Truths in a Rift (The Traveling Rifts Trilogy: Book Two)

Attack on the Sanctuary

When Aris, the small dragons, Klovic, Athryn, Tilan, and Faril burst through the entrance, the girl was greeted with the same clearing she had arrived at oh-so-long-ago. Scorch marks still marred the grass.

Klovic didn't even slow. He raced through the rift, skidding to a halt next to a lake. Athryn swiftly dove and landed next to them.

"Lyra!" the arbres shouted.

Just at that moment, a woodland dragon appeared from the woods. He was young, but only took a second before letting out a deafening, warning roar. Just a moment after, Lyra burst from the water and swept them all into the liquid. Aris took a deep breath, plunging in the lake's depths.

The group swished back and forth in the water. Aris worried about the small dragons, and how long they would last without air. But she felt the water more forceful than usual and realized Lyra was going faster for their sake. It was like being in a washing machine with all the spins and sharp turns. By the time they arrived at the sanctuary lake, Aris's lungs were already burning from lack of oxygen, and head spinning. She rose, clutching the sides and breathing deeply. Dragons popped up all around her, one on her head, another's claws sunk into her shirt, and the rest swimming on their own or on the others.

Aris never wanted to go through that again. However, when she glanced up, all thoughts of her recent underwater trip flew far from her mind.

Ahead, streaming in from the entrance to the sanctuary, was a long line of shadow elves, all dressed for battle. And leading the charge was Prince Sajen himself, prince of the Empire of Shadows, and heir to the throne. Bile rose in the girl's throat.

He rode a sarba, different from Cohel, whom Tilan had killed in their escape from the Empire. But he still commanded it with just as much authority. Aris noticed other changes, though. The prince still wore the left side of his hair in a thin braid, and he sat with perfect posture, but he now wore a long tunic with slits on the sides, just like his father. He had a brown belt around his hips, which held a great sword as large as Tilan's. The elf also sported a black and silver breastplate, shoulder pads, and leather vambraces, the armor of a shadow elf. And finally, atop Sajen's head, rested a crown. It didn't have a blue gem, like the king's, but was still made of fine silver, the strands weaving in between each other magnificently.

Already, more than several shadow dragons were immersed in battle, using their claws and teeth to fend off the attackers. Some swooped in the air, though many arrows were already planted in their wings. In such close proximity to the forest, fire was a dangerous option and it seemed none had taken to it just yet. At first glance, Aris would have assumed the dragons could win the battle, easy. Just as she had that thought, though, she spotted nearly all the elves using their ability of shadow-controlling, a skill Aris had seen only rarely used. But she knew how dangerous it could be.

"Guys?" the girl asked in alarm.

"We see them," Tilan responded, pulling herself out of the water. Her black suit stuck to her like spandex, and water dripped from her long hair. But she took no notice. The elf tore out her sword, rushing towards the cave the others resided.

"We have to help the others," Faril struggled, grimacing from his arrow wound.

Klovic pulled his massive figure from the water, then grabbed Aris's shirt in the clutches of his jaw. He set her down gently on the grass, where several of the small dragons crowded around her, coughing and shaking the water off their scales. She shivered as the night air crawled up her bare arms; her grey tank top and bikini weren't exactly good at keeping one warm.

"Who are they?" a male, light blue dragon, who Aris noticed has especially sharp spikes on his back, asked. His figure was smaller than most of the others. He eyed the shadow eyes through apprehensive, amber eyes.