The Barrier: The Teorran of Time: Teen Fantasy Action Adventure Novel (17 page)

Serin's brows lifted as she bit her lip softly, “A castle, do you know where it is?” she said.

“I think it’s in the southwest.” Shaz said, folding the map.

"You think?"

Shaz blushed and tried to estimate what direction they needed to go. He stood with his finger on his chin, his brows furrowed in deep thought. Serin smirked. She rummaged through the side pockets of the saddle. Her finger slipped across something cold and metallic. She had to stretch onto her tippy toes in order to grab hold of the little object and found it was a compass.

"Shaz." she called, and tossed the compass to him.

He snagged the flying object out of the sky.

"Oh perfect." he said.

Shaz steered the little unevenly dancing needle a few times before settling on the direction of north.

"We go that way." Shaz

He grabbed the reins, lifted his leg and was just about to shove his boot into the stirrups.

"What makes you think you get to direct the horse?"

It wasn't her arms folded across her chest or her head cocked to one side that made him sheepish. It was the tone in her voice. Instead of her normal caressing tone, it was sharp and full of irritation.

"Um, I guess I didn't think about it, but I am the-"

"Don't say it Shaz" she tapped one foot.

"Why don't you sit up front and I'll climb on after you." he said.

Serin grabbed the reins, threw her foot into the stirrups, and climbed onto the horse.

"Well maybe I'll just walk with Jag for a bit." he said and started walking.

Serin snickered a little then jumped off the horse. She bumped his shoulder with hers. She was impressed that he didn't argue with her and that he was willing to let her ride the horse alone.

The Tracker

Groargoth returned to his father’s tent and began rummaging through his things. He pulled the ring of the kingdom from his father’s lifeless toe and slipped it onto his. Groargoth grew angrier the more he searched and couldn't find the parchment. He knew his father would have written his decree. Scrolls and books littered the floor as he recklessly sifted through the old king’s papers. He spotted the old box under the corner of the bed.

He slid the lid off and pulled out the document. He took a piece of burning wood from the fire and lit the edge. Hypnotized by the fire’s powers, Groargoth watched the small flame dance and sway. Lahonti came into the tent and saw it burning.

"Ah, good you’re here. Send for Yavo, I have a mission for him," Groargoth said. 

Lahonti's stomach hit the bottom of his frame and lurched up.

"The tracker?”

"Yes, you idiot, of course the tracker. If Azrak thinks he's going to make a fool out of me, he's dead wrong."

"Last I heard he was in the far north. It will take a few weeks to get him here."

"Azrak can't get far. Besides where is he going to run? Our world is only so big."

"Sir, what about the Armada?"

"What about them?"

"You could send Ralti and Brigdon after him."

"Very well, fetch them. Oh, and from now on Lahonti, you will not advise me on anything, unless I ask."

Groargoth shot him a seething glare and Lahonti squatted, bowed and left.

Groargoth was in no hurry. He knew that Yavo was the best tracker. Yavo knew this land so well that it would only be a matter of time before he found Azrak. Besides, Groargoth had spies everywhere and the citizens knew that if they hid Azrak, they would be put to death.

Groargoth knew in order to pursue him effectively, he needed to think like him. Become him. Groargoth was nothing like Azrak. He knew Azrak was a hunter, and knew how to survive. That’s why he would have Yavo do it. With Yavo after him, Groargoth would attend to what he desired most, his father’s kingdom and Telete, Azrak's wife.

************************

"What are Groargoth’s plans?" Azrak asked.

"Groargoth has sent for Yavo, and Telete." Ralti said.

"I see."

"What are you going to do?" Ralti asked.

"Have you talked to Lahonti?" Azrack asked

"No, Groargoth won’t let me near him. It would seem he suspects me of something but I don't know what."

"That you are still loyal to me."

"Of course I am," Ralti said.

"I know, but that’s the problem," Azrak said.

