A Voyage Through Air

by Peter F. Hamilton

  ‘Aye, young Queen?’

  ‘There’s another sorceress somewhere on those frigates. My cousin. And she wants me dead, very badly.’

  ‘She’ll have to catch us first. If we can just get ahead of them, then we stand a chance.’

  BATTLE STATIONS

  Standing on the bridge of the Highlord’s frigate Intrepid, wearing a long grey silk dress which comet light was staining the colour of blood, Katrabeth watched the Angelhawk keenly.

  ‘Whatever is she doing?’ she asked.

  Several miles ahead of the Intrepid, the Angelhawk was changing course, curving through the remarkably clear air to line her prow up on the squadron. One of the olri-gi accompanying her was flying directly in front while the other . . .

  ‘It’s pushing her,’ said Ohola, the frigate’s commander.

  ‘What does she hope to achieve?’ Katrabeth asked, and put her hands on her hips like a teacher dealing with a problem child.

  ‘I think . . .’ Commander Ohola hesitated, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was witnessing. ‘She might be trying to outrun us.’

  ‘But we’re ahead of her,’ Katrabeth said.

  ‘Yes. But we have to manoeuvre to match her.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘That might be difficult. Given the circumstances that’s a smart move. At that speed, she’ll be past us in another ten minutes.’

  ‘The War Emperor himself assigned me to deal with the Queen of Dreams,’ Katrabeth said. ‘And I intend to carry out that instruction to the letter. Send the olri-gi over to wreck her masts. That should allow you to harpoon her easily. I’ll lead the boarding party over.’

  Commander Ohola’s wings gave a single slow flap. ‘They might prove reluctant to approach while Canri is so close. Olri-gi do not fight olri-gi.’

  Katrabeth tapped a foot in disapproval. ‘Heavens, dragons are useless animals.’

  Commander Ohola’s delicate skin turned red at the slur. ‘The olri-gi are not—’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ Katrabeth said impatiently. ‘At least see if they’ll lower themselves to hindering the Angelhawk’s course somehow. We need to slow that ship down.’

  The commander inclined his head. ‘My lady.’

  ‘Idiot,’ Katrabeth grumbled vehemently after the skyman left the bridge to talk to Meaor. She looked at the Angelhawk again. It was considerably closer.

  ‘Take care,’ Lantic said as he ducked into the hatchway on the lower deck. The ladder inside led down to the Angelhawk’s harpoon deck. Several crew were already down there, opening the hatches. When Lantic joined them he would animate the ship’s various weapons, making them do things the frigates wouldn’t be expecting. Hopefully.

  ‘And you,’ Taggie replied, feeling she ought to say more but not knowing what exactly.

  They exchanged a nervous smile. Then she and Lord Colgath climbed up on to the crown of the Angelhawk’s top deck. The ship’s prow was a simple circle of planks, broken by the glass dome of the watch officer, and two windows for the captain’s cabin where she could look ahead.

  ‘Careful up there,’ Felix called from the net just below the rim.

  With the wind ruffling her hair and shirt, Taggie suddenly felt a sensation like vertigo run down her legs. There was no net up here, no rail around the edge.

  ‘Yes,’ she murmured, realizing how precarious the position was. Even though she could shapeshift to a bird, it was a big sky to get lost in. ‘Felix, throw a rope up for me, please.’

  ‘Make that two,’ Lord Colgath said as he stepped off the top of the ladder. ‘Without my rathwai to ride, I seem to be developing a fear of heights.’

  She flashed him a tentative smile. ‘It’s not the height; it’s the fall that’s the problem.’

  ‘I haven’t done anything like this for six hundred years,’ he said in his resonant voice.

  Taggie looked up. The frigates were flying into a wide ring formation. And the Angelhawk was aiming right for the centre of them. ‘How long do Karraks live?’ she asked, suddenly curious. According to Dad, members of the First Realm royal family could expect to last almost a hundred and fifty years.

  ‘I was born two hundred years before my father brought us through Mirlyn’s Gate. Some of my brethren here are over three thousand years old. They tell us of Karraks alive in our own universe that had lived ten thousand years.’

  ‘I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse,’ Taggie said.

  ‘We don’t live as long here. The nature of this universe is as ill-disposed to our life magic as it is to all our aspects.’

