Prologue In the land of Llostier, all races of creatures lived in peace. Before, the land was once ruled by the fist of darkness and evil. Dragons roamed the land burning villages and cities. Humans were constantly at war with the elves. Dwarves would keep to themselves in the mountains that covered the southern and western lands of the continent. Llostier was at war with itself, and the pain threatened to destroy all of the races. It was the elves who soon realized the danger that the wars brought and began to try to make peace with the others. Rather than becoming any more entangled with the chaos, the dwarves withdrew all contact with any race. First were the dragons to join the offer of peace. They recognized the wisdom of the elves and stopped the rampages they caused. Instead, they became partners with the elves and the races’ destinies became intertwined. Many of the dragons took to the lands near the elves’ own homes which were hidden in the large forest named Vagar ynok Tieric. Soon, a bond was formed between dragon and elf. They became the riders and partners of the majestic dragons, and those who rode them were Drayhon Racect, or Dragon Lords and Dragon Ladies. Immediately, these Dragon Riders set forth to bring about peace. The Dragon Lords and Ladies became skilled teachers, fighters, healers, and most importantly, the greatest of spell casters with their dragons. Within months, the Dragon Riders had overthrown cruel oppressors, and a wise human ruler named Arturion became an ally of the elves and dragons. His kingdom was near to the Vagar ynok Tieric. Eventually, he became the first human Dragon Lord and from then on, humans were considered part of the partnership and allied with the other races to heal the wounds of war. The dwarves continued to live their content lives in their home, which they named the Blade Mountains. Many years of peace and prosperity followed those fateful years and the world experienced riches it had never before felt. Within months, the Dragon Lords moved their stronghold to the northern tip of the continent and named it Veyen Dasleo, or the Haven. There, they built giant castles where they could train Dragon Riders and house dragons. They became the justice bearers of Llostier. Hundreds of years later, while civilization continued to enjoy its peace, the Dragon Lords decided to move to a different capital. No one knew why for sure, but most believed it was to be able to share the balance they kept. The Dragon Riders chose a place in the middle of Llostier known as the Center, or Veyen Vastre. Veyen Dasleo was evacuated, though a small number of Dragon Riders remained to guard the sacred place and to make sure no thieves or looters took apart the structure. The new stronghold soon became a divine sign, signifying the power and elegance of the dragons and their Riders. Veyen Vastre was thought of as a monumental inspiration, and several cities and towns flourished around it. It was often said that dragons could be seen in the sky, their scales glittering as they flew around catching the sun’s light in an array of colors. Some decades later, several Drayhon Racect defected from the main body and they fled to the northern castles of Veyen Dasleo where they took over and held refuge. They called themselves Enolie, or Spirit. They took over the nearby countries and gained control over the entire northeastern corner and the eastern coast line either through peaceful or forceful ways. Quickly the Drayhon Racect of Veyen Vastre set out to topple the rebels before anymore damage could be caused. Many battles were fought with blade against blade, and claw against claw. The first major war had begun in Llostier after almost a millennia of peace. Soon, several elf Riders retreated with their dragons into Vagar ynok Tieric, their large forest, and cast several spells and wards that cut them off from the rest of the Dragon Lords and Ladies who were at war. The elves had isolated themselves from the humans, just as the dwarves had managed to do for the entire time. Few elves remained within the ranks of the Veyen Vastre Dragon Riders and there were also some among the Veyen Dasleo Enolie Dragon Lords and Ladies. Even with all their power, the Veyen Vastre Dragon Riders haven’t been able to stop the Enolie, and while the main body of the Enolie lies in Veyen Dasleo, they have also either captured cities all around Llostier or created alliances with other kingdoms. And thus so, our story starts from the middle of the Drayhon Pebastar; The Dragon War…
The Egg Bearers Hidden in the shade and bushes of the forest, Zaln strung his bow. He had been following a fat doe for several days, and he and his foster family needed the meat and money the animal would bring them. The creature had finally decided to take a drink in a small pond and this was his chance to take it down. He felt a bead of perspiration roll down his neck and finally released the tension in bow. The arrow zoomed through the air and into the side of Zaln’s target. Instantly, Zaln jumped from his hiding spot and strung another arrow since the doe started to try to escape. Zaln caught up and sent another arrow at the deer. To his amazement, it caught the right hind leg of the beast and it stumbled. He ran to the doe and drew his hunting knife. When he reached it, his hand shot out and pulled the creature to his chest to prevent it from escaping. Quickly, he plunged the knife into the doe’s heart as he had done several times before. Within seconds, it died. With the doe slung over his sixteen-year-old shoulders, Zaln trudged back to the small pond where the doe had been just drinking from and set it down with a grunt. Slowly, Zaln pulled out his two arrows. “I wonder how much meat this thing will get us and how much gold Terrac will buy this thing for… It’s awfully heavy and pretty fat, perhaps enough for 50 to 60 gold pieces,” Zaln said aloud to himself. He started to wash the arrows in the water. Terrac was the town’s butcher and lumberjack as well. Satisfied with the cleaning of his arrows, Zaln replaced them in his quiver and hefted the deer. He started to trudge in the direction of Getef where he lived. ****** When he reached the first few buildings that made up Getef, he found a lean figure leaning against the side of one of the buildings in the shade. Zaln instantly recognized him, after all, he had been living with the guy all of his life and considered him his own brother. He watched as the guy walked over to him, a broad grin stretched over the newcomers face. Shaking his blond hair he said, “Wow Zaln, I’m impressed that after a day of hunting you managed to catch that fat hunk. Sorry I couldn’t come with you, but I was-” “Yeah, yeah,” said Zaln, waving off the excuse. “It’s a shame, Kyle, we probably could’ve bagged another one, but that’s life. So how did the fence for mom’s garden come out?” His face started to light up and he said, “Oh you gotta see it! Father and I spent the whole day yesterday making sure it would hold up during any storm and no rodents could get through. When mother saw the completed fence, she was elated that day and she cooked sweet potato soup.” Zaln cringed inside thinking of how he had missed out on such a delicious dinner. He had to sleep under the stars yesterday evening in the woods and ate nothing but leftover venison and stale bread. As if reading his mind, Kyle chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, mother knows how much you love that soup and set aside two bowls for you.” Zaln smiled at this and shifted the weight of the carcass to his other shoulder with a grunt. “Now let’s get going to Terrac’s so we can sell this thing and bring home some money and meat.” “You need any help with that?” inquired Kyle. With a shake of his head, he then continued to march to the butcher’s shop. ****** When they got there, the butcher was chatting with Morit, a local farmer. When Zaln entered the doorway with his catch, he enjoyed seeing the looks on the men’s faces when they saw his prize. He nodded to Morit and proceeded to laying the deer on the butcher’s counter. Kyle entered behind him and said, “Zaln caught that fine thing in one day! Amazing isn’t it?” Morit was the first to answer. “Oh yes, that is one fine beast ya got yourself, lad. Bringing home dinner for the family like a true man; you looking for a lady or something?” Zaln thought about that question quickly. He had never considered marriage, and what romance he knew of, had just been small crushes on one of the girls in the village and never lasted long anyway. Plus, he was too timid to start courting. Formulating an answer, Zaln said, “I don’t think I’ve found the right woman yet.” “Aye,” replied the butcher from behind the counter, “so you are looking for someone outside the village, eh? Well good luck with that.” Zaln’s attention returned to the butcher who had drawn two long knives and was measuring out the deer. “So how much of it do you wanna keep?” “I’m thinking about taking half of the meat and selling the other.” “Mmm, I see. Okay, I’ll start working on it then. I’ll buy it for… 80 gold pieces since there isn’t too much blood on the hide.” Zaln’s face lit up, for he could hardly believe his luck. Zaln often had to haggle with the butcher whenever he brought any of his kills, but this so far was the best deal, and he didn’t even need to argue. “Consider it agreed I fancy that’s a fair price.” A deep rumbling emanated from the butcher’s throat meaning he complied. Then the butcher set to work with his new gory prospect. ****** With the meat in a leather sack provided by Terrac and the gold pocketed, Zaln made the journey up the well know path up to the house upon a hill. He and Kyle just talked about trifling matters, such as who had lost what and who was courting who. When they got to the doorstep, Zaln’s foster father and Kyle’s father, Lariad, was standing there waiting for them with a smoking pipe in his mouth. He greeted them and inquired upon how Zaln’s hunt was. Zaln replied with a grin and showed him the deer meat in the sack. He recounted how he had followed the deer for a whole day and how he finally shot it. Then he brought out 80 gold pieces and handed them to Lariad saying, “Since it was your arrows and bow that killed it, father.” Lariad weighed the coins in his hand and laughed. He finally said, “I’ll take 40 for the family. 40 goes to you since it was your persistence and marksmanship that killed it as well.” Taking the meat from Zaln’s exhausted arms, he led them inside the house and boomed in a loud voice, “Honey, Zaln caught a real nice deer!” ****** That night at the table, Zaln sat across from his adoptive mother, Christina. He enjoyed the warm, sweet potato soup that had been set aside for him. It tasted delicious in his mouth since they didn’t usually have that soup. A small amount of deer meat was cooked and seasoned with salt and herbs which made it taste wonderful. As they ate, Kyle brought up the big news. “Oh, I remembered that the Egg Bearers are due to come tomorrow afternoon. I wonder if it may be one of us, I don’t remember the last Rider from Getef.” Lariad interrupted, “That’s because there hasn’t been one in ages, not since before even I was born… I think the last Rider from here was named was Lareena; I don’t even remember correctly.” “I know Father, but wouldn’t it be amazing if that happened?” “Plus, our small, little village may get its own place on the map this year,” commented Zaln. This brought forth laughter from everyone. “But seriously, Zaln,” persisted Kyle, “wouldn’t it be awesome to be one of those legendary Dragon Lords? You remember the last time the Egg Bearers came with their powerful and large dragons? They looked so strong with their shining armor and they have this air to them that makes them seem so… So mighty.” Zaln thought back to the Egg Bearers. The Egg Bearers were a pair of one Dragon Lord and Dragon Lady that visited all of the villages and towns with a dragon egg. They came every six months with the different colored eggs. When they came, anyone under 21 years of age was permitted to touch the egg. Should the egg hatch after your touch, you would be considered a Dragon Lord or Lady and brought back to Veyen Vastre to be trained as a Rider. It was a most prestigious event and every time Zaln touched the egg, whether it be blue, green, red, or whatever color, the egg never hatched as he had hoped. “Kyle, who knows, maybe you are right, maybe Father is right. I guess we’ll see.” ****** The following day blurred passed Zaln until the Egg Bearers came. Throughout the most part of the day, Kyle and Zaln had been working on chopping wood for Lariad who was a carpenter. After lunch, both Kyle and Zaln witnessed two winged beasts land in the middle of the town. Excited by the sight, both immediately went to Lariad and informed him of their sightings. Sighing, he reluctantly let them off early so they could go participate in the “egg touching” as he branded it. Zaln and Kyle raced to the town. Exhilarated by the thought of seeing the rare dragons and their riders, Zaln ran as fast as he could while his black hair whipped crazily in the air. While they were sprinting, Zaln took a look back to see Kyle’s light blond hair catching the sun’s color with a determined look gleaming in his sapphire blue eyes. Zaln turned back to face forward again and started to challenge himself to run faster. When they got to the town, both were panting from the run. Smiling, Zaln said, “Hah, I beat cha.” Kyle looked up exhausted and replied, “But you can’t beat me in arm wrestling.” Zaln chuckled and started to fast walk toward the large crowd that had now gathered around the dragons. As they both drew closer, Zaln saw the dragons with their feral eyes, knife-sharp teeth, iron-strong claws, and shining scales. There were two dragons, one larger than the other. The larger one had a red glittering hue to it and the smaller one had shimmering white scales. Their giant wings were folded across their backs and there was a saddle upon each one’s back. Zaln looked in utter amazement and terror at the sight of the beasts. Making their way around the mob of people, Zaln and Kyle squirmed through the people. Zaln caught a glimpse of the Dragon Riders. One was a male with eyes at a slant and wisps at the tips of his ears, all topped off with soft, chestnut colored bed of hair. He was dressed in a gleaming, reddish armor with a sheathed blade. The hilt’s bottom had a pair beautiful semicircle rubies catching the light and creating a wave of different variations of red. The other Rider, a Dragon Lady, wore a soft, white armor with a small hint of black adorning the border. She was human, probably a few years older than him. Her features were gentle, but her eyes looked distant and stormy in the gray color. Like her fellow Rider, she also had a sword belted on her hip, but the handle was slightly shorter and the white pommel was adorned with three white pearls. Zaln had never seen pearls, but he had heard of their looks and was captivated by the exquisiteness of them. Then the elf said in a loud voice, “I am the Drayhon Racect Xyler. I am partners with Drayhon Gurridon,” and he motioned toward the towering red dragon. “And I am Drayhon Racect Mylene and this is my drayhon, Drayhon Revesh,” and in response, the white dragon swung its head around. Xyler continued, “We have come, just as tradition, to bring a dragon egg every six months to the cities and towns all around Llostier. Today, we bring forth a dragon egg for those under 21 years of life to touch and see if the dragon within the egg has chosen that person as their partner for life.” He flicked his wrist, and instantly, a small shimmering light gave way to a glossy, black egg. It was a real dragon’s egg. Everyone made sounds of amazement and astonishment. Zaln noticed that the female Rider, Mylene, was scouring the crowd looking for someone or something. Zaln continued to try to look in the direction the Rider was looking for until Xyler continued. “We ask that any under 21 years of life form a line and one by one, we will ask your name and allow you to proceed to touch the egg. Should the egg hatch for you, you will be given an hour to gather your belongings and say your parting words to your friends and family because you shall be brought back with us to Veyen Vastre and you will be trained in the ancient ways of the Drayhon Racect.” Immediately, children and some young adults formed a line. One by one, the procession slowly started. Zaln was in the back of the line with Kyle behind him. He said smugly, “It doesn’t matter where we are; I bet the dragon would probably hatch for one of us.” After a long half an hour, it was Zaln’s turn. Even though Zaln had done this before as a child with Kyle, his stomach was still tightening and his breath became short and ragged. Sweat coated the back of his neck and palms. He felt like he was going to pass out. When he finally stepped up, Xyler asked for his name. Zaln said, “My name is Zaln.” Nodding, the elf said, “You may proceed to place your palm on the egg.” While Zaln stepped up to the shiny, black egg that was suspended in the air by probably magic, a million thoughts were buzzing in his head like an angered beehive. A random thought caught his attention. I bet the egg is so shiny because of all the people who slide their palms across the egg, he thought to himself. When Zaln did reach the egg, he slid his palm across the egg, unsure of what would happen. When his fingers finished sliding across the smooth shell of the egg, nothing happened. As usual, he thought to himself. Tight-lipped and disappointed, Zaln walked away and turned around to see Kyle’s turn to touch the egg. After stating his name, to Xyler, he slid his hand across the egg. Suddenly, Zaln felt a jolt as in his head, as if he were shocked. He looked around to see if anyone else had been affected. The two Riders looked as if they were also recovering from a similar attack. Zaln then diverted his gaze to Kyle. Kyle had stepped back from the egg but he was pale and he held the hand he had touched the egg with close to his chest. Instinctively, Zaln looked around to see if anyone had felt that mind-jarring jolt as well. No one looked like it; some looked in curiosity, others just chatting. Zaln would’ve continued to look until he heard an ear-splitting crack. His attention turned back to the source of the sound. What he saw astonished him. The egg had started to crack and within the crack popped out a small reptilian head. Its large black eyes seemed to be taking in everything. Then there were soft rasps. More cracks followed until a small dragon, no less than two feet long emerged. Its black hide was covered with some sticky egg membrane. The entire assembly was deathly silent and neither a person nor animal stirred. Xyler seemed to be the first to recover from the shock and boomed aloud in his voice, “A new Drayhon Recect has been chosen! Kyle of Getef has been selected by this dragon as its chosen Rider!” Suddenly, the realization hit Zaln. Kyle, his foster brother and friend since childhood, had been chosen to become a Dragon Lord…
