by D P Rowell
The drake rubbed his eyes and pushed the button, turning the flashing light off. He grabbed the steering wheel and gained manual control of the ship. Ace leaned forward to get a better look at Heorg, but only saw a sandbar on the horizon.
The drake wiped his face with his hands. “Gonna be approaching soon.”
Ace nodded. “Guess we’ll have to prepare ourselves for witches again, huh?”
Rio shook his head. “No, no. Witches are few and far between in Heorg. Although, they do show up from time to time. But when they do, there’s a hunter around every corner to take them down. Gathara and Heorg have a strange relationship. The city is still a part of Heorg, but kind of operates under its own law. So, hunters are in a lot of places in Heorg. It’ll be the perfect place for your training.”
Ace turned his head behind at the sound of a yawn. Cameron was waking up! Rio grabbed Ace’s shoulder. The drake held a finger to his mouth. Ace read him loud and clear.
Quiet. They won’t remember the witches.
Ace nodded. “Rise and shine,” he said as he turned back to his older brother. Cameron rubbed his head and squinted.
“Oh man. I have a huge headache,” he said. His older brother looked out the cockpit glass cover to the ocean surrounding them. Then, around the ship. “How did we get here?”
“Uhh, we climbed in,” Ace said with a chuckle, “You feelin’ okay?”
“Yeah,” Cameron said, rubbing his head, “I think so. Just needa wake up.”
“We’re getting close to Heorg. Maybe once we get some fresh air and start walking you’ll get to feeling better.”
Cameron nodded. Julie and Tamara’s eyes slowly opened as they began to stretch.
“Ugh,” Julie said, holding her stomach. “I think I’m sea sick.”
Rio grabbed a bag and threw it behind him. “Please don’t throw up in the hovercraft. It’s not mine.”
“I don’t feel so great either,” Tamara said.
“Well,” Ace jumped in, “hope you all feel good enough to walk, because we’re gonna be approaching Heorg soon.”
“How long have we been on this thing?” Cameron said.
“Ten hours,” Rio said.
“I—I don’t even remember getting on,” Tamara said, scratching her head.
“Me—” Julie covered her mouth as her cheeks puffed up. She removed her hand and relaxed. False alarm. “Me neither,” she said.
“What are you talking about?” Ace said. “Don’t you guys remember? After the ticket counter lady was so rude to us, Rio ran into an old buddy of his on the shore. He lent us the hovercraft. You guys must have been really tired because you fell asleep just as soon as we took off.”
The other grandchildren looked around at each other, confused. Ace turned back to face the front of the craft. He and Rio winked at one another.
Small buildings rose from the horizon as the ship made its way ashore. Once land lay ahead, it became easier to see how fast the ship traveled. They soon made their approach to the docs. The wide buildings lay just past the beach. They weren’t towering buildings, but they sat as long, block-like structures, built of white brick and stone.
They approached the land in between two of the docs. Only a few docs lined the beach, and off to the right and left was the civilian beach for recreational use. Jags surrounded the docked area as the ships arrived and departed. Only a couple ships. Much smaller than Myrka. Two jags dressed in reflective vests guided Rio’s hovercraft ashore. The glass covering slowly lifted as they approached either side of the ship. The one approaching Ace’s side was female. Yellow eyes, smooth, shiny skin, and a majestic way about her steps.
“State business in Heorg, drake,” said the jag on the other side. Ace turned to face him. Male, lighter gray skin, a wide jaw, and pointy cheekbones. Anything but majestic.
“Rio Atarion, sir. I’m escorting my friend’s family to Gathara.”
The jag nodded. “How long will stay be?”
“Indefinitely,” Rio said.
“What?” Julie said from behind. “What do you mean indefinitely?”
“Are we, like, moving here? What about home? What about Eveland?” Tamara said, gasping in between each word. Ace turned and placed his finger over his mouth. Shushing them without making a noise.
“Don’t shush her you stupid Halder,” Julie said.
She’s definitely feeling herself again, Ace thought. Julie didn’t remember him saving her life. Any progress toward her accepting him as a leader had gone now. Back to being the stupid Halder.
