Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

Eliana sat with her arms wrapped around her knees atop the mountain. Oriens stood perched on a rock outcropping beside her. The first rays of the sun struck her face as it rose up over the distant ocean and cast its light on the sleepy village below her. There was no movement in Amiscan except for a large, brown dog, snuffling around the huts for food.

Oriens sighed and spread his large wings, stretching his neck towards the rising sun. “I love dawn,” he said, closing his eyes contentedly. “There seems to be nothing wrong with the world when the sun first greets it.”

Eliana hugged her legs tighter to her chest. “There are just as many troubles at sunrise as there are at sunset,” she replied. “They just haven’t yet begun to stir.”

He folded his wings and looked down at her with narrowed eyes. “You just can’t let me enjoy a peaceful moment, can you.”

A small laugh escaped her. “My apologies,” she answered. “Please, go back to enjoying your sunrise.”

The emerald eyes suddenly turned to the face of the mountain below them. “Too late,” he sighed. “One of your troubles you spoke of has stirred.”

Eliana leaned forward curiously and peered down the mountain. A blonde figure was leaping nimbly up the rocky face. She sighed and leaned back against the stone. She was not ready to speak to him yet, but it would be very difficult to avoid him when she was sitting on the edge of a cliff. She sensed a stoic resilience in her dragon, and she knew that he was not going to spirit her away from this confrontation. She braced herself for the inevitable.

When he reached her, to her surprise, Caelum merely sat beside her at a respectful distance. His silence unnerved her. Her gaze continued to flicker over to him with suspicion. She had expected some kind of lecture about her brashness and stupidity leading her into dangerous situations. But he said nothing.

At last, she could take the quiet no longer. “What do you want?” she asked quietly.

He at last turned his eyes to her, and seemed to consider the question for a long moment. With a deep sigh, he tilted his head skyward and answered, “I don’t know.”

Eliana frowned at him. “What do you mean you don’t know? Why did you come up here if not to scold me for allowing Iocus to kiss me yesterday?”

He made a face, as if both the question and the memory stung him. He gazed at her, and she saw hurt in his eyes as he answered, “How can you ask me that? Do you really believe that the only reason I would come to you is to scold you? Did you ever think that perhaps I just… wanted to be with you?”

She rested her chin on her knees, looking away from his gaze, guilt rising in her.

When she didn’t reply, another sigh escaped his lips and he slid closer to her on the rock. “If you think I am here to talk about it, then let’s talk about it,” he said.

“I don’t want to,” she answered stubbornly.

“Okay,” he answered calmly. She’d expected him to sound agitated by her answer, but he kept his voice level.

There was another brief silence, which she finally broke. “What exactly do you think there is to talk about?”

He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, apparently reconsidering his words. When he opened it again, the words came slowly, as if it took great effort for him to speak them. “Did you… Was it… something that you wanted?”

She let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh, staring at him for a long moment. When she saw the solemn expression on his face, she smirked and shook her head. “Did you really just as me that question?” The look on his face was answer enough; he was entirely serious. “Caelum, what difference does it really make?”

“It makes all the difference in the world!” he shouted. He calmed himself with a sigh, then added more quietly, “Eliana, I told you once that I love you. My feelings for you have not changed. I love you still. But if your affections have changed, I beg you to tell me.”

Another snort of laughter escaped her. “Oh, you’re funny,” she sighed, turning her eyes back to the sun, which had almost cleared the distant horizon now. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Oriens was smirking; he could sense the humor in this as well. Caelum, however, did not.

He adjusted his position to look her directly in the eye, and asked with a serious frown, “What, exactly, is so ‘funny’?”

She smiled softly at him and shook her head. “Caelum, you were in my mind when Iocus kissed me. You saw everything. Do you remember what I did?”

He gave a slight nod. “You pushed him away.”

“And do you remember what I did when you first kissed me?”

His expression seemed to soften a little as he answered, “Of course I do. You kissed me in return.”

