Pursuit of Balance, page 36
The last few times she had trained with her father in dragon form, Kas had managed to take flight without too much impetus. The first few times she needed to be carried up into the higher branches of the trees so she could catch the air beneath her wings and use it to stay aloft. But now, she could gain flight after a short run and a few hops. She hoped Cort’s weight wouldn’t cause too much of a problem. Once he settled in, she could feel him grapple for handholds. ‘Your spikes aren’t fully formed, and I don’t want to damage them. I’ll need to scoot up around your neck so your wings aren’t hampered.’
‘Wrap your arms around my neck and lay as flat as you can so there’s less resistance. Once we’re above the trees, you can sit up.’ Kas felt his agreement without him expressing the thought. He was a perfect partner when they were in accord. They knew each other so well that she often couldn’t recall where an idea or thought originated.
They were in a large meadow with forest to the north and west, a river marked the edge of the warded zone to the south, while the manor was across the field to the east. Kas began her run at the tree line to the north. Her powerful lower limbs picked up speed as she charged across the rolling grassland. The weight on her back slowed her down some, but after an extra thirty feet and a significant burst of energy, she moved her glorious wings and felt her feet leave the ground. Her sense of freedom and accomplishment were shared with her bond-mate; she felt Cort’s euphoria throughout their connection, which fed into her growing rapture. The first moments were pure bliss as she turned at the river and followed it toward the western edge of the estate.
The wards which guarded the property against intruders were a hazy lavender in the morning sunshine. Kas could fly for miles within its boundaries, but she wondered what she might find on the opposite side of the river. More forest? Mountains? Her father spoke of a large cave system nearby and beyond them was an active volcano. He had described many of the landmarks when they studied the maps of Berba. Since it was a small world, they weren’t likely to get lost if she wanted to search the area.
‘I’m crossing the river. I want to see what’s outside our land.’ Kas wasn’t in the mood to argue and hoped he would simply agree with her plan.
‘Please, don’t. You know we’ll get into trouble . . . you might even have your wings clipped. There are wards set up for a reason. Can’t you wait until Father goes with us? We’ve already accomplished so much; I’m riding on your back, for goodness’ sake. I feel your anger, but breaking the rules will not help.’ Cort made some good points, and she realized her anger had initially stoked her rebellion, but now she was immensely curious.
‘I could always take you back and go alone. Come on, Cort. We’ll just cross over the river, move through the ward, and then turn back. What’s the harm?’ She could feel his indecision. The last thing he wanted was to be left behind; besides, he seemed as curious as she was. Cort had always been the more adventurous of the two of them.
As she flew across the wide river—she didn’t recall if it had a name—she felt a fiery tingling when she hit the lavender shield, just before she heard and felt the bubble burst. Kas wondered if her father would sense that the ward had been breached. She began to have second thoughts until she looked beyond the river bank and toward the wide vista surrounding them. ‘Holy shit, Cort. This is like a dream world. Look at the mountains over there. They’re bright red.’
‘It’s amazing. What is that over on our right? It looks like a fortress made of ice—no, it’s more like an ice palace. Can we get closer?’ With all the brighter shades of color, the ice had a silvery-blue shade. It was stunning, but obviously man-made. Kas felt a little trepidation. What if other dragonkin lived nearby? She didn’t believe there were any other clans left, but someone built the structure.
Kas made a gradual turn but planned to stay a safe distance away in case they encountered any problems. She had promised Cort she would turn back toward home, but they could have a closer look at the fortress first. As she angled lower, dipping her left wing so Cort had an unobstructed view, she heard a screech from behind. Instinctually, she raised the wing, but that caused Cort to lose his grip. She heard another louder screech, which nearly blocked out the sound of Cort’s strangled scream as he lost his fragile balance and fell from her neck.
