Windwalker_Forbidden Flight

by H. J. Bellus

  He turned his head to look at her with red-rimmed eyes. “It’s fine,” he said, forcing a smile. “At least one good thing came of it,” he said, thumbing his leather windwalker vest. “Jado made it clear I would be challenging the windwalker sect following my sixteenth birthday…I might have done so anyway, but not having a choice made me furious.”

  “At least he wasn’t the clayform sidi…you’d be making bricks and shakh pots all day.” Kiva smiled, attempting to lighten his spirits.

  Jonah let out a small laugh, and looked down at her hand on his knee, as if just now noticing it.

  Kiva quickly removed it, and felt her face flushing. She cursed her skin for giving her away.

  “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “Being a windwalker was the best thing for me. The solitude of the sky, the independence it affords. Did you know that windwalkers never marry? Once you’ve bonded and taken on your duties, there is little room for much else…which is fine with me,” Jonah said a little too adamantly. “At least we’ll never have to worry about being left behind, right?” He abruptly stood, and held out a hand to help her up.

  She felt a pang of regret, but pushed it aside as she took his hand. Despite her efforts, a wave of tingling flowed through her skin at his touch. She stood as quickly as possible and released his hand.

  It appeared that Jonah’s puckish demeanor had fully returned. “There is one more exercise I’d like to try tonight. Normally, this wouldn’t be attempted so early in one’s training. Were you not such a quick study, and Zakai not so capable, I wouldn’t suggest trying it. Even seasoned windwalkers can have trouble with the maneuver.”

  Kiva’s interest was instantly piqued. “I’m in,” she said. “What is it?”

  “It is called the harab. It is an emergency escape maneuver, for use when a windwalker is in danger and needs to be elsewhere, as quickly as possible.”

  “How is it done?” Kiva asked.

  “If executed improperly, it can result in injury, or even death,” Jonah warned. “Rather than explain, I will demonstrate.” Jonah walked toward the center of the clearing where Zakai waited patiently. He approached the kiraeen, and stood before him. Placing an arm on either side of Zakai’s great head, he rested his forehead against the kiraeen’s. It only lasted a moment, but Kiva understood there was something deep and profound about the gesture.

  Jonah stepped back, placing his fingers to his mouth, and whistled. At the same time he made an upward gesture with his other hand, and Zakai leapt up into the air.

  “Stand well back,” Jonah warned, and Kiva took several large steps back.

  Once she had cleared the area, Jonah glanced up to where Zakai flew. He cupped his mouth and shouted, “Zakai! Harab alan!” Jonah immediately turned and crouched, closing his eyes. Zakai screeched out and dove toward him.

  Kiva’s heart beat faster in her chest. Zakai was streaking down with incredible speed. He would reach Jonah in seconds. Kiva’s expression changed from excitement to worry, as she remembered the dummy smashing into the nearby rock. He is going too fast! There was nothing she could do.

  Suddenly Jonah burst up from his crouch, leaping into the air. His legs were straight and rigid, and his arms were extended out from his body. Zakai reached him at the exact moment that Jonah was fully extended. The kiraeen spread his wings wide, slowing his speed. At the same time, he swung his feathered legs forward, talons open wide. They closed around Jonah’s arms, and in less than an instant, Jonah was flying forward through the air beneath Zakai. His body was prone, legs hanging straight back behind him. Zakai pumped his powerful wings, and they climbed upward, narrowly avoiding one of the rock formations.

  Incredible! Kiva thought amid a swirling mixture of thrill and terror. They flew up into the darkness, out of sight. Kiva scanned the clouded night sky impatiently. A moment later she caught movement, and found Zakai’s shape descending toward the clearing. As they grew closer, Kiva could see that Jonah had somehow moved onto the kiraeen’s back.

  Her mind suddenly flared brightly with the possibilities of flying without a harness. They glided in at great speed. Once they reached the clearing, Zakai spread his wings wide, quickly slowing them. They landed gently on the stone, and Kiva ran over.

