Ashes And Spirit (Book 3)

by A. D. Trosper

  Everything was as prepared as it could be. The Kantherian soldiers and one finger of the Boromari warriors had rearranged themselves on the far side of the river along with the Ke’han, the land dragons, and the Border Guards in anticipation of the coming battle. Four more fingers were arranged to the south of the castle, though a great many Boromari were in the various tunnels, they were far from being underrepresented on the soon to be battlefield. The smaller Markeni army was arranged among them. The village of Kadear on the other side of the river had been evacuated into the city of Markene. Plans were laid, every contingency thought of, all there was to do now was wait and soak up as many of these peaceful, quiet moments as they could.

  Her mind drifted to Emmaleen, who was now walking and talking, even if what she said didn’t make sense. Though she adored Marda—Maleena could sense it clearly—there was no doubt in Emmaleen’s mind who her mother was or how much she missed her when she was gone. A pang of sorrow touched her heart. Would she get to see Emmaleen grow up? The cloudy future she couldn’t see nagged at her. Had something changed?

  Mckale picked up on her emotions and tightened his arms around her as he bent his head to whisper in her ear, “Don’t lose hope.”

  She only nodded. Kellinar’s message came unbidden to her mind. “The incomplete weave breeds the darkness. When the sun sets on bloody snow and the shadows touch your hands, accept it.” The sun crawled lower in the sky, casting shadows out onto the snow. The Markene she saw faded and was replaced by a desperate and bloody battle. It was only a flash, enough to leave her feeling dizzy, and she leaned heavily on Mckale.

  “Maleena?” His arms went from gently holding her to holding her up. “What happened?”

  The scenery around her settled, and a deep calm washed through her. This was it. “They’re coming. Before the day is out.” She pushed lightly against him. “I’m all right now. We have to sound the bells.”

  Nydara trumpeted a warning that was picked up by all of the dragons until the very air shook. In the towers the bells began to toll. On the ground the warriors leaped up, falling into position. Along the wall, Maleena was already running with Mckale and the rest as Nydara and Tellnox landed in the courtyard while most of the others hovered in the air, waiting for their chance to pick up their riders.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Maleena saw Syrakynn streak by below the level of the outside wall just as Kirynn dropped over the edge. A moment later, the red climbed into the sky with Kirynn in the saddle fastening the straps. Tanis and Adirynn followed suit as Marcaius and Jocelynn jumped off the wall. They too were visible a second later securing themselves in their saddles.

  Maleena reached Nydara and leaped for the leather seat. Her hands caught it easily, and she pulled herself up as the silver launched into the air. While the dragon climbed, Maleena secured one thigh strap first then pulled her other leg up to put the catcher strap on. When it was snug, she dropped her leg and buckled the other thigh strap. A glance at Tellnox, who was a couple of wing lengths away, showed Mckale finishing the last thigh strap as well.

  In quick succession the others took to the sky, each rider waiting until their dragon was in the air to fasten the straps.

  For a brief moment, silence hung like a thick blanket. The bells were quiet having done their job. The warriors on the ground waited. The dragons rode the wind. Then the black Jumps swirled open like dark, oily pools. As three human armies and a Kojen army poured through, the silence was shattered on the shards of battle.

  In the field below on the far side of the river from Markene, the Boromari archers let loose their first volley of arrows. As the massive army of roaring Kojen and the Trilene charged across the snow the arrows struck home, sending a wave of Kojen and humans into the white blanket. Those behind trampled over the fallen. Another volley of arrows cut through the air as a fiery ball lobbed from a trebuchet sailed over their heads and ripped a path through the purple mass. The Nagas and Nagi moved like long sinuous snakes as they burned and tore their way through the Kojen.

  To the south, more archers loosed arrows at the human armies of Turindar and Hanover. Screams split the air when the arrowheads buried themselves in human flesh. As the charge continued the archers fell back, still releasing arrows as fast as they could until the leading wave of attack broke against the advancing pikes. The melee of full battle began to the backdrop of clashing weapons and war cries.

