Sky Riders: The Rising Sun
Betrayal

Ater fought to jerk his hands out of her grasp, but she heldhim tightly as Oriens carried them back to the earth. The black dragon landedseveral yards away, watching them cautiously, as if she was unsure of what shewas supposed to do now that her Rider was not in her saddle. Eliana yanked Aterout of the saddle and pinned him to the earth.

“How?” she demanded through gritted teeth. “How did he replaceyou a dragon? How are you a Rider?”

“You think you’re so special?” the young elf snapped. “Youthink you’re the only one who can saddle one of the brutes?”

Eliana looked down at Ater’s hands, which she held pinned tothe ground on either side of his head. “You have no mark…” she murmured. Shelooked back at his face, finally realizing why his dragon behaved so strangelytowards him. “That dragon did not choose you. You are forcing her to fight foryou. She is not your dragon.”

“Aelodi is mine!” he screamed angrily.

His feet found her stomach and he kicked her off of him,knocking the wind from her body. They both immediately leapt to their feet,pulling their swords from their sheaths. They began to circle each otherslowly, like animals.

“Aelodi follows my orders!” he continued to shout in range.“You think a mark on your hand makes you a better Rider than me?”

“No,” she answered sharply. “I think it makes me an actual Rider. You are not a Rider, Ater.That dragon only obeys you for fear of Peior.”

The elf rushed forward suddenly, swinging his sword at her.She raised her own, and their blades crashed against one another with a gratingsound. He hacked at her furiously several times. He was fighting in anger, andshe blocked the blows easily. After a few attempts at attacking, Ater sprungback again, and they began to circle one another once more.

“Why are you doing this Ater?” Eliana asked. “Why serveNocens? Why give yourself over to Peior and his Dark magic?”

“They killed my parents,” he growled.

“And Peior tortured you!” She saw him flinch at her words.“I felt your pain when I was in your mind. I felt your fear. He nearly rippedyou apart. So why give in to him?”

“I had no choice!” he snapped. “I could either fight theDark magic and die, or give myself to it and live! Peior made me hisapprentice. Nocens gave me Aelodi. And so I serve them. Besides, Eliana,” headded with a frightening chuckle, “Dark magic feels… incredible. I think you’dlike the power.”

“Ater!” a sharp voice cried from above. They both looked upto see Peior hovering over them. “Use what I taught you! Finish her now!”

A dark smile came to Ater’s lips. “Dark magic doesn’t havethe limits elven magic does,” he said. “Did you know that? There is a word inthe old language, kept secret by those who dared to enter into the Dark arts.Do you know what that word does?”

She eyed him warily as he moved around her. She had a fewideas of what the possibilities could be. “Ater… don’t do this.”

“I can kill you with one word, oh mighty Rider. One wordfrom my lips and you will fall without a fight. Some prophecy,” he scoffed.

“Ater!” Peior screamed again. “Do it now!”

Eliana rushed forward, her blade in hand. She knew sheneeded to distract him, keep him from speaking. She had to stop him from sayingwhatever word could so easily end her life. They fought back and forth, swordsclashing loudly as the blades danced between them. Neither of them gained anadvantage.

Suddenly, Ater dropped his sword. Eliana swung her blade athim again, but he caught her wrist in his left hand and brought his right handto her throat. Her golden sword fell to the grass as she stared into Ater’sblack eyes, struggling for breath.

“Do it!” the voice screamed from above.

“Ater,” she gasped. “Don’t. Don’t do this. Your parentswouldn’t have wanted this. They wouldn’t have wanted their son to be amurderer. Don’t give in to him.”

“I’m not giving in to him, Eliana,” he sneered. “I am givingin to myself. The Darkness is a part of me now. It has been for a long time.”

She’d wanted so badly to save him. But whatever had oncebeen left of the young elf was long gone now. There was nothing but Darknessleft. Her mind touched Oriens’ where he’d been crouching nearby, ready toattack, waiting for her signal. He sensed what she wanted.

The dragon unleashed a massive roar that shook inside herbody. The heat of flames raged around her as she raised a narrow shield aroundherself. Ater shrieked and stumbled backwards, quickly dashing the flames asidewith a swipe of his arm—but not before the flames had burned into his flesh.

The elf fell to the ground, howling in pain. Eliana seizedher sword from the ground and leapt on top of him, pinning him down again. Hewrithed under her, but not in an attempt to escape—he was still squealing inpain. She stared down at his blackened flesh, his agonized face. Her handsshook as she held the point of her blade to the burned throat.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered shakily. “I’m sorry.”

