Age:
Middle School
Reading Level: 3.7
Chapter 1
If you had told Luky he would meet a princess, he would have never believed you. If you had told him he would meet a queen, he would have laughed in your face.
Chapter 2
A butterfly fluttered in the wind. Its blue wings reflected the sunlight like the sharp end of a blade. Its frantic movements made it hard to trace, but not impossible.
Not impossible for the best hunter in Terra.
This butterfly was the perfect prey for the young boy who chased it. A flaring red mane, eyes of topaz, whiskers gleaming. Luky wasn’t just a regular boy.
Well, as you may have guessed by now, he wasn’t even a boy. He was more of a...fiery humanoid with red fur and pointy ears.
Some may find him resembling a cat, or kitten. Others, and mostly Luky himself, preferred the term boy-lynx. Lynxes were, of course, much cooler than cats.
People considered Luky cute but feisty. Cuddly but scratchy. He was the eleven-year-old sindur cub who would become a master hunter one day.
Chapter 3
Sindurs were the men-lynx who lived scattered across the world of Terra. Like nomads, they were always on the move.
After losing their homeworld, sindurs traveled far and wide to find a new homeone. In some ways, they were still searching.
Sindurs were silent, sneaky, and incredibly agile. They could be in one place a second and be gone in the shadows the next.
It wasn’t surprising that this butterfly had no idea it was being chased, until fluffy white paws came to cover it.
Luky grinned, showing his sharp and shiny teeth. He had caught his prey—today was a great success!
Hesitating at first, he slowly uncovered the poor insect that wanted to break free. The butterfly beat its frail wings, a little bit stunned by what had just happened to it.
Luky looked at it with one big yellow eye wide open and, after a sigh, he let it go. No butterflies were to die today.
Chapter 4
The confused insect hovered above the wooden handrail for a bit until it flew out of Luky’s reach. The young boy-lynx kept his eyes on it until the butterfly became one with the blue colors of the sky, no longer in sight.
Luky blinked a few times, his yellow eyes doing their best to get used to the bright light of the sunrise. Because it was morning, and Luky hated mornings. His vision was much better in the dark!
Looking in the distance, Luky searched for that butterfly again, but his eyes drifted away. A glimmer distracted him. It was the sheen of the wavering ocean.
This instantly reminded him that he was on a boat. Actually, Luky was on a ship.
How did that butterfly even get here?
Chapter 5
Luky was at sea. Aboard an exploration galley, to be precise.
He was probably miles away from the shore by now. He’d slept each night between crates in the cargo hold, unnoticed and undisturbed.
Three nights on the ship were all he’d needed to make the others think he belonged.
Now, everyone acted as if he was part of the landscape, even that wandering butterfly that had probably squatted the crates with him.
Chapter 6
The sun rose above the sea, casting a soft orange light over the water, covering Luky’s face with a veil of gold. There was a breeze tickling his whiskers.
Luky breathed in, relaxing the muscles of his face. He felt happy, like he was right where he needed to be. Until his stomach started growling like an angry lynx.
Luky was hungry.
And everyone who knew Luky knew how bad things could get when he was hungry. Hangry—that’s how his father would describe it.
His father...the word popped in his mind like a loud bubble.
His father was probably looking for him by now, and Luky was hungry.
He couldn’t get the idea of food out of his head. But now, his father was also on his mind.
He had to get food fast, or he’d start getting angry or, worse, sad.
Chapter 7
Luky was great at sneaking, so he’d use that to his advantage. Sure, he was part of the landscape, but he shouldn’t push it. He wasn’t exactly the expected thing to see around here.
No sindur was—they were the rare kind of Terran beings! Luky would slip through the hatch to the lower deck. That’s where the food was.
Luky began walking, passing by two men who were sweeping the floor. They ignored him.
After that, it was just a matter of zigzagging between crates and barrels, briefly stepping in and out of the shadows so the armed guards who patrolled the place wouldn’t see him.
Luky knew those men in armor were guards, even if they didn’t look like the Bravan guards from his land, who wore bronze steel armor and shiny helmets.
These guards, less than twenty feet away from him, wore steel breastplates over mail shirts, with light purple shawls that protected their necks. Spikes adorned the helmets that covered their eyes.
One of them even had a red feather sticking out of the spike.
It was kind of strange to see guards here. From his understanding, this was a trade ship that carried clothes and cotton and sold it to the faraway lands.
Even if he didn’t know anything about trading ships, Luky didn’t think merchants needed guards. Maybe they protected and kept an eye on the merchandise.
That was probably it.
Chapter 8
Luky successfully snuck behind the guards. The pads of his back paws allowed him to be absolutely silent.
Sindurs never wore shoes, and this was the perfect proof that they didn’t need any. Just like that, hopping down the creaky stairs, Luky made his way to the lower deck, where he could breathe the distant scent of flatbread and butter.
He would steal a loaf, smear butter all over it, and if he could find some spiced dried meat somewhere, he would gladly mix it all to make the perfect sandwich.
Luky grabbed flatbread from a basket at the back of the dining area. He got his hands on the last spoon of salted butter and left an empty jar behind him. He then stole a few pieces of dried meat from nearby trays.
The ship’s crewmen did not even hear him. Once the perfect sandwich was made, Luky snuck back through the hatch and disappeared like he’d never even been there.
Chapter 9
After he’d finished eating and his stomach had finally stopped growling, Luky stepped out of his hiding place. He'd spent the last few minutes behind a crate on the main deck.
From where he stood, he could hear voices of the men perched on the forecastle. He was curious what they were saying, so he snuck closer to them and listened.
Most words were in a foreign language, but he was able to confirm that this galley was headed south toward Indus-Kali. This was the archipelago also known as the Spice Isles.
Luky had never set foot there, and he was excited at the idea that he would soon see this faraway land.
Chapter 10
Luky had spent the few days leading up to his great escape with his father in Shelb, the harbor city of Vanhaui. Luky had begged his father to take him on his diplomatic journey overseas.
Bravoure, his home, and Vanhaui had become estranged allies over the past decades. It was time to restore the broken links. His father played a part in this political matter.
What part exactly, Luky had no idea. He didn't really care. It was boring anyway.
Luky was never allowed to go anywhere, never allowed to see anything. His father always said: “If you go too far, you’ll break a bone, tear a muscle, or worse, lose...a whisker!”
Luky hated when his father said that. He was a grown cub now—he could take care of himself! It was like his father belittled him every time he wanted to go somewhere and explore.
Chapter 11
He and his father stayed in Shelb at the L’Ours Clam tavern by the sea, the town’s fancier inn. His father would spend his days at the town hall and his nights with other officials. It was all boring.
Luky had taken his chance sneaking out of the tavern that night. He had run to the harbor just so he could see the boats and dream about the countless adventures they held.
But when he noticed a crew of men and women boarding a galley ship, Luky saw an opportunity.
He would set out, head off in the night. It was his turn to experience an adventure. The fact that this galley was ready when he’d arrived was a sign of the gods.
Overhearing a conversation between a few passengers, he learned that the boat would be back in Vanhaui within a week or two.
His father would still be here. The other council members would still be here. It’d be fine!
Maybe his father would scold him for running off like that, but Luky would survive. At least he would have seen a bit of the world. More than Bravoure and this boring harbor city.
Chapter 12
Luky caught himself frowning.
He was on a ship now headed to a new land; he shouldn’t be frowning. Luky inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of the sea.
The sun was higher in the sky now, and the heat was like a warm blanket covering his red fur. More and more people were coming to the deck.
They didn’t look like crew members. Perhaps this ship also took regular passengers.
Luky observed them from a corner, leaned against the railing, fusing with the ship’s color. They didn’t see him because he was so good at blending in.
Chapter 13
One woman wore a long purple gown and a hat that made her head twice as big. She carried one of those paper umbrellas that protected her from the sun. She was definitely a passenger and not a regular one.
A necklace of deep blue pearls was fastened around her long porcelain neck. Luky could see their glimmer from where he stood.
Maybe the guards he’d seen earlier were hers. The woman was speaking to a man wearing a rider’s outfit. An olive-green tunic, brown leather breeches, and dark leather boots.
Luky rotated and adjusted his pointy ears to hear better. He heard a few words, like trade and appointments. Something about a contact in the Spice Isles to expand their business.
This lady must be a high-class businesswoman to wear those clothes and be escorted by these guards.
Chapter 14
When Luky flicked his ears back to their normal position, he caught another sound. A low and gravelly man’s voice echoed further away. That voice was followed by a light woman’s sigh.
“Once at Taj-kaa-Port, we’ll find a ship,” the distant woman said. She sounded like she was trying to convince the man beside her.
“Is that your grand plan, finding a ship?” He sounded annoyed.
Luky looked over his shoulders, and his eyes met the woman’s.
She was beautiful, which said a lot because Luky had no idea what human beauty was. He saw her bright blue eyes from where he stood. Her very light skin shimmered in the sunlight.
Even though she wore a crimson cloak that covered most of her hair, he could see long and smooth blond locks falling over her chest. She briefly looked confused when she noticed Luky but turned her attention back to the man.
He, on the other hand, wasn’t as graceful as she was. But one particular detail caught Luky’s eye. That man looked like an emporium!
He wore a long leather jacket torn on the ends but filled with a dozen pockets on the inside. Chains and trinkets dangled from these pockets. Hooked to his belt were a red leather scabbard, a tiny satchel, and a garland made of three clinking vials.
Luky decided to come closer.
The man’s boots were thick and looked like they had endured many hardships. Looped over his left shoulder was a backpack that probably contained many more of these trinkets.
His skin, dark brown like the bark of a sturdy oak tree, gave off a warm aura. His eyes, black as coal, crossed Luky’s as the boy-lynx came within human ear’s reach.
“And what are you supposed to be?” the man inquired.
Luky froze, half walking, half standing still. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with his forepaws, so he hung them in midair.
He’d not expected being detected so quickly.
Chapter 15
Ezra could be so insufferable.
Aurielle sighed. She’d never expected the Collector to be the nasty type of man, always angry at people.
She didn’t actually know what she’d expected. A gallant man ready for conquest. An eager adventurer prepared to take on the world.
This man was cynical and grumpy most of the time. She’d only seen him smile once, and that was just him checking his teeth in his reflection.
Wait, what was that?
A flash of orange, whiskers, paws.
A...sindur? Here, on the ship?
Aurielle blinked repeatedly. She’d probably dreamed it.
But Ezra saw it too, and now, they were facing the sindur cub, who was sneaking up to them.
It was not even half her size, and it was probably a boy, judging by his dirty linen overalls.
“And what are you supposed to be?” Ezra asked.
The boy-cat froze. It was hilarious seeing him paws up in the air, like he was petrified, simply turned to stone, by Ezra’s inquisitive glare.
“I...just...,” the boy-cat stuttered and didn’t say more.
Aurielle spoke many languages. It was part of her education to learn the most used languages of Terra, especially from her home’s allies.
Unfortunately, the sindur’s mother tongue wasn’t part of her program. Sadly, Sindawr was a dying language.
Aurielle held out a welcoming hand, inviting the boy-cat to shake it.
“My name is Aurielle,” she said, using her most soothing voice. She pointed at her companion with her other hand. “This is Ezra. Don’t be too afraid of him. He’s merely a man.”
She peered at Ezra with a cheeky glare. She was mocking him.
Ezra scoffed. “Whatever, Your Highness.”
Chapter 16
The boy-cat’s eyes rounded, then narrowed again. Aurielle cursed Ezra in her mind.
She didn’t want to intimidate the young sindur with her title. That man, who didn't seem to like women in charge very much, was getting on her nerves.
“I’m Luky!” the boy-cat exclaimed. He smirked and showed a sharp and shiny canine tooth. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Aurielle!”
With his paw, he took Aurielle’s hand and firmly shook it. It felt soft and warm, like she was petting a docile bear.
Luky was extremely cute with his big yellow eyes. She wanted to hug him tight, then she remembered that thinking that way was utterly weird.
She wouldn’t behave as such with a human. Well, maybe with a baby with chubby cheeks.
“So!” Luky caught Aurielle’s drifting attention again. He crossed his arms. “What brings you two here?”
The boy-cat had changed from startled to serious and confident.
Ezra was quick to put him back in his place. “Why were you sneaking around? Did you steal something?”
Luky didn’t answer.
Ezra didn’t hesitate. He picked up Luky, flipped him around, then began shaking him.
Luky did his best to struggle, while Aurielle tried to stop Ezra without attracting attention to them.
“Stop it! Let him go!” she cried out, muffling her voice.
Ezra was actually laughing.
“Let me go! Put me down!” Luky had apparently lost all care for sneaking.
“Empty your pockets, furball!” Ezra called.
Something suddenly changed. Luky stopped screaming and wriggling around. In a whirlwind, he managed to get loose.
He climbed to Ezra’s neck, then, peering into his dark eyes, the boy-cat said: “No one calls me furball.”
And he scratched Ezra in the face.
Chapter 17
An hour is what it took to get Ezra to calm down. He’d let the boy-cat go, who’d immediately stood on his back paws, arms crossed, smirking at his victim.
Ezra still bled–Luky had left three deep cuts that crossed Ezra’s face.
“My eye!” Ezra had shouted, rage filling his voice. “You could have scratched out my eye!”
Luky had simply chuckled.
