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- Herausgeber: Dragonfire Press
- Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
- Serie: Dragon Riders of Osnen
- Sprache: Englisch
Darkness threatens the land.
With an evil creature killing dragons and riders alike, the False King’s reign of terror spills across the border. While the king of Osnen and the Citadel’s riders struggle to stem the assault, Eldwin flies to the Conclave to plead for help from the other schools.
Unless the schools unite and arrive in time, the world is doomed.
Fans of Sarah K.L. Wilson’s Dragon School, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon and Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern will feel right at home.
The Warrior's Call is the third episode of the series Dragon Riders of Osnen.
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Seitenzahl: 129
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
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The Warrior's Call
Dragon Riders of Osnen Book 3
Richard Fierce
Copyright © 2020 by Richard Fierce
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. All events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form without the express permission of the publisher.
Cover design by germancreative
Cover art by Rosauro Ugang
Contents
“Something’s wrong,” Anesko said.
I watched him pace restlessly back and forth across the command tent. He’d called an emergency meeting and asked me to attend, but I didn’t know why. The Curates were all present, and between the fire burning in the brazier and the number of people inside the small area, it was stifling. I needed to get some fresh air but not much had been discussed yet.
“I agree,” Curate Henrik said. “Where are the others? Why aren’t they here yet?”
I glanced at Henrik, then back at Anesko. There was a lot of unease in the camp. So much so that it was almost palpable. Even Maren seemed affected by it. The mysterious creature that was killing dragons was mostly to blame. Whatever it was, it hunted at night and had managed to kill half of the dragons Anesko had brought with him.
“Why did the Conclave approve of this attack if they didn’t have a way to combat that spawn of darkness?”
I looked at the woman who had spoken. Her name was Mila. She’d been promoted to Curate as a replacement for Josephine. For the most part, the two were nothing alike. Mila was tall and thin, with blond hair and bright blue eyes. Although she was a noble, she treated everyone with the same dignity. That alone set her apart from all the other nobles I’d encountered.
“Have we received any word from the other schools yet?” Anesko asked.
“No,” Henrik confirmed. “And the Conclave hasn’t responded to any of the messages we’ve sent, magical or by bird.”
Anesko stopped his pacing and rubbed his hands over his face. It hadn’t seemed that long ago since I’d been at the Citadel, yet Anesko had aged a lot since taking over as temporary master. He failed to hide his stress as well as Master Pevus did, but he was doing the best he could. The king’s army was at a standstill. Their camp was closer to Midia’s border, and the creature had ravaged their forces as well. Rumors were being whispered that the king himself was on his way with reinforcements. I’d asked Maren if that was true, but she had merely shrugged.
“Sir?” I said.
Anesko looked at me.
“Why don’t you send a rider to the Conclave? It seems that the messages being sent are either being intercepted or failing to arrive.”
“Trust me, Eldwin,” Anesko replied. “I would have sent a rider earlier if I thought we could spare one. As it stands, we’ve taken heavy losses. If that creature attacks our camp, I’d rather have every dragon we can muster to defend against it.”
That made sense. All the riders and their dragons had been trained for battle, and there was strength in numbers. Perhaps that was why the creature hadn’t attacked the camp yet. And then I had an idea.
“What if I go?” I asked. “Sion and I aren’t much help in a battle. We’re still getting used to our bond. We can fly to the Conclave and deliver a message directly.”
“That’s a good idea,” Henrik said.
I could see the hesitation in Anesko’s eyes. Technically, I wasn’t a member of the school and could leave or stay as I pleased, but once everything with Midia had been dealt with, I wanted to go back to the Citadel and be properly trained. In that spirit, I wanted to show Anesko that I could obey orders.
“Let me think about it,” Anesko said. “It would be nice to get an answer, but I don’t want to endanger you. If someone or something is stopping our messages, I don’t want you getting caught up with it.”
“Master?”
Everyone turned to look at Maren. She had slipped into the tent and stood near the opening.
“Yes, Maren?”
“My apologies for eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ll go with Eldwin to the Conclave. He and his dragon may not be formally trained, but Demris and I are. We can serve as Eldwin’s guards in case there’s trouble. And I’ve been to the Conclave before, so I know how to get there.”
