Sword of Fire and Sea tck-1

by Erin Hoffman

Once they recovered their flight pattern, all of the gryphons spoke at once: // Who told you this? // from Thalnarra, // When did this happen? // from Altair, and // It is deceiving, would tell you so, // from Arikaree.

  “I think you know,” Vidarian said.

  // The Starhunter, // Thalnarra said, and in her voice it was an epithet. // Have you learned so little, to listen to her? She has no domain of her own, and preys upon those of the four true goddesses. What else would she tell you? //

  Nothing the goddess could have said would refute this, but her laugh, full of satisfaction, sealed its answer in Vidarian's heart.

  “She knows I would do anything to deny her what she wants,” Vidarian said, his heart sunken, “except this.” He looked across the craft to where Ariadel slept fitfully, her face pale and body hunched in for warmth even beneath Thalnarra's warmth spell.

  // Don't you think you owe it to her to ask if she would have you open the gate? // Thalnarra said, a hot anger simmering beneath the smoke of her voice. Betrayal, her thoughts whispered, with that cloud of concepts that lingered beyond human language.

  Vidarian looked again at Ariadel. Did he know what her answer would be? “I-”

  Ruby cried out behind him, stopping his thoughts. When he turned, she was pointing aft behind them, to the north.

  There against the mountains, a dark cloud was rising, too fast and dense to be weather. As it spread out and came closer, tiny wings could be discerned on each particle. The sheer number of them set his stomach ill at ease.

  “Gryphons?” Vidarian asked.

  // No, // Altair said.

  // Horses, // Thalnarra said. // Winged horses, and riders. //

  “Sky knights!” Ruby breathed, turning to Vidarian. “From the empire? What are they doing here?”

  “There was a disagreement,” Vidarian began, and Ruby's eyes widened with incredulity-which was something, coming from a renegade warleader whose people had been fighting the empire for over a century.

  // And coming over mountains, // Arikaree added. Vidarian realized he was right-they hadn't taken the dragonspine tunnel, but had come up and over the mountain range. It shouldn't have been possible.

  But the bottom line was: “Then they'll be exhausted.” He turned to each of the gryphons. “Can you fly higher?”

  In response, they angled their wings again, gradually ascending.

  “Make them work for it,” he said grimly.

  The knights closed like an inexorable slow tide.

  // They're carrying healers! // Altair exclaimed. The gryphons’ ability to see details of their pursuers long before Ruby or Vidarian could hope to was an advantage, but it was hard not to be unsettled by it. // They must be feeding energy to the horses-that's what's keeping them going. //

  // I've heard it done, but it's reckless, // Thalnarra agreed. // With that endurance and one of the remaining relics of Siane, they could have opened the everstorm. The Company must mean to do anything to stop you. What exactly did you say to them? //

  Everyone kept asking that, Vidarian thought irritatedly. As if saying something could cause an entity so large to empty its coffers trying to detain you. Or stop it from doing so.

  His spirit sank within him as he took in their sheer numbers. They were close enough now for a human to count, not just a gryphon. Three flights closed on them-an entire wing, if his dull memory of imperial air organization held true; close to fifty horses and riders. And they couldn't have come from the imperial city-not this fast. Which meant they were bordermen, accustomed to rough conditions. Dangerous and hungry.

  “I have to talk to them,” he said, and the three gryphons at once sent him a pulse of surprise and unhappiness. They were afraid, he realized, with a shock like ice water. On even footing, a gryphon wouldn't fear even a flight of Sky Knights-but here, harnessed to the flying craft, they were vulnerable themselves, to say nothing of the wingless passengers. “We're too far from the ground,” he argued. “They could knock all of us down. If I can talk them into landing, we have a chance.”

  // Their intentions are not peaceful, // Altair warned, and Thalnarra and Arikaree radiated agreement.

  “You can read that from their thoughts?” Ruby asked, surprised; an edge of her previous suspicion toward gryphons had returned to her voice.

  // The horses, // Thalnarra said. // We can smell their readiness. The riders encourage them for battle. //

  How exciting! the Starhunter whispered. Vidarian managed to ignore her. “I have to try,” he said only. The gryphons were not pleased, but also not arguing. Vidarian's ears were popping as they continued to ascend. The knights’ horses were following, but slowly. Gradually, the gryphons leveled off, allowing the knights to catch up.

