Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

Ja’ol’s hand was gentle on her shoulder as they slipped out of the gate. Eliana’s hands were tied firmly behind her back. She wore no armor, carried no weapons to finish the task she was setting out to do. Her magic would have to be enough.

The night guards gave them a quick glance before opening the gate. They had all been informed of the plan. A few of the elves had removed the earth wall that she’d erected against the gate. Now, the gates groaned as they swung open to resign her to whatever fate lay beyond.

One of Ja’ol’s men held a flag of truce on a staff as they marched towards the opposing armies. The humans watched them curiously for a moment. When they spotted the bound girl, they began to whoop, laugh, and jeer. Eliana kept her eyes straight ahead.

Ja’ol’s hand trembled on her shoulder as they approached the large tent on the far side of the camp. It was flanked by four soldiers, and they lowered their spears as Eliana’s group approached.

“What business do you have here, defector?” one of them asked. Evidently, he recognized Ja’ol.

“Emperor Nocens gave me an offer,” Ja’ol answered, his voice smooth and calm. “I’m here to accept it.”

One of the soldiers nodded to another, sending him slipping inside the tent flap. After a moment, he emerged again.

“The emperor says to admit only Ja’ol and the Rider,” he informed the others.

Ja’ol grabbed her roughly by the arm and shoved her into the tent—putting on a show, just as they’d discussed. Nocens’ tent was as elaborate as could be during a time of war. Though no artwork hung on the walls as in his rooms in the palace, everything else contained within the canvas was just as fine as everything back in Vereor. Just like in his rooms, a large bed took up most of the space in the large tent.

The man has a fetish, Eliana thought derisively.

Nocens himself was sprawled back in a large armchair, the picture of cool confidence; Eliana wondered if he’d positioned himself that way when he’d heard they were coming, just so he could make an impression. “Ah, Ja’ol!” he exclaimed as they entered. “You’re late. I was beginning to wonder how long it would take for you to accept my offer.”

“I’ve actually come to make a deal with you,” Ja’ol said.

Nocens raised an eyebrow. “Are you in any position to be making deals, Ja’ol?”

The man pressed on anyways. “You said that in order to get my entire family back, I needed to bring you the Rider and join you. You have wronged me too greatly for me to ever return to your service. Take the Rider in place of my daughter. That is all I ask.”

The young emperor gazed up at the canvas ceiling, considering the offer. “Your daughter… for the Rider…” he mused. He looked up at them again, grinning handsomely. “Deal.” He clapped his hands twice and the soldier reappeared in the doorway. “Bring me Shaeria.”

Nocens stood up as the soldier slipped out again and approached them. With a flick of his fingers, he sent Ja’ol scooting away to stand against the canvas wall. Eliana stood still, her back stiff as Nocens circled her. He stopped in front of her, gazing down at her face. She met his eyes defiantly.

“Well, look where you are now, darling,” he said, taking her face in one hand and tilting it from side to side, examining her like livestock once again. “Do you think you’ll escape from me this time?”

Eliana responded by turning her head towards his hand and biting down hard on his finger. He jerked his hand back in pain and surprise. As he shook his injured finger, he looked up at her with a smirk, evidently amused by her little outburst. She just glowered at him. She was there by her own design, whether Nocens knew it or not, and she would not be treated like cattle.

He chuckled as he grinned at her. “You’re only going to make this more fun for me,” he laughed.

The flap of the tent opened again, and the soldier reentered, dragging a girl behind him. She was garbed in the sparse clothing of Nocens’ concubines, her wavy brown hair loose across her back and her large green eyes full of fear. Above the edge of her skirt, burned into the soft young skin on her back, was the brand of Nocens’ concubines.

“Shaeria!” Ja’ol cried from where he stood.

When the little girl saw the captain, she let out a sound of pure joy. “Papa!” she cried. She pulled her wrist from the soldier’s grasp and raced into her father’s arms.

