Forces Collide by Jamie Wilson (ap literature book list txt) 📖

a little surprised. I knew she was surprised that Gaelira was not frightened off by the fact she was actually a vampire, like Drannor.
I smiled and we headed back to the tents. I knew that people were starting to sort out their armour as well. Mine was waiting for me in the tent Drannor and I shared.
When I reached our tent, I saw that Drannor was waiting for me. Saying goodbye to Hycis I walked into the tent and he followed me.
“You did the best you could about Lindan Marcos,” he said.
“My best was not enough,” I said. “He did not come out of his walls alone.”
“Did you really expect him to?”
“Some where in my body did? I failed to do that.” I smiled. “Not all of me thought he would though.”
“Well, I’ve talked to all the Generals. We’re all set for tomorrow no matter what he throws our way. The wyvern’s will spend the night in that valley, as will their Riders.”
“We’re not sleeping in here?” One of my eyebrows rose.
“No. and technically, I won’t be sleeping anyway.”
“I know that,” I laughed.
People were rushing around, getting ready. The camp was busy as the Uruohtars walked towards the valley.
The rest of the elves were busy late into the night.


Chapter 24
I woke earlier than dawn. Drannor felt me move in his arms and kissed me lightly.
“I hope you got a good night’s sleep,” he said.
“I did actually. It seems whenever you’re nearby, nothing bad comes of my sleep,” I said.
The other’s roused themselves just then and Drannor helped me get all my body armor on.
The armor seemed to make me realize just how close I probably was to losing him.
“Don’t fret about me. I can protect myself,” Drannor said. “I’ll make it all the way through to the end.”
I sighed as I finished with my own body armor. He had his all on within seconds.
It was time for this to start. The closer it was the more stressed I was getting. He walked with me out to where he knew we could see Nuduien, but were still confined into the valley.
My eyes narrowed as I glared towards the city, wondering where Lindan Marcos and Rhothilion were lurking. Unless he wanted us to see him as a coward after his death, then he would come out himself, and rise to my challenge.
My Uruohtar’s waited to get into the air.
In front of me, the elves waited for the humans to come forth and attack. They would wait as long as it was need for them, as a whole we would not attack them; we would wait for them to attack us.
Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to an hour as we waited. All our horses were completely still; the only part that moved was the odd tail, flicking away the irksome fly.
Then a loud noise was heard, and we could see the gates opening. Horse after horse came cantering out, the number of them never seemed to end and it seemed to take forever. I soon noticed that there were eighteen white war horses, each lined up about a hundred feet apart.
Then in groups of ten, different line of horses, bays and browns, blacks and chestnuts, cantered out to line up. As the last horses were lining up I heard a loud horn blaring from the city. It was him showing his insubordination.
“Time to get up in the sky!” I said as our own musicians started to wind their own horns.
We all mounted as one more horn rang from the city, instantly countered by our own. A line of wyvern’s started to wing their way over Lindan Marcos’ troops, waiting for us.
With a roar that clearly said your-end-has-come! Gaelira leapt into the air, the others following. Not one of the wyverns wore armour; they said if their scales could not shield them, then that was it.
I noticed that Rhothilion was slightly ahead of the line of wyverns behind him. My rider’s maneuvered themselves into the same sort of formation, Gaelira as the leader.
Our line was slightly above the enemy line. Perhaps Gaelira had planned that when we became level. I could see that Rhothilion was furious and he started to wing his way towards out greater height.
Gaelira snarled and pinned her feathery wings to her sides, dropping like a arrow soars through the sky.
“She is mine!” Rhothilion roared as a black wyvern made to block her.
Then there were wyvern’s everywhere, attacking each other.
Gaelira roared at the enemy dragon below, screaming ‘Traitor! Murderer! Oath breaker!'
'I hope you remember all that Bjart taught you about fighting,' I said gripping the saddle tightly with my knees and gripping Corellon tautly.
Rhothilion swerved up to meet us. Anything that would happen to any of the others was not of importance now. All that mattered was our enemies. Our little plan had worked perfectly. Then again, I had known it would, I'd seen it.
With a very loud noise, Gaelira and Rhothilion collided like two falling incandescent meteorites. In an instant they were grappling with each other. Then Gaelira rolled sideways to avoid Rhothilion's grabbing teeth.
I then spotted Marcos draw his sword to hack at Gaelira's leg. Filled with rage, I hefted Corellon and blocked the red blade quickly.
Then I glanced up at Marcos, realizing where I was. At his mercy I was, he could easily kill me.
'Gaelira we have to get level with him. Marcos could kill me easily if he wanted now,' I desperately told my young dragon.
In an instant, Gaelira loosed a continuous jet of white flames into Rhothilion's face. She then rolled over and darted out from beneath him. Gaelira then bellowed in pain which made me yelp as felt her pain in my own body.
Quickly glancing behind me, I saw that the big blue and red brute had Gaelira by the tail.