  ‘You mean you live for so long because of an enchantment?’

  ‘Partly. We live a long time anyway. Legend says our first lore masters studied our very nature, and used their power to enhance various traits. But such a spell is part of our inheritance now – we don’t even have to cast it on our children. They are born with it.’

  ‘Do you have children?’ she asked. It wasn’t something she’d ever thought of.

  ‘Only thirty-two, of which twenty-eight are sons. This universe does not favour us with daughters. Their birth here is rare. We guard them jealously, for they are so precious.’

  ‘Thirty-two children? Really?’

  ‘Indeed.’

  ‘Gosh.’

  Felix stuck his head up above the topdeck’s rim. ‘Ropes,’ he announced. ‘I’ve secured them to the hull down here. Catch.’

  Taggie tied the rope round her waist. When she finished, the enemy frigates were a lot closer. Three olri-gi were hurtling towards the Angelhawk.

  ‘Get ready!’ Captain Rebecca yelled gleefully.

  As soon as the Intrepid hoisted its signal flags, Katrabeth stood on the bridge, watching in satisfaction as they curved round into a giant ring formation. The Angelhawk would have to pass through the centre of them. When she did, fifty harpoons would stab out for her. Even if only five hit and held, it would be enough for them to haul her to rest and the boarding troops could fly over.

  She heard Commander Ohola give the order for the harpoon launchers to be readied. Hatches around the Intrepid’s lower hull opened, and the metal tips slid out. A quarter of the launchers were loaded with firestars. Meaor and three of his drove flashed past the Intrepid to harass the olri-gi helping the Angelhawk, and hopefully slow the ship.

  ‘Olri-gi ho!’ called the upper deck watch.

  Katrabeth turned to see another of the superb black shapes come arrowing out of the cloud tunnel’s wall, heading right for Meaor and his drove. The mighty creatures broke formation half a mile distant from the Angelhawk, twisting and spinning in confusion as they sought to avoid collision with the newcomer. Then the Angelhawk launched a barrage of firestars.

  ‘Why are they doing that?’ Commander Ohola asked. The firestars didn’t seem to be aimed at anything. Then he gasped in shock.

  Katrabeth watched in dismay as the firestars started to curve round in the air. ‘Lantic,’ she whispered angrily. Somehow the prince had managed to animate the firestars.

  The spinning firestars chased after the tussling olri-gi, expanding into flaming discs as they went. Meaor and his drove scattered in earnest now. And the Angelhawk powered onwards.

  ‘Full sails,’ commander Ohola bellowed. ‘Interception course!’

  Taggie and Lord Colgath stood on the upper deck as before, hunched against their increased weight as Canri pushed the Angelhawk along at an unheard-of speed.

  The first batch of firestars launched, and started pursuing the startled olri-gi. Lantic had consulted with Canri before animating them, assuring the olri-gi that they would never actually hit any of Meaor’s drove. The first batch were used to scare and confuse only.

  Taggie saw the navy frigates change course abruptly, heading in for the Angelhawk. And one of the Highlord’s olri-gi with more nerve than its fellows dived round under the Angelhawk, screaming furiously as a firestar followed it. Canri’s answering screech was loud in her ears. Then the Angelhawk’s acceleration dropped off sharply, and she saw the two
giant creatures flying away together, almost but not quite touching as their wings rippled in powerful undulations. Like three-year-olds squabbling in a nursery, she thought in bitter amusement.

  Frigates were rushing in from every direction.

  Taggie clicked her fingers. The sides of the cloud tunnel heaved in torment. Vast foaming bands of thick mist tore loose and jetted into the clear air. The tip of each one was directed at a frigate, like a giant spear of fluorescent pink fluff. She felt Katrabeth’s spells frantically trying to counter her own, and smiled mercilessly at how ineffectual her cousin was at this particular magic.

  ‘Second barrage,’ Captain Rebecca ordered. ‘Launch.’

  Nine firestars zoomed away from the Angelhawk. This time they ignored the olri-gi and arched round to head for the frigates. Somewhere aft, Lantic was laughing like a maniac.

  ‘I hate that little brat,’ Katrabeth snarled as more firestars shot out from the Angelhawk. One of the expanding discs sliced round to head straight for the Intrepid.