The jag looked at Rio curiously. The drake shrugged. “If I had told them we were moving, they may not have come. Had to get them to safety, you know?”
The jag gave a suspicious look around the ship for a moment. He gave a hand signal to the female jag, and they both nodded.
“Good, sir. Ship inspection will only take moment,” the jag said. They both walked away and signaled for other jags to come.
“Thank you,” Rio said. The drake turned behind to face Julie, Cameron, and Tamara. “What’s wrong with you? Are you crazy? These people are the good guys, why would you try and make them suspicious?”
Julie sassed Rio, using her fingers as quotations. “‘Good guys’,” She said. “As far as I’m concerned, I still don’t even know if you’re a good guy.”
“Would you shut up?” Cameron said. “The jags are coming to inspect the ship. Now is not the time.”
Tamara punched Cameron on the arm. “Don’t tell my little sister to shut up!”
“Enough!” Rio yelled. Everyone silenced. Jags jogged to the ship in navy blue jump suits, scanners in hand. The faint blue light from the scanners grazed over the surface of the ship in a gentle hum.
“All clear,” Said one of the jags. Rio nodded and climbed out of the ship. The rest of the family followed. The drake walked to the trunk and delivered each person their belongings. One of the jags hopped in the cockpit, but Rio stopped him.
“I don’t have money to pay you for parking,” Rio said. The jag looked at him.
“It’s on house,” the jag said. Rio tilted his head curiously, and the jag moved the hovercraft ashore, and out of sight. To, Ace assumed, the nearest parking facility.
Rio scratched his head, “Awfully nice of them. . .” He shrugged, “C’mon.” The drake led them up the beach to a wooden walkway, leading from the beach to the city. Above was a metallic sign in blue neon lights.
Thraun Welcomes You!
Ace never understood why jags spoke in the common tongue. As he was taught in school, jag language had been a dead language for centuries. But they never taught him why. They walked to the end of the wooden path, leading to a paved road. The large brick buildings stood as high as a hundred feet on either side of the road. Hovercrafts of all different kinds sped through the streets at blazing speeds. They left only a timid hum as they zipped by just a touch above the ground. People bustled about on the sidewalks. The colossal jags made the few humans and drakes laughable in comparison. The buildings in the city were blocky, thick, and boring. They sat on either side of the road. Thraun was a city built in a barren wasteland of dirt with a few stout trees here and there.
“Okay,” Cameron said as he made his way to Rio and Ace, “Where to now?”
“Well, we need to find some sort of transportation. It’s a long, long walk from here to Gathara,” Rio said.
“Ugh,” Julie said, Tamara by her side as she walked the path to meet everyone else. “This problem again.”
“Well, we solved this problem last time, didn’t we?” Ace said.
“Out of luck,” Tamara said. “And honestly, I don’t even remember how it happened.”
Julie crossed her arms. “Yeah, Ace. We can’t just expect one of Rio’s friends to just waltz on up every time we—”
“Rio?” Said a voice. The group turned to face the voice. A male jag stood before them at least seven feet tall. His muscles burst through his thin t-shirt, and his voice was so thunderous,
it made Rio’s voice seem friendly. His antlers shot straight up from his forehead, then bent directly backwards, and curled gently back up at the ends. He had blasters strapped to his sides on his belt. Ace squinted at them, guessing they were AMHBs.
“Marg!” Rio said. He bolted to the jag and they embraced one another in welcoming laughter. Rio was swallowed up by the gray giant’s hug. But once the jag noticed Rio’s struggle to breathe, he released him.
“What brings you to Heorg? I thought you were deployed to Oola!” Marg said.
“It’s a long story,” Rio said waving his hand. “Oh, I’m glad to see you. I’m protecting these children, and we need to get to Gathara. But we have no transportation.”
The jag laughed and slapped Rio’s back. Rio stumbled from the smack and rubbed his back where he took the hit. The thought of getting slapped by a hand of such a size made Ace wince. “Well this your lucky day, old friend. I headed there right now!” Marg said.
Ace and Cameron looked at Julie with a wide smile, trying to contain their laughter.
