Free The Missing Kin by Michael Pryor Page B

fly. I wish I could.'
    Kikkalak narrowed her eyes. 'Quiet, A'ak. Do
not try to work your magic on me.'
    'The A'ak are gone,' Targesh said. 'A long time ago.'
    Kikkalak took two hopping steps. 'You lie,' she
hissed. 'The Great Enemy always lied to the Winged
Ones.'
    'It's true,' Adalon said. 'The A'ak haven't been
seen in the seven kingdoms in ten thousand years.'
    Kikkalak lifted her spear. 'You A'ak try to trick us.'
    Adalon shook his head. 'The A'ak are gone, but
the land is facing another enemy. We've come to seek
your help.'
    Kikkalak tilted her head to one side, disgust and
anger clear on her face, then, slowly, tilted it to the other
as she considered Adalon's words. Finally, she clacked
her beak. 'The Flightmother will deal with you.'

Thirteen
    Adalon, Simangee and Targesh were marched
through the ruins at spearpoint. Torches and
lanterns nestled on ledges amid the dogged growth that
was reclaiming the stonework. And vegetation wasn't
all that had colonised the buildings. Adalon glimpsed
many scuttlings and whirrings in the shadows, while
clicks, chirps and soft hoots followed their progress.
    'This is A'ak work,' Simangee muttered as they
passed under an archway smothered in creepers. 'This
whole place.'
    'Quiet,' growled Kikkalak. She poked Simangee
with the butt of her spear, shepherding her and the
others toward a broken staircase.
    They were brought into a large, open area. By
its size, Adalon guessed that it had once been a
hall or an assembly chamber of some kind. It was
roofless, open to a sky which glowed orange from
the grumbling mountain. The walls stretched up
high and ended raggedly, crowned with vines and
clumps of white flowers that gave off a heady, sickly
sweet perfume.
    Around the perimeter of the open area, flares
were lit on poles. A raised platform stood at one
end, with a wooden throne in the middle. Adalon
and his friends were herded toward it.
    Three winged figures dropped from the night
sky and landed on the dais, near the throne. Two
were armed with spears, but the last was smaller
and weaponless. She studied the prisoners for an
instant, then she assumed her throne. The guards
took position on either side.
    Kikkalak thumped her spear on the stone floor.
    'Hail, Flightmother!'
    From the walls all around, scratchy voices echoed
Kikkalak's welcome: 'Hail, Flightmother!'
    Adalon stared. The walls were alive. Dozens of
lanterns and torches sparked alight, accompanied
by rustling and whispering, scraping and shuffling.
Scores – no, hundreds – of Winged Ones were peering
down at them from ledges and perches amid the
plants that were overtaking the ruin. Their whispers
and mutters made it sound as if a great wind had
entered the hall.
    'Oh,' Simangee said, her eyes reflecting the light.
'Such a wonder.'
    Adalon nodded in mute agreement. The walls
were covered with flickering glimmers of light. It
looked as if the stars had come down to pay a visit.
    With a wrench, he turned his attention back to
the Flightmother.
    She was old. Adalon could see grey scales around
her muzzle and loose skin at her neck. Her eyes
were sharp, however, as she leaned forward with
interest. 'So these are the A'ak,' she said in a thin,
creaky voice. 'I had always wondered what they
looked like.'
    An amazed whispering came from the Winged
Ones perched in the niches on the walls. The
Flightmother hushed the noise with a gesture.
    'We are not the A'ak,' Adalon said. 'We are
ordinary saur who have come to seek your help.'
    'They came through the Forbidden Gate, Flightmother,'
Kikkalak said. 'They must be the A'ak.'
    The Flightmother waved down the watch leader.
'Careful, Kikkalak, remember the Way of the Wing: To see better, fly higher – but not so high that your
head is in the clouds .'
    Targesh cleared his throat. 'The Way of the Horn
also has a saying: Treat strangers well, for one day
you may be a stranger yourself .'
    The Flightmother made a dry, coughing sound
and it took Adalon a moment to realise she was
laughing.