Sky Riders: The Rising Sun
Beneath Us

Eliana awoke with the feeling that something was terribly,irreparably wrong. She glanced around, realizing she was in the tunic andtrousers she’d worn the day before. Her boots were carelessly tossed onto theground beside the bed. A second pair lay beside them.

Caelum’s blonde head rested on her chest, his arms wrappedtightly around her waist. She looked down at him, her heart aching at thesight. He looked like a frightened child, clinging to his mother after a bad dream.She sighed quietly and absentmindedly began to run her fingers through hisshort hair.

Two emerald eyes peered at her over the foot of the bed. “You’re awake.”

“Yes,” sheanswered silently. “Is it morning yet?”

Oriens looked up at the circular opening over his head. “Not yet, I think. It’s difficult to tellwith those storm clouds still lingering, but dawn should be near.”

She turned her eyes back to the young man who held her sotightly in his sleep. “I wish there wassomething I could do for him,” she thought wistfully. “I would give anything to take his pain away.”

“Right now, I thinkthis is the best you can do for him,Eliana. Denio has Kana to comfort him, and Caelum needs you. He just needs youto be there for him.”

As if he had heard Oriens say his name, Caelum’s eyelidsfluttered, and he blinked blearily. He sat up, releasing Eliana from his firmgrip, and glanced around as if unsure of where he was. When his gaze fell onher, realization seemed to settle on him. Sadness clouded his eyes, and he sankback onto the pillow beside her.

“Please,” he whispered, “tell me it was just a nightmare.”His voice was heavy with pain.

Eliana curled up to his side and rested her head on hischest, putting one arm around him. “I’m sorry,” she answered quietly.

He put his arms around her again, pressing his cheek againsther hair and holding her like she was the only thing connecting him to theworld. “So she’s really gone…”

He spoke silently now, and Eliana knew it was because hedidn’t have the strength to say the words aloud. But she could hear the waverin his thoughts, the emotion that tilted on the brink of despair. She turnedher eyes up to his face and found him looking back at her intently. Hisexpression was agonized. Then he turned and looked at Oriens.

She felt Caelum enter her dragon’s mind and heard his silentvoice say, “Promise me you will alwaysprotect her. Never let anything happen to her.”

Emerald eyes bore into sapphire ones and Oriens answered, “You know I will. I love her as well.”

A small, sad smile touched Caelum’s face. “I know. And I am grateful for that. Ifanyone can protect her better than I can, it’s you, Oriens.”

The golden head dipped slightly in response, and Caelumturned his eyes back to her. He must have known she’d been listening, becausehe said aloud, “And you… I want a promise from you as well.” He spoke softly,as if he still did not trust his voice to remain steady.

“Anything,” she replied.

His thumb stroked her cheek as it had so many times before,but there was something more serious in his demeanor now. “Never leave me,” hebreathed.

Eliana’s heart throbbed—not because of his words or thesweet tenderness in his voice, but because she knew that he asked for a promiseshe could never make. Her feet were planted firmly on the path of a Rider, andshe would not stray from it, as much as her heart begged her to. They weregoing to war, and she was leading them. And she knew that death could take herfrom him in an instant.

She wouldn’t make a promise that she couldn’t keep. So shetook his face in her hands and kissed him gently, avoiding having to answer.She tasted salt on his lips. He was crying again, and so was she.

“Why must he love me?”she thought agonizingly. “This would allbe easier if his feelings had never changed from that moment we met on theriver, if he had never seen me as anything more than a Rider, and the answer tothat prophecy.”

He cared for her more than she could stand, because she knewthat she could hurt him, and she hated herself for it. She forced herself topull away, and she slid out of his arms. He looked up at her in bewilderment asshe grabbed her boots and pulled them on.

“I have to take care of some things,” she said in answer tohis unspoken questions.

She felt his eyes on her back as she grabbed Oriens’ saddle.She didn’t dare look back and meet his gaze. If she did, she knew that shewould end up back in his arms, unable to make herself leave again. She had toget herself away from him, for his own sake—before he could love her more.

Without looking back, she saddled the golden dragon,mounted, and they rose through the top of the mountain. In her mind, shepictured a corner of the deserted beach. Oriens understood, as he always did,and turned towards the cliffs on the eastern side of Amiscan.

