by R A Lindo
“Correct.”
“And the ones who don’t pass the test?” Conrad asks, already sensing the answer.
“Those with malice in their souls become unpredictable until they make a mistake, leading to the obvious outcome.”
The Velynx, I think, imagining the fate awaiting those too damaged to heal, disturbed thoughts making them increasingly dangerous.
“Are there any Domitus you suspect of harbouring resentment towards the Society?” I ask, picking up on Orgev’s changing expression.
“Two who roam without purpose,” Orgev adds, pausing on our tour as we approach an enormous illustrated window, decorating the west wall of the mountain hollow. “You may have seen them in The Shallows recently.”
Orgev already knows about Odin and Neve Blin, making me wonder if he’s been expecting our visit.
“We saw them on our arrival here,” Conrad adds, seemingly irritated whenever he thinks of them.
“Yes, Conrad. They are rarely at ease here, meaning their future path is unclear.”
“What’s their problem?”
Orgev looks at Conrad and me before adding, “You.”
It turns out Odin and Neve Blin lost a lot of relatives in the last war, and they blame us for their deaths. Whoever the Blin members were who lost their lives, they chose the side of darkness: malevs aligning themselves with evil. Their dead relatives did their best to kill us, but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Feeling more at ease in Drandok now, we stand by the large illustrated window at the west end of the illuminated space. Illustrated windows are designed to show multiple scenes, usually from different faculties or magical realms. All the scenes on this window are from the realm we’re currently in: visions of taming and healing.
The image I’m looking at shows another taming range … triangular in shape … a Silverback crashing into the mountain face as it attempts flight. Orgev runs his hand along the steel frame of the window, causing each pane to blend into a single image of an outside space, and a familiar roar.
I recognise Odin and Neve Blin straight away, hovering in the sky on the back of their Silverbacks — as emotionless as ever. They’re overseeing the release of other Silverbacks into the sky, ready to recondition the weakened beasts in the air. Conrad steps closer to me, studying every move the two Domitus make, searching for a clue to their true intentions. Are they damaged beyond repair or troubled soldiers trying to recover from battle?
Every move they make is marked with frustration, jerking their Silverbacks into position as they track the released Riadek: the official name for Silverbacks. They use a collection of charms and curses to control their flight path — two silent wizards with vengeance in their eyes.
“Still want that duel, Conrad?” Noah says, offering his best friend a half-smile.
Conrad doesn’t reply, more interested in the process of taming in the skies: a sky rider who understands the human-creature bond. “They’re not at one with them,” Conrad states, placing his right hand on the window. “Everything’s forced … as if they’re taking their anger out on the Silverbacks.”
“An interesting observation, Conrad,” comes Orgev’s reply. “You have a legendary connection to your Williynx.”
“You should feel aligned to your creature,” Conrad continues as his eyes narrow: a suspicion returning. “They’re completely disconnected from their Silverbacks, and look at how they release the Niavak curse … in a wave not a whisper. It’s all too crude: too forced.”
“Your friend mentions a duel?” came the voice of the eldest of our guides.
“Conrad thinks Odin and Neve were trying to draw us into something,” Lucy explains, throwing me a concerned glance.
We both know what’s coming next.
“As if they were drawing you here,” Orgev adds, rubbing his beard as he studies the black smoke filling the air: cursed smoke tracking weakened, disoriented creatures through the sky.
“Exactly,” Conrad replies, stepping back from the window, “and what better way than a duel to find out their true intentions?”
17
Subtle Sorcery
We leave the illustrated window and enter the mountain crevice to our left, leading us to another taming range where our silent foes await. Olin and Neve lead the taming in the sky: a procedure to condition weakened Silverbacks to comply to their new masters. I still don’t like the methods the Domitus use, but the Riadek are fierce creatures, able to rip a human to shreds with one swipe of their wings.