“Then how can you think for a moment that Iocus kissing me was something that I wanted?”

Caelum sighed and shook his head. “Because I have no idea what you want anymore, Eliana. That morning, after my mother died, you just… left… And then you could hardly look at me, you hardly spoke to me. I thought perhaps… you regretted the things that have happened between us.”

Eliana ran a hand over her eyes. “Caelum,” she whispered, “I could never regret the things that have happened between us—not the good things, at least. The truth is…” She paused and met his gaze. “My feelings for you have changed.”

She saw a flicker of pain in his eyes, and she went on. “My feelings for you have become stronger, and it… it frightens me. But it still does not frighten me as much as seeing how much you care for me. I am afraid… I’m afraid of hurting you. And that is why I drew away. Because I couldn’t let you love me more. I couldn’t let myself love you more than I already do. It will only end up hurting us both.”

He raised on hand to her cheek, smiling softly in her eyes. “My dear Eliana,” he said quietly, a slight laugh in his voice, “do you think I don’t know the risk that comes with loving you? I will not pretend that I believe all of my attempts to protect you will always succeed. But… afraid as I am of losing you… the pain would be worth it to me, just to have had the chance to love you as I do.”

A smile touched her lips as she fought the prickling sensation of rising tears.

Caelum smiled back at her, running his fingers softly over her cheek. “Do you love me, Eliana? Do you truly?”

“Of course,” she answered shakily. “I love you more than you could know.”

“Then why do we continue to fight against our own hearts?” he asked, his hand sliding behind her neck, his forehead to hers. “Why can’t we just allow ourselves to love each other, and trust that the rest will sort itself out?”

She smiled, despite her frustration at the tears that had defied her control. “I suppose we could give it a try,” she whispered.

“I think we should,” he smiled.

Then he kissed her, burying his fingers into her hair. She savored his long-missed taste—sharp and sweet, like the peppermint sticks she’d bought as a child. He grabbed her, pulling her legs across his lap and pressing her mouth firmly to his. Joy and sweet ecstasy made her heart sing.

Finally, he pulled away. “We should get back to camp,” he said in a soft voice that was tinged with regret at his own words.

Eliana sighed and slid out of his lap. He was right. The army would be waking soon, and there was work to be done. She pulled herself into Oriens’ saddle. Caelum swung up behind her, wrapping his arms around her more tightly than was necessary for the short flight back to Amiscan. Eliana didn’t complain.

She sensed Oriens’ contentment, seeping through her like heat from a warm bath. Evidently, his former jealousy of Caelum was gone, and she sensed only joy for her own happiness. The dragon lifted them into the sky and circled above the mountain before turning towards the village. Eliana felt Caelum suddenly become tense behind her, and she looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were trained on something on the west face of the mountain.

“Wait!” the elf called to Oriens.

The dragon immediately pulled up into a hover. “What is it?” he asked, turning his great head back towards the west.

Caelum pointed down the face of the mountain to a spot just above the base. Eliana squinted at what appeared to be a red dot, trying to make out what it could be. The cluster of red moved upwards, and she realized what she was looking at. They were soldiers—human soldiers.

She felt her breath catch in her throat. “What should we do?” she asked.

Caelum seemed to consider it for a moment, watching the group of about two dozen men continue their laborious climb up the mountain. They seemed to be unaware of the golden dragon and the two passengers that were studying them.

At last, he spoke. “We may be able to turn them back on our own. Their group is small, and Oriens is an imposing presence. We should be able to frighten them away for now, then we can prepare the rest of Amiscan.”

Oriens and Eliana both nodded in agreement. With a snarl that sent smoke curling from between his large, curved fangs, he folded his wings to his sides and dove parallel to the mountain’s slope, aiming his triangular head at the approaching soldiers. Wind roared past their ears, accompanied by shouts of surprise as the men at last noticed their presence.