“That’s a good idea,” Henrik repeated.
“Yes, Henrik, I am aware that a lot of good ideas are being thrown around.”
Anesko sighed and took a seat in an empty wooden chair beside the brazier. The room was quiet as he stared into the flames. I couldn’t begin to fathom the amount of responsibility on his shoulders. As the silence continued to stretch, I felt Sion nudging my mind through the bond.
What’s happening? She asked.
We might be leaving, I replied. I’m waiting for Anesko’s decision.
Leaving? Her confusion flooded the bond, but I built a mental wall around the emotion and kept it from overwhelming me.
I’ll explain later, I told her.
Anesko stood up and folded his arms across his chest. He scanned the room, looking at everyone present.
“I don’t like it,” he said. “The danger is unknown, but the same is true with being here. I’ll allow you both to go to the Conclave. As soon as you arrive, send me a message. I want to know that you both arrive safely.”
“Yes, Master,” Maren said.
Anesko looked at me and I nodded. “Consider it done, Master.”
“Get some rest for now. You can leave at first light. I’ll have someone pack your saddles with provisions and make sure you have everything you need.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re both dismissed. The Curates and I still have more to discuss.”
I followed Maren out of the tent. I had started to sweat and the cool night air was a welcome reprieve from the heat. We stood beside one another without saying anything. Maren grabbed ahold of my mangled hand and squeezed it briefly.
“I confirmed the rumors,” she said. “My father is coming.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
She shrugged. “It’s good for the fight against Midia, though I don’t know what men can do against whatever that thing is out there.”
“We’ll find a way to stop it at the Conclave, I’m sure of it,” I said.
Maren laughed. “The Conclave is a bunch of crotchety old men who haven’t done anything to improve the world with their power.”
“If you don’t think it’ll help, then why are you going?”
She didn’t answer immediately, but she turned to look at me.
“I lost enough time with you,” she said. “I refuse to lose any more of it.”
I smiled at her. “So, you’re going for purely selfish reasons, then?”
“Of course not,” she replied. “I want answers as much as Anesko does. I’ve been listening to his meetings and found out that the other schools were supposed to send their riders here to join us. They aren’t here. And now Anesko says the Conclave is non-responsive.”
She was still the same woman. Breaking the rules, sneaking around… it was a total surprise to me that Master Pevus hadn’t kicked her out of the school before he died. I was still convinced that her royal blood was part of the reason for that. She deserved to be a rider, had more than earned it, but I knew how the political circles of the nobles worked. Master Pevus himself had told Anesko that it would be foolish to think politics had no place in the Citadel. I pushed the thoughts away.
“How far is the Conclave from here?” I asked, changing the subject.
“If the wind is in our favor? Four hours without stopping. Can Sion fly that long?”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” I answered.
We parted ways and retired to our tents. I told Sion what tomorrow held and forced myself to get some sleep. It felt like I had just fallen asleep when I woke up to Maren tapping my shoulder.
“What is it?” I tried to hide my irritation at being woken up, but Maren didn’t seem to notice.
“It’s time to go,” she said. “The dragons are saddled and everything is ready. Eat this.” She handed me a wooden bowl filled with potatoes and eggs. “And be quick about it. I want to be gone before dawn.”
I groaned. “The sun’s not up yet?”
Maren’s glare silenced any more of my complaints and I ate quickly. Her impatience was painfully obvious. Aside from the guards on watch, the camp was quiet. We mounted our dragons and left the camp behind, heading south. After two hours, we turned west and continued straight. We had to stop to allow Sion a break, which turned the four-hour journey into a six-hour nightmare.
By the time we reached our destination, I was ready to stretch my legs. My lower back was aching and I reached back to rub it. Sion sniffed the air and her scales tightened.
What’s wrong? I asked. I scanned the ground below us, but I didn’t see anything.
Magic, she replied. Powerful magic was used here.
I looked at Maren. Judging by her troubled look, Demris had sensed the same thing. Maren made a motion with her hand and both Sion and Demris began to descend. We landed in a clearing roughly a quarter-mile from an impressive tower made of white stone. I slipped out of the saddle and climbed off Sion’s back. Maren walked over to me and I could see the concern etched onto her face.
