Sky Riders: The Rising Sun
Sacrifice

A warm kiss on her forehead made her open her eyes. Sheblinked as she looked up into Caelum’s face. He smiled gently down at her asshe peered at him sleepily.

“Time to get up, Rider,” he said. “Dawn is near.”

She groaned and wriggled down in the bed until her head wasbeneath the blankets. He chuckled and pulled at the covers, but she held themtightly over her face. She felt him shift beside her as he slipped down beneaththe blanket as well.

He smirked at her in the little blanket tent and asked,“What are you doing?”

“Hiding,” she groaned.

“From what?”

She sighed. “Everything.”

His smile slipped away as he caught the serious note in hervoice. He squirmed lower until his face was beside hers. “What’s the matter,Eliana?”

She bit her lip and looked away. How could she explain herthoughts to him, when she hardly understood them herself? How did she put wordsto this hopelessness she felt? She could feel his eyes on her, so she turnedback to face him.

“How long will this last, Caelum?”

“How long will what last?”

“All of this. How long will this battle last? I’ve killedtheir Riders, I’ve killed Nocens. How many more men do I have to kill for it toend? How long will this hatred among the races last? Can a war really fixcenturies of prejudice and bitterness? And us… How long can we last, Caelum? Itseems so simple here, hidden beneath a blanket, safe. But if we go out there…It could all end so quickly.”

The backs of his fingers caressed her cheek. “You take somuch on your own shoulders,” he sighed. “I was beginning to wonder if you everfelt any of it, always so brave and strong. But you don’t need to be afraid,Eliana.”

“But I am,” she whispered in return. “I’m not brave. I’m notstrong. I am only afraid.” She still hated to admit the words aloud, but shecouldn’t try to deny it any longer—not to him.

“What are you afraid of? Death?”

“Yes. But not mine… I’m afraid to lose you.”

He smiled softly and kissed her. “You will never lose me. Iwill always be with you.”

“But not in the way I want. Not if something happens toyou.” She curled closer to his chest and he put his arms around her, restinghis chin on top of her head. “I want you to always be here like this. I want toalways be able to replace your arms when I need somewhere to turn. I want to beable to touch you, see you, kiss you, hold you, be with you. Always.”

He didn’t make her the promise she wanted to hear. Hecouldn’t, just as she couldn’t. That was what frightened her most. Caelum heldher for several more minutes inside their safe cocoon of blankets.

At last, he said, “We need to go.”

“I know…”

Slowly, half-heartedly, Caelum pulled away from her andslipped out of the bed. She sat up, letting the blankets fall to her waist andwatched him quickly pull on his boots and tunic. Then he headed for the door.

“I’ll let you change,” he said as he slipped out.

She’d forgotten that she was still in the clothes of aconcubine. She crawled out from beneath the blanket, leaving the lingering heatfrom Caelum’s body behind, and grabbed her last uniform from out of her pack.She pulled it on, discarding the tattered sheer cloth, and looked down at herbare feet. Her only boots were back in Nocens’ tent.

“You’ll have to replacesomeone who has a spare pair,” Oriens said.

“Do you think anyonehas spares?” she asked skeptically. “Everyonethat came with us packed light. They didn’t bring extra boots.”

“Perhaps one of theThysians,” he suggested.

Oriens followed her bare feet out of the cathedral to whereCaelum waited in the streets. The elf looked down at her exposed toes with afrown.

“I’d forgotten about your boots,” he said.

“Me too. Can we replace an extra pair anywhere?”

Caelum nodded. “We kept a few pairs from our dead. You cantry to replace something that fits there.”

He led her to another room in the same building as theinfirmary. Armor, weapons, and boots taken from the fallen were piled in thetiny room. She sifted through the boots, searching for a pair that would fit.At last, she found a pair made of thick, brown leather and pulled them on.There were slightly too large, but they would have to do.

Once she’d pulled them on, Caelum and Eliana made their wayto the western wall. The sun was just climbing over the eastern mountains, andthe armies of Vereor were already assembled at the wall. A tall figure in blacknow stood at the head of their forces, his pale hair nearly transparent in thesunlight.

Peior’s voice was high and menacing as he pointed up at herand shouted, “There! There is the beast who killed our emperor! They must allfall! Slaughter them! Murder them! Destroy them!”

The army rushed upon them so quickly that the city’sdefenders didn’t have a chance to fire their first volley of arrows before thesoldiers reached the wall. The battering ram was brought forward again, and wasquickly hammering at the gate. The United Army’s forces scrambled to drive backthe frenzied, furious humans.

