Child of Thunder (Chapter Four)

Child of Thunder

Chapter Four: The Taste of Blood

The wound in my mouth bled still. The coppery tang was sour against my tongue as I cast about for a means of escape, something that would get me out of this nightmare. The crowded market offered nothing. I was not only out in the open, I was surrounded by enemies and bystanders in such a throng that I would never be able to get past them all.

Back up the slope of the street we'd come from, I could see the guards from the prison gaining ground on us. They were led by Basson. I didn't know if the beast was supposed to be in charge, but he certainly had no trouble giving orders, and the bears around him had no trouble taking them.

I was at a loss, frozen by indecision. The ram seemed content now that the world had been alerted to my presence. He'd faded into the background. It didn't seem like there was anything I could do but wait as events played themselves out.

"You're a little helpless for a savior, aren't you?" A wry voice called out. To my surprise, a deer suddenly appeared, seemingly out of absolutely nowhere. "No matter,
I suppose I'd better save you anyway."

The deer was dressed a bit differently from the ones I'd seen before. This one wore a shabby gray robe and seemed to have some sort of golden tinsel adorning his antlers. The crowd reacted angrily to the deer's presence, jeering and hurling insults.

The ram seemed angriest of all. "Gryndor!" He called. "How did you get in here?"

"Hello Viktor. Give your master my regards." The deer turned and called out to the prince. "Daale! I've done my part!"

Before I knew what was happening, the deer pulled out a long red ribbon. He stretched it between both his hands, and then tossed it up into the air. It took on a life of its own, swirling through the air around the two of us. The ribbon flew in circles, faster and faster till I could barely see a thing. The world seemed to drop away, till it was just this strange deer and I in the middle of a little crimson tornado.

This went on for less than a minute, then the long red ribbon dropped limp to the earth. I quickly found we weren't in the marketplace anymore, but rather a little back alley created by two buildings pushed close together. Outside the alley where the street opened up, I could see passersby moving about. They didn't seem to have noticed us yet, but that surely wouldn't last long.

The deer rushed forward, and threw up one hand. A brick wall appeared quite suddenly
across the opening to the back street, effectively hiding us from view. The creation of that wall cast us into shadow, not only blocking us from the sight of the outside world, but also making it harder for us to see each other.

"How did you do all that?" I asked. I spat after I spoke. Even in the dark, I could see the flecks of red in my saliva. I still didn't like it.

Not acknowledging me, the creature examined our surroundings. We stood between two tall houses with leaning eaves, as if both buildings were straining to hear us. He had a wary, paranoid look to him, not one to trust anything easily.

Finally, after seeming to content himself that we were safe for now, the deer turned to regard me. "We'd better get out of here. This city is quite dangerous, if you hadn't noticed."

"But..." My voice trailed off. "I don't even... know you."

"The name's Gryndor. The prince asked for my help. It never hurts to have a sorcerer around. Even one still in training. Daale wants to form a rebellion against the Ursyne Empire, and you could be very, very important to his success. Does that answer all your questions? Good. Let's go."

I nodded slowly. I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it again, at a loss for words. I was beginning to puzzle it all together. I didn't know if I wanted to be part of a revolution, but I didn't see much choice but to stick with the animals who were helping me. It certainly beat the alternative, being taken into captivity again.

And besides... at least I wasn't bored anymore.

Gryndor turned and began to head further into the darkness. The narrow lane was like a cave. I followed, nearly tripping on that red stripe of material on the ground. "Don't you need this thing?" I asked as we departed.

"Leave it. It's just a ribbon."

---

With the last vestige of my failing strength, I clung to a pole that grew from the top of one of the highest towers in the city. The whole world seemed to spread before me, all tiny and laid out neatly like a little map. Behind me there were mountains that seemed to only grow higher till their pierced the cloudy blue sky, but before me, to the east, I believed... there was a world. A world waiting for me to explore.

Per Gryndor's instructions, I'd snuck my way up here, as carefully as possible. Given what dire fortunes I'd had thus far, it was downright uncanny that I hadn't been caught. The metal spire I clutched was part of a palace that sat at the highest point of the mountain city.

A flag snapped in the wind just a few feet above my head, decorated with a stylized, four armed bear. With two arms, it was taking aim at a bird. With another, it was driving a sword through the heart of a rather sickly looking, almost skeletal deer. And beneath its foot, a snake was being crushed. It didn't take much thought or discernment to figure out what it meant.

Dominion over all.

I had been here for nearly an hour, black cloak flapping against the gusts that desired to see me tumble to the earth so far below. Between my headache, the wounds I'd sustained in my capture, and my breakneck escape, I had too many reasons for exhaustion piling up on me.

But I was stubborn even as my strength ebbed. I refused to give in to my weakness, if only for the sake of not giving in. Gryndor had told me I would not have to wait long by the time I got here, and I could only hope that was true.

A pigeon alighted on the parapet near my feet. It cocked its head rather quizzically. I stared back, barely taking notice of the little creature. "You are the weirdest looking bird I ever saw," it told me after a moment. I jumped, still unused to the idea that every creature here seemed able to speak its mind.

"I'm not a bird," I replied impatiently. "Now shoo, I'm waiting for someone."

“Shoo?” The pigeon replied indignantly. “Did you seriously just shoo me?” a few more pigeons landed at my feet then.

