The Ascending

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  “I’m sorry, Jaax,” Ellyesce breathed, looking more ashen than before.

  The dragon only shook his head. “It was bound to happen sooner or later. I’m just glad I spotted them. They are taking an even more remote route than us, but the trail they follow will meet up with ours in a few miles. We want to be through the crossroads before they get there. They might be delayed for an hour or so, and we have a head start, but still. The sooner we get moving, the better.”

  “Why will they be delayed?” Jahrra asked, climbing atop Phrym.

  Jaax grew still for a moment, then turned cold eyes onto her. “They are raiding a village.”

  Jahrra gasped. “Jaax! You have to stop them!”

  He shook his head dismally. “It’s too late. By the time I flew over, I discovered no signs of life, other than the raiders.”

  Jahrra felt her shoulders slump. An entire village, destroyed because they were looking for her.

  Jaax moved in close so that his head was level with her. “Do not blame yourself for the Tyrant’s cruelty, Jahrra.”

  She knew she shouldn’t, but she still felt the sting of guilt. Knowing it would help no one, however, she shoved the remorse aside and gave Jaax a hard look. Jahrra nodded once, and the dragon relaxed just a bit.

  “We had better get moving,” Ellyesce intervened. “We need to make it through that pass as quickly as we can.”

  He indicated a gap in the mountains on the other side of the lake. The snow was still thick up there, but at least the sun was out, and there was no threat of more snow or rain.

  The trio circled half the lake with relative ease, then began their climb up the mountain. The trail Jaax picked for them was narrow and winding, shaded by pine and sycamore. Loose rocks and tree roots made the climb more difficult for the horses, and Jahrra wondered how Jaax was faring up ahead. About a half hour into their journey, the trail widened but clung to the side of the rocky mountain. Jahrra had to remind herself more than once not to look down as she encouraged Phrym as much as possible. She thanked Ethoes on more than one occasion that not only were the horses sure-footed, but seemed unaffected by heights as well.

  Just past midmorning, Jaax shouted down to them from the top of the trail.

  “What is it?” Jahrra asked, her stomach knotting up.

  To her great relief, Jaax grinned. “The trail down the other side looks much less treacherous,” he said.

  Jahrra encouraged Phrym to finish the final several yards of the path to stand by Jaax’s side, Ellyesce and the pack horse just behind them. Once at the top, Jahrra gave a small sigh of appreciation. The mountains, of course, continued on, but in the distance she spotted something that took her breath away.

  “The Great Hrunahn Range,” she murmured with reverence.

  Jahrra could only stare. A few of the jagged peaks in the near distance reached higher than the one their road skirted, but a group of massive mountains several miles away stretched even farther into the sky than all the snow-capped summits below them. They were twice, if not three times as tall as the mountains they’d been climbing through for the past two weeks. Great, deep shadows stretched away from the monoliths and some of their peaks even disappeared into the clouds scudding high across the sky.

  “Cahrdyarein is on that peak,” Jaax murmured, pointing out the tallest of the smaller mountains, some three or four summits over.

  Jahrra nodded, imagining it would take them another several days to reach it.

  “And Nimbronia?” she asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

  Jaax grinned, but Ellyesce answered for her, “The domain of the Creecemind dragons is located on the tallest of those immense mountains. It will take us at least a week or more from Cahrdyarein to reach it, if we encounter no obstacles.”

  “It’s a good thing we aren’t traveling in winter, then,” Jahrra added.

  Ellyesce barked a laugh. “Oh yes, no need to worry about snow storms. Well, at least not really bad ones. The Hruhnan Mountains have their own weather pattern, one that is more suggestive of winter, but it should be relatively calm in these parts for the next few months.”

