With the barest thought she stepped from the edge of the forest—
To the dark staircase of the tower outside his door. The spell set to keep intruders out posed no problem to her. She passed through the door without physical effort.
__________
Jayson
Jayson rubbed his eyes to no avail, since the brightness blinded him from inside.. The light woke him from his sleep, alerting him to the arrival, while something inside him reached out, drawing him further from the depths of sleep.
No one kept watch; all of them having a sense of security within the tower. From the silence thick in the room, he knew the others still slept.
Jayson’s groggy mind tried to make sense of the change in the colors of magic, but the pieces shifted in logical but complex pattern. When he opened his eyes, he saw her step through the closed door and thought he passed into a dream. An inner light shone from within her, reminding him of Haiberuk.
From beneath the cowl, blue eyes on a young, radiant face met his but looked beyond, as if she sought something inside or behind him. Jayson closed his eyes to the image of feminine perfection, his thoughts drifting to Calli. It had to be a dream.
A second later, he opened one eye to see if the woman had vanished.
She put a finger to her lips.
I know who you are, she told him. The glow of the small fire across the room softened her features.
Jayson opened both eyes and sat up from his blankets.
She took a seat on a nearby chair, making no sound. The colors of magic brightened about her. Haiberuk had had the same effect on the magic. This had to be Tahronen, his sister Majera.
He could think of no one else. I am honored, my lady.
A smile brightened her face, and she pulled her hood off golden locks matching Haiberuk’s.
Two armies linger outside the castle, she said.
Two armies? He assumed she meant the dragons as one, but who or what else was the other?
The other was sent by Tyrkam.
Jayson fought a smile and pictured Vahrik’s fury when he saw his father’s men invade. Tyrkam was no one’s fool and would give no ground to those who sought to steal his power. Would Lusiradrol’s beasts allow the attack and sit aside in amusement, or would they enjoy a feast?
This day will end in bloodshed. Her eyes dropped, and her smile fell into sorrow.
Is that why you’ve come? With a Majera helping them, they could not fail. He would take Calli away from this place and almost felt invincible knowing Tahronen would be with them. She would know how to break Lusiradrol’s spell.
She shook her head in answer. I had a vision. I could not let the last of the Sh’lahmar, nor any of my dragons, die.
The cold shivered down his back. I’ll not let me die either. The same applies to the others, of course. He certainly hoped to live through whatever happened, or at least he planned to.
She smiled with more cheer than he had seen from anyone for a long time.
Are the dragons coming? The weather must have cleared.
With a shrug, Tahronen replied, I know of some but cannot say how many. Her eyes gazed beyond him for a moment before focusing once more. Two of the elder drakes wait nearby.
Sethirngal?
I cannot say. Was he with you?
He brought us from Eyr Droc.
I see. How is Istaria? I assume Damaera and Gayleana arrived?
Jayson recalled the two women and the introductions. Sounds right. They arrived as we left.
The shuffle of movement alerted both to someone waking from behind a stack of books.
Gaispar sat upright, her eyes widening. “High Priestess!” Her hushed voice squeaked with surprise. A second later, the shock fell to a puzzled frown. “You left the Lumathir?”
“In good hands, yes.” Tahronen’s gentle reprimand silenced any further questions. Her eyes passed over Darius, who slept soundly by the fire, before returning to Jayson.
“Let him sleep.” Jayson indicated Darius with a lift of his chin. “He suffered enough.”
She nodded and sat back in the chair. “Rest, both of you, before the day comes. You’ll need it.”
Without a word, Jayson laid down, but his heart raced with expectations, keeping his mind alert and chasing off sleep. Majera, dragons, Tyrkam’s army, the Red Clan, Lusiradrol…
This was not any escape he planned.
This was the eve of battle, one that would start a war.
__________
Gayleana
The wind whistled past Gayleana and chilled through her as she clung to the low ridges of Anthârgal’s back. As one of the older dragons and the offspring of Sethirngal, the one Istaria described as her teacher, he bore the greatest respect of the young drakes. When he asked for a few volunteers, they received more than they hoped.
They glided on air currents, high in the sky where they cast no discernable shadow over the land. Anthârgal led the chevron formation presently, although they rotated as the leader tired.
The magnitude of their power overwhelmed her when they connected themselves with magic. Only once had she experienced anything similar; when the Lumathir joined with Tahronen to hold off Lusiradrol.
If only the dragons had come to their rescue then! Lusiradrol had attacked without remorse, striking at the heart of emotional weakness. Gayleana and the others had experienced all of Damaera’s sorrows and joys. The burden of her sister’s heart was one she had never expected.
Gayleana sighed and leaned on the bony ridge in front of her, her fingers seeming frozen to the dragon’s scales. Her sister was strong of spirit. No one could deny that.
A smile crept out with the thought. Galen would gain nothing from her, except a good shove through the portal.
Before her mind strayed further, Anthârgal angled down in a gentle slope.
