The First Dragon Rider

They were coming for him. They could feel it in his aching bones. They were close, gathering pace. The sound of branches cracking underneath heavy footfalls. The neighing of horses being spurred on in urgency. Faster, he had to ride faster. There was no telling He had managed to cross the border into Kalecura, escaping Venador, but the Imperial troops were keeping pace. Aldor had carried him and the child for a full day's ride and while his trusty companion would never complain, Dorian knew the beast was beginning to tire.

Bypassing Shadowfen, he made way for the Bailearach Forest. The bastards wouldn’t dare follow him in there. Most would think him mad to deal with the monsters of the woods, but madness was exactly what the elf needed if he were to get the child away from King Cayden’s men. If they managed to catch him, any hope they had of overthrowing the Empire would be lost. The Free Allegiance depended on the bundle that Dorian was carrying in his arms as he rode at breakneck speed away from the Imperials.

He could feel them at his heels now, arrows whisking past his face, the heat of their torches on his back. If he didn’t make the treeline soon, it would all be over and this whole escapade would have all been for nothing. However, lady luck seemed to be smiling on him as he reached the edge of the woods and Aldor lept into the forest, the neighing of the Imperial horses signalling that they had halted at the tree line. But Dorian did not dare look back. While Aldor’s pace had slowed, the elf was still wary. The monsters of the Bailearach Forest were nothing to scoff at, and Dorian hadn’t come all this way to fail now. However, just as his heart rate began to slow, he began to feel lightheaded. Looking down, Dorian saw blood pooling around his coat, and an arrowhead poking through his abdomen. Shit. There was no way he’d come all this way to just die now. As his vision began to blur, he must have started to hallucinate, because he could have sworn he saw the silhouette of a dragon heading towards him.

The last thing Regisuldar expected to see in his domain was a half-dead mortal and its spawn being carried by a horse. The emerald dragon had just returned from his nightly hunt and after a hearty meal had expected a quiet night of rest. However, it appeared he was in for an interesting encounter. As he swooped down to the ground, he transformed into the humanoid visage he wore around mortals to avoid startling them. His feet were no sooner on the forest floor when the pair of creatures fell off the horse and into his waiting arms. The beast began to neigh and whiny, clearly stressed at Regisuldar’s sudden appearance when the dragon gazed into the creature’s eyes, instantly calming it. The dragon shook his head and laughed. These were interesting times he lived in.

Dorian woke up with a jolt and in immense pain. As his eyes opened, he saw vibrant, green leaves overhead, with the early morning sun trying its best to pierce through the tree branches. He was alive, somehow. Wait, the child. Where was the child? He attempted to sit up before wincing in agony and laying back down. His armour and coat had been removed and replaced with a bandage wrapped around his abdomen where the previously assumed grievous wound was. This was all very strange. He had a string of questions about his current situation that he only had a moment to ponder as a voice smooth as honey interjected his train of thought.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you. You barely made it through the night friend. Let’s not tempt fate any further.” The voice was comforting, like a light breeze on a summer’s day, but had an element of playfulness to it. Without warning, his view of the trees above was blocked by a form of immeasurable size and magnificence. Scales that glowed like the emeralds of Nyxtarina, wings that beat like the winds of Dunraikleach and what could only be described as a smirk that would make the bards of Taringrad blush. There was no questioning it. Dorian was looking up at a dragon.

“W-who are you? What’s happened? Where’s the child?” Dorian demanded, suddenly aware the babe was nowhere in sight.

“At ease friend. Your son is safe. I caught you both as you fell from your steed” Regisuldar began, as he descended from the air and transformed into his visage form, inciting more confusion from the elf. “My name is Regisuldar and I am the guardian of these woods. As you can see, you have me to thank for your wounds being patched up. You have nothing to fear of me. While you reside here, I swear no harm will befall either of you. Now, what brings you to the forest of Bailearach?”

While Dorian couldn’t quite believe what he was witnessing, Regisuldar’s presence set him at complete ease. A warmth emanated from the dragon, even in his humanoid form. Flowing chestnut hair, a well-kept beard, enchanting green eyes and a disarming smile; it was impossible not to feel safe with this creature. Dorian explained to him his mission, how the child he travelled with was not his, but the son of the Archmage of the elven kingdom of Úladraíchú - an ally the Free Allegiance desperately needed if they were to withstand the forces of the Empire. The elf was frantic to be on his way as hastily as possible, however, Regisuldar insisted he stayed until he had recovered.

“You’re in no state to travel, friend. Your wounds must heal and the magic of the forest will ensure they do more quickly than you possibly could on the road. Once you are recovered, I will happily take you to Solebháin Isle myself. The Ae’renal are good people and have always treated my kind well. My presence will not be met with any trepidation” Regisuldar explained with a warm smile. As stubborn as Dorian was, he knew better than to argue with an emerald dragon.

As the days passed, Regisuldar regaled tales of dragons and their ancestral home, far from the forest where he now resided. Dorian couldn’t help but grow fond of the dragon, his charm disarmed the elf and made him blush more than he’d like to admit. Eventually, it was time for them to make their way to Úladraíchú and while Dorian knew that this was but the first step in his people securing their freedom, for the first time in an age, he had hope. Now his mission was complete, he was expected to return to the front and take the fight to the Empire, but he wouldn’t be going alone. His new companion wasn’t going to leave him to be stumbling into his home half-dead again. “Someone has to make sure you stay alive, friend. Seems that task must fall to me” Regisuldar told him with a knowing smile. This would be the first of many bonds between mortals and dragons and paved the way for an alliance that would change the course of the world.