Windwalker: Forbidden Flight Read online

  “Let me finish!” Jonah admonished. “Look into his eyes, and reach out with your mind.”

  Right, Kiva thought, willing her hands to stop shaking. My mind.

  She met the kiraeen’s beady orange eyes, and saw his pupils dilate. Her own eyes instinctively relaxed their focus, and she began to feel a tenuous connection forming between herself and the kiraeen. Zakai appeared to calm down, raising his head with his onyx beak slightly agape.

  “Good,” Jonah said, though his voice sounded strangely far away. “Maintain the connection.”

  As Kiva drifted through the ether of Zakai’s consciousness, she sensed a deep, primal pulsing. Curious as to the source, she followed it, winding her way through the tendrils of animal instinct, many of which were pulled taut as bowstrings. Careful to avoid them, she continued exploring with her mind, until she came upon it. A great, glowing mass of red energy from which everything else emanated.

  Zakai emitted a low, gentle cooing sound.

  “What are you doing?” Jonah asked. There was concern in his voice, but Kiva was too absorbed to pay much attention.

  She continued toward the powerful energy, reaching out for it.

  “Stop!” Jonah shouted, but Kiva was so close, and it was so beautiful. Such raw, unbridled power. It roared like a torrent in her ears as she drew near.

  A solid wall slammed into place between them, and the connection was instantly broken. Zakai shook his head, then nearly every feather on his body flared out. He extended his neck, parted his beak and released a deafening screech, inches from Kiva’s face. Kiva fell backwards, and Zakai leapt into the air, flying off.

  Kiva was shaking, sitting on the ground when Jonah came over. “What do you think you’re—”

  She looked up at him, wide-eyed and shaking. The anger melted from his face, and he extended a hand to help her up. Kiva took it and he pulled her to her feet.

  He asked in a gentler tone, “Are you alright?”

  “Huh?” She blinked. “I…I’m fine.” The truth was, her head ached fiercely.

  Jonah placed a thumb under her eye and moved in to get a closer look. He moved to the other eye, and Kiva suddenly realized how close they were. He was touching her cheek, and his face was inches from her own. She shoved his hand away and stepped back.

  “I’m fine,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the color in her cheeks.

  “Who taught you to do that?”

  “Do what? I just did what you told me to,” she answered.

  “Oh I assure you,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “You did so much more…Anyone ever tell you it’s bad manners to bond another man’s kiraeen?” He wore that same small smile at the corner of his mouth again, and Kiva found herself bereft of a response.

  “So you nearly bonded a kiraeen with zero training? And here I thought nine days would be tough. You did it the first night!”

  Kiva swallowed. She couldn’t shake the blast of rage Zakai had directed at her. To Kiva, it didn’t at all feel like success. “Zakai…”

  “Zakai’s fine. You just gave him a scare, that’s all. Kiraeen are incredibly private creatures. What you saw was his essence…his rüh. You and I are the only ones to have ever seen it.”

  Kiva felt a wave of shame. She had been witnessing the very soul of this creature, and her first instinct was to reach out toward it like some kind of…lecher.

  “I…I’m sorry,” she said.

  “No,” he shook his head. “It’s my fault. I should have suspected as much. It would seem you have many extraordinary qualities, Kivanya.”

  Normally Kiva would have corrected him, insisting he call her Kiva, but there was something about the way he said it that didn’t bother her so much.

  “Let’s try again, only this time—”

  “Again? You’re kidding right? Zakai wants to murder me!”

  “Zakai! Tati!”

  The kiraeen sprung up from behind one of the stone formations, flapped his great, black wings, and drifted over.

  “He’s just pouting,” Jonah grinned mischievously.

  Zakai swooped in close and landed beside him. The wind from his wings briefly rustled their hair and clothing.

  “Go on, say you’re sorry,” Jonah said, giving Zakai a nudge.

  Zakai chirped an objection back at him.

  Jonah put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow.

  Zakai turned his head toward Kiva, watching warily.

  Strangely, Kiva had never seen him this at ease in her presence before. His wings hung down, bent at the joint, and his long forward talons were lowered.

  He took a step toward her. Kiva glanced nervously at Jonah, who nodded encouragement. Zakai slowly extended his long neck, closing his eyes. His beak was inches from her chest.

  She once again looked to Jonah, who mouthed, “Go ahead.”

  Kiva slowly lifted her hand and placed it on his great beak. It was hard, but she hadn’t expected it to be so warm. Zakai pushed his head forward, turning it sideways so that her hand rested on the soft down feathers under his beak.

  A great smile bloomed on Kiva’s face as she realized what he was doing. She gently scratched the feathers as Zakai tilted his head for her. By the time he moved back, she was beaming. Zakai fluttered his feathers, giving a shake that began at his head and ended at the top of his tail.

  “There!” Jonah exclaimed. “We’re all friends.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kiva said, turning to him. “He’s not attacking. What changed?”

