Sky Riders: The Rising Sun
Through the Kaers

They camped at the base of the mountains that night, theirgreat size looming over the army, casting a shadow over them. The closeness ofsomething so ancient and legendary gave Eliana an eerie feeling, as if she hadbeen pulled into one of the terrifying tales from her childhood—and she feltcertain she was the unwary villager who got eaten first.

“You have nothing tofear,” Oriens said, curling around her as they took the third watch. “I am here to protect you. I’m scarier thananything we could replace in those woods.”

Eliana chuckled and patted his head. “I know. I should stop my imagination from running away with me.”

Oriens began to hum softly, the sound throbbing against herback in a comforting rhythm, sounding out an ancient, unrecognizable tune. Shedidn’t worry about it lulling her to sleep, as it normally would have; onceagain, her own thoughts kept her from slipping into the comforts of the dreamworld.

She remained where she was, staring into the star-fleckedsky, even after one of Felsen’s men came to take over for the last watch.Trying to flee from her own frightened thoughts, Eliana engrossed her mind inOriens’ dreams. They were comforting, filled with bright spring sunshine andlight, soft clouds that left a layer of moisture on his scales as he flewthrough them.

When at last she pulled herself away from his world, the sunwas rising over the now-distant eastern cliffs of Paerolia. The camp was justbeginning to stir. The earliest risers began to prepare breakfast for the restof the camp, stirring pots of stew and cutting what few pieces of fruit theyhad left.

Eliana took a bowl from one of the men stirring the pot andsettled herself onto the grass beside the fire, bowl in hand. A moment later,someone settled down beside her. She looked up in surprise to replace herselfbeing watched by a pair of serious eyes in a child-like face. His blonde hairwas disheveled and his tunic dirty from the days of travel.

“Hello, Iocus,” she said uncertainly. She’d lost track ofhow many days or weeks it had been since they’d last spoken. “What brings youhere?”

“You know,” he said sharply, “you could have simply told meyou had no interest for me.”

Eliana looked down at her bowl, embarrassment burning its wayto the tip of her ears. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know what tosay without offending you.”

A humorless laugh escaped his lips. “I am not quite as weakas you think I am. I don’t allow mere words to wound me so easily.”

She looked up at him and repeated, “I’m sorry. Really, Iam.”

Iocus shrugged, looking off at something in the distance.After a moment, he turned back to her, the old smile suddenly back on his face.“Ah, well, I should have guessed that a Rider would prefer the prince andcaptain over a lowly soldier like me.”

She gave a relieved laugh, then sobered herself enough tosay, “If you don’t mind keeping that bit of information to yourself—at leastfor now—I would greatly appreciate it.”

His grin turned mischievous. “Oh, I see! Secret affair, isit? Very well. Your wish is my command, Rider! So long as you promise we canremain friends.” He fixed her with another serious look and said quietly, “Iwant you to know that you can trust me, Eliana. Whatever is on your mind, Ishould like it if you felt you could confide in me.”

She gave him a small smile and a brief nod. “I should likethat as well.”

Eliana turned her attention back to her bowl, falling intofriendly, idle conversation with the elf beside her. It was somewhat of arelief to have her friend back; she needed as many friends as she could getnow. Too soon, she found herself looking at the bowl’s wooden bottom. As muchas she wished for seconds, she knew rations were strict, and would remain so untilthis was all over. As she attempted to scrape out the last bits of carrot, avoice called her.

Her heart leapt, as it always did, as she searched for theface to match the voice. She found him standing a few feet away, watching theelf beside her carefully. Eliana bid Iocus farewell, then trotted off to standin front of Caelum.

“Don’t look so stern,” she laughed quietly. “You’ll frightenaway your own troops.”

The edges of his mouth softened, though he still frowned.“What did he want?” he asked, gesturing with his chin in Iocus’ direction.

“Nothing,” she answered. He looked at her doubtfully, andshe sighed. “Really, Caelum, it’s all been settled. I promise, Iocus knowswhere we stand now, and he won’t cause any more trouble.”