“Shut up,” Julie said.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Thraun
Marg led them down the sidewalk. The further in, the more people surrounded them. Not as many as New Eathelyn, but Ace enjoyed the ability to look around without having drake skin rub against him at every turn. The unfortunate thing was there not being too much to see. The white brick buildings hardly varied in size or color. Not a whole lot of thought seemed to be put into the decoration of the city, but it sure was easy to get around in. He thought it curious, though. This jag town used at least twice as much technology as the Oolan cities. But somehow, seemed less lively. Neon lights lit the stores and their signs. Hovercrafts zoomed on the streets. And though they weren’t on, the beams used for street lights reminded him of home.
Morning bled into afternoon, the sun climbing every hour. The dry, hot air rested on him, but didn’t bear down on him like the muggy air in drake country. Rio and Marg conversed with one another; revisiting old times as they led the grandchildren along the sidewalk. Large window panes to their right revealed the stores and their merchandise. They passed restaurants. Some fancy. Some cheap. Clothing outlets. Grocery stores. Phone stores. And pretty much any sort of store one could think of.
“So, you’ve been stationed in Thraun?” Rio asked Marg. Ace snuck his way forward and listened in as they continued. He and Cameron had been walking together, but his older brother was too focused on the city to hear Rio’s conversation with the jag.
“For past two years,” Marg said, his hand on Rio’s shoulder. “I guessing you were pulled from deployment for recall, huh?”
Jag grammar confused Ace. He had trouble paying attention, as he’d still been dwelling on the first part of the jag’s sentence by the time he’d stopped talking. Rio’s webbed ears shot back. The first time Ace had seen something like that. Did it mean fear? Curiosity? Danger?
“Recall?” Rio said.
Curiosity, Ace thought.
Marg chuckled and slapped Rio’s back again. “You know,” Rio said, “it stings when you do that.”
Marg pulled his hand away. “Sorry. Too strong for my own good.” He said.
Rio chuckled. “So, what’s this recall thing about?”
“Oh. Seriously? I thought you kidding,” Marg said. Rio’s ears pulled back as he shook his head. “Elite recalled all hunters stationed in Heorg to Gathara. The deployed have stay where are. Some, like ones in Oola, have limited communication with Heorg, so they couldn’t come anyway. I—I thought you knew. Honestly, I thought you one of ones in charge of recall.”
“No. I had no idea,” Rio said. “Why did I not have a say in this?”
Marg shook his head. “Dunno, ug.”
Ace scratched his head, ug? What’s ug?
“Have elite ever done this to you before?” Marg said.
Rio shook his head, “Never. I’m one of them. We make decisions together. Always.”
“Hm. That strange.” Marg said scratching his head, “Maybe a’cause you in Oola, they couldn’t communicate you.”
“I hope so,” Rio said.
“If you not back for recall, why traveling to Gathara?” Marg placed his hand gently on Rio’s back and pointed his thumb behind them. “Anything to do with human children you brought?”
Rio chuckled and shoved Marg back. “Yes, actually.”
Marg made a face at Rio which begged for more of an answer. He got none and he gave up. The jag took them across a few more roads, and a few more turns. The sights didn’t change much. The city lay in a basic grid. By the time they reached whatever destination they were headed to, Ace figured he’d know Thraun like the back of his hand.
Marg took them down one last street with hovercraft parking garages on either side. They flew up and down on the different levels and found their paths to the streets of Thraun.
“Hey,” Julie whispered. Ace and Cameron turned their heads. “Aren’t you two worried at all that Rio’s friends have blasters strapped to their belts?”
“Not really,” Ace said. “If someone comes after us, they will be the ones that are worried. It makes me feel safe.”
“Yeah, what are you talking about? The jag is super cool,” Cameron said.
Tamara scoffed. “Can’t wait to say we told you so when the drake and his buddies capture you, while Julie and I are safely running away.”
Ace chuckled. “Whatever.”
“You and that drake,” Julie said. “Something is up between you two. And I’m gonna find out what it is.”
