Crown of Vengeance

by Stephen Zimmer

  He looked inquisitively at Ayenwatha, and was left wondering until Ayenwatha had dismissed the others to begin their orientations in the remaining hours of the day. As the others headed off with their respective mentors, Ayenwatha finally looked to Janus. The sachem took a step closer, the two of them now standing by themselves.

  “You may wonder why I have kept you here, alone,” Ayenwatha stated, “And why I have not sent you with one of the other groups.”

  Janus nodded slowly in agreement, wanting to read the mind of the war sachem as he had no answers himself. He did not feel any daunting worries towards the mystery, as he was confident in the good intentions of Ayenwatha, but he was nonetheless filled with curiosity.

  “I sense that there is much pain in you, Janus. That I can tell without you speaking openly of it. I see a strong and good heart within you,” Ayenwatha stated with an empathic smile, the words catching Janus fully off of his guard. “You can be torn by a pain and be unable to see deeper to the power that it hides from you … a power that you can take to yourself. While you must fight through that pain alone, to find the greater source that it shields you from, others can help you to see with new eyes.”

  Janus was left speechless at Ayenwatha’s words. The depth of the war sachem’s perception was without question.

  Ayenwatha did not wait for Janus to answer, merely gesturing for Janus to follow him. Ayenwatha walked off at a brisk pace across the village grounds, with Janus hurrying to catch up and keep in stride.

  They moved in among the greater longhouses, eventually threading their way through them towards a far corner of the village, which was on the side opposite the main entranceway. Taking up that far corner was what looked at first to be a longhouse that was about half of the length of the average family dwellings.

  Instead of a covered porch area, it had a large, wide entryway. Janus caught a whiff of a distinctive, musky animal scent coming from within the gaping opening.

  A couple of tribal warriors were sitting cross-legged nearby. They were occupied playing some type of game that involved a bowl and a small number of sizeable nuts. Each nut was colored half-orange and half-white, such that when they tumbled into the bowl as a group they would produce a varying distribution based upon the revealed topside colors.

  The warriors, upon taking notice of Ayenwatha and Janus, immediately ceased the game and got up to their feet.

  “That is a game that I have not played in awhile,” Ayenwatha remarked, looking over to Janus. “I will have to teach it to you soon, as it is one often played in the village and among the tribes.”

  “Do you need steeds, Ayenwatha?” one of the warriors interjected in a low voice, a lean, young male who could not have been more than twenty years old.

  “I will need two. Bring me Arax, of course,” Ayenwatha requested. He then paused for a moment, as if in careful consideration, before adding. “And the second should be Reazl.”

  Janus listened to the request with increased interest. He had seen the horses within the village perimeter, though he had not yet seen anyone actually riding them. He had little experience in horse riding, but a late afternoon jaunt on horseback sounded very intriguing.

  The warriors nodded to Ayenwatha, turning and striding through the opening into the structure. Their forms were quickly swallowed by the shadows of the murky interior.

  “You may find what is coming through that opening to be of interest … it is something about our people that you have not yet had time to learn about,” Ayenwatha commented enigmatically, as they awaited the return of the warriors.

  Janus watched the opening in growing anticipation. The moments crawled by, as Janus caught the traces of soft spoken voices and shuffling from within the structure.

  The young warrior that had spoken to Ayenwatha finally emerged back into the light, leading an incredible sight at the end of a long tether. Brought into the exposing light of day, the revelation stunned Janus.

  He stood awestruck and mesmerized as his eyes roved all over the incredible form now standing, living and breathing, just a few paces in front of him.

  The creature that was led forth was taller than a large horse and noticeably longer of body. It had very muscular front quarters, which tapered quickly to a much narrower back and hindquarters.

  The animal was covered in a blonde-brown fur, the outer hairs of which were tipped in silvery hues. Its head was large and rounded, a broad snout projecting out of a generally inward-curving face. Two rounded ears sat high on the sides of its great head, both oriented towards Janus.

