A brisk cool wind blew from the sea and pushed the waves onto the beach where they crashed with booms then sighs.

Maggie ran in the sun with her brother Jack along the damp gray sand. She pulled a kite they had made by its string to get it airborne.

‘It’s not working,’ said Maggie. ‘Why isn’t it working?’

‘You’re not running fast enough.’ Jack took the ball of string from her hand and picked up the kite. He adjusted the bridle where the string connected to the top and bottom of the kite.

‘The winds strong enough that I shouldn’t need to even run,’ said Maggie. Her long hair whipped in her face and she pushed it back to give Jack a glare. Her hands rested on her baggy romper shorts which she gripped as if to stop herself hitting out at him.

Jack grinned back. He flipped the kite into the wind, pulled on the string so the diamond shaped paper and dowel kite surged into the air. He tugged the string to make it soar up then let out a length of string. The kite wobbled then climbed higher.

‘Not fair,’ shouted Maggie. ‘You did something to the kite.’ She turned on her heel and stormed off along the beach. Her blouse flapped in the wind until she tucked it into her rompers.

He did that on purpose so he wouldn’t have to share.

‘I don’t care,’ Maggie said to a seagull that circled overhead. The bird settled back to the beach once she had passed. ‘I don’t like boys. Especially brothers.’

Unless I meet a nice boy. I wish I could. A romantic one like Cary Grant.

Maggie and the Seddon family had spent the summer hols at Woodend Beach north of Christchurch. She adored the summer, and yet this year she had found it harder to be patient with her brothers. While Jack flew the kite the dark haired Gordon climbed the anti-landing craft timbers still strewn along the beach. The barbed wire had been removed as the chance of enemy invasion had receded since the dark days when a German ship laid mines off Lyttleton Harbour.

‘And the Japanese might still invade,’ Maggie said. Her school teacher told them to always vigilant for enemy action. So she sat at the base of the sand dune and watched the sea.

That’s when she saw it. A strange whirling patch of wind and water, sand and dust, that sparkled. It hung just above the high tide mark and seemed to pulse with an inner life.

‘Jack.’ Maggie shouted. ‘Gordon. Will you look at this.’ She ran towards the willy-willy. ‘What is it?’

The closer she got, the larger the whirlwind loomed. The wind tugged at her as if it had hands to catch at her clothes. Her hair whipped back and forth like a wild thing. She had to close her eyes.

The roar mounted. She stumbled and slid across the sand and then she fell. Sideways.

A bright light…

A landing in the shallows of a warm sea…

Sand too white to look at…

‘Jack? Gordon?’

I must be dreaming.

‘Maggie. Wake up.’

She opened her eyes and shivered.

‘It’s so cold,’ she said. ‘I dreamed…’

‘Come one, we have to get to Hatunqari before dawn,’ said Tamm. The manisaur stood back. ‘Berg needed to rest but he’s impatient with you because of his own weakness.’

They had sheltered from the wind behind a bush covered rock. A tree bent over the rock as if pushed by the wind though the cold air had stilled since she had dropped exhausted after the flight from the broken temple.

Renewed anger with Jupiter welled up in her.

How could he do that to me? We tried so hard to get to the temple but he pulled me away.

‘What happened to Jupiter?’ Maggie said to Tamm as they joined the other two. ‘He looks so much older. A man almost.’

‘I don’t know the magic of this way between worlds. But I saw him enter the place that hung in the temple only for him to arrive behind me again.’

‘Something happened to him.’

‘Perhaps he did save you?’

‘No. I could almost smell the sea, hear my brothers shouts, and then…’

‘But you might have been changed…’ said Tamm.

‘We must leave,’ said Berg. The old manisaur stood proud and tall on the trail. In his two thumbed hand he held a pole, in the other he supported Zaj who still moved in a daze. Tamm hurried to catch the young female manisaur’s arm.

‘How far is it to the city?’ Maggie said. ‘I’m hungry. We had better get there soon.’

‘You humans. Do you ever stop thinking about food?’ Bergwash Bamrushi turned and plodded down the trail. Flurries of snow still fell, but it did not settle. Instead the stony trail ran with a thin stream of water.

‘I’m hungry too,’ said Tamm. His aura flashed amusement. ‘Take no heed of the old grouch.’