  “That was unbelievable!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

  “With the right training, you too—”

  “You were brilliant!” Kiva said, placing a hand to the side of Zakai’s head.

  Zakai chirped, rotating his head so that she could scratch the soft down beneath his beak.

  Jonah cleared his throat. “You know, I was involved too, right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Oh yes, of course, very skillfully done,” she said before turning her attention back to Zakai.

  Jonah hopped down as Kiva once again congratulated the kiraeen on his excellent flying.

  “Alright,” Jonah said. “Your turn.”

  Kiva froze.

  “Relax. You won’t do it exactly like I did. For one, you only need to stand straight with your arms outstretched. Zakai will do the rest. Your only job is to keep calm, concentrate, and most importantly, hold still.”

  Kiva swallowed.

  What if I’m not ready? What if I flinch? Or Zakai misses and cuts off my arm? Or what if he drops—

  Kiva forcefully cut off that line of thinking. No. I am to become a windwalker, and windwalkers must conquer their fear.

  “Alright,” she said, nodding.

  “Good. As I said, you will stand at the center of the clearing with your arms outstretched. When you feel Zakai coming close, tense the muscles in your shoulders. This will prevent your arms from being pulled from their sockets, a very painful experience. Trust me,” he said knowingly.

  Kiva forced a nervous smile.

  “Once he has you, allow your legs to drift back and make your body parallel to the ground. This will improve airflow, and reduce the weight Zakai must carry.”

  “And how am I to get onto his back up there?” she asked.

  Jonah smiled. “That is a lesson for another day. For now, just focus on maintaining your nerve. It is no small thing, standing fast with a kiraeen bearing down on you.”

  “Right.” Kiva clenched her fists to keep her hands from shaking.

  “You’ll do fine, just remember what I told you,” Jonah said. He again whistled, making an upward hand motion, and Zakai lifted off, blasting them with air.

  “Back straight, arms out,” Jonah said, lifting her arms so that they were perpendicular to her body. He inspected her stance, and gave a nod of approval. “Remember,” he said, backing away at a jog, “Keep absolutely still.”

  Right, she thought nervously. Easy for you to say.

  She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to back out.

  “Ready?” he asked from where he stood, thirty paces away.

  “Ready.” Kiva hoped he was too far to hear the waver in her voice.

  “Zakai!” Jonah shouted. “Harab alan!”

  10

  Skyhunter

  No backing out now, she thought, closing her eyes. The muscles in her shoulders would have been tensed, along with every other muscle in her body, even if Jonah hadn’t suggested it. Right about now, Zakai would be streaking down through the sky toward her back, preparing to collect her in his massive, razor sharp talons. The same talons that could easily open her up from end to end in a single swipe.

  Kiva felt her legs wobbling. It was so much worse not being able to see the kiraeen coming. Her fear returned with a vengeance, and she imagined the great beast bearing down on her. She experienced the sensation of slipping from his talons, and falling hundreds of feet to the rock and sand below. I need more practice! I’m not ready!

  Kiva opened her eyes, and saw Jonah looking back at her. There was worry in his eyes. He knows! He knows this was a mistake! Panic threatene
d to take her, and she suddenly felt the great wind preceding the kiraeen. Kivanya’s survival instinct took over, and she leapt aside.

  “No!” Jonah’s voice cried out, small and far away.

  The pain was sharp and sudden. Kiva was yanked forward by her right arm. The ground sped by below her, as she was dragged across it. Zakai screeched out, and Kiva’s eyes grew wide with terror. The pain in her shoulder was suddenly secondary to the tall stone formation they were speeding toward.

  Kiva screamed out in pain as Zakai pumped his great wings once, twice, three times. They climbed until they were just high enough that her toes slid across the top of the stone. Zakai again screeched as they continued out over the drop. Hanging from a single dislocated arm, Kiva looked down at the shadowy desert floor, hundreds of feet below. She reached up with her free hand, grasping desperately at Zakai. A new pain erupted in her palm as it met the sharp end of his long, curved talon.

