Part 4 – The Great Expedition, the mass migration of dragons

The Wonder of the North was at first thought of as a cliff edge that nearly saw the expeditions ration cart fly off. Not, the view point marking the edge of the frontier. Or as it is now seen by those who lived nearby, the end of those who came up and conquered it.

The Distinguished Trade Deal with the Dwarfs, was not, as it became later known, a turning point in the Kingdom and the Dwarfs relations that saw a golden period of peace following 3 years of conflict. At the time, the lead representative just needed to hold back the army from sending in more soldiers before the summer came, which would have seen mass starvation. All for the sake of him not being fired by the King for another failed advance.

But the Marvelous Waterfall, hidden in the Unending Forest, at the end of the Shadowy Path, is worth a visit. But go the other route via the forest bypass, less chance of near certain death.

Names, as it has been seen throughout history, come after the event has happened. But the Great Expedition was penned its name when it set off. To create a sense of importance and a drive to bring in donations. Which then would lead to those with money a chance to have it their bragging rights. Once the Great Expedition returned with something to brag about.

The expedition, which had most of its money spent on the ceremonies when leaving each of the towns and villages that supplied, and paid for, all those who were going, found they struggled very quickly after they all began properly. It was not long until the wheels on the carts needed to be replaced. Then a replacement wheel needed to be fixed, and then another, rations were soon running out and needed to be replaced through foraging, buying, or on a growing number of occasions, stolen.

Then came the hard part of the expedition, when they found where Gerald was reported to have his new pet. Being a soldier, meant he could walk over most terrain, follow the battle as it needed, and simply focus on staying alive. The instructions that the Colonel had managed to get were, in short, useless. The Great Expedition comprised of 37 people. Stories would later imply better organisation, and even the King himself returned from an apparent earlier trip, to hand pick the one that would later be gifted to his future great, great, great Grandson, Raj the Useless.

The 37 members of the Great Expedition quickly split up looking in different areas, completely ran out of food with 9 going off and almost setting up home in a nearby village. Who actually, by sheer dumb luck, found what they were looking for. However, as they didn’t see fire breathing for 3 days they were nearly held themselves for how they demanded more food, beer and had a general unpleasant demeanour to the people in the village. Was it not for the fire, the excitement and the return of the rest of the Great Expedition to explain, and pay, for them. These 9 could have lived out a different life. Albeit probably quieter in the end.

The discovery of the wild dragons in the village later became known as End of the Blessed Route. The truth of what happened is far from the myth of the Great Expedition and with the finding of those who lived alongside the dragons. The myth would grow to include how the wild humans had become to fear these dragons, be subordinate to their ways. With the arrival of the King who freed them from fear as he looked at the Alpha and that she accepted the new way of things.

Just by his look.

Which for all who were there, that was the preferred version of the story. The truth involved arguments between those in the village and the members of the Great Expedition about taking the wild dragons, the throwing of food in cages as the mild mannered creatures stumbled in, with the locals being beaten back apart from those who knew how to be with these creatures. Who shortly found themselves in a cage too to support the future training of dragons.

8 people were placed in cages to be transported. But 3 were placed in cages with dragons. Some parts don’t make the legend.

Eventually, after fighting, arguments and long journeys. The Great Expedition returned home. A set of dragons were brought home. Many questioned why they brought back pups and not the fully grown ones. But no one knew what these creatures were, or how they lived.

– Click here to go to part 5 –