Dragon Rider (DragonMage Saga)

by Platt, S. P.

  Angel and Aura come back to the others and starts telling them what they think the spell is for. ‘The spell was never meant to break the old spell holding the school. We’re not sure what it was for, but we will work on it. We will have to keep coming back to look at the spell and try working out how the pattern should work and what it was really meant to do.’

  ‘Angel what if you looked inside the pattern and see if that might help make some sense. Maybe the spell is inside out or upside down?’ Shylyn was busy looking into the pattern of the spell seeing if she could find what was truly there.

  Angel was thinking along the same line when Shylyn talked about it. ‘Lets all look into the spell and see what we each see. Then we talk about it and see if that will show us what the spell is really for?’

  They are all looking at the spell even to the point of going very close to it and trying to look at all angles. Still they could not see the pattern; it was like looking at a kaleidoscope and trying to make a pattern out of it.

  It was getting late and getting dark when Angel calls it quits for the day. He decides they need some fresh air as it might be a while before they get to the bottom of the spell.

  The following morning found Gavrie back and Angel’s mother sitting at the meal table waiting for Angel to turn up. ‘Hi I’ve been here most of the night waiting for you to get up. I didn’t want to wake you so been sitting in here drinking. How are you feeling now that you have rested up for a few days?’

  ‘I feel really good and glad to see you, I miss you heaps and Rho and Etha as well. Are they going to be coming by sometime or are they busy with the attacks?’ Angel did miss his mother and brothers even with all that was happening.

  ‘Your brothers are well and they guard the hatchery so wont be able to come see you for a while.’ She could see Angel really did miss his old life but she didn’t want to say anything not wanting to upset him.

  Tish got up. ‘I must go as I’ve been away to long, with the attacks happening more often now, I must go you take care and I will see you when I get a chance.’ Feeling she had spent too much time away. At the moment there had not been an attack for a week now but she knew they would attack soon; it was just a matter of time.

  Gavrie came up to them after Tish left. ‘Ok now as I’ve been away for a day with regards the creature attacks, it might be time for you to learn where they come from. So the lesson today will be all day and it will be about the Dark Realm.’

  ‘What is the Dark Realm it sounds if it is night all the time?’ Shylyn asked.

  ‘That you will find out when you get to class. Your class is with the other first year students. Because of the attacks first year students will get a course in the Dark Realms when normally that does not happen till year three.’ Gavrie looked at them to see what their reaction would be, for this was dealing in darker magic not normally suited for first and second year students.

  ‘Will we be learning about dark magic when learning about the Dark Realms?’ Angel looked at Gavrie knowing this is a very important subject, to get to do this in their first year when normally it’s two years away.

  ‘Those that live in the Dark Realm use dark magic and that magic is very dangerous so you will be watched at every corner when dealing with the Dark Realm. Now understand this for you four to learn this when you have started two years earlier than is normal means dangerous times have come on us and has forced this decision on us. You need to know where the creatures come from and how they are brought here. Do you understand this?’ Looking at each as he waited for there answer, seeing the uncertainty in their eyes but also there was a hint of excitement.

  The four of them looked at Gavrie and in unison gave him there answer. ‘We understand.’

  ‘Then when you are ready follow me?’ Gavrie turned and was out the door like a shot not waiting for any answer or questions.

  They quickly run out to catch up as they had not expected Gavrie to move so quickly. He took them to the far side of the school and up into a tower at the far corner. Climbing the stairs the four where running to keep up with Gavrie. Finely they get to the top where there is a class in progress.

  They stand at the door till the teacher who is working with the first and second year students notices they are there and indicates seats in the front. The four are quickly in their seats and listening to the teacher.

  ‘For those who have just arrived my name is Elmeck and I will be teaching you about the Dark Realms and their magic and the creatures that inhabit that realm. Now none of you would normally learn any of this till you are in your third year here. But I have been instructed to start showing you and teaching you.’ He looked around at them and seeing the fear and surprise in their faces, he could well understand this.

  Elmeck decided to get straight into the facts not holding anything back. ‘The creatures from the Dark Realm are the most evil and vile monsters that exist today. What is happening with the attacks means someone is opening gates into that realm and bringing creatures here to attack people.’

  He looked for the fear to really show on their faces so that he could tell which ones would carry on learning and which would not be allowed to learn about those realms. If they did not show fear then they would not be careful and could make mistakes that could end up hurting students.

  There were a couple who had to leave the class and report to the headmaster as they would be sent to other classes. They may be allowed to learn about those realms in a couple of years if they can show the fear needed and caution when learning the spells that are needed to control opening gates into that realm.

  The class has got to learn how to open gates to that realm in order to be able to close them. There are creatures there that can use its own magic to keep open a gate. Learning about those creatures and how to stop that from happening is what this class lets them achieve.

