Fate of the Forsworn
Chapter 7
Fifteen years on
Dawn broke over Vroengard, home of the Dragon Riders, amid a bustle of noise. Several dragons departed the island, roaring to one another, ignoring the inhabitants of the city as they left the massive caves that served as their quarters. The warm light of the sun painted the dark sky a beautiful cyan as a young Dragon Rider awoke.
Caryn awoke and stretched herself, almost like a cat. Curled up at the front of the cave she'd called home for the last fifteen years was her dragon, a yellow female called Sarrarra. The yellow dragon was known amongst the others as quite a beauty, with her brilliant yellow scales and jade green eyes. Her claws were, quite unusually, jet black, and two spikes jutted out from her cheeks, also obsidian in colour. As Caryn stirred in the semi darkness and began to fumble her way to the partition that served as a washroom, Sarrarra flexed herself and yawned widely. Unlike Kyvoster, who had a long snout, slim limbs and a long, powerful tail, Sarrarra had a shorter muzzle, thicker legs and a more powerful grip. She turned as Caryn went to clean herself, a look of weariness and mild amusement in her eyes. Caryn smiled back and went about the business of washing. When Niev had brought her to Vroengard to be tested before the eggs, she had been an undersized, malnourished tomboy who still bore the scars of slavery, both physically and emotionally. Now at the age of twenty-five, although even Caryn herself didn't know her exact birth date, she had changed quite a lot. Her skin was a healthy white, her eyes were the same shade of dull gold they'd been when Niev had found her, and her hair cascaded down her back in waves of vibrant yellow, almost reaching her thighs. Her ears were showing the hints of points typical of human Riders, and whilst she was not a legendary beauty, she had attracted admirers whilst on training missions for the Riders. She washed herself and dressed, waiting for her Master to arrive and give her an assignment. Two months ago she had been sent to help end a conflict near the Hadarac Desert, but to do so by not using force. A band of pillagers had been harassing the village of Bullridge by generally making a nuisance of themselves, and the Council had thought it was an ideal opportunity for the young Rider to be tested. All had gone smoothly at first, until she made the mistake of being separated from Sarrarra for too long and got herself captured by the raiders. She had been outnumbered in combat and received a horrific scar running from her stomach to her lower chest, and just when all had seemed lost, Sarrarra had arrived to rescue her Rider. On seeing the state Caryn was in, the yellow dragon had lost her temper completely and obliterated the pillagers to the last man. Caryn had been near death until another Rider could be sent to help heal her, and to her surprise and delight it had been her friend Niev and his dragon Kyvoster. Both Riders and dragons had departed for Vroengard, and Caryn had been recuperating ever since. Her sword, Kuldr, had been stolen by the raiders, and a search was ongoing for it in the area where she had been captured. A number of Riders had been to visit her since her incident, all but one wishing her the best of luck in a speedy recovery. Kialandi had shown up as well, openly stating her scorn at Caryn's failure. Sarrarra's reaction to the stuck-up elf had been little short of amusing, but Kialandi's words of scorn over the young Rider losing her weapon had really rubbed Caryn's nerves. As Caryn dressed, a man walked into the cave, pausing long enough to greet Sarrarra. Hastily, she pulled on her lamarae top and went to greet her Master. Ralforr was an old Rider from Teirm who had essentially retired from active duty, and had taken on the role of tutoring new Riders in his place. More than once, Caryn had despaired of ever earning his praise. Ralforr was a strict tutor, and his brown dragon, Kaylor, was no easier on his students either. He looked into the cave at Caryn, nodding slightly.
"Caryn, today you and Sarrarra are to return to Bullridge and use your senses to locate your sword. You have three days."
Caryn felt her jaw drop as her Master turned to go. Sarrarra could make the journey there in three days, but not there and back again. She set about saddling Sarrarra, wondering how she was ever going to manage this task. Ralforr had set numerous challenges for her before, and somehow she'd always worked through them. But making a six day journey in half the time was impossible. And she knew from experience that she could only get to Bullridge in three days if there was no inclement weather. The last time she'd attempted it, she'd been blown off course by a powerful storm near Gil'ead. Once Sarrarra was ready, she climbed up onto the young dragoness's back and held on as she walked sedately out of the cave and launched herself into the sky, flapping almost frantically to rise. Caryn held on tightly, but then a buzzing in her mind let her know to return to the ground. She leaned forward over Sarrarra's neck.
"Sarrarra, we're wanted down on the ground."
The yellow dragon gave an irritated snort.
I hope that this is worth it. Master Ralforr might have his reasons for tutoring us in such a way, but I would not object to finding out just why he insists on such a bizarre technique.
Caryn smiled as they landed on the island again. Ralforr walked up to them both, Kaylor stretched out behind him in the dawn light, and passed his student a heavy backpack.
"In this pack are four Eldunari. You know what they are. If you can convince the dragons within to aid you, you'll be able to make it back here faster. Find Kuldr and return it in the time I said, Caryn."
Caryn pulled the backpack onto her shoulders and looked nervous.
