Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

The archives were bright in the light of early afternoon. Oriens lay curled up in the middle of one of the round rooms, the sunlight reflecting off of scales, leaving golden fairylights on the walls. Eliana sat with her back to one of the bookshelves, a volume on her crossed legs. She thumbed through the ancient-looking volume, scanning the slanted writing of the author. She paused as one passage caught her attention:

"The magic of the Sky Riders is unsurpassed by any other creature I have yet to meet. Even those who displayed no magical abilities before bonding with a dragon have greater power than the strongest elves and sorcerers. And those who possessed magic before – elves, sorcerers, and sorceresses – are the most formidable opponents once they become a Rider. I pity the one who attempts to battle a dragon and its Rider."

She snapped the book closed loudly, making an irritated noise in her throat. The dragon lifted his head to look at her.

"I don't understand, Oriens!" she complained in his mind. "Everything I read says that my magic is supposed to be so strong, but Mara will not even let me attempt it! I've done nothing but study theory for the past month! How am I supposed to learn anything like this?"

Her dragon studied her with his emerald eyes, a look of calm amusement on his face. He had grown substantially in the past month, and his shoulder now reached the center of her chest. Though he could still fit through the window to her room, he slept on the floor, rather than on her bed with her. He'd begun hunting in the woods around Iterum, tracking down rabbits and other, larger prey.

Their silent conversations had become second nature as he quickly learned to converse with her in both words and unspoken emotions. Many times, Eliana found herself forgetting to speak to those around her, she was so accustomed to sharing her thoughts with Oriens.

He spoke to her mind now in a calm, deep voice. "I'm sure Mara is doing what she thinks is best."

"That's just the problem!" she complained silently, throwing her hands out in exasperation. "She can only do what she believes to be best. Nobody actually knows how to train a Rider."

Oriens shook his now-large head and made a throaty, coughing sound, which she recognized as his laugh. "It's not as if you have many options for instructors, Eliana. Mara is the best we can hope for."

"Caelum would have been better..."

He grinned at her toothily. "I believe your opinion may be a bit biased. And besides, Caelum is not an option either."

"I know... I just..." In her exasperation, she began speaking aloud. "I just want to try, Oriens! I cannot learn magic from a book any better than you could learn to breathe fire by reading about it! I want to try. I need to try! And if Mara doesn't let me soon... Well, then I'll just do it on my own!" she snapped stubbornly.

Oriens did not answer her, but turned his head to look at the open doorway behind her. Eliana turned and found Mara standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. She had an amused smile on her face. When she saw the Rider had noticed her, the archivist stepped forward and entered the room.

Eliana stood, unsure of what Mara might say, steeling herself to defend her own brash words. To Eliana's surprise, the elf hugged her tightly. The Rider looked at Oriens questioningly, and he shrugged his scaly shoulders.

Mara pulled back, laughing as she looked at Eliana's confused face. "It's about time!"

"What?"

"The most important thing about magic," she explained, "is that you have to want it. There are no spells to guide elven magic, and so you must know what you truly want in order to guide the earth's magic to fulfill your will. I have been waiting for weeks to see a strong enough desire in you!"

Eliana blinked in confusion. "So... I can begin practicing magic now? You'll actually show me how?"

Mara gave a firm nod, still smiling. "Yes. Now, we can truly begin. Come with me."

The archivist turned and headed out of the archives. Eliana looked at the dragon in the center of the room, her eyebrows raised in surprise. He smirked, obviously amused that she had missed this simple secret to getting her way. Without a word, they followed Mara out of the library and into the city.

She led them along the paths that wound through Iterum and they proceeded towards the outskirts of the city. The eyes of the few elves they passed widened at their approach. They bowed low and murmured some kind of greeting, which Eliana could never understand, as they spoke it so quietly and with such reverence.

It still made her uncomfortable, this unexpected adoration. It had started after Oriens had hatched, and continued every time they passed through the city together. She had hoped that they would have grown used to seeing her and the dragon in Iterum, but apparently, whatever possessed them to bow to her was not something that lessened with time.

Eliana breathed a sigh of relief as they exited the city and entered a part of the forest that she had yet to explore. Oriens continued to plod along behind them. Though he was much more comfortable in the sky than squeezing between the trees, he chose to stay by his Rider's side as much as possible.

She drew up beside the archivist and asked, "What is it that they always say?"

"Who?" Mara asked.

