The revolver emptied he picked up the shotgun again. 

Three more only three more I have to make them count.  Recalling what was happening on the ound with the undead Lineak climbed up the dragon's ribs until he could begin climbing up the dragon's spine towards its head.  No brain.  He shouted in frustration before placing two blasts through the one eye of the dragon covered by scales.

One shot left what was he going to do with one lousy round?  The dragon partially decided for him as it shook its head violently side to side and up and down.  Lineak found himself perched precariously on the dragon's snout staring up into an empty bone eyesocket and an eye blown apart by his shotgun.  Things looked bad.  He glanced down to see how far up he was and made a desperate choice.  He slipped from the dragon's snout hoping his timing would be correct, it was.  He impacted with one of the beast's legs before jumping down to the ground below.

As he looked at the nearby ship a plan ran through his mind one he hoped would work.  He pulled his other revolver and pointed it at the sky firing uncaring where the rouns flew knowing they were worthless.  It worked as planned drawing the dragon's attention it did as it had been, it dove.  Lineak could only pray that the plan would work.  It was based on circumstancial evidence and on the bits of mahcinery that he'd seen around his home planet.  He hoped it would be enought.

The dragon was within feet of both Lineak and of the transport when Lineak loosed he final shell.  The round scorching through metal and ingniting fuel.  The heated fuel expanded and unable to further expand inside of its tank created the nescessary energy to free itself of its constraints.  Or one could say the fuel tank exploded sending superheated portions of the ship everwhere.  The dragon fell to the ground pierced in inumerable places by shrapnel.

The dragon's wings would never again grant it flight one of them had been blown off entirely, the other had sustained massive damage.  The chest and neck of the dragon sagged as the metal holding the bones in place either had melted or was in the process of doing so.  The front legs appeared to have been amputated by the flying debris. 

The force of the blast threw Lineak several yards away and he was unable to process the situation for several moments.  When he finally got his senses back he was witness to the few remainin dragonborne taking turns hacking the dragon's head off as the others formed a small protective circle around to guard against the undead.  With the final stroke the head fell to the ground and with it the undead army.

Lineak stared at the destruction around him before looking to the remains of the transport.

"So, you guys can fly?"

End of the quest Dragon!