Chapter 9 – Wings Of Courage
The next three rounds took almost two further hours, including the breaks in between, allowing the wyvern to rest for a short time. Kibble had said they didn't need a rest, but SJ had informed him that it was as much a spectacle for the town as for the riders competing.
The final riders who would compete in the aerial combat phase were now all standing in front of Lorna and Cristy. Both of them were now adorned in their rider uniforms.
Each rider held two weapons: a long lance and a short bow. Due to the distance between the wyverns when they flew side by side, standard melee weapons such as swords or axes were impractical. The lances and bows gave the riders the reach to attack at a range outside the wyvern's body.
Darren had joined the crowd just before the aerial combat was due to start and sat next to Alice, holding her hand. They made a wonderful couple, SJ thought as she glanced at them.
"Don't you start getting any ideas," Dave said.
'About what?' SJ asked.
"About getting all loved up with someone. What am I supposed to do when you start... You know."
SJ was still no nearer to finding anyone since her arrival on Amathera; her life was complicated enough as it was without the added complication of a partner.
'I have no plans, don't worry.'
"Phew," Dave replied.
'You know I haven't, you can read my thoughts!' SJ replied.
"Just checking, to be on the safe side."
"I feel sorry for the riders," Darren said as he watched Cristy and Lorna climb onto their mounts.
"Why?" SJ asked, turning to look at him.
"Cristy has gotten very skilled with that bow of hers. I feel for them as I know how difficult she will make it for them while staying at range."
"I'm sure they can put up a good fight," Alice replied.
"Many of the riders have specifically had to learn to use a short bow and don't have a skill tree related to it. Unlike Cristy," Darren said. "Never mind Lorna and her sheer grip strength with that lance, she swings it around as though it were a toothpick."
Lorna easily moved with the lance, climbing onto her mount effortlessly. Cristy had immediately attached her lance to the specially designed saddle mount that held them and taken her bow from her shoulder.
The groups of three had already been drawn, and they now stood waiting for orders from Lorna. Only two more riders would now be eliminated from this round of four groups.
Lorna started to speak. "Each round of aerial combat will last ten minutes. Any riders remaining after this time will be safe. If no riders remain, the time at which riders are eliminated will be considered. If they manage to eliminate me and the lieutenant. In that case, the number of successful strikes a rider makes will be considered, as well as the effectiveness of their contribution to the fight. As you can see, each of the weapons has been adjusted to prevent serious harm." Lorna swung her lance tip to highlight that it had a blunted tip with a cloth bag, rather than a point it would have for actual combat. Cristy did the same with her arrows, which had flattened heads with small padded bags.
SJ had received one of Cristy's newly designed arrows when she was trailing them and knew they still hit with some serious force. They didn't penetrate the skin, but the bruise SJ had received was still significant.
"Riders will be eliminated after receiving two hits. The Lieutenant and I are both allowed three hits before we are eliminated to make the scoring potential even. Remember, you are a flight," Lorna finished, looking over the riders waiting. "First group mount."
The three selected for the first group stepped forward and mounted their respective wyverns. They had all been randomly picked to ensure fairness in the process. Lorna was currently mounted on Snaffle, while Cristy was on Blusher.
"The combat area has been marked out; no riders are allowed outside of the area. Doing so will mean disqualification." To mark the area, one of the mages had sent blue light balls into the sky; they were so bright that they stood out clearly, showing the confines of the area where combat was allowed. The whole area was set above the lake in case of accidents. Although riders were attached to their saddles, there was still a chance that a precise hit with a lance could unlodge a rider. SJ had seen Lorna perform this previously, slicing the buckle that the harness attached to. She doubted it would be easy with a blunt lance, but knowing Lorna's skill, she wouldn't be surprised.
Safu climbed onto the back of Rasper, immediately attaching her lance to the saddle, and as Cristy removed her bow. Out of all the riders, Safu was the smallest, and the lance towered over her. SJ was surprised she could even carry the thing normally. Her size would also be an advantage, making her a much smaller target to strike.
The kobold that sat at the desk called out. "Riders take flight. The timer will start with a horn blast."
The wyverns took to the air, Cristy and Lorna immediately turning to the right of the combat area, while the three other riders moved to the left. Although they were a flight of three, SJ knew that each rider would likely work both individually and as a team to ensure their success in the phase.