“You’re sure?”

“Completely.”

He visibly relaxed, uncrossing his arms and smiling alittle. “Am I being ridiculous?”

“Completely and utterly ridiculous,” she replied with alaugh. “Though I’ll admit, it’s rather endearing.”

He moved forward as if to take her in his arms, but Caedis suddenlyappeared beside him. “We’re ready,” the man said curtly; it was apparent hestill had bitter feelings about answering to an elf.

Caelum hastily stepped backwards and, with a firm nod, sentCaedis trotting away. He looked at her again, his blue eyes filled withyearning. “I guess we should get going then,” he said quietly.

“I suppose so.”

He hesitated for a moment, then turned away and headed forhis tent. Eliana sighed, her body pining for his embrace, but she turned andwalked back to Oriens. The dragon was still sleeping on the outskirts of thecamp. She tossed her things into her traveling pack and tied it to the saddle.

“Wake up, you lazy dragon!” she shouted at him, prodding hisnose with the toe of her boot.

Oriens growled slightly as he lifted his head, but shesensed the jesting attitude behind the threatening noise. “Haven’t I told you to never wake a sleeping dragon?” he grumbledsleepily.

“Haven’t I told you not to sleep your life away?” sheretorted.

“No. And I wouldappreciate it if you wouldn’t, because that is precisely what I intend to doonce I eat Nocens and Peior.”

Eliana laughed and hefted the saddle onto his back. Her bodyinstinctually went through the motions of swinging over his neck and securingthe straps around his belly and legs. She had done it so many times, she wasfairly confident she could do it with her eyes closed. They were both soonready to go, and they waited patiently for the rest of the troops to assemble.

“I could have sleptlonger,” Oriens grumbled.

Eliana spotted Caelum coming toward them through the crowd,his large map in his hand. His face was that of the army captain, stern andserious. He knelt in front of her and spread the map on the ground. Shesquatted beside him.

Pointing at the mountains labeled “Kaer Mountain Range” hesaid, “There is only one way to get through these mountains, and that’shere—the Vodaer Pass.”

“Do we have to go through?” she asked. “Is there no wayaround?”

“There is,” he answered as he straightened and rolled up themap again, “but it would add at least another fortnight to our journey, whichis a length of time that we can’t spare. We’ll go through the Vodaer.”

She didn’t want to argue with him, but she felt the need topoint out one more thing about this last leg of their journey. “There aremonsters in those mountains, Caelum. Terrible monsters. They could destroy ourentire company.”

He nodded grimly. “I know. We have our own stories aboutthese mountains, and none of them are pleasant. But it’s a chance we’ll have totake. We’ll increase the number of men on watch and keep several watch firesburning. Hopefully that will be enough to keep the monsters at bay.”

“And if it’s not?”

“Then the gods help us.”

As the troops began their march into the Vodaer Pass, Elianaand Oriens took the sky. However, it only took a few minutes in the air for herto realize that there was no way for them to see the men through the densetrees. Not even Oriens’ sharp vision could penetrate the thick canopy.

She relayed this information to Caelum, and he replied, “You’ll have to walk with us. The trees arelarge, but they’re far apart down in the pass. Oriens should be able to fitbetween them.”

They returned to the ground, and Oriens’ long stride quicklycarried them to the front of the throng. Even from her high vantage point onOriens’ back, the lowest branches of the forest were several feet aboveEliana’s head. She gazed up at them in wonder. The trees seemed to have grownin proportion to the massive mountain on which they stood. They were thelargest she had ever seen—larger, even, than the trees in the Eilol Forest,outside of Iterum.

Beneath the dense canopy, the world was thrown intosemi-twilight. The air smelled dank, and thick moss grew on the tree trunks.The only plants that managed to live in such a dark and wet place were a fewhardy ferns.

