Deltora's Protector
Chapter 9 – I Can Fly!
Previously on Deltora's Protector:
Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. He witnessed the rebirth of the village of D'Or and discovered that his blood protection from his mother is still active. Most recently he was a part of the Resistance's investigation to learn what became of the finalists in the Rithmere Games.
His adventures have only just begun...
Aiden was bored. He, Dain and Doom were waiting on the outskirts of Rithmere for the other finalists to make an appearance, and had been waiting for close on four hours. Aiden was sitting in a tree so that he wouldn't bother anyone and was whispering to Sion about their current mission so that the snake would be aware of what was going on. He was high up enough that his soft whispers didn't disturb the two waiting below, but also near enough that he would be able to hear any orders that were given out.
Once this mission was complete Aiden was going to make his way back to the orchard and visit his surrogate mother who worried about him more than she did her own sons, Steven and Nevets. He also wanted to work more on his animagus transformation, now more than ever he wished to fly above everything without being noticed. He would be able to follow the Grey Guards practically invisible and then they wouldn't have to be waiting here in the dark to see what the Shadow Lord's plan was.
It wasn't yet dark, but Doom didn't think that the Shadow Lord's minions would wait until dark to attack, and both Dain and Aiden agreed with him. It didn't make waiting any easier though.
As the five hour mark came closer, what they had been waiting for arrived. A small cart bearing two Grey Guards casually left Rithmere and in the back of the cart were three sacks. Aiden wouldn't have thought anything of it, if it hadn't been for the raven flying above it. He directed Doom's attention to the black bird and the three of them began to follow the cart, keeping to the shadows of the trees and at a distance so that their scent wouldn't be caught. Aiden kept to the trees, leaping silently from branch to branch, but staying above Dain and Doom. He felt like a monkey and reveled in the feeling of flying through the air before landing on the next tree branch.
As the sun started to set the clouds that had been threatening rain finally opened up and drenched the ground. It was the rain that finally forced the Grey Guards to stop so that their prisoners could be sheltered. Aiden scurried down the tree as Doom ordered Dain to return to Rithmere to keep an eye on the other finalists. He also had Aiden grab the prisoner's belongings while he freed the three.
The two boys agreed to the plan and Aiden disappeared further into the trees to go around the camped group. The two Grey Guards were under the cart, dry from the rain, and every now and then snores would echo up to Aiden's hiding place. He shook his head with a sign before sliding down and carefully pulling the packs and weapons from the cart. It took a while to do quietly, and across the clearing he could see Barda, Lief and Jasmine sleeping uneasily. Behind them he spotted Doom's shadow, and mentally asked the man to be quick so that they could get away. The packs were heavy, but after he cast a feather-light charm at them he was easily able to carry them to a small cave that Doom had picked out earlier to escape to. Doom had managed to beat him to the cave, so Aiden quickly removed the charm so that the man could help him put everything down without damaging anything.
Doom dropped a dry blanket over his head so that he could rid himself of the chill that he no doubt had gotten from running in the rain. Aiden thanked him with a smile before pulling the blanket closer around his thin shoulders. Aiden sketched a sentence in the dirt of the cave asking if Doom had a blanket of his own to dry off with.
"You were in the rain longer than I was," Doom explained ignoring the scowl that appeared on Aiden's face at his answer. "Plus you're too skinny."
The other three laughed as Aiden sighed and pulled the blanket tighter. They would be leaving soon and he was cold. There was no doubt that he was much more comfortable in warm places out of the rain. Doom stared at him knowingly for a few more moments before turning back to their guests. They all started to thank them both but Doom brushed aside their gratitude with a negligent wave of his hand.
"Listen carefully," he said. "We have little time. I am the leader of a group sworn to resist the Shadow Lord. We have been suspicious of the Games for some time – certain that they were not all they seemed. Our purpose there was to see what was happening, from the inside. Your presence upset my plans. I tried to scare you off–"
"It was you who locked us in our room!" Lief interrupted with a glare. "You who attacked us!"