Ja’ol held his daughter to him, stroking her hair as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh, my little girl,” he murmured. “How I have missed you.”

“Have you come to take me away, Papa?” Shaeria asked. Her high voice quavered with hope.

“Yes, my darling,” Ja’ol answered, taking her by the shoulders and looking down into her cherubic face. “Yes, I’m going to take you away from here.”

She laughed in a high, childish tone and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, Eliana’s mouth curved in a small smile. Whatever that night might bring, she felt it was worth it to see those two reunited.

“Lieutenant,” Nocens said, speaking to the soldier who had brought Shaeria in, “see that Shaeria and her father, as well as the men who accompanied him, are escorted out of camp. Watch them until they enter Thys. If they try anything, kill them all and bring Shaeria back to me.”

“Yes, your majesty,” the man answered with a bow.

Ja’ol took Shaeria’s hand and turned to leave. Before he disappeared, he stopped and looked back. His eyes held Eliana’s as he said quietly, “Thank you.”

“Oh no, thank you,” Nocens answered, assuming the words were directed to him.

She gave Ja’ol the slightest of nods, and he turned and led his daughter out of the tent, followed by the other soldier. She was once again alone with Nocens. He turned away from her and grabbed a bundle of cloth from the floor beside the bed.

“Now,” he said, approaching her slowly, “you can allow me to untie your hands so you can put on these clothes, or I can leave you bound—your choice.”

Eliana clenched her jaw and turned on her heel, exposing her bound hands to him. She felt the ropes loosen, then fall to the floor. Nocens immediately put his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his body and kissing her neck softly.

“There now,” he whispered. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it? We could make the rest of the evening this simple if you like, or—.”

She jerked away from him and turned around so that she faced him, arms crossed over her chest. She still said nothing, just watched him defiantly.

He shrugged, then tossed the bundle of cloth to her. “Put those on. Your army uniform is rather unappealing,” he ordered.

Eliana held up the clothes he had thrown at her. She immediately recognized it as the same sort of outfit she’d worn when disguised as his concubine. She frowned at it in disgust and looked up at him. He had returned to the armchair, watching her with a smirk.

“You can go in there if you like,” he said, waving his hand at a fabric curtain on the other wall. “I’ll let you maintain your modesty for now.”

She slipped through the flap to find herself in a washroom. She rolled her eyes. Only Nocens would have a washroom in his tent on the field of battle. She pulled off her boots, breeches, and tunic and pulled on the sheer cloth. Her hands started to tremble as the memories came back to her.

This time, both Oriens and Caelum were entirely barricaded from her mind. No more mistakes. She would finish this quickly and return to them. She stepped back out into the main room of the tent, her hands clenched at her sides to keep them from trembling.

Nocens smiled when he saw her. “Much better,” he said. “Peior!”

The Dark sorcerer suddenly appeared in the tent, as if he’d materialized from the air. Panic crashed against Eliana’s chest. Peior dropped to one knee in front of Nocens.

“Yes, your majesty?” he asked.

“Can you suppress elf magic as you can a human sorcerer’s magic?”

Peior’s black eyes turned to her, a sneer of a smile on his pale face. “Absolutely.”

“Excellent. Return to your tent, but prevent any and all magic in my tent.”

“Yes, your majesty.” And he vanished into the air again.

Nocens stood and came towards her again. Eliana was fighting to control her breathing, which was becoming quick and shallow. She reached frantically for that space in the back of her mind, grasping for her magic, but it was as if a wall were blocking it from her reach. What would she do now? She had no weapon, and she was entirely at Nocens’ mercy.

The emperor put a hand on her neck. “Why, my dear!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “Your pulse is racing. You’re not frightened are you?” He took another step closer, snaking an arm behind her back. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.” His lips brushed her cheek, then paused beside her ear. “Well, maybe a little.”

Her flight instinct took control of her body, and she quickly ducked out of his grasp, running to the other side of the tent, pointlessly cornering herself. Nocens laughed in amusement as he sauntered towards her.

