by Anna Hackett
“Anything else about the first appearance of the warriors?”
The woman shrugged. “They are said to have come from the north. They appeared from out of the Darken Wilds.”
“The Wilds.” Hmm, that didn’t narrow anything down.
“One account, more lurid than the rest so it has often been discounted, talks about fire and light. It also says the First Warriors brought sickness. That some of the primitive Markarians were not strong enough and died.”
“Sickness?” Aurina spun away pacing. “The First Warriors could have brought some disease from off-planet that the native Markarians weren’t immune to.”
Chaldora’s eyebrows rose. “You think the First Warriors were skyflyers?”
Aurina nodded. “You speak English, Chaldora. That is not from this planet. I think the First Warriors crash-landed here, just like I did. Maybe brought down by the meteors.”
The woman dropped into a chair, her brow creased. “I guess it is not inconceivable.”
“They were possibly travelers or explorers from old Earth. If it was thousands of years ago, it would have been during the early days of space exploration. They may have gotten lost or been a group headed out this way to make a new home somewhere.” She spun, excitement a fizz in her blood. “My brother, Justyn, and his wife, Nissa, recently discovered an old starship wreck from Earth not too far from here…relatively speaking. So some Terrans made it this far.”
“So, you think the First Warriors were from this planet…Earth?”
“Yes. Earth seeded much of the life throughout the galaxy. War eventually destroyed the planet, although one of my cousins recently got the chance to go back to Earth. It’s pretty wild and still highly radioactive…uh, poisoned from the powerful weapons used, but there are apparently some survivors.”
“Incredible,” Chaldora breathed.
“Don’t tell Kavon yet. I need to do more research and beef up my theory a bit yet before I tell him.”
The elderly scholar frowned. “Beef up?”
“Never mind.” Aurina waved a hand. “Just don’t say anything yet.”
“I will not. If this proves true…it will be difficult for some Markarians to accept, to change the beliefs they have grown up with.”
“Let me do more work, first. Thank you, Chaldora, for your help. You’re a good sounding board.” Aurina tapped a finger against her chin. “So, if the First Warriors crashed here, and they had Durendal with them, then maybe the sword is still at the crash site. We need to find where they crashed.”
Chaldora made a humming noise.
“Any legends about places that are special to the First Warriors, or where they first appeared, or where they visited a lot?”
“Just that they came from the Wilds.”
Okay, that was as good a place to start as any. “Thanks.” As Chaldora turned to leave, Aurina thought of one more niggling thing. “Hey, Chaldora?”
The woman glanced back with a raised brow.
“Why, when the barbarian shoves food at me, does everyone look like he’s hit them over the head with the hilt of his sword?”
Chaldora smiled. “A warrior does not waste time feeding a woman he simply dallies with. When he takes the time to feed her, offer her sustenance with his own hand, he is…staking a claim.”
Aurina sniffed. “I should have known.”
“Not of ownership,” Chaldora said. “Of his intent to provide for you.” With a last mysterious smile, the scholar left.
After the woman had left, Aurina stared across the room for a long while before she shook off confusing thoughts of Kavon and went back to the books. She pored over story after story, but wasn’t having much luck finding any special reference to a specific location in the Wilds.
Suddenly the door slammed open. Startled, she spun and saw Kavon standing there.
Heat flushed over her. Dammit. She was hoping the hours apart would have dulled the impact of him.
But no. He looked just as tempting as earlier.
“Chaldora told me you’ve had a breakthrough, but she wouldn’t tell me anything about it.”
Aurina nodded. “I asked her not to, not until I’d done some more research.”
He strode closer, his long legs eating up the distance. “And?’
She pulled in a deep breath. “I believe the First Warriors crash-landed here, like me.”
Kavon jerked to a halt. “Impossible. They were of Markaria. From the north.”
She frowned. “Kavon, just because you say something doesn’t make it true. All my research shows you’ve never found any ruins or sign of anyone living in the north.”
His frown deepened.
She turned on the chair. “It doesn’t change the things they did, how they helped your ancestors.”
He grunted.
“I need to find where their ship went down.”
He strode closer. “There is no ship. They were not skyflyers.”
She leaped up. “Barbarian, I know you aren’t stupid. Why won’t you consider it?”
He was silent for a moment, staring past her at the wall.
“Kavon—”
“The First Warriors…they were benevolent, honorable. They were the protectors of Markaria.”
All the fight went out of Aurina. “You think if they crashed here and were stuck, that they just helped the native species because they had no choice?”
He kept staring at the wall.
She moved closer. “That may not be the case, Kavon. The truth is, even if we do find a ship, we will probably never know their motivations.” She lifted a hand, hesitated, then touched his hard chest. “It doesn’t have to change your beliefs. They helped, they taught, they loved. They couldn’t have done all of that out of desperation. They may not have wanted to leave.”
“Unlike you.”
He was staring at her now, his amber eyes ablaze.
Her heart kicked in her chest. “Kavon—”
“There is a distant mountain in the Wilds. Off limits to all Markarians. No vegetation grows there, and the beasts that call it home…are different. Bigger, twisted.”
