Free Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow by J. Michael Fluck Page A

Weir’s garrison was deployed, for Alliance soil had not had a threat since the Great War.
    Wierangan held the rank of senior colonel and was an expert tactician and strategist. He graduated from the Alliance Army’s senior command school in Draconia and could easily lead an army group if called upon. Draden’s regiment consisted of three battalions of six infantry companies each, a cavalry squadron, one reinforced land dragon company, a catapult battalion, a sapper company, a hippogriff wing, and a support battalion. It was a mini strike legion in a basic sense, and with the addition of the Weir’s mixed battalion, it was much more powerful than a standard Alliance legion.
    Wierangan himself was trained as both a paladin and a ranger, and he attained high degrees of proficiency in both. He was a rare man who had the charisma, strength, and dedication of a paladin and the cunning and fortitude of a ranger. He served in one of the Capital legions as a ranger, in a hippogriff battalion as a platoon leader, and as a ranger company commander. He also served on the High Mountain legion’s staff until he was assigned to Draden to command the regiment there and assist in the deployment of the combined forces of the town and the Weir. Mkel worked hand and hand with him as a gold dragonrider and Weirleader, commanding the combined Weir garrison.
    Wierangan still enjoyed going out on the occasional patrol with Lupek’s rangers, although this was discouraged because of his rank and importance; however, it was hard to say no to a colonel. When not on campaign or battle training, he worked with the town of Draden’s mayor as a member of the city’s council and was an avid nature scholar.
    Colonel Wierangan, while appearing like a modest fellow, was actually quite the combatant himself. Even though he only stood five and a half feet tall, he possessed above average strength and always maintained good physical conditioning. His short blond hair and light blue eyes accented his piercing stare, which always denoted his intelligent and resourceful nature. In battle, Wierangan wielded a powerful holy avenger sword, identical to Toderan’s blade. It was given to him by a silver dragon of the Capital Wing for his service and bravery in battle. His assessments and guidance in several fights resulted in many victories for the Draden regiment and Keystone Weir.
    Bishop Watterseth escorted Colonel Wierangan to the stables, where Sprinter, his highly trained hippogriff, was waiting. Hippogriffs, being half horse and half eagle, were just slightly slower than a winged horse and not quite as strong as a griffon, combining features of both. The average hippogriff, however, was almost as sturdy as a griffon and slightly more maneuverable. They were somewhat intelligent, were very strong, and served as fierce mounts for their riders. Slightly larger than horses, with twenty-five- to thirty-foot wingspans, they had large sharp beaks and talons that were almost as deadly as a griffon’s. While their senses were not as keen as a griffon’s, they were slightly faster in the air and much faster on the ground. This came in handy if they were injured and could not fly, for they could easily outpace the average horse for short distances. Hippogriffs were also much easier to train than griffons or winged horses, which must accept their riders and will not yield to another.
    “Company Senior Sergeant Pekram, are the platoons ready for the exercise tomorrow?” Mkel asked.
    “Of course they are, sir. They’ll be ready or I’ll put a boot in their backside,” Pekram replied with his usual arrogant but still friendly smile. Pekram was a large, imposing figure, as tall as Toderan and just about as strong. The senior sergeant was a devout infantryman, always fighting alongside the Weir’s garrison. He had been a friend to Mkel for as long as he had served in the garrison, and he was a powerful fighter who second commanded the Weir’s infantry company as