The Mark

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. That was how the Elders had always liked to begin the stories they’d told about the time before the dragons joined the Jai many centuries ago. And as Liam soared over the Valley, leaning carefully around his mount to stare at the sweeping expanse of grass, river and rock rich with frolicking dragons of every shape and colour, now basically turned into a dragon pasture where they bred and trained the creatures, it was indeed hard to believe it had ever been any different. It was certainly a welcome sight after the Darklands. Even his mount let out a rumbling snarl and beat her wings with new fervour, just as relieved as he was to be back in what actually looked like home.

They had crossed the border out of the Darklands a while ago, yet even since they’d broken out of that sinister fog and emerged back into blinding azure sky, the fatigue had stayed with Liam. Images lingered in his mind of the tangle of dead trees and endless grey dust they had looked down upon as they’d flown over the most recent section of land to have died at the clutches of evil magic. Liam remembered all too well when it had been a beautiful orchard, full of lush trees laden with juicy oranges. It had been a favourite hangout spot not too far from the Temple for apprentices, where they’d relaxed and spent time with their dragons and each other after training and duties had been done. He remembered his own time as an apprentice, spending many afternoons there munching on the sweet fruit and watching the sunset from the trees. Twilight had loved it too.

Liam released a sigh that hung in the air, dragging his gaze from the Valley and tilting his body back straight in the saddle. Three hundred years and they still hadn’t figured out a way to stop the Darklands from spreading. As time went on, the border inched further and further out, and it was starting to get too close to the Blue Temple for his liking. He couldn’t help wondering if it would eventually envelop the entirety of Eldesia.

Suddenly, his mount turned her head, a gentle rumble emanating from her throat. It was as if she sensed her rider’s melancholy. Liam smiled faintly, leaning forward to stroke Twilight’s neck. Her midnight-blue scales were cool to the touch. She got her name from the way her natural armour glinted against her dark body, like the first stars in the sky as night started to fall. Her great purple wings were spread wide as she soared, riding the wind currents effortlessly.

Liam idly traced a finger along one of her spines, the silver bracer on his wrist gleaming in the sunlight. Then he lifted his head and straightened abruptly, gripping the reins with new purpose. They needed to get back. The Blue Temple needed its Leader.

“Come on, Twilight. Let’s get home.”

He flicked the reins and his dragon growled in response as she summoned a fresh surge of speed with several beats of her mighty wings.

Even though the lack of distance between the Darklands border and the Blue Temple gave him mixed feelings, Liam couldn’t deny his relief when they soon spotted the familiar sight of the Temple up ahead. The colossal castle of blue stone loomed over the landscape, a giant next to the Non-Jai town that laid a way’s off to its right, whose rooftops were only barely visible at this height. But as they neared, Liam thought he could see shapes zooming around the Temple. He frowned, a prickle of unease spreading through his gut. Dragons flying about wasn’t exactly a cause for alarm, but why could he suddenly not shake the feeling that something was wrong?

Then it clicked as they inched closer, and the sound of roaring reached them. The battle cries of dragons. Liam stiffened and Twilight snarled. He understood now. The Temple was under attack. For a moment Liam was stone still, then he leaned forward slowly, his grip tightening on the reins.

“Twilight… Go, go!” His voice progressed from a murmur to a shout as he slapped the reins and Twilight roared, hurtling for the Temple at full speed.

They reached the Blue Temple’s perimeter, then descended and plunged into chaos. Dragons roared and clashed. Riders shouted and light flashed as magic was fired back and forth. Twilight swerved to dodge a pair of beasts grappling in mid-air before completing her dive to land in the Temple courtyard. She touched down and whipped her head up with a growl, wings outspread.

Liam jolted as he heard a scream and snapped his head to the right to see one of his Riders, Tara, under attack. Her mount - a golden dragon named Maple - buckled as the enemy beast sunk its claws into her flesh.

Tara raised her hand. The yellow bracer on her wrist gleamed in the light of the dying sun as she fired a bolt of magic from her palm. But the foe had a barrier up, protecting him and his dragon from harm.

