Riders of Fire Complete Series Box Set books 1-6: YA Epic Fantasy Dragon Rider Adventures

by Eileen Mueller

  “It’s just that…”

  “I know,” he said gently. “It’s one thing to kill monsters in battle with a sword or mage flame. It’s another thing to accidentally kill two young mages.”

  That was exactly how she’d felt. “Thank you for understanding.” But that wasn’t all. She’d felt bad for hurting him.

  Fenni squeezed her hand. “We have to give them a chance.”

  They turned back to Velrama. Gret held the tube steady while Fenni pressed against Velrama’s skin and eased out the needle. Blood seeped out of Velrama’s tiny wound.

  Gret yanked open a drawer on a cabinet against the wall. “Look, here are their wizard cloaks and clothing.” She opened another drawer and found bandages. She wrapped one around Velrama’s arm, while Fenni extracted the needle from Velrama’s neck. Although tiny, her neck wound bled profusely. Gret bandaged it up too.

  “Should I extract Sorcha’s needles now?” she asked. It didn’t look too hard.

  “Sure,” Fenni waited with the bandages and patched up the mage’s wounds when Gret was done.

  “All you needed was some encouragement,” Fenni said. “Um, Gret…” He scratched his head again, looking awkward, but hopeful. “I, uh—”

  Behind them Velrama and Sorcha groaned. Velrama sat up. “Where am I? What’s going on?” she moaned.

  Gret rushed over to her. Fenni rushed to Sorcha.

  They helped Velrama and Sorcha get dressed and led them into the main chamber. Roberto gestured to where they should sit and asked Amato and Danion to watch the mages.

  “Now, come with me.” Fenni took Gret’s hand, his fingers warm. “We’re about to have some fun.” They strode back into the antechamber. “Let’s destroy this place so Zens can never use it again.” Fenni bowed graciously and waved a hand at the tanks. “After you.”

  Gret whacked her sword against the glass. It gave a ringing clank, but the tank didn’t smash. She picked up a chair and heaved it at the tank. The legs splintered. “This glass must be thicker than it looks.”

  Fenni held up his hands. “Stand back, and enjoy the show.” Fire danced at his fingertips. He wound it into a flaming fireball and hurled it at a tank. The tank shattered, fluid spilling over the floor and rushing around Gret’s boots.

  He spun his hands in an arc. The next tank, and the next, shattered. Fake Velramas, Sorchas, and other mages tumbled onto the floor amid fluid and dangerous glass shards as long as Gret’s thigh. Those mages looked so much like real people. For a moment, Gret wanted to rush over and help them. But these were Zens’ monsters, just as much as tharuks were, so she stood, sword at the ready in case one of them blasted Fenni.

  Fenni turned to her, mouth gaping and eyes panic-stricken.

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve met some of these other mages at Mage Gate, during the mage trials. I thought they’d died in battle.”

  Gret nodded. “Tomaaz told me he saw a man harvesting body parts off mage corpses and taking them to Zens.”

  “Body parts?”

  “Well, he said hair, fingernails, stuff like that.”

  Fenni grimaced. “So he made people from the dead.”

  Gret nodded grimly.

  Fenni shot flame at the corpses. Despite the fluid sloshing around them, he burned every one of them to ashes.

  §

  “Erob, please get Maazini and Ajeurina to bring Tomaaz and Lovina down here. Show them the way.”

  “Right away,” the royal blue rumbled in Roberto’s mind.

  Roberto faced the other riders and Fenni. “Erob is summoning Tomaaz and Lovina. They should be here soon. We’ll discuss our plans once they arrive.” He paced, his boots striking the stone floor of Zens’ large chamber, the echoes ringing off the glass tanks, which no longer held dark dragons. There were hundreds of empty tanks. And other tanks containing dragons that were still growing. And the tanks filled with half-formed tharuks. Zens could’ve filled and refilled these tanks countless times. All those dark dragons were out there hunting their people. If only they knew where.

  In a flash, Roberto remembered the time he’d mind-melded with Zens when he was imprisoned in Death Valley. Dragon’s claws, no wonder that man was so evil. His parents had tortured him and changed his body using strange methods from their world—the very methods Zens was using here to grow the mages and monsters. With needles and tubes and strange lights. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those awful memories, but they persisted: Zens’ father beating him; locking him in a cupboard until he wet himself as a tiny littling; the way his parents had altered Zens’ skull shape and face with their odd magic; how they’d changed his body, everything about him; then the taunting from Zens’ friends until Zens had killed to silence them; finally, the surge of elation flowing through Zens as that first body hit the floor.