It didn’t take Eliana long to realize that this was notgoing to work. The red army was attacking with too much force to continue to beheld back. Her murder of Nocens had not confused them as she’d hoped; it had enragedthem. Thys was going to fall.

“Captain Tadal!” she shouted, spotting the man as he madehis way to a nearby tower.

He stopped and looked at her, his expression frazzled. “Idon’t exactly have time for conversation, Rider! What do you need?”

“That gate won’t hold much longer. We can’t keep them back.We have to get out of Thys, now! We have to meet them on the plains.”

Tadal stared at her for a moment. She could see his mindturning over the idea, trying to replace a way around it. Then, he nodded. “Verywell,” he said shortly. “I’ll assemble those below. Can you lead the archersthat are on the wall?”

She nodded. “Yes. Seal the places that hold your women andchildren. Put the injured with them. They will be safe, so long as the armyfollows us out of the city.”

Tadal disappeared down the ladder, and Eliana steppedforward to fire another arrow down at the soldiers. She could hear the shoutsof the men within the walls as they helped the injured into the hidden chambersbeneath the city and began to assemble for the retreat.

Caelum found her and grabbed her arm. “What’s going on?” heasked.

“We’re getting out of Thys,” she told him.

“And then what?”

She considered his question for a moment, an idea forming inher mind. Motioning for Caelum to follow, she slipped down a ladder and led himto a dirt-covered alley. She drew in the earth with her finger as she explainedher plan.

“You and Tadal can lead most of the men out of the easterngate. Oriens can fly above you to make them believe it is a full retreat.Teleas, Ja’ol, and I will stay with a group of the men. Once the human army hasbegun to follow you, we will leave through the western gate. We’ll come aroundand attack their left side. Once they have turned to us, turn back on them andattack.”

Caelum looked up from her drawing. “Okay…” he said with aslow nod. “Let’s do it.”

~*~

Eliana watched from the wall as the eastern gate was pulledopen and the men began to slip out. She signaled to those staying behind, andthey all ducked below the stone precipices. At the same moment, Vereor’s troopssaw Oriens in the sky and, below him, the retreating line of soldiers.

A shout rose up among them and, peering cautiously over thewall, Eliana watched them move around the stone walls of the city, chasingafter the fleeing men. She glanced between Ja’ol and Teleas as they crouchedbeside her, waiting for the moment to move.

She peeked over the wall again to replace that most of thesoldiers were clear of the western wall. The men on the wall watched her forthe signal. With two fingers, she motioned for them to start moving. Theyslipped silently down the ladders as the rest of her group emerged from Thys’buildings and gathered in front of the western gate.

Ja’ol and Teleas pushed it open slightly and peered throughthe crack. The battering ram had been dropped in front of the gates and all ofthe soldiers that had once stood there were now gone. Eliana nodded, and theypushed the gates open all the way, allowing the remaining men to rush out intothe plains.

She led her cluster of soldiers around the walls of Thys asthey raced after the red uniforms. The army didn’t notice the troops that weregaining on them. They were far too busy gaining on the other portion of theUnited Army. Then Eliana’s troops fell on them.

That portion of the ranks seemed to crumble as the elves,men, and dwarves descended on the unprepared soldiers. But those behind themturned to face the attack with surprising force. Eliana dove into the battlewithout hesitation, using her blade on any red tunic that ventured too close,using her magic when she had the space to do so. Soldiers—both enemy andally—fell all around her.

The armies of Vereor buckled under the blow as the menthey’d been pursuing turned back upon them again. The united forces fought withincredible strength, but they were still outnumbered. Before long, they werebeing driven backwards, their comrades falling more and more quickly.

Panic began to rise in Eliana’s chest as she felt theshifting of the battle against them. Thiswas a mistake, she thought. This wasmy mistake.

Then, the roar of thousands of new voices reached her ears,all of them deep and gruff. Through the sea of red tunics before her, Elianasaw a mass of small men rushing towards them. A great, white wolf charged attheir head. The dwarves had arrived.

With Astrum leading them, the army of dwarves crashedagainst the other side of the red army, now penning them in on all sides withthe United Army’s forces. Teeth bared, Astrum leapt onto a man’s neck, snarlinglike a wild animal instead of a dignified Seer. Close by, Oriens was fightinghis way towards his Rider, tearing through men with his teeth to get closer toher.

