Dragon Riders of Osnen

Chapter 2

2

“Where are we?”

Maren’s voice shattered my surprise and I looked from her to Sion.

“I have no idea. What did you do?” I asked.

“Me? I didn’t do anything!” Maren snapped. “It was this map!”

Sion sniffed the air.

This place smells familiar, she said. I’ve been here before.

Is that a good thing? I asked.

I smell dragons.

“Sion says there are dragons nearby,” I told Maren. “That should be a good thing.”

The trees around us creaked as their tops swayed from the wind. Not far away, I heard leaves crunching. Someone was approaching. I put my hand on the hilt of my blade, not sure what to expect.

A Terranese man came into view. He was wearing heavy armor and paused when he saw us.

“Hail!” I called out and raised a hand.

“Why do you trespass here?” He replied. “This place is off-limits to everyone outside the school.”

“I’m afraid we don’t know where we are,” I said. “What school are you talking about?”

The man suddenly seemed to realize that I wasn’t alone. He leaned to the side, peering at Sion.

“Are you riders?” He asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Forgive me. I didn’t know. Are you here to see Master Katori?”

Maren and I looked at each other.

“This map brought us all the way to the coast?” Maren whispered incredulously.

“That’s what it sounds like. Maybe Katori knows something about this map or the island. It doesn’t hurt to ask.” I turned my attention back to the man. “Yes, we would like to see Master Katori.”

“I will escort you,” the man said.

Maren and I followed him out of the woods while Sion launched herself into the air and disappeared above the canopy.

“When you said the enchantment was powerful, I didn’t know you meant it could teleport us a few hundred miles away.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed that it could, but the magic was like nothing else I’ve ever encountered.”

The Terranese man led us around to the front of the school and the guards let us in without question. Some of the buildings were damaged and people were working on repairing them. I marveled again at the beauty of the foreign architecture and was disappointed to see that they had been damaged.

“Please, wait here. I will inform the master that you’re here.”

“Thank you,” I said. The man went into the school and I looked around the courtyard. Most of the debris had been swept into small piles out of the main walkways, but there were a few large pieces of wood still obstructing the area.

Where are you? I asked Sion, looking up at the sky.

The stables, she replied. They’re feeding me. She hummed contentedly through the bond.

I smiled and turned around when I heard footsteps. It was the man from the woods. He motioned us to follow him and we went inside the school. I remembered how odd everything had seemed to me when we first came to the school. The difference in cultures was staggering, yet we were all alike in respect to the bonds with our dragons.

The thin paper wall that also acted as a door was partially open and I could see Katori sitting cross-legged on the floor. The man cleared his throat and Katori looked up. She smiled when she saw us and rose to her feet.

“Greetings,” Katori said. “Please, come in and have a seat.”

Maren and I stepped into the room and removed our boots, then sat on the pillows that rested in front of the small table in the center of the room.

“Would you like some tea?”

“No, thank you,” I said.

“I’ll take some,” Maren replied.

“Very well.” Katori lifted the teapot from the table and poured two cups, keeping one for herself. She slid the other cup across the table and Maren picked it up and took a sip.

“What brings you out here?” Katori asked. “Is something wrong?”

“No, everything is fine,” I said. “As for what brought us here, that’s a bit of a story.”

“Indulge my curiosity,” Katori replied, smiling.

“I’ll let Maren explain since she’s familiar with magic.”

“We found a map that had a powerful enchantment on it. That enchantment was triggered somehow and we found ourselves in the woods beside your school.”

“Interesting, but not impossible. Teleportation spells require a large amount of magic, but they are less accurate the further away the location is.”

“We were outside Tiradale,” Maren replied.

Katori’s eyes widened briefly. “Tiradale? That’s hundreds of miles away.”

“You can imagine our surprise,” I said with a laugh.

“A spell that teleports that far of a distance would require a vast amount of magic, greater than any spell I’m aware of.”

“That’s what I told Eldwin,” Maren said. “The enchantment glowed so brightly it was blinding.”

“Where did you find this map?” Katori asked.

Maren looked at me.

“I met a man in Tiradale that told me about a place where souls go when they are between this world and the spiritual one,” I said. “I didn’t believe him at first, but the more I thought about it, the more curious I got.”

Katori tilted her head to the side. “What would be the purpose of finding such a place?” She asked.

“To find my father.”

“To what end? If he is dead …” Katori trailed off. I knew where she was going with her logic.

“The man also mentioned if you have the payment that the helmsman requires, he will take you to the island and you can bring someone back.”

“That sounds like necromancy,” Katori said. “Consider what the Necromancer did. How would it be any different?”

“I wouldn’t enslave my father,” I retorted. “I just want him back.”

“I understand,” Katori said. “I do, but no good can come of it.”

“None of that matters if we can’t find the place,” Maren said. She held up the map. “Do you recognize anything on here?”

Katori took the map and stared at it for a moment, then nodded her head.

“I’ve never been there, but I know of the place. There are many tales of people seeing strange things, but nothing has ever been confirmed.”

“Great,” I said. “I thought we were finally making progress.”

“I may not have been there, but I know someone who has,” Katori replied. “He even claims to have seen a ghost. If anyone might be able to help you, it would be him.”

“You’ll help us, then?” I asked.

“In a way, yes. I will not go with you, nor will I provide any riders, but I will send a guide to go with you. I don’t agree with your quest to bring a spirit back to the world of the living, but I don’t believe that this island exists. There are known dangers in this area, so I will tell you to use caution.”

“Sion is here with us, and she’s coming on this journey,” I said.

“That eases my mind, though it would be wise to have your dragon change shapes. She’s not as large as other dragons, but getting to this place—” Katori pressed a finger on the map, “—is difficult.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. I glanced at Maren, but she shrugged. “What do you mean change shapes?”

Katori frowned. “Did your Curates not teach you this?”

“Well, I’m technically not part of the school,” I said.

“I’ve not heard anything about this,” Maren said. “Though it may be something that hasn’t been covered yet.”

“I will attempt to explain it, but if you aren’t aware of your dragon’s ability, I’ll have to provide you with something else. Magic can do many things, and dragons are more connected to the flow of magic than any other creature. One thing they can do is shapeshift into something else.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Anything, if their will is strong enough. My dragon can take the shape of a deer.”

“How is that possible? They are massive in size, so where does all of that size go?” It didn’t make sense to me.

“Dragons can shift their mass into the unseen realm. I do not know how they can perform this trick. All I know is that it can be done.”

Sion? Are you hearing this?

I was not aware of this ability, Sion replied. It is amusing to consider the forms I could take.

“You said you would have to give me something else?” I asked.

“Yes. It is a piece of jewelry from ancient times. I would hesitate to give it to you if I didn’t know your heart. It’s an enchanted collar that forces a dragon to take a human form. They were once used for nefarious purposes, but the Conclave enacted rules against using such things. Most of the collars were destroyed, but there are a few that remain.”

“And you have one?” I asked.

Katori nodded. “My master would have destroyed it when he learned that it was here in the school, but the knowledge of unweaving ancient magic has been lost for many years. I will give it to you on the condition that you never use it against your dragon’s will.”

“I would never do that,” I said.

“Swear it,” Katori demanded.

“I promise.”

Katori seemed satisfied with my oath. “Good. Come, let us see how your dragon looks as a human.”