Aurielle returned with a piece of wet cloth to clean Ezra’s wounds. The man jerked the cloth out of her hand and went to lean against the handrail, wiping his face, glaring at Luky.
Aurielle wasn’t sure whether she should scold the boy-cat for scratching Ezra. After all, Ezra had asked for it, treating Luky like he had.
But she had to clear the hot air for the sake of the mission. She needed Ezra calm and on her side. Gods knew what would come next. She needed the Collector’s trust, and he needed hers.
“You’re lucky she’s paying me,” Ezra spat his words and pointed at Luky. “I could skin you and make a scarf out of you!”
“Ezra!” Aurielle shouted, catching his attention. She was offended now, this was no way to talk to a boy, especially not a sindur cub. “I will not allow such conduct in my presence.”
Ezra snorted. “As you wish, Your Highness.” He looked away.
“Like you said,” Aurielle pursued, forcing Ezra’s attention back on her. “I am paying you. So you will do as I command. Now, clean your wounds and move on!”
“Why is she paying you?” Luky suddenly asked Ezra, then he glanced at Aurielle with a confused look. “Why are you paying him?” Since no one gave an immediate answer, Luky continued, “Is he some kind of bodyguard? Are you a lady or something?”
Aurielle flinched. Luky must have noticed because his smirk was back.
She couldn’t really tell him who she was—that was the whole point of laying low. She was about to say something when Ezra’s voice interrupted her.
“I’m not a bodyguard, boy,” he said with disdain.
Luky chuckled. “No way...could have fooled me!”
Ezra didn’t appreciate the sarcasm. He stood up, his body rigid, and he pointed at Luky again. “Watch your tone!”
Aurielle had enough of this childish behavior. She wanted to raise her voice again, but people around them were looking.
It was already strange for a woman of her status to be hanging around a man like the Collector. Even stranger that she was in the presence of a sindur boy, one who probably hadn’t had a bath in weeks.
She decided that she should give Luky an answer so he’d stop asking questions and bothering Ezra.
“He’s my guide,” she said. Both Luky and Ezra looked at her confused, expecting more. “Ezra is familiar with the secrets of the world, and there is a secret I need to find.”
Luky’s eyes rounded, his pupils dilated. He was curious.
Ezra, on the other hand, shook his head and focused on cleaning his wounds again.
She had succeeded in calming them down. Her story wasn’t entirely accurate, but it claimed enough of Luky’s attention and dismissed enough of Ezra’s.
“What’s the secret you’re looking for?” Luky asked with an eager spark in his eyes.
Aurielle came closer to him. She kneeled down so she’d be about his size. Only then did she notice how his clothes were all crumpled.
She held out a cautious hand first, but since he wasn’t recoiling, she flattened his clothes with the palm of her hand. She had his undivided attention.
Chapter 18
Luky could bet his left paw that this girl was a lady, maybe even a princess. But what definitely got him curious was what she had just told him. She...and this repulsive...guide...were after a secret.
Now, that’s how you get a sindur’s attention.
“What’s the secret you’re looking for?” he asked.
Instead of responding, she kneeled down and started adjusting his clothes! Under normal circumstances, he would have scratched her as he had Ezra, but he was too curious.
“Tell me!” he begged.
Aurielle cleared her throat, then briefly looked down like what she was about to say made her very sad.
“My kingdom...Vanhaui...” She paused. Did she call it her kingdom? She must be a princess! Or maybe that’s just how Hauians spoke. “It’s complicated, but we are under the threat of war. And maybe, just maybe, what I’m looking for could prevent it.”
“Threat of war? Who’s threatening you?” Luky frowned. What did war have to do with a secret?
“Rallis.”
“Rallis?” Luky had maybe heard of Rallis once but had forgotten everything about it. Still, something about the name gave him the chills. Something buried in his memory.
Aurielle frowned, too, as if she’d expected Luky to know about Rallis. “Rallis is the desert that borders Vanhaui.”
“A desert is threatening you?”
Aurielle chuckled and shook her head. “No, Rallis is also an empire. It is the empire of the sithrax.”
Sithrax. That word brought more than chills, and it was like a thorn prickling Luky’s skin. An image burst in his mind as the word entered his ears.
Teeth.
Chapter 19
He almost didn’t dare to ask, but Luky’s curiosity won the fight.
“Who are the sithrax?”
“Bloody disgusting lizards, I can tell you,” Ezra injected as he went back to lean against the ship’s railing. “The sithrax are war machines, and they’re the reason why I’ll never set foot in bloody disgusting Rallis again.”
“Have you heard of the Barrier?” Aurielle asked Luky.
He shook his head. Everything they were telling either sounded new or like an ancient memory he couldn’t remember.
Which was strange because he was just eleven years old. How could a memory feel ancient?
“The Barrier is a magical wall erected at the end of the Age of Rise to separate Vanhaui from the scourge of Rallis,” Aurielle explained.
“But the Barrier is weakening, and the sithrax are building an army as we speak.”
Luky wondered why the sithrax would want to attack Vanhaui. The Age of Rise was more than a thousand years ago. Even if that Barrier was coming down, why would they want war in the first place?
It was as if Aurielle had read his thoughts. “The sithrax have always believed that Vanhaui possessed one of their most prized items. An artifact that defines their history. They want it back, and if we don’t comply, they will invade and crush us all.”
Aurielle didn’t look sad anymore. She sounded scared.
Luky had one pressing question for her. “And do you have that artifact?”
Chapter 20
She sighed. “Vanhaui believes it doesn’t, but I have evidence that it once did, which is why we’re here.”
She looked to Ezra, who stood still with his arms crossed. “If there is one lost item in the world, Ezra is the one who will help me find it.”
This Ezra figure wasn’t just a guide. Now that Luky could take a closer look, Ezra definitely resembled an eccentric historian or an antique dealer. Or maybe both.
“Where do you think the item is now?” Luky wondered.
“I’m not sure. The only clue Ezra was able to find is that the artifact, at some point in time, left Vanhaui and made its way south. So, we’ll start in Indus-Kali, and we’ll see from there.”
“That sounds like a long shot,” Luky said.
Ezra hid his snicker with his hand, but Luky saw it. “That’s what I told her.”
Aurielle’s blue eyes moved past Luky. Something distant had caught her attention. She stood again, slowly, and gazed ahead.
Luky peered over his shoulder, and all he saw was a distant island that covered the horizon. A line of sand-colored cliffs with rounded peaks further away that touched the sky.
If he could see those mountains from here, they must be enormous.
Ezra also noticed the island, then both he and Aurielle looked at each other and back at Luky. Luky couldn’t decipher the look they had on their faces.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. Both seemed too hesitant to answer. “Is this Indus-Kali?”
Aurielle breathed in deeply. “Not quite,” she said, her voice soft.
“Luky...this is Ailura, the sindur homeworld. Your...homeworld.”
Chapter 21
Luky’s jaw dropped slightly. He rushed to the handrail just to get closer to this land he’d never seen and only heard of.
It looked so peaceful from this distance. His father had never told him much about it, only that it was lost. And he’d change the subject every time Luky would ask about it.
How could it be lost if it was standing right there?
“Do you...know about Ailura?” Aurielle asked Luky. She still hesitated, like she was carefully choosing her words.
He shook his head. “I just know the name.”
“Your parents never told you about it?” Now, she sounded a little surprised.
Aurielle had just made Luky think of something he’d always avoided. The question of his origins, where he came from.
His father never talked about it, but that was because his father simply couldn’t. His father didn’t know much about Luky’s origins because he wasn’t his real father.
He was the human soldier who had adopted Luky upon his ninth birth, the beginning of Luky’s tenth life.
Sindurs, like cats, lived nine lives, a cycle of eight rebirths. Luky’s final rebirth was the entire mystery that surrounded him. That he was granted an extra life was something no one could explain.
Just like no one had ever explained the circumstances of his last death.
Just like no one had ever told him what had happened to Ailura.
Chapter 22
Luky stared at the island covering the horizon. Once, long ago, his ancestors had lived there, bold and proud.
A society of noble men-lynx, fond of art and ancient scriptures.
That was all Luky knew about them. Much like he didn’t know about his own death, Luky knew nothing of the fall of Ailura.
A moment of silence passed before multiple shouts crossed the deck. Luky turned around, looking at the ship’s crew striding back and forth. Ezra and Aurielle both seemed curious to know what was going on.
Ezra intercepted one of the crewmen, a young man with bronzed skin who looked alarmingly worried.
“What’s happening?” Ezra asked.
The young man cleared his throat. “Storm,” he replied with an accent.
“What kind of storm?” Ezra pursued.
The man ignored Ezra’s question and hurried to the central mast.
Luky headed toward the forecastle. He wanted to see the storm and assess the situation himself.
Aurielle and Ezra followed, and when they reached the front platform of the ship, they noticed the mass of dark clouds whirling ahead, the thunder going wild.
They could feel the wind picking up. Out there, the ocean was no longer deep blue; it was black.
“What the...” Ezra murmured.
“That’s no regular storm!” Luky exclaimed.
“Raise the mainsail!” a man shouted behind them. He addressed them directly next. “Go to the lower deck and sit tight. We must brace for the storm.”
Luky had no time to examine the man in uniform, who hurried away to the rest of the ship’s crew.
Ezra rushed to the stairs, Aurielle following him. Luky first trailed behind, but he picked up the pace and caught up to them.
As they drew closer to the storm, a powerful wave struck the ship’s side. Luky struggled to keep his balance.
He peered over his shoulder one last time, and the rain began to fall in a wild and sudden downpour.
Chapter 23
The ship rocked from side to side. Massive waves crashed against the sides of the galley.
Aurielle looked left and right in search of something to hold. They barely made it to the lower deck when the ship almost rolled over.
“How did such a storm suddenly start?” Ezra asked, but he had to shout to be heard.
One of the ship’s crew members, a woman with dark curly hair and strong arms, pulled on a rope to secure crates against the wall. She turned to Ezra, holding on tight to the rope with all the strength she had.
“The Arc Stream!” she shouted back. “It’s a breeding ground for hurricanes!”
Ezra was shocked. “Why on Terra did we take the Arc Stream route?”
“We were told there were storms west of Ailura!” The woman almost lost her balance. “But don’t worry! We just have to avoid the clouds.”
“Doesn’t look like we’re doing much avoiding!” Ezra almost fell too. “Do you need help on the main deck?”
She didn’t respond with words. She just nodded and let go of the rope, signing for Ezra to follow her up the stairs.
Chapter 24
Aurielle wanted to stop him, but she felt sick to her stomach. She couldn’t say a word without the risk of vomiting.
Desperate to distract her attention, she searched for Luky. She found him on the other side of the place, squeezing one of the crates, eyes closed, shivering. He must be so scared.
A lost kitten with no home met his end in a storm at sea. That idea was terribly depressing, but it popped into Aurielle’s mind. She shook her head to rid herself of those horrible thoughts.
“Luky!” she screamed to catch his attention. “It’s going to be alright! The woman said it, we just have to avoid the clouds.”
Aurielle saw other passengers around her, scared, terrified, like they had never been at sea before. Neither had she, and she was dead afraid.
Even if the woman had told them not to worry, Aurielle couldn’t do anything but worry.
What if they couldn’t avoid the clouds? What if they’d head straight into the storm because it was too late to turn around? What if the ship was pulled into the darkened sky like a moth to a flame?
She’d fail her mission. She wouldn’t find the item she was looking for.
Vanhaui would lose everything.
Chapter 25
Shouts and screams rang outside. They were no longer structured orders. Aurielle heard the panic in the crew’s voices.
She raised her head to the exit when water entered the lower deck.
A savage wave swallowed her whole.
Crewmen opened hatches in the walls of the ship to evacuate the water fast. Aurielle could breathe again.
She gasped for air and instantly checked on Luky, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Luky!” she screamed again before another wave struck them.
Aurielle had lost any sense of direction. She didn’t know where up or down was anymore. Once she managed to breathe again, her only thought was to find Luky.
“We’re going to drown!” she heard a man shout.
“My wife!” another man shouted. “Help! She’s not breathing!”
But the crew seemed to have it under control, evacuating the water each time like they knew exactly what to do and when. They rushed to those who needed help, struggling to keep their balance, but they managed.
It should have reassured Aurielle. These men and women had probably seen storms before.
So why was she still so worried?
Chapter 26
Once the lower deck was free of water, she scanned every wall, every corner, every crate in search of Luky, but he was nowhere to be found. He must have gone outside.
Aurielle climbed up the stairs, holding on to the wall because the ship still rocked side to side. On the main deck, she’d have to find a way to stand still, but at least she wouldn’t be trapped in a room where she might drown.
She made it outside, the rain pouring, and she could barely see anything but a shuffling crew and ocean waves going wild.
She caught sight of Ezra and—thank the gods—Luky by his side. She couldn’t see what they were doing.
She shouted to get their attention, “Ezra! Luky!”
“Miss Aurielle!” Luky shouted back.
“Go back to the lower deck, Your Highness,” Ezra screamed. “We’ve got this.”
But they didn’t have this. Aurielle realized something. They weren’t avoiding the storm—they were right in the middle of it.
By the gods, how was that even possible?
A giant wave struck again, pouring into the lower deck. Aurielle heard screams.
When the wave slid off the ship, she could swear some of the crew was missing.
It should have stopped there, but it didn’t. Another wave came with a vengeance.
It was larger, higher, stronger. It soared over the ship like a serpent, like the goddess of the sea.