‘Oh I know him well,’ Maggie said. ‘He’s never very happy unless he’s got something to complain about.’

They caught up with Berg and Zaj and walked in pace with them down towards the city. She kept one eye on the brightening sky though, and so she saw the skyships as they emerged from dim dawn even before the sharp-eyed manisaurs.

‘What now?’ said Maggie. ‘The skyships are still fighting.’

‘I’m not sure they fight,’ said Tamm. The former naval officer and turned blade studied the formation. ‘The skyships are anchored over the city because shaiyvaqara - the east wind keeps them bound there. If they cut free they will get pushed over the mountains. And there is no telling if they can make the pass.’

Berg and Zaj had not stopped and Maggie and Tamm hurried to catch them up.

‘We will take passage to Naruham - the shining city,’ Berg said.

‘You will be caught. Both of you,’ said Tamm.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

‘Not all rebels have flown their flag as yet,’ said Berg.

‘If you are thinking of Vishvasalana — Dahk. Too late. He aided in the capture of Zaj from the Air Lord.’

‘But how many know this?’ said Berg. ‘His vessel, the Nakhevaqum — The Dream of Flight, continued to play the part of a loyal Imperial Skyship. At least that was so until we left for the temple.’

‘Why did you leave with Jupiter if you needed to return to the capital anyway?’ Maggie said.

Berg’s aura flashed frustration. ‘I believed his wondrous craft would get us there all the faster and so traveled with him to the mountain temple of . But it would have been too dangerous for the great load of zharaqsa catalyst to fall into the hands of the Empire again. We had to part ways.’

‘Even more important than Zaj getting recaptured?’ said Tamm.

Berg stared at his daughter. ‘More important? Yes Qharvan Tambuqaram.’ Berg studied Tamm’s quiescent aura. ‘Still. We must get to the capital city with all haste to cure Zaj’quetza. In Naruham — the luminous city we can find an antidote to the Aelqemist’s potion. Until then she is naraqhan — imprinted to the blackbirder captain.’

‘Qhorthak of the skyship Neqharazathesa — Our Black Blood, is a foul blackbirder to be imprinted upon,’ said Tamm. ‘I will do everything to help you Hamrabanarushi.’

Maggie stared at the two manisaurs.

Berg grasped the forearm of the sejrat’sha — turned blade. Tamm’s auras flashed together with Berg’s as if they exchanged a vow.

Or death wish.

Maggie shook’ her head. You’re committing us to infiltrating the Empire by sailing on a skyship commanded by an Imperial captain who has already betrayed the Empire… except it is not widely known yet? All while being chased by the blackbirder captain of a pirate skyship called Our Black Blood?’

’No. I believe Captain Qhorthak will be after Liruq. Upariqami — Jupiter will keep the blackbirder captain’s thumbs occupied,’ Berg’s aura flashed with bemused humor. ‘We only have to worry about the Air Lord.’

‘And the rest of the Imperial fleet once they learn of Vishvasalana’s rebellion.’

‘Oh great,’ Maggie said. ‘I though it would hard.’

Tamm’s aura flashed. ‘You have no faith. You just have to take a leap of trust.’

‘Is that a line from a song?’ Maggie said. ‘No. Don’t sing it.’ She held her hand up to stop him. ‘I’ll take it on faith.’

‘First,’ said Berg. ‘We have to get into the city and find out how the forces lie. The arrival of the mountain klaed loyal to me will have turned the tide of the ground forces.’

‘Wait. Who were you before you got banished to Black Spire island?’

‘Father to Zaj’quetza, husband to Imperial Aelqemist Vilushaqum, and Lord Chancellor to the Emperor of Qhayuhanpathi.’

‘So you were what?’ Maggie paused as her head spun. ‘You were second in command of the Empire?’

‘Yes,’ said Berg. ‘Now move on. There is no time for more chat.’

The manisaur took long strides down the path as Tamm and Zaj followed behind.

Smoke drifted between the buildings like fog at the break of day. No one had retreated up the valley and they were alone on the road into the city. Instead Maggie saw groups of manisaurs huddled in the orchards across the valley. As they entered Hatunqari proper they picked their way through rubble tumbled from buildings as the skyship’s great anchors had ripped across roofs and through walls. The smoke hung motionless now.

