Ascendant: The Revelations of Oriceran (The Kacy Chronicles Book 2)

by A. L. Knorr

  Sol's mouth was a grim line. "You do know that you're taking your life into your hands, right? There is a stretch of unprotected coastline you have to pass over between Rodania and Maticaw. By air, there are harpies; by land, there are any number of gypsies and bandits who think they own the forests. We didn't have any trouble on the way here because there were two of us flying together, but you'll be a solo female Arpak—"

  "I remember the coastline," Jordan promised. "We'll fly fast."

  "Blue isn't as fast as you are," Sol warned. "He could be a liability, even with his fire." Sol got up from the kitchen island and went to a tall wardrobe in the corner. He opened it and rustled around in the contents, pulling free a holster that held two foot-long, straight blades. "Take these. I regret that I haven't had any time to show you how to use them, but," he handed the holster to her. "Pointy side out, right?" He gave her a bleak smile.

  Jordan got up from her chair and threw her arms around him. Not for the knives, but for the way he was not fighting her wishes anymore. Sol blinked with surprise before closing his arms around her, hugging her back, the holster dangling from a finger.

  Jordan pulled back. "We'll be alright, you'll see." She dropped her eyes to the weapons. "Thank you." She took the gear and strapped it around her hips. "Don't suppose you have a gun instead?"

  "I wish. We don't have tech like that on Rodania." Sol itched to put his hand against Jordan's cheek. The idea of something happening to her filled his belly with acid, but forcing her to stay was not in his nature. Being caged, physically or emotionally, was anathema to an Arpak—to any living organism, really.

  "I'll fly with you until I have to turn north, and you have to turn south," he decided. "At least I can go with you that far."

  Jordan nodded. "Okay."

  A high-pitched whistle from the terrace drew the two Arpaks outside. Blue was perched on the railing, sniffing their breakfast out of the air. His belly was round with whatever he'd hunted down.

  "Looks like you've eaten," Sol said to the dragon. "Hopefully not from the palace aviary, or there'll be hell to pay."

  Blue squawked and hopped to the floor, the source of his breakfast a securely kept secret.

  Sol put a hand on Jordan's back. "Let's finish breakfast. Then I'll show you a map, just to refresh your memory. I’ve got a compass you can take, too.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The way the morning sunlight reflected on the ocean—waves capped with white and, beyond them, smooth blue—took Jordan's breath away. Jordan and Blue had spent the first half of the trip with Sol, stretching their wings, catching the ocean air currents, and enjoying the journey. Sol had been quiet, worried, not enjoying the journey as much as Jordan.

  A line of dark in the distance became visible: the shore. This is where she needed to turn south and Sol needed to go north.

  “Please be careful,” he pleaded before they’d said goodbye. “Stay sharp. Don’t daydream.”

  “I won’t.” She kissed Sol’s cheek and hugged him as best she could while they hovered. “We’ll be alright. You’ll see.” She put her hands on the hilts of the knives he’d given her. “I’ve got these, and Blue.”

  “See you in three days,” Sol said, his mouth a grim line.

  Once they’d parted, Jordan took the opportunity to try a few aerial tricks, dropping into a dive and tucking her wings back. She plummeted to the waves, the wind tugging at her hair and her stomach climbing into her throat. Trusting her wings, she skimmed across the tops of the waves, reaching out her hands to feel the spray before arching upward again to where Blue was peering down at her, watching her experiment.

  Freedom. That's what this is. It's pure freedom.

  I can’t wait to fly with my mother like this. How surprised will Jaclyn be to see me? Does my mother still look the same as in those photographs on the mantel back home? Jordan let her mind wander as the miles of sea passed away below them.

  She and Blue made a long curve to meet the cliffs and rocky beach, and followed it, keeping it on their right-hand side. Blue flapped steadily and silently along beside her.

  The coastline was marked by a thin ribbon of pale sand that wound around the edges of endless rocky outcroppings; beyond that, as far as the eye could see, was wilderness. Patches of forest took turns with tundra, dotted by shallow water reflecting the sun. Bare rock jutted up in places, looking fuzzy with moss. The cliffs to the right dropped away from a sickening height to a harsh and inhospitable shore. Waves crested, rolled and smashed onto the rocks.

