The Rising Past: Book 2 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series

by J. G. Gatewood

  Milenthia took off with more speed than Raythum had ever seen her use before. She launched them down toward the ground and targeted another witch doctor. Raythum could feel her anger and frustration. She sent flames from her mouth in a frenzy, not caring where it went or who it targeted. While they wreaked havoc on the enemy, Raythum realized using so much of her flame, so quickly wouldn’t be a good idea. A Dragon’s flame isn’t infinite, and it would take time for her to recover before she could fire it again. She didn’t seem to care, though, hell-bent on taking out her frustration, she continued until her supply died out.

  Raythum had never seen her react in this manner before. As he looked down upon the carnage she unleashed, he could see the faces of the soldiers as they burned alive. The whites of their eyes sent chills down his spine. She climbed back up into the air to circle. Raythum caught a look from one of the witch doctors.

  The enemy snarled and uttered “Tik aff goor, Tismuth brund yigh!” The voice uttering the death chant sounded deep and gruff.

  Did you hear that? The voice sounded like a man. Raythum’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe it, and now understood why the shield still stood. A roar bellowed from deep within Milenthia.

  From what he understood of the Kahloom, witch doctors were all female. The spark in male Kahloom had adapted over time, giving them increased strength, and larger than average height and builds. They were warriors, much in the same sense as the Minotaurs. Whereas the females were shorter in stature, much more in line with Human builds, but their sparks had evolved, giving them greater control, and providing the ability to conjure and control the elements.

  He pounded his fist into his hand. It’s a trap! They disguised regular soldiers as witch doctors, drawing our fire and attention. For the second time today, we’ve been deceived.

  He looked over his shoulder and gazed about the field of battle. Sure enough, he could now see the shorter Kahloom interspersed throughout the enemy ranks. The height should’ve been a dead giveaway and he cursed himself for not seeing it sooner.

  Start targeting the shorter soldiers, and spread the word. He told her urgently, not to waste any more time.

  She did as instructed and adjusted their trajectory. He looked to the south in time to see one of his new recruits, Thron, take a spear through his leg. He lost his balance and fell from his Dragon’s back, spinning through the air and plummeting to his death. He landed on his head, snapping his neck upon contact. Raythum could almost hear the crunch of bone as several vertebrae snapped like little twigs from a large branch. His body lay motionless.

  His Dragon, an elder green male, filled with rage. He let loose a scream Raythum could feel in the pit of his stomach. Once bonded, a rider and their Dragon connect on a level deeper than most people can understand. The sudden disconnection of Thron from the Dragon’s mind would be enough for it to go insane—evident in the chaotic measures he now took. It would only be a matter of time before it would drive him to his own death.

  Raythum could feel Milenthia’s pain. There is nothing we can do for him now. He is a lost soul and we should let him take his revenge on the enemy. This is the way of the bond. She told him.

  They watched as it fell toward the ground. It sent flames in all directions until it ran out of fuel. When it couldn’t send any more, it started grabbing Kahloom in its teeth, crushing bone and sending blood splattering in all directions. Its lips were red and chunks of flesh clung to its teeth. Spears bombarded it, ripping gouges in its skin and tearing apart its wings. Out of control, it crashed into the ground and the Kahloom soon overwhelmed it. The dragon tried to fight back—snapping its head at the Kahloom attackers—but its attempts were futile. A soldier thrust a spear up through its neck, penetrating its mouth, before exiting the Dragon’s eye socket. It tried one final bite and its head slumped to the ground.

  All the surviving Dragons roared and howled in unison. They flew toward the Kahloom desecrating the dead body of their fallen friend. In a wave of fury, they grabbed the enemy soldiers and ripped their bodies apart. Two of the Dragons picked up the dead, green body and carried it away to the safe confines of the wall. Blood dripped from the corpse as they flew overhead and showered the battle below like a macabre celebration of life.

  Raythum understood the act, but understood they needed to get on with their responsibilities. I understand the need to grieve, Milenthia, but now isn’t the time. We have a job to do.