Something about the eternal dusk set Eliana on edge. Therest of the brigade seemed to feel the same; there was a tangible tension inthe air. Everyone who had a sword or ax clasped the hilt with white knuckles.Every bow was at its owner’s side, an arrow resting on the string.

Torches had been lit in the hopes that the fires would keepaway what monsters lurked in the shadows. The flickering flames sent strange,shadowy shapes across theer path and did nothing to alleviate Eliana’s heightenedanxiety.

Nobody spoke for the whole of that day, and when they set upcamp for the night, there was no need to establish a watch; nobody slept.Several large fires were set up around the perimeter of the campsite in thehopes of warding off the creatures of the night. Even Oriens, large andintimidating as he was, seemed tense and worried.

Eliana sensed his anxiety and asked, “I thought you were scarier than anything in these forests. What are youfrightened of?”

“Only the darkestparts of the unknown,” he answered ominously. “Something is not right about these mountains. No man should be here.We should get through them as quickly as possible.”

She wished she hadn’t asked. If her dragon was frightened,there seemed to be few reasons for her not to be. Whatever fatigue she’d feltfrom the length of the journey disappeared behind her anxiety to leave theKaers. She spent the whole of that night against Oriens’ side, her sword acrossher knees and her eyes staring into the shadows of the trees.

They set off again before the pure blackness of night hadchanged to the dull twilight of the day. After an uneventful night, people weremore at ease. Perhaps they were only stories, the things they’d heard aboutthese mountains. After all, they were just mountains.

But Oriens was still tense and agitated, and so Elianaremained on edge as well.

Late into that day’s journey, Caelum suddenly stopped besideher. She looked down at him from where she sat in Oriens’ saddle. “What is it?”she asked, sliding down to land beside him.

He crouched and touched the ground. By now, the troops hadstopped behind them and were trying to peer over one another to see what thematter was. “Look at these tracks,” he whispered.

She squatted next to him and studied the ground. She was notracker by any means, but she immediately noticed what appeared to beexcessively large paw prints in the dirt between patches of moss. Beside thepaw prints were four-toed footprints as long as her forearm.

She looked up at Caelum. “What are they?” she breathed.

His face was stern. “Our stories say that creatures familiarto us change when they have lived in the Kaers. They become massive andvicious, wild and untamable beasts.” He splayed out his hands beside each otherinside the pad of the paw print. They barely spanned the width of the pad. “Myguess is that these belong to a mountain wolf of the Kaers. The others I’m notcertain of, but I think they may be goblins of some sort.”

He stood and brushed the dirt from his hands. Every pair ofeyes in the company was directed at him. They were tense and frightened. Elianacouldn’t blame them. This meant all of the stories—all of the nightmares—weretrue.

“Was the wolf stalking the goblin?” she asked.

“That’s what disturbs me most,” Caelum answered tensely,glancing around. “I think they were traveling together. And there was more thanone pair.”

He led them to another spot of exposed earth not far fromthe first. Similar tracks marked the ever-damp soil there as well.

“Why would so many goblins and Kaer wolves be travelingtogether?” Eliana asked nervously.

“I don’t know, but whatever the reason, it doesn’t bode wellfor us.”

Eliana looked up at the soldiers who were watching themintently, waiting for someone to tell them what to do, for a plan that wouldeliminate this new threat. There was none. With a short command from theircaptain, the company moved forward again, the tension and fear around themhigher than ever before.

Eliana threw her mind outwards, searching every shadow foran unfamiliar presence. Everything was eerily still. She sensed no life at all,aside from the troops and trees around them. Was it always like this in theKaer Forests? Or was something amiss?

Suddenly, her mind stumbled upon a hulking life force hiddendeep within the shadows. Oriens sensed it as well and jerked to a halt besideher, whipping his head towards the trees with a low, ominous hiss. Once again,everyone immediately halted.

Eliana stared at the darkness beneath the trees, everymuscle in her body coiled, her magic at her fingertips. Whatever she had sensedwas now moving, creeping forward slowly. A pair of glowing yellow eyes appearedin the shadows, as high as a horse’s head, moving ever closer.