Her chest hitched. “Go on.”
“It is riddled with the tunnels of an ancient mine, said to be filled with these beasts. It was cursed by the First Warriors, and no one is allowed to step foot on it.”
Adrenaline surged in her veins. “Why didn’t Chaldora mention it? I’ve seen nothing in the records.”
“Mount Furioso is known only to the warlords.”
“This could be it, Kavon. We need to get there. Durendal could be on that mountain.”
He was silent for a moment. “It is a dangerous place—”
“We made a deal. I help you find the sword, and you give me the e-beacon.”
He cursed under his breath. Then he gave a short nod. “We’ll leave at first light.”
Chapter Eight
Kavon hated this.
He held the reins as Tarm negotiated a section of particularly bad ground near the base of Mount Furioso. It rose above them, a fierce spire of black rock. Their journey through the Wilds had been uneventful, although he and his warriors were alert to any signs of the unfriendly denizens that called the place home.
Colm and another two of Kavon’s most experienced warriors, Darroch and Viken, rode their hargon beasts nearby.
Aurina was nestled in Kavon’s arms, her head tipped as she stared up at the mountain.
“Well, it’s certainly creepy enough,” she said.
Yes, he hated that he was approaching a mountain forbidden by his people, that he’d brought Aurina to this dangerous place. And he hated that he was doubting his ancestors.
Could the First Warriors really have been skyflyers? People stuck here, trying to make the best of a bad situation?
Hardly the lofty stories his people sang about. Or the tales his father had told him with such pride.
“Kavon, are you sure this is a good idea?” Colm asked.
Hell, no. He st
ared up at the sharp, ragged spires of the mountain. It was made of a dark rock, and devoid of vegetation. Only a few twisted, black trunks that may have been some sort of tree once remained.
“We need to check for a crash site,” Aurina insisted. “The sword might be in the wreckage.”
And if they found it, then she could leave. The thought made Kavon unhappy.
“Warlord, there is a path over there,” Darroch called out.
He spotted it. A path probably made by beasts that wound its way up the mountain. “We’ll follow it.”
They climbed. It was steep, the hargon beasts at times snorting their displeasure, their hooves slipping in the loose scree, but they kept climbing.
Kavon stared resolutely ahead. To one side was the wall of rising rock, on the other, the steep drop to the distant ground below. No warrior belonged this high in the sky.
Aurina twisted, looking back behind them. “Wow, look at the view. You can see your estate.”
He grunted.
She pointed. “Over there. Look—”
“I’m sure it looks much as it does when I’m in it,” he grumbled.
Her gaze whipped up to his face. “You’re afraid of heights.”
“I am not afraid of anything. I just like my feet on the ground.”
“You dislike heights, then.”
He fought back a scowl. No one had ever irritated and captivated him the way Aurina did. “I dislike some things. The Great Warrior guides me in all things…and if he doesn’t, I just keep working until I conquer it, but fear doesn’t factor into it.”
She made a noise in her throat. “Do you beat your chest while you’re at it?”
He frowned at her. “Why would I beat myself?”
“I…never mind.”
“I have something for you.”
She raised her brows. “Oh?”
He pulled the object from his pocket and held it out for her.
“My stunner.” She raised her gaze to his. “You trust me with it.”
“Out here, danger lurks in every shadow. I want you safe.”
She took the device and slipped it into her pocket. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
They kept climbing, the midday sun beating down on them. Soon the mountain’s peak was visible, and not long after, they crested the last rise.
Several scaly lizards, the size of large dogs, scuttled away. Kavon preferred it that way. He was just happy they hadn’t encountered any of the mountain’s larger denizens.
Kavon halted Tarm. He scanned around the rocky peak, and watched Aurina do the same. His warriors pulled to a stop beside them.
“There is nothing here,” Colm noted.
“Let’s rest before we look further,” Kavon said. He reached into the leather bags attached to his beast, and pulled out some food and a skin of water.
They dismounted, and he watched Aurina perch on a rock and nibble at the dried fruit he passed her. She bounced a little. “It’s been a very long time, Colm. If the First Warriors crashed here, it was thousands of years ago.” She paused to scan the mountain. “We have to look for the tiniest clues. It might not be obvious.” She frowned. “Hell, it might be long buried.”
“Or it may not be here. A ship may never have existed,” Colm grumbled.
She put her hands on her hips. “The theory makes sense. Your language did not develop here, it came from another planet.” She let out a breath. “Look, I know this doesn’t fit into your beliefs about your ancestors—”
Her gaze found Kavon’s, and he found himself caught by the deep green of her eyes.
“—but it doesn’t necessarily change your beliefs about them,” she went on. “If they did crash here, they didn’t have to spend their time and energy educating the native race. They must have still been a driven, honorable people.”
She set the remnants of her snack down and stalked away. She stopped near the edge of the cliff, far too close to the precipice for Kavon’s liking.
“She’s right, Colm.” Kavon was surprised to hear the words from his mouth. “Even if the First Warriors were skyflyers, it does not change all the good they did for our people. Maybe we could learn more about them, if we do find the ship they arrived in.”
