Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

The narrow streets of Vegrandis had never been so packed with people. Families were clumped together, children clinging to their mothers’ dresses. Bundles of their belongings—anything they could carry—were piled around them. Endless chatter surrounded her as Eliana wove her way through the anxious people. They had come to Vegrandis from the nearby villages, prepared to leave on the journey that would change their lives forever.

As she walked between the groups of humans, their chatter briefly quieted, their eyes turning towards her, all filled with a kind of fearful wariness. The moment she passed them, each group would resume their chattering, this time in fevered whispers.

Anxiety pushed Eliana’s heart into her throat. What am I getting these people into? she wondered. Here they were, their lives at their feet, abandoning their homes and everything they’d worked for. All because she had told them it was what needed to be done. They were prepared to fight, to die, because of her.

At last, she managed to escape the packed streets and she slipped out of the village to the small field behind Otium’s house. She felt a mild sense of relief as three pairs of eyes—one blue, one violet, one green—turned towards her. Caelum, Ispera, and Oriens sat in the snowy field, waiting for her.

Evidently, she did not conceal the worry as well as she thought she did. Caelum stood as soon as he saw her and embraced her. She sighed as she leaned into him, trying to unwind her bundled nerves.

“Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered into her ear.

Her head found the curve of his neck. “This is impossible, Caelum,” she muttered. “I can’t lead these people. How can I ask them to give up everything they’ve ever known, just because I tell them it will make things better? Families are going to be destroyed; parents, children, siblings… they’re going to be killed because of what I’m asking of them.”

“Hush.” His gentle hands stroked her hair and ran along her spine, trying to soother her as he continued, “They’ve chosen to follow you, Eliana. You’ve forced them into nothing. You are their Rider, and you’re only doing what is best for them. You know this.” He pulled away so that he looked down at her face, his hand cupping her chin. “Have a little faith,” he whispered.

His lips brushed her forehead and she smiled softly up at him. “It’s good to have you back,” she said quietly. “I missed you.” His answering smile looked forced, pained. She frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Just… remembering… I’ve never experienced anything like what that Dark magic made me feel.”

She bit the inside of her lip, wishing she hadn’t asked. “I wish I could have stopped him,” she said quietly. “Seeing him torture you like that…”

He shook his head again. “No, not that. I could have handled the physical pain. It was those… hallucinations, the nightmares. I thought they would kill me.”

She remembered struggling to hold down his thrashing body, listening to him screaming her name, pleading with some unseen adversary.

“Those were an endless torment,” he continued. “Seeing you killed in my mind over and over again. Watching you being beaten and tortured… That is what nearly killed me.”

Eliana couldn’t bear to listen to it anymore. She grasped the back of his head with one hand and pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him for the first time since Vereor. He hesitated in surprise for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, responding to her lips. She pulled back and pressed her forehead to his, looking firmly into his blue eyes.

“I’m right here,” she whispered. “That was nothing more than a bad dream. This is real.”

He smiled and kissed her lightly. “I’ll try to remember that.”

She slipped reluctantly out of his arms and approached her mother and Oriens, who watched them patiently. Ispera stood and embraced her as well.

“I can hardly believe what a beautiful young woman you’ve become,” she sighed, holding her daughter at arm’s length. “And Rider besides! I wish I could have been there to see you grow.”

Eliana smiled sadly back. “Me too. But that doesn’t matter. You’re here now.”

“Yes,” she answered, kissing the top of her head. “And I don’t plan to go anywhere soon.”

Finally, she stepped up to her dragon, reaching out a hand to his scaly cheek.

“Ah,” Oriens chuckled. “So you remembered I was here after all.”

“That’s not funny,” she answered, but she was laughing as well. She looked at Ispera and Caelum over her shoulder. “Could you give us a minute?” she asked.

They both nodded and quietly entered Otium’s house.

Oriens sighed and made a sympathetic sound in his throat, knowing already why she’d sent them away. Though they couldn’t hear the Rider’s silent conversation with her dragon, they could see her reactions, and she didn’t want them to see her break down.