A threatening growl rumbled through the forest, and thegreat shadow before her sunk low to the ground. Eliana held perfectly still,waiting for the creature to move, to reveal itself fully. The rumbling growlwas suddenly interrupted by a deafening roar from beside her, and a jet of blueflame momentarily lit up the darkness.

The shadow yelped in surprise and pain, and retreated backinto the shadows. Oriens closed his jaws, cutting off the flame, and snorted ina satisfied fashion, releasing a cloud of smoke into the air. Eliana’s heartwas pounding rapidly in her chest.

“That was one ofthem,” Oriens told her, “one of theKaer wolves.”

A commotion erupted amid the ranks. They wanted to turnback; they hadn’t signed on for facing wolves the size of horses. Shouts fromdisagreeing parties rang beneath the trees.

“What do we do?”Eliana asked, extending her thoughts to both Caelum and Oriens.

Before either of them could answer, a nearby voice bellowed,“Shut your bloomin’ mouths!”

Everyone looked around in surprise for the source of thecommanding shout. Eliana looked down to see Felsen glaring angrily at the men,dwarves, and elves in front of him.

“You think you’re any better off heading back the way wecame?” he barked. “I dare you to go back! See how long you last when yournumbers are smaller and you’re heading right back along the scent trail we’veleft. We’re halfway through the pass and no harm has come to us yet. So youwant to turn back? Do it! See where that lands you, you cowards!”

There was a moment of stunned silence. Nobody attempted toargue with the dwarf.

Caelum stepped forward, raising his voice so the entire armycould hear. “Those who wish to turn back the way we came may do so now.” Nobodymoved. He paused a long moment before continuing. “Very well. Then we move on.”

They pressed onwards through the trees for the remainder ofthe day. Eliana didn’t sense the wolf’s presence any longer, nor that of anyother creature, which still unsettled her. When the night came, twice as manyfires were built so that the campsite glowed brighter than the forest didduring the middle of the day.

Most members of the party stayed awake through the earlyhours of the night, their dark-rimmed eyes staring warily out into the trees.As the night wore on, fatigue overpowered the majority of them. Eyelids beganto droop and chins fell onto chests. No watch had been established.

Just before dawn, a woman’s scream tore through the camp,awakening all who had managed to fall asleep. Eliana leapt to her feet, yankingher sword from its sheath and racing towards the source of the commotion.Soldiers were bolting in the opposite direction, fleeing from whatever terrorhad arrived, making it difficult for her to move forward.

Suddenly, in the light from the watch fires, she saw thefigure of a nine-foot creature looming over the campsite, a soldier in eachhand, dangling upside down by their ankles. The men screamed and kicked at thebeast with all their might, but without effect. The creature was gazing at themwith a hunger that made Eliana shudder.

She raised her right hand, sending a ball of flame at themonster. The magic struck the creature in the gut. It blinked, then turned tolook down at her. Its beady eyes narrowed in anger as it recognized her as thesource of the attack. Dropping the screaming men to the ground, it charged ather with a bellow.

She continued to throw spell after spell at the approachingcreature, but none seemed to have any effect. She could hear Oriens fightinghis way through the trees, trying to avoid crushing anyone and anything underhis feet, roaring in frustration at his inability to reach her. The large,dirty hands of the creature extended towards her.

Something struck her from the side and threw her to theground. She grunted in surprise and pain.

“What are you doing, Eliana?” Caelum shouted as he climbedoff of her, breathing hard. “That’s an ogre! They’re not affected by magic!”

“How in the gods’ names could I have known that?” she shotback. “I didn’t even know what it was!”

They both peered around the trunk of the tree they’d tumbledbehind to replace the ogre looking around in confusion. It frowned, making its bluishskin wrinkle around its great gash of a mouth, and scratched at its hairy headwith a large, grubby finer. It was obvious that the monster could not figureout where its target had disappeared to.

