On Wings of Air (Earth and Sky Book 1)

by J. L. Griffin

  “It’s time for us to learn to share our world with them, not fight with them for our piece of it. I think we can all agree that we already have our share and don’t want theirs. Let’s make sure we feed our people and give them a better life.”

  “I hope you’re not planning to trade our gliders with them,” Snow pressed.

  Skye pursed his lips. The man was clearly not happy with the directive, though he did not appear to be truly upset, and his concerns were certainly valid.

  “There is not enough trust between us yet to warrant such a step,” Skye responded, speaking slowly so that he could order his thoughts. “Perhaps there never will be, for all I know. At present, Groundbreathers cannot even use our gliders, and I do not know if any of our people still remember how to imbue them with their powers in such a way that anyone can make use of them. For the foreseeable future at least, there will be certain things that we will not trade with the Groundbreathers, and I am certain they will understand and won’t protest as long as the raids stop as we have promised. They might not wish to trade certain items with us either, for that matter.

  “If the Groundbreathers do not have access to the sky, it will put the onus upon us to initiate trade with them, and at the moment, I don’t have any thoughts on how we’ll do that. But let’s take this one step at a time. The first priority is to remove Hawkins from the equation.”

  That seemed to mollify Snow, who nodded in a gruff manner.

  “What about the Skychildren they’ve taken captive?” another man asked. “I’ve got a brother who was enslaved several years ago by the Groundbreathers.”

  “Their slaves will be restored to us,” Skye said, “and they will be given an opportunity to win back their honor. But we have to show our good faith and halt the raids so that the Groundbreathers have no reason to take us into slavery any longer.”

  Skye could see that he had not convinced them all of the wisdom of his designs, but they were also not about to gainsay him at this point. Hawkins was the immediate threat, and those who had gathered there knew he needed to be dealt with swiftly. They would reserve their judgment on the changes he was implementing. Skye understood their position. It was better for his people to learn for themselves that his way would benefit them all than for them to accept it merely because he had issued commands. There were times in the past when it would have been best if his father had learned that lesson.

  “Now, do we have any word on what Hawkins has planned for tomorrow?” Skye asked, moving the topic to more immediate concerns.

  “Not precisely,” Gale replied. “I’ve received reports from a couple of our agents, but Hawkins has not made any announcements thus far. We believe that he will attempt to crown himself king, but whether that is the extent of it, we cannot say. ”

  “What portion of the Cloud Sentinel will support him?” Skye asked.

  “It’s hard to say,” Birdsong, a petite woman who had been a part of the guard in the past, said. “Those in the Cloud Sentinel who are not part of the resistance are comprised of differing factions. Some overtly support the Seneschal.”

  “I assume Stratus was one of those,” Skye muttered.

  “Stratus was one of his first and most ardent supporters,” Birdsong said, picking up on what he had said. “I never liked the man, though I left the Cloud Sentinel soon after he joined.”

  “He is dead now. At least we won’t have to deal with him.”

  “I did not realize he had died, Your Highness, though I can’t say I am sad to hear it. But please be aware that those who do not openly support Hawkins may be split in number. Some will fall in with us, as you are the crown prince. Some will support Hawkins, as he is the one nominally in charge now, and they may believe his tales about you killing your father. Some will refuse to choose sides at all, preferring to wait it out and see who emerges the victor.”

  Skye nodded. “In that case, we could be facing as many as two-thirds of the Cloud Sentinel, though it may be as little as a third or less.”

  “Yes,” Gale interjected. “Unfortunately, we cannot be certain of exact numbers, for obvious reasons. We’ll only really know when the battle has started.”

  “What of the thunderbirds?” another man asked. “Will Hawkins be able to direct them?”

  “I don’t think so,” Skye said with a shake of his head. “They should obey me by virtue of my royal blood. They were given by Celesta to protect those who would lead her people, and that line is unbroken back to her time.”

  The discussion continued for some time, and though Skye participated in it intently, he was impatient to begin. There was no way to know what Hawkins would try, and though Skye was confident that he still held the upper hand, he did not wish for the man to stabilize his position or make any more unfounded claims about Tempest’s death.

  It was late evening before the discussion broke up. Skye released the members of the resistance with an impassioned plea for them to do whatever was necessary to take back the sky realm. Then he dismissed them, thanking them for all they had done and would do the next day.

  He passed a hand over his face as he watched the last of his supporters go, leaving him with Gale. The room had been so full of life and energy and warm bodies that the departure of the other members of the resistance made it feel eerily empty.

  “Your Highness,” the woman said, drawing his attention, “you may rest here for the night if you’d like. You can always wake early in the morning to go to the Groundbreather castle.”

  Skye shook his head, glancing at the door. “No. I told someone I would try to be back tonight.”

  “Your fiancée,” Gale said, giving him a knowing smile.