She shoved the blade into the elf’s neck. His pained shrieksstopped immediately. She pressed her eyes shut, tears leaking beneath hereyelids and down her cheeks. She pulled her sword from his flesh and tumbledonto the grass.

“Why did you do this?” she screamed, sobbing. “Why did youmake me do this? I’m sorry!”

Above her, Peior let out a shrill, terrifying laugh, shakingher from her agonizing guilt. She stood shakily, picking up her sword again.Oriens had come to her side and was standing over her, glaring up at the darkfigure in the sky, growling deep in his throat.

“Your Rider is dead!” Eliana shouted at him, her voicecracking. “You have taken an innocent child, and you’ve turned him into amonster. You forced me to kill him! This is your fault!”

Peior laughed again, louder now. “Ater made his choice,Eliana. You think your elves are so pure and above fault. Do you think he isthe only one who could be persuaded against you?”

She tightened her grip around her sword. The sorcerer smileddown at her, gesturing with his right hand. Eliana’s eyes followed the gestureto where the black dragon still crouched against the grass, looking wary. Afigure stood at her side, sword in hand, watching Eliana and Oriens.

There was a second Rider. Disbelief filled her chest, alongwith a sense of pain and betrayal. She took in the blonde hair, and thesmiling, childish face.

“No,” she breathed. “No, no, no, no, no. Not you… Please,Iocus, not you.”

The elf gave her what appeared to be an apologetic look,holding out his arms to his sides. “Yes, Eliana,” he sighed. “It’s me.”

“For how long?” she demanded, her wounded sense of betrayalturning to fury. “How long have you been serving him?”

Iocus laughed, his usual, cheerful laugh. It mocked her.“The whole time, sweetheart. It was my job to stay close to you, to get asclose to you as I possibly could. I thought I was doing well.” He made anirritated face and added, “But I didn’t account for Caelum.” He sighed andshrugged one shoulder. “Still, I had many opportunities to kill you, but Peiorhoped to capture you instead, to turn you Dark as we did to Ater. By the timewe decided it was just simpler to kill you, Caelum was hovering over you like awatchdog and I didn’t get the change. Ah, well, I suppose there is more thanone way to kill a Rider.”

Suddenly, Oriens leapt at the elf, his teeth flashing as heroared furiously. Aelodi, the black dragon, threw her weight forward as well,colliding with the golden dragon just enough to make him miss his intendedtarget. Then she shrank back, as if unwilling to do more than was necessary tokeep the elf alive.

Eliana took advantage of Iocus’ distraction. With a shoutand a forward thrust of her arm, she sent a swirling tornado of flames hurtlingtowards him. He leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding her magic. As he hit theground, he extended one hand towards her. The earth jerked away beneath herlike a rug, making her fall to her back.

He leapt atop her, his fist immediately colliding with theside of her face. She grunted in pain, then twisted and thrust her bodyupwards, throwing him off of her. She grabbed for the dagger in her boot, buthe caught her wrist, wrenching it to the side and making her shout in pain.

She felt Oriens in her mind, anxious to aid her, but unableto strike at their thrashing, entwined bodies. She threw her head forwards,crashing her forehead into his nose. Iocus shouted and released her, holdingboth hands up to his face, blood seeping between his fingers.

Eliana directed her palm at her sword, which lay in thegrass a few feet away. A gust of wind swept the blade up into the air, sendingit hurtling towards Iocus’ chest. The elf saw the golden sword flying towardshim and lifted his hand as well, knocking it aside with his own burst of wind.The distraction had worked.

His gaze attracted by the sword, Iocus had not seen Eliana’sdagger rise from her boot. By the time he had dashed the sword aside, the tinypoint was behind him, at the base of his skull. When he felt it, he looked upat the Rider in surprise, becoming very still.

“Well done,” he said with a laugh. “Caelum has made youquite the fighter.”

She hesitated, staring at him, Oriens snarling behind her.

“What are you waiting for, Eliana?” Iocus laughed.

“I cared for you,” she said in a shaky voice. “I trustedyou. You were my friend!”

“So sorry, darling. Nothing personal.”

Iocus swiftly raised his hand towards her, clenching it intoa fist. The breath ripped itself from her lungs, breaking her concentration.The dagger dropped to the earth as Eliana fell to her knees. The elf smiled,ever cheerful.