  They rested for ten minutes, but not a moment longer. Jaax was still determined to get beyond the crossroads before the Crimson King’s men. The trail down the mountain proved easier on the group, and Jahrra was grateful. They traveled no more than a quarter mile before the land leveled out once again. Alpine aspen and cottonwood trees grew thick here, and Jahrra reveled in the sound of the mountain breeze rustling through the new leaves. A small rivulet, no more than snowmelt running away from the mountain, had accompanied them down the slope, gradually transforming into a swift stream. At one point, the trail came to a stop before plunging down another steep and rocky canyon. The stream, on the other hand, hadn’t the patience of those wishing to descend at a reasonable pace. Instead, it gushed onward, rushing off a small precipice and crashing into a wide pool below before continuing its sprint to the valley floor. Inland redwood, cedar, oak and bay accompanied the cottonwoods, aspen and sycamore trees, providing ample shade for the group as they picked their way between the rocks.

  About halfway down the slope, the trail widened once more into a shelf of land, and Jaax came to a stop. There was just enough room for Jahrra and Ellyesce to join him on their semequins.

  “Why’d we stop?” Jahrra asked, trying to peer past Jaax’s wing.

  The dragon noticed and pressed the large appendage closer to his flank so that Jahrra could see. Below them, in a small meadow, there stood a great wooden sign fastened to an old, dead tree. Jahrra tried to read what the sign said, but it was too far away. The tree was marking the intersection of two roads, one wide and broad, the other narrow and winding. They were on the meandering trail that ran north and south, the one that would take them to Cahrdyarein and eventually, Nimbronia.

  “The crossroads,” Ellyesce offered, pulling on the rope to get the pack horse closer to them.

  “Do you sense anything?” Jaax asked the elf.

  Ellyesce closed his eyes and took long, slow breaths. But before he got the chance to reply, something small and vibrant red in color came flying past the rock precipice on their left and into the clearing below.

  Jahrra gasped and felt her eyes widen. It was the limbit she had seen at the lake earlier that morning. It had to be, for he had on the same woolen hat and vest he’d worn then. What was he doing here?

  “What on Ethoes?” Ellyesce muttered, his concentration disrupted.

  Jaax didn’t say a word. He merely stood there in stone silence, gazing at the creature as if it had ruined his day. Jahrra knew that look. It was the same look he had given her when she was younger.

  The limbit came to a skidding halt and pressed a hand against the dead tree, his shoulders heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

  Is something chasing him? Jahrra wondered.

  In that moment, the small creature glanced up, his eyes falling upon the dragon, young woman and elf staring down at him from a hundred feet up the trail. He started in surprise, but before anyone could react, an arrow sliced through the air and buried itself into the bark of the old tree with a dull thud.

  The limbit jumped a foot in the air and swung his head around. Oh yes, something was definitely after him. Jahrra’s first instinct was to jump off Phrym and run down there to help, but Jaax was even quicker to react than her.

  “Against the side of the hill, now!” he hissed, pushing her and Ellyesce and the horses with his wings and body before Jahrra could even take her next breath.

  Phrym gave a huff of protest, but Jahrra spoke calmly to him as he stutter-stepped to keep from tripping over the loose stones scattered across the trail. In less than fifteen seconds, she and Ellyesce were pressed into the moss-covered granite, their horses tense but obeisant, as the great dragon curled his tail and body around them.

  The last thing Jahrra saw before her guardian’s wing cut off her view was a pair of large brown eyes staring up at them from a fa
ce gone pale with fear.

  -Chapter Four-

  A Narrow Escape

  “Not a sound,” Jaax whispered to his companions, just before going absolutely still.

  Jahrra swallowed and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through her nose. She and Phrym were pressed uncomfortably against the other horses, but she didn’t dare shift in the saddle. Jaax, without a doubt, was using his camouflage to make them virtually invisible, but she wasn’t about to risk a shift in the scenery simply because she couldn’t sit uncomfortably for a few minutes. Instead, she turned her head away from the damp rock face and noticed a small gap where Jaax’s wing didn’t quite fall flush against his side. She narrowed her eyes, catching a tiny glimpse of the scene unfolding on the crossroads below.

