The Adventures of Raegor

VI

Krela glided through the clouds, Vrandí on her back, with his purple rider's blade in his hand. Rider's blades were enchanted and dyed with the colour of their dragon. They were forged from mithril. Vrandí's blade was named Sauram which meant deliverer of the final sleep.

As Krela emerged from the cloud Vrandí cast a powerful concealment spell using the dragon ring. The spell fed off the strength of their bond and this meant older riders were stronger than newly bonded ones. Vrandí and Krela had been bonded most of their life.

"We haven't fought in a while, Krela. Are you sure you don't want that claw armour?" he asked.

"My claws are stronger than diamond, friend. I don't need those pesky things." she replied.

"Ah. I suppose your only weak spot is the scales on the back of your neck, and they are covered by this adamant armour." He tapped the dragon armour Krela wore.

They were almost at the ground now. They could see the soldiers milling about of the embankment near their large supply train. One of the soldiers had got on one of the large oxen and was pretending to ride. His comrades laughed, drinking bottles of beer and rum.

"Ha! They should know better than to drink so close to the border." said Vrandí.

"Not all soldiers are as good as Krakarji's" replied Krela. "Stop your spell now. Only cowards fight invisible."

As Vrandí cut out the spell there were gasps and cries as the men struggled to their weapons. Krela roared and bathed the soldiers in flame, but it did nothing.

"Blast it! They must have a spellcaster among them" cursed Vrandí.

A number of arrows shot up at them from the soldiers on the ground. Krela swooped through the air, avoiding them, then breathed an inferno on the train. The flames caught fire instantly and before long the whole carriage was burning. As Krela neared the ground for the third time, Vrandí loosened the straps on his legs and leaped out of the saddle and jumped off.

He fell through the air, arms outstretched, then hit the ground, bending his legs as he landed. Several soldiers ran at him. He swung Sauram at the first, beheading him. The next was more careful. He held out his sword like a fencer, arm extended behind for balance. Vrandí sprinted forward and swung Sauram in a huge arc. The soldier blocked it, then stepped forward, cutting and parrying. Vrandí blocked the soldiers various attempts but found himself on the defensive.

"Curses! I need to practice my one-on-one!" he thought.

"You've spent too long fighting armies and grown used to easy kills" answered Krela, who has busy fighting a group of soldiers metres away.

Finally Vrandí managed to land a blow on the man's leg, then followed it up with a heavy hit with Sauram, smashing the man's sword.

"At least I gave a good fight." said the man gruffly, gesturing at his fallen comrades.

"Aye" said Vrandí, and decapitated him.

After that man fell Vrandí rushed back to the action. Krela was subdued by ten pike-wielding soldiers, who had surrounded and were jabbing at her. Vrandí hopped onto the back of one of the oxen that pulled the train, and from there onto the carriages themselves. He sprinted along them faster than any other human then dramatically leaped down into the mass of men. He cut and stabbed quickly, dealing crippling injuries left and right.

He found himself facing off against two soldiers. He took out the one on the right with a quick uppercut, then in a brilliant move, passed his sword quickly from his right to left hands behind his back. He stabbed Sauram into the man's neck, who gurgled and collapsed.

A soldier grabbed Vrandí from behind, pulling him back. The rider shook himself free, then turned and pointed at the man. His dragon ring flashed purple, and the man shot back six feet through the air. He hit a carriage and there was a snap as his back broke. Vrandí rushed at the soldiers who were subduing Krela. They had succeeded in puncturing her scales at the gaps in her armour.

Vrandí rushed into their ranks. He stabbed the first in the chest, then disarmed the next before decapitating him. The next two he killed with magic and Krela took care of the rest.

"Are there more? Are there more?" he shouted looking around, Sauram at the ready."

"No. You fought well back there." said Krela.

"As did you. You certainly reminded them that their spellcasters, even with their fancy spells, are nothing compared to us" he replied.

"Wait. I didn't see the mnock who was with them" said Vrandí with dread.

"That'sss becaussse there wasn'ttt a mnock with themmm." said a voice from behind them. "Theyyy are inferior to necromancersss like meee"