The Cloud Rider Chronicles: Storm Horizon

The Cloud Rider Chronicles

Storm Horizon

By

Graham Jones

Copyright © 2012 by Graham Jones

All rights reserved

All moral rights of the author have been asserted

Published by Graham Jones at Smashwords 2012

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter One

‘The Serpent’s Coil has arrived my Clan Lord.’

‘At last. Bring him to me.’ His black eyes narrowed as a crooked smile broke across the grey tattooed face. The dark grey Rider rose from his ice throne and moved slowly across the gloomy chamber. His powerful frame moved awkwardly as he limped towards a small opening cut into the thick cloud wall.

He entered the small antechamber and slumped into a chair at the head of an empty table. As he sat, he drew his cloak tight around his tired, cold body; there was barely a light in the room, yet the thousands of sleek Raven’s feathers upon it shimmered with his every movement.

The Clan Lord coughed, wincing with pain. The fine swirling tattoos distorted and stretched as his deeply lined slate skin crumpled still further. He heard his guest’s voice long before he saw him.

‘Unhand me you oaf! I can see perfectly well.’ The gloom receded slightly as a pale grey figure stormed into the chamber. The dark ragged servant leading him in stepped quickly to aside.

‘My Lord, the Serpent’s Coil.’ The subordinate bowed low and melted into the darkness at the edges of the room.

‘I can see that fool! I may be old, but I still have my senses.’ He eyed the newcomer with great suspicion. ‘Now leave us, we have private matters to discuss.’

The servant bowed again and scuttled his way back out of the chamber.

‘What about those two thugs behind you?’ snapped the pale Rider.

‘If by that you mean my bodyguards. There’s no need to worry. Their loyalty is absolute, as is their inability to speak.’

‘You mean they’re mute?’

‘Of course. It is the price all my protectors pay for the honour of their position.’

‘Such charming customs you have.’ sneered the other. He cast the figures a dismissive glance; but could not help but be impressed by their menacing bulk. The two bodyguards stood like unmoving pillars supporting the weight of the ceiling that

brushed against the top of their wild grey hair.

‘I presume you weren’t followed?’ croaked the Clan Lord, choosing to ignore his guest’s sarcasm.

‘Of course not. What kind of a fool do you take me for?’ hissed the Serpent.

‘I hope for all our sakes you are no kind of a fool at all.’ The dark Rider pressed the tips of his fingers together pushing them deep into his crumpled chin. ‘Now tell me, are our plans already in motion?’

‘Of course. Everything has been set into play. I just hope you have kept to your side of the bargain!’

The Clan Lord tensed as he rose up in his seat.

‘It is as we agreed, even now my forces are mobilising towards the Eastern borders.’

‘Excellent,’ crowed the Serpent. ‘Our time for greatness is almost upon us. You and I will soon be the most powerful Riders ever to have flown the skies.'

Chapter Two

The huge white cloud drifted serenely across the brilliant blue morning sky. Twisting from pale grey to brilliant white as the rising sun danced off its boiling surface. From below all was perfectly calm as the silent pale vapour sailed across the open skyscape, yet topside the contrast could not be starker. It swarmed with a host of ghost like figures, their translucent frames blending perfectly in with the fleeting grey cloud.

Alto and Cirrus fell back heavily onto the white surface. From their vantage point at the cloud’s stern they could see the hundreds of pale grey Cloud Riders, jostling for position upon the hilly cloudscape below.

‘Well that’s the last one,’ groaned Cirrus. His father had set them the unpleasant task of scraping away the ice that naturally accumulated upon the cloud’s hull. Alto dropped his bucket, his body aching from the arduous task.

‘Thank Olik for that! Your father did a great job in keeping us out of the way today.’ He smiled to himself, recalling their chief’s face as he had discovered their latest prank. For the second time that month Cirrus and Alto had stolen the cloud captain’s charts, replacing them with their own, doctored versions. They had then sat back to watch with great amusement as the captain steered the cloud in endless circles, trying to locate a non-existent bearing.