At last, he was beside her and, with her left side protectedfrom harm, Eliana fought on. Red-clad soldiers began to flee before them,dropping their weapons and running for the woods. Others simply dropped theirweapons and fell to the ground, cowering with fear.

But those who remained fought all the harder, hacking likebarbarians. Eliana’s men still fell. The dwarves swung their great battle axes,crushing bones even through thick armor. But still they fell. The elves foughtwith amazing speed, strength, and agility. But they fell too. The men swung theirswords in blinding flashes of silver and red. But they fell too.

The battle raged on, appearing to be a nearly even match.For every red tunic that fell, one of their own soldiers fell as well. Elianaknew that it was still only a matter of time before the last of her supportersfell. My fault, she thoughtdesperately. I failed them.

Then an earth-shattering chorus of roars shook the groundbeneath her. She instinctively looked up at Oriens, though she knew the roarhad not been his. He had stopped fighting quite suddenly and was staring off tothe south. She followed his gaze to see two huge, winged forms flying towardsthem. One burned a deep red, the other a shining, rich violet.

“It’s Thacodi and Bolaer!” Eliana cried.

“They came!”Oriens laughed joyously.

The two massive forms descended and landed on either side ofthe golden dragon and Rider, scattering soldiers from both armies. Elianalooked up at them in amazement. Thacodi looked very calm, as if this wasnothing extraordinary for him. Bolaer was crouched low to the earth, smokerolling from her nostrils, looking ready to spring on anyone.

“Hello, Fire Hand andGolden Child,” Thacodi said, smiling down on them. “I have made my decision.”

“So I see,” she answered. “And what of your other mates?”

“I told them they werefree to decide for themselves. Bolaer elected to come with me, though I thinkshe would have come no matter my choice. Thysaer and Tylal chose to stay behindwith the new hatchlings. Now, which ones are we killing?” he asked, lookingaround him at the battling armies.

Eliana smiled. “Red.”

“Very well. Bolaer,let us begin.”

“With pleasure!”she roared, and a jet of flame flew from her mouth as she sprang from hercrouched position, landing on several of Vereor’s soldiers.

“Let’s go, Oriens!”Eliana shouted in her dragon’s thoughts.

They dove back into the battle, fighting beside the twoancient dragons. When the United Army realized the two massive beasts wereallies, they cheered and fought with a newfound ferocity. The red army was crumblingnow, terrified by the appearance of these two new, monstrous enemies. Manytried to attack the dragons, most of them sorcerers, but all of them ended upon their way to the great abyss.

Bolaer was even more frightening than her massive mate.Eliana could continuously hear the female dragon’s roars, as well as her angrythoughts. “I will have your blood!Egg-smashers! Murderers! This is for the children I lost! Die!”

A flash of black cloth amid the red caught Eliana’s eye.Peior blasted aside three dwarves as he strode towards a blonde elf, who waseasily dispatching the soldiers around him.

“Caelum!” she screamed.

He wheeled around in time to see Peior lift a hand in hisdirection. He dove to the side as a blast of magic left a small crater in thegrass. Caelum rolled to his feet, crouching with his sword in hand. Peiorunsheathed his own blade, twirling it between his pale fingers.

Caelum rushed forward, swinging his blade at the Darksorcerer. Peior blocked the attack and stepped aside. Eliana tried to make herway towards them as the pair continued to fight, but soldier after soldierblocked her path. She killed them without a thought. She had to get to Caelum.

He was losing. Peior was quicker and stronger, and he seemedto be toying with the elf, enjoying their battle. She wasn’t close enough tohelp. Caelum attacked again. With a twist of his wrist, Peior forced Caelum’ssword to the side. And the sorcerer did not hesitate.

Eliana watched in horror as, just feet away from her, Peiorsunk his silver blade into Caelum’s stomach. Caelum’s fair face contorted inpain, and he clutched at his stomach. His wide, blue eyes stared in horror anddisbelief at his bloodstained hands. The metal drew back again, coming outdrenched in red blood. A scream was ripping through Eliana’s throat without hereven realizing it. She continued to fight towards him, trying to reach him, tohelp him in some way.

Caelum fell to his knees as Peior sneered down at him. Thehand not clutching the wound grabbed his blade, which had fallen to the grass.Blue eyes met black for a moment. Then the elf captain pulled himself to hisfeet.

“What are you going to do, little prince?” Peior chuckled.

Eliana was near enough to hear Caelum’s labored breathingover the sound of war around her. But still, she could not reach him. She sawhim swing his sword at Peior, who met the blade with his own. Still with onehand over his stomach, trying to stem the bleeding, Caelum fought.

