“Anders!” Maija shouted. 

Maija heard Zahara’s voice clear in her mind, Maija, stay close to us. 

We need to break away and head for the city. We’re leaving the Rollo Islanders and elves exposed if we stay and fight for too long.  

Almost as suddenly as the wild dragons came in to attack them, they started to retreat. Maija held the shield barrier around her and Thomas as the fleeing dragons sprayed them with fire.  When the flames died down, she watched them flying east.  

“Is it over?” Thomas asked.  

Raffa hovered with Zahara and Hannah’s dragon.

Maija said, “For now, yeah, it’s over.”  

While she looked around at the remaining dragonriders, she could see that the dragons lying on the plains below outnumbered the riders who’d fallen. As far as she could tell, the Northland riders lost seven of their dragonriders in the violent attack. Estimating, Maija guessed that ten dragons had fallen for every one rider.  

A bright light exploded in the distance and attracted the attention of all of the riders. Maija watched in shock as a beam of light flowed high into the sky from the forests beyond the Frozentip Mountains. For several seconds the beam of light reached into the sky, disappearing into the distant clouds. Then it vanished.  

“What was that?” she heard Kirsten ask. 

Anders hesitated, “I don’t know for sure, but I think Merglan’s found the true source of Magic.”  

That’s not good, Anders. Beams of energy don’t just fly from the ground like that, Maija said to Anders so Thomas couldn’t hear her concern.   

I know, he replied. That’s where Cedarbridge is, too.  

Maija cursed under her breath.  

How are your ears? Anders asked. 

I don’t think they’ve changed, but it’s hard to tell when someone’s been screaming in them, she replied.  

He’s alright, isn’t he?  

He’s not injured, just scared. We need to get back before it’s too late, Maija added. How much farther do you think we need to go? 

Half an hour at the most, Anders replied.  

Maija nodded.  

 Hannah called her riders to continue south toward Aquina. As the city came into view, Maija could see the swath of Merglan’s army spread out just miles away from the plains. The Rollo Island warriors’ ships lined the river to the south. With the dark army spreading out wider than the city was long, she spotted roughly three thousand Rollo warriors and six hundred elves in a thin line just beyond the edge of the city. 

We’re in time, Anders, she said.  

We are, but our army will be late to the battle, he said. 

Maija looked west and saw a dark mob where the rest of the humans and dwarfs were hurrying across the plains. We’ll hold until they get there. We have to, Maija said.  

*** 

Anders could feel the presence of the enemy dragonriders in the distance. They hovered low over the massive army Merglan had assembled.

There’s got to be at least twenty thousand, Anders thought. 

We have more dragonriders, she replied.  

They have more dragons, Anders thought, seeing the remaining C.F.D.D. dragons circling over the enemy army.  

Maija and Raffa stepped up alongside them. “The elves and Rollo warriors are ready,” she said.  

“Kirsten and the others?” he asked referring to those with inhabitance crystals.  

“Just as you asked, they’re spread out among the ranks,” Maija said.  

Anders nodded. “I hope we’re ready for this,” he said, looking at the army spread out before them.  

“We only need to hold out for a few hours,” Maija said.  

Anders sighed, “Three thousand warriors, six hundred elves, and twenty dragonriders. I hope we can.”  

Suddenly Maija straightened in her saddle and looked to Anders with a horrified expression.  

“I know that look,” Anders said.  

Maija nodded, “He’s near.”  

The sky over the enemy army darkened as a black cloud formed over them. The thunderhead seemed to grow out of nowhere while the sky remained cloudless at Anders’ back. An updraft pulled the wind around their dragons’ feet as it grew. Anders looked left. Hannah sat on her purple-scaled dragon staring forward toward the darkening sky. The Norfolk dragonriders huddled near their leader, ready to fight for her cause until the end. Even if the Prophecy was wrong and she was the one it spoke of rather than Anders, it didn’t change what Anders had to do. He was in this fight until he beat the evil threatening their world or it beat him.  

From behind the black mob strewn across the plains, Anders saw a black dragon fly into the sky. As Merglan climbed over the orcs, kurr, and fairnheir, Anders felt the man attempting to stare into his soul. The image of Merglan thrusting his arm into the pure stream of magical energy continued to replay in Anders’ head. Seeing first the burst of light rising from the elven forest and seeing Merglan now, Anders knew Merglan had succeeded. Merglan had captured the magic coursing through Cedarbridge. It was more of a gut feeling that told Anders this.  

The dragons circling flew into a group and hovered. Anders nodded to Maija and Hannah who awaited his signal. Zahara and Raffa took to the skies and the Northland riders mirrored Anders and Maija as they came to a halt. Anders sat tall on Zahara facing the evil in front of them. He wasn’t afraid. He had imagined this moment differently, that the allies would be prepared and ready for whatever forces came their way, and that he and Maija would be facing these enemy riders alone. 

Anders linked into Maija’s mind, Maija, no matter what happens, I love you. 

Maija looked at him and he held her gaze. I love you, too, she replied.  

He looked back at Merglan and Killdoor. Merglan held up his arm, sword in hand. It hung above him for a moment, then fell forward. The three dragonriders and the fifty wild dragons flew out toward them. Anders also saw the army’s frontline break into a run as fairnheir and other monsters charged the elves and Rolloans below. Anders drew Lazuran, adjusted his grip on the blade Nadir had gifted him and urged Zahara forward. She streaked ahead, leading the dragonriders’ charge directly at the oncoming dragons. Anders released a hellish bellow as he forced energy into his blade and met the enemies head on.  

Chapter 95

Among Monsters and Beasts

Max stood among the ranks of Rollo Island warriors and elves thinly spread along Aquina’s eastern edge. For as far as he could see, enemy forces created a massive wall moving directly toward them. Fairnheir and other beasts paced back and forth in front of the nearly twenty-thousand orc, kurr and humans making up Merglan’s army. Dragons circled the sky overhead and three dragonriders hovered over the ranks.   

“That’s more dragons, orcs, and whatever else than I care to see,” Max said. 

“At least they came back,” Britt said, pointing to Anders and Maija. “And they brought the rest of the crystal bearers.”  

“I hope those other riders can keep the dragons off of us. Even with Evans, Kirsten and the others, I know it would take all I have.”