The upper end of the valley was guarded by two massive stone keeps as the first line of defense, each housing fifty Great Wings and their riders, with each keep carved out of giant slabs of native stone which towered over the valley floor. Day and night, twenty or more Great Wings floated over the upper end of the valley on patrol, ever alert for dragon and Winged Beastie sorties. The Great Wings were tested regularly, for young dragons, freshly matriculated through the dragon rituals of becoming adults and warriors—along with their newly acquired Winged Beasties—were required to do combat in the air above the valley against human opponents.
The third line of defense was the massive walls and many towers of the city of Odar’s Lair. It was the capital of King Olaf’s kingdom and a great bas
