I can feel the fear from the Wards around me as we gaze up at the Vladykar pair hovering in the night sky. The rider has shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair that contrasts with his rich tan skin and the dark armor he wears. Despite the youthfulness of his face, I feel a sense of hidden power from him, like I did with Ward Mortimer and Vladykar Lochan, and there’s a malicious glint in his eerie purple eyes.
Then there is his dragon. While Undabouclier is larger in build, this dragon is almost as big around and half again as long, his spiked-tipped tail curling in the air behind him. His shield-sized scales are a vibrant orange with purple at the tips, and his eyes are the same eerie purple as his rider. The long thin spike on his tail is followed by a series of similar spikes all the way to the bridge of his nose, and he has three pairs of short horns that arch along his brow just above his eyes to his temples. Somehow, it reminds me of the eyebrow piercing that his rider has in his left eyebrow.
“Ward Mortimer!” the Vladykar rider says, his voice smooth. “Undabouclier! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Ward Mortimer steps in front of me, his shield and mace already in his hands. His normally calm demeanor has completely changed—I can see his fair-skinned forehead glisten a little with sweat, despite the cool evening breeze that blows through the forest trees. Even Undabouclier looks anxious as he growls, his turquoise-tipped dark blue scales ruffling along his back.
“Thorn, take the others and go,” Ward Mortimer whispers.
“No need to leave so quickly.” The Vladykar rider smiles, not an ounce of kindness in his face. It reminds me of Vladykar Lochan, and I take a step back, frightened. His eyes shift to me, and I tremble under his gaze. “Ah! You must be that pretty little thing Lochan told me about.” He chuckles lightly. “I agree with Lochan—you really must come with us.”
Astralux growls. “You leave Estelle alone!”
“And the rebellious and pathetic light-breather,” the dragon says. His voice is deep but smooth, like his rider. The Vladykar pair both snicker. “Just couldn’t wait to replace your bonded? Forget his memory and move on, like he never was.”
“Shut up!” Astralux snaps, pain in her voice and her dark blue eyes glistening with tears. I put my hand on her neck.
“Mortimer, who is this?” Ward Thorn asks, his voice a whisper. “That isn’t—?”
Ward Mortimer gives a singular, solemn nod. “Vladykar Eder and Velenosever.”
Ward Thorn’s tan-skinned face pales, while Astralux straightens, her eyes widening. “Ariadna, help us,” Vitegadium gasps.
“Thorn, go,” Ward Mortimer repeats.
“You won’t survive without us,” Thorn says.
“And I don’t know that anyone survives, let alone escapes, if you all stay,” Ward Mortimer snaps. I’ve never heard him sound angry in the brief time I’ve known him.
“Now wait, my dear friend,” Vladykar Eder says. “You don’t think we’re going to just let your allies scamper off, do you?”
Velenosever grins, showing off his long, sharp teeth. “I think they’ve lost their will to fight.”
“How about this.” Vladykar Eder lifts a crossbow that already has a black-vaned bolt set and ready. “You all surrender, and no one dies. How does that sound?”
“A Ward never surrenders!” Astralux snarls.
Ward Thorn has a bow knocked with a green-feathered arrow, which he points at Vladykar Eder. “Now get out of here before we kill you.”
“No, Thorn,” Ward Mortimer hisses. “Run! All of you!”
“We won’t leave you, Mortimer,” Astralux says.
Vladykar Eder chuckles. “Wonderful. I was hoping for a fight.”
Velenosever opens his mouth.
“Watch out!” Undabouclier shouts.
We dodge to the sides, fleeing behind trees, as Velenosever spits a goopy purple liquid that splashes over the area. Some of it gets on my foot and I shake it off hurriedly. However, I feel no pain from the slimy substance, nor do I see any damage to my worn leather boot. It’s not acid.
“Don’t let that stuff get into any wounds, or in your mouth!” Ward Mortimer barks at us.
