Chapter 9 Part 7

Sounder of the Charge had flown for two days without rest when he landed. His passengers agreed that he had earned a night of sleep and they spent the evening in rest.

"By my estimation," Avery informed them, "we’ve traveled almost a third of the distance."

"Then in five more days we’ll be there?" Armegon surmised.

"I don't think so," Avery said nodding at the soundly sleeping Kilobel. "He can't keep that pace for another two days. He practically collapsed instead of landed. And the closer we get to the Abomination, the weaker he’s going to get."

"Every day that we wait kills more people," Armegon pointed out.

"You think I don't know that?" Avery gritted his teeth in frustration. "But if we ride him to his death, it’ll be more than twice five days before we finally get there."

The argument ended as quickly as it had risen. Avery was right and they all knew it. As powerful as Sounder of the Charge was, he was still a native of Asille, and was experiencing the drain of the Abomination.

They comforted themselves and ate while the thunderbird slept. Armegon fussed over the mirror, checking and rechecking the integrity of the frame.

Ultrecht, who was reading a portion of historical text from the Tome of Creation suddenly sat up in surprise. "Hey," he exclaimed happily. "This realm contains a magic item called The Infinity Stone. Among other things, it has the power to grant eternal life."

"That’s an old wives tale," Avery snorted. "We conquered that task long ago and we all know what it takes to do that."

"I think that in this realm, things may be different," Ultrecht objected. "The method that we used back home does not hold here, remember? And for some reason I tend to place a lot of credibility in the Tome's claims."

"I guess you’re right," Avery conceded.

"Remember where that passage is," Armegon advised. "You aren't getting any younger and that can be our next project. Besides that could answer Sam's problem."

"You mean the abbreviated life span?" Avery asked covering himself in a blanket. "Yes, that could very well be the answer."

Armegon too retrieved his sleeping gear. "Are there any other magic items listed in the Tome?"

Ultrecht flipped a couple of translucent slabs of rock. "There are a couple. Hey, there is something here about your sword, Avery."

"Really? What’s it say?"

"Nothing we don't already know. Wait!" Ultrecht corrected himself. "Did you know that the sword protects you from magic spells cast by anyone who is your equal or of lesser skill?"

"Yes," Avery admitted. "I knew that. I haven't been under that kind of attack since getting the sword, though."

"Well don't get heady," Armegon warned. "You may be a mage, but you’re still our junior."

"Don't worry," Avery assured, "I’m the last person to let his ego get out of hand."

The next morning, when the thunderbird woke, they reembarked. Sounder of the Charge soared with a vengeance. He claimed to be in perfect health, but the kilobel was unaware of Avery's special health sight. The ranger knew that the kilobel was pushing himself to his very limits of endurance for them.

For another two days, Sounder of the Charge flew and finally set down by a cliff overlooking a giant canyon Ultrecht identified as the Rift. Ultrecht told them that it was at the center of the continent. He stated that it was an inland fault where the two major continental plates diverged.

Just as he had the last time, Sounder of the Charge fell deeply into sleep and did not move throughout the night. In fact, it was late in the afternoon when the kilobel finally stirred.

"I fear that I have let you down," he apologized. "I should not have slept so long."

"That’s quite alright," Armegon countered. "I was extraordinarily tired last night and slept all the way to noon," he lied. There was no good to come of letting Sounder of the Charge think that he had become a failure.

Sounder of the Charge announced that he was famished and since he had not fed since picking them up, the trio of passengers did not begrudge him pausing to dine. The great wings stirred up a miniature hurricane as they lifted the great bird into the air leaving the travelers at the campsite.

They did not wait long before they heard the unmistakable blast of noise that the thunderbird used to stun his prey. Half an hour later, Sounder of the Charge returned with bloody beak, talons, and pinfeathers. "I fear that I may have gorged myself," the kilobel stated. "Three fatted cows are a lot to eat, even for one such as myself."

"Can you fly on a full belly?" Armegon asked suspiciously. There were many examples in nature of creatures that would feed ravenously and then sleep for days.