  In a moment. None of us can sit back and watch as those savages desecrate his body. We need to secure it to ensure we can send him on to his next life. Let us do this. She replied. Although she didn’t vocalize her part of the conversation, it sounded as though she spoke her words through clenched teeth and incredible pain.

  Raythum acquiesced and allowed them to remove the body, before they rejoined the battle. They flew closer as the enemy made progress climbing the now-crumbling wall. They flooded the top in waves reminiscent of water cascading over the edge of a tub.

  Raythum and his comrades picked out the shorter enemy troops and attacked them at will. The Dragon’s flame filled the field, providing a warm glow and making it difficult to look at. Milenthia grabbed a screaming female in her sharp teeth, crunching the delicate bones between her powerful jaws and ending the incessant wailing of the witch doctor. They carved a wide swath of empty field wherever they passed. The wild grass littering the plains caught fire, providing an additional nuisance for the enemy.

  Tirell noticed the dwindling number of witch doctors and once again tested his spark. Because of their prior fruitless attempts, he alone sent a fireball toward several of the enemy soldiers breaching the wall. The fireball exploded as it made contact with a soldier, sending flame in all different directions, setting the enemy ablaze. Tirell filled with glee as now he could use his spark at will. The other wizards took notice and began their own coordinated attacks. This brought a smile to Tirell’s lips. If he had to be here, at least he could enjoy himself.

  The Kahloom witch doctors suspected their enemies had discovered their plot and began using their own abilities to retaliate. Raythum couldn’t help but let a smile escape, and his lips stretched into a large grin. Finally, they could begin the battle with a level playing field.

  Morlidon and Raythum fired arrows from their longbows at will as the morning transitioned to afternoon, and the sun rose ever higher into the sky. Raythum surveyed the battle- field to assess their advancement. He felt as though they were making progress, but when he looked back at the wall, he realized they had only made a dent. The Kahloom continued to flood over in large waves. If things didn’t change, they would lose.

  Raythum frantically searched the wall for his brother. He found him standing on a crenellation locked in hand-to-hand combat with a Kahloom. Frustrated, he said to Milenthia. We have to end this.

  She harrumphed and he felt it. I thought that’s what we’re trying to do. I’m open to suggestions if you have a better idea.

  What if we all flew toward the commanders? Do you think we could get close?

  Hmm. An intriguing idea…over a thousand soldiers protect them, though, and I’m sure some of them are of the female sort.

  He understood what she meant. The witch doctors inter-mixed with the group. We will need to enlist the help of my brother, but he is preoccupied with his own fight right now. He thought for a moment. What do you say we lend him a hand? Communicate our idea to the others.

  She flew toward his brother with blazing speed—so fast, in fact, he had to sit down or risk tumbling off her back. She grabbed both the Kahloom and his brother in her razor sharp claws. She used a delicate hold on Tirell, but clamped down on the Kahloom, cutting into his soft Human flesh. She flew them both toward a peak in the distance where they could have a quick conversation, dropping the enemy from her claw. Raythum stretched his neck and looked down as the enemy tumbled through the air, screaming and flailing before crashing on the jagged rocks below.

  Milenthia set Tirell down on a flat surf
ace before landing herself. Raythum didn’t even want to waste time getting off her back. Tirell wore a look of infuriation.

  “What do you think you’re doing? Get me back to the wall. I have an attack to coordinate.”

  “Calm down, brother. You can’t say this battle is going as planned.” Tirell nodded his head in agreement. ”Surely, we’re racing toward a defeat. We have expended too much time and energy falling into the enemy’s trap with the witch doctors. Now we have to get creative.”

  “Well, if you would let me use my full abilities, we could put an end to this whole battle in a heartbeat,” Tirell snarled.

  “And risk the lives of our own troops? I don’t think it a wise course of action,” Raythum replied, still trying to catch his breath and extend his thinking.

  “Would some of the allied troops be caught in the crossfire? Sure!” Tirell grinned. “But it’s a minor price to pay, wouldn’t you agree?” Discomfort at the ease with which his brother discussed the possible death of their friends and allies prickled down his spine.

