Blood of the Sea, Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter 26: Adaptation

Astrophel

The sun is already overhead by the time the crashing of the waves seeps through the dark space of unconsciousness to rouse Astrophel. Blinking open his eyes, he finds the patterns of leaves overhead unfamiliar and startling, sitting up rapidly, causing Dionne to grunt sleepily and readjust at his side; the memory of the celebration sinks in slowly, as does the pounding in his head from the drinks he had. Resting his head in his hands, his thoughts, though sluggish and painful, circle back to Vance’s absence. Why would he have gone to Seyune? What could he hope to accomplish? He rubs at his eyes. And to not take his friends… to not tell Raelyn… it doesn’t add up, but we would’ve heard something if he was kidnapped. Seri knew of his absence as well.

An unholy roar fills the air, causing the low conversations around him to stop suddenly as all heads turn toward the sound. The sound sends chills up Astrophel’s arms and he gropes around for Dionne, eyes searching for the source as his hand meets her shoulder and he shakes her. She protests being awoken, but her eyes, heavy lidded with sleep, fly open as the roar echoes again, closer. She turns to scan the skies and mutters, “Almost forgot they have sky-creatures.”

Astrophel scoffs, “That’s half the reason why we’re here.”

“Not hardly,” Dionne rolls her eyes at him but her shoulders tense when the large shape blows by, rustling leaves from their branches and whipping up a wind that carries down the beach in the creature’s wake.

Astrophel is startled to see scales on something that moves through the air with such ease, the large creature wheeling about and climbing higher in the sky on wings that stretch out wide on either side of it like two large, jagged sails. Turning over the ocean, the color of the creature reflects both the blue of the sky and that of the water as it hones in on Kildangan, diving toward the city, mouth wide, chest glowing with some sort of strange blue light. Astrophel’s blood cools at the sight, disbelief filling him as he realizes they hover on the edge of watching the city be attacked. He leaps to his feet as a shard of white flies overhead and shatters against the scaly hide of the air-borne creature. It cries out, the blue in its throat dissipating as it changes directions, meeting another creature - this one an almost blinding white - mid air as they crash together. The icy-white one bellows, forelimbs grappling with the blue one as it thrashes and screams. Their collision changes course as the blue extracts itself and bounds higher into the sky, heading towards the clouds. The white hovers over Kildangan, as if surveying the city, before it chases after the blue, ascending into the clouds and disappearing as the sunlight gets in Astrophel’s eyes. There’s another roar, followed by an answering one, but both grow more distant.

“What… was that?” Dionne asks, awe and fear both coloring her tone. Conversations start back up around them, but Astrophel can see how unsettled his people are. They know how to deal with the creatures of the water, but to have something so large overhead, out of reach, and so unknown, it must make them feel small.

“You know as well as I that that is what the journal was talking about.”

“The enthralled?”

“Whatever they’re called,” Astrophel nods. “It’s no kleostei.” At the mention of the stone-toothed fish, Dionne shudders but nods.

There have always been tales of ‘the mouth that eats’ - a fish that was more predator than prey. Children were told to listen to their parents, lest a kleostei got a hold of them, but the creatures were never held back by the idea of legend and myth. Even the hydrurga avoided them, if possible. If a ship encountered one, the kleostei would chew holes into the side of it, leaving behind shards of teeth embedded in the hull as the water rushed in. If it ever got a hold of a person… the wounds were said to bleed unnaturally long. Astrophel shakes himself, glancing once more at the sky, a flurry of nerves pressing in on him. At least it’s gone.

Holding a hand out for Dionne, which she takes, he makes his way through the crowd, assuring people they would find out what was going on, and that they were safe for now. Someone asks how he can be so sure, but he greets them with a smile. “They left, didn’t they? You’ll hear if they come back. Take shelter if they do. Perhaps they have poor eyesight.” This is accepted, some people saying they’ll look for somewhere to take cover as Astrophel continues past.

He and Dionne make their way through the city, retracing their steps from the other day. The town’s folk greet them with salutations and smiles, and Astrophel takes note of how unbothered they all seem, his shoulders relaxing as he strides toward their main building. The change in temperature of the shaded room doesn’t deter him as his thoughts crowd out everything except for finding out information. His pace slows as the crowd blocks his path unintentionally, but he finds a way forward, winding through like a shark moving amongst a school of fish. The elder notices them, for which Astrophel is grateful, but instead of a smile, he frowns at their approach, those at his side taking notice and shifting away from the elder, giving Astrophel and Dionne space as they approach.

“What have you come for?” The elder’s voice is stern, which takes Astrophel by surprise.

“What happened to your hospitality?” Dionne challenges, her features hardening. “What have we done to change your mind?”