In the roar of thunder, Aurielle saw what was to come. The ship had begun rolling over, and she doubted that it would rise again.
How sad of a fate, terribly depressing. She’d never find that secret, and she’d never save Vanhaui, the kingdom that, after that, would never be hers.
She knew what the headlines would say. Her Royal Highness Aurielle Valdum, First Daughter of King Lionel Valdum the Second, Duchess of Shelb, Princess of the Hauian Kingdom, lost at sea.
Chapter 27
A warm blanket, a comfy bed, the scent of trees and juicy fruits. Anything Luky could dream of. It was nice and quiet here. Only the whistle of the wind tickled his ears.
And there was something else—the soft caress of the water on his furry feet.
Wait a minute...water?
Wind? Trees?
Luky’s eyes snapped open, and he gasped. He spat out water that had a disgusting and salty taste.
His ears and nose were full of sand. His fur was sticky and stinky.
Where was he?
Luky rolled over, shaking his body, and blinked a few times. His eyes were swollen and irritated, but they got used to the light.
Standing right in front of him were tall trees Luky had never seen before. They had long and thin trunks, with spiky leaves in a bush at the ends.
What kind of weird trees were those?
The sand was soft under his paws. Was this what the Heavens looked like?
No, smelling himself again, Luky knew he wasn’t dead.
Behind him, waves rolled gently along the shore. The sun shone in the sky, and there was nothing else but him and trees in this place.
Where was Miss Aurielle? And Ezra?
Where was the rest of the ship?
The sudden memory struck him—the storm, the lightning, the giant waves. Had they made it through? Was this what the Spice Isles looked like?
There was absolutely no sign of a storm here and no sign of anyone.
“Hello?” Luky called.
No response.
Luky walked up to the trees, chose one, and sat under it. He leaned against the trunk and gazed ahead at the calm ocean.
He was all alone in a place he didn’t know. He should have felt happy because he was finally in a new land, seeing something new.
But Luky was scared and still shaken by that storm. A tear rolled down his furry cheek, and he began to cry.
Luky sobbed in silence. The sound of the waves softened his cries.
Chapter 28
Luky had fallen asleep against the strange tree. When he woke up again, he realized he was still exhausted and still all alone.
This time, he wouldn’t cry.
He picked himself up, literally, and like any reasonable being, he assessed the situation. If he’d ended up here, the others must have as well.
If they were castaway on some strange island, maybe he could find the others, and they’d build a new boat together! There were enough trees here to build a whole village!
The boy-lynx walked along the shore. If the others had drifted to this place, that’s where he would find them.
He walked for a whole hour until, finally, he saw something in the distance. It looked like a broken statue made of dark wood.
That’s when Luky realized he was staring at a shipwreck.
Based on the color and the size, it was probably the galleon. Luky gasped.
Seeing it like this, in front of his eyes, confirmed the realization of what had happened. Could there even be any survivors?
Was he the only one?
Chapter 29
“Miss Aurielle!” Luky called. “Hello?”
He put his paws around his mouth. “Hello! Is anyone here?”
Nothing.
But then, “Luky?”
Aurielle’s voice.
“Luky, is that you?”
Luky rushed to the sound. He knew exactly where it was coming from.
From behind the shipwreck, a figure appeared. It was Aurielle.
She ran to him. “Luky! Thank the gods...”
She was just in reach. Her blond hair was wet, messy, full of sand, and her eyes were red from the seawater. She no longer had a cloak.
Aurielle fell to the sand and hugged Luky so tight he could no longer breathe. Even though he barely knew her, her hug felt so comforting, like he had missed her dearly.
Luky shooed his tears away. “Where’s everyone?” he asked, his voice trembling.
Aurielle smiled and adjusted her clothes. “All of the survivors we could find are here.” She turned around and pointed at the shipwreck.
The boy-lynx noticed more people scattered around the shore. They all looked lost.
“What about Ezra?” Luky asked.
“Boy!” a man’s deep voice shouted.
Chapter 30
Ezra popped out of the trees. He carried two full sacks of something looped over his shoulders. His long coat was dry but looked like it’d been through a fire.
Ezra walked up to them.
“You’re hard to get rid of!” he said to Luky, but it sounded more friendly than mean.
Ezra dumped the two sacks on the sand and ran his hand through Luky’s tousled mane.
“Hey!” Luky whined, stepping back.
Ezra laughed and pointed at Aurielle. “Her Highness was already worried we’d never see you again!”
Aurielle blushed.
“What’s all this?” She waved at the full sacks.
“Fruits, leaves, anything I found that looked edible. We’ll need something in our stomachs if we want to survive the night.”
Luky rounded his eyes. “Where are we?”
Both Aurielle and Ezra sighed.
“Definitely not on Indus-Kali,” Ezra said. He looked around, his hand protecting his eyes from the bright sun. “If my observations are correct, we might be even further down south.”
“To be honest, we’re not even sure of that,” Aurielle confessed. “The captain is gone, and over half the passengers are missing...”
She hesitated. “So far, this place appears deserted.”
Luky didn’t know what to say. He was still stunned by the events.
Ezra picked up the sacks and walked toward the shipwreck.
A glimmer caught Luky’s attention. Tied to Ezra’s belt with a thin leather cord was a strange pyramid-shaped vial.
He hadn’t seen it before, but it looked...mystical. The liquid inside was like a slow spinning shadow.
“Come on,” Ezra said, pulling the boy-lynx out of his thoughts. “We need to eat something.”
Luky’s stomach growled. Not only was he still sleepy, but he was hungry now.
How long had passed since the storm? He didn’t even know, and he didn’t really dare to ask.
He was a little afraid of the answer.
Chapter 31
Sour fruit and tasteless leaves were on the menu tonight. After eating, Luky was still hungry, but there was nothing much he could do.
The sun was setting over the sea, and Ezra was already snoring beside him.
Aurielle, on the other hand, sat by the shore, her feet in the water. She was staring at the horizon, silent. She probably didn’t want to be disturbed.
The other passengers were speaking their own languages. Luky didn’t understand any of it, just that they sounded worried and sad. Perhaps he felt a bit of the same.
After dusk, the forest beyond the shore became alive. Caws, shrieks, bird calls, and other strange animal sounds emerged into the night.
Luky didn’t feel particularly safe, and neither did Ezra.
The man was clinging to the pyramid vial in his sleep. Maybe it was some sort of magical protection?
Luky noticed Ezra’s other hand on the hilt of a sword. A red scabbard that was probably his rested beside the man.
Ezra wasn’t just an antique dealer or explorer.
One thing was sure, the stars were exceptionally bright here. The night sky looked like a vast sea of tiny diamonds.
Chapter 32
Ezra cut through thick branches and lianas with his sword. There was no path through the jungle, so he had to make one.
The air was hot and humid, but even in his jacket, Ezra could withstand the heat.
It’s not like he hadn’t been in these types of situations before. Fetching the Eye of Khor in the depths of the dark elf realm. The Gilded Vine from the Forests of Ava Loch. The Trident of Sabys from the Blazing Cauldron.
He needed more fingers than he had to count all the times he’d been trapped, lost, buried alive, or imprisoned during his countless adventures.
Maybe he should retire after this one. He was not getting any younger, and neither was his leg.
Yes, retirement sounded nice. A cabin in Galies facing Sundune on the side of a private oasis. That’d be just perfect.
If he could figure out where they were right now, he could get his ass out of here.
Chapter 33
They’d walked for hours through the forest, Ezra, the boy-cat, and Her Highness, in search of a clue, of something that would tell them where they were.
Luky was determined to walk beside Ezra, but he’d get distracted by any sound or bug that buzzed around him. Ezra had to admit that he was slowly taking a liking to Luky. It was interesting to see him slash through the tall grass with his tiny claws.
“Ah! Die! Ha-ya! Bleed! You’re at my mercy!” Luky would say to himself each time he beat the grass. He’d take a fighting pose like he was practicing his moves.
Aurielle Valdum, on the other hand, was quiet. Still, she was surprisingly robust for a princess who spent most of her time in her castle. Maybe there was more to her than just wealth and politics.
“What’s this?” Luky suddenly said.
He stood still, and his ears flickered like he’d heard something. He cocked his head left and right.
“What do you hear, boy?” Ezra asked. He frowned and tried to listen.
He didn’t hear anything.
Luky’s hair stood on end. Ezra could see his mane puffing up.
“Your sindur senses telling you something?” Ezra checked.
Luky was now sniffing the air. “We’re being watched,” he whispered.
Aurielle walked up to them. “Are you sure?” she whispered back.
It was the first time Ezra was hearing her talk in hours.
“Affirmative!” Luky replied like a soldier.
“Where did you learn to talk like that?” Ezra wondered, an eyebrow raised.
“My dad! He’s a commander for the Bravan Army...”
Luky said no more. His whiskers twitched awkwardly.
They paused for a moment, but they couldn’t stay forever in place. Nothing else was moving around them, so Ezra started walking again.
He shouldn’t have done that.
Chapter 34
A spear whistled through the foliage and landed right at his feet. This was definitely a stern warning that he should not advance.
At that moment, shadows fell from the trees and landed on the ground, encircling the group of three. Those shadows rose and appeared fully into view, and they opened what looked like wings of dark green feathers.
Now that Ezra could take a better look, he couldn’t believe what he saw. Four bird-like creatures with silver beaks and white eyes had them completely surrounded.
They were this close to attacking.... What could Ezra do to defend himself? He was out of flash grenades.
He could use his Elixir of Mist or Vial of Evasion, but those were his last potions. Everything else had been lost in the storm.
What about his Ring of Invisibility? Or his Amulet of Concealment? Those only worked half the time, and they wouldn’t protect Aurielle or Luky.
He could draw his sword, but he felt compelled to surrender. He had no other choice.
Ezra raised his hands above his head, and one of the creatures instantly moved closer.
It was at least three feet taller than him. It had the body of a man but the face and wings of a giant bird, and its arms ended in three sharp talons.
Ezra noticed the crest on its head, a crown of red and yellow feathers. The creature didn’t make any sound, but Ezra knew that he shouldn’t mess with it. Its eyes pierced right through him.
The birdman pulled the spear at Ezra’s feet out of the ground. Then, it poked at Luky with it, like it was probing him.
Ezra noticed Luky’s instantly flaring eyes. The boy-cat slapped the side of the weapon and used the momentum to launch himself upwards. Luky bounced along the spear and reached the birdman’s face.
He was about to strike with his claws.
Chapter 35
The birdman shifted its balance. It quickly beat its wings and soared above the ground.
Luky missed his strike, falling head-first onto the ground. The other birdmen around them cawed.
Luky stood up again and growled, but it wasn’t as impressive as the birdman’s intense white glare.
“Calm down, boy,” Ezra cautiously said. “Those creatures could make a meal out of you.”
Upon hearing Ezra’s voice, the birdman pointed its spear at him. Ezra raised his hands higher in the air.
“Woah, easy!” he said. The spear moved closer to his neck. “We don’t mean any harm. We’re just trying to figure out—”
“I don’t think they can understand us,” Aurielle interrupted with a whisper.
She opened her arms as a sign of peace, then she walked to the birdman.
“Wait...” Ezra first said, but Aurielle wasn’t waiting.
He kept an eye on the creature, wary of its next move, but it let the princess approach. She was able to get within arm's reach of it.
Ezra wasn’t sure what she was about to do, but one more step and the bird could bite her head off. He had to stop her.
Chapter 36
“Your Highness!” Ezra called. “Get back!”
“It’s okay, Ezra,” she said in a soft voice.
What was she doing? Ezra wanted to pull her back but moving might alarm the other birdmen. They were standing pretty still for now, and Ezra wanted to keep it that way.
Aurielle stopped walking. She looked into the birdman’s eyes for a moment. This was bold and reckless. Did she expect the birdman to know her status and bow?
Against all expectations, Aurielle was the one to bow, and the birdman puffed its chest in satisfaction.
Ezra was speechless. Throughout his countless adventures, he’d never seen anything like this. And he’d seen it all.
After that odd scene, she turned around and gave Luky and Ezra a nudging nod. She wanted them to do the same.
Ezra raised an eyebrow before bowing in turn, and Luky growled one last time and complied.
The birdman exhaled deeply and turned around. The others approached the three.
Soon, they were moving, escorted by those creatures that looked more dangerous than docile.
Ezra held his guard, ready for what could come next. His hand clutched the hilt of his sword. Where they were was a mystery he had to put on pause.
Where they were going was a question only fate could answer.
Chapter 37
She just knew. Surrounded by four bird-like creatures without any escape, Aurielle knew her only way out was to show absolute obedience.
And how does any creature show they submit to another?
They bow.
The group had walked far deeper into the jungle. The birdmen didn’t seem to mind the tall grass and thick foliage.
She, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with these strange but fascinating creatures.
Ezra walked beside her, silent yet alert. She could see the expression on his face. He was ready for an imminent attack.
Had he ever seen such creatures before? He was a man of the world. By now, he must have figured out what sort of island this was.
She, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what those creatures were.
Aurielle had never once heard of large birds with the body of men, not even in stories, legends, or myths. She didn’t dare to ask Ezra about it, not right now at least. The birdmen walking beside them were watching her very closely.
“Where are they taking us?” Luky asked, which startled Aurielle.
Fortunately, the birdmen did nothing.