  When the group drew close, one of their number split off and approached, guiding his horse up within a few wing-lengths of the port bow. It was not the commander; she was still flanked by a chevron of knights in the center of the wing, distinctive by the gold pauldrons at her shoulders and the glimmering purple iridescence of the coat and feathers of the royal she rode.

  Their approacher rode a young beast-a grey, its feathers still banded. His armor was provincial, not standard to the imperial city, confirming Vidarian's suspicion that they'd sent a border wing. He signaled his mount to hover, which it did with a toss of its head and feathered tail, and lifted his visor.

  “Second Vadron Illinsvar, Imperial Sky Knights, Hawkstorm Wing.” When he named the wing, the knights behind Illinsvar lifted their lances and gave low shouts that were picked up by the rest. The lieutenant smiled slightly and Vidarian cursed to himself. A young, stupid cowherd with ambitions. Fantastic. He was eyeing the gryphons with speculation and excitement.

  // He doesn't know we're intelligent, // Thalnarra growled in his mind alone, anger and satisfaction coloring her words. // Don't enlighten him. //

  “Greetings, Captain,” Vidarian called, intentionally mistaking his rank to puff his ego. “How can we assist you?”

  “The Hawkstorm wing is dispatched to escort one Vidarian Rulorat to the imperial city. If you are he, I am instructed to take you into custody.”

  “I'm afraid we can't agree to that,” Vidarian said. “Perhaps we could discuss this on the ground?”

  “To allow you to land would be allowing you further progress toward the gate,” the knight said, with another irritating half-smile. Thalnarra fixed his horse with one sharp red eye, and Vidarian knew only he and the horse heard the word // Snack // she directed at it. The beast tossed its head, backwinging, and Thalnarra clicked her beak at it. The knight snarled. “You should control those creatures!”

  “I apologize,” Vidarian called. “They're just impossible sometimes.” He directed unhelpful thoughts at Thalnarra.

  “We are instructed first to negotiate with you and seek a peaceful solution,” Illinsvar said. “But my orders are clear: we are to detain you by any means necessary. No living knight is permitted to allow you to reach the gate.” The way he emphasized “living” made Vidarian's skin crawl.

  “Why?” Vidarian called. “What are they afraid I'll do?”

  The knight pulled back on the reins of his mount, which tossed its head and snorted in response, backwinging. “Why should the empire-”

  “You mean the Company!”

  “-allow one man to decide the fate of millions?”

  He doesn't know, the Starhunter whispered. Leave the poor toy alone.

  “This from you?” Vidarian muttered.

  “Will you come peacefully?” the knight called, lowering his lance. The others along the forward line behind him followed suit, facing the Destiny with an arc of knife points. Illinsvar kneed his mount, and it hovered closer to the flying craft, bringing the tip of his lance closer to Arikaree's flank.

  Thalnarra hissed, and the horse's mane and tail burst into flame. The creature shrieked in unison with its rider's angry shout, and the knights behind them wasted only a moment on raw shock before charging forward.

&nb
sp; // Climb! // Thalnarra shouted, and the three gryphons immediately angled their wings and began ascending. Thalnarra herself aimed upward at the sharpest angle, and the craft tipped steeply. Ruby and Vidarian scrambled for safety holds, and as he did so Vidarian leaned forward across the craft to check the safety straps around Ariadel. For a blessing, they held, and though Ariadel's forehead creased and she murmured uncomfortably in her sleep, she was not otherwise disrupted.

  Arrows were hissing around them as the gryphons rose higher in the air. In the commotion among the knights-acrid smoke still rose from beneath them, with the scent of burning horsehair, and the panicked screams of the inflicted animal-they'd gained several lengths on their pursuers in altitude, but not clearance. The gryphons were strong, but the knights had the advantage in both encumbrance and number. Soon, Vidarian knew, their breath would begin to labor at this pace.

  “You have to get me to their commander!” he shouted. “They won't fight without her!”