He descended to the sandy shoreline at the base of the rockface. His four massive feet sank into the sand beneath his weight, and Elianaslid to the ground. No sooner had her feet touched sand than her knees buckledbeneath her, and she slumped against Oriens’ side, sinking to sit on the dampbeach. She hugged her knees to her chest and cried—for Raena, for Ivi, and forCaelum, who she knew she had hurt with her sudden disappearance.

A hundred emotions flooded through her, each of them endingup as teardrops on the sand beneath her. Oriens remained silent, a comfortingpresence against her back and in her mind. He let her weep until there wasnothing left, and then he finally spoke.

“Why does hisaffection upset you, little one?”

Eliana stared at her hands, studying them with unprecedentedfascination. There were slight calluses from her bow and sword. Her Rider’smark shone in the dawn sunlight, a shimmering, silvery gold—prominent andpermanent.

“Little one?”Oriens prodded.

She sighed and leaned her head back against his hard scales.“It scares me.”

The dragon rested his head on the sand, curling until hisnose touched his tail, entirely encircling his Rider. A large green eye gazedat her. “Does my affection scare you?”

“Of course not. Whywould it?”

She felt him shrug slightly. “I love you more than Caelum ever could. And you love me more than youlove him. So, if the affection that is between the two of you frightens you sogreatly, shouldn’t our bond frighten you even more?”

“It’s just… It’s different, Oriens. You know that.”

“Yes, I know. But Istill don’t see the reason for your fear. Caelum is your match, Eliana, and youare his.”

She paused, staring out at the whispering ocean. Finally,she said to the dragon that encircled her, “Doyou think I’m being selfish, Oriens? I’ve left him when he needs me most… Iknow I must have hurt him, but…”

Oriens sighed. “No,Eliana. I do not think you are being selfish. Quite the contrary. True, you mayhave wounded him by leaving him now. But if you had only been concerned foryourself—if you were truly selfish—you would have stayed with him. You wouldallow yourself to love him and him to love you without a ghost of a secondthought. But you are so concerned with his heart that you are willing to breakyour own to protect him from pain. You are as selfless as I have ever seen yoube.”

She lay down in the sand and curled up close to Oriens’head, stroking his bony cheek with one hand. He closed his eyes and sighed withcontentment. “Thank you, Oriens. I couldnever make it through this without you. You are the most wonderful thing toever happen to me.”

“And we,” headded, a smug note in his silent voice, “arethe most wonderful thing to happen to Paerolia.”

Eliana laughed for the first time in what felt likecenturies. “My, you are conceited,”she remarked.

Oriens blew out a puff of smoke from his nostrils as hesnorted. “I’m a dragon. I have everyright to be.”

~*~

For weeks, Caelum seemed to avoid her. Whatever reason hethought she had for leaving him on that morning, he didn’t ask. Their onlycontact was brief and formal—two army captains, making plans for the comingbattle. Eliana saw the change coming over him. His eyes, once so bright andfilled with emotion, were now dark and serious. He looked worn and haggard, asif he had lost everything in his life that he cared for.

Nearly a month after his mother’s death, he appeared inEliana’s quarters for the first time since that morning. Her heart flutteredwhen she saw him standing there, at the end of the tunnel, looking at her. Theyhad been through weeks like these before, and she prayed that it was finallycoming to an end again, that he would speak to her in his usual gentle, smilingmanner.

“Come with me,” he said flatly. “Denio said he has a plan,and he wishes to discuss it with us.”

Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach with a painfullyhollow sound. She nodded numbly and stood, strapping her golden sword to herwaist and following him down the tunnel. Oriens had left for a hunt just a fewminutes before, but sensing her distress, he spoke to her mind.

“I can return to youif you wish,” he said. “I can be byyour side.”

“It’s alright,”she answered flatly. “Find yourselfsomething to eat. I’ll be fine.”

He sighed in her thoughts. “Very well, but I will stay close, in case you need me.”

“Thank you, Oriens.”

Eliana followed the fair-haired prince to the hollow treewhere he lived with Denio and Kana. They climbed the winding stairs and foundfour people seated around a table. Denio sat at the head with Kana at his righthand. Teleas and Caedis sat as far as they could from the couple. Their backswere rigid with disquiet; Eliana knew they were horribly uncomfortable beinginside of a tree.

Caelum moved to sit on Denio’s left, and Eliana sat in theonly remaining seat, on Kana’s right. His blue eyes never once looked at her.Denio nodded in the Rider’s direction, acknowledging her presence. He, too, wasbeginning to look worn for someone so young. But his eyes, at least, still heldsome emotion.

