The Fall of Miklagard: DRAGON STONE SAGA, #8

By Kristian Alva

THE FALL OF MIKLAGARD is book eight of Kristian Alva's bestselling Dragon Stone Saga.
 

After the shocking destruction of Aonach Tower, the dragon riders gather together to save the city of Miklagard from a similar fate. As the High Council bickers and argues about the future, a deadly group of rogue spellcasters gather outside Miklagard's borders to rain destruction down upon the city. The dragon riders find themselves opposed on all sides in a dangerous clash between forces of justice and power.

 

Will the dragon riders succeed, or will the city of Miklagard fall to eternal darkness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BYZINE LICENSING
• Release date: Jun 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781937361600

Kristian Alva

Kristian Alva is a bestselling fantasy author. Her books have reached #1 in Juvenile Fantasy on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading all genres, especially epic fantasy. She lives in Nevada with her family.

Book preview

Dedication

DEDICATED TO MY CHILDREN, the sweetest little dragons of all.

Other Books by Kristian Alva

Dragon Stone Saga

Book 1: Dragon Stones

Book 2: The Return of the Dragon Riders

Book 3: Vosper’s Revenge

Book 4: The Balborite Curse

Book 5: Rise of the Blood Masters

Book 6: Kathir’s Redemption

Book 7: The Shadow Grid Returns

Book 8: The Fall of Miklagard

Book 9: Sisren’s Betrayal

Stand-Alone Novellas

Brinsop’s Brood

Mugla’s Magic

Nydeired

Collections

Dragon Stone Trilogy (Books 1-3)

Chronicles of Tallin (Books 4-6)

The Shadow Grid Trilogy (Books 7-9)

MAP

Chapter 1. Haluk

SELA MATU LOOKED DOWN from her dragon saddle, her eyes roving the arid landscape below. Flying swiftly, battling through wind and rain, they sped onward towards the desert border.

Several days ago, Elias had been discovered unconscious, deep within the catacombs of Aonach Tower. His spirit had been trapped inside a soul catcher—a magical charm used by nomadic shamans to archive the memories of their dying elders.

An unknown spellcaster had tried to steal Elias’ memories, but failed in the attempt. Elias was left in a cataleptic state by the strange enchantment. If he stayed this way for too long, he would die.

It wasn’t the only terrible thing that had happened at Aonach Tower. The elf Daakul, along with his newly-linked dragon, Atejul, had destroyed the tower as vengeance for his mother’s death.

It was only because of Sela’s intervention that Daakul had ceased his murderous rampage, but not before leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.

Now the dragon riders were rushing back to the desert, and Elias was fighting for his life.

Instead of riding Brinsop, the dragon that she was joined to, Sela rode atop Nydeired, the enormous white dragon who was merged to Elias Dorgumir.

Elias couldn’t enjoy their flight, because his unconscious body was tied up in front of her, slung across the saddle like a sack of potatoes.

Sela smoothed damp tendrils away from the young man’s forehead. Elias’ cheeks were flushed pink by the heat. Although his breathing was steady, his condition remained tenuous.

She placed her hand on his chest, comforted by the feel of his steady heartbeat. Elias shifted and sighed. She knew it was illogical, but that small movement gave her hope that Elias was going to survive. As long as he breathed, she wouldn’t give up trying to save him.

As they rode, the scenery slowly changed to dry scrubland, a sure sign that they were getting closer to the desert. A soft breeze blew upward, whipping up bits of dust that clung to her skin and hair.

Sela glanced over her shoulder. Brinsop flew steadily behind her, carrying Sisren and Tinlaap. As a carnelian dragon, Brinsop was much smaller than Nydeired in terms of size, but more experienced carrying human riders. Since Sisren and Tinlaap were unused to riding, it had been decided that Brinsop would carry them.

Sisren sat stiffly in the saddle, her back rigid and eyes staring straight ahead. She didn’t look afraid, but she didn’t look comfortable, either. Tinlaap slumped against her, his eyes shut tight, and his face turned away from them.

They had already been traveling for two days, and exhaustion showed on their faces. No one had slept the previous night. Everyone knew that Elias’ life depended on them reaching Haluk in time.

Haluk, a powerful shaman, was the only one who knew how to break the enchantment that held Elias hostage within his own body.

Even though Tinlaap hadn’t been strong enough to reverse the enchantment, it was his knowledge that allowed them to understand the situation and figure out what to do. Tinlaap had recognized the spell that had been cast against Elias. He was the one who had told them to make this journey in the first place.

