CHAPTER 99: THE BLACKLANDS

The journey to the Blacklands was much farther than any of them had ever gone before. By horse, it would have taken four days to reach the kingdom. But with Draco, the dragon, it took only a few hours.

At last, they arrived. As they reached, they wanted to use the same method they had tried in Zeirath, flying over the kingdom first, circling its lands, and letting their presence be seen. It was a way to put fear into the hearts and minds of the people before meeting their rulers.

So they began. Draco flew high above the villages, but then they noticed something strange. There was no one beneath them. Not a single person came out. Not a single face looked up at the sky. It was as if the kingdom were deserted. The streets were empty. The fields lay bare. Houses stood silent, as though no one had lived in them for long.

Aeron frowned and turned to the others. "What is going on? Is this possible? How can a kingdom this large be so empty?"

Nyella shifted uneasily. "Something is wrong here. Maybe we should land and search for the people ourselves."

But Amber shook his head quickly. "No. We are safer in the air. We do not know what has happened, or if enemies are near. Until we are sure, we must not land."

They agreed and stayed on Draco’s back, flying slowly across the lands. Still, they saw nothing. No sound, no movement, no sign of life.

Then suddenly, Nyella raised her hand. "Shh... do you hear that?"

They all listened closely. At first faint, then clearer, a sound rose from the distance. It came from their left, from a thick forest.

Draco turned in that direction. As they drew nearer, the sound became louder. Soon, they saw movement between the trees. Then, looking carefully at the forest, they saw horses. Dozens at first, then hundreds, running in great numbers.

Aeron’s eyes widened. "What is going on? Who are they?"

Amber’s voice was calm. "Welcome to the Blacklands. Those are its people. This is how they live."

Nyella leaned forward, staring. "You mean this is not a battle? You mean they live like this every day?"

Amber shook his head. "That, I do not know. But..."

Before he could finish, something flew through the air above him. A spear was shot upward, narrowly missing him.

They all looked down in shock. The riders below had seen them and they were not only charging, they were throwing spears at them. Another spear shot past Draco’s wing. Then another.

"Whoa!" Aeron shouted as Draco swerved quickly. More spears followed, one after the other, flying high into the sky. Draco climbed higher, but the people below kept throwing.

Aeron gripped the saddle tightly, as his heart was racing. "What strong arms these people have! Their spears almost reach us even here!" He said.

As Draco climbed higher, the spears still followed, reaching for them

Amber shouted over the noise. "We cannot keep flying like this! We have to show them we are not enemies. We must go down!"

Aeron turned his head sharply. "Go down? While they attack us without even knowing who we are? I’m not sure of that!"

Nyella spoke firmly. "No, listen. We do not go down among them, but we find a safe place to land. A clear spot, away from their charge. Then we wait for them to come. We raise our hands to show surrender. That way, they will at least stop throwing spears."

Amber nodded quickly. "A good plan. We must try it."

So Aeron guided Draco away from the riders, flying further until they found a clearing on the edge of the forest. There, Draco landed carefully, folding his wings close to his body.

At once, Aeron, Nyella, and Amber climbed down and raised their hands high in the air.

The sound of hooves came quickly to them and the earth shook beneath their feet as the riders charged toward them. Aeron squinted and saw their faces. Men, women, mounted on horses, shouting battle cries as they drew closer.

Aeron whispered under his breath. "These people really are fighters. Even their children ride like warriors."

The riders surrounded them in a tight circle. With the spears and ropes in their hand, they dismounted swiftly, went to Aeron and the others who kept their hands up, and tied their wrists tightly.

Without a word, they dragged them back into the forest. Aeron stumbled as they were pulled forward, Nyella kept her head high, and Amber walked calmly, though his hands were bound.

They marched for a long time, deeper into the forest, until they came upon a wide, empty plain. Aeron frowned, wondering why they had stopped there.

Then one of the riders stepped forward. He pressed his hands against a tree. To Aeron’s shock, the tree moved like a door. The ground rumbled and split open. A wide passage appeared, revealing stairs that led deep underground.

As it opened, thousands of people were nd, shouting and screaming as in their middle was a ring with two people fighting

Amber’s eyes widened. "So this is it. This is where the people of the Blacklands have been all this time

They were forced down the stairs into the underground hall. At the far end, on a raised platform, sat three men. At once, Aeron knew they were the leaders.

Even while sitting, he looked tall and powerful with an earring in his left ear and marks all over his face.

One of the riders approached him and whispered into his ear. The man listened and quickly stood up.

"What is this? Visitors? And you treat them like common criminals? Untie them at once!"

The guards obeyed, cutting the ropes from Aeron, Nyella, and Amber’s wrists.

The leader smiled at them. "Welcome, lads." He said as his eyes moved across them, then stopped at Nyella. "And pretty one. My deepest apologies for the rough welcome. Forgive my men, they don’t always see new faces"

He spread his arms, gesturing toward the roaring crowd behind him. "As you can see, we are in the middle of a ceremony. The people cannot be disturbed. But you will be given places to stay, food, and drink until we are done. After that, we will attend to you."

He turned to his guards. "Make sure they are treated well."

The guards bowed and gestured for Aeron, Nyella, and Amber to follow.

As they walked away, Amber leaned close and whispered, "Do not trust a single word of that."

"..."