“Oh, Eliana,” he chuckled, “you do so enjoy teasing me.” The smile suddenly melted from his face and he stared at her with an expression of terrifying anger. “The game is over, girl.”

He dove at her, grabbing her around the waist and throwing her onto the bed. She kicked, scratched, and screamed as he tried to pin her to the soft comforter. His body weight soon held her legs in place, and one of his large hands held both her hands above her head. His other hand grabbed her face roughly.

His mouth slammed against hers as she tried to pull away, turning her face into the mattress. Tears were now streaming down her face as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Nocens’ answering laugh was deep and frightening as he put his hand over her mouth and jerked her face around to look at him.

“Do you think anyone in this camp is going to come help you?” he asked with a sneer. “You’re not the first woman to scream inside this tent. No one ever comes.” She stared up at him, breathing heavily around his hand, trying to control her sobs. “Oh, you’re crying,” he cooed with a tsk. “Don’t worry, darling. You’ll enjoy yourself soon.”

He kept his hand over her mouth, grabbing the collar of her shirt with the other and pulling on it roughly. She heard the sheer, thin fabric tear. But her hands were now free. She grabbed at his neck, digging her nails into the skin, clawing his flesh like a wild animal. He sat back with a shout of surprise and pain, pulling her fingers from his throat.

She felt the weight on her legs lessen. With a great shove, she kicked him off of her and sent him tumbling to the floor. Fear had driven her task from her mind, and she jumped from the bed, racing towards the exit, wanting only to escape. Nocens pulled himself up, wiping the blood from his neck.

Suddenly, Eliana was knocked to the floor, Nocens’ heavy form slamming against her. She screamed and tried to kick him again, but his hand closed tightly around her ankle. She tried to scramble towards the flap, but only got as far as the washroom before Nocens wrapped an arm around her waist and restrained her. She reached out for anything that she could hold onto, but found only the rope that tied back the washroom curtain.

She grabbed hold of it, hopelessly trying to stop Nocens from dragging her back to the bed. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The rope tore away uselessly from the canvas and came off in her hand. She hardly had time to react before Nocens had her pinned to the bed again.

“Not this time,” he growled. “You won’t get away from me a second time.”

He grabbed at the skirt, ripping off a piece of the flimsy fabric as he tried to remove it from her body. He’d left her hands free again, and this time, there was a rope in them. Her body acted without thinking, compelled by nothing but fear. She threw the rope over Nocens’ neck and twisted it tight below his Adam’s apple.

His eyes bulged in surprise as he reached up and clawed at the rope. She grit her teeth and twisted tighter, watching the rough rope tear into his skin. His eyes widened further, and she listened to him gasping and choking, feeling him struggle on top of her. He stared into her face, his expression now filled with panic and fear. His lips gaped open, struggling for breath. Then his eyelids slid closed, and he collapsed on top of her.

Panting, Eliana pushed his lifeless body to the floor and slid off the bed. Her hands trembled, and her sobs sounded closer to screams as they tore their way from her chest. She stared at the body on the floor of the tent, holding her hands away from her body, terrified by what they had done.

She drew two deep breaths, trying to control her panic, to find some source of reason in her mind. I have to find a way out, she told herself. Panic later. For now, escape. She glanced around her. She couldn’t go through the main exit; she would be stopped by soldiers immediately, then Nocens’ body would be found and they would kill her.

A sudden gust of wind shook the canvas, and a cool breath of air brushed against the back of her calves. She turned around to see the far corner of the tent flapping slightly in the breeze. It was not properly staked. She rushed over to it and, sliding along on her bare stomach like a serpent, she slipped out of the tent.

When she stood, she found herself on the far side of the encampment from Thys, between the human camp and the forests at the base of the mountains. She raced into the woods without hesitation, praying that no one saw her.

