LIGHTNOVELONLINE 21 - The Rumble
From on the back of the coeurl, which now was begrudgingly accepting her, Ode watched as the Duke’s knights began to take to the air. It was a hell of a sight. They had marched out of the stables in single file order, not a word being exchanged nor directions given. Only Ode had to be told, and that was more given to the cat, which she was tied to by straps and a complex saddle that supported her belly and sides.
The majestic pegasi lined up in a staggered order on a paved runway that was clearly intended for them. What was less clear was why the space around the runway was clear of almost anything that was small and loose, not even any small plants. The only things near it were spikes in the ground that contained will-o’-wisps, balls of green flame that flickered from a tiny bead of flame to over a foot in diameter. She was hypnotized watching the flames, realizing that both sides matched as they oscillated, making a clear path to guide them back in the right path even over moonless nights. Brilliant.
Shaking off her natural curiosity, she watched as the fifteen horses began to walk, then trot, until they got up to a run. Once up to speed, the majestic creatures took wing, and Ode learned in short order why the area was clear of small debris. A gale like a tropical storm on the coast rocked Ode, the wind magic of the herd of mythical horses scooping them up into the air at incredible speeds. This wind only got more intense as more of them took to the air.
The coeurl let out a soft, excited hiss under her, its muscles tightening as it crouched, making her aware of just how much power it contained. That whisker slap earlier that rocked her so hard was really put into perspective here. One swipe from its paw would put her into the ground. Especially given the size of the claws that came out to grip the ground. Gods be, those things were the size of a scimitar… she’d be put under in pieces. The thought of the dragon’s claw in her torso was still uncomfortably fresh in her mind. Maybe… maybe she’d put more into defense next time she leveled up…
Hugging tight to the cat to avoid as much wind as possible, she gripped with her legs and around its neck. A growl made it clear it was too tight, so she loosened as much as she could, but there was only so much to do. Once all of the horses were in the air, one after the other in a diagonal line, a loud squeal came from a building beside the stable where Marble was. The bit she could see seemed to indicate the roof had opened, which was being circled by the horses. Was that…?
Looking around, she realized she never saw the duke himself mount up. That had to mean…
Odelline’s bones shook, and even the fearsome coeurl let out a soft whine as the loudest noise she had ever heard issued from the building. It was like a rattle in that it came in waves, but it was unbelievably deep. It made her think of a cross between cassowaries of the southern provinces and the crocodiles common to many territories. She almost didn’t even hear it so much as felt it, making her mildly dizzy by shaking her inner ear. Was that…?
Salvator. Just like she hoped.
The 45-foot feathered creature was stunning. The top of the beast's wings and presumably back were solid back, the edges of their wings and throat a brilliant red. This color faded into a deep orange on their chest, belly, and legs. She could barely register this, though, since it shot into the air fast as lightning with the booming sound of a massive WHOOMPH. For such a vast creature, it moved shockingly fast.
So fast she nearly missed what was on its back. Already it was far enough into the air it was nigh impossible to make out any details, but one item was clear: a massive gear. Legend of Salvator and its Cannon Wheel was known throughout the kingdom, and most importantly among the kingdom’s enemies.
The end of each tooth of the gear was a series of guns mounted on swivels. Allegedly these guns could fire many rounds in swift succession, with a whole circle of many gun barrels attached to some strange screw mechanism. Stories said that the guns use enchanted spikes of earth produced as it was spun, fired off with roughly the power of an arrow. Combined with the kind of height such a creature could achieve, it was an incredible force. Sitting in the middle of this gear in a protective magic dome sat the duke himself, mentally tied to both the wyvern and the weapons. This took incredible willpower and focus, and if the wyvern’s earth-shaking rattle didn’t end a battle with fear, the absolute hailstorm of bullets and streams of steel-melting venom soon would. The whole thing was incredibly cutting edge at the time it was made, and few other defensive emplacements could rival it, nevermind offensive. Thankfully, though the technology had shrunk in size as the years went by, or so she’d heard.
The wyvern’s very presence in the nation’s arsenal forced every foe to bring mighty anti-air defenses to every fight, lest the fight be over before it even began. Ode winced as she felt another noise; not in her bones, this time, but in her mind. This one was a complex whistle, with two short bursts and three long ones. The coeurl snapped their head up as the wyvern reached velocity, and another roar was heard. This time from them all at once, creating a magnificent cacophony.
Just like that, the coeurl was off, bolting nearly twenty feet in a single hard stride. Suddenly, the straps around her ankles and wrists made sense. She’d have been thrown off already without them, which was only further shown when it jumped onto the side of the gigantic stable. The damned thing practically sprinted up the side, nothing like a normal cat. Reaching the top, it cleared the entire distance of the roof in no time at all, jumping to another roof in the city from the huge vantage point. Ode’s sternum and ribs ached. So this is why the coeurl rider’s Ode admired so looked so fit and able… to survive.
Ode barely managed to glance up over the wind drying out her eyes but saw the flying mounts keeping up in the air. Absolutely incredible. Remembering the goggles she was handed shortly after mounting the cat, she muttered a quick telekinesis to pull them down over her eyes. So that’s what they were for.
Time to get serious, then. This was all amazing, but the kid needed saving from that cocky dragon. A few more muttered spells enhanced her reaction speed, and another gave her brief sight of the most probable future, but ten seconds or so. She’d need both to direct such a swift animal.
Determining that she was to use the whiskers for handles, given the leather wraps around their middle, she gasped them. First gingerly, but upon finding the cat had no protest, more firmly. She got what seemed to be a huff of approval from the cat, who had since stopped moving on a rooftop, the fliers circling overhead.
Taking a deep breath, she squeezed with her knees. This was clearly the cue to go, as the coeurl jumped into action, to another rooftop. Then another, clearing it instantly and jumping to another. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think Marble was flying, too. When they reached the grand stone wall surrounding the town, it bolted up it without a second thought, deeply disorienting to her but as natural to the cat as breathing.
The guards atop it gave a startled cry as it sailed over, having been staring in shock at the wyvern. It landed on the other side and continued sprinting without a hitch. To Ode, this felt like taking the same journey at super speed, but her enhanced reaction let her guide the cat with a tug here and there.