Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

Eliana limped through the open western gate with Caelum hovering behind her as he had been since her Healing had finished. Oriens was sitting some distance from the gate, his eyes to the southwest. His Rider stopped beside him and followed his gaze. The red army was preparing for battle. Their pawns had fallen, and now they had no option but to send in the knights, rooks, and bishops. Eliana wondered where the queen piece was, and if she would ever have the chance to dispose of Nocens' precious king piece.

"How many do you think there are?" she asked Oriens.

"More than the hundred thousand Ja'ol estimated," he answered grimly.

"Any sign of Peior or the Dark Rider?"

He shook his golden head slightly. "We're still waiting for our answer."

Nocens had sent a courier to Thys shortly after they'd defeated the goblins. It had been sealed with the emperor's personal seal and bore his signature at the bottom. He'd congratulated them on a well-earned victory, but assured them that they would not have the same luck on the following day. He'd suggested they join him before more blood was shed.

Of course, they had sent a reply in short order: Surrender the throne and the war would end. Otherwise, every elf, human, and dwarf within Thys would fight til their last breath.

Eliana spotted a movement amid the milling red tunics. A small cluster of people separated themselves from the rest of the soldiers. Nine men approached on horseback, an unusually large group for a simple epistle.

As the group drew closer, Eliana stiffened. She recognized the handsome human face in the middle of the group. It was Nocens, sitting proudly atop a powerful charger. Apparently, her companions had recognized him as well. Oriens released a rumbling snarl, while a string of curses hissed between Caelum's lips.

"Relax," she whispered to them both, though her own hands had begun to shake.

Nocens and his eight bodyguards drew to a halt a few yards from them. There was a pause as the young emperor gazed at the dragon, examined Caelum, then turned his eyes to Eliana. She didn't like the look that his hazel eyes held. She crossed her arms over her chest to keep her hands from trembling.

"Strange to see you coming forward, Nocens," Eliana said in a mocking tone, trying to make herself sound sure and confident. "From your reaction the last time you saw my dragon, I would have expected you to remain trembling and whimpering behind all your armies."

The emperor didn't seem to like being reminded of the way he had run away, screaming, at the sight of Oriens. He sneered at her and replied, "It's Emperor Nocens to all of my concubines. And that includes you, Eliana. It is time you learned some respect, as my other possessions have."

"She is no possession of yours," Caelum snarled, his fingers twitching near the hilt of his sword.

Nocens raised an eyebrow at the elf beside her, looking down at him over his perfectly shaped nose. "Don't you speak to me, you filthy creature," Nocens snapped. His gaze was suddenly attracted by something behind their little group. "Ah," he said. "At last, real men to speak to."

Eliana glanced over her shoulder to find Tadal and Ja'ol approaching. Evidently, they'd seen the unusual size of the group that had approached, and were coming to investigate. They drew up on Caelum's far side, their armor glinting in the fading sunlight.

"I did not expect you to deliver the message yourself, Emperor Nocens," Tadal said.

Nocens didn't answer. His eyes were on Ja'ol, studying him closely. Then his lip curled upward. "I thought I recognized you," he said in a dangerous tone. "One of my leading captains, one of my best men. Then you deserted my army and took two dozen of my finest men with you."

Ja'ol gave a sharp nod, his expression filled with hatred as he looked at the emperor. "You took my family," he growled.

Nocens tilted his head to the side, as if trying to remember who Ja'ol's family was. At last, he smiled—a menacing, sickening expression. "Ah, yes. I do remember your family, Captain. You had a lovely wife. Sadly, she lacked manners. Of course, I had to make an example of her. Hanging her seemed only the natural course of action. And I believe there was a son, yes? I'm told he's a good worker, responds well to a whip. But wait... there was one more, was there not?"

Eliana saw Ja'ol start to tremble with anger as Nocens' smile turned even wickeder. "Oh, that's right. A little daughter... Now she is absolutely lovely. I must say she's really the only good part of your family, Ja'ol. Who knew one so young could be so..." He sighed, smiling to himself. "Mature, shall we say? She is one of my favorite new toys."