“Well, what’s your bright idea?” Teleas barked roughly. Hiswords came out sharp and cross, but Eliana knew it was due only to hiseagerness to escape the tree.

Denio raised an eyebrow at being addressed so harshly, buthe continued without hesitation. “Even with our increased numbers since thehumans and elves joined forces, we are no match for Nocens’ armies. We need newrecruits.”

Caedis rolled his brown eyes. “Well, obviously! We know thisalready.”

Caelum turned his cold eyes on the man. “You would do wellto watch your tongue when you speak to my brother and our king.” The elf’s eyesand voice still held no emotion, but his deathly whisper sent the message moreclearly than if he had shouted. Caedis’ mouth clamped shut as if his lips hadbeen welded together.

Denio continued as if nothing had occurred. “Yes, we havealready sent ambassadors to Vereor and other human cities, as well as the fewoutlying elven clans. Still, I fear that we will not be able to gather enoughrecruits from those places alone.”

“So what do you suggest?” Eliana asked. Caelum’s eyesbriefly flickered towards her at the sound of her voice, but he quicklyredirected his gaze towards his brother.

Denio answered with one word. “Dwarves.”

Eliana frowned in confusion as Caedis and Teleas let outexclamations of disbelief. Even Caelum raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Dwarves?” Teleasshouted, standing and pounding a hand on the table. “We are already stretchingour limits by fighting with elves!”

“How many different kinds of monsters do you expect us to ally ourselves with?” Caedis spat.

Caelum was on his feet in a flash, sword loosed from itssheath and pointed at Caedis’ throat. Eliana reacted without thinking. Sheleapt to her feet, her hand on the hilt of her sword, and slid across thetable, landing on the opposite side. She unsheathed her sword in one quickmovement and held it to the base of Caelum’s neck.

His blue eyes turned to her, truly looking at her for thefirst time in nearly a month. She thought she saw a moment of surprise passacross their empty, blue depths. All eyes in the room were on the Rider and hergolden blade, its point pressed lightly to Caelum’s pale skin.

“Drop your sword, Captain,” she said in a low voice.

His gaze locked on hers, his face calm and unreadable.Without removing his eyes from her face, he lowered the point of his sword fromCaedis’ neck. Eliana continued to stare at him down the length of her sword,remembering the time when he had held her in such a position on the bank of arushing river.

“It’s your turn now, Rider,” he said calmly, jerking her outof her reverie.

She hastily dropped her sword to her side and slid itsgolden length back into its sheath. Without another word, Caelum returned tohis seat. Eliana quickly strode back to her side of the table and returned toher place beside Kana. The young queen gave her a wary, slightly frightenedglance.

“That was unwise,Eliana,” Oriens scolded her.

She mentally swatted away his words like an insect, focusingher attention on Denio. He had his fingers pressed to his temples, his eyesclosed. It was apparent that the stresses of running the elven kingdom withouthis mother’s aid were beginning to take their toll.

“Why must we always come to this?” he asked, his low voicetight and distressed. “Are we not allies?”

“Allies,” Teleas answered calmly, “but not friends. We sharea mutual interest—dethroning Nocens—and nothing more.”

Eliana attempted to redirect the conversation and ease someof the tension, which she knew she was partially responsible for. “I thoughtdwarves were a myth,” she said, “just a scary story for children.”

In Vegrandis, dwarves had been the topics of horror storiesto frighten children from going out at night without an adult. They weresupposed to be hairy, monstrous imitations of men that only came out aftersundown to feed on wayward children. They would drag the child back into theground and cut their heart out while the child was still screaming. The storieshad terrified her as a child, and she was consistently back in Otium’s homebefore sunset.

“Nay,” Denio answered, “they are just as real as you or I,though no one has spoken to one in centuries. They were driven underground byone of Nocens’ ancestors long ago. They are supposed to be some of the finestmetal- and stone-workers in all of Paerolia.”

“How could you possibly know any of this?” Teleas askedskeptically.

There was a gleam of excitement in Denio’s eyes and, for amoment, he looked like the young prince Eliana had met, rather than the wornking he seemed to be now. “We have found the entrance to one of their tunnels.”

Eliana leaned forward excitedly. “So they really exist? Areall of the stories true?”

