Wings of Arian

by Walls, Devri

  Kiora dropped the bubble, letting Emane step out right in front of the target. She threw the bubble back up and ran toward Aleric.

  Emane pulled the sword back and plunged it as deep as he could into the dragon’s heart. The enchanted sword slid through the dragon’s scales as if nothing were there at all. Jarland roared in anguish. Emane pulled the sword out, strangely calm, as Jarland sat back onto his back legs, throwing his neck up and back. When the dragon’s front legs came crashing back down, Emane thrust the sword in again. Jarland roared again and shuddered. Pulling the sword back out for the second time, Emane ran.

  Jarland quivered and choked as his knees crumpled. He rolled to the right, falling into the cavern wall. The compacted earth of the wall where he struck opened up from floor to ceiling with a groan. The large crack shuddered, and then expanded. Dirt and rocks exploded outwards in a dusty shower. Emane, Aleric and Kiora threw their arms over their heads to protect themselves from the raining debris. The crack in the wall continued its path upward, reaching the ceiling quickly. From there it webbed out, racing over their heads, cracking and popping while sending more crumbling pieces to the floor. Collapse was imminent.

  “Arturo, get us out of here now!” Emane shouted.

  Arturo swopped down and landed in front of Kiora, Emane and Aleric. Emane picked up Kiora and threw her onto Arturo’s back. He helped Aleric on and then climbed on himself. Arturo took off with some effort. Three was a large load.

  Jarland’s dead body was still partially blocking the opening of the cave. Arturo had to land on his back and squeeze himself through the hole before they could head for the surface.

  Arturo was straining, trying to pull all three of them out of the hole ahead of the fracturing earth that was racing up behind them. The dirt was crumbling inwards, burying Jarland in the process.

  The sound of the earth cracking made Kiora’s stomach flip. Looking to the side she watched fissures racing ahead of them. Dirt and rocks assaulted her and she had to shield her face with her arms.

  “We’re not going to make it!” she shouted.

  Kiora could feel Arturo’s muscles coiling underneath her as he pushed harder to clear the top of the hole. The rim began to crumble, threatening to collapse before they found the exit. With one final push Arturo came bursting out of the hole as the entire rim gave way.

  Kiora struggled to adjust her eyes to the light, frantically trying to look for Morcant.

  “Arturo, please! I need to check on Morcant.”

  Kiora, Arturo thought, We need to get you out of here. Dralazar will track you too easily out in the open like this.

  “I have to make sure he is ok! He saved my life.”

  Arturo brought them down next to the large dragon lying on his side. Like the dead Jarland, Morcant’s scales were blackened and blood dripped from a large cut at the corner of his mouth.

  “Morcant,” Kiora said mournfully. “It’s all my fault,” she moaned. “If I hadn’t been here…”

  “Kiora,” Leo had flown over next to her. “He will be fine. My friends and I will help him, but you must go.”

  “Leo, he almost died for me, because of me! I can’t leave him!”

  “Kiora,” Leo said calmly, “If you do not go, his efforts will have been in vain.”

  Emane spoke, “He’s right Kiora, we need to get you out of here.”

  “But...” Kiora had tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Kiora,” Aleric said, “Leo and the others will work on Morcant. It looks like he needs a little healing.”

  Leo nodded.

  “But if we don’t get you out of here right now, Dralazar will send someone for you, someone who won’t make the same mistakes.”

  Kiora laid her head on Morcant side. “You don’t understand, he has been loyal all this time.”

  Arturo snorted and stomped his feet. Kiora, he rumbled.

  “Alright that’s enough,” Emane announced. Stomping over, he picked Kiora up and threw her over his shoulder. “We are leaving now!”

  “Emane!” Kiora shouted, her fists pounding weakly at his back.

  “Kiora, we will talk later.” Emane turned to Aleric, holding tightly to a struggling Kiora; she was too weak to put up much of a fight. “Where should we go?”