Ace bit his tongue. This again, he thought. He fought the urge to remind the little brat he saved her life the night before. The thought of protecting the Peppercorns made him cringe. He remembered the only gratitude he’d ever received from Julie. Thanking him after he saved her from the witch. But her memory loss took it from her. It was a rarity anyway. So rare, he was sure it would never happen again. Memory or no memory. What if he hadn’t saved them? He chuckled. They probably deserved to be captured by a witch. Or . . . maybe that was a tad harsh. But not false. Especially after the time Julie . . .
“Hey, c’mon guys,” Rio said. Ace and Cameron turned. Their conversation with the Peppercorns had them falling behind. Rio and Marg stood in front of a large building of brown brick. Blue neon lights lit a chrome surface over a set of double doors with glass.
Thraun Airport
Humans, jags and drakes rushed in and out of the doors. Some fast, some slow, some at a regular pace.
“Oh man, I hate flying,” Cameron said.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” Ace said, nudging him along to catch up with Rio and Marg.
“You only say that ‘cause you’ve never flown before, bro,” Cameron said.
Tamara and Julie giggled.
“Poor Camewon,” Julie said.
“What are you? Three?” Cameron said.
The Peppercorns ignored Cameron’s response as they all approached Rio and Marg. The two of them led them through the double doors.
“Hey, uh, we like, don’t have money for a ticket,” Tamara said. “We kinda ran into this problem back in Oola, remember?”
“Back in Oola, we didn’t have Marg,” Ace said.
Marg laughed. “I like this ug,” He said. A finger pointing at Ace.
Julie stepped forward, hands on her hips. “We can’t just ask a stranger to pay for our tickets.”
“That right, little girl. I don’t have money for that,” Marg said. Julie smiled a snobby smile. “That why we not paying for tickets,” the jag continued. Julie’s smile faded.
“Your private jet is here?” Rio said.
“Well, I wouldn’t call it private. It belongs to Ind—OW! What in world?” Marg said as Rio slapped him across the face.
Rio’s eyes were wide and panicked. The grandchildren stared wordlessly in shock. Ace tried to contain his laughter. He knew why Rio slapped him. Marg was about to reveal the jet belonged to the witch hunters.
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“That’s, uh, for you slapping my back so many times,” Rio said, nervously chuckling. “Gotcha, ug!”
Marg rubbed his cheek angrily. “Drakes are weird.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Hero
“Hey Ace,” Cameron said. Ace turned to face him. “What the heck is an ug?”
Ace shrugged. “Not sure.” He had been wondering the same thing. “I guess it’s some sort of friendly thing jags say.”
They buckled themselves in their seats when the light came on. Cameron shook with the buckle in his hand. Took him a few tries to finally get it secure.
“Relax, Cameron. Flying can’t be that bad,” Ace said. Cameron smiled a weak smile at his brother.
Tamara, who had been sitting behind the Halders, next to her sister, leaned forward into Cameron’s ear.
“Yeah,” she spoke softly, “don’t worry. I told Rio to bring plenty of extra diapers for you.”
The Peppercorns giggled. Ace was about to respond, but the jet began backing up.
“Ow!” Ace said as Cameron clenched his leg.
“Sorry,” Cameron said, releasing his hand.
Ace laughed and looked out the window. Excitement stirred in him as well as curiosity as to why Cameron hated flying so much. Lucky for Ace, his first time flying would take place in a luxury jet. The white seats were spacious and soft, cupholders were on the arm rests, and a hologram TV was in front of them, just behind the cockpit. White couches surrounding a finished wooden coffee table, and a bar were behind them. To the left, across the aisle, sat Rio and Marg, discussing things in a hushed tone.
Ace peeked out the window, watching airplanes take off and land, eager to see what Heorg looked like from the sky. The jet taxied to the runway. The engines fired. A low hum climbing higher and louder every second. The point of no return. Cameron closed his eyes and took slow deep breaths. The jet sped across the runway, and the force pressed against Ace’s chest and held him to his seat. The jet lifted, and moments later, they soared in the sky, everything now tranquil. The seatbelt light shut off and Ace unbuckled.
“C’mon, Cameron. Let’s go sit on the couch,” Ace said.
