Red Dragon's Keep

they all met in the Solar around the large ornately carved table that served Thomas’s mother for everything from cutting fabric to repairing armor. Its legs were carved into Dragons and its top was gouged and scarred. It was sanded smooth at least twice a year.

Thomas walked in with rolled plans for each floor of the Keep that he’d found in the Library. He unrolled each one on the table.

“Grab something to weigh down each corner,” he told everyone.

Books and crystals and statues were pulled down from shelves for weights. Breanna brought a rock that was used as the doorstop. When corners were weighted, everyone bent forward to look. Thomas waved his hand over the plans.

“Sergeant Haloran, I know you’ve assigned troops to defend each floor of the Tower if the Demons get in. Here’s my thought. I’d like all of us to help with that. Teams of two, and their Swords of Light, will patrol each level of the Keep with the soldiers, watching for Demons coming through the portals.”

He pointed at each floor on the plans. “Breanna and Cameron, you’re a team on the second level. Evan and Owen, you’re a team on the third level. Marta, you’re in charge of the interior defense. You roam between floors, checking each team.”

“Sergeant Haloran, what do you think?”

The sergeant crossed his arms, and then put his chin in his hand in thought. “It’s a good plan, Lord Thomas. We’ll need everyone, including your Swords, to defend the Tower. I’d recommend assigning six soldiers to the fourth floor. Evan and Owen can check in with them periodically. They’ll need the help when the Demons come through the portals to attack.”

Thomas nodded in agreement. “I like it. Let’s get everything ready. I want to get as many villagers inside the inner walls as possible. The walls need to be manned at all times and the villagers can help with that. Sergeant, can you see to it?”

Haloran nodded.