The Balance of Power (Godsland Series: Books Four, Five, and Six) (59 page)

After a nod from Fasha, Pelivor closed his eyes and breathed deeply. With the spider stone in one hand and the staff in the other, Pelivor exhaled. With his breath rushed the air, and light flared around Sinjin, causing him to shield his eyes. Lightning crawled over Pelivor's hands and over the staff, dancing and casting fluid shadows. The dragon ore stones mounted in the metal heel flared, and blue plasma pulsed in the shape of a serpent head, the stones serving as the creature's blazing eyes.

Blue-white lines extended out from the mighty serpent on the staff and reached into the skies alongside them. Ropes of light reached forward to latch on to the masthead, which had been carved into a likeness of Kyrien. Suddenly Pelivor's wing structures, something previously only he and Gwen had been able to see, were now laced with fire, and those aboard murmured in fear, especially as the head and neck of the dragon filled in. Sinjin looked back and saw a glittering tail of energy that flowed around and over where Gwen sat. He worried briefly that she would be engulfed by the flow of power, but the energy was translucent and Sinjin could see the wide smile on her face. She was enjoying this!

"By the gods," Pelivor said. "I've felt the power of the staff through contact with your mother, but to hold it in my own hands . . . I could never have imagined such might. When we reach the Firstland you must take it from me. Promise me."

"I promise," Sinjin said, knowing it was a pledge he could only keep if Pelivor truly wanted him to. As if to drive home that point, Pelivor applied his will, and the rigging sung with speed. With the wind in his face, Sinjin wondered at how much his life had changed and steeled himself for whatever might come next.

The
Dragon's Wing
had never looked more like her namesake, and she left a glittering trail in her wake, as if a cloud of fireflies followed her.

Chapter
13

Imagination is not frivolous whimsy; it is the force that drives us to be better than we are.

Enly Mandone, bard

* * *

Weeks aboard a cramped ship, no matter how fast it traveled, wore on passengers and crew alike. When a dark mass formed on the horizon, there was anticipation and anxiety in equal measure. All knew this was not their final destination, yet it was a glimpse at a foreign land, a land once occupied by their ancestors. Evidence of this was visible some time before the ship approached the Keys of Terhilian. There stood the inspiration for the statues of Terhilian, the Terhilian Lovers. Despite knowing you could not blame the creators of this massive artwork for inspiring devious weapons, the two were now synonymous. The statue of a god and goddess embracing, carved into massive bluffs, also served a practical purpose; it pointed to the Firstland, the place it was believed where mankind had first taken root. The figures did not match the traditional forms of Istra and Vestra, but it was clear these were god and goddess. Sinjin could not figure out why not knowing if the figures were meant to represent Istra and Vestra bothered him so much, but it did. Watching the massive carvings approach, they seemed to look down on him and find him wanting.

Feeling small and powerless, Sinjin was also humbled by the construction of these figures. How powerful had these people been to leave such a massive message for the ages to come. He'd never seen such efforts, save what Thorakis had done, and he hoped the ancients had employed much different methods and thinking. He recognized the fact that Thorakis may have truly had good intentions when he began his work, and perhaps it had only been the presence of the feral dragons that had been his downfall. It seemed peculiar that the dragons used Thorakis as a proxy when they were clearly powerful enough to control the people themselves, but then he realized how much easier it must have been to simply dominate the man to whom most people owed their lives. It was brilliant when he thought about it, and that frightened him even more. Ferals were clever and powerful, and there were feral eggs on this ship.

Worry washed over Sinjin, some of it was his own, but most of it was radiated by those around him. As the statues looked down on them, none seemed immune to the effects. Halmsa was perhaps also responsible; he paced the deck, forcing everyone else to clear out of his way when he reached them. Always he carried the dragon eggs, but no more did he hold out the eggs to those around him, no more did he show the movements of the eggs. This alone gave Sinjin cause for worry and perhaps even for relief. Part of his problem was that he wasn't certain what he wanted to happen, which made it even more difficult to make decisions. Part of him hoped the eggs would never hatch, so he would not have to decide whether the dragons lived or died. It also didn't escape him that he might not be able to kill even a single one if that was the decision he made. How could he ever convince the Arghast that the dragons were evil, and how could he be certain they would be? Another part of him dared for an instant to hope that these dragons would be more like Kyrien. It was a silly hope, and he banished it to the place where all childish things go--not gone but put aside for the reality of adulthood.