  Jordan caught the smell of rotten meat just momentarily on the wind and wrinkled her nose, her heart galloping and her eyes darting around for signs of movement. But the scent passed, and their serenity remained. Their wings pumped, carrying them further south, and closer to Maticaw by the moment.

  Jordan began to form part of a plan. First, find her mother. If Jaclyn was being detained somehow, or was in some terrible circumstance, as Jordan had imagined she was (what else would keep Jaclyn away?) then she'd need to be freed. Once her mother was rescued, they'd be free to pass back to Earth, back to Allan. They could all be reunited and, from there, they could make a plan together. Jaclyn and Jordan were Arpaks, native citizens of Oriceran. Surely Allan will wish nothing other than to join us here and make a new life? Jordan felt hope that her father could do something that he really loved here. Maybe he can finally escape from politics.

  A piercing shriek blasted Jordan's eardrums, she gasped and cried out, her hands clamping over her ears. She looked at Blue, who was responsible for the cry. The dragon had his teeth bared and snapped them at the air, letting out another ear-splitting scream, which morphed into a roar.

  With her hands still clamped over her ears, Jordan followed the dragon's gaze. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, rattling like it was desperate to get out.

  A huge black shadow raced silently along the waves behind them.

  Jordan's skin crawled with terror. How did we not notice the harpy sooner? The beast fooled even Blue for how long?

  "Fly," Jordan exhaled to her companion. Both of them bolted forward, tripling their speed. Jordan began to curse herself silently, Sol’s many warnings ringing in her ears. Stupid girl, she seethed. What good will you do your mother if you’re dead? She grit her teeth and felt anger bubbling hot and hard in her chest. No. I am so close to what I have wanted for so long. This overgrown vulture is not going to stop us.

  Tucking her chin into her chest and looking back between her feet was the best way to keep an eye on the monster. From this vantage point, the harpy was a sharp extended beak, two red eyes, long blunt horns pressed back against its neck, with a wingspan that made Jordan feel ill. Those wings pumped and the crimson eyes became clearer; the rough wattle hanging down from the throat swayed with the harpy's effort.

  Jordan’s hands flew to the handles of the blades Sol had given her. Her eyes darted to the cliffs whizzing by in a blur, looking for anything that could be used to help her and Blue escape.

  Jordan's wings began to ache. She glanced at Blue, who was also laboring, yet she did not recognize any fear in the dragon's eyes. He had, however, begun to make a strange repeated sucking sound. His lips would curl back, revealing his razor-sharp teeth as he inhaled, then would close over them as he breathed out.

  "Blue," Jordan gasped, but she had to save her breath; this was no time for talk. She glanced back again and her fear was made real before her eyes. The harpy was gaining. It was too strong of a flyer for Jordan and Blue to evade by simply running. Jordan's mind raced for an idea, a plan.

  The cliffs blazed by, cracked in some places and sleek in others, sometimes reflecting the sunlight in blinding flashes.

  The flyers zoomed by the openings of caves and dark fissures, but Jordan focused ahead rather than the creepy vibe that poured out of the openings in the rock.

  A gust of wind propelled them forward, and the stench of rotting meat burned her nose. She gagged and dipped lower, her wings faltering and the
n recovering. Nausea clenched at her stomach.

  A shrill cry rose on the air behind them; the first cry the harpy had made. Jordan's insides iced up. It was a cry of triumph. Jordan wrenched the blades from their holsters, turning in the air to face the predator. She meant to scream out her own terrifying battlecry, but the sound quickly transformed into a wail of fear. There were two harpies. Where did the other one come from? The harpies snapped at one another, the recent joiner smaller and hornless. Jordan couldn't tell if they were arguing over who should make this kill, or if they were happy to see one another.

  The answer became clear as the smaller harpy flew off to the left, away from the cliffs, and began to close in on Jordan and Blue from the side. Blue went on making that strange huffing sound, sucking in air, and his exhales were now accompanied with a groan.

