To Race the Wylde Wynd chapter 5

To Race the Wylde Wynd Ch. 5

Edgewater was filling with festival enthusiasts. As Chrysta and Templer rode out later that morning, they passed people riding destria, Ether-cycles and the occasional freaked out Terra-bird. The priest watched as Chrysta's mount casually reached out and tried to snatch a mouthful of passing Terra-bird. The flightless avian WHONKED and skittered sideways almost dumping its swearing rider. All the big black destria got was a mouthful of fluffy feathers. Chrysta slapped the animal with the flat of one hand, while the other tightened the reins turning him in a small circle. Templer would have sworn that the golden eyes that looked into his face for a moment were laughing as the black shook his head, scattering feathers all around.

As they proceeded out of town, the road cleared out and Chrysta increased their speed. Their mounts went from a smooth four beat walk to a two beat trot. Constantine had ridden Terra-birds before. He found the destria's brisk up and down gait a lot different than the big bird's rolling pace. Pacacams also paced, a motion that was a LOT easier on the ass then this pounding! The priest watched to see how the woman next to him dealt with it. Copying her, he adopted the rocking rise she used. He found this smoothed the ride out a little.

The gunman considered himself to be in excellent shape. This along with the modifications made to his body, as much as he resented them, made it function as efficiently as a machine. Still... it did not take long and various muscles that he didn't even know existed were protesting. There was a soft snicker from deep in his mind. Azra was awake.

“What are you laughing at?” Templer asked the question already knowing what the reply would be.

“Oh....you are going to regret this!”

The demon was laughing now. Templer's answer was a dry,

“No kidding, why don't you tell me something I don't already know!”

“Really Host... I think that even the Inquisition would consider this a form of torture.” Azra sounded puzzled.
"I must admit that, although these creatures are intriguing, I don't see why you humans make such a fuss about them. What makes destria any more special then say... a Terra-bird or even an assoxx... they are all just a means to get from point A to point B.”

Nuva shook her head and snorted derisively. Without warning, raw power exploded between the priest's thighs. The first couple of seconds were taken up by a desperate bid just to keep his butt in the saddle. With his outriders help, Templer managed to catch his balance. The edges of the road blurred, as muscles surging, his mount picked up speed.
A movement of black entered his field of vision as Zephyr's head and neck appeared alongside them. The big black matched the cream stride for stride, nostrils flared wide to drink the wind, golden eyes ablaze with a joyous fire. Chrysta flattened out over the black's powerful shoulder and Templer followed suit. Incredibly, both animals put on more speed! They raced knee to knee. Nuva's golden mane streamed out like a living flame, blending with the priest's raven black hair as it lifted to dance in the flying wind. That same wind teased hot tears out of eyes narrowed to mere slits. Templer realized with a start that he was grinning like a mad man. The straining pair's hooves rumbled like thunder on the hard packed road, and for a moment it felt like they were riding on the wings of a storm.

“WAHOOO!” This startling exclamation came from Azra. “What a RUSH!”

They flew like this for what seemed an eternity until Chrysta's hands tightened on the reins and Zephyr slowed his flight. Nuva followed the big male's lead slowing until they settled into an easy ground eating lope.

“Wahoo ...?” Templer could not help himself. The priest would never let the elemental live this one down.

“Oh come ON Host... even you have to admit... that was FUN!” The demon sounded almost... wistful. “I cannot remember the last time you unscrewed your ass enough to let us have a little fun! I hereby revise my opinion of destria...!”

Templer was more than a little disconcerted when Azra's voice took on a childish wheedling tone,

“Come on... Talon of mine... buy me one!”

Nuva shook her head, jingling her bridle as she chortled something that sounded an awful lot like a laugh.

With the destria's ground covering pace it took no time at all before they arrived at the accident site. Together, Chrysta and Templer peered over the edge while she pointed out the route she had taken to retrieve him. The priest had to search for the remains of his bike crumpled amongst the rocks at the bottom of the ravine. Chrysta wiggled back from the edge and went to get a second rope off of Zephyr's saddle. When she turned back, the woman looked pale and sick.

“Are you okay?” Templer paused in the process of tying his rope into a make shift climbing harness.

“Yep...” Chrysta glanced over to where the ground dropped off into a steep cliff. She looped the other end of the rope around Zephyr's saddle horn to help support the gunman's weight. “As long as I stay way back here, I'll be fine!” She shrugged at the curious look he threw her way. “Heights and I don t get along.”