She embraced Oriens’ nose, her hands trembling, trying to steady her quick, anxious breaths. “I don’t know how to lead, Oriens!” she cried out in her mind. “Please, tell me what to do. Tell me what to say to these people. I can’t do this.”

“Eliana,” he answered calmly, nuzzling her chest, “there is nothing I can tell you that you don’t already know. You were meant to lead. You are a Rider.”

“You always say that, as if it’s supposed to make me more than what I already am. Well, maybe I shouldn’t be a Rider! Maybe this was all a mistake.”

“Do you question my decision?”

She had no answer for that, so she sat down in a huff, leaning against Oriens’ chest. How did one argue with a dragon?

Oriens sighed and laid his head on the ground, encircling her with his neck and gazing at her with one large, green eye. “When I was an egg,” he said slowly, “I could feel your presence, Eliana. Even before I hatched, I knew that you would be the one I would choose. Dragons can only bond with one person—the one that is destined to be their Rider. If the two are not near one another at the time of hatching, the dragon does not bond, and they become wild. So, you see, I did not make a mistake, Eliana. I could not have made a mistake. Because our souls were meant to be bonded.”

Eliana considered this silently for a moment, scratching the top of his head. “We don’t have to do this,” she said. “Astrum said it was our choice.”

“Yes,” he answered. “But we both know what our choice is. We’ve already made it. And I know that, no matter how badly you want to, you cannot and will not change your mind.”

She sighed. “I know.” She stood. “We should get these people headed towards Amiscan then.”

Oriens nodded his large head and stood as well, following her around to the very end of Vegrandis’ main road. As soon as the villagers saw them, they fell silent. Every eye turned to the Rider and dragon. Five men extricated themselves from the crowd and stepped towards—Caedis, Teleas, and three other men from the neighboring villages. They were the men she’d chosen to lead the five separate groups to Amiscan.

“Everyone ready?” she asked.

The men all nodded.

Eliana drew a breath and spoke loudly, trying to sound as if leading came naturally to her. “Very well then. Gather those that have been assigned to your groups. Ensure everyone is accounted for. Teleas, your group leaves in fifteen minutes. The next will leave three hours afterwards, and so on, until the last group—that’s yours, Caedis.

“Your group will leave around dusk. Laurus has agreed to accompany you, so will have a Healer. For those of you who have some time before departing, tell your people to get some rest. It is a long journey, and you can’t afford to stop too often.

“I will leave for Iterum when Teleas’ group departs for Amiscan. You should each meet a small group of elven escorts about four hours into your journey. They will lead you to Amiscan. You must remember, they are not your enemies anymore. You have to trust them. Oriens, Caelum, and I will join you in Amiscan with the rest of Iterum’s people in a few days’ time.”

The five men nodded in understanding, saluted her with the usual fists over their hearts, then turned to leave.

“Caedis.”

The brown-haired young man stopped and turned to look back at the Rider. She motioned him over and he returned to her side.

“Yes?” he asked in surprise.

Eliana nodded at the villagers, who were still watching her and Oriens with wide, frightened eyes. “They look frightened. Are they unsure of their decision?” she asked in a low voice.

Caedis sighed and shook his head. “I don’t think anyone is reconsidering their choice, but you’re leading them into war, Eliana.” His tone was hushed, trying to keep his words from the nearest villagers’ ears. “Wouldn’t you expect them to be afraid? And…” he hesitated.

“And what?” she urged.

“Well… you’re not really the Rider that some of them imagined. I’ve heard some of them saying that they expected someone more…”

“More than me,” she muttered.

Caedis nodded slowly and gave a shrug of admission. “Yes, I suppose so. You’re a young girl, Eliana. Not exactly the warrior they expected. I suppose that they’re… afraid of following you, in some ways.”

Eliana nodded in understanding, feeling grim. “Thank you, Caedis.”

He briefly gave her the traditional salute, then left to deliver her message to the villagers in his traveling group. She sighed to herself, turning over the words he’d spoken in her mind. If she wasn’t the leader they wanted, then why did they follow her? A feeling of incompetence crept into her bones and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“They’re right,” she thought. “I am nothing but a little girl. What am I supposed to do?”

“Prove them wrong,” Oriens answered.

She looked up at him. He was watching her with blazing green eyes. “What?”