‘Cort!’ Kas twisted in flight, something she had never tried before, and it didn’t work well. She lost both altitude and her bearings. She couldn’t locate Cort on the ground, and yelled once more for him but heard no response except for another inhuman screech directly to her right. Turning once again, she felt the bite of whatever creature was hunting her. It had dove underneath her and sunk its teeth into her tender underbelly. She was still considered a baby in dragon terms, and the smooth, reptilian skin of her chest and stomach were unscaled and vulnerable.
Kas twisted and grabbed hold of the creature. She believed it was a wyvern—a cousin to dragons—though they had zero intelligence. The one she battled with was nearly her size since she was far from full-grown. She pushed the offending beast with as much force as she had, but it had little effect. Within a heartbeat, it turned back toward her with another bellow of rage. It would be years before Kas would be able to produce fire, so her only recourse was to attempt to outdistance it and hopefully survive so she could rescue Cort.
As she flew, Kas tried to form a random zig-zag pattern, hoping the wyvern would tire or lose control and topple into the looming mountains. She flew along the side of one of the tallest peaks she had ever seen, while searching for some sort of bolt hole where she could either hide or defend. She had to do something quickly because it wasn’t the wyvern who was beginning to sputter. She had little strength remaining for any valiant flight maneuvers.
Just as she began to flounder, she found a crevice between one peak and another. Kas needed to turn sideways to slip through, but as she glanced ahead, she noticed a wide cave opening and shot toward it with the wyvern still on her tail.
Her momentum carried her forward as she entered the cave. Kas saw the back wall come alarmingly fast, and she had no time to slow before she would crash. Instead of a painful impact, Kas stumbled straight through the stone wall like it didn’t exist. It had been an illusion, but a wonderful one when—after several heartbeats—the wyvern didn’t follow her inside. Just as she gave a gigantic sigh of relief, she felt an unfamiliar tickling sensation enter her consciousness. It felt like someone was questing or rifling through her mind. ‘Who are you? How did you get through the wall? And why did you wake me up?’
Kas turned slowly, realizing the words were laced with suspicion and alarm. Another dragon lived here, and she had inadvertently disturbed him. The huge dark beast lay in a corner on its side, the only eye visible trained on her. He didn’t seem poised to devour or fight her; in fact, he seemed completely relaxed, like he hadn’t a care in the world.
‘I’m sorry, sir. I was fleeing from a wyvern and thought I would hit the back wall of the cave but instead, flew right through it. I didn’t mean to disturb you, and I should leave to find my bond-mate, who fell off during the struggle.’ Kas kept her eyes on the dim image as he raised his huge head and focused on her.
There was little light inside the cave, but his eyes sparkled between blinks. ‘You smell of the Percy clan. Is this true? Who is your sire?’ The dragon rotated his snout as he sniffed the air.
Since Kas had never smelled any but Percy clan members, she didn’t realize their scent differed from other clans. ‘Yes, I am the chieftain’s daughter.’ She assumed that if he knew she was Percy, then he would also know the chief.
‘No, you’re not his daughter unless there is a new leader. Who holds the office of Percy overlord?’
‘How can you not know that? My father is Owen Percy; he has been chief for many years. Who are you, if I may ask?’
‘Owen? How is that possible?’ Though he seemed prepared to ask more questions, he turned his head toward the odd opening. It didn’t appear like a stone wall from this vantage point, unlike the opposite side. It had a lavender sheen similar to the wards that shielded the Percy estate. ‘Someone else is coming. A full-grown dragon with a familiar essence.’ He rose higher, almost to a sitting position. Kas had to stifle a gasp when she caught a glimpse of his torn and battered wing.
“She’s in here; I can feel her!” Cort’s voice came from the cave entrance and sent a wave of relief through her body.
‘I’m in the back, Cort. It looks like a stone wall, but it isn’t.’ She sent the thought along with the image back to him. She could now sense the other dragon he was with, and it was familiar—her father. Kas braced herself for the tongue-lashing she was sure to receive.