  Jonah pursed his lips and knitted his brow in thought. “When you see a kiraeen’s rüh, they see your own as well. It is not possible to bond one against his will—they must see in you a kindred spirit. Perhaps in you, Zakai saw he had nothing to fear.”

  Zakai chirped.

  “Now, we can begin your lesson,” Jonah said with a nod.

  “Begin? You mean that wasn’t it?” Kiva asked.

  “That was for you and Zakai to become acquainted. How else am I supposed to teach you to fly? Unless you’re hiding some feathers back there somewhere?”

  “Fly…” Kiva’s mouth had suddenly gone dry. “Aren’t there some things you’d like to teach me first? What if I fall off?”

  Jonah placed his hand onto a strap peeking out from under Zakai’s feathers. He lifted a metal clip attached to a ring, and pointed to Kiva.

  “Right…the harness,” Kiva had forgotten she’d even been wearing it. Butterflies were leaping and bounding in her stomach, and she grasped for an excuse to delay. “But Zakai and I barely know each other…he might not be comfortable enough to fly with me.”

  “Zakai?” Jonah asked.

  Zakai jumped playfully, landing with a thump.

  “I think he’s ready.”

  Kiva was frozen in place. Really? she berated herself. After everything you’ve done? You’re finally given the chance to fly, and you freeze?

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “I was nervous my first time too. There’s really nothing to it…at least not with Zakai in control.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she thawed. She allowed him to lead her over to Zakai, who crouched down, lowering himself and extending the wing closest to her.

  Jonah guided her to where the leading edge of the kiraeen’s wing met his body. With the wing extended, she could more easily access the harness underneath. Kiva gripped the upper strap with both hands, stepped onto the lower one, and pulled herself onto his back. Once she was seated, he retracted his wing, still crouching. Jonah clipped her harness to Zakai’s at the thigh, and instructed her to lean forward. Kiva lowered herself forward, until her forearms were resting on the straps running the length of Zakai’s body. Jonah then clipped the rings at the front of Kiva’s shoulders to Zakai’s harness, and double checked the straps.

  Once he was finished, Zakai stood to his normal height. Kiva could instantly feel the strength, a deep well of potential energy within the muscled limbs of the kiraeen.

  “If you are going to be
a windwalker, you will need to learn what it feels like to soar on the back of a kiraeen. I want you to pay special attention to how Zakai moves. You must learn to trust him, and in turn he will trust you.”

  Kiva gripped the harness with sweaty hands, and gave a quick nod.

  “Trust your instincts,” he said. “You’re good at that.”

  Jonah then turned to the kiraeen and called out, “Zakai, yatir!”

  Kiva’s stomach dropped as the great winged raptor leapt high into the air.

  8

  First Flight

  Zakai beat his powerful wings, and Kiva gripped tight as they were launched forward toward the drop. In the blink of an eye, the ground was gone–replaced with a vast expanse of open air.

  Kiva lifted her head, and a blast of wind made her eyes water. She quickly ducked it down once again. Far below, the dimly lit landscape rushed by. Zakai swept his wings back and Kiva clung tightly as they sped forward at even greater speed. Without warning, he shifted his hind feathers and their forward motion was translated into vertical lift. The speed of their climb slowed as gravity exerted its will upon them, and Zakai began to gently loop backward in an arc. Kiva looked up and found the ground far below. A smile of pure joy dawned on her face. This was better by far than anything she’d imagined. Her muscles began to relax.

  They reached the apex of the loop and curved back down again, falling with a sensation of weightlessness. Zakai tucked his wings and they gained speed, diving nose first toward the ground. Kiva felt a tensing of Zakai’s left hindquarter, and they were suddenly spinning like a top as they fell. She ducked her head against his soft feathers, warding off the wave of nausea assailing her stomach. It was clear now why Jonah had instructed her to skip dinner.

  Zakai spread his wings wide, and they swooped back up into the clear, star-strewn sky. They climbed gently on the currents, and Kiva felt a shiver run through her body. I can see everything, she thought with wonder. Far off to the east, beyond the desert, the moonlight reflected off a great, looming sea of darkness. She had of course heard of the great ocean to the east, but hearing and seeing were two very different things. Directly below, the desert buttes and mesas were like shadowy pebbles. Zakai slowly turned in a great arc, and Madina Basin came into view. From high above, Kiva could see clearly the tops of the towering walls, and the hollowed out basin within. It was filled with thousands of lights—from the homes of families eating dinner, spending time together. Kiva imagined sharing the experience of her first flight with her own family, and felt a pang of sadness.

  As they drifted high over the basin, Kiva thought she could see the light of her old home, and she leaned forward to get a better look. Zakai responded instantly, rolling over into a dive in that direction.

  “No!” she cried. If they were spotted flying low over the basin, it would be disastrous. Zakai swept his great wings, hastening the dive. No no no! Kiva pressed herself tight against Zakai’s body. Her forearms were pushing down into the harness at his sides, and she gripped the straps with white knuckles. Relax, she told herself. Trust your instincts.