They darted straight past the soldiers, one of Oriens’ golden wings passing just inches over their heads, then turned around, trapping the men between a rock and a dragon. Oriens’ golden maw opened wide and emitted a deafening roar. The earth-shaking sound was accompanied by a jet of blue flame, startling Eliana. She stared in surprise as the fire struck a large boulder just feet from the soldiers.

The men scrambled away from the inferno as quickly as possible, the fire quickly heating the boulder to a glowing red. They shouted and waved their arms frantically. Oriens snapped his jaws shut, ending the stream of flame. Eliana frowned at the soldiers in surprise. She’d expected some sort of retaliation—arrows, spears, or spells—but instead, they just stood in front of the dragon, waving their arms like madmen.

One of the men fastened a piece of torn white fabric to the top of a spear. He lifted it over his head and waved it like a banner boy charging into battle. The other men gestured at the makeshift flag, still shouting incoherently.

“They’re surrendering,” Eliana said in surprise.

“Yes,” Caelum responded quietly from behind her, a note of suspicion in his voice. “But what do they want?”

“Well,” Oriens answered, “there is only one way to find out.”

He banked to the left and landed on a rock outcropping, his claws scraping loudly against the stone. It was barely large enough for him to remain balanced on. Caelum and Eliana both slid from the saddle and made their way towards the red-clad soldiers. The men were moving slowly, cautiously, in their direction as well.

Both parties ceased their approach while still several yards apart. Caelum loosened his sword in its sheath. Eliana did the same, keeping her hand close to the hilt of her golden blade. The human soldiers still held their white banner in the sky.

“Who are you and what do you want?” she called to them.

“Please, Rider,” the man holding the flag called back, “we have not come to oppose you! We are not spies for Nocens or his sorcerer. We have abandoned Vereor’s armies; we cannot bear to continue serving Emperor Nocens. Please, allow us to join your ranks, and we will vow to serve you to our last breath!”

The others nodded, some giving shouts of agreement. Eliana glanced at Caelum, who was still watching the group in suspicion.

“And what could have brought about this change?” he asked loudly. “Why do you suddenly wish to betray the one you once vowed to serve?”

The man’s voice dropped slightly, and Eliana and Caelum took a few steps forward to listen. “Emperor Corpanis, though he may have been a harsh man, never wronged his soldiers the way Emperor Nocens has wronged us.” Eliana could see tears of anger and hatred brimming in the man’s eyes. “He has taken our wives and children from us! Our sons have been forced to be his slaves. Our wives and daughters, if not made slaves themselves, are forced to join his harems of dancers and concubines.”

The man took a step forward, dropping his flag of surrender and falling to his knees before the Rider. “Please, Rider,” he said as he bowed his head, “allow me to avenge my family.” He looked up at her again, tears flowing freely on his dirt-marked cheeks. “I watched him whip my son when he refused to serve him. My wife became a slave, and when she tried to run, she was hanged for treason. My youngest—my little girl—has been… she’s been forced to become a concubine. She is only ten years old, Rider! Please, help me to free them. Allow me to fight for you so that I may free my family.”

The man bowed his head of black hair, touching his forehead to the dirt before her. The others with him knelt behind him, all taking similar positions, bowing to her on the mountainside. Eliana’s eyes darted over them, then turned to Caelum. The elf looked disturbed by the man’s story.

“The rest of you,” he shouted, causing the men to lift their heads at the commanding ring of his voice, “are your stories similar?” There were nods of affirmation, then Caelum looked at her. His face was serious as he said, “It would appear we need to find more housing for these men.”

Eliana gave a short nod of agreement. “Gentlemen, please stand,” she commanded gently. They all slowly rose to their feet, their foreheads now bearing a mark of brown dirt where their skin had been pressed to the earth. “You will follow Captain Caelum to Amiscan. I will fly ahead and inform the rest of the army of your approach.”