At the end of the day, it’s not my decision and if taming dangerous creatures is what we do now, it’s not for me to argue. I’m more interested in the setup of Drandok — almost like a halfway house between normality and criminality.
I accept that it’s a big improvement on ignoring problems until they spiral out of control. It’s better to know your potential enemies than believe they’ll never pose a genuine threat. As we make our way along the narrow crevice, the walls glowing with light, I touch Conrad’s hand to get his attention. We’re on the way to watch Olin and Neve in action, waiting to see their response when we appear on the mountainside.
If Conrad’s right and they appeared in Poridian Parlour to draw us here, he’ll get the duel he’s seeking. I’m just worried the two emotionless figures have got more than a friendly duel in mind, meaning our first trip to Drandok could be a memorable one.
Our Williynx stay close by, maintaining their tiny forms, as light appears at the far end of the narrow crevice: a sign we’ve almost reached our vantage point.
“Let’s take it easy until we know more,” I suggest, brushing my hand against Conrad’s, getting his full attention.
He buttons his grey coat as if he’s preparing for milder temperatures outside, ready to enter the taming range on the back of his trusted turquoise Williynx. “I’ll only react to what I’m faced with.”
“We don’t want a battle on our first visit here,” Lucy adds, adjusting the scarf around her neck.
We’re all skilled Night Rangers, equally comfortable in the sky or on land, which doesn’t mean the Silverbacks don’t pose a problem. You normally encounter Silverbacks in battle, firing out a volley of defensive charms as your Williynx spins and shoots out blasts of ice.
As this isn’t a battle, it’s not going to be a straightforward case of storming towards the enemy because, in theory, there isn’t an enemy … just two silent soldiers with an axe to grind.
“We can watch the taming process from the mountain range,” Orgev explains, stroking his beard again as if he’s pondering something.
It looks like we’re not the only ones who think Odin and Neve are shifty characters.
“It will give you a greater insight into how we use curses to test each Domitus,” Orgev continues.
“So, the curses don’t affect the creatures at all?” Lucy queries.
“Only to contain, leading to a slow submission. Remember, dark magic has a hypnotic effect on underworld creatures.”
“And these vantage points help you to monitor how the curses are applied,” Conrad adds, looking out over the mountain range framing the taming space, beginning to understand the intricacies of the process. As we join the crowds lining the mountain side, I keep my eyes on Odin and Neve who hover in the sky close by.
“Much will be revealed with your arrival,” Orgev adds, “including the extent of their grudge.”
I feel Laieya fluttering by my shoulder, struggling to maintain her minuscule form at the sight of the Riadek nearby: an old enemy from times gone by. It won’t be long before the taming display begins … the unchained Silverback below stretching its vast, armoured wings, attempting to regain enough strength to rise into the skies.
Conrad keeps the two emotionless Domitus in his sights. With our knowledge of Drandok improved, we now know where suspicion lies so wait for the right time to strike. As the weakened Silverback rises into the air, crashing into the mountain walls before regaining its sense of flight, the first wisp
of black smoke appears from the hands of Odin and Neve: a Niavak curse creeping towards the ascending Silverback.
The cursed smoke circles around them, reminding me of matadors taming bulls. According to Orgev, the Niavak curse is only used to bring about submission. The question now is how much Odin and Neve enjoy the dark power at their disposal — the very reason curses are part of the taming ritual: to reveal soldiers whose scars have tipped them over the edge.
The two Domitus continue to circle on their armoured creatures, controlling the flight path of the weakened Silverback who falters at the sight of the black smoke. With the crowds looking on, monitoring every move, I step closer to Conrad who has edged away from the group, his turquoise Williynx shape-shifting into a slightly bigger form.
Aa Odin and Neve close in on the Silverback closer to us, they veer towards the mountain side, their Riadek’s wings spiking as they fly past us: as clear sign they have an axe to grind. Conrad doesn’t need any more encouragement, whistling for Erivan to reform in all his majesty. I do the same, calling Laieya into action. Less than a minute later all four Williynx are circling in the sky, ready for us to free fall into action.
