Race Riders (The Hidden Quest- Book One) (24 page)

Andi was puzzled, she knew she had to take matters into her own hands to ensure Dredd’s safety. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to harm him; he was a loner and chose to keep it that way. Except for his Dragon Master Champion status, he really kept a low profile. Andi tried to voice her concerns earlier to Zach, but he was oblivious due to his anxiety of the upcoming race. He was preoccupied at the time and rightfully so. Of course, she could enlist the aid of dear Faazen, he always came to their rescue, but this time she chose to handle it herself. At least give it her best effort, after all this was her brother. Still the question loomed on her mind, was it possible that this orc was an assassin hired by someone else? As her mind entertained these thoughts, she didn’t notice someone speaking to her.

“Hello there Andi Domino, is something troubling you?” Andi turned and saw Marquor. The dragon had a serious look as she folded back her enormous wings and wrapped her tail around.

“I’m fine, really, it’s Dredd I’m concerned about, I overhead a plot from one of the orcs planning to kill my brother. I’m trying to come up with a plan to stop him.”

“Please let me help dear girl, I absolutely despise those filthy creatures. I am at your service for whatever plan you may have.”

“Thank you Marquor, I believe I could use your help more than you know but I’m not sure what to do! I know I must get to Everdark Forest. Their plan is to attack him there.”

“Fine, I’ll take you. Let’s go now!” Marquor said. “Are you going in your race day finery?”

Andi looked down at her beautiful dress and held up her gloved hands. “You are quite right, this will never do,” she smiled ruefully. She snapped her fingers.” I have an idea, I’ll be right back.”

Marquor nodded.

Andi ran off to the stables and there in one of the stalls she found a pair of riding pants and a jacket. She quickly gathered them in her arms and returned. Quickly changing behind a tree, Andi then stood and brushed herself off. “Will I do now?”

“Wonderful” the dragon said. “We will ride now young lady.”

“Wait “Andi said as she cut the fingers down from each of her gloves and fastened her hair in a low knot. She pulled the hood from her jacket and climbed upon Marquor.

They soared over the treetops at a fast pace, but it took a while because Everdark Forest was a distance away. Once they arrived, Andi found her courage waning, for everything about this place was musty and dank. An eerie presence seemed to permeate throughout. They were only at the entrance, and going any further was truly out of the question. Marquor advised they stay in the thick brush of overgrown bushes. It was a perfect spot to plan their strategy.

The dragon looked around the forest, she never liked this place and did her best to avoid it, but Andi was a friend and needed her help.

Andi’s gaze fell upon a bow and arrow leaning against one of the trees. Next to it was the skeletal remains of a fallen warrior, possibly a hunter who lost his way. It looked in fine condition.

“Lucky for me,” she mused to herself. Andi had been practicing with Dredd’s bow lately, and was becoming quite proficient. Either way she was keeping it. “Marquor, look!” proudly waving her find in the air. “This should do very nicely, don’t you think?”

“Very good Miss Domino, who knew you were a lady archer?”

“Yes,” Andi said in a demure voice. “Maybe lately, Payne gave me a strange elixir and although it has medicinal properties, it’s given me abilities which I didn’t have before.”

“Bravo Andi, rescuing your little brother is quite heroic indeed. Payne is one of our most respected and ingenious dragons.”

“When do you think the orc will make its move against Dredd?”

Xandar was quick to reply at Zach’s question. “I believe it will be over the Everdark Forest or in the caverns. Both places could easily eliminate any trace of you, because of the creatures that dwell there. This way there would be nothing left to prove what happened.”

Zach thought of the ugly, wriggling things he had seen in the Greenstone Caverns. “I see your point Xandar, and being injured in that forest would not give you much of a chance would it?”

The dragon shook his massive head. “One would not have much of a chance at all.”

The cruise through the southern pass was so far uneventful. Zach relaxed a little for the first time since the race began. The mountain range was awesome from a distance, but flying through was truly incredible. Not many of the inhabitants of Brandiss-Dor ever experienced them this way and he felt privileged to be here. Patches of evergreen dotted the deep valleys and this added to their severe beauty. There were glimpses of horse-like animals running, which were almost too quick for the eye. Large and powerful birds flew the updrafts coming from the craggy cliffs. Every so often one would approach but peel away quickly, going back to fly the thermals lazily. Zach lost himself for a minute watching their graceful maneuvers.