  “Look, we’re wasting time here. I won’t let you use any of the abilities you learned in your studies of Luther. You swore you’d never use those spells, and although it would tip the scales in our favor, I can’t allow it.” He looked at his older brother.

  Tirell considered his rebuttal for a long moment. “Then we’ll all die. I hope you can deal with the fact you’re sending thousands to an unnecessary death. At least you’ll only have to suffer from the consequences of your choices for a short time, as you will die here today,” he sniffed. “Return me to the wall so I can at least have the pleasure of taking many of the Kahloom with me before our defeat. Let me enjoy what little time I have left.”

  “Everything always has to be so cut and dry with you, brother.” Raythum stared at Tirell with disgust. “Milenthia and I were discussing alternatives. The Dragon riders will head straight for the commanding Kahloom and force a surrender.” He noticed how large his brother’s eyes grew. He didn’t know if they grew because he agreed with the tactic, or because deep down he hoped Raythum would die, leaving him the only heir. Raythum brushed off the thoughts and focused on the task at hand. “The soldiers we can deal with, but the witch doctors are another story.”

  Tirell seemed to accept the idea and nodded his head before he spoke. “You need me to distract the sorcerers. Keep them busy by drawing their fire so you can capture the commanders. Interesting.” He steepled his fingers before his face.

  “Yes, it is interesting. Do you think we can do it?” Raythum inquired, pushing for more.

  “I don’t see how we have any other options. Especially since you won’t stop hamstringing me.” He looked to his brother.

  “Enough!. You’re not to use any of Luther’s spells. I don’t wish to hear any more about it.”

  Tirell pouted. “As you wish, but if we don’t act quickly, we’ll lose this fight.”

  Raythum grinned. “Let’s do it. I’m counting on you, brother.”

  “Given the constraints you’re requiring me to work within, I’ll do my best.” A grin stretched across his face. He may not be able to use all of his abilities, but he still found comfort in the fact he could kill toda—-and kill he would.

  Raythum reached out his hand and pulled his brother up onto Milenthia’s back. “That’s all I can ask for.”

  Milenthia flew back to the wall and dropped Tirell off. The brothers embraced in a short hug and wished one another luck. The enemy had forced their way well over the wall and now engaged the allied soldiers on the northern side. Raythum looked down. The Kahloom were just too powerful and overwhelmed the ground forces.

  Milenthia contacted the other Dragons and all of the riders flew to a set of rolling hills positioned to the south of the battlefield, where the Kahloom had setup their command centers. Tents filled the hill, surrounded by hundreds of guards.

  Fly toward the tents. When we draw closer to the ground, I’m going to jump down from your back and engage them. Send a message to the other Dragons and instruct Morlidon and my trainees to do the same. Raythum ordered.

  I sent the message. I expect I won’t be able to come to your assistance should you fall into trouble, so be careful. She told him.

  I will and expect you to do the same.

  They neared the command tents amid a flurry of activity on the ground. The guards had bows, as well as spears, swords, and of course, witch doctors. A barrage of arrows headed toward Milenthia, and Raythum thought they were finished before they’d even begun. Milenthia attempted to dodge the projectiles by taking evasive maneuvers, but it appeared there were too many. She spun to the right and an arrow ricocheted off Raythum’s plate mail. Another stuck into his left arm, sending a sharp shooting pain up through his shoulder. Milenthia dove toward the ground and Raythum lost his balance. He almost toppled over her side to his certain death. Raythum started to second-guess his decision to bring the fight to the commanders, wondering if these odds were worse.

  A Painful Mistake

  Tirell watched Raythum fly away with Milenthia and the other Dragon riders. He hated taking orders from his younger brother and despised his decisions. But even he had to admit this plan was a bold one, and he wore a look of pride and confidence knowing his brother had instilled so much trust in him.

  Now back on the wall, he looked at the chaos surrounding him. He had just issued orders to coincide with Raythum’s instructions when several Kahloom soldiers rushed toward him. He searched his body and found the warmth and strength offered by his spark—feelings of joy and elation flooded through him as he felt the familiar supply of energy streaming through his being. He found the words he needed and unleashed a fireball toward the rushing soldiers. The ball of fire veered off course and missed the first of the soldiers who continued their rapid approach.