  Large, lustrous eyes looked out towards Janus from that massive face, as the creature stepped forward on its lean, muscular legs. Its extended limbs ended in huge, broad paws, each equipped with a stout set of blunted claws.

  The characteristic that was most striking about the creature, and the one that took Janus’ breath away, were the huge wings that were now folded into its body.

  The dark, leathery wings connected to its body just behind the shoulder, meeting a bulging, pronounced mass of muscles that gave ample evidence to an exceedingly powerful strength contained therein. At close proximity, Janus could see that the wings were lined with an extensive network of veins, and covered with a layer of very fine hairs.

  Janus was absolutely astonished, and could not fathom what the origin of the winged, bear-like beast could possibly be.

  The other warrior then led out a second creature like the first. The second beast was a little smaller in size, and had a darker brown shade of fur, with outer hairs having a more whitish tip to them.

  Both of the extraordinary creatures were fitted with a very simple design of harness and saddle, the seat set just behind the base of their broad necks. The saddles were, in truth, more of a low pad-saddle, covered in bead and quill decorated hide, and set atop saddle blankets. A pair of simple, hide-covered stirrups hung down from the sides of each saddle.

  His senses slowly returning back to him, Janus reflexively took a couple of steps backward, intimidated by the large, very unusual creatures. Ayenwatha put a firm hand to Janus’ back, to stop him from retreating any further.

  Janus forced his eyes away from the two creatures, and saw that Ayenwatha was looking at him with a perplexed expression.

  “This is a surprising sight to you?” Ayenwatha asked him. “Do you not have mounts to carry you in the lands you are from?”

  Janus nodded. “Very much so. I have never seen anything like these creatures. We have horses in our world, like those I have seen in the village, but nothing that can be ridden with wings such as these.”

  Ayenwatha looked almost as surprised by that disclosure as Janus did towards the emergence of the winged steeds.

  “The Skiantha are not in your world? Nothing like these Brega?” Ayenwatha questioned him.

  Janus shook his head. “Nothing. Only creatures of our imaginations, such as winged horses, but definitely nothing like this.”

  “Winged horses? Those are not creatures of imagination in this world, but they are not in these lands,” Ayenwatha answered him. “Eirik and Gunnar have told me tales of the Twelve Sisters riding upon such steeds. I would like to see them myself someday.”

  Ayenwatha became silent for a few moments, dwelling upon some inner thoughts as Janus took in the war sachem’s divulgence with even more wonderment.

  “And the Brega? The Skiantha?” Janus asked Ayenwatha.

  “The Skiantha … races of winged creatures large enough to carry men or women through the skies,” Ayenwatha replied. “They can be tamed and harnessed, like the Brega which are found in our lands.

  “There are several Skiantha in this world. The Midragardans ride upon a kind called Fenraren, and there are said to be other kinds in other lands, like those ridden by the Elves to the north, and those ridden by the dog-faced ones in lands to the farther east.”

  “Incredible …” Janus murmured, looking back to the pair of winged steeds before them. His face then took on a look of worry. “Am
I ready to ride such a creature then?”

  “Have you ridden horses in your world,” Ayenwatha asked him.

  Janus nodded. “A few times, though I am not an expert.”

  Ayenwatha regarded Janus for a moment with a serious mien, as if making a final consideration. At last, his features softened as he responded, “The Brega are very intelligent, of good demeanor, and are our friends. They have been companions and steeds for our tribes for many long years. If you have ridden in a saddle, on the back of a horse, you will be able to do this. There is nothing to fear, Janus. Just watch me, and follow what I do.”

  He looked completely at ease as he strolled right up to the larger of the bearish creatures. He patted it several times on its neck, before stroking the beast affectionately along its broad muzzle. The creature amiably licked Ayenwatha along the face with a wide tongue, eliciting a light laughter from the war sachem.