  Roberto shook his head again. There was no point in feeling pity for this man—he’d maimed and killed too many. There was no space for forgiveness. Zens deserved to die.

  Kierion interrupted Roberto’s thoughts. “If I was Zens, I’d use that realm gate to get to Dragons’ Hold.”

  No! Roberto spun to face Kierion.

  Kierion nodded.

  Roberto froze. That was exactly what Zens would do—strike at their heart when no one suspected it. His blood chilled. Ezaara and Zaarusha were at Dragons’ Hold—with their main body of dragons and riders.

  Tomaaz and Lovina came through the double metal doors, eyes wide as they took in Zens’ enormous mage-and-dragon-growing scheme.

  Roberto passed Tomaaz a jade ring, the twin to the one he wore on his own finger. “This belongs to your parents. If you use it correctly, it will take you anywhere in Dragons’ Realm.”

  “I’m aware,” said Tomaaz. “My parents and I used these to escape Death Valley when I rescued Maazini. Is this Ma’s or Pa’s one?”

  “Your mother gave it to Ezaara. Zens has found a way to hold the realm gate open long enough for his entire army to travel through it. He’s left the sick and poorly slaves. He must’ve taken those who could fight. I’ll use my ring so we can get through. You can use Ezaara’s to join us when you’re done here.”

  “Good plan, I agree.” Tomaaz stuck the ring on his finger.

  “Remember, Tomaaz, we can always come back to Death Valley to help these people. There’s a war raging out there. Our first duty is to the realm.”

  Tomaaz nodded tersely. “We’ll join you as soon as we’ve organized the slaves to sustain themselves for a few days.”

  Roberto grabbed his arm. “Tomaaz, don’t stay too long. We’re about to destroy Zens’ life’s work. If he finds you, he’ll kill you. I’d hate to lose you two and your dragons.” Roberto hesitated. “You can come with us now instead, if you want.”

  “No!” Lovina snapped. “We’re not abandoning Zens’ slaves. We were slaves too, remember.”

  “We’ll be quick.” Tomaaz said and took Lovina’s hand. They rushed out of the metal doors, back to their waiting dragons.

  Roberto sighed and looked around the chamber. Earlier, when he’d heard Fenni smashing tanks in the next cavern, he’d been itching to do the same here. Now it was time. “There’s a lot of work to do here.”

  “Or undo,” Kierion piped up.

  He was holding Adelina’s hand. When had that become a thing?

  “All right, everyone, let’s make sure Zens can never create another monster again.” Roberto gestured at the tanks. “Destroy them all.”

  Amato was the first to move. With a grimace and a yell that made everyone flinch, he flung equipment at the tanks. Adelina and Kierion joined Amato, throwing heavy tools. Cracks appeared in the glass, weeping fluid. They expanded. Rivulets cascaded onto the stone. Tanks burst in a gush of fluid.

  Roberto and Danion picked up a workbench and heaved it. A tank smashed, spraying glass and fluid. Water flooded the floor, up to their calves, and rushed down wide drains covered in metal gratings that ran the length of the room.

  “
Take cover!” Fenni yelled. Everyone ducked behind benches.

  Fenni sent arcs of fire crashing along a row of tanks, smashing the glass into thousands of pieces. The shadow dragon embryos slumped on the floor, squawking, flapping their half-grown wings and scrabbling with their soft talons.

  Their mewling rippled through Roberto’s mind.

  Fenni set them alight, grinning at Roberto. “Luckily, mage fire burns through water!”

  Gret strode among the flapping shadow dragons, plunging her sword into their tiny heads, even as their wings burned with green mage flames. “Roberto, look.”

  He rushed over. A bloody methimium crystal was lodged in each shadow dragon’s skull. “So that’s how he made them so evil.” He stabbed his sword to end the tharuk runts scrambling in the debris.

  Adelina and Danion joined Gret, massacring Zens’ monsters with blood-darkened blades.

  The stink of burning flesh filled the room. Smoke billowed among broken glass. Velrama and Sorcha started coughing.

