The Shattered Islands: Part One: The Rakam Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Karpov Kinrade
died with that contagious smile frozen on her lips. Captain Kanen gave me leave to honor her in my own way, so I took her body upon my drakruu, and together we flew over moonlit waves until we reached sapphire blue waters. There, I kissed her forehead and whispered the old words of my people. And when the crone moon set, I sent Calla into the waves, where she will once again smile and laugh in the company of those she loves.
***
The rakam will come. The blood in the water draws them. So I tell Garen, who now steers the Ruu kiasheen under my command, to take us skyward. He pulls hard upon the reins, and with a great moan the giant beast tilts its head upwards and flaps its wings. We fly higher, drifting on the water. We fly higher, the wings barely touching waves. We fly higher, and we are free of the sea.
I look down upon the shimmering waves and up at the glowing sun. There is a peace in the sky that is not found in the sea. Here you feel as if you have found something man was never meant to find, a secret paradise away from the depths below. I remember La'Kia. I remember taking her flying on my drakruu, and the kisses and whispers we shared with no one around to hear. I told her then, that it was in the water I was strong, but it was in the sky I was free. How foolish I was then.
A loud moan breaks me from my haze. Kanen follows us in his ship and with half his crew, his kiasheen drifting beside mine. The blue skin of the whales is like dancing waves in the light. The shells are like gleaming pearls. The smaller kiasheen opens its mouth wide, and I know it's feeding on the small creatures that live in the sky, just as it feeds on the small creatures in the water during long voyages. The beasts are calm and peaceful. I wish I could be like them.
"You are Dak'Ra," says Vasa, standing behind me at the rostrum. She is the first to confront me, but I have heard the crew's whispers, and I know they have all guessed who I am.
"And you are of the Ra family as well," I say, turning to face her.
She nods, startled. "Yes. I have a sister back on Ra'Kia'Ruu. Three years ago, I was on a ship near the rakam teeth, training to be a Stonebearer, when this ship took me and mine. They were all sold in a week. I…"
"I understand," I say kindly. She need not relive the horrors Han'Ruu forced upon her for my sake. But there is one thing that puzzles me. "How is that you walked without chains? That you moved about the ship freely?"
Her blue eyes flash with ferocity. "Han'Ruu knew I would not reveal his schemes. If he had threatened me with my death, I would have spoken in a stone's throw. But he threatened pain and the deaths of any I told. I would not trade the chance of freedom for the lives of others."
I nod and place a hand on her shoulder.
She recoils, startling both of us. "I'm sorry," she says.
"Don't be."
She bites her lip and turns to leave, but there is one more question I must ask. One I have already asked of the false crew locked within the shells below. "Have you seen a black kiasheen?"
She pauses. "That is the ship that took your lover?"
"It took us both," I say softly. "Later, I was sold to a family of land, she to a ship much like this."
"That is why you ride the kiasheen," she says. "You search for crews who wreck and steal like this."
I nod.
She turns her face to the side, so I cannot see her blue eyes. "I have not seen the black ship," she says.
Hours pass, and when the sun is beginning to set, the kiasheen land. We tie our ships and set up planks between the shells to easily cross from one to another. On the great shell of the large kiasheen, Captain Kanen hands me a cup of swill and holds his up for a toast. "I owe you my life and the life of my crew and ship."
"You owe me nothing," I say, "but I do have one request."
"Name it and it be yers."
"Make sure the men and women below are given over to the Ruu, and make sure Vasa'Ra is returned to her family."
My drakruu roars amongst the clouds,
***
The rakam will come. The blood in the water draws them. So I tell Garen, who now steers the Ruu kiasheen under my command, to take us skyward. He pulls hard upon the reins, and with a great moan the giant beast tilts its head upwards and flaps its wings. We fly higher, drifting on the water. We fly higher, the wings barely touching waves. We fly higher, and we are free of the sea.
I look down upon the shimmering waves and up at the glowing sun. There is a peace in the sky that is not found in the sea. Here you feel as if you have found something man was never meant to find, a secret paradise away from the depths below. I remember La'Kia. I remember taking her flying on my drakruu, and the kisses and whispers we shared with no one around to hear. I told her then, that it was in the water I was strong, but it was in the sky I was free. How foolish I was then.
A loud moan breaks me from my haze. Kanen follows us in his ship and with half his crew, his kiasheen drifting beside mine. The blue skin of the whales is like dancing waves in the light. The shells are like gleaming pearls. The smaller kiasheen opens its mouth wide, and I know it's feeding on the small creatures that live in the sky, just as it feeds on the small creatures in the water during long voyages. The beasts are calm and peaceful. I wish I could be like them.
"You are Dak'Ra," says Vasa, standing behind me at the rostrum. She is the first to confront me, but I have heard the crew's whispers, and I know they have all guessed who I am.
"And you are of the Ra family as well," I say, turning to face her.
She nods, startled. "Yes. I have a sister back on Ra'Kia'Ruu. Three years ago, I was on a ship near the rakam teeth, training to be a Stonebearer, when this ship took me and mine. They were all sold in a week. I…"
"I understand," I say kindly. She need not relive the horrors Han'Ruu forced upon her for my sake. But there is one thing that puzzles me. "How is that you walked without chains? That you moved about the ship freely?"
Her blue eyes flash with ferocity. "Han'Ruu knew I would not reveal his schemes. If he had threatened me with my death, I would have spoken in a stone's throw. But he threatened pain and the deaths of any I told. I would not trade the chance of freedom for the lives of others."
I nod and place a hand on her shoulder.
She recoils, startling both of us. "I'm sorry," she says.
"Don't be."
She bites her lip and turns to leave, but there is one more question I must ask. One I have already asked of the false crew locked within the shells below. "Have you seen a black kiasheen?"
She pauses. "That is the ship that took your lover?"
"It took us both," I say softly. "Later, I was sold to a family of land, she to a ship much like this."
"That is why you ride the kiasheen," she says. "You search for crews who wreck and steal like this."
I nod.
She turns her face to the side, so I cannot see her blue eyes. "I have not seen the black ship," she says.
Hours pass, and when the sun is beginning to set, the kiasheen land. We tie our ships and set up planks between the shells to easily cross from one to another. On the great shell of the large kiasheen, Captain Kanen hands me a cup of swill and holds his up for a toast. "I owe you my life and the life of my crew and ship."
"You owe me nothing," I say, "but I do have one request."
"Name it and it be yers."
"Make sure the men and women below are given over to the Ruu, and make sure Vasa'Ra is returned to her family."
My drakruu roars amongst the clouds,
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