Dragon Riders of Osnen

Chapter 3

3

The collar was a simple design. It was made of gold and lined on the top with several small emeralds that glowed eerily.

“It is safe to use,” Katori said. The unease must have been obvious on my face.

“And you are sure it still works?” Maren asked.

“As sure as one can be, considering how long it’s been since its last use. My master used it to show me how a dragon transforms many years ago. No one else has used it.”

We were outside the protective walls of the school, standing in the field where enemies had once stood not long ago. Sion was staring at us curiously.

If it hurts at all, tell me. I’ll take it off immediately.

I will, she confirmed.

I unclasped the collar and Sion lowered her head. Surprisingly, the collar was fairly light for its size. I suspected magic had something to do with that. The collar opened wide, easily able to fit the neck of a dragon three times bigger than Sion. It slid around her neck and I closed the clasp.

At first, nothing happened. Then slowly the emeralds began to glow brighter. Sion snaked her head to the left, then to the right, then back to the left.

Does it hurt? I asked.

No.

That had been my biggest fear of using the collar. Since she wasn’t in pain, that eased my nerves.

It tickles more than anything.

The idea that a dragon could be ticklish seemed absurd, but I didn’t question her. She made a chortling noise in her throat that made me laugh. I could feel her mirth flowing through the bond, which made her laugh even more infectious.

“Is it just me, or is she shrinking in size?”

Maren’s question made me focus on Sion rather than her laughter and I realized Sion was indeed getting smaller. Her bulk continued to diminish until she was roughly the same height as Maren. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, her scales began to smear and fade altogether. It reminded me of a potter modeling clay.

Tan flesh replaced her red hue and her body started to look human. In the span of a few heartbeats, Sion no longer resembled a dragon at all. Standing before me was a beautiful woman with dazzling red hair, brighter and more voluminous than Maren’s. And then I realized that she was naked.

Katori stepped past me and handed some clothes to Sion. Sion accepted them slowly as if learning with each passing second how to use her new body.

How do you feel? I asked.

Different … strange, even.

Is it bad? Do you want me to remove the collar?

No, I am fine.

I averted my eyes as she got dressed and could feel her mind probing mine.

Your memories help me learn, she said. This form is strange, yet it feels somewhat familiar with your recollections.

I will help however I can, I replied. Can you speak with your mouth?

Sion ran her hands over the material of her shirt and looked at me. Her lips parted and she attempted to speak, but it was barely above a whisper and her speech was full of stutters.

“Don’t press yourself too much,” I told her aloud. “We don’t know much about this magic or its limits, and I’d rather you not hurt yourself somehow.”

Fair enough, she said.

“Your dragon is beautiful,” Maren complimented.

“I agree,” Katori said. “Your guide will be ready shortly … unless you would like to spend the night at the school and leave in the morning?”

“No, but thank you for your hospitality. I’m eager to be going.” I looked at Maren questioningly to see if she agreed and she nodded.

“Yes, so am I. Thank you for this gift,” Maren said. “I hope that the collar will serve us well.”

Katori offered a low bow. “You both saved my school and my students. Offering my assistance is the least I can do.”

I stayed close to Sion while Maren and Katori went back inside the school. Sion was a powerful dragon, but I didn’t know how much the collar would hinder her abilities. That would pose a problem, especially if we encountered danger.

Can you breathe fire? I asked.

Sion turned away from me and I waited expectantly for her fire to fill the sky. A few moments later, when that didn’t happen, Sion turned back to face me.

The magic keeps my fire from igniting, she said. It’s trapped behind a barrier.

That’s not good. Anything else you notice?

Sion hummed as she contemplated the question.

No, nothing else.

Only time will tell, I said. Hopefully, that’s the only problem.

We took a walk around the school, exploring the area and enjoying the silence. I wasn’t sure where this journey would take us, but I imagined it couldn’t be worse than what we’d already been through with the Necromancer and the False King.