  Aleric thought for a second. “Without the protection of the Hollow, Dralazar could be watching and listening. I can’t tell you where to take her.” He turned to Arturo with instructions. “Arturo, you and Kiora can talk on the way. I will stay here with Morcant and the Guardians. They can help get me back to Eleana.”

  Emane walked her over, deposited Kiora on Arturo’s back and climbed on behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

  Arturo pushed into Kiora’s thoughts. How far can you make it Kiora?

  I don’t know, she thought, I have used a lot of magic, I feel so empty.

  Where did you send the book?

  To the cave, where I found it first.

  Wise, he thought for a second. It is not possible for you to bubble us the whole way there. From here back to the Hollow is a path we must take and Dralazar knows it. We won’t bubble unless we sense danger. Listen for when I tell you to put up the bubble. That should only leave you with ten minutes. I want you to rest on the way so you’re prepared.

  Kiora nodded. Alright. She looked mournfully down at her giant friend as he grew smaller with the distance.

  ***

  They flew back over the barren brown land of Morcant and onto the green forests. Once they had passed the Hollow, Arturo gave Kiora the command for the bubble. Kiora was weak but she obeyed.

  Emane wrapped his arms tight around Kiora as she shook under the exertion. “It’s alright Kiora, you can do it,” he murmured in her ear.

  She just nodded, unable to speak.

  They continued to fly, heading towards Arian’s cave on the west side of the valley. As they passed Morcant’s old home between the two hills, Kiora started to tear up thinking about him and her bubble began to grow thinner.

  Focus, Kiora, Arturo thought.

  Kiora snapped back, focusing on her bubble, which grew thick again.

  Hold your emotions until the cave.

  Sorry.

  After another five minutes Kiora was drenched in sweat and her skin was ashen gray. The mountains where the Cave of Arian was located rose up before them.

  “Are we almost there?” Emane shouted forward. “I don’t know how much more she can do.”

  Kiora answered in a whisper, “Arturo said one more minute.”

  Shortly after, they landed on a large boulder jutting out of the mountain. Kiora dropped her bubble.

  “Are we safe here?” Emane asked sliding off Arturo before reaching up to help her down.

  “Yes.” Kiora still could not speak above a whisper. “Once you’ve landed the enchantment protects you from sight.”

  She stumbled over to the face and placed her hands on the wall. It shimmered, changing back and forth from a mountain to a doorway. She leaned her head against the rock with a whimper.

  Kiora, I know you’re tired but you are going to have to give it a little more magic if you want to get it, Arturo gently prodded her.

  Kiora nodded and took a deep breath. She put her hands back upon the mountainside and it vanished, exposing the doorway into the cave. Then she passed out.

  Emane barely managed to get his arms under her before she hit the rock.

  “I really wish she would stop doing this,” he grunted, cradling her in his arms. Once inside he looked around for a soft place to lay her. All he saw was a desk with a candle, an inkbottle and a quill.

  “Arturo, where am I supposed to lay her?”

  Arturo just looked at him.

  “Alright, I will hold her.” He sat down and positioned Kiora in between his legs so she could lean her head back on his chest till she woke up. Emane leaned himself against the cold rock wall.

  “Is she having another vision?”

  Arturo shoo
k his head.

  “She used too much magic, didn’t she?”

  Arturo nodded.

  “We can all rest then, until she wakes up.”

  Arturo trotted over to another corner of the cave sat down and folded his head under his wing.

  Emane sighed and looked down at Kiora. Her hair was plastered around her face with sweat and dirt. She was so pale, Emane had to rely on feeling her breath just to convince himself that she was still alive. Leaning back, he closed his eyes trying to make sense of the last twenty-four hours. Kiora shifted with a groan and Emane found himself tightening his arms around her, pulling her closer.

