“Well, he’s a fool,” said the maid, “he as sure a fool as ever, Areli. And that’s all there is to it. I swear to the stars, you father should have had that one’s head checked when he was working on him.” Areli shook her head slightly. “Brockham, tell her that boy is a fool.”
“He’s a fool, Areli. He’s a mighty fool,” said the servant, “an unbelievable fool.”
“Well, then that’s that. He had his chance,” said the maid, “a pretty girl like yourself. You’re going to find someone, Areli. I can feel it. I can feel it when I look up at the stars at night. He’s going to love you, Areli. It will be real love, darling. I can promise you that.” Areli wiped the tears in her eyes.
“I just thought,” said Areli, “I just thought that maybe he could have been the one.”
“Boys can do that to you,” said the maid, “love is a tricky thing, Areli. But when it’s right it’s right. And when it’s wrong, you just have to learn to walk away. But don’t close your heart to love, Areli. Love will always find its way to those that are open to it.”
“But I was open to it,” cried Areli, “why didn’t love come to me now. Couldn’t it tell? Didn’t it know?”
“Love is not always kind to our wishes, Areli,” said the maid, “love is a perfectionist. But when it’s real. Love is at the present, always.”
“I thought it was real.” The maid held Areli closer to her.
“That’s the thing about love,” said the maid, “when it’s not real . . . it brings nothing but heartache and pain.”
“Areli, darling,” said Areli’s mother from the foyer entrance into the drawing room, “the guard will be here any moment, darling. Come. There are many people who want to see us off.” Areli sat up and looked in the direction of her mother’s voice. “Please, Areli.” Areli looked at both her maid and the servant. She had been so caught up in feelings for Talon that she hadn’t properly said her goodbyes to them. Her voice stuck to her throat.
“We know, Areli,” said the maid. Areli hugged her. She squeezed her so hard, that she feared she might have broken one of her ribs. She then hugged her servant, and then stood up from her spot.
“I love you,” said Areli, “I love you both dearly.”
“We love you too, Areli,” said the maid. The servant already had a handkerchief out to dry the wetness on his cheeks. He then handed it to the maid. “Now go, Areli. Win, darling. Win the whole entire thing. You show the Emperor what riders from Sector D can do. And remember . . . just keep yourself open to love, darling. It will find you. I promise you it will. Just leave yourself open to it.” Areli had tears straggling from her eyes, and she sucked on her lips trying to control their trembling as she nodded her head. She wished she could take the servant and maid with her. But such a thing was impossible.
“Areli! What’s taking you so long?” asked her mother. Areli couldn’t speak, or else she would have told her she was coming.
“She’s coming, Mrs. Roberts,” said her maid, “she’s on her right now.” Areli gave one final nod, and walked to the door into the foyer.
“Areli,” said her maid. Areli turned around and looked at her. “We’ll be cheering for you. We all will. Like we always have.” Another tear rolled down Areli’s face. She wanted to say something, but she was too choked up to speak. She could only nod her head one final time before she went out into the foyer to join the rest of her family.
In the foyer stood the rest of her family’s servants and maids. Her friends and Sector D administers were also present. She shook hands with some. Hugged others . . . but her farewells were interrupted, as the sound of hooves beating against stone pounded into their ears.
People rushed to the windows. Outside their house, on the limestone pavement, was a team of horses hitched up to a large and extravagant carriage, unlike anything seen in that sector. It was mostly constructed of gold. It had large giant wheels and paintings of dragons soared on the sides below the windows. A small statue of Emperor Abhiraja, the founder of their Empire and finder of dragons, stood in the middle of the roof of the cab, and small statues of battle dragons occupied the four corners.
Surrounding the carriage was a large battalion of soldiers on horseback, each armed with bow and sword. The commander of the guard and several others dismounted their horses, walked up the stone path leading to their house, and knocked on the door. Their house manager opened it. The commander introduced himself and those with him. They were then allowed inside.
“Miss Roberts, I presume,” said the commander, he reached to take Areli’s hand, “I’ve heard much about you. My daughter can’t wait for you to race for the Emperor.”
“Neither can I,” responded Areli, still wiping tears from her eyes.
“Well, I hope you and your family have everything packed, we’ll be wanting a quick departure.”
“We’re ready, commander.” And with that, she and her family were escorted from their home and inside their new carriage. Their new home for the next couple of months.
From the inside of the cab, Areli could see all the other riders and their families from the community standing in front of their houses, taking in the spectacle. She could see the jealousy in their eyes, and she could feel the hatred and envy in their hearts. Areli tried to distract herself with other things. That’s when she concentrated on her guard. There must have been three dozen men in charge of her and her family’s safety. They were all finely dressed, covered in extravagant armour with dragon moldings on either their chest or shoulders, depending on their rank. The commander had a silk sash that sat diagonally across his armour, distinguishing him from the rest. Like the commander said, they were quick to vacate. And before she really knew it, all the men were back on their mounts, and the commander gave the signal to start moving.
