Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 69

Elhyn dwelt in the shadows of the canopy, almost invisible among the thick branches. His body was dappled by rays of light and darkness making him seem a part of the branch himself. A few leaves had fallen upon his form, caught in the folds of his clothing. They had been there for days but he had not sought to remove them, he had not so much as twitched in the whole time they had been here. He had been as the wood itself, imperturbable and timeless, taking only sips of water. His race's endurance against sleep yet one more gift from the ancestors.

For three days and three nights Elhyn had laid upon the branch, observing the Mon-keigh encampment. He had seen their frantic efforts to prepare for the coming of the Eldar, an attack that had never materialised. He had seen various stragglers wandering back to the base, the few that had evaded Eldar hunting parties blundering into the safety of their camp. Elhyn could have joined the hunters, the thought of ending Mon-Keigh lives had grown to be a pleasure, but he had held firm. The Mon-keigh were up to something, he was sure of it. The activity in their base had taken on a different timbre, they were doing something strange to their flying machines and he was determined to find out what. The Dynasts had refused to give him the forces he needed to level this offensive presence, preferring to hunt the ones who had violated the Vale of Midnight Tears. Yet Elhyn was convinced that was a mistake, the true danger lay here, nothing anyone could say would disabuse him of that notion.

Further along the branch Ilfavor rustled his wings and croaked, "Hunt, hunt now."

Elhyn didn't look away as he laid a hand on the Drake and communed, "No, we must stay here."

Ilfavor clacked his beak and snapped, "Hungry."

"Hunt later," Elhyn communed, "I need to see this."

The Drake hunched his wings and put his head into his wide chest. The Drake had departed several times during Elhyn's vigil, seeking food but had always returned. The bond betwixt rider and mount was profound and it was one neither would willingly break. Once Elhyn would have succumbed to the Drake's savage urges but now he was the dominant of the pair. He needed to be here, a sense of urgency like he had never known overwhelmed him. He had to stay here and nothing would dissuade him of that truth.

Suddenly there was a commotion among the leaves as a second Drake flew up to the branch. It gripped the wood with sharp talons and folded its wings around its form as a single Eldar jumped free. It was Panthiro, who walked along the narrow span with the total confidence of his kind, needing no handholds to balance himself. His great bow was strapped to his back and his sheath of arrows held fresh quarrels, signs that he had been engaged in the hunt for the stragglers yet lost in the forest. The strongest warrior of the kinband had been absent until now, but he had returned with a dour expression that spoke of his disdain.

Panthiro stood over Elhyn and uttered, "There you are, have you not moved since I last saw you?"

Elhyn returned his gaze to the base and said, "Someone must watch the Mon-Keigh."

"Anyone could do that, you are the Dynast's son, your presence was sorely missed in the hunt."

Elhyn glanced up at his friend and remarked, "Hunting strays in the shadows is foolish when the war is not won."

Panthiro replied, "Yet that was the decision of the Dynasts, their judgements are not for you to question."

"Are we Mon-keigh, to blindly follow orders. Am I to march where I am told and give no consideration to my own heart?"

Panthiro didn't reply swiftly, instead slowly lowering himself to sit side by side before he said, "My friend, there is more at stake than you realise. The Kinband's losses have been considerable and our spirits ache with grief. Your presence could console many hearts, but your absence drives a knife into our open wounds. Do you even know how many have fallen?"

Elhyn was shamed by the remark and lowered his eyes to say, "Too many."

Panthiro agreed, "Far too many, we are a dying race. These losses we have suffered drive us ever closer to extinction."

Elhyn refused to accept that and said, "We Exodites are more fecund than the Craftworlders, we number in the millions. The Dark Kin and the Corsairs also wax and wane, they do not fear the twilight of the Rhana Dandra."

Panthiro sighed, "The End of Days calls us all, we of Athelling are fortunate to have been left alone, save for the occasional Mon-Keigh expedition or Ork warband. Yet we too approach the end times, every generation is less than the one before and now the Ynnari poach our youths from us. How much more can our people endure? Elhyn, if you do not accept your role in the kinband the Wind-dancers may end in two or three generations."

Elhyn sighed, "I hear your wisdom and yet I cannot shake my conviction that the Mon-Keigh remain dangerous. This base is the key, the threat here has not passed. We should not let them be."

Panthiro shook his head and said, "There is nothing we can do. The Dynasts have taken the bulk of our kinbands into the Vale of Midnight Tears. Two Thousand of our warriors scour the depths, such an assembly of might has not been seen in cycles beyond counting. They will break the invaders in the depths, then we can…"

His speech was cut off as a mechanical roar arose from the Mon-Keigh base, the sound of many aircraft engines stirring to life. Bevvies of activity arose as filthy tinkerers flittered between machines, hurriedly preparing them for take-off. Crews were strapping themselves into the glassic noses of the craft as red-robed figures sprayed the machines with strange liquids and droned nonsensical claptrap. Among the gull-winged transports the noise was the greatest, the number of engines shaking the air with the rumble of an avalanche while around the edges sleeker craft trembled with building power. Yet over them all loomed a pair of heavier craft, the elite Amber killers that had taught the Eldar respect.