Aurielle looked over her shoulder at Luky. “I’m not sure,” she replied, whispering. “But better not make any sudden movements.”
Luky ignored her.
Chapter 38
“Hey!” He tried to catch the nearest creature’s attention. “Hello!” The birdman didn’t even look at him. “I’m talking to you!”
Aurielle suspected Luky would use his fists next.
They were already in a tough situation, and she didn’t want it to get any worse. She definitely didn’t want the birdmen to snap and choose to kill them instead of capturing them.
She couldn’t really afford to be killed right now. The mission was too critical, and she had a kingdom to save. Her kingdom.
She had to find a way out of this place and head to Indus-Kali as soon as possible! Vanhaui couldn’t afford to lose her.
All those thoughts rushed by in the split second that Luky moved to his target creature.
Aurielle was going to step in his way, but right before she could move, the others stopped walking.
Aurielle turned around to see what was in front of her, and what she saw was the most beautiful view she had ever seen.
Chapter 39
They had stepped out of the jungle, out of the thick foliage, and stood above a tall cliff that faced the setting sun. In the valley below them rose gigantic pillar-like rocks, painted with trees that had long ago found the strength to grow on these rough surfaces.
The warm orange light descending upon these near-magical pillars cast shadows of dark green giants on the ground. Beyond the valley was an ocean of never-ending emerald jungle.
Aurielle’s jaw dropped—she was dazzled by the view.
Luky had fallen entirely silent. Ezra exhaled deeply and ran his hands through his thick hair, like he couldn’t believe what he saw.
Two birdmen walked close to the edge of the cliff. They turned around and faced them; maybe they expected her and her companions to follow.
What the...
A second later, the birdmen let themselves fall off the cliff, eyes closed and arms crossed over their chest, like a ritual.
Aurielle gasped. Her lips were still parted when she witnessed the two creatures open their wings wide and soar above the valley. She couldn’t take her eyes off them.
“Eh...” Ezra snatched her attention. “I think they want us to jump.”
Chapter 40
Aurielle glanced at Ezra, and behind him, she saw the other birdmen looking at her expectantly.
“Eh...” Luky mimicked Ezra. “I’m not jumping.”
The birdmen came closer, forcing them to move closer to the cliff.
“Hey!” Ezra shouted, and he turned around and waved his arms around. “We’re not jumping. We don’t have wings, you morons!”
But they ignored him.
Aurielle wasn’t sure whether these creatures were acting mysterious or if this was just the way they were. Maybe they were just trying to be funny?
Maybe she, Ezra, and Luky were mere entertainment for them.
Aurielle felt the panic rise.
Now, they were standing right above the edge of the cliff. Ezra drew out his sword, and he held a purple vial in his hand.
“Wait!” Aurielle shouted, she had to stop him. Facing these two birds in battle would be madness. What was Ezra thinking?
Ezra didn’t hesitate. He swung his sword in the air as a stern warning. “Make another move, and I blow us all up!” He squeezed the round vial.
The birdmen cawed…or cackled. Was this a laugh?
Luky jumped beside Ezra and showed his claws. “You touch my friends, I slash you!”
None of them got the chance to slash anything.
One of the creatures spread its wings wide. A gust of wind rushed forward, sweeping Luky off his feet, and the boy-cat was propelled in the air.
Aurielle’s heart stopped. Luky was going to fall off the cliff.
Chapter 41
The sindur cub managed to latch onto the cliff’s edge, but before Aurielle could do anything, Ezra tackled the other birdman.
He didn’t get far, because the bird charged forward, its feathers clashing against Ezra’s sword. It did not care how sharp the blade was.
Ezra’s weapon was a mere thorn for this creature.
Ezra was pushed backwards. He struggled to keep his balance, but the birdman pushed further, and Ezra stumbled over and fell off the cliff.
The creature now stood beside Aurielle.
Luky had managed to climb, but when the birdman snapped its wings open, both Aurielle and Luky fell into the void.
Chapter 42
Luky howled for the entire duration of his fall. He had already anticipated his head meeting the ground when claws wrapped around his tiny body.
The massive talons clutched him.
Above him flew a bird-like creature, but it was at least three times larger than the birdmen he’d just met. It was white and dotted with carbon black spots.
Luky couldn’t see its face, but its head was definitely round like a snowball. It looked like a giant owl.
The creature had caught Luky in his fall and saved him from certain death. Luky craned his neck, and he saw Aurielle secured in another owl’s set of talons.
Nasty green birdmen and, now, owls the size of a wyvern. Luky couldn’t believe he’d ended up in this kind of world.
Maybe he was in the Heavens after all.
Up ahead flew another giant owl, and Luky could only see its tail opened like a wide fan. In its claws was a frantic Ezra, who wriggled around and shouted like his life depended on it.
Ezra was yelling swear words the boy-lynx was never allowed to say.
Chapter 43
Between the giant pillars of rock and trees was a river, and beyond that river was a waterfall spraying against the cliff on the other side of the valley.
The white owls released Luky, Ezra, and Aurielle by the lake below the waterfall and flew away, soundlessly, across the sky.
Luky looked over his shoulder, watching them go. Whatever those creatures were, Luky hoped he’d never meet them in battle.
Distant chirps and caws reached Luky’s ears. When he turned around, Aurielle and Ezra were frozen in place, mouths open and eyes round.
The birdmen who’d brought them here had multiplied. There were at least a dozen of them scattered around the lake.
Some of them flew up towards the cliff—that’s when Luky noticed the cliff was filled with hollow chambers.
It was like a bee’s nest, but with clay instead of wax and birds instead of bees!
“This is where they live,” Aurielle said, her voice trembling.
Was she scared or amazed?
Ezra adjusted his clothes and checked all his pockets like he was searching for something. He sighed when he found it and held it tight in his hand.
It was his pyramid-shaped vial the size of a pendant. Ezra seemed so obsessed with it.
“I couldn’t care less,” Ezra grumbled, securing the vial with the cord back to his belt. “I just want to get out of here.”
“Do you have any idea where we are?” Aurielle asked.
“Not a single one, Your Highness. One thing I know for sure is that we crossed the Arc Stream and found ourselves here.”
He paused briefly and adopted a mysterious expression. “No one ever crossed the Arc Stream and lived to tell the tale.”
Chapter 44
Ezra marched forward towards the lake. It seemed like the birdmen around them completely ignored them, and the man was getting impatient.
Ezra made a cup with his hands and brought them to his mouth.
“Hey!” he shouted so loud that it echoed across the valley.
All the bird creatures glared at him, but they returned to what they were previously doing almost immediately after.
“What the hell is wrong with them?” Ezra said as he turned around. “They bring us here and leave us?”
“Ezra...” Aurielle wanted to calm him down, as she always seemed to do.
“Hey!” Luky injected before she could say anything else. He shouted almost as loud as Ezra. “Hello!” He started waving his paws at the cliff.
Luky was more than impatient. He wanted answers.
A faint breeze softly whistled into their ears, and then, absolute calm.
Even the birdmen had fallen completely silent. They were all looking up at the top of the waterfall.
Chapter 45
Through the crystal-clear curtain of pure water surged a winged figure. It glided above the lake like a shooting star, with a tail of rainbow-like colors. Its wings were green and gold.
Calling it a bird-like creature would be an insult to this being of majestic beauty.
Luky never had a sense for human or even elven beauty, but he couldn’t deny this creature’s mesmerizing look.
It landed softly on the grass beside them. Then two birdmen in golden armor flew to its sides, carrying spears.
That’s when Luky decided it was probably not an it.
She was exactly like the scriptures described muses to be.
Luky was so caught in his near-devout admiration for this creature, he hadn’t noticed how all the other birds around him were bowing.
He gasped and instantly kneeled, his forehead touching the ground. Aurielle followed him.
“Oh hell no!” Ezra barked.
“Better do as they’re doing,” Aurielle instructed.
Ezra was walking away. “That’s it. I’m out of here.”
Chapter 46
Luky couldn’t see what was happening behind him, but Ezra returned to his place very quickly. He’d probably been stopped by the birdmen.
One muffled thump, and Ezra was on his knees. There was a birdman behind him.
The bird...woman squawked once Ezra was on the ground. A long and vibrant tune that sang through the valley and jungle. When she was done, her long feathered tail first swirled on the ground, and then…
She raised and opened it wide like a fan in one single flick.
The birdwoman blinked once, and her sky-blue eyes gleamed.
Luky watched her from his spot on the ground.
She was like a mighty peacock ready for an audience. After the creature had put on this show, the boy-lynx raised his body and gaped.
“I think it’s their leader,” Aurielle whispered.
“You don’t say...” Ezra sarcastically muttered.
Luky kept on looking at the birdwoman. “She’s so beautiful!”
Ezra scoffed. “How do you know it’s a she, boy?”
“Eh…the colors?”
The creature had the body of a woman. It was as if she wore a long gown of green feathers, topped by a rainbow ruff. Her crown was her green and gold crest.
That creature wasn’t just any woman or bird. She wasn’t just a birdwoman.
She was definitely a birdqueen.
Chapter 47
“H-hello?” Aurielle called.
From a lady to a queen, maybe they could talk. “Can you...understand me?”
She stood up and approached the birdwoman.
The birdmen in golden armor tightened their grip around their spears.
“Be careful, Your Highness,” Ezra said in a worried tone.
Aurielle halted when she came halfway to the birdqueen.
“My name is Aurielle Valdum,” she introduced herself, then pointed at Luky and Ezra. “These are my friends. We...wish to apologize for any disturbances caused on your territory.
"Please understand, us coming here was an accident, and we just want to go home.”
She seemed a little distressed, but most of all, she sounded sincere.
“Please,” Aurielle pleaded.
The birdqueen wasn’t responding, and nothing in her stance had changed. “We didn’t mean any harm. We didn’t mean to intrude on your grounds. Our ship was caught in a storm, and we were castaway north of here.”
If the birdqueen didn’t understand Aurielle, why was Aurielle talking so much? It wasn’t like any of the birdmen before that had communicated with them.
What was she trying to achieve?
Chapter 48
Maybe she was just venting. Luky’s father vented a lot, usually to the trees, since he spent most of his time in the forest anyway.
“We’re just trying to find a way out of here.” Now, Aurielle sounded desperate. “Please, if you can understand me, help us. And maybe we can find a way to help you...any way we can!”
She was on the verge of tears, Luky noticed. Perhaps it was because of that secret she was supposed to find. Here, she’d for sure never find it. Luky felt sorry for her.
“Can you understand me?” Aurielle asked before she collapsed to her knees and started to cry.
For the first time since Luky had met him, Ezra looked like he had no idea what to do. He let Aurielle sob, and so did everyone else. A
ll the birdmen around them did nothing that’d cheer her up.
What could they do anyway? She was entirely on her own.
Luky ran up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“It’s okay, Miss Aurielle,” he soothed. “We’ll find a way out of here, and you’ll get to your secret.”
Aurielle wiped her tears, but they kept on coming. If only Luky had a tissue or something.
“Sorrow. Pain. Desperation.” Three words that resounded across the lake.
Those words came from a deep and resonant voice, like the sound of ocean waves through a hollow cave.
When Luky raised his head to check on the sound, the birdqueen’s eyes were like burning embers.
Chapter 49
What sort of sorcery was this? Ezra couldn’t believe his eyes nor his ears.
The birdqueen was speaking to him, but no words came out of her beak. It was as if she was in his thoughts, directly addressing his soul.
“Wow! Did you hear that?” Luky asked.
So, she was speaking to the boy-cat too.
Aurielle had dried her tears. She rose back to her feet like she’d found the strength to walk again.
“You...can...” she stuttered. “You can speak?”
The birdqueen’s eyes still glowed. “Words are easy. Emotions are intangible.”
That same voice. And why was it saying that?
Before Ezra could ask for clarification, the voice echoed in his mind again.
"I am Teokuitlatitotoztli. This is my domain.”
Ezra sighed. That was one hell of a mouthful.
“I am Aurielle,” Her Highness said. “This is Luky and Ezra.” She hesitated for a brief moment. “What...is this place?”
The birdqueen folded her tail and glanced up. Her gaze briefly lingered on the stars that already pierced through the dusk sky.
She opened her arms and wings and slowly moved them back down. “You have found yourselves in the brood of Quetza. Welcome, travelers, to our humble colony.”
Aurielle bowed. “Thank you. But we do not wish to remain here long. We must return to our land.”
“Why have you come here?”
“It was by accident. We were...at sea, but we got caught in a storm.”
“We were on a mission!” Luky added enthusiastically. “Miss Aurielle has a secret she needs to find to save her kingdom!”
Aurielle peered at him. “Luky...I don’t think she cares that much.”
“But maybe she can help!” the boy-cat insisted.
Ezra could guess the birdqueen wouldn’t really be able to help them at all.
Chapter 50
By now, Ezra was sure this place was a new land, never explored by anyone. This place wasn’t on any maps or any records whatsoever.
What price would people pay to know about this secret island? The gold, the jewels around the birdqueen’s head that Ezra now noticed weren’t feathers, so much wealth.
Too bad Ezra couldn’t get this information out of here.
“Are there others like us here?” Luky asked.
Ezra frowned. Why was the boy-cat asking this?
“I think we’re the firsts, Luky,” Aurielle answered his question.
He turned to her, his eyes insistent. “Ezra said no one who’d crossed the Arc Stream ever returned. Well, what if they came here?”
