by Unknown
“Useless cat.” He mumbled.
Shaz grabbed his pack and ripped open the top, shoved his hand in and searched around.
“What are you looking for?”
“Anything else this little bugger took.”
“Nothing, just the shiny.” Nix said.
Shaz shoved the pack off his lap and let it hit the ground. Serin reached into her pack and pulled out the days’ old bread she didn’t want and gave it to Nix.
“You are not feeding him.” Shaz said, crinkling the map, “That’s all we need.”
Serin blew off his frustration with a shrugged as Nix reached up and took the bread and scurried behind a tree.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jagged peaks
Azrak ran and climbed all night. Only once did the rain let up. It was approaching the rainy season, which would make it a challenge to stay ahead of Yavo without being able to fly. It did, however, create a way for him to take the advantage. Azrak back tracked toward the Peaks. He made a large arc swerving in and around obstacles.
He was careful not to step too hard but enough to leave an obvious print, made another nest, and marked more trees. After he was satisfied with his trails, he made his way back to his hiding place. Azrak released his talons, and jumped onto the rock surface. He climbed to the far side of the ragged mountains. The surface of the Peaks was brittle and jagged. Azrak used caution so not to cause large amounts of fragments to peel away.
The higher he climbed, the harder it became. The rocks, wet and slippery for hours, made it nearly impossible to grip the wind-smoothed surface. At one point, Azrak scooted around to the southern edge to avoid a large patch of moss. Azrak gripped a ledge with his beak. He released and reengaged his talons into the divots and pits that remained in the surface. His muscles ached as he fought against the wind and rain.
He slipped several times before he reached the first ledge he came to and was able to crawl onto a flat surface. He took a deep breath and crawled away from the edge as far as he could. It wasn’t his cave, but it would have to do for now. Wrapping his tail around him, he curled into a ball with one wing lifted over his head.
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Several hours passed and rushing winds crashed through the trees as the weather worsened. A small hint of uncertainty settled in the back of Azrak’s mind, though he knew he would be out of the way here. He searched the horizon, finding nothing but the darkened sky. Then a small glint caught his eye. The small flash flickered a few times and disappeared. It was Yavo's Seeing Eye glass, a strange item Yavo found it in the lost caves. Azrak’s heart sank.
“Blast, I forgot he had that cursed thing.”
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Yavo couldn't see Azrak clearly, he was too far away. He guessed the bright red blob against the dull gray and brown was him. He collapsed his magnifier and cinched it onto his belt. He shook the rain from his face, flicking his feathers. The anger and embarrassment deepened and he huffed. He calculated the distance and made note of landmarks he could follow then slunk into the tress.
Azrak leapt from the ledge and skidded down the rocky surface. He lifted his wet wings just above the ground, to keep from hitting hard. He gripped the trunk of a tree and climbed to the top. He carefully moved around the outer edges of the forest. He flicked his ears every few lengths and listened for sounds of oncoming movement. The pit in his stomach tightened around his guts and he felt like his innards were about to explode. He didn't fear death or even pain, but he didn't want to fail.
Yavo slipped through the wet foliage as he moved closer to the nest. He padded up softly next to the pile of leaves and sniffed around. The rain washed away most of the scent. The large leaves sank into the ground. He crawled over the leaves carefully and turned in a circle. He scanned the distance to see what Azrak saw. A set a tracks had barely been made in the mud. It was soft, a day or two old is all. He circled the nest as he examined the branches above. He didn't find anything so he followed the tracks.
After several feet, he came across the dead carcass and wondered why Azrak had left remains. He was too smart for that. Yavo found himself pondering if what he knew about Azrak had been wrong, or if it had been too long and things had changed more than he thought. Yavo continued along the path following the tracks.
The moldy odor of the wet forest wafted around him with each step. He was careful to step next to the tracks so that he wouldn't ruin the originals. A cold chill seeped into his bones as the temperature fell. The day would soon be over and there would be no light. He scrunched his eyes and peered into the darkening sky. He gripped the bark of a nearby tree and climbed to the top branches and lay down.
