The Trial Part 2 of 2: Segment of My Book "Planes"
Norwald slowly crept back to the edge of the forest, where his brother Gerald lay resting to recover from a mysterious illness. Despite the only motion coming from his brother being the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the coloring on Gerald's face had improved by leaps and bounds. His arms and legs were no longer shaking from the sickness, and his brother might be awake soon...he hoped.
Norwald grunted as his tired back vocalized its complaints from him carrying a mileark, a creature greatly resembling a deer, except it had pads on its feet instead of hooves. A strange abandoned trap he disarmed captured the mileark, and his sword finished off the wounded animal in act as much of mercy as desperation. He set down the animal at the crude campsite he made for his brother then he set back into the forest to gather dried timbers for a fire.
He stopped abruptly when he saw his younger brother stir in his sleep. Though he was tempted to stay and watch over him, he knew that if they didn't get any food, they would be unlikely to survive much longer in the cold weather of the night. The forest floor was covered almost entirely by layers of green undergrowth and brown leaves. The only bare patches in the entire forest were the result of rainwater washing them away.
His steps crunched as he went deeper and deeper into the woods. He then wondered where the trap came from. It was not like the Maldorans to use traps to catch wild animals for food, for it was a respected pastime for them to travel into the forest to hunt. Norwald had gone hunting many times and found great enjoyment in the activity with its pulse pounding moments and mental challenges that came from being required to sneak up on and outsmart their prey.
His brother Gerald, however, found no such pleasure in the activity and instead saw it as a sport of brutality. He always either stayed home or went with them but refused to participate, for he had no desire to take a life just for sport. Since it was viewed as a coming-of-age activity, many still saw Gerald as a child, but Norwald knew that it took more than a single activity to change what one was. He shrugged off the thought and continued into the forest.
He went only a few more steps before he came across another brown metal trap much like the one that caught the mileark. This one was still armed, though, and Norwald tossed one of the sticks he was carrying for firewood between the two sets of serrated teeth that clamped together in the middle. The trap moved faster than his eyes could follow, and the stick was cut in half when the snare was triggered.
Then, he decided it was a device too dangerous to stay in the middle of the woods, and he bent down to retrieve it. The metal contraption was a lot heavier than it appeared and was able to drag it only a few feet away before abandoning his efforts and deciding that since it was disarmed, it would no longer pose any threat. His gaze rose to the area directly in front of him.
Since he focused on the search for firewood, he paid very little attention to his surroundings. He suddenly found himself lost with nothing recognizable around him. Trying not to panic, he then realized the ground nearby had been stripped of timber; and he backtracked along the areas he knew were already harvested. He kicked the leaves over the dirt to hide his presence to anyone who may have been nearby; unlikely, yes, but still possible.
Before he knew it, he was back at the forest's edge, and back into familiar grounds. He found Gerald crouched over their mileark, which was suspended invisibly in mid air with fuel-less flames cooking the animal's flesh and melting the fur off its body.
"Welcome back, little brother." Norwald said as he angrily threw the now obsolete firewood he worked so hard to gather on to the ground.
"Thanks. I feel a lot better." Gerald told him without emphasis as he rubbed his head.
Norwald could tell he wasn't entirely truthful. He was feeling better, yes, but his condition still appeared to be pretty poor. He had a little more color in his cheeks, but the rest of his face was still pale. His eyes still had dark circles, and his shaking was less frantic. Norwald hoped this was the sign of recovery his brother desperately needed.
"Any idea what caused you to be sick?" Norwald asked as he bent down to recover the firewood he threw to the ground.
"No, not really." Was all Gerald said as he sat down and helped his brother dig a fire pit and set the wood into a suitable shape for a fire.
After they dug a pit and set the wood into the proper shape, Norwald said, "Care to do the honors?"
Gerald looked at him in confusion for a few moments before catching on to his meaning. He kneeled over the fire, closed his eyes, and within a few seconds, sparks flew out of his fingers. At first, they seemed to create nothing but smoke, but then, they gathered in the middle of the wood shavings and bark they used as kindling, and started to catch.
Norwald nodded, pleased with his brother's actions then pulled the mileark next to him, unsheathed his knife, and set about skinning the beast. He started at the creature's ankle and made a thin slice all the way across. Then he used his hands to slowly peel back the skin while the knife kept creating incisions on the other side to keep the cut skin at the same length and thickness.
