Vision Voyage (The Weatherblight Saga Book 2)

by Edmund Hughes

  They sped up their pace as morning gave way to early afternoon, traveling through a landscape that shifted from forest into steep, rolling hills. Rin and Leyehl led them at a marching pace, and the difference that the wings of the Ravarians made when it came to traversing terrain with such heavy verticality quickly became apparent.

  Rin regularly ended up a quarter mile or more ahead of the rest of the group, barely breaking a sweat with the combined efforts of her legs and wings as she scaled each hill. Ari’s Feathercloak helped him in a similar capacity, and Eva was in the type of physical shape that seemed to give her endless reserves of energy.

  Kerys struggled a fair bit more. She had to stop often to catch her breath, though it never seemed to bother Leyehl, who patiently maintained her position in the far back of the group. Ari could tell how much of a toll the march was taking on Kerys, and as they approached the base of a particularly large hill, he signaled for the group to come to a stop.

  “Here,” he said, unhooking his Feathercloak and pulling it from under his pack. “Take this.”

  “I… can… manage,” said Kerys, speaking each word through panting breaths.

  “Trust me, this will help,” said Ari. “I was planning on enchanting you a similar cloak soon, anyway. Think of it as a test run to see if the enchantments on it right now work well for you.”

  Kerys frowned, but she accepted the cloak as he handed it to her. Ari helped her take her pack off and tie it around her neck, rolling some of the extra fabric up at the neckline so it would fit her properly.

  The difference was instant and appreciable. Kerys was able to keep up without any trouble, even managing to smile and chat with the rest of the party as they traveled. The Feathercloak took a large portion of the burden of her pack and each uphill step off her shoulders, which was a fact that Ari realized he had been taking for granted as he continued forward without it.

  The hills eventually gave way to a high, flat plateau, much to his relief. It gave them a vantage point to view the northern half of the island. To the east, a rough, jagged series of cliffs separated the relatively open grasslands from the beach below.

  Ari started to wonder how they’d descend the distance needed to reach the coast properly and got his answer when their journey north slowed to a stop in front of another series of only slightly less steep and rugged cliffs.

  “Climb,” said Leyehl, shooting an unsure glance at Rin. “Climb… fall.”

  “She means that the way forward involves us traversing these cliffs, chala,” said Rin.

  “How long has she been speaking Subvios for?” asked Ari.

  “How long has it been since I first encountered you?” asked Rin. “Not long. More out of curiosity than as a real focus.”

  “So that’s what she actually means?” asked Ari. “You want us to scale down these cliffs?”

  “Of course,” said Rin. “They pose little obstacle for us. Leyehl and I can fly down. The Feathercloak is enough to allow Kerys an easy descent, and Eva can simply fall the distance as a weapon.”

  Ari was about to make a quip about how she might perhaps be forgetting someone when Rin leapt forward, flapping her wings once before taking off into a smooth glide. Leyehl followed immediately after, and from the way the two Ravarians flew, he got the sense that they’d been aching to stretch their wings properly in the time they’d been escorting the party on foot.

  “Okay,” said Ari. “Kerys, we still have the rope. I can tie it around your waist, just to be safe.”

  He was already reaching into his pack for it when Kerys gave a firm shake of her head, the motion and the wind causing locks of golden blonde hair to trail from side to side.

  “I’m sick of always being the one that needs to be safe,” she said.

  Ari frowned as she approached the edge of the cliffs and nearly had a heart attack as she crouched and hopped off the edge. He hurled himself after her, reaching one arm out in a desperate bid to grab her and pull her back.

  There was no need. Rin’s assessment of his Feathercloak had been accurate. Kerys drifted down at a speed of descent far slower than she would have normally. She landed on a small ledge that jutted out midway down the cliffs, only pausing for an instant before kicking off again and falling the rest of the distance.

  “She is growing stronger,” said Eva. “Both mentally and physically. She’s serious about what she said about wanting to fend for herself.”

