“Yes, let’s go to my cabin.” Rimney lead the way into the cabin with Hayden close behind her.
“So what was so important that you needed to talk to me right away?” Hayden asked.
“We need do figure out the plan for what we are going to do after we take the Light House.” Rimney sat down on the bed as she spoke.
“Plan? I thought that once we finished with the Light House we were going to head up river and help the elves in their fight.” Hayden was unsure what part of the plan needed further explaining.
“Yes but the river will take almost two days to navigate and not all of our ships will be able to fit down the river.” Rimney pulled out a map and pointed to where the river was that she was talking about.
“So what are you saying, not all of the ships will be able to help?” Hayden felt his stomach quickly knot up.
“No, the larger ships are too big and their hulls go too low under water, they run the risk of getting stuck and trapping all the other ships behind them.” Rimney pointed to the map and traced her finger across the path of the river.
“I think we should break our fleet up into three groups: the large ships, the fast ships and the ships that are neither. The large ships should stay behind at Light House and keep only enough men to hold down the tower.” Rimney again pointed with her finger but this time to the Light House.
“Then the fast ships should pick up as many dragon riders and we can safely carry while the slower ships that can still fit through the river will follow behind us with the bulk of our men and siege weapons.”
“I don’t like the idea of splitting up our forces but it makes sense. We need to get help to them as soon as possible.” Hayden was trying to think of any other solution to their problem when something popped into his head.
“What siege weapons?” Hayden asked.
“You don’t know what siege weapons are? I thought you were a Metallic Rider from Celestial City.” Rimney said with all seriousness so Hayden couldn’t tell is she was messing with him or not.
“I know what siege weapons are but why do you guys have them and where are they?” Hayden had trained fighting the large catapults, battering rams and other giant tools of war when he had been at Celestial City. He was sure that he would have noticed if one of the ships had been carrying catapults across the sea.
“Well siege weapons are used when you are attacking a town or fortress.” Rimney started but just when Hayden was about to cut her off she smiled at him and started laughing.
“We don’t use them often but we have always thought it batter to have something and not need it then the other way around.” Rimney said. “As for where are they, well that’s going to have to be a little surprise for later.”
“Ok.” Hayden hated when people didn’t tell him what was going on but he knew that if Rimney wasn’t going to tell him that there wasn’t any way he could make her tell him.
“So we break up into three groups and make it up the river as fast as we can.” Rimney pulled out another map that had been one of the ones that Hayden had brought with him from Eytherka.
“Now from this map here it looks like the elves are going to be staying within the tree line here.” Rimney pointed at the edge of a green section of map. “And the Metallic Riders will set up on this hill, at least that’s what this map shows.” Hayden looked at Cass’s handwriting on the map and was amazed at just how detailed she had written her notes.
“The river comes from the south, underneath where the elves have set up their defenses. It should also rap behind the hill where you have estimated the Metallic Nation will be. So we should be able to come up right beside their camps.” Hayden saw the plan unfolding in his mind and it seemed to work perfectly. Until a few more questions came into his mind.
“What if we arrive too early?” He asked.
Rimney looked up from her map and just looked at Hayden with a slightly confused look on her face.
“What if we get there and the Metallic Nation haven’t arrived yet and when they do arrive they have time to get reinforcements?” Hayden looked at the map again and tried to remember just how long it had taken himself, Cass and Shane from Celestial City all the way to Eytherka.
Rimney thought about Hayden’s question but instead of answering it she asked her own. “I think the question I would be more worried about is what if we arrive too late?” Rimney’s question all but stopped Hayden’s heart mid beat.
“That won’t happen.” Hayden decided.
It can’t happen. Draek thought.
“We won’t let it.” Hayden couldn’t help his mind as it wondered to an image where they arrived after the battle was over. The forest a burnt, blackened scar smoldering against the blue sky that was filled with scavenger birds instead of dragons.
Bodies were thrown all across the field, some being torn into by the birds while others were stone statues, their final moments of pain immortalized on their faces.
Hayden pulled himself back before his imagination could walk him through the corpse filled field to find the bodies of his friends.
“We won’t let it happen.” Hayden repeated.
“Yes you said that already.” Rimney agreed.
“So when do we need to start getting the ships split up into their groups?” Hayden asked, more determined than ever to help his friends.
“We won’t have to worry about that until after we capture the Light House.” Rimney said as she rolled up the maps and put them away.
“Ok so we have some time to prepare.” Hayden sat down on the bed and finally took off his water filled boots.
“Not too much time, we should be at the Light House soon.” Rimney said.
“How soon is soon?” Hayden asked.
“We should have an hour or so.” Rimney guessed as she looked out one of the windows of her cabin to see where the sun was.
A shout rang out from out on the deck.
“Captain! We have made it to the Light House.” One of Rimney’s crew members yelled.
“Hmm, could be sooner than an hour.” Rimney looked back at the sun a second time.
Chapter 26
Shane stood beside Cass at the edge of the forest in the early morning light, watching the enemy camp as they began to stir.
