Sky Riders: The Rising Sun

All noise in Amiscan immediately vanished. Every eye stared at the Rider. Every face was tense, waiting for something to happen. The elves' collective gaze shifted to Caelum, awaiting some kind of order. It was as if the entire encampment were resting on a drawn bowstring, poised for flight, waiting on a cue to act.

Caelum's expression was taut, but determined. His blue eyes seemed a darker shade than normal and his mouth was pressed in a thin line. At last, he spoke. Though his voice was low and heavy with anxiety, it rang clearly through the snow-shrouded village.

"The first line of archers will climb to the peak immediately," he instructed. "Take as many down as you can while they climb. When they get too close, fall back into Amiscan. The humans will follow you, believing it's a retreat.

"Second line will be in the trees near the base of the mountain. Attack as soon as the first line has passed. Those on horseback will be with the second line. It is your duty to split the human ranks. Divide them, and force the larger part to the village.

"The rest of you, remain in the village until the horsemen have herded the larger portion of soldiers to you. They, you attack.

"We must make this swift," he said, raising his voice a little. "We cannot give them a chance to reach our Rider. She is what they are after, and they will stop at nothing to reach her. You four," he said, pointing to four large, male elves dispersed throughout the nearby crowd, "will guard the hill that leads to the Rider's quarters. Seal it off, and do not allow anyone to enter. I will seal the upper entrance when I join the front line."

Eliana opened her mouth to protest, but Caelum snapped to the troops, "Now, move out!" The army, including her new personal bodyguards, dispersed quickly. Only Caelum remained behind, and she turned on him with an indignant scowl.

"You're going to seal me in?" she shouted.

"Not now, Eliana," he replied quietly, hissing through gritted teeth.

He tried to walk away from her, but she followed, heckling him for an excuse for his asinine idea. "You expect me to sit inside of a sealed cave while you put yourself in the front line of the battle? What is the point of this, Caelum? They already know I'm here! They just saw me on the other side of that mountain! You can't fool them into thinking I'm not here!"

He finally turned to face her, his blue eyes still dark with anxiety. "I will not take any risk with your life that is not absolutely necessary! You will stay inside of the cave—inside the sealed cave—until this is over! There will be many more battles, Eliana, and we will need you for those. I won't let your blood be spilled now, here, in Amiscan."

"You'll need me for the other battles?" she asked incredulously. "To do what? Sit safely in an ivory tower and look down on the slaughter around me? Act as a symbol for people to die around? I am not a helpless damsel, Caelum! I—!"

"Just go!" he shouted. "You are a soldier in this army and I am your captain. If you continue to disobey my direct orders, I will have you dragged to that cave and shackled to your bed! Am I clear, Rider?"

She stared at him with burning, furious eyes, breathing heavily through her nose. He met her gaze with a hard expression, unyielding. Finally, she hissed through her clenched teeth, "Perfectly clear, captain."

“Let’s go, Oriens,” she said sharply in her mind. She turned away from Caelum and marched into Amiscan, towards the hill that hid her quarters—or more accurately, she thought, her new prison. But if Caelum wished to banish her to her quarters like a misbehaving child, she would oblige for the moment. She would not stay for long.

Oriens followed her, barely squeezing past Amiscan’s huts as they entered the square at the center of the village. He ducked his long, golden neck and followed her through the hill’s opening, then down the long tunnel to their large, round room.

The dragon sighed as he stood in the center of the room, staring at the opening above him. “So. How long do we wait to enter the battle?”

His thoughts were tensed, coiled like a spring. Eliana could feel her dragon’s urge to fight, to prove himself. It was in his nature, just as it was in hers. Her thoughts were silent for a moment, brooding as she snatched his saddle from its rack and quickly saddled him, preparing him for flight at a moment’s notice.

Once the saddle was on, Oriens settled onto the ground. Eliana sat beside him, her back against his shoulder. Finally, she replied, “As soon as the first line falls back.”

There were several long minutes of silence. She could distantly hear the sounds of the elves shouting to one another, the crunch of boots and hoofs on the snow outside. Then she heard the sound of earth being magically moved into place, sealing up the hole in the side of the hill.

She sneered to herself at the sound. “This is ridiculous,” she grumbled to Oriens. “How fragile does he think I am?”

“Just be patient,” her dragon replied. “We will have our chance to prove ourselves soon enough.”