"Yes," Doom admitted with a nod while Aiden shook his head in amusement. "I was trying to stop you from competing, to protect you. Aiden didn't agree with my plan so stop glaring at him. He was all for letting you compete."
"Why?" Barda asked.
"Why was I trying to protect you? Or why was Aiden supporting you?"
"Both."
"I've been hearing whispers wherever I go about three travelers – a man, a boy and a wild girl, accompanied by a black bird. Wherever these travelers go, it is said, part of the Shadow Lord's evil is undone."
Lief and Barda looked at each other in concern and slight fear. Jasmine had no such insecurities and was still watching Doom and Aiden. Aiden was, to all appearances, ignoring what was going on around him, but Doom was watching everything.
"Aiden supported you because in general he's a good judge of character and has witnessed your ability to take care of yourselves. He hasn't told me the story in detail so cease your worrying. You three fall into a group of about seven people who Aiden trusts. If anything happens to you I know he'll be devastated and I didn't want him to have to go through losing people again."
With that declaration Aiden deliberately looked away, outside the cave, and watched the rain. Steven had told Doom his life story before leaving him in the man's care, but that didn't mean that Aiden wanted everyone to know his story. Steven, Nevets, Bee and Doom were amongst the people in Deltora he trusted, Lief, Barda and Jasmine weren't there yet but their quest was important and they would only succeed if they had the support of Deltora.
"You allowed us to be captured!" Jasmine accused Doom once he was done talking. "You left after the finals, but you didn't truly leave. You hid, and watched, and did not lift a hand to help us."
"I had no choice," Doom said with a shrug. "Aiden played his part well and fell under the radar of Mother Brightly. She wouldn't have let harm come to him so I played the part of a worried father and got him and Dain out. Dain's waiting for the others so that we can rescue them, as much as I don't want to, but we still needed to know how the plan worked. I had intended that animal Glock to be proclaimed Champion, and suffer whatever fate was in store for him. But he took the drugged drink intended for you, girl, and instead of losing to him, as I had planned, I had to find a way of pretending to lose to you."
"You played your part well," Jasmine stated coldly. "Both of you. I could have sworn that you, Doom, did lose. Or am I mistaken that in thinking you hit your head on the wall, and slid down it almost unconscious? And you Aiden, you tried to drug me and then placed the blame on someone else. How could you play along with such an act? Someone could have been seriously hurt!"
Aiden shrank down slightly under her accusations before straightening his shoulders and turning his back on her. He didn't need to explain his actions to her, just as she didn't need to explain her actions to him. Doom snapped at her coldly, but Aiden didn't want to hear any more and walked outside where he would be able to wait in relative silence.
Several minutes later Doom joined him and then they were walking away, back towards Rithmere so they could catch up with Dain. They didn't speak, but they didn't have to. Lief, Barda and Jasmine were making their way to the Shifting Sands, whether they were successful in their quest or not would be made obvious in the next few days. Aiden would make sure that his bracelet was covered properly so that no light would escape and alert others in the vicinity.
When they finally met up with Dain he was already following the second cart that contained Neridah and Glock. Aiden knew that the two would follow Doom to the Resistance Base, they didn't have another quest that was more important, so there was no reason for them to refuse. The rain continued to fall heavily, but this cart had a cover so that didn't need to stop.
"Do you think they'll stop before reaching the Shadowlands?" Dain asked quietly. Aiden was above them in the trees, and even though he couldn't see the two below him, he knew that Doom had shaken his head. An idea popped into his head and he scurried down so that he could present it to Doom telepathically.
The guards would stop if something more important appeared in front of them. I could lead them to the Shifting Sands and abandon them there before making my way back.
"Not a chance," Doom denied before Aiden had completed presenting his thoughts. "Not only would Nevets kill me for so much as thinking of agreeing, you are exhausted and wouldn't be able to outrun them for long."
"What idea?" Dain asked, having not understood what Aiden was proposing.
"Aiden wants to use himself as bait and lead the Guards to the Shifting Sands."
