Wind Rider (Return of the Dragons 2)

I let the ball fade.

Well done. A spell thus formed does not reveal its secrets to an enemy. Remember that what you learned with the tree mother will come in handy too. Natural living magic is antithesis to the frujen, who have been dead so long that everything living is alien to them. But they pollute everything they touch, including you air and your magic. Try not to let them touch your body. Do not let them touch your mind. If they pollute any of our party, we will have to perform purification rituals… Some of which are lost …

I felt suddenly something new, and strange. Yesenia, beneath me, reached her mind up and joined with Carolina. We were three as one, now.

Greetings, pixie. It has been a long time since I have made contact with one of your kind.

Oh really, who was that?

An image flashed into my mind of a small pixie, flying around the stone mountain.

A second cousin, once removed. Nuria. I haven’t seen her in awhile either. And greetings to you, dragon. It has been a long time since I have seen a dragon, and longer still since I have seen a dragon with a rider.

History is turning, as you know. We pledged a thousand years ago to wait for the time of great changes, in which we would play our part. We dragons keep our promises.

Are you trying to imply something about the fair folk, dragon?

There have been some of your kind who have not been the most faithful.

I am not one of those, dragon.

Call me Yesenia, pixie.

And you, fire breather, can call me Carolina, as Anders does.

You fair folk have too many names.

Enough banter, Yesenia. We will soon see battle. We must be wary, for Anders’ sake. Most of my brethren have turned their backs on this world, but those who have not prepare for the final battle, when the dark lord will engage himself.

It is no better amongst us dragons. Most of my kind have forgotten the world just as they have been forgotten by it.

Yet it is worse among the Fair Folk. Some of the fair folk now form alliances with the dark lord’s demons.

Try your best to convince more of the necessity of our fight. We have not waited a thousand years to lose this battle, nor to lose the war. We need all the help we can get.

Yesenia sniffed in front of us. I could smell the smoke, through my nose and through hers.

We come to battle now. All three of us should keep our minds blended. We can act faster, and our defense will be all the greater. Put up your shields, Anders. And let them be strong.

I imagined a hard shell around me. The necessary words flowed forth from my blood and my mind together, words I had been born with that were inscribed too in the book of Id. The words flowed from my mind and my blood to my hand, and out my sword, and formed a shimmering barrier around me. It would let nothing in, but allow us to send out spells and dragonfire.

Around me, the other riders made shields. Dragons were casting spells for the riders who knew no magic. Soon, I thought, all riders will be mages. You dragons have so much to teach us.

Yesenia spat fire. First we will teach you our art of battle. Prepare to attack! We will sweep by the attackers on the outside on the way to the frujen, then fly inside the wall to confront them there. From there we will send them back to their hell. Riderless.

Around us I heard sonic blasts and smelled sulphur as the dragons dived as one.

XVI

The sky had turned a dark red, the color of dried blood. Foul magic that I did not even want to understand. Something was sucking away all the light and life around us. Something evil and old and rotten from the inside out. Something we could not hope to kill, because it was already dead. My stomach turned, and then something snapped.

I forgot my disgust for killing. I forgot my love for life. Surging up in my blood came battle lust. I was so entwined with the consciousness of Carolina and Yesenia that I could not tell if these were my thoughts or theirs.

Into the melee we flew.

Below us a team of giant trolls were arming a giant hammer to hit the wall. One of the dragons beside me let out a sonic roar and the hammer split asunder, blasting the trolls away on both sides. There were ladders up the wall. I set off a volley of spells. Liessen! Zuruck. Zerbrechen! Several ladders fell down, several flew back, and several broke into bits. One ladder in the middle remained. Yesenia let out a roar of fire and I added a word. Brennen. The ladder and its kobolds burst into flame.

Up and over the wall, Anders, we need you now! The sky is black with them. We have torches and fires set, but still they freeze us and pollute our city with their taint.