Ralti slammed his fist into his other.

"This is just ridiculous."

"Keep trying to talk to Lahonti and let me know, send a party to watch after my family." Azrak said.

Azrak slapped Ralti on the shoulder as Ralti left the cavern. Azrak sat at the back of the deep cave behind the falls watching the cascading wave’s crash from above. There was no reason to go see his family now. He didn’t want to put them in the middle more than he already had. He decided to stay in the falls to see what he could learn about Groargoth. Ralti, Helios, Brigdon, Jaxton and Pontos took turns bringing information, to keep Groargoth from suspecting anything.

"Azrak, you better decide what you’re doing. Either get out of here or stay and fight, but Yavo has just arrived. He will be on your trail in no time. His orders are not to bring you in, but to kill you," Helios said.

"There is no use in staying to fight. Groargoth is king now and has command of the army and without any proof it's hopeless. I will miss you, my friends."

"You're not going to stay and fight?" Pontos asked.

"There is nothing honorable in shedding innocent blood on behalf of a lie," Azrak said. “Groargoth wants me to start a revolution against him to prove he is the rightful leader. I won’t take soldiers to their death to suit his purposes.”

They understood Azrak’s choice, even though they didn’t like it, they supported him.

"Well then we will delay Yavo while you get a head start," Jaxton said.

"You know how to evade Yavo?" Ralti asked

"I taught him everything he knows." Azrak said.

"That's what scares me," Ralti said.

“But not everything I know.” Azrak said.

Ralti sagged a little with a small sense of reassurance. Azrak nodded then slapped his fist on his chest and dismissed his men. Hours into the late afternoon, Azrak emerged from the falls through the secret tunnel. The fading sun shimmered over the falling leaves of autumn. Azrak opened his wings and hovered over the ground. He sniffed the breeze for any hints of Yavo and the others. He sensed them to the east, so he climbed into the southern sky.

He only had a few hours where the winds constantly change direction. He needed to get to the rocky peaks before the winds evened out. He would have to fly hard and fast to cover the long distance.

Yavo learned the skills of tracking very quickly but became enthralled with the taste of blood. Azrak denied him from becoming his protégé. In his anger, Yavo soon became the most ruthless tracker. Yavo had lost all sense of right long ago and would make for a difficult escape. Azrak's wings beat against the air, propelling him farther and farther away from his family and home. The winds changed so Azrak dove toward the ground, barely flying above the tops of the trees.

He slowed to a comfortable pace as not to blow the delicate leaves off the tress. Soon the dark gray of the rigid peaks emerged. He would hide out in a cave around the side of the small peak. He spotted the opening as the jagged rocks came into focus. This had been the cave he used as a cub during his initiation ritual. He landed on the edge, pulled his wings in tightly and crept into the small cavern.

It was secured under the overhang of a ledge and twisted around the side. It looked no different than the edge of the rock. Azrak walked around in a circle a few times as he smelled the cave and categorized the scents he detected. He curled up at the farthest part and wrapped his tail around him, resting on his paws. He let his eyes close but didn't let himself fall asleep completely.

***********************

Yavo quickly tired of the blabber from all the gryphton's complimenting him on his long list of achievements. He much preferred his solitary life and found his brain was about to pound from all the noise.

"Excuse me. I think I will be on my way now," Yavo said to Groargoth.

"Are you sure? We have plenty of drink and meat to celebrate this grand occasion," Groargoth said.

"Yes, stay, tell us of your travels," Pontos said.

The gryphton's roared with agreement and eagerness.

"I'm sorry. I have tarried too long as it is. I must go," Yavo said trying to hold back his sarcasm.

Ralti raised his toe to Helios who was about to start in on another round of questions.

"Let him go. He has an important task before him," Ralti said.