"Master, I'm not ready to be trusted with four Eldunari. Maybe you trust me, but these dragons within don't know me. How am I to gain their wisdom and assistance in just three days?"
Ralforr had already turned and gone. Caryn sighed and tightened her hold on the four Eldunari in their bag. Several of her lessons over the past fifteen years had been about how the soul and consciousness of deceased dragons could transfer into the gem-like organ inside their body. Although new Riders generally were not told of their existence, Caryn had been an exception when one of her tasks set by Ralforr had led to her discovering one of the caves where the massive hoard of Eldunari was stored. She was so absorbed in thinking about how to gain the trust of the four Eldunari she was with that she didn't notice that Sarrarra had taken off and was flying her over the ocean. Deciding to chance talking to one of the Eldunari, she reached out with her mind and touched the consciousness of what felt like the youngest of the dragons. The dragon's mind was skittish at best, and it took almost half an hour for her to speak with him.
"What is your name, dragon?"
There was a silence as the dragon's mind pondered whether or not to respond. Finally, a whisper-like voice replied.
Uthur. I am Uthur, Shur'tugal.
Caryn let a small smile show. So far, so good.
"I may have need of you with a task I have been set. Will you help me?"
Uthur's reply was a lot quicker this time.
You wish for my knowledge, my strength, and my magical prowess?
"Only if my need is dire, I wouldn't pester you needlessly."
The male dragon seemed to find this amusing. Before Caryn could speak again, she found herself looking at a scene of pure, wild beauty. Rocky mountains reached up for the sky, their slopes dotted with conifers. A massive river separated both sides of the valley from one another, and a number of small islands dotted the waterway. A loud roar caused her to look up. Flying in the clear, cold blue sky was a dragon similar in hue to Kyvoster, but much stockier and more compact than even Sarrarra was. The dragon dived towards the water below and landed on one of the islands. Suddenly the clear scent of crushed flowers reached Caryn, prompting a sigh of relaxation from the young Rider. The dragon roared below her, and suddenly the daylight was gone, replaced by a scene of impossible beauty. Stars studded the jet black sky, each as vivid and beautiful as a diamond carved from ice. But the most amazing spectacle was the shimmering curtain of light arcing over the sky high above. Caryn looked upon the wild, tranquil scene in wonder. All too soon, the illusion faded and she found herself once more on Sarrarra's back, racing to the west. She reached out with her mind to Uthur once more.
"That was an incredible sight, Uthur. Is that where you came from?"
This time, the red dragon seemed more keen to share information about himself with the inquisitive Rider.
Yes, it is. I was not bonded to a Rider the way your dragon is, but I did come to Vroengard to gift my knowledge to the Riders and help them better themselves. My area of expertise, as you would say, was metals. I showed several human and elf smiths how to make any metal, even the soft yellow one you humans love so much, into a true weapon. Invoking the pure essence of a metal helps a lot, but from there, it is essential for it to be made as hard as possible if it is to become a weapon or armour.
Caryn listened in silence, drinking in Uthur's knowledge. After a while she spoke up.
"I have a task I don't believe can be done. I have to travel from Vroengard to Bullridge, find my lost weapon, and return it in just under three days."
Uthur chuckled within his Eldunari.
You say you merely have to return the weapon, or do you have to be present as well?
Caryn looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Just my weapon, I believe."
I see. Was it stolen from you, youngster?
"No, I was ambushed and nearly killed. In the chaos I lost my short sword."
A shame, but if you will allow me to use your mind when we get there, I may be able to help you find it a lot faster.
Caryn smiled and thanked the wild dragon. As Sarrarra flew on, she reached out with her mind and touched the consciousness of two more of the Eldunari she carried with her. Both of them were also male, having been bonded to elven Riders before one died of accidental poisoning and the other in a cave-in. Both dragons had nearly limitless magical reserves, and the elder of the two had even gone so far as to refresh Sarrarra's aching muscles. Being such a short, stocky and overall thick limbed dragon meant that in combat, Sarrarra would be a very tough customer on the ground, but in the air, most other dragons would defeat her without a great deal of trouble. In general, there wasn't a great deal of deviation from the normal appearance of a dragon, but there were exceptions, like Kyvoster being long-snouted and generally slimmer all over. For the rest of the day, Sarrarra flew non-stop, only coming to a halt when the sun had already set. Caryn dismounted her dragon and began to look around for any kind of game she could hunt. Sarrarra scraped out a small pit to make a fire in, and gently kindled a fire whilst Caryn hunted. When it was totally dark, Caryn returned, carrying three skinned and gutted rabbits. She began to cook them over the fire, a faraway look in her eyes as she squatted next to the flames. Sarrarra looked around at her Rider, hints of concern showing in her green eyes.
Whatever's troubling you, you don't have to suffer through it alone.
Caryn looked over at her dragon with a half smile on her face and sighed.
"It's nothing that can harm us now."
Nightmares from your past?