And then Oriens sprang forward. His golden neck extendedoutwards like a striking serpent, his fangs shining. Iocus’ eyes jerked upwardsat the dragon, looking startled. The black dragon roared a warning, but Aelodiwas too far away to intercept the larger dragon this time. Before the elf couldreact, Oriens had landed atop him, his white fangs sinking into the pale flesh.

Iocus did not even have time to scream. He was dead in aninstant. Eliana felt the air rush back into her lungs. She coughed andsputtered, trying to regain her breath. Oriens’ head hung over her a momentlater, looking down at her worriedly, his golden maw tainted with blood.

Peior gave a violent shriek, drawing the Rider’s anddragon’s gazes. They looked up at where he hovered in the sky. He gazed back atthem for a moment, teeth bared in fury. Eliana reached for her sword, expectinghim to attack, but the sorcerer lifted the folds of his black cloak anddisappeared from the sky.

Eliana’s gaze was suddenly drawn to the body not far away,lying in an ever-growing pool of blood. A part of her desired to look down athim, to confirm that it had, indeed, been the elf she’d called her friend—thelight-hearted, cheerful, childish elf. But Oriens spoke in her mind.

“You don’t want to seehim like that, Eliana. I… did not leave much of him that would berecognizable.”

She shuddered and turned her gaze away, looking towards thecrouching black form several yards away. She was surprised to see that Aelodiwas still in the same spot where she’d landed, gazing back with fearful eyes.The sunlight struck her dark hide, giving of the same strange blue tint Elianahad noticed when she’d first seen her.

“Has she spoken to youyet?” Eliana asked, determined to ignore Iocus’ body.

“Yes,” heanswered. “The moment the sorcererdisappeared, her mind opened to me, as if he’d been blocking her thoughts.”

“Will she allow us toapproach her?”

There was a pause as he relayed her question to the otherdragon, then, “Yes.”

Eliana walked slowly beside Oriens, and the pair cautiouslyapproached the dragon. She watched them warily, looking ready to fly if theymade one unexpected movement.

“Can I speak to her?”Eliana asked her dragon.

His answer was the same. “Yes.”

She reached out to Aelodi’s mind with her own. The blackdragon recoiled briefly from her unfamiliar touch, then allowed the Rider intoher thoughts. Aelodi’s mind was strange. Like a large room with only a smallcandle, darkness lurked at the corners of her thoughts. She had been corruptedby Peior’s control.

“Aelodi,” Elianasaid slowly and gently. “How did you cometo be under Peior’s control?”

She felt the dragon consider whether or not she should sharethe information before she finally answered, “My egg was stolen from its nest. I can remember the feeling frominside the egg when Peior’s Darkness touched me. It frightened me, but Icouldn’t escape it. When I hatched, Ater and Iocus were both there, and theywere as Dark as Peior. They attempted to force me to mark one of them but… Icould not. A bond cannot be forced. And so they used their magic to force me todo as they commanded.”

Eliana remembered an image she had conjured from Nocens’mind—a dark-haired boy holding a black stone. She recognized now that it hadbeen Ater holding Aelodi’s egg.

“Eliana,” Oriensinterrupted, “we are needed back in thebattle.”

She nodded. “Aelodi—.”

She shook her armored head before the Rider could ask thequestion. “I will not join you. I havebeen forced into battle more times than I care to remember. I will not beforced to fight a war that is not mine.”

Eliana sighed. “Iunderstand. Will you stay nearby until the war has passed? I will be happy tohelp you remove your saddle and armor. Then you may be free to do as you wish.”

“Free…” The wordechoed around her mind for a moment. “Yes,I will wait,” she said.

Eliana thanked her, then turned back to her own dragon. “Let’s get back in the, Oriens.”

She pulled her aching body back into the saddle and hecarried her up into the sky, leaving Aelodi to slip into the forests to hide.They had traveled a good distance from Thys during their airborne battle, andthey now raced back as quickly as Oriens’ wings could carry them.

“Poor, Aelodi,”Oriens said softly. “She did not tell youall that she told me. They tortured her, tormented her, punished her with Darkmagic to get what they wanted from her. She is a wild dragon in spirit, becauseshe has never been bonded to a Rider, but she has been forced into being aservant.”

“Will she be okay whenshe returns to the wild on her own?” Eliana asked.