‘Kasina?’ Her father’s gruff message sent a chill through her bones. He just as easily walked through the wall of illusion. Cort slipped off his back and ran over to check on her as she did the same to him. He looked bruised and dirty, but seemed to be moving without difficulty.
The unknown dragon’s snout was sniffing along with her father’s. They seemed to have recognized each other.
‘Owen?’ the dragon asked.
Kas was shocked to hear her father’s response.
‘Father? We thought you were dead.’
GLOSSARY
Aleck - seven year old boy Garth rescued in Orion
Alfnild - revered god of those with the first-born Reader Talent
Almundin - revered god of those blessed with the first-born Traveler Talent
Alvetus - one of the five United Lower Kingdoms, the only land-locked one
Artturi - an Elf with healing magic, held captive in Berba
Ashford Ocean - large ocean on the east coast of Carrabon separating the land from Barwick
Balder - father of Parker and Felicia, brother of King Osmund
Barwick - country east of Carrabon across the Ashford Ocean
Berba - a parallel universe with a different assortment of atmospheric elements
Billidor - Billy, elf boy rescued by Garth
Blaine - male twin, son of Reuben and Fern
Blood Talon - mystical dragon talon which is used to create a bond-mate
Blossom River - large river flowing from Roscow across the country of Carrabon
Brandy Hall - aka Martha Coleman, sister to Samantha, mother to Cort and Kas
Brynjar - large port city in the ULK of Gunvor
Carrabon - largest kingdom on the continent ruled by King Osmund
Carron - language of the kingdom of Carrabon
Casper - eleven year old boy, rescued from Vang, originally from Wellington
Cecelia - second wife of Reuben Tadesse, mother to Fendol
Charlie Tadesse - firstborn son of Reuben with his first wife Electra
Cobban - captain of Parker’s home guard
Coral - farming community in south-central Carrabon
Corrine - daughter of King Osmund and Queen Phoebe
Cortland Hall - twin son of Owen and Brandy
Daisy - Elizabeth’s maid in Roscow
Dallas - member of Walcott guards and friend to its leader Lady Kenya
Dankin - port city in ULK of Wellington, known for its extensive education system
Dawa - daughter of the Seer of Grindle, Reuben’s third wife, mother to Limusi
Della - Felicia’s blood-bonded ocelot
Desolate Mountains - large mountain range separating north Carrabon from Orc lands
Dottie and Richard - members of Percy clan, parents of Ty and Emerson
Dragonmount Studios - world-famous movie production company owned by Percy clan
Drika - blood-bond hawk belonging to Artturi
Edwin Kincaid - oldest son of King Osmund and future king
Einar - elf god
Electra - daughter of Samuel Wellington, first wife of Reuben
Elizabeth - daughter of King Latham of Olseti Island, forced to wed Parker
Ellwood - city in central Carrabon
Emerson - twin to Tywani, son of Dottie and Richard
Eric Nortman - sheriff’s son and classmate of Kas and Cort Hall
Faddy - ten year old boy from Kammigian, rescued by Garth
Falcon - city In south-east Carrabon
Felicia - sister of Parker Kincaid, niece of King Osmund
Fern - servant of Stella on Bahran Island, fourth wife of Reuben
Fire Mage - war Mage, a first-born talent, able to throw lightning bolts to great effect
Fulbright - chief of staff in Percy estate on Percy Island
Gaines Forest - the main forest of the elves in their homeland of Vali
Garth Bronsyn - pirate, savior, orphan, conman
Gina - an army private from Minnesota who mysteriously enters the world of Vallis
Golden Hammer - bar and restaurant owned by Percy clan located in Yalewood
Grace - first-born child of Parker Kincaid
Gunvor - one of the five ULK (United Lower Kingdoms)
Hani - six year old boy from Gunvor rescued by Garth
Harris - Parker’s valet and longtime friend, talented reader
Healer - first-born talent bestowed by the goddess Oydis