Our exploration took us around the entire school and when we ended up back at the gates, Maren was waiting for us.

“Having fun?” She asked, smiling. It was good to see her in better spirits.

“Just walking around,” I replied. “I figured it would be good for Sion to get accustomed to her new body before we head out.”

“That’s a good idea,” Maren said.

“Those are the only kind I have,” I replied, quoting Maren.

“Very funny, Eldwin, but you know I came up with that. You’ll need to get your own saying.”

I shrugged and laughed. “All right, but don’t get jealous when it’s better than yours.”

Maren was about to offer another quip when an older Terranese man joined us.

“Greetings,” the man said. “I am Nojira. Master Katori has asked me to lead you down to the coast.”

Maren and I offered a bow.

“Thank you for agreeing to take us,” I said. “The area is unfamiliar to us, and we’d rather not get lost.”

Nojira smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. I guessed he was in his late fifties or early sixties. His hair was short and white, and he had a long mustache that twisted up at the ends.

“I’m Eldwin and this is Maren.”

Should I give him your real name? I asked Sion.

That is agreeable to me.

“And this is Sion,” I said, motioning to her.

“It is an honor,” Nojira said.

“Do you need to gather any supplies?” I asked.

“No. I don’t plan on staying after dark.”

That remark gave me pause. “Why not?”

Nojira seemed embarrassed. “I apologize if I seem superstitious, but after what I saw out there, I’ve made it a rule to be back indoors by nightfall.”

“What did you see?” Maren asked.

“It’s what I thought I saw,” Nojira clarified. “I thought I saw ghosts riding across the water in a boat. It was foggy that night, so I have convinced myself that it was simply my imagination.”

“Then why don’t you stay out after dark?” I asked.

“You don’t tempt fate,” Nojira said.

I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but I didn’t press him further.

“If you are ready, we should be going. I’d like to get you there before I have to turn back.”

“Lead the way,” Maren said.

We headed south, away from the school and toward the coast. Nojira said it was only a few miles, but it was a long trek since the terrain was rough and uneven. Jagged rocks littered the ground and the land curved up and down randomly. We stopped twice to take a break and drink some water, but Nojira kept us moving at a quick pace. Despite his age, he hadn’t broken a sweat or complained.

“This place was once ravaged by a volcano,” Nojira said. “At least, that’s what my grandfather told me. He was a boy when it happened. Everything shook and the waves of the sea were so large they crawled further up the shore than anyone had ever seen.”

“That’s hard to imagine,” I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. “Mainly because I’ve never been on a boat or seen a storm over the water.”

Nojira cackled. “Stay around here long enough and you’ll see stranger things than that,” he said.

I wasn’t so sure that he had fully convinced himself that he’d been seeing things.

Neither am I, Sion said. I can smell his fear. It grows thicker the closer we get.

Do you sense anything else? Is there anything about this area that seems odd?

There is one thing, she answered hesitantly.

What is it? I put my hand on the hilt of my sword and glanced around.

It’s a song. I can’t make out the words, but it is full of sadness.

I listened intently and didn’t hear anything unusual, but I kept my guard up anyway. Eventually, the sound of crashing waves reached my ears. When we topped a hill, I saw the source. A long beach stretched as far as I could see. Stretched further still was the sea.

“The Wasted Deep,” Nojira said.

“What’s what?” Maren asked.

“It’s what we call this place. The actual name is the Sea of Colisle. I’m afraid it took us longer to get here than I anticipated, so I must be going back now. May I see your map?”

Maren offered it to Nojira and he held it up for us to see.

“This rock is what you see there,” he said, pointing to a large boulder that rested on the beach. “You’ll follow the beach past it for a short distance, and then you will find a cove. That is the place you seek.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Is there anything else we should know?”

“Only one thing,” Nojira said.

“What’s that?” Maren asked.

Nojira handed the map back to her and his face grew serious.

“You should never have come here.”