Gayleana risked a glance over his side. The forest spread out below them as they emerged from the scattered clouds.
She sat upright with her eyes on the fortress looming in the distance. The clean-cut lines against the orange, eastern sky broke the rough, natural landscape.
When Anthârgal shifted his head to the left, she followed his eyes. In the distance, three more dragons approached. With the lighter hues of dawn, she made out one green that outsized both the gold and the blue dragons with it. Their wings beat the air in their haste to join the formation.
Are these the elder drakes? she asked.
Three of five I see alive.
Not returned are the others yet;
they know not where their travels get.
Just as well. The dragon’s rhyming sounded strange, but made her realize why the legends about them always described them speaking in riddles.
She caught movement among the trees below, but they flew too high for her to fix on it with any clarity. What is that?
Men of Tyrkam I would guess.
Horses and uniforms no less.
The men below moved at a fast pace, but the dragons outraced them. Wynmere Castle drew close. A sea of red filled the void between the fortress and the trees.
Her heart ran cold when she realized the full extent of their troubles. Had she known what awaited them, she would have stayed in Eyr Droc. Tahronen’s training had not prepared her for this. I thought this was a rescue.
A different, calmer voice entered her head. It carried on it an unmatched wisdom.
The rescue is the main event,
but the leader of her kind has sent
this challenge to her enemies
with hope to bring us to our knees.
We must face our foe at last
from times long gone and ages past.
Keep in mind the task at hand
is not the death of this band.
Later will the war be fought
and then the worst will yet be sought.
With renewed vigor Anthârgal beat his wings and let out a deafening roar. His body trembled beneath her. A chorus of battle cries aros
e from the group.
If the Red Clan had not yet seen them, they certainly heard them coming.
__________
Lusiradrol
A dark line spread across the horizon, the sight of up and down movement of giant wings sending a thrill through Lusiradrol’s body. The battle cry of the dragons rumbled through the air.
While standing on the head of one of her sisters, she waited for them. The anticipation of her clan thickened around her. They shifted their wings and gathered their legs beneath them for takeoff.
“Patience.” On the ground her clan was vulnerable, but in the air they could outmaneuver the larger dragons. They could also overwhelm the dragons in numbers, but they would do best to wait a little longer and save their strength.
The shapes of the individual dragons grew clear with their approach. Her powers flared with her desires to destroy them. She knew not how many waited in Eyr Droc, but crushing those who came here would aid her ultimate plans of destroying them.
Memories like those of her recent visions drifted up with a surge of power. The darkness inside her heart grew with her ambitions. The moment for battle arrived. “Fly now! Kill them all!”
Except for her mount, the others sprang into the air, beating their wings into a frenzy of wind about her. A wall of red lifted off the ground and headed for the enemy with a single purpose in mind.
The other dragons outnumbered the Red Clan she had gathered there, but more hid in the ravine.
“Now for other affairs.” She smirked from the satisfaction of seeing her plans in action. When her sister dropped her head, she stepped off. The dragon’s bloodlust reached her as the others closed the gap to engage the group of dragons.
“Join them.” The words were unnecessary. The dragon sprang into the air the moment she stepped back, its yellow eyes gleaming with hatred.
That would take care of the dragons. She would not need to guide them further.
Now she could take care of her other affair.
In a blink, she stood in the shadows of the room where the crystallized Calli stood. She only had to wait. The dragons would battle each other while the humans fought amongst themselves.
The Sh’lahmar were hers.
__________
Jayson
Through the crack in the shutters, Jayson watched with wonder the spectacle in the sky. The Dragon Wars had been told as a short summary to him and the other boys growing up. He could only imagined the clash of the giants. Now it seemed he would have his chance to watch.
Without regard to the drafty windows, he unlatched the shutters and threw them open. Darius and Gaispar loomed over his shoulders, all of them watching in silence as the Red Clan raced at their foe, the gap between them closing fast.
“The time has come.” Tahronen’s cool voice confirmed what they saw. “Follow me.”
Although her timing could have waited, Jayson found reassurance in her words. She had warned that, while she knew where to find Calli, she dared not transport them all there for fear of Lusiradrol’s magic causing damaging consequences. They would have to walk. This would be the best time to pass through the castle, while the dragons distracted the Red Clan and the soldiers.
They turned from the window as she opened the door.
Gaispar followed without hesitation.
Jayson exchanged looks with Darius, who gave a nod and followed the women. After a last glance out the window at the dragons not yet on each other, Jayson hurried out after the others.
__________
Vahrik
Running steps clattered through the hall and halted behind him. Vahrik turned from his advisor.
“Milord.” The soldier fought to catch his breath and bowed his head.
Finally, they showed their respect. “Speak.”
The man’s eyes widened on a pale face. “Milord.” He trembled. “The dragons—They flew off.”
“What?” Vahrik balled his fingers into a tight fist with the full intention of thrashing the man. “Why?”
