Page 123 of The Dragonrider and the Void
“He’s going to Greggor. He’ll try to convince him that we’ve killed his father in this ritual,” Lark said.
“You don’t know that. He could be fleeing the Kingdom,” Venrick said.
“I should go and speak with Greggor. I might be able to talk him out of attacking the city,” Lark said.
“Are you strong enough to go to battle if it comes to that?” Venrick asked.
White Eye lowered his head, positioning himself beside Lark in silent offering. Despite his own exhaustion, he offered to carry her into whatever awaited them above.
Lark set her foot into the stirrup and hoisted herself up onto White Eye’s back. “I won’t being doing it alone,” she said with a slight smile.
Venrick and Hardin joined her, mounting their dragons as well. “We’re with you, Lark,” Venrick said. “No matter what,” Hardin added.
“Then let’s finish this,” Lark said, her voice steady with determination as White Eye launched upward toward the opening in the sanctuary ceiling.
28
NORDRAVEN ASSAULT
Lark surveyed the scene as she and White Eye leveled off over the city. Amid the smoking sections of the lower districts, groups of people were gathering without any obvious signs of violence.
It’s like Yarla suggested. People are coming to their senses since the effects of the Void Drinker have abated,she considered.
Though it seemed the fighting among Astral City’s Keep and the people had come to a stop, a much more disturbing presence had amassed outside the northern perimeter of the city. An army stretched across the farmland and spanned the full breadth of the northern city wall. Copper banners dotted the sea of armored men and orcs. Rising high among the troops were breach towers rolling on massive wooden wheels. Ballistas lined the front quarter of the army’s ranks.
“That’s a massive army, Lark. I don’t know if the city’s defenses can regroup to defend against another attack. Ezra’s small force was able to overwhelm the Northern Gate during the Flashover. I saw the Morsythian troops securing the NorthernGate just a moment ago,” Venrick said, coasting alongside them on Ingamar’s back.
“The wards had not been activated for a siege,” Lark said and as she did a shimmering pulse of energy sent a charge through the air. It rose up from the edge of the city just beyond the wall to encase the city in a clear energy shield.
Hardin and Quin flew in on her other side, slowing to match White Eye’s and Ingamar’s speeds. “Dragons,” Hardin said, pointing toward the northwestern horizon.
Lark’s breath caught as she saw the formation of dark shapes flying in the distance. She couldn’t tell which of the Nordraven dragonriders was leading this group, or how many were in the flight, but that she could make them out from this distance meant a full-scale aerial assault was imminent. “We’re not prepared for this,” Lark said. “If those wards fall, everyone in here will be destroyed.”
“There are riders preparing at the Keep’s aerie. We should land, make sure they know we’re not fighting on Nordraven’s side here,” Venrick said, drawing Lark’s attention to the massive platform near the top of the Vermillion Keep.
“Hardin, find Cheyanne. Let her know I’m going to try to negotiate with my cousin,” Lark said, as she directed White Eye toward the Keep.
Hardin nodded, peeling away.
“This isn’t good,” Lark said. “Everyone on the ground is pinned here. Greggor has chosen the perfect time to catch Astral City at its weakest.”
“How well do you know your cousin? Will he listen to you?” Venrick asked as they approached the Keep’s landing zone.
Lark met his gaze. “Honestly, I don’t know. I was never close with him, but because Barrik spent most of Greggor’s childhood training me, I know he resents me.”
White Eye flared his wings, landing alongside Ingamar at the top of the Keep. A female dragonrider leading a group of other dragonrider Knights hustled to meet them. For a moment Lark couldn’t get a read on whether she was coming at them with hostile intentions, then she pressed her palm to her side. Silver brismil armor formed over her body. She pressed her hand out to the side and a matching blade as wide as her arm and long as her body formed.
“Hold!” the approaching dragonrider commanded. “Identify yourselves,” she demanded.
Lark straightened and stepped forward, Venrick donned his brismil armor, ready at a moment’s notice if things turned hostile. Even in Lark’s current state, she knew her bonds gave her more power than any single dragonrider, but with the seven of them together… Even with Venrick at her side, she didn’t know which of them had the advantage. Choosing to not activate her armor and leaving her weapon in the saddle, Lark met the Paragon’s gaze directly.
“My name is Lark, more commonly known to Lamar as the dragonrider, Marcel Heartfell.”
The woman fell into a defensive stance, the riders around her drawing their weapons as well and falling in behind her to form a defensive wedge.
“This man beside me is Venrick. You may recognize his name as he was Squire to Tel Roan for over a decade. We’re here with another newly bonded dragonrider, Hardin of Doran and his dragon Quinthara.” Lark projected her voice with an authority that she would’ve used on her own troops back in Skol. She kept her hand near her scale but did not don her armor to show she was interested in a peaceful interaction.
“We’re not here to threaten Lamar or the Vermillion Keep and those who serve it,” she continued. “We came to put an end to the Entity, who was responsible for creating the rimeshade. Itattempted to destroy our realm by opening the veil here under the Keep. We came only to stop this being from permanently taking control of the magical energy in Sataran.”
