by Lisa Rector
“SIANA!” Einion tried to pull himself forward, but the wind, his captor, paralyzed him. He could do nothing. His grip slackened. How had Rhianu done this? How had she conquered the wind and not fallen? She had turned to darkness—had transitioned, becoming evil. Who did she call for help? Einion knew only one person could save him. Deian, help me! I need your help. Please, I’m at your mercy.
Einion’s breath caught when he realized the wind had hushed. The cave lay in eerie, impenetrable silence. He looked up as a light gradually formed in front of him.
“Einion.”
He blinked up at the light. The voice was not familiar. His vision focused through the blur on the form of a man, whose wildly curling hair and smiling face were not unlike his own.
“Einion.” The man’s face creased around his smile.
Was he looking at himself? No, the man was remarkably similar, but the differences were apparent. Einion knew where he’d seen this face. He had stared at his father’s portrait in the Hallway of the Kings back in Terrin. This portrait and his grandfather’s portrait hung there, great noble paintings crying from the beyond for Einion to live up to his heritage.
“Brenin?” Einion choked. He had never called him father. Aneirin was his father in life. He tried again. “Father?”
Brenin crouched and lifted Einion’s hand, raising him to his feet. “My son, my son.”
“Father, how’s this possible? Am I dead?” Einion looked around. The chamber was still, all trace of the supernatural wind conquered, and the only light emanated from his father. “How do you glow? You’re not an emrys.”
“No, my son. And you are much alive. I was never an emrys. But Deian’s light fills me now.”
“You’re from the beyond?”
“I dwell in an eternal paradise with Deian. My body has been restored and glorified by His light.”
“You were a righteous man. Your people loved you. I understand why Deian would do this for you.”
“Einion, you’re not inferior to me. You never were. I never wanted you to struggle with doubts about your worth. You’re priceless in my eyes and in the eyes of your creator. In my life, I strove to do only the best I could. That’s all I ever hoped for you.”
“I’ve always been embarrassed of who I am. Always felt the dark stain in my heart,” Einion said.
“The darkness has never defined you. It’s always been your choices that turn you toward light or away from it.”
“I failed you. Look what’s become of me. Look where I stand. I have much darkness inside. I’m about to take the power from Cysgod himself.”
“You have not failed me. This has never been about me. You’ve made this choice. It’s based on your pure intentions. It’s based on love. I’m here to give you courage. You can do this. You have it within yourself to be a great man. You are a great man. Your heart is honest and true.”
Einion mopped at the tears running down his face. To hear this validation coming from his own father…
“You believe I can fight this.”
“I know you can. Cysgod has weaknesses. He has to abide by the same laws of the beyond as we do. The same laws Deian follows. You can use them against Cysgod.”
“I don’t know all the laws. How can I use them against him?”
“Follow your heart. Follow your instincts.”
“Will I be able to save Rhianu?”
“I think that you will. Have faith.”
“Where’s Siana? Did she fall?”
“No, she’s veiled from our eyes. She waits for you at the other side.” Brenin leaned forward and touched his forehead to Einion’s in the same manner as the emrys.
Love flowed through him—and strength. Could he do this? At least he knew he wasn’t alone. His father was watching over him. Siana had not fallen. There was hope. Einion wondered how his glorified father could touch his body with the darkness inside.
As the light faded around them, Einion grabbed his father’s arms, clinging to him until, at last, Brenin disappeared, leaving Einion alone in the dark.
The wind never returned, and Einion felt along the bridge, toward Siana’s light at the far end of the chamber.
“Are you all right?” Einion asked once he reached her.
“Yes,” Siana answered, her raw voice grating.
“Save your voice.” Einion couldn’t see her, even though Siana sat right next to him. He found her rough, scraped hand. “Now we travel in darkness?”
“For now,” Siana whispered. “There’s light ahead. The path is level for a while.”
They rose to their feet. Siana kept her hand in Einion’s, and they moved forward, feeling along the wall. Their steps kicked loose a few pebbles—the only noise as they left the windless chamber behind them.