  She relaxed the tension in her forearms and hands. Zakai ceased propelling them downward, but they were still free-falling toward the basin. Kiva wracked her brain for a way to control him.

  “Ainhasar!” she shouted, but it had no effect.

  An idea struck her, and she pulled back on the straps she had been gripping so tightly. Zakai’s wings shot out, fully extending. Kiva’s stomach did another somersault as they swung back up into the sky, climbing vertically. She pressed gently forward, and Zakai adjusted his rear limbs, causing them to level out. Kiva breathed a sigh of relief as they passed beyond the far walls of Madina Basin, floating gently on the air currents.

  Zakai was responding to her cues! If pushing forward is dive, and pulling back is climb, then what’s faster? Kiva thought back to what Jonah had said when they first took off.

  “Zakai, yatir!”

  The kiraeen instantly thrust his wings back, propelling the two of them into a swift, steep climb. They rose higher and higher, until Kiva felt as if she could reach out and touch the moon. The cool air raised goosebumps on her skin, and she pushed gently forward on the harness straps, until she and Zakai leveled out.

  The westward view was stunning. She could see all the way to the edge of the desert, where the arid landscape transitioned into dark, textured forest. It eventually climbed up the base of the great mountain range running north to south.

  The sensation of freedom coursing through Kiva was pure bliss. She lay flat on Zakai, closed her eyes, and slowly released her grip on the harness. With her arms extended, she made her hands into flat surfaces that sailed over the wind-stream. Relaxing her thighs, she slowly extended her legs out as well. With her arms and legs extended, Kiva slowly began generating her own lift. The rings of the harness jingled, and the latches became taut as she lifted off Zakai’s back. The feeling was indescribable. She was in a perfect balance between the desert and the sky. In complete harmony with all things above, and below. She was bathed in the wind, and it bore her as surely as solid ground.

  Kiva opened her eyes, and slowly brought her limbs back in, resting them into their places on Zakai’s harness.

  “Let’s see what you can do!” she said, brimming with excitement.

  Kiva pulled back on the harness straps and Zakai looped over backwards into a dive. She yelled out with joy as they plummeted, speeding toward the ground. Kiva pulled again, simultaneously applying pressure with her right foot. Zakai spread his wings, curving back up into the sky, spinning as they climbed together. Kiva released the pressure of her foot, ending their spin, and leaned hard to the right. Zakai peeled off, diving in the same direction.

  She tried pulling on just one side, and Zakai extended the opposite wing, causing them to bank sideways, rolling completely over. She pulled on the other and rolled in the other direction, then pulled both and Zakai again swooped up into a climb.

  As Kiva soared through the sky on Zakai’s back, she was carried away from her worries, her fears, and the pressure to succeed. Up here, she was free from everything. Nothing could reach her. Even exile would be bearable upon the back of a kiraeen.

  She continued experimenting, and began taking the wind into account as she gave subtle cues to Zakai. After what felt like a matter of minutes, the kiraeen turned and sped back toward the walls of Madina Basin. Kiva could sense that he traveled with purpose, and made no attempt to divert him. Soon the smooth stone formations atop the basin’s wall took shape in the moonlight. A moment later, Kiva spotted Jonah’s small figure leaning up against one of them. They drifted toward the same circular clearing they’d taken off from, and with several powerful flaps of his wings, Zakai slowed their speed and landed gently on the stone surface.

  By the time Jonah arrived, Kiva had unclipped the two rings of her harness, and was sitting up.

  “That was…” Kiva trailed off. She couldn’t think of a word powerful enough to describe it, nor could she wipe the grin from her face.

  “I know,” he said smiling back at her. “The best part? It’s like that every time…in fact, it gets better.”

  Zakai lowered himself, and Kiva unhooked the latches on either thigh, and slid over his side.

  “You two were gone a long time. It’s been over an hour,” he said.

  “An hour? It felt like minutes,” she said in all honesty.

  “Either Zakai really likes you, or you’re a natural.”

  “Or both,” she said with a smile.

  Zakai chirped in agreement, and sprung into the air, lifting off to find a comfortable perch.

  They both watched him go, then turned to face each other.

  “Did you get a good feel for the harness?” Jonah asked. “How he moves?”

  “You might say that,” she answered with a small smile. The truth was, by the end, she was able to direct him as effortlessly as she would her own limbs.

  “Don’t get too spoiled
,” Jonah warned. “No other kiraeen is as responsive as Zakai.”

  “He is magnificent,” Kiva agreed.

  Jonah looked her over. “That’s all for tonight,” he said.

  “That’s all?” she asked, disappointed. “We just started.”

  “Hold your hand out flat,” he instructed.

  Kiva did as he asked. Her hand wavered like a leaf. Try as she might, she could not keep it steady.

  “You may not realize it, but flying on a kiraeen can be exhausting. The physical toll, and the concentration required…Go home. Get something to eat, and meet me here tomorrow.”

  Kiva sighed. He was probably right. She was beginning to feel hunger pangs. “What’s tomorrow?”