Wind Rider

by Teddy Jacobs

  And the dark lord and his minions?

  We believe that as long as they are on the far side of you, they pose no danger of interference. You could teleport right now to us, but you will get here almost as fast on dragonback. Anyway, I don’t think we are ready to teleport a dragon. The gateway and the energy expended would be enormous.

  I felt Ulrike’s mind interrupt. Anders, we need to get going. We are not dragons; we are just getting colder here on the peaks, and Adalbjorn has no place to roost either.

  I looked around me. We stood now all on the craggy peaks of the Stone Mountain. Adalbjorn was perched awkwardly between two peaks, his enormous body surely missing his home inside the mountain.

  We fly then. Kara and her kin will show us the way.

  And then I did something I had never done before: I connected Kara’s mind to Ulrike, and to the others around us, and to their dragons.

  I felt Adalbjorn’s huge and foreign intelligence. We see the way. Let us fly.

  Then we were in the air again, falling first, then moving up. Although the protective sap warmed my face and hands, the cold wind still numbed them. I concentrated on helping Yesenia navigate. We flew parallel to Adalbjorn and Ulrike, high above the meadows that lay below the far side of the Stone Mountain. Ahead lay forest, and somewhere in the forest, was the land of the Kriek, hidden from all eyes except their own.

  I reached out and felt the life below me. The plants were different from the other side of the Stone Mountain; they were foreign, but seemed to welcome the touch of my mind — I could feel their energy.

  I tried to follow the link of Kara’s mind all the way back to the Kriek city but it was too far; I could only feel the plants and trees beneath me for about a mile ahead.

  What I felt was calming, though. Here the plants had not been trampled and burned by goblins, kobolds and trolls… the land was happy, and growing, and neither swamped nor thirsty.

  Relax and rest, little one. Yusef and Sednar are sending Adalbjorn and me their directions… You humans may as well rest. Do not fall asleep, or I will have to swoop down and catch you, but you can relax your mind… We will not break the link…

  Aren’t you tired, yourself?

  We dragons do not tire quickly; we tend to rest for long periods of time, relative to humans, but then we are active without need for rest. I think we will all be hungry soon, though… Rest a little, and when you wake, we will hunt, perhaps, and then will be there. Listen to my dragonsong, and let it fill you with restful and peaceful thoughts, and let yourself relax and perhaps even sleep; I will catch you if you fall…

  And so I let myself fall into a slumber as the dragonsong filled my mind and my limbs with its warm sunny song. As the cold air raced over me I was filled with warm images and colors, and with music that made my muscles relax. I felt one with the dragon, as if I were sinking into her song. I could sleep now, I was sure, without falling off her back… I let myself be one with the music and let my worries and my fears empty out of me. And then, for a few minutes, at last, in the cold air high above the green fields, I slept.

  The wind burned my eyes when I opened them again. We were descending in a great spiral, high above a tiny field in the middle of what must be green forest. You have slept longer than we intended, little one. We are here, in the land of the Kriek. Can you see your friend down below? We flew very high, to avoid detection and because the air flows faster up there.

  I blinked as I looked down. I could not make out Kara, but when I used my third eye I could see her as a point of green light down below, and heard her voice in my head.

  Anders, it is good to feel your mind.

  Can we really land on that tiny strip?

  It seems tiny because you are so high up. Yusef says it’s adequate, and Sednar agrees.

  But at the rate we are spiraling it will take us several more minutes to get down there.

  I think you weren’t the only one to nap. Tell Yesenia you want to drop, but hold on tight if she does.

  Yesenia?

  Kara is right. Hold on tight. Here I go.

  We fell like a flaming arrow, shooting down through the cold air. I held on for dear life. We were going to crash into the green grasses and shrubs, I could see Kara looking up at me now, a look of horror on her face… and then, suddenly Yesenia opened her wings part way and we zoomed around the field in three short spirals. She opened her wings large then, beat them twice, and landed softly on the ground.

  I let myself fall to the ground. My legs felt weak and numb, and I almost stumbled with my first few steps. Then Kara was running up to meet me, and I ran to her. Before I knew it she was in my arms, hugging me.

  “Anders, I was so worried about you.” She smiled at me. “From so far away all we could scry a great battle raging, but we couldn’t tell who was winning…”

  “Gerard… He escaped again.”

  “I have a feeling he won’t commit himself until the final battle, and even then, I fear he will find a way to escape.”

  “Will it come to that, you think? A final battle?”

  Kara stared at me for a moment. Behind me, I could hear dragons landing. It was suddenly too loud to talk.

  What do you think?

  I don’t know or I wouldn’t have asked.

  I mean, what do you feel, in your blood?

  I stopped for a moment to ponder that question. How could I ask my blood a question? Feel it, came the answer, unbidden. I filled my body and mind with war, felt it course through my blood; yes, there would be a final battle. I was sure of it.

  There will be a final battle. Not now, though. This is just our first test.

  Kara stared at me another moment. Almost the same exact thoughts are written in the book of Id. I think you have your own book of Id, in your blood. That is why the dark lord wants you, and our book. Your blood and the book contain all the secrets and prophecies of this era that is ending.

