Fate of the Forsworn
Chapter 14
New neighbours
Kyvoster's wingbeats were the only sound Niev was truly aware of as the hybrid dragon flew him back to Gil'ead. In a state of semi-awareness, the Rider dozed on his dragon's back, flitting in and out of sleep. Kyvoster flew on, undaunted by the battles he'd fought recently. For most of the day, Niev was silent, and it was only when the barracks and houses of Gil'ead came into sight that he finally spoke to Kyvoster.
"Land by the keep, and then I'll go hunting for you."
Kyvoster gave a triumphant roar and accelerated through the air. However, as he approached the keep, another roar sounded. His eyes widening in shock, Niev's hand went to Ajunthar as another dragon took off from the keep. The other dragon was stockier and more muscled than Kyvoster, but had a much shorter tail. The dragon was a brilliant cyan in colour, and from Kyvoster's warning growl, seemed to be an unfamiliar female. As the two dragons neared one another, both slowed down. Sat on the back of the cyan dragon was a woman seemingly of Charl and Arisu's age. She wore dark blue all over, and looked assessingly at Niev and Kyvoster. The cyan dragon sniffed at Kyvoster, prompting a tired snarl out of the weary dragon. The woman shrugged, and at her urging, manuevered out of the way of the older Rider. Niev reached forward to scratch at the soft skin behind Kyvoster's ears, and nodded courteously to the woman. The cyan dragon flew downwards, landing easily on the turf. Kyvoster landed near a tavern Niev often visited and yawned, his long jaw parting and showing off his needle-like teeth. Niev dismounted his dragon and began to walk to the lake, in search of food. Soon, Gil'ead was far behind, and the abundance of life on the plains was evident. Mentally bracing himself, he located several game birds in the long grass and killed them using one of the death words in the ancient language. The others that he'd left out took to the air in alarm as he walked to pick up the carcasses. For the next several minutes, he set about preparing the birds for Kyvoster to eat. Unbidden, several memories of his now deceased family came to mind, and how his parents had reacted upon hearing one of their children was to become a Dragon Rider. He had kept in touch with his family, but it had been over twelve years now since his last relative had perished. He smiled at the memory of a very young, but no less sarcastic, Kyvoster struggling to follow him around. Even from hatching, the red dragon had been a fast learner. In only two weeks, not only was he redefining sarcasm as Niev knew it, but he was able to mentally broadcast to any select person within several hundred metres. He had been unable to control the time he spoke to a certain person for, however, leading to some very confusing conversations for the young dragon. Getting up, Niev decided that he had enough food to keep his dragon happy, and he craned his neck back to look at the azure sky. Flying over Gil'ead was the cyan dragoness, seemingly enjoying the activity. Smiling, Niev walked back to the outskirts of his home city.
Seven hours later, Kyvoster was full to bursting and utterly content. A roast boar sat untouched next to the red dragon as he scratched at the thick, rich soil, trying to settle down enough to sleep off his meal. Niev frowned as he looked at the untouched meat and spoke to his dragon sternly.
"The people of Gil'ead got you this as a gift, and you won't even touch it? Don't play the 'I'm too full' card with me, Kyvoster, I know you all too well."
Kyvoster opened one cyan eye wearily.
For your information, Niev, I am full, and I'd like to sleep. I thank you for what you did.
Sighing, Niev covered the last of the bones with soil and was about to remove the boar when the other Dragon Rider appeared. She nodded quietly to Niev.
"So you're Niev then. The people of Gil'ead say a lot about you."
Niev nodded.
"Yes, I am. What have they been saying about me now?"
A slightly mischeivous look came to the woman's face.
"That your dragon Kyvoster thinks every human, elf and dwarf is an idiot, and that you are hopelessly in love with Kialandi."
Kyvoster gave a sleepy rumble of laughter. Glaring at his dragon, Niev turned back to the new Dragon Rider.
"So who are you then? I've seen you before on Vroengard, and maybe in passing, but I don't think we've ever done more than that."
She shrugged casually.
"I doubt we've even done that much. I'm Jess, and my dragon is Arareal. Where she is, I'm not sure."
Niev held his hand out to Jess, but when the other Rider did not take it, he withdrew it.
"So how come you're here in Gil'ead? Am I to be repositioned?"
A frown came to Jess's face.
"Kialandi beat Arisu and Charl to Master Vrael regarding the incident with those strange beasts. Her version of the story convinced Master Vrael to double the Riders assigned to cities, and to set others around small villages in case other nests of those things exist. I didn't want to come here. Really, couldn't you have done better in combat against those monsters? Charl's dragon Nerene almost died! It's been six years since a dragon died, Niev!"
Niev's looks darkened. Behind him, Kyvoster stirred.
"Kialandi needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. Rellith, Caryn, Arisu and Charl were all there with me. We were fighting unknown monsters, their weaknesses unknown to us, and their strengths all too apparent. These aren't some slightly odd things you can kill with a few words. I used every scrap of power I had to cast a lightning bolt at one, and all it did was dazzle it a bit. They were immune to magic AND dragon fire."
Jess looked aside on hearing a distant roar. She turned back to Niev, looking less hostile.
"Well, you don't seem to be a liar, so I'm sorry. I can't really comment, I wasn't there. I've been recuperating from a rare illness on Vroengard for the last three years, so I was hardly battle ready. Arareal has been living wild."