  When all the tanks were smashed and dragons and tharuk runts slaughtered, Fenni nodded at Roberto. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Danion,” Roberto called. “You and Fenni take the mages. I’ll look after everyone else.”

  Fenni picked up Velrama and rushed, Gret at his side, into the tunnel. Danion staggered after them, holding Sorcha. Adelina, Amato and Kierion were next. Roberto took one last glance back at the flooded floor, the sodden charred remains of the slaughtered shadow dragons, and the glass and debris littering the cavern.

  He and Amato had tried to figure out Zens’ equipment, to see if there was anything here that could benefit their realm. He was sure there was, but Zens’ techniques had been beyond them. It was better to destroy this equipment than have Zens wield it against them again.

  With a twinge of regret, he walked through the open metal doors, the water lapping at his boots as he strode into the broad tunnel.

  §

  The methimium ray still lit the walls of the broad exit tunnel. Roberto strode past Danion, who was on his blue dragon with Sorcha slumped over his dragon’s neck. Next to him, Gret had Velrama draped over Hagret’s neck. Adelina rubbed Linaia’s snout and climbed into her saddle.

  “You all set?” Roberto asked Fenni, who was in his customary spot behind Kierion on Riona.

  Fenni nodded. “The sooner we leave, the better.”

  Amato was leaning on the rear wall, waiting for him. Matotoi sat on his haunches nearby. That was everyone.

  “Except me, Maazini, and Ajeurina,” Erob rumbled, “and Tomaaz and Lovina.”

  Roberto faced them. “Kierion, how does this all work?” He waved at the thing producing that yellow light.

  “Stand in the light and rub your ring while saying the special word,” Kierion said. “Then get out the way so our dragons can jump at the gold clouds without trampling you down. That’s all there is to it.”

  So simple, yet so terrifying.

  Kierion piped up again, “Not that we’d mind trampling you. You’re a tough taskmaster.”

  Riding Riona behind him, Fenni laughed.

  Roberto flashed them a grin as nervous laughter skittered among the riders. Trust Kierion to crack a joke when they needed it.

  “It’s always terrible, sending troops into battle,” Erob ventured.

  “Blindly. I have no idea where they’re going. Whether this is a trap.” Roberto twisted the ring on his finger.

  “Then it’s best we get it over with and find out.”

  There was nothing for it. This was it. Roberto addressed them all. “Before you go, good luck. We don’t know what’ll greet you. Kierion, please go first but be careful. Fenni, be prepared.”

  Kierion and Fenni nodded somberly.

  He could be sending them all to their doom.

  “Or you could all die here, waiting,” Erob said.

  Roberto stood in front of the yellow rays and rubbed his ring. “Ana.”

  He jumped out of the way as Riona thundered toward him, and turned to see Kierion and Fenni disappearing into the swirling gold clouds of a realm gate.

  Adelina was next. Danion and Gret followed.

  Only he and Amato were left. Matotoi sank to his haunches near Amato, gazing at Roberto.

  “Father.”

  Amato started. “M-me? Y-yes.” He blinked, his eyes glittering.

  “Before we go, I have a question. Why were you trembling when we were in Zens’ den?”

  Amato’s chin slumped to his chest and he held his face in his hands. For a long moment, the only sound was the hum of the metal box making the methimium ray.

  Amato looked out. “I was remembering the day that I gave you to Zens.” His face crumpled. “The shadows were goading me, forcing me to hand over my own son, but somewhere deep inside I didn’t want to.” Matotoi shifted nearer to Erob. Amato reached out, grasping at Roberto’s sleeve. “Son, you have to believe me. All these years, I’ve dreamed of seeing you and Adelina again, never knowing if…” His voice trailed off as he broke into sobs.

  This was the man who’d murdered his mother—just as Roberto had attempted to murder Ezaara. Roberto swallowed. Hard. Zens had forced them both to do terrible things.

  Taking Amato’s hand, he led him to Matotoi and helped him up into the saddle. He clambered up onto Erob and they dived into that billowing yellow cloud. With a pop, Death Valley disappeared.

  Driven to Mage Gate

  Dark dragons hounded them. Swarms of them filled the sky, driving dragons and riders from Dragon’s Teeth over the northern part of Great Spanglewood Forest. Antonika flew until the sky was lightening to the gray of pre-dawn. Tonio was hunched low in the saddle. The beating of tired dragon wings surrounded him on either side, above and below.

