Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter

by Olson, Michael John

  Sally sniffed, and then took his hand and together they followed Breeze.

  “Wait a minute,” Ray called out to Breeze, “aren’t you going to fly us over the river again? Why are you heading south?”

  Breeze told them of the map he’d seen earlier in Raza’s home. “It’ll be easier this way. We can go through the ravine and avoid that thing rustling in the woods.”

  “What thing?” Sally said.

  Ray squeezed her hand. “Nothing. We think it’s just some critter looking for food or something. Let’s go.”

  The moon lit their way as they trudged along the river bank until they came to a stop at a rickety metal bridge.

  They stepped across it while avoiding holes and shards of twisted metal that pockmarked it. The bridge ended abruptly into heavy brush.

  “I thought you said there was a ravine through here?” Ray said.

  “There is, it has to be past those trees,” Breeze said and headed into the forest.

  “I’m not going,” Sally announced, “we don’t know what could be in there.”

  Breeze whirled around and marched up to her. “Then go and see for yourself.”

  “How? What do you mean?”

  “Hello, you’re a projector, can’t you just scout ahead? Make yourself a bit more useful instead of using your amazing sense of manners or crying all the time.”

  Ray shoved him hard. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

  “We’re supposed to be a team, remember? Here’s our chance to use our powers for something,” Breeze said as he stepped up into Ray’s face.

  Sally placed herself between them.

  “Stop it! He’s right. You think I’m just a privileged brat, don’t you? I’ll scout ahead, I can do this.”

  Breeze waved toward the forest. “Be my guest. Scout ahead.”

  She glared at him, and then shut her eyes. When they opened again, they glowed a pure white. Next to her the air shimmered as Sally’s astral form appeared with her hands on her hips.

  “Yeah, will never get used to seeing that,” Breeze murmured.

  Her astral form jetted off into the forest. Moments later, Sally’s body shuddered and her eyes closed. When they opened the glow was gone. She was back in her body.

  Sally pointed at the forest. “We go through the woods until we get to a clearing, and then to the left. The ravine is there.” She scowled at Breeze. “How was my performance? To your satisfaction?”

  Breeze didn’t respond as he trudged off into the forest. The others followed.

  The forest grew thicker the deeper they went. Heavy branches and undergrowth slowed their progress while ahead they could hear the sound of a gurgling stream.

  They broke out of the forest and into a ravine with a narrow ribbon of water that ran down the middle of it. Though the sides of the mountain loomed over them, the faint moonlight that dribbled through was enough to light the way ahead of them.

  “Based on the map I saw, this should lead us to a point just south of the scout ship. We then head north from here,” Breeze said as he tapped his nav-compass.

  They trudged along without another word. The only sound was of their feet stepping on and crunching the small stones and pebbles that made up the ravine floor. Occasionally a splash was heard when one of them would step into the meandering stream.

  The ravine began to narrow as the sides of the mountain pressed even closer. They walked single file for a while until Breeze came to a stop. He held up his hand and turned to the others. “Did you hear that?”

  He could barely see Ray and Sally in the looming darkness. He tapped his nav-compass and its glow lit the narrow space they were standing in.

  “What is it?” Sally whispered.

  Breeze shook his head. “It was like the sound of…wings flapping.”

  Ray stepped back and held up a hand. It glowed brighter and brighter with each passing moment until the ravine was lit up bright as day.

  Breeze felt a sudden wisp of air brush across the back of his head and neck. He turned to look.

  Off in the distance, where Ray’s bioluminescence couldn’t penetrate the darkness, hovered a pair of red glowing eyes.

  “Guys?” Breeze said.

  Ray stepped over to stand next to him. He raised his other hand and it began to glow, casting the beam of light deeper into the ravine.

  The hovering red eyes retreated, never letting the light get close to it. They shimmered and changed shape, then faded away.

  “What’s happening?” Sally said.

  Her question was answered by a pair of searing white eyes materializing where the red ones once hovered. It began advancing toward them accompanied by heavy footsteps as each step it took forced the outer edge of Ray’s light to retreat.

  Ray grunted as he leaned forward and pointed his glowing hands toward the creature. His hands burned brightly, but it was of no use. His light field diminished when the hovering eyes that encroached upon it, and bore the shape of a body, began to materialize around them.

  When it was complete, a creature stood before them standing well over eight feet in height with wings that unfurled and spread out into an immense length. Faintly in the background, the sound of static began to fill the air.

  Breeze and Ray staggered back as the creature marched onward.

  Sally grabbed the two by the back of their jackets and tugged them hard. “Let’s go!”

  Ray pushed her away and she tumbled to the ground.

  “Raymond,” she yelled, “no!”

  Ray placed his hands at his sides and his chest rose sharply as he took a deep breath. His right hand shot out as he pointed it at the winged creature and fired a bolt of energy.

  The energy blast fizzled. He fired again, but only sparks came out. His legs wobbled and he fell to his knees.

  The creature halted its advance and loomed over him. The sound of static was deafening.