Behind them, Arareal flew through the sky with a grace Kyvoster could never hope to aspire to. Jess sighed.
"Well anyway, I'll leave now. Farewell, Niev."
Niev started forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Jess looked at him with a blank expression on her face, a slight undercurrent of threat colouring her features.
"What?"
"Call down your dragon, she may want this roast boar. It was for Kyvoster here, but as you can see..."
Niev indicated the sleeping dragon. Although it was not easy to tell, the red dragon had stuffed himself completely. Jess smiled as she saw how much he'd eaten. After a minute or so, Arareal landed near the larger dragon and was tearing into the roast boar hungrily. In a matter of minutes, she had finished. She turned to look at Niev out of one icy blue eye.
You have my thanks, Niev, for allowing me to eat Kyvoster's food.
Niev bowed courteously to the cyan dragoness.
"No thanks are needed, but you're welcome."
Jess looked at Niev, her hand moving to her sheathed sword. In one smooth movement, she had tugged the weapon out of its scabbard and was running her free hand up its' length. She then turned back to Niev, her eyes seeming to flicker.
"Draw your weapon, Niev. I want to see how good you are."
Niev gave a cocky smile as he drew Ajunthar and murmured, "Geuloth du knifr" in preparation for the duel. Soon the silver sword's edge was properly dulled, and he held it in a peculiar stance, horizontal to his jawline, his left hand held out straight in front of him. He nodded slightly to Jess, who didn't seem to move. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream from behind him jolted him out of his ready stance, and he turned to see what it could be. As he turned, he realised his mistake, and hastily swung at where he thought Jess might be. More by chance than design, his blade caught hers a glancing blow, ruining her thrust. Jess kept a focused demeanour and followed through with a sweeping blow aimed at Niev's left leg. The enchanted sword point left a nasty welt on the older Rider's leg, but if Niev felt the pain, he didn't let it show. Stepping back, he lowered his sword and beckoned Jess in. Taking the bait, the younger Rider moved in, only to be met with an upwards slash that bruised the outside of her left wrist. Eyes narrowing, Jess's blows became more and more violent, forcing Niev to go on the defensive. The clang of ringing metal prompted Kyvoster to wake up and watch as both Dragon Riders fought. Niev used Ajunthar to weave a web of blows around Jess, although such a display did not seem to impress the younger Rider. She placed both hands on her weapon and slashed upwards mightily, catching Niev by surprise and nearly knocking Ajunthar from his grip. Tightening his hold rapidly, Niev attempted a counter-attack, only to be driven back by Jess's fury-fueled attack. After several minutes of letting the younger Rider drive him back in an attempt to tire her, Niev could see that she had far more power than he'd anticipated. Taking a two-handed grip on his sword, he caught Jess's cyan blade in a lock, prompting a look of surprise from the younger Rider. Calling up his last reserves of strength, he began to push, and soon had her in a perfect lock. Jess's surprised expression cleared as she smiled at him, let go of her weapon and headbutted him in the face. Wincing, he recoiled, giving Jess all the time she needed. She regained her weapon, seized his right hand in her left, forcing his sword hand out to arm's length, where he couldn't counter from, and almost lazily flicked her sword up to his neck. Niev nodded and dropped Ajunthar.
"You win."
Jess gave a feral grin, and let go of Niev's wrist.
"You're not that bad. Keep practicing and perhaps one day you'll be half as good as me."
Niev returned her smile.
"Only half?"
Jess sheathed her sword and walked up to Arareal. Kyvoster looked over at his Rider, laughing. Niev glowered at his dragon, gingerly dabbing at where Jess had headbutted him as he walked up to him.
"What do you find so funny?"
Kyvoster stretched and yawned before answering.
I find it funny that you were trounced so soundly. Don't feel bad; Jess herself said you weren't an awful fighter.
Niev rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Not an awful fighter? Remind me to never seek your advice when we're talking someone out of suicide."
Kyvoster snorted, the tip of his tail twitching and finally touching Niev's boot.
Oh cheer up. Think of it as a goal you can achieve without reverting to that flesh-rot-magic you learned.
Niev shrugged as he scratched at the bruises from his duel.
"I suppose you're right. Maybe next time you could use your mind to control my body and duel Jess yourself. I'm serious; apart from Rhunon and the swordmaster in Du Weldenvarden, she is the strongest sword-fighter I know."
Jess sat at the top of the keep of Gil'ead some hours later. A pale crescent moon lay low over the horizon, and the first stars were emerging in the sky. In both hands she held her sword, glinting in the faint light of the evening. In the distance, an owl called in a soft, flutelike voice, bringing a faint smile to her face. In the sky above, Niev's red dragon was flying, working off his meal from earlier. Her eyes flicked up to the hybrid dragon for a few seconds before returning to the waxing crescent. Her eyes drifted shut as a vision flashed before them.
An immense being that could only be a dragon, yet somehow was not a dragon, roared over the sea as her blade hacked through its' tough hide, spraying the cold salt water with drops of dragon blood the size of her fist. A purple blade flashed in her vision as she dueled an elf on the back of the unnameable beast. Arareal roared as, in the distance, another figure raced towards them, its' mind strange and full of thoughts of revenge and pain and sorrow. Thrown from the back of the beast by an underhanded trick, Jess reacted with molten speed and stabbed her weapon into the beast's leg, prompting a deafening roar as she hung on.
Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, it was meant mostly as an introduction for Jess and Arareal. Next one is up soon!