3

 

Maren and I sat together among the tall grass, daylight long gone. A small fire burned low, the flames dancing with vigor as if all in the world was well. The slumbering of the wild dragons filled the air, the sound like that of a strong wind.

“We have failed,” I whispered.

“How so?” Maren asked, turning her head to look at me.

“If Getarros and the others will not bond with humans, then the riders will end. We are too few as it is. If Anesko was contemplating disbanding us before, he will certainly consider it again now.”

Maren rested her head on my shoulder. “You worry too much.”

“How can I not? And how can you be so calm about things?”

“I have faith things will work out in the end.”

I laughed, but not out of humor. “Your faith is stronger than mine.”

“I do worry about the future, Eldwin. I just try not to dwell on things I cannot control. We will survive whatever comes our way, good or ill.”

The fire crackled, and a small flame leaped from the coals, temporarily lighting the shadows. The darkness was deep this night, and it reminded me of the feeling I experienced when Sion had been cut off from me on the Island of Lost Souls. I had seen many terrible things since then, but I always persevered. Perhaps Maren’s faith was not unfounded.

“I’m going to bed,” she said, lifting her head off me. “Tomorrow will be difficult enough, even with plenty of sleep.”

I nodded absently, still lost in my thoughts. Maren wandered over to Demris and curled up beside him. The air wasn’t chill, but the warmth of a dragon was always comforting. I leaned back on my elbows and stared up at the moon.

As a child, I had dreamed of becoming a dragon rider, following in my father’s steps. He had taught me about honor and love, but nothing about dragons or the school. I still found that odd. Had he wanted me to learn things on my own, or protect me from living the same harsh life he had?

Silence your thoughts, Sion’s voice rumbled in my mind. I cannot sleep with your constant worries.

Sorry, I replied. I can’t help it.

I closed the bond on my end and continued to stare at the moon. It was little more than half full. Perhaps my father’s silence on the latter things was indeed because he wanted to protect me. That made me a fool, then. Not only a fool, but arrogant and selfish.

Again, my mind strayed to the coming battle. How could we defeat a king? A man so confident in his own power, he had no qualms about destroying the very people who protected his kingdom.

I sighed. It was impossible to ignore my anxious thoughts. Staring at the moon certainly wasn’t helping. I stood up and walked along the field toward a small stream I had seen earlier. Perhaps drowning myself in cold water would take my mind off things. I knelt in front of the water and was about to put my hands in when I abruptly stopped and froze.

I sensed something, but I didn’t know what it was. Glancing around revealed nothing but the shadowy swaying of the grass. I re-opened the bond.

Sion?

I am here.

Do you sense anything out of the ordinary?

There was a pause, and I heard her stirring across the way.

Magic, she said. I think it’s the dragon slayers.

I recoiled from the stream and drew my sword, shifting my gaze back and forth. I thought she had killed the sorcerer. Did the other slayers know magic as well? A few moments passed and nothing happened. Sion joined me near the stream and sniffed the air.

Whoever it was is gone now, she said.

You said it might be the dragon slayers. Do you think it could have been a scout from the king’s army?

No. The feel of the magic was the same as the slayers.

We stood guard until I grew too tired to stay alert. I sheathed my blade and followed Sion back to the camp. She got comfortable, and I lay beside her.

I can barely keep my eyes open, I said.

Rest. I will keep watch.

I fell asleep and was greeted by bad dreams about dragon slayers, the fall of the Order, and the king terrorizing Osnen. When dawn came, I awoke to find many of the dragons ready to go, eager even. Maren had prepared breakfast, and I devoured my portion quickly. Despite my fears, there was a level of excitement about returning to the Citadel. It was the only home I had, after all.

Once all the dragons were ready, we flew for the Citadel. Unlike the many other times I had returned to the school, this time felt like a march to war. There was a mixture of fear and determination in the air, and it put me on edge. Sion kept a close eye on the ground, watching for scouts, but fortune was on our side as the way was clear.