Gerald stayed hunched over the fire as the night grew darker and the weather grew colder. The flames continuously died down and became cinders, until Gerald made them grow, much like using oil on a pit of embers. He flew backward, nearly leaving the ground when he underestimated his abilities and almost burned his eyebrows off. Norwald only saw this from the corner of his eye, but it was still enough to leave him snickering for several moments.
"You alright?" Norwald asked, sounding almost sarcastic when his brother glared at him.
"Yes, I'm fine." Gerald said angrily.
"Good to hear." Norwald responded and set about snickering again.
"Yeah, laugh it up, why don't ya?" Gerald said in a clearly angry voice.
Norwald scowled and nearly yelled, "Look, you've been in a bad mood ever since you woke up! What's your problem? You think I wanted to get separated from our town by taking care of you?"
Gerald, taken aback by his brother's sudden yet not unprovoked anger, said, "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I had to get sick! I'm sorry I had to get lost while our world is at the brink of war! And I'm sorry that I had to be better than you, O Norwald, Guard Captain of Jardeona!"
"Stop it!" Norwald retorted.
"What's wrong? You trip on your ego?" Gerald taunted as he tripped his older brother and made him fall on his back.
"Enough!" Norwald yelled and stomped his foot for emphasis, but his brother's insults only continued.
As much as Norwald tried to resist irritation, his brother's words wounded his pride. He growled, rose to his feet then lunged at his brother. His force and raw power drove the two into a nearby tree, and Gerald felt his back crack. Norwald, thinking he did serious damage, immediately backed off only to be knocked to the ground.
When he got back up, Gerald was no longer moving. Horror dawned on Norwald at the belief that he killed his brother out of anger. His hands shook and his mind was sent into a panic. He closed his brown eyes and lowered himself, hovering over his brother's body. With two fingers, he lifted his brother's dead eyes, staring into the emerald and the sapphire. A tear fell from his eye from the confirmation of his brother's death until the eyes snapped shut on their own.
A fifty pound weight was removed from his back when he saw his brother's chest lift and lower, even though he remained slouched on the ground in front of him. Norwald realized they had to get out of there. If their town was evacuated, it wouldn't have been done so for anything but the greatest threat ever known. He blinked several times then slid his hands in his pockets, groping around for the metal device he found earlier.
His fingers gently rubbed the smooth, shiny metal. It felt very much like the material used to make swords, but the device had not a single sharp edge, only a few jagged ones. It quickly vanished from sight when he slid it back into his pocket. He spread the timber he gathered for the fire around the smoking embers and gripped his spellstone with his eyes clenched shut.
His eyelids flickered again and again until they burst open, all color having left his eyes pure white. A wind picked up and the cinders suddenly came back to life. The pupils in his eyes returned as the lids covering them lifted for a split second. A smile came about his face when his spell was successful and he leaned over the fire to protect himself from the rapidly dropping temperatures.
He shivered, hands clutching against his chest before pressing them back in front of the blaze. The crackle and pops of the dried leaves and wood were the only sound for a long period before Norwald heard what sounded like the steady beat of wings. The wings sounded like a solid membrane that couldn't have come from feathers, leaving only one possibility: a dragon.
Hope came back to him where despair existed only moments before as he bounced to his feet and looked toward the darkening sky. He found he heard correctly when the shadowy outline appeared seconds later. He then took the skinned hide of the mileark and gently held it above the fire; killing the flames momentarily and leaving nothing but highly visible smoke behind.
"HEEEEYYY!" Norwald yelled, waving his arms back and forth. He got no response, not even a change in speed from his smoke signal and his shouting.
Something more visible would have to be used, he realized. His spellstone moved around in his pocket as he flapped his arms back and forth, until he all but lost hope. In a last desperate attempt to get the Skyrider's attention, he held his spellstone in his fist and thrust it into the sky. A beam of red flame shot into the sky, making it nearly impossible for anyone within several miles to miss.
He fell to the ground, not only from the energy drained by the flame spell, but from the feelings of hopelessness and failure that hit him. His vision became an unfocused blur when his eyes filled with tears when he knew he failed his brother. The cold dirt of the bare ground pressed against his forehead until he heard the noise return.
His vision came back into focus when he saw the Skyrider and his dragon return. Back and forth his arms went again when it became clear that the dragon wasn't homing in on his location. He chanced another energy drain and sent another heat beam into the sky. The Skyrider moved back and forth in the majestic, fluid motion they were known for. It wasn't long before he found Norwald's signal and quickly sank through the air.
