Magic Within

KAEL

Kael sat astride Eithne’s back, his eyes on the dark sky. The first rays of dawn touched the horizon, and he found it odd that such a beautiful sight signaled the beginning of so much death and blood.

Colmen and Alik stood on either side of Eithne’s forelegs, their expressions grim.

Kael looked down the line at the brave Freemen that he would lead into battle.

All of them brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers.

Egan and Janis were positioned further down, each Rider in command of his own battalion. Janis sat tall in his saddle, and the sight of the fourteen-year-old prepared for war tore at Kael’s heart.

He felt a hand tap his foot, and he looked down at Colmen. “Gods be with you, brother,” he said quietly.

“And with you, my friend.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Alik grunted. “Syra is waiting for me.”

“Stay close to me,” the elf called. “She told me to take care of you.”

“Worry about yourself, elf,” Alik shot back. He brandished his axe. “I’ll be fine.”

A grim smile curled Kael’s lip.

Suddenly, two dragons rose into the sky to the north, and Kael felt Eithne growl underneath him.

Enemy Riders.

The roar of a thousand voices erupted from the north, and the Freemen responded. The forest shook, hoards of startled birds nearly blotting out the sky.

Kael felt his dragon’s mind embrace his, feeling her determination, her readiness, and her love for him. He sent back the same. And then, with a furious roar, she threw them both up into the sky.

ANDRA

Andra sprinted through the forest, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Amala had provided her with leather armor and two knives, and it had taken far too long to get ready.

She could sense that Tiri was already fighting with the others.

Above her, she began to see figures hidden in trees. She heard the twangs of bows and the hiss of arrows. She ran through a thicket and suddenly it was all before her.

Chaos.

Bloodstained chaos.

Bodies were strewn all across the ground, arrows protruding from their chests or deep wounds pouring pools of blood onto the dirt and grass.

She could taste the blood in the air as the sound of crashing metal clashed with the screams of the wounded and the dying.

Someone bumped into her from behind, and she spun wildly, only to see a Freeman stumble past her, running into the fray, sword in hand. She took a deep breath and followed him in.

The rebel in front of her was suddenly shot with a flurry of arrows, and Andra had to dive to the side to avoid being riddled with holes herself.

Before she could recover, a flash of steel was racing down toward her; she had to roll away as the blade dug into the dirt.

A man in silver armor and a deep blue tunic loomed above her as he reversed his blade and stabbed down at her. She dodged again, quickly getting to her feet and shoving her dagger into the exposed area under his arm.

He howled with pain, and Andra danced away as he swung at her again. He was well armored, but slow.

~“Your speed will be your greatest weapon,”~ Kael’s voice said in her mind.

Andra eyed her opponent, taking in every move, every subtle shift in his stance. He lunged forward, his sword carving a deadly arc in the air.

Instead of dodging away, Andra rolled forward, stepping within the reach of his longer blade.

Before the soldier could recover, Andra slashed up with her dagger, her strike finding the flesh at his throat. His eyes went wide, and he made a choking sound as he sank to his knees.

Andra forced herself to look away. She had no time to think about what she’d done. Another soldier was running toward her.

Her mind went blank, her body fueled by instinct and adrenaline. She killed with her knives, her magic turning her into a blur of speed on the battlefield.

Dodge. Move. Strike. Kill.

A sudden flash of heat seared her face, and she looked up to see a fireball racing toward her.

~Shield!~ she thought desperately, reaching into the well of magic in the back of her mind. A cocoon of violet flame surrounded her, protecting her from the magic, but the blast still sent her hurtling into a tree.

She cried out in pain as she slammed into it, sagging to the ground.

Suddenly, she felt a foreign presence slam against her stunned mind. It closed around the well of power that thrummed inside her, blocking her from her magic.

Andra looked up to see a sorcerer grinning at her as he prepared the spell that would end her life.

~“Andra!”~ she heard Tiri cry in her mind. She looked up and saw that the dragon was locked in mortal combat high above the trees.

The dragon tried to reach her, but she was too far away.

~“I’m sorry, Tiri…”~

The sorcerer thrust his hand forward, arcane power surging through his palm, when suddenly an arrow slammed into his shoulder, breaking his concentration.

Andra felt the block in her mind melt away, her magic surging back into her veins, furious that it had been denied. She sent a stream of purple fire at the sorcerer, his screams filling the air as he was burned to a crisp.

She turned to find her savior, and relief flooded through her when she saw a familiar face.

“Colmen!”

The purple-eyed elf loosed another flurry of arrows before turning to her with a resigned sigh. “Why am I not surprised to see you here?”

But there was no time to talk. The pair ran through the battlefield. Andra was covered in cuts and bruises, her hands wet with dripping blood. They were suddenly surrounded, a half-dozen Kingsmen closing in.

~“Andra!”~ Tiri called. She looked up to see the dragon diving through the trees. She landed next to her, sending an arc of violet flame around them that blasted the enemy soldiers away.

