Sword Bearer (Return of the Dragons 1)

I could no longer hear or feel the presence of the keiler. This energy we were using would reject them. I was sure, somehow. No keiler would ever be able to ride this.

I felt a great sense of harmony, at ease suddenly with myself and my surroundings. I could barely even remember that I had a physical body, that I had ever felt out of breath or had my face ache from acne. I was pure energy. No physical weakness, no aches and pains of the flesh.

My soul sang with the stream. I could feel the souls of Kalle and Kara too, and puzzled at their nature. I felt good and whole.

I reached back behind me and my arm stretched out al

ong the stream to Kalle, then to Kara. They felt like a buzzing tickle, like a good scratch on itchy skin.

Kalle chuckled, but Kara put me in my place.

Anders, control yourself. Bring your essence together. You feel strong now, on this strange energy beam that we ride, but soon we’ll be there. We travel at great speed. If you’re stretched too thin you risk dissipation, or at the very least exhaustion. We’ll need all our strength when we arrive, to find safe haven, and then get out of the Black Forest.

She had no idea what I felt. Exhaustion? Dissipation? I had never felt so strong, so at ease, free for once from the limits of my body.

I stretched out a little more.

A shock ran through my system.

Kalle had pushed me back.

We’ll return to our physical bodies any moment, Anders, and to their limitations. Listen to Kara, and pull yourself together. Look ahead, we are reaching our destination, if this great glow is any indication.

I looked.

The beam of energy was taking us onwards towards a great circle of colors — red at the very center, surrounded by green, blue, orange, purple, white, yellow... Beams of power radiated in all directions, making a kind of huge luminous dome that surrounded whatever we were approaching.

Was this some form of protection? I had no idea, but I was going to find out. We were probably still pretty far off, but rapidly approaching.

Now, Anders, or you risk dissipation!

I guess I really didn’t want to find out what dissipation meant. I pulled myself together.

We were slowing down. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the ride ended.

We hung there, hanging in the air in front of a second gate. That’s what I saw, anyhow, with my third eye. And beyond, a swirl of colors, energy everywhere I looked.

Step down, Anders, and then open your eyes.

I looked down and saw with closed eyes that the glowing forms of Kalle and Kara were already below me on what must be the ground. I stepped down, and stood among them.

“Open your eyes, Anders.”

The bright sun blinded me for a moment. I blinked a few times.

Kara was smiling. Her teeth were dazzlingly bright. I would have done anything to make her smile again, like that. She came up to me and hugged me.

“We made it,” she said. “Can you believe it? I can’t believe it’s remained undiscovered all this time.”

Her smell was intoxicating. I just wanted to melt into her. It was a relief when she let me go, smiling wickedly at me. She must have sensed what I was thinking. I hadn’t yet learned to shield my private thoughts.

I stood there in a daze, staring at the second gate. It was covered with runes. They called out to us somehow, but their meaning was lost to me. Still they had to mean something important. I wanted to trace all the runes with my finger and make them glow, but I felt if I did that, something would happen.

I wasn’t sure if it was something good or bad but it would be something big.

On both sides of the gateway there was a high wall that seemed to rise up forever, and curve inward. I could feel the power that ran through it. The wall was covered with vegetation but my inner eye saw the glow of runes through the vines.

Kara touched my shoulder. “Should we go in, do you think?”