Divine Dragons Book 4: A Bride for the Wind God
Autorzy
Raven Flanagan
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225K
Rozdziały
15
Chapter 1
Book 4: A Bride for the Wind God
The sky was a canvas of violent lightning, painting the darkness with its fierce energy. Thunderous clouds, heavy with rain, clashed together, causing my airship to sway from side to side. But my crew and I were the best in the business of lightning catching, and we had a reputation to uphold.
“Get to work, you rascals! Raise the sails, throw out the nets, and keep us on course!” I shouted, my voice barely audible over the thunderstorm’s roar.
“Right away, Captain!” came the response from a few of my crew.
Rain-soaked pirates scattered across the wooden deck, their muscles straining from the demanding task. Despite the harsh conditions, their faces were lit up with fierce grins. They worked together seamlessly, casting out the metallic nets on both sides of the ship.
Meanwhile, my helmsman, Nico, guided us straight into a massive cloud, crackling with energy. The sails strained against the powerful winds, as if the storm itself was trying to keep me from my prize. But the balloon that kept our ship afloat remained steady, undeterred by the tempest.
Electricity tingled on my skin, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end and goosebumps to form on my arms. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the charged air of the storm. As I exhaled, lightning struck, illuminating my ship in a blinding flash.
The nets hummed and crackled, drawing the wild lightning from the sky. Each bolt was captured and funneled into large glass canisters on the ship’s hull. We sailed through the storm for hours, undeterred by the relentless rain pounding against the ship and soaking my crew.
My loyal pirates held their posts, their clothes drenched and faces stinging from the harsh wind. With no land in sight, only the storm and each other for company, I could feel the storm’s raw power deep in my bones. Each flash of violet, blue, gold, or white lightning sent a jolt of energy to my fingertips.
I felt connected to the storm, the wind, the thunder, the lightning, the rain, as if they were a part of me. It was an odd feeling for someone with no wind or storm spirit ancestry, but it was why I was the best lightning catcher around. My crew trusted my instincts on where to find the next storm, and they loved the thrill of the chase almost as much as I did.
In the midst of the storm, surrounded by howling wind and flashing lightning, I felt truly at home. I felt more alive than ever. Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the storm, cutting through the symphony of thunder and rain.
A chill ran down my spine, and I gritted my teeth as another roar sounded in the distance. I turned, scanning the dark clouds that were battering my ship. A flash of lightning illuminated a monstrous figure twisting through the distant storm clouds, like a giant sea creature thrashing in the ocean.
Another roar shook the ship, causing the wooden deck beneath my boots to vibrate.
“Is that…?” Nico’s voice trailed off, his eyes wide with fear at the sight of the beast in the clouds.
I quickly descended the stairs, grabbing a rope from the mast as I peered over the side of the ship. Through the pouring rain, I could make out the serpentine body and flapping wings of a lightning catcher’s worst nightmare.
“Pull in the nets!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
The crew sprang into action. I rushed back to the helm, shouting at Nico, “Get us out of the storm! Now!”
“Right away!” He quickly turned the wheel, steering us away from the beast in the sky. As the crew reeled in the nets and released the sails, others began to deflate the balloons that kept us afloat.
The additional sails caught the wind, increasing our speed. The ship dipped sharply as we began our descent. Gawain, the burly quartermaster, hurried up from the main deck, his chest heaving from the exertion of working in the storm and the added threat.
“Is it him, Captain?”
“Yes. He’s found us again,” I replied. “If we don’t land soon, we’ll be shark bait.”
“Ace said we’re near Gallows Port,” he suggested to me and Nico.
Nico nodded, his black hair plastered to his cheeks by the rain. Despite the serious furrow in his brow, he managed a crooked smile.
“That’ll do. They always pay a fair price for lightning, and the tavern has good ale.”
I grinned. “Nico, take us to Gallows.”
The ship broke through the clouds, descending into the pouring rain. Hopefully, the curtain of rain and clouds would hide our tracks long enough for us to land. The beast never followed a lightning catcher’s ship once it reached the sea. That was his brother’s territory.
