Author's Note: Many thanks to for so many reviews! Glad you like Kyvoster, his species will be revealed in this chapter. And the trip to get Seithr plants was wholly innocent in spite of how it may have looked. The Riders' just wanted to examine them and see if any malicious products could be made. Cue dramatic music...

Fate of the Forsworn

Chapter 18

Tension

Kyvoster snarled as he bathed in the shallows of Lake Isenstar. It was dark, and he knew he should be resting for journey tomorrow, but he was unable to sleep. Niev had done all he could to calm him down, as had Jess, Arareal, Charl and Nerene, but the hybrid dragon remained surly and tensed up. With help from the others, Niev had even gone so far as to hunt for him and season his food the way he liked it best, just to prompt something resembling a positive reaction out of his dragon, but Kyvoster had been uninterested at best. Only the fact that Charl had helped prepare the meat despite her following an almost elfish policy of vegetarianism had made him eat anything at all. All day long he had paced back and forth, unable to settle on anything to do. He blew a short jet of flames into the water when a human voice came to him.

"Don't feel like resting, Kyvoster?"

Jess walked into view, her sword sheathed at her side. Kyvoster snorted and looked at her through one blue eye.

I wish to be alone, Jess.

The female Rider smiled slightly.

"You need your strength for the trip tomorrow. Arareal is resting. You know we're both coming with you."

Leave me be.

"No, I won't. Niev is uneasy too."

Kyvoster looked at her down his long snout.

He has said as much to you?

Jess shook her head.

"No, but I can tell. You should talk with him on the journey to the wild dragons. He's more than uneasy; you not talking with anyone is making him depressed."

Kyvoster looked away, thrashing his long tail in the water. He stayed silent as Jess sighed and turned back towards Gil'ead. Throughout the night, the hybrid dragon mused on his actions. About the only thing to spark even a glimmer of interest from him over the last week had been his idle curiosity three days ago when the sun had inexplicably dimmed then brightened again. He decided to try and talk with Niev, but realised how late it was, and reluctantly lay down to sleep on the small sandy beach.

Around mid-morning, Kyvoster was jolted from his rest by Niev tying his saddle onto his back. Nearby, Jess, Charl, Arareal and Nerene were saying their goodbyes. Stretching, the red dragon spoke to them all.

I'm sorry I've been such bad company, I should have done more to help you both, Charl and Nerene, when you returned from those barbarians. And Jess... I thank you for talking with me last night.

Jess nodded towards Kyvoster.

"Don't worry about it. Nerene and Charl are staying here in our place whilst we make the trip east. Are you ready?"

Kyvoster got to his feet as Niev sat in his saddle.

Lead the way.

Arareal launched herself into the sky, her blue scales glittering in the sunlight. Kyvoster followed suit and both dragons roared in farewell to Nerene and Charl. Abruptly, Arareal veered eastwards, closely followed by Kyvoster. For hours, the two dragons flew in silence. As the sun set behind them, Arareal showed no sign of slowing down. By now they had covered a huge distance and were over the fringes of the Hadarac Desert. Finally, Arareal spoke.

Those hills over there will serve as our roost for tonight. Tomorrow we will go to the wild dragons.

The quartet made their descent into the hills, the residual heat of the day making both Kyvoster and Arareal croon slightly. Niev dismounted the hybrid dragon and began to set up camp. Jess stretched and walked a short way to relieve herself, and both dragons left in search of food. Half an hour later, Niev was roasting a brace of rabbits over the fire, watched by Jess. Kyvoster and Arareal had yet to return from hunting. Jess sat in silence on the other side of the fire, staring into the flames. Niev nodded slightly at the cooking meat and looked over at Jess.

"Where is it you come from, Jess?"

The blue Rider looked up.

"You mean my home city?"

Niev nodded. Jess shrugged.

"There isn't a lot to tell that you don't already know. I was also born in Gil'ead, some years after you, and I'm fairly sure you and I were tutored together on Vroengard for a while. After I became a full Dragon Rider I helped teach new students aerial combat, then three years ago I caught that odd disease, and then after those beasts emerged, I was chosen to guard Gil'ead with you."

Niev plucked the roasted meat off the fire and passed half to Jess. She nodded slightly and tucked into her meal eagerly. High overhead, a shooting star flared in and out of existence. Deciding to waste no time, Niev lay down to rest.

Morning dawned chilly in the Hadarac Desert, although the temperatures soon began to rise. Kyvoster and Arareal had returned during the night and were surprisingly close together. Jess woke first, yawning hugely and stretching like a cat. Niev was leaned against his rucksack, out to the world. Just as Jess made to relight the fire, she became aware she was being watched. She looked around and suddenly heard the characteristic sound of a thunder of dragons approaching. No less than fourteen dragons descended around their camp, not one of which was smaller than Kyvoster. Niev, Ararael and Kyvoster awoke, and from the red dragon, both Jess and Niev could sense great fear. Loping forward came a cobalt blue dragoness easily twice the size of Arareal, her left eye covered with a scar. She bared her huge fangs and snarled viciously. Mentally, she spoke to Arareal and Jess.

You two, leave immediately. This is a quarrel between myself and the Violta dragon hybrid.

Jess looked intimidated but did not move.

"We will not leave. Either you speak to us all, or none of us."

The wild dragon's snarl intensified.

I will tell you one final time. Leave.

Jess's eyes flickered as she got up.

"And I will answer the same way. No."

Four of the wild dragons exchanged glances. Finally, the cobalt dragon gave in.

Remain then, Argetlam, but do not interfere.

The massive dragoness turned to Kyvoster, baring her fangs again. Kyvoster snarled warningly but made no move to attack. The wild female spoke menacingly to the smaller red dragon.

