*****
All the wizards on the ship felt the release at the same time. Now it was time to disperse their own damper field; they didn’t need it now – their powers were fully restored.
‘Hey, everyone… look!’ Rhidian shouted as he peered down at the palace grounds. Everyone made their way to the handrail and looked over. They could see helmets being removed right, left and centre.
‘W-hat happened? Rhidian, where am I?’ Rhidian turned and saw that Shana was sat on the deck, her face pale but her eyes alive again.
‘Shana, you’ve been used by Jenta-Lor,’ Rhidian said. ‘Try not to move, you’ll soon come round. I’ll explain it all later.’
‘I-I don’t understand,’ she said, staring at her uniform.
‘We’ll soon have you on the ground,’ Rhidian said with reassurance. Alba walked over and gave her a bottle of water.
‘Stay there, my dear. We still have things to do,’ Alba insisted.
‘He’s lost his army now,’ Caleb said with relish.
‘But we still have to find him and secure him for good,’ Obsidian added. ‘Let’s get down there.’
Chapter 34
The Rise of Ruin
All was against him and everyone thought that Jenta-Lor was about to give in. He was cornered. His so-called army of police soldiers were now out of their trances, the power he’d held over them lost. It seemed that there was no escape for the evil ruler.
The fog had totally dissolved and the sky was changing from night to day. The sun began to rise in the east, bringing warmth and light. So was it almost all over? All the wizards had to do now was to take control and lock up Jenta-Lor in Skytraz Prison, just like he’d done to countless others – including Red. But where was he?
The Horizon was settled on the ground and anchored in a field, far from the burning compound.
‘Douse that fire, Red,’ Obsidian called out, and Red targeted the burning drums and swept down from the sky and circled the compound. Shard blew an icy blast that cooled and smothered the flames, leaving clouds of white smoke. But the fire was finally out.
‘Well done, boy,’ Red said as he patted Shard’s neck.
‘My pleasure,’ Shard replied with a grin, baring his huge pointed teeth.
‘Where is he?’ Rebus asked, the urgency in his voice grave. ‘Jenta-Lor, where is he?’
‘Trying to make his escape, I would have thought. I’ve a bad feeling though,’ Obsidian revealed. ‘Find Jenta-Lor and bring him to me,’ Obsidian said to his wizard companions.
A terrible screech cut through the hiss of the diminishing fire. A shriek so loud that it hurt everyone’s ears.
‘Aaargh. That’s painful,’ Rhidian complained, trying to blot out the sound. ‘What is that?’
Soon, from the clouds of billowing smoke, it came. Everyone looked in disbelief as a huge, black dragon took to the sky.
‘What is going on?’ Rebus gasped. ‘Where did that thing come from?’
The dragon looked almost identical to Shard, except for the fact that he was black and not blue! It had the same long, narrow head, a beautifully curved neck and its torso was thick and strong, protected by a network of scales. The dragon’s hind legs looked as though they could lift a mountain. Perched on its back was the person everyone was looking for – Jenta-Lor! The colossal, black dragon spread its vast wings to their fullest. It was a formidable sight. Jenta-Lor then spoke and his voice boomed.
‘You all thought I’d lie down and let you take over my city!’ he bellowed, his eyes filled with hatred.
‘It’s not your city any more, Jenta-Lor!’ Red barked back, as he and Shard flew towards them. ‘Obsidian is in control once again.’
‘Not if I can help it,’ Jenta-Lor growled and moved in to attack.
‘Be careful, Red.’ Rhidian looked up from the ground, knowing full well that the boy couldn’t hear him.
Red could feel Shard’s body stiffen, ready to defend. Jenta-Lor’s eyes widened and his grin turned into a wide sneer. They faced one another in the air.
‘I’d like to introduce you to Ruin,’ Jenta-Lor gloated, ‘and that’s exactly what he’s going to do to you and your friends.’ With that, the beast flew directly at them, the black dragon’s mouth open wide.
Red had read the situation right away and knew the dragon was about to belch fire. So, too, did Shard. The blue dragon was wise to it too, and before Red could issue instructions, the dragon dive-bombed to the ground.