Velenosever dodges Ward Thorn’s arrow by flying up before diving down. He avoids a blast of water from Undabouclier, while Vladykar Eder fires at Ward Mortimer. Ward Mortimer and I run in the same direction, and the Ward blocks the bolt with his shield.
Velenosever rears back and then dives down. To my utter shock, Vladykar Eder swings his leg over the saddle and then jumps, still several meters in the air. He lands with a roll and is back on his feet in a flash. Somehow in the roll he loaded his crossbow, and he fires this at Undabouclier, landing the black-vaned bolt in the left side of the dragon’s face. Ward Mortimer grits his teeth as Undabouclier yips and then growls in pain.
Vitegadium exhales a blast of vines, entangled and twirling around each other. Velenosever drops, narrowly avoiding the blast. It looks to me like Velenosever is aiming for Undabouclier, but Astralux, growling, launches herself at him. Just when I think she’s going to get a hold of Velenosever, the orange dragon spins, and his spine-tipped tail whips Astralux across the face. I cringe, sharing in her pain.
Ward Thorn rushes forward toward Vladykar Eder, passing myself and Ward Mortimer as he blocks another bolt from Vladykar Eder. “Thorn, wait!” Ward Mortimer shouts.
Drawing a short sword, Ward Thorn slows as he approaches Vladykar Eder. “You’re the one who killed Dolores and Schleifen!” Ward Thorn declares.
“Among many others,” Vladykar Eder says. To my surprise, he hooks his crossbow on his back. “I can hardly keep track of all the names. But I do remember Dolores. Rather fondly.”
I shudder, horrified. But Ward Thorn, yelling, swings his sword at Vladykar Eder. The Vladykar dodges the sword and then holds up his right arm.
And I gasp as a whip simply appears in his hand.
“A Dragon Weapon!” Vitegadium exclaims.
A Dragon Weapon? I don’t know why a Dragon Weapon would be a whip, or what a Dragon Weapon is exactly, but I don’t like the look of it. It’s black with glistening purple barbs all along its thin tail, which Vladykar Eder cracks in the air.
“You will be just another nameless Ward I slay,” Vladykar Eder says. “Slowly.”
Ward Mortimer sprints forward. But he jerks, slowing with a groan, when Velenosever claws Undabouclier’s side, spilling glittering blood everywhere.
“Undabouclier!” Astralux leaps at Velenosever. I flinch in shared pain as the larger dragon kicks her in the chest with his back leg so hard she crashes into a tree, breaking it.
Vladykar Eder snaps his whip at Ward Thorn, who steps to the side. But the Vladykar wasn’t after Ward Thorn—the whip wraps around Ward Thorn’s sword, and with a jerk, he pulls the short sword from Ward Thorn’s grasp. Throwing his arm to the side, Vladykar Eder sends the blade flying off into the woods.
“Pathetic,” Vladykar Eder says. He tosses his blonde hair out of his face and smiles. I notice that his teeth look oddly sharp, almost feline, with two very prominent fangs protruding from underneath his upper lip, glistening in the starlight. “Don’t they teach you Wards anything about how to fight?”
Ward Thorn takes a step forward, his hands clenching into fists at his side.
“Thorn, stop!” Ward Mortimer runs up to Ward Thorn’s side. “Remember, use your head. You must think.”
Vladykar Eder chuckles. “Wise counsel—for those who are able.”
Glaring, Ward Thorn takes another step toward Vladykar Eder, gritting his teeth. Then he suddenly gasps and his hand goes to his side. I spin to see that Velenosever has sliced open Vitegadium’s side. The large orange dragon quickly retreats as Astralux snaps at his face. Then Velenosever opens his mouth, his purple eyes glittering.
“Vite, get out of there!” Ward Thorn shouts.
Velenosever breathes. Astralux dodges to the side easily, but Vitegadium is struck directly on his left side, right over his wound. The vibrant green dragon gives a yelp and staggers to his feet. Then he begins to pant, and as I stare, horrified, his left front leg suddenly goes limp.
“Vite!” Ward Thorn exclaims.
