Sky Riders: The Rising Sun
The Truth Revealed

Caelum and Eliana followed Astrum's white form through thetrees to the city's entrance, the little dragon swaying on her shoulder as shewalked. The blossom-covered gates of Iterum appeared before them. The guard atthe gate bowed briefly at Astrum, inclined his head to Caelum with the usual,"My lord," then looked at Eliana.

Immediately, his eyes widened, his mouth falling open as hesaw the golden shape on her shoulder. The guard drew a sharp breath, as ifprepared to shout the news to anyone within hearing distance. Caelum stepped infront of Eliana and raised a hand towards the guard, closing it into a fist, asif snatching something out of the air. The guard made a strangled sound, hismouth opening and closing wordlessly as he clawed at his own throat.

"You will not say a word," Caelum growled quietly."Iterum will know of the dragon soon enough. Until then, you will remainsilent. Am I clear?"

The guard nodded quickly. Caelum opened his fist and loweredhis arm, and the guard drew in a raspy breath, coughing and sputtering.

Caelum touched Eliana's arm gently. "Let's go," hesaid. "The more quickly we get to the palace, the less likely we are todraw attention to ourselves."

The gates swung open for them. "What did you do tohim?" she asked with a nod at the guard.

"I removed the air from around him," he repliedabsentmindedly. His eyes were scanning the city streets, searching for signs ofelves. "Now, we should hurry."

His hand slid to the small of her back, pressing her gentlyforward. Eliana felt electricity dance across her skin, and her heart stutteredin its rhythm. It lasted only a moment, then he removed his hand again, stayingclose to her side as he searched diligently for anyone who might see her andthe dragon.

The creature on Eliana's shoulder gave a questioning,curious chirrup in her ear, and she craned her neck to look at him. He waspeering at her with large, green eyes, tilting his head from side to side. Shefelt his wordless questions in her mind, and realized immediately what hadconfused him.

Mara had said that dragons could feel their Riders' emotions.He felt the way I reacted to Caelum, she realized. The dragon turnedaway from her and looked at the elf who walked beside them. He lowered his headand eyed Caelum suspiciously, giving a low, unintimidating growl.

Caelum looked down at the animal and gave a confused laugh."What on earth are you doing?" he asked the creature on her shoulder.

In response, the hatchling made a quiet snapping sound withhis jaws and wrapped his tail protectively around Eliana's neck, drawing closerto her while still eyeing Caelum warily. Silently, Eliana pleaded with thedragon to stop, but he either did not understand her or simply had no desire toobey her.

They reached the palace grounds without encountering anyoneelse, and Astrum led the way between the flowered hedges, up the white steps tothe wooden door. Caelum pushed the door open just enough to step into theopening, keeping Eliana from view.

"Is my mother here?" she heard him ask the guardinside.

"Yes, sir," the elf's voice replied. "She isin Domus with Prince Denio. They just sat down to supper."

"Will you take me to see her, please?"

"Yes, sir."

She heard the guard's steps move away from the door, andCaelum turned back to her briefly. "I will speak to my mother first. Waita moment, then come inside. I'll bring her to you when she's ready to seeyou."

Eliana nodded in understanding, and Caelum disappearedthrough the door. She peered through the crack, watching as he followed theguard along the stone path to the great tree. When the pair of them had disappearedinside, Astrum slipped through the doorway and Eliana followed. The fox trottedout onto the grass and sat at the base of the tree.

She followed suit, and the hatchling scratched his way downher arm and curled up contentedly in her lap again. She looked up at the tree,where light was streaming through one round window. She could see thesilhouettes of Queen Ivi and Prince Denio seated across from each other.Shortly, two more figures joined them.

The voice she had grown so attached to spoke, and she heardit clearly from where she sat at the base of the tree. "Mother, I need tospeak to you."

The queen sighed in irritation. "Caelum, we've onlyjust started supper. Can't it wait? You should join us. We hardly ever see you,what with you running around with that strange girl every day."