  I turned around to see all the dragons had landed.

  Kara smiled, and made a big gesture. Follow Yusef, he will lead the way.

  It was then that I realized that Kara had not come alone. Her dragon stood waiting, standing on his short strong legs. Yusef’s eyes twinkled in the sunlight.

  I dismounted and stood beside Kara, and watched Yesenia move over to Yusef. Whatever had made me think they were solitary creatures? How little I knew about dragons, even if my mind and aura had melded with one. The pleasure visible in their eyes to see each other again filled me with a strange warmth. Could Yusef have as strong feelings for Yesenia as I had for Ulrike, and for Kara? I felt like asking Yesenia, but not here. Not now. Still I could feel the waves of pleasure emanating from her; she was happy to see him, that much was clear.

  One by one the dragons followed Yusef into the forest, weaving between the trees. The other riders gathered behind me and Kara, rubbing their legs.

  “Will they be safe?” I asked.

  The dragons will be fine. Yusef has picked a meeting place for us Kriek that accommodates their needs, and they have escape routes, as well, should we be attacked. We have temporary roosts so they may rest, water to drink — and tomorrow they will hunt.

  We walked behind the dragons now. It felt strange and painful to walk after so much time on dragonback. I could see the others stopping to rub their legs as well. Kara smiled at us. I was sore for several hours, but the pain goes away, eventually. My people are at work already making harnesses which should make our lives on dragonback easier.

  Woltan looked weak still, but he smiled. I would rather be sore than dead. These dragons have saved my life twice over.

  What happened?

  Demons, Kara. Demons of a level I thought could no longer be called by humankind. One of them bit me, and only the art of the tree mother and the power of the dragons kept me from passing on to the next world. I felt myself fading and saw demon spawn everywhere around me. We need all the art and wisdom of the Kriek to counter this new threat.

  How did you get rid
of them?

  Anders and the others pushed them into another plane; they created a rift between the planes, and then sealed it. I don’t think we’ll be so lucky next time.

  I fear that the dark lord may have discovered some other ancient tome; he still seeks the Book of Id, but he already has dark magic that we thought lost, if he is able to conjure demons of such power.

  We were walking along a path that must have been widened for the dragons. Every once in a while we came to a burned down stump. Up ahead I could feel strong magic — at first I thought it was the dragons, but then realized it was human. We were walking up to a great circle; I could feel and see the circle in my mind, and inside the circle were lines that connected everyone in it. So many were in the circle, so many were the connections between them that it seem almost like a solid circle of green light, shining in my inner eye even though we were not yet upon it. At intervals in the circle there were dragons; they too were connected, and at equal distances around the circle.

  Somehow, instantly, I knew.

  It was the great gathering, the Kriek council. One thousand strong, all their minds melded.

  Awaiting our arrival.

  Kara must have sensed my unease. “They are assembled to make plans of war, to come to the aid of Woltan’s people. They are assembled to honor the dragons that honor them with their presence. And they are assembled to greet you, Anders, the three-blooded prince of the prophecy. As a guest, but also as kin. You have nothing to fear here, bloodsinger. Remember that. No matter what else happens, we are your kin.”

  I know. That’s why I don’t want to embarrass myself.

  XIII

  The air crackled with energy as I approached the clearing. Tentacles of thought reached out from the circle to attach to me and my companions, making us part of the circle before we arrived in it.

  I could feel Elias come alive behind me. I smiled. It’s amazing isn’t it.

  Never in my life could I imagine so much energy. One thousand Kriek and the dragons as well!

  The air crackles with energy.

  Not just the air, Anders, open your third eye and your inner ear!

  They are open.

  No, Anders, open them fully! You are seeing things with your eyes closed.

  I’ll go blind!

  No, Anders; open them!

  So I opened my third eye, and my inner ears. Sound and color and light rushed through me.

  It was a mistake.

  Elias was wrong.

  There was no way to handle it all. I was going deaf and blind. I opened my mouth to scream.

  Instead, my eyes adjusted.

  I could see and hear everyone and everything around me. Everything was bright, but after that initial moment, nothing hurt. Auras blazed around me, separately and as a whole. They welcomed me, their lines of thought reaching out to me and my companions. So much energy, yes, but there was also love, and care, and concern, fear for the future, and hope. A tremendous quantity of hope.

  The circle drew us in. It was like a great dome made up of curved arcs that connected everyone in the circle. And inside the circle were more circles, concentrically, and at the very center was an older man.

  I knew who he was, then, and felt his thoughts. The man reached out to me, and bid me welcome.

  Welcome Anders Tomason. I am king Thorald, Kara’s uncle, the chief of the Kriek. Hail and well met.

  There was warmth there, and wisdom, but also pain.

  Like you, I bear scars from the dark lord. We have much in common, you and I, and not just the blood we share.

  My legs kept on walking; I was being guided into the circle, the circle that was actually a sphere, reaching up and above us, and down and underneath us, connecting us together and shielding us from the outside.

  Then we were all there: my companions, the dragons, all linked into the great sphere of thought, our auras made one.