The elder seems to soften, holding up a hand, “I apologize. Your companion ruffled some feathers, and sometimes it is hard to separate one from the group.”

“What happened?” Astrophel asks.

“He demanded to know who ruled over our lands, so I pointed him in the direction of Seyune.”

“Why?” Dionne asks.

“I couldn’t answer his questions in a way that he would listen to.” The elder pauses, “I’m sorry if it has caused you strife in your camp.”

“Why did he want to know who ruled here?” Astrophel asks.

“He seemed to place a great deal of stock in the face that our ruler is a mage.”

“Mage?”

“Magic user. A powerful one at that.” The elder seems to shudder, as if cold, and Astrophel frowns.

“So, Vance left to talk to your magic-users,” Astrophel turns the thought over, “Why?”

“He must think he has something to offer them,” the elder shrugs.

“Or that they will offer him something,” Seri’s voice carries through the hall, the crowd seeming to be listening in on the centralized conversation taking place. She moves easily towards Astrophel’s side, standing next to him as well as her elder. “He seemed… rather determined.”

Astrophel nods, rubbing at his chin, “If he left after our conversation, then, he must have covered some ground. He would have a head start.”

“I hope you don’t intend to follow him,” the elder says.

“Why not?”

“The High Mage isn’t known for being the most… welcoming person. I’m not sure how she might take to your people arriving unannounced and bearing your own magic.”

“Seri mentioned something about magic having to do with it as well,” Astrophe frowns, “What’s the big deal?”

“Mages are born into the upper classes of our society. They rule as they see fit, grooming their magical children to rule after them. There is a division based on those who have and those who have not, and it largely follows the ebb and flow of the magically gifted.”

“And your people are amongst those who have-not?”

The elder sniffs, “We make do.”

“You thrive,” Dionne insists. “Your city is beautiful.”

“You should see Seyune,” Seri says, but a smile at the compliment to Kildangan brightens her eyes.

“It’s a problem, then, that we have magic?” Astrophel asks.

The elder’s eyes widen, “Do all of you have magic?”

“No,” Dionne replies, “it’s mostly the five who lead, and Vance, our wave caller. Others have magic, but it isn’t more than a third of our people as a whole.”

“Still more than us,” Seri says.

“It isn’t a problem for us,” the elder says, “but it may cause strife between you and the High Mage, if she learns about you.”

“You mean when,” Astrophel says. “If Vance is set on this course, and succeeds, she’ll know about us alright.”

The elder sighs, “It’s true.”

“Does everyone bow to these mages, then?” Dionne asks.

“No,” Seri laughs. “The Riders couldn’t give two shits about who has magic.”

“But then, they don’t have to. Not with beasts like theirs,” the elder says, a smile gracing his lips.

“Who are the riders?” Astrophel asks.

“As their name suggests, they ride Thralkins. Great beasts of magic and power,” the elder answers.

“Whoever was crazy enough to start that practice should be proud, seeing as their people flourish now,” Seri adds.

Astrophel and Dionne exchange a glance and Dionne asks, “And… what exactly are Thralkins?”

“Huge, winged beasts with teeth and claws, a core of magic, and a sharp, wild intellect.”

“They fly, then,” Astrophel says.

“Indeed,” the elder answers.

Seri’s eyes light up, “Did you see the two overhead a bit ago?”

“Those are Thralkins?” Dionne asks.

“Yep. The white one is Flykra. Her Rider tends to wander in these parts. The blue is probably wild and curious.”

“You know them, then?” Astrophel asks, disbelief in his voice.

“I don’t personally know Flykra’s Rider,” Seri shakes her head, “But the pair is around often enough that we learned her name at least.”

“These Riders don’t follow your mages?”

“No, they live in Rhoyenn. It’s a whole wild region unto itself. The Riders are the ones who govern there. Not many people care to live there besides them.”

“Sounds like they might be fun to talk to,” Dionne says.

“They very well might. We may have more in common with them than we originally think,” Astrophel admits.

“If you want to make the trip, you should take J’korun,” Seri says.

“J’what now?” Astrophel can feel his brain filling with all of this new information.

“J’korun,” Seri laughs, “they’re the best travel mounts. Fast, powerful, sure footed, and have great endurance.”

“What’s the draw back?” Dionne asks. “Surely there’s something?”

Seri grins, “They’re predators, so you have to know what you’re doing to have the best chance at riding them.”

Dionne and Astrophel exchange knowing smiles. Astrophel says, “I think we could manage that.”

The elder smiles, leaning on his stick, “I wouldn’t be so sure…”

“We are E’len. Tide-riders. In our culture, we bond with and ride predators in our own right. Besides,” Dionne grins, “J’korun won’t be slippery.”