“Zach, Zach, snap out of it!”

“Sorry Xandar,” he yelled back slightly embarrassed.

“We are going to cross through a very tight passage in order to rejoin the others on the northern route. We need to be close to Dredd. Whatever the orc is going to try, I sense it will happen when we are over Everdark Forest. Lean in close, or the rocks will tear you to pieces.”

Zach shuddered at the thought.

The hard beating of wings came up from behind rather quickly. Lash’s dragon must be feeling a lot stronger thought Zach.

Zach turned around thinking it was Lash, but instead his eyes widened as saucers when he saw what was behind them. He screamed, “You’re the shadow rider! “

“Yes boy, I know” the spectre shot back smiling widely through thin stretched lips. “I rather like that name. It has a good sound to it, don’t you think?” he winked at Zach, his eyes fiery, glowing orbs in deep-set darkened sockets. “No need to fear me boy. I only seek your help.”

“How can I help?” Zach inquired. The shadow rider’s dragon swerved to the right of them and pulled alongside the pair.” Xandar, do you see what’s going on here or am I seeing things?”

The noble dragon calmly looked back and said, “It’s fine I knew of him when he was alive and he was a good man. He’s just dead now.” The dragon turned back to the task.

The dragon was more bone than flesh; its wings were tattered and torn. The shadow rider himself wore a long, flowing grey coat over heavily worn leather trousers and tunic. Rusted and broken thin chain mail hung over the tunic. As the rider moved, bones peeked out from under his ragged clothing. His face showed human features, but he was more skeleton than not. The dragon made a quick move toward Zach and Xandar as if to collide with them. The boy raised his hand and flinched expecting the worst, but it was if a cold, damp mist passed through him.

“Ah, now we don’t have to shout,” grinned the ghost.

“You do have a little fun with this, don’t you?” Zach asked with a smirk.

“Yes, I must confess I do. Do not be upset, it’s the most fun a dead man can have! The truth be told young man I would like to finish the race. Then after that I can move on to the ever after, joining my beloved wife Tassie who passed on years before. I am thinking you are the one who can help me. You boy have an integrity and depth of character I seek.”

Zach spoke up, “Well I would like to help shadow… what’s your real name?”

“My name is Tarr Zahda.”

“Tarr Zahda, I have to go and help rescue my friend now. He’s in danger!”

“I know boy, but you will come back won’t you?”

“I give you my word. I will try.” Zach was solemn as he spoke.

“I have waited three years, so I can wait a little more. Be on your way then and help your friend.”

“Thank you Tarr, I will return. That just happened right?,” he said to himself. “Things keep getting stranger every day.”

“Zachary prepare yourself, we have to cross through the mid-passage very soon. Were going through fast and precise and there is no room for error.” Xandar-Sym dove towards an arch of overhanging rocks under a cliff. “Hang on Zachary!” With a sudden burst of speed they entered the jagged opening. Plunging down through the dimly lit crevasse and zig-zagging all the way, made Zach remember a roller coaster ride from a favorite amusement park he and his friends frequented back home. He smiled until he felt a rock snag and rip the back of his riding jacket. He felt nothing and sighed thankfully. They took another quick hook to the left and they were out. Dredd, Ilsa, and Alghern were up ahead in that order. Xandar leveled off and picked up speed to catch up. They had lost some time with the shadow rider but now they were steadily gaining on the lead racers.

As they were all nearing the merge, Dredd and Payne had to avoid one of the larger circling birds, almost hitting it. Ilsa took advantage and advanced three dragon lengths ahead of Dredd. The end of the mountain course was quickly nearing. When they reached and passed the merge, Lash didn’t appear. He had fallen far behind. Azreen was too injured to keep the same pace as the others. Only finishing the race was their goal now.

Dredd and Payne were starting to close the gap that they lost a few hundred yards back. “Damn ugly bird” grumbled Dredd to himself. “We can do it Payne, C’mon boy.” Dredd knew how badly Ilsa and Sennah wanted this race. If victorious, Ilsa would hold it over his head for who knows how long. “C’mon Payne, lets go!”

“I know Dredd, but maybe it’s not our year. You’ve had the past three crowns and it might be time for another rider to enter Dragon Master Champion status.” Payne had wisdom in his words.

