Nestling: Heavenward on Golden Wings, #2

By Lupine King

The veil has been peeled away and the true face of Verre has finally been revealed. The question is, what is one boy to do when the game has already begun and the players are playing for stakes higher than he can imagine? What can he do when he is merely one of the pieces?

Having discovered his origins and been absolved his so-called curse, Valerian is riding the east wind. Power, greater than anything he has ever known, courses through him and his status in the House of Cragsveil is higher than ever before. He is soon made privy to some of the clan's greatest secrets. This should be the crest of his wave but instead, it leaves him feeling more lost and ignorant than ever before.

Despite his power, Valerian remains a child, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Resolving to push forward and prove his mettle, he sets his sights on the upcoming Zebre, the combat festival of the plains folk. In his mind, it will be the perfect platform to showcase his skills.
However, this Zebre is different. Forces are stirring. Schemes long in the making are about to come to fruition. A storm is coming to Cragsveil and the Steelborn are at the centre of it. Valerian might want to push himself into the spotlight but he will have to be careful not to be swept away.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Winenbinge Brian Amenga-Etego
• Release date: Dec 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386139034

Lupine King

Lupine King is someone who writes under a bad translation of the pet name his grandmother gave him because his real name is eleven syllables long and unpronounceable to speakers of the English language. Born in Accra in 1995, he began writing at the age of ten but after a classmate rightly pointed out that his story was uncomfortably similar to The Hardy Boys, he put prose aside and focused on poetry for a good while. At one point, he took thrillers and mystery novels from his number one spot and put epic fantasy there instead. Admittedly, this had to do with him getting lost in Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance books in his early teens. After getting swept up in the serial web novel craze, LupineKing finally produced his first complete work, Hatchling, the first book of his popular web serial, Heavenward on Golden Wings. Since then, he has written more books including a new serial in the LitRPG genre, Dungeon Core/Realm Heart. When not writing, he spends his time reading and listening to music. He is appreciative of the classics as well as hip-hop, jazz, metal and rock. Currently, he lives in Accra, Ghana with his family and their many dogs.  

Book preview

PART I

THE STEEL TRUTH

TELL ME, CHILD

Do you know from whence you came?

The origins of the blood in your veins,

The shade of your eyes,

The pull of your smile

The fire of your essence

Or the spark that is your life?

Tell me, child

Do you know our story?

The tale of glory that is our line.

The heights we once reached

The falls we took,

The love of family and the kiss of traitors

Of how we came to be here, so far from home?

Speak child!

When all is silent and you listen to your heart,

Do you hear the call of blood?

Do you hear the ancestors weep?

Do you hear the founder cry?

Do you hear the mountain lament as she calls her children home?

Set forth, child!

Strive towards a time of future past

When we will stand, proud and undaunted

Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters,

Parents and children in glorious line?

That our cherished heritage will be proclaimed

And our bloodied past laid to rest

Do not forget, child!

Do not forget from whence you came.

Do not forget how came you here,

Poor and downtrodden.

Learn from the folly of our ancestors.

And do not forget the call blood!

ONE

Frightening Revelations

THIS ... THIS ... THIS is unbelievable! Valan managed to articulate.

Trust me, grandfather. It is true, Valerian emphasised to his stunned family. His biggest fear at the moment was that they would not believe him. Unfortunately, the looks on their faces did not exactly fill him with hope.

They were all in one of the manor rooms having locked themselves in and cast spells to prevent any mundane or supernatural spying. Avery stood behind Valerian, backing up his account of events whiles his uncles and grandparents simply looked on with disbelief in their eyes.

Evading bandits, entering a strange trance as a result of a weird instinct, devouring the flesh and essence of a dragon, being reborn in a giant egg whilst experiencing snippets of the life of the original golden-winged peng who just so happened to be your ancestor in a dream state and then waking up in a strange and powerful daemonic form. It was all too much to believe.

The only reason they were still listening to the story was because it was coming from Valerian and being confirmed by Avery. Valerian would not lie. Especially about something like this.

Perhaps it is best if you show us the transformation first, his grandmother stated.

Yes! Valerian accepted. That would help. If they saw that they would have no more doubts.

It took a while before I was able to control it well enough, he admitted. I was barely successful in hiding it from the elder who came to rescue us and his team. In that time, we discovered a few things. Err... you might want to give me some more space.