  The creature then lowered its head and crouched down, as Ayenwatha reached for its reins. Ayenwatha slowly mounted it, a task that appeared to Janus to be much more complicated than that involving a horse, due to the huge wings and different anatomy of the winged steed.

  “Hello Arax, my loyal friend,” Ayenwatha addressed the steed exuberantly, his affinity for the beast plainly obvious in his timbre. “It has been a couple days, long both for me and you. We go to the skies today, with our new friend, Janus.”

  The creature gave a low rumble as Ayenwatha leaned forward and rubbed its fur vigorously behind its right ear. With a grin, he straightened up and looked towards Janus.

  “Now go to Reazl and take the reins as I did,” Ayenwatha instructed Janus, as he adjusted his position on Arax’s saddle. “Do not fear him. They do not bite without cause, and are very gentle with us.”

  Janus glanced at Ayenwatha, sucked in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and took a few hesitant steps forward. His natural inclinations were still highly nervous, and a little fearful. He approached Reazl, as the warrior that had led the beast out of the byre structure handed the reins over to him.

  Before Janus had time to think further on the matter, Reazl also lowered its body, and angled its head down towards the ground. The gesture gave Janus much more confidence, as he gripped the reins more firmly in his hand.

  With a somewhat clumsy effort, he then pulled himself up onto the winged beast. Bracing a foot in one of the hide stirrups, he swung his other leg over to bring himself into an upright, seated position. His heart began to beat faster as the creature stood back up to its full height.

  Janus looked down and back, gazing upon the wings of the creature that so fascinated and daunted him. The reality of what he and Ayenwatha were about to do began to fully dawn on him. Trepidation crept steadily into his sense of wonderment, propelling his unease.

  “Now, strap yourself into the saddle, like me,” Ayenwatha instructed, drawing Janus’ attention back from its wandering.

  Ayenwatha paused for a moment before proceeding, allowing Janus to watch his demonstration. The sachem tied a couple pairs of long leather straps from the back of the saddle about his waist, effectively anchoring himself into the pad-saddle with a little redundancy.

  “With these pulled tight, and with your feet in the stirrups, you will be very safe,” Ayenwatha assured him. “It may feel strange at first, but you will soon get used to it. I have chosen Reazl because he is a gentle steed to a new rider. He will be a good steed for one who is on their first sky ride. He will also prove to be very restrained until you are ready to do more.”

  “I sure hope so,” remarked Janus tensely. He tightened the straps in imitation of Ayenwatha, and fit his feet snugly into the leather-covered stirrup loops.

  His amazement at the creature underneath him continued to give way to the stark realization that they were going to be actually flying, in mere moments. The thought was bringing a near panic up from within him. Janus had to concentrate hard to fight the disconcerting feeling back down in his mind.

  He felt like he was tied down securely, but they had not left the ground just yet. His nerves were undeniably rattled, and it was not getting any better.

  It must have shown clearly upon his face, for Ayenwatha was very quick to try to reassure him. “Janus, you will be safe. Do not worry, for Reazl will follow my lead upon Arax. There are just two basic ways to command them,” Ayenwatha said. “And never forget, as I have said, they are very intelligent. They will not do anything reckless that would put you in danger.

  “Pulling back on the reins slows them, and digging the heels of your feet in will make Reazl go faster. Pressure to the left and right, using the reins, turns them to the side that you choose. Leaning backwards and applying firm upward pressure with your feet makes them rise, leaning far forward in your saddle and putting pressure downward with your feet makes them descend.

  “We have also trained them to follow verbal commands, which are to be spoken sharp and firmly. Right, left, down, up, faster, and slower are commands that they will respond to. Know that they will not resist you, and that they will do your will. Use the physical movements if the wind is too great, or if you are going too fast to be understood.

  “There are other commands to learn, but those are for another time. The other commands are for use in battle, but you must first learn to ride your steed, and be comfortable with flight, before worrying about combat.”