With Areli’s final wave to those she had grown to love, the carriage took off. The carriage and guard continued down the stone path until it circled around the tall fountain of Emperor Abhiraja in the center of the community, to the admiring and bitter eyes of Oroin Hall and Academy riders alike. And as if Areli had never lived there before, never raced for Oroin or for Sector D, she was gone, knowing she would never return. And with the way things had ended with Talon, she was sort of glad.
Chapter Three
The boarding facility wasn’t far from her previous home. Only a few miles. The only things that obstructed its view from the riding community were the rolling hills that made up the dense agricultural lands of Oroin.
Areli wanted to force herself to keep looking straight ahead at her parents, who sat opposite her on soft-as-cloud seats covered with red fur. Her mother had tears in her eyes, and her father held her to him, whispering calming words into her ears. Then she realized that it didn’t matter where she looked . . . all she would see was pain.
When they arrived at the boarding facility, they paused at the outside gate. Walls as tall as a hundred giants stood guarding the fortress that housed the dragons belonging to the Oroin riders. The only entrances into the grounds were thick oak doors with a layer of steel placed in their middles.
After their identification papers were trifled through, the boarding facility commander handed Areli and her parents their papers back, gave a playful wink, and a lipped ‘good luck.’ He then ordered the gates to be opened to allow them to pass.
In-between the gates and the limestone fortress that held the city’s dragons, was a center beautifully decorated with bushes, flowers, and rare exotic trees that aspired to be as tall as the walls that protected them. The guard and carriage made its way past them and continued to the stall room. Upon arrival, its large wooden doors were already set open.
The horses clomped through them and onto the limestone surface of the facility. The sound of their hooves echoed off the tall walls and ceilings. The carriage followed the guard to the left at the first intersection and paused next to an elegantly prepared trailer.
Like her carriage, the main component of the trailer was precious metal
s. Even though the trailer looked more like a large traveling cage, the fine details painstakingly used to create it took away all initial thoughts of it being used for such a purpose. The bars were constructed of rare metals and diamonds, so much so it seemed like they were created out of the stars themselves.
Below the bars were marble inlays imbedded with finely detailed battles of the Empire, and each one of the corners had beautifully sculpted statues of dragons. Inside the trailer, the floors were covered with soft pine shavings, and in one of the far corners, was a deep circular bucket filled to the brim with the purest mountain water.
Areli got out of the carriage with weak legs and a trembling heart. When she walked around the trailer, she smiled as her dragon stood behind one of the large wooden stalls with high black steel bars spouting out of it. Areli’s dragon looked back at her, its ears sticking up, wary of the new faces barging into her life. Areli watched as Kaia’s eyes glanced at moving bodies and then back at her.
She approached the stall carefully and lovingly stuck her hand in-between the bars. Kaia nudged it with her nose and blew hot air on her fingers, warming them like steam rolling off boiling water. Her ears were lifted forwards, the tips aimed towards the ceiling, flickering and shifting to capture any unusual sound.
“It’s okay, Kaia,” said Areli softly, “these men mean us no harm. They’re going to take us away from here. Far away.” The commander came from behind. Areli didn’t sense him, but Kaia’s head lifted swiftly, ears raised and twitching. Her eyes were firmly placed on the commander.
The commander moved slowly, aware that Areli’s dragon was watching him. His gentle approach sought to seek her trust, which is very hard to gain from a dragon. He used a calm voice and steady words. When Kaia sensed he was of no threat to her or her rider, she let her ears relax, and lowered her head next to Areli’s hand again.
When the commander came next to Areli’s shoulder, he had a wide smile on his face.
“They’re such magnificent creatures,” said the commander.
“Yes, they are, commander,” said Areli, wanting to say more, but struck with a shy tongue. She was thoroughly impressed with his soothing tactics of dealing with her dragon, but she kept her praises to herself.
The commander handed her a halter crafted out of rich fibers. Areli looked at it with eyes widened by surprise. It far exceeded the one she was originally issued at the Sector D facility.
She grabbed it gently. And with trembling fingers, she looked up at the commander with questioning eyes.
“It is yours,” said the commander, “compliments of the Emperor. You will be pleased to know that you will also receive new tack and equipment.”
“And may I ask what happened to my old saddle and tack, commander?” The commander had to clear his throat, and he looked away for a moment, before meeting her gaze.
“I’m sorry, Areli,” said the commander, “I want you to know that I was following orders . . . but at the Emperor’s request . . . your equipment had been disposed of earlier this morning. I’m sure you understand the reasons for this.” She nodded her head, but she bit down on the lower part of her lip, forcing herself not to scream. She was the Emperor’s rider now. She would race with the equipment he provided or not race at all.
“I hope you harbor no harsh feelings, Miss Roberts,” said the commander. She had to clear her throat before she answered, sweeping away the presence and taste of blood.
“I fully understand commander.”
“Well,” said the commander tentatively. Areli could tell he knew she was upset. Perceptive ones are always good with dragons. “I guess we should get moving then.”