You attacked me for feeding on your old kills, and blinded me in my left eye. You must be punished for your actions.

Kyvoster's snarl became even louder and more intimidating as he retorted to the wild dragon's accusations.

I never denied it, but what you appear to have left out is the fact that you attacked me first. When I retreated under the urging of my Rider, it was then that you ate my kills and challenged me. When I did not respond, you attacked me again, and it was then that I retaliated, giving you your scar. Did you tell your pack that?

The cobalt blue dragon glanced at her packmates, who were seemingly in discussion with one another. She snarled and turned back to Kyvoster.

We shall settle this in combat. You, without your Rider to aid you, against me, alone, over the desert. Neither of us shall attempt to kill the other. If you do kill me, it will go badly for you.

Kyvoster gave a snort.

Whereas if you kill me, it will all be shrugged off as an act of being caught in the moment. Very well, you and I shall fight, with claw and fang and our powers alone.

Both dragons loped away, Kyvoster warning Niev to stay back. By now it was early morning, and the heat of the day was already starting to reach uncomfortable levels. The other wild dragons settled down to watch, and Niev, Arareal and Jess remained at their campsite, blocked from reaching the sandy plains by the dragons. Kyvoster was half the size of the wild female, which meant that his blows would not be as powerful. His naturally thicker hide might protect him from slashes and bites, but the older a dragon got, the more powerful their fire became. Kyvoster's massive long jaw would likely be an asset if he could get in position to use it. The cobalt female roared loudly and lunged for Kyvoster, swiping at him with a huge taloned paw. The hybrid collapsed, although to Niev and Jess, it looked suspiciously like a feint. Kyvoster seemed to recoil in on himself, shrinking in size as the wild female came to the attack once more. The hybrid dragon snarled, but seemed to have something stuck in his throat as he did so. Jess, Arareal and Niev exchanged curious glances. Kyvoster had done many strange things in his time, but this was bizarre even for him. The wild dragoness did not stop, and blew a torrent of fire at the hybrid dragon. When the dark blue flames died away, Kyvoster was still in a recoiled position. Suddenly he lurched forward, the antennae-like horns on his head pointing skywards, and a torrent of red sparks tinged with blue shot forward, similar to a bolt of lightning. Caught completely by surprise, the wild female collapsed, whimpering. Kyvoster snarled viciously and seized her wing in his fangs.

Submit. I have won.

The wild dragons were silent as the female tried to regain her feet but failed. Finally she glowered up at Kyvoster.

Your mixed blood serves you well. Very well, you have triumphed.

Kyvoster released her and stepped back as she got up, the sunlight glinting off his scales. The cobalt dragoness strode past the red hybrid and approached Niev.

Your dragon has strong blood, Argetlam. Be sure to guard him well.

Niev nodded slightly as the wild dragons began to leave. The cobalt dragoness snorted and took to the air. Soon, the only sound was the thundering noise made by the departing wild dragons, and not long after, not even that. Kyvoster approached his Rider and began to preen himself, his barbed tongue making light squeaking noises against his hard scales. Niev walked up to him and put a hand on his side.

"Clearly, the world has yet to run out of ways to surprise me. Neither have you, Kyvoster. How is it you managed to unleash that lightning bolt of an attack?"

Kyvoster snorted as he looked at his Rider.

Use of such an attack is common in pure blooded Violta dragons, Niev. But since only my father was one, it is a lot harder for me to perform such a feat. Still, it is not impossible.

The red dragon resumed preening himself as Jess began to pack up their belongings. Kyvoster yawned hugely, his lower jaw arcing over a hundred degrees of a circle back. Arareal snorted in surprise and moved to lie down in the warm sand. Soon, Jess was finished and mounted her dragon. She turned to face Niev and Kyvoster.

"I'll see you back in Gil'ead, whenever you return. I'll talk with Master Vrael about how this situation was handled. Be glad that you weren't sent here with Kialandi, Niev."

Kyvoster gave a choked growl.

Had he been sent here with Kialandi, he'd have been too busy trying to win her love to even notice me battling a hundred dragons.

Niev scowled at his dragon, and Jess laughed.

"Well I was refering to how Kialandi twisted the words of your mission against the nightmarish monsters you fought, as well as other times she's derided you. But yes, be thankful it was me here for that reason too."

Arareal launched herself into the air and was soon lost to sight. Kyvoster snarled to gain Niev's attention, and soon the over-heated Rider was massaging the thin skin his dragon could not scratch easily. The red dragon gave a crooning sigh and spread out his wings in the late morning sun, his blue eyes drifting shut as Niev scratched away his aches and pains. All but undetected, he began to feed a stream of energy into Ajunthar's diamond. The magical residue held by a Rider's sword naturally varied from weapon to weapon, but to actually fill the diamond in Ajunthar's weapon to the point it could hold no more would take roughly seven years if performed by Niev and Kyvoster alone. Some of the elder Riders had enough power amassed to provoke a volcanic eruption from the seabed itself, and an ancient dragon had once done just that many years ago. The day passed slowly, and after having done all he could to ease Kyvoster's itches, Niev quietly crept under one of his dragon's wings and fell into a doze. Kyvoster glanced at his Rider and snorted.

I see now where I get my laziness from.

Niev frowned and punched Kyvoster in the side lightly.

"Oh that's right, blame me for your talent for gorging yourself silly while you're at it."

Kyvoster growled in laughter, and was about to lie down when suddenly he tensed. A small bang sounded, and a scroll lay before the red dragon. Niev got up wearily and read the scroll, his dark eyes shooting wide open with horror. Kyvoster touched his mind but did not ask what the problem was.

"No. Not AGAIN. How could a Rider ever cause this to befall us?"