  “Yes,” he admitted. “I’m certain she’s worried.” He had not wanted to increase Tierra’s concern for his well-being, so he had tried to mostly block her from his mind. He had found he could throw up a barrier of sorts between them, and the distance certainly helped, though he was still learning more about their mental connection. That particular discovery, however, had proven especially useful in this instance. He had not known what to expect from the Skychild resistance, and had the level of support been disheartening, he had not wanted Tierra to sense it. Still, barrier or no, he thought he could feel a slight sense of anxiety from her, as if it were seeping through his mental block like water through an old thatched roof.

  “You don’t think she’s asleep?”

  He shook his head. “No, she’s not sleeping.”

  “You must be glad to be able to marry for love,” Gale said. “Many in your situation are not quite so fortunate.”

  He nodded. “I know. I really am lucky.” He looked at her for a moment, thinking fondly of his fiancée, and then he smiled. “Thanks for your help, Gale. I really appreciate it.”

  “We’re all glad to help our prince,” she said. “And soon, we’ll be happy to help our new king.”

  Skye’s smile broadened. “I hope you’re right.”

  After grabbing the armor Gale had provided him to use at the upcoming battle, he said his goodbyes and went outside. He stood there briefly, breathing in the crisp air of the sky realm and thinking about the great depth of his love for his home. He only hoped that Tierra would one day come to appreciate it as much as he did.

  He went to the edge of the village and allowed the wind to take him. Tempted though he was to enjoy a late-night flight, he knew he needed to conserve his strength, so he took a direct route to the Groundbreather castle. It felt good to fly back and forth freely. When he had been enslaved in the castle, it had been frustrating to be so restricted in the use of his powers. Yet even as those negative thoughts came to him, they were replaced with more positive ones. He could not regret what had happened, for he would never have met Tierra otherwise. That alone would have been worth twice the suffering he had experienced.

  The guards in front of the castle looked startled when they first saw him set down on the ground—as if a ghost had materialized i
n front of them—but upon recognizing him, they visibly relaxed.

  “Prince Skye,” one said warmly in greeting, “we were told to look out for you, though we did not expect you at quite this hour.”

  “Sorry,” Skye said with an apologetic smile. “It took longer than I had expected.”

  “Please go inside, Your Highness, and a guard will escort you to your quarters.”

  “I’m pretty certain I know the inside of the castle by now,” Skye muttered, but he did not argue. In some ways, it was best to have such formalities in place—it indicated a respect of sorts, if nothing else—but he could not help but recall the days when he had moved more freely through the castle.

  As he was led to the royal wing, he could sense Tierra’s rising anticipation. When he and his escort stopped in front of his room, he thanked the guard and asked him to inform the king that he had returned safely.

  After the guard left, Skye opened the door and dropped his armor to the floor as Tierra flung herself into his arms. He had no idea how long she had been waiting in his room, but it felt nice to have someone to come home to.

  “Tierra,” he murmured, clutching her against him.

  “I am so glad you have returned safely, Skye.”

  “It was just planning, strategizing—you know, that sort of thing. Nothing dangerous.”

  “I know that was your intent, but you had no idea what could have happened,” Tierra said, pulling away from him to look up into his eyes in concern. “One traitor in your midst could have nullified your entire plan. If Hawkins had known of your brief return and planned a surprise attack—”

  “He didn’t,” Skye said. “I’m here now. We’ve planned the battle for tomorrow. We’ve got our strategies in place, and people are being informed of where to gather before the attack. Everything is falling into place. We’ve got greater numbers of Skychildren than I had hoped for, and we’ll be able to put up a good fight. We should have it well in hand.”

  “You will also have my father’s men,” Tierra said, as if trying to reassure herself.

  “Yes, I will. And you can plan my triumphant return,” he said lightly.

  There was a flicker of something through their bond, but before he could pinpoint what it was, Tierra had thrown up a barrier.

  “Tierra?” he said with a frown, studying her face.

  “Were your people angry?” she asked suddenly. “About having the aid of Groundbreather soldiers . . . and about me?”

  His face softened. “No, they weren’t. When you’re queen, they’ll love you. The Groundbreathers don’t know what they’re missing. If your parents had any sense, they’d disown Wisteria and make you the heir to the throne.”

  “Oh, Skye,” Tierra said, shaking her head in exasperation. Yet she was smiling. “It is not as easy as you make it sound.”

  “Regardless, I know you’ll be the best of queens . . . and the best of partners. And my people will grow to love you as I do. Don’t worry. Once the trade lines really begin to move well, the last of our peoples’ misgivings will melt away. Everything will be as it should. We’re going to do this, and after tomorrow, we’ll be able to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  “Do you think our children will have both our powers?” she asked abruptly.

  “W-what?” Skye stammered.

  Her face red, Tierra said, “I just—there is really no precedent to show what will happen, you know? Will both Terrain and Celesta look favorably upon our children?”

  Skye took her hands in his and smiled at her. “Tierra, we’ll figure that out when it comes. Let’s face this battle first. Then we can talk about our marriage. And after that, well . . .”