  // We can't maneuver the craft so close to her, // Thalnarra argued, then released a shriek and a lance of searing fire as a knight passed beneath them, firing a bow up at her. She twisted, catlike, in the air, and snatched the arrow, breaking it in half between her talons before it could touch her, and the craft lurched sickeningly with her movement. // I can't move in this bloody thing! // she cursed.

  // There is a way, // Altair said, // if you have the heart for it. //

  “Tell us!” Vidarian shouted, untying a ballast bag from the craft's side and slinging it down at the pursuing knights.

  // The craft can be maintained by two gryphons, // Altair said, and Vidarian's stomach plummeted as he realized what the gryphon was suggesting. // With the aid of the Breath of Siane, I can carry you to the knight-commander. //

  // Madness! // Thalnarra barked.

  // No, // Altair said with icy calm. // Madness was lighting that beast's hair on fire within range of their lances. //

  // Only an air-brained- // Thalnarra began.

  “I'll do it!” Vidarian shouted, pulling the whistle from his shirt and clenching it in his fist. “What do we do?”

  By way of answer, Altair twisted in the air, and, to Vidarian's horror (and Ruby's, by her cry of shock), sliced through the primary harness strap that bound him to the craft. The craft tilted sideways for a split second, but then the riven strap slithered through a set of rings in the rigging below, caught, and swung the craft to the right. Arikaree gave a squawk of surprise as they slid into place before him-the craft itself now rested between him and Thalnarra. They slowed, but mostly out of surprise.

  Thalnarra snarled something menacing and incomprehensible at Altair.

  Altair ignored her and shouted to Vidarian. // Jump! //

  “He's got to be kidding,” Ruby breathed.

  “He's not,” Vidarian said, knowing it through his core. He took a deep breath, unhooked his safety harness, and vaulted over the side of the craft.

  He fell, and instinctively spread his arms and legs. The craft disappeared over his head, and below him ranged the clouds, astonishingly lovely, and the advancing Sky Knights in their formations.

  // Blow the whistle! // the gryphon shouted, breaking him out of his astonishment.

  Vidarian blew into the crystal whistle, a long breath that echoed in his ears, in his blood, in his skin. A gale swept through him, and out of reflex he tried to shape the energy, but it flowed through him like wind itself, slipping through his fingers unmoved. Altair caught the energy, wrapping himself around it and dancing with it, teasing it into going where he wanted.

  // Beautiful, // the gryphon whispered, and then, as an afterthought, it seemed, juggled Vidarian into the reach of the wind's grasp. They stopped falling, and Vidarian arced in a curve, “flying” as if of his own volition just above Altair's wings. He drifted downward, featherlike, until he was touching the gryphon's back, taking a hold on the thick feathers at the base of his neck. The sphere of energy that surrounded them, allowing Altair unnatural strength in the air, was the clearest and most exhilarating Vidarian had ever breathed.

  Then he looked down. The ground was awfully far away.…

  // Try not to think about it, // Altair advised. Vidarian nodded numbly.

  “We need to distract them!” he shouted over the roar of the wind, and Altair sent a wave of agreement.

  // This will be a little dodgy, // Altair warned, then dove before Vidarian had a chance to answer.

  They plummeted through the knights, who had stopped advancing when they saw Vidarian leap from the craft, and Vidarian's heart flew into his throat. Altair, loose, had unnerved the knights, indicated by their raised lances-but Altair, diving, claws outstretched, utterly scattered them. Feathers, horseflesh, and plated armor slid past them, and as their sphere of Air passed through, knights fell to either side in its wake. One was unhorsed, and plummeted, screaming-his horse dove after him, and they disappeared together into the clouds.

  Then they were below the formations, and the sky opened up beneath them. Far below, the ground was green and wreathed with rivers, bizarrely peaceful, wisps of white cloud streaking by Altair's wings. He backwinged, slowing, and gravity flattened Vidarian against the gryphon's back. Then Altair folded one wing entirely, rolling sideways in the air. Vidarian clung for his life, his grip tight around the thick feather-shafts, knowing the sphere of air would adhere him to Altair but hardly trusting it.

