Breeze Corinth (Book 1): Sky Shatter (35 page)

Sally grabbed the two by the back of their jackets and tugged them hard. “Let’s go!”

Ray pushed her away and she tumbled to the ground.

“Raymond,” she yelled, “no!”

Ray placed his hands at his sides and his chest rose sharply as he took a deep breath. His right hand shot out as he pointed it at the winged creature and fired a bolt of energy.

The energy blast fizzled. He fired again, but only sparks came out. His legs wobbled and he fell to his knees.

The creature halted its advance and loomed over him. The sound of static was deafening.

Breeze jumped in front and stood in its path as Ray struggled to get up. It responded to the intrusion by opening its mouth and shrieking with an intensity that forced them to cover their ears when a woman’s voice was heard cutting through the cacophony.

“That’s enough,” the voice said.

The creature ceased, and the crackle of static faded. Its glowing eyes turned to watch Raza step out of the shadows and into the light.

She stood next to it and patted its back, prompting the creature to fold back its wings and settle onto its haunches.

Sally and Breeze reached down to help Ray to his feet, and then slowly retreated from Raza and the winged creature.

“I have spent what has felt like an eternity waiting and hoping,” Raza began, “for Oslo to come back to Appalachia with our daughter to ride out the storm that enveloped the world. He told me to wait for him and that he wouldn’t be that far behind. He said he would bring our daughter and together we would raise her in peace and tranquility. While the rest of the world was being ravaged, we would survive and prosper. Like Perihelion, these mountains also possess an energy that hides and obscures it. We would begin anew here, he said. Oslo was always talking about renewal.” She stepped closer to them as they huddled together.

“But now you children darken my door and tell me that you come here seeking shelter from the storm? And my daughter in not amongst you? My husband,” her voice quavered, “still denies me the life he promised, and then expects me to protect the children of others whom I do not know?” Tears flowed down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away, and then looked up at the star-filled sky through the narrow slit of the ravine. She began to rock back and forth as she mused. “Oslo, when will you understand? The world cannot be changed. What is done, is done. Let go of the past.”

She returned her gaze to them while the winged creature shifted its feet. Its glowing eyes never lost their intensity.

“What have you brought me, Oslo? What did you drop at my door?” Raza whispered as she approached them.

“What is that thing?” Sally said.

Raza’s eyes widened. “That thing is a legend and a part of the landscape and lore of these mountains. It’s known to be a harbinger, a herald of future events and your presence has aroused it. It’s the only reason why I have come back to find you. What is it about you three that could be so important?”

She shuffled slowly around them. “I see a young man from a prestigious background with a young lady who comes from the same world as his. And yet there’s something more, no?” She touched the heads of Ray and Sally.

“And then there’s the runt of the group. You come from a desert on the outer edge of the Bad Lands. What would anyone see in you?” She pointed a quivering finger at Breeze.

She shuffled back and stood next to the creature, then looked up at the night sky again. “What is it about these lambs that you would lead them away from their homes and their families, Oslo?” Her hands went up to her chest as she rocked back and forth. “What about my lamb? Where is she?” She closed her eyes and hummed softly.

Her head dropped and her humming ceased. She waved towards them and the winged creature stood up, spreading its wings to their fullest extent.

The sound of static returned. Its eyes glowed a brilliant white as it headed straight toward Ray.

Sally threw her arms around Ray, but found herself weakening as the creature advanced. She lost her grip on him and fell back.

The creature curled its wings toward Ray as the air crackled around him. His eyes widened, and then rolled up so only the whites could be seen.

Images suddenly appeared in the air like holograms, floating and dancing about like fireflies in the night. There were images of a child growing into adolescence. One in particular showed a stern faced man in a military uniform hovering over a frail woman with long black hair. She was consoling a young boy as tears streamed down his face.