The dragon and its Rider landed with a thunderous boom and Norwald was able to tell this particular Skyrider was of lower rank than most of the others due to a lack of age and battle scars on the two. The dragon's eyes were clear and glittery as diamonds, and the Rider's young face reflected compassion despite lacking experience.
"Whom do I have the honor of speaking to?" The Skyrider asked.
"I am Norwald, and this is my brother Gerald. We got separated from the main group during the evacuation of Jardeona." Norwald informed, gesturing to the near motionless figure of his brother at the last part.
The Rider hopped off the back of his dragon and gave a respectful bow to the two of them. "Name is Rothgar, and this is my dragon, Wulfric, at your service." The Rider said, but his dragon said not a word to anyone; evidently the type that mostly kept to himself.
Norwald respectfully returned the bow then went to his brother and propped him over his shoulders. It was then he saw a cone-shaped house-like structure on Wulfric's back, one taking up almost the entire length of it. At least twenty people would likely be able to take shelter in the structure, Norwald estimated. He saw several spikes on the dragon's back that went through the fabric from underneath and came out the walls, likely the only things keeping the structure in place.
"What brings you all the way out here?" Norwald asked, gently setting down his brother.
"I was supposed to travel with the rest of my group. I had no desire to fight a hopeless battle, and vanished right after I dropped my men on the ground. I went back to the remaining cities, searching for anyone who may have been left behind. You two are the first ones I have come across, why is it just you two?" Rothgar told him.
"It's my brother," Norwald said, gesturing toward him, "he's ill. I don't know what's wrong with him, but whatever it is causes him to stay asleep almost constantly." he finished.
"When did he start to show signs of this mysterious illness?" Rothgar asked, walking over to his brother.
"Now that you mention that, it started right around the time he was given a spellstone. He touched it then every step seemed to get heavier than the last until I was forced to support his weight, and then carry him when he wasn't able to stand." Norwald told him, seemingly shocked at the realization of a likely cause of the illness.
"A spellstone, you say?" Rothgar said, digging through his pockets until he found his own.
"Yes." Was all Norwald said.
"I am trained in healing, let me take a look at him and see if I can maybe find some answers." Rothgar said, not waiting for Norwald's response and gently pressed his spellstone to his brother's forehead.
The instant the stone came into contact with his head, Gerald tossed and turned away from it as though it burned. Then his eyes flicked open, and Rothgar flew away from him when he saw two different colored eyes. His head shook in disbelief at what he was clearly seeing.
"What is this?" Rothgar demanded.
"What is what?" Norwald inquired, getting only a finger pointing at his brothe r's eyes.
"Didn't I mention he's the first person ever to be both a Skyrider and a Shifter?" Norwald asked.
"No, you did not, and I am afraid that complicates things quite a bit." Rothgar said.
"Why's that?" Norwald asked; his curiosity piqued.
"When a Shifter first bonds with the spirit of their animal, an incredible amount of magic energy is produced in their body. Many times, those who become Shifters require several days of continuous sleep before their body adjusts to its newfound power. Most survive only by sharing the overwhelming energy between their two forms. The same thing happens when one becomes a Skyrider, but if they are not chosen by a dragon quickly after inheriting their gift, they have no one to share their awesome power with, and many die from it. Your brother, being both and having no dragon to call his own, nor any other form to share the energy between, went unconscious, and is currently fighting to contain and expend this energy." Rothgar said.
"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Norwald asked, now a bit worried.
"It is incredible that he lasted this long without anyone to help him. Your brother is quite an amazing man, but, I fear that without anyone to channel his energy, he will soon lose the battle and his body will shut down." Rothgar said, avoiding eye contact.
"There has to be _some_thing we can do! I have to help him!" Norwald said in still growing concern.
"There might be..." Rothgar said cryptically.
"What? What can we do?" Norwald asked.
"Not we, I am afraid." Rothgar said; clenching his eyes shut.
"Who, then?" Norwald demanded to know.
"Me. I may be able to wake him up by absorbing some of the excess energy." Rothgar said; opening his eyes which turned pure white.
"Won't that just make you sick?" Norwald asked.
Rothgar shook his head. "My dragon will assist me. If I get overwhelmed by the surplus of energy, it will at least give your brother a fighting chance to live again."
"What if it does make you sick?" Norwald asked, folding his arms.
"That is a risk I am willing to take. Whatever happens, do not stop me!" Rothgar said.
Norwald tilted his head back, wondering whether he was really going to let him risk his life for his brother. A pit formed in his stomach when he felt guilty from having to think about it. It was his brother he was trying to help, after all. He then nodded, telling him to go ahead and give it a try.
