Chapter ten

Tairen, tairen, soaring high

Undisputed king of sky

Which great god did fearless chance

To cast thy bold magnificence?

"Tairen, Tairen" by Kimall vel'En Belawi, Tairen Soul

The Fading Lands ~ Eastern Desert

High above the world, the light of the Great Sun turned the eastern sky watery. Streamers of wispy cloud hanging over the far horizon glowed pink in the slowly lightening sky.

Wind blew through the loose shields of Fire surrounding Ellysetta, whistling in her ears as she and Rain raced across the Fading Lands. Below them, the stark colors of the desert slowly gave way to a vast, gently rolling terrain covered with tall, waving grasses. Herds of grazing animals dotted the plains, scattering in fright as Rain's tairen form swooped over them.

Beyond the wide expanse of golden plains, the smoking, snowcapped volcanoes of the Feyls rose up in impressive majesty. One tall peak dominated the rest, towering over its brethren by at least a third. Clouds encircled its snowy peak like a misty crown. Just below them, three large tairen rode the updrafts on outstretched wings.

«Is that Fey'Bahren?» Ellysetta asked.

«It is. Torasul, Fahreeta, and Steli are flying out to greet us.» The three tairen spewed jets of flame and spun around to fly towards Rain and Ellysetta with alarming swiftness.

She gulped. «Is that a good thing?»

«You are the truemate of the Tairen Soul, none of the tairen would dare singe a single hair on your head. But Steli is…fierce. She may try to frighten you. She thinks she is chakai, First Blade, of the tairen.»

«First Blade?»

«Fiercest of defenders. Celierians call them champions. Bel, Tajik, Rijonn, and Gil are all First Blades of the Fading Lands. Gaelen was, too, before he became dahl'reisen.»

«Oh.» Wonderful.

Ellysetta's fingers tightened about the pommel of the saddle as the tairen roared. The great cats were enormous, their eyes glowing, opalescent wells of active power. One of them, a pure white beauty with deep blue eyes, sped ahead of the other tairen and roared a challenge, showing a fearsome set of sharp white teeth. Rain roared back but the white tairen did not slow.

«Is the white one Steli?»

«Aiyah.»

Steli's ears were laid back against her head, her razor-sharp claws unsheathed and fully extended.

«Rain …» Ellie grabbed hold of the saddle, and her legs clamped tight around Rain's neck. He and Steli were on a direct collision course, and neither showed the slightest sign of fear or concern. Neither showed any sign of slowing down either.

«Trust me, Ellysetta.»

Trust him. Trust him when a ferocious two-ton flying predator raced towards them at ramming speed. Ellysetta gulped, squeezed her eyes shut, and held on tight.

«Hold on.» That was all the warning Ellie received before Rain banked sharply to the left.

Ellysetta bit back a scream, and her eyes flashed open just in time to see the two tairen miss a head-on collision by a mere hand's breadth. Steli passed so close, her furred tail brushed Ellysetta's leg, and the wind generated by her pumping wings sent Ellysetta's hair flying in all directions.

Rain righted himself in moments. «Are you well, shei'tani?»

In hands white-knuckled from fear, Ellie clutched enormous tufts of tairen fur, and her legs clenched the saddle so fiercely that she'd all but melded herself to the leather. Slowly, her roiling belly and racing heart calmed and she managed to unfreeze her muscles enough to release Rain's fur. «For the moment.» Except for the unfortunate feeling that she was about to lose what little food she'd eaten in Lissilin.

«You did very well.» Approval hummed along the threads of his Spirit weave. «Steli will not challenge us again. You did not scream and I did not falter. She was the first to turn away.» There was satisfaction in his voice, the prideful kind evinced by men and boys when they survived a test of manhood.

She relaxed her death grip on Rain's pelt and shook her head. Steli was not the only one to believe herself First Blade of the tairen.

The other two tairen—one a gleaming gold and the other a deep, dark brown—banked in opposing circles, and Rain flew between them. He headed straight for the massive peak of Fey'Bahren, and as they neared, Ellysetta could make out the dark shadows of caves dotting the volcano's steep sides. Rain landed on the wide ledge surrounding one of the largest caves. A shaft of Air plucked her from the saddle and set her on her feet, as Rain's great black tairen form dissolved into mist. Then he was Rainier once more, tall, fierce, unearthly beautiful.

"Come, shei'tani. Sybharukai and the others are waiting for us."

"Are you sure it's all right? I can wait out here if necessary." A loud roar split the air, and she turned to see Steli spouting a great jet of fire. Ellysetta gulped. "Or not."

Despite everything, the corner of Rain's mouth lifted in a small smile. "You would be safe here, but Sybharukai says I should bring you." He held out a wrist. "Come, shei'tani, and meet our soul-kin."

He escorted her down a long, winding passage that seemed to go on forever. The passage was wide and tall enough to accommodate three fully grown tairen walking abreast, the stone dark and worn smooth by centuries of use. Numerous smaller tunnels branched off from the main passage, but they continued steadily downward. Once the cave entrance was out of sight, Rain summoned Fire to light the crystal globes that lined the pathway.