  Oh, Blue, Jordan’s heart bled for her little reptile. I was so foolish; I should have listened to Sol and waited. It is not worth dying for. I'm such a fool. I’m so sorry.

  Blue and Jordan banked away from the harpy on the left, toward the cliffs, until Jordan realized that they were being herded. Of course, she had a cold and miserable realization. Harpies kill then let the meat rot for a few days before coming back to eat. How can a harpy eat its kill if the prey sinks below the waves and becomes fishfood?

  "Stay over the water, Blue," Jordan panted. "Don't let them push us over land." The words came in gasps and Jordan wondered how long they could keep up this breakneck speed. Blue sounded like he was in increasing pain. I have to do something. She had at first been looking for some kind of shelter on the shoreline, but that was a mistake; the pair had to face these beasts over water, where they would hesitate to make a kill they would just lose. She gripped the hilts of the blades in her hands and prepared to turn and face her fate.

  Then Blue let out a shrill shriek and banked toward the harpy on the left, sharp and sudden.

  Jordan gasped, and even the harpy seemed to pull its head back with surprise at the dragon's sudden movement.

  There was a loud snap, followed by a harsh blast of air, and the sky over the water seemed to explode with flames. The scent of charred, rotten meat replaced the usual harpy odor. There was a high-pitched wail of pain and the harpy on the left spiralled toward the waves like a plane shot out of the sky, trailing smoke. Flames billowed from its right wing and it hit the water at a high speed, skipping once over the waves. The fire was extinguished and the harpy looked like nothing more than a floating pile of kelp.

  Blue flew back to Jordan's side and began to repeat the strange sucking sound. Jordan let out a relieved and shocked laugh. He was working up that blast of fire this whole time!

  But they were not in the clear yet. Furious at the loss of its companion—or so Jordan assumed—the remaining harpy gave a murderous roar. The sound of snapping jaws spurred Jordan and Blue forward.

  "Think—" Jordan panted, "you can do that—" she sucked in another breath, "—again?"

  Blue's response was another chugging heave of air as his lips pulled back from his teeth. He was going to try.

  Jordan spied a strange dark blob on the coastline, an anomaly. She squinted at it but couldn't make out what it was. Jordan glanced back to see that it didn't matter what was ahead anymore; the harpy was upon them. Its beak was open and reaching for Blue. Jordan pulled up suddenly, wrenching her wings. She slashed at the face of the harpy. Its beak snapped closed and turned aside as her blade swiped harmlessly by. Jordan lost her momentum and dropped several meters. The harpy ignored her and drove for the dragon, its long sharp talons open and reaching.

  "No!" Jordan screamed. Desperately, she threw one of her blades. It turned end over end, catching the sun once with a flash, and sailed by the harpy in an arch before plummeting toward the waves.

  Blue made another snapping sound, but it wasn't nearly as loud as the first time. He turned to face the harpy, then let out a jet of fire into its face. The harpy barrel rolled to the side as the jet stream shot past. Jordan's heart turned to stone. The fire was less than half the strength of Blue's first blast, and the dragon's wings began to flag visibly. He began to lose height, and flapped erratically in an exhausted effort to stay aloft.

  Jordan strained forward. She tossed the remaining blade from her left hand to her right and reached for Blue as he dropped. The harpy reached for him, too, its vicious talons opening.

  "You can't have him!" screamed Jordan, infuriated by the satisfied look in the murderous demon's red eyes. Jordan slashed with the knife in her right hand and snatched at Blue with her left. The blade sliced across the hard, black, leathery skin just above the claw. The harpy snatched the claw back and turned to Jordan, its beak snapping fast and furious at Jordan's face.

  Blue gave a sad whistle and fell away.

  "You can die now, asshole!" Jordan screamed at the harpy, baring her teeth and jerking her face back as its beak snapped in front of her nose. She jammed the blade up under the harpy's chin, where it got lodged in the thick wattle. With a powerful yank, Jordan pulled the blade out. The harpy gave a choked cry, and a stream of blood dribbled into the air.

  She didn’t know whether she'd made a killing blow or just given the harpy a minor flesh wound, but Jordan didn't care. She sheathed the bloody blade, tucked her wings in tight and dropped after Blue.