Seeing Vitegadium sink to the ground, I suddenly find my legs and rush over. Undabouclier breathes a blast of water at Velenosever, catching the dragon on his tail before he snakes out of the way. Reaching Vitegadium, I run around to look at the strange purple stuff. Seeing it seep into his wound, I use the corner of my animal skin dress to wipe it off. Vitegadium hisses as I rub the cuts, digging his other claws into the ground. Ward Thorn audibly grinds his teeth.
“Hang in there,” I say. Vitegadium moans but I keep working. I see his neck lower, and his breathing begins to slow. What is Velenosever’s breath? I wonder. Some sort of paralyzing venom? Perhaps like snake venom. Now thoroughly concerned, I scrape the remaining purple stuff off and then pour my water canteen on his side until I see him bleed again. “Vitegadium, stay awake,” I say, seeing his left eye close. Vitegadium takes a big breath and opens his eyes.
Velenosever laughs. “Afraid to do battle, but not afraid to tell others to fight?” Velenosever lithely avoids a swipe from Undabouclier and then bounds toward me. “I think you’re a coward that—” He interrupts himself with a yelp and jerks to a stop. Astralux has bitten his tail, between two of his spikes, her claws scraping into the ground as she pulls back.
Undabouclier takes the opportunity to blast Velenosever in the face with water. His breath stops abruptly when Vladykar Eder snaps his whip across Ward Mortimer’s face, slicing open the side of his face, and Undabouclier growls.
However, Ward Mortimer takes advantage of the attack to get closer to Vladykar Eder. He blocks a swipe from Vladykar Eder’s left hand—which has actual claws coming out of his fingertips—with his shield. Ward Mortimer spins, dodging Vladykar Eder’s whip this time, and lands a decisive blow on Vladykar Eder’s left arm with his iron-headed mace. There’s a cracking sound that reverberates through the trees. Velenosever, who has been chasing Astralux in a circle to try and get to her, yelps and limps on his front left leg for a couple of steps.
“Nicely done, Mort!” Vitegadium says excitedly. Despite his struggle with his left side, Vitegadium isn’t getting worse, and he’s watching the battle intently with his right eye. I take this as a good sign that he’s stable.
I hold my breath as Velenosever, finally getting loose of Astralux, turns and breathes at her, but my bonded dragon rolls out of the way, her spikes tearing into the small brush and undergrowth and tossing it into the air when she rights herself again. Undabouclier takes the small distraction to breathe at Velenosever. But the orange dragon is fast enough that he jumps over the breath and turns, spitting purple goop at Undabouclier. While quick for his size, Undabouclier is too large to dodge it. He uses his wing to deflect a wide portion of it. I cringe as it splashes over Undabouclier’s left front shoulder—he’s still healing from our fight with the trolls, and I know the stitching can’t be so tight that it’ll keep it out. Especially in the midst of this battle.
Sure enough, I see Undabouclier favor his left front leg a little as he swings the large bulb at the end of his tail. Velenosever ducks under the bulb and whips his tail at Astralux, keeping her back, before Velenosever snaps at Undabouclier. The orange dragon is knocked aside by Undabouclier’s head, though Velenosever is back on his feet before Astralux can take advantage.
I jump as Vitegadium gives a yelp. Following the dragon’s emerald green eyes, I spot Ward Thorn on one knee, Vladykar Eder’s whip wrapped all around the Ward’s right arm, grinning. He yanks his whip back and Ward Thorn gives a grunt as he twists, the thorny barbs on the whip shredding his arm. Vitegadium roars, struggling to stand up fully.
But what terrifies me more is the fact that I see spots of purple liquid on Ward Thorn’s arm, which hangs limp at his side. He’s unable to stand, only getting his left leg under him, holding onto his right arm. Ward Mortimer, who hurries to stand by Ward Thorn, holds up his shield, but his right eye, close to where he had been cut by the whip, is drooping a little.
A chill runs up my spine. Vladykar Eder’s whip has the same paralyzing venom property as Velenosever’s breath. Ariadna help us, this is bad.
Tamara Rivers 
Leave a comment