"I agree with Doom," Dain stated instantly. "No offence Aiden, but you wouldn't last long going by that plan. However, how's Sion?"
Aiden grinned and gently uncoiled the Pinwheel Viper from around his neck. The snake hissed at Dain for interrupting his nap but listened when Dain presented his idea. A grin spread across Aiden's face, and the two boys looked to Doom for approval. The man hesitated, but when he nodded Aiden scuttled back up the tree and traveled so that he was above the cart. The two Guards were grumbling about the weather and Aiden briefly wondered what snake venom would do to the Guards. Sion hissed that he was ready so Aiden dropped the snake onto one of the Guards and his scream as fangs pierced his neck was loud in the silence. The other Guard quickly fell to the same poison and they slumped on their seats.
The two sacks in the back of the cart moved, and Aiden heard Neridah ask what was happening. Doom and Dain appeared and helped the two escape their confines, but Aiden leapt onto the top of the cart to check on the Guards and reclaim Sion.
"They tasted awful," the snake told him. Aiden snickered as he helped Sion curl around his neck, but as he looked closely at the Guards he noticed that they were still breathing.
"They're just unconscious," he announced. "We should probably leave before they wake up. I guess Viper venom doesn't work on Guards."
"I'll just have to bite them hard next time," Sion promised. "I'll tear their throats out."
"Good plan."
"Aiden, get off there. It's time to go."
Aiden nodded to Doom and took a running leap so that he was already moving through the mud before the others could blink. The rush of air on his face made Aiden long to be able to complete his animagus transformation. The only downside he could think of was that shape-shifting was something that only the minions of the Shadow Lord could do, few, if anyone, would understand that his abilities weren't given to him by the Shadow Lord, he was born with them.
Once they were safe Aiden pulled Doom aside and told him that he wanted to make his way back to the orchard. They were still nearby, and he would be able to get there within a few days. Doom wasn't happy with the plan, and made it obvious to everyone, but Dain backed up Aiden and asked why Doom still treated him as a helpless kid.
"You let me go out on my own for days at a time, Aiden knows how to fight and I know that you've taught him how to use that dagger. He's also the fastest runner in the Resistance. No one can catch him if he doesn't want to be caught. And there's also the fact that he has a Pinwheel Viper around his neck that would hesitate to bite anyone looking to harm him."
Aiden smiled gratefully at Dain, and both of them looked to Doom. Glock and Neridah said nothing, though when he looked them Doom noticed that the two weren't happy with Aiden. He figured it was from the drugged cider, and decided that it would be best if Aiden disappeared while the others came to terms with their plan. So he gave his permission and Aiden disappeared.
Several days later Aiden was hidden deep within the woods bordering the road. He was still two days from the orchard, and knew that he wouldn't be disturbed. The Grey Guards hadn't chased him, and he hadn't seen another soul on the road during his travels.
Lief had obtained the next Gem, the lapis lazuli, the previous evening and Aiden's bracelet had glowed momentarily. There hadn't been anyone around to see it, so Aiden had given a small cheer and had been unable to stop grinning. Now there were four coloured gems and three black ones, more than half the gems had been found. It made Aiden happy as it meant that the Shadow Lord's days were numbered. It also meant that the power in the bracelet had increased.
Sion disappeared to hunt so that Aiden wouldn't be disturbed, and without the snake chatting to him from his neck Aiden was able to sink into his meditative trance easily. Over the weeks he had been travelling he had been able to transform more and more parts of his body. Last time he had been able to transform both arms into wings. This time he was sure that he could complete the transformation.
Hours passed. Aiden could feel his body changing, his magic pulsing through his bracelet in time with his heartbeat. Heat coiled in his chest as his arms bent and changed. Feathers sprouted from his arms, his back and his chest and his legs shrunk in length and size. Pain erupted from his face as a beak grew in place of his mouth and nose and feathers pulled back until all his skin was hidden. When he opened his eyes again he was a phoenix, and only three feet tall.