At first, Peior seemed amused by this. Then, with a quickflick of his wrist, Caelum wedged his blade beneath the hilt of Peior’s sword. Hewrenched the sword from Peior’s hands, sending it flying to the grass, leavingthe sorcerer without a weapon.

“This is for my people,” he hissed. He shoved the sword intoPeior’s stomach. “This is for Eliana.” He stabbed the sorcerer again. “And this…is for my mother.”

The blood-soaked blade cut through the air, meeting the paleskin at Peior’s neck. The white-haired head fell to the ground beside itstruncated body, staining the green grass with deep, red blood.

Eliana fought through the last cluster of men around her andrushed towards Caelum in time for him to collapse into her arms. She cradledhim to her as he stared up at her face with his pain-filled blue eyes. Hisbreath came in short gasps, his face growing paler.

“Caelum, you’re going to be okay,” she told him quietly,pressing her hand over his. She felt his warm blood on her trembling fingers.“Everything is going to be fine.”

He gave her a small, weak smile. “Of course,” he breathed.“You’ll be just fine without me, Eliana.”

Tears fell on her cheeks, and she shook her head furiously.“Don’t talk like that, Caelum.” Her words were punctuated by sharp breaths andquiet sobs now. “I don’t… I don’t want to be without you.”

All around them, enemy soldiers were dropping their weapons,surrendering without further fight. The United Army was cheering, oblivious tothe fact that Eliana’s world was dying in her arms.

Ispera was suddenly beside them, Astrum with her. The Seer’swhite muzzle was marked with blood. The Healer pulled Caelum’s hands away fromhis stomach to look at the wound. Her face told Eliana what she refused toaccept. The wound was not within her powers to Heal. Ispera looked up at herdaughter’s tear-streaked face, then back down at Caelum’s bloody tunic.

“Eliana,” she said softly, trying to replace the most delicateway to rip the girl’s heart from her chest.

“No!” the Rider screamed.

She pressed her hand firmly over Caelum’s wound. A smalllight glowed from under her palm, and she felt her lingering strength begin toleave her. She didn’t care what it would cost; she would not let Caelum die.

The elf’s blood-stained hand pushed hers gently away. “Don’tbe silly,” he whispered, his eyes growing cloudy and distant. “You know youcan’t Heal me.”

“Yes I can!” she sobbed pathetically.

Caelum shook his head slightly, a small smile on his palelips. “You’re so very stubborn. But I love you in all of your bull-headedfoolishness. I love you… so very much…”

“Don’t leave me!” she pleaded helplessly, clutching at histunic.

“Never,” he whispered with a smile.

“Caelum,” Ispera said quietly from where she sat at herdaughter’s side, “move your hand.”

He obeyed silently, once again exposing his wound to her.Ispera pushed the sleeves of her tunic up her arms slightly, then placed herhands over Caelum’s stomach. A bright glow began to surround her hands,appearing to sink into the wound.

Eliana watched her for a moment in confusion. Ispera hadtaught her enough for Eliana to know the extent of Healing magic. A fatal woundcould not be Healed without costing the Healer her life.

“Mother, what are you doing?” she asked, still holdingCaelum’s head in her arms.

Ispera looked up at her with a sad smile, but said nothing.Eliana saw the strength slowly leaving her mother’s body as she tried to dowhat could not be done. Color began to return to Caelum’s pale face.

“Mother?” she asked again, her voice edged with panic.

At last, she spoke. “You need him, Eliana. I know you do. Ican’t let him die, knowing it would kill you as well.”

“But you’ll die!”

Ispera reached out to her with one hand, touching her cheekwith the back of her fingers. “My sweet girl… I had to give you up once. Ican’t lose you again. I just want you to be happy. That is all I have everwanted.”

The Healer’s voice was growing weaker as strength continuedto leave her.

“Ispera, please stop,” Caelum pleaded. “Don’t do this forme.”

She shook her head. “Not for you, Prince Caelum. For my daughter.”Ispera closed her eyes as she closed the last part of the elf’s wound. “I knowyou’ll take care of her for me.”

Then the Healer’s body slipped to the ground beside Caelum.

“No!” Eliana screamed, crawling quickly to her mother’sside.

She was still breathing softly, the last flutters of lifefighting to stay in her weakened frame. Her amethyst eyes—so like herdaughter’s—peered up at Eliana through a cloud of exhaustion.