Dredd smiled, “ok old boy, you could be right.”

Zach and Xandar-Sym were catching up to the trio of raceriders. “Xandar, do you hear something?” As soon as he said that he felt a vibration near his hip. “It’s the singing stones!” He tugged at the pouch from his belt and held it in amazement. It sounded like Mella’s voice, soft as waters in a brook. “This is the warning; whatever the orc is planning must be soon.”

Zach listened as he heard the stones again.

“Find your courage deep inside, look and be aware.

Danger is upon you, there is danger everywhere.”

The group rounded the wide left arc and closed in on the Everdark Forest. The gloominess of it was apparent even at a distance and Zach could sense the darkness.

Black ugly limbed trees reached from the rolling, greasy mist that was like a living thing. Some said that the mist was the souls of beings that died there. If one would venture into the Everdark Forest and come out alive, they were never quite the same again. Darkness seemed to attach to them and stayed for the rest of their days. Never speaking of the experience, they lived a hollow and haunted existence. To stay above the mist was the only way to avoid this dreadful outcome. The living mist hugged the ground so you could outrun it by staying high above in the trees, but if one lingered too long it would surely seek you out and pursue.

Zach saw the orc make a quick move for something as he and Xandar came up quickly behind them. They pulled around Razorback to get between the orc and Dredd.

“I gotta try to warn him, Xandar get closer!” The wind whipped at Zach’s face as he called to the dragon.

“What do you think I’m doing boy, I saw it too.”

The sudden blast from the powerful beats of Xandar Sym’s wings forced the orc and his dragon to avoid the turbulence shortly interrupting the assassin’s concentration. Pulling closer to Dredd and Payne they were in position, shouting as loud as he could.

“Dredd, Dredd!” Zach tried to get his attention but couldn’t. Turning his head, he saw the assassin Alghern pulling a long barbed quill from his dragon’s flank. The orc seemed to whisper to the dragon spear, and then dipped the tip into a small pouch.

“Poison” whispered Zach, eyes widening.

Alghern looked up and saw Zach watching. He grinned menacingly, staring right into the horrified boy’s eyes. “Now” grunted the orc to Razorback, and they both turned their focus to Dredd.

Andi was in the highest branches of the tallest tree on the northern most edge of the Everdark Forest. She would have a perfect view of the Race Riders as they flew over. Her heightened strength, reflexes and amazing vision allowed her to track the orc’s attempt on her brother’s life. Andi braced herself.

With a murderous smile on his scarred face, the assassin orc and his dragon swooped up into the right of Dredd and Payne.

Holding her breath and taking careful aim, Andi drew back the arrow and slowly released it. The arrow traveled swiftly towards its target.

Raising the poisoned spear, Alghern began his forward thrust to end Dredd’s life.

The flying arrow drove into the orc, passing through his side. Exiting, the arrow hit Razorback’s wing joint, shattering it completely. Tumbling towards the forest then crashing through tree branches, Alghern hit the ground with a large thud. Catching his breath and in searing pain, the thick brush cushioned his fall. To his amazement, he was still alive. He rolled over onto his back and slowly opened his eyes. Falling towards him was Razorback, roaring with wings flailing. Alghern gasped his last breath as the plummeting dragon landed directly atop the stunned orc. Razorback lay there dazed for a few minutes, and then getting up, staggered off into the thick, dark forest. The swirling, living mist consumed what was left of the orc.

Andi smiled when she saw the end of the one trying to cut her little brother’s life short. “Yes, now how do I get out of here?” She wrinkled her brow and then saw Marquor hovering over the tree branch.

She nodded at Andi knowingly, “good job with the orc.”

Andi tossed her head back, “I have to thank his dragon for finishing the job for me, and justice is served.”

“Now let’s get you out of here, this place is just dreadful,” the dragon sniffed in disdain.

Zach raised his fist in victory as the orc met his brutal fate. Dredd and Payne came up alongside them. “Somebody saved your butt Dredd!” Zach shouted.

“Who?” yelled Dredd.

“I know who.” Zach was smiling from ear to ear. “Tell you later buddy, we’re still racing you know.”

Dredd let out a raucous laugh and pointed at Zach, “we have to catch Ilsa, let’s go!” They rode off swiftly, cruising above the last trees of the Everdark Forest.