Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

Eliana waited anxiously in the courtyard, feeling giddy with excitement. After a few minutes, Oriens finally landed in front of her. His own excitement pulsated in her mind, redoubling her own until she felt on the verge of giggling.

“Are you ready?” she asked him.

“I have been ready for weeks. It’s you that I’ve been waiting on,” he answered.

She laughed. “Let’s go then.”

The dragon crouched low, and she placed a boot on his bent foreleg, grasping a neck spike with her uninjured hand. She swung her leg over his back, settling into the groove at the base of his neck, between his shoulders.

“Hold on tight!” he called to her.

Oriens crouched, then leapt into the air, throwing his wings out and beating hard. Eliana looked down and saw the ground rapidly falling away; it filled her with a feeling of excitement and ecstasy, and she turned her attention back towards the sky. They had risen above the trees, and Oriens flew low over the canopy. Eliana tilted her head back and threw her arms wide. She let out an unbridled whoop, laughing as the wind made her hair stream out behind her. In her mind, Oriens was laughing as well.

They reached the river, and the dragon swooped low above the water, following its winding length. He dipped one front foot into the water, dragging it along as he flew and sending up a spray of chilly droplets. Eliana laughed louder as the mist dampened her face and hair. He looked back at her with one green eye and smiled toothily at her, their joy mingling together in their minds.

Ahead of them, they spotted the group of elves, who had crossed the river and were starting towards the woods. They all wore brown boots and breeches, and a belted green tunic. They stopped when they saw the golden figure descending on them again. Oriens tilted his wings and hovered over the bank. His wings backpedaled twice, then they settled onto the bank with a quiet thud. All but two of the figures before them dropped to one knee.

Eliana hopped quickly from Oriens’ back, wincing slightly as the impact jarred her still-healing ribs. The kneeling figures all pressed one fist to their chests and bowed their heads, muttering, “Veholum.” She gave them all a nod of acknowledgment and looked at the two standing figures.

One of them was Raena. Her face looked very much the way Eliana had imagined it. She was scowling, her perfect lips pursed, irritation and jealousy written over every inch of her beautiful face. Unfortunately, however, she had not been knocked on her backside as Eliana had hoped.

The other was Caelum. He beamed at her as she stepped up to him, and her heart fluttered like a caged bird. Her memories and her dreams had not done him justice. His vibrant blue eyes were alive with laughter as he looked at her.

“Eliana!” he called. “You’re flying!”

She beamed back, striding quickly to stand in front of him, resisting the desire to rush into his arms. “For the first time!” she answered with a laugh. “Oriens saw you on the bank, and he came back to bring me to meet you.”

Restraining herself from embracing him turned out to be entirely unnecessary. As she reached him, Caelum pulled her into an embrace, pressing her to his chest. She was startled at first, but then she wrapped her arms around his back and shut her eyes, breathing in his rainy-forest scent.

“I missed you,” she sighed into his tunic.

She had not expected him to hear her. In fact, a part of her hoped that he wouldn’t, but evidently, he did. “No more than I missed you,” he answered quietly.

His embrace tightened a little, and Eliana gasped in pain, pulling back. Caelum looked down at her in concern.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. His eyes landed on the bandages around her wrist. “What happened?”

She smiled dismissively. “Just a training accident yesterday. It’s only a sprain. Doesn’t even hurt. The ribs are the bigger problem,” she said with a laugh, pressing her good hand to her side.

Caelum frowned, looking agitated. “What was Mara doing?” he asked incredulously.

“Really, Caelum. I’m fine. Laurus said I should be back to normal in a few days.”

The elf gave a little laugh and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I leave your side for a few months and this is what happens? You truly are hopeless, Eliana.”

She smiled back at him, her heart warming at his familiar teasing. “I suppose you just shouldn’t leave any more,” she said.

His smile softened and he touched her cheek. “Yes…” he said quietly. “I suppose I shouldn’t be leaving your side ever again.”

