Dark Rider

Fierce Richard

Description

There's a traitor among the riders.The Citadel is attacked, and the already weakened Order must face a new threat - one that isn't just flesh and blood.Eldwin is summoned by the Assembly to fulfill his oath. To stop the coming darkness from spreading, he must venture into the Void, the realm between the living and the dead.As cities fall and lives are lost, the scattered riders will need more than magic and dragons they'll need the Assembly.Fans of Sarah K.L. Wilson's Dragon School, Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern will feel right at home.The Dark Rider is the tenth episode of the series Dragon Riders of Osnen.Dragon Riders of Osnen series:Book 1: Trial by SorceryBook 2: A Bond of FlameBook 3: The Warrior's CallBook 4: The Coin of SoulsBook 5: Wings of TerrorBook 6: Eyes of StoneBook 7: Tooth and ClawBook 8: A Servant of SoulsBook 9: Smoke and ShadowBook 10: The Dark RiderBook 11: The Song of BonesBook 12: Sword and CrownBook 13: Tides of Darkness

Sujets

• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Adventure (Guyana)
• Adventure
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Distributed By PublishDrive
• Date de parution: 30 janvier 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781947329638
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Dark Rider
 
Dragon Riders of Osnen Book 10
 
RICHARD FIERCE
 
 
 
The Dark Rider © 2021 by Richard Fierce
 
 
This is a work of fiction. All events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form without the express permission of the publisher.
 
 
Cover design by germancreative
Cover art by Rosauro Ugang
 
 

Dragonfire Press
 
e-Book ISBN: 978-1-947329-63-8
 
First Edition: 2021
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
 
 
 