As the dumbfounded beast tried to solve this difficultriddle, Oriens reached it, fangs flashing angrily. The golden dragon bit intothe ogre’s shoulder, drawing a bellowing shout from his opponent. A massiveblue fist swung and collided with Oriens’ head, breaking his grip. The dragonstumbled away with a groan, shaking his head.

Eliana’s own skull rang with pain. But she shook it off andrushed to her dragon’s aid.

“Eliana!” Caelum called after her in obvious exasperation.

The ogre had its back to her as it made an advance on thestunned Oriens. She raised her sword and sliced through the back of themonster’s thigh. It bellowed in pain and turned around. As it did so, an arrowflew from behind her and struck it in the cheek. She glanced over her shoulderto replace Caelum rushing forward, looking irritated.

Oriens had recovered his wits and jumped onto the ogre’sback, sinking claws and fangs in wherever he could reach. It roared in painagain and tried to grab hold of its attacker. When it couldn’t reach, the ogreproceeded to run repeatedly backwards into a nearby tree. Every time Oriens wasslammed against the massive trunk, pain reverberated in Eliana’s body.

“Oriens!” she screamed. “Let go!”

The ogre slammed him against the tree once more. This time,Oriens shoved his powerful hind legs into the ogre’s back, sending the creaturetumbling forwards, crushing a wagon and several tents beneath it. The dragoncrouched low to the ground in front of the tree, watching his opponent as itrose to its feet.

It turned its small, black eyes on the dragon. Oriens letout a deep, threatening snarl. The ogre gave a shout of fear and thundered offinto the dark forest, the sound of its pounding feet slowly receding.

Eliana rushed to Oriens’ side as he slowly stood, his goldensides heaving with labored breaths, his body trembling. “Oriens, are youalright?” she asked anxiously.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Of course, little one. You didn’t think a silly little ogre would getthe better of me, did you?”

She gave a shaky, relieved laugh and answered him silently, “Of course not. Who could possibly get thebetter of a dragon like you?”

“Precisely,” hesmirked.

Caelum was suddenly beside them, but his concern was notfocused on the dragon. “Are you alright?” he asked breathlessly, taking Elianaby the shoulders and looking down at her, as if searching for a sign of injury.When she nodded, his expression turned from concern to irritation. “That was aseries of fool things to do, Eliana. How are we supposed to win a war when ourmost important weapon insists on trying to get herself killed?”

She scowled at him and answered bitterly, “I’m sorry if mytrying to save two of our men interferes with your battle strategies, Captain.”

As she began to turn away, he seized her arm, stopping her.“Will you let me finish?” he asked quietly, turning her to face him. “Whatwould I do if anything happened toyou?”

Eliana sighed, letting go for her irritation, and took asmall step away from him. “You don’t always need to protect me, Caelum. I amnot a child.”

He nodded slowly. “I know. I’ve watched your training for along time. I know you can fight. But I also know you’re reckless, and you’rewilling to give your life for any individual in our ranks. That is what worriesme.”

She shook her head, unwilling to push this subject further,knowing it would only end in another argument. “We should see if we can geteveryone together and have Ispera and Laurus Heal the injured.” She silentlyadded to her dragon, “You stay here andrest, my brave little dragon. You’ve earned it.”

It wasn’t long before people began to emerge from within thewoods, some of them leading the horses that had bolted at the ogre’sappearance. Only the two men who had been grabbed by the ogre had sustained anyinjuries—several cuts and bruises, and a few broken bones. Ispera and Laurustended to them quickly and easily.

The damage to the camp was where most of the trouble lay.Some of their supplies had been crushed by the ogre’s massive feet, and manytents lay in tatters from its fight with Oriens. They gathered what things theycould salvage, and packed it all onto the horses, putting the two injured menon horseback as well. Then they set off for that day’s journey.

Just one more day,Eliana thought to herself. Just one moreday.