Dragon Rider (DragonMage Saga)

by Platt, S. P.

  Angel and Medwin came down and went over to the girls who had stopped and had their heads in the books. The boys come in behind them and had their heads over their shoulders and looking to see if the books were any good.

  ‘Shylyn what do you think, does it have anything on what we need to know, will it help us?’ Angel was trying to read over her shoulder as he spoke.

  ‘I think it does as I am only three pages into it and there is a mention of the room. What do we do stay and read them or put them back and come back tomorrow and read it?’ She had lifted her head up and turned to look at Angel.

  ‘Lets see what the other book is first, Maive what’s in that one, it was the title that got me to think it might be good?’ He was moving over to her as he finished looking over Shylyns shoulder.

  Maive had stopped reading and looked up at Angel; surprise on her face. ‘The book is indeed what we need but it’s not on the Chamber but Renegades, to be precise Legends of the Renegades. The book itself is named Legends and the first one is on the Renegades. I have flicked through quite a few pages and it’s still talking about the Renegades.’

  Angels face lit up as did the others, it was just what they needed. ‘Ok this is what we will do; I think we need to start looking at them now so we take the books back to our room and start reading them there. Tomorrow we hide the books down in our secret room until we can get to finish reading them. This is too important to leave till tomorrow for if we put them back someone might come and get them and then we have nothing. No we keep them in our secret room till we have read them and got all the information we need.’

  The others looked at him and agreed, they need to read them now. So they quickly stuck the books under their clothes and walked out of the library. As they left a wizard was just going in and gave them a funny look. They looked back at him and gave him a smile which he returned and carried on his way.

  They reached their room with no interruptions at all and went over to their area by the windows and sat there. The girls brought the books out and they sat looking at them. ‘Let’s read what there is on the Crystal Chamber. I want to see if there is mention of the other one so we will leave the one on legends till we have this one out of the way. Shylyn you put that book under the cushions and sit on them just in case someone comes in.’ Angel lifting the cushions as she shoved the book underneath.

  Angel, Medwin and Shylyn looked at Maive in anticipation of what was in the book. She took this to mean she should start. ‘Ok there is mention of the Crystal Chamber and I’ve only just had a quick browse so I will start and read everything it has.’

  ‘The Crystal Chamber has been around for centuries and no one knows exactly when it was created. The Chamber has been made with four large windows and four plan walls, at the top of a tower in the castle of the school.

  In front of the four plan walls are four large crystals spaced one hand length from the wall. In the centre of the room and suspended in the air above the floor is a larger crystal. This crystal is the main feature of the Crystal Chamber and works by creating a very high pitched resonance that echo’s off the four other crystals in the room.

  Within this area a field is generated when the Crystal rises to just above a persons head. Now the purpose of the room is for wizards to come in and weave a spell.

  When a wizard normally creates a spell he weaves the pattern of what he wants the spell to do in his mind and builds the spell up around that. Normally this is how a wizard would design his spell also drawing it on paper, but when he comes into the Crystal Chamber he weaves the pattern of the spell so he can see it.

  Now with his spell cast in the Chamber he can see the pattern set out in the air in front of him. He can really see what his spell looks like and not how it looks in his mind. So there in front of him is this glowing net set out in the air in front of him. He can now work on altering the spell to change what it does.

  Being able to do this here in this room can make creating spells very easy. Most wizards do this when there is no one around which makes night times the best. They only use the Chamber if they want to change what a spell does. Most times the wizards still use their minds and only very rarely will they come to the Chamber.

  Once a spell has had its pattern woven and the wizard can see what it does and is happy with it he will perform an exercise that will make him remember it. Then when he needs, it’s in his mind at a moments notice.’

  Medwin interrupted Maive as she was speaking. ‘So from what the books says all wizards only see the spell pattern in their minds or in the Crystal Chamber. Yet why are we able to see the pattern in the spells whenever we want to. We will have to make sure we’re not around anybody when we talk about what a spell pattern is looking like. We must be very careful about the old spell holding the school to the rock face. Sorry carry on Maive.’

  ‘Ok, the chamber most of the time now is for the training of new students. Getting new students to work out spells and how to cast them, they are brought here where the teacher can show them how a spell is created by letting them see the spell and how it is made up.

  The teacher will get them to do simple spells where the pattern is like a simple spider's web. They are the best for students to start with but some get harder ones but it all comes down to this Chamber, where a student first learns to create spells. In the early days before the Chamber was here they use to teach students about patterns by getting to learn how to weave cloth.

  This enabled them to get the patterns down in their minds and they keep a record of spell patterns by weaving them and keeping them in a safe place in the house. But there were times this was not a very good idea as you would get some insects that would come in and start eating the patterns.

  So then decided on pencil and paper and keeping them in books. Wizards would have there own collection of books with the spell patterns in. Many wizards’ homes have a room where he will keep a record of all his spell books and that room was locked with very special magical locks.