She could hear the agitation in his voice as he answered,"No, it cannot wait, Mother. I have to speak to you now. It's aboutEliana."

She saw the queen's head turn towards him. Her voice soundedconfused as she asked, "What about her, Caelum?"

Astrum stood from the grass and looked briefly at Eliana."I should join them," he said. "Caelum may need myassistance." He darted around the edge of Domus and disappeared.

Above her, she heard Caelum's reply. "I've been keepingsomething about her from you. She's not... she's not an elf, like you believeher to be."

"Not an elf?" Ivi asked sharply. "Well, thenwhat is she?"

"She's a halfling—half human, half elf."

The queen's silhouette rose quickly from her seat, andEliana heard the chair clatter backwards to the ground. "I want herout!" she snapped. "I want her out of this palace, out of my city,immediately!"

Denio stood. "Mother, please, be reasonable," hesaid in a placating tone.

Caelum's voice rose above his brother's. "You don'tunderstand!"

"I understand that she has human blood in her veins! Ido not want a half-blood creature in my city. She is a danger to all ofus!"

"She is one girl!" Caelum shouted back. "Whaton earth is dangerous about her?"

"Did you ever think that she may have been sent by thehumans?" Ivi retorted. "We do not know where her allegiances lie! Shecould lead the enemy straight to our gates!"

"She has a dragon!" Caelum yelled.

The shouting match ended abruptly, silence filling theechoing palace. Eliana sat cross-legged on the grass, looking down at thesleeping dragon in her lap. Angry, bitter tears defied her best efforts ofsuppressing them and slipped down her cheeks, falling onto the dragon's foldedwings. He awoke at their contact and lifted his head, chirruping at her inconcern.

"A dragon?" Ivi repeated, barely loud enough forEliana to hear.

Then Astrum's voice spoke from somewhere beyond her sight."It is true, your majesty," his rich voice intoned. "Eliana'sdragon hatched only a few minutes ago. She is outside now, with the hatchling,and she can hear every word we speak."

She looked up again and found four elves' faces looking downat her from the window. She met their gazes proudly and defiantly, despite thetears on her cheeks. Queen Ivi's expression was one of incredulity. The guardlooked merely stunned, while Denio looked inexplicably excited. Caelum'sexpression looked pained and full of concern.

Almost immediately, Caelum withdrew from the window,followed shortly by the other three elves. Eliana stood quickly. She knew theywould be coming to see her, and she had no desire to face any of them. Holdingthe hatchling in her arms, she ran around Domus and out through the rear doors.She entered her chambers and took the stairs two at a time to her bedroom.

She dropped onto the edge of the mattress, hugging thedragon to her chest, trying to draw comfort from his small, warm body. Henuzzled at her neck and hair, chirping his concern as she pressed her faceagainst his wings.

You mustn't let their words hurt you, her father'svoice said in her mind. Be strong, my girl. Be strong. Eliana pressedher lips together, wrestling back the tears.

"Eliana!" She heard Caelum's voice out in thecourtyard, the palace door slamming shut behind him. "Eliana!"

She made no reply. After a moment, she heard his footstepsascending the stairs to her room, and he appeared in the doorway. She liftedher head to look at him, hurriedly trying to wipe away the tears. Theycontinued to fall.

He paused in the entrance to her room, looking at heruncertainly. "I... I apologize for letting myself in, but I..." Hecrossed the distance between them and came to kneel in front of her. "Ididn't think you would let me in yourself... and I was worried about you."

She dashed away her tears again, angry at them forcontinuing to moisten her cheeks. "I'm fine," she grumbledstubbornly.

Caelum shook his head and put a hand on her knee."Eliana," he said quietly, "I cannot apologize enough for whatmy mother said. She is..." He paused and made an exasperated noise, as ifthe words to describe his mother eluded him. "She is a stubborn, foolishold woman," he finally said. "And she is wrong about you." Hereached up and touched her cheek, wiping away the tears there. "She hasnever been more wrong about anything in all of her life."

