The Rise Of The Dragon Riders

Chapter 1 - The Bond of Dragons

Crack!

"Come on boy! Work faster!" Another blow of the whip came down on my now raw back.

"I'm trying Uncle! I really am!" Crack!

"No yar not! If ya were it would 'ave been done be now!" Crack!

By the eighth blow I'd collapsed on the dirt ground in the yard of my parent's farm.

--

My parents had died only a few months before and that left me in the care of my Uncle, my only living relative. To this day I don't know how my parents died. That night I had run away from my Uncle and my childhood home. I was eleven and for the past eight years I've been living in the Altrean Forest on the outskirts of Umbria, the main city of Lork and the main port. This is also where the royal family resides and from my current camp I can see the castle below the mountains.

Tonight I have to move my camp as I was almost caught yesterday by the King's knights that patrol this part of the forest. I have a place in my mind that is practically untouched by both the nights and the towns people travelling from the city to trade and it is only a two mile walk from my current camp. It is an abandoned cave with a stream that runs nearby so I will have a plentiful supply of water.

I start walking towards the cave and by nightfall I reach the mouth of it. I lay my makeshift bedroll down just near the entrance. I'll explore more of the cave tomorrow, I think before I drift off to sleep.

I wake up to a searing pain in my chest. It feels like someone has plunged a dagger into my heart. When I sit up gasping I notice that it is still dark outside. The pain in my chest grows to the point of being unbearable but I feel as if there is an invisible thread trying to drag me further into the cave. It's then that I look down at where the pain is coming from and I could feel my eyes widen in shock. The tattoo of a dragon that I've had for longer than I can remember is glowing an icy blue. I'm only staring at it for a few seconds, though, as the tugging is growing stronger. So strong that I feel myself being forced up and dragged into one of the tunnels of the cave.

I don't know how long I walked for till the tugging stopped but when it did I looked around and saw that it had lead me to an opening, a cavern that could easily fit the whole of the Wymond Castle into it. My eyes don't dwell too long on the size of the cavern but the large brilliant blue egg surrounded by rocks. For some unknown reason I feel drawn to it, like it was part of me somehow.

'Salvare.'

I jump at the sound of my name and look around but realise that it wasn't said aloud. No, it was like only in my mind I had heard it.

"Who are you? Who's there?"

'My name is Aerkhyra.'

"Where are you?"

'I have not yet arrived, Salvare but it will be soon.'

"How do you know my name?" I was now feeling like an idiot for talking into nothing but the empty cavern that is until the feminine voice continued to talk back.

'We are bound, Salvare. This bond can never be severed, not even in death.'

"What do you mean bound?"

'I fear I cannot say more now. I must focus.'

Not minutes after 'she' said these words I heard a cracking sound and a glowing light like the one from my tattoo shone from the egg. It continued to get brighter and brighter so much so that the entire cavern flooded with light and I had to look away and shield my eyes with my hand.

It only took a few minutes for the blinding light faded. I looked back at where the egg was to see it was cracked open and the middle of the broken pieces of shell was a small lizard-like creature but unlike any lizard I've ever seen before this one had wings protruding from its back.

'Hello Salvare.'

"Where are you?" I asked again but I had a feeling that I already knew.

'I am the creature you see before you.'

I look at the small lizard in front of me and it cocks its head to the side.

"What are you?"

'I am a drakonser or as you would call them a dragon.'

"A dragon?! But they only exist in legends!"

'All legends hold an element of truth, Salvare. I need you to connect to me so that our bond can be restored.'

"What does that mean 'our bond'?"

'You do not remember but we were once bound Salvare, your spirit to mine. That is why the bond can never be broken. Once one vessel dies the spirit finds a new one and remains dormant till the other half of the bonded spirit is found.'

"So I have a spirit in me that is bound to you?"

'Yes Salvare. But to restore this bond you have to connect with me.'

"Ok so how do I connect with you?"

'You merely have to touch me.'

"Touch you?"

'Yes.'

I walk the few paces that separate me from the small winged and reach out towards it. As soon as my hand touches the scaly skin a bright light bursts around us and a pain radiates from my chest, then to my head and my toes and back again. When the pain gets worse I collapse onto the floor, clutching my chest and head but before the need to pass out I hear Aerkhyra speak.

'It is good to see you again Raolin.'

Then the world goes black.

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Pic on the top is Salvare aka Max Irons :3