Chapter 3
One thousand years after that final battle Aria awoke with a start, every nerve buzzing, something was different.
Jokim slept, the cavern was safe and protected, why did she feel this way, her eyes rested on the two slowly rocking eggs, she felt both joy and despair, was it time? Was the darkness weak enough?
Aria reached out with her mind and found two families about to give birth, both babies were strong and healthy, one male, one female, yes they would be riders.
As the families were at different ends of the kingdom, Aria had to wake two of the elite guard, as the Blue Dragons awoke they were flooded with the events of the battles that raged one thousand years ago, Aria soothed them, they were given the location of the two new riders that were about to be born, Aria then turned her attention to the rocking eggs in the cavern, it was with great pride that she prepared for the hatching, soon she would need to revive Jokim.
The blue dragon Shanay in the West province searched the location Aria had given and found the unborn rider; she placed a protective shield around the house and then revived her rider Talgar.
Inside the small house husband and wife held hands as the intensity of the contractions increased, the wife’s mother fussed round the room making preparations for the birth, Calar felt his wife relax she looked into his eyes and said “I feel something different, I still feel the contractions but I no longer have any pain” her mother dropped a dish and spun round to look at her, “do you hear a voice listen carefully” she said, “no I! Wait, who said that, somebody said relax be calm” her mother sat heavily in a chair “it is time” she said softly, her daughter’s waters broke and a baby girl was born.
Calar looked on so proud to be a father, the baby opened her eyes, they all saw the reptilian yellow eyes that changed instantly to vivid blue normal eyes; they all jumped when there was a knock on the door.
Calar opened the door and saw a tall man wearing a leather coat, the man spoke in dragon tongue, “I am Talgar of the Elite Guard, Aria sent me” As if stunned Calar retorted in Dragon tongue “welcome rider please enter” the tall man entered the room, looked round “take me to the child” he said softly.
Hundreds of miles away to the East, Clarrisia commander of the elite guard, knocked on the door of a remote cottage, she was a petit blonde dressed in her blue dragon scale riding suit covered by a riders full length leather coat she could out fight and outwit most opponent’s, there was a mist in the air but it did not penetrate the shield around the cottage.
The door was opened by a large woman holding towels in one hand “What, I’m busy” Clarrisia smiled lightly “I am Clarrisia of the elite guard, Aria sent me” she stated in the dragon tongue, “What, I don’t understand” said the woman, a male voice from inside answered in dragon tongue, “Welcome rider please enter, mother she is a dragon rider sent by Aria, let her in” the woman tried to curtsy because it seemed the right thing to do and moved aside “take me to the child” said Clarrisia softly.
In the cavern Aria watched as both eggs hatched at the same time, she felt the telepathic bond form with the riders, she saw the knowledge transfer between dragon and rider but then she saw something she had never seen before, the transfer of magic, but this was from the riders to the dragons, a very powerful magic the likes of which rivalled that of the brown dragons, before she could stop it the young dragons transferred dragon magic to the riders.
Her thoughts reached the two blue dragons instantly their riders heard the warning loud and clear “use caution, our new riders possess very strong magic, this must be trained correctly”
At both East and West the old riders were taken through to meet the new riders, at each of the separate locations the old riders found that they could not approach, something was preventing them from getting any closer.
Aria felt the apprehension in the two young dragons, she looked at them and said “look to the blues, the elite guard, you will see” after a small hesitation the young dragons dropped their riders shields allowing the old riders to approach, words were spoken in dragon tongue that nobody else understood, both old riders told the new parents that they would return in the future and left.
The young dragons, one male blue and gold and one female red and gold, curled up by Aria’s feet and slept.
Aria gently revived Jokim from his deep sleep, she knew that she must send him to the new riders; he would be away for a long time.
Jokim prepared for the journey carefully, his golden dragon scale suit freshly oiled; this like most other dragon rider suits was made from the scales shed as a dragon grows and fused with dragon magic. His two swords forged in dragon fire slid easily into the scabbards on his back, six throwing knives, a small crossbow and quiver, and a long bow with quiver, each quiver held twelve arrows, he placed a pouch of food on his belt and was ready.
One moment Jokim was standing in front of the giant golden dragon Aria, the next second he was standing in a damp forest on the edge of a small settlement of four wooden barns and a small stone house, his mind searched out Aria, “this is your family’s home, you are in the north district, if you require assistance I can awake two blues in your area, good luck Jokim and remember that I see all that you see”