The Assistant Three years. That was how long it has been since Kyle left with the Riders to go to Veyen Vastre, Zaln thought to himself. Zaln had been out looking out into the creek. Very little had changed since Kyle left. Staring into the calm, undisturbed water, Zaln gripped the stone in his hand until his knuckles were white. Kyle had left him the job of supporting their parents. Kyle didn’t even have the decency to contact them. Zaln was furious. He hurled the stone into the water, sending a thousand droplets into the air. Zaln watched as they rained down on the once untouched water. He sighed. Zaln was jealous, even though he knew that he should’ve been proud that his own foster brother had become a Rider, but Zaln couldn’t ignore the pangs that resonated so loudly in his mind. “Why couldn’t it be me?” he asked himself so many times. Ever since that fateful day, during the next 6 months the Egg Bearers arrived, he would ask them about Kyle’s status, but he got the same response, over and over again. “Kyle is in training with his dragon. That is all we can say.” He winced at the memories. Finally, he forced himself to recall what he could regarding the events after the dragon had hatched for Kyle. ****** Zaln recalled Kyle being very excited and he yelled to Zaln to follow him back to their home to show their mother and father his new dragon. Acting cheerful, Zaln followed, trudging most of the way. Kyle didn’t notice Zaln’s less-than-happy attitude because he was so absorbed with his newly hatched dragon. Kyle ran into the house screaming the news to his parents. Zaln leaned on the doorframe, trying to read his adoptive parents’ countenances as Kyle recounted what had occurred. Lariad’s face show joy, but Zaln noticed a small hint of concern. Their mother was happy, but her eyes were full of pain at the prospect of her son finally moving on in life. Zaln couldn’t bear it anymore, so he announced that they ought to get a move on and pack up. Kyle joyfully agreed and he left the dragon under his parents’ care while he went to ready his belongings. Forty five minutes later, Kyle was ready to depart. Zaln, Lariad, and Christina saw Kyle off. When he finally climbed onto the back of Xyler’s dragon with his own in his arms, he waved and the Riders took off. That was the last time Zaln saw him. ****** Zaln got up and brushed himself off. He knew that he should be getting back home for supper. As he entered the city, he saw a giant crowd gathered. Hastening his pace, Zaln thought about the possibilities of the occurrence of a sight that would attract such a crowd. Only “egg touching” was the time where a mass group of people would gather, and the Egg Bearers had already come two months ago. Then Zaln looked in horror as a he saw a black dragon head towering over the mob. It swung its head side to side as if searching for something. The dragon had a saddle attached to its back and in the setting sun, it looked like a creature of the night. The dragon swung its head in Zaln’s direction and its ruby red eyes focused on him. Zaln felt something touch his thoughts in his head. He heard someone say, {Are you Zaln-brother?} Zaln started to look around in fear of what this voice in his head was. The voice said, {Be at peace young one, answer my question, are you Zaln-brother? It is I, Black-Scaled Shadow.} Looking up and quivering in shock, he cautiously nodded his head. Zaln felt the presence leave his mind. He looked and saw the crowd start to part. A figure stepped out. Zaln vaguely remembered the face. The man donned a set of glistening black armor pieces topped off with a sword at his hip. Like all Dragon Lord blades, it was studded with some sort of rare treasure. This Rider’s blade had a giant black diamond on it. Zaln noticed the Rider’s blond hair and recognized the foolhardy grin the man wore. It was Kyle. Zaln sprinted to Kyle and when they reached, they hugged each other. He noticed that Kyle had grown and changed over the years. Zaln said, “Kyle! You’ve grown more muscular and taller. In addition you have a Rider’s sword and your own dragon! You’ve… It’s amazing.” Chuckling, Kyle said, “You, too, Zaln, have grown taller! It is good to see you after all these years. And this is my dragon, Drayhon Shadow. He told me that he talked to you through your mind. Doesn’t it feel amazing?” “Yes! Why haven’t you sent us a message, though? We haven’t heard a word from you and mother and father are worried!” Kyle’s face darkened a little responded slightly colder, “I am not permitted to have any contact with anyone during my training in Veyen Vastre, but I have come because I am going to join the Pebestar Drayhon, the Dragon War.” Zaln’s joy subsided and he inquired, “What?! War?! Why, are they crazy?” Zaln would’ve continued to rant, but Kyle put his hand out. “I will explain later when we are reunited with mother and father.” Sighing, Kyle started to smile again and said, “Shall we return home then?” “Yeah, you should take to mother and father.” Kyle started toward his dragon and clambered onto the saddle. When he saw that Zaln didn’t follow he said, “You don’t wanna ride? Well I guess you could sprint.” Surprised, Zaln yelled, “No way, hold on, I am willing to ride!” Kyle chuckled and extended his hand to help the flustered Zaln on. ****** To Zaln, the dragon-back ride was exhilarating. He loved how the dragon rode the winds and when the short ride ended, he was disappointed. When they reached the house, Kyle helped Zaln get down and said, “Isn’t it the most amazing thing to ride a dragon?” Zaln nodded, his mind still lost in the sky. Hearing the commotion outside, Christina and Lariad stepped outside. They first noticed the dragon and started to back up, but Kyle said, “Wait mother and father, it’s me, Kyle! I’ve come back.” Zaln watched the reunion and saw both parents’ anxiety fade away and it was replaced with joy and comfort. They ran to their son and showered him with hugs and kisses. Then Zaln heard the dragon project its mind and say, {Hello Lariad-father and Christina-mother. I have heard of you both from Kyle-Racect and now I have the honor of meeting you.}. The dragon then bent its head and both parents seemed surprised. Kyle laughed and explained the dragon’s way of speaking. After explaining, he said, “Shadow’s going to go out and hunt for something to eat while we go in and eat.” ****** Gathered around the dinner table again, Kyle informed them of the events that occurred after his departure. “We traveled for five days and when we reached Veyen Vastre, my breath was taken away. I had never seen anything like it. There were dragons all around with their Riders working on their own missions. The castles there are gigantic and some were even larger than Getef itself. And the dragons… The dragons are so large they make Shadow, even at his current size, look like a hatchling. I am not allowed to speak of the training that I undertook, but my teachers were a wise elf named Farek and his drayhon, Vatrux. They taught me the Language of Souls, the words of magic.” “So you can cast spells now?” interrupted Zaln. “Yes, but I was told not to use magic unless it is dire because of the fact that magic takes a lot of energy out of the user, and one wrong word and I could potentially kill myself.” He took a sip of his water and continued. “But I have a reason for my visit. I am going to participate in the Pebastar Drayhon.” Suddenly the table erupted into chaos. “I absolutely forbid you to go to war!” exclaimed Christina, her face red. “But mother, you must realize that-” started Kyle. Zaln interrupted, “But in three years? It’s been said that training is usually ten to fifteen years!” Kyle nodded and said, “Yes, but my training is nearly complete, and they need more help against those traitorous Enolie Drayhon Racect! Everyday more and more innocent people are being caught up in this war! If I could put a stop to it, the world will be at peace!” Christina remained steadfast and said, “No, you are my son, you cannot!” Lariad, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation said, “Christina, leave him be, he has set that ideal into steel, whether it be foolish or wise. And I do not believe that is the main reason for your visit.” Kyle nodded and said, “Exactly father, I am here to bring Zaln with me in the war. The elders said that it would be wise to have a friend or family to brave the horrors of war and to prevent me from losing my mind.” All eyes turned to Zaln who was also shocked by Kyle’s words. “I don’t… I don’t know what to say… But it’s war… But if it would be to assist you them, yes, I shall join you in the war.” Christina was about to protest, but Lariad cut her off and announce, “I figured as much.” Lariad got up and mentioned for Zaln to follow. “Come with me to my shed Zaln, I need to speak with you for a while.” He turned to Christina and Kyle and announced, “This may take a long time, so do not wait for us, go and finish your dinner.” ****** Inside the shed Lariad pulled out two benches for both himself and Zaln and commanded, “Sit.” Zaln obeyed and took a seat. Lariad looked into his eyes and quietly said, “You’re a spitting image of your father, you know that, Zaln?” Listening to this, Zaln looked at Lariad dumbfounded. Whenever Zaln inquired about his true parents, Lariad would say he never knew them. He didn’t bother to tell Zaln how he had come to live with them either. Whenever Zaln asked, he would give a distant look and tell him that he couldn’t say for sure. Now Lariad was saying that he looked like his own father? Zaln nodded his head. Lariad continued. “You see, your father once lived here in Getef. I grew up with him. We were almost like brothers, similar to you and Kyle’s relationship. As we grew up, your father, who was named Xander, started to leave Getef and return rarely. When I asked about his whereabouts, he smiled and said that it was about important business. We continued on like that up until the week after Kyle’s birth. I vividly recall the night. It was raining and Christina was in the bedroom putting the newborn Kyle to sleep when I heard a knock at the door. It was Xander, and he was bloodied. He carried an emerald green sword in his left hand, and a baby in his right. Xander said that something had just happened and that he couldn’t raise the baby so he entrusted the child’s care to me. He told me that the baby was named Zaln. Yes, Zaln, your father was named Xander and you have looks. Anyway, your father said he couldn’t stay any longer and left. That was the last time I ever saw him.” Zaln swallowed as he took all of the information in about the father he never had. Lariad gave Zaln a few minutes to take in the realization and pressed on. “Before he left, Xander gave me something to pass on to you for when you grew up and planning going to leave the village. Somehow, he knew that you were going to leave Getef one way or another.” Lariad reached down and pulled out a small, wooden box that was carefully concealed. He handed to Zaln who took it with reverence. Zaln delicately opened the box to find a gold necklace with an emerald pendant. Taking his time, Zaln lavished the piece of exquisite art and placed it upon his neck. He felt a tingling sensation as he put it on which quickly subsided. It somehow made him feel a little stronger. Lariad smiled and said, “The way you study things that arouse your curiosity… You are truly Xander’s son.’ Zaln looked up and said, “Did you know anything about my mother? Did Xander ever talk about her?” He shook his head and responded, “I’m afraid not. He never stayed in Getef long and was often in other places.” Thanking Lariad, Zaln got up. While both made the walk back to the house, Lariad said, “Zaln, it’s been a joy to raise you, and I know that you intend to go with Kyle, but promise me this: that you will make sure that no harm befalls either one of you.” “Yes sir,” Zaln replied as he wondered what was destined for him. ****** The next morning, Zaln packed his belongs in a backpack along with the quiver and bow that Lariad had given him for his thirteenth birthday. After saying all his good byes, Zaln joined Kyle upon Shadow’s back and they soared in the air to Veyen Vastre. While they were in the air, Kyle informed him that it would take them about a week to reach Veyen Vastre and that they would be just camping out in the woods during the nighttime. ****** That evening, around the campfire, both boys enjoyed a deer that Shadow had caught for them with ease. Shadow himself was feasting on two. While Zaln prepared his small sleeping bag, Kyle took off his armor and placed it in Shadow’s saddle and simply donned a plain tan tunic. Then Kyle found two good-sized branches and tossed one to Zaln. Zaln caught it with ease and looked at Kyle with a confused expression. “I haven’t sparred with you in three years, and I wanna fight with you,” was Kyle’s plain answer. Zaln scowled and said, “But that’s not fair, you got three years worth of training as a Rider.” “Ahah, so you are cowering from this challenge?” inquired Kyle with a broad grin. Getting up with a groan, Zaln said, “Aww shut up, I accept your challenge.” As he was positioning himself, Zaln felt Shadow’s mind enter his and the dragon said, {Try to go for his left side, his defense there is worse than a helpless sheep’s bleats for help}. {Thank you for that wonderful piece of information,} Zaln said in his mind to Shadow. Now it was Kyle’s turn to scowl. “He told you about my weakness, huh? Well, we shall see the outcome of this.” Shadow made a snorting sound in response. Then the fight ensued. Kyle was obviously the better fighter of the two since Zaln could hardly keep up with his constant jabs and swings. Several times Zaln felt the sharp stinging pain from Kyle’s branch. After several minutes of fighting, Zaln slumped to the ground in exhaustion. His entire body ached from all the treatment he had received and his breathing was loud and heavy. He saw that Kyle had barely broke a sweat and was beaming with pride. “My my, Zaln, it seems your swordsmanship has gotten worse! That is not a good sign,” Kyle teased. Zaln heard a swing and saw that Shadow’s tail had hit Kyle, sending him sprawling backwards a few feet. In a smug tone, Shadow said into their minds, {But it seems your reflexes are as poor as an ignorant bunny.} ****** The following days continued with flying in the day and sword fighting with the branches at night. During the fourth day, Kyle said while they were riding, “Oh I did some research and found out the last Drayhon Recect of Getef was actually chosen when our father was about 19 or 20 years old. I tried to pry further, but whomever I asked said they didn’t recall any certain Rider from Getef. It seems they didn’t know him/her, but we should ask around if we have any spare time.” “That’s interesting, Kyle. Too bad we couldn’t find out more… Maybe it was done in secret since father doesn’t know?” “Possibly, but father has a fairly decent memory… Well the Riders didn’t seem to know much more, so I guess we’ll have to figure it out on our own.” “It seems so.” {I believe that magic plays a part in all of this, do you not agree, Kyle-Rider?