Silence fell again in the cave and continued for another half hour. Then, suddenly, the light in the room dimmed, like a cloud covering the sun. Eliana and Oriens both looked up to see the hole above them closing, the earth sliding into place. Caelum and the first line of archers had reached the peak. Now, as far as Caelum knew, she was perfectly protected, sealed inside the cocoon of safety he’d carefully constructed for her.

The room was plunged into darkness and the magic orbs grew brighter around them, casting a dull, multicolored glow on the walls. Eliana sighed and dropped her chin to her knees. She closed her eyes and allowed her senses to align with Oriens’.

Her hearing immediately sharpened, and they both strained for several minutes to hear sounds of the battle high above them. For a long time, there was only silence. Then, there were faint, distant screams. Eliana stiffened, wondering if they were humans or elves.

“Probably humans,” Oriens rumbled. “They likely weren’t expecting the elves to be at the peak waiting for them.”

He fell silent again, and they both continued to listen through his ears. Only the occasional cry reached them as the elven archers continued to pick off the ascending humans. Eliana could imagine the casualties the humans would face at this point. They wouldn’t be as swift at climbing the mountain as the elves, and they would fall quickly.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound, and Eliana jolted upright, looking towards the ceiling. “What was that?” she asked aloud.

Oriens was looking up at the mountain as well. “I don’t know…” he said slowly. “Perhaps…”

She sensed his thought before he even pressed it towards her. “The sorcerer,” she finished for him.

He gave an anxious rumble in his chest, and his head dipped in a brief nod. A different cry rose up, reaching where they rested on the floor of the cave. It was repeated several times before Eliana understood it.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Eliana leapt to her feet and immediately swung up into Oriens’ saddle. The dragon rose swiftly and jumped upwards towards the ceiling, excitement and nervousness coursing through both of their bodies. The dragon hovered beneath where the exit had been sealed.

Eliana focused her mind on the wall of earth above her. Caelum had not simply disguised the entrance. Hundreds of pounds of stone and earth hung over her head, sealing her inside of the cave.

“Can you move it?” Oriens asked.

“I think so…” Even in her own mind, she sounded uncertain.

She raised her marked hand above her head and willed the stones to move. She heard them beginning to shift above her, grinding against each other, showering her with dirt so that she was forced to turn her face away. After a moment, she paused to collect her breath, trying to draw magic from the mountain instead of her dragon.

“You only need a small opening,” he said in her mind, practically fidgeting with eagerness. “Just enough for me to slip through.”

Eliana nodded and resumed her work. Her face reddened from the effort, but at last, a stream of light appeared above her; a moment later, and she had just enough of an opening for Oriens. She smiled to herself and tightened her legs in the saddle straps.

Then, with an adrenaline-charged roar, Oriens burst through the opening and out into the winter sunlight. Eliana looked down the snow-covered mountain to see that the armies had moved farther away from her than she’d hoped. The second line was already attacking at the base of the mountain, the horsemen doing their work of dividing the human army.

“Let’s go, Oriens!” she cried.

“With pleasure!” he answered, roaring aloud once more.

The faces of both humans and elves turned towards the sound. For a brief moment, the battle ceased as surprise crossed all of their faces. Terror then fell on the faces of the humans. The elves, however, gave a shout of joy at the appearance of the roaring golden dragon.

“Veholum!” they cried in unison. Then, still shouting, they turned and fell back on their enemies with renewed vigor.

The stunned humans quickly recovered and answered the elves as best they could. Oriens and Eliana swept down the mountain towards the battle. As they reached the clamoring armies, a dozen arrows rose up from below them. Oriens tucked in his wings and rolled, the arrows glancing off his shining scales. The soldiers who had fired, distracted by that act, fell instantly beneath elven blades.

Eliana pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and placed it on the string of her mahogany bow. She drew back on it, holding it for a moment at the corner of her mouth as she scanned the battle below. Her eyes found Iocus. The elf was battling three humans at once, smiling as if, despite it all, he was still truly enjoying himself.

She released the arrow and struck one of the humans in his shoulder. The soldier fell with a shout of surprise and pain, and Iocus quickly dispatched him. The elf glanced up at her briefly with a grateful smile, then returned his attention to his remaining two opponents.

The horsemen had done their work, and more than half of the human army was now being herded towards Amiscan, where the rest of the elves hid, awaiting their chance to inflict some damage. Eliana directed Oriens towards the smaller group of soldiers, which was still managing to hold off the second line of weary elves.