  While Jaax had been rushing to hide them, several more arrows had joined the other one, either lodging in the tree or embedding themselves into the ground around the limbit’s feet. There was no doubt in her mind he was trapped. And now, Jahrra could see why Jaax had been so frantic to block them from view.

  Several large beasts resembling dark horses with cloven hooves and small horns beneath their ears, thundered into view, their riders dressed mostly in black, their deep red cloaks billowing out behind them. A chill coursed down Jahrra’s spine. She recognized those demon horses. Quahna. The same beasts that Hroombra’s murderers had ridden. And now, they were about to kill another innocent. A deep-rooted anger boiled up from the pit of Jahrra’s stomach, and she had to will herself to calm down. Getting upset would help no one. The soldiers had the limbit surrounded, over a dozen armed and armored men on their quahna.

  The small creature had absolutely nowhere to go. The demonic horses stamped their feet and pulled at their bridles in irritation, clearly wanting to attack their quarry. Jahrra grimaced when one opened its mouth to let out a terrifying bellow. Sharp teeth, the kind that belonged to a carnivore, lined its jaws. The color drained from Jahrra’s face. Would she have to witness yet another gruesome death, and once again be unable to prevent it?

  The mounted soldiers on one end of the circle suddenly moved their monsters aside, making room for someone Jahrra could only assume was their squadron leader. Dressed similarly to the others, but wearing a black cloak instead of scarlet, this new rider held himself higher in the saddle than those circling the limbit. Behind him rode one more figure. This individual wasn’t dressed in the black and red uniform of the soldiers, but instead wore a brilliant red robe with a pointed hood covering most of his head.

  “Well, well, well,” the newcomer dressed all in black crooned, bringing his own quahna within snapping range of the limbit. “You truly thought you could outrun us?”

  The limbit didn’t answer. Clearly angry at such disrespect, the horrible man unhooked a whip from his saddle bag and flicked it out, lashing it against the back of the limbit’s legs. The fox-like creature let out a cry of pain and fell to his knees.

  “We have just destroyed your village, vermin, and all who live there. You have nothing to return to and nothing awaiting you out in this world. Believe me. Your death would be a mercy, and we will gladly grant that to you, but first you will answer our questions.”

  The limbit remained silent and still, kneeling in the muddy road before all of these ruthless warriors who could kill him in an instant. Jahrra felt a sudden spark of respect extend to this brave creature.

  “We are looking for someone,” the squadron leader continued. “A dragon and a young woman, as well as a third companion of unknown origins. The dragon is a green Tanaan and the girl is blond and goes by the name of Jahrra.”

  Jaax grew taut as a bowstring just as Jahrra caught her breath. They knew her name. But how? Suddenly, visions of her friends in Lidien, of Gieaun and Scede back in Oescienne, being interrogated and tortured into giving up information, flashed through her mind. She was about to break down and scream out her fear and rage when a gentle hand grasped her shoulder. She almost yelped, but instead of surprise coursing through her veins, she felt a cool calmness wash over her. She turned to look over her shoulder. Ellyesce. His eyes were deep and his face looked grim, but he shook his head infinitesimally.

  No, his expression told her. You can’t do anything now, remember?

  Jahrra bit her lip and nodded, letting his magic soothe her, before turning her eyes back onto the horrible scene unfolding below them.

  “Have you seen any such travelers?” the one in black demanded.

  When the limbit remained silent, his eyes fixed on the ground, the interrogator motioned toward the man in the red cloak. Without a sound, he lifted his hands and began a low, nearly inaudible chant. The limbit twitched twice, then opened his mouth in a silent scream as his hands shot to his head. Shortly after, the scream became all too real as he writhed on the ground, kicking at the mud and clawing at his ears.

  “Enough,” the squadron’s leader barked after several seconds passed.

  The cloaked man lowered his hands and became still once more.

  “Now, speak!”

  The limbit slowly crawled back to his knees, his shoulders heaving once again as he waited for the pain to pass. He took several deep breaths, then lifted his head. Jahrra couldn’t tell for certain, but it seemed like the limbit glanced quickly in their direction before turning his eyes onto his tormentor.

