Ariadna’s Star: Post 51

Chapter 6: The Arrival of Ariadna’s Star

It doesn’t matter that it’s night—Thorn and I rush to clean up our camp, packing our supplies, while Astralux and Vitegadium gulp down as much water as they can stand from the stream nearby.

“What do you mean, Ariadna’s Star has come to Zoi?” I ask.

“You don’t see the grand beacon of light?!” Thorn asks dryly.

“I see it, but what does this mean?” I roll up my burnt sleeping bag and tie it to Astralux’s saddle. “You sound like you know what’s going on.”

“Have you never heard the story of Ariadna’s Star?” Astralux asks.

“No.”

“Legend holds that Ariadna’s Star isn’t a true star at all, but a mysterious and powerful artifact that Ariadna would one day gift to the inhabitants of Zoi to drive back Anerios’ darkness,” Thorn says. “Since the star fell to Zoi, I have to believe it’s true.”

“And now we need to get there before any of the Vladykars do.” Astralux growls, her deep blue eyes alight with the glow of the beacon of light.

I flinch as I climb onto Astralux’s saddle. “I didn’t even think about the fact that the Vladykars would see that.”

Swinging his leg over Vitegadium’s saddle, Thorn nods. “That thing’s so bright, anyone on Drakonia can probably see it. There could be more than just Vladykars there—Klevorian soldiers, trolls, anyone and anything. We have to get to it first.”

“What would the Vladykars do with Ariadna’s Star, if it’s meant to spread her light?” I ask.

“Destroy it,” Thorn says solemnly. “What else?”

An anxiousness settles in me as Astralux and Vitegadium take off running, their wings beating heavily. As they rise into the night sky, I’m even more amazed by the pulsing, chiming light that flares up from the ground. I rub my chest, feeling my heart continue to beat.

“Are you alright?” Thorn asks. I turn my head to see that he’s watching me intently. “You blasted a lot of fire back there.”

“When the star came to Zoi, I…I felt it,” I say. I have to speak loudly over the rushing wind around us, but I’m so nervous I keep clearing my throat before I work up the courage to speak again. “My magic reacted to it. And I felt Astralux and I’s connection even stronger.”

“I felt it too,” Astralux says. “It was like when we bonded for the first time.”

“I felt something, although it wasn’t that strong,” Vitegadium says. “I wonder why you did?”

“Perhaps Estelle’s connection to magic,” Thorn says.

I can’t help the shudder that runs through me. But if a gift from Ariadna had caused the reaction, was my magic truly wrong? For the first time in my life, I feel a strange semblance of wonder about my magic more than fear or embarrassment. I glance at my hand, rubbing the four-point shiny white mark on my right hand from my bond with Astralux.

“So what can Ariadna’s Star do?” I ask.

“Well, no doubt it gives off a lot of light.” Thorn gestures with his gloved hand at the beacon before us. “Other than that, the stories have varied.”

“I hope it summons a powerful magic and destroys the Vladykars!” Astralux says. “And any others who follow Anerios.”

“I wonder if it will empower those who follow Ariadna?” Vitegadium glances at Astralux briefly. “Since we did feel something from it?”

“Ooh, what if it gives us an amazing ability, like being able to summon lightning from the sky!” Astralux flaps her wings in excitement, rising higher than Vitegadium for a bit. “Or the power to shake the ground!”

As the wind blowing past my face chills with the evening air, I cast about in my mind for what such a gift from Ariadna would do. “Maybe it will provide healing,” I say.

Thorn chuckles. “You would think that.” I grin.

“But, it’s a good point,” Vitegadium says. “As much as we want the power to demolish our foes, oftentimes Ariadna chooses to show grace instead of justice.”

“Yes, but why not both?” Astralux’s tail swishes through the air excitedly. “That would be awesome!” Smiling, I stroke Astralux’s head.

“Regardless,” Thorn says, “none of that matters if we don’t get there before the Vladykars do. I hate to ask this of you, Vite, Astralux, but we’re going to have to press on ahead nonstop, if you can.”

“For Ariadna’s Star? I would fly to the ends of Zoi if I had to,” Astralux says.

“I’ll admit: while I’m in full agreement, I just don’t know if I can,” Vitegadium says, his voice quiet and difficult to hear over the wind. “I’m already exhausted.”

“Just do the best you can,” Thorn says.

Astralux glances over at Thorn and Vitegadium. “We might see some powerful Vladykars.”

Thorn nods his head, one hand touching the handle of his crossbow strapped to the saddle. “I know.”

“More powerful than Vladykar Eder and Velenosever?” I ask.

“As powerful, or more.” Astralux chuckles. “But seeing as you burned off Velenosever’s tail, Estelle, I think we could take on Vladykar Malyncor and Noxmalum themselves!”

I shudder. “Let’s not test that theory.”

“Wise,” Thorn says, his tone both amused and anxious.

“No, no, I’m joking,” Astralux says quickly. “I dream about taking them down, but I’m far too inexperienced for that.”

“If you’re too inexperienced, the rest of us are for sure,” Vitegadium says. “We all know you’re one of the best fighters amongst us.”

Astralux grins proudly. Chuckling, I pat her neck.

Our conversation hangs over us as we continue to fly long into the night. Vitegadium is already dragging, slowing behind us, and Astralux begins to look back at him more and more. I debate what to do—speed is important, but so is staying together.

“Maybe we should—what was that?” Astralux, who had started to look back again, suddenly turns her head and stares west, gliding in the air to quiet the beat of her wings. I follow her gaze, and by the light of the beacon, I see a couple of large shapes in the sky.