  In the air, more Shadow Dragons than Maleena thought possible filled the sky. With a sinking heart, she saw that the Guardians were outnumbered by three to one at the very least, even if many of the shadows were obviously younger dragons with more inexperienced riders. The sky, lit by green and orange fire, was thick with different weaves.

  Nydara slammed into one of the younger shadows, sinking her claws in and wrenching it around with strong strokes of her powerful wings. The shadow snapped at Nydara. The silver yanked her head to the side, snaked her neck and struck. The sickening snap of the shadow’s skull shot through the air as she crushed it in her larger jaws.

  Releasing the black dragon, she dove after its falling form, burning the rider-turned Benduiren with a wide band of flame. “I need you off my back so I can fight more efficiently,” Nydara sent.

  Maleena sent a confirmation back and began loosening the safety straps. Nydara landed heavily at the outer fringes of the Kojen, crushing them beneath her weight. Her jaw spread wide, and she unleashed a river of fire into their ranks. Liquid flames dripped from her teeth as Maleena jumped to the ground and ran several paces to give the dragon room. With a hard downward thrust of her wings, Nydara launched into the air again.

  Maleena kept track of the dragon with part of her mind while she devoted the rest of it to the Kojen. Magic filled her and flowed from her in a raging torrent as she threw weaves at them. A wave rippled through them as any within the reach of her weave dropped to the ground, their minds crushed.

  Dimly, she was aware of other dragons, both shadows and Guardians, touching down long enough to let riders off before taking to the sky again. Maleena worked her way around until she was with the front lines of the Boromari before pulling her sword against the Kojen. Though not good enough to come even close to winning against Kirynn, she could still take down Kojen with it.

  Kirynn battled on the ground, her zahri a blur as she carved a space around her. Slowly, she gave ground along with the rest of the Boromari. Fight, fall back. Fight, fall back. Drawing them closer to the castle. Not far from her, Jocelynn and Marcaius made their spaces, their zahris coated in the blood of the enemy.

  Syrakynn sent snatches of images to Kirynn while keeping most of her attention on the aerial battle. An image flashed…Kirynn watched the Boromari dispatchers slide unnoticed through the higher ranks of the enemy army. Nothing. Then another image…two of those commanding the Turindari and Hanoveran went down silently. Nothing. Another image…another enemy commander down.

  Kalila sat on her horse just outside the city gates with the entire complement of Defenders that had been sent to Markene with her. Arrayed in a tight ring three men thick, beyond them were more than a hundred of the Markeni army. She watched the battle with anxiety and fear building as the Markeni that were mixed in the fighting across the river fell back to the bridge. Their maneuver left gaps in the Boromari and Kantherian lines.

  They would not fail to hold the bridge because of her soldiers. The Defenders and soldiers around her jumped out of the way when she booted the horse forward. They quickly regrouped as her horse broke into a trot on the bridge and formed a diamond formation around her.

  As she neared those who had fallen back, she yanked her sword from its sheath and shouted, “For honor! For Markene!” They turned and shock washed across their faces at the sight of their queen and her guard coming at them.

  Kalila didn’t wait for them to respond; instead she rode straight past them and into the battle. Her personal guard and soldiers cut a swath of enemies around her. A grim smile touched her lips when s
he heard the soldiers who had fallen back cry, “For honor! For the queen!” She took a quick glance back. They found the courage that had faltered and most were now refilling the gaps in the line. Others were rushing to help defend their queen.

  Kovan cut through the people around him with satisfaction. It wasn’t as perfect as taking them down with his power, but at least it was more precise. No sense killing a bunch on his own side by accident. Each time his blade cut through flesh it was an echo of what he’d felt in Basc, in Lowden, in Bandar, in Border Reach. He relished it. This made things easier, made it easier to think.