“They have not seen you fight, Eliana. I have. Caelum has. Even the villagers of Vegrandis have. That is why we have so much faith in you. These other villagers don’t know what you can do. But they will. Prove them wrong. You are more than enough.”

She managed a small smile and stepped forward to embrace his graceful, golden face. “Where would I be without you?” she whispered.

He chuckled deep in his throat as he nuzzled her chest. “Still leading dragon hunts, I suppose.”

She kissed his forehead. “We should get you ready for the flight to Iterum.”

He heaved a large, dramatic sigh. “Again. With three passengers… again.”

Eliana laughed aloud. “Do you ever stop complaining?”

“No.”

~*~

The snow was glistening brightly on the trees in the early-morning sunlight. The sun’s rays reflected off of the never-ending white in rainbow-colored crystals. Eliana leaned out of her round window, smiling at the sight. It was a beautiful day for a wedding.

“Eliana!” a voice called from the bottom of the spiraling stairs. “Are you up there?”

“Yes, Mother,” she called back. “Come on up.”

Ispera’s thin figure appeared at the top of the stairs, clad in an elegant red dress with gold trimmings. She surveyed her daughter with a frown, taking in her rumpled hair and nightgown.

“Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked. “Denio’s wedding starts in an hour.”

Eliana sighed and stretched her arms overhead. “Alright, alright,” she groaned.

Ispera chuckled and shook her head. “Just put on that gold dress Caelum got for you, and be quick about it.”

“Yes, Mother,” she laughed.

Eliana made her way to the nook in the corner and pulled out the dress Ispera spoke of. It was made of fine golden silk, the exact color of Oriens’ scales. Small jewels sparkled across the bodice, the same brilliant green as his eyes. Once again, she would be clad in her dragon’s colors.

“Why am I not wearing the family colors?” Eliana asked, pulling her nightdress over her head.

“Because you’re a Rider, Eliana,” Ispera chuckled. “You know that.”

“Yes, I know. But I’d still like to wear the colors of my clan, like everyone else.”

It felt strange to say—“my clan”—but now that the elves knew who her mother was, she did, in fact, have a clan. She carefully slid into the fine golden dress, and her mother stepped forward to lace up the back for her. Once she had finished, Ispera held her out at arm’s length and smiled at her.

“You have your own colors now, Eliana. There’s no reason for you to wear the red of a simple Healer’s daughter. Besides,” she added, holding up the sleeve of her dress to show her the golden detailing, “I get to wear some of your colors now.”

Eliana smiled back at her, feeling warmed by her mother’s presence. She carefully brushed her hair flat, then sat on the edge of her bed.

“See?” she said with a smirk. “I’m ready in plenty of time.”

Ispera responded with an identical smirk. “But you have to go help Kana.”

Eliana frowned. “What?”

“You did agree to be her attendant, didn’t you? It is the attendant’s job to help the bride before the wedding.”

“Well why didn’t anybody tell me that?” she cried, jumping to her feet. “I’ve never been to a wedding before! How could I be expected to know that?”

Her mother simply laughed and shook her head. “I suppose you’d better hurry.”

The Rider rushed from the room, bounding down the stairs two at a time, her mother following at a more subdued pace. Oriens looked up at her as she rushed past his cave.

“Shouldn’t you be helping Kana?” he asked.

“Why does everyone know what I’m supposed to be doing by me?” she replied in exasperation.

His laughter echoed in her head as she darted through the palace, surprising the guards, and out into the streets of Iterum. Elves cast her curious looks while still trying to bow respectfully at her rushing figure until, at last, she reached Kana’s home. She had been there once before, on her first day back to Iterum, when the girl had asked her to be her attendant at the wedding. Of course, Eliana had accepted without fully understanding what that might mean.

She stopped outside the open doorway and called, “Hello? Kana? It’s Eliana.”

Her voice came from up the staircase, sounding tight and nervous. “I’m up here. Please, come in, Rider.”

Eliana stepped through the doorway and made her way quickly up the stairs. In the upper room, Kana sat in a wooden chair, wringing her hands anxiously while her mother—a tall, thin, blonde elf—darted around her daughter, twisting the long black locks up into a bun.