Clever boy, this sindur cub! He had a valid theory.
The birdqueen didn’t respond.
“I mean, others like them!” Luky corrected himself and pointed at Aurielle and Ezra. “Not sindurs, but humans.”
“Humans,” the birdqueen repeated. “By the shore to the west, humans have made a brood.”
Hope. That’s what Ezra felt at this exact moment. What a clever boy... Humans had made it here after all!
Chapter 51
Aurielle had gasped. Luky was jumping in place.
“Let’s head west, then!” the boy-cat cheered. “We’ll find the others and get out of here.”
Luky was on the optimistic side, but Ezra could use a little optimism.
Still, would the birdqueen let them go?
“How far away is the human...brood?” Ezra asked.
“Three days west,” she replied. “But the night is falling, and the forest isn’t quiet when it’s dark.”
That, Ezra had noticed. All the chirps, whistles, shrieks, and howls he’d heard last night. It’d reminded him of this one time lost in the Valley of Spirits.
“We should make camp here,” Ezra suggested. If he had to be honest with himself, his leg was killing him.
Aurielle addressed the birdqueen once again. “May we please rest here for the night? We’ll leave before dawn, I assure you.”
“You may stay by the lake,” the birdqueen replied, then she opened her wings. “Make no trouble, adventurers, and your night will be as peaceful as the Quetzal wind.”
Her eyes stopped glowing. She beat her wings once and soared above the ground.
Aurielle was left speechless, probably because of the beauty of the creature before them. Ezra could take a closer look at the golden tips of her feathered wings.
Were these part of her, or was it another kind of jewelry?
Her guards’ golden armor definitely showed how wealthy this place must be. Full of treasure and probably more riches than any other Terrans could fathom.
What people would give to discover this place, Ezra thought to himself once again.
“Goodbye, Birdqueen!” Luky called and waved at the flying birdwoman, who returned to her nest inside the waterfall.
Chapter 52
Sitting by the fire, Ezra held the pyramid-shaped vial in his hands. He brushed the vertical inscriptions on the small bottle with his thumb.
Aurielle rested by the lake, silent, and Luky had just spent most of the evening with her. Now, the boy-cat was walking back towards him.
He’d heard them talk from where he sat.
She was telling Luky about Vanhaui and Rallis. How the Barrier had stood for centuries, but no one really knew how it had come to be in the first place.
How the sithrax were infernal desert war machines, but they’d never really presented a threat to Vanhaui until now.
By now, Luky had figured out that she was the heir to the Hauian throne. She’d even told him about her struggles as a princess whose father never acknowledged her.
She wanted a better future for Vanhaui, but no one ever gave her a voice.
Ezra wasn’t really sure why telling Luky about it would change a thing. That boy-cat was probably more interested in the buzzing fireflies around him than what the princess had to say.
“What’s this in your hand?” Luky asked as he walked up to Ezra.
“This?” Ezra showed him the vial.
Ezra glanced at it one last time before sighing and putting it back in his pocket. “It’s just a fancy trinket.”
Luky could probably see through Ezra’s blatant lie. It was more than a trinket; it was a failure.
Chapter 53
But Ezra didn’t want to tell the truth because the truth would mean thinking about it again. Staring at it was already hard.
Ezra didn’t even know why he was doing it all the time.
“What’s written on it?”
Luky wouldn’t let this one go, now, would he?
“Not for children,” Ezra said in a dry tone. “But these,” he showed him the two other potions he had attached to his belt, “these are my Vial of Evasion and Elixir of Mist.”
“Woah!” Luky exclaimed. Distraction, succeeded. “How do you use them?”
“You throw them on the ground.”
“Can I try?” Luky sounded way too enthusiastic.
Ezra shook his head, making Luky disappointed. The boy-cat made a sindur pout.
He looked so adorable like this, it made Ezra chuckle.
Ezra leaned back and made contact with the grass. “Time to sleep, boy. We have three days of travel ahead of us.”
Luky didn’t want to comply, but his eyes were small, and he yawned shortly after. He seemed exhausted all of a sudden.
The forest was quiet here, but what would they discover once they ventured down to the west?
They’d have to find food and safe places to camp, take turns keeping watch.
It wasn’t anything new for Ezra, but this place was, so it did worry him a tiny bit.
He couldn’t protect these two, and it didn’t look like they could protect themselves. Ezra didn’t want to have another loss on his conscience.
Chapter 54
The thunder roared. Luky covered his ears because it was loud and unpleasant.
They’d been lucky with no rain for the past two days they’d walked in this jungle. Now, it was pouring, bringing back uneasy memories of the storm at sea.
Ezra turned around, his jacket over his head. “The wind has changed!” he shouted through the rain. “We must be close to the shore!”
Luky had found a giant leaf to protect his mane, but the leaf was getting too heavy for his tired paws. He wanted to throw it on the ground and stomp on it.
He was done with this! This island, this rainforest, this rain!
Luky wanted to run to the shore, into the sea, and swim away from here. It was enough adventure for a lifetime!
He wanted to go home and rest by a warm fire.
He wanted to eat a whole buffet instead of these sour fruits and bitter nuts.
He wanted to return to Bravoure’s olive gardens and play with the butterflies.
He missed his father, who was probably worried sick about him right now.
“We’re almost there, Luky. Keep on walking,” Aurielle said with a gentle voice.
She’d probably noticed how irritated the boy-lynx was. Luky exhaled deeply and paused.
That’s when he realized it wasn't the rain soaking his eyes, and those water drops were his tears.
What kind of stupid idea had it been, sneaking into the night on the first boat he’d seen. Into a storm, for that matter.
He could have had an adventure in the suburbs of Shelb! Why did he have to get on that boat?
Did he do it to upset his father? Was Luky that petty?
A crack of a branch. Even in the pouring rain, Luky had heard it.
His ears flickered. It was nothing—Ezra had probably stepped on a branch.
No, wait... There were no branches by Ezra’s boots!
Where had the sound come from?
Luky turned around, alarmed.
Not again…
There was one moment he’d felt exactly the same as he did now.
That split second right before meeting the birdmen.
Chapter 55
A loud shriek pierced through the rain. Three shadows dropped through the tall grass and scattered around the adventurers.
Ezra instantly flailed his sword out of its red sheath, and the blade gleamed, even though there was no sun.
“Stand behind me,” Ezra bid as he pulled Aurielle towards him.
Luky flicked his claws into existence. He focused on the sound these shadows made in the grass and braced.
Whatever those were, they were headed straight towards him and his friends.
Once the shadows surged out of the green, Luky could take a good look at them.
Birdmen, but quite different from the colorful creatures they’d met before.
Come to think of it, those weren’t even birdmen. They were just...monstrous grey birds, with small-clawed wings, and one horrifyingly large talon!
Luky ducked a strike of a wing.
“Cockatrice!” Ezra yelled, then he swung his sword, clashing with a sharp beak.
Ezra couldn’t take on all of them at once. Luky had to do something.
Chapter 56
The boy-lynx jumped in the air. He was agile enough to reach a cockatrice’s back.
He managed to secure himself at the base of its neck, then, just to really be sure he wouldn’t fall, he planted all of his claws into the beast’s skin.
The cockatrice craned its neck and shrieked. It started hurling itself back and forth to force Luky off its back.
Luky could hold on, but was it enough? Frustrated, the cockatrice swung its neck forward, then made a run for it.
On the back of an enraged cockatrice, Luky darted through the tall grass.
He was barely able to keep his balance, clinging to the bird’s neck, but maybe he could give Ezra enough time to take care of the other two.
Once he was far enough from his friends, he set his paws on the bird’s back and pushed himself off, jumping and turning in the air to land on his feet.
The beast was still disoriented, so Luky took his chance and ran back.
Chapter 57
One bird was down. Another to go.
Ezra had blood dripping from his sword. After Luky surged out of the grass, he exchanged glances with Ezra, silently agreeing that they’d fight this last beast together.
That cockatrice was slightly smaller but way more ferocious.
It immediately tackled Ezra, who was cast aside, forced to let go of his sword.
The beast was headed straight for Aurielle, like it knew how important she was.
Luky couldn’t let anything happen to her!
He put his front paws on the ground and began to gallop, scraping the ground under his feet to move faster. He was almost in reach when Aurielle closed her eyes.
Luky first thought she was afraid of the approaching bird, but soon, Aurielle moved her hands close to each other. She was mumbling something herself, before a searing light burst from her hands.
A loud, shattering cry like the roar of thunder rolled through the forest. Strong winds rushed in a radius around her in a shockwave of energy so bright, Luky had to cover his eyes.
Mage.
Aurielle was a mage.
Chapter 58
The forest fell silent, and the cockatrice ran away.
“Wow...” Luky yowled once he could see again.
The lady’s eyes were the color of the sun.
Ezra got up and fetched his sword from the ground. He looked dazed and confused.
“You are full of secrets, Your Highness,” he said, apparently impressed.
Aurielle’s eyes returned to normal. “Are you surprised?” she asked, bitter.
She exhaled deeply, leaning against the tree beside her. That level of magic must have taken a toll on her.
“Wow!” Luky was now energized, and he rushed to her. “Can you teach me, Miss Aurielle?”
Her chest was heaving. She held a hand to her forehead, keeping her thoughts calm. She had trouble standing.
“Are you okay?” Luky asked, worried.
“I’ll be fine,” Aurielle assured him, her voice frail. “I just need a moment.”
“I don’t think we have a moment,” Ezra warned.
He was looking beyond the tall grass. Something was moving out there.
The jungle lived again. This time, it wasn’t the usual bird call.
Multiple shrieks surrounded the adventurers, drawing closer and closer.
Luky closed his eyes, analyzing the sounds.
Ezra looked like he had no idea what would happen, and Aurielle didn’t look like she could do much if something happened.
The boy-lynx caught the heartbeats of at least ten more cockatrices charging. They were coming back with a vengeance.
“We need to run!” Luky pressed. “There’s way more coming!”
Chapter 59
Aurielle swallowed hard and started rushing through the grass towards what they definitely believed to be the shore. Ezra motioned for Luky to follow her, then he brandished his sword and guarded their tail.
They were running as fast they could, but would it be fast enough? Now, multiple cockatrices were after them, causing a stampede on the ground.
Luky looked back. One of the beasts caught up to them, its beak snapping around Ezra’s blade.
Ezra peered over his shoulder and looked straight at Luky. His eyes were stern, sending orders for Aurielle and Luky to keep running.
Then, with a twist of the arm, Ezra unhooked one of his vials off his belt and smashed it on the ground.
A cloud of purple mist invaded the area. No one could see anything anymore.
The cloud smelled like burned paint. Luky heard the confused calls from the birds around them.
Ezra had created a diversion, a big enough one for them to escape. The man caught up to Luky, but he was limping.
“Let’s go!” he urged. “Before they realize what’s going on!”
The grass was shorter, and they were now running up a hill. Beyond the hill was definitely the shore. Luky could hear and smell it!
Snap.
Ezra howled in pain. A cockatrice had bitten him right in his leg.
He stumbled over and rolled on the ground. Luky stopped and turned around to help his friend, but a black cockatrice stood above the man.
Chapter 60
Ezra flailed his sword and ran it through the bird’s belly. He staggered up and started running, coming in Luky’s reach again.
His gait was much worse than just a second ago. Aurielle was already up the hill.
But more and more birds rushed after them. Luky and Ezra were caught between beaks and clawed wings.
It was a fight they wouldn’t win.
Luky saw an escape between the legs of the tallest cockatrice, though Ezra wouldn’t make it through.
Ezra saw the way out, too, because he caught Luky’s arm and pointed at it.
“You go ahead, boy!” he ordered, not leaving Luky a choice. “Go ahead and save yourself!”
Luky didn’t want to leave him here. He used Ezra’s grip to shoot himself up into the face of a cockatrice. Luky pulled out his claws and scratched the beast deep.
When he fell back on solid ground, Ezra had another vial in his hands. The pyramid-shaped vial.
Ezra leaned forward and forced it into Luky’s paw.
“Take this,” he said. His eyes were begging Luky to comply. “No matter what happens, don’t ever lose it.”
Luky clutched the vial. His eyes watered.
“Now, go, boy! Run.”
“But—”
“Run!” Ezra yelled.
Luky slipped through the tallest cockatrice’s legs. The beast snapped at his tail, missing the boy-lynx by a hair.
Luky hurried up the hill. One last look over his shoulder, and he saw a veil of darkness whirling and spreading.
His last vision of Ezra was the man flailing his sword, howling a battle cry, before he disappeared into the dark.
Chapter 61
Running down the hill, Aurielle didn’t waste time looking back. Her feet were now struggling against the sand. She almost lost her balance once or twice.
Luky was behind her, that, she was sure of it. But Ezra...
Ezra was gone.
Aurielle collapsed to her knees. Her magic had drained most of her energy. She was surprised she’d managed to get this far running, for that matter.
Her hands touched the sand. She was exhausted and out of breath.
She closed her eyes to focus on her breathing and exhaled deeply. Her lungs relaxed, and Aurielle opened her eyes again.
In front of her were the calm ocean waves that caressed the sand. The water was just in her reach.
Aurielle smiled. They’d made it to the western shore.
Luky caught up to her. He panted and tried talking between breaths. “We...need...to go...back!”
Aurielle looked at the boy-cat then up the dune. There were no cockatrices in sight, but those terrifying beasts weren’t far.