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It was difficult to see in the darkness, but Azrak felt the need to press on. He slid his paw along the long branches. He held his wings out to steady himself. He didn't see the large hole in the branch until his paw fell through it. A nest of toe sized insects barreled out and swarmed around his head. They buzzed angrily and sprayed a stinky liquid from pointed tails on flat squat bodies.
Venom stung his eyes and burned his skin. Azrak yelped and fell from the tree limb. Before he hit the ground, he rounded his body and landed on his feet. He shut his eyes tightly. He rolled around in the mud, covering his body and face. It’s coolness felt good on his scorched feathers and fur.
A low rumble echoed from his gut as the anger grew inside. The venom of the rare Saraswati insects would take hours to dissipate. Azrak packed more mud on his face around his eyes and blinked a few times. The sting was excruciating. His eyes filled with tears. The burning seared into his head and caused his senses to melt away. Soon he was heavy and wobbly and couldn't stand. The soft patter of rain turned into thuds and pops as the water hit the tree trunks from an angle. Wind gusts threw his body around as he stumbled forward.
Yavo sat up and twitched his ears back and forth. He thought he had heard a commotion. When he didn’t hear anything he rested his head and fell asleep. Azrak turned his face toward the pelting rain and blinked. The rain rushed in and out of his eyes. To his relief, the burning began to ease. His tight muscles relaxed as the rain melted the mud off his body, taking the venom with it. After several minutes, Azrak was barely able to see. Everything was blurry, but he could make out darkened shadows.
He continued to blink as he scooted against the ground. He needed to find shelter. There was nothing in this part of the forest but trees. The branches were the safest parts but, with the cold temperature, the many colorful leaves would soon fall, leaving them baron. Azrak stopped at a big, dark blob and sniffed the air. It was only a rock.
Halfway around he felt a warm breeze and stopped. He moved slowly through the opening. The dry, warm air felt good on his rain-soaked frame. As the breeze surfaced from within the ground, an odor of urine and dead carcasses wafted into his nostrils. Azrak's stomach lurched. The feathers at the back of his neck wanted to lift and ruffle, giving him chills.
His eyes ached, so he kept them slightly closed unless he needed to examine something. The further he went, the stronger the odor became. He reasoned that in his condition he would take his chances in here, with whatever might be making that odor. It would be better than being a sitting duck for Yavo to find. He didn’t know what was further down and didn’t plan on finding out. So he worked his way back toward the opening and stopped a few lengths inside. Thoughts ran through his mind of the last several days. How unusual it was that a human mage would be fighting with his kind. That the Ebonhoards had weapons they had never seen before. That he was in some creature’s tunnel. He had never seen those insects before. He wondered what was happening in the world.
I need to get to my secret cave in the crevasse to get supplies. Maybe he could make it to the crevasse by mid-morning. He would be able to make a full circle back to the cliffs with supplies. He was hoping Ralti had news for him.
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Azrak stirred and rose to his haunc
hes. The dimly lit sky crested the corners of the tunnel. The mid-morning air lifted slightly as the misty rain stopped. His eyes itched and he wanted to scratch them. The burning in his skin was gone, but the red blisters hurt if he bumped them. The lingering effects of the venom made his head pound.
His once beautiful feathers were now straggly and half melted. He slunk against the ground until he could peek out around one of the edges. Yavo wouldn't be far now. He sucked in the air around him and let the mingling of scents dance around. The wind shifted directions several times before Azrak made it to the crevasse. He found it hard to concentrate with the stink of singed feathers wafting around him.
The deep rip in the grounds surface sunk hundreds of feet down. Azrak found a short squat tree surrounded by tall trees and banked a hard left. He fell quickly from the sky in a nose dive. A dark shadow covered his body as he flew into the deep. The cool air became colder the further down he went. An almost nonexistent ledge emerged several lengths from the squat tree. He landed on the edge and lunged inside the small cavern.