  The frigate’s helmsman swung the wheel frantically, but it made no difference; the firestar kept coming for them like a demented homing pigeon.

  ‘Brace for impact!’ the forward watch screamed.

  Katrabeth stood on the mid-deck and glared at the deadly spinning flames hurtling towards them. ‘Gathoiak!’ She clicked her fingers, and the flames burned black for a second before breaking up into a puff of cinders.

  The crew’s shouts of relief mingled with their cries of gratitude. Katrabeth ignored them all. ‘I can’t waste my time on this nonsense,’ she declared. Her fingers clicked again.

  The air around her seethed and darkened. Her silhouette writhed energetically and there was a big black eagle standing on the deck. The protective netting above the vicious-looking bird burned to ash, and it flew away through the hole.

  Three frigates struck by firestars floundered. Flames started shooting out of the rents torn through their hulls. But still they managed to manoeuvre to shoot back in retaliation. Four of the undamaged frigates added their weapons to the barrage. Seventeen firestars spread out along the Angelhawk’s course.

  Taggie blasted four of them apart. Lord Colgath nailed two with his fireballs. The rest passed by without any danger. Luckily the navy didn’t seem to have an anamage with them.

  The Angelhawk was drawing level with the ring of navy ships, and the intact frigates were looping round and closing fast. Lord Colgath flung fireballs at them as they drew nearer.

  Around everybody, the pink clouds were tossing about in chaos, and still contracting. Winds churned at random through the shrinking gulf of clear air, making steering a real challenge. Angry, shrieking olri-gi darted about in a tight tangle, antagonizing each other, but not venturing near the ships.

  Taggie sensed Katrabeth approaching, a malevolence that made no attempt to shield itself from her. She hurriedly untied the rope. ‘She’s coming,’ Taggie yelled in warning, before diving cleanly off the topdeck.

  The Adrap shapeshift spell seethed around her, transforming her form to a pure white snow eagle. And Taggie stretched her superb wings wide to greet the rushing air. Baleful comet light shimmered cerise off her feathers.

  Ahead, Katrabeth came rushing towards her. A death spell lanced out. Taggie swatted it away with a shield enchantment and veered sharply southwards. As she passed the black eagle she let loose a death spell of her own – the first time she’d ever used one. Katrabeth parried with diabolical skill, and launched a needle-plume of dazzling white fire.

  Her heart pounding, Taggie veered away. Doesn’t anything work against her? she thought. This time she sent a lump of solid air to strike at the terrible eagle. Katrabeth simply soared round it, squawking mockingly.

  Taggie braced herself fearfully for the next spell, spinning her protective enchantments as strongly as possible. That was about all she could think of now – to hang on grimly and hope for some outside intervention. If it wasn’t for what Katrabeth would do to all her friends on the Angelhawk, she might even have turned and flown off into the infinite blue.

  Death spells struck her in quick succession. Taggie hauled in firestars, and sent them streaking at the black eagle – timed with her own destruction spell so Katrabeth might be overwhelmed. But Katrabeth avoided them all.

  Then the acute whistle blasts began.

  Crews on every ship stopped what they were doing to watch the titanic battle of the sorceresses. They shielded their eyes from the incandescent blasts of lethal magical lightning as the two birds wove their deadly dance though the air. Even the olri-gi stilled their feints and glided round to observe.

  Lantic hurried round the mid-deck, desperate to keep the two protagonists in view. Lord Colgath was still slamming out fireballs at the frigates who retaliated by launching a barrage of firestars at the Angelhawk. And Captain Rebecca was smiling manically as she steered them through the tightening knot of navy ships, dodging harpoons and firestars.

  ‘We have to help Taggie!’ Sophie yelled at him. She pulled her crossbow round, enchanting the mechanism ready to fire.

  ‘No,’ Lantic yelled back. ‘Don’t fly out there. Katrabeth will attack you. Taggie can’t defend you as well as herself, it’s tactical suicide.’

  Sophie slammed a fist down on the rail in frustration. ‘What about the harpoons? Can you animate them to chase Katrabeth?’

  ‘I can try.’

  ‘Then do it! Don’t wait for—’ She broke off in shock as the whistle blast sounded, the one piercing note she had been taught to fear from birth. ‘Oh no,’ she groaned in horror. Already the shout was going up among the skyfolk on the Angelhawk and the navy ships alike.