So today of all days Chief Rombus, leader of the Taku tribe had made it perfectly clear that Alto and his son should remain well out of harm’s way until the royal visit was over.

Unfortunately for the chief the two lithely built Cloud Riders had completed the task with ease in a little over an hour.

‘So what now Alto? You worthless specimen of Riderhood,’ joked Cirrus. Alto paid his friend little attention as he gazed down upon the scene below. Like everyone else aboard the Taku tribal cloud, he was concentrating upon the solitary figure that now stood at the centre of Speaker’s Plateau.

The crowd hushed as his Royal Skyness, Lord Cyclone the Third cleared his throat with a dry rasping cough. A thin trail of white vapour drifted out from his shrivelled blue lips. Alto had never had the privilege of viewing their majestic leader at such close quarters.

‘Well?’ continued Cirrus

‘Fly off, wind boy! I’m trying to hear what his imperial dreariness has to tell us that’s so important.’

Alto switched off again, concentrating his attention on the view below. Even from the distant cloud stack he could see that Majestic was perhaps overstating Cyclone’s appearance. Three hundred years on the throne had taken its toll and was causing him to wear a little thin. Literally! Although all Cloud Riders’ bodies were partly translucent and allowed a certain degree of sunlight to pass through, he appeared almost invisible in the full glare of the Yellow Eye. Only the mass of white wispy hair that coiled endlessly in the fast moving wind currents stood clearly out. His gull feather gown, the official sign of office, was also looking rather shabby as it flapped across his gaunt grey frame. In contrast though, light shimmered from the intricately carved ice staff that Cyclone was gripping for support, momentarily dazzling Alto.

The young Rider felt almost pity for the effect that time and responsibility had taken upon Cyclone’s physical appearance. Though if he had been a good deal closer it would have been something very different he was feeling. Cyclone’s cold white eyes still burned with the intense cruelty and cunning that he had used as a young Rider to rise to the position of ultimate power he still held today.

‘I don’t know why you’re bothering; all he will have to say is…’ Cirrus put on his very best impersonation of their ancient leader. ‘I’m far more powerful and richer than you sad little cloud kickers could ever dream of. So keep your heads down and noses clean and I’ll see you again in another sixty years. Big deal!’

Alto smiled.

‘So what else do we do?’

‘There must be something we can get away with while everyone’s gawking at Lord Cyclone. Come on stupid think!’

‘Me stupid? You’re the underachieving son of our noble Chief Rombus. You must be a huge…’ Alto’s voice trailed away.

He had just noticed the line of Rider clouds that were moored up against their own. At that moment the wind currents had changed direction, parting the cloud line to reveal Lord Cyclone’s imperial cruiser. It was without doubt the most beautiful object he had ever seen. At least as long as their tribal cloud, it seemed to shine as it hung in the dancing glare of the morning light. Unlike the ragged cloud he sat upon, he could see this vessel had been skilfully crafted. With a smooth sleek hull that tapered front and rear to a fine needlepoint, the other Rider craft seemed crude and ungainly by comparison. They constantly buffeted against each other in the strong twisting winds, groaning at their thick, roughly woven cloud ropes. The cruiser however hung perfectly motionless tethered by a loosely hanging strand of finely woven cloud vine. Crackling with an unseen power it emitted a low barely audible hum that tingled faintly through Alto’s body.

‘What’s the matter, wind got your tongue?’ demanded Cirrus impatiently, before turning to see what had caught his friend’s eye.

‘What a beauty!’ he gasped. ‘Father says that thing can move through the wind faster than lightning.’ Lifting himself up onto his elbows he craned his neck for a better view.

‘They say Cyclone uses one of the three Ancient Crystals to power it.’ By now Cirrus was up on his knees. ‘I’ll give him one thing he’s certainly got style.’

Alto’s eyes sparkled with a sudden excitement; he turned to Cirrus grinning from ear to ear.

‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’

‘I doubt it, you’re insane,’ replied Cirrus. Alto ignored the insult.

‘No, I’m serious!’