  He turned to find his next victim and froze. Her dark hair swung around her face as she turned toward him. Her violet eyes met his. This woman, the one he couldn’t look at when she was a prisoner in the Kormai. This woman was the one woman in the entire world that he knew without a doubt he couldn’t kill, couldn’t even defend himself against. The memory of his mother’s eyes crinkling in a smile as she reached to hug him filled his mind. Kovan stared at the woman before him as his sword dropped to the ground.

  In a moment of clarity, he could see. See what he had become. See that he hadn’t avoided becoming the monster his father was. And now this woman with eyes like his mother’s was here to release him from the torture. He dropped to his knees in front of her and spread his arms wide.

  When she hesitated, confusion written in those beautiful, violet eyes, he begged, “Please.”

  Her eyes hardened, and she thrust the sword forward. Agony lanced through his chest as she twisted the blade and yanked it back out. The sky, filled with dragons, swam across his fading vision. Had he fallen? The cold snow soaked through his hair and provided an icy balance to the fire in his chest. Through the darkness that seeped around the edges of his eyes, he watched her kneel next to him. Her eyes. They shifted between the violet eyes of the woman and those of his mother, and as the pain faded with everything else, he smiled. It was right.

  Maleena stood and backed away from the man. Her head throbbed from the contact she had made after he fell. So much torment. So much twisted darkness. The Kojen and the Trilene were closing in again. Backing up a step, she gauged the progress of battle then called Nydara to her. There was no way this would happen as she had dared to let herself hope. There were too many Shadow Dragons. If there weren’t so many shadows…As it was, Nydara and Tellnox had already taken their fair share of injuries as had Mckale.

  The silver landed. Maleena shoved her sword in its sheath and dashed headlong toward her, trusting the dragon to keep her safe until she gained the saddle. Not bothering with the catcher strap, she secured the safety straps a second before Nydara leaped into the air.

  The silver dodged a shadow, opened a Slide, and flew into it. They came out over the Lake of Spirits. In the distance, her bond-enhanced eyes could just barely see the battle in the air. And then it hit her. There were no golds.

  “There are no Gold Riders here! I can’t do this without Light!” she sent to Nydara. How could she have missed that? There was no way she could pull on Vaddoc’s or Loki’s power with them in Galdrilene.

  Nydara grew silent, and then, “Merru assures me he will bring Loki.”

  “He isn’t well enough.” Loki wasn’t ready for this. He hadn’t learned yet to fight with only vision in one eye.

  “He has to be.”

  Nydara landed. Maleena yanked the safety straps with enough force to break them and leaped down. “Keep an eye on him.” There really wasn’t any other way. As the silver lifted off again, Maleena walked onto the smooth sand of the lake.

  “Several of the shadows have realized where we’ve gone,” the silver sent. “Their eyesight is as good as mine, which is twice as good as yours. They are flying this way now.”

  “Just stay alive for me, Nydara. And make sure Merru knows not to let Loki off his back.” Maleena waded into the water and pulled on her power.

  Loki jerked awake with Merru shouting in his mind. Pushing past whatever Serena had put in the concoctions Marda kept shoving down him, he concentrated on Merru. “Slow down! Tell me again.”

  “There are far too many Shadow Dragons. Maleena must perform a weave that requires all of the elements, but there are no golds there. No Gold Riders. She can’t create the weave without Light magic. Vaddoc is bed bound; he cannot go. Brock is dead. You’re all that’s left.”

  Loki’s pulse jumped as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Have Liora and Arrah saddle you. Don’t ask anyone else. As riders, they’re the only people who will understand.”

  Shoving the blankets away that had tangled around his waist, he slowly stood. The sound of Merru’s wings filtered through the doorway to the lair as the gold flew down to the floor of the caldera. Loki’s leg trembled under him as he limped to the wardrobe. He yanked open the door and pulled out his flying clothes, then turned toward the bed. Moving his head to bring it into view, he limped back and flopped down. It was an effort to dress. His muscles were watery, and his body slow to respond to commands.

  It didn’t matter if he was weak, if he only had one good eye, if he had one leg that didn’t obey like it should. Maleena needed him for the weave and from what Merru had shown him, without whatever it was Maleena planned, the Guardians would be overwhelmed.