They dove down into the center of the battle, scattering soldiers all around them. Just as she had hoped, the human army turned towards the towering, golden threat, swords and bows raised in their direction. Oriens lashed out, catching two soldiers between his teeth. The rest jumped back and turned to run, but they were met with elven soldiers. Their distraction cost them dearly, and they fell to the earth among the others.

Eliana leapt from Oriens’ back and drew her golden blade, ready to test its strength. Two men rushed towards her, swords lifted. Oriens swept one aside with his clawed front leg, roaring furiously. Eliana smiled to herself and faced the one that he’d left for her.

The soldier bellowed and swung his sword downwards in a heavy, barbaric manner. She parried it easily and spun so that she was at his back. She raised her sword, prepared to thrust it into his exposed spine, but she hesitated. She had never killed a man before.

In that brief moment, the man wheeled around to face her, swinging his sword at her head with both hands. She used her blade to guide it harmlessly passed her, then drew the golden edge sharply across his shoulder. He dropped his sword and fell with a shout of pain.

Four more men rushed at her. Oriens snapped at two of them, grabbing them between his teeth and hurling them across the snowy field. The remaining two balked, and Eliana struck one in the temple with her hilt before the second attacked. She blocked two of his strikes, then sliced deeply into his calf, making him fall to the ground with a howl of pain.

She glanced around her to find that the elves between the trees now outnumbered the humans in this portion of the army. The rest of this portion of the battle would be easy for them to finish. Eliana turned and grabbed the straps of the saddle, pulling herself up with one hand, the other still gripping her sword.

“Back to Amiscan, Oriens!” she cried as she swung onto his back.

Oriens leapt into the sky, his claws snatching at a few bold humans as he rose, and they soared to the village, where the larger portion of the human armies now faced an unexpected onslaught from the remainder of the hidden elves. The dragon roared again as they approached, but this time, only one head lifted towards the sound.

Caelum stared up at them with shock and what appeared to be fear on his face. Once again, Oriens dropped them into the very center of the battle, and Eliana leapt immediately from his back, striking at anyone who came within reach of her sword, using her magic when it was needed. She left soldiers wounded, bleeding, unconscious, but never dead.

Her mind seemed to be inseparably connected to Oriens’. There were moments when she was unsure if she was striking with sword or claws. Her shouts sounded like a roar in her own ears. She saw every soldier that Oriens faced, as well as the ones she fought. The dragon and Rider fought side by side, felling all that came within reach.

This, she thought, is what Veholum truly means.

She felled another soldier and yet another figure quickly replaced him, but this was a figure she knew. Caelum stepped up to her side, stopping the attack of a soldier that had been charging for her. “What are you doing?” he shouted, his blade flashing as he battled the soldier.

“Exactly what I’m supposed to be doing!” she replied angrily, slicing a deep gash across a nearby human’s back.

Another man fell on him, and Caelum growled deep in his throat, though whether it was at the soldier or at her, Eliana wasn’t sure. From the corner of her eye, she saw a man raise a bow towards her. She turned to face him, but the arrow was already loosed, flying straight at her chest.

She had a brief moment of clear realization, knowing that there would be no way to prevent the arrow’s tip from burying itself in her chest. When the arrow came within a foot of her heart, it suddenly fell to the earth, as if it had struck an invisible wall.

For a moment, both Eliana and the archer stared in surprise at the fallen arrow. Then he reached for another arrow. This time, however, she was ready. She raised her right hand, and a blast of flame struck the man, knocking him backwards. He screamed in pain and terror as he rolled on the flames that engulfed him.

Eliana turned to Caelum, knowing immediately what had happened, what had made the arrow fall.

“Drop the shield!” she screamed at him.

He made no answer, but continued to fight off a particularly talented swordsman.

“You can’t keep protecting me!” she shouted. In her anger, she raised a wave of earth beneath the soldier he fought, hurling the man backwards, away from Caelum. He bowled over three other red-clad soldiers as he fell.

Caelum looked over his shoulder at her briefly. His eyes were aflame and blood dripped form a shallow cut along his hairline. “Watch me!” he snapped.

She let out a frustrated, wordless scream as he turned away from her and forced his way between two elves, who were fighting back to back. She thought that the shield might drop, since he was no longer close to her side, but as a human swung a sword towards her, it stopped in midair.

