Road To Shandara (Book One of The Safanarion Order) (28 page)

A Ryakul slammed onto the deck and roared a challenge. The giant crossbows turned in unison and unleashed a deadly barrage of log sized arrows, slamming the creature through the chest forcing it over the side. The turrets were immediately turned back to defend the ship, but no shots were fired as the Ryakuls proved to quick too track in the air. Aaron stumbled as the ship rocked under his feat.

“They’re under the ship,” a sailor cried.

Aaron ran to the side of the ship and tied a lifeline around his waist and without a backwards glance jumped over the side. The wind rushed passed his face and he tensed his muscles silently praying that the rope would hold. The jerk of rope rattled his bones sending him toward the armored underbody of the ship where a Ryakul was clawing away. Aaron raised his heels using the momentum of his jump to unleash a kick blindsiding the Ryakul, knocking a few talons loose from the ship’s bottom.

The Ryakul shook his head and turned viciously toward Aaron with its gaping saber tusked maw opening for the kill. Aaron drew his sword as he swung back toward the Ryakul knowing that he was about to die. He roared in his suicidal charge to his fate and Aaron felt the heat of his medallion burn through his shirt sending a beam light into the Ryakul’s face blinding it. Aaron barely dodged the rows of deadly teeth and slashed out with his sword cutting deeply into the beast’s long neck and it dropped from the bottom of the ship. Aaron felt a sharp tug on his rope as he was hoisted back up. He heard the swoosh through the air and turned to see another Ryakul closing in it’s gaze fixed upon him.

Aaron kicked away and began running along the side of the ship when he felt the heat blast from a great explosion behind him. He turned to see the charred remains of the Ryakul’s body falling toward the ground far below them.

A horn blared from within the clouds and the remaining Ryakuls screeched in reply breaking off the attack. Aaron looked back up and could see Verona grinning from the side of the ship as Erik and Braden hoisted him up.

“Your idea with the crystals worked.” Verona yelled holding an arrow whose tip caught the light of the orbs around them.

Aaron thanked Erik and Braden and looked around the deck to find Sarah on the far side. She smiled in relief and Aaron’s breath caught in his throat when he saw large talons slowly grip the railing next to her. Sarah’s perplexed look turned to terror as a great taloned claw gripped her entire body and yanked her over the side.

“There!” Sarik screamed pointing from above.

The Ryakul flew from under the ship and Aaron’s eyes found Sarah’s as the blood pounded in his ears. He reached out and grabbed the crystal tipped arrow from Verona’s hands and took a few steps back from the railing. He took a moment, gathering the energy from the wind currents into him as Sarah had taught him and exploded into movement, hurtling toward the side of the ship.
I’m not going to lose you!
And he jumped as he never did before. The energy strengthening his muscles beyond the constraints of ordinary men. He mightily pushed with his legs and shot away from the ship like a bullet gaining on the fleeing Ryakul.

The wind roared passed his ears as he reached out and grabbed the beast’s leg. Holding on with one hand, the beast plunged towards the ground with his added weight. Sarah struggled against the talons, but they held fast. Aaron clenched his teeth around the arrow not giving a thought that at any moment it might explode then drew his knife. The ground was rapidly approaching as he slashed deeply across the Ryakul’s hamstring causing black blood to gush forth and the creature howled in pain. The talons around Sarah grudgingly opened and she fell from the creatures grasp. Aaron followed turning in midair as he hurled the crystal tipped arrow into the maw of the Ryakul’s face. The explosion pushed Aaron faster and he caught Sarah in his arms. He summoned the energy from the storm into himself steeling his muscles and bones to withstand the landing. The impact of his feet slamming the earth sent a wave of dirt into the air. When the air cleared he placed Sarah on her feet, but she held onto him gasping for breath.

“You came for me,” she gasped.

Aaron was too stunned by what he had just done to say anything and just held her in his arms. “I will always come for you,” he whispered.

“How did you?” The questions tumbled out of her mouth. “You jumped!”

Aaron shook his head trying to get the world to stop spinning.