She became suddenly very aware of the dozen pairs of blue and violet eyes, which were all watching them intently. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and took a small step away from his touch. Caelum saw her discomfort and dropped his hand.

Raena’s angry blue eyes caught her attention, and Eliana turned her eyes towards her. The elf’s expression was burning with fury. The moment their gazes met, that familiar, hate-filled voice entered her mind.

“How dare you? You filthy little—!”

“Will you shut up?” Eliana snapped back silently. She felt gratified by the look of surprise on Raena’s face as she projected her thoughts confidently into her mind. “Stay out of my head and keep your pathetic, jealous thoughts to yourself.” She smirked. “Or I will have Oriens deal with you.”

The dragon lowered his head and bared his teeth, giving a quiet snarl. Raena’s fair face paled further and she stumbled backwards a few steps. Caelum looked at the dragon in surprise, then at the Rider. He followed her gaze to the pale-faced Raena, and understanding crossed his expression. Eliana saw him suppress a smile.

“We should get back to Iterum,” he said, touching Eliana’s arm. “I’ll meet you in the courtyard, and you can tell me more about this apparently violent training that Mara has been giving you.”

Eliana glanced at Oriens, silently asking his permission before extending the offer. Her dragon nodded his head, and she looked back at the elf. She hesitated briefly, wondering how her words might be received. Quickly, before she could persuade herself not to, she caught his hand. “Come with me,” she said hurriedly.

He looked confused. “What?”

“Fly back to the palace with me,” she repeated, tightening her grip on his hand, praying he would say yes.

“Are you sure?” he asked, smiling a little, glancing between the dragon and Rider. They both nodded, and he laughed, allowing Eliana to pull him to Oriens’ side. “Well, alright then.”

Giddy with excitement, Eliana pulled herself up onto the dragon’s back again, and Caelum mimicked the movement, mounting behind her. Oriens took to the air again, his great wings beating the remaining soldiers with powerful gusts of wind. Eliana met Raena’s gaze again, the elf’s expression full of anger and jealousy; she still did not fall on her backside.

Then Oriens turned upriver, and the elves disappeared from view. Eliana felt Caelum’s arms tight around her waist, his body warm against her back. The animal in her chest had vanished, chased out by the joy that pulsed through her.

“Don’t take us back yet, Oriens,” she silently begged her dragon.

He gave a short laugh in her mind. “As you wish, my Rider.”

He rose up above the height of the trees and took a lazy, meandering course over the rolling green canopy. Behind her, Caelum laughed and gave a whoop of joy. The dream she had shared with Oriens came back to her, and she smiled. In this moment, everything was perfect.

It wasn’t long before she felt Oriens beginning to tire from carrying two passengers. “It’s alright,” she said to him. “We can go back now.”

She felt his silent acknowledgment, and he tilted his wings towards the palace. They passed over Iterum and descended gently over the white walls of the courtyard. Oriens landed and folded his wings wearily as Caelum slid off of his back. He turned and reached up to help Eliana down. She welcomed his touch as he took her by the waist and gently lowered her to the ground beside him.

His hands lingered on her hips as he smiled down at her, his face flushed with excitement. “Thank you, Eliana,” he said. “That was…” He laughed and shook his head. “I can’t even begin to describe how incredible that was.”

She smiled back at him, and he looked at the golden dragon behind her. “And thank you as well. It was wonderful.”

Oriens projected his voice to both of them. “It’s the least I could do after biting you the night I hatched.”

Caelum’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Ah, you can speak.”

The dragon chuckled. “Quite well, actually.”

Eliana interjected. “He learned to speak and fly on the same day. The morning that you left.”

The elf’s smile fell slightly and he dropped his gaze, avoiding her eyes.

A feeling of hurt touched her heart again as she forced the words out. “You just… left,” she said quietly. “You left, and you didn’t even say goodbye.”

