The Dragon's Descent (14 page)

“We've got to get out of here!” Vero yelled.

“Get airborne!” Kane shouted.

“I can't!” X screamed. “My wing's busted!”

Vero grabbed X by the waist and tried to lift off the ground with him, but X's weight made it hard to fly. Seeing Vero's struggle, Kane grabbed X underneath his armpits and helped Vero raise their friend into the air. Instantly, fierce
winds knocked them to the ground. Ada, Pax, and Greer collided with one another in the air as the winds bashed them around as well. They dropped back to the sand.

The horned beast, the lion, and the four-headed leopard charged the fledglings. About to be trampled, Vero and the others retreated to the beach. With sand and flecks of water whipping against his face, Vero stepped out of the reeds onto the shore. The others followed. The gale-force winds nearly pushed the fledglings back into the reeds. Their heads down, they fought against the gust. Vero glanced over his shoulder. The creatures were nowhere to be seen.

“Where'd the beasts go?” Vero yelled over the howling wind.

“I don't know!” X answered.

“We can't fly out of here, and we can't go back to the reeds!” Kane shouted. “We're totally stuck!”

Ada searched the shore. Vero noticed a panicked looked come over her.

“Where's Pax?!” she shouted.

Vero looked up and down the beach. Pax was nowhere to be found.

“I'm going back for him!” Kane yelled.

“Me too!” X shouted.

Vero pointed to the stalk tops, which were moving in the opposite direction of the blowing wind.

“The beasts!” Vero exclaimed.

But then Pax broke through the wall of reeds, pulling the rowboat by the rope.

“What are you doing?” Greer screamed. “You almost gave us all heart attacks!”

“We can't fly out of here, and we can't go inland,” Pax said. “So we row out.”

“That boat could be smashed to pieces in this wind,” X shouted.

“Maybe, but look out there . . .” Pax said, pointing to sea. “The water's calm on the other side of this storm.”

Vero looked to sea. The sky was sunny only a few hundred feet away.

“I'd rather take my chances on the water instead of the air or land right now,” Ada shouted.

“But those beasts have wings!” Kane said. “We could be sitting ducks in that rowboat!”

“I doubt they can fly any better in this wind than we can!” Greer responded.

“Let's do it!” X yelled.

Vero looked behind him. He saw the tops of the reeds fall to the ground as if being trampled. Knowing what was coming, Vero ran to the boat and helped Pax pull the boat. Kane and X also grabbed the towrope and scrambled to drag the boat into the water. Violent waves crashed the vessel on all sides.

“Everybody hurry!” Kane yelled as he tried to steady the bow of the boat.

One by one, the angels climbed into the small rowboat while X stood knee-deep in the water, holding the stern firm. Vero could feel the ground underneath his feet shake. With one foot in the boat, he turned and saw all four beasts charging—even the bear had rejoined the ferocious stampede. Vero spun back quickly and tumbled into the boat. Standing on the bench closest to the bow, Ada pointed at the four-headed leopard, which rose up on its hind legs. All
four heads snarled down on Greer, who was oblivious to the deadly threat.

“Greer, behind you!” screamed Ada.

Greer turned in time to see the heads looming over her. She hoisted her upper body into the boat when the head on the far left side of the leopard bared its teeth, ready to sink them into her chest. Sweat mixed with the rushing seawater ran down her face as she looked into the beast's hungry eyes. A high-pitched scream, like the cry of a warrior, split the roar of the wind. In a single, fluid path, a sword sailed like a boomerang, slicing off the leopard's outermost head, and then lopping off the remaining three in a clean sweep. The wind lifted the severed heads briefly into the air before they all dropped to the ground. Their wide eyes were forever caught in shock.

The fledglings' eyes too were wide as they looked at Ada standing on the bow.

“Told you I would protect you,” Ada said to Greer.

10

RAHAB

T
he rough seas pushed the tiny rowboat around. Water splashed over the boat's sides as X tried to row through the storm. The other fledglings clung to each other and their seats for fear of being tossed into the high seas. Greer's face had even turned a shade of green.

“Want me to take over?” Kane yelled to X. “You're injured.”

“I got it!” X shouted. “It was just my wing. Rest of me is fine!”

Anguish etched across his face, X continued rowing against the wall of waves and finally broke through. Rays of sunshine and calmer skies greeted them on the other side, though the water was still choppy, and the air too windy to fly. But everyone slowly released one another and their grip on the boat.

“I still can't believe you were able to slice their heads off like that,” Greer said to Ada, shaking her head in disbelief.

“And yet I did.” Ada flashed a cocky grin.

“She's been holding out on us,” Pax said with a chuckle.

“How did that happen?” Vero asked.

“I just wanted a sword so badly when I saw Greer in trouble that it happened, I guess.”

“I get that part,” Vero said. “How did you throw it like that?”

“I play a lot of Frisbee with my dog.”

Vero gave her a look. “That's it?”

“It's all in the wrists.” Ada smiled, proudly.

Greer shook her head. “The universe has turned upside down . . . and you . . .” Greer nodded to Pax. “You should feel bad. A girl showed better swordplay than you.”

Pax became visibly upset. Greer had hit a sore spot.

“I'm only joking,” Greer apologized.

“Well, I don't think it's funny!”

“Look, you've got something that goes a lot farther than sword skills . . .”

Pax looked to her, curious.

“Guts and heart. With that combo, you'll do better than all of us.”

Pax smiled. “Thanks, Greer.”

“Friends?”

“Always,” Pax said. “But I'm bummed that thing ate my sword. How am I gonna get it back?”

Ada frowned dejectedly. “I didn't think of that.”

“Well, we can't go back for them,” Greer said to Ada. “Sorry, you might just be a one-hit wonder. Well, actually a four-hit wonder.”