"Yes, yes, you are right.” Groargoth stood and gripped Yavo by the forearm. He grabbed the end of a leg of steer and ripped it from its carcass.  Ralti rose and gave Yavo a slight bow while swallowing the lump now in his throat. Yavo walked briskly around the drunken gryphtons and left the large tent.

“Besides, we have a new General to welcome!" Groargoth said.

Ralti shot Groargoth a surprised look. Helios, Pontos, and Brigdon, too, were surprised. Groargoth stood and welcomed Kronos and several of his warriors. It fell silent as they entered the room. Kronos made his way to the head of the table next to Groargoth and sat in the General’s seat. The looks of fear and surprise added to Kronos’ glee and he took a large bite of raw meat.

"I hope Azrak is long gone by now," Helios said under his breath when Ralti sat back down.

"Me too."

Brigdon grunted and Jaxton shoved a piece of meat in his paw before he could reach out and strangle someone. Brigdon, with his blood boiling under his skin, sat with a nastier-than-usual-scowl on his face until he couldn’t take it anymore. Brigdon stood, excused himself, and started after Yavo.

Ralti was about to go after him when Groargoth began questioning Kronos on the best strategies for attacking the Ebonhoards. Jaxton rose and followed Brigdon instead and Ralti sighed before turning his attention to the new general.

Hunted

Yavo stepped into the evening breeze and sucked in until his lungs were at capacity. Scents rolled around in his head for a moment before he let it back into the night chill. He wasn't concerned with the smells of soldiers and battle. He had to sift through so much that he barely caught the one he wanted. His eyes lit up and he spun on his paws toward the falls.

He maneuvered through the few scattered tents at the edge of camp until the landscape opened onto the trotted down grasses. He pawed at the ground and a few inches above, ran his beak along the dirt. The scent became stronger and he carefully scanned the surroundings. He needed to get on the trail and fast.

The scent was all too familiar, and the closer he crept to the falls, the stronger it became. His mind returned to earlier exploits and training sessions with his mentor and, for a brief moment, he felt a slight bit of angst that Azrak was his next target. He was confused because the accusations against Azrak were not what he knew to be his character. But who was he to say? It had been years and creatures change. In a small way he hoped it wasn't true, but he had a job to do.

"So, this is what you have become?" Brigdon said, rising to his full height.

Yavo rose slowly and studied Brigdon’s eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know, you could have been his first in command."

"To do what, follow orders all day? No thanks, I much prefer taking orders from myself."

"Oh, like this? Taking orders from Groargoth?"

Yavo's lower lid flickered, but he kept his body still and rigid.

"I don't take orders, I take a payday."

"So you are going to take treasure over loyalty and honor?"

"What loyalty? Azrak has no loyalty to me. He refused me. He is nothing but a fraud," Yavo said.

"You were not ready. He wasn't about to send you into the fire without being ready."

"That's what he thought, but he is a fool." Yavo brushed him aside.

Brigdon gripped his arm, "You will regret this, I promise."

Yavo swallowed, but puffed out his chest and ruffled his feathers. He thrust his shoulder into Brigdon's and shoved him out of his way. Brigdon let him go, watching him continue toward the falls. Helios crawled out of the shadows. He and Jaxton had taken some of Azrak’s things and ran in different direction.

Yavo carefully walked around the falls, breathing in at each time the scent changed. He let the sensation tickle his mind as he studied each one. He determined whether it was a new or old smell based on the amount of impurities that surrounded it. Azrak wouldn't stick around for long, and he figured his men would try to throw off his scents, so he sifted through the newer scents and went with those that were older. With the oldest scent on the forefront of his mind, he lifted his wings, fluttered and lifted off, shooting into the air heading north.

"Do you think he took the bait?" Pontos asked.

"Dunno," Brigdon grunted.

"Let's hope so," Helios said.

"Where did Azrak go anyway?" Pontos asked.

"Dunno," Brigdon said.

Helios only shook his head and shrugged. Pontos didn't know if they were really telling the truth.