Ruin suddenly let rip with a stream of fire that burst from its throat. The yellow- orange flames lit a trail across the sky like a flaming spear. The people below scattered and ran for cover. The wizards themselves had to shade their eyes from the sheer brilliance of the firestorm.
Luckily, with Shard’s quick thinking, the fire reached its peak and evaporated before it did any damage. While all this was going on, Shard had circled around the back of Ruin and blasted a stream of fire of his own. Jenta-Lor was no fool and easily guided his dragon out of harm’s way. Shard gave chase, with Red willing him on. They were cunningly trying to push Jenta-Lor and Ruin from the bystanders and away from the city.
It was almost daylight now as the two dragons scorched across the morning sky. They looked magnificent. It was certainly an impressive but deadly show. Red knew that they were far enough away from Valusha to really battle one another without endangering innocent people. He also knew that he was a novice against Jenta-Lor – a seasoned wizard. But, being a dragon rider and a wizard was deep inside him now. He just had to let it out. He had been practising as much as was possible in the time they’d had together.
Shard was about to fire off another volley of flames, when Ruin, guided by Jenta-Lor, turned in double-quick time and swooped directly underneath the blue dragon’s body. The two beasts collided and Red almost fell off Shard’s back on impact. Ruin stabbed his sharp horns deep into Shard’s underside, which left two puncture holes. The blue dragon screamed with an ear-splitting shriek. He was left badly wounded and winded, so much so he lost control of flight.
Shard fell to earth at a rapid pace, gasping for air, blood pouring from the fresh injuries. Red hung on for dear life and shouted intensely at Shard to level off.
‘Shard, Shard!’ he ranted. ‘Pull up, pull up.’ The boy gasped, tears streaming from his eyes and taken away by the wind. But the dragon was still trying to breathe and continued to descend towards the sea. ‘SHARD, you have to pull up!’ Red screeched into his ear. That seemed to do the trick and the dragon came back to his senses. He was breathless and in pain, and moving at such a speed it was almost impossible to level off.
They could both see the shimmer of the blue surface fast approaching and Shard eased back his head. He came to within metres of the sea and pulled out of the dive. They went from a decline to horizontal and into an incline in a split-second, and ended up skimming the surface of the water. Foam and seawater splashed in Red’s face and the salt burned Shard’s wounds.
‘If you wanted a dip you should have asked,’ Red joked, and then he saw the blood dripping down Shard’s legs. ‘Shard, you’re hurt.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Shard winced. ‘We have to stop this right now, before it gets out of control.’ Soon they were soaring back up into the blue expanse. But where had Jenta-Lor and Ruin gone? Then Red’s newfound magical powers told him they were right behind! The boy wizard suddenly heard the crackle and hiss of Ruin’s throat as it readied for another gush of flame.
‘Faster, Shard, faster – lift, lift!’ Red bellowed and gripped his horns as tight as he could.
‘I-am-trying-Red,’ Shard gasped, the pain obvious in his voice. Ruin let out a line of fire that caught the tip of Shard’s tail. The blue dragon screamed and pulled away quickly at a different angle.
‘Quickly, Shard,’ Red said urgently. ‘Turn around now and fire directly at Ruin’s belly – the same as he did to us.’ Shard realised what Red could see: Jenta-Lor was too preoccupied. He was looking back at the city, thi
nking that this battle was almost over and that was his mistake.
Red yanked at Shard’s horns and pulled to the left. Shard was fully in position and urgently let loose a blast of wild fire that struck the black dragon’s underside. By the time Jenta-Lor realised what had happened… it was too late.
Shard’s concentrated flame cut a long gash along the underbelly of Ruin. The black dragon suddenly exploded into a colossal fireball which quickly dissolved into nothingness.
‘I knew it. Ruin was just a spell. One of Jenta-Lor’s party tricks,’ Red gushed. Immediately they heard the screams of Jenta-Lor as he fell towards the sea.
‘Should we rescue him, or let him drown?’ Red asked.
‘You can’t let him die – he has to answer for all his misdeeds,’ Shard said, and broke into a dive. They caught up with his falling body before he hit the cold water. Shard grasped him between his teeth and held fast.
‘Let me go – let me go,’ Jenta-Lor protested, but the dragon’s jaw was too strong.