  Even covered in dirt and grime, she was beautiful. Her dark eyelashes lay over the top of her cheeks just a few inches from his lips and he closed his eyes trying not to think about how close her face was to his. Taking a few deep breaths, Emane tried to relax. Relaxing however, allowed all of the pains of that day to come into focus. His shoulders and biceps were throbbing with the force of piercing the Dragon, and his stomach was far beyond growling. He groaned out loud, it felt as if he had swallowed the sword himself.

  Arturo perked his head up to look at him.

  “Sorry.”

  Arturo kept looking at him. He remembered with some embarrassment that Arturo could hear his thoughts, which of course meant that he had just heard everything he had been thinking about Kiora.

  Dropping his head against the wall behind him he rolled his eyes. “Arturo, you can’t tell her.”

  Arturo didn’t move.

  “Arturo I mean it!” he said glaring at him. “Those are my thoughts. And right now I would like to keep them to myself.”

  It took a while, but Arturo finally nodded.

  Emane shifted, trying to get comfortable. “Do you think there is any way you could stop doing that?”

  Arturo shook his head.

  “Really?” No, again.

  “But I have your word you will keep my thoughts to yourself?”

  Arturo snorted putting his head back under his wing.

  Not sure if that was a yes or no, Emane relaxed his head back against the wall and tried not to think about anything regarding a telepathic pegasus or a certain beautiful girl that he held in his arms as he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Nine

  VISIONS

  KIORA WAS HAVING HER first dreamless sleep in some time. No dragons or merserpents or feelings of doom. Just much needed rest. She could have slept longer if it wasn’t for the pain gnawing away at her stomach. She moaned and twisted to the side hoping to relieve some of the discomfort.

  Emane jumped. “Are you okay?”

  Sitting up, she looked around and her stomach did a strange nervous flip realizing Emane had held her while she slept. “Fine,” she said brushing the hair out of her face. “Still a little tired…and starving.”

  “I know,” he groaned stretching himself out like a cat. “I’m starving too.”

  “I don’t suppose any food has appeared?” She peered around the cave, hopeful.

  “Is it supposed to?”

  She shrugged, “Stranger things have happened.” Pushing herself up, she asked, “Is Arturo still here?”

  Emane nodded his head in the direction of Arturo who still had his head tucked under his wing.

  Arturo, Kiora thought, How do we find some food?

  I was sleeping, Kiora, he said without moving.

  I’m sorry.

  A sigh whispered at her mind, Summon it.

  Summon it? I thought I had to know where things were before I could summon them.

  He pulled his head out from under his wing, tired and annoyed, Yes and no. If you want something specific, like your book or Emane’s sword, you need to know exactly where it is so you get exactly what you want. If you summoned a sword you could get any number of swords. If you need food, there is any number of apples on a tree. Summon what you like and the general idea will come.

  Really?Yes. Be cautious, the larger the item the more magic it requires. He tucked his head back under his large wing, indicating the conversation was over.

  “What did he say?” Emane asked.

  “He said I could summon food.”

  “Summon it?” he asked scrambling to his feet. “Like you did with my sword?”

  “Yes.”

  “That was really amazing, by the way; buying time and putting in right into my hands,” he shook his head. “Amazing.”

  “Thank you.” She blushed with a bit of confusion. “He says if I summon what I want, the general idea should show up. Here goes nothing.” She closed her eyes concentrating on dinner.

  “Kiora?”

  “Emane, I can’t do this and talk at the same time.”

  “I just… don’t do too much. That’s all.”

  Kiora was surprised at the gentleness of Emane’s tone. Peeking at him through one eye, he had turned away from her shoving his hands in his pockets. Closing her eyes again Kiora imagined apples and peaches. Fresh cream, roast chicken and finger potatoes. She had to reign in her thoughts, and her stomach, from summoning enough food to feed a kingdom.

  “Wow.”

  She opened her eyes to see apples and peaches, roast chicken and finger potatoes sitting on the ground. Unfortunately cream was running over everything. “I will need to remember to summon the cream in a dish next time.”

  Emane and Kiora sat down to eat, devouring the feast she had summoned. Food had never tasted so good. She picked up an apple and stared in shock at the large bite that had already been taken out of it. Realizing what had happened she began to laugh.