There’s no other way of attaching ourselves to our feathered companions so we jump off the mountainside … the gasp from the crowds reaching us as we do. Free falling is one of the first tricks you learn as a Night Ranger, allowing for a dramatic introduction to battle.
We spin through the air on the back of our Williynx, avoiding the cursed smoke as we reach a higher vantage point, ready for the duel I knew was coming.
“Stay close together,” Conrad says, “and keep an eye on the trail of smoke.”
Odin and Neve rise higher in the sky, riding on either side of the weakened Riadek, a string of smoke running from their hands towards the creature’s body.
“Once we close in, we’ll know what their problem is,” I add, readying my hand to release a defensive charm.
The S.P.M.A. hasn’t exactly authorised this duel but, at the same time, it fits into their assessment of soldiers arousing suspicion. Like the use of the curses, the duel will draw out buried resentments, putting Odin and Neve on a path to redemption or punishment.
“Looks fairly harmless so far,” Noah states as we rise higher, moments before the weakened Silverback’s wings close and it falls from the sky.
“Normal formation!” Conrad shouts over the stricken Silverback’s roar, and we form a circle to prepare for the colossal, armoured beast falling at speed.
It only takes a glance in the direction of Odin and Neve to know this is no accident, but we can take care of them later. Right now, there’s a massive creature about to crash down on us so the force field charm is enacted … a collective shout of ‘FORA’ generating an invisible blanket of protection, powerful enough to halt the Silverback’s fall.
With the Fora charm doing its job, the Weveris charm is generated to add protective cover for our faces … black webs over our noses and mouths as the wisps of cursed smoke stretch through the air, still under the command of the two Domitus who look on.
It’s obvious what happens next … the Niavak curse will close in, causing the Silverback to jolt into action, fear igniting into flight … which is when we’ll be faced with huge, armoured wings spiking into action. One strike of those wings is enough to sever a human body so I watch as the smoke closes in, remembering Orgev’s comment that curses aren’t used against creatures, but to reveal the dark intentions of the damaged and deranged.
Odin and Neve haven’t revealed enough yet, making sure their ‘mistake’ happened at a distance, so it’s time for a little surprise of our own: my favourite fire charm igniting the stricken Silverback into action. The fire lights up the Fora charm which continues to offer a protective blanket for us. I don’t need to look at Conrad, Lucy and Noah to establish the plan because whenever there’s fire, there’s fury.
With the fire covering the Fora charm, the Riadek roars to life, bursting upwards once more … only this time we use ice to freeze the cursed smoke … leaving Odin and Neve to work out a Plan B before a revitalised beast rips them to shreds.
We need a safe place to watch the final phase from, whispering instructions to our Williynx who adapt smaller forms once more, using their claws to perch on the mountain face, slightly below the crowds looking on with interest.
“Don’t you think we should help?” Lucy poses as the Riadek releases a colossal roar, a volley of defensive charms from Odin and Neve bouncing off its armour.
“They’ll either tame it or lose control,” I say, hovering in mid-air alongside my three allies, using my love of fire to add some spice to proceedings.
“They’re going to get ripped to shreds,” Noah adds, cringing as the two shifty Domitus dart through the skies, sending out ineffective showers of light and energy that do nothing to stop the beast on their tail.
“They’re supposed to be creature tamers, aren’t they?” Conrad adds, offering me a satisfying smile, “so let’s find out what they’re made of. They wanted this duel, after all.”
It turns out that what Odin and Neve are made of is hollow courage, struggling to control the erratic flight of the Silverbacks they ride on. They dart at different angles to avoid their pursuers spiked, armoured wings, kicking hard to control their flight path as they whip out a fire charm of their own … but it has no effect … the velocity of the free Riadek too great to be stopped by clouds of fire.