‘Me too.’

‘This is only just about the most amazing plan I’ve ever had.’

‘That’s not saying very much,’ Cirrus interrupted.

‘Freeze it fool! This is brilliant. I mean really brilliant. I’m a genius!’ Alto had never been burdened down by a false sense of modesty.

‘Well what is your brilliant plan?’

‘How do you fancy taking his Imperial Skyness, Lord Cyclone the Third’s super cool imperial cloud cruiser out for a spin?’

Alto was truly impressed with himself. He stood open mouthed, with his hands outstretched waiting to receive Cirrus’s enthusiastic acknowledgement of his genius.

‘Is that it?’ came the flat response. ‘You airhead don’t you think his detachment of heavily armed and seriously mean Guardians might have something to say about that?’

‘OK. OK. Always so negative, that’s your problem.’ But Alto’s enthusiasm was not to be so easily abated. ‘Well maybe not the entire Cruiser, but we could borrow its ice crystal.’ His eyes were starting to shimmer again with excitement. ‘That must be one seriously powerful chip of ice. Imagine what the Ancient Crystal could do if we used it to power a life cloud.’ He could see by Cirrus’s face that his friend was starting to warm to his absurd plan.

‘Ok, supposing I agree to possibly the worst idea I’ve ever heard. We can’t just keep buzzing around the sky forever.’

‘No.’

‘We will have to stop and we will get caught.’

‘Possibly.’

‘It will be a bit more serious than a few household chores. Cyclone’s not exactly known for his sense of fun.’

‘I know, I know, but imagine the rush and anyway, if they do catch up with us what’s the worst they could do?’

‘The worst? Oh, well let me think. There’s death, cruel torture and then possibly more death.’

But by now Alto was already up on his feet, his mind a flurry of activity.

‘You know you’ve really got to start developing a more positive outlook. That’ll never happen to us. When have I ever let you down?’

Cirrus could have brought up any number of times that his friend had lead him into trouble. But for now he thought better of it, moving up to join him at the edge of the cloud cliff.

Alto glanced across at his friend it was almost like looking into a mirror. With only six months between them, the two fifteen year old Riders were identical in build. Tall and slender with lithe sinewy limbs, their finely woven jerkins and half-mast trousers exactly matched the colour of their pale grey skin. They even wore their hair in the same outlandish style. Rejecting the traditional single braid of a male Cloud Rider they had opted to tease every part of their hair into a prickling mass of twisted white spikes. The only difference was in Alto’s distinctive eyes. One being the usual milky white, the other a deep slate grey. It was a feature that had marked him out from birth.

A sudden updraft of wind brought Cyclone’s words coiling up to Alto’s straining ears.

‘Fellow Riders for far too long affairs of state have kept me from such delightful corners of my Skydom as yours…’

An appreciative murmur drifted up from the crowd.

‘...I truly miss the opportunity to enjoy the refreshing company of such good, honest Cloud Riders as yourselves.’ He was a master of well-oiled insincerity.

‘As I look upon you all I feel truly humbled. I see young pure faces so full of hope and wonder, the kindly care-worn faces of all our tribal elders far wiser than I…’

Alto contorted his face as if he was about to be sick. He had never heard such unbelievable drivel.

‘Good speech.’ sniggered Cirrus.

They were not alone in their thoughts; the silence of the crowd was beginning to falter. Bored youngsters yawned loudly whilst parents shuffled their feet, gazing around distractedly. Curiosity had been the only draw for such a huge gathering of the Eastern Tribes.

‘I’d rather be scraping ice than listening to that.’ snorted Alto.

He looked back to the group of twenty tethered Rider clouds. They were still softly thudding against each other in the swell of the air currents revealing glimpses of the motionless cruiser. It was then that Alto noticed the line of silent Guardians stood at the very edge of the Taku cloud.

