Sky Riders: The Rising Sun
A Choice to Be Made

Eliana limped through the open western gate with Caelumhovering behind her as he had been since her Healing had finished. Oriens wassitting some distance from the gate, his eyes to the southwest. His Riderstopped beside him and followed his gaze. The red army was preparing forbattle. Their pawns had fallen, and now they had no option but to send in theknights, rooks, and bishops. Eliana wondered where the queen piece was, and ifshe would ever have the chance to dispose of Nocens' precious king piece.

"How many do you think there are?" she asked Oriens.

"More than the hundred thousand Ja'ol estimated,"he answered grimly.

"Any sign of Peior or the Dark Rider?"

He shook his golden head slightly. "We're stillwaiting for our answer."

Nocens had sent a courier to Thys shortly after they'ddefeated the goblins. It had been sealed with the emperor's personal seal andbore his signature at the bottom. He'd congratulated them on a well-earnedvictory, but assured them that they would not have the same luck on thefollowing day. He'd suggested they join him before more blood was shed.

Of course, they had sent a reply in short order: Surrenderthe throne and the war would end. Otherwise, every elf, human, and dwarf withinThys would fight til their last breath.

Eliana spotted a movement amid the milling red tunics. Asmall cluster of people separated themselves from the rest of the soldiers.Nine men approached on horseback, an unusually large group for a simpleepistle.

As the group drew closer, Eliana stiffened. She recognizedthe handsome human face in the middle of the group. It was Nocens, sittingproudly atop a powerful charger. Apparently, her companions had recognized himas well. Oriens released a rumbling snarl, while a string of curses hissedbetween Caelum's lips.

"Relax," she whispered to them both, though herown hands had begun to shake.

Nocens and his eight bodyguards drew to a halt a few yardsfrom them. There was a pause as the young emperor gazed at the dragon, examinedCaelum, then turned his eyes to Eliana. She didn't like the look that his hazeleyes held. She crossed her arms over her chest to keep her hands fromtrembling.

"Strange to see you coming forward, Nocens,"Eliana said in a mocking tone, trying to make herself sound sure and confident."From your reaction the last time you saw my dragon, I would have expectedyou to remain trembling and whimpering behind all your armies."

The emperor didn't seem to like being reminded of the way hehad run away, screaming, at the sight of Oriens. He sneered at her and replied,"It's Emperor Nocens to all of my concubines. And that includesyou, Eliana. It is time you learned some respect, as my other possessionshave."

"She is no possession of yours," Caelum snarled,his fingers twitching near the hilt of his sword.

Nocens raised an eyebrow at the elf beside her, looking downat him over his perfectly shaped nose. "Don't you speak to me, you filthycreature," Nocens snapped. His gaze was suddenly attracted by somethingbehind their little group. "Ah," he said. "At last, real men tospeak to."

Eliana glanced over her shoulder to replace Tadal and Ja'olapproaching. Evidently, they'd seen the unusual size of the group that hadapproached, and were coming to investigate. They drew up on Caelum's far side,their armor glinting in the fading sunlight.

"I did not expect you to deliver the message yourself,Emperor Nocens," Tadal said.

Nocens didn't answer. His eyes were on Ja'ol, studying himclosely. Then his lip curled upward. "I thought I recognized you," hesaid in a dangerous tone. "One of my leading captains, one of my best men.Then you deserted my army and took two dozen of my finest men with you."

Ja'ol gave a sharp nod, his expression filled with hatred ashe looked at the emperor. "You took my family," he growled.

Nocens tilted his head to the side, as if trying to rememberwho Ja'ol's family was. At last, he smiled—a menacing, sickening expression."Ah, yes. I do remember your family, Captain. You had a lovely wife.Sadly, she lacked manners. Of course, I had to make an example of her. Hangingher seemed only the natural course of action. And I believe there was a son,yes? I'm told he's a good worker, responds well to a whip. But wait... therewas one more, was there not?"

Eliana saw Ja'ol start to tremble with anger as Nocens'smile turned even wickeder. "Oh, that's right. A little daughter... Nowshe is absolutely lovely. I must say she's really the only good part of yourfamily, Ja'ol. Who knew one so young could be so..." He sighed, smiling tohimself. "Mature, shall we say? She is one of my favorite new toys."

