Shattered Kingdoms | Book 2 ✔ (REWRITING AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 13 - Revealed

The horizon was smoking. Esover, the desert city that the Sage lived in was smoking, and the reddish hues of fires were unmistakable in the early morning light.

"Bring us down there. We have to save the Sage!" Jason leaned down and said to Iktarious. Immediately, the great dragon began to descend. Thronox followed suit, and Aidan dived towards the ground, white wings blending in with his skin. When they landed, Rynhiel nearly sliding off the dragon, Aidan was waiting for them, his wings nowhere to be seen, and a wide grin on his face.

Lirya looked over the group and saw Rynhiel still clinging terrified to the dragon's back.

"Get this off me!" Iktarious howled, bucking and causing Rynhiel to cling tighter.

"Get it off! I don't care if it is blessed by Lightbringer! I'm not having it any longer!" Iktarious howled, causing Lirya to giggle.

"Hold on, Iktarious," She said, then turned to Rynhiel, "I'll help you off, but you have to loosen your grip, okay?"

Rynhiel nodded, and his grip slacked. Lirya pulled him off, her quick mind still puzzling out the mystery of this boy. He walked nimbly, but with a certain clumsiness, as if he couldn't see.

"Hey, Ryn?" She asked.

He turned to her, "Ryn?"

She shrugged, "Just thought I would try it out. No good?"

He shook his head.

"Well, anyways, maybe you should take off your mask? It seems to be hindering your sight," Lirya remarked. To her surprise, Rynhiel paled and shook his head violently.

"Okay, then. We'll have to try to find the Sage then. Come on!"

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Near the city gates, Jason cried,"Demons?! Here?!" 

Ryhon paled, before summoning twin swords of obsidian. He slashed viciously at them, killing them and running towards the rest.

"Come on! Back him up!" Jason yelled, transforming into full battle gear, and following Ryhon.

Lirya hurried after him, drawing an arrow from her quiver and laying it on the bowstring. Eryna followed her, sword at the ready. Lirya looked back, expecting to see Rynhiel, but instead saw that he was running ahead of even Jason. He caught up with Ryhon and ran ahead of him, ignoring Ryhon's cries of warning. Two demons stood in front of the city gates, barring Rynhiel's entry. He stopped, listening to their footsteps and whipped his staff out. With an agility that would have surprised even a vampire, Rynhiel brought the staff down upon the head of the first demon, and spun and knocked out the other demon. He stopped, panting slightly, listening for any more footsteps.

"Good job, Rynhiel!" Jason said appreciatively.

Rynhiel looked small and fragile beside Jason's bulk. His hair framed his face, slipping away from where the mask held it in place.

The others caught up and Ryhon said, "Step back, I'm going to cast a fireball at the gates."

Muttering the spell words under his breath, Ryhon summoned a large fireball that grew between his hands. He brought it up over his head and pushed forward. The fireball flew from his hands and burst the gates apart. Splinters flew through the air, but the group had heeded Ryhon's advice and stood way out of the reach of the splinters. They dashed into the city, and saw that all of the sandstone buildings were deserted - if the people were alive, they couldn't tell.