Caelum sighed and took a step back, his hands sliding away from her waist, leaving her skin feeling unnaturally cold. He rubbed at the back of his neck, still not looking at her. “It just… It seemed easier that way…” he muttered.

She frowned at him. “Easier? How? That… that wasn’t easy for me at all, Caelum.”

He finally met her eyes, his lips pressed in a tight line. She could see pain and regret in his blue eyes. “I know…” he said. “It was easier for me.”

There was a pause, and she met his gaze flatly, trying to take in his words.

Caelum sighed heavily and stepped up to her again, taking her face softly between his hands. She wanted to be angry with him, to pull away, but his touch seemed to imprison her. His forehead rested against hers, and he closed his eyes. “I was selfish,” he admitted quietly. “I thought that, if I said goodbye… I wouldn’t be able to leave you. I was afraid that I would let myself stay if I had to face you. I was self-centered, and for that, I am truly sorry.”

Eliana sighed, giving up on being angry with him. “It’s okay,” she breathed, closing her eyes as well. “I’m just glad you’re home.”

There was a pause in which they stood together, eyes closed, foreheads touching, and Eliana was aware of nothing but Caelum’s presence—the warmth of his hands on her cheeks, the sound of his breathing. Then he pulled back, looking at the dragon again.

“So am I correct in assuming you named him, then?” Caelum asked.

She nodded, looking at the dragon, who had been watching them patiently and with a sense of fascinated curiosity. “His name is Oriens,” she answered.

The elf gazed up at the bright, golden form that looked back down at him. “Oriens…” he repeated. “The rising sun. It’s perfect.”

Oriens flashed his white teeth in a dragonish smile. “I like to think so.”

Caelum laughed and turned back to the girl beside him. “I should go into the palace,” he said, softly touching her elbow, seemingly without thought. “My mother will want to know I’ve returned.”

She nodded, and he started to walk away. She paused, then called after him, “Caelum?” He stopped and looked back at her. “Did you mean what you said the night before you left? Are you really taking me with you the next time you leave?”

He grinned at her crookedly. “Of course. Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t letting you out of my sight again? You get into too much trouble when I’m gone.”

She smiled and he walked away, entering the palace doors. Once he disappeared, Oriens spoke to her mind. “I haven’t felt you this happy since he left.”

Eliana sighed contentedly. “I know. I… I don’t think I’ve been this happy in… well, in a long time.”

She wrapped her arms around her chest, but this time, it was not to quiet the animal inside her, the empty loneliness that had tried to consume her. That was gone, as if it had never been there. Now, she felt as if she were trying to hold her heart inside of her chest. It was beating wildly, as if it were struggling to escape from her.

Oriens’ head jerked suddenly skyward, his green eyes staring up at the endless expanse of blue above them, as if searching for something.

Eliana felt him tense, becomingly wary and alert. “What is it?” she asked.

“Something’s coming,” he answered slowly. “Something… Dark…”

And then she felt it too, like a cold fog descending around her, causing her to shiver. She looked to the sky, trying to follow Oriens’ gaze.

“Is it flying?”

He paused for a moment, then answered tensely, “Yes.”

“Another dragon Rider?”

“Perhaps… But if it is, the dragon’s presence is hidden by the Dark magic.”

They stood rigidly and silently, staring up towards the sky. A sudden realization struck her. “Oriens,” she said sharply in his mind, “We have to stop it. If whatever it is passes over Iterum, they’ll see it. They could send an army. The elves would be defenseless.”

Oriens rumbled in his throat and nodded once. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

He crouched and she mounted him once again, fear gripping at both of them. They didn’t know what they were about to face, but they had no choice but to face it. Oriens lifted his already tired wings and lifted them into the air again. They stopped and hovered over Domus, their eyes searching the skies.

“Do you know where it was coming from?” she asked the dragon.

“Can’t you see it?”

“No.”

“Then use my eyes.”