} inquired the dragon’s thoughts. “Well such large magic is dangerous,” Kyle replied while looking at the zooming landscape under them. Zaln was pondering over the information of a Rider in Getef. He couldn’t come up with any suitable theories, so he put the idea to rest. Suddenly, a random question caught Zaln’s attention. “Hey Kyle, could you explain magic to me?” Turning his attention back to Zaln, Kyle grinned and replied, “I thought you’d never ask. You see, inside of us there is magic contained within our hearts and mind. We can call upon it by channeling it and telling it what we want done through the Language of Souls. It is a secret language passed on through teaching, but the Riders use it as their way of speaking. Both dragon and Rider are capable of using magic through either thinking of our spells or chanting them aloud. Although-” Zaln interrupted, “Wait, which is stronger?” “Summoning spells from your mind is easier, but the spell isn’t as strong as chanting out loud, but that is harder because you must pronounce each word correctly or you could possibly harm yourself.” Thinking deeply, the idea of using magic amazed Zaln. Then he asked Kyle if he could teach him magic. This time Shadow answered. {We are forbidden to tell anyone much more than the small vocabulary that has been leaked into Llostier. There are two reasons why. Firstly, it could kill an untrained and inexperience person; secondly, this is a skill kept only to Dragon Riders. Neither shamans, wizards, nor sorcerers can take knowledge from Riders. They are required to find the words of the Soul-Language themselves.} Zaln swallowed, realizing how dangerous magic could potentially be. He figured that it was something easy, just like the legends and tales told of how heroes said a word and could kill nearly anyone. ****** Over the course of the following evenings, the same pattern repeated itself over and over. Eat then fight until they dropped. By the fourth and fifth days, Zaln started to adjust and was able to land a few hits on Kyle, but for the most part, he was still beaten by Kyle. Shadow snorted in amusement. ****** By day seven, Veyen Vastre was insight. Kyle hadn’t lied, for Veyen Vastre was more majestic than any story he heard had ever depicted it as. There were giant spires and castles that each displayed various flags and banners. There were dragons and Riders flying all around, intent on their own missions. “This view, it’s mesmerizing. There are so many Riders, it’s overwhelming. And they are all different colors! Kyle, who lives in those castles?” Kyle grinned, the wind messing with his hair and he yelled, “Those castles belong to Rider platoons or some of the older Dragon Lords and Ladies. We have yet to be assigned to a Rider platoon, but we will be soon upon our return.” “So we will be fighting with a platoon?” Kyle nodded in response and pointed to a giant open air dome with giant towers all around. It floated in the sky and there were thousands of dragons flying and landing. The sight took Zaln’s breath away. Never had he seen so many dragons gathered. Zaln made sure to try to take in every detail of Veyen Vastre. ****** When they landed, they were greeted by a Rider who welcomed Kyle back and asked for Zaln’s name. Zaln said, “My name is Zaln and I have come to assist Kyle in the war.” The rider, who was a human with reddish hair, extended his hand. Zaln took it and the man introduced himself as Tyuro. Zaln looked around to find several other dragons and their riders dismount and go to their destinations. He helped Kyle and Zaln take off Shadow’s saddle. Zaln grabbed his backpack. Tyuro excused himself and brought the saddle towards one of the racks. Then Shadow leapt up into the air and flew away. Zaln looked to Kyle quizzically and he replied, “Shadow’s gone off to clean his scales and get something to eat. Now let’s get to my quarters.” ****** Zaln followed Kyle up a winding stair case in the northeastern corner of the structure. After a series of dizzying twists and turns, Kyle stopped at a door that had a strange rune on it. He muttered an inaudible set of words and the door opened with a click. Kyle pushed the door and entered. Zaln followed. When Zaln entered, he found Kyle’s room slightly larger than he expected. There was some sort of toilet room no doubt using a “magical” chute, Zaln thought to himself, laughing at his idea. Kyle then showed Zaln the small bedroom that had two beds, one for each. Zaln threw his backpack to the left bed. Next, Kyle led Zaln to the kitchen where there was a small oven and a basin of water. He informed Zaln that if they were to have anything to eat, they would have to go to the Riders’ large eatery. After showing Zaln other minor commodities, he sat in one of the chairs and said, “What do you think? It’s pretty nice compared to what we used to have.” Zaln nodded, looking out the bright window and into the acres of forestland. Noticing Zaln’s indifference, Kyle suggested, “Hey we should visit the armory and then proceed to the sparring room. You need to be taught to fight and defend with a sword since you are going to be fighting alongside me.” Excited with Kyle’s offer Zaln exuberantly accepted. ****** When they arrived at the armory, there was a burly man who introduced himself as Drewis. He asked for Zaln’s fighting style, but Zaln didn’t even know anything about fighting styles. Drewis grunted and gave him some swords to try out. Zaln took each one and swung, but it didn’t feel quite right in his hands. Kyle just leaned against the wall and observed. “Sorry I can’t give ya a proper blade like those Dragon Rider swords, but only the elves make em and they are reserved for Drayhon Recect only. But here, try this blade.” He handed Zaln a two foot blade with a strange handle. Drewis explained, “This is called a pata. It is of elvish make, though it’s not as strong as a Rider’s blade. The strange handle doubles as a gauntlet to allow for swifter, more solid slashes. The gauntlet holds the blade to your arm. It also makes defending easier, to an extent at least. But, if you parry a strike that’s too strong, your wrist could snap or the blade would shatter. If you need to defend, you may wanna have a shield with ya.” Zaln put grasped the pata. Its gauntlet-handle felt good in his hand. Zaln jabbed forward and slashed to the left. The gauntlet allowed his arm to keep the blade from swerving an extra few inches when he swung. Zaln looked at the blade, pleased with it. Drewis grunted in approval and announced, “I think I see your fighting style. It is a variation of us Riders’ Aqut. It’s rare that one such as yourself should know something similar to Aqut. Aqut goes back to the time of the first elven Drayhon Racect. It was their fighting style. After Daigun and Fryt, it’s the hardest to learn but one of the finest. That blade, it fits you well. I’m curious though; could you tell me how you came to learn your style of fighting?” “Umm, I just fought like that. I was never trained. The closest I ever got was fighting Kyle with tree branches while we traveled here.” Drewis nodded. “So you’re a natural, eh? I haven’t seen a natural that knows Aqut in nearly decades. You are very talented.” He turned to Kyle. “You’ve picked a skilled fighter to march alongside you.” Kyle laughed and said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Returning his attention to Zaln, Drewis added, “You may want to see Uyert the elf in the sparring room. He learned Aqut and I’d bet that you can learn a thing or two. Just to make sure, are you satisfied with your blade?” Zaln hefted the blade and looked over it, feeling no notches or scars with his fingers. Only his face was reflected on the silver steel. His hand slid down to the gauntlet that also served had the handle inside it and traced his fingers over the raised border designs that shown blue. He felt the smooth, pearly steel of the gauntlet. He looked up to Drewis and said, “I believe that I will accept this blade.” “Aye, that’s good. If you didn’t know, it has a name.” “It does? Was this owned by someone before me?” “It was. The previous owner returned this blade to me after he became a Rider. He had named this sword Koino, which means ‘silence’ in the Language of Souls.” The large man went over to a shelf and pulled out a brown, intricately decorated sheath. Drewis tossed it to Zaln. “It’s the sheath,” he explained, “and it was decorated by the elves when they forged Koino. And the blade itself still has some spells from the previous owner. I believe there are some wards to prevent other spells from destroying it; others allowing it to cut through protection spells, and more that prevent the blade from being damaged.” “Thank you Drewis. May I ask who the previous owner was?” His eyebrows knotted and he scratched his gray goatee. “I can’t recall… It’s been so long since I had actually seen Koino. It was by chance that I found her in the various stacks of blades here.” Thanking Drewis for his information and assistance, they departed to find Uyert in the sparring room. ******* As Kyle led Zaln to the sparring room, he asked Zaln, “So Zaln, how did you learn Aqut? It’s one of the most revered and hardest styles of sword fighting to know. Were you really telling the truth about all that?” Zaln’s mood soured. Putting his hand on the gauntlet handle of the sword that hung at his hip he replied, “Of course I told the truth. I never associated myself with bothering to learn sword fighting. Isn’t that obvious?” Smiling, Kyle said, “Oh I see. Well here we are. I present to you the sparring room.” Kyle opened a double wooden door and Zaln stared inot a giant, open air pavilion. There were several pairs of Riders fighting, others being tutored by older Riders. When they entered, an elder Rider greeted them and asked if they were looking for place to spar at. Zaln shook his head explaining that he sought out Uyert. The Rider’s eyes lit up and he stated that he was indeed Uyert. Zaln went on to explain that he was sent by Drewis to learn how to fight with Aqut properly. The elf chuckled and said, “So Drewis sends me another after what seems to be forever. Interesting. So you are a natural, hmm? I envy you for I had to devote ten years to learning the proper techniques. You remind me of the last one he sent. He too came seeking my assistance and he bore the same sword as your own.” The old elf started leading Zaln toward one of the vacant places in the room, and Kyle excused himself saying that he was going out to see Shadow. Uyert grunted but asked that he return within three hours. ****** After they got to Uyert’s selected location, he drew his sword which was hidden under his robes. It was as long as Koino, but it still very different. The blade was a dazzling shade of brown, and upon the pommel of the hilt were three brown gems. “Draw your sword, Zaln,” commanded Uyert, “We shall assess you level of Aput.” Zaln obeyed, drawing Koino out of its sheath. He felt the gauntlet’s cold steel press on his wrist. “Begin,” was Uyert’s solemn response. Instantly, the elder elf lunged forth with speed that belonged to one much younger. Seeing the strike and recalling Drewis’s words, Zaln side-stepped and slapped the incoming blade away. The elf spun around swiftly in response and jabbed at Zaln’s chest. Fear entered Zaln’s head and he narrowly dodged the Rider’s blade. Zaln feinted to the left and then made his move. It was his favorite move and he had practiced it on Kyle during the past week. As he swung, he stopped before twirling and then jabbing at Uyert’s unguarded chest. The Rider’s eyes darted, following the blade, and with the flat of his sword, he caught Zaln’s jab. Zaln’s eyes widened with amazement and horror at the elf’s defending skill. Swiftly, the elf swung at Zaln’s face. Before he could bring his blade to defend himself, he felt the sharp stinging of the flat side of Uyert’s blade which knocked Zaln backwards. His eyes cleared and saw the elf smiling. “You are very skilled for a novice to Aqut like you. I’m surprised that you were able to survive for that long, Zaln. You are even more skilled than the last one.” Honored, Zaln thanked the elf. Uyert nodded in acceptance and asked where Zaln had learned about his intricate swing. “Well sir, I had been sparring with Kyle during the course of our trip to Veyen Vastre and I developed that move the more and more I thought about it.” “Interesting. Drayhon Racect Kyle specializes in a common form of sword fighting known as Rayysh. Unlike Aqut which melds both defensive and offensive moves together, Rayysh is full on attack and tries not to allow the opponent to take the initiative to strike. That was my natural fighting style, but I trained my body and mind to fight with Aqut. You yourself are very lucky to naturally know Aqut. I know that both you and Kyle are going to be matched with your platoon and sent off to join the war front, but that will take at least two weeks, and in that short time, I can nearly complete your training in fighting with Aqut. The only requirement is that you meet me right before the sun rises for the entire day until the sun sets to train, for we require as much time as we can steal.” Thinking about the elf’s offer, Zaln loved and relished the idea of being able to fight on par with a Dragon Rider’s skill. “I accept, Master, and I thank you for your great offer.” Uyert nodded and said, “We have some more time, I shall now drill you in the body’s needs of fighting with Aqut.” Over the course of the next two hours, Uyert had Zaln stretch and flex. The elf pushed Zaln to run even when he was out of breath and to left heavy weights at the same time. By the time Kyle returned, Zaln was dizzy and exhausted and sweat coated his entire body. Kyle looked surprised and Uyert said, “He has agreed to take training for Aqut, so he will be spending the remainder of the days before you are dispatched learning the ways of Aput. Is that acceptable Drayhon Racect Kyle?” Kyle nodded and looked over to Zaln who was drinking water to quench his thirst. “C’mon Zaln, we’ve got to get you cleaned up and grab something to eat.” Zaln, sore and tired, got up shakily and thanked Uyert. He followed Kyle back to their quarters. After washing up, the rest night flew past Zaln and he half-heartedly answered Kyle’s questions regarding the training. Zaln feasted on some warm beef stew which lulled him into a drowsy state. Kyle noticed Zaln’s drowsiness and they went to sleep early that night. ****** The following morning that ensued had Zaln waking up absolutely aching and still tired. He hastily changed and found that Kyle had left. He had left a note saying he went to get them breakfast. While Zaln was in the middle of polishing Koino, Kyle entered with a plate of steaming eggs, beef, and bread. Zaln eagerly ate. Kyle cautioned him not to eat too much since he was going to train. Zaln growled from his mouthful and said, “To the ground with it, you should’ve told me earlier.” Kyle burst out laughing. Zaln made sure to check that it was still early morning, and he was rewarded with a sunless sky. He didn’t bother to finish his meal and just finished washing up. ****** When Zaln arrived at the training room, Kyle said that he had some important training to go through with his own master and that he’d drop by to pick him up after the sun set. Zaln groaned and then entered the room. Zaln found Uyert wielding a large wooden pole. He greeted Zaln and had him run across the pavilion several times to warm him up. When Zaln was finished, he was panting heavily. Uyert told him the next step was to improve his reflexes. Zaln was instructed to block the incoming strikes from the pole. To Zaln, it seemed much harder than it originally seemed. He blocked the left strike, then WHACK! He was hit in the chest. Zaln’s breathing went ragged and harsh. It was troubling to him flailing around with his sword. He continued to try to block and avoid the swings, but he still took many harsh hits. They stopped only for lunch. After a brief lunch, they resumed training. Zaln was to try to strike at Uyert while also avoiding the blasted pole. I really wanna snap that twig in half, he thought to himself as took another strike from wooden stick. The harsh training continued into the night, when finally Zaln was saved by the appearance of Kyle who looked just as beaten and tired. While Zaln was gathering his belongings, he heard Uyert ask how Kyle’s training had been. His meager response was, “It was worse than Zaln’s I think…” The elf chuckled and ushered both boys out. Kyle didn’t bother speaking since he was just as worn out as Zaln. They ate a hasty dinner and went to sleep because the following days would be just as merciless… ******* The pattern continued over the course of the next few days, but in the last four days until they were going to meet their platoon, Uyert’s training intensified. In addition to running to warm up each morning, Zaln had weights attached to his body for the entire day. Also, he was blindfolded during the stick training. At the end of each day, Zaln looked at his new collection of colored bruises. Zaln also noted that most of his excess body fat was gone and replaced with muscle. He thought to himself, Oh wow, I am as colorful as all the dragon eggs in this place. When the last two days of training reached Zaln and Kyle, their instructors