Wind Rider (Return of the Dragons 2)

ad a battle against my own uncle, three times my age and as hundred times as powerful?

Those who have doubts have voiced them. We the council of the Kriek have heard them. Now, those who support the three-blooded prince, who recognize his importance to our cause, who recognize him as our kin, show your support.

There was a rush of power, of light, of music that hit me from all sides and ran through me and over me. I felt lifted up in the air; dancing on current of positive thought.

We accept Anders Tomason as three-blooded prince, kinsman, and warrior-mage!

Then it was Woltan’s turn to make the case for the battle. Images of the dark lord’s attacks flooded the council’s consciousness: the attacks on the tree mother, the attack when we had tried to teleport to the Kriek. And then the Kriek were giving their own images: isolated attacks on small parties, Kriek warriors assassinated. The images were many and confusing, and deeply troubling. For a moment I saw red again, and remembered my own scarring.

All those who have doubts on the wisdom of accepting Woltan and his city as allies, speak their mind now.

There was a pause.

We cannot leave our people undefended. … Most of us never believed this forgotten city even existed!

And yet we sent a search party to find it, Thaddeus, since we knew the dark lord would stop at nothing to possess the knowledge within. Do I need to remind you of the prophecy that in that city the three-blooded prince would be tested, and his sword reforged? So has come to pass. We must unite with our friends to defeat a common enemy. At the same time we must still keep our own city defended, for the dark lord is devious, and would use our absence to his advantage.

There was a long pause as the council of a thousand considered Thorald’s thoughts.

Then, suddenly, in an overwhelming rush, came a consensus, overpowering all doubt. We accept Woltan of the old city as ally and friend! We pledge to send half of our forces now, to help the defense of his city.

I was amazed how for the second time more than a thousand minds could come together to think as one.

King Thorald took the floor again. Time lost is lives, perhaps even battles lost. We must begin. Let us look outward, guardedly, and probe our enemy. With a thousand minds melded, the dark lord cannot hurt us, and if we are clever, our probe may go undetected.

There was a great focusing of the minds around me, and I tried to help, clearing my mind and letting it become one with those around me. An eye formed above us, and suddenly I could see over the treetops. The eye began to move, at first slowly, then flying over the hilltops as fast as a bird, as fast as a dragon, as fast as wizard fire, as fast as shooting star… it sped over the mountain now, and over the forest.

We slowed for a moment, and stopped over one tree in the forest, made contact with a consciousness.

Tree mother?

My children prepare to fight the dark lords forces, which threaten the forgotten city… They will leave me tomorrow.

Have you news of the battle?

They say the dark lord will attack in four days time. We are sorely outnumbered.

And then the eye was moving again, and we were over a great encampment. It was hard to tell for certain, but I felt sure that there must be well over two thousand orcs, kobolds, trolls and humans in the camp, not to mention the keiler running about. They had chopped and burned trees, and built crude shelters. In the middle of the camp was a great fire, and within it, something strange. A presence. An intelligence. There were others too, nearby. I felt them and the others felt them too, and then suddenly the eye was dissolved, gone — I saw only the green and blue lines of thought around me, and felt my own body again.

That was close. That was a major demon, there, in the fire, and there were others… demons and wizards. But the dark lord himself, we didn’t see.

The dark lord will reserve himself for the final battle, as stated in the prophecy; he is careful, and will not risk himself until he has everything to gain … or lose.

Just as well; the boy is not ready…

Neither are we…

Thorald took the floor again. I will now dissolve this circle; I give you twelve hours to prepare to march; we will march at daybreak, taking half of our warriors, and our warrior-mages. If need be we will teleport more in; but danger looms with the teleporting, as long as the dark lord has his eye on us.

Then, the magic was broken. Suddenly I felt very alone, among a great group of people. Then Kara grabbed my hand, and led me through the throng. You need to rest now, Anders.

I stopped her for a moment, as we moved away from the others. And our dragons?

They will rest as well. We have a long day ahead of us. I want you to meet my aunt, and be our guest. Come…

And so I walked, in a daze, and realized how hungry, and tired, and cold I was; and that I was still dirty from the battle that we had fought, splattered still with troll and kobold blood. Most of all I was weary, so weary that my bones ached.

The forest was growing cold now, as afternoon turned into evening. I reached out my mind and felt the energy all around me: the plants, the trees, and also, the people. My people. My kin. Part of me, for the first time in many weeks, felt at home.