  There were some powerful wizards who had caves where they had all their books and very special magic locks that made the caves hide themselves. When a wizard is not working off world, (a few do and Dragon Riders carry them to those worlds,) a wizard will go to the extreme to hide his cave with all his spell books.

  Coming back to the Crystal Chamber it is there for the showing of spells and the wizard students are now by far the majority users of it. Now as to who found and made the Crystal Chamber is a hotly debated subject at versus times in history.

  As it was stated in the early part of the book it was not known who found or created the Crystal Chamber, but there is a mention in the book of legends. The little that is written there says the Crystal Chamber was built by some great wizards who were at the time the most powerful wizards of all time. The only name that was ever mentioned was that of Dragon Mage. That’s all there is on the Crystal Chamber.’

  Angel and the others sat there for a time just thinking on what Maive had read out to them. Shylyn was the first to ask the question on who built the Crystal Chamber. ‘Who were the Dragon Mages, I’ve never heard of them before. There is no such wizard today and what happened to them.’

  ‘I wander if they were the ones who created the spell holding the school to the mountain. If they were that powerful they might be the ones who made it. We know the magic is very old and powerful to last this long.’ Angel got up after sitting for so long he stood and looked out the window pondering what he just said.

  ‘I wander if we went to the Crystal Chamber and studied the magic of the Crystal if it would show that it was the same magic as the old spell.’ Medwin looked up at Angel waiting to see if he agreed.

  ‘Let’s go and check tomorrow and see if we can find that bit in the book of Legends. We have that book here but it’s getting late to try and find it now, also we have another item to look up in the library and that is Dragon Mage, what were they and what happened to them.’ Angel sitting down again as they all thought on the Drag
on Mages.

  They sat there for a while when there was a knock at the door. They all made a mad scramble for the book and quickly shoved it under a cushion and sat on it. Angel went to the door to find Gavrie standing there. ‘May I come in as it is getting late and I won’t keep you long?’

  Angel quickly opened the door and indicated to come in. ‘Please come in, we were just sitting by the window looking at the storm moving away. With the storm moving off we think the attacks will start again.’

  Gavrie moved over to the windows and looked out them to the retreating storm. ‘That will probably be the case now the storm leaves us. What I have come to say is tomorrow all students and wizards are going to be loading and making the lances for the Dragon Riders. We have over four hundred lances that have been made and stored in the cave.’

  ‘I thought they had to be made when we were talking to my brothers. They thought it would take days to have them made.’ Angel was surprised at the amount there was.

  ‘After your mother and brothers left I went to find the weapons master and he told me there was a lot in store in a room at the back of the cave. It seams he has had a lot of spear time and had been making them when he had finished all his other work. So tomorrow we charge them all and get the Dragon Riders to come and pick them up. You all will be the ones to carry the lances over to an area where the dragons can land and the lances picked up.’ Gavrie knowing they were going to feel good about getting that job.

  ‘What about lessons tomorrow morning, will we be still having that or will we be doing the lances all day?’ Shylyn looked at Gavrie.

  ‘No lessons tomorrow as this is very important, we must get the lances to the Dragon Riders as soon as possible before the attacks start again. So off to bed with you and get plenty of sleep, as it’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.’ Finishing he turned and left leaving them to get to bed.

  They knew he was giving them a very important job, but he knew how they felt about dragons and with Angel thinking we would be a Dragon Rider only to be told otherwise. Angel still needed to be as close to dragons as possible and his friends. So they will get that job and will find it hard having to carry lances back a forth.

  I just hope we don’t get attacked tomorrow now the storm in moving off. The Dragon Riders have been told and are going to come mid morning when we will have lances ready for them. Well no use worrying about that till the time comes.

  Angel and his friends were looking around trying to find a hiding place for the books as they did not want them found in here. They found a place in the bed rooms with the girls taking one into their room and the boys into their room.

  They all went to bed knowing tomorrow with the storm moving off there was a good chance they would be attacked. Angel had a lot of trouble getting to sleep for all he could think about was who the Dragon Mages the book mentioned were.

  Angel had a thought and called Aura. ‘Aura are you still awake, I need to talk to you?’

  ‘I am here Angel what’s wrong, it is getting late?’ Angel sensed worry in her mind and quickly reassured her.

  ‘Have you heard your Grandfather mention anything about Dragon Mages?’

  Aura was quite for a time as she thought about what Angel asked her. ‘I’ve not heard Grandfather mention that name any time but I will ask him when we next go and see him.’

  ‘What did you think about what was in the book on the Crystal Chamber?’ Angel was still not sleepy so kept talking.

  ‘It seams strange they would make a room for that purpose and yet mention nothing of the other room at the other end of the Dragon Decks. The rooms I think are for something else, what I don’t know. I think Medwin has a good idea going to the Crystal Chamber and sensing the magic from it. Do what you did to the other one and see what it feels like?’ She sounded really thrilled at that idea.