“What happened back there?” Siana whispered. “The wind has never stopped before.”
Einion squeezed her hand. “I met my father.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
BATTLE
The dragons and riders prepared for battle as more units arrived. Urien made the final arrangements. When the enemy started across the wilderness, Urien planned for the Dragons of Light to meet them in the middle, keeping the battle far away from Rolant but close enough for supplies from the three realms. If the battle stretched on for more than one night, the armies might have to retreat and regroup. He could only hope the dragons would likewise be forced to return to Morvith.
Catrin paced after a morning meeting with the commanders and captains. She mentally assessed the numbers—the amount of light versus darkness. The emrys were outnumbered. The light’s energy was stronger than the dark’s energy, but Catrin wasn’t sure about the influence Cysgod had over his army. What would be the difference? Would it make the warriors more ferocious during battle and relentless in their need to kill? Catrin recalled the power Lord Caedryn used over two decades ago. As just a dark half-emrys, he could command the elements—move the very earth. How would Rhianu wield the dark power as the Vessel?
Emryn healers would be flown to the battle’s rear and be posted with several ancient, powerful emrys who’d counter dark magical attacks.
The skilled Dragon Riders flying into battle had honed their light’s abilities for offensive tactics. Light could be used as a weapon or a shield. Mortal instruments could be imbued with light as a means to strengthen them or fix a true mark. A dragon’s powerful claws and sharp teeth and flame made him a formidable opponent.
But sadly, Catrin couldn’t see many walking away from this. The death toll would be extreme on both sides. Complete idiocy! Catrin wanted to cry. How can we sacrifice our endless life, fighting dragon against dragon, emrys against emrys?
Urien wanted to prevent as much death as possible by grounding most of the enemy dragons. The main target was Rhianu. Catrin hoped to meet her in combat. If Rhianu fell, her army would weaken. Without a leader, Cysgod’s influence would crumble, and the army would be effectively quashed.
Catrin’s eye twitched. The Evil wanted only to destroy the dragons by luring them out of Gorlassar. And the emrys had left the realm to defend the mortals without hesitation. Two decades ago, the emrys had finally turned from their protected existence to aid the mortals. Many had died in the War Between the Realms, but the emrys felt justified in defending such helpless beings. They had beaten the Evil back temporarily. This battle was the next step.
But in his quest for destruction, Cysgod wouldn’t care if his army was crushed in the process. His men were disposable puppets. This was his game.
It made Catrin sick.
***
A single dragon roar rang out as Catrin swallowed her last bite of dinner. That was the signal. Catrin turned her eyes to the east and sensed the blackened void of darkness move in one huge mass.
It had begun.
Catrin was already in her heavy flying gear. She had fixed her hair in a single tight braid. After strapping a sword on her back, she slung a knife on her hip. She hoped she wouldn’t have to use th
em, but when it came down to it, having a physical weapon as a backup was ideal. Light could steadily become depleted, especially in the face of carnage. If she could stay in the air on Trahaearn that would be the safest course, unless Rhianu fought on the ground, then Catrin would meet her there. Urien told Catrin she wasn’t to engage Rhianu on her own, but if the opportunity arose, Catrin wouldn’t hesitate.
She’d been assigned to a unit flying right flank. Urien had purposely done this to keep her off the front line, but once dragons started flying, battle became chaotic.
Catrin met Trahaearn, and she mounted. Not having trained on Trahaearn, riding on him would be interesting, to say the least. Trahaearn was eager to fly into his first battle and to find Einion. They had a slight showdown earlier as to who’d be following whose orders.
“Trahaearn, in battle you follow my lead. Fly instinctively as you did with Einion, but if we have to perform a specific maneuver, listen to me. Please!” Catrin was not in the mood to argue.
“You’ll take the fun out of it!” Trahaearn bellowed.
“This isn’t fun, Trahaearn. This is not like one of the mock campaigns you’ve trained for at home. I’ve flown into battle before. This is dangerous. We could die.” Oh, how Catrin wished she were flying on Cerys! They were a well-oiled machine. “Do I have your word?”
