Rider (Spirals of Destiny) (25 page)

“I’m all done. I just have to post some correspondence.”

“I could do that for you,” the younger girl offered.

Kayleigh shook her head. It would seem odd if Ellen saw them and found the one meant for her. “I’ll take care of it. Better get going, wouldn’t want Captain Lynch to give you any more demerits on my account. Tell the others I said goodbye.”

Ellen promised she would and gave her a hug before running off. Kayleigh removed the five letters she’d written over the past few nights. They were addressed to Annabeth, Ellen, General Jyslin, Captain Sycroft and Lieutenant Sheppard. Kayleigh felt the need to explain her actions to them. They had given her a chance and tried to make this work. She didn’t want them to blame themselves. A sixth letter had been started, to Brian, but after thirty minutes she crumpled it and tossed it into the fire.

Kayleigh shouldered her bags and crossed the foyer to Captain Sycroft’s office. Sliding the letters under the door, knowing that by the time they were found, Kayleigh and Majherri would already be through the portal and it would be inactive for a full day.

Walking toward the dock, she tried to take the essence of the island in. More than likely, this would be the last time she’d ever see it. Kayleigh etched the surroundings in her memory. Perhaps one day, she would paint it and think about what might have been. Her coin purse jingled with the small amount of coins she’d earned to this point. Though there wasn’t much, Majherri assured her that between a unicorn and a partly-trained fire maiden they could find something that would provide a living.

If she went back to her artist roots, she could use her powers to help her sculpt with metal. She enjoyed a brief fantasy of her becoming a famous sculptor. Wherever her mother was, she’d appreciate the bittersweet irony. She had given up on her mother’s dream that Kayleigh would follow her only to pursue the dream of becoming a battle maiden. Now, she was considering her future as an artist again.

Part of her felt empty and without direction, like a rudderless ship at the mercy of the winds and the tides. She needed to be brave and take her next step.

Majherri was waiting for her down by the docks. The barge was making its way back from taking the first group to Talcosa. The girls in her section were laughing and excited, so ready to prove their worth. It was ironic, because they were all going to the either the north or the east, which were hardly areas teeming with trouble.

Placing her hand on the side of Majherri’s head, she felt his excitement and that stiffened her resolve and eased her doubts. He was telling her everything was going to be okay.

You’re right. It’s time to go. Our place isn’t here, anymore.

When the barge docked, she led Majherri on with barely a second thought. Kayleigh recalled the moment roughly six months before when this island held so much promise. She’d been cheated – like Lynch’s promise that she would treat Kayleigh fairly! There was a small tear in her eye as she turned her back on the sacred island and looked ahead to Talcosa. Even the trip across the lake was hollow and lacking. Before, the High-King had been their captain. There was pomp and ceremony. This time, there was a bored looking minor wizard, doing his job, and nothing more.

“It looks larger than ever,” she whispered to Majherri.
We might not even have to go through the Portal. We could almost get lost in that city alone!

Majherri didn’t like that idea. She could tell he wanted to go somewhere far away.

It was the middle of the day as they made their way through the massive city. Their destination was on the other side of the Great Market. Unlike the market, whose open spaces were crammed with people. There was a forbidding sense of order on the approach to the Portal. Once per day, and only for fifteen minutes at a time, the Portal would align with one of its ten counterparts across the world and a connection would open. The line of carts and wagons waiting for that destination would rush forward to get as many through in that window as possible. Those that missed the opportunity would be forced to wait in Talcosa for another day. For merchants that meant lost profits, and armies might miss out on valuable resupplies and reinforcements. It was not a place to waste time.

The structure itself was unimpressive. It looked like the frame of a building that was never completed. A black mist filled the box-like structure as people and wagons moved through it. Kayleigh was reminded of an anthill, with people disappearing into the mist. During her travels, she’d seen the opposite – people, wagons and horses emerging from the mists when they were in the eastern kingdom of Derab. That was where their destination and it was a relief to Kayleigh. She had only been nine when they traveled through that land, but she did recall enough of it to help them plan their escape.

Being emissaries of the High-King had certain privileges. One of them was bypassing the lines of people waiting for a particular destination. They rode to the front of the line for Derab.

“Why the serious look?” A voice asked next to her. Kayleigh looked to her left and saw a familiar face.

“Annabeth? What are you doing here?” The rider had a full kit on Rheysurrah.

“Didn’t I say that riders from my battalion are always getting loaned out?”

“Yes,” Kayleigh replied, trying to mask her nervousness.

“Well, there’s a gaggle of third years heading out for their first patrol and General Jyslin requested a few extra bodies on this trip. The rest is history. What’s the matter Reese, surprised to see me?”

How are we going to sneak away now?
“No, it’s not that, Annabeth. I just didn’t expect to see you here … and I’m a little worried about my first time going through the Portal.”

“There’s nothing to it, Kayleigh. You might feel a little disoriented, but it passes quickly.” Annabeth said while pointing to where the mist cleared and the soldiers were changing the sign to their destination.

“This is where we go. Follow me!”

Still worried, Kayleigh felt Majherri’s reassurances and followed Annabeth into the dark mist.

Majherri lost count of how many times he’d been through the mists. The experience was always the same, a sudden rush of wind and the sensation of rapidly falling. The secret was just to keep moving. He always found it amusing when the humans screamed, but this time he was doing his best to keep his agitated rider calm as they entered.

Unfortunately the moment they entered, something went wrong. Everything began to vibrate, humans were shouting something. Majherri had never heard of something like this happening before.

The winds rose to almost tornado like intensity. He fought his way forward and told Kayleigh through their bond to hold on. Her arms wrapped around him as the falling sensation began, only this time the falling was like crashing down a hillside.