“I guess I needed the right motivation, but please let’s not try that again.” Lightening streaked across the sky and the wind blew. The storm had arrived in earnest. They watched the Raven being blown away unable to fly against such powerful winds. He could still see the remaining Ryakuls swarming in the clouds above with one large Ryakul standing out from the rest. Another blast of thunder and lighting revealed that the large Ryakul carried a rider. The gusty winds blew the smaller Ryakuls away, but the large Ryakul struggled to stay in the storm’s torment while its rider scanned the ground for them. After a few moments the rider blew his horn and the Ryakuls fell into formation heading away from them.

They took a collective sigh of relief and jogged to the nearby trees to escape the wind and rain.

“Did you see that?” Aaron asked.

“That Ryakul had a rider. I’ve never heard of that before.” Sarah answered.

“This wasn’t some random Ryakul attack. Someone is controlling them. Could the Elitesman do this?” Aaron asked.

Sarah shook her head, “The Elitesman cannot control the minds of Ryakuls. Not even Mactar can do that.”

Aaron rubbed his medallion which lay cooly against his chest. It had flared to life when he fought the Ryakul and he couldn’t figure out how it happened. “Could it be the Drake?”

Sarah looked visibly shaken by the question and silently shrugged her shoulders scanning the sky. “I can’t see the ship anymore.”

“We’ll need a place to ride out this storm. Then I think we should head this way after the it passes.” Aaron said pointing to the east. He had studied the map of Safanar in the navigation room on the ship everyday since his first day on board and he knew that heading east would bring him to Shandara. Sarah was still scanning the sky. “We can’t just sit here and wait for them. Not with that thing looking for us and besides when the others don’t find us here they will head east to look.”

“You’re right. Let’s go.” Sarah said.

C
HAPTER
26

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

AFTER AN HOUR the storm let up enough that they were able to keep relatively dry if they stuck to the forest. On any other day Aaron would have enjoyed a hike in the woods rain or not, but today without any supplies he was worried that they would feel the lack of food before long. Sarah, he noticed, didn’t share his worries. She knew how to survive in the forest and seemed genuinely amused that he did not.

“Do you not have hunters on your world?” She asked.

“Of course we do, but most people aren’t required to hunt. They buy their food at a local market." Aaron said.

“What happens if the local market doesn’t have food that day?” Sarah asked.

Aaron’s thoughts stumbled a bit as he tried to imagine a local supermarket having no food, but he just couldn’t imagine it. “It wouldn’t happen. I mean sometimes they might run low because a bad storm was coming, but there are enough markets to sustain people until more food and supplies can be delivered. Sometimes the food comes in from far away."

“I see,” she said simply and continued to walk.

He had always taken for granted that food was readily available back home. He never gave more than a passing thought to what he would do should he have to hunt his own food. Why would he? Most people only kept enough food at home to last a few days or a week tops. The more he thought about it the more foolish he felt.

“It does seem foolish to me now that I think about it," Aaron said.

“Why would you say that?” Sarah asked. “That is where you came from. If something like food has always been available then it’s easy to see why people wouldn’t learn basic hunting skills.”

“Basic hunting skills," Aaron repeated, “Not something I would expect a princess to know anything about." He prodded.

“I assure you my home was not at all made of silks and ribbons." Sarah replied frostily.

Aaron looked up in alarm. “I meant no offense. I’ve never known any princesses before you, but hunting wouldn’t seem like something a princess would know anything about. Most girls I’ve known don’t know how to hunt. Then again most can’t handle a sword.”

Sarah sighed. “It’s okay. Perhaps thats because you’ve finally met the right girl,” she said with a smirk. “The life of a princess for me has been anything but what the stories say. I grew up far from my father’s court after my mother died. It was a small manor and the reason I know anything about how to take care of myself was because of Beck." She stopped turning to face Aaron. “Beck was an Elitesmen. A very old Elitesmen before they became the vile sect that you have had the unlucky happenstance to cross paths with. Beck left the order and would train me at night. He understood the danger I was in.”

“Danger? From what?” Aaron asked.

