Rayna's Sacrifice (The Katori Chronicles Book 3) by A. Lombardo (intellectual books to read .TXT) 📗

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He grabbed her hand, and they waved goodbye.

The warm autumn sun ducked behind a puffy white cloud. As the river came into view, Kai couldn’t help but wonder if this was really the fastest route. “Ryker, are you sure we must take the river? Can I not fly us to the coast to catch Lucca?”

“If you were an experienced Beastmaster, maybe. But even dragons must stop for rest and water. You’re not ready, and I cannot carry you for a day while you recover. If Rayna had more experience and could bring you out of your weakened state alone—maybe. It is best we take the Makani River with Basil.”

When they reached the river, Basil was already tying down supplies. His raft was basic, a flat platform kept afloat by buoyant wooden beams and cross-tied with braided straps. In the center were three crates to hold supplies and four long wooden paddles.

The small cove had a dock long enough for two rafts on each side to keep them out of the rushing water. One raft was missing. The thought of Lucca ahead of them twisted Kai’s stomach in knots.

Kai and Rayna found a place to sit near the center on either side of the raft, and Ryker took the front while Basil took the rear.

“Before we hit the open water,” Basil instructed, “there are a few rules. If you fall in, try to reach for the raft, but don’t panic. Float down river feet first, and do not let go of your paddle. There are points when the rapids settle, and there you should swim to shore. We will catch up to you.”

Basil continued to instruct everyone with his paddle. “Even in the rapids, you will need to help us paddle. In fact, you will spend most of the trip paddling. But at times, you must listen for my instructions. This is right forward, and left backward.” Basil demonstrated. “At times, I may need to correct our course, and you will need to be ready.”

Suddenly, riding the river seemed more dangerous than Kai anticipated. He could see the rippling water outside of the cove moving quickly. Looking into the water near the raft, it only appeared a few feet deep, but he could see rocks below the surface.

“Ryker, I need you to keep us clear of any protruding rocks. I will try to keep us in the center of the river as much as possible, except when the dividing rocks disappear. The current near the opening can suck you in and pull you across. If we are not angled for a crossing, it will flip us over.”

Rayna eyed Basil. “Is there anywhere we can stop along the way?”

“There are slow spots and other coves to pull out of the current. I will keep watch for opportunities to rest, please do not worry.”

With no more explanation, Basil shoved them away from the dock. The moment they reached the river, Basil and Ryker used their paddles to turn the raft into the flow.

The first part of the river was smooth and slow. They had time to paddle and take in their surroundings. Parallel with the river, Kai watched as they passed travelers along a black dirt road that rolled through the countryside. It didn’t take long to see their meandering carts and horses were no match for the pace of the river.

Even moving at this speed felt slow; Kai wanted to fly. As a dragon, he could make faster progress, but when he landed, he would most likely pass out for a day. Even without his Aunt Simone’s warning, he knew transformation was too great a risk, given he did not know how far he could fly being a new Beastmaster.

Resigned to the river, Kai gawked in every direction. Except for the tall Bodhima trees around the central part of Katori, the valley opened into vast rolling hills and meadows as far as one could see. Random groves popped up here and there, offering shade for travelers near the river. The occasional trading post town along the route swelled with travelers.

Gauging the sun, he could tell the river they traveled took them as much south as it did east. To the south, the rolling hills bubbled into a bluish-black mountain ridge, its size dwarfed by the snow-topped Katori Mountains.

It didn’t take long for their raft to hit faster water. Silently the group continued to paddle down the growing rapids. The speed at which they traveled continued to increase. At times, Kai dared a look to Rayna. She too looked overwhelmed by the constant effort to keep them angled away from dangerous rocks.

Kai paddled, getting splashed with water again and again. The ebb and flow of the river went on this way for hours. It was almost a relief to see the sun begin to set. As the sky turned several shades of red, orange, and yellow, Basil guided them into a sheltered cove. Three docks jetted out into the slow current, all three decorated with blue and yellow crystals set aglow to mark the location of the docks.

Posts with bright lanterns snaked along a path near the shore and disappeared into the woods. Raft upon raft leaned into each other, propped against trees, or scattered along the water. People walked along the shore, venturing into the trading post.

“We must stop for the evening.” Basil waved to a man on the dock. “It is unwise to navigate the waters at night. There is a trading post with lodging near the road. They welcome travelers, and there are many pods with three or four racks for sleeping. Ryker, if you could see about making a trade, the rest of us can find a campsite and start a fire.”

The man at the dock helped pull their raft into the weeds, and the group followed Basil through the congested trading post. Ryker stepped into a line to barter for a pod while Rayna and Kai