Skyborn

by David Dalglish

  Though I’d wanted to do a floating island story for a very long time, I never did. Couldn’t decide what story I wanted to tell. People are living on a floating island, awesome… now what? And that was what tripped me up for so long. Now what? So as I started forming this story, I built the world first on a purely mechanical level. What kept the islands afloat? Where do they get fresh water? Food? How does everyone travel? Oh, and of course: how can I make combat awesome and fit my kind of storytelling (i.e., stupid and over-the-top fun)?

  One of the things I did not want to do was have a segmented caste system, some up high, some down below on the ground. It seems that in every instance of a city on the clouds, the obvious symbolism becomes a bit too enticing. But then the conflict becomes earthbound versus skyborn, and let’s face it, the people in the clouds are going to end up the villains in some way, shape, or form. We tend to root for the underdogs, and rarely is the civilization living clean and free high up in the clouds going to be considered the underdog over those living down in the dirt.

  So I wanted a civilization in the clouds, and only the clouds. I wanted to fully embrace every aspect of it instead of creating a juxtaposition between earthbound and skyborn. Most of all, I wanted to convey the thrill of flying. If I’m going to have floating islands, why not have people zipping through the air? Aerial combat? I can work with that. But I’m also the guy who likes to fling around giant fireballs, so what can I do to satisfy that itch? I was tempted to just use magic, but this time around, starting off in a brand-new series, brand-new world, I wanted to keep myself a little more under control, keep the setting a bit more structured.

  The concept of the prisms came about after a few iterations, but once I settled on the idea, everything grew from there: the wings, the Founts, the Beams, all of it. Once I had the world, well, now it was time to figure out the characters, and the overall story arc. One day, while in the middle of writing a completely different book, and months before I went all-in on this one, I took a day off to write a single chapter that’d popped into my head and refused to leave. It was of two children sitting on the edge of the world, watching the sun set, except instead of seeing stars emerge, they watched the sky be consumed with fire.

  That was it. That was when I knew this book had grown from an interesting idea to something I must put to paper. I wrote that single chapter, then set it aside. Weeks later I wrote a second chapter, this time while between projects. The third and fourth chapters I wrote during days of frustration while finishing the sixth and final Shadowdance book. My poor editor would probably strangle me (and likely will once she gets to this note) for how much this book stole my attention from that one. But by the time I finished that fourth chapter, I knew it, felt it in my gut, that this could be something special.

  And I believe it is. I hope you do, too, dear reader.

  Real quick thanks, so feel free to skip this paragraph. Thanks to my agent, Michael, for helping me fine-tune the book in its early stages. Thanks to my friend Rob, for listening while I bounced off ideas and for keeping me from using the terrible ones. Thanks to my editor, Devi, for coming in with the same energy and excitement on this, book seven, as you did years ago on book one.

  Of course, thanks to you as well, dear reader, whether this is the first book of mine you’ve read or the twentieth. If you enjoyed this book, please tell a friend, blab on your social media of choice, or even better, write a review at wherever you purchased this. Your support is what keeps me going, and I cannot thank you enough. Because of you, I get to live in the clouds telling stories. I couldn’t be happier, or more blessed.

  David Dalglish

  February 29, 2015

  extras

  meet the author

  Photo credit: Mike Scott

  DAVID DALGLISH currently lives in rural Missouri with his wife, Samantha, and daughters Morgan and Katherine. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in mathematics and currently spends his free time wondering how his seven-year-old is so much better than him at Minecraft.

  introducing

  If you enjoyed

  SKYBORN,

  look out for

  FIREBORN

  Seraphim: Book Two

  by David Dalglish

  “Where are we going?” Bree asked as Argus led her down the road, heading farther north. The trade district was far behind them, the tall wooden buildings replaced with the much more familiar squat stone homes akin to those in Lowville. Each kept an eye on the sky at all times, painfully aware of how vulnerable they were to any angelic knights who might fly overhead.

  “To a barn just outside town,” Argus said. Despite them being alone on the street, he glanced about as if searching for eavesdroppers. “My most trusted Seraphim are gathered there. Flying anywhere is a risk, so most everyone walked there over the past hours. When we do fly out, it’ll be together, as a cohesive unit.”

  Bree nodded, flattered to be considered one of his trusted few. It should seem silly given all she’d done in her past two battles against Galen, but Argus was still the legendary hero of Weshern’s Seraphim, while she… well, they might be attempting to craft the Phoenix into a similar hero, but she still wasn’t there yet.

  “What do we do when we get the elements?” she asked.

  “Then we fly the hell out of there,” Argus said. “This is a smash and grab, Bree. It should fit your reckless talents well.”

  “Are backhanded compliments the only compliments you know?”

  Argus laughed.

  “Perhaps. Once our nation isn’t on the verge of complete domination I’ll try harder to use tact.”

  Before she could respond, Argus suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked, hard. The two tumbled against the stone side of a house, both backs against it, Bree’s startled cry muffled against Argus’s palm.