  Angel calls Aura into his mind to learn about the Dark Realm, and indicates to Medwin, Shylyn and Maive to do the same. As they look around the class they can see pictures of weird creatures, some of them so indescribable. Up front on the table was a dead creature, taken from the attack and preserved to show the class.

  The creature was as big as Elmeck; with large wings with sharp spikes along the edge. It stood on two legs with four very sharp claws and a hook on the back of the heal. The head was like a little dragon with the jaw longer and narrower with razor sharp teeth. Its skin had a leathery look to it, but up close they could see it had a film of slime over it.

  All students were trying not to look at it, but the teacher made them. ‘Look at it as this is what you will have to defend against and many others that are even more grotesque?’

  The kids looked but did not like it and showed their fear of the thing. This is what he wanted them to feel, for if they feared it then they would be more careful when trying to defend against it. Elmeck looked around the class to make sure they showed the fear that was going to be needed to fight them.

  ‘Now I want you all to come up front and take a closer look but do not touch it, is that understood?’ Looking at them as they all nodded their heads to his words.

  All the students came up to the front and circled the table with the creature on it. They did not come that close and Elmeck looked happy. They had shown respect for something they did not know much about.

  Standing at the table he looked at them waiting for their response to what he was about to say. ‘If any of you had disobeyed me and touched the creature you would have been sent from this class and not allowed ever to work magic again. The slime on the creature is deadly and you would have had to be taken to the healing room where your magic would have had to have been almost completely taken from you for you to live.’

  The class all backed up very quickly away from the table and what was on it. There were looks of utter surprise and deep fear, for to have to lose most of your magic would be like losing your arms or legs. Magic was apart of you, once you have it the magic becomes part of the living body.
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br />   Elmeck waved his arm indicating they should they go back to their seats. Still shocked with fear to talk, all the students were this way and that’s how Elmeck wanted them to be. He went to the door and indicated to two attendants that waited to remove the creature.

  ‘Now we get down to learning about the Dark Realm and what lives in it. Once we’ve done that you will learn how to open gates to that realm and close them before you let any of the creatures into this realm. I tend to think that there are enough being released here now without this class letting more in.’ He went to his desk and he proceeded to show them the creatures and what magic properties they have.

  They spent the morning learning about the creatures and how they used their magic if they had any. Most of them did not but their defences where like the one seen in the class, poison slime or claws that had poison. They all headed off for lunch and sat at the table with plates of food but not having a good apatite to eat any of it.

  Not being hungry, they headed off up to the library as the teacher decided he had shocked them a little too much. They going to use the master books in trying to find spells to help them. While there decide to look up spells on opening portals or gates. Finding them by themselves in the library they spent a little talking about what they had just learned and seen.

  ‘That creature looked really disgusting and the teachers letting us go up there not telling us it was dangerous even when it was dead. What if we would have touched it we would have lost our magic?’ Maive was still shocked by it.

  Angel went over to her and looked her in the eyes before speaking to her. ‘It was the only way for him to find out if we would show respect for a dead creature we knew nothing about.’

  ‘I know that, but what if all the class were to touch it then they would lose all those students as wizards?’ She was starting to relax a bit now but was still on edge as it showed in her voice.

  ‘If we didn’t learn to respect something we do not know anything about then we shouldn’t have magic, that is what they would be thinking and looking for.’ Angel started to smile at her as he finished.

  ‘I know but it was the shock of finding out if I had touched it I would have lost the magic and that is something I don’t even want to think about.’ She shuddered as she spoke of her feelings about what could have happened.

  ‘Come on you passed for you held back and that showed respect for something you did not understand. Now when you come across anything that comes outside what you know you will treat with caution and respect. Now come on lets see if we can’t find any spells that might help us?’ He steered her over to the master books and got one down for her.

  They spent the afternoon in the library learning what they could. They found spells for little things and they were coming to the conclusion all the spells in the library were just for little spells and nothing that was really dangerous.

  There were some spells that let you create the balls of fire and the fire bolts and little blots of energy but there was nothing that you could use to fight or defend against a full grown and powerful wizard.

  ‘We are going to have to try harder there must be something in this library that will help us defeat the Renegade?’ Medwin was starting to lose heart at not finding anything.

  ‘We can’t give up there has got to be something in here for how does a full grown wizard get all their dangerous and powerful spells. They must learn it from somewhere and that is what we need to do, so come on we’re not giving up?’ Angel had determination on his face as he thumped his fist into his hand.

  Shylyn was sitting reading one of the books when she called them over. ‘Look at this spell it is another small one but there is a little notation just underneath it?’

  ‘What does it say, read it out for us?’ Angel responded quickly so they could find out what she had found.