Liam gritted his teeth as he realised who the enemy was. It was Hector, one of the leaders of the Dark-Jai, along with his fearsome, fireball-spitting dragon, Dusk. The monstrous dark green and black beast was huge, with thick horns and a spiked tail. Tara was a strong Rider, but there were few who stood a chance against the pair. Her dragon shrieked as Dusk’s claws slashed her throat and Tara cried out in anguish.

Liam hurriedly steered Twilight around, then jabbed the reins forward and his dragon lunged toward them. He raised his hand, the one with the silver bracer on his wrist. Hector’s barrier only shielded him from Tara’s direction, not from Liam’s. So, Liam thrusted his hand forward and fired his own magic at Hector’s unprotected side.

His attention focused elsewhere, Hector was knocked sideward by the jet of silver light, and his own barrier petered out. Liam flexed his palm again, catching Hector with another bolt of magic and lifting him clear out of his saddle. Then he flung the Dark-Jai leader away with a sharp wave of his bracer hand.

Hector was sent crashing to the ground, hard, but not enough to keep him down for long. Twilight barged into Dusk and the dark dragon reared, roaring in confusion and fury as his rider was lost. But his hold on Tara’s dragon was broken, and a flash of light told Liam that Tara was already retaliating.

Liam didn’t look back. His teeth clenched as he flicked the reins and spurred Twilight to lunge for the fallen rider. The man was in the act of getting up, but Twilight knocked him back down with ease, pinning him with her massive talons and trapping his bracer arm. Liam leaned around his dragon to face him and glared.

“Hector! Why do you keep attacking our Temple?” he demanded. “What is your reason?”

Hector only scowled back at him. “You Temple Jai always think you’re so special,” he spat. Then his lips curled in a cruel sneer. “There’s nothing else to it. The Temples will fall. We’ve simply decided yours will be first!”

Liam tensed, but another shout forced him to turn his head. He was just in time to see Tara – now dismounted – throw herself to the ground to dodge the spiked tail of Hector’s dragon. The beast snarled after her, then spun to face him and Twilight. At seeing them threatening his rider, Dusk snapped his head up and unleashed a ball of fire.

The fireball exploded on the ground inches away from them. Twilight screeched and reared, backing up on her hind legs and flapping her wings against the cloud of smoke and stone. Liam pulled the reins to steady her, but she’d already released Hector. Then a dark blue bolt shot out of the smoke. It struck Twilight’s muzzle and sent her staggering.

Liam grunted and waved a hand, summoning a quick shield to protect his dragon while she shook her head and recovered her balance, returning to all fours. He scanned the vicinity for Hector, but the man was already darting back towards his mount. He leapt into the saddle and yanked the reins, swinging Dusk around to meet them. With a snarl, Dusk lunged and swiped at Twilight’s head. Twilight growled and twisted to dodge it. Liam clenched his jaw and spurred her forward and the two dragons butted horns.

Then Liam saw Hector raise his hand, and with a jolt Liam did the same. Bolts of magic erupted from their palms and collided, pale silver against dark blue. Liam narrowed his eyes against the burst of light from the energy beams. He gritted his teeth and pushed, but neither side gained much ground.

Chaos continued to reign outside the bubble of their duel. Though as Liam’s gaze strayed from Hector, he saw the tide seemed to be turning. The Dark Riders were retreating. Their dragons hurled themselves skyward, wings flapping in a frenzy as they fled. The Temple Riders pursued, driving them away with all the fierceness that came with protecting their home.

Then Liam felt his arm lurch as the resistance against his magic vanished. His gaze snapped back in the direction of his enemy and he ceased his fire, just in time to see that Hector and Dusk had darted to the right. Then Hector let loose another jet of magic right at him.

Liam waved his hand in a wild arc, just barely conjuring up a shield in time. Dark blue light struck it and burst, leaving him unscathed, though his heart leapt into his throat. He’d let himself get distracted; a mistake that could have proven deadly. Liam dropped his shield and crouched against Twilight’s back, bracer hand raised. He met Hector’s smouldering glare, determined not to waver.