As the horn blew, the wyverns screeched, and the air display began. It was chaotic, to say the least, watching wyverns swooping and diving towards each other with lances. Cristy stayed behind Lorna, loosing arrows at targets while Lorna formed the vanguard, harassing the riders. She was so skilled with the wyvern that the two riders trying to strike her struggled to keep up with her momentum as she dipped and dove between them, striking out with her lance, while Safu, on the side of the riders, held a similar roll as Cristy and kept at range, attempting to hit Lorna or Cristy.
By the time the first round was over, Cristy had been struck once by Safu while attempting to bank out of her way. Lorna had made swift work of the two combatants in close combat, eliminating them swiftly. She had received two hits in the melee but hadn't slowed once, and an arrow from Cristy had taken the final close-range attacker out. Only Safu had remained, and she had given up attempting to fight, instead trying to dodge the relentless assault of Lorna and Cristy. She had lasted until just before the egg timer sitting on the kobold's desk had run out of sand, when an arrow from Cristy had struck her a second time as she stalled, attempting to turn from Lorna's path.
The crowd went wild with glee at the display, and many stood as they came into land, giving them a rousing round of applause. Safu beamed, having lasted as long as she did, as she climbed from Raspers' back.
"I think they would even give the valkyrie a run for their money," Zigferd commented.
SJ just nodded in agreement. The skill the riders had shown was phenomenal, and SJ knew that some of the remaining riders were even more skilled than the three initial combatants. Although each rider was indeed formidable and wouldn't have made it this far without being.
Round two was just as entertaining as the first, and the riders' aerial displays were exemplary. The crowd regularly oohed and aahed as they watched the combat unfold. Lorna was eliminated in the second fight as she received a third strike from a perfectly timed arrow fired by Halwin. Halwin had been a hunter before he had applied to the flight school and was probably the only one in the flight who could potentially equal Cristy with his skill with a bow.
Lorna had been jubilant at being eliminated and had congratulated the two riders who managed to remain until the timer ran down. Cristy had spent the last few minutes swooping and diving within the confines of the flight area to avoid being taken out herself. She had managed to hit one of them with her bow, but they harassed her so much she had no option but to evade.
A cleric was standing by Lorna, healing her of the bruising she had sustained from the strikes she had received as the three new riders stepped forward towards their drawn mounts. The third flight was the one SJ believed could pose the greatest challenge for Lorna and Cristy. All three of the riders were considerable threats with the lance. One-on-one, SJ knew they couldn't match Lorna and her prowess, but if they combined as a unit and timed their attacks, they would test Lorna and Cristy's resolve.
Lorna stood and rolled her shoulders, stretching off, rubbing the shoulder where a lance blow had struck her. The cleric may have healed the bruising, but SJ knew that Amathereans didn't heal like legionnaires, and she would likely still be feeling the blow. Lorna strode purposefully over towards Blusher, who was her mount for this fight. Blusher was the most agile, and SJ watched with nervous tension as they took off and moved to their initial position before the horn blast sounded.
The horn blast again was followed by a huge cheer from the crowd, as Cristy immediately loosed arrows towards the challengers. She hadn't done this before, always waiting for them to approach, but SJ knew they both considered this particular group the most dangerous they had faced. As the challengers began powering their wyverns forward, the arrows flew directly towards them. This took them all by surprise, having watched Cristy's previous starts to the last two fights.
Jeb, who was on Rasper, tugged the reins sharply, yanking the wyvern's head to the left. Jeb was a huge orc, his muscles bulging as he steered the wyvern while holding his lance. The action took Rasper by surprise, immediately redirecting him as Cristy's arrow flew where Jeb had just been. The problem was that Crackle was powering straight towards Lorna and Cristy on Rasper's left, and the sudden movement turned Rasper into his path. SJ saw the look on Jeb's face as he realised his immediate mistake.
Wyvern's wings were like many beasts' wings, one of the more vulnerable areas on their bodies, and as Rasper turned from Jeb's actions, it brought the lance that Jeb held directly into the path of Crackle's flight. The screech that erupted from Crackle was deafening as the lance, even with a blunted and covered tip, caught the wyvern's wing, and a long tear appeared. Crackle, with a damaged wing, immediately started to flail, the tear removing his flight ability. He beat his wings frantically as gasps from the crowd rose as Crackle and his rider spiralled down towards the lake's surface.
"Damn," Kibble cursed as he launched from SJ's shoulder.