When Halmsa passed by where Sinjin stood, Durin came in his wake, moving easily through the crowd.

"Nice trick," Sinjin said.

"I wouldn't stand in that guy's way either," Durin said then looked up. "Vestra's beard! That's just creepy."

It wouldn't be long before the statues would be left behind, but it would not be soon enough for Sinjin. Being in their shadow gave him the crawls, which did nothing to improve his optimism. This did, at least, indicate that they were on the last leg of their journey.

In a rare moment, Halmsa stopped pacing and faced Benjin. "I owe apology."

Benjin did not look as if any apology were required, though there was considerable strain on his face; sailing with this many aboard his ship was plainly stressful.

"I did not believe you when you said place of dragons was too far for small boats, but you were right. We would be dead. We owe you debt."

"It is our honor to bear the Dragon clan to your new home," Benjin said, and Fasha stood behind him, nodding in agreement.

"We won't forget," Halmsa said. It was a simple statement, but there was such weight behind it that Sinjin had no doubt that the Dragon clan would truly never forget, provided they survived.

Sinjin was an optimist by nature, but when he thought about all the things his mother had worked so hard to provide within Dragonhold, he wondered how the Arghast would manage to survive in what could only be called an unforgiving land. People may have once lived on the Firstland, but that had been thousands of years ago, and the wisdom of the ancients had perished with them. Who knew what dangers they would face?

"You worry too much," Durin said; as he did, though, Pelivor and Gwen took them higher and faster now that they were clear of the Keys of Terhilian. Both gripped the railing, and everyone on board did what they could to secure themselves in the fierce wind. Once the speed and altitude leveled off, it was mostly the wind with which they had to contend. Durin looked a little green, and he paled even further. "Good luck," he said and walked swiftly away.

From the opposite direction came Kendra, and the crowd separated before her just as it did before Halmsa, though perhaps for different reasons. The look on the girl's face made it clear she was ready for a fight.

Doing his best to look unconcerned, Sinjin waited. There had been times in his life when he would have yielded to Kendra to avoid confrontation with her, but those days were past. He respected her, and in some ways he owed her, but he would not bow before her; at least that was what he was thinking when she approached.

With her arms crossed over her chest and fire in her eyes, Kendra stopped. She'd been avoiding Sinjin since they left the Godfist. Now, though, she seemed unlikely to grant him the same privilege. She said nothing; she just looked at him with an expression difficult to describe. Somehow she conveyed the sense that she was utterly shocked and deeply hurt by something he'd done. Sadly, he'd seen that look before.

It didn't take long for Sinjin to figure out what it was she was so angry about. "I'm not sorry." Pain and hurt seemed to shift toward smoldering fury. "The extra load is too much for Gwen and Pelivor to handle unaided. I did the only thing I could to change that; I loaned Koe to Gwen and the Staff of Life to Pelivor until this voyage is over."

Kendra did not seem to hear him. "You give to everyone," she said quietly. "Why is it that you never have anything for me?" The last was said with a catch in her voice, which clearly enraged her further.

Stunned, Sinjin stood gaping like an idiot, and Kendra looked as if she would storm away. That, he knew, would be the worst thing he could let happen. He had to keep her there for a moment longer, and in that instant, he let go of his fears. He'd lost his home and most of his family, and it felt for a moment as if he had very little left to lose. Kendra started to turn away from him, but he reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder, turning her back to face him. She seemed surprised by his forcefulness and looked a little confused. The moment would not last, Sinjin knew. Stepping closer, he continued to pull her toward him, and she looked as if she might protest.

Then he kissed her.

It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. She was soft and warm, and for a moment, she kissed him back. Then, though, she pulled away. No one on deck spoke, and all eyes were on them, including Gwen's; somehow the crowd had parted just enough to allow her an unobstructed view. Kendra looked around and the shock on her face turned back to fury. Sinjin had just been contemplating trying for another kiss when her right uppercut caught him in the chin. Hitting the deck hard, Sinjin would forever associate pain in his head and jaw with the taste of Kendra's kiss on his lips.

* * *

When Allette saw fear in Thundegar's eyes, her own courage fled. Rastas moved alongside her, the hair on his spine standing on end; he pressed up against her leg as if to ask her to protect him. This frightened her almost as much as anything else. Waves of primal fear rained from the skies, along with the compulsion to give up. It was as if the ferals radiated hopelessness, and Allette prayed they would go away. Had she been on a ship, she would have cast an offering to the sea, despite the fact that she'd never believed in such things. As her father had once said, "What harm could it do?"