Raza walked into the kaleidoscope of images and touched each one. She pushed aside some while grasping at those that interested her when she stopped and stared at the image of an infant being held in the arms of his mother. Raza smiled sweetly at the beautiful black haired woman while caressing the face of the child, then scowled at the father as he looked upon them with a look of disappointment across his face.

“The life of a young man raised in the home of a strict disciplinarian with only your loving mother standing between you, and you’re their only child. What could lead parents like these to let you go? Interesting.”

More images emerged showing Ray training and honing his powers under the watchful eyes of his father, along with images of him excelling in sports and academics, surrounded by multiple trophies and awards.

“All very compelling. A powerful pyrokinetic with exemplary abilities. And yet, what would Oslo need you for?” Raza wondered aloud.

She continued strolling through the images when something caught her eye and she pulled a single image close to her. She peered intensely at it, and then recoiled. “Why do I see that you do not travel alone? Who is this standing behind you?”

The moment was interrupted by Sally’s shriek.

Raza broke away and waved a hand towards her as the images of Ray tumbled and disappeared into the ground.

The creature folded its wings, then flung them open and enveloped Sally.

Sally gasped as her body went numb. She turned to look at Ray who had collapsed to the ground. It was the last thing she saw before being overwhelmed by a flood of holographic imagery that swarmed around her like an angry hive.

Sally saw her mother with her hair wound tightly into a bun. Her face was strained with worry and her hands were clasped as she watched a young Sally playing in the grass. Her father entered the scene. He was holding a smoking pipe in one hand as he watched Sally from a distance, then turned and walked away. There were more images of her in a lavishly decorated bedroom, its walls lined with shelves full of toys as she sat alone on the floor brushing the hair of a doll.

Raza stepped through the floating images as she touched a few, ignoring most.

“Poor little rich girl? Mother and father not interested in you? Why? Were you a burden? I couldn’t imagine so. Some people don’t appreciate the joys of having a child. They don’t know what it’s like to lose one.” She stopped and stared at an image of Sally next to her mother, then tilted her head and murmured, “Why do I see two people who do not belong together?”

Sally cried out, and fell to her knees.

Raza waved and the creature released its hold and stepped back, then she placed a hand on Sally’s shoulder to comfort her.

Sally slapped it away and crawled over to Ray, sobbing.

Raza turned her gaze onto Breeze.

His shield had raised itself, making him immune from the creature’s hypnotic gaze. “Keep that thing away from me or else—”

“Or else what, child? You’ll fly away? What harm can come from you?” She waved and the creature stepped toward him.

Breeze’s shield reflexively lashed out at the advancing creature.

It stumbled back, and then regained its footing as the wings snapped out to its maximum span and its eyes glowed a brilliant white that illuminated the ravine. The sound of static was deafening as it stomped towards him.

Sally rushed up to it. “Get away from him!”

The creature’s wings rippled and she was repelled, landing next to Ray with a cry of pain. He drew her close and cradled her in his arms.

Breeze stepped away until his shield bumped up against the side of the ravine. The creature halted its advance upon him while the static it emitted reached a crescendo as its wings curled forward.

In an instant, the ravine was plunged into complete darkness as deafening silence replaced the hiss of static. Specks of light gradually appeared and swirled about him like bees around a hive.

Suddenly, the lights exploded outward in a powerful burst while the ground beneath his feet fell away. He found himself floating in space and surrounded by a constellation of stars. He spun around to marvel at the view when a brilliant light flashed behind him.

He turned to see an immense starship, consumed by fire with its hull breaking apart, caught in a planet’s gravitational pull and sinking into its atmosphere. Several fighter craft were engaged in fierce combat around the collapsing hulk as they buzzed around it like flies over a carcass.

It sank deeper into the planet’s atmosphere then exploded, sending chunks of debris everywhere in a shower of jagged metal and flames. He raised his arms reflexively to protect himself and looked away from the searing light of the explosion. That’s when he spotted several ships orbiting above him.

Each ship was massive in dimension, and all were immersed in a fierce, close quarters battle as they exchanged heavy gunfire between them.