soon started to push them beyond their limits. To Zaln, it was a living hell pit. Along with running and defending blindfolded, Zaln had to perform intricate techniques and back-breaking moves. Upon the night before the last day of training, Zaln noticed that Kyle had also lost some more fat and gained extra muscle. He also accompanied Kyle that night to go see Shadow. The dragon had taken an alcove as his resting spot. Zaln noted how the dragon had grown slightly larger within the two week span. It mystified and intrigued Zaln as to how dragon grew so large so quickly. Somehow, Zaln could sense Shadow’s exhaustion from the training. Kyle and Zaln returned to their room without exchanging a single word, both suffering from exhaustion. ****** On the final day of training, it was far worse than any of the others. Zaln’s sword fighting skills had obviously grown and Uyert had pushed more and more until his skills were on par with that of a trained Rider. Uyert complimented his learning pace and skill with the sword. Zaln began to feel more at ease with Koino and realized that the wards on the blade protected it form rusting and scarring. Even though the weights were noticeably heavier that last day, Zaln’s senses seemed heightened and he was able to successfully block all of the pole swings and even attack back at Uyert in his blinded state. At the end of the training, Uyert said, “These past days were a joy. I am proud to have passed on my knowledge a worthy apprentice such as yourself. I thank you for being such an obedient and abiding student.” “No master,” replied Zaln, cheerful at the praise, “it was may honor to learn and train in Aqut under you. I enjoyed learning the skills and enduring the pressure you put on me.” Smiling at Zaln’s humor, he ushered him out and said, “If you can please visit me early tomorrow, there is something else I need to do. Good night Zaln, wielder of Koino.” Zaln waited as an exhausted Kyle found Zaln and together they grabbed dinner and slept. ****** The following morning, both woke up early. Kyle informed Zaln that he had to see his teacher early, as did Zaln. When Zaln came to the training room, he found his teacher standing there as usual, except he didn’t have the weights, blindfolds, or wooden pole. Zaln entered, pondering why the elder elf had called him. Uyert broke the ice. “These past weeks, you trained very diligently and it was my pleasure to do so. I realize that you are leaving with your platoon, so I present to you these gifts.” Uyert gestured to his left and Zaln found a suit of gleaming silver armor, polished until it was a shiny as a gem. There were dark blue designs on it. To its side was a shield that matched the set. Zaln looked in amazement and shock. “Tha-thank you Master! Your gift… You are too generous! This is beautiful.” “Yes it is. I came across this set several years before the Drayhon Pebastar when I traveled with my dragon in Vagar ynok Tieric. It, too, is enchanted just like Koino. This armor will never rust nor break. I myself casted several wards around it to prevent blades from hurting you. I hope you make good use of it. And I have one last thing for you, come.” Zaln drew closer to his mentor and Uyert drew a half-silver and half-gold ring along with a dagger. He placed both in Zaln’s hands and said, “The ring is called Naymier, and within it, I have casted a spell that will either negate or weaken the effect of a spell on you. In addition, I have stored a massive amount of my magic energies into it. If you can, you will be able to use the massive amount. I will teach you a spell which you can use, but you must be careful to take the energy from the ring only! Should you take it from yourself, you could possibly kill yourself. Do you promise to only use the magic contained within the ring and use it cautiously?” Zaln nodded and said, “I promise, Master.” “Good. Now the spell is Lajasar. Do not repeat it nor say it in your mind! It means ‘push’ in the Language of Souls. To use it, focus on the ring and either chant it aloud or within your mind. Then look at your target and they shall be hurtled back. I have engraved the word into the ring in the event that you should forget the word. Use it sparingly and do not let anyone witness it,” and then Uyert pulled Zaln closer and said in a low tone, “do not tell anyone about the ring because what I am doing for you is strictly forbidden and dangerous. Also, should you be captured by the enemy, say this to them: ‘Tyu Urend ynok Gettr.’ I etched it into the dagger so you can remember it. The dagger is enchanted as well. If you touch its hilt, you will remember the phrase I just told you. Make sure not to tell a single soul, swear that to me.” “I-I swear Master, I will not tell anyone unless I have to…” Uyert’s grip on Zaln lessened and he released him. Nodding he said, “Good, that should keep you safe.” “Thank you for everything you have done for me, Master. These are invaluable gifts.” Nodding the elf motioned for the armor. He helped Zaln place the armor in a pack to the side. While he helped Uyert, he was pondering over what the words meant. Surely, he thought to himself, it is to make sure of my well being. Perhaps a secret code of some sort? Or a spell that will make them keep me alive? Dozens and dozens of possibilities leapt in Zaln’s mind. When they finished placing the armor, Zaln wore the ring on his left ring finger and hid the dagger in his tunic. The elf beckoned to the doorway and said, “May you be protected young Zaln, you have an interesting journey ahead of you.” “Thank you Master and may you be safe. Should I not see you again, please now that I am truly appreciative toward your generosity.” The elder Rider grinned and said, “Oh I am very certain that we will see each other again.” And with those parting words, Zaln found Kyle and together they headed to the appointed meeting spot where they would see the rest of the Riders…
Raist Zaln and Kyle were almost sprinting down the halls to not be late to the meeting with the rest of their platoon members. On their way there, Kyle informed Zaln about platoons. “A Drayhon Racect Platoon is usually made up of three Riders and, for some, their chosen friends or family. We don’t find out who the other Riders are until we get there. When we meet up, we’re all going to journey together to wherever our dispatcher tells us to. Most likely we will be reinforcing one of the cities near the eastern coast. We’ll see.” ****** As Zaln stepped out into the now shining sun, he caught a glimpse of five other figures and three dragons. Zaln saw Shadow with his saddle. Next to him were two smaller dragons, one blue, and the other brown. Then Zaln’s attention shifted to the other four figures. As they walked closer to them, Zaln saw an elf and three humans. The elf was a female and she waved them over. When they reached the core group, Zaln got to get a better look at the members of their platoon. They introduced themselves to each other. The elf was their dispatcher, Felina. She had the same looks all elves shared and she watched and inspected them carefully with her calculating icy eyes. Then there was Relyks. He was a Rider whose dragon was the brown one. He was equipped with brown armor and a brown blade with a triangular gem placed on it which all complimented and matched his accented brown hair. He hadn’t brought anyone with him because according to him, “All I need is myself and my dragon, Giiorla.” After Relyks’ introduction, the other Rider dressed in blue armor with a sapphire-encrusted blade introduced herself as Jya. Her dragon was named Phiran. Something about Jya caught Zaln’s attention. Although she had a human face, her ears were wispy at the tips and her hair was soft, just like Felina’s. He made a mental note to ask Kyle if he knew anything about her. She went on to say that she had also brought along her close friend Renica. Renica had flowing, brown hair, somewhat lighter than Relyks. Her smile made Zaln feel a little woozy, but when he saw her hand resting on a nasty looking blade, he tried to think of something else. Finally, it came their turn to introduce themselves. Kyle stepped and said, “I am the Drayhon Racect Kyle and I have my dragon, Shadow,” and he mentioned to the towering black dragon. “And I am Kyle’s foster brother and ally. My name is Zaln.” Zaln noticed that when Kyle had spoken, everyone, especially Renica, paid close attention to him, but when Zaln spoke up, they looked bored and annoyed. He felt pangs of jealousy come back as Kyle got more attention. It had always been Zaln who had gotten the attention of most of the girls when they used to live in Getef. After introductions were completed, Felina announced, “You will be traveling as Platoon 2L. As a platoon, all of you must work together on your mission. Your duty is not only to your mission, but also preserving the lives of your allies. Should it be your fault that one of your platoon members, Rider or human, dies, you will be punished accordingly.” Zaln saw something flash in the elf’s eyes, but if she had anything more to say, she withheld it. Relyks, hyper and impatient, asked what their mission was. “Your mission,” replied Felina, “is to travel to the southeastern city of Raist along the coastline. Our allied forces there have seen an entire troop of Enolie troops and two Enolie Drayhon Racect marching to the city. They need assistance and our allies’ morale is falling. We need all of you to reinforce Raist’s defenses. Should you come into contact with a Spirit Rider, make sure you have at least another Rider with you. Remember, the point is to defend the city, not slaughter enemies. Only kill the troops if they get too close. It will be a three day trek from here to there, and I suggest you start flying. May the sky find favor with you all.” With that, Felina withdrew and they all hastily scrambled into the saddles of the dragons. With a leap and beating of wings, the three dragons and their passengers started to ride the air. ****** When they were in the sky, Zaln mentioned to Kyle his observation about Jya. “Aye, she’s a Halfling, or a half elf and half human. I have talked to her before and her father was an elf and the mother a human. Because of that, you were right to notice here elfin features. But she’s a beauty in my opinion.” Zaln chuckled and told him that he stood no chance. Kyle laughed along with him. “So Kyle, have you ever been to Raist?” “No,” he said giving Zaln a distant look, “I have only read about it in the scrolls while I studied under Master Farek. It turns out Raist is a former stronghold that was originally part of Veyen Dasleo. I assume that’s why the Enolie are trying to take over it.” Pondering his answer, Zaln launched another question, “Enolie… You Riders call them Enolie? Why is that so?” Kyle’s expression darkened and Zaln could tell he had asked a bad question. “Enolie means ‘spirit’ in the Language of Souls, and that is what those traitors call themselves. We still call them Drayhon Racect because many are still dragon riders, and we must respect their dragon and its choices, good or bad. But I would like nothing more than to kill those traitorous bastards and release their dragons. They are worse than the scum under the earth. They aren’t worthy of their titles…” Kyle trailed off and looked at the passing by clouds, trying to vent his anger. Zaln thought about Kyle’s answer and opinion of the Enolie. He figured that Kyle was most likely right, since the Riders had forced their dragons to betray the Veyen Vastre Riders. ****** That evening the group made camp late at night, much to Relyk’s protests. “Hey! C’mon guys, we can continue to fly! We gotta get there in time to prevent the invasion!” Normally, Zaln would’ve agreed, but his body was still a little sore from the training he undertook and a ride on dragon back for hours doesn’t help. Kyle agreed with Zaln. Plus, the females said that the dragons needed to rest because they were going to do battle with other dragons. So the group voted and majority said to rest. After dinner, Relyks went to sleep early, brooding about their “cowardice” as he claimed it to be. Sitting around the campfire were Kyle and Zaln, as well as Jya and Renica on the opposite side. Then Zaln had a brilliant idea and smiled to himself. “Hey Kyle, wanna spar? I still owe you for those beating three weeks ago.” Smiling, Kyle got up and walked over away from the campfire and to an open area. As Zaln was retrieving Koino from his sleeping bag, Jya inquired as to what they were going to do. “Kyle and I are going to spar.” Jya’s eyes grew brighter. “May we watch you and Kyle?” Zaln shrugged and responded, “Why not?” When Zaln got to Kyle’s selected clearing, the Rider looked to Jya and Renica and asked, “So you’ve come to watch Zaln receive a beating?” Renica, who he hadn’t heard a word from since the introductions said, “I have heard many say, ‘Pride comes before fall.’ Could that be applicable here?” Jya bursted out laughing, but her laughing sounded like a loud and high sigh. Zaln contained himself for the sake of Kyle. While Kyle started to turn bright red in his face, lit by the moonlight, Renica stated, “Or it might not be applicable here since Kyle is a Rider and Zaln is not.” Jya stopped laughing and looked from Zaln to Kyle. Zaln’s mirth faded away to jealous again, and in addition, anger. Anger that just because Kyle was a Rider, Zaln was surely going to lose. Throwing aside his anger and recalling Uyert’s words during the two weeks of training, Zaln calmed himself down. Uyert’s words echoed in his mind. “Never go into battle enraged. Feel at peace and then your mind and body will function as one.” Preparing himself, Zaln stepped into the fourth level Aqut position and smiled to himself as he saw the shock on both Jya’s and Kyle’s faces. Nearly laughing, he drew Koino, and inserted his hand into the gauntlet-guard and found the hilt of the blade. “Why the shocked countenance Kyle? You knew that I was going to train under Master Uyert and learn proper Aqut.” Kyle drew his blade and put himself in the seventh level Rayysh stance. Zaln recalled the various positions Uyert had made and forced Zaln to memorize them, thus allowing him to stike back and block most Rayysh fighting techniques. Suddenly Zaln saw that Kyle had a slight advantage, for his blade was as black as the night and it blended in. Zaln thought back to his training blindfolded and hearing the wooden stick whistle in the air as it came closer to him. Then Kyle finally said, “Let us begin.” Kyle immediately ran at Zaln, just as that position called for. He heard Kyle’s black blade cut through the air to his right side. Suddenly, he stepped back with one foot and brought up Koino. Then, when Kyle’s blade was close enough, Zaln struck it downwards. Kyle hadn’t expected that and wasn’t able to lift his sword back up fast enough, so Zaln caught the flat of the blade with his foot and stepped down with all his might. Kyle lost his grip and the blade lay in the dirt. With a swift movement, Zaln put his blade a fraction of an inch away from piercing Kyle’s chest. Everyone looked in utter amazement at Zaln’s feat. Zaln was surprised at how fast and powerful he could swing Koino as well as his stronger sense of where the Kyle’s blade was coming from. Zaln thanked Master Uyert in his mind and sheathed Koino. He picked up Kyle’s blade from the gound and gave it to him. As he took it back, he started laughing heartily and complimented Zaln’s skill and mastery of Aqut in just two weeks. Out of the corner of his eye, Zaln noticed Jya’s surprised face when she heard that I had learned in two weeks. Renica still looked as if she were recovering from shock. Putting his hand to his hips, he turned to Renica and said, “I believe that pride does indeed come before fall.” Renica smiled back and Zaln’s stomach started to knot up. He returned to his side and said to Kyle, “Again?” Jya interrupted. “How about we spar Zaln? I wish to fight against your Aqut.” Zaln nodded, wondering what kind of fighting style Jya used. She excused herself to go retrieve her blade. Zaln turned his back to Kyle and Renica and lifted his blade, letting it catch the moon’s light and glittering. In the reflection, he noticed that Renica’s eyes were trained on him. Zaln pulled his attention away from her and looked over the blade. Just as Drewis had said, the wards around the blade prevented the pristine steel from marring. Jya returned with a dark blue blade in hand. Zaln noted that the dark color would make it hard to see in the night, and just like fighting against Kyle’s sword, he would have to rely on his hearing. Both positioned themselves; Zaln taking his favorite Aqut stance: form four, and Jya taking one of the positions of Tauto, the defensive fighting style. Zaln noticed that her wrists were more muscular, meaning that she was used to blocking strong swings. Uyert had instructed Zaln on all the fighting styles and their individual fighting positions. He recognized Jya’s stance as postion nine, one of the strongest for defending. Uyert had told Zaln that Tauto was built around ultimate defense and quick jabs. If one had enough endurance and stamina, sooner or later they could find a flaw