One of the lights glowed a brighter green. "Y'daniss." The Queen separated from the group. She fluttered before Chihon, her head hung in shame. "My name is Y'daniss. I am the Queen."
"I bind you to your word. I command you. Your magic is mine to use as I see fit."
"I am bound. You command me," the Queen said. "My magic is yours to use as you see fit."
"Incendo exstinguere," Chihon shouted and the flames vanished. The rocks clicked as they cooled.
Chihon took Lorit's hand. "Remember your word," she admonished them all.
"We will remember," they said in unison.
Without warning, a falling sensation overtook Chihon. She felt the wind on her face as she dropped. She saw Lorit falling with her until they hit hard on the rocky ground. She looked around. They were on a narrow rocky bridge that spanned a deep chasm. The wind was blowing so hard, she was almost blown off.
The dark night had become an overcast sky. Freezing rain pelted down on them and the wind howled fiercely.
Air
Lorit clung to the rocky bridge as the wind howled over him. He searched with his hand until he found Chihon. Grasping her hand, he pulled himself over to her so their heads were close enough that they could hear each other.
"What now?" he shouted above the noise of the howling winds.
Lorit tried to lift his head, but it felt like the winds would rip it off his shoulders. He quickly flattened his face back against the cold stone.
"Where are we?" Chihon asked.
"I don't know. All I could see was the chasm. We're on a long rock bridge over a deep chasm up in the mountains." He lifted his head slightly. "I couldn't see any more, I thought I was going to get blown off."
Lorit raised his staff to try to get a sense of the wind. It was whipping around them, changing direction and intensity so quickly that he couldn't tell where it was coming from. A gust of wind almost tore his staff from his hand.
He tried getting on his knees and crawling. He was not sure which way would take him off the ledge to a more sheltered place, but either direction would probably work. He had to stay low so the gusts would not knock him off the precarious span.
As he crawled, the small stones jabbed into his knees radiating sharp stabs of pain with every move he made. Before he'd gone too far, he reached a point where the rock gave way. The bridge had collapsed into the chasm below. Lorit carefully peered over the edge, looking straight down into a bottomless crevasse.
Far below the ledge, he could see shapes whizzing through the chasm. They were distant and indistinct, but there were a lot of them. Lorit watched to see what sort of creature would fly in such a place. Occasionally, one came close enough for Lorit to make it out. They were large snakes with wings like a bat's. Six pairs of wings sprung from their backs as they twisted and turned in the air currents swirling through the chasm below.
He turned and headed back. When he reached Chihon, he stopped and placed his head close to hers. "That way leads to a broken span. There is no way across. I'll see if we can get across the other way." He paused, trying to decide if he should tell her about the flying shakes.
"There's something down there," Lorit finally said. "They look like snakes with wings."
"Zilants," Chihon guessed. "Six pairs of wings? Large snakes? Really large?"
"I couldn't tell. They're pretty far down and moving quickly."
"They're magical creatures of the air," Chihon said. "Very powerful. They're an offshoot of the dragons of old. I thought they were extinct."
"Well I saw one ... No. Lots of them. They fill the sky below us." Lorit lifted his head to call to her, but quickly lowered it again.
"Stay where you are," Lorit shouted to be heard over the howling of the wind. "I'm going to see if we can reach solid ground going the other way." Lorit crawled towards the opposite end of the bridge. Soon his path stopped short at another sheer drop off. The bridge had collapsed at this end, too, leading only to empty space.
Once again, he leaned over the edge to see the Zilants swooping through the turbulent air below. The murky light from the cloudy sky made it difficult to get a good look, but he could make out one particularly large one. It was bright orange and green, brighter than the rest. He reached out his sense, trying to convince it to fly higher and closer so he could get a better look at the beast.
He felt a backlash from the creature. It must have noticed his attempt to influence it, because it suddenly twisted in mid air and sped straight for Lorit. It flashed past his face almost too quickly to see, twisting once more to brush past him and nearly knocking him from the ledge.
