Stormspeaker Read online

  For Max: a true animal lover—CDG

  CONTENTS

  Crown Symbol

  Greencloak Letter

  Quote Page

  Title Page

  Map of Erdas

  Dedication

  1: WARRIOR’S PATH

  2: GIANT HAIRBALL

  3: NEFRINI’S CROWN

  4: LETTERS

  5: SAND SCROLL

  6: BIRD THIEF

  7: BATTLEGROUND

  8: UNDERGROUND TOUR

  9: VALLEY OF DEATH

  10: SLINGSHOT

  11: THE HUNT

  12: INTRUDERS

  13: STORM’S WRATH

  14: NEFRINI

  15: CAVE DWELLER

  16: THE RETURN

  17: SID THE GENEROUS

  18: CAPTAIN

  19: HONEST FIGHT

  20: EXPENDABLE

  About the Author

  Online Game Code

  Sneak Peek

  Spirit Animals Game

  Copyright

  ABEKE TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND HELD IT FOR AN EXTRA second before slowly exhaling. From the deck of the ship, in the minutes before daybreak, she could already sense a change in the air. It felt familiar. Even though they were still far away from the savannahs where she’d been raised, the breeze carried the scent, the warmth, the feel of her homeland. Nilo was on the horizon and it couldn’t come soon enough.

  The five Greencloaks—Abeke, Conor, Meilin, Rollan, and Anka—had been aboard the small ship for several days, and they still had a ways to travel before reaching their final destination in southern Nilo. Abeke was beginning to believe that Uraza’s aversion to water was rubbing off on her. All she wanted to do was step foot on solid land … but they had to press on. Their priority was to hopefully find a clue about the bond tokens in the library of Takoda’s former monastery.

  But that hope carried an unwanted partner … someone Abeke and the rest of the team despised. Someone who had also returned to the monastery and who might have a few answers for them.

  Kovo.

  Even the thought of the Great Ape made Abeke’s stomach turn. The gorilla had masterminded both the First and Second Devourer Wars, killing thousands, including Meilin’s father. That was something that couldn’t simply be forgotten, even if the new version of Kovo had recently helped them defeat the Wyrm.

  The rising sun now streaked the sky with pink and purple rays of light, adding to the beauty of the horizon. Soon Abeke would be seeing Kovo, and she’d have to put aside all her feelings about him.

  Abeke stared down into the deep blue water.

  Was her anger toward Kovo similar to how people felt about the Greencloaks?

  No. She shook away the comparison. It was a different situation. The Greencloaks hadn’t acted willingly with the Wyrm—they’d been infected by its parasites. And the Greencloaks had been framed for the assassination of the Emperor of Zhong. Kovo, on the other hand, had done all those terrible things himself. He had taken the world to the brink of human extinction.

  Twice.

  The thought of Kovo and his conniving ways sent a cold shiver down Abeke’s back, causing her to shudder. She had to keep her guard up around that Great Beast.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” Rollan asked, joining Abeke on the deck. “Or just enjoying the sunrise?”

  “Neither.” Abeke sighed. “Just thinking.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Rollan leaned his back on the rail. “This rickety old ship hasn’t been treating us too bad. Then again, it still has another week to go.”

  Abeke smiled. The Greencloaks had been lucky that Dawson, after hearing about his brother, had insisted on helping them get out of Eura. Thanks to him, they had supplies, weapons, a ship, and a two-man crew of old fishermen, Milo and Keane.

  “I was actually thinking about Kovo,” Abeke admitted. “Not looking forward to seeing him again.”

  “Can you imagine how Conor feels? Last time he was in the waters around Takoda’s monastery was when he became infected with the Wyrm’s parasite. This really can’t be easy for him.”

  “You’re right. I hadn’t even … ” Abeke sighed again. She’d been so wrapped up in returning to Nilo that she hadn’t stopped to think about Conor. “Have you talked to him? Is he okay?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Meilin said, walking toward them from the bow of the ship. “He’s a Hero of Erdas. He’s a survivor.”