But then, Hector and his dragon snaked away.

Liam watched as they turned their backs on him and Dusk unfurled his great black wings to throw himself into the air, joining the retreating Dark-Jai. Hector shouted for some semblance of order, and finally, the Dark Riders gathered and flew off. Within minutes, they were gone.

Liam dragged his gaze back to the ground, surveying his shaken and battered Riders. Shame suddenly crept up on him and stabbed him in the chest. He hadn’t been here to guide them through this battle. He’d only just barely showed up at the end.

The sound of hurried footsteps broke Liam out of his daze, and he turned around in the saddle in time to see Rion run up to him.

“Liam! It’s Tara’s dragon…” The young man’s eyes were wide with distress.

Liam was already leaping from Twilight’s back. He hurried across the courtyard after Rion, back to the spot where Tara and Maple had fought Hector and Dusk. They pushed through the small crowd that had formed, then Liam froze at the sight that greeted him.

Tara was on her knees, hunched over the body of Maple, who lied still. The golden dragon’s throat had been ripped open, and blood spilled onto the cobblestones. Tara wept; face buried in her hands. There was a heavy silence as every other Temple Rider stared, sharing in her grief. They felt her pain, but at the same time, they could never truly know what it was like. Not until it happened to them...

Liam stared as the others started to bow their heads. He felt a pressure behind his eyes that started to burn, then the heat surged through his chest. Finally, he dipped his head to join the others. But only for a moment before he spun around and marched off. If he’d failed to prepare his Riders for this attack, then he’d better be useful now and help them recover.

As the sun went down on the tragic scene, Liam summoned the Healers and ensured they tended to every Rider whether they were visibly injured or not. He didn’t rest until everyone was accounted for and checked, until every dragon was settled safely back into their stall, until he made sure the Carers and the children were all safe in their wing of the Temple. Thankfully, it seemed the Dark-Jai’s attack had not reached them.

By the time all was done and Liam returned to his chambers, night had well and truly fallen. He’d missed dinner, though one of his senior Riders brought some food up to his room. Liam was grateful, but he didn’t find himself particularly hungry.

Instead, he set to work on the next task at hand; contacting the other Temple Leaders. Liam took up a spot near the open window, conjured up the message in his mind as well as the people he wanted to send it to, then flicked his bracer hand to release a little silver cloud that immediately split into five. They zoomed out into the sky, each containing the same message.

“The Blue Temple was attacked again. We need to meet. Central Plains. Sunrise.” Short and to the point, as magic messages had to be.

Exhaustion from his journey washed over him, yet still, Liam left his room and his untouched food and went for another lap around the Temple, double-checking that everyone was okay and that everything was secure. He increased the guards around the Temple, using Riders who had emerged from the battle unscathed. Though it occurred to him that there was hardly any point now after the attack. The damage had already been done. What was the point now that it was already too late?

Finally, after instructing his senior Rider Matias to wake him at dawn, Liam staggered back to his room. He collapsed onto his bed, and despite his worrying, sleep dragged him down fast and didn’t relinquish its hold once throughout the night.

Matias woke him up in time, but weary as he was, Liam was slow to get moving. He rolled out of bed, eyelids heavy and limbs sluggish. He forced himself to change into a new uniform so he looked at least half-decent, then brushed his fingers through his mussy brown hair in an attempt to tame it. He ran a hand over the blue Jai Dragon Rider symbol – a silhouette of a dragon in flight with its tail curled over its head so its tip nearly met the point of its unfurled wing, almost forming a circle – at his left breast to smooth it down.

Liam then rushed to the kitchens, but he was already running late, so he only allowed himself to scoff down a quick snack before hurrying off, ignoring the worried looks of the cooks. He walked out into the hallway, then, wasting no more time, he touched his hand to his chest and warped away in a flash of light.