Ja'ol's hands were shaking, his jaw tight, his eyes burningwith anger and tears. "Give me my daughter back, you monster," hesaid in a low, trembling voice.

"Very well," Nocens said. "I will give youback your daughter, and your son too. I'll give all of the other traitors backtheir families as well. But there are two conditions to my kindness. One, youall return to my army and help me destroy these mixed-race monstrosities. Andtwo..." The emperor's eyes turned back to Eliana, glinting with greed. "Youbring me Eliana to replace your little girl."

Oriens let out a frightening growl, snapping his teethtowards Nocens. His horse tossed its head, eyes rolling in fear as it tried topedal backwards, away from the dragon. The emperor managed to control the largecharger and soon had the sweating animal standing still beneath him.

"You should control your beast, my jewel," he saidin a smooth yet threatening voice. "It is such a lovely creature. I wouldhate to have to kill it."

Eliana met his gaze calmly. "You wouldn't have thecourage to touch my dragon," she said calmly.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps not." He leanedforward in his saddle, gazing intently down at her. "But I can promise youthis, Eliana. No one takes something from me once I have decided that I wantit. I told you once that I would have you, and I am saying it again now. Icould kill you easily, but I won't. I will let you watch all of your friendsdie first. Then, you will spend the rest of your days back in my palace, in mybed, where you belong."

Caelum's sword was suddenly in his hand, pointing up at theemperor, though he didn't take a single step away from Eliana's side. Nocens'bodyguards lifted their own weapons, ready to retaliate.

"You may leave now," Caelum said quietly, hisvoice dripping with hatred.

Nocens scoffed and looked at the Rider again. "Youshould control this beast as well, darling." His hateful hazel eyes turnedback to Ja'ol. "Think about my offer, Captain. Bring her to me, and youand your men can have your families back. You may tell the city of Thys thatany humans who choose to join me will be spared. The rest will have their bloodmixed with the filth of those they choose to fight alongside. If I have noreply and no Rider by dawn, I will know your decision."

The emperor gave his reins a jerk, spinning his chargeraround and kicking it into a full gallop back towards their camp. Hisbodyguards followed on either side of him. The five defenders of Thys watchedhim disappear back into the mass of his soldiers.

Eliana tried to calm her frantic heart as she pressed herhands to her sides, fighting back her fear. She hated that man, but even more,she hated that she was afraid of him. She hated that the memory of his touchmade her feel like a frightened animal. She hated that the way he looked at hermade her want to sink into the earth and vanish. She hated her own terror.

The sound of Caelum's sword sliding back into its sheathforced her back to the present. She looked over at the elf to replace his facecontorted with such anger that he was nearly unrecognizable. He was breathinghard through flared nostrils, the bright red light of uncontrolled firesurrounding him.

Tadal shook his head and turned back towards Thys. Ja'olfollowed, his eyes on the ground and his fists clenched at his sides. Elianaremained where she was, between Oriens and Caelum, both of whom looked ready tobreathe fire.

She reached out and gently touched Caelum's hand. He jerkedit away in surprise, as if he had forgotten she was beside him. When he lookeddown at her, his expression turned from anger to panic.

"Caelum," she said quietly, "what's thematter?"

The fire around him immediately disappeared and he pulledher to him. "I'm scared, Eliana," he muttered. "I want toprotect you, to keep you away from him, but what if I can't? I'm afraid I won'tbe able to keep you safe. I'm afraid he'll... I'm afraid he will hurt you, takeyou from me..."

Eliana sighed as she wrapped her arms around his back. Shecouldn't offer him any reassurance or comfort, as much as she wished to. Therewas only one thing she could tell him.

"I'm scared too," she whispered.

He pulled away and cradled her face in his hands, his eyesintent on her face. Their blue depths looked wet with tears, though they burnedwith determination. "He will not take you from me," he said firmly.She could feel his hands trembling on her cheeks. "I will die before Iallow him to take you. Do you understand that, Eliana? I love you, and I willnot give you up so long as I can draw breath."

Eliana nodded, not fighting her tears any longer, lettingthem fall onto her cheeks. "I know, Caelum," she whispered. "Iknow.