Eliana turned her face slightly, pressing her cheek morefirmly into his palm, welcoming the unfamiliarity of a kind touch. Sheswallowed, trying to steady her voice, before asking, "Why are you so kindto me, Caelum?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

She looked down at him. "It seems as if everybody hatesme for what I am. But not you. You brought me here, defended me, are teachingme everything you can. You have been kinder to me than anyone else in my life."

Caelum sighed and stood, moving to sit beside her on thebed. He took her hand, holding it on the mattress between them. "Noteveryone hates you for what you are," he said softly. "There will bemany—both humans and elves—who will rally behind you when they replace out aboutyour ancestry. There are many of us who have been waiting for your arrival foryears."

Eliana shook her head. "I don't want to hear more aboutthis prophecy of yours," she replied irritably. She fixed him with ademanding look. "I want to know why you, Caelum, have shown me suchkindness. Is it only because of what you believe me to be?"

The elf gave a crooked smile and shook his head slowly."I will confess," he replied, "that when I brought you toIterum, it was only because I believed you would fulfill the prophecy. Butyou..." He paused, lifting a hand to her cheek again, turning her facetowards him more fully. "You proved to be so much more than that."

Her heart stuttered, the queen's hateful words forgotten asshe looked into Caelum's gentle, blue eyes. From her lap, there was a screech,and the golden hatchling leapt upwards. His tiny jaws, filled with pin-liketeeth, clamped onto Caelum's wrist. The elf yelped in pain and jerked his handback, away from Eliana's cheek. The sudden movement shook the little dragonloose, and he fell back into his Rider's lap.

He coiled like a snake, obviously prepared to lunge at theelf again, but Eliana seized him, wrapping her arms firmly around the hatchlingas he snapped and snarled at Caelum.

"No!" Eliana shouted at him. "Stop it!Stop!"

The dragon stilled, but continued snarling in his throat,glaring at the elf. Eliana looked up at Caelum, who was holding his bleeding wristand looking at his attacker in a mixture of shock and amusement.

"Caelum, I'm so sorry," she apologizedfrantically. "I don't know what's the matter with him." That wasn'tentirely true. She knew why the hatchling had attacked. He'd felt her panickedreaction to Caelum's touch, and he had leapt to defend her.

The elf just smiled and put his hand over the injured wristfor a moment. When he removed it, the wounds were gone, though blood stillstained the sleeve of his brown tunic. "It's alright," he said."See? No harm done."

In her lap, the hatchling lowered his head in a snake-likemanner and hissed at Caelum. Eliana clapped a hand over his muzzle to silencehim. "Really, I- I don't know what came over him."

He shrugged dismissively. "You were upset, Eliana. Hecould probably tell, and he simply thought that I was the cause of it. He wasdoing his duty as your dragon. I won't hold that against him." He lookeddown at the creature that continued glaring at him around Eliana's hand, and hesmiled. "Though I must admit that I do hope he'll warm up to me intime."

She laughed uncomfortably. "So do I." Hastily, shechanged the subject. "Where are your mother and brother? I thought theywould have followed you out here."

Caelum sighed and leaned back on his hands as he sat on theedge of the bed. "I asked them to wait in the palace. I wanted to speak toyou alone. Didn't want my mother causing any more damage than she alreadyhad."

She turned her face away from him, looking out the doorwaythat led to his quarters. "I... I don't think I can face them justyet," she admitted slowly.

"I understand," he answered with a nod. "Ican speak to them myself, tell them that we'll settle this all tomorrow."He stood from the bed, and she looked up at him.

"Caelum?" she asked quietly. He met her eyes,waiting. She drew a breath, then asked, "Is she going to make me leaveIterum?"