  The gryphon's wings opened again as they came to the side of the amassed knights, which as a group had reoriented upon them as the greater danger-and Vidarian as their instructed target. Altair whistled, and the sphere of energy seized around them again, and lifted them. His wings rowed the air, and they shot up above the knights; Altair extended a claw as they passed, tearing open the flank of a black horse that screamed in response and fell away from the group, its wings faltering.

  Now they were above the group, again, and as Vidarian looked down over Altair's strongly pumping right wing he saw that the gryphon had positioned them squarely over the commander. This was it. For a split second his mind reeled at the sight of something few westerners had ever seen: a Sky Knight commander and her royal mount, its black coat glittering with signature iridescence, its feathered wings, crest, and tail bright with fierce health. The creature's body dwarfed the commander, who was no small woman-it was easily a quarter again the size of the other horses.

  // Remember that you must control the beast once you're upon it! // Altair shouted. The “hand” supporting Vidarian suddenly fell away, and Vidarian was plummeting toward the horse and rider.

  The commander and the knights surrounding her were looking up as Vidarian fell toward them, their swords and lances raised. Vidarian bent himself to one side, turning in the air, getting his feet underneath him-and only just managed to swerve to one side of the commander's arcing sword. An arm of wind whistled by his head, and the commander shouted as her sword was struck from her grasp, her wrist snapping back painfully in an attempt to retain it. The weapon spun through the air, disappearing below them.

  Vidarian fell heavily onto the rear of the horse, which shrieked and kicked in response to his weight. He threw his arms around the commander's waist, grappling with her for the reins. Her armored elbow came up in a defensive maneuver and nearly knocked him senseless, and then she was swiveling in the saddle to bring her other fist around in a punishing strike. He managed to dodge that one, but was quickly losing his balance.

  Around them, the other knights were shouting, and she shouted something back at them, then dug her heels into the horse. It leapt forward in response, and she shouted another command, sending it into a dive. Her practiced legs clamped around the beast's barrel, but Vidarian felt himself lifted out of the saddle, and grabbed the nearest object to hand-the commander's helmet.

  She jerked her head, and the helmet came free, leaving him hanging in midair as she clung like a barnacle to the horse's back and directed it to roll beneath her. Horse and rider spun to one side,
and Vidarian curled into a fetal position in the air to protect himself from the flashing hooves that now lashed out at him.

  An aquiline shriek, and Altair swooped by him, white feathers a blur. Then he flared his wings, rising beneath Vidarian, supporting him with the shield of air.

  Vidarian had just started to breathe again when the grip of the energy sphere began to falter.

  A flash of strength blew Vidarian away from Altair, and then he was falling again, striking the gryphon's back-and the sphere went out entirely.

  He fell onto Altair's back again, and the gryphon squawked with frustration as Vidarian's weight bore them steadily toward the ground. His wings labored, but only for a few fruitless moments-he was simply not strong enough to bear a full-grown man on his back.

  Above them, the knights were rallying, and one group of them followed Vidarian and Altair while another broke off to pursue the craft. Vidarian gave a yell of despair, for the moment thinking more of Ruby and Ariadel, helpless in the craft, than of his own dire predicament.

  They were falling relentlessly. Altair held out his wings, but only in token-fearful, Vidarian knew, that if he fully extended his wings, their combined weight would snap them, sending them both into a deadly spiral toward the ground. Vidarian pulled the whistle from where it flapped beside his head on its strand, and blew it, but to no response, its power spent.

  // Hold on! // Altair shouted, somewhat extraneously, Vidarian thought. But then he was squashing his own impulse to ask if they were about to die. Instead he did as he was told, gripping Altair's neck-feathers tightly again.

  Overhead, a scream-an animal one, as it turned out. Half of a black wing dropped past them, followed by a spray of blood-and a plummeting horse and rider. The cut was clean, a precise cut from a sword. Ruby, it would seem, was not entirely helpless in the craft above. Even under the circumstances, the thought was comforting.

  The ground swooped closer below them. Altair was drawing his wings and limbs closer to his body now, controlling their fall, angling them forward. The tops of trees came clear beneath them, deadly arms reaching up to catch them, and not kindly.