She turned on her heel to leave, reaching out to Caelum’s mind with her own. He made no attempt to barricade his thoughts, accustomed to her mental touch. “Please be careful,” she pleaded with him. “We don’t yet know if we can entirely trust them.”

“Don’t worry,” he answered. “I’ll be fine, so long as I know you are safe.”

She sighed at his lack of concern for his own well-being, then raised an invisible shield around him. It wouldn’t hold off an attack indefinitely, but it would give him time to react if the need arose. The moment she was secured in the saddle, Oriens pushed off from the rock ledge, sending it crumbling down the mountainside.

As they flew over the top of the men below them, Eliana’s eyes settled on the large boulder, which was still glowing red. “Oriens!” she cried with a laugh. “You did it! You breathed fire!”

She felt his body shake slightly with his laughter. “I know,” he responded. She could feel the pride pulsating through every sinew of his body.

Leaning forward on his neck, she gave his brilliant scales a kiss, patting him roughly. She beamed like a proud mother whose child has just taken his first steps. Her dragon—once a hatchling small enough to perch on her shoulder—had finally breathed fire.

They drifted down to the village below them, landing lightly on the grass between the trees and the huts, where several young soldiers—both humans and elves—were sparring. They stopped and gave her a respectful bow as she jumped to the grass in front of them.

“Do you need something, Veholum?” one elf asked.

“Yes,” she answered quickly, “I need you to fetch King Denio.” As the soldier set off to fulfill her instructions, she turned to one of the young humans. “You, I need you to find Captains Teleas and Caedis. Do you know where they are?” He nodded, then sprinted off towards the huts. “The rest of you, I need you to spread the word that Captain Caelum is approaching with a group of deserters from Nocens’ armies.” They gave her surprised looks, but she continued. “They have chosen to join us, and you must ensure that nobody mistakes them for enemies. Understand?”

“Yes, Rider,” they answered, then set off in different directions to carry the message to the rest of Amiscan.

“We should wait for Caelum and the others in front of Amiscan,” Oriens suggested. “We can ensure that nobody attacks them.”

She nodded her agreement and followed beside him to the open field between Amiscan and the mountains. She stood with her hand on Oriens’ leg, immersed in True Sight, watching the distant mountain peak. It wasn’t long before she saw the cluster of red uniforms top the crag and begin the descent.

Caedis, Teleas, and Denio were soon brought to her by the messengers she had sent. She quickly explained what the soldiers had told them. Denio and Teleas remained beside her while Caedis set off to find places for the newcomers to stay; Amiscan had become quite crowded with their growing troops.

By the time Caelum and the human soldiers had reached the eastern base of the mountain, word had spread in Amiscan of their arrival. Scores of people—men and women, humans and elves—gathered on the outskirts of the village, awaiting the arrival of these turncoats with mounting curiosity.

The whispering, chattering, and speculating came to an abrupt halt as the group of red tunics approached, led by Caelum, clad in the elven green and brown. Eliana could feel the tension mounting in the group collected behind her. A few stray thoughts from the humans’ unprotected minds brushed against her own, like wind-blown leaves against a windowpane.

Can we trust them? How do we know they’re not spies? They’ve already betrayed one army, so what’s to stop them from doing the same to us?

She swatted away the unwanted mental intrusions and reached out to Caelum. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Of course,” he answered in a relaxed tone. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

She had a brief image of the soldiers turning on him, attacking him mercilessly, flash through her mind. She carefully shoved it away, keeping it from Caelum’s mental reach. “No reason.”

~*~

“I don’t think we have to worry about those men turning on us,” Caelum confided.

Eliana looked up at him from where she sat on her bed, reading a thick novel her mother had given her. “How do you know?”

He leaned forward in the chair he occupied beside her. “I searched their leader’s mind—Ja’ol. His thoughts are completely unprotected, as were the rest of his men, so they could not have been trained by Peior.”

“But I fooled Peior easily enough in Nocens’ room. He wouldn’t have believed me to have had any training either.”