  “I think I just summoned this out of someone’s hand,” she said, holding the apple up to see.

  Emane almost choked on his chicken, imagining some poor man getting ready to take a bite out of his apple when it vanished.

  ***

  Kiora awoke from her second nap of the day feeling well rested, and best of all, full. The food she had summoned had tasted better than anything she could have imagined. Then again, she could have never imagined being that hungry. She smiled to herself, remembering Emane’s eyes getting a little bit wider as he watched how much she was eating.

  I need to go Kiora.

  She jumped as Arturo’s thoughts entered hers. Why? Her stomach knotted at the thought of him leaving her.

  I need to meet with Eleana and Aleric. Things have changed, and so must we. You have things to do here as well. He looked over to the book she had summoned earlier.

  But what if something happens? She thought.

  I will be back soon Kiora. You are well protected here, he said, addressing the fear she hadn’t vocalized. He stood up and walked closer to her. And even if you weren’t, you have already become quite powerful, Kiora. Do not underestimate yourself.

  That’s what you all keep telling me, she thought with a hint of sarcasm.

  Kiora, Arturo shouted it into her mind with all the force of a reprimanding father, you are more than what you know. Turning, he walked out of the cave entrance spreading his wings on the ledge.

  As the sun hit them, the opalescent colors of Arturo’s wings bounced off and around the surrounding stone. She was reminded of the first time she saw him standing in the forest, back when she was innocent and ignorant of magic. How much things had changed since then.

  With a heavy heart she walked over to the small desk on which the book of Arian sat. She pulled the chair closer and said, “Light.” The candle ignited just as it had upon her first visit here. She stared at the book, not sure where to start.

  “I don’t know what I need to know first,” she said under her breath.

  A hand on her shoulder nearly startled her out of her chair.

  “Emane! You scared me half to death.”

  “I guess I don’t need your fancy bubbles to sneak up on people, do I?” he smirked.

  She laughed in spite of herself.

  Emane looked over her head and noticed the book on the table. It was glowing a bright blue and humm
ing. “What is wrong with that book?”

  Sighing she said, “It’s telling me there is something I need to learn.”

  Emane shook his head. “This magic stuff is nuts! How about you start learning whatever it is you need to learn and I will start practicing with the weapons the Guardians gave me. That is, if you could get them for me.”

  “Oh, of course.” Picturing where they had left the chest of weapons in the Hollow, she willed them to come to her.

  Emane yelled in pain. “Ow!”

  Her eyes flew open to find that chest had landed directly on Emane’s foot. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Kiora said jumping up to help. Emane pushed while she pulled, it slid off his foot and hit the floor with a thud.

  “Emane, I am so sorry!”

  “It’s ok Kiora,” he said through clenched teeth. “I just need a few minutes, go work on your magic.”

  Biting her lip she backed away, she felt terrible.

  “Kiora! I will be fine.”

  She turned reluctantly, walking slowly over to the book. Plopping down in her chair she set her elbows on the table, dropping her head into her hands. Show me what I need to know, she thought.

  The book opened and the pages flew by stopping abruptly.

  Controlling Visions

  Perking up a little she leaned in closer.

  Visions of the future almost always come without being asked, although it is possible to achieve them upon request, it requires a great deal of skill. Even then, it rarely works.

  Visions of the past or present can be requested by one who knows what he is doing.

  You must control the vision. If you do not the vision will control you causing blackouts and loss of consciousness.

  She read that line over again. Blackouts? She didn’t know that could be controlled. Grabbing the book with both hands, she focused in on that paragraph and read on.

  When a vision is coming you must learn to focus the vision out rather than in. When you allow the vision to pull you inside your own mind you will lose consciousness, making yourself vulnerable in any situation. To focus the vision out, force the image to appear before you. This way you can watch it as if it were happening in front of you. At the same time you will still be aware of what is around you, as well as retain control of your limbs.