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HARPER
"Ishould’ve left withoutyou."
Varus complained about me accompanying him to the cliffs settlements the whole time we made the trip there. He held me as he flew low through the canyons and distant high, arid plains.
"Just think about how boring the trip would be if you traveled by yourself." I kept my head down and spoke in his ear so the wind wouldn’t tear my words away. "Besides, I promised Lerun and Maagda I’d keep an eye on their king."
"Already gathering your own support troops, I see."
"Everyone needs allies. Even you." I viewed the tall grass and high rock formations below us. I never thought I'd get used to this way of moving. It was exhilarating.
It was also dangerous. One mistake or unexpected shift in the wind current and Varus could drop me. There was nothing below to cushion my landing. Even so, I felt safe with him. He had a firm grip on me. At times, I wondered how it was so easy for me to trust him.
In the army on Earth, we spent weeks in basic training doing trust-building exercises. I still wouldn’t expect some GIs to be able to hold it down with me. When I was with Varus, I felt like I could step out on the ledge, and he’d have my back.
"We’re on the east side of the cliffs." Varus showed me the spiraling formations in the distance. "If recon is correct, Isath’s guards will be patrolling the other side at this hour."
"No communications equipment works in our favor this time. The guards can’t detect what they don’t pick up on."
"They have other senses. We still need to exercise caution." He simply would not allow me one degree of optimism. "We Racopians don’t rely on computers to do all of our detecting."
We came to the edge of the plains where they met the high ground. There, Varus landed and set me down. "I’m going to stay optimistic." I got my footing on stable ground again. "If Isath’s forces are on the west side, even their natural senses couldn’t be able to pick the two of us out of a settlement that’s home to hundreds of people."
"A few could be serving as his spies." Varus pulled my hood over my head. "Keep your head down and don’t leave my side. Don’t speak to anyone on the streets."
I walked with him into the settlement. The cliffs towered over our heads, stories high. We moved in the shadows of the wings of Racopians as they flew above us.
I peeked out from beneath my hood at the building structures around us. Many of them had sagging roofs and broken windows. The streets were in a similar decrepit state, with deep ruts left in the packed earth. A large carrier truck sat abandoned on the opposite side, its three-foot high tires flat. Its doors were removed, and its interior gutted out. My guess was someone scrapped it and sold it for parts.
"Isath let this place fall apart." I heard Varus mutter.
I imagined what it used to be like when technology was set up and Racopians didn’t have to fly fast with their heads down. I also wondered about this general we were going to pay a visit.
Varus nudged my arm and pointed to a small storefront at the base of one of the cliffs. If I hadn’t seen a small light and movement on the inside, I would have assumed it was abandoned, too. I gave Varus a nod and followed him.
He opened the door. Instead of a bell or chime, the rusty metal squeaked on its hinges.
A stout, barrel-chested Racopian with ash-brown hair pivoted. His wings stretched out from his wide shoulders as we startled him. "What do you need? I'm about to close."
Varus shut the door behind us. "General Dremos."
"King Varus? It can’t be."
Dremos rushed forward, upsetting a box of canned goods from a top shelf when he clipped it with his wing. He didn’t stop to pick up the cans as they rolled in every direction. He got within three feet of us and stared. "It is you, Your Majesty." He swept down in a reverential bow. More merch spilled from the shelves.
Varus assisted him to his feet. "You know that’s unnecessary."
"The door." Dremos veered past me and set a lock and latch in place. He closed the blinds and covered the window portion of the door with a sign that said Closed in Javorian. "I never thought I’d see you again." He gave me a curious and cautious glance. "Who’s the stranger?"
"She’s no stranger to me." Varus put a supportive hand on my shoulder. "This is Sergeant Harper Jordan, a medic in the Wanderstar Fleet army. She got me out of a Quarek prison camp."
"It’s good to meet you, General."
Dremos nodded and inclined his head. "Racopia owes you a debt for delivering our true king."
"I’d settle for what’s on this shopping list." I unfolded a piece of notebook paper from my pocket.
Varus rolled his eyes. "Apparently, all I'm worth is a few bandage rolls and a bottle of antiseptic."