Caryn nodded once. Sarrarra lay herself down closer to the fire, although she didn't need any additional heating, and if need be, could shelter Caryn from an unexpected shower of rain. Caryn idly poked at the roasting meat, and after nearly half an hour, removed one of the carcasses from the spit she'd skewered it on. Just as she did so, a loud flapping came from behind her, someone approached her and tousled her hair playfully. Caryn gave a smile as Niev sat down beside her.
"Not having any vegetables with your meat, Caryn? What did I tell you about eating a balanced diet?"
Caryn chuckled slightly as Kyvoster sniffed noses with Sarrarra. Almost hesitantly, the female dragon licked Kyvoster's face, prompting a questioning growl from the older dragon. Caryn passed Niev a portion of the rabbit meat and ate hers in silence. When she'd finished, she turned to Niev.
"Niev, why exactly is Kyvoster such a different shape? I don't think any other dragons on Vroengard have a long snout the way he does."
Niev scratched his chin, thinking hard.
"It may be due to the fact one of his parents was part of a sub species of dragon, I forget the name, that lives in the Eastern Ocean. There, the dragons live mainly off fish rather than goats and sheep and deer. You can imagine how hard it would be for Sarrarra to catch fish with her mouth. Kyvoster is, essentially, a half-breed, and I was the one he dubbed as lucky enough to be his partner. He's also built differently from a normal dragon like Sarrarra."
Caryn shifted as the two dragons sniffed one another behind them.
"How is he built differently?"
Niev stared up at the sky.
"Well, whilst a normal dragon is armoured over their belly, Kyvoster has a much thicker hide overall. He has a lot more muscle in his wings than the average dragon, which is why he also has a longer tail; it helps to balance him and guide him in flight. But his limbs are thinner, because he spends so much time flying. A pure breed of his type spends nearly their entire life either in the air or the water, and only comes to land every three years to lay eggs and raise a family."
Caryn nodded as she finished her meat and threw the bones into the fire.
"So anyway, Niev, why are you here?"
The older Rider shrugged as Kyvoster tentatively nuzzled Sarrarra.
"Coincidence really. I knew you'd be returning to Bullridge and decided to follow you to make sure you'd be alright. Plus, the sooner we find your sword, the better."
Caryn nodded and shrugged the backpack off her shoulders.
"Won't your Master object if you take time off for something like this?"
Niev gave a slow grin.
"Since I became a full member of the order, I take my orders and missions from Vrael himself. I have no other immediate master, although Kialandi certainly feels as though she owns me, body and soul."
Kyvoster looked over at the two Riders and snorted.
Perhaps Kialandi does not own you, Niev, but she can certainly make you come running. Especially that time when you were on a diplomatic mission.
Caryn smiled and looked from Kyvoster to Niev, who was red in the face.
"What did he do?"
He said it was wrong for a lady to go unaccompanied to a party held at the end of their mission.
Caryn chuckled slightly and turned her attention to her food, knowing that if she looked Niev in the eye she'd burst out laughing. A slight feeling of jealousy squirmed in her chest as she thought of Kialandi dancing with her best friend, even if the elf was many years older than both of them. Although one or two other elves had Kialandi's stuck-up attitude, none of them had it nearly as badly as she did. Caryn shifted slightly and silently ate her portion of the meat she'd hunted. One issue she and Kialandi had clashed over was eating meat. Kialandi had very nearly drawn her sword on the younger Rider when she'd seen her during a banquet held at a town. Over a dozen Riders had been invited to celebrate Caryn's success on a particularly tricky mission, and much to the yellow-haired girls' chagrin, Kialandi had shown up but Niev had not. Kialandi had stated to all who would hear that Caryn was worse than an Urgal for so eagerly eating the flesh of an animal. The other Riders had dismissed Kialandi, even though three of them were elves and agreed, to a much milder degree, with her views. Caryn shook her head and finished picking at the meat skewered on the spit, absently pulling the bits off she didn't like and throwing them over her shoulder. Sarrarra lazily caught the small gobbets of roast meat and slowly rose up.
I'm going to hunt for a while, Caryn, I shouldn't be too long. Try to keep out of mischief.
Caryn smiled and stroked Sarrarra's flank as the yellow dragon departed into the darkness. Niev shifted against Kyvoster, who was breathing slowly. Caryn looked at the older Rider closely, moving so she could see him better in the pale firelight. For all the years of being bonded with Kyvoster, he still looked nigh-on identical to how he had when he'd rescued her from the pirates. A smile crept over her face as she moved to sit next to him, silently wondering if he would object to being hugged whilst asleep. One of Kyvoster's eyes opened and watched her as she hugged his Rider in his sleep, and he let out a rumbling laugh. Niev shifted in his sleep and put an arm around Caryn too.
"You can just ask me for a hug, Caryn, I won't take offense if you do."
Caryn smiled, finding herself wishing she was a child again, free to play on the enormous beaches of Teirm, with Niev and Kyvoster watching over her. The red dragon moved slightly in his sleep, and draped his wing over the two Riders as a shower of rain fell, making the fire sputter. In the silence of the night, both Caryn and Niev fell asleep.