‘You’ll need my help to keep Jenta-Lor from breaking away.’ Obsidian’s voice seeped through Red’s mind.
‘Yes, master,’ Red answered.
But as Jenta-Lor tried to break free, he suddenly found himself weak and as stiff as a starched shirt. ‘You’re not going anywhere,’ Red expressed, as he felt the surge of magical energy pulse through his veins. He knew exactly what to do and how to do it, but it was with the help of Obsidian.
Red had combined his magical energy with the old master, and Jenta-Lor was trapped with invisible ice. He could only move his eyes, the rest of his limbs paralysed.
‘Let’s take him back to Obsidian, Shard. He’ll know what to do with him,’ Red added. ‘Thank you, master, I know I have a lot to learn and, with your help, I can be a strong wizard some day.’
Red could see that Shard was in a lot of pain; they had to get back and repair his wounds. ‘It isn’t far, Shard. We can make it, my friend. We’ll soon get you well again,’ Red said, but wasn’t sure at all if the dragon was going to survive. Shard flew as fast as he could back to Valusha.
Red felt his life had just changed forever – he was truly a wizard now and, hopefully, if Shard was well again, a dragon rider, too.
Chapter 35
Old Ruler Returned
Mia stepped out of the palace into the blazing sun and the first person she saw was her husband, Rhidian. His eyes were glistening and, so too, were hers. They ran towards each other and locked in a loving embrace.
‘I’m so happy that you’re all right,’ Rhidian said, his voice muffled as he snuggled in her shoulder.
‘Me, too. I’ve got something very important to tell you,’ Mia said, but didn’t have the chance, as Shard appeared and came in to land. The people were scared and backed away, but they soon calmed when they saw Jenta-Lor, the ruler they despised, locked in the mouth of the dragon.
‘Please!’ Red shrieked, his voice wracked with urgency, ‘Shard is hurt.’ Then the dragon swooped in, very unsteadily. He crash-landed and came to a stop on his side. Jenta-Lor fell from the dragon’s open jaw and rolled over, but couldn’t get up. There was a lot of murmuring in the crowd and the wizards came in to help.
‘What happened?’ Caleb said when he saw Shard’s wounds.
‘The black dragon dived straight for his belly,’ Red sobbed.
‘He’s lost a lot of blood,’ Alba conveyed with concern, as he surveyed the damage. Shard’s blue eyes were watery and weak. He slowly began to close them and Red could see how serious the situation was.
‘Don’t go to sleep, Shard. Stay awake please,’ Red cried. ‘Someone, do something.’ Mia broke through the crowd and with the help of the other wizards, linked hands and concentrated. Shard appeared very weak and took one last breath. ‘No, don’t you die, Shard. You must stay awake,’ Red insisted, tears flowing onto Shard’s cheek, but his head dropped to one side.
Soon, all the wizards held a yellow glow. The blue dragon closed his eyes and the power of the sorcerers began to take effect. The bloody gouges slowly closed and eventually, after a minute or so, Shard’s belly looked healed again, but the dragon was near death. The glow of magic diminished and the wizards stepped back. There was no more they could do. Silence crushed the murmurs and all stood deathly still.
A huge weight of sadness consumed everyone. Obsidian looked at the crowd and the wizards, and was about to speak when Shard slowly opened his eyes. In the next seconds, wild cheers and laughter spread all around. Red hugged the dragon as tight as he could.
‘What’s all this fuss about?’ Shard spoke, and the laughter lifted even higher.
It was now Obsidian’s time to do something. He felt that he had to address the people. Rebus picked up on this and gestured for him to move inside the palace and onto the balcony.
‘Good idea, old man,’ Obsidian mused. ‘This is a special time and I need to reassure these people that this won’t ever happen again.’ His eyes were focused and his mind grasped for what he had to say.
While Obsidian and Rebus disappeared into the foyer, Alba and Caleb noticed someone dressed in black trying to make his escape. The two wizards were about to stun him with magic, but a right hook from Rhidian sent him spinning.
‘That’s for what you did to me, Morbid, you weasel,’ Rhidian grinned, satisfaction written all over his face.
Obsidian stood on the balcony, and amplified his voice so that all the people could hear what he had to say. The crowd hushed and looked up.