“We need to find shelter,” she said. She wanted to get as far as possible.
“We need to go rescue Ezra!” Luky shouted. “We can’t leave him behind!”
What were the chances of Ezra surviving an entire flock of these beasts? Aurielle knew the answer to that.
Zero.
Chapter 62
Gods be damned! With the Collector gone, how would Aurielle complete her mission? How would she find the lost item only Ezra Steele could find?
Stupid you, Aurielle cursed herself.
How could she think of the mission when the man she’d dragged all the way down here had just lost his life? How selfish of her!
Ezra had sacrificed himself to give her and Luky a head start. Now, he was gone, and they were safe.
“I don’t think Ezra survived, little one,” she said, almost in a whisper.
She brought her hand to Luky’s head and began stroking it.
Luky closed his eyes and let her scratch the spot behind his ear. All of a sudden, he shooed her hand.
“Ezra’s alive!” he swore. “I know it!”
“How can you be sure? Those beasts had him—”
“Don’t you remember?”
Aurielle frowned, confused. What did the boy-cat want her to remember?
“Ezra said he had two potions: an Elixir of Mist and a Vial of Evasion,” Luky said.
He was looking at Aurielle as if he needed confirmation.
Aurielle had to trust Luky on this. She had no clue Ezra had these potions with him. She nodded.
“We saw the cloud purple mist,” Luky pursued. “But the last thing we saw must have been the other one!”
By the gods, Luky had a point. What a clever boy.
Luky instantly spun on his heels after seeing Aurielle’s relieved reaction.
“I’m going to save Ezra!” Luky promised. He started running back up the dune.
“Wait!” Aurielle called. “What about the cockatrices?”
Luky turned back, a finger up in the air and a smirk on his face. “Let me tell you, Miss Aurielle, do you know the best hunter in town?”
He paused, mysterious.
“It is I, Luk Ma the Tenth, adept hunter, master of stealth.”
Chapter 63
Tracking the Collector’s scent was much easier than Aurielle had thought.
Luky was quick, alert, and it was like he could smell Ezra from miles away.
The two had been walking on the shore for quite some time. How could a potion do this?
Luky was convinced Ezra was near.
“There!” Luky said and pointed at something ahead.
Aurielle squinted. There was a rising cliff where the sand disappeared. Right there, below the cliff, was the entrance to a cave.
“That’s where his smell is coming from!” Luky asserted. “We’re lucky he hasn’t taken a bath in years!”
He chucked, his front paws muffling his laugh.
Suddenly, Luky’s pupils narrowed, and it was his turn to squint. Then, his pupils became whole again.
He instantly grabbed Aurielle’s arm and led her behind the closest large rock.
“Those ugly birds from earlier,” he began. “They’re right there, standing watch.”
Chapter 64
Aurielle peered behind the rock. She could see them too—two large silver cockatrices guarding the entrance to the cave.
If Luky was a hundred percent sure that Ezra was in there, they’d have to get through these two birds first. Who knew how many more were inside the cave?
Who knew if Ezra was even still alive, and the beasts hadn’t made a meal out of him!
“And you’re sure Ezra’s inside?” Aurielle checked. She didn’t want to make any other move before Luky confirmed.
“Affirmative. And he’s definitely alive!”
Aurielle frowned. “How do you plan on getting inside?”
“Do I have to remind you who the best hunter in town is?” Luky smirked.
The boy-cat stood there and patted his linen overalls.
“Be right back,” he whispered.
“Wait!” Aurielle called. “What if they see you?”
Luky shook his head with confidence. “They won’t.” He turned around and walked away.
Aurielle could see him zigzag between rocks until he reached the entrance of the cave. At this point, she couldn’t see him anymore, but the guard birds were still standing watch.
Chapter 65
Time passed. Luky had been inside the cave for more than ten minutes now. Was he stuck?
Maybe he couldn’t find Ezra.
Maybe he got lost. Who knew where this cave led! Or maybe he’d also been eaten!
Aurielle couldn’t wait anymore. She was too worried about her furry friend. She wanted to go after him.
The princess looked behind the rock then noticed something was wrong. The cockatrices were looking inside the cave.
It was like a noise had caught their attention. Aurielle heard a strident, beastly call coming down the tunnel. Then, in a quick movement of their long legs, the two giant birds ran inside.
That could only mean one thing: they’d heard Luky.
Aurielle had to do something. She must catch their attention before they reached the boy-cat. She inhaled deeply and stepped away from the rock.
Her eyes filled with light. If she was going to cause a distraction, she’d better make it a good one.
Aurielle joined her hands together. That rock right by the cave’s entrance was going to be her target.
She called upon the light, whispering ancient words, summoning the arcane energy that flowed in her veins.
The Valdum lineage was known to be sensitive to magic, but nobody would have ever thought little naive Aurielle to be the first photomancer of the royal line. She’d show them right here what she was capable of.
A ray of searing light burst from Aurielle’s hands and headed straight for the rock. It exploded upon impact in a loud blast, but nothing else happened.
She needed more, louder, brighter. It’d cost her all of her energy, but she had to do it. Aurielle called for a shockwave of starlight and shattered all the rocks around her.
The ground was still shaking, even after the light was gone.
Chapter 66
Priority number one: find Ezra. Luky had snuck past the cockatrice guards at the entrance of the cave. Now, he was headed down a dark tunnel that smelled of rotten fish.
Had he smelled that instead of Ezra?
No, Luky was sure that this scent, this one particular fragrance of a middle-aged man always on the run, had led him here.
The boy-lynx clutched the pyramid vial in his hand. Whatever it was, it was important to Ezra, and Luky would return it as soon as possible.
Luky reached an opening and entered a small cavern filled with wet stalagmites, the great rock formations growing from the very ground itself. The air was heavy down here.
He could hear the distant breathing of two or three creatures. Luky scanned his surroundings, seeing a pond up ahead that explained the dampness of the air.
Cockatrices were patrolling the area. It looked like they were looking for something, probably Ezra.
Luky’s paws allowed him to be absolutely silent. Plus, sindurs were gifted with a shifting scent ability, allowing them to mask their odor. Nothing, or at least no cockatrices, could hear or smell him.
But he could smell Ezra.
Chapter 67
Luky hurried as silent as he could to the stalagmite he was sure Ezra was behind. He leaned against it, then peered behind the rock.
There he was, Miss Aurielle’s guide, resting against the stalagmite. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing rapidly.
He appeared to be wounded, and he hadn’t noticed Luky either.
“Psst!” Luky whistled.
Ezra was instantly startled. He turned his head, and his eyes met a smiling Luky’s.
“Boy!” Ezra exclaimed with a loud whisper. “What in the Heavens are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to save you,” Luky whispered back. “Quick, we have to leave before they see us!”
Ezra hesitated. “I don’t think I can move.” He looked at his leg.
It was bleeding.
Chapter 68
Two options presented themselves. Either Ezra would move his ass and bite through the pain, or they’d stay here and be eaten alive by giant ugly birds. The choice seemed pretty evident to Luky.
“Check this,” Luky said as he opened his paw and showed the pyramid-shaped vial to Ezra.
Ezra’s eyes gleamed, and he halted his breath.
“I kept it,” the boy-lynx said. “But I’m clumsy, and I always get into trouble, so if you want this vial to stay intact, you’re going to have to keep it yourself.”
The man chuckled. “How do we do this?”
Luky grinned. “Follow me.”
The two crawled between stalagmites. Luky could remain silent, but Ezra had a much harder time with his wounded leg.
They had to hurry, or the cockatrices would definitely see them. They were about to exit the cavern when Ezra hit the rough edge of a rock. It probably hurt him very much because he gasped and yelped.
Now, they were definitely detected.
The giant birds roaming around instantly stopped moving and glared in Luky’s direction.
They had to make a run for it.
“Quick, get up!” Luky urged, helping Ezra up as best as he could.
Ezra struggled, but he got up. They reach the tunnel, and then…
Boom!
Something exploded outside.
What was going on?
Chapter 69
Luky and Ezra were now running. They heard more noise coming from outside, feet pounding the ground, headed right for them.
More cockatrices.
A blinding flash of light reached inside the tunnel. Whatever was happening outside was bright and loud. Could it be Miss Aurielle?
Everything had stopped moving. Luky and Ezra ran through the exit.
Outside was dust and sand. They couldn’t see anything.
They heard birds calling each other, confused, looking for them. Those cockatrices were definitely not the brightest.
Luky scanned the area. What did it look like before all of this? Large rocks, sand, a rising cliff. Got it. Luky took Ezra’s hand and ran straight.
Ahead, beyond the sand cloud, the boy-lynx saw a figure with long blond hair. The figure leaned against the wall of the cliff. When she saw them, Aurielle picked herself up and urged them to come her way.
“What did you do?” Ezra asked, dazzled.
“You needed a diversion,” Aurielle replied between shallow breaths. She smiled at them both.
Luky was glad they were reunited, but they couldn’t stay here celebrating. They had to get out of the sand cloud and far away from this place.
The boy-lynx hurried away, Aurielle and Ezra following him.
Chapter 70
They didn’t walk for long. Hidden behind the largest dune was the outline of some sort of village. Walls of timber surrounded the settlement, and the houses were all made of wood.
Luky could see people walking back and forth, wearing clothes made of thin fur and braided leaves.
Aurielle rejoiced. There were even happy tears in her eyes. This village of people was like a lighthouse in the dark.
As they got closer, Luky’s heart pounded in his chest. He, too, was happy to be here. Ezra was the only one who seemed unaffected, or perhaps he was being cautious.
Now, they could see the people better. Humans, mostly, but not just any humans!
Luky recognized some of them—people who were aboard the ship with him.
The three rushed to the entrance of the village. If people had made a home here, maybe there were boats. And if there were boats, maybe they could go home.
They were just about to reach the wooden gates when Ezra collapsed to the ground. His leg had given in.
“Ezra!” Aurielle shouted. She tried to help him up, but Ezra had lost consciousness.
Chapter 71
“Hey!” Aurielle called towards the village. “Help!”
Luky tried to shake Ezra awake. “Come on, old man! Wake up!”
Ezra was not responding.
“Help!” Luky joined Aurielle.
The wooden gates opened, and two men marched towards them.
Their clothes looked like a patchwork of grass and fur. They carried bows hooked to their shoulders and spears firmly in their hands. They had this intrigued look on their faces at first, especially when they glanced at the boy-lynx.
But when they noticed Ezra on the ground, they immediately hurried to him.
“Where did you come from?” One of them asked.
The other checked on Ezra. They looked dangerous, but their eyes were kind.
“The rainforest,” Aurielle replied, then she shook her head. “I mean, the shore, northeast of here. Our boat got caught in a storm, and we ended up here.”
“His wound is infected,” the other man declared. “We need to get him to the healer now.”
His partner nodded. They lifted Ezra up and dragged him with his arms over their shoulders.
“Come,” the first man bid. “We’ll take you to meet the Elder.”
Aurielle followed them. Luky stayed behind for a bit, watching the two men and Ezra go.
Right now, he didn’t really want to meet anyone. He felt sad at the idea of losing Ezra. He’d just saved him from giant, monstrous birds; he couldn’t lose him to an infected wound.
Chapter 72
“My name is Helga Kystfrey,” the Elder said. “Your friend is in good hands here. Our healer will take care of him.”
The Elder, the village leader, was ljosalfar. She was a high elf who had arrived here almost two centuries ago. Her skin was fair, almost white, and contrasted with her black hair like night and day.
She wore a long yet simple linen gown that touched the ground. Her eyes were blue like the depth of the ocean.
Helga Kystfrey welcomed them to this settlement called Nova Coast in her humble wooden home. There were more nearby villages scattered by the shore, but Nova Coast was the largest one.
Everyone here had come from a different land and never meant to be here in the first place. They’d all been forced to build a home here and make the best of it.
As far as she knew, Helga had been the first to set foot on this new land.
Luky had learned that Helga had been a cartographer, making maps for the Fallvale army, in the land of the elves. She’d been sent at sea to discover the unexplored southern oceans.
Caught in a storm, she was saved by a mystical sea creature, or so she said. Helga believed everyone who’d arrived here so far had been delivered by this sea creature.
Luky wasn’t sure whether he should believe this, but he had one single idea on his mind: go home. Though Helga had told him something else.
“I’ve tried to leave,” she confessed. “But beyond the horizon is the same storm that brought us all here.”
Now, Luky was rambling on in his head while Aurielle spoke with the Elder.
Should they tell her about the birdmen? Aurielle certainly wasn’t mentioning them. Maybe the birdmen were the key to getting out of here.
They couldn’t be just stuck here. There had to be a way to leave!
Chapter 73
“Others tried too,” Helga said. “But I can feel that they never made it through. Instead of leaving the sea, they returned to it, forever.”
She was elven, and elves felt things. But she must be wrong. This couldn’t just be it.
“How can you be sure?” Aurielle asked. “Maybe a few made it through, and you just don’t know.”
Luky wanted to say the same. And they should mention the birdmen.
Helga closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “In two hundred years, we’ve had thirty-six arrivals, thirty-seven with yours. People from all over Terra came here, and many tried to face the storm to return home.
"Don’t you think that if one had succeeded, the world would have found out about this place?”
Aurielle fell silent. Luky had nothing to say. The Elder had made a sad and solid point. Maybe the birdmen weren’t the key after all.