  “I was thinking … ” Anka suddenly appeared next to them. Her chameleon-like abilities still made Abeke uneasy. Abeke had always prided herself on her hunting skills, but this diminutive Greencloak seemed to confound her senses. “If the library doesn’t have any information on the bond tokens, will Kovo tell us if he knows anything? I mean, he helped you with the Wyrm, but that was because the whole world was in peril. He’s not a fan of humans … or Greencloaks.”

  “Maybe being bonded to Takoda has changed him,” Rollan said. “Given him a different perspective.” He glanced up at Essix circling above the ship. “Our spirit animals have changed us. And I’d like to think we’ve changed them, too.”

  Just as Rollan finished, Essix screeched and dove past the port side, buzzing right over the top of Rollan’s head as if in protest. Essix was stubborn and headstrong, but there was no denying she had a soft spot for Rollan. They worked well together, each one fiercely independent yet always loyal.

  Meilin snickered. “You’ve really changed her.”

  “Very funny, Essix!” Rollan shouted. “Way to support my point.”

  Essix flew around the ship one more time before coming to rest at the top of the mast.

  “Maybe Essix saw something.” Conor emerged from belowdecks, a concerned look on his face. He stepped closer to the railing and looked out at the horizon. “In fact, I was coming up to tell you that maybe we shouldn’t go to the monastery at all.”

  Meilin placed a hand on Conor’s shoulder. “Conor, it might be difficult for you, after what happened with the Wyrm—”

  “That’s not it,” he interrupted. Conor took a step back and looked at the rest of the group. “I had a vision. It was brief, not a full one like I’ve had before with the big wave, but I think we have to go somewhere else.”

  “Where?” Abeke asked, quietly pleased at the thought of avoiding Kovo. “What did you see?”

  “It was an enormous hole, or maybe a deep crater, and it had three land bridges … one on top of the other.” Conor closed his eyes for a moment. “It also had a waterfall flowing from the top, past the three bridges, and into a pool at the bottom.”

  “And a token was there?” Anka inquired. “Like with the Wildcat’s Claw, where it was hidden behind the waterfall?”

  Conor shook his head. “I don’t think so, but it’s the first step in finding them. I’m certain of that. And it felt like we weren’t too far away.”

  “Sounds like you’re describing the sinkhole of the Taabara Chasm,” Abeke said. “It’s not too far from here in the northern part of Nilo.”

  “Northern Nilo … I like the sound of that!” Rollan grinned broadly. “Less time being seasick always sounds good to me.”

  “Well, at least you’ve been with your spirit animal,” Meilin pointed out. “None of us have had ours during the voyage. It’ll be good to bring them out.”

  “Maybe we should split up,” Conor said, just as Essix shrieked and took flight again. “A few of us go to the sinkhole while the rest continue on to see Takoda.” Conor frowned. “Just in case my vision is wrong.”

  “I don’t know,” Anka replied. “I think staying together is a better idea.”

  “Me too.” Abeke reached over and gave Conor’s forearm a squeeze. They had been through so much together, and she trusted his instincts. “I believe in your vi
sions.… They haven’t been wrong yet.”

  “Plus, sticking together might prevent a repeat of what happened with … ” Rollan didn’t finish the sentence. He had almost broken their unspoken rule.

  A hush fell over the group. The experience of having lost Worthy in the cave-in was still raw for everyone. It was all they’d discussed during the first days, but then one morning, without anyone saying a word on the matter, they had stopped talking about it. It wasn’t that they weren’t thinking of him; they just had to place their full attention on the task at hand. Their survival depended on it.

  From that point forward there was no more wondering if they had done the right thing in leaving, no more worrying whether Worthy had made it out alive, no more fearing that the Wildcat’s Claw had been found by the Oathbound. The focus was on their mission. They had to find the two remaining bond tokens, Stormspeaker and the Dragon’s Eye.

  Anka broke the silence. “Abeke, do you know how long it’ll take to get to the Taabara Chasm?”

  Abeke shrugged. “Not long, but I’d have to check the map. Hold on.”

  Abeke sprinted belowdecks, grabbed the map of Nilo, and hurried back to her friends.