  Janus nodded, again extremely grateful for the gift of the blue-stone pendant from the old man in the forest. Without the clear translation empowered by the amulet, he knew that he would probably have had a very difficult time pronouncing even that small number of words with any accuracy. Mispronouncing a command to a steed in the midst of flight was not something that Janus wanted to be worrying about.

  “Let us go to a clearing, and let us go up into the skies, Janus!” Ayenwatha stated, palpable excitement rising up again within his voice. “Arax, slow!”

  Ayenwatha turned again to Janus, just as Arax started forward. “They also follow the same commands on the ground, as you see … with the exception of a couple of obvious ones.”

  “This should be quite an adventure,” Janus commented, trying to smile about the developing situation. His heart was fluttering as he mouthed his first command to a Brega, “Reazl, slow!”

  Reazl started forward at a slow gait, keeping a few paces behind Arax as they moved away from the byre. Underneath him, Janus sensed the ease of balance with which the creature walked across the ground upon its large paws. The two riders and their steeds wended their way back through the longhouses, and headed out into the open clearing closer to the main village entrance.

  A number of eyes were drawn towards the two riders as they made their way, some smiling as they saw the slight look of terror upon the newcomer’s face. Janus did not find their reactions so amusing, though he reminded himself that the tribal people’s mirth at his great nervousness was precisely because of the lack of danger that they perceived.

  Once they were clear of the longhouses, and far out in the open ground, Ayenwatha exclaimed loudly, “Up!”

  Upon his command, Arax spread its wings outward. The wingspan of the creature was very broad in proportion to the rest of its body. The Brega’s thick claws dug into the ground as it powerfully thrust its mass forward. Loping ahead and flapping its wings, the Brega quickly picked up speed. It finally coiled and sprung up vigorously, in an explosive movement.

  The great wings of the Brega snapped downward with tremendous force, sustaining the creature as its body hovered in mid-air for just a second. The wings then bent and rose up in a swift movement, which was a blur to the eye, before widening again and driving downward powerfully.

  Gripping the air, the creature ascended on a steep incline away from the ground. A lump forming in his throat, Janus incredulously watched the Brega as it steadily gained altitude.

  A lightheaded feeling came over Janus, as he knew that his moment had arrived. He swallowed hard, and took a few deep breaths. His knuckles had whitene
d where they clenched the reins of the creature.

  He was barely able to voice the words audibly, but they somehow came out from his lips.

  “Reazl, Up!”

  He considered the mere utterance of those two words to be one of the braver things that he had ever done in his life.

  Reazl dutifully followed the command.

  Lurching forward into motion, Reazl bounded a few paces and then lunged, as its own wings spread and powered its body upward. A dizzying, disorienting rush flooded over Janus, as his steed separated itself fully from the sure footing and solidity of the ground.

  A discomfiting feeling took root in the pit of his stomach, as the ground fell farther and farther away beneath him. The longhouses rapidly dwindled in size, and the villagers became minute, nondescript figures. Even the hill finally shrank away, melding gradually into the broader landscape.

  Reazl kept to a steep incline, rising higher into the sky a short distance behind Arax and Ayenwatha. Janus felt an encompassing wave of lightheadedness sweep over him, and he forced his eyes away from looking downward. The wind beating against his face, he concentrated solely upon the form of Arax and Ayenwatha just ahead of him.

  “Slow!” called Ayenwatha. He glanced back towards Janus and nodded.

  “Slow!” Janus shouted out a moment later, his heart thumping rapidly.

  Arax leveled out in its path of flight, followed in turn by Reazl as the two steeds settled upon an even plane. At Ayenwatha’s guidance, they set off across the tribal lands at a modest rate of speed, several hundred feet above the ground.

  As on the ground, the creatures bore their riders with a smooth and gentle grace. Their wings flapped strongly to maintain height whenever necessary, but they were mostly able to stretch out their broad appendages and glide upon the mild air currents.

  Within moments, the pair of steeds had eased into a comfortable pace, bobbing and rocking lightly in the clutches of the upper air.