As the crowds look on from the mountainside, the first mistake happens as the roaring Riadek crashes into Odin who falls from his weakened creature, enacting the flight charm to halt his fall. A single flower appears above his hand — the stem wrapping around his wrist as the flower spins in a propellor motion, easing him onto the ground.
He’s an open target now, and with Neve using an invisibility charm to hide her fall only Odin remains in danger. Why he hasn’t thought of making himself invisible is a puzzle, probably because he’s caught in a scenario he didn’t expect. He has to tame or be tamed, I realise, the entire principle that Drandok is founded on: the assessment of broken soldiers and the extent to which their minds have been darkened by battle.
Battle is the very thing Odin’s faced with now, looking up to see the roaring Silverback closing in with another chained creature occupying the taming range below. Serious injury won’t be allowed, obviously, but every move a Domitus makes in Drandok marks their future, and Odin’s future doesn’t look too bright at the moment.
If he doesn’t find a way to tame the beast, he’s proven himself unfit for duty, having already ‘lost control’ of the Riadek in the skies: a sneaky way of targeting us. It’s a pity he didn’t think of the consequences of tempting four Night Rangers to Drandok, knowing full well that two of them are already war veterans.
“I bet you any money he quits, leaving us to rescue him,” Noah says as he rubs his companion’s fire-red feathers.
“How much?” Conrad challenges, loving a bit of competition.
“Half the money I lost yesterday, thinking you wouldn’t sing: a thousand Kyals to see who’s right.”
“You’re on,” Conrad replies with a confident smile as we get comfortable, ready to find out what Odin Blin is made of.
18
A Shower of Ice
The expected bubble of light appears around Odin as the Riadek roars towards him, the activation of the Velinis charm likely to offer only temporary protection from a ferocious beast: Odin’s going to need a lot more than this to escape unscathed.
The four of us perch on our Williynx on the mountain ridge, ready to intervene if necessary. The job of a Night Ranger is to keep the peace, after all, so we can’t just sit back and watch a comrade come to harm, even if he is a potential malev in the making.
As the Silverback crashes into the ruby-red bubble of protection surrounding Odin, our Williynx squawk in an instinctive desire to intervene, but we whisper reassurances to them, rubbing their feathered coats to keep them calm. Althou
gh beautiful to look at, Williynx can be as fierce as any underworld creature, including the brutal beast that turns in flight, opening its armoured wings to smash into Odin’s fragile defences.
The taming range has been cleared on the ground below — chained Silverbacks returned to their cells at the sight of potential carnage above. I’m fairly sure Odin’s current predicament isn’t in the training manual. All eyes are on us now as the ruby-red Velinis charm cracks, leaving Odin increasingly vulnerable to the vicious creature who circles again, letting out a roar that reverberates around the mountains.
The Riadek could make its escape, of course, finally free of the chains of its captors, but underworld creatures are designed for cruelty so vengeance remains the aim: the target now scrambling to retrieve a Zombul from his jacket pocket. It’s the very artefact Alice Aradel sought out to protect herself with: a small, silver object punctuated with holes at the top.
A Zombul is able to release any creature small enough to explode from it ... the vampiric Ameedis bursting into life now swarming the Silverback as it closes in. The vicious, black birds have no impact on the creature, bouncing off its armour as they try to find flesh to sink their teeth into.
“This is getting out of hand,” Lucy says, her slight figure tensing in mild frustration.
I know what she’s thinking; we didn’t sign up to observe cruelty so I echo her sentiments, adding, “Time to move in.”
“What about the bet?” Noah asks, deciding not to pursue the point as Lucy glares at him.
“We’re still on duty, remember,” Lucy adds defiantly, “and Night Rangers protect.”
With the crowds watching from above, lining the perch framing the triangular taming range, I catch a glimpse of Orgev’s face — the muscle-bound, bearded Domitus who’s provided clarity on the purpose of curses. His frown suggests his own suspicions, studying a group who arrived to get answers and are now raising doubts.