Things may actually go according to plan, I told Sion.

That would be a welcome change.

Indeed.

As we drew closer to the Citadel, plumes of smoke rose in the distance. At first, I thought the school was burning, but I soon realized it was only the fires from the king’s encampment. Demris and Maren flew to our right, and I looked over, catching Maren’s attention.

“Get ready!” I shouted into the wind.

She nodded, her expression serious. I mouthed the words ‘I love you.’ She smiled and mouthed them back, and I turned my attention ahead. There were countless tents outside the walls of the school, and the camp took up several acres. Soldiers were everywhere, numbering in the thousands. Banners with the royal crest fluttered from poles, and we descended toward the nearest tents.

A horn blared as someone spotted us, and the king’s riders took to the air to meet us. Roars of challenge rang out, and I looked over my shoulder to see the wild dragons break formation into smaller groups. They split up and descended upon the camp, breathing fire and smashing things with their tails.

Considering their lack of experience, their display impressed me. A small group of the king’s riders ignored them and came straight for me and Maren.

Brace yourself, Sion warned.

She spun in a circle to the left and engaged a blue dragon. The soldier on its back held a lance at the ready, the tip of the weapon gleaming under the sun. At the last moment, Sion stretched her wings out, catching the air. Her upper body lifted, sending her rear claws into the face of the other dragon. A sharp sound tore through the air as her claws scraped against the enemy’s scales.

I flinched and covered my ears, gripping the saddle tight with my legs. The other dragon roared and maneuvered away from Sion, lashing at her with its tail. Sion gave chase, following the beast as it winged its way around the protective shield of the Citadel. The soldier was a skilled rider, guiding his mount left and right to avoid the blasts of flame that Sion breathed at them.

The wind whipped through my hair with every twist and turn and dried my eyes out to the point I had to shield my face in the crook of my elbow. The smell of smoke and brimstone hit my nostrils, and I risked a glance down at the encampment to see what damage the dragons had done.

A third of the camp was on fire, but the progress of the wild dragons was now stalled as they began battling the king’s riders. The organization they had displayed initially was gone, replaced by chaos as their ranks broke. I watched in horror as several of the dragons were slaughtered brutally, their bodies falling from the sky and crashing among the camp.

Sion roared in surprise, and I looked up. Half a dozen royal riders came rushing toward us. The blue dragon had lured us into a trap.

 

4

 

The riders flew in a tight formation, their wings stretched wide to form a wall that blocked the way forward. I looked around desperately, searching for a way to escape. My heart was racing, and my mind was spinning with possibilities. We could fly straight up, but they would certainly follow us. Then I saw a gap between two riders on the right side of their formation.

It was small, but if we could get through it, then maybe we could break away from them and regroup with Demris and Maren. I risked a glance in the direction they had been, but I could no longer see them.

Can you make it? I asked, sending Sion a mental image.

I will try.

She lashed her tail with determination and flew straight for the gap. The royal riders must have seen what we were doing because they moved faster to box us in even as we approached. I gritted my teeth as I watched the riders surge toward us.

The riders pinned us down, closing in on all sides, leaving us with no way out. We were outnumbered and outmatched, and there was no way we could fight our way out of this one and survive.

A shadow passed overhead, and a moment later, Getarros and a group of wild dragons swooped in from above. Their sudden arrival caught the royal riders off guard, giving Sion an opening to make her escape. I urged her on, and she flew up as fast as she could. The wind rushed past my ears as we soared higher and higher into the sky, putting distance between us and the king’s soldiers.

The sun shone brightly, its rays illuminating everything below us in a golden hue. Looking down, I could see the king’s soldiers and the wild dragons battling. Getarros’s group had the advantage, and they were slowly driving the royal riders back.

They are holding their own well, I said.

Yes, but if the king’s men coordinate their efforts, we will lose the advantage. We need to do something to force them into a retreat. It would not be wise for Anesko to lower the shield with the enemy this close to the walls.