The commander waved for the servants to open Kaia’s stall door. After they unbolted the doors and unlocked the locks, Areli had to calm the turmoil boiling inside her before she entered into the stall. Dragons had a unique and intimate ability of sensing their rider’s emotions, and they often took their riders feelings as their own. Areli tried to think of something happy. Her dragon gave a scream, as rage erupted inside it. Its mouth opened and its roar tried to shake the building from its foundation. A thought came to Areli’s mind. It was of Talon, not telling her he loved her. A tear sprang to her eye. Her dragon’s roar turned into a hurtful moan. It wasn’t the happiness Areli wished to give her, but for now, sadness was the best she could do.
Areli walked inside and put the halter on Kaia’s face, wrapping the rope around her nose and chin, crossing it over her cheeks, and then her ears, finally tying it together in a loose knot. She tested the halter’s hold gingerly, and then led Kaia out of the stall and into the trailer.
After pulling off the halter, Areli patted her dragon on the neck and seeped feelings of courage and strength into Kaia’s mind. Her dragon rested its head on one of her shoulders, and Areli wrapped her arms around its neck.
“I love you, Kaia,” whispered Areli, into her dragon’s ear.
After the trailer was closed and locked, Areli was led back into the carriage. Anger and pain had done a toll on her. So much so, that she was ready for a couple months of rest. A period for her to recover whatever pride she had left. When the commander and his men were all back on their horses, they were off. Leaving the way they had come. Back onto the roads of the private lands, beginning their long journey to Abhi.
Chapter Four
The Abhirn Empire wasn’t what it used to be. A year ago, living in the Abhirn Empire was one of the greatest sites to behold, but the land was now in ruin. It was being destroyed by the very hands that were meant to protect it, hands that contained the royal blood to rule it. As the trailer continued through roads, lush countrysides, rolling plains, and seas of green fields, Areli smelled the rotting of bodies, cringed at the screams of the dying, and watched the skies turn black in the distance from the burning of homes. A knife seemed to piece her heart and gnaw it to pieces as she watched the vicious monsters leave rubble and debris behind. The battle dragons sickened her. Trained warriors guided their mounts. Men as vicious and vile as the Emperor himself.
Abhirn wasn’t the only place suffering, though. It was the entire world. With the help of his ancestors, Emperor Ailesh, reigned over everything. Every continent was his. Every river, every mountain, and every lake were his to do whatever he pleased. He was a man energized by the search of Degendhard. Life for him, in a world of no wars and no conquests, had become monotonous. Now, he had a mission besides eating, sleeping, fornicating, training, and sitting through lengthy diplomatic sessions. Now, Emperor Ailesh will stop at nothing until he finds Degendhard the Great, and the place he looked more harshly than anywhere else, was Sector D. He continued to look other places, but he had somehow become convinced Degendhard was there. And if Degendhard was as compassionate as he was made out to be, the Emperor was certain he would have surrendered himself by now.
However, no matter how many bodies the Emperor left unburied and piled-up like a mountain of dung, Degendhard had not shown his face. The Emperor continued to try to disgrace Degendhard’s name, but it was much too late. Degendhard already had his hold in the lower sectors and even some regions of the upper sectors. If the Emperor disgraced anyone, it was himself. He looked so pathetic blaming such hideous crimes on Degendhard, and to do it in the South, where they knew Degendhard to be kind and true was just atrocious. Especially to those willing to die for him. Those who knew the truth. The places where Degendhard was considered a hero and protector, helping those without money pay a way out of death.
The search for Degendhard had always been kept at a distance from Areli . . . until a month ago, when Talon was rescued by her father. At the time, she didn’t know the reason why her father brought this boy to their home instead of his medical facility . . . but soon she did.
After her father laid Talon on their dining room table, he barked orders, shredded clothes, and washed away blood. The burns Talon had were raw and unhealed, and her father had to extract arrows out of his shoulders, arms, legs, and back. Her father then
cleaned his wounds and re-aligned his broken bones as best he could do. Reliance was placed heavily on the experimental liquid to heal most of the damage done both before and after her father had found him. Areli constantly asked her father if there was anything she could do. He evaded her questions most of the evening, until he looked at her and told her there was a horse in the stalls. It was the boy’s. And it needed tending to.
She quickly left the room and ran outside to their stalls. Grateful to rid herself of the sight of blood, muscle, and bone, and the pungent smells of medicines and chemicals. When she entered the stall door, the horse was standing up but was several measures past exhaustion. Areli approached it gently and almost came to tears at the sight of the arrows in its hind quarters and the two in its shoulder. Unlike Talon, it didn’t have the burns he had sustained. She later learned that this horse was just another in the stock of many horses provided to messengers. But his horse . . . the horse he loved . . . was dead . . . as was the girl he tried to save.
She grabbed some treats next to the shelf and walked cautiously forward. The horse took them, chewed slowly, and accepted that Areli meant it no harm. The saddle on top of the horse was covered in Talon’s blood. So, the first thing Areli thought to do was to remove it.
She loosened the cinch, then removed the breastcollar. When she tried to lift the saddle, it was markedly heavier than she anticipated, and it took almost all her strength just to move it a little.
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