“Sion told me magic was used here,” I said.
“Dark magic,” Maren replied. “I have no idea what we’re going to find when we get to the tower. There’s a stable at the top for dragons, but once Demris alerted me, I figured it would be better to land out here instead.”
“Good idea,” I said.
“Those are the only kind I have,” Maren said, smirking.
I rolled my eyes at her and we started our trek toward the tower, leaving the dragons behind. The landscape was flat and covered with tall golden-brown grass that swayed in the breeze. The tower sat atop a hill, high and imposing. As we topped the hill, the damage became obvious. The two massive oak doors that served as the entrance were wide open. Maren stopped and closed her eyes. She whispered arcane words under her breath, then snapped her head up.
“The wards are broken,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“There were powerful spells in place that protected the tower, but they’re all gone.”
“Someone undid the magic?” I asked.
“No. When someone unweaves a spell, there’s only a faint trace of the magic that gets left behind. This was different. Violent, even. Imagine the wards as doors. They are opened and closed in a similar fashion.”
“So, someone opened the door?” I asked, still not understanding.
“No… someone kicked it open.”
“Is it safe to enter?”
I stared at the large oak doors. There was no telling what awaited us inside. I reached out through the bond and felt Sion’s familiar presence. She couldn’t fit inside the doorway, but it would have been more comforting if she were with me.
I am with you, Sion said. If you encounter danger inside, I will know.
Her words offered a small measure of relief.
“There’s no way to know for sure,” Maren replied. “You might want to be ready, just in case.”
I drew my blade. Maren closed her eyes again and chanted softly. A faint iridescent barrier formed in the air in front of us. She opened her eyes and nodded in satisfaction.
“This will shield us from anything that comes at us head-on, but it won’t last long.”
“It’s better than nothing,” I said.
“Yes, it is. Ready?”
“As ready as I can be,” I replied.
Maren led the way into the tower and I followed close behind her. The aroma of flowers drifted off her and I inhaled deeply, relishing the scent. We stepped through the doorway and I suddenly felt dizzy. I rested a hand on one of the doors while I waited for the feeling to pass.
“What was that?” I asked, scrunching my face as a wave of nausea faded.
“The Conclave technically doesn’t exist in our world,” Maren said. “The doorway is a portal. What you’re feeling is the effects of traveling thousands of miles in a few seconds. The feeling shouldn’t last too long.”
“Good,” I muttered before turning away from her and vomiting. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, feeling much better. “Does it not effect you?” I asked.
“A little,” Maren answered. “I’ve been here before a few times, so I knew what to expect.”
“You couldn’t have warned me?”
She giggled. “What would be the fun in that?”
“Right.”
I looked around the room. The place had been torn apart. Tables and chairs were overturned and books and parchments were scattered everywhere. It looked like a whirlwind had ripped through the place.
“They weren’t expecting an attack,” Maren said. “There’s no signs of defensive magic anywhere.”
“You said they were old men. Is it possible they just weren’t paying attention?”
“No. I didn’t care for any of them, but if there’s one thing they’re good at, it’s attention to detail. They like to meddle in everything, so it doesn’t make sense that they didn’t see this coming.”
“Let’s hurry up and look around. This place gives me the creeps,” I said.
Maren knelt and picked up some of the parchments and flipped through them. She shrugged and tossed them aside, then stood and walked to a spiral staircase that led up to the next level. The stairs weren’t very wide, and we were forced to climb them single-file. They ended on the second floor and I spotted another staircase across the room.
“I’ve never been higher than this floor,” Maren said. “This is where they conducted their meetings. Everything past this room will be new to me.”
“It looks like no one is here,” I said. “Do you think they fled after the attack?”
“It’s possible, but I don’t know where they would have fled to. There are only two other schools that I’m aware of, and if they went to one of them, we should have received word from them about the attack.”
“Do you think they’re dead, then?”
Maren looked at me but didn’t answer. We searched the area, but it was in the same state as the room below and there was nothing of interest. As we neared the other stairway, however, I noticed a trail of blood.
“Look,” I pointed. “Someone walked away from this.”