~“The battle is lost,”~ Tiri said.

~“What?”~ Andra looked around in the chaos. She couldn’t tell who was winning or losing.

~“The Kingsmen are pushing us too far back. We’ve got to get out of here before we’re surrounded!”~

Despair weighed down Andra’s limbs. She looked to Colmen, but the grim look on his face only confirmed her fears.

~We’re going to lose? Is there no hope?~

A sudden roar split the air, the piercing sound of desperation and rage making Andra’s ears ring.

She looked in the distance and saw Eithne trying to force herself through some kind of magical barrier, each slam causing the trees to shake from the impact.

~“Eithne?!”~ Andra called.

The red dragon’s head whipped in her direction, and she could hear the fear in her voice. ~“Kael’s been captured!”~ Eithne yelled into her mind. ~“Help him!”~

Colmen immediately took off running to Kael’s aid.

Andra didn’t hesitate either.

~Tiri! Take me there.~

~Sister, we have to leave before—~

~Now!~

Andra hopped onto the dragon’s back, and Tiri sped forward. They passed by Colmen and the elf skillfully grabbed on to Andra’s hand as he leapt up to sit behind her.

They zoomed over the battlefield, closing the gap toward Kael, and what Andra saw made her blood run cold.

Kael was on his knees, two sorcerers binding him with their magic. He had been disarmed, and a soldier clad in black armor loomed above him, blade in hand.

But not just any soldier.

~Ledo.~

He raised his sword high, seconds away from ending Kael’s life. Terror gripped her heart in a vice.

~“Faster, Tiri!”~

With a mighty flap of her wings, Tiri powered forward, like an arrow launched from a bow. Andra could see the magical barrier that held Eithne at bay, but she wouldn’t let that stop her.

She focused her magic in front of her like a wedge, and they sliced through it like a blade through tall grass.

Ledo brought the sword down.

And they were still so far away.

Andra threw her dagger forward, pinning all of her hope and desperation into the tip of the blade, praying her magic would reach him in time.

~Save him!~

KAEL

The blade came screaming down toward his neck, and the faces of all those he loved flashed before him.

Kael kept his eyes open. He’d look death in the face.

Suddenly a dagger wreathed in violet flame slammed into Ledo’s sword, deflecting the killing blow. Kael felt the sorcerers around him waver momentarily in surprise.

That was all the opening he needed.

He surged to his feet, a ring of fire exploding from him. The sorcerers waved the fire away, stepping back from the flame. Kael was free, though he was still surrounded.

But no longer alone.

Andra and Colmen leapt down beside him as Tiri circled them protectively, an ear-splitting roar of challenge erupting from her throat.

Pride filled Kael’s heart. Andra truly was free.

And she’d chosen to fight.

ANDRA

There was no time to speak. No time for a heartfelt reunion. Only time for violence and blood.

The soldiers around attacked them immediately. They fought back-to-back, covering each other’s blind spots. But for every soldier they pushed back, two more took their place.

Andra’s body was heavy with exhaustion, the well of magic in her mind drying up.

~We can’t keep this up forever…~

A heavy blade came swinging down toward her, and she summoned a shield, her magic barely keeping the strike at bay. She looked up at her attacker and her blood turned to ice.

“Hello, Andra.” Ledo’s voice was like venom. He reared back and kicked her square in the stomach, sending her sprawling backward.

She crashed heavily into the ground, pain pulsing through her body. She was dimly aware of her friends around her.

Kael was trying to get to her, but he was held at bay by four Kingsmen.

Eithne still could not break through the magical barrier without the help of a Rider.

Tiri was dueling two sorcerers, suffering through their magical attacks.

Colmen had emptied his quiver of arrows but was holding his own with a blade.

“A servant girl pretending to be a warrior,” Ledo said as he loomed above her. “Disgusting.”

Andra tried to rise, but he stomped on her chest, knocking the wind out of her. “You’re a ~slave~, Andra. You always will be. This is where you belong. Under my boot.”

She tried desperately to summon her magic, to burn the monster looming over her, but it wouldn’t come. Only dim embers of power remained, flickering weakly in her mind.

“You need to be reminded of your place. And I know just how to do it.” Andra lashed out at his leg with her dagger, but Ledo brought down his sword, cutting her forearm. She dropped the weapon with a cry of pain. “Remember your mother?”

The blood drained from Andra’s face.

“This is the punishment for defiance,” Ledo said. He brought a gauntleted fist crashing into Andra’s face, and the blow stunned her. Blood trickled from her nose. She could taste the iron on her lips.

She watched through her blurred vision as Ledo stalked up behind Colmen.

He was distracted, fighting off the enemy in front of him.

Andra tried to cry out in warning. She tried to get up, tried to summon her magic, tried to do ~anything~.

But her body wouldn’t listen.

And she could only watch as Ledo grabbed Colmen by the shoulder and shoved his sword straight into her friend’s heart.