  The dragon was fighting to stay above the water, his wings pumping weakly and out of sync. Jordan clenched her teeth and shot toward him, hoping she could reach him in time and bank away from the water—or they'd both end up in the waves. She reached out and grabbed Blue by the ribcage, shooting her wings out to catch the air. The weight of the dragon yanked on her arms, nearly pulling them both into the sea. She pulled with all her might as a shadow passed over them. Looking up, Jordan saw the harpy bleeding from its wattle while shaking its head. Then it looked down and spied them, its red eyes homing in on the pair now struggling just to stay aloft.

  Oh no, Jordan thought helplessly. It's going to pick us off like a couple of cherries. She looked down at Blue. Should I just drop him and hope he can swim? It was the only thing she could think of, but no matter what her brain said, her hands would not let go of him; in fact, they pulled him tight against her chest. Blue let out an exhausted whistle and pushed the top of his head up under her chin as though to tell her it was okay, that they'd done their best.

  The harpy dove.

  Thunk!

  A bolt streaked from nowhere, piercing through the ribcage of the beast. With a shrill scream, the massive harpy pinwheeled toward the sea. It passed by Jordan and Blue, its eyes now unseeing, and landed with a terrific splash in the waves. Salt spray hit Jordan in the face, and she heaved upward with Blue pressed to her chest. The base of her throat was burning from the screaming and the sucking back of air, but she grinned and screamed again, this time in relief and the triumph of the moment.

  She glanced down at the dead beast, drifting and battered by waves, a single wing splayed out and blood pooling around its body.

  "Take that," Jordan gritted out between locked teeth at the corpse.

  Jordan’s head was pounding with hot blood, and her eyes felt flinty with hatred. She squeezed Blue against her breast and closed her eyes, allowing herself a few breaths. Relief flooded her limbs and she suddenly felt weak and shaky. Looking around, she spied the same blob of gray on the shoreline that she had seen before, only now they were close enough to see that it was a tower. Whoever was manning that stronghold had just saved their lives. Jordan headed for the stone column with her dragon held tightly, safe in her arms.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  As they neared, Jordan saw a Nycht get up on the stone ledge of the tower and straighten to his full height. He put his hand up in the air, his wings snapped open wide and then shut, opened wide and then shut again, signalling them. Behind him on the tower top was a huge crossbow, cocked upward.

  Jordan released one arm from around Blue to wave back at him. A sparkling grin, visible even from a distance, broke
out on the Nycht's tanned face. He put his hands on either side of his mouth and called something out in a foreign tongue. His voice was thick and smoky, with a rasp any blues singer would be proud of.

  Jordan and Blue descended to the small tower platform to land beside the abnormally large crossbow. "Do you speak English?" She asked as her feet hit the stone. She bent and set Blue down at her feet. Blue immediately lay down, rested his chin on the stone, and curled his tail around his body.

  " ‘Course," the Nycht rasped, nodding.

  "Thank you for saving our lives," Jordan said, folding her wings away and standing to hold out her hand. Her fingers trembled and her whole arm felt weak.

  The Nycht grasped her hand firmly and shook it. "A handshake," he grinned. "Don't get to do that much. How quaint and human." He blew a breath out through pursed lips and shook his head. "That was the most spectacular display I have seen in all my time on the Towerhead. WUEEE!" The Nycht laughed and slapped his knee. "That just made all of the years here spent reading books and watching gulls shit in the ocean worthwhile. Name of Daws Urly. What name are you?"

  "Jordan, and this is Blue," Jordan looked down at her exhausted dragon, whose shining black eyes were now barely open. "He's a hero," she said as the realization of what the small reptile had done for them flooded her with sudden emotion. She cleared her throat and got a hold of herself before she burst into tears and embarrassed herself. "You have a hell of a shot, soldier," she said, looking at the crossbow.

  Daws put a hand on the metal side of the weapon and stroked it affectionately. "I can take the eye out of a breaching fish at a half-mile, and that's no lie."

  Jordan spotted a familiar glyph, half-covered by Daws' finger. She took a closer look and a smile spread across her face. She shook her head in wonder.

  "I met the person who made this," she explained.