With a blinding white flash, their foreheads pulled apart from each other and a shock wave rippled out from between them knocking over everyone around them.
“Did you just,” Anders asked her as he peered into her eyes. She nodded in response and he knew what had happened. Zahara had chosen him to be her bond, her other half, and by doing so gifted him with magic.
The shock wave broke the curse that had caused Thargon to be held motionless and Anders saw him charge at them out of the corner of his eye. Anders turned and called upon his new powers. A trembling energy within him began to boil upward, flowing through his body. He held out his arm, releasing the building energy inside him at the charging kurr. He watched as a jet of energy exploded out from his arm and sent Thargon spinning across the battlefield in the opposite direction.
Anders stepped forward and picked up the axe Thargon had wielded in attempt to kill him and ran, bounding after the kurr. Just as Thargon was rising to his feet, Anders pushed off his left foot, leaping through the air while raising the axe high above his head. As he descended, Anders brought the axe down hard on Thargon’s body. This time the axe passed right through Thargon’s invisible barrier, separating his head from the rest of his body. He watched as the lifeless kurr dropped to the ground in a limp pile.
Realizing that he’d managed to cut through Thargon’s magical barrier, Anders could not believe it; Thargon was finally dead. He turned to see Zahara chasing a large group of orcs and kurr. The orc and kurr army fell into disarray after watching their leader fall in battle. Anders heard the rallying cries of the men and women near him as they began to fight harder, driving the enemy forces back. Anders returned to the spot where Ivan had fallen and was surprised to see him standing. Knowing that Ivan was back on his feet again, Anders rushed back to Zahara who was now waiting for him.
“How did you do that?” he exclaimed.
She smiled, It just happened. I knew the moment you left that we were intended to be bonded. Anders couldn’t believe what had just happened. Climb on, she said, lowering her shoulder so he could scramble on top of her.
“Are you sure?” he asked. He never thought he’d have the opportunity to ride on the back of a dragon. He wasn’t sure if there was a formality to it or some kind of sacred dragon ceremony he must complete before he could climb atop her scaled back.
Anders, trust me. You and I are one now, and hurry up before an orc tries to shoot you with one of their arrows.
Slightly surprised by her informal approach in dealing with the situation, Anders did as she told him.
Anders placed his left hand on Zahara’s wing where it attached to her body and used his right hand to grip a hard scale on the leeward side of her back. He hoisted himself up onto her spine and positioned himself between her shoulder blades. He hooked his legs snuggly into the pits of her wings.
The moment he was situated, Zahara said, Hold on tightly.
Before Anders knew what had happened, she’d bent her knees and pushed up off the ground, flapping her powerful wings and climbing into the sky.
The force of taking off so suddenly pulled his upper body down hard and Anders would have fallen off, toppling forward had Zahara’s thick neck not stopped him. With his face pressed firmly against her tough scales, Anders could just see around her neck the masses of orcs and kurr below. Anders placed his hands on Zahara’s neck and pushed himself up, to a seated position. He’d ridden many horses and several ox, but nothing could have prepared him for this. Anders became aware that he could feel her wings beating against the early morning air as if he were working them. He looked to his shoulders to make sure his arms hadn’t turned into wings like hers. A sigh of relief came to him as he saw the familiar bulk leading down to his hands. Yet he couldn’t understand how he felt her body as if it were his. He could feel her tail swaying to balance herself in the air. Experiencing their bonded connection for the first time, it surpassed anything he’d ever thought possible.
Zahara, I can feel your body as if I were the one flying, Anders said as they flew over the battle.
It’s our bond. You can now feel what I’m experiencing and thinking.
Whoa, that’s amazing! Anders exclaimed.
We’re connected in a way no other animals can experience; we are bonded.
Anders clung to Zahara as they soared through the air. The morning sun was just beginning to emerge in the east as they leveled out high over the valley. Anders could see the entirety of the battlefield now. Dismembered and mangled bodies lay thickly scattered along the grass, leaving a trail of blood and horror from the battle’s starting point. The orc and kurr army had outnumbered their band of Rollo Island warriors and stragglers by three to one. Anders gawked at the size of the enemy’s forces. He watched as the Rollo warriors advanced further into the enemy’s ranks.
Zahara, the orcs are retreating! Anders exclaimed through their connected minds. And look, Anders pointed. The Elves have arrived! Nadir found them!
The mass of the elf army swept in from the northern reaches of the valley forcing the orc and kurr forces to retreat.
I came with the elves from Cedarbridge, Zahara told him. When Nadir sent for the elf army, I knew I must to come to your side.
Why did it take you all so long to get here? Nadir said the elves would meet us before we marched.
Merglan headed us off before we reached the mountains. He somehow knew we were coming and attacked us on his dragon, she said.
How did you escape him?
Two other dragons and their riders accompanied us. They knew I needed to reach you, so they distracted him while I escaped.
I can see the elves made it past him, but I don’t see the dragons, Anders said.
They might have led him away from here in their attempts to distract him.
Why would Merglan let himself be led away so easily?
I’m not sure. All I know for sure is that the riders were with us when I escaped and now the elves have made it past him. I would bet they somehow convinced Merglan to follow them.
Anders noticed Zahara had begun to fly south, away from the battle and toward Merglan’s fortress. Shouldn’t we go back and help them win the battle? Ivan, Red, Max and Britt might need our help.
Now that the elves have arrived, we’ll have no trouble winning the battle. There is something else we need to do, that I must do for you, she said while flying toward the fortress.
Anders tightened the grip of his legs around her as she surged faster. All he could do was trust that Zahara knew what she was doing.
Approaching the fortress, Anders could begin to see over the massive walls that loomed over the dark fortress. Somehow the tall towers climbing toward the sky seemed hollow and empty. He sensed an absence from the stone buildings and at the same time a familiar warmth that he hadn’t experienced since he left Grandwood.
Zahara flew over the walls of the fortress and they could see groups of people huddled together.
The prisoners taken from Grandwood, Anders thought.
Your family is here, Zahara said. Through the heightened connection of their bond, she felt his hopes of finding his cousins alive. I must repay you the favor you did for me, but first we need to rid this place of the evil people who’ve kept these innocent people enslaved here.
Anders understood her exactly. They dove down together at the few armed guards who’d stayed behind to keep the prisoners in line. Zahara streamed into the fortress coming down on the prison guards with hell’s fury on her wingtips. She loosed a deafening roar as she chased the fleeing guards. Protracting her large talons she skewered Merglan’s men as she turned back toward the sky.
Anders hesitated for a moment, just trying to hold onto Zahara as she darted through the fortress. Realizing he too could be useful from her back, Anders called on the new magic running within him. Focusing on one guard at a time, Anders targeted them, snapping their necks and bringing them to a swift death. It didn’t take long before the prisoners within the fortress joined in the fighting. The prisoners now outnumbered the guards. Seeing that they had help, the prisoners began a full-scale uprising within a matter of minutes.
Anders watched as unarmed men and women rushed armor-plated guards with swords in their hands. Their bravery was devoid of reason as they bombarded the armed men. Several men and women sacrificed themselves so others could overtake the guards.