I quickly stood up and carefully made my way along Gaelira;s length, grabbing each of her orange spines as I went. Leaning down near the end of Gaelira's tail, I slashed at Rhotilion with my sword.
The male dragon made to dodge me, but I managed to cut his lower jaw. Rhothilion bellowed and snapped at me, as I clung to the tail spike in front of me.
The two dragons parted, trying to regain altitude. Once Gaelira levelled out, I moved carefully back to her saddle.
'Thank you,' Gaelira murmured gratefully.
'Don't thank me yet. I have not healed you yet.'
Then a blue fireball missed me by inches. Gaelira snorted and dove sharply to avoid another fireball rushing at me. Then Gaelira retaliated with a sharp backward loop that placed us behind Rhothilion.
Rhothilion did not seem fooled as to where she was. He tilted back and spiralled behind us, but ended below us.
Then a glistening blue leg appeared around Gaelira's shoulder, attacking her quickly. I did not pause to think this time. Raising Corellon I hacked at it aiming at a gap in the armour. With the strength I used, I shattered a line of scales and several tendons were severed.
Rhothilion snarled as three of his toes went limp. Then he pulled himself free and arched his neck.
'Let's get out of here,' I said, knowing what he was about to do.
Gaelira spiralled out of the way just as Rhothilion let loose a think wave of fire.
Gaelira then collided with Rhothilion attacking him savagely in a way that the long red bladed broadsword Garik could not hutr her.
Noticing that one of the red and blue wings were within my reach, I knew I could end this. By doing so, I would force Rhothilion to the ground, and Marcos would have to fight me.
Before I did, I healed Gaelira's mauled shoulder.
'Thank you,' she grunted.
'We're not finished up here yet,' I said. 'Lets see how long it takes Rhothilion to realise what will be his fate.'
'Do you think he will realise that he will die?' Gaelira seemed very optimistic.
'What makes you say that?' I asked, aiming a healing spell at her tail.
'The possibility of that to him is very low. He feels as certain as I do that he'll kill me,' Gaelira replied with a dry hiss. 'Though I am of the opinion that I’ll win.'
Gaelira dodged his grabbing talons, rolled to the right, kicking at the think twine that lashed together her foes armor.
Then I noticed Marcos draw Garrik and hack at Gaelira's head. Snarling with fury, I drew Corellon and blocked the other blade.
Gaelira loosed a continuous jet of white fire in Rhothilion face, and darted from beneath him. She screamed in agony as she did. Glancing back, I saw that Rhothilion had Gaelria by her tail.
Standing up shakily at first, I had not practiced this much in the air, I steadied myself and then strode along Gaelira's back, drew Corellon and attacked him with the blade. The male dragon's teeth were stuck in the armor that sheathed Gaelira's tail. He was unable to dodge as my aim cut his lower jaw.
Get off of her, I snarled at Rhothilion as I did so.
The dragon roared in pain and snapped his fangs at me, pulling himself free from Gaelira. In an instant, I grabbed hold of the tall tail spike in front of me as the two dragons parted from each other for a split second. As soon as Gaelira leveled out, I moved back to Gaelira saddle as quickly as I could.
“Thank you, Gem,” Gaelira said.
“I have not healed you yet,” I replied.
A blue fireball missed me by an inch. Gaelira dive sharply as another fireball shot passed where my head had been a second ago. In that quick dive, I noticed four dragons lying on the ground unmoving; from the altitude they were at I could not name them.
Then Gaelira collided with Rhothilion, slashing at him with her talons. The white dragon took some terrible knocks, and then she managed to get free with the same tactic as last time. Gem then saw Rhothilion get a grip on the muscles in Gaelira's wing, immobilising her.
The young elf felt her dragon's massive pain and was enraged by that emotion. She jumped to her feet and then leapt onto Rhothilion's head.
Noticing a fragile spot in Rhothilion's armour, where blue scales could be seen, she walked along, squatted and ready to plunge Corellon in and kill the dragon. However she did not easily get the chance to do so.
Garrik came slicing through the air and Gem blocked it with her gold wrought shield. Standing up quickly, she and Marcos exchanged blows, each trying to kill the other. Gem was amused by the skill that Marcos actually had with a sword. Now I know how my mother felt, she thought, when she fought Marcos a decade ago.
When Rhothilion's grip started to slip, Gem dodged Garrik once more, and along the blue dragon's head and leapt lightly back into the saddle.
Again the dragons smashed into each other. Gem held on, not wanting to be thrown off by Gaelira powerful struggles and attacks. Then she saw a chance to hurt Rhothilion badly. Whipping Corellon out, she slashed it upwards, sending maroon blood through the air. The sword ripped through Rhothilion's wing membrane. Rapid as she had attacked, the sword was back in its sheath. Gem inspected the damage briefly and could tell that Rhothilion would not fly again with that injury. Corellon had torn nearly the whole length of the blue andred