Chapter 344 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 3 - The Expansion of Moonshadow (III) (1/2)
”You want us to get in that?” asked Ebony.
Rassa sighed, ”You and Mathius can hold on to the sides, Sel and Layton will have to climb in though. I apologise that it's not larger. It is not as if I planned nor d.e.s.i.r.ed to carry so many”.
Ebony decided not to question him further. From his tone it was clear that Rassa felt this was not a valid use of his time, but he still had to do it because the rest of them didn't have wings.
Sel did not question it, and after a dubious look from Layton, the kid climbed in. Ebony grabbed hold of the ropes on the side and Mathius moved forward to grab one on the other side. The looked fairly awkward in such a position in the middle of a field on Rouke as the sky continued to turn dark.
Rassa took hold of the ends of the ropes that Mathius and Ebony clung to, then his wings snapped out from his back.
”Alright, I mean it when I say hold tight. It'd be better if those in the basket crouched down until we're stable,” Rassa replied.
He waited only a few seconds before he brought his wings up and leaped into the air, his wings giving a thunderous beat down. Once, twice, three times. With each wing beat the basket jostled and jerked. Ebony clung tightly to the rope as the ground beneath shrunk dizzyingly. Finally, though it was probably less than a minute after their sudden take off, the jerkiness of the trip calmed somewhat as Rassa glided out over the open water. The Islands beneath dark except for the glimpses of lights from settlements and the occasional lantern from a ship on the water.
”Well, if the jerking violence could be curbed, this wouldn't be such a bad way to travel,” said Layton. Ebony noticed that he'd stood and was leaning over the side of the basket to glimpse what was below.
”It's certainly faster,” said Mathius from his side of the basket, ”We're already nearly at the northern edge of the islands, that'd take a ship at least half a morning to accomplish”.
”Such lengthy transportation routes are a pain,” said Rassa, ”If it was for leisure, I would not have a problem, but when something needs to be done I have not the patience to wait so long”.
Ebony looked up at him, ”So you have a plan beyond this basket I assume?” asked Ebony.
Rassa smirked down at her, ”Perhaps”.
The rest of the trip across the water was largely silent. When the ocean resembled the sky, reflecting the stars, it was hard to comment on anything else, hence, conversation died quickly.
Eventually, Sel, who had been silent the entire trip, perked up after an hour or so, ”The Mainland is ahead”.
”I see it,” Rassa replied, ”I'll be gliding down closer to the cliffs. Ebony and Mathius, you'll have to jump when we're close”.
”Jump?” asked Ebony, bewildered.
”The fall won't kill you if that's what you're worried about,” said Rassa, ”And any injuries you incur will heal quite rapidly. Head for Varkevia. Hunt something on the way. We'll be in the lone mansion on the Northern side of the City. I'll see you both around dawn if not sooner”.
Ebony could hardly protest. Rassa was making them go together for two reasons. First, so that Ebony could teach Mathius how to properly hunt. And second, because he felt it useless to carry them if they could make good time on their own anyway.
Ebony sighed, ”We'll see you then”.
Rassa dipped towards the Mainland, and Ebony's stomach flipped inside her for a moment before they stabilised again and Ebony realised that Rassa wasn't going to lower the basket any further. They were still several hundred metres above the cliffs.
Ebony gritted her teeth as they passed over the edge of the Continent, then stepped back into open air and let gravity take her down. She plummeted towards the ground, the wind screeching in her ears as she stabilised her body in a position that was parallel to the ground, finding she had slightly more control of her descent in that position. She could see Mathius not far from her following her actions himself. There was slight fear in his eyes, but also a thrill of sorts.
Ebony had to admit that after the initial shock, the fall was quite exciting. Especially knowing that she would not die upon impact. Ah, what a far cry she was from that child who feared climbing to the top of a ship's mast. It made her excited at the prospect of her own wings. Rassa had told her that she would earn them eventually. She still did not know exactly what that meant, but knowing Rassa, she was not supposed to know until the time was right.
Ebony spotted a group of large trees and streamlined her body as she made her way towards it. Now that it was approaching so rapidly, she realised that this would likely hurt regardless of how she wanted to control it.
As the tree came closer and closer, Ebony extended her arms out, catching on one of the thicker, outlying branches and swinging herself around it to slow her descent. The tree creaked and w.h.i.n.ed dangerously before Ebony flung herself forward into the open clearing before it. Her legs jarred as she landed, and she gasped at the pain in them before she rolled forward, her graceful landing become decidedly not so as she rolled for several metres before she slowed to a stop.
She g.r.o.a.n.e.d as she rolled over, spying Rassa's dark shape with the basket high above. She cursed him as she heard a similar crash to her own nearby. She sat up slowly, her skin itching as it healed and the bones, muscles and ligaments in her legs and spine repaired themselves rapidly.
She paused for a few second before she pushed herself back into a standing position, stretching her limps out and dusting herself off before she turned her attention to where Mathius had crash landed.
She hurried over, finding him in a similar situation to herself, only he'd used the trees to quite literally break his fall. Ebony couldn't help but spare a thought for the mangled and crushed silhouettes behind her that has stood tall and proud just moments before.
”You okay?” asked Ebony.
Mathius huffed as he slowly stood, several cuts on his face and neck healing, ”He did not mention the pain”.
Ebony sighed, ”Yes, no doubt so that we'd jump more readily. We might be a lot harder to damage, and heal far more rapidly than the humans we once were, but that does not mean we do not feel pain”.
Mathius sighed, ”I do not wish to travel that way again if it means I must jump like that every time”.
Ebony turned to watch Rassa's figure disappear into the distance, ”Something tells me that despite our intention, we may not be able to avoid it forever. Come, let us run”.
”Run?” asked Mathius, ”I have never found any p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in the activity”.
Ebony chuckled, ”You will now”.
Then she turned and stepped forward, pushing her energy into her legs as she sped off towards the rough location of Varkevia. She'd never been before, but she knew where it was.
It took a few moments, but she sensed Mathius in pursuit soon enough. She slowed slightly to allow him to catch up.
”Perhaps there are perks to this Vampire thing,” Mathius admitted.
Ebony smiled, ”Just a few”.
She sped up.
***
Understandably. Kit had been peeved when he had returned from a shopping spree with Olly the night before to find that Rassa had effectively abandoned them. Olly, with his foresight, had not reflected his anger. In fact, Olly's reassurance that Rassa would be back had only served to peeve Kit off more.
If he was going to treat them like this, why, by the gods, had he brought them along in the first place?
Kit pushed the carrots around on his plate as Olly ate heartily opposite him, a smile on his face as he took in the atmosphere that surrounded them.
”Does it not bother you that he just left like that?” asked Kit, ”At all?”
Olly paused, eyes wide and round, ”He's coming back”.
Kit sighed, ”You say that, but he still abandoned us”.
”He's coming back,” Olly repeated.
”Yes, but he abandoned us. He left without warning nor reason,” said Kit, ”That's the definition of abandonment”.
”But he's-”
”Coming back? Yes, you mentioned that once or twice,” Kit grumbled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms as his fork clanged onto the plate unceremoniously.
Olly frowned, ”Are you angry at me, Kit?”
Kit turned to look at Olly, the young man's eyes pleading like a kicked puppy.
Kit sighed, ”No. I'm not angry at you. I just don't understand you sometimes, Olly”.
Olly nodded, ”Most people don't…but Rassa does”.
Kit raised an eyebrow, ”How are you so sure?”
”Because he knew I was an Oracle,” said Olly.
Kit frowned, ”How did he know that? He also mentioned there hadn't been an Oracle in centuries. Millennia even”.