For another hour, my crew battled the storm until we finally broke the surface of the ocean. The ship groaned as it hit the water, causing huge waves to crash against the hull. I stood firm, unyielding against the impact, standing tall and proud like the main mast, guiding my crew to safety.
“Why do you think he destroys pirate ships and catchers?” Gawain asked, stroking his long, gray-streaked beard.
The roaring in the storm clouds faded into the distant thunder. I kept my gaze on the turbulent skies, searching for any sign of him. Not out of fear, but for some other reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“We’re stealing from him,” I replied, the words coming from deep within me as if they were an undeniable truth.
“But he’s the Wind God. What’s that got to do with lightning?” Nico asked.
I shook my head, letting out a long sigh. Then I turned to them, my eyes narrowed. “Pirates should know better,” I scoffed. My voice softened, becoming almost dreamy. “The wind is who he is, but the storms are his domain. The clouds and lightning are his. They’re part of him, and we’re taking what he’s created.”
The way the lightning beckoned me was something I couldn’t put into words. It felt like it was as much a part of me as it was of the dragon that birthed it. There were moments when I believed I could reach out, let the storm surge through my fingers, and gather each lightning bolt in my hand.
It was as if the violent tempests were a melody composed just for me, casting a spell over me. Almost as if he was searching for me—
“And our captain is his main target because…?” Nico’s voice trailed off. He was an excellent helmsman, but not exactly a sage.
Gawain rolled his eyes at the young man. “The Pirate Queen here is the best lightning catcher there is. She’s practically invented the industry since humans discovered we could harness and utilize lightning as a power source.”
“Don’t call me that.” I nudged Gawain’s shoulder. “I’m no queen. Just a captain like any other.”
“Land ho!” a crewman hollered from his perch in the crow’s nest.
Another one clambered up the rain-slicked steps to the quarterdeck, nodding before announcing, “We’ve sighted Gallows Port, and the dragon has stopped pursuing us.”
I was already aware of the latter. I’d felt his absence the moment we’d escaped, like a piece of me had been ripped away. But I nodded at the young man, dismissing him with instructions for the rest of the crew.
“Pirate Queen Dhara, what are your orders?” Gawain teased. His chestnut eyes, so similar to mine, sparkled with mischief.
I shot him a glare. “Call me that again, and you’ll be walking the plank, got it?”
His eyebrows shot up, but he bowed, edging closer to the stairs. “As Her Majesty wishes.”
I lunged at him, growling. The old man spun around and scampered down to the main deck with surprising agility.
“Would you really make your uncle walk the plank?” Nico pondered.
The rain began to ease, replaced by the cries of seagulls and the slap of waves against the bow. I turned my gaze to the landmass emerging on the horizon, piercing through the storm-darkened hues of dusk beneath a blanket of clouds.
The distant twinkling lights of the port town promised a night on solid ground, filled with drink and a stable bed.
“No, I wouldn’t,” I confessed to the helmsman. I crossed my arms over my chest, almost hugging myself, and added, “He’s the only family I have left.”
I ended the conversation there, turning on my heel and walking away.
By the time the last rays of sunlight had given way to a pitch-black night sky, our ship, The Wicked Dove, was anchored in a port town teeming with pirates and fishermen.
With Gawain by my side and a handful of crewmen, we sold our fresh lightning stores and took our earnings back to my crew waiting at our favorite tavern, The Drowned Rat.
I sent my uncle ahead with the hefty bag of gold to pay the crew and buy a round of drinks in celebration.
Despite the exhilaration of success and victory coursing through me, I found myself drawn back to the harbor. The soft crash of the waves and the lively music from the tavern seemed distant.
My gaze was drawn to the clouds merging with the black horizon. Far away, so far I could have imagined it, I saw a brief flash of brilliant lightning slicing through a menacing cloud.
If I had blinked, I would have missed the dark silhouette of a massive creature flying in the clouds. So briefly, I could convince myself I had imagined seeing the dragon again so soon.
A shiver ran down my spine as if I had just witnessed a foreboding omen. My heart pounded against my ribcage. I turned and headed toward the tavern, wondering how long it would be before the Wind God caught up with me.