  “Look.” She opened it up and pointed to a spot in the ocean near the northern coast of the continent. “We’re somewhere in this area. We can tell Milo and Keane to change course and go toward this river.” She ran her fingers down the coastline to the mouth of a river, traced its path inland, and stopped at a place close to some mountains. “Once we dock we can make our way across the savannah, past this hilly area, and the Taabara Chasm should be right there. We might even make it there by tonight or tomorrow morning.” She paused for a moment. “Maybe. I think.”

  “Then it’s set.” Rollan thrust his finger toward the sea and grinned. “Onward! To Taabara Chasm!”

  “Um, yeah … ” Meilin rolled her eyes at Rollan’s over-the-top rally cry, but she couldn’t help smiling. “How about I simply go tell Milo and Keane that we’ve had a change of plans?”

  “Just remember … ” Conor hesitated, rubbing the faint mark the Wyrm had left on his forehead. “Taabara may only be the beginning, and not the end. I have a feeling that the bond tokens won’t be easy to find.”

  “Well, since when have things been easy for us?” Abeke gave Conor a wink. “We like a challenge.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Conor turned to face the coastline, lost in his own thoughts.

  The sun was directly overhead when they climbed into the small rowboat. There were no ports in the area, so Milo had anchored the ship in the middle of the river and Keane would now row with them to shore.

  “So, how long should we wait for you to return?” Keane asked as they approached the riverbank lined with papyrus reeds.

  Abeke bit her lip. She wanted to have access to the ship, but it didn’t seem fair to leave the two old men stuck in the middle of nowhere. “The thing is … we aren’t sure how long we’ll be away.”

  “Well, Dawson paid us for two weeks of travel,” Keane replied. “And we’ve got about a week’s worth of food left, so it’s your call.”

  “Could you wait here for a couple of days and then head somewhere back along the coast?” Rollan suggested as the boat drifted closer to the river’s edge.

  “Sure.” Keane nodded. “I have a sister in Badir; it’s a small port town not too far away. We could meet up there. I’ll give you two more weeks, as Dawson paid us.… That’s about all I can take of my sister anyway.”

  “Badir sounds good.” Meilin threw a backpack filled with supplies over her shoulder as the rowboat hit the first of the papyrus reeds. “We’ll meet you there if we don’t make it back here in time.”

  “Good luck!” Keane called out. The five Greencloaks jumped out of the boat and into water that was about two feet deep.

  Abeke sloshed through the river, pushing aside reeds while her feet sank into the sand and silt with every step she took. Finally the ground became firmer and she climbed up on dry land. Once she was out of the reeds and onto the grass of the savannah, Abeke took a deep breath, relishing the hot sun that beat down on her.

  She was home.

  And only one thing was missing from the scene.

  Abeke pushed aside her cloak and held out her arm. “Join me, Uraza.”

  The leopard appeared in a flash of light and raised her head to face the sun. The large cat’s nostrils twitched as she took in the Niloan air and softly let out a contented purr.

  “I know.” Abeke stroked Uraza’s arched back as they took in their surroundings. “I did the same thing. It’s good to be home.” The tall golden grass of the savannah rippled with the soft breeze. The rocky hills they’d have to cross loomed not too far in the distance.

  Uraza stretched her legs. Abeke knew what the leopard wanted. “Go,” she whispered.

  Uraza immediately jumped through the tall grass, then raced across the savannah toward the hills at full speed. Abeke knew the joy Uraza felt at being free. How fun it would be to race along with her, to hunt for their next meal and savor the midday sun that was baking her shoulders. But now was not the time. They had a mission.

  “Uraza’s as happy as I am not to be on that ship anymore,” Rollan observed. The tall grass moved with the leopard, rustling as she sprinted back and forth. “Aren’t you bringing out Briggan, Conor?”

  Conor wiped the back of his neck and looked up at the cloudless blue sky. “Think I’ll wait until the day isn’t quite so hot.”

  “This is Nilo,” Abeke warned. “If it’s daytime, it’s going to be hot.”

  Essix circled the group, screeched to establish her presence in the sky, then flew away once more.

