Fae Wars: Pyre Boundaries

CHAPTER 14

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Kal

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Cian's POV

Only a few minutes into my search I got luckier than I thought I would get. I spotted an abandoned Bastet camp not far from where I'd left Nina Marie. I made three passes by to make sure there weren't any Bastet nearby before I landed and shifted into my Fae form. I took my time and gathered up enough supplies to last us several weeks. If the Bastet left all of this behind, there wasn't any chance of them returning. It was better Nina and I used them then leaving them behind to rot. I placed everything I could inside of a large tent then shifted into my dragon form and flew them home to my cave.

That's how I thought of the cave I found on Mount Laurentian. Home. It was the perfect place for Nina Marie and me to call home base. It was centralized and would allow us to go almost anywhere with minimal effort. It also provided excellent security since even another dragon was likely to pass it by without investigation. It was too high for the other shifters or Fae and way too small for a dragon. Only another mixed breed like myself would ever consider shifting in midair.

The only downside was that I didn't have any fresh meat. I could be wrong, but I tended to think Nina would require meat to help her heal. I decided to take a few minutes and do a fly by the closest body of water. If I was going to find fresh meat, that was my best chance. I swooped low and caught sight of a huge elk. It was big boy seven hundred plus pounds with a huge rack of antlers on his head. He would be perfect, but he was also dangerous to hunt. Even in my dragon form his antlers could cause a lot of damage. I would be better off taking a page out of the golden eagle's books. Rather than trying to fight the elk in my Fae form or even in my dragon form, I am better simply grabbing the elk, soaring as high as I can and dropping it. Gravity and the rocks below will get the job done. I had no sooner had the thought when I felt Nina in my mind.

'Yuck. For such a badass dragon, it seems like an awfully dickish way to hunt. Then again, I've had a golden eagle hunt me in my wolf form. They are vicious predators. I've also seen them successfully go after and hunt wild wolves. They fearlessly dive in and attack. It doesn't matter that they are several times their size. The golden eagle pierces the wild wolf's heart with its talons, killing them instantly. Those things are like fucking sharks with wings.'

Cian mentally laughed then added

"Yeah well, their technique works. Elk are dangerous and I need to try to keep from getting hurt. It's the best tactic."

Then without further ado, he swooped down and snatched the huge elk in his talons. The elk bucked and jerked but Cian held tight. He headed straight up. Once he was high enough that he was confident the elk would not survive the drop but would remain primarily intact he opened his talons and the elk dropped abruptly to the jagged rocks below. As Cian expected he died instantly. Cian swooped down again and grabbed the elk in his talons. This time, he flew directly to his home base cave. It took three attempts to successfully toss the huge elk inside the cave.

He flew by again trying to decide if he should get Nina Marie now, or go into the cave and begin preparing the elk. He was worried that the elk might have made a mess when he tossed it inside that needed to be cleaned up before he pitched Nina Marie inside. Before he could decide however she chimed in yet again.

'Go clean it up. See if you can figure out a way to break my fall when you toss me in. If you really want to make this our home base, after today, we need to figure out a better way for me to get in there. I don't want to experience anything like what that elk just went through. The toss, drop, catch and repeat method doesn't sit well with my stomach. I don't have the strength today, but maybe it would be better if I jump from your back or tail.'

Cian thought about it for a moment then replied.

"I agree. I dislike the idea of you being in my talons anyway. Even when I am being as gentle as I can, the chance for an injury is still there. I haven't let many people do it since it's considered an intimate act, but I think you should ride on my back. If you're healthy, it should be an easy jump from me to the cave. I'll come up with a way to slow your momentum so you don't slam into the back wall."

Cian shifted midair and dove into the cave. He rolled and skidded across the slippery blood covered floor then landed with a thud and a loud oomph into the elk.

'Good thing I told you to prepare things for me or that would have been me sliding across the floor covered in elk goo...' Nina whispered smugly into his mind.

She was right, so Cian didn't bother saying anything back. Instead, he focused on the problem at hand. He needed to make this cave inhabitable and safe for Nina to land in. It took Cian a little over an hour to clean the cave and prepare the elk for cooking. It took another hour to create a makeshift landing pad that would be softer and more controlled for Nina and his entrance into the cave. He felt pretty proud of himself and his creative solution. Just using a safety net across the entrance would offer some protection, but not really that much. He needed a way to slow both of them down when they came in. A way to prevent them from slamming into the cave walls or floor.

The cave entrance only has about one hundred feet before abruptly ending with a very jagged, very dangerous stone wall. That isn't nearly enough for either of them to come to a complete stop at the speed they would be coming in at. They needed a better way.

Cian decided to create a system he called the hook and rod... The hook and rod method had two major components. The stoprod that stretched across the top of the cave and the belthook. Cian created the stoprod by melting some of the metals in the rocks deep in the cave into a long cylinder. Because he used his Fae fire, the new metal was pliable so he was easily able to drive it into the cave walls to create an overhead stoprod. Once the new stoprod completely cooled it would be more than strong enough to hold both of their weight.

The belthook is exactly what it sounds like -- an extended hook he also created and fashioned from metal in the cave that would attach to their belt and could be tossed a few feet away from them. The goal would be to snag the belthook on the stoprod. The stoprod would absorb their forward momentum and bring them safely to a stop. To be on the safe side, Cian created two stop rods. The first is just a few inches from the cave entrance. That rod is the best one for them to catch to eliminate all chances of hitting the cave wall. He also instilled a second stoprod one foot deeper into the cave as a backup. He felt confident however after just a few attempts both he and Nina would consistently catch the first stoprod.

Today, he would use both rods when he brought Nina to the cave. He intended to shift at the same time as he tossed her towards the cave. Then he would attempt to throw both belthooks effectively stopping both him and Nina Marie. He also piled every pillow, blanket, and clothing he had against the far wall to soften the blow.

'Stop worrying, it's going to work. I have faith. Besides, even if it doesn't I won't break. Just crack a little.'

Cian shook his head at hearing her words echo in his mind. Then he smiled while pressing his index finger to his temple and saying out loud.

"I am never going to get used to hearing you in my head, but I must admit, it does reduce the risk of miscommunication."

He dove out of the cave and shifted into his dragon form before hitting one of the jagged rocks or trees below. Then for the first time since Nina Marie spoke into his mind, he said silently through their link.

'I'm on my way back. I should be there in minutes.'