He felt his mouth go dry, even from this distance they stirred up an uneasy feeling of dread. Much taller and thicker set than ordinary Riders, Cyclone’s imperial bodyguards were an imposing sight. Long, tightly braided, white hair hung down their backs like strands of thick cloud rope. Their stern grey faces stared out, devoid of emotion as if carved from solid ice. Long grey cloaks of finely woven cloud gossamer covered their massive bulk, hanging motionless in the wind. In fact the only hint of life that Alto could detect was in the flickering of their bright white eyes.

‘We’ll never get past those brutes,’ Cirrus whispered, as if reading his friend’s thoughts. ‘Cyclone’s henchmen are trained from birth in the art of killing.’

‘True...’ replied Alto. He was forcing himself to ignore the long and lethal ice-lances that each of the silent sentinels held. As if Guardians weren’t terrifying enough, he shuddered. These deadly weapons were a good head height longer than they were, with razor sharp tips that glinted menacingly. ‘But we’ll be twice as fast and so much quieter than they will. Besides they’re too busy keeping an eye on their noble leader to notice anything going on behind their backs.’

‘So it’s as simple as that is it? Asked Cirrus in disbelief. ‘We just stroll across that entire line of Rider clouds, hop onto the imperial cruiser and ask nicely if we can borrow their Ancient Crystal?’

Glad of the chance to redirect the annoyance he felt with himself, for allowing such childish feelings of fear to enter his head, Alto rounded upon his friend.

‘Well of course not! We need to-’

‘Don’t tell me,’ Cirrus cut his friend short again. ‘We just need to hop back across all those clouds, past the friendly Guardians, not to mention my father, jump into a waiting life cloud and whoosh off we go!’ It was not often that he witnessed Alto reveal any signs of weakness such as fear or doubt. He wanted to make the most of it.

‘No, of course not that.’ Alto spoke through gritted teeth, fighting back the urge to throttle his smart mouthed friend. ‘I swear by Olik, you are the most irritating Rider in the Eastern Hemisphere. We don’t just stroll across and ask to borrow their crystal. It’s going to take a little stealth and cunning, something my dear friend I have by the cloudful!’

Chapter Three

No one in the massed assembly of Cloud Riders noticed the two grey figures skilfully descending the outer edge of the cloud cliff. Luckily for Alto and Cirrus the crowd’s interest in Cyclone’s speech had been rekindled. Even the Guardians, whose heightened senses would normally have been prickling, were oblivious to them.

Alto had decided that the best way to approach the imperial cruiser totally undetected was from below. Pausing momentarily, he glanced down the cloud side falling sharply away into the dizzying blue depths below. He had also registered a marked increase in the torrential wind currents that constantly tore across their cloud’s surface; the conditions were far from favourable for such a jaunt. But this was his natural environment and like all Riders he felt perfectly at home in such hostile conditions.

Their weightless and translucent frames offered the forceful wind little resistance, allowing it to pass straight through them. The clouds themselves also emitted a faint gravitational force, drawn from the ice crystal within, that helped to secure its Rider occupants.

Alto took the lead with Cirrus close behind. He confidently stretched out his arms and legs searching for holds within the cloud’s uneven surface. They slowly moved off the white cliff and down onto the outer hull that curved dramatically back on itself. Their rate of descent slowed right down as they were forced upside down like two huge grey insects, rocking from side to side between each new lunge.

‘Quick in here!’ cried Alto above the background roar. Cirrus looked up as an upside down Alto disappeared up into a small gap within the hull’s surface. He followed his friend inside the narrow fissure no more than half a Rider’s length wide and little deeper. Alto had already jammed his back up against one wall, his feet pushed hard against the other. Cirrus followed suit as they then used their free hands to catch handfuls of water that ran down the cave walls and out into the blue. They slurped thirstily at the ice-cold water that cut across their dry throats, instantly replenishing their strength.

‘Ah that feels better,’ sighed Alto. As their ancestors had evolved from the clouds all that his body required for sustenance was cloud water and the occasional ice crystal.

‘Not going too fast for you am I?’

Cirrus spluttered out his last mouthful of water.

‘Too fast! I’m almost climbing on top of you. I thought you wanted to get the Ancient Crystal today, not next week.’