in the defense. Thankful that Uyert had instructed him and forced him to memorize them during the running and stick blocking sessions, he realized the importance of knowing and recognizing an enemies fighting style. Realizing that fourth Aqut wouldn’t be able to properly fight against a strong defense, he immediately switched to level six Aqut. Jya’s eyes widened, understanding that Zaln could read her movements. Steadfast, she said, “Begin.” Zaln immediately saw several flaws in Jya’s stance, but Uyert had told him that he needed to see if the fighter was comfortable with the flaws in their stance and that they weren’t forcing themselves. Looking at his opponent’s stance he saw that Jya wasn’t set with the messed up footing or the flawed arm positions. Her face showed some contortion and her arms and legs shifted somewhat, meaning that it was hard for her to keep it up. Smiling, Zaln understood that Jya was an underhanded Tauto fighter, meaning she used sly tricks to attack while remaining strong with her defense. After a tense minute, Jya must’ve realized that Zaln saw through her rouse and returned to the proper stance of Tauto. Slowly, Zaln shuffled his feet forward. Formulating a strategy to counter any possible move from Jya, Zaln prepared his technique. Without warning, Zaln swung down at Jya. Instead of swinging, Jya side-stepped and lunged at Zaln’s unprotected abdomen. Smiling and anticipating the response, he swung his body to the side, spinning at a slant. Zaln hardly felt any straining of his muscle, unlike the first time he practiced the slanted spin dodge. The revolution completed, Zaln found his feet already properly positioned. Jya had stepped back, her face horrified and flustered. But Zaln had already thought ahead of Jya’s steps back and stepped forward. Just as expected, she raised her blade arm higher and the veins on her arm were bulging. Zaln then launched the very move that he had first created against Kyle, used against Uyert during his assessment, and finally Uyert had helped Zaln great it into a masterpiece blow. Zaln feinted to the left which Jya had read, and blocked Zaln’s right strike, but that too was a feint and he aimed for an uppercut slash which was another feint, and then finally, Zaln swung from the right but narrowly looped over blade that had appeared and he used the gauntlet to strike aside the gleaming blue sword and held the tip of Koino under Jya’s chin. Zaln was glistening with sweat from the motions the move had called for. It required several well timed and restrained feints and lastly the ultimate final thrust. Breathing heavily, he pulled away the blade and sheathed it. Using his tunic sleeve to wipe his brow, he turned to see Kyle and Renica now mortified. Kyle was the first to respond, “That was brilliant Zaln! It was masterfully done! That spin was already amazing, but your finish was even more astonishing. The training must’ve been rough with Uyert to learn all of those in such a short amount of time.” “And also,” Renica added, “you are able to anticipate and recognize the various moves.” She nodded her head and said, “I apologize for underestimating you, Zaln.” Removing his sweaty tunic and revealing a white, cotton undershirt, he turned to her with a glint in his eyes and said, “I accept, but do not underestimate your opponents and friends since it is a very dangerous practice and could possibly get you killed.” He left the clearing and returned to his sleeping bag. Hanging his tunic on a tree branch to dry off, Zaln climbed into his sleeping bag for some well deserved rest. ****** After a hasty breakfast, Kyle smiled to him and helped him up onto Shadow. Zaln had noticed that all throughout the morning, Jya had been eyeing him. For what reasons, besides the fight, Zaln knew not. While they flew the whole day, Kyle was still lost in his memories of last night, and he pestered Zaln with questions like how he had anticipated Jya’s moves. “I kind of anticipated and forced her to react as she did, I guess.” Zaln offered half-hearted responses, trying to avoid giving away anything about his training. When Kyle’s questions subsided for a few minutes, Zaln felt Shadow’s mind probe into his. {Kyle showed me his memories from last night’s fight and you did very well Zaln-brother.} {Wait, you can share memories with each other?} asked Zaln, very perplexed. {Yes, it is one of the things we share as Drayhon Racect and Drayhon. Your moves were very well thought out and executed. Your fighting-with-metal-fang skills are very well maintained. Your teacher was very good.} {I am dignified to know that you admire my skills, Drayhon Shadow.} Zaln heard a content rumble ripple in his mind and the dragon said, {Just a few weeks ago you were not very skilled in the art of fighting-with-metal-fangs. You have grown much in a small amount of time. Hunt strong and diligently young Zaln-brother.} He then felt the dragon withdraw from his mind. ****** That evening, Relyks protested yet again and wished to continue flying, but everyone else chose to let the dragons rest. As Zaln was eating his share of the food they packed, he felt an unfamiliar presence enter his mind. Zaln prepared to push out the intruder, but it said in a feminine voice, {It is I, Blue-Scaled Phiran. Your fighting skills are very good. Thank you for putting Jya in her place… She had become rather arrogant after she had been able to defeat almost every Rider in the sparring room, them including your friend, Drayhon Racect Kyle. Please know you have my thanks.} {You are most welcome Drayhon Phiran,} replied Zaln from his mind. Then he saw the dragon nod its head and leave the depths of his mind. Suddenly, Zaln was approached by Relyks. “Aye, you, you’re the Zaln guy right?” Turning around, Zaln nodded, unsure what Relyks wanted. “My dragon told me that the other dragons told him that you are skilled with the blade. Would you care for a battle?” Cringing, Zaln cursed the dragons for the gossiping under his breath. He sighed and grabbed the sheathed Koino. Kyle, Jya, and Renica noticed them. As Relyks led Zaln to a clearing where they were to spar, Zaln saw that the other three had decided to follow and watch the spectacle. As Zaln and Relyks stood at opposite directions, Zaln made note that Relyks was muscular and his feet seemed to move somewhat swiftly. He had heard from Kyle that Relyks was a skilled warrior and had yet to lose a fight, and he had fought with every single Rider he could get to fight him. Relyks drew his brown blade which was also dark and was somewhat cloaked by the nighttime. Zaln started to briefly ponder why the Riders he fought just happened to have darkned blades. When Relyks took his stance, he grinned and Zaln looked on in horror. Relyks was fighting in the Daigun style. Drawing Koino, Zaln recalled what Uyert had taught him about Daigun. They had spent an entire two days on it since it was stronger than Aqut and he made Zaln go through the most excruciating and toughest drills. He had informed Zaln that Daigun was one of the strongest fighting styles, similar to Aqut which was another offense and defense hybrid. Zaln took Aqut form seven which would allow him to easily dodge and counter powerful blocks. Much to Zaln’s dismay, Relyks took Daigun form nine, the second strongest form. Relyks’ legs were set wide and far apart and he had both of his hands on his blade’s double-handed hilt. Then Zaln finally took a proper look at Relyks’ brown-bronze sword. Its guard was thicker and wider than most and his blade was narrow long, but wide on the broadside. Holding Koino, Zaln tried to think of some moves that would allow him to assess Relyks’ basic attacking and defending. Relyks bellowed, “Begin!” Cautiously, Zaln slowly edged forward, placing his body at an angle that Uyert had said would make striking him harder, especially for Daigun fighters. Zaln saw Relyks’ dart around at his positioning. Zaln feinted to Relyks’ left side, but was rewarded with the giant blade slamming Koino away. Using the momentum of the blow, Zaln spun and tried to return the momentum in a strong hit to the right side. To his surprise, the huge blade caught it and slammed Koino away again. This time, Zaln backed up and saw his adversary’s eyes gleaming and a wild smile upon his face. Quickly, Zaln charged with a quick step to the side and then a lunge from Relyks’ flank. Instantly in response, Relyks deflected Koino, sending it away from its target at a slant. And then the giant brown blade swung at him. Zaln was forced to jump back to avoid the blade from hitting him. Relyks chuckled and said, “Wow, you’re Aqut is good. Plus you learned in two weeks. You put all the other Riders I have fought to shame.” Gritting his teeth, Zaln hefted Koino up and said, “No, they have dragons and magic. I don’t” Well technically, in the magic department I do, Zaln said to himself in his head. He thought about using the ring Uyert had given him, but that would be stupid. There were three Riders watching and Uyert had said to not let anyone know. Suddenly, an idea that might just allow him to win the fight popped into Zaln’s mind. Preparing himself for the maneuver that he and Uyert had worked on for two days, he started to loosen his muscles and try to relax. He needed to be as flexible as possible. Relyks looked confused and started to close in on Zaln. Just a little bit more please, Zaln asked inside his head. And he got what he wanted. Zaln smiled and saw that Relyks had stopped exactly where he had predicted Relyks would stop. Breathing through his mouth and letting the cold air in, Zaln started to spin his wrist, allowing the blade to continue moving in a fluid motion. He started to move at a medium pace, stepping not exactly forward but rather diagonally. Fed up with waiting, Zaln knew that the impatient Relyks would charge any second with a lunge toward his next step. A second later, Relyks did exactly as Zaln knew he would. As the blade’s point drew closer, Zaln ducked his entire upper body under the sword’s edge and put Koino right on his shoulders. He used it to block the blade as he ran up to Relyks. Relyks’ response was poor, and by the time Zaln was close enough, he managed to jump up, pushing the brown blade skyward and did a back flip jump over Relyks’ right shoulder. He turned around and held Koino at the back of Relyks’ skull. Zaln was panting heavily and his limbs were tired but not strained. Zaln smiled with sweat coating his face. Although he couldn’t see Relyks’ face, Zaln was sure he was surprised. After a minute, Relyks turned around, his face full of merriment. “That was a wonderful fight! I insist that we fight again after this mission is over! You were amazing! The way you anticipated my moves! You truly are a skilled fighter!” Zaln nodded and gave his thanks for a good fight and the compliments. Later on, Zaln was swamped by questions about the fight from dragons, a Halfling, and humans. ****** Throughout the rest of the day, everyone was excited to get to Raist. The air was tense since the platoon would finally be reaching their destination and their first fight of the war. It was around midday that they finally reached Raist. Zaln’s blood coursed faster and faster and his head was getting hot. A war, I’m joining a war, he thought. Then his mind reverted to his father and he wondered what he would say… The city of Raist was long the eastern coastline and was very large. Zaln thought it was at least four or five times the size of Getef. There were raised spires and walls that guarded the city. In the very middle was a large, obsidian castle which had several blue banners with a dragon’s head in the middle. It was the same symbol he had seen so much of during his brief stay in Veyen Vastre. When they got closer to the castle, a large clearing on the roof was set aside for the dragons. As they descended, there were cries and cheers from the crowd below. Zaln felt dignified to be recognized as someone of great importance. As they landed, they were hailed as heroes by the soldiers there. There were weapons clanging upon shields and loads of cries of joy from the people. Then they all silenced as the Duke of Raist stepped out from his hall. The Duke had graying hair and a matching beard. He wore a lavishing blue suit with a diamond studded cane clutched in his right hand. He was followed by two personal guards. Behind him emerged the Duchess of Raist. She was in a stunning, red velvet dress with her dark brown hair in a knot. She waved to us and we all nodded our heads. The Duke said, “Finally, the great Riders of Veyen Vastre join us! It is wonderful that you will deliver us from the great peril of the approaching threat. We waited for days, scared because-” He was cut off by a loud cry. “THE ENOLIE ARE ATTACKING! MEN, BEAR TO ARMS, THE ENOLIE ARE MARCHING! THEIR RIDERS ARE COMING! PREPARE YOURSELVES!” Instantly the entire gathering exploded into chaos. There were soldiers all around scrambling to get their weapons. Zaln and the others grabbed their armor and started putting it on. The Duke and Duchess were escorted inside by their body guards. Zaln watched as he finished with his shin plating all the scrambling archers, the pike men screaming orders, and the swordsmen running to catch up and defend. It was utter chaos. Zaln heard Kyle utter a curse and say, “They picked just the right time to attack, to the trash with those damned Enolie.” By the time everyone was completely armored, Zaln climbed onto the back of Shadow and both he and Kyle strapped themselves to the saddle at Shadow’s command. Lift off immediately followed and the dragons were in the sky. Zaln’s fancy T-shaped helm provided him with enough sight to discover that there were two Enolie Drayhon Racect. One glittered lava red in the sun, and the other shown like polished silver. Zaln assumed that the Riders must’ve noticed their presence because they veered in the platoon’s direction, heading for the ground. The group followed pursued them. When Zaln looked, the silver dragon and its Rider lunged at Relyks and his dragon. In a blur of silver and brown, they continued to brawl in the sky. Communicating through the use of a spell, Jya told Kyle and Zaln that she was going to go assist Relyks and his dragon and that they should go confront the red dragon and its Rider. Zaln and Kyle complied and found the crimson dragon and Rider in a matching suit of red. Kyle and Zaln immediately dismounted, and Kyle uttered a spell to soften their landing. When they got closer, they found that their enemy was a female elf who looked like she was their age. Her black hair was in a neat bow and her amber eyes resonated power that matched her dragon. Zaln noticed that the dragon was shimmering more than usual dragons’ scales glowed when basked in the sun and somehow seemed larger than Shadow. Zaln said to Kyle, “Take to the skies with Shadow and try to separate the dragon from its Rider. I’ll engage her in combat and see if I can hold her off long enough while you try to take out the red dragon and then return to assist me.” Kyle’s brow knotted. “No, I cannot. You don’t have much protection against magic, nor can you use it. It will be no use. Let me take on the Rider,” he said hastily, keeping his eyes trained on the opposing dragon. “No, I do not have the experience to ride Shadow. Plus, I have Naymier, the ring Uyert gave me. He placed several spells of protection on it for me. It will be my invisible defense against the magic.” “Fine, but you must flee if you are overwhelmed. And let me at least cast a few protection wards around you.” Zaln nodded, raising his blade should the Rider and dragon attack. Kyle muttered a few words and said, “There, it is done. You will be protected from spells and sword thrusts.” “Thank you. Now fly well, brother. And if I don’t make it back, tell mother and father I thank them for everything. Lastly, I thank you brother for being my brother in all but blood all these years.” “Don’t speak like that Zaln, we’ll make it through. Now see you after the fight,” Kyle finished with a grin. He climbed back onto Shadow and strapped himself in. Instantly, Shadow lunged at the red dragon in a series of roars, slashes, and biting. Zaln turned his attention to the Rider and ran at her. He chose to use Aqut form eight since he wasn’t sure about his opponent. He saw the red dragon fly into the sky and Shadow and Kyle gave pursuit. Suddenly, the Rider drew her ruby studded blade and came at Zaln using Aqut form ten. Zaln was shocked that another person was skilled with Aqut. Before the Rider got close enough, Zaln switched to Aqut form ten and successfully countered the incoming attack. Zaln saw the surprise in the elf’s eyes and Zaln continued his assault, but the elf was able to parry all his strikes. Then the elf attacked but Zaln was able to parry all of hers. It seemed to be going on for forever like a stalemate with each other’s skill on par. Suddenly, Zaln felt his leg slip and his guard faltered. The elf took advantage of this and the crimson blade entered his abdomen. Elegantly she said, “Your armor, sword, and ring, they are just as we were told.” “What?!” exclaimed Zaln interrogatively as the elf’s sword came closer. From the corner of his eye, he found that he had slipped because of a patch of ice. Instantly his mind was racing. He had a sword to his throat and it was because of the elf’s spell that must’ve caused the ice to form. Cursing under his breath he attempted to push away the blade, but the elf just drove it closer to his neck. Urgently, the elf said, “You are the one we want.” Zaln saw something flash from his right side and strike his helm so hard that he started to see colors exploding in his eyes. He collapsed from the force of the strike. In the wave of colors, he saw the female elf calling out to retreat, enhancing her voice with magic and Kyle screaming to him as Zaln felt something pull him farther and farther away. Suddenly he started to feel dizzy and blacked out…