He kissed the tears from her face and held her to him again.She barely heard his voice as he muttered into her hair, "Marry me."

She clung to him, her body trembling. "Yes,Caelum," she answered softly, her face buried against his chest. "Iwill. I will."

They both knew that they might never see that promisebrought to fruition. One or both of them may not live to see the next sunrise.But in that moment, those words were enough for them both. A spoken promisethat had so long remained unspoken. No matter the outcome of that day or thenext, for that moment, it was enough.

~*~

Eliana stood in one of Thys' massive buildings, gazing up atthe mural etched on the wall. It was an ancient mural, telling the stories ofthe Riders and how they had first forged a treaty with the dragons. The stoneshapes of the dragons sat perched on a craggy cliff, gazing down at a stone tablewhere several men stood across from a great, towering dragon, negotiating theirterms.

She wondered where this could have happened, this treatythat had so shaped Paerolia's destiny, as well as her own. It was strange toher to think that, if not for these unknown men and dragons, who were now longdead, her life would have been very different.

She spotted Tadal walking past her, his head bent over ascroll. She reached out and grabbed his arm, gesturing up at the mural."Where is this place?" she asked.

"The Cliffs of Myli Ondo?" he asked distractedly."They're just a few hours south of here by horseback, on the steepestridge of the Kaers. Why? You weren't planning to go there, were you?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head. "I wassimply curious."

"Good," Tadal answered with a firm nod. "Itwould be pure foolishness to go there. That is the nesting place of many wilddragons."

He turned and walked away, leaving her staring with wideeyes up at the mural. Wild dragons... She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the building, calling toOriens and telling him to meet her outside the eastern gate. She raced throughthe streets, staying close to the shadows, avoiding attention. When she finallyslipped out of the gate, Oriens was waiting.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked,crouching so that she could climb onto his bare back.

"We need allies, Oriens," she told himfirmly. "They are the best allies we could possibly have. We can bethere in less than an hour if you fly swiftly, and we should be back beforedawn."

He sighed and lifted them into the air. "Shouldn'twe tell Caelum?"

"No," she answered tersely. "Wecan't tell anyone—least of all Caelum. I'm not naïve. I know this is dangerous.I don't want anyone to try to follow us."

"Caelum will be angry."

"I know..."

Oriens turned to the south, his wings driving at the air,flying at full speed towards the Cliffs of Myli Ondo. Eliana squinted at theline of mountains against the dark sky, trying to discern which crag could bethe place.

"It's there," Oriens said, nodding his headat a sharp peak in the mountains. "That sharp drop-off near that tallpeak."

"How do you know?"

"It is the nesting place of my ancestors. It callsme home."

Oriens' broad wings carried them to the peak in good time.As they drew nearer, large, dark forms began to detach themselves from thegreater shadows of the mountain. Eliana's heart seemed to grow completely stillas four winged shapes, all much larger than Oriens, rose into the sky and beganto circle above them, like carrion-eaters waiting for a kill. They seemed towatch the dragon and Rider closely, waiting for them to make some unwantedmovement as they circled overhead, following their progress towards Myli Ondo.

"They won't harm us just yet," Oriens said,eyeing the dragons carefully. "They'll wait for us to land so that theycan question us first. I think your presence confused them. Otherwise, I thinkthey would have attacked by now; my kind don't like strange dragons encroachingon their nesting places. But it seems even dragons are surprised at the sight ofa dragon with a Rider. We should consider ourselves lucky for that fact."

"Oh yes, we're very lucky," Elianaanswered, her nerves making her sarcastic.

Oriens circled downwards towards the large jutting of rockbelow, the four dark presences circling silently overhead. His clawed feet hitthe stone with a clattering sound, followed shortly thereafter by the rumblingof four much greater masses landing in unison. Eliana trembled from her spot onOriens' back, turning her head slowly to meet the gazes of the ancientcreatures that stared down at her.

The largest—a great red mountain of a dragon—took a largestep forward. He lowered his massive head, eyeing Oriens with a big, brown eye,then craned his neck to study her on his back. An angry growl escaped frombehind rows of teeth longer than her torso. Eliana closed her eyes, regrettingher decision.