“My Eliana,” she breathed. “Your father would be so proud ofyou… I love you…”

Ispera’s eyes closed and her chest fell as she exhaled. Itdid not rise again.

“No! No, Mother!” Eliana sobbed. “Please, don’t go! Mama! Ijust found you! Don’t leave me again! Please!” She shook her mother’s lifelessbody frantically, trying to awaken her, frantic and desperate. “Mama, I can’tlet you go yet! Please! Please!”

Caelum’s arms wrapped around her, trying to pull her away.

“No!” I shrieked, clinging to the body, to what was left ofher mother. “No!”

“Shh,” he breathed in her ear. “I’m sorry, Eliana. I’m sosorry. She’s gone.”

Her entire body shook with the force of her cries as sheturned to Caelum, burying her face against his blood-stained tunic. The soundsof the last of Vereor’s army retreating fell upon her ears, but she was deaf toit all. Loss numbed her to anything but her own pain.

~*~

Oriens, Eliana, and Caelum plodded slowly away from Thys.The elf and dragon watched her closely, searching for any signs that she maycollapse from grief once again. But she wouldn’t. The ability to weep had fledher hours before, the tears long since dried away. She knew she would have moretime to mourn the loss of her mother. But for now, she had one last promise tofulfill.

The sun was beginning its descent to the west as they atlast stopped in front of the dark piece of forest. There was a movement, ashifting shadow within the shadows, then a large shape extracted itself fromthe darkness. Aelodi eyed them warily from beneath her armor as she slipped outof the woods.

The black dragon’s sapphire eyes met Eliana’s. “I… I watched the battle,” she saidcautiously, unsure of whether or not it was safe to enter the girl’s mind. “I am sorry for your loss.”

Eliana acknowledged the dragon’s empathy with a small nod.“I have come to fulfill my promise to you, Aelodi,” she said aloud, respectingthe privacy of her mind.

Aelodi nodded her angular head and sank to her knees infront of them. Eliana and Caelum moved around her swiftly and silently,removing the saddle and heavy armor. When the last piece of metal clattered tothe grass, Aelodi shook her body gratefully. What appeared to be a black dustfell to the ground.

The young dragon blinked at them, her dark grey hide lookingunnatural in the sunset. “I have waitedfor what feels like an eternity to be free of Ater, Iocus, and Peior. Now thatthe day has come… I fear I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“We offer an answer tothat,” Oriens said. Aelodi turned her eyes on the larger dragon with a lookof awe and respect. “Stay with us, and Iwill teach you to hunt. Whenever you so choose, you may return to the wild, tothe life you should have led from the moment you hatched.”

“And what do youexpect of me in return?” she asked uncertainly.

“Nothing,” Caelum answered simply. “You will be free. Youhave no obligation to us. We only hope you will carry our message to the restof the wild dragons; tell them that they will no more be hunted, that thetwo-leggers—humans, elves, and dwarves—will return to the old peace with thedragons.”

“You will have help in delivering that message, if youchoose to accept our offer,” Eliana said. “Your mother is waiting for you atthe Cliffs of Myli Ondo.”

Aelodi glanced between the three of them, considering theiroffer. Eliana felt the dragon search her mind for some sort of trap ormanipulation that she may have overlooked. The Rider pitied her; the youngfemale could hardly even trust a fellow dragon.

At last, Aelodi spoke again. “Very well. I accept your offer. And I thank you.”

After a few more words, Aelodi took to the sky to enjoy herfirst true taste of freedom, promising to return in the morning. Eliana gaveOriens permission to replace prey to fill his belly while she and Caelum turnedback to Thys.

“Caelum?” she said softly as they walked in the growingdarkness.

He turned his eyes to her. “Yes?”

“I never asked this before, because I never felt that itmattered, but… what do the elves believe happens to us? After death, I mean.”

Very cautiously, he took her hand. She accepted his touchand leaned into him, waiting for his response.

“Our beliefs are not so different from those of the humans,I suppose,” he said. “Elves believe in a spirit in every living creature, and agreater being that created them all. When any creature, no matter their race orspecies, passes on, their spirit returns to the creator.”

“To heaven?”

“Yes.”

Eliana turned her eyes to the sky, which was just clingingto the last traces of sunlight. A single bright star had appeared above them,seeming to smile down at them.

“I suppose it’s rather foolish to believe in such things,”she whispered, her gaze riveted on that shining star.

“Perhaps,” he answered. “But one must have hope.”

“Hope… Yes. Hope is a fickle thing.”