  “Yeah, yeah, we’re moving,” Rollan responded to the falcon’s cry. He adjusted his green cloak, backpack, and canteen. “Everyone have their stuff?” Rollan asked.

  “Since when are you the responsible one?” Meilin teased.

  Rollan smiled. “Since I realized that I’d have to share my water if someone forgot theirs.”

  “Really?” Conor could barely hide his smile. “You mean to say you wouldn’t share with Meilin?”

  Abeke heard Anka giggle, even though she could no longer be seen.

  They were all aware of the feelings between Rollan and Meilin, but no one usually said anything. It was only confirmed by the occasional reddening of Meilin’s cheeks and Rollan’s quick interest in changing the topic of conversation.

  “We’re wasting time.… Let’s go.” Meilin marched ahead, leaving the group behind before Abeke could check to see if her face had turned pink once again.

  As the team trekked toward the Taabara Chasm, a few puffy white clouds began to gather, providing occasional relief from the heat. The terrain also changed from the grasses of the savannah to rocky hills dotted with trees. In the distance, what had at first looked like hills quietly morphed into amber-colored mountains, with scattered patches of green.

  Stopping for a quick break under the shade of a wide-branched cypress tree, Conor released Briggan. The wolf burst onto the scene and, with his tail wagging, pounced on Conor, knocking him to the ground.

  “Whoa,” Conor laughed as Briggan placed his two front paws on Conor’s chest and raised his snout to sniff the air. Conor ran his hand through the Great Wolf’s gray-white fur while the wolf’s cobalt-blue eyes analyzed everything. “Sense anything?”

  Briggan glanced down at Conor before giving him a quick lick on his forehead. The wolf jumped off to further inspect their surroundings.

  “Ha, I would take that as an all clear,” Anka said, her body blending with the tree trunk she was leaning against.

  Abeke opened up the map and checked their location. From the look of things, it seemed like the sinkhole that formed the Taabara Chasm should be close by.

  “Are we headed in the right direction?” Meilin asked.

  “Think so,” Abeke answered, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. She scanned the land for a small stream that might feed
into the waterfall of the chasm.

  Briggan let out a long howl from somewhere in the distance.

  Rollan stretched out his hand to help Conor up. “Sounds like your partner may have found something of interest.”

  Conor grinned. “Leave it to Briggan to be here five minutes and already track something down.”

  As they all headed toward the sound of Briggan’s howl, Rollan shook his canteen. “I really hope he’s found some fresh water, because I’m almost out.”

  Abeke shook her head. “Hm, who was talking about having enough supplies so we wouldn’t have to share water later? Oh yeah, that was you.”

  “Hey … ” Rollan shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face. “These muscles need the extra hydration.”

  At that remark, everyone laughed out loud.

  “It wasn’t that funny,” Rollan mumbled.

  Soon, the group came upon a small stream where Briggan and Uraza had both decided to lounge by its edge.

  “Look at those two.” Meilin pointed. “They’re like—”

  “Shhh.” Abeke touched her ear. “Listen.”

  Besides the gurgling sound of the water bouncing off of several rocks in the stream, there was a louder, crashing sound of rushing water cascading down somewhere.

  “The waterfall has to be nearby,” Abeke said as Rollan filled his canteen with water. “It’s got to be downstream.”

  Abeke and the group followed the stream until the ground dropped, disappearing into a giant sinkhole. From where they stood, at the very edge of the deep crater, they could see the stream cascade down past three land bridges, each of which seemed to bisect the hole at different depths.

  “Now what?” Rollan asked, looking down. “Do we go down into that giant rabbit hole, cross one of the bridges, or stay up here?”

  “In my vision, I could see the gorge’s opening high overhead. The water seemed to be falling from above.” Conor patted Briggan, who had now rejoined them. The wolf nuzzled his hand. “So, I think we have to go to the bottom.”

  “Yeah,” Rollan sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  Abeke looked at the western sky, where the sun was already hanging low. They had made good time, but it would be much darker in the gorge. Any remaining light would soon disappear. She could already hear a nightingale chirping in the distance. If they were going to go, they needed to be quick about it.