With his words echoing in her mind, reminding her that he was gone, Allette willed the tears away and pulled several strands of hair from her head and tossed them into the clear waters on the stream where they had stopped. Thundegar filled his water flask and motioned for her to do the same. It seemed like an exercise in futility since they would probably not live long enough to drink it, but she did her best to shake off the melancholy. Some of the feelings were her own and were more than warranted, but part of her knew it was the influence of the dragons that clouded her thoughts with fear.

Moving, taking action, even filling her water flask made her feel the smallest bit better. She would not let the dragons subjugate her will; she would not surrender. Her father had taught her to fight, and that was exactly what she would do. Thundegar, too, seemed to be gathering his strength and will.

"We'll never make it across with the ferals as active as they are, and it would appear they've an army coming ashore as well," Thundegar said in a low voice, barely audible over the bubbling stream.

Allette nodded, not trusting her tongue to speak.

"If we wait for nightfall, we might be able to backtrack without being seen. With any luck, we can walk most of the way back. The grasses will continue to thicken, and though it will take a great deal longer than it took us to get here, I think we'll be able to make it back to the Cloud Forest."

Though the frustration of having to turn back gnawed at her, Allette knew this might be their only hope of survival. No matter what, she did not want to fall into the hands of anyone who'd willingly fight for the ferals. Truly, these must be black-hearted men. No matter how many times she reminded herself of that fact, though, Allette could not help but think about the fact that they could have just stayed in the Cloud Forest. This entire trip, all their struggles and trials, had been for naught; it had been a huge waste of effort, which might now be the end of them.

A low growl from Rastas pulled Allette from her inner torment, and she went cold, her body responding so strongly to the danger that her skin itched. Thundegar reached out a hand to soothe the cat, clearly not wanting anyone or anything to know they were there. Allette moved a step backward into the shadows and tried to make herself as small as possible. Rastas, now silent but still clearly agitated, followed her in the shadows and hid beside her, proving his wisdom. Branches moved nearby, and flashes of movement could be seen through the trees. Thundegar seemed torn between the desire to run and the desire to hide. After a quick glance at Allette and Rastas, he found a shadowy spot alongside a gnarled tree. Bushes grew nearby, and Thundegar brushed up against one, despite his efforts to keep quiet.

The sounds of movement stopped, and Allette held her breath. Whatever lurked amid the trees now knew they were there. Almost instinctively, Allette ran her hand over Rastas's coat, trying to soothe him and hoping he wouldn't give away their position. An instant later, Allette froze. From between a pair of trees, not a handful of paces away, two dark forms emerged from the forest. At first they looked completely black, but as Allette studied them, her body trembling with fear, she saw a spotted pattern of dark orange and black. Liquid green eyes scanned the area, and whiskers twitched with uncertainty. Even these mighty felines seemed unnerved by the presence of the ferals. At almost any other place in the world, these would be alpha predators with no natural enemies save man, but here they were in as much danger as anyone else foolish enough to get caught in feral territory.

Every instinct told Allette that she should run, and it was all she could do to refrain. Reason disagreed with her instincts, and this time she sided with reason. Her father had often said that instincts should rarely be ignored, but Allette was certain she'd be unable to outrun these massive cats. Rastas pressed against her, no less assured; even though these cats might be distant relatives of his, it was clear that he expected no quarter. Given some of the cat fights Allette had witnessed, Rastas was perhaps in greater danger than Allette and Thundegar. Reaching down, Allette once again smoothed the cat's coat. She wasn't certain how much better it made the cat feel, but it made her feel a great deal better.

Stepping to the edge of the stream, the cats drank one at a time, leaving the other to keep watch. In this place, even a drink of water could bring a quick death. Ripples appeared in the deeper, darker water downstream, and both cats moved away from the stream. Not wanting to know what was causing those ripples, Allette trembled. When one of the cats looked directly at the shadows where they hid, Allette held her breath once again. The muscle-bound cat remained intent and met Allette's eyes, leaving no doubt that it had seen her. Rastas growled, despite her soothing, and now both cats were looking directly at her. Visions of a slow death drove away what remained of Allette's courage, and she prepared to run, her instincts quickly overpowering reason. Before she could move, though, the waters exploded with activity. A reptilian creature with massive jaws moved through the water faster than Allette would have thought possible, and it lunged at the big cats. One cat sprang into the air, showing agility that belied its size; the other crouched low and swatted at the reptilian eyes.