Chapter Three- Azul

Azul sits in her cabin and ponders the ancient legends of her people.

The sides of the sunship began to thrum, quivering as Kraik engaged the ion thrusters. With a wave of her hand, Azul cleared the dark tint from the broad window in front of her, watching the scaffolding of the port slip away as they rose into the open sky. They would get good pay from the Chranoka mission, enough to refit the Sun Runner. And it would be good for Syzygy to visit his home- but first, Del.

Glancing over, Azul watched the small Gwentor settle into his tailored chair, a cushioned disk anchored to the wall. His pointed talons scrolled through a list of the ship’s energy levels, sharp eyes flickering around the bridge. “Ymir. Do you have the course for the Outer Orbits calculated?”

Ymir nodded, sending a stream of data to the other wallscreens. Lines of blue light wove themselves on the surface of the window in front of Azul as she read. “Syzygy, set orientation to the Delean coordinates. Kraik, Chraik, take us up.” The misty wisps of cloud around them evaporated in a blast of heat, and the ship began to shake violently as it blasted upwards. Through slitted eyes, Azul saw the sky fade to a silky violet.

To her right, Syzygy’s voice came through in a flat buzz. “Increase in gravity will reverse in five- four- three- two- one. Activating artificial gravity in three- two- one.” The pressure eased and Azul  straightened up, flicking her tail. Through the window, she could see the brilliant blue ocean planet shrinking away. “Fer- Eridanus. How is the engine holding up?” Embosr Verza, she couldn’t call this new technician Ferrin-

The strange technician answered crisply. “Fine. Took a bit of stress during the hop, but ’s calm now. Energy levels are holding steady.” The Dracotaur captain nodded, her finger poised to cut off the link. “Crew quarters are on the left. Feel free to set up a bunk.” Turning to Syzygy, she asked, “I suppose you have everything under control?”

“Of course, Captain.” Azul nodded, already starting to slither off the bridge. The Sun Runner  really only needed two or three of the crew on duty at any time, excluding hops through atmospheres and across gravitational orbits. And battles, of course. Sighing as she entered her quarters, Azul reflected that there had been rather a lot of battles lately, and none of them had been too easy on her ship.

“You're due for a refit, verskviar, ssa?” The ship rumbled a little under her long talons. On their most recent run to Del, Azul had picked up a few pieces of Dracotaur art. Dozens of chips of colored glass were fused together, creating a glittering, multifaceted image. Perhaps she could buy another during the Fire Games.

Each panel was small enough to sit in one of her hands. Raising one to the light, Azul contemplated it. The legends associated with the panels echoed through her mind.

Once there was a time when the people had wings.  The panel she had chosen showed Daerid the Night Hunter and his companion Versa Maerix, daughter of the sun. They glittered purple and silver, golden and mahogany. Long wings streamed out around them and feathery spines swirled around their faces. In the captain’s head echoed the voice of her sister Hatau, the story-singer.

Many years before, Daerid had inadvertently released evil into the world. Aided by his friends Ridna of the Mountain and Tankil the Hero, he defeated all but one of the ancient shadows. The final shadow escaped into the Ginnungagap, the deepest void beyond the stars. With the help of Versa Maerix, daughter of the sun, Daerid and Tankil sailed into the Ginnungagap on the rivers of fire that cross the deeping night. But they were all deceived. For the last shadow killed Maerix and connected with Daerid’ heart, and Tankil was forced to kill his friend and thus give peace at last to the wandering hunter. Maerix and Daerid were reborn, him as the dusky sandstorm-clouds, her as the lightning,  dancing on the plains. They sail the rivers of the night forever.   

In some forms, the epics telling of the journeys of Daerid and Tankil had taken weeks to tell, sung in hushed voices under the leaping fire rivers that crossed the Delean night. Azul had one other panel from their epic- a panel that showed Ridna, glittering deep orange, and Tankil, green and silver, with pale wings that flared across the sky like those of a sunship, battling the sixth Shadow, an ugly streak of black against the glittering crystal.

“Expanding solar wings.” Syzygy crackled over the intercom. Azul turned her head, watching the silvery sails unfold on either side of the ship. The sails billowed out into the night, catching the solar wind. Rivers of fire, Azul allowed herself to think for a fleeting moment. Stretching, the eight-limbed Dracotaur settled onto her bed. She was still troubled about the newest crew member, and sleep was long in coming.

When she finally slept, her dreams were troubled. She dreamt that the planets were spinning out of control, freezing over, and thousands of voices called out to her for help, but the wings of the Sun Runner as she tried to save them caught fire and burned, and the Tchanok sun was sucked into itself as she plummeted towards its flaming surface. And in the heart of the star there was a knot of shadow, twisting and roiling, and it took the form of Maron the Seventh Shadow, formed of writhing smoke, and his oily wings blotted out the stars.

Author's Note

What did y'all think of the nightmare sequence at the end? Please point out any grammar or spelling mistakes. :)