The camp seemed to be bleeding out troops in massive hoards as their ground troops began to assemble in giant columns.
Shane had known they were going to be out numbered but he had been hoping that it wasn’t going to be so obvious that they had only half the troops that the Metallic Nation had.
“Do you still think they will send out their cavalry and ground troops first?” Shane asked, just trying to make ideal conversation more than anything.
“They will.” Cass said without taking her eyes off the troops massing together on the other side of the field.
After what had seemed like hours Shane and Cass finally stood looking at the full force of the Metallic Nation. Thousands of men stood side by side across the field, stretching well beyond the sides of the camp. Their troops were all clad in matching steal armor and most of the men carried long tower shields with the golden sun, silver clouds and copper lightning bolts painted on the front.
The army was impressive and massive, two things Shane had not been hoping to see.
The elves had remained hidden inside the forest, away from the eyes of the Metallic Nation. Cass had wanted to keep them out of site in hopes that the opposing army would foolishly charge head first into the forest to find the elves.
After watching the enemy stand perfectly still for over an hour Cass was forced to give up that hope.
“They aren’t attacking us.” Shane stated.
“I noticed.” Cass said angrily. “We have no choice now, assemble the troops.” Cass shouted.
All along the tree line, in both directions, Cass and Shane heard her command echoed by the elves. Once the call died down the eves began trickling out from amongst the trees.
Shane’s heart immediately fell when h
e saw their elves walk onto the battle field wearing mixed matched armor that had been thrown together at the last minute. They were carrying whatever weapons the blacksmiths could produce as quickly as they could.
The worst part was their numbers; there were just too few elves and too many enemy troops.
Once their own ground troops had made it to the field, all standing around in no organized way, Shane and Cass heard horns blown from the enemy camp.
Shane kept looking up into the sky for any sign that the dragons were coming to attack. Cass was sure that they would not send the dragons out first but Shane was unwilling to take any chances.
Cass and Shane could stay and help fight on the ground until the dragons were up in the air. Not only were they outnumbered on the ground but up in the air it was even worse.
Cass put on her helmet and Shane did the same. Once his helmet was strapped on, Shane picked up his shield that he had laid up against a tree and joined the elves on the field.
Cass grabbed her own shield and golden halberd and followed quickly behind Shane. Their presence on the field was met by cheers from the elves and another horn blow from the enemy.
This time when the echo of the horn blast died away, the enemy army began to move. Shane watched as the entire enemy force began marching as one, he could hear their steps as their armor clinked together.
“Get ready!” Shane shouted. He grabbed the bull’s face from his helmet and slid it down over his face, after which he removed his copper blade from its sheath and gave it a few practice swings.
Shane looked back at Cass but all he saw was a golden phoenix with fire red ruby eyes looking back at him. Shane heard shouting from the enemy but it wasn’t war cries, it was cries of pain and frustration.
All along the enemy lines soldiers were disappearing in cleverly camouflaged holes that had been dug all along the field. Armored soldiers were falling into the earth without a trace and then the line around them would break as they tried to walk around the hole.
The enemy lines soon slowed down to hardly a walk as they tried to find where the next hole was going to be.
“That was brilliant!” Shane shouted as three men discovered a new hole and fell into it together, their cries cut off by the bottom of the hole.
“Arrows.” Cass yelled. Their army was almost as long as the Metallic Nations but was less than half as thick. The elves put down their weapons and pulled out their bows from the quivers on their backs.
The elves all notched their arrows and pulled back on the bow strings. Shane heard the enemy soldiers start yelling shields up but Cass’s command was louder.
“Fire!” Cass shouted. Arrows took to the sky like a flock of birds being spooked from their trees. Most of the men were able to get their shields up before the arrows fell upon them but there still quite a few that fell with arrows protruding out of their flesh.
“Again.” Cass yelled and more arrows were sent to the enemy. After the second volley of arrows had found their marks a lone soldier broke free of the lines and charged at the elves. He was still a few hundred feet away but still he charged.
Shane watched as the man ran past arrows that were shot at him, blocking a few with his shield he carried, and continued to run straight at them.
The man’s courage sparked something in the enemy and as one they all broke into a run and followed behind the man.
“Weapons!” Shane shouted as he ran to the front of the lines and broke into a full sprint heading straight for the single man that was closing in on them.
Shane heard Cass shout out orders but he had no idea what she was saying. The shouts and war cries if the elves came roaring up behind him. The elf army advanced like a giant wave about to crash against the shore.
Shane blocked out all that was around him, the sounds and smells, even the thumping of his own heart. He felt Rilora’s anger and rage build up inside of him as he neared the lone runner.
The man screamed and swung his sword wildly as he approached Shane. Shane shouted and leapt into the air and brought his copper blade down with all his might. The man put up his sword to block the blows but Shane’s blade snapped the man’s sword in two and continued with such force that it split open his armor and dropped the man dead at his feet.