Azrak rounded a tight corner. With a flint and stone that he kept on a ledge, he lit a torch. He wished he would have had it with him, but the smoke would alert Yavo to where he was. The cavern lit up revealing a treasure trove of gems and jewels. Shiny metals and trinkets piled in heaps around the floor. He rummaged through a pile of swords. He strapped on heavy leather chest armor and gauntlets. Grabbed a sling and pouch, and filled it with smooth rocks from another pile.
On the wall, hung a silver necklace with an amber stone set in the center. It was his wife’s first gift to him. If Ralti is able to find out if Lahonti had proof somehow it might not be too long before he will be with her again. He slipped it on and ruffled his feathers securing it underneath them. He strapped on shin guards and wing bracers. He rubbed some Oil of The Creeping Dewberry all over his body, covering his wings with a thick layer, and stubbed out the torch. The Creeping Dewberry was almost impossible to find so it was hardly ever used. Most gryphton’s didn’t even know about it. If it weren’t for Helios, Azrak wouldn’t either. Azrak kept his for only the direst of circumstances.
He flew through the crevasse for a few hundred lengths, and turned toward the surface. The mid afternoon heat squelched small patches of clouds from the sky, letting in bits of sun. He looked over the expanse of the forest toward the peaks.
He stretched out his long neck and pulled his legs in tightly to his body as he sucked in his belly. He turned his beak toward the sky and pounded his wings against the air. Azrak flew even harder and faster. The peak he wanted was thousands of feet high. He headed straight into a wall of water pouring from black clouds. The rain grew in strength pounding against his wings.
The oil caused the rain to roll off smoothly, keeping his wings light and dry. He shot up the side of the mountain like an arrow. It was only when he reached the summit that he bent at the waist and dipped back down on the other side. A rounded bowl-like formation sat at the top. The rain had nearly filled it making it, so that there was nowhere for him to land. He rounded the edge and found a perch on the other side.
He searched for a place he could leave a message for Ralti. Azrak would need to be kept up on the events so he arranged with Ralti to return often. In the center of a peak, to the side of him, he found a crack. He lodged the note into the crack, out of the weather, and soared into the sky, back toward the crevasse.
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Yavo leapt into the air and searched for a scent. He moved where he heard the yelp the night before. Yavo slowed to a hover and peered into the tree struck forest floor. He found nothing at first then he picked up a scent. He lowered himself onto a branch and prowled the branches for several lengths. Long skid marks in the mud and nicks in several trees indicted Azrak had been there. Why would he make such a ruckus if he were trying to be stealthy?
Yavo’s eyes darted from mark to mark several times, trying to replay what he was seeing in his mind. Nothing added up. He leapt down and examined the marks close up. Still nothing. He jumped into the sky. A few minutes later the rain fell grounding him. Yavo kept a quick pace through the underbrush and leaf piles. He stopped when he heard the flapping of wings. His mind raced for an explanation. He quickly jumped into a tree and climbed to the highest branch.
Azrak was focused on his plan and failed to see Yavo down below as he whizzed over him. A wind whiplash rippled through Yavo’s feathers.
“Blast!” Yavo roared.
He leapt and jumped from branch to branch but was nowhere fast enough to keep up with Azrak. Yavo’s anger grew as he tried to figure out how Azrak was flying. He fell to the ground and ran. His heart pumped hard against his rib cage as he darted through the forest floor.
A few times Yavo leapt into the tree tops. It wasn’t long until he felt he had made up the distance. The crevasse wasn’t too much further. He deducted Azrak was heading there. If he could fly, and Azrak couldn’t that would be the perfect hiding place.
Yavo reached the last few lengths of ground, before the sheer drop off and slowed his pace. He trotted along the edge, sniffing. A faint remnant of odor lingered in the air. Yavo trusted this is where Azrak rested at one point. A large tree beckoned him across a clearing. He stalked between large bushes.