A squadron of fighter craft broke off from the battle and raced towards him. Several were destroyed by a withering hail of crossfire before they could reach him as they fell victim to the enemy fighters trailing close behind.

One of the fighters managed to elude its pursuer to get within range of him and unleash a massive volley of energy from its forward cannons. He felt the concussive blast hit his shield and push him back, but he felt no pain. It fired again, but he dodged it. Again it fired, again he dodged. Before the ship could fire another volley, he raced toward it at full speed. His shield shimmered and crackled around him as he charged the fighter, smashing through it as the craft shattered into pieces with a wild explosion. He turned back to look and saw its hapless pilot, who managed to eject, fall towards the planet below. Breeze could see the fear and horror on his face before he burned to ashes in the outer fringes of the atmosphere.

He shook his head in disbelief at what he had just done when he was engulfed in a flash of light followed by several explosions. He spun around and saw the battling starships now surrounded him. The withering exchange of gunfire between them was relentless, and he was caught in the crossfire. He ducked and weaved to get away and flew underneath one of the ships where he attracted the attention of yet another swarm of fighters. They pursued him with a hail of energy blasts, forcing him to take radical evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit. Even amidst the chaos that surrounded him, he felt the soaring elation of how effortless it was to fly in space. It felt to him as if he had done this many times before, but only in dreams that were immediately forgotten upon waking up.

He came to an abrupt stop to cover his ears as the sound of static erupted in his head. He looked up to find the source and was greeted by the sight of a battle cruiser looming above him. In the distance, a ball of light shimmering with intensity hurtled towards the cruiser.

The ball of light quickly expanded into a massive sphere before it sliced through the ship, cutting it in half. The split hull broke apart and fell victim to the planet’s gravitational pull. Breeze could see debris spewing from both of them as they descended in a bonfire of flames and explosions.

The sphere of light receded as a man with clenched fists appeared from it. He turned to face Breeze and nodded, then tapped a device on his wrist.

Breeze looked down and found himself tapping his nav-compass. He looked back at the man who was now emphatically pointing to the planet below.

Helena
, he heard the man say in his mind.

Everything around him began to spin as Breeze found himself caught in a maelstrom of flashing light. When he emerged from it he felt his body crumple and hit the ground. He looked around groggily and saw he was back in the ravine.

The creature released its hold on him and retracted its wings, then receded into the shadows.

Sally cried out as she ran over and flung her arms around his neck. “What have you done to him!” she screamed at Raza.

Raza covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “No, no,” she kept muttering incessantly, “this cannot be possible.”

Breeze struggled to his feet as Sally tried to help him.

Raza was in a trance as she nervously paced back and forth. “I will not be a part of this, I cannot do this again.” She then stopped to look Breeze in the eye.

“Go. Leave. All of you. I will not be a participant in this madness. Go back to your ship and leave at dawn.” She turned and walked away.

“Where do we go?” Sally cried out.

“Anywhere but here. I will not let you destroy what little tranquility I have. I won’t let you or Oslo stir up the past.”

Ray spoke up. “Oslo is coming soon—”

“He’s not coming child, nor my Nina, with him. They probably have taken him into custody by now,” the old woman said as she looked up at the stars.

“If Oslo says he’s coming, I believe him. We’ll stay in the ship and await his arrival,” Ray said.

Raza waved a hand as she wandered off into the darkness. “There is a town on the other side of the mountain. Go there to find the parts you need to fix your ship. Then, go west, and stay away from here.”

Her fading voice was followed by the sound of beating wings. Then, silence.

Ray raised a glowing hand and filled the ravine with light, but Raza and the winged creature were nowhere to be found.

Sally was leaning next to Breeze when he took a step forward and stumbled. Sally grabbed his arm to steady him.

“What happened to you? How come we couldn’t see your vision?” she asked. “That creature stood over you while you convulsed on the ground. Ray and I couldn’t do anything to help you. It was horrible, Breeze.”