“Yes,” Trahaearn said, hanging his head.
“Trahaearn!”
“I know. I know. I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you.” Catrin sighed.
***
As the army flew for several hours over the hot wasteland, Catrin silently thanked Deian for the cooling wind that lifted her spirit. The moon hung at its full height, lending its gleam for the battle, and the sand reflected its brilliance in return, only somewhat enhancing the visibility. Dragons could see in the dark, so this battle would commence this night whether Catrin was ready or not.
Spreading across the sky in an expansive line, the mass of enemy dragons came into sight. Many of the dragons were dark colors, difficult to see in the black skies with only the moon casting menacing shadows across their bodies. In contrast, the Dragons of Light were colors that were more vibrant. Dragons ranged in all sizes, but looming before them were huge, ferocious beasts with broad wings and razor-sharp claws. Many of the Dragons of Light were small—an advantage for maneuvering against the larger dragons.
The front lines closed in on each other with no pause, no time to rest. Dragons on both sides roared and gnashed their teeth. The night sky lit up with their hot fire.
The dragons carrying the healers and the older emrys landed far from the conflict. The entirely flat wasteland provided no cover, but looking over her shoulder, Catrin saw emrys erupting rocks out of the sand with their powers, making shelter.
As the front lines surged together, Trahaearn flew with their unit to the side. For the most part, riders launched attacks and defended from a safe distance with their dragons. It was dangerous for a dragon to clash claws with a rider on their back, so the volleys fired back and forth from either side. Many dragons raked through the lines and rose again to circle around. To the untrained eye, it looked disorganized, as though no ranks were kept.
Catrin’s flank closed in as the flank of the dark army turned to meet them. Trahaearn roared, and flame shot from his mouth. Catrin hugged low against Trahaearn and surrounded them in a protective field of light. Aiming at an oncoming Dark Emrys, Catrin lifted her arms to the sky and fired. He shielded himself from the shot and returned the blow. Catrin blocked the shot and heaved it back at the rider, hitting his dragon on the tail. A feeble blow. The dragon twitched his tail and instead of turning to the side while they approached, glided in for a head-on collision.
“What in the name of…” Catrin yelled.
Trahaearn tipped to the side and shouted, Hold on!
Oh, no! Oh no you don’t! Catrin braced herself in the saddle. She had watched Einion and Trahaearn too many times not to know what he was doing.
He whipped his wing around, causing them to roll in the air, dropping below the rapidly approaching dragon. They narrowly missed, and Trahaearn flipped again and they were right-side up.
You did it! Oh, you did it!
Oh, you of little faith, Trahaearn said.
But they didn’t have time for more words because another dragon rapidly approached.
***
Rhianu and Aerona waited at the rear of the battle. She was disappointed the Dragon Riders had met them over the dessert, but it would serve her purpose. Aerona was eager for combat, but Rhianu wanted to watch the events unfold. Charge had been assumed by the top-ranking commander in Meuric’s absence, leaving Rhianu free to blend with the fray.
Thinking about what Meuric could be doing, she wrung her hands. He’d better not kill Einion.
Would you rather the alternative? Suppose Einion does reach the barrier? What then? Aerona asked.
A shiver ran through Rhianu. If Einion took the power… It won’t come to that. Meuric will stop him.
Dragons from both armies dropped from the sky as the battle progressed, but the numbers were greater on the opposing side.
Rhianu smiled. Yet another victory. Though the battle was far from over, she knew to be cautious. Soon Aerona would have her chance to fight. Rhianu liked to play her part as well. The thrill could not be denied, and Rhianu was feeling the thirst. Aerona fidgeted in the air.
All right, Aerona. Let’s go.
Aerona’s cry exploded over the pandemonium as she picked up speed and swooped past the existing ranks. Rhianu leaned forward, balancing her weight, while Aerona swerved in and out between friend and adversary. As they flew above a green dragon, Aerona plucked the rider out of the saddle, tossed him carelessly into the air, and watched him fall to the desert floor below.