  “Seems like it,” said Ari. “You know, she used to faint whenever she’d take a bath. Her mother would have to go with her to be her escort on wash days to make sure she didn’t accidentally fall over and drown.”

  The memory seemed to add support to what Eva was saying. Ari could scarcely remember the last time Kerys had talked about missing her family, though knowing her, she still felt the full weight of their absence.

  “I can make the climb with you, if you’d like,” said Eva.

  “Can you carry me on your back?” he asked.

  Eva raised an eyebrow and shook her head slightly.

  “Because if you can’t, it makes no sense for both of us to have to climb down.” He extended his hand and after giving a small sigh, Eva flashed with light and shifted into her sword form.

  He ran a finger across the length of the slim greatsword’s blade before sliding it back into the scabbard. The first section of the climb was easy enough, with large boulders that jutted out in a manner that let him zigzag down the cliff face.

  Midway down was where the climbing became treacherous and challenging. A sheer rockface covered in slimy lichen confronted him, stretching far enough to either side to make it impractical for Ari to climb around.

  He spent close to ten minutes spotting out cracks to use as finger and toe holds before making his attempt. The combination of his pack and Azurelight threw off his balance completely, adding so much weight that he felt foolish for not finding a way to send them all down ahead of him.

  It took him a while, and he almost fell a half dozen times, but Ari eventually made it to the bottom. His legs quivered with relief as he touched down on the large, sandy shore.

  Kerys, Rin, and Leyehl had apparently already begun the process of setting up their camp. The only things marking the location as their destination were a long, wooden pier extending close to a hundred feet out into the ocean and a small footpath through the vegetation leading around the bottom of the cliffs they’d just descended.

  “There’s another path around, isn’t there?” asked Ari.

  “Of course,” said Rin. “When we do occasionally trade with the Fairweather Fleet, we must bring the larger deliveries to Varnas-Rav on foot.”

  “Why didn’t we take that route, then?” asked Kerys.

  “It would have added more than a day to our journey,” said Rin. “An unnecessary delay.”

  It was only mid-afternoon, but Ari didn’t feel obliged to point out that they probably could have spared the time. Leyehl had begun collecting driftwood for a fire, and Kerys and Rin were both setting up their tents, which were medium-sized and constructed from flexible tree branches and a thin, stretchy canopy.

  Ari rifled through his own pack and pulled out his own tent, setting it up next to the other two. Eva moved to help him with it, which brought a question to the tip of his tongue.

  “Aren’t you going to set up your own?” he asked.

  “I will be sharing one with Lady Kerys,” said Eva. “Rin and Leyehl, likewise, will be sleeping in one together.”

  “You’re telling me I’ll have all this space to myself?” Ari grinned. “I really am starting to feel like a lord.”

  CHAPTER 32

  There was plenty of time left over even after they’d finished setting up the tents and assembled enough wood for their campfire. Leyehl had heard from Rin about Kerys’ desire to develop her combat training, and she’d set aside several straight branches of sufficient length to serve as training swords.

  “Let me get in on this,” said Ari, remembering
how challenging of an opponent Leyehl had been in the wrestling ring. “I’ve only trained my swordsmanship with Eva. I’d love to sow my seeds elsewhere, uh, so to speak.”

  Eva shot him an odd look, and Leyehl, limited to following along through tone and body language, furrowed a brow and hesitantly passed him a branch. She used Ari to demonstrate her movements, mainly showing them a variety of ways to strip a weapon from an opponent’s hand.

  “Can I try?” asked Kerys.

  Leyehl seemed to pick up on her meaning, and positioned her across from Ari. She gave a nod, and Ari initiated the slow, telegraphed overhand chop that would have been easy to block or dodge out of the way of.

  Kerys tried to attack his grip on the sword, fumbled and fell off balance, and received a small tap on the head as Ari’s stick hit its inevitable target.

  “Ow!” She scrunched her face up and rubbed at her scalp. “That hurt!”

  “It would have hurt a lot more coming from a real sword,” said Ari. “But at least you tried.”