“From my brothers and father…the world." She muttered. “I remember my father being kind until my mother died. Then he changed. He became bitter and never had time for me. I don’t know why because I was just a little girl. Eventually he sent me away. Soon after news came to the manor that he remarried and had more children. Then Beck showed up at the manor one day and asked if I wanted to control my own destiny.”

“Thats a funny thing to ask a child." Aaron said.

“I was extremely sheltered at the manor and news from the outside world was slow to arrive, if at all. The manor had a nice library and I was eager to learn. Beck in turn taught me for years. Not just how to defend myself, but how to survive. I once asked him why he came to the manor and his only reply was to honor my mother since no one else would. I never had many dealings with the Elitesmen and Beck was more of an outcast. He was already very old when he came and he died quietly in his sleep a few years ago. I decided to return to Khamearra. I thought that if I could prove myself useful, then my father would look kindly upon me as he once did. I returned to the court at Khamearra where I was greeted by three younger half brothers and a father who was all but a stranger to me. The time apart made him more bitter and the light in his eyes was completely gone. I was tolerated at first, and my father was impressed with how I handled my half-brother’s attempt to have me meet with several unexpected accidents.”

Aaron shook his head, “They tried to kill you for simply showing up?”

“They tried but never came close. It amused me for a while to thwart their attempts until my father became bored with the whole mess and ordered them to stop.”

“How many brothers do you have?’ Aaron asked.

“Three, Primus and Rordan are twins and a year younger than I,” She stopped suddenly and looked at Aaron with concern in her eyes. “Tye was my youngest brother.”

Hearing the name was like a freight train screaming in his ears. “Tye was
your brother,
” Aaron said quietly.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Aaron stomped down the trail in silence with Sarah following. The torrent of emotion washing over him was gaining momentum. “Did you know what they were planning?”

“No one knew what Tye was up to except Mactar," Sarah replied shaking her head.

“He murdered my parents," Aaron said through clenched teeth. “Burned my home!”

“I know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry Aaron. Tye got what he deserved.”

They walked on in silence Sarah giving him the time he needed to calm down. What did it change knowing what he knew now? Absolutely nothing, he had no choice they were hunting him down. What did this mean for Sarah and himself? Regardless of what Sarah had said they were still her family and this was going to tear them apart.

“You know where this will lead?” Aaron asked turning to her suddenly. “It’s going to be them or me. Does this change anything for you.”

Sarah swallowed hard with her eyes tearing up. “How can you be so sure?”

“They’re hunting me Sarah! Mactar, Tarimus, the High King. All of them. It won’t stop until either I’m dead and they get what they want or they are. Things are going to become real complicated between us." Aaron said.

“Maybe for some of them. Mactar certainly, but you don’t know the whole story. Perhaps there is a way that this doesn’t need to end in bloodshed.”

Aaron looked at her in shock. “Not end in bloodshed?”

Sarah looked away with tears streaming down her face. “Not everything is black and white Aaron." She said sharply.

“Not from where I see it." Came his terse reply.

“There will be fighting. No one is denying that, but must everything end in death? Must there always be killing?”

“What are you afraid of?” Aaron said shouting now.

Sarah said nothing at first and took a deep breath. Then she gently reached out towards him and though he was full of fury he began to lose himself to her depthless blue eyes.

“For you." She said gently. “Of what this will do to you. What it already has done to you. I can see the toll it has taken. I’ve seen good men become twisted in the name of vengeance and survival. I don’t want you to lose the good man that you are inside.”

For him?
Aaron didn’t know what to say. She knew there would be fighting but asked why must everything end in death? Then he remembered the town where he had killed all those guardsman. In his mind he made them become the evil that was the one man among them who had been with Tye that night his parents died. Something dark and sinister was unleashed within him and perhaps this is what Sarah was warning him about. The Dragon had warned him that the path of vengeance led to death. The Dragon had not meant death of the body as Aaron had thought, but death of the soul. What choice did he have? The guardsman from that town would still be dead and then it dawned on him.

I’m an idiot.

Had he faced all those men as men and not what his rage demanded they be, would it have been different? Not to the men who died, but to himself and that would make all the difference in the world.