Upon Wings Of Change

Chapter 53

It didn't take us more than a few minutes to come up with a basic plan. We had to pause while I spat fireballs at two more raptor noses. They seemed to wander off after that; I couldn't hear their heavy breathing at any rate.

Aeria finished tying another length of cord across the floor before she went back to stacking rocks for a short wall. If Draven came in, I would aim my fire at his face and blind him if possible.

He was probably expecting that tactic after the captain's fate and my earlier attacks. If he tried to shield his face, he wouldn't be able to see anything coming at him. He would also miss the cords that were stretched out to trip him. Aeria had shown me a tendon on the back of the knee to target. If I could cut it, he would be unable to use that leg.

We waited in our perspective places, uneasy and apprehensive. Aeria glanced at her wrist comm and said, "The good news is that Taureen will be back in three hours if we can hold out that long. If he can find us, that is."

I glanced back at her. "I have a tracker on me. Taureen put it on me after the back gate had been broken. It is a special one that he should be able to track no matter where I am or what kind of blockers might be around."

She sighed in relief. "That is good news then." She glanced at the entrance uneasily. "It is disturbingly quiet out there."

Her observation was a good one, and I was wondering what Draven was up to that was taking him so long. I jumped down and started to crawl towards the entrance.

"Don't go out. He is probably waiting just above the entrance to strike."

I considered that for a moment. "I will keep that in mind. I can move faster than he can drop down."

I heard her grit her teeth in frustration at my stubbornness. "He is more likely to launch his spear at you the second he sees you."

I ignored her warning and kept creeping forward with a wary eye above me. Taureen will probably kill me later if he gets all of the details. Hopefully, she will keep some of this quiet. I peered out and blinked in confusion. The raptors were nowhere in sight, but Draven was still on the ground.

I eyed him up, but my time with the Kymari had taught me one thing over and over again. Kymari are endlessly patient. His spear was still in his lap as well, and I knew that if we left the cave, he could very well throw it at Aeria like a javelin. I backed up slowly and returned to my perch. Aeria waited for my update.

"He is still where he was last time. I don't think he has moved."

Aeria frowned. "Is he doing anything with his wrist comm, wires, or black boxes?"

I shook my head. "No, he is slumped on the ground as if playing dead, but I can't see your knife wound and my few scratches doing more than simply slowing him down."

Aeria frowned at the entrance. "No, it would take a lot more than that to cause serious injury. He is likely waiting for us to come out."

That was my exact line of thought as well. I jumped to the other side of the opening where I could just see the area above Draven. If he stood up, I would spot him. I settled down and curled my tail around me while maintaining watch. "Then we wait."

      It wasn't even a minute later that a shuttle dropped into the clearing, and a dozen heavily-armed Kymari guards got out. I glanced back at Aeria with wide eyes. "Are these new arrivals friends or foes? If they are enemies, we are about to have our hides handed to us if they realize that we are in here."