SJ watched Kibble go only briefly, before she shrank and took off chasing after him towards the lake. As Crackle careered onto the lake's surface, going under with Larwick, his rider, securely attached to his saddle by the harness.
A second horn blast immediately sounded as the fight was stopped almost as soon as it had started. The wyverns were immediately turned back towards the docks by their riders. Lorna landed first as Kibble shot past to where Crackle had plummeted into the lake. Bubbles could be seen on the lake's surface where they had submerged.
As Kibble and SJ neared the screeching head of Crackle emerged from the surface, his good wing splayed out, trying to give him some buoyancy. The form of Larwick on the wyvern's back was motionless.
"Open both your wings fully!" Kibble screamed as he neared the scene.
Crackle screeched a reply.
"I don't care if it hurts; if you don't stay afloat, your rider will drown," Kibble screamed as Larwick's motionless form dipped back under the surface.
Crackle was off balance, his body tilted as he tried to use his injured wing.
As SJ reached them, she immediately grew, allowing herself to fall the final few feet towards the lake's surface. She hadn't even considered her actions; her immediate response was instinctive. She knew that Crackle would be okay, but the unconscious form of Larwick and him being submerged again concerned her.
Her dress was immediately soaked, and as she came back to the surface, she changed it, making it short and preventing the material from restricting her movements. She knew she had to cut Larwick free from the harness, and as she swam towards the thrashing wyvern, she called her claws to her hands.
"Tell him to stop for a moment," SJ cried to Kibble. "I'm going to try and cut Larwick free."
Kibble relayed the order to Crackle, who took several moments to stop thrashing as violently as he had been. Larwick's head popped back up above the lake's surface as SJ powered towards him. Due to Crackle slowly stopping thrashing so much, it had an adverse effect on his buoyancy, and his rear dipped lower in the water, again submerging Larwick.
"Make sure he stays still," SJ called as she went under.
The lake's water may be a beautiful blue colour on the surface, but beneath it wasn't crystal clear, and she struggled to see Larwick clearly as she neared, the chaotic bubbles and disturbed water blurring her vision.
Larwick's came into sight, and SJ grabbed hold of the harness that held him in place. With her claws, she cut through with ease and then, once she returned her claws to her inventory, grabbed Larwick under his arms as she remembered her life-saving training from swimming practice back on Earth. She pumped her legs as hard as she could as she brought the pair of them back to the surface.
"Are you okay?" Kibble shouted as SJ spluttered, appearing with Larwick. Her legs burned already from supporting the two of them; she hadn't swum much since arriving on Amathera, and although her movements were natural, treading water wasn't something she had done in years.
"I won't be able to hold him for too long before I tire," SJ said as she turned and realised how far they were from the shoreline. A rowing boat was already on its way from the docks to support, but SJ wasn't sure she could keep them afloat long enough for it to arrive. The weight of Larwick in his rider's uniform was significant, and she could hear the chaotic shouts and cries from the shoreline. That was when one of the wyverns at the docks took off into the air again. It was riderless, and the first SJ knew was when she felt the downdraft from its beating wings. Rasper, the strongest of the wyverns, was above her as he screeched and lowered until his feet reached them.
"Take Larwick," SJ shouted. Crackle was thrashing again, keeping himself afloat now that SJ and Larwick were clear, and Kibble was yelling instructions to him.
"Take Larwick," Kibble said to Rasper.
Rasper cried in response as he closed his claws around Larwick's arm. It was an ungainly sight; a wyvern didn't have the same appendages as a dragon, and although they gripped, they gripped with their feet, like a bird. As Rasper lifted Larwick from the water by his arm, SJ knew it would cause damage, but it was better than drowning.
With SJ no longer having to support Larwick's weight, she felt immediate relief, and breathing deeply slowed her own rather frantic kicking.
"Here," Kibble said as he hovered above her now. "Shrink and grab hold." His head dipped, so the collar was within her grasp.
SJ did as Kibble said, and as soon as she was miniature, her wings gave her an added buoyancy, but she couldn't take off from the water's surface like this as she grabbed hold of the collar's loop. Kibble flapped his wings, lifting her from the water. Once she was free, she started to beat her wings. It took a few beats before she felt her weight lift under her own force.
"I'm good now," SJ said. "Thanks." As she let go of Kibble's collar.
Crackle was still thrashing around, but without Larwick on his back, his actions to stay afloat were no longer a problem, as the rowing boat appeared. The six crew on the boat were crying out as they neared.