  He didn’t have time to use another spell and reached for the two daggers he kept on his belt. He had never been in hand-to-hand combat before and cursed the fact he hadn’t paid much attention, nor put much stock in his weapons training and had no idea where to start. He also didn’t know how to counter their weapons. The Kahloom carried long spears and all he had were his two daggers. They were longer than normal daggers, mind you, but he still felt ill-prepared for what he needed to do.

  Several Dwarves noticed the rush of the enemies and ran over to assist, but the lead enemy had come too close, leaving Tirell with no choice but to engage. He noticed the rippling muscles of the dark-skinned soldier as he ran forward. Tirell only had seconds and cleared his mind. He thought back to his younger days and conjured images of the training his brother endured. He found images of the various movements his brother employed and hoped he could recreate them.

  The Kahloom lunged forward with his spear, jabbing it toward Tirell’s unprotected midsection. Tirell had speed over his enemy, and he sidestepped the blow, knocking the spear aside with a dagger. He tried to counter with the other, but the enemy stood a few inches out of reach. He spun and attacked with the first dagger, but the Kahloom blocked the move.

  After several attacks from both sides, they seemed locked in an eternal battle. He pushed back on the enemy and forced him to retreat. This offered him a split second to look off to the south. Raythum neared the command tents and he needed to offer his assistance. He needed to put an end to this now. The seconds he wasted gazing to the south provided the Kahloom with the opportunity to head-butt Tirell, who fell to the ground clutching at his forehead. His eyes filled with white sparkles of stars, and his vision went black before he lost consciousness.

  After a couple of moments, he came to and opened his eyes. His vision blurred and he tried to focus. A large wave of pain flooded his head as his eyes adjusted to the bright afternoon sunlight glittering across the battlefield. A dark blur blocked his vision and he squinted his eyes to try and focus. The blur took shape, bringing into focus the Kahloom soldier. He remembered the blow to his head and a wave of panic ripped through his body. The soldier stood w
ith his spear raised over his head, ready to plunge it down in a fatal deathblow.

  Tirell brought his hand to his belt and searched for his daggers, but couldn’t find them. He shifted his eyes and noticed one lying on the ground near his hand. He tried to reach it as the soldier uttered a cry and brought the spear down, leading Tirell to believe the doorway to his death had opened. Everything seemed to transpire in slow motion, but seconds went by.

  The tip of the spear neared his chest when an axe ripped through the Kahloom’s torso, spraying drops of warm blood onto his face. The metallic scent flooded his nostrils as the spear fell and the lifeless Kahloom body crumpled to the ground. In his place stood a stocky, dark-haired Dwarf, with a long, brown beard hiding a wide grin.

  “Figured you could use a little help.” The Dwarf walked over and offered his hand to help Tirell to his feet.

  “Your timing is impeccable.” He dusted himself off and looked to the south. The Dragon riders appeared to be under heavy fire. He needed to act. “Thank you. I thought I had met my end.” He offered a partial bow. “If you don’t mind, I’ll thank you properly later. Right now I need to focus on helping my brother.” The Dwarf shook his head in understanding. Tirell turned and searched for his source of power.

  Surrender

  Milenthia recovered from her dive, narrowly missing the ground. Raythum held on as she pulled up. Everywhere he looked he saw a swarm of arrows. He tried not to focus on them when he caught a flash of light at his right, out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw a stream of bright, white light heading in his direction.

  We have incoming. I suggest you take evasive action, Milenthia.

  I’m well aware. Hold on. She tried to climb up, but it would’ve put them in the path of several arrows. She decided to drop down.

  She feared she reacted too late. Raythum closed his eyes in anticipation of the impact. He heard it, but felt nothing. He opened his eyes a crack and watched the stream of energy dissipate all around them. Many of the arrows hit an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. Tirell had created a shield protecting several of the Dragons and their riders. They flew in a shimmering, translucent bubble while lightning crackled down to the ground, accompanied by a shower of fire reminiscent of a hailstorm. Tirell’s shield protected the riders as his compatriots brought carnage all around them.