She was right. I scanned the encampment below. The ranks of the wild dragons had broken, the beasts scattered and struggling. It was a very different sight than watching Getarros and his group as they took down the royal riders.

We need to rally them, I said. Then flame the camp all the way to the king’s tent.

Shouldn’t we target the king directly? That will end things quickly.

Not unless Maren is with us. It won’t be that easy to get rid of the king. I’m sure he’s got sorcerers nearby.

I’ll flame them, too, Sion growled.

I don’t doubt you would. Let’s get the attention of the wild dragons. We need to bring the heat.

Sion dove, rushing past Getarros’s group, and issued an ear-splitting roar as she arced over the camp. Half a dozen dragons looked at her and winged their way to our side. Sion flew back and forth over the camp, and with each pass, more dragons answered her call, including Demis. Maren nodded at me, and I was glad to see they were safe. The royal riders broke away from the battle and pulled back, surrounding the king’s pavilion.

It’s working, I said. The king must be worried.

They are regrouping. Many of the wild ones have fallen, and while we still have numbers on our side, our enemy outmatches us in experience.

I surveyed the camp again now that we were closer to the ground and saw the terrible truth of her words. Roughly a third of the wild dragons were dead or mortally wounded. The pained cries of men and beasts filled the air, and I knew that no matter how this battle ended, there truly was no victor.

We need to attack them now, before they recover.

As you command, Sion replied.

She roared and changed direction, heading toward the royal riders. The wild dragons flew with us, and as we converged on the king’s tent, the world erupted in fire and heat. Archers were positioned around the tent, and volleys of arrows filled the sky. The attack served no purpose, at least none that I could discern, and the projectiles clinked harmlessly off the dragons’ scales.

Sion breathed a torrent of flames into their ranks, and the smell of burning wood, metal, and flesh seared my nostrils. The king’s pavilion, however, remained untouched. The flames that came within a few feet were immediately snuffed out.

You were right, Sion said. The king’s sorcerers are protecting him.

We can do nothing about that, but we can drive his riders away.

“Ignore the soldiers on the ground!” I shouted. “Attack the riders!”

More arrows sailed through the air, but Sion and the other dragons were undeterred. She opened her jaws and bathed our enemies in the orange glow of her flames. The heat was suffocating, and I did my best to hide behind Sion’s bulk until it was safe.

When I looked up, my hopes soared. The royal riders were retreating, leaving the king’s pavilion behind. A chorus of roars arose from the wild dragons, and Sion and Demris joined their celebratory sounds.

This is only a minor victory, I said. Now we must hurry to the Citadel.

Let them be proud. They are not warriors like us.

Sion circled back and flew for the Citadel. The magical shield was still up, and as we got closer, I saw a line of people on the wall. Anesko’s robed form was unmistakable. I waved at him, and a moment later, the shield flickered out of existence. I looked over my shoulder and motioned for the wild dragons to fly ahead.

They continued onward, and Sion and I remained outside the walls. I kept my eyes on the king’s camp, but the royal riders had not returned yet. Once all the dragons were safely inside the confines of the Citadel, we crossed over the wall and landed in the crowded courtyard. I dismounted and hurried to meet Anesko as he purposely bounded down the stairs from the ramparts.

“You found them,” he said breathlessly.

“We did, but it wasn’t easy.”

“You do not know how glad I am to see you.” He stared past me. “There are so many of them.”

“There were more, but we lost a lot of them in the battle. It was the only way I could think to clear a way into the Citadel.”

“You were forced to make a difficult choice,” Anesko said. “In your shoes, I would have chosen the same path. The risk was great, but it paid off.”

“Yes, but now we are prisoners inside our own home.”

“I am confident we will find a way out of this. Now that you have returned, we will convene with the other Curates and decide on a plan of action.” Anesko frowned and turned his attention from the wild dragons to me. “They look malnourished.”

I nodded. “It’s a long story.”

“Walk with me. I want to know everything.”