"The other elves. Every time Oriens and I pass them, they bow and say something I never quite catch."

"Ah, yes. They are saying, 'Veholum.'"

"Veholum?" Eliana repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means 'Sky Riders.' It is an old greeting that the elves use to address a dragon and its Rider. It is a term of great respect, and it refers to both members of the bonded pair—one greeting for them both, because they are one."

Eliana sensed Oriens' pleasure at this new word, though he didn't remark on it.

The trees before them opened up onto a field quite suddenly, and they stepped out into the opening. "I thought we would come here to practice," Mara said. "I fear you may draw an audience on the public practice ranges. Everyone would be quite curious to see your magic." She sunk to the grass with a fluid grace that Eliana envied.

The Rider sighed as she sat as well. "I imagine they would all be quite disappointed if they were to watch," she remarked.

Mara smirked. "We shall see. Now, let's begin."

Oriens settled down in the grass behind where Eliana sat. Eagerness radiated between the two of them. Eliana's excitement to learn radiated to her dragon, and his excitement for her returned to her mind, their emotions building on each other until they were both practically wriggling with eagerness.

Mara closed her eyes and instructed Eliana to do the same. "Can you feel that?" the archivist asked.

Eliana's brow furrowed. "Feel what? The wind?"

"No," she replied in a near-whisper. "You must sense deeper than that, Eliana. Cast aside your basic senses. Feel only with your mind. Can you feel the magic around you? Everything on this earth has an energy. Search for it."

Deeper lines grew in her forehead as she concentrated harder, her mind searching for some unseen energy. She could sense the presences of Oriens and Mara, but nothing else. All she could feel was the wind on her skin and the sun on her cheek.

"You're thinking too hard," Oriens said in her mind. "Relax. Clear your mind like Caelum taught you through meditation. Just let it come to you."

"And what makes you such an expert?" she asked him silently.

His chuckle was warm and deep in her mind. "I am a dragon." She knew that, to him, that was enough to an explanation to make him an expert in anything.

"Alright then, Master of All Things," she replied with a smirk. "We'll do it your way."

She forced her mind to relax, allowing it to open as she drew a deep breath. The presences of Oriens and Mara in her mind seemed to fade and blur into the background of the world around them. Slowly, a new sensation rose to the back of her mind. It was like a humming, only it came from everything around her, and it was silent.

She could feel an energy radiating from every blade of grass under her, from the earth itself. The trees glowed with energy in her mind. Bolts of energy darted through the treetops and along the forest floor—animals, scurrying on their way. But it wasn't just their presence that she felt; it was their very life force. Behind her hummed the greatest energy of all, burning brightly in her mind.

"I can feel it," she whispered to Mara, a small smile on her face. In her mind, Oriens felt smug.

"Good," the archivist replied. "Tell me, where do you feel the strongest magic from?"

"Behind me," she answered readily, feeling the radiant life force at her back.

There was no reply. After a short pause, Eliana opened her eyes. Mara was looking at her with a thoughtful expression. She looked over her shoulder at Oriens, then back at Mara.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Elves feel the greatest energy from the earth itself," Oriens answered, projecting his voice to both their minds. "But Eliana feels it coming from me."

Mara nodded slowly. "That's correct."

"Is that bad?" Eliana asked.

She shrugged and shook her head. "I suppose not. I probably should have suspected it. All of the records say that Riders draw their magic from their dragons, but I never thought that it meant you'd feel his magic stronger than the earth's." She smiled again, in her usual cheerful way. "However, I will need you to try to focus on the earth's magic. That is the magic I can teach you how to use. Your dragon's magic is something you must somehow master on your own."

"But not alone," Oriens interjected.

Eliana smiled and reached up to stroke his muzzle once.

Mara went on. "Now, there are essentially four types of magic. They are the four elements that make up the magic of the earth—wind, water, earth, and fire. All elven magic is a form or combination of those four elements. We'll begin with wind magic. Wind is the most easily manipulated element, and it is mostly easily bent to your magic's will."

She held out her right hand, palm towards the sky. A small cyclone of wind appeared, swirling above her hand. Eliana watched as the cyclone grew, then appeared to twist in on itself, spiraling until it formed a perfect ball of swirling wind above Mara's palm. The archivist gestured deftly, and the ball rose in the air, spinning around her twice before stopping in front of her, hovering between her two palms.

Mara looked up at Eliana with a mischievous smile. "Catch!"