Kana looked up at the Rider’s approach and forced a small, tight smile. “Thank you again for agreeing to be my attendant,” she said quietly.

Eliana smiled back, doing her best to sound reassuring. “I’m honored that you asked me. And I’m really very sorry I’m late.”

There was a sudden crash and shouting from the other side of the room. She looked towards the source to see Kana’s two younger brothers bickering over something they had knocked off a shelf.

“Boys!” Kana’s mother cried, dropping the strand of hair she’d been twisting and rushing over to them. “Stop that this instant!” She looked over her shoulder at the Rider and said in a much sweeter voice, “Lady Eliana, could you please finish helping Kana?”

She nodded in reply as the woman disappeared, dragging her two sons after her. They struggled and fought against her like agitated polecats until they disappeared from the room. Eliana hesitantly made her way to stand behind Kana, where the girl’s mother had been.

She looked down at the collection of intricately twisted hair before her and paused. Finally, she said. “Um… I’m going to be entirely honest. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“I’m sure it will be just fine,” Kana answered. Eliana had come to learn that Denio’s future wife was the epitome of sweetness at every moment.

She sighed and shook her head. “Alright, I suppose I can try.”

She took a strand of hair between her fingers and twisted it as she’d seen Kana’s mother do, so that it lay in a curl against the back of her head. She pinned it in place, then picked up another strand. She continued the process for several more minutes before Kana spoke.

“Rider Eliana?”

“Just Eliana, please,” she told her for the hundredth time.

“Eliana, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” she answered, hearing the worried note in the bride’s voice.

“Am I doing the right thing?”

Eliana stopped what she was doing and moved around to squat in front of the nervous girl, looking up into her face. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Kana bent her head and began to toy with the edge of her tunic. “I… I don’t know if I can be a queen,” she whispered. “Queen Ivi is so… so powerful and composed. She commands respect at every moment. How can I possibly assume her place?” She looked up at Eliana with tears shining in her amethyst eyes. “What if Denio doesn’t think I’m good enough?”

A small smile formed on Eliana’s lips and she placed a hand on the girl’s knee. “Kana, do you love Denio?”

The girl smiled back at her, dispelling the tears that had been threatening to spill over. “More than anything.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. Denio loves you. He chose you. It doesn’t matter to him if you’re the same kind of queen his mother is. He wants to marry you, and you want to marry him. What matters is that you will be together. The rest will come in its own time.”

Kana did not respond, so Eliana reached up and gave the girl’s hand a squeeze, then returned to her task. Ten minutes later, all of her long, black hair was pinned up in perfect little curls. In companionable silence, Eliana helped her into her wedding gown. The soft, white fabric was overlaid with thin, sheer lavender—the color of the royal family.

The Rider stepped back and surveyed the girl before her. Her pale face was anxious, and she was chewing on the inside of her lip nervously. Eliana realized then that Kana couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old. Sixteen, and today she would be a queen.

Eliana smiled at the young woman warmly. “Fit for a queen,” she said.

A small smile graced the girl’s fair features. “The coronation is right after the wedding. Did they tell you?”

Eliana nodded. Queen Ivi had wanted to get both the wedding and the coronation ceremony finished as soon as possible, so the elves could leave for Amiscan. Both ceremonies would be completed that day, and the exodus would begin on the next. The sooner everyone left Iterum, the safer they would be.

“It must be a lot to handle,” Eliana responded, trying to use a soothing tone; she was not used to comforting people.

Kana shrugged slightly, apparently preoccupied with the lace on her dress. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to lead anyone, Eliana.”

The Rider stepped forward and put her hands on Kana’s shoulders. “Do you think I’m ready to lead anyone?” she asked with a smirk.

Kana looked up at her in surprise. “But… but you’re a Rider.”

“And you will be a queen. Sometimes the dice don’t land exactly where we may expect. Do you think I ever expected to be a Rider? I’d never even seen a dragon before the day I found Oriens’ egg. But everything works itself out in the end. And I’m certain that you will be a wonderful queen.”

At last, the nervous girl smiled. “Thank you.”