‘From this day on, everyone is welcome in these gardens. Come and hear what I say,’ Obsidian insisted. With that, the gates were opened wide and lots of people poured in. There was trepidation at the sight of a fully-grown dragon on the front lawn and Obsidian could sense that. ‘Shard will not harm you. In fact,’ Obsidian called out from on high, ‘if it wasn’t for his help, we would not have defeated Jenta-Lor.’ There was a general coo from the crowd. Once the whispers and murmurings had subsided, the great wizard spoke again.
‘I was forced out of office and exiled from Valusha by Jenta-Lor, as you all well know. He said he didn’t want wizards and magic inside the walls of the city. You all agreed with him.’ There was an uncomfortable ripple amongst the people. ‘So every wizard was either exiled or imprisoned, but for what?’ He shook his head in dismay and stood silent for a moment. ‘What was life like under the rule of Jenta-Lor?’ Obsidian asked. There was another pause and then someone from within the crowd spoke.
‘Life was terrible,’ a man said. ‘He taxed us heavily and treated us like his personal servants.’ The people agreed and a chorus of low groans erupted. ‘Life was so much better under your rule, sir. This man tricked us into believing that you were the evil one,’ the man relented. ‘I think, looking around at everyone here, we are all truly sorry,’ he apologised.
‘Life can go back to the way it was,’ Obsidian said with a warm smile. ‘And the ironic thing is, Jenta-Lor himself,’ and he pointed to the wizard when he spoke, ‘is a wizard, too.’ There was a chorus of booing that filled the air and then, as Obsidian raised his hand, the roars dulled.
‘I want you to give me the same respect that you gave me before all this nonsense took place,’ the old wizard said honestly. ‘And when I finally retire, my granddaughter, Mia, will be the next in line to rule Valusha.’ He pointed to her and she looked as stunned as Rhidian.
‘You are Obsidian’s granddaughter?’ Rhidian said and he looked numb.
‘The wizard bit, I was about to tell you – the granddaughter part, I didn’t even know myself until now,’ she spoke honestly. ‘I am as shocked as you are, Rhidian. You have to believe me. It must have been that damper field. It took away the memory of nearly everything, except you,’ she said. ‘That’s probably because inside the force field I didn’t know I was a wizard,’ she spoke honestly. ‘I now realise that Obsidian is my grandfather and also that my parents died in a freak accident when I was a baby.’ There were tears in her eyes and he hugged her aga
in. Rhidian realised right then that even the wizards were kept in the dark by the damper field.
The surprise announcement was soon turned from gasps into wild cheers. Obsidian turned to Rebus.
‘I realise now, master, why I couldn’t remember that you had a granddaughter,’ he puzzled.
‘It was the force field, Rebus. It took away all the wizards’ memories. But I knew there was a wizard inside the city, my intuition told me that. And now I know it’s my granddaughter, Mia,’ he said with relief.
Obsidian then turned to the people and raised his hand to quiet the crowd one more time. ‘I now declare this day as a holiday. All taxes will be reduced to a more sensible level. And no one will be forced to join the police service any more. If you want to be a Valusha Police Service Officer, then job applications will be handed out. Magic will never be used for evil ever again in Valusha. Further more, Jenta-Lor will go directly to Skytraz Prison to serve out the rest of his days. And all innocent prisoners will be released immediately. I will be appointing new people into employment positions to help throughout the city – wizards and citizens are equal. Now… it’s time to relax and enjoy our new holiday. Tomorrow the real work begins to get the city back on its feet. Thank you, citizens of Valusha.’
There were huge cheers for their old ruler, who was now their new ruler again. Rhidian and Mia welcomed Mia’s grandfather, Obsidian, into their new family. There were a lot of tears but joyous ones. Rhidian was reinstated as the engineer. The couple returned to their home and lived a great life. It took a bit of getting used to, but Rhidian finally accepted Mia as a wizard. The other wizards were welcomed back with open arms. And even Shard was pampered as he was Valusha’s new mascot. Red became a fine wizard and once Shard was back to full strength, Red became a skilled dragon rider too.
Jenta-Lor was put into solitary confinement and is still there to this day. Morbid was exiled and hasn’t been heard from since. Valusha is safe once more.
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