With a flick of her wrists, the elf sent the ball of wind darting through the air, straight at Eliana. The Rider watched the ball approaching and held up her hands as if she were going to physically try to catch it. She felt Oriens' magic at her back. It seemed to thrum, and then she felt it wash over her shoulders like a warm wave, pushing through her hands towards the ball of wind.

The ball came to a halt just in front of Eliana's palms, spinning and hovering in front of her. She blinked in surprise and dropped her hands. The ball burst apart, striking her face with a strong breeze. She looked at Mara and found the elf staring at her with surprise.

The archivist laughed suddenly, looking pleased. "I have never seen anyone catch it at the first attempt before," she remarked.

Eliana glanced over her shoulder at Oriens. "I... don't think I did it alone," she confessed. "Oriens helped me. Didn't you?"

The dragon shrugged and shook his head, looking as confused as her. "I don't know," he said to both their minds. "I felt you draw magic from me, but I don't believe I did anything else."

She looked back at Mara and said, "Whatever it was, it was honestly an accident. It was just... instinct, I guess. I didn't do anything on purpose."

Mara smiled wider. "Wonderful! When it comes to elven magic, your instincts are your best guide. They will allow you to control the magic quickly and bend it to your will without words or even specific thoughts." She sighed and shook her head in wonder. "I don't know if it is because you are a Rider, but you seem to be naturally gifted with elven magic. I never thought I would live to see a Rider's magic, much less be the one to do the instructing."

Eliana forced an uncomfortable smile and asked, "Well, what's next then?"

"Now, now," the archivist replied, holding up one finger in a warning gesture. "You mustn't be too hasty. You should approach even wind, the gentlest of the elements, with the greatest caution. If you lose control of yourself or let your emotions guide you, even wind can be destructive."

She held her right hand out to her side, palm facing the trees. A sudden burst of wind seemed to erupt from her, blasting the forest like a tornado. The trees shook, and a few were torn up at their roots so that they fell against the neighboring trees.

Eliana blinked in surprise as Mara lowered her hand and looked at her. "Do you see what magic is capable of, Eliana? And your magic, combined with Oriens', could be even more destructive. You must always be cautious. Do you understand?"

Eliana nodded, and Mara returned the gesture.

"Good, now I want you to try to form your own wind sphere," Mara said. "Hold out your hand, as I did." Eliana obeyed. "Good. Now, feel the breeze around you. You should be able to feel its energy, though it may be faint."

She opened her mind until she sensed the magic around her again, then focused on the feeling of the wind on her face. It gave off a very faint glow as it moved through the air.

"Once you feel it, will it to come to your hand. You must want it to happen, or it will not."

With every ounce of her focus, Eliana wished for the wind to come to her. The breeze seemed to quicken momentarily around her, then she saw a small cyclone form in the palm of her hand.

"Excellent," Mara said. "Now, make it grow, just a little."

Eliana focused on the swirling wind and willed it to grow. It expanded above her palm, and she felt a thrill of excitement. Suddenly, it doubled in size, becoming a twister in her hand.

"Calm yourself, Eliana," Mara instructed. "You mustn't get excited. Calm your mind and bring the wind back under control."

She tried to relax her mind, willing the cyclone to shrink. It did not respond, and panic briefly darted through her. The twister grew again, now two feet high above palm. Eliana felt her energy being sapped away, and her hand fell to her side. The cyclone burst apart with a gust of wind so strong that it made her tumble backwards into Oriens' side.

She sat up, feeling dazed and weak. "She told you to be careful," Oriens remarked, nudging her with his rough nose.

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled in her mind, pushing his muzzle away. She ran a hand through her hair, dragging it back out of her face, and looked at Mara. The elf seemed to have been knocked over by the gust of wind as well. She was sitting up now, dusting off her dress and straightening her disheveled hair.

"I'm sorry, Mara," Eliana said to her. "I just... I started to panic when the cyclone didn't shrink. Then it grew again and I started to feel... weak. I couldn't hold it under my control anymore." She was agitated by her own failure, and embarrassed by her weakness.

The archivist gave her a small smile. "You just learned two very important lessons, Eliana. The first is that you must never panic while trying to use magic. You must always—always—be in control of your emotions. Many elves have killed themselves or others by letting their emotions run away with them while using magic.

"Second, unlike human sorcery, which uses words to control the magic of an object, elven magic uses your own energy to manipulate the energy around you. While this makes our magic more versatile, it also drains you. You must learn to recognize which tasks you can perform. If you attempt too much, it is possible to use all of your energy, and this will kill you."