  “Quiet,” he whispered into her ear.

  By then there was no need. She heard the thrumming of wings. An angelic knight flew overhead, his form a shadow against the rippling midnight fire. He kept closer to ground than the others she’d seen earlier in the night, traveling in a gentle curve looping about the outskirts of Glensbee. The overhang of the roof was a paltry amount of cover, but it seemed enough as the knight continued on. That, or the two didn’t appear worthy of notice.

  “It’s only going to get worse,” Argus said as he let Bree go. “So far we’ve only hidden what is ours. Once we retaliate, and the Speaker realizes he has a full rebellion on his hands, neither night or day will be safe for us.”

  “This is our home,” Bree said. “We should never feel unsafe here.”

  Argus gestured to the sky, where the knight had just flown.

  “Then you know who to blame,” he said.

  They continued on, keeping close to the homes they passed in case another knight flew over. Bree saw that up ahead the buildings stopped entirely, meaning they’d soon be traveling on open ground. It was a prospect she was not looking forward to in the slightest. Neither was Argus by the looks of it, for he stopped at the very last home. He did not meet her gaze, only stared at the road splitting the tall grassland.

  “I should be honest with you,” he said. “There’s a reason I want you with us tonight. You’re our backup plan, our secret weapon in case things go foul. Do you know what that means?”

  Bree wasn’t sure what she could be missing, but his apprehension made no sense.

  “I’m not sure I do,” she said.

  Argus turned to face her, his blue eyes shining a deep purple from the midnight fire.

  “It means I’m relying on your burning swords to save us. Your burning swords, which no other Seraph on Weshern, if not all the islands, has ever wielded before.”

  Suddenly it clicked. Bree felt a pit growing in her stomach, and she crossed her arms against a sudden chill worming through her.

  “If anyone survives, they’ll know I participated,” she said.

  Argus nodded.

  “At night, ami
d the midnight fire and the chaos of battle, each one of us might go undetected, but not you. The moment you reveal yourself to the theotechs, you’ll put your entire family in danger. This isn’t something I want you doing lightly, nor feel like you have no choice in the matter. We need you, Bree, I won’t deny that, but we need all your heart and soul, without regrets or fear. The moment you fly afraid is the moment I watch you die.”

  Bree stood up straight, her bruised ego giving her the strength to meet his gaze.

  “I will never fly afraid,” she said. “And I’ll take care to keep my fire unused unless I absolutely must.”

  “Good.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to make this decision now. Talk it over with your aunt and your brother. Their lives will be in just as much risk as yours. If all goes well, revealing yourself won’t be necessary, not tonight. Surprise will be on our side, I’m confident of that. But the time will come.” He squeezed, then released. “Just be sure you’re ready to make that sacrifice.”

  He paused, and she could tell he was waiting for her to make the first move. Swallowing down her nerves, she looked once more to the sky, then back to Argus.

  “Time is wasting,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  Breaking into a sprint, she raced down the dirt road, the former commander easily keeping up with her. They ran, the tall grass waving on either side of them from the soft breeze. They ran, passing through the red and orange world until Argus finally veered off onto one of several side paths. Up ahead was a barn, and Bree felt relief that they’d reached it without being spotted by a patrolling knight. Despite the clear red sky, she maintained her run until reaching the whitewashed wooden sides and the huge doors cracked open a foot. Bree hesitated, waiting until Argus entered first.

  At some point the barn would be stocked floor to high ceiling with hay for the animals in the coming cold season, but for now it was mostly empty, with only a third of the back wall blocked off by tall stacks of hay bundles. The rest of the open space was filled with Seraphs, men and women standing about in uniform, wing harnesses resting on the floor beside them. In the dim crimson light, Bree estimated thirty at most. Their idle conversations dwindled at their commander’s entrance, though more than a few eyes stared Bree’s way as well. Bree scanned for familiar faces, vaguely recognizing some from her lengthy drills prior to battle against Galen’s Seraphim, particularly those few who had been members of Phoenix Squad.

  “We’re all here,” Argus said to them, garnering their attention with a single clearing of his throat. “So suit up. We’re taking back what is ours.”

  Argus turned to her.

  “We have a set for you this way,” he said.

  She followed him to the far side, where atop the hay were twin pairs of unclaimed wings. One had black lines painted on its silver wings and clearly belonged to Argus. The other was slightly smaller, and Bree felt a chill sweep through her as she picked it up. Despite all that had happened, the skies were not yet denied to her. Sliding an arm through the harness, she hoisted it onto her back, put her other arm through, and settled the weight on her shoulders. Immediately she felt more at ease than she had for the past several hours.

  This was the life she knew. This was where she belonged. The planning, the strategy, the politics: all that belonged to others far more suited to the challenges they presented. For her, she wanted an enemy in the skies before her, and her swords and fire to bring them down. Everything else was just unwanted complication. Her hands flew over the buckles, tightening them about her waist, thighs, and arms, the preparatory act one she could perform in her sleep.