Once she was safely in the shadows of the trees, Eliana stopped to catch her breath and looked around. No one had followed her. She remained just inside the edge of the woods and crept along the mountain towards Thys.

It took her several hours, and her bare feet were bleeding by the time she reached the eastern wall. As she’d instructed, the gate was slightly open. She slipped inside without a sound. The only movement she noticed was a lone shadow, pacing agitatedly back and forth in the street. A large golden figure sat behind him, tail twitching irritably.

Oriens noticed her first and lifted his golden head to look at her. She reopened her mind, and felt his grateful relief wash over her. Caelum suddenly ceased his pacing and looked up. He stared at her for a long moment as she stood inside the gates, as if assuring himself that she was not an illusion.

Then he raced forward and pulled her into his arms. She collapsed against him gratefully, shaking once again. After several moments of simply holding her, he finally pulled back to look down at her face.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked softly.

She shook her head, unable to speak.

“She has several bruises and her feet are bleeding,” Oriens said, sensing the places where she felt pain. However, she held back what had occurred in the tent, not allowing her dragon to touch that part of her mind.

Caelum immediately picked her up and sped towards the infirmary. All of the patients there were sleeping, as were the Healers. Caelum laid her on a vacant blanket and went to arouse Ispera and Laurus.

Oriens stuck his head in through the door and looked at her with concern. “What happened, little one?” he asked. “Why are you keeping it from me?”

She simply shook her head, though she didn’t even need to do that; she knew he sensed her reluctance to call up the memories. She wasn’t trying to keep it from him. She was trying to keep it from herself.

Caelum was suddenly at her side again, Ispera and Laurus with him. He held her head in his lap again, his fingers brushing softly over her cheekbone as he watched the two Healers fuss over her filthy, bloody feet. She closed her eyes, relishing his gentle touch.

Her feet tingled momentarily as they were quickly Healed, and the two women searched the rest of her body for more injuries. Eliana opened her eyes again and watched them frown at the bruises forming on her stomach and waist. Her mother’s brows drew together when she took in the tattered state of her daughter’s clothes.

“Eliana…” she asked quietly, “what did he do to you?”

She stared back in silence.

Ispera seemed to understand, and she didn’t press the subject further. “You can take her back to her quarters,” she said to Caelum. “There’s nothing else for us to Heal.”

Caelum took her into his arms again and carried her out of the infirmary. Oriens pulled his head out of the doorway to allow them to pass, then followed them back to the cathedral. Caelum pushed open the door with one foot and carried her inside, laying her down in the bed on the floor. He pulled the blanket over her, covering her exposed skin.

“Will you stay?” she asked quietly, when it looked like he was about to leave.

He looked down at her, relieved to hear her speak at last. “Do you want me to?”

She nodded. He pulled off his boots and tunic and slipped under the blanket beside her. She moved into the warm safety of his arms and rested her head on his chest. His hand gently stroked her arm. The repetitive motion was soothing, and she slowly felt the fear and tension slipping away.

“Eliana,” he whispered in the darkness, “can you tell me what happened?”

She paused. Then, as an answer, she opened up the locked door in her mind to him and Oriens, allowing the events of the night to replay in her thoughts. Caelum’s arms tightened around her, and she could smell Oriens breathing angry smoke from his nostrils. When her memories came to the moment when she’d begun to strangle Nocens, her determination wavered, and she resealed the door.

It had been enough; they both understood what had happened, and they knew that Nocens was dead. But only Oriens truly understood. While Caelum had only seen her memories, the dragon had felt her emotions throughout. He knew why she’d stopped showing them her thoughts when she did. Her terror was not at what had happened to her, but at what she’d done. His mind cradled hers, radiating sympathy and comfort.

Caelum resumed stroking her arm, comforting her once more. “Sleep, my angel,” he breathed. “You are safe now. Sleep. I am here. No one can hurt you.”

She gave into his calming voice and closed her eyes to a deep and dreamless sleep.