  ‘Ok here it is. With all spells it is the individual wizard who is the one able to determine how powerful that spell can be. For some wizards a spell like this one they would be able to make it just this powerful and no more, where as other wizards could make it ten times more powerful. It is that wizard’s individual power that will determine how strong the spell will be. What is hard for one wizard is not for another, but there would be other spells that this wizard could do more than another’s?’ She stopped at the end looking at the others.

  Angel stood there thinking a minute before speaking. ‘We as wizards should be able to increase the power of a spell depending on our magic. So we’ve been looking at this the wrong way, these spells in the library are basic spells, but the individual wizard must determine how powerful he can get it.’

  ‘Then we must try to increase the spells here to see how powerful we can make them, but we have an advantage over other wizards for we have the strength of our dragons.’ Medwin looked with fire in his eyes as he spoke, knowing that with their dragons magic blending in with theirs, the spell could be far more powerful than any other wizard.

  They all found a seat and sat as they now had new thoughts to ponder, for if the book was right then with their magic and the dragons’ magic helping theirs then the spells they create will be very powerful indeed. With expressions of shock on their faces which had drained of colour, they in theory could become the most powerful wizards there ever were.

  This was a very big shock to them and Angel could see this as he looked at each of his friends faces. They will need to be calmed so he could tell them they must first learn the spells. It was not going to happen over night but it will happen, he could feel the magic running in his system and could call it up at any time.

  They were going to have to think on this. ‘I think we had better go back to our room and talk about this. Here and now is not the place or time as the shock we got in the class is still having an effect on us. We need to sleep on this and come back to what we have learned in the morning?’

  They all got up and headed off down to their rooms but found as they passed the meal hall the smells coming from there made them feel hungry, and as they had not been able to eat lunch they decided to stop and eat. Going into the hall they found it was crowded and so thought they would take food to their room and eat there.

  They all finished and got up going to their rooms to sleep on what was going to be another change in their life and this one would out do the others if what they read was right. Angel lay on his bed thinking. His life has changed so much in such a short time it’s just about too much to take in.

  With the power if it comes and he knows deep down that he and his fiends are so different from the other wizards and students. With what he and the others have learned then they will have to learn to control what they show the others. Our spells are going to have to look like any of the other students first time spells.

  Then he remembers the spell they did with Gavrie the other day and the thunderbolts they sent into the sea. Gavrie’s one did not reach where we sent ours. What did he think when that happened, Angel cringed a little as he wandered about it.

  He would have to talk to the others in the morning about his thoughts and what they might do about it. With having their dragons join them in class that day, they never knew how strong the spell would be and then they controlled it a little without realizing it.

  His thoughts were on what his magic and Auras magic and how they can draw on each others and combine it to make it stronger. Finely he managed to get off to sleep but his dreams were of magic and the spells weaving around him. Waking with a start from the dreams he found he was not going to get anymore sleep this night and went out to the common room and sit by the fire and think.

  Angel was there only about half an hour when Medwin came in and not long after him Shylyn and Maive. They sat by the fire and looked at each other, waiting for someone to speak, not wanting to be the first. Finely Angel looked around and decided he would be first.

  ‘We have changed from that first day we all meet, never even thinking anything like this could happen to us. The really good part a
bout this is our dragons and what they have given us, the joy of being able to fly on a dragon. The deep friendship we have with them, something I don’t ever want to lose.’ He looked at them seeing in their faces his thoughts, there feelings being the same.

  They looked at Angel and nodded, thinking on what Angel said. Each one knowing what changes had been done when they meet their dragons and would never give that up. The dragons were now part of their lives, each looking deep into there selves seeing and feeling the joy there now.

  Angel gave them time with their thoughts when Aura popped into his mind. ‘We feel what you all feel. Our lives are never to be the same again for what you have given us is what has been missing in our lives. Even when we were young we felt as if there was something missing. But when you saved me and rode on my back and were in my mind, I became whole.’

  Angel felt the joy in Aura for him and he felt his for her. There bond so strong only death could take it away. He looked at the others and judging by the looks they have on their faces their dragons are with them now as well. What happens here tonight is going to have far reaching effects on themselves and all that are around them.

  ‘We must now talk about what we have learned of the magic we now possess. I think we will find that without combining our magic we by ourselves will have very strong magic. I think it has something to do with clearing our magic paths and the way we do it.’ Again he looked at each one and could feel they were thinking the same thing.

  ‘We know if it wasn’t for you Angel we would never have a dragon and our lives would not be whole. You brought us together and I think it has come at a time when we are going to be needed. If you had not developed magic and been up in those mountains that day we would not be here.’ Medwin looked at Angel and the others and they could see on his face the gratitude for what he now has.