  ‘Rathwai! Rathwai are coming!’

  The Karraks flew their formidable beasts out of the thrashing clouds in a wide V-formation. They swept in gleefully towards the beleaguered Angelhawk, crying out challenges as they went.

  Lord Drakouth urged his rathwai on towards the ship carrying Lord Colgath. Until now he hadn’t realized how much he missed war. But this – this made him happy to be alive, even if it was in this wretched Light Universe. Around him the Highlord’s frigates burned, trailing long smears of thick black smoke. The worrying shapes of the olri-gi were massing beyond the frigates, which made his mount nervous. Firestars slashed about between the ships. And the two vile sorceresses battled in mid-air, sending out intense torrents of lethal magical energy. Then the whistle came – he’d been expecting that, he’d heard it so many times over the centuries: the alarm call of the skyfolk.

  He saw them take flight from every ship, the nasty little winged people, holding grimly on to their cherished bows, tips of bad magic glimmering. And the olri-gi were abruptly heading in towards the rathwai, their stingers curling up ready to jab. After four hundred years of creeping about and launching pitiful raids on the other Realms, Lord Drakouth was about to do proper battle again. It was a truly glorious feeling.

  The V-formation split into three streams, and peeled apart, heading for their respective targets. Lord Drakouth raised his arm and bellowed in delight as his rathwai caught his own battle frenzy and strained forwards. His smoke cloak flowed out behind him, spreading along the rathwai’s back like an ethereal serpent. A burst of purple-white magic crackled around his upheld fingers, and he flung the deadly power at the flimsy wooden ship ahead.

  As soon as the whistles sounded, Taggie and Katrabeth abandoned their fight to search round. Taggie saw the terrible formation of rathwai come racing through the dwindling channel of clear air towards her. There must have been eight or nine Karrak Lords and Ladies sitting astride their diabolical creatures, whose wings were pumping away urgently. Ferocious sword-sharp beaks snapped in anticipation even as they extended their talons to rip her from the sky.

  ‘Such a shame,’ the black eagle taunted as she flew a slow circle round Taggie. ‘Now we’ll never know who was the fairest of them all, will we, cousin?’

  Taggie eyed the approaching Dark Lords fearfully. The br
utal magical fight with Katrabeth had already left her feeling drained. Behind the approaching rathwai she saw spells and enchantments flare in the air round the Angelhawk. The tiny figure of Lord Colgath stood on the prow, defiantly hurling fireballs and death spells at the four Dark Lords on their rathwai who were closing on him. A firestar struck the Angelhawk’s lower deck, blowing out a shower of debris – flames licking at the edges of the rip. One of the frigates that was pouring out smoke suddenly exploded as the flames reached its store of firestars.

  ‘Here she is,’ Katrabeth called to the approaching rathwai. ‘The Abomination herself. I have isolated her for you. Have fun, everyone.’

  ‘Er . . .’ Taggie mumbled in puzzlement. The incoming Karrak warriors weren’t slowing down, nor did they seem to be paying any attention to Katrabeth. Taggie spun her strongest protective shield around herself. The charmsward bands turned, and she chanted the absorption spell she’d devised a year ago.

  The three Karraks in the lead raised their hands. Sharp blue wizard light flashed out from their fingers. Two of the death spells struck Taggie, turning her shield a dangerous rosy gold before the charmsward sucked in their power and held it. One death spell smacked into Katrabeth.

  ‘What!’ Katrabeth shrieked in utter outrage, her voice rising higher than the peals of the skyfolk alarm whistles. ‘I am allied with your Grand Lord, you fools!’

  Taggie was almost sorry she was in eagle form; having a beak meant she couldn’t grin.

  ‘And he bid you banished to the Hell Realm,’ one of the Karraks sneered. He sent another death spell flashing through the air at Katrabeth.

  Her mad scream split the air. She hurtled at the rathwai like a back-feathered meteorite. Her own death spell shot out and slaughtered the big creature in an instant. Grey, greasy smoke burst from its beak and slithered off its rigid wingtips like a sickly contrail. The Karrak riding it tumbled off into the air. Katrabeth fell upon him, clawing wildly with her talons, her curved beak jabbing repeatedly. A mantle of blazing scarlet magic engulfed the pair of them as they spun end over end.