Revelations When Zaln opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a bed. The bed itself was not very large, plain and simple with a pillow and linen blanket. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, he finally became aware of the pair of amber eyes watching him. Zaln turned to see a young looking elf sitting on the chair next to his bed. "Who are-" The elf silenced him by putting her index finger on his lips and whispered, "In due time... Do you remember the phrase that you were told?" It took Zaln a few seconds to remember the phrase the elf wanted. He found it hard with the beautiful elf's face watching his so intensely. "Umm the one in the Language of Souls?" She nodded. Frightened Zaln stammered, "Umm it went something like..." Zaln struggled to recall the vague words until he remembered the dagger that Uyert had enchanted for him so that he could recall the phrase. Suddenly he realized that he didn't have a shirt on. Blushing, he felt for the emerald necklace from his father and found it around his neck. Sighing in relief, he moved his legs, and to his luck, his pants were still on. "Umm... Could I have the dagger that was in my shirt? It is enchanted so I would recall the phrase... Umm I know that is something stupid to ask, but just let me touch the hilt and I'll remember the words." The elf's slanted eyes flashed for a split second and she replied, "That is a request that only a fool would carry out." "And, you Zaln, are a fool to forget such important words," resounded a vaguely familiar voice. He turned to see Uyert, his old elven mentor, standing in the open doorway. Next to him were all of Zaln's belongings on a polished wooden table. Zaln's eyes widened in confusion. "‘Tyu Urend ynok Gettr.’ That was the phrase I told to you before you left. Within a few days you forgot it! But at least you were able to remember your Aqut training, or so she told me." Zaln started to get up from the bed, but then the elf next to him flicked her wrist and suddenly Zaln felt as if he were bound to the bed. Frantic and flustered, Zaln yelled, "Master! Help me and we can defeat this elf! She is an Enolie traitor!" Uyert's stern gaze settled on Zaln, sending chills thorough him. "Boy, don't not speak of that of which you do not understand. This elf here saved you from the true evildoers, the Veyen Vastre Rider!" "But how Master?! The Enolie are the ones who are taking over the entire eastern border! How can you claim to be a Veyen Vastre Rider yet be a supporter to the Enolie?!" Walking closer to Zaln, he could see that Uyert's face had become contorted with rage. "I NEVER ONCE CLAIMED TO BE A VEYEN VASTRE DRAYHON RACECT! AS I HAVE TOLD YOU, THEY ARE THE TRUE BEARERS OF THE VICES!" "It cannot be true... Then you are another traitor-" He was cut off as he saw Uyert's fist speed toward him. Zaln only saw a blur until the fist was a fraction of an inch away from his forehead, held steady by the female elf's slender hand. Uyert immediately pulled back his arm. His savior, the female elf started, "Master, please be patient with him. He is only a mere human and was raised in the lies created by the Veyen Vastre to control the people of Llostier." "Mere human you say? Hah, no, this boy is the son of Xander!" For once in his life, Zaln saw surprise in an elf. The elf's slanted amber eyes nearly looked human as they changed from defiance to bewilderment as she processed the information. Zaln himself was confused as to how the elf knew about his parenthood. "Wait," asked a puzzled Zaln, "how do you know of my father? And what do you know about him?" The elder elf's face started to calm. "I suppose that I owe you an explanation from the beginning of the heart of this conflict, but firstly, assume that all of these things about the Enolie that the Veyen Vastre have spread just rumors. No lies, no truths, just opinions and ideas." Zaln nodded, and somehow by clearing his thoughts, he felt more open to listening to Uyert's side of the truth regarding the Vastre-Enolie conflict. Pulling a seat for himself, Uyert sat down and scratched his chin. "Where to start, where to start," he muttered. "Hmm... This entire conflict starts because of magic. To be precise, the Language of Souls. As you know, the language allows the user to create, defend, and essentially control the very nature of life. So, that means that you call upon the magic within your soul, correct?" "Yes, I understand," answered Zaln, remembering what Kyle had told him. Suddenly he remembered the small fragments of memories before he blacked out. Uyert noticed that Zaln was thinking very hard on something. "What is troubling you, Zaln?" "Master, it's just that... As I was starting to black out, I heard Kyle crying out to me... I was pulled back because..." Zaln's attention reverted to the female elf. "You! You're the one I fought. You are the Rider of that red dragon... Did you drag me away from the battle?" She nodded. Zaln noticed her amber eyes and soft, flowing hair that he remembered distinctly as the same that was tied in a bow when he engaged her in combat. Suddenly something clouded his mind. "Your dragon... Was it not attacked by both Kyle and Shadow?" The question caught her off guard. "Y-Yes, that was my dragon, Magama." "Was it harmed during the fight?" Motioning to Uyert, she replied, "He had casted several spells around her. The shimmering was a spell that distorted the way creatures' eyes read light patterns and made Magama seem larger, but she is only three months old. Other spells and wards prevented her from taking threatening wounds, but she still had some minor wounds which were treated easily." "How?" he inquired as he turned to Uyert, "Were you there somehow?" Giving him a mischievous grin the old elf answered, "Magic goes a long way these days, especially when the Rider and dragon are closely bonded and the right words are spoken. With that in mind, yes I was present in the battle through the back of the army. I was using spells to assist the two Enolie Riders, otherwise they would've been wounded much worse." "Do the Veyen Vastre know? Surely they would notice your prolonged absence." "Ah yes, they noticed. Last I heard, I was labeled a deserter and traitor. There is a reward on my head as well. But it was inevitable in the end for the well-being of Xander's son is more important." Zaln was just about to ask more about the significance of Xander, but as if predicting it, Uyert shifted the conversation back on track. "We have strayed from the subject at hand... Anyway, the soul is the essence of mortal life. It allows us to live and breath, learn and forget, but most importantly, love and hate. The soul itself is the strongest form of magic in the universe. Just using a small amount is greater than any mind-produced amount. That is why when we use the Language of Souls, we can preform what needs to be done. That is how strong the soul's influence is." "So then, by taking in a soul, a person can essentially become one of the strongest beings?" "In a sense, yes." "But how? Do they utter a spell?" "I cannot tell you how at the time being, but you will eventually know." Perplexed, Zaln pressed on. "Why later? If I'm going to learn, why not now?" Uyert's voice became razor sharp. "Because if you are not properly trained you would kill those around you." "Oh," said Zaln, feeling ashamed and stupid. "Indeed. Did you think that the Riders were as powerful as they were today compared to back then?" "Mightier actually from what the legends-" Zaln was abruptly cut off. "Bah, the legends are lies. The Riders were much weaker before the Divide, or when the first Enolie Riders split away from the Veyen Vastre. Do you know why they divided? They left because the Veyen Vastre Rider leader had found a way to increase a dragon and its Rider's power by nearly tenfold. It also prolonged their already extended life forces." "They found a way to live forever like a god?" "In a way yes. But it was a crude and dastardly process. The current leader of the Veyen Vastre Riders is the same one that held dominance during the Divide. Little is known about him thanks to magic. Even his own name is obstructed. There is some knowledge though that has survived. It is said that he is a descendant of the first human Rider, King Arturion. In case you didn't know, secretly King Arturion had plotted to control the Llostier and live as a god. His dream wasn't completed for he died, but his ideas and beliefs lived on through his heirs." "So... King Arturion was truly a power hungry tyrant?" "Everyone is in their own aspect," answered the younger elf who hadn't said a word since Zaln last addressed her. "Yes, you are correct, Avain," responded Uyert. Aha, so the elf's name was Avain, Zaln thought to himself. Uyert continued his ongoing explanations, "But also, to balance it out, it was another one of Arturion's heirs that saw through the power and realized the danger the newfound way of attaining power would create. His name was Tarin. Together with his dragon Azert, he secretly brought forth the true nature of the cruel way of attaining more power, discovering and sharing the real truth. Several joined, but somehow word of Tarin and his actions reached Veyen Vastre's leader and finally the Divide of the Riders started. Tarin and Azert held off the Vastre Riders while the others fled to find safety in Veyen Dasleo. Tarin was so powerful that he was able to get all of the new Enolie Riders out. He joined them while fighting off the Riders that dared pursued them. The Vastre leader didn't dare venture out of his stronghold. No one knows why, but many speculate it as cowardice." "So... Is Tarin still alive? If the story about his power is accurate, couldn't he march on and dethrone the Vastre leader?" "No, Tarin disappeared suddenly for no reason. Same for his dragon. No one knows what really happened to him. You must realize that the Vastre Riders have been using their new power to achieve stronger levels of power, but it is limited to only a few very loyal Riders because of the possibility of another revolt. We have been lucky so far because no of the eminent threats have emerged... Yet. And you need to know that this war has raged on for many, many years. At first we were evenly matched, but in these growing years, they are slowly gaining the upper hand. We need as much help as possible." "But there must be a way to stop whatever way the Riders are gaining more power!" exclaimed Zaln, throughly frightened. "Yes. While their numbers increase with each passing year, our numbers are dwindling. But not all hope is lost. There are still the dwarves and elves." "But haven't the core group of the elves withdrawn and the dwarves remained impassive for centuries now." "Aye, but that's where the tales are wrong. We have been working on an impending alliance with the dwarves, yet that is a hard enough task. My people, the elves, have been secretly assisting us with weapons, resources, and most importantly, Dragon Eggs." "Dragon Eggs?! How?" "Remember that many elven Riders withdrew along with their dragons. Well the dragons mated and every few months the Elf Queen sends us three or four eggs. Then we pass it around our territories in a much more discreet manner. We have been especially lucky. Take Aaian for example. She was among our soldiers, but a three months ago, Magama hatched for her." "Wait, a three months? I know that dragons grow quickly in a short span of time, but in a month," Zaln's gaze turned to Avian, "your dragon grew so much?" Avian shook her head. "Of course not. That is unnatural. No, like I stated earlier, Master Uyert casted several spells that made Magama seem stronger and bigger, when in fact she is simply more than barely half that size." Bewildered once again, Zaln turned to Uyert. "Your magic... Is it that great?" Nodding he said, "It is a fair amount, but compared to the Vastre leader, I am like a new recruit. Now, I must tell you the discovery the Vastre leader made. He discovered that by taking a human's soul, his power would rise greatly. But, he realized that too much of a human's soul would kill a Rider from overload of magic, so it had to be done moderately." "Wait, stealing away the essence of being mortal was their way of attaining power?! By killing off innocent, hard-working people? How have they been gathering the small amounts of life? Are they using a spell of some sort?" "No. For it to be done correctly, the Vastre leader took the example of a tree which slowly took in nutrients, water, and sunlight and eventually grew into something tall and strong. So, by forcing nature to create his idea through magic, he fashioned a tree that slowly stole away humans' souls, a little at a time. Satisfied, he created several saplings and used magic to plant one in each of the major cities. He sent out a notice telling everyone that I was a gift from the Riders to them and that it would grow large very quickly. He warned them that he placed wards around them to prevent them from being cut down. Throughout the years, the tree grew very large and became towering plants. Every two years, he would use a spell to pull the collected energies to his palace and do whatever he needed to. That is the extent of my knowledge regarding the Vastre's power increase." Petrified and amazed by the creation Zaln thought to himself, Magic can actually make a mortal seem like an immortal god... And how will we stop a man whose powers have had decades of years to grow?! "Have you been able to counter the trees?" asked Zaln, wondering if a lumberjack could save all of Llostier. This time Avain answered. "We have our best spell casters working on that. We have found a way to slow down and minimize the absorption rate, but it's still going to be a little while." Uyert nodded. "Now to what will most likely interest you the most, Zaln: your father Xander." Zaln's heart started to pound louder and louder. He wanted to know what kind of person his father was. Was he part of the Enolie? Zaln asked himself. Zaln had already decided that the Enolie were the real good guys. The entire soul stealing idea sickened him. What kind of weak bastards steal innocent lives away for power?! Anger rippled inside him until Uyert started talking about Xander. "Xander was from Getef. I don't know much about the circumstances, but he had somehow met the Egg Bearers and for him, an emerald dragon hatched. Like all who had grown under the lies of the Vastre Riders, he was excited to go to war and wanted to tear down the Enolie. When he was brought to Veyen Vastre, it was Drewis, the arms master who recognized Xander's skill in Aqut and gave him the sword now known as Koino. Soon he was under my tutelage. I was many years younger, but I was still a secret supporter of the Enolie cause. At that time, they had already taken half of the eastern coastline. The elders saw fit to place him under my care, and soon I became his mentor in the ways of the Riders. His first blade," Uyert motioned to Koino which lay on the table, sheathed next to Zaln's other belongings, "was Koino. We worked on enchantments for it night and day until we were sure that they lasted for eternity. As you see now, Koino is still as sharp and as pristine, just as when it was first forged. Your father and his dragon excelled in all of their studies, and together they flourished, eventually becoming my greatest students. My dragon, Tawer was especially impressed by your father's... So to speak ‘way with women.’ He was the heartthrob of Veyen Vastre in his time. He also worked hard and fought skillfully. Eventually, Xander returned Koino to Drewis and gained a proper Rider's blade. One of jade and emerald beauty. The blade was considered one of the prettiest and fanciest in Vastre. Your father was the ultimate, flawless Rider. His skill in magic was endless and his creativity was amazing. His spells were known as ‘X's Spells.’" Zaln laughed at amusement of his father. He was the son of a great Dragon Rider. The idea humored him. Uyert and Avian did not share in his humor. Uyert's old stormy blue eyes rested on Zaln's black, clouded eyes. "Are you finished humoring yourself? May I continue to the part about your birth and father's death?" The words sent Zaln's entire body into overdrive. His stomach knotted up and his throat narrowed. He felt his arms grow shaky. Zaln knew that he was apprehensive and anxious to learn more about Xander and his mother. Swallowing and nodding, Zaln said, "Please, proceed..."