"Oh, most assuredly," Sounder of the Charge answered. "Make no mistake that like dragons, I would dearly love to sleep for the next week, and if matters were not pressing, I would do so, but I am not a creature ruled by instinct. Just like yourself, my awareness overrides my natural urge to sleep."

"Of course," Armegon relented. "No offense intended."

"None taken," Sounder assured the halfelf. "Now if you will mount and secure yourselves, I think we should get underway. I hope to drop you off at your destination two mornings hence."

"What’ll you do then?" Avery asked as he climbed upon the great bird's back.

"I will pick a tall mountain peak, find a large crag and roost for several days," the kilobel answered. With that last word, Ultrecht had secured himself and Sounder spread his great wings. Their span was at least a dozen meters to either side, and even without flapping, the gentle breeze near the Rift threatened to suck the thunderbird into the sky.

In a flurry of great black feathers, the Kilobel leaped back into the air and with pounding wings, turned his tail to the suns and beat eastward.

Once more Sounder of the Charge, last of the great thunderbirds , displayed a momentous effort and flew nonstop throughout the night and next day, but eventually the effect of the Abomination became too much, and as midnight approached, Sounder of the Charge landed in total exhaustion.

"This is as far as I can go this night," he claimed. "Forgive me, but the balance of the voyage must wait until morning."

Armegon patted the breast, as large as the hull of a small ship. "We can’t ask for anymore than you’ve already given us," he said. "We can wait. Go ahead and rest."

"Thank you," the kilobel said gratefully. "Rest yourselves as well, for on the morrow, we will rise into the sky with the rising suns."

Armegon, Ultrecht, and Avery all awoke to the trumpeting sound of Sounder of the Charge. The kilobel had his head tilted back, beak wide open, and screeching.

"What the...?" Ultrecht began.

"There is battle in the air," Sounder of the Charge sang in a musical and commanding voice. "I sense a presence I have not felt since before my imprisonment. Let us be off! I have a need to fly!"

The trio began to pack their belongings when Armegon gave a startled yelp and jumped back. Ultrecht, Avery and Sounder of the Charge gasped at what they saw.

The ground next to Armegon's bedroll had sprouted a writhing black snakelike tentacle about the thickness of a human thigh. It rose shoulder high and was bent at the tip as if sniffing or looking for something.

"That, we have seen before," muttered Ultrecht.

"Grab the mirror," Armegon yelled and sprinted towards the kilobel.

Avery snagged the magical artifact with one hand and leaped astride Sounder of the Charge. Armegon landed immediately behind him.

Avery handed the mirror frame to Armegon and in the same motion reached down and jerked Ultrecht upon the kilobel's back.

"Don't wait!" Armegon shouted to Sounder of the Charge. "Fly now!"

The great wings rose skyward, momentarily blocking out the sun and Armegon held his breath as he watched a second larger tentacle crawl out of the ground and slither between the kilobel's talons.

The tentacle coiled and lunged to embed itself into the thunderbird's underside, but in a rush of air, Sounder of the Charge bolted into the sky even as the tentacle struck out to victimize empty air.

Avery struggled to help Ultrecht strap down as he strapped himself down. Armegon kept a grip on the mirror's frame and glanced out over the horizon. Due east and slightly to the south, a dark line marked the boundary of Gly-ou-vogue.

"Remember," he said as Sounder of the Charge winged east by southeast, "we mustn’t take our hands from this frame while Avery's sword is around until we’re ready to use it. Those are the triggering conditions."

"Sounder of the Charge," Avery asked as they flew. "What do you see at the edge of the wasteland?"

The great bird was silent except for the rushing of the air and the beating of the wings for a moment. "I see many shiny objects," the Kilobel replied. "No wait, I see many men carrying shiny objects."

"An army?" Armegon asked.

"An even more interesting question would be to ask are they there to help or hinder us?" Ultrecht noted.

"I guess we’ll find out soon enough," Avery added. "Because our path leads right through them."