“You may settle by the Common Plot until we find you a home,” Helga said. “We will get you some clean clothes in the meantime.”
“Thank you,” Aurielle said with a smile, but she sounded sad.
A home? Did Luky seriously have to believe that this was it? No, he wouldn’t.
As soon as Ezra woke up, Luky would go tell him everything the Elder had said. Ezra would definitely get angry, and they could figure a way out together.
Chapter 74
The Elder saw them out, and the two men from earlier led them to the Common Plot. It was a mound of dried mud behind the Elder’s house, closer to the dunes.
A fire had been lit, and fluffy pillows made of old linen sheets were placed by the flames. The night was falling, and just seeing those pillows made Luky realize how tired he was.
The two men left them alone, but not before handing them two bowls of rice with diced fish in spiced gravy.
Luky’s stomach took over. He snatched a bowl and dug into it, muzzle first. This was delicious, scrumptious, divine!
After days surviving on nuts and fruit, this food was a miracle.
Aurielle accepted her bowl, thanked their escort, and went to sit on one of the pillows. However, she did not eat. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her knees and hid her face.
Luky could swear she was crying.
Chapter 75
His leg hurt like an iron thorn. Ezra had woken in a small wooden cabin filled with smelly incense.
His healer, an old Gaelisi bloke with druid-like powers, had cured the infection with algae and salt. His wound, almost entirely healed, was wrapped in bandages, but some pain was still there.
That was something no healer could do anything about. Ezra could have lost his leg had they waited longer, but did it really matter? He’d lose his leg soon anyway.
It had started with a simple itch in the knee that had slowly spread to his ankle. Elders usually get these pains, but it was already there when Ezra didn’t even have a single white hair on his frizzed head.
He’d gotten his leg examined by the best doctors, the most cunning of magi, and even the Shinto druids of the Kanjuunese mountains. This was just the way it was.
A pain he would have to bear for the rest of his life.
A pain that was getting worse year by year.
It hadn’t stopped him this far, even after his countless adventures. But it probably would, one day. Ezra dreaded the day the pain would become unbearable.
Though right now, it wasn’t nearly as sharp as his other, more subtle pain. The one he never talked about.
The one he, as he stared into the flames of the Common Plot, could not get out of his heart.
Chapter 76
“How are you feeling?” Her Highness asked as she returned.
Her voice distracted him from his thoughts. She’d gone to change into a brown tunic similar to his.
“Could be better.”
As soon as Ezra spoke, Luky was startled awake. He gasped and examined Ezra, head to feet.
“You’re back!” the boy-cat exclaimed like he didn’t believe it. “How...how did I not hear you?”
Ezra smiled slightly. “You’re not the only one who’s good at stealth.”
Luky jumped to his feet and hugged Ezra. The man noticed the pyramid vial dangling from the boy-cat’s neck. He couldn’t think of a safer place for it.
“How did you even get into that cave,” Luky asked.
The man cleared his throat; the boy-cat still hugged him.
“The evasion spell took me to those rocks outside the cave. I went inside for shelter. Dumb call. Turns out, it was their nest!”
Ezra started laughing at the situation that could have gone horribly wrong. It wasn’t funny then—now, it was hilarious.
Luky was laughing too. One thing was sure, Ezra would never use a Vial of Evasion again!
Chapter 77
Once Luky released Ezra, his pupils narrowed, and his face changed from relieved to determined. “We need to get out of here.”
Ezra rounded his eyes. His healer had told him the stories of the settlement. They didn’t really have a way to get out of here.
“Why are you looking like this?” Luky challenged. “Come on, I bet you already have an idea!”
Ezra felt...awkward. How could he tell this sindur cub with big and eager yellow eyes that he was out of options? Something inside him hurt at the idea of disappointing this young boy.
Perhaps it was because the realization that he was stuck here had just fallen on his shoulders, and the weight was too heavy to bear.
Chapter 78
“Come on, Ezra!” Luky insisted. “This can’t be it. Don’t you want to go home to...where are you from? Tazman? If I’m right then we’re practically neighbors! Don’t you want to go home to Tazman?”
Tazman—wow! Ezra hadn’t thought of that place in a long time. Tazman, the land of queens with golden brown skins and warlords with righteous coal eyes.
Ezra hadn’t seen Tazman in about forty years.
He sighed. “Boy, I haven’t set foot in Tazman in decades.”
Luky crossed his arms. “My father tells me Tazman has the most beautiful forests he’s ever seen. And my father is a ranger of the Fae, so he would know.”
“I thought your father was a soldier.”
Luky corrected himself. “Ah, that’s my other father. I have two fathers. Well, they’re not my real fathers—I don’t know where my real fathers are—but they love me like their own son, and I love them.”
Ezra chuckled. This boy-cat would never cease to surprise him.
“What?” Luky asked and smiled. His eyes lit up. “You’re smiling! Does that mean we’re going?”
Aurielle joined the conversation. “Luky, you heard what the Elder said.” Her voice was soft. “She’s right. If someone had gotten away from here alive, the world would have heard about it.”
“We don’t know how many tried!” Luky raised his voice. His patience was fading. “Maybe it was just ten or twenty. Maybe we just need twenty-one people to try before one succeeds!”
“Considering the odds, I don’t want to take my chances,” Aurielle said. She looked down at the ground.
“Were you considering the odds when you went on your quest?”
Her Highness did not respond. Her eyes met Luky’s, and sadness turned into…
“Luky, that’s enough!”
Anger.
Her voice was now whole and heavy. Luky’s hairs stood on end.
Chapter 79
“I’m sorry, Luky,” Aurielle said. She was obviously troubled. “You’re right; I wasn’t considering the odds and look at where that got me! I’m stuck here, on this island full of predator birds and lost people, with no way out.
“Rallis will declare war, Vanhaui will be destroyed, and I won’t be there with my kingdom. I got stuck following some silly quest to find a stupid artifact that probably doesn’t even exist!
“I’m supposed to be a queen one day, and my father doesn’t even believe in me. I was going to prove them all wrong, that I could put our kingdom’s needs first and stop this war from happening!
“No, I wasn’t considering the odds,” Aurielle continued. She had to get it all out. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
Luky turned mute. Silence had won.
Her Highness had lost hope and seeing her like this pained Ezra too. He had to admit that he’d grown fond of these two over the past few days.
If he had to spend the rest of his life here, his new friends would be with him at least.
Chapter 80
“Vanhaui won’t be destroyed!” Luky broke the silence with a confident voice.
His eyes gleamed, and his smirk was back. “Because you’re going to find that artifact. You’ll save your kingdom, and one day, you’ll be the most loved queen of all.”
Aurielle scoffed. “The most hated queen... Half the people don’t even consider a woman to be a fit leader. Why would they consider me, someone so naive they get lost at sea chasing myths?”
Okay, that was enough. Ezra wouldn’t let Aurielle talk about herself this way. He knew, deep down, that this woman here would make a hell of a queen. She was already a hell of a person, taking so much risk to save so many lives.
“That’s not true,” Ezra injected. “Plenty of people—”
“Oh, please. You don’t think any different.”
Ezra frowned. “Your Highness, I don’t know what sort of image you have of yourself, but if these last few days have taught me anything, it’s that Vanhaui will be lucky to have you as their queen.”
Sure, Ezra was grumpy most of the time, harsh, and disapproving of a lot of Aurielle’s decisions, but that didn’t come from the belief that women couldn’t lead. How absurd of an idea was that?
“The only reason why I might be hard on you is because you are too valuable to risk your own life for this mission. And even if you don’t know how valuable you are, your father does. And he would probably bet his life on it.”
Ezra wasn’t sure if Aurielle was smiling or frowning.
“Trust me, that’s what fathers do,” Ezra added. This was something he knew for sure.
Ezra realized here that he had made a decision. Maybe it’d been there from the start, and he was only now aware of it.
There was a kingdom to save, a boy-cat to bring home to his two fathers, and a beautiful Taz forest to retire to.
Ezra turned to Luky and smiled.
“You seemed to have it figured out better than us, boy,” Ezra said. “How do we get out of here?”
Luky opened his mouth slightly. “Eh...” He paused. “We find a boat?”
“And then?”
“We steal it.”
Chapter 81
Sure, Ezra could go with that plan. It sounded wild and like the total opposite of a well-thought-out plan, but what else could they do?
Ezra wasn’t going to stay here, neither was Luky.
And neither was Her Highness.
She stood up and took a deep breath. She nodded a couple of times like she was convincing herself that she could do this.
“I saw sailboats by the shore,” she said, then pursed her lips. “The village doesn’t have patrols or anything. It should be easy.”
“It will be,” Luky pledged. “Let’s go quickly before I fall asleep again!”
Aurielle took a bite of cold rice. Ezra hooked his red scabbard to his belt. Luky still wore the vial around his neck.
Ezra would leave it there for now. He didn’t have pockets in this tunic anyway.
They were about to leave when Luky turned around. He was the only one who hadn’t changed into new clothes, so his leaf and fur tunic were still folded by the fire.
Luky grabbed a twig and started writing something in the dried mud.
Ezra checked what the cub had written.
Even if it was a boy’s handwriting, he could read it clearly. We live brave. We die free. An old soldier’s phrase.
Luky took one last glance at his work. “She’ll know what it means.”
Ezra smiled. That boy-cat would never cease to surprise him.
Chapter 82
Luky stood watch, Aurielle untied the ropes, and Ezra boarded the sailboat. It had two masts, but it was still crude and unimpressive.
It didn’t look like the ship they’d sailed in a few days ago, and it was probably made of parts from other shipwrecks, but it’d do the trick.
Luky could see the rest of the settlement from where he stood.
There was nobody else here. All villagers seemed fast asleep in their wooden houses. It was like they didn’t suspect anyone would steal a boat.
“Done,” Aurielle said, half whispering.
She and Luky boarded. Ezra took his position in the middle of the boat, and he motioned for Luky to sit behind him.
“You and me on the oars, Aurielle on the rudder,” he directed. “There’s no wind now, so we need to row.”
And row they did. For a while. A long, long while. Now, it was just them and the full moon.
Luky kept on rowing, but he was getting tired. Aurielle had suggested multiple times they switch, but the boy-lynx was firm on wanting to build muscles.
The waves were calm, almost static—he was not getting tired; he was getting bored.
“Where is that storm everyone keeps talking about?” Luky whined. “Do we even know where we’re going?”
Chapter 83
Ezra looked to the sky, and Luky did the same.
The stars were as bright as candlelight, even if the moonlight was occupying most of the space. A purplish, silvery glow covered the sea like a silk blanket.
“Based on the stars,” Ezra began. “I’m pretty sure we’re southeast of Indus-Kali, so we’re going northwest. I don’t think we’re even that far.”
“How do you know all this?” Luky wondered.
“I’ve been a traveler for all my life. I know things.”
With a senior traveler, a mage who could shine like the sun, and himself, they’d definitely make it out of here. After that, Luky would ask Ezra all about his travels.
Even if this mishap should have been enough adventure for a lifetime, deep down, Luky still yearned for more.
He’d go back to his fathers, get scolded for sailing into a storm and landing on some strange faraway land. He’d probably get grounded too.
But eventually, he’d go back on an adventure. It was just who he was.
Chapter 84
Ezra looked like a man who had seen it all. Luky could learn a thing or two from him. He already had.
Now, Luky really wanted to know what that thing around his neck was. The pyramid-shaped vial Ezra seemed so attached to.
Was it some sort of magical compass? Was this why Ezra always knew where to go? Or maybe it was some sort of forbidden potion.
Luky figured he might as well ask.
“What about this?” Luky pointed at the vial with his chin. “Will you tell me what this is?”
Ezra looked over his shoulder, then his features narrowed. “I’m taking this back,” he said as he took the vial off Luky’s neck.
He put the vial around his neck and turned back, leaving Luky with his mouth half-open.
“Thanks for keeping it safe for me,” Ezra said. His low voice betrayed no emotion.
Luky wasn’t going to get an answer tonight. Come to think of it, the boy-lynx didn’t believe he’d get an answer ever. It made it all the more mysterious.
Luky had not noticed the wind picking up. Trying to get information out of Ezra on the vial had kept him too distracted.
Once the breeze began to stroke his whiskers, Luky looked up to the sky. The moon was still there, but the horizon was pitch black.
It was so dark, Luky could feel a tiny seed of fear grow in his stomach.
Ezra let go of his oars and inhaled deeply. He looked behind him again, first at Aurielle, then at the boy-lynx. “Any last words?”
Chapter 85
Luky swallowed hard. Ezra was grinning awkwardly.
He wasn’t serious, or maybe he was, a little.
“It was nice knowing you?” Luky said and grinned, keeping up with the joke.
A flash of lightning suddenly lit the horizon. All three of them gasped, Luky louder than the rest.
The dark mass of clouds had shone blue and purple for a fraction of a second.
“It’s now or never,” Aurielle said. “If I’m going to die tonight, I want to die trying.”
Ezra smiled awkwardly like he was both happy and afraid. “That’s the spirit.”
He picked up his oars and started rowing again. Luky followed his rhythm, slow at first, until the wind was too powerful.
Aurielle left the rudder to lower the sails and quickly returned to her position. They were ready to face the storm.
With one deep breath, Luky rowed onward.
Chapter 86
The wind blew hard and loud; the rain poured. The waves were like dragon wings opening and closing.
They had one goal: face the waves and make sure to stay on top.