I did it! Aiden thought excitedly. He flapped his wings and attempted to fly. His first attempt ended up lasting about four seconds before crashing into a tree and falling to the ground. Hissing laughter broke into his thoughts and Aiden looked around to spot Sion resting on a nearby rock. Sion was laughing at his attempts, but Aiden ignored him so that he could try again. His second attempt lasted longer but he couldn't get very high off the ground before rolling to a stop. The third, and last, attempt went better and he glided around the clearing before stopping and transforming back into his human form, energy spent. He lay on the ground a while, panting as if he had just run a marathon, and didn't move as Sion slithered up to rest on his chest.
"That was most entertaining," Sion told him. "When are you doing that again?"
"A little every day so that I can maintain that form," Aiden replied. "I want to be able to fly in that form."
"You realise that others won't appreciate your ability?"
"I don't plan on telling anyone," Aiden said as he sat up and shifted Sion to his shoulders again. "This will be our secret."
Using the last of his energy Aiden pulled himself closer to the nearest tree so that he could camp there for a while. Sion promised him that he would keep watch for a while, and with that taken care of Aiden passed out.
Two days later Aiden arrived at the orchard, where he was glad to see Steven and Nevets back from their most recent sale route. He hadn't seen the two since his birthday a few weeks previously and was excited to catch up with them. They had a lot of stories to tell about how the Shadow Lord was moving. The Grey Guards were seen more regularly and in greater numbers, Ols were appearing more often than they weren't and pirates were taking advantage of the heightened fear. Several small towns were now abandoned, its inhabitants gone on to find shelter elsewhere. The Resistance had gained a few more members as those who were oppressed sought help from the people who could ensure them revenge.
Bee told them about the three travelers who had appeared from the direction of the City of the Rats. They had stolen some apples, but once she realised where they were from, and she remembered Aiden's dreams, she let them pass by with directions on how to get to the main road. She thought that she had unnerved them when she wished them luck but they had left too quickly for her to gauge their reactions.
Finally, Aiden told them about how the Resistance figured out the plan of the Shadow Lord at Rithmere, the progress of the three travelers, and Sion's adventures. Naturally, the three had been curious as to why Sion's venom hadn't killed the Grey Guards immediately, but not too much was thought on the matter. Bee did ask for some venom to use in her defenses, and Sion was quite happy to let her have some.
He didn't tell them of his ability to change shapes, that he wanted to keep a secret until the last possible moment. In time he hoped to be able to do it with instantly like his father, godfather and professors.
All told they were happy with the progress of Lief, Barda and Jasmine in reclaiming the Gems of Deltora, and had asked Aiden about his own bracelet, to which Aiden explained the greater strength of his magic, and in turn the greater clarity of his opal visions.
Over the next few days Aiden's dreams started to guide him south, to Del. He recognised the palace from the descriptions of his "brothers" and deduced that Deltora wanted him to go there, that there was something in Del he needed to see. It would take him days to walk there, but not as long if he were to fly. His family was reluctant to let him go, but also knew that he would just sneak away in the middle of the night if they didn't support his choice.
So he started to practice flying in the orchard where no one could see him, and Sion informed him that he hated it. The Pinwheel Viper disliked heights, and had been able to hide underneath Aiden's jacket so that he wouldn't be able to see how high up he was. When Aiden was in avian form, however, there was nowhere for him to hide and he had to endure the long flights. Two days after receiving his first dream of Del Aiden left with a small bag of food and water and transformed. The bag was clutched in his talons, and Sion had requested that he travel in the bag so that he wouldn't be able to see the ground. Aiden allowed the request and flew to Del, guided only by the images sent by his opal.
It took him three days as he was only able to fly for a few hours before growing tired and being forced to land and rest. But as the days went on the transformation became easier and faster, and his strength grew. Sion also grew more confident as he stopped complaining about how bumpy the ride was. As Del came into sight, Aiden entered the surrounding town as a human.
He was horrified by what he saw.
Next up in Deltora's Protector:
Chapter 10 - Del and Fallow