Quick, light footsteps raced up the staircase, and Kana’s mother appeared again. “What are you two still doing here?” she said in a harried voice. “Prince Caleum is waiting to escort you to the ceremony!”

Kana and Eliana hurried down the stairs to find Caelum waiting for them just inside the doorway. He wore formal black trousers and boots, and a belted tunic in the soft purple of the royal family. His warm smile greeted them as he stepped forward.

“You two are the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen,” he said.

A soft blush crept into Kana’s cheeks, and she curtsied slightly. “Thank you, Prince Caelum.”

He shook his head, his grin growing. “None of that anymore, Kana,” he scolded playfully. “You’re going to be my sister shortly, and my queen shortly thereafter. To you, I am only Caelum—no one to curtsy to.”

She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, but she still blushed deeply, as if the idea of not curtsying to Caelum embarrassed her greatly. Then Caelum turned to Eliana. As his blue eyes rested on her, she thought that they appeared brighter than usual, like a clear sky on a warm spring day.

He softly pulled her into his arms, holding her briefly to whisper in her ear, “You look absolutely enchanting.”

She felt his lips graze her cheek ever so slightly as he pulled away. Then he held out an arm to each of them. “We should get to the palace. The ceremony will start soon.”

They quickly made their way down the empty streets towards the palace, Kana’s mother and rowdy brothers following close behind. Families were clustered on the palace lawns in varying colors—green, yellow, blue—all grouped in their families. Unlike at other celebrations, elves wore the colors of their clans to weddings.

As they strode quickly down the path, hundreds of voices rose in a beautiful harmony, singing words in a language that Eliana could not understand. Their eyes were all on the bride, the prince, and the Rider, smiling brightly at their future queen. The doors to the palace were opened, and Caelum pushed Eliana slightly in front of him.

“You’re supposed to go first,” he whispered. “The attendant precedes the bride. Just walk to Denio, then stand on my mother’s right.”

“Shouldn’t we have rehearsed this or something?” she hissed back at him.

He chuckled quietly. “You’ll be fine.”

With a heavy sigh, Eliana stepped through the doors. There were more elves inside, all of them singing the same enchanting song as the others. She walked slowly down the stone pathway between them, keeping her eyes ahead of her, where Denio and Ivi watched their approach. The prince looked stunned and slightly nervous by the appearance of his bride. And, to Eliana’s surprise, Queen Ivi looked as if she might weep for joy.

As she reached the pair of them, Denio stepped forward and embraced Eliana briefly, then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She stepped to Ivi’s right, as Caelum had instructed her, and turned to look back down the path. Kana had her arm linked through Caelum’s. All signs of nervousness were gone from her beautiful face as she smiled at Denio.

The bride and her escort stopped in front of the queen. Caelum kissed her quickly on the cheek, then turned and embraced his brother. Then he stepped away, standing to Ivi’s left, opposite Eliana, and the bride and groom faced the queen. The singing ended, and the queen spoke.

Eliana didn’t hear what Ivi said. Somehow, the words escaped her attention. She was watching the faces of the people around her, wondering what they could be thinking. Queen Ivi looked misty-eyed as she spoke, as if her vision were still clouded with tears. Caelum’s thoughts were clearly far away, but he stared at his mother with a fair imitation of rapt attention, his face drawn in quiet contemplation.

Her eyes wandered to the audience. Her mother stood close by, smiling brightly. Eliana knew that she was happy to be back in Iterum, among her own people. Behind Ispera stood a cluster of elves, all clad in green dresses and tunics. An image suddenly came to her mind—an arrow with green and white fletching, lodged in a tree. Those were the colors of Raena’s clan. Eliana’s eyes scanned the group, searching for those glaring blue eyes.

A voice leapt into her mind, but it wasn’t the harsh voice she’d been expecting. “Something wrong?” It was Caelum.

“No,” she answered, turning her attention back to Queen Ivi.

“You’re lying.”

She looked briefly at him. He was watching her closely, his eyes narrowed in concern. “Later, I promise,” she said.

She saw him sigh, but he looked back at his mother without another word. Denio and Kana were now facing each other, smiling as they spoke their vows. Then, they kissed, and the crowd of elves broke into singing once more. Tears sparkled brightly in Kana’s eyes as Denio held her tightly.