Up close, the creature was even more impressive than it had been flying far below. It was three or four times as long as Lorit was tall, and as thick around as his waist. The wings were wider than his outstretched arms and resembled a bat's wings, only with scales.
As it passed by him, Lorit could feel a burst of magic. The creature was indeed magical and very powerful. It felt similar to the mini dragon's power, ancient, vague, and undefined.
Lorit reached out once more for the creature, this time careful to touch it lightly. He tried to shape his touch to feel similar to the creature's own magic. This time he was neither pushed out, nor welcomed in.
The Zilant turned again, heading his way. Lorit flattened himself against the rock ledge as it sped past. It turned and swooped by him again, this time making a wide arc around the support of the bridge, counter to the wind. It was a sight to see, the Zilant's wings beating against the strong winds that threatened Lorit and Chihon.
Lorit was struck with an idea. If he could capture one of these creatures, he could ride it to safety. He could feel the animal's will. It was wild and untamed, but Lorit also felt a sense of calm and power within it. He knew it would work. He could harness the creature. All he had to do was trust his instincts.
He waited until the Zilant was on a course to pass directly beneath the edge of the bridge where he lay. Carefully watching for the prefect instant, Lorit called out to Chihon. "Wish me luck."
He felt her surprise as he launched himself into the void. The wind buffeted him as he fell towards the Zilant below. He landed on its back just ahead of the first pair of wings and quickly locked his feet together beneath its belly, extending his staff across the scaly body. Lorit positioned his staff beneath its throat and grasped with both hands. He pulled back and its head tilted up. Its body followed and soon they were back to the level of the bridge.
Lorit found he could steer the creature with his staff, subtly influencing its motion with the merest touch of the staff on its throat. He directed it towards Chihon. He could see her flattened against the stone as they swooped by.
He felt the barest touch from the creature, as it accepted his direction, acquiesced to his will. He could feel it respond quickly, almost as if it was reading his mind. It was exhilarating. Lorit let out a shout of joy as they swept dangerously close to the rocky edges of the chasm.
He reached out to Chihon explaining what he'd done, encouraging her to do the same. He wanted to share this with her, this feeling of power.
It took a lot of convincing, but eventually Chihon agreed to his plan. He would guide the creature beneath her, and she would jump onto its back just as he had.
She crawled to the edge. Lorit could see her looking down at the creatures below. She turned her head to look up at him as he sailed past. He circled the bridge, preparing for her jump.
"Ready?" he asked.
"I'm afraid. It's a long way down."
"Don't worry, we'll be beneath you. Just jump when I tell you. Trust me."
He lined up for her jump. He couldn't see her, but he knew where she was in relation to his flight path. He waited until just the right moment, and then called out to her. He craned his neck to watch her as she jumped only to see another Zilant cross their path above.
Lorit panicked, He couldn't tell what had happened. Had the other creature interfered with her fall? Had she fallen into the chasm? Lorit twisted around, trying to get a glimpse of her. He reached out to her, calling her name.
"Hold on a moment. I'm trying to get used to this," came her reply.
Suddenly, a streak flew past Lorit. It was the second Zilant with Chihon riding it, just as he did his own. He could barely make out her scream of joy as she buzzed past him.
They rode the air for a while, swooping in and out of the violent air currents as they whipped through the mountains. The longer they flew, the more Lorit could sense the winds. He could see the wind shears ahead, and where it changed direction or intensity, almost as if the air had become a solid, tangible thing.
Eventually, they landed on an outcropping of rocks that led to a tunnel ahead. Lorit was not sure if that was their destination, but it was where the bridge would have led them, had it not collapsed. With a flurry of wings, Chihon came to a halt right beside him.
Lorit climbed off the back of the Zilant and stepped around to lend a hand to Chihon. When they had both dismounted, the two creatures bowed their heads in unison and departed, leaving them on the ledge.