Templer looked down at the wreck of his bike lying on the distant canyon floor, then back at the woman who fussed with her mount's saddle.

“Don't even ask.” Chrysta looked away... embarrassed. “It was scary, it was ugly, and it almost didn't happen! I was sure you were dead. If Inferno hadn't seen you move, you would still be down there. Without the knowledge that you were injured AND still alive...” The woman shuddered, “That climb is NOT something I would be willing to do again.”

“I guess that means I had better not fall a second time?” Templer tested his knots.

“You’re damned right...” Chrysta grinned, “If you are clumsy enough to fall again, you can just plan on staying down there!”

Templer eased himself over the edge and almost slipped as his concentration was broken.

“Host, we could just fly...”

“NO!” The priest rudely cut the demon off mid-sentence and took a better grip on his rope.

“Give me a break. A quick change, then down and back. It'll only take a few...” Azra moved towards the surface of the gunman's mind.

“I said... NO!” Templer put the brakes on the elemental's stealthy rise. “That's all we need. I do NOT want to have to explain YOU... to Chrysta. Besides Nuva and Zephyr would freak!”

Actually with Zephyr anchoring the rope it took Templer little time or effort to get down to the bike. A quick once over convinced the priest that the bio-machine was not salvageable. He emptied the side bags removing the rest of his gear and rolling it into a tight bundle that could be carried on his back. His last action was to remove the glowing orb that powered the crippled machine. A flick of his mind broke the confinement spell, setting the captive elementals trapped within free. Unlike some... he could see no reason to leave them imprisoned until they destroyed each other or starved. He gave a sharp tug on the rope and Zephyr hauled him back up.

Constantine was surprised when he reached the top. Nuva balanced right on the edge, anxiously looking down at him. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn the expression on that long face was worried. The mare almost knocked him off again as she nosed at him, trying to push him away from the edge.

“HOLY... back off you ninny!” Templer lightly slapped the pink muzzle away from him. The cream got out of his way, all the while giving the priest a look of sad reproach. With a soft whuffle the destria turned her back on him and went to stand by Chrysta. She nuzzled at the woman's shoulder, looking for sympathy.

“I think you might have hurt her feelings.”

Constantine ignored the outrider. He refused to feel guilty. Chrysta coiled the rope up and hung it on Zephyr's saddle. She wouldn't look at him, but the gunman could see the woman's lips twitching. As he approached Nuva, the mare gave a big slobbery, heaving sigh and peered up at him from under her eye ridges. Chrysta had to turn away. Although her shoulders were shaking, the woman didn't make a sound.

“Maybe you should apologize?” Azra was believing the whole... poor, pitiful me... routine.

“I refuse to buy into this.” Templer was adamant. He tied his bundled belongings behind the saddle.
Chrysta glanced his way, then swung up on Zephyr. The priest put his foot in the stirrup and Nuva's whole body sagged while she gave a pathetic groan.

“I think...”

“AZRA, shut up! I am a Talon for Heaven's sake. WE have the reputation of being the coldest bad asses on the planet to uphold and I am NOT apologizing...OH...MY...GOD!” Templer stared in disbelief. Even the destria's lips were sagging and they twitched piteously as the mare looked back at him with large, sorrowful eyes. The man threw up his hands in defeat. Mother of demons... if this EVER got out he would never live it down!

“OKAY... okay... you win! I give in.” Templer laid a hand on the warm shoulder and tried like hell to sound sincere. “I am sorry I slapped you. It was a rude thing to do when you were just showing concern as to my wellbeing.” He heard Chrysta choking and spun on his heel to fix her with an evil stare.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

The woman had her hands clamped over her mouth and her eyes sparkled. “Nnooo....” She made a show of clearing her throat. “I seem to have swallowed some dust.”

“Humph.” Templer gathered his reins and mounted. Nuva pranced around for a moment. She slyly reached around and nipped at his foot.

There was a soft snicker from within... “For a cold hearted bad ass Host...” His outrider sounded smug. ** “You sure CAVED awfully f...”**

“Azra...shut up!” Templer sighed. He liked the demon better when he had nothing at all to say!

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A big thank you to those who have taken the time to upvote and or comment after reading. It is greatly appreciated! This is a finished novel. I will be posting all of its chapters BUT it will take me time as I am editing as I go to accommodate Steemit's format. If you get impatient, you can find the story in its entirety in the kindle store on Amazon.