A smile touched Eliana’s lips as happiness for them welled inside of her. But something came with it—a dull, aching jealousy that gnawed at her heart. Suddenly, she realized how badly she wanted this for herself. Her eyes found Caelum again. He was singing along with the other elves, his voice strong and beautiful. He saw her looking at him, and he smiled, giving her a brief wink.

She forced a smile back and turned her face away from him. She loved him. She loved him with every bit of her heart. She liked to believe he loved her as well, though he had never said it. But what did that mean, in the end?

They could never have what Denio and Kana had. Eliana had chosen her path—the path of the Rider, the path of the prophecy. Only war lay on that path, waiting for her. She had to walk that path alone. No one but Oriens could accompany her where she needed to go.

Tears stung at the back of her eyes as the singing stopped. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurry vision, trying to focus on the circlet of golden leaves that was being carried forward on a lavender cushion. Queen Ivi took the circle in her hands and spoke.

“Denio, my son, I now confer upon you the throne of the kingdom of Iterum. With this crown, I bestow my power as ruler of the elves upon you. Prince Denio,” she placed the golden elaves on his head, “King Denio.”

The elves cheered as the new king and his mother embraced. As they stepped away from one another, Ivi removed her own circlet of silver leaves from her hair and handed it to him. The crowd quieted again as Denio turned to Kana.

“Princess Kana,” he said quietly, “I ask you to stand beside me as I lead the elves of Iterum. Will you accept this duty, and be my helpmeet through the burdens I will bear?”

Kana’s voice was barely a whisper. “Yes, I will.”

Denio smiled softly. “Then with this crown, I share my power as ruler of the elves with you. Princess Kana,” he gently settled the silver leaves onto her dark hair, “Queen Kana.”

There was another cheer from the crowd as Denio and Kana kissed once again. Ivi stepped forward and embraced the new queen. Caelum joined them, slapping his brother on the back, then kissing his mother and new sister on their cheeks.

The crowds began to disperse without a dismissal, filing out of the wide palace doors into the afternoon air. Eliana caught sight of her mother, embroiled in conversation with another red-clad elf. The royal family was clustered tightly together at the base of Domus, laughing and chatting. She smiled to herself, then slipped quietly out the rear doors.

The day had become cloudy, the sun now slightly obscured, stealing its radiance from the snow below. Oriens lay on the snow-covered grass outside his face. He lifted his head as she approached. He looked at her briefly, his mind touching hers softly.

And then he sighed. As she reached him, he gently pulled her into his chest with his chin, embracing her as only he could. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his scales.

“Do you really believe that such happiness cannot lie on your path?” he asked her sadly.

She shook her head slowly. “How can it? I will always be a Rider. I have responsibilities, duties that I can’t walk away from. I will always be fighting and protecting and leading and guarding. How could I drag him through that with me?”

The palace doors opened and Caelum stepped out. He glanced around briefly before his eyes fell on her, looking concerned.

“Eliana!” he called as he trotted over to where she stood beside Oriens. “What are you doing out here?”

She forced a smile again, doing her best to sound casual. “I didn’t want to be in the way.”

“Don’t be silly, you know you’re not in the way. You’re a part of the family.”

His words seemed to taunt her, wrapping an iron fist around her chest. She dropped her gaze to the snow at her feet, swallowing hard. There didn’t seem to be enough air in her lungs to form a reply. Or perhaps it was because the words she needed to speak would hurt too much to say.

Caelum’s smile disappeared and he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

When she didn’t answer, he turned his eyes to the dragon behind her. She knew that he was asking Oriens the same question, and she let herself slip into the back of Oriens’ mind, listening, away from where Caelum could feel her presence.

“Is she okay?” she heard him ask.

“That’s a difficult question to answer,” Oriens answered cautiously. He knew Eliana was listening, and she sensed his disapproval of her eavesdropping.

“What do you mean?”

“It is not my place. Eliana must tell you herself.”

Caelum sighed and returned his eyes to the Rider in the golden dress. He held out a hand to her with a gentle smile. “Come on,” he said. “Get changed. We’re going for a walk.”