“I do not know. Shehas never hunted. They kept her chained when not being Ridden for fear of herflying away.”

“You will have to helpher then.”

“Yes, I suppose Iwill.” Oriens paused, then asked hesitantly, “Are you going to be okay, Eliana? I know you cared for Iocus. Hisbetrayal has wounded you.”

Eliana let out a heavy sigh. “I’d prefer not to discuss it now, Oriens,” she answered. “For now, I just want to pretend none ofthis ever happened.”

They passed over the red army, drawing their attention andtheir arrows. Most glanced off of the armor on Oriens’ plated belly. Eliana’sarms tingled with pain as the few he could not avoid tore through the dragon’swings. They landed in Thys to replace the defenses nearly as strong as they hadbeen when they left. Men were still falling from the wall, but the gate washolding and the human soldiers had not yet succeeded in entering the city.

As Eliana climbed back up to join the archers, Caelumdescended on her, looking frightened and relieved. “Are you okay?” he askedbreathlessly. “What happened? Where’s Peior? The Rider?”

“I’m fine,” she answered hastily. “I’ll explain more later.There’s not time now. Peior disappeared and the Rider… Caelum, there were twoof them.”

He blinked in confusion. “Two? How is that possible?”

“They weren’t true Riders, Caelum. The dragon, she wasforced into their servitude by Dark magic. But, Caelum, the Riders… they wereAter and Iocus.”

The elf blinked in shock and surprise, the blood drainingfrom his face. “Iocus? Ater… we had our suspicions, but Iocus? How could he—?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, Caelum. But there’s notime for this now.”

He nodded in agreement and they rejoined the line of archersas they stepped forward to fire another round at the soldiers. The men besideher were beginning to look weary. Nearly all of them were bleeding from onewound or another, but none left their positions.

A volley of arrows rose above their walls from below.Shields were lifted, but they could not stop them all. Many flew into the midstof the Thys defenders. Eliana heard Caelum grunt in pain beside her. She turnedtowards him to replace a red-and-black-fletched arrow protruding from his rightarm. He quickly grabbed it and yanked it out, tossing the projectile aside asif it had been nothing more than a splinter in his finger.

The sky darkened to a deep red as the sun began to sinkagain. A horn blew from the back of Nocens’ army, followed by several morespread throughout the ranks. Slowly, the men began to pull back, retreatingonce again from the wall. The United Army had survived another day.

The weary men climbed down from the walls, dragging theirworn and tired bodies towards the infirmary or their own quarters. Elianafollowed, walking through the city square. Angry shouts from the building setaside for the wounded reached her ears, and she drew curiously nearer.

She peered in the doorway to see several soldiers trying torestrain one man as he kicked and screamed, not in pain, but in anger. As shelooked more closely, she recognized Caedis. His entire chest and right arm werewrapped in heavy bandages.

“I am not toobadly injured!” he screamed at a rather startled-looking Laurus. “I can fight tomorrow! You can’t stop me!”

The Rider slipped into the room and moved to stand besideLaurus. When Caedis saw her, he stopped his thrashing.

“Eliana!” he exclaimed. “Tell that madwoman I’m fine! Tellher I can fight!”

She looked at the Healer beside her. “What’s wrong withhim?” she asked.

“He took some heavy magic to his chest and right side,” sheexplained airily. “He has serious burns from it. Too much strain will cause theblisters to rupture and become infected. I would Heal it with magic, butbecause magic is what caused it, I cannot negate the effects. He has to healnaturally.”

Eliana looked back at Caedis, who was watching her earnestly,waiting for her response. “Stay in the infirmary where you can be taken careof,” she instructed.

“What?” he shouted at her. “Eliana, you will let me fight! You cannot stop me!”

“Caedis!” she yelled back, silencing him. “You will stay inthis infirmary and do as the Healers instruct or I will send you to hidebeneath the city with Thys’ women and children! Am I clear?”

His jaw tightened as he glared at her in silence. He didn’tacknowledge her order, but she’d hardly expected him to; he was still gettingused to treating her as a commanding officer after nineteen years of endlesslytormenting her. She took the fact that he did not protest further as a sign ofacquiescence.

Caelum was waiting outside of the infirmary when she exitedthe building. His hand slipped into hers as they walked back towards thecathedral. They had stopped trying to hide from everyone. It no longermattered. Most were too busy to notice a stolen kiss here or there, and even ifthey did, they could all be dead before it mattered.