  As she tightened the gauntlet about her right hand, Argus pulled a bag free from a clip on his belt and dipped his fingers inside. He pulled out a single fire prism, which pulsed a soft red. She reached to take it, but when her hand closed about it, Argus did not release immediately. His eyes met hers, and he spoke in a low voice.

  “Remember, only if you must, and only if you are truly ready.”

  “I understand,” she said, pulling the prism free, opening the compartment on her gauntlet and sliding it inside. Element secure, she closed the compartment with a satisfying click. As Argus moved about, checking on others, offering them encouragement, one of the Seraphs came over to join Bree beside the hay.

  “We won’t be flying in formation tonight,” Olivia said. Her dark hair was tied tight behind her head in preparation for battle. The light of the midnight fire coming in through the high windows cast a shadow across her sharp features, adding an edge to her beauty. “We don’t expect much aerial opposition at first, so when knights do appear, we’ll already be scattered, fighting ground troops or loading up the elements. Just stay with me on the way, then break solo when combat begins. With how few of us there are, we should be safe from potential collisions.”

  “Ground troops?” Bree asked, realizing it was a subject she’d never pondered before. “How do I engage ground troops?”

  Olivia gave her a look, then immediately softened.

  “Right,” she said. “I forget how young you are. If the Speaker had not closed the academy, you’d have begun studying air-to-ground warfare during your second year. Not much we can do now, so I’ll tell you the absolute basics. Arrows are a very real danger, so never fly in a straight line. Veer at all times. Beyond that, a braced soldier bearing a shield will not be deterred by your speed, and should you hit at even half throttle, you’ll break both your necks. Everything is hit-and-run. Bombard from above with your element, and rush in to use your swords only when you absolutely must.” The woman cracked a rare smile. “Which for you I assume will be almost immediately.”

  Bree felt her cheeks blushing and was glad it’d be all but impossible to notice in the barn. Despite her ability to bathe her swords in flame, she still lacked any control over her fire when used as a projectile. Instructor Kime had compared wielding fire to playing an instrument, and her as being tone-deaf. If that was true, her burning blades were a strange bypassing of her disability.

  “Everyone, gather up,” Argus called from the center of the barn. The Seraphs shuffled toward him, and Bree stayed at Olivia’s side.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Bree told her.

  “Most everyone from Phoenix Squad is,” Olivia said. “It seems you’re the inspiration Argus insists you are.”

  More nervous blushing. It was bad enough that someone as skilled and famous as Commander Argus was talking about her, but that he was making claims that she might be an inspiration? For whom? The other Seraphim? The people of Weshern? She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to know, so she kept her mouth shut and just smiled meekly.

  “I’ll try to make this quick,” Argus began once all were gathered around him. “From what we can tell, the wagons are making their way toward the western docks. By midday tomorrow, they will be off our island, which means we must attack tonight. My hope is that we catch them unprepared. We’ve been Center’s puppets for a long time, and they may not realize the lengths we will go to achieve true independence. Make no mistake; every last one of you here is signing a death warrant by participating in this attack. Should you be identified, you, your family, and all those you love will be in danger. The theotechs of Center have held on to power for centuries, and they will not relinquish it kindly. If we want Weshern pried free from their grasp, we’ll need to start cutting fingers.”

  “My swords are ready to do the cutting,” a Seraph near Argus shouted, and the rest laughed. Argus grinned at him, a wolfish gleam in his eye.

  “I hope all of you get your chance tonight,” he said. “The wagons stopped just outside the town of Melisand. For those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s fifteen miles west of the academy grounds, following Angelic Road. The theotechs accompanying the wagons appear to have rented rooms in town. A fortunate break for us, for it means many of the angelic knights will be with them to act as bodyguards. As for the rest, we hit hard, and slaughter them while they’re unaware. After th
at, we press our numbers advantage, secure a quick victory, and then move out before reinforcements arrive.”

  Their commander slowly turned, letting his gaze sweep over them.

  “Once the battle ends, flee to Aquila Forest. Deep inside, we’re building the infrastructure of Weshern’s rebellion. Don’t worry if you don’t know where inside the forest. Those there know of tonight’s attempt, and they’ll be watching for returning Seraphim so they may signal you to safety. Just make sure you’re not followed. The moment Center realizes where we are, and the Speaker brings his entire forces to bear against us, we’re all dead.”

  Argus pointed to several men and women, listing their names as he did.

  “You will be responsible for obtaining the elements and carrying them to safety,” he said when finished. “Everyone else, you’re to be their guards. Clear out any knights you encounter and any ground troops that might be stationed on defense. Do whatever it takes for us to secure the elements. Is that clear?”

  A chorus of nervous cheers were his answer, Bree’s included. Fighting Seraphim of Galen, whom Weshern had a long, storied history of conflict with, was one thing. Battling the elite angelic knights of Center? That carried a hint of fear, of the impossible. Bree was about to engage with the best of the best, and potentially without her fire to aid her. It was terrifying, if she gave too much thought to it, which is why she joined the others in cheering instead.