Caelum’s lips pursed slightly at the mention of that event, but he continued, “Yes, I know they could drop their barriers easily enough, if they had any, but I searched his mind deeply. His story is true, as are his intentions. Nocens has wronged him greatly. He wants to end the emperor more than we do. He will not turn against us.”

Eliana gave a small nod of satisfaction. “That’s good then.”

Oriens lifted his head from the floor below them and asked, “Do you think they could be of use to us?”

Caelum smirked. “That’s the ultimate question, isn’t it, Oriens? But yes, I think they could be of great use. Many of them had the symbol of the emperor’s personal guard on their uniforms. They’re all certain to be highly trained soldiers, so they’ll prove useful in battle. But they may have some valuable information as well. We’ll have to question Ja’ol once he and his men have settled into their barracks.”

“Where did we end up finding a place for them?” she asked. The last she had heard, there was not a bed to be spared in all of Amiscan.

“The dwarves and some of the elves have constructed a barracks from the stone. The humans sewed together some mattresses and blankets for them. It’s not the finest living quarters, but they’ll be fine.”

A rough shout suddenly echoed from down the long corridor that led into Amiscan. “Fehr Zähmer!” The voice called, reverberating along the stone. “May we enter?”

“Of course, Captain Felsen!” she called back.

Several pairs of small but heavy footsteps rang along the hall until, at last, Captain Felsen and two of his men appeared. One of them carried a large glass sphere in his rough hands. They gave a short bow, then straightened.

“What can I do for you, Captain?” she asked.

Felsen shook his head, his braided beard sweeping across his chest like a pendulum. “It is not something you can do for us, Lady Eliana, but something we would like to do for you. We heard that your dragon breathed fire for the first time today. Is this true?”

Oriens lifted his head proudly and answered for himself. “Yes, it is true.”

The skin around the captain’s eyes crinkled with a smile. He motioned to the dwarf holding the glass sphere. “This is wonderful news. To honor this occasion, King Stährklav and the rest of Zwûrdgit Stöhl, as well as dwarves throughout the land, would like to present you with your Ers Fehnar—your First Flame.”

The large golden head tilted to one side as Oriens surveyed the glass sphere that the dwarf held out to him. “Pardon?”

“Breathe your fire on it,” Felsen told him. “But please, be careful not to singe my lieutenant.”

Very carefully, Oriens blew a small jet of flame onto the glass ball. It immediately lit up in a brilliant array of lights. Oriens cut off the stream of fire and watched as a tiny inferno sparkled in the glass depths of the orb. The flame danced and shimmered in shades of red, orange, and blue.

“Your Ers Fehnar will never die out so long as the glass is not broken,” Felsen said. “Even centuries after you and your Rider have passed on, it will burn, bearing witness of Oriens Fehr Zuhnden—Oriens Fire Tongue.”

Oriens’ green eyes did not leave the glass-enclosed flame as the dwarf handed the sphere to Eliana. “Thank you,” he said politely, though it was apparent he was paying little attention to the dwarves. He was riveted on the little dancing flame. “And thank your king for me as well.”

“And please extend my gratitude also,” Eliana added with a smile.

Felsen and his men acknowledged their requests with a short bow, then turned and made their way back down the long corridor. Eliana turned and carefully set the ball in a niche in the stone wall. The bottom of the Ers Fehnar was smooth and flat, so the ball would not roll.

She studied it carefully, Oriens peering over her shoulder. The glass was carved in high detail with images of dragons—flying, roaring, breathing fire. Inscribed along the bottom of the sphere were the words “Oriens Fehr Zuhnden.”

“Incredible,” Eliana whispered, her voice tinged with awe. “I had no idea the dwarves could make such a beautiful thing.”

“Dwarves are quite skilled in many crafts,” Caelum commented from across the room, where he sat thumbing disinterestedly through her novel. “Obviously their greatest skills lie in stone- and metal-working, but generally speaking, they can do almost anything with their hands.”