  Breeze jumped in front and stood in its path as Ray struggled to get up. It responded to the intrusion by opening its mouth and shrieking with an intensity that forced them to cover their ears when a woman’s voice was heard cutting through the cacophony.

  “That’s enough,” the voice said.

  The creature ceased, and the crackle of static faded. Its glowing eyes turned to watch Raza step out of the shadows and into the light.

  She stood next to it and patted its back, prompting the creature to fold back its wings and settle onto its haunches.

  Sally and Breeze reached down to help Ray to his feet, and then slowly retreated from Raza and the winged creature.

  “I have spent what has felt like an eternity waiting and hoping,” Raza began, “for Oslo to come back to Appalachia with our daughter to ride out the storm that enveloped the world. He told me to wait for him and that he wouldn’t be that far behind. He said he would bring our daughter and together we would raise her in peace and tranquility. While the rest of the world was being ravaged, we would survive and prosper. Like Perihelion, these mountains also possess an energy that hides and obscures it. We would begin anew here, he said. Oslo was always talking about renewal.” She stepped closer to them as they huddled together.

  “But now you children darken my door and tell me that you come here seeking shelter from the storm? And my daughter in not amongst you? My husband,” her voice quavered, “still denies me the life he promised, and then expects me to protect the children of others whom I do not know?” Tears flowed down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away, and then looked up at the star-filled sky through the narrow slit of the ravine. She began to rock back and forth as she mused. “Oslo, when will you understand? The world cannot be changed. What is done, is done. Let go of the past.”

  She returned her gaze to them while the winged creature shifted its feet. Its glowing e
yes never lost their intensity.

  “What have you brought me, Oslo? What did you drop at my door?” Raza whispered as she approached them.

  “What is that thing?” Sally said.

  Raza’s eyes widened. “That thing is a legend and a part of the landscape and lore of these mountains. It’s known to be a harbinger, a herald of future events and your presence has aroused it. It’s the only reason why I have come back to find you. What is it about you three that could be so important?”

  She shuffled slowly around them. “I see a young man from a prestigious background with a young lady who comes from the same world as his. And yet there’s something more, no?” She touched the heads of Ray and Sally.

  “And then there’s the runt of the group. You come from a desert on the outer edge of the Bad Lands. What would anyone see in you?” She pointed a quivering finger at Breeze.

  She shuffled back and stood next to the creature, then looked up at the night sky again. “What is it about these lambs that you would lead them away from their homes and their families, Oslo?” Her hands went up to her chest as she rocked back and forth. “What about my lamb? Where is she?” She closed her eyes and hummed softly.

  Her head dropped and her humming ceased. She waved towards them and the winged creature stood up, spreading its wings to their fullest extent.

  The sound of static returned. Its eyes glowed a brilliant white as it headed straight toward Ray.

  Sally threw her arms around Ray, but found herself weakening as the creature advanced. She lost her grip on him and fell back.

  The creature curled its wings toward Ray as the air crackled around him. His eyes widened, and then rolled up so only the whites could be seen.

  Images suddenly appeared in the air like holograms, floating and dancing about like fireflies in the night. There were images of a child growing into adolescence. One in particular showed a stern faced man in a military uniform hovering over a frail woman with long black hair. She was consoling a young boy as tears streamed down his face.

  Raza walked into the kaleidoscope of images and touched each one. She pushed aside some while grasping at those that interested her when she stopped and stared at the image of an infant being held in the arms of his mother. Raza smiled sweetly at the beautiful black haired woman while caressing the face of the child, then scowled at the father as he looked upon them with a look of disappointment across his face.

  “The life of a young man raised in the home of a strict disciplinarian with only your loving mother standing between you, and you’re their only child. What could lead parents like these to let you go? Interesting.”

  More images emerged showing Ray training and honing his powers under the watchful eyes of his father, along with images of him excelling in sports and academics, surrounded by multiple trophies and awards.

  “All very compelling. A powerful pyrokinetic with exemplary abilities. And yet, what would Oslo need you for?” Raza wondered aloud.

  She continued strolling through the images when something caught her eye and she pulled a single image close to her. She peered intensely at it, and then recoiled. “Why do I see that you do not travel alone? Who is this standing behind you?”

  The moment was interrupted by Sally’s shriek.

  Raza broke away and waved a hand towards her as the images of Ray tumbled and disappeared into the ground.

  The creature folded its wings, then flung them open and enveloped Sally.

  Sally gasped as her body went numb. She turned to look at Ray who had collapsed to the ground. It was the last thing she saw before being overwhelmed by a flood of holographic imagery that swarmed around her like an angry hive.

  Sally saw her mother with her hair wound tightly into a bun. Her face was strained with worry and her hands were clasped as she watched a young Sally playing in the grass. Her father entered the scene. He was holding a smoking pipe in one hand as he watched Sally from a distance, then turned and walked away. There were more images of her in a lavishly decorated bedroom, its walls lined with shelves full of toys as she sat alone on the floor brushing the hair of a doll.