He smiled down at her crookedly and softly brushed a strandof hair from her face, earning another threatening growl from the hatchling."You don't think I'd let that happen, do you?"

Despite all of her best judgment, she believed him. Shebelieved that he would defend her, keep her here no matter what the queenwanted. She shook her head and gave a small smile. "I trust you."

He started towards the stairs, but paused in the doorway andlooked back at her over his shoulder. "Please do not judge my mother tooquickly, Eliana," he said. "She is a stubborn woman, but I know shewill accept you, now that she can see who you are."

She gave a short nod of understanding, then he turned anddisappeared down the stairs. The hatchling slipped off of Eliana's lap andstood on the foot of the bed, craning his neck, as if trying to see where thesupposedly dangerous elf had gone. Then, apparently satisfied that the threatwas no longer present, he wriggled his tail and hopped down onto the floor.

Eliana leaned over the mattress and watched him as he nosedhis way under the bed, making a snuffling, snarling sound. "What are youdoing?" she asked him curiously.

Her question was answered by a high-pitched squeak, as abrown mouse darted out from under her bed. The golden hatchling streaked afterit, then pounced on it with a fluttering of his wings. The mouse squeaked indistress for a brief moment. The dragon clamped his jaws around it and gave ita shake, and the mouse fell silent.

Tilting his head back, he swallowed the mouse whole. Elianagave a small smile of surprise. "I suppose I won't have to worry aboutfeeding you," she remarked.

In reply, the hatchling gave a self-satisfied chirp. Shepulled off her boots and clothes, and slipped into a nightdress before climbinginto bed. The dragon quickly and easily clawed his way up the bed post and ontothe mattress. He crossed over the comforter and climbed on top of her, curlingup in a little golden ball on top of her stomach. She rested her hand on top ofhim, and the calm, peaceful blue filled her mind again.

She stared up at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of theforest around her, wondering what was happening inside the palace. What was Caelumsaying? Would the queen really change her mind? Were they arguing about her?

Hours seemed to pass before she heard the sound of footstepson the pebbled pathway below. She heard Caelum climb the wooden steps to hisquarters, and she turned her head towards the bridge between the two trees. Inthe moonlight that streamed through his window, she saw him sit on the edge ofhis bed. His shoulders slumped forward with exhaustion, and he ran his handsover his face, through his pale, moonlit hair.

She could hear him sigh as he stood. He pulled his tunic upover his head, the moonlight making his pale torso seem even paler. Eliana felta hot blush climb up her neck, and she closed her eyes tightly. But the imageof his moonlit form remained imprinted on her eyelids.

The hatchling on her stomach lifted his head and looked ather, chirping curiously. She opened one eye and looked at him, willing him tobe quiet. He stared at her, his emerald eyes seeming to glow in the darkness,then turned and looked towards the figure on the other side of the bridge,replaceing the source of her apparent distress. He let out a loud squawk,shattering the silence of the night.

She saw Caelum turn towards the sound and quickly shut hereyes again. She listened to his footsteps crossing the wooden bridge. Theystopped just outside her doorway.

"Eliana?" he called quietly. "Are youawake?"

She remained still and silent, barely peering at him throughher lashes. He was barefoot and bare chested, one hand on the frame of herdoorway, looking at her. The flush on her face grew hotter, and she prayed hecould not see it in the darkness. The dragon squawked again.

"Hush, little one," Caelum whispered at theanimal. "Let her sleep."

The dragon gave a little snarl, but lowered his head,curling up on Eliana's stomach again. Caelum remained where he was, leaningagainst her doorframe in the moonlight, watching her. In the silvery light fromher window, she saw a soft smile touch his lips.

"Goodnight, Eliana," he whispered from where hestood. "Sleep well."

He turned and crossed back over the bridge to his quarters.She watched him climb into bed and turn onto his side, facing the bridgebetween them. She could see that his eyes were still open, and he watched herwith a strangely tender expression on his face, unaware that she was watchinghim as well.