  “I agree,” Tierra said. Then she pulled on his hands, leading him toward the sofa, which was situated before a fireplace that was not lit due to the warmth of the summer night. “I think we should use the time we have left appropriately.”

  Skye followed with a grin on his face. He was not certain exactly what she had in mind, but he was eager to find out.

  From the clouds and the strength of her fury, Celesta created a creature of immense power to destroy the earth. She called it the Fenik, and its purpose was four.

  One, it was to destroy the animals of the earth, scattering their ashes to the wind.

  Two, it was to crush the Groundwalkers, removing Celesta’s gift from the universe.

  Three, it was to raze Terrain’s lands, breaking up the mountains and valleys so as to destroy the life he had stolen from Celesta.

  Four, it was to wipe all the detritus into the sea, filling it and collapsing it into itself.

  —The Book of Celesta

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-THREE

  Fenik

  The next day, Skye was once again awake early due to the need for final planning of the imminent attack on the usurper, but he found himself well-rested despite having been up quite late enjoying the company of his betrothed. He would have supposed his restfulness to be unlikely, but he attributed it to Tierra’s influence upon him—how could he not be content and at peace when he was by the side of his beloved?

  Perhaps the only thing which disappointed him was the knowledge that she would not be there that morning to see him off when he departed.

  “I am sorry, Skye,” she said upon seeing his frowning countenance, “but I really do think it is best that I absent myself from the proceedings. Not only would it be difficult for me, knowing the danger you will be going into, but I think it would be better if you suffered no distractions.”

  Though still perplexed, Skye made no further attempt to convince her into coming to watch him leave; she was aware of his disappointment by virtue of their connection, and he did not wish to shame her into doing something which would be difficult for her.

  “To a certain extent, you will have firsthand knowledge in any case,” Skye said. “You’ll catch some of the battle from me, though I’ll try to shield you from the worst of it.”

  “I know you will,” Tierra said with affection. “I am slightly comforted by the knowledge that if the Seneschal succeeds in killing you, I will not know of it since I will follow you in death immediately.”

  Skye’s face darkened. “Somehow, that doesn’t exactly comfort me. It’s hard enough to go into battle, but to think that my actions could hurt you—”

  “Skye,” she said, “it does not matter. One way or another—whether in this life or the next—we will be together.”

  Rather than pointing out the complications of believing in different afterlives, Skye bent and kissed Tierra’s forehead. The desire to protect her was growing ever stronger in his chest, and he resolved that no matter what, he would survive and give her the bright future she deserved.

  “Tierra,” he said softly, “I wanted to tell you . . . I’m sorry for all the grief I’ve put you through.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for. Your escape plans made complete sense. If anything, I am the one who should be apologizing, remember? When I think about the time that I . . . when I actually . . .”

  He took her hands in his. “Tierra, I’ve told you—it was forgotten a long time ago. What I said about Terrain then . . . it was enough to make any Groundbreather take a whip to me.” He cracked a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “I may not worship your god, Tierra, but I need to respect your beliefs.”

  Tierra cocked her head to the side as she looked at him. “It is rather odd, is it not? Neither Skychildren nor Groundbreathers doubt the existence of the other god, but we both have trouble acknowledging that the other’s god may possess some measure of goodness.”

  “The traditions of our world leave little to interpret,” Skye said. “Both gods had a hand in creating our world. They are so intertwined with one another that they cannot be separated.”

  “It certainly seems kind of odd. We worship one or the other, but in reality, both were involved, though I suppose that each group being descended from one specific
god tends to color our perceptions.”

  “Perhaps our union will help our peoples learn to appreciate each other’s god. And our children will be descended from both gods, which can only help our understanding.”

  “I hope you are right, Skye.”

  * * *

  All too soon, it was time to depart. At the appointed hour, Skye left his room, still wishing that Tierra had accompanied him. She had remained firm to her purpose, however, and he had left her to her own devices a short while before, giving her a passionate kiss, pouring out his longing for her in that one sweet moment before he had finally begged leave to depart.

  When Skye arrived in the courtyard where the Groundbreather soldiers awaited him, he was wearing the leather armor that Skychildren preferred for battle. It was thicker and covered more than the basic leather armor worn by Sentinels, and it had been treated with a solution similar to the lacquer the Skychildren used on their homes. The solution gave the leather a strength akin to a plate made of metal, yet it remained light in weight to allow easy maneuverability while flying. But whereas the similarity in armor between a Skychild guard and a Skychild soldier was readily evident, Skye was surprised to see that the Iron Swords had undergone a complete transformation.

  Each Groundbreather soldier was dressed in the loose trousers and tunics typical of the Iron Swords, but there were notable changes. While the Iron Sword guards typically wore a vest of chainmail, these soldiers had chainmail hauberks with sleeves that extended down the length of their arms. Another change was the presence of the longswords strapped to each soldier’s hip; obviously, since no garms would be taken up to the sky realm for battle, it was necessary, but Skye still found the sight unusual.