The screams of the others, both unicorn and human worried him. They jostled next to another unicorn. That one’s rider was trying to hold on with one arm and fight the winds blowing against the shield on the other. It threatened to pull her right out of the saddle. Kayleigh reached over and grabbed the other female’s waist to help steady all of them.

The deceleration was ferocious. Majherri dropped to the ground, as his rider was thrown clear. The landing was awkward and painful. Breath rushed out of him like he’d been hit by an ogre’s club, but then he realized it was the other female rider they’d been next to.

He winced, blinking in both pain as the mist swirled and went from darkness, to a fiery red before starting to dissipate.

It’s never done that before! I must get up … must get to Kayleigh!

As the vapors disappeared, he saw darkness. The eastern city of Derab would still be light. This was not Derab. Momentarily forgetting Kayleigh, he struggled to recognize where they were by the surrounding structure. There was the slightest hint of light on the horizon. It filtered in through the holes in the wall. That’s what troubled him. Every Portal, except two in the north, was either in a large market area or behind fortress walls. None, except for the broken Portals were located in ruins and these ruins were recent.

From the position of the sun, we’re in the west! How is that possible? Is this Salif? No! The hills to the north! We must be in … Mon Alder. The westernmost portal city is in ruins! When? How?

“Sound off! Everyone on your feet! Call out if you’re injured?” A voice barked the command. It belonged to Lieutenant Sandra Townsend, a tall woman with long auburn hair. She was the History of Warfare and Air Magic instructor for the third year riders. The woman used her right hand to cradle her left shoulder. Her face betrayed the amount of pain she was in.

Majherri moved his head back and forth. He counted nine unicorns and as many riders.
Where are the rest?
Beyond the Portal frame, there was wreckage strewn everywhere – wagons, tossed like a human child’s playthings. He sniffed deeply, but failed to find the stench of death and decay. The fact that the smells were missing was even more troubling. Sensing movement, Majherri scanned the debris searching out the source.

“Trainee Reese, no injuries … just shaken up.” The sound of his rider’s voice brought him out of his stupor. Her touch brought concern as she quickly checked on his physical condition. His side was bruised and her leg moving against him in the saddle would probably bother him if they were going faster than a trot. He practically screamed for her to get on.

Other voices shouted out, reporting their condition, but the Lieutenant shouted them down. “We need light and a defensive perimeter! Somethings moving out there!”

The trainees scrambled to comply. Another fire maiden, the Welsh woman sent a burst of fire into the air. After a second, Kayleigh followed suit and the area was partially illuminated.

Majherri tensed, identifying a hostile shape moving toward them. Kayleigh saw it as well. It was a desert creature, but it was impossibly large. Its claws clacked together with audible noises. The tail waved over the monster’s head. Scorpions were always a problem in the steppes of the west, but at most, even multiple stings would only make a unicorn ill for a day.

Of course that was for a normal scorpion, the kind that could be crushed under his hooves with barely a second thought. That wouldn’t work for a scorpion nearly the same size as himself! It was black, almost obsidian, and blended in with the predawn darkness. Only the forward motion and the quivering tail gave it dimension.

“Sacred Mother preserve us! There’s more! Over there!” A human screamed.

Majherri wanted to look, but he couldn’t. The abomination was too close. He fought down his own fear and Kayleigh’s.
Do something, girl! Now!

Her arm extended, slowly, almost as if he was willing her too inch-by-inch. The thing moved closer and he began forcing magic into her as he backed away, trying to give her some extra room.

The flames formed on her finger tips. She was scared and resisting.
Unleash it, or we die!

His plea touched something in her and whatever dam had been there burst. Majherri’s power flowed through her. Kayleigh’s fear was a tangible presence and that with that fear came a tidal wave of energy.

Flames washed over the creature’s protective carapace. Claws rose to shield it from the heat. Majherri focused on the motion of the other claw and the tail, watching for every shift and calculating when to avoid a strike. The over-sized claw snapped out and he move left. The tail shot forward a split-second later. There was no room left to maneuver, so he reared, blocking with his hooves. The strike slammed against the metal shoe and dislodged it sending a jolt of pain surging up his right foreleg.

Magic swirled around him and his hooves exploded in flame as both he and his rider responded as one. Enraged, he brought his front hooves smashing down on the claw. The heated shell cracked … and crumbled. Confused, he wondered if it was alive or a construct, but he didn’t put much thought to it. Whatever it was, it was a threat, an enemy to be destroyed!

Majherri pivoted to the right giving his rider a shot at the damaged side and his rider sent a continuous spray of fire onto the shell. The center mass, where the “brain” should be, blackened the extreme temperature. It floundered as he pounced for the second time. The monster’s body vibrated and broke under the impact. Like the claw, it crumbled and sand ran like blood from an open gash. Majherri decided that it was some kind of a golem or construct as it sagged to the ground.

His rider didn’t stop. She sprayed her flame without really aiming it. He sensed her terror and tried to redirect it against the next one. A trio of trainees, two earth maidens and one water combined their powers to sink the second creature into the sand, where it struggled to move.

“They’re just statues!” Kayleigh screamed. “Made of stone!”

That clued the two earth aligned warriors to start directing their magic directly at the monster. It began disintegrating as they ripped it to shreds.

With two down and more approaching, Lieutenant Townsend conjured a wind slowing the advancing things and moving the debris back to give them more room. “Hicks, Anderson, make us a hole in the nearest wall! Reese, Welsh keep burning everything in sight.

The broken wagons became a bonfire as his rider and the other sprayed their flames into the debris.