  “Aye,” he coughed, his voice harsh and weary, “I saw the girl and the dragon.”

  Jahrra froze, her skin prickling with sudden, inescapable fear. He was going to turn them over. But of course he was. Who were they to him? Some passing travelers who had caused him far more trouble than any person deserved.

  Nevertheless, Jahrra felt betrayed. If only she could have gotten the chance to speak with him while they were still at the lake, but she couldn’t see how that might have happened. He had been clear across the wide stretch of water, and Jaax had shown up before she could so much as wave at him. Besides, who could have guessed any of them would end up in their current situation?

  Instead, Jahrra considered their odds since it looked like this encounter would end with a fight. We have a dragon, she told herself, but there are sixteen of them, plus their blood-thirsty quahna, and a powerful dark mage.

  Could they possibly come out of such a fight victorious?

  The squadron leader relaxed in the saddle, drawing Jahrra’s attention back onto the crossroads.

  “And where did you see them?” he asked.

  Jahrra waited for the limbit to point in their direction and announce that the Tanaan dragon was currently hiding the others with his color-changing scales. Instead, the creature took a deep breath and pointed his face to the sky.

  “Well?!” the man demanded.

  “I’m trying to remember,” the limbit answered in a quailing voice. “It’s been at least a week since I’ve seen them.”

  Jahrra actually gasped, earning another squeeze from Ellyesce.

  “A week?” the squadron leader grumbled.

  The limbit nodded. “Down by the lake. I was up there with my geese, letting them graze and paddle around in the water. They like it better than the muddy pond near my village.”

  The limbit sucked in a quick breath and sniffled. Probably remembering what the soldier had said about his family and neighbors.

  “Well, while I was lying there in the grass, something huge soared overhead. I jumped up, thinking it might have been a spurred owl.”

  The squadron leader growled and allowed his quahna to snap at the limbit. Crying out in fear, the creature leapt back, almost losing an ear to the dark beast.

  “Get on with it! I don’t need every last detail!”

  Clearly, the entire squadron was growing anxious. Their own mounts were starting to snap at each other and paw at the earth.

  “It was a dragon! The great shadow was a dragon. A green one. It landed on the opposite shore and then a girl, a Nesnan I think, or maybe an elf, with yellow hair, ran up to greet it. They exchanged words and then made for the trail headin
g north. I followed them, because I was curious, and when they came to this very crossroads, they took the trail going east. I swear it!”

  “How long did you follow them?” another soldier asked.

  The limbit turned to look at his new questioner.

  “Not very far. I had to get back to my geese. I should have kept following them,” he grumbled. “The geese were long gone when I got back, and my mum and sisters didn’t take too well to learning I’d lost another flock. That was my last chance, you see. I haven’t been back to my village since. They ostracized me. No longer welcome.”

  “Oh, shut up!” a third soldier, this one with a patch over his eye, growled, kicking his leg out at the limbit and clipping him on the shoulder.

  The limbit screeched again and fell to the ground.

  “Mage! Does this creature speak truth?”

  The red-cloaked man nudged his mount forward, lifting one hand and muttering once again. The limbit whimpered and curled into a ball, his great red tail wrapping around him.

  Jahrra heard Ellyesce murmur something under his breath behind her and a wave of slight nausea hit her. He was using his magic. He was using his magic to help the limbit.

  After several more seconds, the dark mage let his hand fall back to his side. “I detect no deceit,” he growled.

  “Then we take the eastern road, men!” the squadron leader shouted. “They have a week’s head start on us, but they cannot move as quickly as we can. Move out!”

  The men turned their quahna around and, one by one, slapped them into a quick pace, churning the rich earth with their sharp hooves.

  “Grenneth, Harol, you two stay behind and do away with this filth. Catch up with us when you’re done.”

  Two riders, one of them being the man with the eye patch, nodded and grinned.

  The squadron leader turned to the mage. “We’ll report to High Commander Boriahs tonight. But now, we must close the distance between us and the girl.”