  Zakai worked tirelessly, gripping her tightly. With each beat of his wings, brilliant red pain stabbed into her shoulder. The kiraeen awkwardly wheeled around, until they were back over the top of the basin walls. He quickly descended, and once they were several paces from the ground, he released her. Kiva fell, bracing herself, but never felt the punishing surface of the hard stone below. Instead, she landed on something softer. It grunted with the impact as she crashed to the ground.

  Kiva lay there for a moment, in shock.

  “Kiva!” Jonah spoke breathlessly. It was he who had broken her fall in an attempt to catch her. “Kiva,” he gasped. He shifted out from under her, and she was suddenly aware of the immense, throbbing ache in her shoulder and sharp stinging laceration on her hand. Her back arched, and she cried out as nearly every muscle in her body tensed at the pain wracking her body.

  “You’re bleeding,” he said with strained worry. He pulled a dagger from his belt, and quickly cut a strip of cloth from his pants.

  “This is my fault,” he said, pulling the cork from his waterskin and rinsing the wound on her hand. “I got too comfortable. The harab should never be attempted without a bonded kiraeen. I’m such a fool!” He gently wrapped her hand with the cloth.

  Kiva groaned at the stabbing pain as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to one of the shallow caves surrounding the clearing. He gently set her down, and hot tears streaked down her face, though not from the pain.

  “I’m sorry,” she said through clenched teeth. “I panicked. I failed—”

  “No,” Jonah insisted. “This is my failure. You and Zakai were doing so well together, I thought…” He frowned, clearly distraught. “There is no substitute for a bond. I should have known.”

  Now that she was stationary, the pain in her arm transitioned from sharp stabbing to a dull throb.

  Jonah leaned over her, his eyes stricken with concern. Despite the pain and trauma, Kiva thought she saw something in his eyes beyond an instructor’s concern for his pupil.

  “Can you forgive me?” he asked.

  “There—ah!” Another pain shot through her arm as she tried to shift. “There is nothing to forgive,” she finished. “Is Zakai alright?”

  “You can ask him yourself,” Jonah said, leaning back.

  Zakai chirped from behind him, tentatively peering around.

  “I think he might feel worse than either of us,” Jonah said.

  “I’m sorry Zakai. I should have trusted you…I just…”

  Zakai cooed quietly, nudging her hand with his beak.

  “It’s not your fault,” she insisted. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Had you been bonded to Zakai, you would have known exactly where he was. Your connection with him would have allayed any anxiety. It was neither your fault, nor his.” Jonah sighed deeply.

  “Then I will just have to bond my own kiraeen,” Kiva said, grimacing from the pain.

  “First things first,” Jonah said. “Your shoulder is dislocated. We need to re-set it. It will be painful at first, but once it’s back in place the pain should diminish almost entirely.”

  “Let’s get on with it, then,” she said, grimacing.

  Jonah nodded. “Here.” He removed his vest, folded it, and placed it under her head. He then moved to her injured side and sat with his legs stretched out before him, feet resting against her torso. Jonah then gently grasped the wrist of her dislocated arm, which was resting on her chest.

  Kiva grit her teeth, biting back the pain.

  He slowly extended the arm to a ninety degree angle, so that her hand was resting on his lap. Kiva tried not to cry out, but was unable to remain silent.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Do it.”

  Jonah leaned back, bracing himself against her with his legs.

  Kiva couldn’t help crying out as her arm slid under the bone of her shoulder blade, and thunked back into its socket.

  Red faced and panting, Kiva could feel the sweat standing out on her face. The pain in her shoulder was greatly reduced, just as Jonah had said it would be. He tenderly placed her arm back so it rested across her torso.

  “I’m afraid you’ll not be doing any climbing for at least a few days,” he said. “The cut on your hand is shallow, but your shoulder will take time.”