The ground beneath their feet rumbled and rocks fell from above. Lorit spied an opening in the face of the cliff, where they could seek shelter from the falling rocks. He grabbed Chihon's hand and pulled her for the opening as a large boulder slammed into the ledge near him, breaking the ledge and plummeting into the abyss.
Fire
Chihon stepped through the arch right behind Lorit, and the wind immediately vanished, to be replaced by an oppressive heat. It was almost as if they had stepped into an oven. The air was hot and dry, oozing past Chihon and out of the tunnel to mingle with the wild winds she had just ridden.
The tunnel slopped down, taking them into the heart of the mountain. It was steep and rocky, but manageable. Occasionally Chihon had to put her hand out to steady herself. Once when she touched the rocky wall, it was hot, almost painfully so.
The daylight from the entrance faded as they made their way deeper into the mountain, but a soft orange glow came from ahead to light their path. Chihon carefully navigated the twists and turns of the tunnel until they came upon a glowing orange river of lava that made its way along the side of the path.
The heat grew even more oppressive. The air took on a sour smell, the rotten egg smell of burning sulfur. Chihon sniffed at it, covering her mouth and nose with her arm.
"What is that?" Chihon asked.
She watched as Lorit reached out his staff and touched the brilliant orange mass of lava. Instantly, the tip burst into flames that he quickly extinguished.
"Let's follow this a little farther," Chihon said. "If it doesn't lead anywhere, we can always go back to the entrance."
Chihon motioned Lorit to follow her. As they turned off the main tunnel and headed deeper into the mountain, she heard a rumble that reminded her of the landslide in the mountains. She turned to see rocks and dust hurtling past the mouth of the tunnel, filling the passageway they had just left.
"We're trapped," she said.
"Keep going. There has to be a way out," Lorit said as he lifted his staff and spelled it to light their way.
The tunnel floor sloped down for a while, and then leveled out. The walls were rounded and smooth, but the floor looked as if someone had laid down a set of steps and then fused them together. Ahead, Chihon could see the light of day and hear the crashing of waves.
They descended the layered steps and exited the tunnel onto a large black lava flow that sloped down into the water. The waves rolled up the shore, crashing onto the black rock and rushing back to the sea.
Chihon surveyed the area. Behind them, a sharp peak rose high into the sky. The base started close to where they had emerged, quickly turning almost vertical. The plants and trees that hugged the sides of the mountain looked as if they would fall off at the slightest disturbance.
A river rushed between the rocks, emptying into a pool that drained into the surf. "Let's have a look over there," Chihon said pointing it out for Lorit. "At least there's drinking water."
"I'm thirsty after all these challenges. I could use some fresh water." Lorit dipped his hands into the pool and drank deeply.
Chihon joined him, careful of her footing; she didn't want to fall into the pool.
She had just drunk her fill when the sparse trees ahead flared bright orange with such brilliance; it was if they were trying to outdo the sun. She shielded her eyes, and then turned her back. She could still feel the heat of it on her exposed skin.
"What was that?" Lorit asked.
Chihon turned to see Lorit pointing at the stand of tall thin trees that grew along the river. The light came from a clearing not far into the trees.
There was another flare of light as brilliant as before.
"What is that light?" Chihon asked.
"I think I know what it is. If I'm right, then get ready," Lorit said. "Cover your eyes. Now." Lorit grabbed her arm and turned her to face away from the trees.
Chihon felt the heat on her exposed skin, and just as quickly as it started, it was gone. "What was that?"
"From the way it's behaving, I'm certain it's a Firebird," Lorit said. "They're rare and dangerous. They burst into flames on a schedule just like a clock when they are threatened or trapped."
"How did you know?" Chihon asked. She turned back to try to get a better look at the charred trees ahead.
"It was in one of the books I read while we were searching in the keep library. When a Firebird is threatened, it flares up like that. It takes time to recharge between flares. It must be threatened or trapped to keep flaring up like that."
"What are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Lorit said. "I think we can get in there and find out more about it before it flares up again. From what I read, it's very regular about timing. Let's see if we can get into the burned out trees and back out before it flares up again."