Luky wasn’t even feeling the cold. He focused all his strength and willpower on the oars.
“Keep going, boy!” Ezra shouted, the rain muting his words. “Whatever happens, keep rowing. We’re not going down without a fight!”
“Yeah!” Luky cheered.
He looked over his shoulder at the only reason they could see the waves in the first place. Aurielle was shining bright, like a beacon of light, showing them everything that surrounded them.
Her eyes shimmered like two faraway suns. She had her hands on the rudder, maintaining their course, but the rest of her body was entirely focused on lighting their way.
They pushed forward through the storm, the waves sending them miles above the earth and back down. No matter how shaken he felt, Luky kept on rowing.
For as long as his friends wouldn’t give up, neither would he.
Chapter 87
“That’s it!” Ezra called. “Look!” He pointed to his right.
Silver light pierced through the clouds where Ezra pointed. Even if it was surrounded by lightning strikes, this was no lightning bolt. It looked like a magical beacon, like Aurielle!
“What is it?” Luky asked. He had to roar to be heard.
“The eye of the storm, boy!” Ezra shook rainwater off his face. “That means we’re doing great!”
All three of them rejoiced. They probably all had flashbacks of the ship and the storm that had brought them here in the first place.
But seeing the moonlight through the eye of the storm was like experiencing hope for the first time.
Luky laughed wholeheartedly, overwhelmed by this intense feeling of euphoria.
They were going to make it.
Though when the silver moonlight disappeared, Luky was left with a feeling of emptiness.
Chapter 88
The clouds turned even darker. Aurielle’s light dimmed. The thunder shattered the sky like hammers on glass.
What was going on? Why couldn't they see anything anymore?
The rain poured so hard, Luky had trouble keeping his eyes open.
“What’s happening?” Luky asked.
“I don’t know, son,” Ezra replied. “This is probably the worst part, just keep rowing!”
Luky did so, but now, they were surrounded by this whirling darkness. It was almost unnatural. It was like the storm was alive, and it followed them.
A wave rose high to their side. The boat was lifted up and almost rolled over once released. Aurielle lost focus, and everything went black.
They were going in blind.
Chapter 89
“Are you okay, Miss Aurielle?” Luky shouted over his shoulder.
She didn’t respond at first. The wave had swallowed and spat them back so quickly. Luky hoped dearly Aurielle was still on board.
“I’m...good!” she said, coughing, then her light was back.
“Here’s another one!” Ezra yelled.
And it happened again. It happened over and over, waves coming from all sides as if the ocean was out to get them.
Luky and Ezra kept on rowing, but they couldn’t keep going like this. Where was south? Where was north?
Another wave struck them with full force, breaking the mast, sending the sail flying.
“Shit!” Ezra exclaimed. “Luky, on the rudder. Aurielle!” He shouted louder. “Your Highness, get in front of the boat!”
Both of them complied. Well, they tried. Aurielle managed to reach Ezra, but as Luky was about to lay paws on the rudder, something snapped.
Whether it was the second mast or the front of the ship, Luky didn’t know, but water quickly swallowed his feet.
Now, the boat was facing down. Luky had to hold the rudder so he wouldn’t fall into whatever abyss the ocean had opened. Even with this loud thunder and wind, Luky heard Aurielle scream.
When he looked down, he realized that the previous wave had swallowed Ezra.
Chapter 90
No, this couldn’t be it. Luky held on as tight as he could.
No, no, just no.
This wasn’t it.
What...what is that thing?
There was something in the water—something large, something big, and it was coming towards him.
The tallest wave Luky had ever seen rose right above him, and inside that wave was the crystal blue shimmer of some sort of creature. It moved in perfect harmony with the sea.
As Luky examined it, something warm and soothing settled in his heart. The creature stared at him through the water. It was like looking at his own, ethereal reflection.
At this point, Luky felt all the happiness and sadness he’d ever felt, at the same time. The regrets, the remorse for getting on that boat, but also the fulfillment that had come with this adventure.
Luky closed his eyes. He used the last of his strength to clutch the rudder and cling on to the boat. Whatever happened, he would never let go.
Chapter 91
“Luky!” A voice called. “Luky, wake up!”
Luky opened his eyes and instantly felt like he had to vomit. He rolled to his side and ejected all of the salt water he had in his stomach.
He repeatedly coughed until he noticed that the sun was shining, and seagulls were flying above his head.
He turned around, and his eyes met Aurielle’s. She was smiling.
Luky scanned his surroundings. There was not much left of their boat, but the sea was still, and there was light, sun, birds, and...Ezra!
The boy-lynx’s gaze returned to Aurielle. “Did we make it?” he asked, his heart pounding.
“We made it,” she replied, and Luky jumped in her arms.
“Quiet, you two!” Ezra nonchalantly shouted, covering his eyes with his hand. “Someone’s trying to get some sleep here!”
Luky was so relieved to see the man that he jumped to his feet. He ran to him and hugged him so tight, it was like he would not let him go for a while.
Once there was enough hugging for a lifetime, Luky lay beside Ezra. Aurielle reclined beside the boy-lynx, and Luky decided to take both their hands in his paws.
They lay still for a moment, rocked by the calm ocean waves. The sun was like a warm blanket of comfort, and the seagulls were like welcoming music.
Chapter 92
“Where are we?” Luky asked after waking again.
Ezra raised himself up and leaned on his elbows. “I haven’t got the slightest clue.”
Luky made a pout. He’d expected that answer. After all, they were sailing on a large raft, with nothing but an empty horizon surrounding them.
"But we made it," Aurielle consoled him. “If we made it through that storm, we’re definitely going to find our way.”
Ezra smiled. “I can always use you as an oar!” He laughed and lifted Luky up, then he rubbed the cub’s head with his fist.
Luky had never seen Ezra like this. So happy. So...father-y. It made Luky feel all warm inside.
Ezra released Luky, but the cord around his neck got caught in the cub’s clothing and snapped. Ezra’s pendant fell on the raft. Luky picked it up and handed it to him.
This time, he’d give the man a break. He wasn’t going to ask questions about it.
Chapter 93
Ezra first hesitated, then he took the vial in his hand. The look on his face was...complicated—that was the best way to describe it.
Ezra ran his thumb along the vial’s strange inscriptions, then he looked into Luky’s eyes.
Luky could feel it coming. Ezra was going to tell him everything!
“You want to know what it says?” Ezra asked.
Luky nodded with all he had.
“It says never forget, always remember in Old Elven.”
The cub’s eyes rounded. He had ten more questions, so he’d start with the first one. “What does it do?”
And the next two. “Do you drink it? Is it like a memory potion?”
Ezra chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not a potion, boy. It’s an echo.”
If Luky could round his eyes more, he would have. What did Ezra mean by echo?
Chapter 94
“You see,” Ezra began as he shook the vial. He did it carefully, drawing large circles in the air. “It’s based on the magi’s memlock, the spell that catches memories.”
He opened the vial and handed it to Luky. “Listen.”
Luky took the vial in his paw. He first hesitated, but after Ezra nodded, Luky brought it close to his ear.
Nothing happened at first, but as the shadowy liquid settled inside the vial, he could hear something distant. It sounded like...laughter.
A child’s laugh.
Just hearing that laugh brought a smile to his face. The laughter dissipated, fading away, leaving Luky enraptured.
Ezra took the vial back and closed it before securing to his belt with what was left of the leather cord.
That laugh must have belonged to someone important. It explained why Ezra was so careful with that vial and why, when he’d thought to be close to death, he’d given it to Luky for safekeeping.
Ezra was now staring deeply into the vial. Come to think of it, he didn’t look sad. He looked lost.
“This is my daughter’s laugh,” he confessed, his voice almost inaudible.
Chapter 95
Luky felt a lump down his throat. Even if he was just a boy, he knew that tone. Now, he realized that the look on Ezra’s face was grief.
“I immediately saved this from my memory after she...” Ezra paused. “Like this, I can never forget what she sounded like.”
“What happened to her?” Luky instantly regretted asking. He was prying.
The man inhaled deeply and looked up to the sky. Tears were showing, but he wasn’t letting them out.
Was this the first time he was talking about her?
“Fate happened,” he said. “Boy, I loved my daughter with all my heart, but choices I made screwed it up for the two of us. For the three of us.
“I was gone most of the time, always traveling, always on the run. Even if I did my best, sometimes, someone’s best is just not enough.”
Chapter 96
Luky wasn’t sure whether he should hug Ezra right now. He turned to Aurielle, who was looking at the ocean. She’d heard Ezra’s story for sure.
“Boy, and you, too, Your Highness,” Ezra seized their attention. “Us dads might not be the wisest, the strongest, or the smartest, but we’re doing the best we can. Just know that we love you until the end and beyond.”
The boy-lynx gave in. He was hugging Ezra again, who actually needed it more than him.
To his surprise, Aurielle joined in on the hug. They were three adventurers, lost at sea, but certainly not lost within their hearts.
“What’s this?” Aurielle mumbled as she left the hug and wiped her cheeks.
Ezra looked, too, but he couldn’t see. When Luky looked, he saw the figure coming their way. Was this a mirage? An illusion?
No, it was real.
That vessel with Hauian-blue sails was coming straight for them.
Chapter 97
Luky turned to his friends. “It’s a boat!” he exclaimed and repeated it ten times.
Aurielle rose to her feet. Ezra did the same. All three were now waving at the vessel that would soon meet them.
“I can’t believe it!” Aurielle said.
“Me neither, but it’s real,” Ezra assured them.
Luky jumped around the raft that was rocking left and right. “It’s real! It’s real!”
The three adventurers weren’t lost in their hearts, and now, they weren’t even lost at sea anymore.
This trading ship that was headed to Vanhaui soon invited them aboard. The ship’s captain was a kind man who agreed to make a pitstop at Taj-Kaa-Port, so Aurielle and Ezra could continue their mission.
Now that they’d overcome two storms and an island of birdmen, the two felt like they could take on anything.
Moreover, they were much closer than when they’d started. The two realized they could learn more than an extra thing or two from each other.
Before leaving the Spice Isles, Luky hugged his friends tight, bidding them safe travels. Aurielle and Ezra were headed for a new adventure.
The boy-lynx, on the other hand, was going home.
Aurielle swore she’d come to visit him in Bravoure once her quest was complete. Ezra promised him a bed in a Taz home at the center of a beautiful forest.
Luky shed a tear after the ship parted again. He’d miss his friends, but he knew he would see them again soon enough.
Chapter 98
The boat docked at the harbor of Shelb in the early morning. Luky bid the captain goodbye and, with a lump down his throat, he headed up the main road.
He was going to L’Ours Clam, the inn where his father would probably be waiting.
Luky wasn’t even sure how long he’d been gone. During the entire journey back from Taj-Kaa-Port to Shelb, he’d been preoccupied with one, sole idea.
How could he ask for his father’s forgiveness?
Luky realized why his father was always so protective. The world was a dangerous place; the boy-lynx had witnessed that firsthand. Even if he was eleven, he was still a young sindur cub.
Luky arrived at the inn, his heart pounding in his chest. He was so afraid. His father was going to be so mad.
Luky hadn’t cared for being scolded on the island, but now, it was all he feared. He was about to burst into tears when the inn’s door opened.
Chapter 99
There he stood, the man who had raised him like a son. He was dressed like a traditional Bravan soldier, and his blond hair glistened in the sun.
He’d probably seen Luky arrive from the window and had rushed downstairs immediately.
Luky ran to his father, sobbing. “I’m sorry, Dad!” He couldn’t stop crying. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to go on an adventure, and I went, and I’m sorry.”
Instead of pushing him away and yelling like Luky would have expected, his father squeezed him in his arms, tight. Was he crying too?
His embrace was so strong that Luky couldn’t get out even if he wanted to.
But he didn’t want to.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, furball,” his father whispered. He sounded relieved instead of angry.
What was going on? Why wasn’t his father angry? Luky was angry at himself. Why wasn’t anyone else?
“I feared the worst,” his father said again. “By the gods, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I’m never leaving again,” Luky promised.
He would, eventually, but not for a while.
Chapter 100
Luky was so happy to be back here. Even if it wasn’t home, it felt like it, just because his father was here.
He’d tell him all that happened on his journey, and he’d even tell him about the birdmen. Or maybe he shouldn’t. A strange feeling occupied his mind, somehow.
Maybe the birdmen should remain a secret after all.
The idea hadn’t crossed Luky’s mind until now, as he pondered on how he’d tell this story. How quite peculiar that he couldn’t even find words to tell.
Perhaps the brood of Quetza should remain a mystery.
Chapter 101
Welcome to Terra, a world of countless stories. A world where humans, elves, and dwarves used to live in peace and harmony, and shared their wisdom with the rest of the world.
The sindurs of Ailura prospered with these new allies. The sithrax of Rallis built a mighty empire.
But as time passed, the world changed, and so did the people.
Elves became vain, humans turned greedy, and dwarves disappeared. The sithrax’s mighty empire was now a ruthless and vindictive army.
After the fall of Ailura, sindurs were left to wander a world where they were either forgotten or persecuted.
Though not everything was lost for the men-lynx of Terra. Some of them still had hope, faith that their world would one day rise again.
In the meantime, Terra still had a few stories to tell. One particular story revolved around a young sindur cub, who desired nothing more than to see the world.
His name is Luk Ma, or Luky for short, and this is his story.