‘Very amusing.’ Alto smiled.

They both pushed their heads back into the spongy cloud wall, conscious of the hard climb that still lay ahead. Alto also became aware of the low, subtle sounds that filled the cave around them. A living entity, the vast billowing cloud was in a constant state of flux. Huge internal cloud sheets grated against each other, groaning deeply and reverberating all the way up to its surface.

‘Do you think it’s trying to tell us something?’ asked Cirrus.

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe the clouds trying to warn us off.’

‘You think? It’s more likely to be just complaining under all the extra weight it’s carrying today.’

‘Yeah but father says the rainseer talks to the cloud all the time. It’s how he knows so much.’

‘Enough! This is meant to be fun.’ Alto was too pumped full of adrenaline to heed any superstitious warnings, especially from a cloud. He dropped down below Cirrus and shuffled his way out to the entrance, peering cautiously towards the line of vacated Rider clouds and the Guardian sentries. Slipping back in from the roaring winds he turned to his friend.

‘This is going to be too easy, there’s no way the Guardians will even think to look down at us while Cyclone is still droning on.’

‘Well what are we waiting for? I’m not hanging around here getting soaked to the skin for the good of my health.’

‘Right you are, last one to the cruiser is a wind sucker!’ Alto called back as he darted around the lip of the cave and disappeared from view. Cirrus scrabbled out across the damp walls sliding out after his friend into the raging wind.

There was still a long and arduous climb ahead, before they could reach the cruiser. As usual the two young Riders were oblivious to the extreme danger they had happily put themselves in. It never occurred to Alto for a second that just one wrong footing or a missed handhold down here and the powerful airflow would snatch their bodies clean away.

Nearly an hour had passed since leaving the safety of the surface before they eventually arrived at the cloud moorings.

‘I hope Cyclone’s love of his own voice isn’t going to let us down just yet.’ gasped Alto. Cirrus merely nodded his agreement as he waited to catch his breath.

Cyclone was not about to disappoint. Eventually revealing the true purpose for his visit. The Rider crowds were transfixed, unable to take in what they were hearing.

‘And so it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of the great peril that now threatens our proud Skydom.’ The old man threw out his arm towards the distant borders of the Rider territories.

‘After many long months of negotiation and pleas for clemency with our once peaceful neighbours, events have reached a dreadful conclusion…’ Cyclone paused for dramatic effect. The crowd gasped.

‘The Storm Bringers have officially declared war upon our great Cloud Rider nation!’

There was a mass intake of breath and somewhere a small child began to wail.

‘Fear not my fellow citizens. I believe we are a strong enough nation to face down such an unprovoked threat,’ he continued, sensing the crowd’s growing unease.

‘Our brave Guardian forces have already been mobilised and yet there is a small possibility that our glorious army may not be enough. So I have come today to ask all Rider warriors to look into their hearts for the courage to rise up in arms to defend our glorious Skydom.’

Panic spread through the crowd. Surely there was no need for conscription so soon. The Guardians would be more than a match for the Storm Bringer warriors.

Cyclone had predicted such a reaction from his subjects. In fact he seemed almost pleased by it. He managed to set his features into something resembling concern and continued with his speech.

‘Now, now my brave Riders. I don’t for one moment believe it will be necessary for you to engage the enemy. Once these cowardly Storm Bringers see the might of our indignant defiance their resolve is sure to crumble.’ It almost sounded believable.

‘I’m sure if we all take a moment to recall the dawn of the age of Cloud Riders, when Olik our heroic forefather rose up from the Mother Cloud to tame the wild primeval vapours. Thus enabling them to produce Riders of their own and lay the seeds of our great race.’ With eyes watering he bowed his head.

‘The essence of Olik still dwells in all of us and with his help I know we will ride this storm together!’

Cyclone’s silky words wafted over his audience. Their mood of growing panic slowly began to transform into one of resolute defiance. Yes their leader was right; they should show solidarity with the Guardians and let the Storm Bringers know that they truly were the