Heir Uyert took a deep breath. The room had become tense. Zaln's mind was in chaos. How had his father died? Had he died nobly? After pausing a few more seconds Uyert started. "The day came when the elders decided that Xander and his dragon were going to be dispatched and sent off to the battlefield. He had chosen not to take anyone. Before he left, the day before, I secretly told him the truth, the very same I told to you earlier. Your father was strongly against the idea of the using of souls and I told him that I was in secret, an Enolie Rider. When Xander found out, both he and his dragon left Veyen Vastre that evening." He sighed, as if a burden had been lifted. "When I was alerted, all of Veyen Vastre was in a frenzy. Xander was thought to be as the ideal candidate for the next leader of the Drayhon Racect, but of course, thankfully, it was not to be." "How did he find Veyen Dasleo? Wouldn't he be thought of as a spy?" A twinkle sparked in the elf's eyes as he smugly replied, "Magic. I was able to notify them of Xander and Emerella's coming." "Emerella?" inquired Zaln, quizzically. "That was the name that Xander had given his dragon. She was a deep green, like a darkened emerald with a hint of jade. Emerella was very skilled in the air and just like her Drayhon Racect skills, Emerella was a marvelous dragon. She excelled in all dragon skills, but her most power ability was her flames of jade. She had learned to use her fire at an early stage and soon was able to produce a beautiful but deadly flame..." Zaln tried to imagine such beauty in his mind, grateful Uyert allowed him a moment's respite. "What of my mother?" "Your mother... She was the daughter of a human and an elf... But not just any elf, her mother was the sister of the former Elf Queen. Your mother was a Halfling named Cyilina. This means that you have some elven blood in you, but not much. Nonetheless, you do have royal blood coursing through your veins." "Wait?! My mom was related to the Elf Queen?!" "Err, the former Elf Queen actually." "How did she meet my father?" Thoughtfully, Uyert scratched his beard. "So many questions. Curious though that you should ask that." "Oh," was Zaln's dejected response. But he continued his interrogation. "Well, what did my mother look like? Can you describe her to me?" "Very well... Hmm... Cylinia had wispy ears with flowing dark brown hair. She had the usual traits of a Halfling, but I believe that it was her smile that stole Xander's heart away." Uyert chuckled at this. Zaln shifted on his bed trying to get a mental image of his mother branded into his mind. He noted that Avain hadn't said anything in a while and just sat to his side, listening to them converse. Zaln pressed on. "But... Where was I born? According to my adoptive father, Xander had brought me to him as an infant and that Xander was bloodied with an emerald blade in hand... What happened?" Putting his hand up as a sign to cease the inquiries, he looked away. "After your father had defected, he fought as an Enolie for five years. In that time he married your mother. Cylinia, as you have now guessed, was the name of your birth mother. She also was the niece of the former Elf Queen and captain of Her Majesty's Royal Guards. During the war, the Elf Queen sent your mother and most of the Royal Guards to assist in the war effort. We owe much to your mother, for if she had not come sooner, a many more lives would've been lost..." "So was my mother a Rider as well?" "Err... Not exactly. She was skilled enough to be capable of fighting on par with a Rider and his dragon with some degree of difficulty, but when she married Xander, it wasn't rare to find her riding Emerella into battle. Many called her the "Beauty of Battle" much to her disapproval. Xander often jokingly called her that." Zaln felt himself feel overwhelmed and sad. He had always dreamed of his real family and what it might've been like to grow up with them. "Oh." Uyert seemed to take notice and said, "But, they weren't always this cheery. War is a terrible thing. All it does is bring unneeded deaths. Considering this date and time though, it seems to be inevitable. As a pair, Xander and Cylinia complimented each other perfectly. Their teamwork was amazing. And adding in Emerella, they were nearly unbeatable. But soon, Cylinia was pregnant with you. Xander wouldn't allow the risk of loosing you, so Cylinia instead started the battle planning back at Veyen Dasleo." Suddenly, Uyert's face darkened and grimaced. "Now is the part of your birth... The leader of the Dragon Riders of Veyen Vastre rose from his throne of power to finally try to confront and end the war after we were able to take control of his birthplace. It was said he was in a fit of rage and wanted to absolutely crush the resistance. With his dragon, he flew to the fight. Xander at the time was with your mother since you were due anytime soon, but when news of the Dragon King himself fighting, he had to defend against their ultimate enemy. While he was fighting off the enemies and working his way towards the Dragon King, your mother gave birth to you. You were very frail and sickly and would've died if not for your mother. She knew you were going to die, so she casted a spell that gave her energy to you for your survival. She died in effect and when Xander felt it, he returned in a hurry, hurt over the loss of his spouse. He took you away to somewhere far away. I assume you know where and what occurred. In the meantime, the Dragon King and his army had already overrun several of our important outposts. Everyone though it was over after that, but at an outpost close to Veyen Dasleo, Xander returned, enraged. He went on a killing spree and some believed that he was a demon. After he slaughtered the army, it came down to the decisive battle... Xander versus the Dragon King." Uyert paused. Avain was looking to the side. Zaln was trying to visualize all of what Uyert had told... So, he said in his mind, my mother sacrificed herself in order to save me... A mother I never had and a father I never knew. "Are you all right?" asked Avain, her voice quiet and soft. Zaln gave a short smile and nodded. "Thanks, it's all right..." "When your father met the Dragon King, everything within a 100 mile radius was destroyed," continued Uyert, "countless property was now made worthless. Their fight was one of the mightiest in the history of the world. Tell me Zaln, have you heard the story of the Battle of Black and Green?" Zaln remembered the tale. The village elders often knew many stories and that particular one was seldom told. As Zaln recalled, it was a battle between two superpowers and neither won. It was said that one died to gravely injure the other. It was named the Battle of Black and Green because spectators witnessed a black aura clash against a green one. "Yes, one died to seriously hurt the other," answered Zaln. Uyert stroked his beard. "On the target. At the height of the fighting, Xander knew that he couldn't overpower the Dragon King. The Dragon King was using Soul Magic. Eventually, Xander used his ultimate spell... He compressed all the magic he had and could gather into his chest until he couldn't contain it any longer. Then he released it all, essentially killing himself and nearly killing the Dragon King. He was so close, yet miraculously the enemy survived, but not without consequence. Xander had managed to bring the Dragon King close to death that both the him and his dragon fell. Xander and Emerella disappeared since they released all their energies. As it has been told, no one won. The fight showed that the Dragon King wasn't untouchable and that the Enolie had lost one of the greatest Rider and dragon team, along with the elves' finest warrior. And now, both of their legacies rest on you Zaln, son of Xander and Cylinia." Zaln slumped back on the bed. His body was quivering. The world was a little blurry. He felt his eyelids ache and start fluttering. Faintly, Zaln heard Avain say, "Master Uyert! Is Zaln okay? He looks sick!" "No." Uyert's voice was stone solid. "He is finally realizing what he will be capable of and what will be expected and needed from him. Even now in this time of darkness, the people need another Xander to look to... Zaln will surpass his father. I know and I believe in his will. Xander would've never given him the gift unless he was sure that Zaln was the one. And it is perfectly fitting..." Zaln started to drift away, the pair's conversation lost to dreaming...