  Ahead, Ezaara rode like the wind on Queen Zaarusha.

  “The queen is asking us to stick together.”

  “We don’t have much choice,” Tonio replied, trying to mind-block the awful shadow dragon screeches ripping through his head. “There are so many of them. If we separate we’d be picked off.”

  A blue dragon and hunched rider broke off, wheeling to the north.

  “Antonika, tell them—No!”

  A shadow dragon dived and the blue’s wings burst into flame. It plummeted, lighting up the foliage in the forest.

  Every wingbeat, they’d been chased by Zens’ shadow dragons who’d shot mage fire, dragon flame and those awful slicing beams from their eyes. The chill cut through Tonio’s cloak. It’d been a long night, with no sleep, after a difficult council meeting and running patrol yesterday morning since dawn. Many of the riders were weary. Their only chance was to out-fly their enemy.

  There was shadow on the horizon. Tonio squinted.

  More dark dragons rose from the forest ahead, their flames igniting foliage as they rose through the trees. The dark beasts charged toward the front ranks. The shadow dragons behind them roared. Those on either side drove them closer together.

  Shards! They’d fled into a trap. Their dragons and riders were hemmed in. The snarling shadow beasts circled, driving them toward…

  … Mage Gate.

  Tonio should’ve realized that Zens would want to reopen that dragon gods-cursed gate to his world. After Giddi’s wife Mazyka had gone through, the council had ordered Master Giddi to shut the world gate, locking out his wife and most of Dragons’ Realm’s mages. Zens must want to bring more tharuk reinforcements through the world gate.

  Or some other means of annihilating Dragons’ Realm completely. He doubted the commander wanted a trip home.

  Chasm

  When Roberto entered the realm gate, Anakisha’s figure was frozen in midair, her mouth open, anger lining her body and face. Instead of the golden clouds bathing him in their light, the tunnel was fractured with dark rifts and swirling black mists. Anakisha’s fear had been realized. Zens had corrupted the realm gate.

  With a crack, the realm gate disappeared and Roberto was in darkness on Erob’s bac
k. Muffled voices called to each other and talons scratched rock. A tiny flicker of green glowed in the distance.

  “I assume you’d like some light on the matter?”

  “Thank you, Erob.”

  Flame flared from Erob’s maw, illuminating a deep gully lined with rocky walls stretching high above them. The sky was a distant black ribbon of stars. Erob’s talons crunched on rubble.

  Fenni’s voice carried back to them. “It’s a tunnel. It goes on a long way.” His green mage light bobbed above Riona’s back.

  Adelina and Danion turned to Roberto. “Shall we follow him?”

  If the dragons kept their wings tightly furled, there would be room enough for them to walk.

  Climbing over scree, they traipsed down the tunnel. “Oh, shards!” Fenni cried.

  Erob raced down the tunnel with his long legs, coming upon dead slaves with picks and shovels still in hand.

  The ribbon of sky above them disappeared as they headed farther underground and deeper into the bowels of the earth. The tunnel soon became wide enough for two dragons, then three, but they walked single file avoiding the piles of scree up the sides of the tunnel walls—recently excavated by the looks of things.

  “Erob, shine a flame on that scree,” Roberto asked. A sweet cloying stench hung in the air–a stench that was only too familiar.

  A hand stuck out of the gravel pile. Oh gods, that’s where all the slaves were. Buried here after dying digging Zens’ tunnel. As they went deeper, Roberto saw legs, even a head sticking out of the piles. His stomach churned at the waste of so many lives.

  Erob trudged along the passage.

  Eventually, they reached a ragged hole at the end of the tunnel, which opened out into a wide cavern.

  “No!” Fenni, still in front, let out an anguished scream that echoed through the gully, chilling Roberto’s bones.

  Their dragons sprang through the hole into the main cavern at Dragons’ Hold. Except it wasn’t the main cavern as they’d left it. They’d come through a gaping hole in the rear wall onto a pile of rocks and carnage several dragons high.

  Bodies littered the ground: shadow dragons, tharuks, mages, slaves, dragons of every color—and riders. They were steaming. The air was filled with smoke and the stench of death.