  He leaned over and kissed the spot on her head he’d hit, which he suspected might develop a small lump, given her frail disposition. Leyehl showed Kerys the movement several more times before having her try again on a slower attack, finding success.

  They learned a few more moves, mainly more disarming attacks interspersed with a couple of trips. Leyehl eventually let Ari spar against her in a mock duel. He was a little surprised when she chose a longer piece of driftwood, using it as a spear rather than a sword.

  His own stick was only an inch or two shorter than Eva in her sword form, and it felt comfortable enough in his hands. Despite that, Leyehl was clearly more than his match as his opponent. It reminded him of fighting the purple mesmer back in Deepwater Spire, which reminded him of other things that he didn’t care to think about at the moment.

  Even as they fought, Leyehl’s gaze only remained on Ari for the bare minimum required to take his measure. She kept glancing over at Eva to an extent that was borderline excessive. Ari couldn’t help but wonder if she’d believed the answer she’d been given earlier about whether Eva was who she said she was.

  He attempted to catch Leyehl off guard with a reverse slash during one of her distracted moments and ended up cutting thin air as Leyehl rolled across the sand under his blow. She seized him by the shoulders as she rolled, twisted him over her leg, and tripped him with what seemed like minimal effort.

  Leyehl was openly staring at Eva when Ari pulled himself back to his feet, and Eva had finally noticed. She walked over to where the three of them had been training and crossed her arms, looking put off by the attention.

  “I think she wants to duel you,” said Ari.

  “That would not be the best of ideas at the moment,” said Eva, glancing away.

  Leyehl was grinning, apparently taking the fact that Eva had walked over to them as an answer to her silent challenge. She said something in the Ravarian language, but Rin was walking down the beach and too far out of earshot to provide translation.

  Ari was standing up to go grab her in order to defuse the situation when Leyehl moved. She attacked Eva with a series of strikes with her practice spear, keeping the intensity low. Eva dodged easily, spinning to where the other practice weapons were and gently scooping up a stick about the length of a regular longsword.

  “I can still run and get Rin if you really don’t want to fight,” he said.

  Eva did not seem to hear him. Ari felt suddenly transfixed by the scene, unable to look away. Eva, with her silver-blue hair fluttering in the sea spray, and Leyehl, tucking her blonde braid into her tunic as she flashed a wolfish smile.

  They circled around each other like experienced practitioners of a rare dance. Leyehl feinted forward several times. Eva didn’t fall for it once.

  Leyehl slammed the tip of her practice spear forward, aiming for Eva’s abdomen. Eva spun to the side and then ducked under the ensuing sweep. She held her practice sword out to the side as she threw herself forward.

  Eva’s movements were faster than Ari’s eyes could follow, as were Leyehl’s counters and dodges. Both women swapped between attacking and defending so smoothly that it might as well have been pre-planned. Their weapons whistled as they cut through the air, until both of them finally struck for the other simultaneously and a tremendous crack erupted from wood striking wood.

  It was the moment when Ari saw Eva’s face shift. Her usually stoic countenance took on a dark, hungry tone. She didn’t back down, pressing forward and flinging a barrage of reckless strikes at Leyehl, too many for her to do anything but block with desperate movements.

  It was the same Eva that Ari had seen the previous night at the bonfire, twisting the face of the man with the broken arm toward the flames. It was the same Eva that Ari was hoping he’d never have to see again, the one that made him question how much he really knew about her, and whether he really wanted to find out more.

  It only lasted for a couple of seconds, long enough for Eva to bludgeon Leyehl’s practice spear nearly out of her hands. Eva blinked, shook her head slightly, and was herself again. Leyehl, panting and sweaty, sucked in a breath as she attempted her own, desperate counter.

  Eva lowered her practice sword and took the blow across the ribcage. She winced slightly and brought a hand to her chest, giving Leyehl a small, deferential nod before dropping her weapon.

  “Nicely fought,” said Eva. “It’s your win, Lady Leyehl.”