Panthiro gasped, "What is happening?"

Elhyn snatched up Wrymfang from where it was laying on the branch and replied, "I was right, they are up to something. Quickly, fly to my mother and summon every rider of the sky. All of them, we cannot allow the invaders to fly free."

Panthiro rose to his feet and ran for his partner as he said, "Where shall I tell your mother you shall be?"

Elhyn barked, "Keeping them occupied!"

Elhyn jumped onto Ilfavor's back and the Drake fluttered his wings as he croaked, "Hunt now?"

Elhyn communed, "Yes, my friend we hunt."

Panthiro disappeared with a flutter of great wings, soaring away as fast as he was able. Meanwhile the Mon-keigh were starting to rise from the ground, a formation of grey wings pushing into the sky. Elhyn held fast as they rose to half the tree's height, then at some unseen signal they began their advance. Blunt noses slipped into the shadows beneath the trees, leading the invaders back into the heart of the forest. Elhyn did not know what they intended but he was certain to allow them to act would be a disaster. Surely they would expect resistance, but would they expect it so soon? Did they grasp that he had been watching them without cease?

Elhyn waited until the first of them had passed under his position, little realising they had missed an enemy above them. All their guns were pointing outwards, expecting an attack but he was in the middle of their formation. When the pair of Amber craft slipped by he urged Ilfavor to lean forward and plunge from their branch, diving into the heart of the enemy. The wind tore at his face and the ground swelled in his eyes, the light and shadow playing over them as they dove. Elhyn saw the bulky craft grow from black specks to broad-winged transports and he raised Wrymfang with one hand as they rushed to meet the foe.

The grey shape flashed by and Wyrmfang cleaved through metal without impediment, then they were diving past as a transport spun from the sky trailing black smoke from a shorn wing. Elhyn had a glimpse inside as it plummeted, seeing some strange tanks the size of a Longstrider within but he had no time to wonder. The Mon-Keigh reacted with distressing speed, their many guns exploding with a torrent of firepower. Fat buzzing drones surrounded the pair, hostile projectiles seeking to end them. Ilfavor jerked left and right with random twitches, their elusive course the only defence they had. Elhyn clung on as his friend flew with all the speed and skill he possessed, trusting to blind luck to see them through.

The torrents of tracers chased them but Ilfavor moved with the speed of the wind, outpacing the ape's feeble eyesight. They dove low and then with a snap of his wings they pulled out and veered off, heading in a random direction away from the Mon-Keigh. Elhyn had hoped to sow confusion and discord among his foes but their unthinking discipline held true, the rest of the force continued on their path. He had been only one Eldar, all alone, not enough to trouble the invaders. Yet enough to warrant a hunter.

From the packed foes a lone hunter broke off, a sharper craft with a large fan intake over its pilots. Elhyn recognised that these craft were faster and better armed than their wallowing kin and they could match him for speed. The craft came at him, nose flaring with shots as it sought to rip him from the sky. Ilfavor reacted with a barrel roll, making Elhyn's stomach flip as he clung on. The salvo passed harmlessly under them as the Drake banked around a tree, using its bulk for cover. Elhyn gripped his spear as the Drake flapped to gain height, intending to outpace their hunter and circle around behind. Unfortunately the foe had grasped the same idea and was coming around the tree the other way, already firing its weapons.

Only their change in altitude saved the pair from being torn apart, and Elhyn snarled in frustrated anger as the craft shot by. The Drake tried to roll about but the hunter was quick, too quick. It spun about on a column of vector thrust and gave chase, pulling off a manoeuvre that should have snapped the bones of any regular mon-keigh. Elhyn knew the warrior-caste were tougher but had not thought them this tough, nor so skilled as the hunter fell onto their rear, weapons hammering ceaselessly.

Ilfavor could only turn and roll as best he was able, desperately evading as he sought to evade. Elhyn's world became a crazed medley of spinning sky and ground, up and down exchanging places over and over as they fled. They flew with all the skill and cunning they could muster, veering around trees, diving and rising at random yet for all their guile they could not shake the hunter. It followed them through every turn, relentless and blood-thirsty, almost like it was eager for revenge. Elhyn knew their time was running out, that the hunter would never cease until it smote them from the sky and laughed over their corpses. Elhyn refused to let that happen, he would not fall without drawing blood one more time.

He gripped Wrymfang tightly and prepared to turn and engage head-on but before he could commune his intent the sky changed around them. From the forest came a flurry of multi-hued wings, grey and red and silver and green. Scores of Drakes pouring over them and amongst them the larger wings of Krakens. At their head rode a silver Drake with a Bright Lance on its back. It was Celasia, the Dynast of the Wind-dancers coming to meet the Mon-Keigh and at her side was her hated rival, Dalsaar of the Kraken-riders.

The hunter saw them coming and broke off its pursuit, spinning about and retreating back to the Mon-Keigh formation. Elhyn however did not give chase, instead rising to meet his fellows and waving Wrymfang high as he cried, "My kin, my heart soars to see you. Let us strike as one and end this war once and for all!"