Aerona sideswiped an incoming dragon, crashing him head-on into another one. The resounding crunch that resulted was hard to ignore.
Oooo, broken wing. You make me proud, Aerona.
Rhianu added a couple of casual attacks, saving her energy for hand-to-hand combat. Even so, she was able to unseat a few riders and watch them plummet to their deaths.
The battle commenced on the ground where riders without their dragons fought others who had fallen. Rhianu’s heart raced. She preferred battle amidst the throng of sweaty bodies and slaughter. Aerona, there, leave me in the fray over there.
She referred to a spot right in the thick of combat. Electricity brimmed under Rhianu’s skin while her power surfaced. She wouldn’t be surprised if her hair was standing on end. Her mouth watered in anticipation of slicing through leather armor into soft, yielding flesh.
Aerona moved swiftly to the mark. For a moderate-sized dragon, she was adept at weaving her way through the tumult while Rhianu took out obstacles on the way. On the left, approaching too quickly, was an all-too-familiar, silver blonde-haired emrys with piercing green eyes—Catrin.
Their eyes met and locked. Energy flowed into Rhianu’s fingertips, and she brought her hands forward to give Catrin the shock the little princess deserved. But before Rhianu could unleash the power, Trahaearn—
He survived the fall! Aerona grumbled.
—dipped to the side, flipped over, and dropped below them, seizing Aerona’s underbelly and wrenching her upside down. Trahaearn had locked them together, and they rolled through the sky out of control.
Rhianu toppled from her saddle but grabbed the seat, dangling in the air. Shove this buffoon off!
I’m taking this idiot down with me!
The weight of Aerona was too much for Trahaearn, who was trying to kick her off. Aerona wouldn’t have it. If he was bold enough to try such a brazen maneuver… “Is this any way to treat a lady?” Aerona growled.
Let go, Aerona. Let go! They were falling fast. Stupid fool. What kind of trick is this? Rhianu grabbed hold of the strap that held the saddle to Aerona. She pulled herself around to Aerona’s pale underside, grasped Catrin’s ankle, and yanked her off th
e beast.
Catrin clutched Rhianu’s arm as they both fell.
In midair, Rhianu kicked Catrin in the stomach before sending energy around herself to cushion the impact. Rhianu hit the earth harder than she intended and rolled several feet. Her hands and arms bled, encrusted with abrasive sand, but she kicked to her feet and looked through the swirling dust for Catrin. Rhianu waved her hand, and magically the cloud departed, clearing her vision.
Catrin was waiting for her.
Eyes flared with hatred, Rhianu saw the same rage reflected in Catrin’s eyes. Rhianu laughed. “Better back away little girl, or you’re going to burn.”
“Not a chance old hag.” Catrin pulled her sword from the sheath, the metal ringing when she did so.
Aerona, are you safe?
I shook him off. I’m well at it.
Good.
Rhianu unsheathed her sword and caught her image—hair like flaming fingers and eyes like glowing coals—on the shiny steel. She turned her sword in an arch and steadied it in front of her. As they studied one another, all other sound died, and Rhianu saw only the fight before her. Heightened senses revealed the slightest quiver in Catrin’s lips.
Raising her sword, Rhianu attacked first. Catrin met the blow and parried it away. Catrin struck next, but Rhianu blocked the hit. The two swords crackled as blade struck blade.
Catrin made an advance, but Rhianu disengaged and followed through, slicing into Catrin’s arm. A sharp intake of breath from Catrin was Rhianu’s reward. Drawing her shoulders up, Catrin heaved a blast of light right from her forehead. The energy smacked Rhianu and knocked her off her feet. She swirled her non-sword hand above her head, making a miniature whirlwind, which she sent at Catrin, who was caught up and spun several times before falling to her feet a few yards away.
Rhianu kicked to her feet and sheathed her sword. Free from Catrin, Rhianu called on the dark power. Her eyes glazed over while she chanted, seeing the individual elements with her mind, seeing how she could manipulate each one to her will. Words slipped from her mouth as quietly as a mouse, and her trembling hands reached toward the ground.