“I don't think so,” Vero said. “I think swords are like lizards' tails. You might be able to grow another.”

“I hope,” Ada said, looking into the palm of her outstretched hand.

Kane stood. “X, I can row for a while,” he said as he climbed over the seat, inadvertently rocking the boat.

“Stop doing that!” Greer chided.

“Sorry,” Kane said. “It's hard to balance.”

“Yeah, well, I get seasick,” Greer said. “So knock it off!”

Vero stood up in the boat. “What, Greer?” Vero teased. “This makes you sick?” Vero shifted his weight from leg to leg, rocking the boat from side to side.

“Sit down!” Greer roared.

Vero laughed and then sat next to her.

“If I throw up, I'll be sure to aim for you,” Greer told Vero as her right hand white knuckled the side of the boat.

Vero inched away from her.

X looked to Kane. “I'm all right for now.”

Kane nodded and sat back down.

“Turned out to be a nice day after all,” Ada said, her face turned toward the warm light above.

“We're not here so you can get a tan,” Greer quipped.

“Yeah, I get that, but why not enjoy it while we have the chance,” Ada said.

Vero looked upon his fellow angels with affection. Greer noticed his stare.

“What's your problem?”

“I just want to say thank you . . . for helping me,” Vero said. “You guys are all great.”

Pax and Ada smiled to him.

“Hey, it's what angels do,” X said, purposely skidding the oar against the water, drenching Vero.

“Thanks a lot,” Vero said with a smile, wiping water from his face.

“We'll find that book,” Kane told Vero. “We won't let you fail.”

“But if on the off chance we don't,” Greer said to Vero, “you're taking the blame one hundred percent.”

Vero chuckled. “Okay. But I really am grateful.”

“He's getting too sappy,” Greer said. “Feed him to the sharks.”

X continued to row, and soon they were nearly upon the rock formation. Waves lapped up on the submerged boulders. Vero noted that, up close, the teepee-shaped outcropping was much larger than what he had expected.

“Anybody else feeling nervous?” Pax asked as his eyes focused on the opening in the rocks.

“Rahab's an angel. He once found the book and returned it. He's gotta be good,” Vero said.

“Oh yeah, sure,” Greer said. “We'll just go tell that to Lucifer, and maybe he'll stop looking for the book.” She turned to Kane. “You believe this kid?” she scoffed.

“Yeah, Vero,” Kane said, shifting uncomfortably. “Duh.”

Vero held Kane's gaze for a moment. Kane appeared to be nervous. It wasn't like him to be on edge.

Crash!

The front of the boat smashed into the boulders.

“X! Stop rowing!” Ada shouted.

“Sorry, guess I don't know my own strength,” X commented, slightly embarrassed.

After grabbing the towrope, Vero climbed out the boat and onto the large rocks, which were covered in slimy algae. He slipped and did an embarrassingly bizarre dance to keep from falling into the water. A few seconds later, he regained his balance.

“Nice moves,” Greer teased.

Vero blushed. Then carefully, keeping the rope securely in his hand, he pulled the rowboat closer to the rocks.

“Come on,” Vero said, holding out his hand.

Kane stepped out and helped him secure the boat. Then one by one, the others climbed onto the mossy rocks. As Greer grabbed on to Vero's arm and stood, her boot became lodged between two rocks, causing her to stumble and face-plant straight into Vero's chest. They both fell off the boulders and into the sea. Greer spit a mouthful of saltwater into Vero's face.

“Thanks for the help.”

“You pushed me in!” Vero shot back.

“Guys, are we going to find Rahab or not?” X asked, holding out his hand to Greer.

X pulled Greer up onto the rocks, while Vero climbed up himself. With small, deliberate steps, the fledglings made their way over the slick rocks. In front of the opening, the boulders flattened out into a level ledge of solid rock. They gathered around the large gap and looked inside. Vero felt his hopes plummet. It was just a small, dark cavern. The ocean waves hit the ledge where they stood and lapped into the cavern, forming a pool before the water seeped out through gaps in the rocks. Vero scanned the area. Neither Rahab nor anyone else was anywhere to be found. The cavern was uninhabited.

“Okay, that was a phenomenal waste of time,” Kane said, irritated.

“He has to be here somewhere,” Ada said. “Maybe he lives underwater.”

“Then we'll never find him,” Pax said.

“Ada, the scroll must have given some other info,” Vero said. “Something you're not remembering.”

Ada shook her head. “I told you everything.”

The sky began to darken. The wind began to blow in the distance. Greer looked up to the clouds.

“Another storm,” she said, her eyes full of dread.

Vero turned to Ada. “You said he's also called Euroclydon. What does that mean?”

Ada shrugged. “I don't know everything!”

The winds began to whip up harder. Claps of thunder rang out. The air turned cold, and the sky grew nearly dark. The faint shape of a funnel formed in the distance, and appeared to be the front edge of a big hurricane. Greer pointed to it.

“We either need to fly out of here or take shelter in this cavern!” Greer called. “Because that looks like we're in for a hurricane!”

“Or we fly right into it,” Kane said.

“Are you crazy?” Greer shouted. “Did that bear hit you in the head and we missed it?”

“
Euroclydon
means
tempestuous wind
.”

“How would you know that?” Pax asked.

“Vocab word,” Kane said while pointing to the oncoming storm. “That is Rahab.”

Vero looked to Kane as he processed the information.

“He's a storm?” Greer asked, staring at Kane as if he was the dumbest thing she had ever seen.

“No, but he's causing the storm. He must be in the middle of it,” Kane answered. “That's why we have to fly into it.”

“Because it's always calm in the eye of the hurricane,” Vero finished.

“Yes.” Kane nodded.

“But we can't fly in those winds,” Ada said. “They're too strong.”