Ja'ol's hands were shaking, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with anger and tears. "Give me my daughter back, you monster," he said in a low, trembling voice.

"Very well," Nocens said. "I will give you back your daughter, and your son too. I'll give all of the other traitors back their families as well. But there are two conditions to my kindness. One, you all return to my army and help me destroy these mixed-race monstrosities. And two..." The emperor's eyes turned back to Eliana, glinting with greed. "You bring me Eliana to replace your little girl."

Oriens let out a frightening growl, snapping his teeth towards Nocens. His horse tossed its head, eyes rolling in fear as it tried to pedal backwards, away from the dragon. The emperor managed to control the large charger and soon had the sweating animal standing still beneath him.

"You should control your beast, my jewel," he said in a smooth yet threatening voice. "It is such a lovely creature. I would hate to have to kill it."

Eliana met his gaze calmly. "You wouldn't have the courage to touch my dragon," she said calmly.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps not." He leaned forward in his saddle, gazing intently down at her. "But I can promise you this, Eliana. No one takes something from me once I have decided that I want it. I told you once that I would have you, and I am saying it again now. I could kill you easily, but I won't. I will let you watch all of your friends die first. Then, you will spend the rest of your days back in my palace, in my bed, where you belong."

Caelum's sword was suddenly in his hand, pointing up at the emperor, though he didn't take a single step away from Eliana's side. Nocens' bodyguards lifted their own weapons, ready to retaliate.

"You may leave now," Caelum said quietly, his voice dripping with hatred.

Nocens scoffed and looked at the Rider again. "You should control this beast as well, darling." His hateful hazel eyes turned back to Ja'ol. "Think about my offer, Captain. Bring her to me, and you and your men can have your families back. You may tell the city of Thys that any humans who choose to join me will be spared. The rest will have their blood mixed with the filth of those they choose to fight alongside. If I have no reply and no Rider by dawn, I will know your decision."

The emperor gave his reins a jerk, spinning his charger around and kicking it into a full gallop back towards their camp. His bodyguards followed on either side of him. The five defenders of Thys watched him disappear back into the mass of his soldiers.

Eliana tried to calm her frantic heart as she pressed her hands to her sides, fighting back her fear. She hated that man, but even more, she hated that she was afraid of him. She hated that the memory of his touch made her feel like a frightened animal. She hated that the way he looked at her made her want to sink into the earth and vanish. She hated her own terror.

The sound of Caelum's sword sliding back into its sheath forced her back to the present. She looked over at the elf to find his face contorted with such anger that he was nearly unrecognizable. He was breathing hard through flared nostrils, the bright red light of uncontrolled fire surrounding him.

Tadal shook his head and turned back towards Thys. Ja'ol followed, his eyes on the ground and his fists clenched at his sides. Eliana remained where she was, between Oriens and Caelum, both of whom looked ready to breathe fire.

She reached out and gently touched Caelum's hand. He jerked it away in surprise, as if he had forgotten she was beside him. When he looked down at her, his expression turned from anger to panic.

"Caelum," she said quietly, "what's the matter?"

The fire around him immediately disappeared and he pulled her to him. "I'm scared, Eliana," he muttered. "I want to protect you, to keep you away from him, but what if I can't? I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you safe. I'm afraid he'll... I'm afraid he will hurt you, take you from me..."

Eliana sighed as she wrapped her arms around his back. She couldn't offer him any reassurance or comfort, as much as she wished to. There was only one thing she could tell him.

"I'm scared too," she whispered.

He pulled away and cradled her face in his hands, his eyes intent on her face. Their blue depths looked wet with tears, though they burned with determination. "He will not take you from me," he said firmly. She could feel his hands trembling on her cheeks. "I will die before I allow him to take you. Do you understand that, Eliana? I love you, and I will not give you up so long as I can draw breath."

Eliana nodded, not fighting her tears any longer, letting them fall onto her cheeks. "I know, Caelum," she whispered. "I know.