  Wind rushed through the door to the lair as Merru returned to the ledge. After shoving his feet into sturdy leather boots and securing his heavy cloak around him, Loki limped into the dragon’s lair with the ankle of his good leg screaming the whole way.

  It took three tries to make it into the saddle. The deep ache in his ribs didn’t help. Finally, he made it and got the safety straps secured. Merru leaped off the ledge, opening a Slide as he did.

  Maleena glanced up, relief and worry flooding her at the sight of the golden Merru coming out of the Slide. Opening herself up, she began to pull on all of the powers. They thundered into her in thick rivers as she began the weave. The magic poured into her until she could take no more without killing herself and still the weave was only half finished. Anevay had been wrong. Maleena alone wasn’t strong enough to create this weave. Taela wasn’t as strong as Maleena, linking with her wouldn’t help. It would take another as powerful as she to complete it and there was no one. The weave trembled.

  Azurynn stood several paces from Murynn. A hot desert wind swept down the empty desert canyon far from the Kormai. She started to tip her head back and take a long drink from the water bag. Everything around her faded as a vision swept through her mind, and she saw what would happen, what was missing.

  The bag dropped from her hands to the ground, splashing water across the dirt as the world snapped back. “Oh Fates!” She turned and ran for Murynn, staggering from the wave of dizziness that always followed a vision. After barely catching herself on the dragon, she managed to get into the saddle, not even bothering with the straps. The black lifted off, opened a Jump, and dove into it.

  Maleena sank to her knees, the water climbing up around her thighs as she struggled to hold onto the level of power needed for the weave. Inside, she burned from the intensity. In a distant part of her mind, she was aware of the fierce battle now raging in the sky above the lake.

  A shadow landed right in front of her. The rider dropped to the ground, waded into the water, then fell to her knees with her hands held up.

  “Get away from me,” Maleena hissed through clenched teeth.

  Azurynn reached for her hands. “Fool! If you do not accept my help you will kill everyone and darkness will consume everything!’

  Maleena looked into Azurynn’s eyes.

  “The incomplete weave breeds the darkness. When the sun sets on bloody snow and the shadows touch your hands, accept it else the world will be destroyed by darkness.” Was this what the Fates meant? There was no time to think. The Shadow Rider before her was the only other person as strong as she in Spirit magic. Maleena lifted her hands and clasped Azurynn’s.

  She sensed the power pouring into Azurynn, as t
he other woman took on as much power as she had. Heat crackled between their palms. Dark rivers flowed through the air winding themselves into the gaps in the half-finished weave.

  The weave shimmered, melting together in a mix of light swirled with gray. A challenging roar came from the depths of the lake, reverberating off the surface. Power exploded from the weave, throwing Maleena against the sandy shore with Azurynn beside her, their hands still clasped together. Only their feet remained in the lake as the water punched up in a massive fountain.

  Maleena held the weave with every shred of strength she had. Darkness pushed at the edges of her mind and vision. The water continued to fountain and out of it flew the crystalline shapes of every Guardian all the way back to Kumauni. There were hundreds of them, solid enough to fight but unable to die again. Her vision dimmed until she could no longer see the sky or the battle. Still she held on…

  Kellinar’s zahri blurred around him as he tried to keep his mind from thinking about the lives he was cutting short. Not the lives of the leaders of Turindar and Hanover who had decided to throw their lot in with the Shadow Riders. Not those same leaders who threatened the lives of the families of the men he killed if they didn’t go to war. Only the lives of those who had no choice that bloodied the ground.

  A Shadow Dragon flew low over the field, the wide band of green flame from its mouth burning a swath through the entangled warriors. Many of their own died along with those defending Markene. Black smoke clogged the air with the stench of burned flesh. It filled his nose and choked his lungs. Kellinar coughed and nearly gagged. His stinging eyes watered as he spun the zahri, blocked a blow from one opponent then jabbed it back into another.