Eliana growled as she glared at the man, and the ground beneath him shifted, growing around his legs, trapping him in earth. She stomped over to the confused, struggling soldier and struck him in the temple with her sword hilt. She knew it was not a fair or noble fight, but nobility was far from her mind in that moment. She was angry, and misdirected aggression was her only outlet.

Nearby, Oriens continued roaring and striking out with claws, teeth, and tail. There was no shield around him, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. Most of the soldiers scattered when the golden dragon stomped close to them. The few who were courageous enough to try to thrust their swords into Oriens’ chest soon found themselves between two rows of white, knife-like teeth.

Suddenly, there was another earth-shaking rumble. Eliana and several around her fell to their knees as the earth trembled beneath them. Her eyes darted around frantically, and then she spotted the dark shape, hovering in the sky above her. His black cloak billowed around him as he sent jets of flame down into the battle below. Elves fell with screams of pain, and the humans cheered.

“Oriens!” she screamed.

The dragon was already galloping towards her. As he ran past, she seized the saddle’s lowest strap, allowing the momentum to swing her upwards. No sooner had she landed in the saddle than Oriens launched them into the sky, straight towards the dark shape.

The dragon roared, and the sorcerer turned towards them with a smile, as if he had been waiting for this moment. He remained motionless, allowing the golden shape to hurtle towards him. Then, he raised his hand. Oriens’ wings snapped to his sides and they plummeted down.

“Open your wings, Oriens!” Eliana screamed to his mind.

“I can’t!” he grunted, wriggling as he fell, trying to free himself from some unseen force. The ground rushed up at them. “Get ready to jump, Eliana,” he said, his voice frantic. “Before we hit the ground, jump off. Use your magic to soften your landing.”

She didn’t have time to argue with him. A split second before the great, golden form struck the ground, she leapt from the saddle, and a current of wind pushed her to the side. She tumbled harmlessly across the grass, Caelum’s shield softening the blows. Oriens struck the ground with a force that made the earth shake, his body carving a deep, wide trench in the grass as he slid.

Eliana leapt to her feet immediately and raced to her dragon’s side. Her body ached from the force of his crash, but she saw him standing, shaking his head, stretching his wings, which were apparently now freed of the magic that had bound them.

“Are you alright?” she asked as she reached him.

He gave a curt nod, his eyes up on the sky, where the sorcerer waited for them. He looked as if he were laughing, but the sound did not reach them over the roar of the battle.

“Fit enough to fight,” he answered. “And that is what matters. Get back in the saddle.” As she clambered up, he said, “You need to use your magic. Throw everything you can at him. Keep him busy defending himself so he can’t attack.”

She nodded in understanding, and he launched them back into the sky. As soon as the sorcerer was within range, she gave a shout and began hurling every ounce of magic at him that she could manage. The dark shape darted away from her attacks, blocked them with his own magic, vanished her spells in his cloak.

She quickly felt her body beginning to drain from the effort, and she called on her narrow repository of human spells, which wouldn’t drain away her own energy. She shouted the words as rapidly as she could, throwing spell after spell at him as Oriens tried to dart in with teeth and claws. The man began to look panicked at the onslaught, which never gave him a chance to counter.

Desperately, he whipped his cloak around his head and disappeared, reappearing a moment later a few feet from them. “This is not over!” he shouted at them. “Your days are numbered, Rider!”

And with another swirling of black fabric, he vanished. Their eyes darted around them, but he did not return. Breathing heavily, Eliana directed her gaze to the battle that continued below them. Despite their sorcerer’s retreat, the human soldiers fought on.

“Back to the battle, Oriens,” she panted wearily.

The dragon snarled in agreement and descended quickly, landing back in the middle of the battle. Weary of body and drained of her magic, Eliana plunged back into the fray. As she sliced the tendons of a man’s sword arm, she spotted Caelum, caught in a heated battled with two human soldiers. He thrust, parried, and twirled, trying to fend both of them off at once.

His face was twisted in concentration, trying to maintain the shield that he had erected around her. With his focus divided, Caelum did not see the archer at the corner of a nearby hut. Eliana spotted the man in red as he reached for an arrow, and her heart leapt into her throat.

“No!”

It took her a moment to realize that the shout had come from her own throat, and she was now sprinting towards the man, who waited for a clear shot between the grappling soldiers. She screamed as she descended on the man, and his head turned towards her as her golden sword sliced a deep crevice in his bow arm.