  Raza stepped through the floating images as she touched a few, ignoring most.

  “Poor little rich girl? Mother and father not interested in you? Why? Were you a burden? I couldn’t imagine so. Some people don’t appreciate the joys of having a child. They don’t know what it’s like to lose one.” She stopped and stared at an image of Sally next to her mother, then tilted her head and murmured, “Why do I see two people who do not belong together?”

  Sally cried out, and fell to her knees.

  Raza waved and the creature released its hold and stepped back, then she placed a hand on Sally’s shoulder to comfort her.

  Sally slapped it away and crawled over to Ray, sobbing.

  Raza turned her gaze onto Breeze.

  His shield had raised itself, making him immune from the creature’s hypnotic gaze. “Keep that thing away from me or else—”

  “Or else what, child? You’ll fly away? What harm can come from you?” She waved and the creature stepped toward him.

  Breeze’s shield reflexively lashed out at the advancing creature.

  It stumbled back, and then regained its footing as the wings snapped out to its maximum span and its eyes glowed a brilliant white that illuminated the ravine. The sound of static was deafening as it stomped towards him.

  Sally rushed up to it. “Get away from him!”

  The creature’s wings rippled and she was repelled, landing next to Ray with a cry of pain. He drew her close and cradled her in his arms.

  Breeze stepped away until his shield bumped up against the side of the ravine. The creature halted its advance upon him while the static it emitted reached a crescendo as its wings curled forward.

  In an instant, the ravine was plunged into complete darkness as deafening silence replaced the hiss of static. Specks of light gradually appeared and swirled about him like bees around a hive.

  Suddenly, the lights exploded outward in a powerful burst while the ground beneath his feet fell away. He found himself floating in space and surrounded by a constellation of stars. He spun around to marvel at the view when a brilliant light flashed behind him.

  He turned to see an immense starship, consumed by fire with its hull breaking apart, caught in a planet’s gravitational pull and sinking into its atmosphere. Several fighter craft were engaged in fierce combat around the collapsing hulk as they buzzed around it like flies over a carcass.

  It sank deeper into the planet’s atmosphere then exploded, sending chunks of debris everywhere in a shower of jagged metal and flames. He raised his arms reflexively to protect himself and looked away from the searing light of the explosion. That’s when he spotted several ships orbiting above him.

  Each ship was massive in dimension, and all were immersed in a fierce, close quarters battle as they exchanged heavy gunfire between them.

  A squadron of fighter craft broke off from the battle and raced towards him. Several were destroyed by a withering hail of crossfire before they could reach him as they fell victim to the enemy fighters trailing close behind.

  One of the fighters managed to elude its pursuer to get within range of him and unleash a massive volley of energy from its forward cannons. He felt the concussive blast hit his shield and push him back, but he felt no pain. It fired again, but he dodged it. Again it fired, again he dodged. Before the ship could fire another volley, he raced toward it at full speed. His shield shimmered and crackled around him as he charged the fighter, smashing through it as the craft shattered into pieces with a wild explosion. He turned back to look and saw its hapless pilot, who managed to eject, fall towards the planet below. Breeze could see the fear and horror on his face before he burned to ashes in the outer fringes of the atmosphere.

  He sh
ook his head in disbelief at what he had just done when he was engulfed in a flash of light followed by several explosions. He spun around and saw the battling starships now surrounded him. The withering exchange of gunfire between them was relentless, and he was caught in the crossfire. He ducked and weaved to get away and flew underneath one of the ships where he attracted the attention of yet another swarm of fighters. They pursued him with a hail of energy blasts, forcing him to take radical evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit. Even amidst the chaos that surrounded him, he felt the soaring elation of how effortless it was to fly in space. It felt to him as if he had done this many times before, but only in dreams that were immediately forgotten upon waking up.

  He came to an abrupt stop to cover his ears as the sound of static erupted in his head. He looked up to find the source and was greeted by the sight of a battle cruiser looming above him. In the distance, a ball of light shimmering with intensity hurtled towards the cruiser.

  The ball of light quickly expanded into a massive sphere before it sliced through the ship, cutting it in half. The split hull broke apart and fell victim to the planet’s gravitational pull. Breeze could see debris spewing from both of them as they descended in a bonfire of flames and explosions.

  The sphere of light receded as a man with clenched fists appeared from it. He turned to face Breeze and nodded, then tapped a device on his wrist.

  Breeze looked down and found himself tapping his nav-compass. He looked back at the man who was now emphatically pointing to the planet below.

  Helena, he heard the man say in his mind.

  Everything around him began to spin as Breeze found himself caught in a maelstrom of flashing light. When he emerged from it he felt his body crumple and hit the ground. He looked around groggily and saw he was back in the ravine.

  The creature released its hold on him and retracted its wings, then receded into the shadows.

  Sally cried out as she ran over and flung her arms around his neck. “What have you done to him!” she screamed at Raza.

  Raza covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “No, no,” she kept muttering incessantly, “this cannot be possible.”