Without this crucial information, they might have accidentally damaged the soul catcher, or left it behind, not realizing how important it was.

Because of Tinlaap’s help, at least they had hope for a solution. Now they just had to reach Haluk in time.

Sela squinted into the distance, shielding her eyes with her hand. The official desert border was now visible, marked by a long berm of packed sand.

Thousands of canvas bags, filled with mortar and sand, sat stacked up like a fortress wall. The artificial boundary was a vestige from Emperor Vosper’s reign, when the desert border had constantly been patrolled by empire troops.

The barrier marked the start of an unbroken sea of dunes that stretched as far as the eye could see.

There’s the border, Sela said, pointing at the sun-bathed line of sandbags.

Thank goodness we’re finally here. Brinsop used her dragon stone to speak with Sela on a telepathic thread. I have missed the desert skies.

How do you feel? Are you very tired yet? Sela asked.

Brinsop snorted, Honestly? I’m less tired than I am starving! Nydeired and I haven’t eaten anything in days.

Sela felt a stab of guilt. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to push you both so hard, but Elias is in a bad state.

She had been so worried about Elias that she’d forgotten that the dragons hadn’t eaten since they’d left Aonach Tower—or what was left of the tower, anyway.

She had nibbled some bread and sipped some water along the way, and she’d seen Sisren and Tinlaap eat some rations from their saddlebags. But the dragons hadn’t eaten anything for two days. Of course they would be hungry by now.

Brinsop turned her tawny-colored eyes in Nydeired’s direction. "Nydeired hasn’t mentioned anything about food. He must be really worried about Elias. He’s usually the ravenous one."

He’s probably too nervous to think about anything else right now.

I would be nervous, too, if you were in danger. I hate to say this—but I’m glad that you weren’t the one who got caught underneath the tower. I don’t want to imagine life without you.

Sela’s head dropped slightly. Well, that’s good, because I intend to be around for a long time.

Be serious. When I think about how awful it would be for Nydeired if Elias died, it makes me think about how I would feel if it were you. I can’t even bring myself to consider losing you.

Sela sobered. After a moment of silence, she said: Please... let’s not talk about such things. I know things are difficult right now, but we need to stay positive... for Elias’ sake.

Brinsop sighed and fell silent.

Sela gazed out at the horizon. They were still far away from Haluk’s camp, but they all needed some food and rest if they were going to continue.

They would be in big trouble if any of them collapsed along the way. They decided they would stop and give everyone a chance to rest. Even a few hours of sleep would help. The sun was low on the horizon when they stopped on a rocky outcropping. A few scrubby trees offered shade. Exhausted, the riders settled down to eat and rest.

Brinsop sniffed the air, as if for prey. A dragon’s favorite pastime was to hunt, especially in the desert. Wild game was plentiful here; including dune rabbits, geese, and the free-ranging bighorn sheep which were their favorite.

Brinsop invited Nydeired to hunt with her, but he claimed not to feel well, so she flew off to hunt alone. Brinsop caught several dune rabbits in less than an hour. When she returned, she offered one of the rabbits to Nydeired, but he refused to eat even the smallest morsel.

You eat them, he said. "I’m not hungry right now. I will go hunting for larger game when we reach Haluk’s camp."

Although he didn’t mention the reason, everyone knew that his worry over Elias had caused him to lose his appetite.

After a few hours of rest, they moved on again, flying towards the sinking sun. The sky eventually darkened into deep purple hues. A sweet smell permeated the air as the temperature began to cool.

The spring rains had watered seeds that had lain dormant in the ground for years. Nearby cliffs were covered with a vivid carpet of pink and white blooms. Sela inhaled deeply, soaking in the smell of their flowery perfume.

After sunset, a small herd of wild sheep appeared on the horizon. The animals grazed lazily on a sandy heath, foraging for dry grasses and shrubs, oblivious to the ravenous predators flying above them.

Sela pointed at their round, wooly bodies. Look at those sheep! The early rains have given them a lot of grass to graze on. They look so plump and healthy. You won’t have any trouble catching one or two for your dinner.

Brinsop eyed the placid animals hungrily, licking her scaly lips with a bright red tongue. The tantalizing sight of such an easy meal gave the dragons momentary pause, but they continued onward.

Eventually, Nydeired asked about Elias. All throughout their journey, the male dragon had put on a brave face, but now his worry had become too difficult for him to hide.

How is he? Nydeired asked.

About the same, Sela said, careful to keep her voice neutral. He’s breathing regularly, and his pulse is steady... he’s stable. That’s the most important thing.