*************************

The wind pushed against Yavo as he banked in and around heavy gusts. He had been flying now for a few hours and fought the heavy winds from the east. At one point, he nearly landed because he was almost blown off course. He dipped toward the ground, backtracked and landed quietly on a small peak overlooking a clearing. Several scratch marks gouged the soft dirt. He searched around, squinting his lids over his eyes, and zeroed in on slightest detail.

In a tree, he found a gryphtoness and her cubs and chided himself for making such a rookie mistake. He leapt into the air and flew barely above the trees to avoid the gusts. A scent crossed his mind. A skilled gryphton could determine if the gryphton was a male or female, the approximate age, and their emotions.

He hovered in the air. A memory of his fist training session with Azrak flashed across his mind and a lump formed in his throat.
He tricked me, that dirty-
he said to himself, as the realization came that he had only missed him by a few moments. He spun around and shot into the air. It was much easier not having to fight the wind but to use it.

*************************

Azrak wondered what he was going to do, keep running forever? It's not like Yavo will give up and Groargoth will expect him to bring proof. He was going to have to fight Yavo and kill him. He hated killing anything. It never solved any problems, only delayed them until someone or something else created a new one.

The sound of the gusting wind crashed around the small inlet. He bent his feathers over his ears to ease the discomfort of the reverberation off the back wall. He smelled the breeze and analyzed its contents. Small particles of pollen and the heaviness from the added moisture in the air, gave him a sense of the upcoming weather. It would soon rain. Azrak would use this to his advantage and circle back toward Yavo in an attempt to snare him unaware.

It didn't take long before a low rumble crossed the sky. The darkening clouds rolled together, strangling any last rays of light. Azrak would have to rely on his nose, now that the light was gone. He stretched his paws and crawled to the ledge, leapt off, and flew to the low-lying branches of the nearby trees. He stuck to the branches as small droplets of water drifted across the sky with the breeze.

Little creatures scurried away as he invaded their homes, some even chattered loudly with displeasure until he bore his teeth at them, then they too, scurried away. After about two miles, he leapt onto the ground, first landing on his front legs. He dug his claws into the earth and broke a branch or two as he walked, giving the impression he was landing out of weakness.

The rain poured out of the sky, drenching his feathers and streaming down his face. He shook briskly, partly to keep his mind clear and partly to add more sent to the surroundings. Azrak's human side normally kept him from urinating on trees, rocks and things to mark his territory, but this time he let his lion side out and started marking the surrounding trees.

It surprised him a little at how good it actually felt to let loose. It was hard sometimes, trying to understand each part of his creation. Part eagle, part lion and part human. On one side, he wanted to be left alone and soar through the sky whenever he wanted. On another he wanted to be leader of his pack. He quickly moved from tree to tree and then circled one spot, making preparations to lie down. He curled up in a ball, stared into the trees for a moment, then ran through the woods.

The rain came down so heavily, it was hard to keep the water out of his eyes. There was no way he was going to get back in the sky. He kept moving, the curvier and more disorganized the better. It was just like a game they would play as cubs. He had to admit, he was pretty good at it. His stomach rumbled. It had been more than a day since he ate last.

He would hunt and be somewhat sloppy about it. He didn't want to overdo it, because Yavo would see right through it. He knew that Yavo would spend time researching the details, giving him more time. He spotted a small hole low in the trunk of a tree. He lowered his body to the ground and crept toward the hole. When he was only about three lengths from the hole, he lowered even closer to the ground and sniffed the dirt to get an idea of what kind of animal it was.

The rain had done a good job at rinsing away most of the scent. He sidestepped the roots of the tree and slid in next to it. He knew the animal would not come out on its own, especially in this weather. He flipped out his talons and slammed a paw into the tree trunk. The little animal scurried out of the hole and looked around just in time to see Azrak's talons grip its flesh. It squealed only for a second before it fell lifeless in Azrak's clenched beak.