“He just shooed me!” The bird cried. One of the newcomers gasped. Another muttered something angry under its breath. “This is the bird Gryndor told us about… but he’s awfully rude."

“I’m not a bird!” I insisted. I could already tell having to explain what I was to every beast I ran into was going to get very old.

“Then how’d you get up here so high?” the first pigeon asked. He said it with an air of finality, as if the matter were settled.

“Uhh… I climbed.”

“Hah!” A different pigeon cried. “Caught in your own lie! None as scrawny as yeself
could have handled such a climb.”

“Enough.” I said, still simmering with impatience. “Did Gryndor really send you?”

“Yes! Oh yes!” Pigeon number one cried excitedly. “We’re to arrange your escape. Carry you off, as it were.”

“You’re going to carry me?” I asked, unimpressed.

“Oh no dearie,” the second pigeon answered. “They will!” She (at least I thought it was a she) pointed her wing towards the sky. I looked up, the glance making me dizzy. Framed against blue sky and sunlight were three enormous eagles, swooping in towards my perch.

"Alright now..." the original pigeon instructed. You're going to have to jump!"

“What! Not happening!” I exclaimed. I turned back to watch as the birds of prey swooping in.

“Oh… Grydnor was quite insistent,” pigeon two replied. Before I knew what was happening, all three birds were flying in circles around my head, making it difficult to concentrate on my grip. So difficult, in fact, that I soon found my fingers sliding free.

I made a desperate snatch for that metal bar that meant safety and life, missing it by several inches. I saw the city all tilted at a crazy angle as I stumbled off the roof and into open air. I cried out loud enough to turn heads and saw beasts of all sorts (but mostly bears) turn to look at their city’s highest tower.

But gravity only held me for a single gasp, the one second it took to empty my lungs, and then I was on the back of an eagle holding on for dear life.

All I knew then was rushing wind and blue, blue, blue sky.

All I knew then was flight.

Tears streamed down my eyes as we flew through the air. I felt like I’d been strapped to a firecracker, and all I could do was wait for the explosion as we rocketed across the sky. I would remember hanging onto that eagle as one of the craziest, most difficult things I ever did. It took me some time to find a rhythm, to finally reach a point where I felt comfortable. Gradually it felt less like I was a bottle rocket with a lit fuse and more like I was riding a horse that happened to be able to fly.

I thought I caught a brief glimpse of archers on the battlements that ringed the city down below. The brief blurry sight suggested the stringing of arrows into longbows as tall as my body, but we were already well out of range, winging our way over the plains east of the city before they could do anything.

We landed in a little grove several miles away. A small wood that seemed pleasant enough. Though admittedly, I didn’t have much to compare it to in this world outside of a battlefield, a dungeon, and a city full of angry bears. I slid off the eagle’s back and stared awkwardly for a beat, unsure how best to thank them for bearing me to safety. Finally I simply bowed, as I had with Needha.

The two eagles with me returned the gesture. It was then that I noticed the third was not present. I didn’t have to wait long to figure out why. The bird flew in for a wild landing, nearly crashing into us. Gryndor was on his back. The eagle had flown off to save him. Blood gushed from a wound on its abdomen. Gryndor quickly went to work, wasting no time in pulling a white cloth from a fold of his robe. He deftly bandaged the wound with skilled fingers. Or whatever passed for fingers for the deer in this strange place.

“What happened to Foxlain?” The eagle who had taken no passengers inquired. I noticed it spoke in a high, feminine voice, and seemed to be a bit bit smaller than the others.

“Crafty old fool nearly took an arrow rescuing me from Uryn. He managed to dodge it, obviously, but it still grazed him. He’ll be alright.” The sorcerer patted the eagle’s shoulder affectionately. “Rest now, my friend.” I took note of the kindness that had slipped into his voice. It was a different side of the deer than I’d seen thus far. He’d been cold with me… but perhaps things were more complex than I realized.

I leaned against a tree, my previous feelings of exhaustion overwhelming me. I slowly slid to the ground. I could barely keep my eyes open. “Why did you… do it?” I asked.

“Why so much trouble to rescue me?”

“Needha had a feeling about you. Daale thinks you’re a prophet. I see… potential, now that I’ve had a chance to study you. Let that be enough. Many risks were taken to rescue you from the clutches of the Emperor, and no lives were lost. That is more than we can usually hope for, so perhaps you are good luck after all.” Though his voice took on a slight edge when he spoke to me, that kindness hadn’t fled completely.

“Needha… I want to find her… rescue her.” My own words were slurring slightly, peppered with my deepening weariness. It was a ridiculous statement from someone with drooping eyelids.

“We must await the arrival of Prince Daale, and then we’ll decide on our next course of action.” Gryndor replied. He leaned against a tree and dropped to his rear. I’d thought him much older than I, but now that he’d let himself relax, I wasn’t so sure he wasn’t just a few years my elder. “No reason we can’t… rest in the meantime. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to teleport two people? ” He turned to address the eagles. “Dorili, Morisk? Can you take turns keeping watch?”

And with that he closed his eyes, apparently asleep at once.

I barely registered any of this before I involuntarily did the same. The last thing I did notice was the taste of blood in my mouth. Strangely, after the events of the last few hours, it didn’t bother me so much. In fact… I almost liked it. I knew I should have found that alarming, but I didn’t.

I was in a wild world, and somehow I was becoming a little more wild myself.