I cannot sense his thoughts anymore. When you first found him in the catacombs, I could sense something. Some muted emotions, some feelings—similar to when he is sleeping. But now I don’t sense anything anymore. No thoughts. No awareness. Nothing. I know he is alive, but that is all.

She touched Elias’ forehead again, brushing back his hair. His face had a blank expression, as if his features were frozen in place.

She decided to keep her thoughts and comments optimistic. I managed to get him to swallow some water today. That’s a good sign.

He is getting weaker by the day.

Sela bit her lip. It was true—they all knew it. But she didn’t see any benefit in saying it out loud. You must stay positive. Elias is young and strong. We’re doing everything we can to help him. Haluk will be able to do more.

Please tell me honestly. Do you really believe Haluk can save him?

Sela dropped her eyes. In all honesty, she didn’t know Haluk very well. She knew even less about the mysterious magic of the nomads, which included the bizarre enchantment that had ensorcelled Elias in the first place.

But she couldn’t say any of this to Nydeired, because that would just make him feel worse. She forced a smile on her lips and tried to calm his fears. I know this is a stressful situation for you, but try not to despair. Haluk is very skilled. Object enchantments are his specialty. He’s an expert in this type of magic. She paused, then added; I’ll tell you this much—if anyone can save Elias, Haluk can.

Do you truly believe that? Nydeired asked again.

Yes, I truly believe it.

Nydeired nodded, seemingly reassured by her words. He turned his coal-black eyes towards the horizon again.

Sela exhaled softly, relieved that he had let the matter drop. She contented herself with watching the scenery as they flew onward.

Around midnight, the scattered huts of a small village appeared. The small, mud-brick structures were a welcome sight—it meant they were getting closer to their destination.

More hours blurred by. The night clouds cleared and the moon appeared, spreading its silvery light across the desert. The landscape stretched endlessly ahead of them, blanketed by a sea of bright stars.

They finally stopped in the early hours of the morning to eat and let the dragons rest. They didn’t bother to make camp or light a fire. Sela and Tinlaap untied Elias from the saddle and moved him to the ground, covering him with blankets.

Once again, Sela was able to get Elias to swallow some water, but he didn’t open his eyes. After hurriedly eating a few dry biscuits, Sela, Sisren, and Tinlaap collapsed onto their sleeping mats and immediately fell asleep.

It seemed like only minutes had passed before the sound of Sisren’s voice awakened her.

Time to get up, she said simply. Sisren looked fresh and spry, as if she’d slept hours and hours.

Sela rubbed her scratchy eyes and groaned as overused muscles protested. Gods, I feel as though I haven’t slept at all... What time is it?

Nearly dawn. It’s time to go, she replied.

Sela’s body ached and her eyes stung, but she threw off her wool blanket and stood up. I’m getting too old for this, she muttered to herself.

The two women packed up in silence, letting Tinlaap sleep a little longer while they gathered their belongings.

When they woke Tinlaap, the boy could barely open his eyes, and for a while he was totally disoriented. But he quickly collected himself and took his place behind Sisren on the saddle once more.

They moved on again. Sela was determined to reach their destination that day. The sky had a faint glow that signaled the dawn, and she watched as the sun’s light began spreading across the land.

When they passed over villages, the nomads would come out of their huts and wave at them from below. Nomadic children would scream delightedly as the dragons flew above them, sometimes giving chase until the dragon riders disappeared completely from their view.

The nomads were a friendly people, and any of the villages would have welcomed them graciously and offered them a meal, but they wouldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. Elias’ life depended on their speed.

By that evening, everyone was close to their breaking point. Finally, a large black plateau became visible in the distance. The strange landmark looked out of place compared to the wheat-colored sand and red hills surrounding it.

Brinsop’s voice reverberated loud enough for everyone to hear. We are nearing the Black Mesa. I can see the crows and vultures circling.

The dark edge of the plateau rose up like the rim of a bowl, marking the general region where Haluk lived.

Haluk’s campsite is near the mesa’s southern edge, said Sela. She remembered the landmark’s placement from their previous visit. The plateau attracted thousands of crows and other carrion birds, who chose to build their nests on its steep crags. The birds were plainly visible from a distance, perching on the side of the plateau like dark sentinels.

No one knew why the birds chose to build their nests in such a precarious place, but they did, and had been doing so as long as anyone could remember.

Sela tapped her heels gently into Nydeired’s side. We’re close. It’s time to circle down.

He grunted his acknowledgment. Both dragons reduced their speed and began to circle down towards the sparse desert landscape below. There seemed to be an unnatural silence,