Page 112 of Swift Wings Shadowed Heart
“Me too. The last two weeks have been demanding, to say the least. I’m still working on increasing the accuracy of my Bolt Strike, but I’m getting better all the time.”
“That’s good.” I nod, staring at the ground and thinking of my own difficulties… the barred door Zephyros found inside my mind. I shiver.
“Don’t look so glum. You’ll get it. Don’t worry.”
“Thanks, Omari.” I force a smile on my face.
I’m not so sure I will—not when the idea of uncovering what’s blocking me makes me want to curl up and die.
“What do you think we’ll find in Hearthdale?” she asks.
“Honestly, I have no idea.”
There’s a long silence, then she says, “I’m afraid.”
The admission takes me aback, though I don’t know why it should. Omari is honest abouteverything, even her vulnerability, which I think makes her strong as all Seven Hells—not weak as some would think.
“I’m afraid I may never see my family again,” she adds.
A pang of guilt hits me. The possibility of never seeing my father again isn’t something I think about.
“My oldest sister had a baby a month ago.” Omari smiles fondly. “They think he’s a Bolt, like me. We’re rare in the Reefsong family as you might imagine.”
What I can’t imagine is what it would feel to have a family as close-knit as Omari’s. My family died with my mother. She had an older brother, who hated father for a reason unknown to me. I never met him and only found out about him when he sent flowers for her funeral. My father tore up the card that came with them and called him a selfish bastard. When I asked about him, he said never to think of him as family. That was the extent of my mother’s relatives, as far as I know. And in my father’s case… well, my grandfather disowned him for abandoning the farm.
“You’ll see them again,” I assure Omari—not knowing where my statement’s certainty comes from. Perhaps I can’t conceive the idea of Omari or her family going through what I have.
When the time for our allotted rest has passed, Vaylen asks us to gather.
“Hearthdale lies across that peak.” He hooks a finger over his shoulder. “I will take Silas with me to observe what we can. Prime Emberstone will stay with the rest of you.”
Silas looks smug as he joins Vaylen, but it’s not like this is some big accomplishment. A Skysinger and a Skyblaze just happen to compliment each other well. As long as the latter is able to spew some fire, the former can feed air into it to create aFire Storm. Nothing special. I cross my arms, frustrated. Of course, it’s special. I’m just jealous that I don’t get to go.
Creating a Vortex Lift under him, Vaylen begins to rise, taking Silas to Fragor, who already circles above. In concept, I know how Vaylen is able to lift someone else to his dragon. He has created a normal Tether that joins him to Fragor, a Tether that midpoint wraps around Silas’s waist. Once that’s in place, Vaylen can rise first, hauling Silas with him. Sounds easy enough, but it’s something that requires lots of practice to accomplish. Tethers are preferred over vortices in these instances for safety reasons.
They’re using one dragon rather than two to reduce the probability of being spotted. Silas doesn’t look so cocky as he leaves the ground. He seems unnerved about having to rely on Vaylen’s Tether rather than his own fire spiral and shield.
Vaylen doesn’t even look at me as he ascends. Something is definitively off with him.
* * *
VAYLEN
Fragor flies upward,staying close to the peak’s face. When we’re close to the top, he circles tightly, making sure to stay hidden behind the pinnacle to avoid being detected from the other side.
Silas is Tethered securely next to me, yet he keeps stealing peeks at the ground, fearful. I don’t blame him. Relying on others isn’t easy, and this is his first time.
“Trial by fire, huh?” I say.
He nods and straightens, trying to look more confident. He’s a good Skyblaze, I am told by his Prime. I just hope he’s smart enough to avoid his brother’s pitfalls.
“I’ll lower you there.” I point at a relatively flat ledge. From there, it’ll be easy to climb to the top to spy on the valley below.
Pushing on the Tether, I lift Silas, then start lowering him. He looks pale as the chilly wind tosses his short hair about. Once he’s reached the bottom, I jump off, plummeting quickly and creating Vortex Drop under my feet only moments before hitting the ground.
Silas looks impressed. This is the type of maneuver most Skyriders dare not attempt, but I’ve never been afraid to push the limits of my physical skills combined with my wind power. I have a feeling Silas will attempt the stunt soon enough. I just hope he doesn’t get himself killed.
It isn’t hard to scale to the top, even as the wind roars in our ears. We’re even able to walk up a natural ledge rather than scale as I thought we might.