Colm packed the leftovers of his food away. “Perhaps.”
But Kavon’s gaze was back on his personal skyflyer. She’d stiffened, her gaze staring intently over the side of the mountain.
He walked over to her and stared down. He saw nothing but rocks, and another wide ledge not far below them.
“What do you see?” he asked.
“I’m not sure…what do you see down there?”
“Rocks.”
“On that ledge, Kavon. What else?”
He shrugged. “Rough ground. Just like the rest of the mountain.” He frowned. “It is particularly rough down there, like a beast has carved a groove through the soil and rock.”
She shifted, her face lighting up. “Have you seen something recently that carved a groove through the earth like that?”
He stilled. “Your ship.” He stared again. “But that doesn’t look the same.”
“Because the years have softened it. Filled it in partially with dirt and rocks. But look at the depression, Kavon.” She pointed. “It runs right along to the cliff face below. It might have been caused by the impact of a ship.”
He kept staring. “Maybe.”
She spun, smiling. “Let’s get down there.”
***
Aurina didn’t wait for Kavon to bring Tarm to a complete halt. As soon as the beast slowed, she tossed her leg over, and slid down the rough hide to the ground. The hargon beast snorted, steam coming from its nostrils, and she shook her head. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to a fire-breathing dragon-horse, but she gave the animal a pat on the neck before she turned away.
She looked around the ledge. It was actually far bigger than it looked from above, and even creepier. The rocks were black and gray, some twisted into weird, foreboding shapes. She spotted a few reptiles scurrying around, and here and there were piles of scat and the bleached white bones of some unfortunate creatures. She shivered. Thankfully, they hadn’t seen the beasts who’d left them behind.
She approached the large gouge, and began following it along. She could imagine a ship falling from the sky and impacting, sliding along, digging into the rock and dirt. She rubbed the back of her neck. God, she hoped she wasn’t just seeing what she wanted to see.
Something caught her eye. Some darker, deep-black rock that looked different to the rest. She stopped and crouched. It was glassy and shiny. She brushed it with her fingertips. Something very hot had blasted the rock, changing it.
She shot to her feet, barely containing the need to do a little dance. This could be it. Wow, she really was starting to understand why her Phoenix cousins had become treasure hunters…this whole “thrill of the chase” thing was exciting.
Searching the ground, she looked for metal fragments, or anything that didn’t look natural. She would have expected to see something, if a ship had crashed here.
She sensed Kavon behind her. He didn’t interrupt or growl at her, was just a quiet companion, his keen gaze continuously scanning the area around them.
He was always in warrior mode. She wondered if he ever turned it off and relaxed.
Together, they walked along the gouge. It led toward the sheer, dark cliff face. Damn, if a ship had crashed here, they should see a wreck by the cliff.
But as they got closer, she realized one patch of dark rock wasn’t just sheer cliff.
“Kavon! Look.” She scrambled nearer.
It was the mouth of a cave.
“Not too close,” he said.
She paused, looking up at the wide opening. Inside, was the densest black she’d ever seen. “If they crashed here, maybe they smashed through the rock and formed a cave?”
Colm and the other warriors appeared, holding up light wands.
“The entire mountain i
s said to be riddled with caves, caverns and the old mine tunnels,” Kavon said. “The Caverns of Riom are said to be deep within the mountain, and inhabited by beasts so wild, no one ever dares venture there.”
Nice. Of course the First Warriors couldn’t have crashed in a sunlit meadow filled with fluffy, cute animals. Aurina moved right to the mouth of the cave, the light from the wands letting her look around. She spotted a few more patches of the dark, glassy rock, but other than that, nothing. She sighed. She wasn’t expecting a sheet of metal inscribed with a ship’s name or anything, but she was hoping for something.
“I need to go farther inside,” she said.
“I forbid you to go in there.” Kavon’s voice had gone hard, unyielding.
“Kavon—”
“In there is death. It is why the mountain is forbidden, and its existence hidden from the people.”
“How badly do you want the sword?” She turned to face the cave, throwing her arms up. “We need to take a risk—”
The ground under her foot disintegrated. Off balance, she pitched forward with a scream. Darkness yawned beneath her.
Strong arms grabbed her, as she dangled over the ledge. She kicked, trying to find purchase on solid ground. She had a sense of a vast space below her, and heard the clicking echo of small rocks skittering down into the abyss.
In the next heartbeat, she was yanked up and into Kavon’s arms. She wrapped her arms around him and held on. The dual beat of his hearts was the most comforting sound she’d heard.
“Thank you. Stars—”
“Fool, I warned you.”
“I know, I know. The ground just disappeared under my feet. So go ahead and bask in the moment, warrior. You were right.”
His arms tightened around her, his face pressing into her hair. “I would prefer you alive than to be right.”
She stilled against him, then rubbed her face against his chest. Stars help her, if her warrior started to be sweet to her.
Colm edged past them, peering down. “It’s a long drop.” He bent down on one knee, and lifted a good-sized rock with both hands. He tossed it into the hole.
Aurina spun in Kavon’s arms, waiting to hear it hit.