Rothgar nodded, then leaned forward and closed his eyes. One hand pressed against Gerald's forehead, and his other hand stayed in his pocket grasping his spellstone. His brother's body began convulsing and twitching as though the Rider was using a lightning spell on him. Soon, a glittering amber colored beam came from Gerald's head and travelled into the Rider's body.
It was at this point that Norwald started getting worried. His brother's eyes opened, but showed no further signs of waking up. Wulfric moved closer to his Rider and pressed his snout against his crouched over back. Gerald's breathing suddenly became more noticeable and his coloring went back to normal. Norwald felt the weight of the world being once again lifted from his shoulders when his brother woke up.
Yet...Rothgar did not stop, and seemed to be getting brighter to point where he almost started glowing. The strength in Gerald's body came back, and he rose to his feet while Rothgar still maintained the connection. Wulfric moved closer to the two and nudged Norwald on the shoulder.
_"What are you waiting for?! Make him stop already!"_Wulfric told him.
"He told me not to stop him no matter what." Norwald said defensively.
Wulfric growled a bit. "Yes, Rothgar still overestimates the limits of his endurance. Even if it kills him, he would still insist on it!"
Norwald didn't waste another second and charged Rothgar, knocking him on the ground and severing the connection. At the exact moment the connection was broken, Gerald fell to his knees and Norwald rushed to his side until his brother told him he was alright and just needed a moment. Rothgar stared at them with his green Skyrider eyes, anger easily detectable in them.
"I told you not to stop me!" He said angrily.
"My brother is fine now, thank you! And you kept going after he woke up." Norwald said, clutching his younger brother protectively.
_"When are you going to learn your true strength?!"_Wulfric asked, stepping between the three of them.
"I should have known it was your idea to interrupt the transfer." Rothgar said, smiling a little as he hugged his dragon's muzzle.
_"But of course! Who else would look after you if you did not?"_His dragon replied, giving his equivalent of a smile afterwards that received laughs from his Rider.
"Can I offer you two transportation? It is the least I can do for someone whose gone through so much." Rothgar inquired, scratching his dragon's head.
"Oh, yes please!" Norwald said, only now letting himself feel how tired he was.
"Then climb aboard and strap yourselves in. It is going to be a long trip." Rothgar said, lowering a rope ladder over his dragon's side to them, which they climbed and made haste in doing.
Norwald was shocked to find the inside of the tent-like structure on the dragon's back surprisingly big and cavernous. The insides were lined with a smooth glassy material that was cool to the touch and quite comfortable. From the size and space, he guessed it could hold at least forty people, and likely even more if they were packed in tighter.
The spikes protruding through the bottom of the structure were filed down so they wouldn't be as sharp. The walls had no decorations, and the only thing of interest he found were straps every few inches for passengers to fasten themselves in with. From the appearance and texture, Norwald guessed they were made of the same material as the dragon's saddle, which was known for strength as well as comfort. He didn't waste any time and strapped himself in at the first set of straps.
Gerald, however, decided not to secure himself and lay down lengthwise across from his brother.
"How are you feeling?" Norwald asked him.
"Much better, thank you." Gerald told him.
Norwald smiled and said, "Sorry for losing my temper earlier. I guess I took things out on you that weren't your fault and-"
Gerald prevented him from continuing and said, "No...I should be the one apologizing." Norwald stopped immediately with a look about him that reflected his shock at his brother's words.
"I haven't been treating you fairly ever since I came back home. I guess I felt like I didn't have an equal. I'm sorry for how I've been acting. I know you didn't want to stay with me to make sure I was safe, but I do appreciate it. Thank you, big bro!" Gerald finished.
Norwald's face went from a shocked scrunching to a happy smile as he removed the straps and went over to his brother, putting his arms around him, a gesture Gerald returned after a few Blinks. Both of them smiled when the hug ended and Norwald gave him pats on the back before he went back to where he was and lay down like his brother.
It wasn't long before the two passengers were sound asleep; Gerald from his body managing the excess energy stored inside him, and Norwald from neglecting sleep to look after his brother. Much to their surprise, the tent kept out the cold weather Maldoran Fells were infamous for and they slept comfortably and uninterrupted.
"Looks like our guests are comfortable." Rothgar said, scratching his dragon's neck.
_"It would seem so."_Wulfric told him.
Several Blinks passed in silence.