Once again, he pulled her into his mind and she saw what he saw. In the distance, barely visible, was a small, dark shape. It was headed straight for Iterum, flying from Vereor, the human capitol. It was moving fast, and the cold darkness grew stronger as the shape grew closer.

“We have to fly out and meet him,” she said. “If he gets near Iterum, he may see it. Let’s go, Oriens!”

For the first time, Oriens let out an earthshaking roar, which reverberated through Eliana’s body. She pressed herself low on his neck, and he threw them forward in the air, his golden wings beating the air faster and faster, propelling them forward to their unknown enemy. The wind whipped at Eliana’s hair, stinging her eyes and cheeks. Soon, she was able to see the dark shape with her own eyes.

She drew slow breaths, trying to calm herself and repress her fear; she needed to have total control of her magic. The feeling of Dark magic was heavy now. It felt as if it clung to Eliana’s skin, making it harder to breathe. As they drew closer to the dark form, she was able to recognize it for what it was—a man, flying effortlessly on his own.

He wore a black cloak, which fluttered out behind him. His face was paler than any elf’s and was framed by chin-length hair that was equally pale. He looked like a spirit, clothed in black, and Eliana wondered for a brief moment if she was about to encounter some undead creature.

But then the man drew back, spotting their approach, and she saw surprise cross his face. Oriens took advantage of the stranger’s fallen guard and dove towards him, roaring again. The dragon’s glistening teeth barely missed the man as he darted sideways. However, he did not move quickly enough to avoid receiving a long scratch across his chest by Oriens’ outstretched claws.

Oriens circled tightly so that they faced their enemy again. The man was staring down at the slash through his black cloak, and the red line across his white chest. Then he looked up at them. Eliana realized in an instant that he was breathtakingly beautiful. He had the perfect, pale features of some heavenly creature—but his eyes were black pits.

He looked at the dragon and Rider, and she thought she saw a flash of red in those black eyes. The man gave a dangerous grin, then flew forward, a sword flashing in his hand.

“Move!” she shouted in her mind.

Oriens swerved quickly to the left and upwards, missing the shining blade by inches. Eliana lited her left hand from the spike she clung to and directed her palm towards their attacker. A jet of fire flew at him. She expected him to shout some kind of spell, as human sorcerers did, but the man simply swirled his black cloak around the flames, and they vanished into its folds.

Eliana stared at him for a moment, realizing with a tremor of terror that she had no idea what she was facing. Then she steeled herself and gathered the energy for another attack. She threw a roaring tornado of wind at him. He calmly raised his hand, and the wind passed around him like water around a stone. She drew on Oriens’ magic and sent a blast of water towards him. It scattered like raindrops with a flick of his wrist. With a shout, she sent half a dozen vines lashing towards him, prepared to seize him and drag him to the ground. The man made a swiping movement with his arm, and the vines fell back to the earth in pieces.

She was panting now, weary from the effort. She couldn’t use her marked hand, and the magic was difficult to control. Beneath her, she felt the weariness in Oriens’ mind and body as well. He had already been weakened by their silly, meandering flight with Caelum, and now he was struggling to keep them in the air. All because I didn’t want to go home, she thought to herself bitterly.

“My magic isn’t working against him, Oriens,” she panted in their minds. “It’s up to you.”

“No,” he answered tiredly. “You are still my Rider. It is still up to us.”

She gathered what energy she could and shouted silently, “Again, Oriens! Attack!”

At her command, the golden dragon folded his wings and dove back down upon the black cloak. With another swish of the folds, the sorcerer disappeared right from underneath them. Oriens braked abruptly, throwing Eliana forward on his neck, driving her shoulder into the sharp spikes of his neck. She gave a shout of pain and jerked herself upright, gritting her teeth against the pain. Blood began to stain the shoulder of her tunic.

Frantic anxiety pressed against her mind. “Eliana! Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry about me,” she answered quickly, trying to regain the seat she’d nearly lost. “The sorcerer. Is he gone?”

“No,” Oriens answered tersely. “I can still sense him close by.”