He let go of her hand to pull open the large doors. Whenthey stepped inside, Oriens was curled up on the stone floor, his armorremoved. Ja’ol was standing patiently beside him. She’d forgotten that she hadrequested that the captain come see her. The idea that had inspired the initialinvitation had almost entirely flown from her mind during the day’s events.Now, however, the plan came back in full force, bringing with it therealization that it was the only choice.

“You asked to see me, Rider,” Ja’ol said.

“Yes. We have not gained much ground against our enemies,have we. The Rider is gone, but the majority of Nocens’ men remain. I have anidea that may help end this, and it will get you your daughter back.”

Ja’ol’s eyes brightened. “You do?”

She nodded. “Yes. Nocens said that in order to get yourfamily, you had to bring me to him and join his ranks. I promised you yourfamily would be free if you stayed true to us and I still hold to that promise.But I cannot bear to think of your daughter with that man any longer. You canget her back tonight. You will bind me and take me to Nocens.”

“Absolutely not!”Oriens screamed in her head, accompanying the noise with a roar that shook thecathedral.

Somehow, Caelum managed to make himself heard over Oriens’ racket.“Eliana, you can’t do this!”

Ja’ol just stared at her. Once the other two had quieteddown, he asked, “Why, Rider?”

She shook her head. “Nocens is going to hide at the back ofhis army forever. Even if we defeat them, he would retreat back to Vereor andcontinue his tyranny. He must be killed. I can’t do that from within Thys. Youneed your daughter, and I need the opportunity to end him. This way, both canbe done.”

Caelum grabbed her shoulders roughly and jerked her aroundto face him. “Do you think I’m going to allow you to do this? Eliana, this ispure insanity! Do you know what he will do to you?”

She reached up and took his face between her hands. “Caelum,what choice do we have?”

His eyes roved over her face frantically, as if searchingfor an answer there. “Anything,” he whispered. “Anything but sending you as thesacrificial lamb. Not that. Please.”

She could feel Ja’ol’s eyes on them, but she ignored it. Itdidn’t matter. After tonight, she may not see either of them ever again.

“I have to do this,” she answered quietly, pressing herforehead to his and closing her eyes. “I have to, Caelum. Otherwise, this willnever end.”

“No, please,” he begged, his voice trembling. “I can’t lethim take you from me.”

She reluctantly pulled away from Caelum’s arms and turned toJa’ol. “Gather a few of your men,” she commanded calmly. “We move out in anhour.”

Ja’ol nodded, still looking slightly stunned, and left thecathedral. Caelum silently slipped to the ground, his head cradled in hishands. The way he seemed to crumble reminded her of how he had collapsed intoher arms the night his mother had died. Eliana looked away from him and up ather dragon. His emerald eyes were solemn as he looked at her.

“Do you think I’m afool, Oriens?” she asked him.

“Yes. A very bravefool.”

“So you understand whyI have to do this?”

“You are a part of me,Eliana. I always understand you.”

She turned her eyes back to Caelum, sitting on the coldstone, trembling. She sunk to her knees in front of him and touched his face.He looked up at her, his eyes wet and full of anger and fear.

“Don’t do this to me,” he pleaded.

Her heart throbbed with pain. “Oh, Caelum…” she whispered.“I’m not doing this to you. I’m doingit for them. This is why I bear themark of a Rider. I have to do everything in my power to free these people.”

Caelum stopped arguing with her. He grabbed her around thewaist and pulled her to him, kissing her hard. Tears fell to her cheeks as shelaced her fingers through his hair and kissed him in return, tasting the saltof their tears. She felt his hands shaking even as he clutched her tightly,trying to hold her there with him.

He pulled away from the kiss and turned his face into herneck, resting his head on her shoulder. His strong arms held her in his lap.She pressed her cheek to his head, running her fingers through his blonde hair,savoring his scent and the closeness of his warmth.

“Will you come back to me, Eliana?” he asked quietly, hisbreath warm against her skin. “Come back to me just as you are now.”

She understood his meaning. “Yes, Caelum. Yes, I’ll comeback to you.” She pulled deftly back from him and reached up to unfasten thenecklace. “Here,” she said, pressing it into his hand. “I want you to keep thisfor now.”

“Why?” he asked, closing his fist around it.

She forced a smile, trying to keep the fear from showing onher face. “So you can return it to me. Because I will come back for it. That’sa promise.”