Hector - servant and Lover to Queen Phoebe from Gunvor
Helena - granddaughter of Fulbright, works for Percy Island Estate
Hellen Mountains - small mountain chain in southern Carrabon
Holly - daughter of Stella and Zephrit Bahran
Iwalani - seven year old girl from Olseti Island rescued by Garth
Jancy - thirteen year old girl from Gunvor, rescued by Garth
Jary Obanyon - ambassador from ULK and Emperor Tadesse, one time lover of Phoebe
Jekkor - one of the five ULK, host to Emperor Tadesse’s Palace
Jess - Gina’s army roommate, also Reese’s pet dog’s name
Jonah River - river in norther Carrabon near the Desolate Mountain range
Julianna - mother to Parker and Felicia, Half-elf, half-human heritage
Kaleo - eight year old boy from Barwick rescued by Garth
Kammigian - country far to the west of Carrabon across the Tucker Ocean
Kasina Hall - twin daughter of Owen Percy and Brandy Hall
Kellen - second son of King Osmund
Kenya - leader of the country of North Kammigian
Kohnsen - orc who works for the kingdom of Carrabon as translator
Lamont - port city and capital of Olseti Island
Latham - King of Olseti Island and Elizabeth’s father
Leo Percy - former chieftain of Percy clan, father to Owen and Stella
Limusi - first-born child of Emperor Tadesse’s third wife, wife of Prince Edwin, seer talent
Linus - young shifter dragonkin, member of Percy clan
Lister - giant spiders found in Berba, their web can cause temporary paralysis
Lydia - Elizabeth’s sister and Parker’s betrothed at one time
Malie - ten year old female, originally from Barwick, rescued by Garth
Manning - capital city of the kingdom of Carrabon, home to the king’s court
Mariska - Owen’s bond-mate, a cousin to his mother
Marta - Felicia’s maid and longtime friend, Harris’ wife
Masemba - city on the coast of Jekkor and home to Emperor Tadesse
Melke - small village at the base of Hellen mountain range
Mervots - reptilian creatures
Messing Tribe - one of the tribes of Orcs, thought to be more civilized
Montrell - brother to Dallas, likes to invent and create new gadgets and tools
Nedra - daughter of Reuben and Electra, not firstborn
Neske - monkey-like creature with a poisonous bite
Odessa - twin daughter of Reuben and Fern
Olive - one of Limusi’s hand-maidens, came to Manning with her
Olseti - island country to the west of Carrabon, original home of Elizabeth
Orion - large port city on the eastern coast of Carrabon
Osmund - King of Carrabon, uncle to Parker and Felicia
Otlier Tribe - eastern orc tribe
Owen Percy - chieftain of Percy clan, father to twins Cort and Kas
Oydis life Center - healer training academy in Carrabon
Oydis - goddess of healers
Paris - firstborn daughter of Holly and Charlie Tadesse
Parker Kincaid - supreme Warlord, powerful fire mage, nephew of the king
Patrick - bond-mate to Linus, originally human but bonded to dragonkin
Percy Island - home to Percy estate and location of portal entry into Berba
Phoebe - Queen of Carrabon, travel talent
Pike - eight year old boy originally from Olseti Island, rescued by Garth
Poppy - healer employed by the leader of North Kammigian
Pulsar - port city on the coast of the ULK of Thurman
Qamar - bastard son of Reuben Tadesse
Rachael - the smaller of the two moons, female, light-red in color
Raul - god of war, and patron god of fire mage talent
Reader - first-born talent who can read thoughts or emotions
Reese - son of Dallas
Renata Percy - mother of Owen and Stella, murdered by Zephrit
Rhett - shifter dragonkin, longtime friend to Leo Percy
Rickten - commander, second in charge of the military forces of Carrabon
Rolly - Parker’s horse
Roscow - county seat of Selby and home to Parker Kincaid
Ruby - Owner-Operator of Ruby’s Brothel in Roscow
Runa - elf goddess
Rusty - six year old boy originally from Thurman, rescued by Garth