“How do you know all this?” she asked, turning away from the Ers Fehnar. “The elves have been just as estranged from the dwarves as the humans have.”

He closed the book and looked up at her with a smile. “Because I, my dear, have been doing my research—speaking with the dwarves, reading some of their histories.” He held up the novel. “Unlike you, who seem to be more interested in silly fancies about fair maidens held captive by beastly ogres and are eventually rescued by a gallant knight in the end.”

She released an exclamation of exasperation as she stepped forward and snatched the book from his hand. “I haven’t read that part yet!”

Caelum smiled mischievously and dodged her light-hearted punch, grabbing her gently by the wrist. He carefully removed the leather-bound volume from her grasp and tossed it onto her bed. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly on the mouth, making her head spin with ecstasy.

“Don’t mind me,” a voice said calmly.

She leapt away from Caelum and turned towards the sound, finding a figure standing at the end of the tunnel. A hot blush blossomed on her cheeks as she recognized her mother, watching them with raised eyebrows and a basket of Healing objects on her hip.

“Lady Ispera,” Caelum greeted her, not quite concealing the surprise in his voice. “How have you been?”

Ispera dropped a slight curtsy as civility required, but her manner clearly showed familiarity. “Don’t try to hide it from me, Prince Caelum,” she responded smugly. “It won’t work.”

“What do you mean, Mother?” Eliana asked, trying to sound innocent.

Ispera shook her head, setting the basket on the table beside Eliana’s bed. Turning her eyes back to them, she said sternly, “You two may be able to fool most of the people in this encampment, but I am not one of them.”

“Ah, I see,” Caelum muttered, rubbing his hand across the back his neck. He seemed to collect his thoughts for a moment, then stood straight and met her mother’s gaze. “In that case, Lady Ispera, I wish you to know that I—.”

“Never mind, never mind,” she interrupted with a chuckle and a wave of her hand. “You may tell me how much you love my daughter after we’ve settled this nasty war business. For now, you must go and Eliana must listen patiently while I continue teaching her how to Heal.”

Caelum smiled at her. “As you wish.” He turned towards the tunnel, then paused and turned back to the Rider. He kissed her warmly and unashamedly in front of Ispera, then trotted off down the tunnel.

Eliana watched his retreating figure with a distant smile on her face. Ispera snapped her fingers in front of her daughter’s eyes. The Rider jerked her attention to the Healer, finding her watching with an amused expression on her face.

“What is it?” Eliana asked warily.

Ispera smiled and shook her head. “I hope this war ends soon so that you two can be married before that boy goes mad.”

“Mother!” The blush returned to her cheeks.

“Oh, Eliana, don’t act as if you don’t wish for it as well. Though I agree that it is a wise choice to wait, anyone can see that it’s tormenting the poor lad to keep this all a secret.”

“Could we please just get to the lesson?” Eliana pleaded, wanting nothing more than to change the subject.

“Very well,” Ispera answered with a shrug.

The two women sat cross-legged on the floor, the wicker basket by Ispera’s side. Oriens curled up behind his Rider, his green eyes watching the lesson with great attention. She leaned back against his shoulder, taking comfort in his solid form, as she always did.

“Now that you’ve learned the basics of Healing,” Ispera began, “it’s time you learned its limitations. Just as with other magic, Healing magic takes energy to use. However, because you are altering the state of another living being’s body, the toll it takes on your own body can be great. That is why we often choose to use potions instead of magic to Heal; it conserves our strength. You must know your limitations when trying to Heal someone, or you could end up killing yourself in the process.”

“You mean there are cases when not even magic can save someone?” Eliana asked.

Her mother nodded. “Yes, if you wish to live. It is possible to save someone with a mortal wound, but it would likely be at the cost of your own life. Now, in order to assess whether or not someone is within your ability to save…”