He kissed the tears from her face and held her to him again. She barely heard his voice as he muttered into her hair, "Marry me."

She clung to him, her body trembling. "Yes, Caelum," she answered softly, her face buried against his chest. "I will. I will."

They both knew that they might never see that promise brought to fruition. One or both of them may not live to see the next sunrise. But in that moment, those words were enough for them both. A spoken promise that had so long remained unspoken. No matter the outcome of that day or the next, for that moment, it was enough.

~*~

Eliana stood in one of Thys' massive buildings, gazing up at the mural etched on the wall. It was an ancient mural, telling the stories of the Riders and how they had first forged a treaty with the dragons. The stone shapes of the dragons sat perched on a craggy cliff, gazing down at a stone table where several men stood across from a great, towering dragon, negotiating their terms.

She wondered where this could have happened, this treaty that had so shaped Paerolia's destiny, as well as her own. It was strange to her to think that, if not for these unknown men and dragons, who were now long dead, her life would have been very different.

She spotted Tadal walking past her, his head bent over a scroll. She reached out and grabbed his arm, gesturing up at the mural. "Where is this place?" she asked.

"The Cliffs of Myli Ondo?" he asked distractedly. "They're just a few hours south of here by horseback, on the steepest ridge of the Kaers. Why? You weren't planning to go there, were you?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head. "I was simply curious."

"Good," Tadal answered with a firm nod. "It would be pure foolishness to go there. That is the nesting place of many wild dragons."

He turned and walked away, leaving her staring with wide eyes up at the mural. Wild dragons... She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the building, calling to Oriens and telling him to meet her outside the eastern gate. She raced through the streets, staying close to the shadows, avoiding attention. When she finally slipped out of the gate, Oriens was waiting.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, crouching so that she could climb onto his bare back.

"We need allies, Oriens," she told him firmly. "They are the best allies we could possibly have. We can be there in less than an hour if you fly swiftly, and we should be back before dawn."

He sighed and lifted them into the air. "Shouldn't we tell Caelum?"

"No," she answered tersely. "We can't tell anyone—least of all Caelum. I'm not naïve. I know this is dangerous. I don't want anyone to try to follow us."

"Caelum will be angry."

"I know..."

Oriens turned to the south, his wings driving at the air, flying at full speed towards the Cliffs of Myli Ondo. Eliana squinted at the line of mountains against the dark sky, trying to discern which crag could be the place.

"It's there," Oriens said, nodding his head at a sharp peak in the mountains. "That sharp drop-off near that tall peak."

"How do you know?"

"It is the nesting place of my ancestors. It calls me home."

Oriens' broad wings carried them to the peak in good time. As they drew nearer, large, dark forms began to detach themselves from the greater shadows of the mountain. Eliana's heart seemed to grow completely still as four winged shapes, all much larger than Oriens, rose into the sky and began to circle above them, like carrion-eaters waiting for a kill. They seemed to watch the dragon and Rider closely, waiting for them to make some unwanted movement as they circled overhead, following their progress towards Myli Ondo.

"They won't harm us just yet," Oriens said, eyeing the dragons carefully. "They'll wait for us to land so that they can question us first. I think your presence confused them. Otherwise, I think they would have attacked by now; my kind don't like strange dragons encroaching on their nesting places. But it seems even dragons are surprised at the sight of a dragon with a Rider. We should consider ourselves lucky for that fact."

"Oh yes, we're very lucky," Eliana answered, her nerves making her sarcastic.

Oriens circled downwards towards the large jutting of rock below, the four dark presences circling silently overhead. His clawed feet hit the stone with a clattering sound, followed shortly thereafter by the rumbling of four much greater masses landing in unison. Eliana trembled from her spot on Oriens' back, turning her head slowly to meet the gazes of the ancient creatures that stared down at her.

The largest—a great red mountain of a dragon—took a large step forward. He lowered his massive head, eyeing Oriens with a big, brown eye, then craned his neck to study her on his back. An angry growl escaped from behind rows of teeth longer than her torso. Eliana closed her eyes, regretting her decision.