“I know not, but she commanded them.”
Why would Lusiradrol send her dragons away? Why now? He expected she would use them to capture the intruders.
“DRAGONS!”
The shout rang through the hall as another soldier raced in.
“Other dragons are fighting the reds!”
The words pierced Vahrik’s focus. Was that her reason for sending them up? His thoughts scattered, all attention removed from the man before him.
With his advisor and servants close behind, Vahrik stomped across the hall to the door. An ear-shattering wail pierced the air.
As he reached the open door, a blast of wind knocked him back. Two large bodies swooped up after narrowly missing the keep. One of Lusiradrol’s dragons fled from a larger dragon of a light emerald color.
Vahrik stood with the others in awe of the spectacle in the skies. Dragons careened after one another with amazing aerial acrobatics.
Two of the beasts locked claws, the red and blue matched in size, each the equal of the other. Together they spiraled toward the castle.
“Milord, I think it safest—”
Vahrik waved the advisor’s words away. Lusiradrol’s dragons would not risk the castle while she was inside. At least, he assumed she lingered somewhere inside…hoped she was inside.
Faster the two fell, locked in a combat of teeth and claws.
Vahrik swallowed. They grew larger with their straight plummet towards him. Even if he wanted to, he could not escape a crash. The leviathans would crush everything and everyone.
His heart pounded to run while his head doubted he would survive if he tried. He stood with the others and watched in morbid fascination.
The red and blue screeched at one another. As Vahrik expected them to hit, they separated and spread their wings.
A gust of wind knocked the men off their feet. From the rumble of dropping stones, he knew that the red rubbed hard against the already weakened keep.
The stones crashed on the ground where they had stood.
Satisfaction filled Vahrik at the strength of the alliance he had formed. Tyrkam would not have the power to stop him.
__________
Damaera
Damaera scowled at the man who peered through the crack in the door. He had no right to be in the room. This was a woman’s job.
She rushed from Istaria’s bedside to the door and slammed it in his face. Serves you right!
When the rustle of covers alerted her to Istaria’s movements, she hurried back to her daughter and took her hand.
Istaria squeezed her hand, her face scrunched in agony.
“Calming breaths.” She had learned from delivering her own children how best to alleviate the pain.
Istaria followed her directions, breathing deeply and letting it out, and repeating until the tightening of the labor passed.
Istaria’s face relaxed and she let go of Damaera’s hand. She breathed deeply and sank into the pillows. I’m so tired.
Damaera smoothed the hair from her face. Each stroke brought back a loving memory.
“The worst is yet to come, my dear; but it will all be worthwhile in the end.” The nursemaids had told her the same when she gave birth to her firstborn, Phelan. She knew Istaria could not fully comprehend in the midst of labor, but it would become clear in the end, when she held her child in her arms for the first time.
Blue eyes now red with fatigue fixed on her with a weak smile. The labor had started the night before but not until morning had the contractions increased enough for her attention.
“Rest while you can.”
Istaria closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
Good. Damaera reached down to the bucket of water and wrung out the cloth before setting the cool compress to Istaria’s forehead. At least she could provide comfort in this time, if she could not do more.
I wish Darius were here.
Istaria’s weak contact as she faded into a light sleep brought a f
rown to Damaera’s lips. She wished Darius and the others would return too. In fact, they should have been back already.
Something must have happened to them. Istaria was right about that.
Now, their only hope was Gayleana and the dragons.
Bring them back safe and soon, Damaera prayed, while stroking away sweaty strands of silvery white hair from her daughter’s face.
__________
Gayleana
Gayleana clutched the ridge of Anthârgal’s back as he spiraled and dove down to avoid the red dragon’s clawed feet. Her stomach lurched at the sudden adjustment of Anthârgal righting himself.
I need ground beneath my feet, she told him.
While he moved with care and skill to avoid the red dragons, she could do no good from his back. In fact, he engaged in no entanglements. He would do better without her on his back, and she would feel better on solid ground.
Where wish you upon the ground,
when war is waged all around?
At his words, she dared a look down. An army of men raced across the clearing to the castle, while the guards on the wall stared upwards. The ground was no safer than the air.
Anthârgal jerked.
Before Gayleana could ask what happened, the shriek trembling through him rattled through her, making her clench her teeth. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of one of the red dragons behind them, its teeth clamped on Anthârgal’s tail. Together, they tumbled over, Anthârgal trying to catch the other.
Gayleana clutched to the green dragon with all her strength as they plummeted from the sky. Now she wished she had stayed in Eyr Droc.
__________
Vahrik
When several guards fell from the walk, Vahrik tore his eyes from the battle waged in the sky. The thump of bodies hitting the ground preceded several others stumbling upon the walk. He found the reason soon enough in the arrow shafts sticking out of their chests.
Another man faltered back and fell from the walk onto the roof of a shop. He rolled to the ground, spooking the horses hitched nearby.
Legends Page 31