Denio shook his head slightly. “Your stories are only near to the truth regarding theirappearance, and the fact that they live underground. Dwarves have always had alove for the stone, and so they have always made their homes in it; it was onlyafter Nocens’ ancestors attempted to eradicate them that they took shelter intheir tunnels permanently. They are also quite small—perhaps four feet tall—andthe men tend to be rather hairy, though no hairier than if a human man refusedto tame his beard.”

“So where are they?” she asked.

“Right beneath our feet,” he answered with a slight grin.

Teleas rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t possibly know this.”

A white form seemed to suddenly materialize at Denio’s side;Eliana realized that he had been lying under the table the entire time, but henow jumped up onto the table in front of them. Teleas and Caedis seemed toshrink back against their chairs as Astrum’s wide golden eyes gazed at them.The Seer seemed to smirk a little, evidently amused by the humans’ discomfort.

“Perhaps I can shed some light on the matter,” Astrum saidin his smooth, deep voice.

Eliana saw both men’s Adam’s apples rise and fall as theygulped. She suppressed a chuckle.

Astrum continued, “I discovered the dwarves’ location twodays ago. There is a hidden entrance from the beach, which enters a complicatedmaze of caverns. There are torches and the marks of boots in the dirt, evidencethat the dwarves are still living there. It is likely that they have beenbeneath Amiscan for decades, if not centuries.”

Six pairs of eyes stared at Astrum for a long moment. Atlast, Caelum spoke, his voice low and flat, “When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow,” Denio answered.

“What do you mean ‘tomorrow’?” Teleas snapped. “Unless youmean we are going to eradicate those beasts, the answer should be ‘never!’”

Caelum gazed at the red-haired man, his voice filled withvenom. “If you and your men are afraid to face a group of waist-high men, so beit. My men and I will go gain the dwarves’ support. You may hide in your hutsif you wish.”

Eliana watched in amused surprise as the burly man seemed toshrink into his chair under the lithe prince’s dangerous gaze. He didn’t evenprotest at the slight on his and his men’s courage. He simply gave a slight nodand muttered, “We will go.”

The blue eyes turned back to his brother, who wore a slightsmirk at Teleas’s obvious discomfort. “Very well,” the young king said. “Eachof you gather your finest men and meet on the cliffs tomorrow morning.” Heturned his violet eyes on the Rider. “Eliana, we will need you to come as well,of course, though the entrance is too small for Oriens to enter. However, themark on your hand should be evidence enough to prove to the dwarves who youare.”

She nodded, her eyes flickering to Caelum. She expected somekind of reaction to Denio’s instructions. There was no knowing whether or notthe dwarves would be dangerous, and she hoped to see come kind of discomfort inhis expression at the idea of her climbing down into a tunnel towards apotential threat. But there was nothing. It looked as if he had not even heardthat she would be marching into a precarious situation. Or if he had, hecertainly didn’t seem to care.

“Very well,” shethought. “If he doesn’t care…”

She looked at the king again. “I believe that fewer may bebetter in this case, Denio. Taking too many men may make the dwarves feelthreatened. I think that I should go with just one human and one elf.”

She glanced at Caelum and was pleased to see his lips pursedslightly in distaste at the idea. However, it was not enough for her. Sheneeded emotion from him, some kind of reaction that would prove that a heartstill beat beneath that cold exterior of stone.

“If it’s alright with you,” she went on, “I would like toselect my own companions—Caedis and Iocus.”

Caelum’s eyes turned to her, sharp and disbelieving, at lastshowing some emotion. She felt a smug sense of triumph.

Denio seemed to think this over for a moment, then said, “Isuppose that seems reasponable.”

“What do you mean ‘reasonable’?” Caelum snapped. Even hisbrother seemed to be startled by the sudden expansion of his emotional capacity.“That is the most ridiculous and unreasonableplan I have ever heard!”

Eliana crossed her arms over her chest and gazed across thetable at him coldly. “What are you so upset about, Caelum?” she asked in asmooth, calm voice. “You have nothing to lose.”

He looked briefly wounded, and then realization seemed tohit him, and his eyes narrowed in anger; he knew exactly what she was trying todo. “Why are you doing this, Eliana?” he hissed.

She turned her eyes away from him, neither able nor willingto answer his question. She spoke to Denio again. “As long as you think my planis reasonable, Denio, I say we move forward. Iocus, Caedis, and I will leave inthe morning.” She looked back at Caelum. “You can deliver that message to Iocusfor me, can’t you, Captain?”

His answer was low and dangerous. “Yes.”

“Perfect.”