Eliana looked back over her left shoulder. In a swirling of dark fabric, the man reappeared, diving forward to thrust his blade into Oriens’ soft underside.

“Move, Oriens!” she screamed aloud.

He didn’t hesitate or question her. Oriens folded his wings and immediately dropped into a dive, nose extended towards the ground, then leveled out, racing away from the elven city. The cloaked figure followed close behind them, somehow keeping pace with them. Oriens bared his teeth and snarled, putting on a burst of speed and pulling away from the figure that followed him.

She could hear her dragon panting heavily as he called silently to her, “Hold on, Eliana!”

She seized the neck spike in front of her with both hands, her bandaged wrist throbbing in protest, and tightened her legs around him. The rough scales bit into her skin through the thin breeches she wore, tearing at the flesh inside her knees. She lay low on his neck, knowing from his thoughts exactly what he was going to do.

Oriens abruptly threw his head back, bending himself backwards in the air. They looped over the top of their enemy, the dragon’s pale-gold belly exposed to the sky. For a brief moment, she saw the sorcerer look up at them in surprise. Then, Oriens descended on him.

The man rolled in the air, frantically trying to escape, once again managing to avoid the dragon’s teeth. But as he dodged away from the snapping fangs, he came within reach of Oriens’ claws. The dragon seized the man in his left forepaw, gripping him tightly. The sorcerer howled in pain as the dragon’s claws dug into his sword arm. Eliana saw him quickly pass the blade to his free hand, and he sliced upwards.

“Sword!” Eliana shouted to her dragon’s mind.

Oriens released the man from his claws and pulled upwards. She felt the sting of the blade as it scratched across her dragon’s soft chest scales. They hovered, watching as the man tumbled towards the earth. She felt Oriens begin to pull his wings into his sides, prepared to dive and catch the stranger. Then the man swirled his cloak around him and vanished into the air.

Eliana glanced around nervously, waiting for the man to reappear and attack them again. Nothing happened.

“He’s gone,” Oriens sighed. “I can’t feel the Darkness anymore.”

She could feel the difference in the air as well. It was lighter, clearer, warmer. She gave a groan of relief and exhaustion, pressing her hand to her bleeding shoulder. Her sprained wrist throbbed from the effort of clinging to Oriens’ neck, and she could feel warm blood seeping into her breeches from where the dragon’s scales had torn at her flesh. Her entire body felt drained from the effort of her useless magic, and her back ached with sympathy for Oriens’ weary wings.

“Let’s go home,” she moaned silently.

He turned back towards Iterum, his wings beating slowly and heavily. “Are you badly injured?” he asked.

“Nothing that can’t be easily Healed,” she answered. “What about you?”

“Only a scratch,” he replied dismissively. She could sense that he was doing his best to keep her from worrying, but she could still feel the sting in her own chest. “You did very well, Eliana,” he told her.

“We both did,” she answered with a weak smile.

After what seemed like an eternity of slow, laborious flight, the white stone walls of the palace courtyard were below them. Eliana could see Caelum, pacing anxiously in front of the palace doors. As they landed in front of Oriens’ cave, the elf jogged up to them, his face drawn with worry.

With a small moan of pain, Eliana slid off Oriens’ back, immediately lying down on the soft grass. Oriens sighed and laid down beside her, breathing heavily, his tired wings resting on the ground at his sides. Suddenly, Caelum was kneeling beside her, his cool hand on her hot, flushed face.

“Eliana, what happened?” he asked frantically. “Are you okay?”

She swallowed and tried to nod, but that made the earth start spinning, so she forced herself to speak. “I’m alright. There was… someone… a man… He was coming towards Iterum… He was… Dark, so we…”

She was so tired. So very, very tired. Beside her, Oriens’ eyes closed with a sigh, and she felt his weariness drag her with him. Her eyelids slid over her eyes, unbidden, and the world around her disappeared into peaceful blackness.