  Anders, please share your experiences with us. We need to know everything.

  But uncle, Woltan must show you the forgotten city.

  Patience, Kara. First we must see and judge our new kinsman.

  I felt a surge of panic. A thousand Kriek were going to judge my experiences, my thoughts, my guilt? Kara, what does he mean, everything?

  Father, you are scaring instead of welcoming him; he does not know our ways.

  I am sorry, Anders — you have barely arrived and instead of a welcoming feast you find yourself in full council. War is at hand. We ask you to share — we do not probe, we will not look at thoughts that are not for us. Yet we know the truth when we see it.

  So I felt the tension drain out of me, and began to share, starting with my earliest memories of my father and my mother, and of the man who would become the dark lord…

  Parts of my mind seemed closed to myself, even, but I showed them my testing, proving I was a full wizard born, and my tutors who had taught me the little wizardry I had learned, keeping me away from the other students. And then when everything had changed, when Kara had come into my life.

  Pulling her through the barrier. And then Gerard. The first attack. And then the keiler, my first kill. The lost city. Being testing by Woltan and Jona. Training. Singing the sword together. My parents, frozen, as good as dead, yet alive. Reading the future, scrying. Pain and death. Recovery. The images flashed through my head, faster than I could read them. The tree mother, my new vision of plant life. The dragon that tested me and found me worthy. One test after another. And now one last test.

  Enough. The boy has been through enough. Show us the dark lord again and these demons, and we will see if that tells us anything of use.

  I was weary, but I felt Elias and Woltan and the others join us, and what came then was multidimensional, a composite recent history. From me came the image of the dark lord, when he had burned me red and destroyed Karsten’s mother. From me and the others came the memory of the dark lord when we had tried to teleport, and images of the demons. I heard their voices, and felt them. Now I was a spectator too, watching Woltan and Elias battle the demons, throwing spell after spell at them as the demons sucked the life out of the tree and killed with spittle and bite.

  I heard whispers and echoes of horror. These are demons of the 6th level! How could anyone have conjured them? He must have had help… But who? And where would he get the knowledge?

  The demons spoke words in an old ugly tongue.

  Then the spell, that sent them back into another plane, and the rift that shimmered in the air. The healing of Woltan.

  That was great old magic, magic we thought was lost but for the book of Id. He has not read it, has he?

  Kara spoke then. It is in his blood.

  And in the blood of the dark lord. His uncle.

  Some of it, perhaps, yet incomplete. So the dark lord seeks the book, while this bloodsinger boy does not need it.

  The dark lord seeks Anders, as well. With him he would not need the book.

  A book is easier to understand than the blood of a boy. But still Anders would be a fearsome ally to the dark lord.

  You’re right. He’s dangerous. He shouldn’t be here.

  I felt anger welling up inside me, but it was nothing compared to that of the dragons and my companions. It came out together, in one great rush of thoughts. He has proved himself in battle! The dark lord has scarred him. How dare you question him!

  There was silence for a moment.

  Point taken. The boy knows his own parents are enslaved until his uncle is destroyed.

  Take it to a vote — do we accept the boy and give him our full support, as kin?

  I recognized the thoughts of King Thorald.

  We vote. Those who doubt him, let us feel your doubts.

  There were a flurry of thoughts. He is so young. He is fragile, but powerful. I fear he can be misused. He should not be a warrior; he should be with his parents!

  My parents. As if it would be any use to be with them now. But I seconded their doubts. How could anyone expect me to le
ad a battle against my own uncle, three times my age and as hundred times as powerful?

  Those who have doubts have voiced them. We the council of the Kriek have heard them. Now, those who support the three-blooded prince, who recognize his importance to our cause, who recognize him as our kin, show your support.

  There was a rush of power, of light, of music that hit me from all sides and ran through me and over me. I felt lifted up in the air; dancing on current of positive thought.

  We accept Anders Tomason as three-blooded prince, kinsman, and warrior-mage!

  Then it was Woltan’s turn to make the case for the battle. Images of the dark lord’s attacks flooded the council’s consciousness: the attacks on the tree mother, the attack when we had tried to teleport to the Kriek. And then the Kriek were giving their own images: isolated attacks on small parties, Kriek warriors assassinated. The images were many and confusing, and deeply troubling. For a moment I saw red again, and remembered my own scarring.

  All those who have doubts on the wisdom of accepting Woltan and his city as allies, speak their mind now.

  There was a pause.

  We cannot leave our people undefended. … Most of us never believed this forgotten city even existed!

  And yet we sent a search party to find it, Thaddeus, since we knew the dark lord would stop at nothing to possess the knowledge within. Do I need to remind you of the prophecy that in that city the three-blooded prince would be tested, and his sword reforged? So has come to pass. We must unite with our friends to defeat a common enemy. At the same time we must still keep our own city defended, for the dark lord is devious, and would use our absence to his advantage.

  There was a long pause as the council of a thousand considered Thorald’s thoughts.

  Then, suddenly, in an overwhelming rush, came a consensus, overpowering all doubt. We accept Woltan of the old city as ally and friend! We pledge to send half of our forces now, to help the defense of his city.