“Slippery? How strange,” Seri gives a half laugh and exchanges a look with the elder, who nods. She continues, “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the pasture. You can find out how easy it is for yourselves.”

Astrophel and Dionne follow Seri back out of the grand hall, but they turn away from the water instead of towards it. The city sprawls out in front of them, but the buildings grow shorter, squatter, and more isolated, with gaps for foot paths to have made their way between buildings as the cobbled road peters out, making way for grass to spring up around them as they walk towards a tall fence, standing nearly half a body length taller than Astrophel at its peak. Dionne gives Astrophel a wide-eyed look, conveying her bafflement. He mirrors the sentiment, scanning beyond the bars of wood strung horizontally between posts, trying to see what would take such containment.

“They can jump most fences. They have enough space in this pasture that it doesn’t present as quite so frequent a problem, but this height has worked the best for us in the past.” Seri addresses their confusion, gesturing for them to follow her through a gate that scrapes along the ground at their feet, while also towering high overhead at its top, in line with the rest of the fence. When they are through, Seri fastens it shut behind them and strides on, whistling one long note. Astrophel recognizes it as a summoning call and has to smile, remembering all the times Dionne has called for Ryju in a similar manner.

As they walk, Astrophel glances around, unsure what he could be looking for, but looking for it all the same; luckily, they don’t have to wait too long as what sounds like distant thunder steadily grows louder, the ground under their feet vibrating and over a ridge, Astrophel sees the heads of creatures appear: ears pricked forward, necks covered in thick fur; a long face ending in a muzzle. Below the heads are barrel chests leading into powerful legs - the front two of which have paws which flex against the ground with their steps, the hind legs ending in hooves. At the back, the creatures sport tails which end in long tufts of fur, similar in style to that of the fur around their necks. Of the three J’korun that run up to them, they each sport different coat patterns and coloration. The one in front tucks its head toward its chest, kicking out its hind legs, hooves scraping at the sky. The left one merely tosses its head and slows on approach; the one on the right stopping and stooping into a big stretch that shakes up its forelegs, claws extending from its paws.

Seri gestures toward the creatures, “I present to you, J’korun. The mounts of the First Riders before they turned their gazes skyward and mastered the bonds with Thralkins. Now, J’korun are left to us; highly sought out by Mages as their transportation of choice, and efficient in all manners except for transporting large cargo hauls.”

Dionne laughs, “That’s quite the pitch.”

Astrophel scans over the J’korun, their muscles rippling under their furred hides; sharp, dark eyes scanning over him and Dionne in turn. He notes the intelligence and personality in their gaze, especially as the center one’s nostrils flare, drinking in their foreign smells.

Seri approaches the left one, a brown with big splotches of white across its coat, holding out her hand for the J’korun to snuffle at. It shakes its head, ears flapping from side to side, mane fluffing with the motion. It crouches over its forelegs, letting Seri grab a fistfull of mane and swing her leg over its back. Once she is seated, the J’korun rises to its paws once more and lashes its tail, almost impatient, but its ears flick back toward its rider and Astrophel can see the creature’s muscles relax, waiting for instruction.

“That simple, eh?” Astrophel asks, eyeing the central J’korun, a gray colored creature that almost resembles blue.

“Yes, but also no. You haven’t bonded with a J’korun.”

“It doesn’t appear that the bonding process involves an attempt at murder, so it should be simpler than what we’re used to.”

“You’re saying your creatures try to kill you?”

“Yes, Hydrurga are particularly volatile when taking an E’len. If you survive, however, nothing can separate you.” Astrophel holds out his hand and slowly steps toward the J’korun staring back at him. Dionne mirrors him, approaching the warm tan one to the right. On approach, the gray-blue J’korun’s upper lip pulls back, ears laying against its head and Astrophel stops moving. The J’korun snaps its teeth at him and Astrophel leaps back, eyeing the long canines in its mouth. “Easy there.”

“You must smell strange,” Seri offers.

“Whether I do or not, you say this is the best mode of transportation.”

“They definitely are,” Seri confirms.

“Then my smelling strange will just have to be something they get used to.” Astrophel readies himself for more aggression, shifting into a stance more suited to sparring. “For some reason this feels easier in the water.”

“I would have to agree,” Dionne’s voice comes from his right, a tinge of frustration threaded through the words.

Seri calls, “When you get close, get a hold of their manes. You can basically hold onto that as tight as you need. It won’t hurt them.”