A rope was thrown from the boat, and Kibble ordered Crackle to grab it. Crackle screeched several times, and Kibbles' response was rather rude until Crackle eventually clamped his jaws onto the rope. The going was slow as the rowboat turned and slowly towed Crackle back towards the shoreline.
SJ slowly followed as Kibble stayed above Crackle, who continued to snarl and growl through closed jaws. As they neared the dockside, several guards helped as Crackle was manoeuvred alongside. With considerable effort and screeching, Crackle climbed back onto the dockside, where he collapsed almost immediately. The wyvern's chest rose and fell sharply as it gasped for breath after the strain of its near drowning. Blusher came forward and rested her head against Crackles', soothingly, towards her sibling.
Rasper stood to one side, where Larwick was lying surrounded by several clerics. As SJ watched, Larwick coughed violently, and SJ watched as he was slowly lifted to sit upright as he emptied his lungs of water. Thankfully, he was alive.
"That was damn stupid," Lorna hissed at SJ as she stormed over to where she hovered. "We had plans in place."
SJ landed and grew before replying; her dress was already drying.
"And Larwick may have drowned before the help got there," SJ snapped back.
Lorna scowled at SJ, her authoritative figure of Captain of the Guard slipping slightly as her face softened as the scowl released.
"They all knew the risks when they signed up to be riders. If Larwick had drowned, it would have been tragic, I agree, but you placed yourself in unnecessary danger."
SJ rolled her eyes. "As you have on many occasions for the town and its members."
"I'm doing my job that I get paid for."
"Am I not, as a member of the town council?"
"Yes, the council, not the guard force or the flight school."
"Well, I think you were fearless," Dave said.
"Thank you, Dave," SJ said, staring at Lorna.
Lorna shook her head in frustration before tutting. "Thanks."
"For what?" SJ asked coyly.
"You know what. I'm still furious you put yourself in danger."
"I was never in danger," SJ corrected.
Lorna let out a sigh as Kibble hopped over to where they stood.
"How's Crackle?"
"He will be fine," Kibble replied. "The druids will heal his wing."
SJ watched as several of the flight school's druids surrounded the injured wyvern. It was always amazing watching the druids heal animals. Ever since her first sight of it, when Alice had healed the injured wolves from Patch's pack.
"Thanks for lifting me," SJ said.
"I couldn't let you drown after your heroic actions," Kibble chuckled, lightning flickering across his jaws.
SJ smiled at her companion as he took off and came to land on her shoulder. She reached up and stroked him fondly. "Your flight is definitely growing up."
"They still have a way to go, and I think I need to spend time with them in the water as well," Kibble sighed.
"Make sure you praise Rasper for his actions," SJ said.
"I will, don’t worry. He made me proud today," Kibble said, puffing his chest out.
"I was amazed he reacted alone."
"You may not be able to talk to them, but they aren't stupid; they will protect whomever they have allegiance to."
"I know it's still surprising, though."
"Why?"
SJ thought momentarily. "I suppose, after seeing the behaviour of their mother to what they have become, there is no comparison."
"What else would you expect under my excellent supervision?" Kibble replied, huffing.
SJ sighed as she scratched Kibble under his chin, making him purr, as Zigferd strode over with Alice and pulled Lorna to one side to speak to her. After several moments, Lorna turned and walked over to address the rather raucous crowd.
"The remainder of today's challenges will be finalised tomorrow. We require Crackle time to heal fully from the injury he sustained."
The crowd, although disappointed, was understanding of the outcome after the accident. Jeb crouched by Larwick's side, his face contorted in worry, as clerics still looked over him as he recovered fully.
"Well, that was not the ending I was expecting to today's events," Alice said as she came over to SJ.
"No, but at least everyone is okay. It just proves how much these riders are putting on the line for the town."
"It does," Alice nodded in agreement.
"I think there will need to be a conversation about the riders' pay. They currently get paid the same as normal town guards."
"I agree. I think they should receive something extra. We can discuss it at the next council meeting."
SJ smiled at Alice's response, mentally adding it to her to-do list.
"I think we should all retire to the Hogling Arms after today's excitement," Zigferd said as he walked over.
"Will Isavil let you out?" Alice smirked.
"I'm my own lycan."
"Yeah, right," both SJ and Alice replied at the same time as they laughed.
"I am!" Zigferd retorted as they headed towards the inn.