He dropped his bow with a shout of pain and fell to his knees, clutching at the wound. She raised her sword to his chest, panting with anger and exertion. The soldier’s green eyes looked up at her, frightened and pleading.

“Please,” he whimpered as he knelt before her. “Please, Rider, I beg you. Don’t kill me. Don’t—“

Rage welled up inside of Eliana, and the man did not get to repeat his plea. With a shout of fury, she drove the point of the sword into his chest, sinking it into his flesh until half of the blade was buried inside of him. She jerked it out again, the golden metal seeped in red.

The soldier gasped in surprise and pain, then his eyes went blank, and he fell to his side, pouring his blood on the white snow. Eliana stared at him for a moment, her mind blank. She looked at the thick, red blood dripping from her sword. Then, realization struck her.

Her sword fell to the snowy ground without a sound, and she dropped to her knees beside the soldier. He was still gasping for breath, staring at her in pain and horror. Her hands fumbled at his tunic, pressing helplessly against the wound.

“No, no…” she muttered, nausea welling up inside of her. “No, I didn’t mean… Please don’t...”

Beneath her hands, the soldier’s body shuddered, and he was still. What have I done? He was dead. He had begged her for his life, and she had killed him. She turned her head and vomited into the snow, then crumpled to the ground beside the dead man, her body trembling. What have I done?

She closed her eyes, feeling the warm blood of the man beside her on her hands, her neck, her tunic. What have I done? Around her, she heard cries of retreat rise from the human army. Cheers broke out among the elven ranks as the enemy fled away, back to the mountains.

She remained beside the body of the man whose life she had taken, wishing it were her. I deserve to die… It should have been her own blood she was now lying in. Instead, it was the blood she had spilt with her own hands in blind rage. It was the life she had taken.

Distantly, she heard somebody screaming her name in the dark. “Eliana! Eliana!”

She remained still, her body numb, her mind overcome with agonizing guilt. The shouting voice drew closer. It was comforting and angelic, that voice, but its beauty was tainted with a note of panic. The voice was at her side then, and she felt an arm slide under her head.

“No!” the voice sobbed. “No, please no!”

The angel was crying. Warm tears splashed onto her chest. Distantly, part of Eliana’s mind thought that this was wrong—angels shouldn’t cry.

“Eliana!” he cried again. This time, the name came from his lips in a deep, sobbing sound. He repeated her name again and again, his voice breaking with overwhelming grief.

She felt a pair of strong but gentle hands wiping the soldier’s blood from her neck, searching for an injury. He thinks it’s my blood, she thought numbly. If only it were…

Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring into a vast expanse of blue. Not the blue of the sky, but the eyes of the angel, still wet with tears. He made a choked, sobbing sound and closed his eyes, tilting his head back in relief. Then he bowed it and pressed his face into her neck.

His arms held her tightly as she felt his tears wetting her neck. Wearily, she put one hand on his back as she looked up at the cloudy winter sky. His body was trembling with suppressed sobs and overwhelming relief.

“Caelum…” she whispered near his ear. “Caelum, I killed him.”

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye, putting a hand to her cheek. “What?” he asked quietly.

She turned her head towards the fallen warrior who lay beside her, still staring into her face with scared green eyes. Tears began to rush down her cheeks. “I killed him!” she sobbed. “He begged me to spare him but I didn’t! I didn’t! I killed him!”

She was shouting, hysterical with grief and terror at what her own hands had done.

Caelum pulled her close to him, holding her trembling body tightly. “It’s okay,” he whispered, softly stroking her hair. “You’re safe. Everything is okay.”

“No it’s not!” She shouted the words into his tunic, her face against his chest. Sobs punctuated her words sharply. “I want to die. I deserve to die!”

His grip tightened around her. “Don’t you dare say that,” he hissed in her ear, his voice trembling. “I thought I had lost you, Eliana. I won’t stand for anyone to wish that were true. Not even you. Don’t you say it.”

Sobs shook her as one word repeated itself over and over in her mind. Murderer… Murderer… Murderer…

“Eliana.” It was Oriens, speaking gently and soothingly to her guilt-wracked mind. “Sleep, Eliana. We will take care of you.”

The dragon pressed warmth and comfort into her mind, and she gladly surrendered to his request, slipping into blissful darkness, where she could feel nothing.