  Leyehl’s expression shifted from confusion, to embarrassment, to frustration as she processed the last few seconds of the fight. She said something to Eva in her own language as Eva walked away. Ari suspected that she’d be spoiling for a rematch.

  “Are you okay?” he asked Eva, moving to her side.

  She nodded, flashing a weak smile as Ari intertwined his fingers through hers.

  “I lost myself for a moment, milord,” she said.

  “What’s lost can always be found,” he said. “It’s what my old friend Milo used to say while digging for belongings that people had accidentally thrown away.”

  Ari didn’t see the point in mentioning that he’d always found Milo’s willingness to search for lost rings and necklaces in piles of waste and shit a tad overambitious.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I think I needed to hear that.”

  The camp settled down over the next few minutes. The sun was setting over the ocean, painting that section of the sky into a mural of pink, orange, and red. Rin had lit the campfire while Eva and Leyehl had been sparring, and Kerys set about cooking some of their rations into a hot meal.

  It ended up being a simple dinner of warmed meat, bread, and a variety of vegetables, but it was filling and hearty. Ari leaned back on his elbows in the sand once he’d finished, feeling extremely satisfied.

  “We should be getting to sleep as soon as we can,” said Rin. “There’s no telling what time the Fairweather Fleet will arrive.”

  “I could certainly use the rest,” said Ari. “After all that marching, climbing, and sparring, my legs are just about done.”

  Leyehl took the first watch, which included feeding the fire to serve as a signal beacon in case the Fairweather Fleet showed up during the night. Ari gave both Kerys and Eva a goodnight kiss and then retired to his own tent, feeling oddly lonely at having it to himself.

  ***

  The feeling of loneliness was apparently mutual, at least in the case of one other person. Ari had slept in his underwear, lying atop his sleeping bag due to the warm weather. He awoke in the middle of the night to the sensation of soft hands massaging his crotch and caressing his inner thighs.

  He was still half asleep, and it was hard for most of him to do much more than lie there. He felt his cock slowly stiffening as the gentle massage continued and almost felt like giving thanks to Dormiar for the simple, beautiful bliss of the sensation.

  He finally managed to summon the strength to reach a hand down as his mystery partner began to pull his underwear down his legs. He
ran a hand across the top of their head, unable to discern much, and then let out a small moan as warm fingers took hold of his shaft and began to stroke.

  It had to be Kerys. He doubted that she would have had the nerve to sneak out from the tent under Eva’s nose, but he could see her slipping away from watch duty for a few minutes to come and play around with him.

  He felt her tongue swirl over the tip of his cock, and her lips dragging down the side of it, almost like he’d once seen her do when she’d sucked the juice out of a slice of melon. Ari gasped as Kerys closed her mouth over the tip of his tool, sliding his hands through her oddly long hair, across her shoulders, and into… feathers.

  He blinked, feeling his assumption snap in half as it slammed into reality.

  “Rin,” he muttered.

  An affirming hum came from Rin’s mouth, which currently had his cock inside of it. Part of Ari wanted to push her away. The rest of him was curious about how she seemed to be drawing his length deeper and deeper into the hot, wet confines of what lay behind her lips, deeper than should have been possible.

  She had both hands pressed on Ari’s legs, splaying them open wide enough to give her room to work her magic. He’d remembered Rin mentioning how promiscuous she’d been with her past lovers, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was a trick she’d been taught, or one she’d learned on her own.

  It was as though she was trying to suck his cock free from his body. It was strange, and unbelievably pleasurable. Rin bobbed her head up and down, her lips gliding across sensitive skin, licking and sucking and bringing him to the brink of bursting.

  Ari reached his hands down to grab her head, wanting nothing more than to hold it in place and thrust into her mouth to finish himself off. Rin deftly pulled back before he could, and his fingers grazed across the flesh of her full, naked breasts. She was completely naked, and an overdue realization suddenly dawned on him as she moved to straddle him in the dark.

  “I’m here to take what I’m owed,” she whispered. “That’s not too much to ask for, is it, chala?”