"When need to go higher." Rothgar told him out of the blue and in a shocked voice.
_"What for?"_Wulfric asked; only to be answered by numerous sharp thunderclaps beneath him, despite there being no clouds at that altitude.
_"What is going on? What is that noise?"_Wulfric inquired, sounding a tad worried.
"Just look down and you will see." Rothgar told him.
Both of them lowered their gaze to the land beneath them. Two massive groups stood opposite each other, both going in the same direction; one retreating, the other pursuing. To the surprise of them both, the ones dominating what could scarcely be called a battle and more accurately called a massacre were Maldoran troops. He couldn't confirm it, but he believed the Maldorans not only had numbers on their side, but possibly the element of surprise as well.
_"When did this start?"_Wulfric asked.
"I do not know, but it had to be recently. There was no fighting when we came through here only moments earlier. Take us higher; we cannot risk being seen by either side." Rothgar commanded.
Wulfric said nothing, only gradually increased his rate of ascension with shorter but quicker pumps of his wings. Down below the Maldorans were stopped dead in their tracks when their opponents stood their ground and sent bursts of hot lead at them. The Maldoran commander was clearly a talented man, for he had everyone back in defensive position behind their shields before any of them were hit, and the powerful shots simply bounced off their shields; producing no casualties.
At almost that exact moment, a legion of Skyriders appeared from behind the hostile formation; scooping them up in their mighty paws and slamming them down on the hardened soil while arrows came from the other direction, decimating what remained of their ranks and leaving only a leaderless, scattered mess of hostiles. Many of the enemy riflemen were killed before releasing their rounds, and many of them were sent skyward.
Rothgar felt the wind from the bullets, and knew they were getting dangerously close to being hit. "Wulfric! We need to go higher! N`ow!" He said frantically and struggled to remain calm when they didn't stop coming but only became more frequent.
"I am climbing as fast as I can!"_Wulfric said in short temper then added, _"Unless you want me to dump the cargo."
"Now is not the time for your jokes! Just do i-'' Rothgar ordered, but was cut off by a sharp gasp and limply fell forward.
_"Rothgar?! Rothgar?!?! ANSWER ME!"_Wulfric said, at a near crippling worry that was very close to panic.
"K-Keep going. Do not stop...n-n-no matter...what..." Rothgar said as forcefully as he could manage before he fell sideways off the saddle.
_"NOOOO! ROTHGAR!!!"_Wulfric screamed in horror; legs darting out in front of him and towards his Rider before he slipped out of range.
Wulfric struggled a moment on determining what to do, before diving almost straight down, wings held still and claws held out in front of him and reaching for the rapidly shrinking form of his Rider. He was forced to pull back when he nearly slammed into the green field below while arrows and bullets sped in his direction from their respective sides.
Wulfric leaned back and forth in anticipation of the crossfire before he felt a sharp sting at the claw on the tip of his left wing that nearly severed it. The two brothers inside the tent woke up from the now powerful booming of their enemies' rifles, and from the dragon swerving and spinning through the air in an attempt to avoid being hit while climbing to get out of range.
"What's going on? Where's Rothgar?" Norwald asked as he was tossed back and forth inside the tent; barely hanging on.
_"He is...gone."_Was the teary reply he received from Wulfric.
"Gone? What do you mean gone?!" Norwald asked in absolute shock.
_"What do you think I mean?! He is dead!"_Came the angry and sorrowful response from the dragon.
Before Norwald could respond, he was thrown to the back of the tent when Wulfric went almost straight up. The wind created by the ascension made a small tear in the fabric at the back of the tent that grew at a frightening speed. Acting purely out of instinct, Norwald grabbed his brother by the arm before he was sucked through the increasingly large gap.
_"Strap yourselves in!"_Wulfric told them as he was hit several times and tiny pinprick holes appeared in his wings.
Holes keep appearing all over the thin membrane that was his wing until a sickening crunch came and a solid seam connected the bullet holes, ripping right through the thin membrane of his wings. He leaned almost entirely on one side, having only one wing to fly with before he got stabilization by holding them both still at a glide before another tear ripped through his one good wing.
Norwald had almost no time to act and simply set Gerald on top of him as he buckled the straps over the two of them. The force fighting against them suddenly reversed when blood dripped down Wulfric's wings and sent him into a freefall.
The speed and intensity of falling nearly overwhelmed him, before Wulfric said in a shockingly weak voice, "I am sorry. I...have failed...you..." and smashed directly into the ground with the crunch of broken bones and a loud "THUD".