‘The wind is turning,’ said Tamm. He studied the skyships. ‘The rebels are closer to the mountain and will have the weather gauge. Since will get the wind first when it comes over the mountain from the west they’ll rake through the Imperial fleet.’

Maggie saw clear skies rise over the pass behind them, but a band of red clouds arched over Hatunqari like a deadly wreath.

‘Can you see which skyships might be our friends? Gan or Captain Qharham?’

‘I don’t recognize Karakatun or Kitaraham, but then these skyships are a sorry sight in this red light.’

The skyships showed their battered hulls, torn sails and broken spars.

‘But the Imperials are worse. Right?’

‘I could not say.’

And then a horn blew and the skyships raised their land anchors, or cut their lines. Makeshift sails and yards rose above the battered decks and as the northwesterly wind mounted the skyships moved off. Roped together in a line they cast a net across the sky. Gharumal’s lowed so some of the beasts had survived and manoeuvred the craft at their enemy.

‘We’re too late,’ said Berg. ‘We should have hurried once we saw the rise of the arch over the mountains that foretold the great hot wind.’

‘The wind will get stronger?’ Maggie remembered the nor-west gales that blasted her home city of Christchurch in spring and summer. ‘Is a storm coming?’

‘Without a doubt a storm comes. I see her now. Kitaraham. She has changed her colors again to that of a pirate.’

‘That’s fitting. Can you see Red-Back and Qharham?’

‘No. But I see The Jupiter. Look.’ Tamm pointed past the skyships The outrigger angled across the wind and shot over the city before coming back close hauled like an arrow.

Maggie stared at the flying craft she knew so well, but they flew too high for her to see. It hurt to see them fly without her.

But there is no place for me there any more. She is there. He stopped me returning home only to leave me. Instead she sails with him, and Breeze.

‘Maggie. Maggie.’ Tamm caught her attention. ‘We have to keep up with them.’

She saw then that Berg dragged Zaj along at a stumbling run as he tried to keep ahead of the rebel fleet.

‘We’ve seen Nakhevaqum, Captain Vishvasalana — Dahk has signaled for us to catch the rope they have dropped.’

Maggie saw it now. A rope bounced along the wide way that ran through the city, it leapt over a fallen building then slid through the dust raising a cloud.

‘What does he expect us to do? Climb up it?’

Berg answered her by taking hold of the rope and as it rose it hauled him and Zaj from the ground.

‘That’s madness. They’ll be dashed against a building.’

But the two huddled figures rose higher as either the rope got hauled up or the skyship gained height. And then Tamm had the rope. He swung and leaped over a tumbled wall that Maggie had to run around.

‘There’s no way I can catch up.’ She gasped in the thin air and felt her legs begin to fail her. She had asked too much of it in the past day and night, had too little to eat, and less sleep.

Then she saw the end of the rope. A bar tied to the end caught between stone blocks and then bounced free. As it began to overtake her she angled towards it, and tried to grab the end. But it bounced over her head and she had to duck to stop being struck. The wide way angled up and dragged her at her as her breaths became ragged. The dust cloud raised by the moved rope made her eyes water.

‘Maggie. Get a hold of the rope,’ shouted Tamm. The manisaur slid down towards her and she renewed her run.

Then she saw that the way ended in a long flight of steps leading down and understood she had once last chance. As she and the rope reached the top of the stairs she took a huge step, almost a jump, and grabbed the rope. But ran through her hands and she felt the coarse cords rip her hands. She had to let go.

But her feet swung high over the steps.

Then Tamm reached and took her wrist in his two thumbed grasp and she let go. They fell. A little. Then Tamm had a firm grip and her feet found the bar at the end of the rope, the remains of an anchor stock from its broken appearance.

‘You manisaurs are crazy. Do you know that?’

‘Maybe. But not as brave as you humans,’ said Tamm. ‘We’re built for this. But can we talk later. We’ve got to climb this rope. And fast.’

That’s when she saw the large tower that lay in their path, and imagined the splat when they hit.

‘No no. You’re just too stupid to know you’re crazy.’ Maggie let Tamm haul her up. They would not clear the tower in time. But then the wind swung them to the side and they soared clear.

‘I said we’d make it,’ said Tamm.

‘No you didn’t. You just said I to make a leap of trust. Remind me not to trust you again.’