"So how does an elf keep himself from passing out when battling with magic?" Eliana asked curiously.

Mara smiled again. "Lie down, and I will show you."

Eliana didn't argue, but lay back on the grass gratefully, her body feeling weary.

"Sense the magic in the earth. Open your mind to it."

The Rider did so, feeling the thrumming of the grass and dirt under her back until it hummed in her mind, blocking out nearly everything else.

"Now, will it into you, just as you will the air into your lungs when you breathe. Allow it to enter your body and make you strong again."

Eliana frowned briefly at the idea, but then drew a deep breath, trying to will the energy beneath her into her body. After a few breaths, she finally began to feel the life force beneath her seeping slowly into her muscles. Then, suddenly, it rushed into her, filling her with a tingling energy. She bolted upright with a sharp breath.

Mara laughed. "It can be quite shocking the first time."

Eliana laughed uncomfortably as well. "That's putting it lightly."

"Do you feel well enough to continue?"

She took stock of her tingling, energized limbs, then nodded.

"Excellent. I would like to introduce you to all of the elements today, so that we can begin learning to manipulate them all next time. I won't have you attempt controlling any more of them today, as the other three elements can be even more difficult than wind, but I would like you to at least get an idea of how each element is controlled."

Eliana returned to a cross-legged position and the lesson continued. Mara next demonstrated how to pull water from the air and created a water sphere. Water was the second easiest element of magic to control, and it could be drawn from anything—air, the earth, plants, and even animals.

Earth magic was a bit more complicated, Mara explained, as it was made of so many different aspects. It included everything from the soil itself to the plants and the animals that lived off of it. Mara demonstrated several different ways earth magic could be manipulated. She made the earth tremble beneath them like an isolated earthquake. She created a sphere of spinning soil in the air before her. She caused a tree to bend and sway as if dancing without any wind. A brown rabbit hopped across the meadow and leapt into her lap.

"The trick," she explained, still stroking the rabbit's brown ears, "is that you must respect every living thing that you attempt to use your magic on. You cannot truly force a living plant or animal to do your will. You must ask it."

Eliana frowned and tilted her head incredulously. "And what if it says no?"

Mara laughed. "No creature distrusts an elf when she asks with a kind mind." She released the rabbit, and it bounded swiftly into the nearby trees. Oriens watched it hungrily until it disappeared. Mara folded her hands back in her lap and went on, "The final element is fire. It is by far the most powerful—and therefore the most dangerous—of all magic elements. It takes a great amount of control to keep it under your will."

Mara faced her palms towards one another. A small light appeared between her hands, growing until it was a glowing ball of flame. Its light danced across the lines of concentration on her face.

"If you lose control of your emotions for even a moment," she said quietly, "the effects can be disastrous. More than one elf has destroyed his home trying to use fire magic when angry or upset. Many have died in accidents caused by their own mistakes or the mistakes of those around them."

She pressed her palms together and the fire sphere disappeared, leaving a trail of smoke in the air. "That is enough for today," she said, standing. "Meet me here tomorrow, early, and we will begin practicing your wind magic."

Eliana nodded and stood as well. Behind her, Oriens heaved himself onto his feet and shook his head. He carefully spread his wings, stretching them with a groan.

"That took much longer than I expected," he complained in her mind.

She reached out and patted his scaly shoulder. "Thank you for staying. Your presence helps. Truly, it does."

He turned his head so that his green eyes were inches away from her amethyst ones, smiling his dragon smile at her. "I will always be here when you need me," he said affectionately.

She hugged his head close to her chest and kissed his scaly forehead. She felt a grumble of hunger in her stomach, but knew that the sensation was not her own. "Go hunt," she told him. "I'll see you at home."

He gave a brief nod and sighed. "Home..." Then he raised his great wings again and rose into the air with a rush of wind that bent the grass beneath him and caused Eliana's hair to fly about her face.

She watched him as he rose above the treetops, then silently called to him, "Be careful!"

He laughed in her mind. "I am always careful."

She laughed as well and watched him soar off over the forest, his eyes searching the forest below for his next meal. Mara stood beside her, watching the dragon with wonder.

"No matter how often I watch him fly," she whispered, "it never ceases to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Eliana watched the evening sunlight glint off of Oriens' golden scales, shining through his wings. "Yeah," she said with a smile. "Me too."