Shane shouted like a mad man as he ran at the approaching army, not even sure how close the elves were behind him. He did not slow down as he neared the enemy; instead he lowered his shield and dove into the middle of their line.
Hayden ran up to the deck to see just how close they were to the Light House. He had expected to see the tower just starting to rise on the edge of the horizon but instead he came to find the building towering over some of the ships at the front of their fleet.
“What do we do now?” Hayden yelled as he looked up at the tower.
A dragon’s roar bellowed from the top of the Light House, answering his question before Rimney could.
Hayden ran back into the cabin and quickly dressed in his armor, pulling his silver eagle helmet down over his head.
Draek get ready. Hayden shouted with his mind as he made his way back onto the deck. The tower stood before them, an unmoving obstacle that must be crossed.
The Light House looked a lot like Out Post except for the missing vines that had grown up the side of Out Post and at the top of the Light House was a giant, uncovered flame.
Draek’s head rose from the ocean and came to rest beside the deck. There is something wrong here. Draek said.
What it is it? Hayden asked while he stepped off the ship and climbed down Draek’s neck using his neck spikes.
They know we are here and they have dragons but I think there are only two dragons here. Draek’s head moved from side to side as if he was listening for something.
Only two dragons? The others must be on patrol then. Hayden held on as Draek jumped out of the water and took to the sky.
Draek was starting to climb when his body went ridged and he let out his own roar.
Draek what is it? Hayden asked as he tried to hold on to his dragon. Draek raced towards the top of the Light House. Draek we need to wait for the other dragons.
Even though there were only two dragons in the Light House Hayden didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
Draek didn’t answer but instead he slammed onto the landing pad on top of the Light House. The landing pad looked identical to the one on top of Out Post except for the giant brazier of fire that burned at its center.
“Draek what are you doing?” Hayden asked out loud. Draek lowered he shoulders and began to growl at an invisible enemy. “What’s wrong?” Hayden asked.
Hayden could hear the other blue dragons roaring their frustration and attempting to catch up to Draek.
“We should have waited for the others Draek, who knows what could have been up here.” Hayden complained. Draek stopped moving and stared at a trap door that Hayden assumed opened up into the lower parts of the tower.
Hayden was about to try to ask Draek again what was wrong when the trap door slowly started to open.
Without hesitation Hayden slid off of Draek’s back and quickly pulled out his sword.
The trap door fell back but for a second nothing came out of the darkness beneath it. Then finally a silver armored hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed onto the side of the trap door.
Two armored men climbed up and out of the trap door but they kept their backs turned toward Hayden as he moved out of the trap door.
“The Light House is lost to you, surrender now and no harm will come to you.” Hayden said, doing his best to keep his nervous under control so his voice would not crack.
“We were taught never to surrender, or have you already forgotten?” The figure on the right said.
Hayden stopped in mid step and lowered his sword. He had heard that voice before.
“Sebastian?” Hayden asked. Sebastian turned around to face Hayden and it was Giles that stood by his side.
“What are you two doin
g here?” Hayden couldn’t believe that they were the two dragon riders Draek had sensed.
“This is our station to watch over.” Sebastian said with a smirk.
“After the three of you flew away Elizabeth thought that you guys might have just had too good of a time at the party and figured you guys had gotten lost. She made us search for you for days until finally the idiot riders who were guarding Eytherka showed up and told us what had happened.” Giles spoke as they both slowly stepped towards Hayden.
“She was livid, she mounted her dragon and was going to come looking for you herself but Caine and Bryce wouldn’t allow her to leave.” Sebastian said as they stepped to either side of Hayden.
Hayden. Draek’s voice echoed warningly in Hayden’s mind.
“But there are only two of you, why are there only of two of you here?” Hayden asked. He was so focused on Sebastian and Giles that he didn’t respond to Draek.
“All the other dragon riders near here have been pulled to fight the elves. That is where you should be.” Sebastian said.
Giles slowly walked closer to the edge to look out over the water below. “Ah I see you have brought some friends with you.”
“I guess you would rather join arms with lesser creatures then your own.” Sebastian said as he walked closer to Hayden.
The tip of Hayden’s sword was resting against the ground as Sebastian placed his hand on Hayden’s shoulder and touched the green scale on Hayden’s chest.
“But then again you are not one of us, you are beneath us.” Sebastian whispered.
Hayden looked him in the eye just Giles stepped behind him and hit him in the back of the head.
Hayden went to his knees and the world screamed around him. Draek roared and leapt at Hayden’s assailants just as the blue dragons began to rise above the landing pad.
Hayden rolled to the floor to avoid Draek when he smashed into Giles and Sebastian. Just as Draek got into the air Kurok dove out of the sky and smashed into Draek’s side, sending both dragons tumbling over the edge.
“How greatly we will be rewarded by bringing Elizabeth your stone head. The traitor to the Metallic Riders killed by my hand.” Sebastian said as he drew out his sword. He pointed his blade at Hayden and charged to where he had rolled.
The Clash of Land and Sea_The Dragon Riders of Arvain Page 26