  “What? No! I have to get back to my room,” Kiva said sitting up. “Can you fly me down into it?”

  “There’s no safe way to pull that off, especially not in your current state.”

  “There has to be another way down…?”

  “I am afraid not,” he answered bluntly.

  “Al’ama,” she cursed. “What am I going to do? If they think I’ve escaped, they’ll call off the trial. This will have all been for nothing!”

  Jonah placed a hand to his chin. “I might be able to buy you some time…wait here. I’ll be back in an hour.”

  “An hour?” she groaned, but he was already on his way out of the small cave. He returned a moment later with the torch he had been using to light the targets, and propped it between two stones beside her.

  “I’ll be back. You rest.”

  Kiva sighed and lay her head back on his folded windwalker vest.

  She had no way to track the time, but when she heard him landing in the stone clearing outside, it felt far longer than an hour.

  Moments later he rushed in, a stuffed satchel strung over his shoulder.

  “Sorry that took so long,” he said, crouching down beside her, pulling items from the overflowing bag. There were blankets, multiple jugs of water, clean bandages for her hand, dried aga strips wrapped in white cloth, and several other small necessities. He then lifted another strap she hadn’t noticed over his head. It was connected to a hardened leather tube, which he pulled open. Inside were rolled up scripts. He handed the tube to her.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “Reading material,” he answered. “Windwalker history, philosophy, kiraeen care and temperament. That kind of thing. I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to catch up on the written part of your training.”

  Kiva nodded. “Thank you.” She wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of reading all day, but it beat sitting in Mica’s room, staring at the pattern on the rug.

  “Were you able to do anything? You said you could buy some time?”

  “I did have some success,” he said cautiously, “Though it wasn’t easy.”

  “Oh thank goodness,” Kiva said. “How? What did you do?”

  “I spoke with your mother and—”

  “You did what?” Kiva asked, turning to him aghast.

  “I spoke to your mother,” he answered, as if he hadn’t just committed a disastrous blunder. “Your father was there too of course. He is a very large man!”

  Kiva palmed her forehead. “Oh no.”

  “Listen,” Jonah said, removing her hand from her face.
“It’s fine. Your mother agreed to help. She will spend the next few nights in your room, accepting your meals from the keepers. She will tell them you have become ill, and that she is caring for you.”

  “Uff,” Kiva exclaimed. “So they know you have been training me?”

  Jonah nodded.

  “My father must be furious,” Kiva said hopelessly.

  “On the contrary,” he said calmly. “Of course, they were rather surprised to see me showing up at their home at such an hour…but once I told them of your success, and convinced them I wouldn’t get their only daughter killed, they were both rather proud. Though your father did say that if anything happened to you, he would—”

  “Proud…” Kiva repeated in disbelief. “They were proud?”

  “Oh yes,” Jonah nodded. “Here. Let’s get that hand cleaned up.”

  Kiva held out her hand and Jonah took it, unwrapping the strip of cloth he’d cut from his pants.

  “Did they say anything else?” she asked.

  “They say they love you very much, and that they will try to come and see you again before the trial…once you’re back in your room, that is.”

  Jonah poured cool water over her injured hand, and re-wrapped it with clean bandages.

  Kiva felt the knots in her stomach slowly unwind. She hadn’t completely messed things up. The training would continue, and she still had a chance of being ready by the day of the trial.

  “Your mother was actually quite glad for an opportunity to help,” Jonah explained. “With the strike ongoing, she said it would give her something to do with all the extra time.

  “Strike? What strike?”

  “Oh that’s right, you’d not have heard…” he trailed off.

  “What? Out with it!” she pressed him impatiently.

  “Nearly every last woman in the basin has stopped working, both in home and sect. They are demanding equal representation on the council of elders. The entire basin has ground to a halt. It is quite a sight to behold,” he said with a grin.

  Kiva smiled. Her heart filled with pride at the courage and strength of her mother, the weavers, and the women of the basin. She was proud to be a part of it.