Liam arrived by the ruins of the ancient Jai Palace at Central Plains; the sweeping field of long, golden grass that marked the very centre of Eldesia. He blinked as his surroundings came into focus, then he registered the five pairs of eyes that settled upon him. Liam grimaced. He was the last here. Late to the meeting he had called for.

“About time, Liam!” one of the other Leaders teased. “We were starting to wonder if you’d forgotten your own meeting.”

Unfortunately, Liam wasn’t in a particularly humorous mood.

“No, I was just slow to get here,” he muttered.

“Cut him some slack, Rowan,” said Lorelei. The stern, dark-eyed Purple Temple Leader cast him a grim glance. “His Temple was just attacked.”

“Yes, look at him. He looks exhausted,” the woman to Liam’s left crooned worriedly, stretching out a hand to brush his shoulder.

Liam winced. “Thanks, Penelope…” he mumbled in response to the Leader of the Yellow Temple.

Sometimes it was awkward being the youngest of the Temple Leaders. It felt as if they all deliberately kept a closer eye on him as a result, and anything they directed towards him – such as their pity – felt more overt. So, before anyone else could interrupt, Liam raised his voice to speak.

“This is the third attack on the Blue Temple in a single moon-cycle. The Dark-Jai are clearly planning something. We need to find out what it is. And we need to stop it.”

The Dark-Jai didn’t do anything without reason. They clearly had some sort of plan, and the Blue Temple was part of it. Liam knew it. He needed to find out how.

A grunt of agreement sounded from the most senior Leader present. Noah, Leader of the Orange Temple, inclined his head in a nod.

“Liam does have a point. The Dark-Jai are at the strongest they’ve ever been. They’re causing too much trouble.”

“And so many Jai lives have been lost lately…” Will, Leader of the Red Temple, added with a frown.

Rowan grunted and finally seemed to settle to the same level of solemnity as the rest of them. “It’s too soon. Why have they grown so strong again so fast?” the Green Temple Leader said with a scowl.

“Well, it’s not as if they were decidedly defeated last time…” Noah stated, his tone dour. “Not like they usually are. It’s not too difficult to believe they’ve regained their strength already.”

“Not only that,” Liam broke in. “The Darklands continue to spread. What are we supposed to do about that? Wait until it engulfs half of Eldesia before we do something?”

Lorelei sighed, and though she cast him a sympathetic glance, her frustration was evident as her brown eyes flashed. “We’ve tried everything with that. I’d say the threat of the Dark-Jai is more important to deal with right now, rather than searching for what to do about the Darklands.”

Liam stiffened and turned a glare on her. “Your Temple isn’t at threat of being swallowed up by its darkness!” he snapped.

Five heads swivelled towards him, startled by his outburst. Liam’s fists clenched and his shoulders slumped. He was usually so level-headed. There was a reason his bracer was silver, the colour of logic. Rationality. Yet he certainly wasn’t doing a great job of demonstrating his core trait now. He was starting to fray. The others didn’t understand what it was like, being able to see the approaching wave of the Darklands from his very balcony. His Riders were the ones who had to guard the border day and night. They were the ones who had to try and prevent the Dark-Jai from getting in, with little help from the other Temples because it was so far for their Riders to travel.

Will stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, his purple bracer gleaming in the sun. “Calm down, Liam. We’re in this together. We’ll figure something out.”

Liam sighed and let himself sag. He nodded at Will’s words, but he felt he was losing hope.

Will frowned, then met the gazes of the others. “We need to find a way to put a stop to all of this. And soon…”

“We will figure out what we need to do,” Noah declared, and all eyes shifted to the bearded man. He lifted his chin firmly. “There is always a way to fight.”

The man’s statement was met with hearty nods from every other Leader present.

Liam glanced to the side, watching as the wind stirred the golden grass of the Plains. As the breeze tugged at his hair, it was as if he could feel the very essence of the world around them. Could feel it calling to them. He clenched his jaw, then lifted his head and finally gave his own nod, his resolve rekindled. This was their home. They had to keep fighting for it.