“Great. Just gotta get that close,” Astrophel mutters. The J’korun before him has stopped snarling but stares, fixated on him, its forelegs stanced out a little wider as it crouches. Astrophel’s fingertips graze across the metal of his Hilt. Realization strikes him like a hammer on hot metal and he tries to reimagine the sensation of moving through space in the blink of an eye. He takes a step forward, and then he is on top of the J’korun, tangling his fingers into its mane and squeezing his legs around its barrel-wide-body as it bucks, trying to toss him from its back. The J’korun squeals and snarls, snapping at his leg which he pulls away quickly, settling into the danger present in this dance with more familiarity. He distantly hears Dionne say something like ‘Oh, of course,’ but is more preoccupied with the thrashing animal under him. A few more turns, twists, and squeals reveals Astrophel still seated atop the J’korun as it shakes out its neck and blows out a big breath of air, settling into the idea of being ridden by him, no matter how weird he may smell.

When the J’korun turns its head toward his leg again, he tenses up, but instead of teeth, the J’korun lips at his boot, the malicious intent absent from the gesture, its ear turned his way. He pats the J’korun’s neck, feeling the heat of living creature under his palm and admiring the soft touch of fur.

Glancing up finally from the J’korun, Astrophel finds Dionne rubbing the tan J’korun’s ears as its head hangs loosely before her, the slope of its shoulders relaxed. Dionne catches his eye and smiles, “Magic works after all.”

“Did you bypass the bond?” Seri asks, concern etched into her face.

“No, I merely suggested that we were already friends,” Dionne answers. “But, what bond?”

Seri frowns a little, scrunching her nose as she replies. “They can bond with us. It registers in your mind, sort of like an extension of yourself at times.”

Astrophel and Dionne exchange a glance. Dionne shakes her head, “I don’t have that.”

Astrophel agrees, “Me either.”

Seri worries her lower lip between her teeth, considering. “You said you already bonded with another creature?”

Astrophel and Dionne both nod.

“Perhaps that is all the bond you need.” Seri offers a sheepish smile before continuing, “Either way, our bonds with J’korun are rudimentary - supposedly - in the face of bonding with a Thralkin.” She tilts her head to the side. “I’ve heard their bonds are much… more.”

“More?” Astrophel asks.

“Intense, unpredictable, intertwined.”

“Alright, fine.” Not sure how that works, but to each their own. “Your lands have their own rules, that’s for sure.”

“But you’re adapting well enough to our strangeness,” Seri winks at him, her voice light and teasing. “Both of you are doing well.”

“If by ‘well’ you mean not dying to your J’korun, I suppose I’ll take it,” Dionne scoffs. “At least an ‘urga is straightforward with you.”

“J’korun are too, these ones just don’t know you.”

“They’ll know us well enough by the time this is over,” Astrophel remarks. “How long did you say the trip is?”

“It depends on where the Riders have settled this season. Could be a few days. Could be a couple weeks. Rhoyenn is large, and we don’t know exactly where we are going.”

“Isn’t there one place that’s a guarantee?”

“No,” Seri shakes her head, “But I suppose we could try to track down Flykra, and go from there.”

“If we have no other leads, may as well.” Astrophel slides down from the J’korun’s back, stumbling back a little when his boots hit the ground. He turns toward the gate, “We need supplies, and then we can head out.” Astrophel turns his attention toward the river and the city of Kildangan, but a steady foot step pattern that he is unaccustomed to catches his attention from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, a dark, almost black hybrid muzzle hovers at his back, topped by the same dark eyes that were challenging him a few moments ago. “Why are you following me?”

“Usually they bond true. Under normal circumstances, you could expect your J’korun to always be around, even if out of sight,” Seri answers the unaddressed question.

“Doesn’t this one have someone else to take care of it?” Astrophel asks. “I can’t be the only one.”

“No. Yours and Dionne’s were unbound. J’korun will take new bonds and riders if their rider dies, but they hold to the bond when they have it.”

“But we didn’t bond with them,” Dionne points out.

“Perhaps they bonded with you, but the bond isn’t present on your side,” Seri sighs, the sound frustrated. “We can care for them in your stead, but they will prefer you.”

Astrophel shakes his head, “I hope they know their manners around the water then.”

“The water?”

“The hydrurga can be awfully territorial.”

Seri pales, shifting in her seat atop the splashed white and brown J’korun. “You don’t mean…”

Astrophel’s J’korun bumps its nose against his shoulder and he rubs its nose, its long face innocent looking now that its teeth are hidden. Astrophel shrugs, “‘Urgas have killed for less. We’ll hope they stay separated, or can come to a mutual understanding.”

“Much like our own two peoples,” Seri grimaces. “We can only hope we all find a way forward.”

Astrophel meets her gaze around the J’korun standing before him, “Indeed. For the sake of all of us.”