  ‘Ok tomorrow when we get the chance we go to the chamber and I will do the same thing I did to the other one, just lightly touch it and let the magic feel it.’ His mind now made up as to the next move.

  Aura could sense he was now more relaxed and told him to go to sleep as it would be a long day tomorrow. It did not take long and was soon asleep; his dreams were off Dragon Mages or what he thought they would be.

  The next morning they awoke to a nice morning the sun streaming through their windows. They were up and dressed and down to the meal hall for breakfast. They found the hall very busy as everyone knew they had a lot of work to do and also there was the air of knowing it was very likely creatures would attack today as well.

  Finding a table and sitting down, they started to eat when there was a call of, ‘Dragons.’ They all looked up and sprang to their feet and were off at a run before anybody else could move. They got to the door to find three dragons there and he knew who had come.

  There was only one black dragon and his mother was his rider. Tish had come with Angel's brothers and they were early. Angel and his friends ran to meet her as she neared the school. There was a big smile on Tish’s face as she come up to them.

  ‘Mum your early we haven’t started the lances just yet, every ones having breakfast.’ Angel was speaking fast trying to tell her.

  ‘It’s ok we’re here in case of attack, we need the lances and if you are attacked we won’t be able to get any lances, so we’ve come to give you cover if the creatures attack. Now come go and finish your breakfast and looking at your brothers they might just join you.’ Tish was smiling as she looked at her two other sons wanting to hurry them up so they can have something to eat.

  As Angel led them inside he felt a little better that his mother and brothers were here to protect them. It gave him a warm glow inside and Aura could feel him and was happy as well. Angel thought now you creatures try and attack now and see what you get.

  Contents

  Creature Attack

  The morning was progressing well with the lances being charged at a good rate. They were halfway through the four hundred lances when Aura called. ‘Angel the Renegade comes and he has brought creatures with him. They will be there soon, with the dragon telling us there might be about a hundred coming.’

  Angel stopped what he was doing and looked at the others, who had also stopped. They had been told by their dragons of the Renegade coming. They could not very well yell out creatures were coming and by the time the wizard who was on watch could see them, his mother and brother would not have a lot of time to get into the air.

  Angel was thinking on what he could do. I’ve got to get mum, Rho and Etha up into the air before the creatures get here. I must make sure they don’t have any lances bundled with them when I get them into the air. So how do I get them up there?

  I wander if Aura can think of a way. ‘Aura can you think of a way of getting them into the air and quick?’

  ‘Ask their dragons to get them up into the air, you have already asked one dragon to help you. You talked to a dragon who has never talked to a wizard before in its life. You should be able to talk to NightWing as you grew up with him, try it and see what happens?’ Aura stayed in his mind.

  ‘I will give it a go but will have to move closer without anyone seeing me. If I move to the other side of the cave, the others will cover my movement.’ He moved over to the wall by the edge of the cave entrance making sure no one noticed. ‘I am as close as I am going to get to the dragons without them making a noise, so here goes.’

  Angel looked around the cave and could see no one was paying any attention to him. Everyone was to busy with the lances, so he used his mind like he did with the Renegades dragon. ‘NightWing can you hear me, I need to talk to you quickly mum and the others are in danger, will you talk to me?’

  NightWing looked his way and then away again so Angel called again, this time using his mind to show him what he was trying to warn them about. ‘NightWing look into my mind and see what is coming. They will hurt Tish your Rider will you let that happen she is your life you must help her. The creatures come so warn them make a noise and ge
t them to take you all up into the air and ready for the attack. Please help her and Rho an Etha, I know you hear me?’

  NightWing and his brother's dragons looked at him and then in his mind came two words, ‘Move back.’

  Angel looked at them and smiled and moved back into the cave for he did not want to be close when they wanted Tish, Rho and Etha. Once he was back NightWing and his brothers dragons started to make load noises and showing they where getting very agitated.

  Tish looked over at the dragons and not seeing anyone near stopped what she was doing and started to walk over to them. Rho and Etha followed her over to them. Tish got to them and the dragons still would not stop what they were doing so Tish talked to Rho and Etha and decided they would take them up for a ride thinking the dragons just needed to get away.

  Angel came to the mouth of the cave, his friends seeing that, went to join him. Angel was looking up at his mother and brothers waiting. Medwin, Shylyn and Maive moved closer to Angel and joined him in looking at the Dragon Riders; they knew it should not be long before they saw the creatures.

  Sure enough they saw the dragons turn in the direction the creatures were coming. Suddenly Tish turned NightWing around and dived down on the deck. As she came to a landing she shouted. ‘Creatures attack; they are coming now be ready.’

  Gavrie heard what she yelled and he was running into the Dragon Cave calling all wizards to gather lances and prepare. He ran to Angels little group. ‘You must be ready with lances if needed, but still help load the lances we are getting ready?’