1
 
The night air was crisp and cold, a subtle sign that winter was slowly approaching.
I pulled my cloak tighter and stared out over the walls of the Citadel, scanning the darkness. It was quiet, which was good. In the week since we’d returned to the Citadel, Kage had launched several attacks along the Terran border. Master Anesko had been drowning in reports of a black wingless dragon spewing acid on unsuspecting towns, and there were whispers that the king had deployed his men to investigate.
As much as I tried not to let it bother me, I had a sneaking suspicion that Maren and I would be drawn into the chaos somehow. As it was, we’d been added into the rotation for guard duty. The Order had yet to recover from the battle with the False King, and the number of new riders wasn’t enough to put a dent in the lack of available bodies.
It was a dark thought, but it made sense that Kage had used the dead. They were free labor, and he could essentially raise as many men as he needed. That was a major problem for us, as he could quickly and easily replenish his army. I sighed and was able to see my breath. I hated the cold.
I walked along the battlements to the next tower and stood beside a brazier, soaking up the warmth. Another rider, Vadet, stepped out of the tower and nodded at me.
“It’s a cold one tonight, yeah?”
“Too cold,” I replied.
“If you think this is cold, wait until true winter comes.”
“Does it get colder than Valgaard?”
“Couldn’t say. I’ve never been there.”
“I have. Twice. And trust me, it’s the coldest place you’ll ever find yourself in. Even my dragon had trouble there.”
Vadet shrugged. “Most dragons don’t do well in the cold, so that’s not surprising.”
“Regardless, it’s not a fun place.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Has Master Anesko returned yet?”
“Not yet,” I said. “He and Master Katori are due back any day now.”
“What do you think of all this talk about war?”
“Unfortunately, I think it’s true. I met Kage, and he’s insane enough to attack Osnen.”
Vadet folded his arms and leaned against the wall of the tower. “Well, now that magic has returned, he’ll find nothing but a hard time here.”
I wanted to agree with him, but I knew that if war came to Osnen, our task of defending the land would be easier said than done. I mutely nodded. Master Anesko had sworn me to secrecy regarding Kage’s dragon bone flute until he could gather more information.
“Let’s just pray that Kage loses his nerve. The last thing we need is another war.”
“I’ll give that an amen,” Vadet said. “I’m ready for some peace and quiet.”
Something heavy thudded in the courtyard below. Vadet and I exchanged glances, then we hurried to the edge of the battlement and looked down. A lone figure was lying prone on the ground.
“Did that person fall off the wall?” Vadet asked.
“Looks like it!”
I sprinted for the steps and took them two at a time, then rushed over to the figure and knelt. It appeared to be a man. He was lying face down, limbs akimbo. I was hesitant to roll him over for fear that whatever injuries he’d sustained would be worsened.
“Can you hear me?” I gently touched his shoulder.
A wheezing sound was the only reply I received, but it was a relief. He was still alive. The man’s arms moved slowly and he started to push himself up.
“Stay still,” I said. “I’m going to take you to the infirmary.”
The man turned his head toward me and I realized the hideous truth. It was a corpse. I scrambled backward, struggling to return to my feet. I drew my blade and struck the corpse on the neck, severing its head from its body.
“Sound the alarm!” I shouted, looking to the battlements.
Vadet wasn’t there.
I looked up, searching the night sky for enemies, but a thick haze had formed. It obscured everything.
“Magic,” I muttered.
Another corpse crashed to the ground a few feet away, followed by another. Kage truly was insane if he thought to attack the Citadel. He might have an army of undead to do his bidding, but this was the heart of the Order. Between magic and dragons, we had the upper hand here.
I just needed to ring the bell and warn the others. I made a run for the stairs, but the corpses continued to fall from the sky. They struck the ground and rose quickly, moving much faster than the first one. They lunged and reached for me, their hideous faces twisted into gruesome snarls. I brought my blade up, hacking and slashing through their ranks.
What’s happening? Sion’s groggy voice filled my mind.
Kage is here!
Here? The bond flooded with her fury. I’m coming!
An unearthly roar echoed off the buildings. I risked a glance upward and thought I spotted the tail of Kage’s dragon slipping into the haze. Where was Vadet? Why hadn’t he sounded the alarm yet?
I cleaved my way through the undead and reached the stairs. More corpses landed in the courtyard, and some landed on the battlements above me. Cursing under my breath, I hastily climbed the flight of steps and reached the top to find several undead waiting. They came at me, the smell of their rotting flesh assaulting my nostrils.
A commotion in the courtyard signaled Sion’s arrival from the stable, emboldening me. I lunged forward and twisted my blade in an X pattern, removing limbs from the corpses closest to me. The door to the tower was less than twenty feet away. I rammed my shoulder into one of the undead, knocking it over the wall.
And then I spotted Vadet. He was lying next to the brazier, an arrow sticking out of his neck. A wave of anger washed over me. I cleaved through one corpse and kicked another off the wall. Once the battlement was cleared, I ran to Vadet. Blood was seeping from his wound, but he was alive. Barely.
“I’m going to get help,” I said. “Don’t give up, Vadet. Do you hear me?”
His eyes looked past me and he took a final shuddering breath. I gently pressed his eyelids closed and hurried to the tower door, but when I tried to push it open, it didn’t budge. Vadet and I were the only ones on this portion of the Citadel’s walls, which meant someone—or something—had barricaded themselves inside.
I whirled around at the sound of something metal clinking behind me. A grappling hook had landed on the battlement.
They are trying to breach the walls! I shouted through the bond.
Sion roared and flames filled the courtyard below as she immolated a group of corpses that had gathered near her. More were dropping from the sky, but I wasn’t worried about Sion. She could deal with the undead far easier than I could.
Two more grappling hooks came over the wall, clattering loudly as they were pulled taut. The hooks latched onto the stones of the wall. I peered over the edge and saw a contingent of men, real men, climbing up the ropes.
We need help! There are too many and I can’t get the tower door open to ring the bell.
Demris has awoken Maren. She’s rousing the others. Help is coming.
It was better than nothing, but it would take Maren too long to wake everyone. I had to find a way to get inside the tower, but first I needed to deal with the men scaling the walls. I chopped at the rope attached to one of the hooks, slicing it free. The hook clanged to the ground and I heard a scream on the other side of the wall.
The other two were just as easy to cut, but it became clear that Kage’s forces weren’t just scaling this side of the Citadel. Shouts echoed from the other guard towers, followed by the clash of steel. I returned to the tower and tried kicking the door open, but it was no use. I thought I could chop through the door, but I quickly gave up on that idea after two blows sent numbness coursing through my arms.
I held onto the hope that one of the other guards might ring the bell from their side, but I couldn’t just stand here and wait to see if they did.
Can you get up here? I asked Sion. I need you to bash this door open.
I’m a bit busy down here.
Well, hurry it up. We don’t have all night.
Funny.
I looked down at the courtyard and watched Sion flame another group of corpses. She leaped into the air and flew toward me. I threw myself to the ground as she shot past, slamming her tail into the door. The wood splintered into pieces. I scrambled up and rushed inside. The rope to the bell hung down from the rafters, and I tossed my sword down and grabbed ahold of it.
I pulled as hard as I could.
 
 
 
2
 
Ding, ding, ding!
The bell blared, echoing loudly across the courtyard. Now the whole school would know we were under attack. I released the rope just as I noticed that I wasn’t alone. A woman stood in the corner. She had shoulder-length black hair and wore leather armor designed to look like dragon scales. She brushed splinters of wood off of her cloak and turned her gaze on me.
At first, I thought she might be one of the guards, but as she stepped out of the shadows and I got a good look at her, I realized she was one of Kage’s followers. Her hooded eyes displayed her Terran descent, and her demeanor indicated that she was ready for a fight. She drew two short blades from scabbards at her waist.
I glanced down to where I’d tossed my sword, but before I could make a move to grab i