He lowered close to the ground. His ears twitched and shifted. Yavo spent several minutes moving only a length. The scent intensified. His blood pounded in his ears, and the endorphins surged to high alert. With his eyes, clear and focused, he pounced into the large hole at the bottom of the tree. His paws landed on a large thorn bush. Pain receptors shot to his brain and he yelped.
He scurried out, blood dripped from his paws. There were several small holes and a few thorns still embedded. He gripped them with his beak and yanked. The tiny barbed endings release its defenses into his flesh. Yavo gritted his beak and hissed.
Azrak stopped when he heard Yavo yelp. He didn’t expect him to be so close. He turned to fly away when a small glimmer caught Azrak’s eye. He peered through tight eyes. He carefully drifted down and examined the reflective surface. The tree he was staring at seemed to sway ever so slightly. He reached a toe out to touch it. At first he figured it was a side effect from the venom. He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. A slight tingle buzzed his toe and he jerked away. He searched around, but found nothing.
He couldn't quite wrap his brain around why the tree was swaying on its own and what the hint of shimmer around it could be. He remembered Yavo and leapt to the sky, but his curiosity overcame him. He returned this time the tree was gone and his eyes popped open. A thin dark line separated the trees and sky. Mesmerized, he moved slowly toward it. He moved his face close and closed one eye to scrutinize it, and found that it was a night sky.
An ancient story crossed his mind of a time when his realm was connected with others. Could this be a way into another realm? He thought of the mages and weapons. He gazed into the bright sunlight and back. His heart beat heavily in his chest and a tingle crept into his body. He shook with chills running down his back. His curiosity was more than he had ever felt before. He stepped closer and reached out.
This time his paw slipped into the darkness. He retrieved it and examined his paw. He walked through the thin line. The tear in the fabric of time rippled as his large frame entered. He swayed as white stars whizzed past. A few more steps and the stars stopped. His body halted and he nearly fell forward from the thrust it gave him.
To his astonishment he was standing in a different world. His senses nearly burst with the overload of newness. Chirps, clicks and blurps he had never heard crashed his ears. Unfamiliar smells taunted his nose. He crouched low to the ground and peered into the distance. The sun's rays were about to flood over the mountain tops in a world he knew nothing about. He breathed in slowly and carefully. The dry air tantalized his nose and gave him a refreshing awareness. Trees were dull greens and browns and seemed to blend in with the grasses and dirt.
He looked
at his bright red feathers and wondered if this would be a good idea. He turned around and searched for the unofficial portal. He was relieved to find the tear still there. He moved slowly through the forest, stopping every few lengths, to smell and analyze the new scents. His ears twitched constantly as he interpreted new sounds. A sense of wonder and amazement filled his mind for a moment he forgot all about Yavo. The constant gnawing at his gut was gone and he felt a level of peace.
He didn't dare go too far but he needed to secure a new hiding place in case Yavo found his trail. With a quickened pace, Azrak leapt into the trees and climbed to the highest branches that would still offer cover. Tree tops were thick and densely covered which gave him an extra peace of mind. Large, feathery, leafed plants grew on branches high in the canopy.
Azrak spotted a cave made of boulders that had fallen from the top of the mountain, and made his way over to it. He sniffed around and found it was clear. It was barely big enough for him to squeeze into. He preferred more space but this would do for now. He let his eyes close and cleared his mind. A sense of safety he hadn't felt in a long time overcame him.
The sun broke over the tops of the mountains waking Azrak from a peaceful sleep. He slipped out of the cover. He was invigorated and yet hesitant. He had no idea where he was or what he would encounter. The dark clouds rampaging his world were now replaced with soft white puffs dancing in the sky. Warm air moved around him but, with no wind. Clicks, chirps and buzzing echoed off the enormous mountain behind him. The three moons he knew faded in the light purple sky that now turned to powder blue.
As the morning moved on, he had made note of twenty different toad-like creatures and several varieties of fungi. He imagined how excited Helios would be to get his talons on all of them. At one point, he found several herds of steer, elk and grazing animals. He spent the day exploring and lounging in the warm sun. It felt good on his body, after the days of rain in his world.