“Thorn, Vitegadium,” I say over my shoulder. “We should take c—”

“—Dive, Astralux!” Thorn shouts at us.

Astralux follows his command without question, if a bit lethargically as she looks every which way to find the source of his concern. But my heart thuds into my chest as I hear the whistle of wind rushing past something, and look up in time to see a massive, vibrant-orange scaled dragon diving down at us with his claws outstretched.

It’s Velenosever. The purple-eyed dragon, with a grin on his face like he had been listening to our conversation earlier, opens his mouth.

“Roll!” I shout.

Astralux barrel rolls to the north as liquid purple goop shoots out of Velenosever’s mouth. It’s some sort of paralyzing venom, and this high up, I’m certain that Astralux and I would plummet to our deaths if it struck her barely-closed wounds.

Finally righting again, I unhook my crossbow and turn, just in time to see Vladykar Eder raise his crossbow. His shoulder-length wavy blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail behind his head, and he gives me a fanged grin as my bolt goes wide over his head.

“You have been training hard,” Vladykar Eder says, “but not hard enough, fair Estelle. We will have our revenge!”

“Run!” I shout at Thorn and Vitegadium, who are chasing after Velenosever. I turn and spot the beginning of the northern mountain ranges. “Astralux, let’s lead them into the mountains, and find the most forested area you can.”

“Got it.”

Astralux tucks her wings even closer and zooms toward the trees. She’s moving so fast that I have no hope of firing at the Vladykars behind us, and instead simply cling to Astralux. I do peek back to see that Velenosever is gaining on us. I recall from my lessons that Neil had mentioned that as a dragon ages and grows larger, they become faster. But they do lose some agility due to sheer momentum. And that’s our only hope in the forests.

As soon as Astralux dives between into the trees, I feel both a mix of relief and apprehension as Velenosever parallels us above. That wasn’t what I intended, and Astralux glances back and up at the massive vibrant orange dragon with a glare.

“So much for that,” Astralux mutters.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Velenosever asks.

“Estelle, I’m slower in the trees,” Astralux says. “Let’s get back out of here.”

I spot a thicker set of trees to the west, and I lean closer to her. “Fly into the dense trees over there, but then hide.”

Astralux hesitates but then arcs, flying straight into the trees. She ducks under a fallen log beneath several pines, curling her tail around her, and tries to stifle her heavy breathing.

Velenosever gives a surprised roar from above. “Oh Astralux!” his voice booms over the area. “I know you couldn’t have gone far.”

“Wait until he drops down into the forest,” I whisper. Astralux nods.

I hear the beat of Velenosever’s wings above us as he circles around. But he doesn’t breathe, and that gives me hope that he can’t see us and doesn’t know exactly where we are. I just hope that if he comes down into the forest that he’s not right by us.

Velenosever growls. Then I hear a crash of leaves rustling and branches snapping, and a boom as Velenosever lands. But I see nothing, and the sound was northeast of us.

“Sneak west,” I whisper.

Astralux slinks out and carefully pads between the trees and over the foliage, trying hard not to rustle branches. She’s doing well, and I can hear Velenosever’s frustrating growls getting softer.

Astralux suddenly freezes, looking left. “Estelle!”

I spin my head and spot a draconic figure hiding in the shadows under a low-hanging tree. My heart leaps into my throat. “Go, go!”

“Wait!” Thorn’s voice softly glides toward us. “It’s us!” Vitegadium peeks his head out.

Relief floods my body and I give a small whimper. “I’m glad you’re both okay!”

“Keep going, let’s stay on the ground,” Thorn says.

We need no encouragement—Astralux and Vitegadium slink along the ground in single file, Vitegadium leading the way. He has a much easier time sneaking around with his emerald green color, and I debate rubbing mud on Astralux’s scales.

I don’t even realize that dawn is approaching until I see the twinkle of golden-orange against a snowy peak ahead and above us. Ariadna’s Star is so bright that night hasn’t really felt like night at all, but even as the sunrays peek between the tops of the trees, the beacon of light outshines it still.

Thorn twists in his saddle, looking back at us. “You alright?”

“We’re fine,” I say.

Astralux freezes, one leg suspended over a boulder she was stepping over. “Did you hear that?”

I do now, in the silence of her movement—a hiss of wind from above.

Thorn’s eyes suddenly snap to attention above my head and widen. “Go left!”

Astralux dives to the left behind a tree as a black-vaned crossbow zips the air just past her head.

Velenosever flies overhead with a growling chuckle. “Did you really think you could escape us?” He opens his mouth.

“Run!” Thorn shouts.

Astralux and Vitegadium sprint through the underbrush as a blast of eerie purple goop covers the area behind them.

“This is not good, not good,” Thorn says. “We need to lose them.”

“But he’s so much faster than us,” Vitegadium says.

“Maybe we can find another thick part of the forest,” Astralux says.

I look back to see that once again, Velenosever is chasing us, Vladykar Eder grinning as he loads another bolt onto his crossbow. “Get ready for another bolt,” I say.

“Ariadna help us!” Vitegadium suddenly exclaims.

Startled, I turn to face forward again. And my stomach drops.

Flying above the mountains and trees, headed straight toward us, his light-bronze scales glinting in the morning sun on one side and Ariadna’s Star on the other, is Pesokvglazu, Vladykar Lochan on his back and pointing a crossbow at us, a smile on his half-scarred face.