He leapt at infinity.

Five meters he fell, enough for his heart to beat — once, twice — then he landed in crumbling gravel up to his knees. The stuff caught him, and flowed downslope, his legs held in its embrace.

Again he jumped. He took huge strides forward and down. He found his rhythm, and leaned into the rush. Gravity pulled him as it now became his friend. His every step sank deep into the stream of tumbling sliding gravel. With arms outstretched, he balanced, and ran. A magical bounding motion took him away from his pursuers. He did not slow. He sprinted. Even when he stumbled the moving gravel supported him, he sank to his knees, recovered, and took off again.

Long ago, when in the gravel pit, he had managed perhaps a couple of steps, but now he ran for half a kilometer or more. The altitude drop so fast his ears popped every few seconds.

When the slope began to run out flatter he slowed. It was ironic but the steeper the slope the easier it had been to run. He slid to a stop. Behind he could just make out a couple of manisaurs as they picked their way down the slope. The bloodthirsty Thraqanonkra beasts refused to follow.

One of the manisaurs then fell, sliding in an anguished scream, tumbling, tumbling down. Their limbs flapped without control like a rag doll and Jupiter knew it did not live. Manisaurs were not made for running, not really. Perhaps for bounding over even ground, but they could not run like a human. Could not run downslope.

Jupiter ran on, whooping. He knew this freedom might be short lived. In time the guard might catch him on the coast. But he knew now where he headed.

He reached the edge of the river and, without hesitation, jumped into the shock of cold. The current carried him off towards the estuary’s shores. The icy water tumbled him, but he managed to aim his feet downstream as the freezing river sucked heat from him.

The rush of the water became a white noise. He heard things in the hush and shush of water and roiling stones. His head pulsed now with a still thundering heart.

‘Jupiter’

The shock of the cold water made him dizzy. He took a deep breath, zipped his wetsuit up, aimed his feet downstream. With crossed his arms his feet bounced along the gravel shallows and he stepped like he had down the shingle fan of death. His head ducked under the water, but he came up with a splutter and laughed. He did not care. He lived and could enjoy the ride.

‘Jupiter Drake!’

He whipped about. Above him hovered the outrigger. Maggie hung off the edge waving at him. He pushed his feet to the stones, slowed his movement. And stood up, staggering in the current.

He let himself slip into the water again but angled for the inside turn of the stream where it shallowed and he could climb out.

Then Maggie and Breeze were with him, hugging him. And his laughter was of happiness, and not bravado and defiance.

‘We saw you. You crazy idiot.’ Maggie said with wonder in her voice.

‘And I you.’ Jupiter said. ‘I felt you…’

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

‘That jump from the edge down the cliff… I’ve never seen the like of it.’

‘Yeah well… I try… and the Air Lord’s beasts were on to me.’

‘You’re a crazy maniac.’

‘You came back for me!’ Jupiter said. ‘That officially makes you crazier. You had a choice…’

‘No choice. We came as fast as we could.’

Tamm joined them now. He seemed shy and diffident. But Jupiter sensed something changed about the turned-blade too. ‘Dhakara,’ Tamm said.

‘Hey Tamm. High five.’ Jupiter raised his hand but Breeze jumped up to slap it instead. ‘Breeze. Dude.’ The imp jumped on Jupiter’s shoulders and began to pound him on the head in a rapid drumbeat.

‘Hey. I love you too but…’

‘You deserve that.’ Maggie laughed and gave him a playful shoulder whack as the imp slipped to the ground.

‘What? Being attacked by my friends.’

‘For doing stupid things and getting caught.’

‘About that. The hunt will come for all of us now.’

He moved to where The Jupiter had settled upon the riverbed. No sail had been raised, but instead two moasaurs had been tethered to a long rope. On one moasaur sat Ashe. The other carried Pariqhamtu.

‘How the heck?’ Jupiter grinned at Ashe who dismounted now and came close.

‘I slid down the tow rope from The Nakhevaqum in the night.’ The young manisaur still wore an Imperial naval officer’s uniform. ‘Then I got to The Kitaraham… Captain Nakhevaqum Vishvasalana had seen The Kitaraham at dusk and signaled them to stay hidden, to look for me. So I found Maggie and Tamm, and Pariqhamtu. I’m with captain Kitaraham Ganarasha now. I told them of the hunt for you, and took these beasts.’

‘Gan did that? He helped me? But the moasaurs are for why?’ Jupiter gazed at the two large beasts. They stomped their foot in turn as if angry that no one had paid them any attention. Now close to the beasts he realized they did not much resemble birds. Except for the fur-feathers on their head and down their back. But they still had a fan of feathers for a tail that flicked with impatience.

‘We needed the moasaurs…’ Maggie bumped shoulders with Jupiter and laughed. ‘Because no one can sail The Jupiter except you.’

‘Though I tried.’ Pariqhamtu called from her mount.

‘But Maggie knew how to tow The Jupiter,’ Ashe said. ‘And I know Dhomqari — moasaurs. They’re from The Kitaraham.’

‘The skyships use them for pulling…’ Maggie trailed off as Jupiter began to laugh.

‘I love it.’ And Jupiter truly did. ‘We’ll have to teach you sailing… And we’ve got to get The Jupiter out of here. The Air Lord and his hunting beasts will be here… any time.’

Maggie looked to the distance, fear on her face now. ‘But where to? Back to The Kitaraham?’

‘To Qhawadha — The Way.’ Jupiter checked his outrigger over for any problems.

‘What or where is that?’ Maggie said.

‘The Way is the path to the heart of the Empire.’ Ashe said.

‘The Empire’s heart?’ Maggie voice became soft, uncertain. ‘But won’t that be dangerous?’

‘The Jupiter can outfly anything. We can beat them all.’ Jupiter placed his hand on a side stay as if to test it. ‘We will be safe from the hunt. From anything they put after us. If we work together as… a real crew. Tamm, raise that sail. Maggie. Take a hold of that tiller. Ashe…’

‘I’m to return to Kitaraham,’ Ashe said. ‘I will report success.’

‘And so Jupiter… you truly know the way home now?’ Maggie said. ‘To Qunaphlam?’

‘Qhawadha will be our compass,’ Jupiter said. ‘The Way leads south to Qunaphlam, then Naruham and the University. I hope the scholars there know where the portal home is. But it’s our best hope.’

The Jupiter rocked to one side as the wind caught the sail. Tamm hauled the main sheet in at Jupiter’s command. The main hull cleared the ground and with one last touch on the stones of the riverbed they rose free on the wind.

‘Pull that tiller towards you a touch Maggie. That’s the way.’

Jupiter grinned, and looked across at Tamm at the mast. Breeze spun the kheel. Pari-pari clung tight to the windward outrigger platform. Maggie’s apprehensive grip upon the tiller was sure and steady.

His heart thumped and he swallowed as a warmth spread in his guts. Safe again.

‘Let’s go whanau. This crew is heading home.’