Reckoning When Zaln awoke once again, he found Avain napping in a chair on his bedside. Deciding she needed the rest, he quietly got out of the bed and found his personal belongings. When he put his shirt on and replaced his personal items, he attempted to open the door. It was locked. Cursing, Zaln turned around and looked at his room. It was plain and apparently carved out of stone. Walking around, he felt the cold, dark rock walls. The room had a small window that let light through, but otherwise it was plain. Zaln went over to the window and looked out. He saw a dense and heavily forested area that stretched on to the eastern coast where the land became sea. If memory served him right, Zaln was looking at the Nam Sea. It was a fast expanse of saltwater that stretched into several islands, and, according to the stories, a mysterious land of no return. Of course Zaln had never met a sailor and he didn’t care to verify the tale. He had his own issues on the mainland. But nonetheless, the beautiful sight calmed his rattled mind as he watched the noon sun shine down upon the vast body of water. Zaln could’ve stayed there for an eternity except the creaking of rusted hinges brought him back to reality. Quickly turning around and placing his hand upon the hilt of Koino, he came face to face with his master, Uyert, whose old face was full of bemusement at Zaln’s reaction. “It’s good to see you still retain your alertness, even among friends. Similar to your mother’s ways,” he commented. Zaln nodded. “Considering she was leading Her Majesty’s Royal Guards, there were probably many after her, so it would be a wise decision to guard her life.” “Very calculating,” murmured the elder elf. “Now,” he said and turning to Avain, “we have things to do. Shall we wake her in an abrupt matter?” Chuckling, Zaln lowered his voice to a whim. “Cold water perhaps?” “Be my guest, but I never said we would. So as I had said to your father several times many years ago, ‘It’s your head that’s on the line here.’” “Ah, but I lack the ability to bring forth cold water, so it will not be me summoning the water, will it? To go through with our little fun, will it not be you, Master, who shall be calling the water to us?” A feminine voice responded for Uyert. “Either of you try and I’ll strike you down in an instant.” Uyert laughed. “Ah so our young Rider is awake I see.” Avain had indeed awakened and Zaln gave her a cheeky smile. “It was Uyert who had the idea.” “And Zaln was pushing for it,” Uyert added. “But that is not the task at hand. There is something more important.” Avain rose at once. “We are going to take him to the Vault then?” Uyert nodded. “Zaln, please leave all weapons you have here. All of them.” “What for?” he questioned while he threw his sheathed pata to the bed, followed by the enchanted dagger from Uyert. Neither responded as they lead Zaln out the room. ****** After harrowing turns and passing several other bleak stony hallways, the trio reached a large area with twin sets of stairs. One was leading upwards, the other down. “Which way is the merriest?” Zaln asked jokingly. He could tell it was tense so that was his attempt to lighten the mood. Solemnly, Uyert responded, “Neither.” Then Avain said, “Master, I have finished temporarily opening the ward.” “Thank you.” Zaln wondered what ‘ward’ Avain had been talking about until she went towards the descending staircase. In a ripple the staircase changed into one similar to the adjacent staircase. He looked in awe. As if reading his mind, Uyert supplied, “An illusionary ward to keep intruders out. Now let’s get going.” Zaln slowly walked up each stair making sure it didn’t change halfway into a descending staircase. When he reached the top, he found another open and stony room. The floor was cobblestone and felt odd to him through his boots. There were lanterns all around that gave the place an old and eerie look. No sunlight reached the room since there were no windows, but with the dim orange light, Zaln clearly saw a set of eight guards in front of an iron door with a fancy looking wheel of some sort. The guards all tensed when they saw them approach. He could see the alertness and suspicion in the guards’ eyes as they drew closer. A tall one drew his saber and barked out, “Halt! State your name and your business.” The elves stopped, so Zaln followed suit. “My name is Drayhon Racect Uyert in the service of the Elven Queen, but more importantly the Veyen Dasleo Riders. I come to check on the three dragon eggs currently in our possession.” Avain was next. “I am Drayhon Racect Avain in the service of the Elven Queen, but more importantly the Veyen Dasleo Riders. I have come with Master Uyert.” Avain coughed a little and that was Zaln’s cue to introduce himself, “Uh I am Zaln son of Xander and I am in the service of the Veyen Dasleo Riders. I, too, have come with Master Uyert.” At the sound of his father’s name, Zaln immediately noticed that some of the guards’ eyes widened and others stiffened. The guard with his saber out replaced it in the sheath and boomed, “Very well. Then please allow me to use a spell to check your true motives.” Uyert and Avain nodded in compliance, so Zaln did too. Immediately after he did so, it seemed as if a wave of water had just entered his mind. He stood there not thinking about anything besides the tingling feeling filling his mind. After a few minutes he felt the presence leave his mind, and as Zaln looked up, he saw that loud guard had his eyes trained on him. “So what you say is true, son of Xander.” He then bowed to Master Uyert. “I see your intentions with this young man. I am sorry for the security, but it is of utmost importance.” Uyert waved him off. “It was as you were told. Well done and remain strong as steel.” Then he walked to the metal door and muttered a few inaudible words. Zaln watched in amazement as weird item on the door started to glow and then divided itself in to many pieces. He saw that after the item was divided, the door of steel turned into a liquid and slowly rippled away into an opening big enough for them to pass through. Uyert turned to Zaln, and upon seeing his amazement commented, “These are the grandeurs of magic, young sir.” Then he went through the opening with Avain following close behind. Zaln nodded to the soldiers before going in after the pair. ****** When he saw what was in the room, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There were soothing orange flames all around the room keeping it lighted and warm. At the middle of all this was a giant pedestal made of gold with glittering gems inside. Upon closer inspection, he realized these were dragon eggs. Uyert went to the pedestal and Avain remained a few steps behind him. “Zaln, come.” As he got closer to Uyert, Zaln saw that there were three eggs. One was a shimmering and navy blue. The second was pristine and sea foam white. But it was the last egg that caught Zaln’s complete attention. It was a light greenish gleam surrounding it. Staring at the jade egg, he could see his reflection clearly in the egg. “Are these the dragon eggs that the Enolie currently have? This is all of them?” He asked with his eyes glued to the eggs. Uyert made a hand motion and the green egg rose, “Yes these are the ones we have received from the Elf Queen. We had one more until recently when Magama hatched for Avain. Now we will see if we will have another Drayhon Racect joining our ranks. Feel the egg, Zaln.” He was half-surprised. Zaln knew he would have to be a rider just like his father, but he never expected to become one this quickly. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his shaking nerves and placed his palm on the egg…
Conveying When he placed his hand on the egg, Zaln felt nothing different. Stealing a quick glance at the egg, he saw nothing had changed. “Master… Nothing happened…” Uyert looked mortified. Normally Zaln would’ve laughed, but he was too shocked. “Master! The egg didn’t hatch for me!” After a moment, Uyert released the magic and let the egg roughly fall back into the pile. Placing a hand on Zaln’s shoulder he looked at him with his slanted and experienced elfin eyes. “This isn’t the egg then… I don’t know what to say…” Zaln felt like grabbing the egg and smashing it open, but of course that would never work. Eventually Uyert left, telling Zaln to come with him. Zaln hadn’t seen Avain’s face, but he was sure she was perplexed as well. After all, Zaln thought to himself, I am the son of Xander! That egg was a perfect shade of green! Was it not meant to be? All these thoughts whipped around in Zaln’s mind as Uyert lead through several hallways and staircases. Zaln didn’t bother to take in the surroundings for he was much more worried about the fact that the egg hadn’t hatched. ****** Eventually Uyert brought them to a room with a desk. Upon the desk were several stacks of documents, some ink bottles, several writing feathers, and a burned out lamp. A window from behind the desk allowed the room to be filled with ample light. The old elf was busy looking for a paper on the desk while Zaln and Avain could distinctly hear him release streams of curses. The elf finally rejoiced when he found the scroll he was searching for. He waved for Avain and Zaln to come to him. “I need the two of you to go to the Blade Mountains in the north. To be more precise, Star Point, one of the higher mountains. There you must make sure the Empress of the Dwarves receives this document. It is vital to our alliance with them. Protect it with your lives. Should you run into any trouble, immediately destroy the scroll.” “Wait,” Avain interrupted, “is Zaln coming with me?” Uyert nodded, much to Zaln’s surprise. “There is also a Rider who left from Veyen Vastre and was gravely wounded. He made it to the dwarves, but it would be better to have him back here in Veyen Dasleo with us. And it’d be better to have Zaln able to protect the injured Rider if you might be preoccupied.” Zaln cut in. “What of the dragon egg ordeal, Master? Is it a sign that I’m not meant to be?” Uyert shook his head. “Time will tell, but more importantly is the task at hand. You said yourself that your best interests are with the Drayhon Racect of Veyen Dasleo. Upon your return we will sort through this egg hatching matter. Now Avain, please bring Zaln around and help him prepare for the trip. I expect that the both of you leave early tomorrow. I have to talk with the war council and assess what is happening in the warfront.” With that, Avain lead Zaln around the place helping him choose out provisions for their trip to the Blade Mountains, but he was still more concerned about the fact that the dragon egg hadn’t hatched for him. Avain had noticed and tried to cheer Zaln up, but to no avail. By the end of the day, the two had a light supper at the dinner hall. There were several other Riders and soldiers alike talking. Zaln barely touched his veal and peas. Then he got an idea that might lighten his mood. “Hey Avain, you want to spar?” She responded with a sly smile. ****** After they had eaten, Avain lead him back to his room where he grabbed Koino. Zaln decided to leave the dagger on the bed. He also noted that Avain had left her sword on the chair prior to their visit to the Vault, so when she replaced her sword at the hip, Zaln saw that the blade was red with a hint of silver. A ruby was protruding from the end of the hilt. She brought him to Veyen Dasleo’s sparring room which resembled the one in Veyen Vastre except this one looked older. Zaln immediately noticed the place was lit by a crystalline chandelier which had a golden flame nestled within. Avain explained, “That is an enchanted chandelier that’s suspended by magic. This room was the original Drayhon Racect sparring room.” Zaln nodded. The place was also an open air pavilion, but it was nighttime and the chandelier made it brighter and easier to see. “Does this also help for training to fight when it’s darker in the day?” The female elf nodded before striding over to an open area. Zaln followed and saw elves and humans alike sparring and honing their swordsmanship. When Avain found a dimly lit part of the area, she drew her blade. It shined dully in the hampered light, but Zaln could make out something on the side of the blade. Redemption. It read ‘Redemption’ on Avain’s blade. Wondering what it signified, Zaln walked backwards a few steps and then drew Koino. “Best of three… No magic is allowed!” he said scowling at her. She smirked at him. “Oh you read my mind. I was planning another slip-up for you! Oh well. If that’s the only rule, then let’s begin!” Zaln laughed a bit before he loosened his muscles. Taking Aqut form four, he looked to see what Avain would choose. He loosely recalled that she too had been trained in Aqut, thus making this fight much harder to win. Much to his dismay Avain took form six. Zaln edged slowly toward Avain and she did likewise. With Koino in his right hand and raised, he felt the coldness of the gauntlet hilt allowing him for a much more controlled swing. It was Avain who struck first, and her speed and agility barely let Zaln defend himself. Suddenly he noticed she was striking in a pattern. He repeated her style in his mind. Left swing, right swing, lower left, upper right. Zaln quickly fell into a pattern of defending until he decided upon his best time to strike. In the transition from the right swing to the lower left. Immediately that chance came, and he lunged in the opening… And stopped inches from running his head into the red blade. His own sword had been batted away and was far from the intended target. Zaln himself was in a lunging-kneeling position. He looked up to see Avain grinning down at him. “You fell for the pattern trick, I see.” Getting up and brushing himself off he gave her a sheepish grin. “You were just lucky. Again!” She nodded and they began again. This time Zaln choose form two, something easy and simple yet complicated at the same time. Avain copied his choice. Rolling his eyes at her, he closed the gap between them and started with some rudimentary strikes. Left, right, uppercut, block, lower right, side slash! Zaln watched at Avain nimbly spun to avoid the side slash. He cursed and continued his attacks. Meanwhile, Avain was smiling the whole time. To Zaln, it seemed like it was easy to block and evade him. Suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. He changed to a series of random barrages. Avain’s grin disappeared and she seemed to be struggling to keep up with his swings. And then right in the middle of it, Zaln again changed techniques; he changed to Aqut form nine and tried out one of his favorite moves. Using the gauntlet to catch Avain’s blade, he put it at an outward slant and with a swift move, knocked the blade out of her hand and brought Koino’s tip to the elf’s throat. Zaln laughed as he saw the shock in Avain and then sheathed his blade. He went to pick up Redemption and returned it to her, but she still seemed a little surprised. She took it and nodded. The disbelief had started to wear off, but Zaln still saw there was some lingering. It’s rather interesting to see some emotions in elves, he joked to himself. “How did you do that?” asked Avain. Returning to his starting position and drawing Koino, he smirked. “I’ve got some royal elf blood running in me, remember? I’m royalty, haha!” The elf rolled her eyes and took her position. Aqut nine. Now it was Zaln’s turn to roll his eyes. Taking Aqut one, be loosened his muscles and started to breath slowly. With his blade held at an upward left slant, he made a simple slash at Avain. She guarded quickly before launching herself into a pattern. Zaln was barely able to see her blade due to her speed. And the anger in Avain’s swift strikes caused Zaln to step back a few a little. Then, while parrying her strikes, Zaln jumped to the elf’s left and did a 180 degree turn and paired it with a lunge. His lunge was met with a strike that batted Koino away. Zaln quickly side-stepped and prepared himself once more. This time, Avain completely changed her fighting style. He wasn’t even sure what sword fighting art she had changed to. Suddenly she ran at him with her blade slanted downwards. When Avain brought it up for a strike, it sent Koino upwards, and Zaln nearly lost his grip. The feminine elf followed up with a lunge, but Zaln swiftly side-stepped, and brought Koino down from the sky in it smashed into the crimson blade. Remembering a prior battle with Kyle, he quickly put a foot on the grounded blade and brought Koino to Avain’s neck. But his foot stepped on nothing but the cold rock ground. Instantly he jumped backwards and narrowly missed a set of lunges. Zaln heard a slight whining noise from his right and barely raised his sword to block the swing. What kind of fighting technique is this?! Master Uyert never taught me this! Zaln’s mind was in overdrive. Firstly this was a new technique he had never studied. Secondly was the fact that Zaln couldn’t see where the elf’s blade was until the last second. Alertness and self-preservation were saving Zaln from losing this match. Another red blur to his face that Zaln again luckily side-stepped. He tried to return with a lunge, but didn’t find a target. Suddenly Zaln heard a swing to his left. Immediately, Zaln did a slanted spin to dodge the strike, but Avain followed up with another set. Seeing that this would eventually wear him out, Zaln decided to change it up. He decided to mix it up with a little of his original fighting style and some Aqut styles added in. With a swift lower left strike turn, he knocked the sword Redemption upwards and closed in with a strike to the left and she immediately pulled down her sword to defend against it. But it was only a feint. Quickly he struck at her right side and she narrowly brought her blade up to block that one. But that was also a simple feint. Straining his right arm, he looped Koino back and quickly went for an uppercut towards the elf’s middle section. His strike ended right at Avain’s chin. Then he noticed the molten red blade at the right side of his throat. Zaln locked eyes with Avain. Alarm ran through both of their eyes and Zaln could feel the blood pounding in his head. His adrenaline rush was slowly disappearing. It had been a stand-off and neither had won the best of three. Both removed their blades and stepped back. Zaln wiped his brow with the sleeve of his tunic. He only just realized that his entire body felt like it was on fire, and he was sweating. Grinning, Zaln saw that Avain was also sweating. “So, uh, what fighting style were you using?” Dryly, the elf responded, “Aqut of course.” Zaln sheathed his blade and started for the doors. “Well besides that, of course.” Avain caught up and walked next to him. “Oh that, well it was a variation of the Ivo style the elves use. What was yours?” “Aqut of course,” he retorted. She rolled her eyes at him. “You do realize that you can blind yourself if you roll your eyes too much,” Zaln added. She scowled at him. “I’m an elf, not an idiot.” They shared a laugh. “Well we better get to the bedroom since we have a mission tomorrow,” Zaln started. The elf raised an eyebrow and gave him a funny look. Realizing his mistake, he added, “No… not in that way… Ugh just go get some sleep… Goodness gracious.” Avain smirked at him. “I won’t be forgetting what you said anytime soon.” Zaln rolled his eyes at her. “Hey you know, you-” He cut her off, “Yeah, yeah I know.” ****** After stopping for a quick snack at the eatery, Zaln noted that most people were probably asleep already and the hallways weren’t as busy. When they arrived at Zaln’s room, he quickly threw his sheathed sword on his bed, right next to the dagger. Avain asked if she could use the bathroom quickly and Zaln nodded. Much to his surprise, it turned out that there was a camouflaged (at least to Zaln it was) door that lead to a pleasant bathroom. He sighed and decided to sit on his bed. Zaln’s body felt worn out and tired. His muscles felt like they were burning up. Eventually Avain emerged from the bathroom. “Uh, well good night Zaln. Thanks for the sparring practice.” On his bed, Zaln murmured, “Mm yeah, night.” The elf laughed a little and closed the door. Zaln looked at the lamp that was lighting his room. It was slowly dying out and releasing an eerie light. Sighing and getting off the bed, Zaln placed his sword and dagger on the table and used the bathroom. It consisted of a stone bowl with a wooden lid. It would take the contents through some magical chute system and into the unknown. Laughing at the idea once more, he finished relieving himself and found a bath tub with two covered buckets. He decided to take a bath. Afterwards, Zaln found a snug tunic and put it on. Drowsy and light-headed, he stumbled into his bed where he soon fell asleep.