They quickly gave him some more room. When he had enough, Valerian nodded and initiated the change. First, a soft, translucent golden qi encapsulated his outline. Then, the transformation began. Spikes began to grow from his joints. The one from his shoulders looked like a three-peaked ridge. Two were small, barely three or four centimetres long but the middle one jutted out like a steel dagger at ten centimetres.

Simple, single spikes came from his elbows and knees but ones from his heels were only six centimetres long whilst the others were comparable to the central shoulder spike. Valerian's hair became black, feathery, metallic bristles and his nails gained a metallic glint. Thus far, it looked like the steel monolith transformation. Even the raised knuckles of Valerian's hands implied this but what happened next proved that it was not.

Lots of qi blasted out of Valerian's back. Before their speechless eyes, this qi shaped itself into a massive pair of translucent golden wings. They flapped once, creating a strong gust of wind that buffeted everything in the vicinity. Afterwards, his golden outline faded away.

Looking at his family, Valerian finally gave a small smile. This is one of the things I discovered. It is a sort of halfway form. When I am like this I gain a boost to all my attributes; strength, speed, energy, defence everything seems to go up.

So this... this is not your final form? his Grandfather asked.

Not even close, Valerian confirmed. This is, he added right before continuing.

The feeling in the air immediately changed. His golden outline came back only more intense. Without any more qi being visibly released, his wings began to change. They started became more opaque and substantial. A pattern began to appear on them and Valerian began to rise into the air. The two appendages swiftly turned into gold and the feathers, previously indistinct, became fleshed out. They were also now much larger than they used to be.

Involuntarily, everyone took a few steps back. That was because the most startling thing about the change was not Valerian's physical appearance. Apart from the wings becoming larger and more realistic, not much changed physically. His presence, however, did.

An immense pressure weighed down on everyone in the vicinity and a feeling of dread crept into their hearts. It was a feeling not unlike standing a close to a dangerous animal. Something told you to keep your eyes focused on it and be prepared. If not, when it eventually attacked you would not stand a chance. It was the paralysis a mouse felt when it found itself gazing into the eyes of a cobra. It was both these things and more.

The cultivators in the room were better able to withstand it but the magistrate was soon puffing and panting. His wife quickly took his hand in hers and extended her own energy to help him combat the pressure.

When Avery explained to me what you are feeling I was not surprised. The Kun had dragons trembling in its presence. I, however, am not that strong yet, he said wistfully.

Pushing her husband towards his nephews, Valerian's grandmother drew closer to her grandson. Her amazement clear on her face, she placed a hand on his left wing. Running her fingers over the metallic thing, she traced the cloudy pattern that decorated the sharp feathers.

This is... she tried to get out.

I know, Valerian finished a smug look slinking onto his face. There's more.

What else? Richard asked. His tongue managing to untie itself.

The young arcanist simply pointed to his feet. They hung half a metre off the stone tiled floor. His entire body was suspended in the air by his outstretched wings. I cannot touch the ground! he proclaimed.

WHAT? came the general response.

To demonstrate, he sank downwards till his feet were maybe two centimetres from the floor. This is as low as I can go full transformation. I tried everything but always remained in the air somehow. I can touch it with my hands but rest of my body especially my feet and wings will still be airborne, he explained.

Not giving anyone a chance to speak, he continued. Then, there's the power surge.

There's a power surge? his uncle Jonas asked.

In the half form, everything receives a boost but when I am like this I feel ... his voice trailed off as he allowed his senses to savour the feeling of power coursing through his body.

I feel incredible! he added extending and retracting his arms so fast that they were blurs to the magistrate's sight.

I know I am above everything I see, he told them. "All my powers, my traits and my spells are magnified to greater heights. I tried [Wind Blade] back in the cavern and scoured a deep gash in the cave walls. Walls consisting of essence imbued mineral ore. It is like the world is ripe for me. Ready for the taking and I can do it too. And the wind ...

Oh, the wind! It sings to me. Desiring to be beneath me. To hold up my wings. I hear it and know that if I were to call, it would answer. I just have to think it and it would bear me up. Then, I will soar into the sky he said, a trace of longing in his voice.

His family members exchanged worried glances as they listened to him speak. His voice, no, his tone. It did not match the Valerian they knew.

That is enough, Valerian! his grandfather called. Transform back! he ordered.

The boy's head whipped in his direction, glaring imperiously at him. A constricting feeling came over him. It was like the gaze was pinning him down. Any second now it would swoop down towards him and... it went away. Valan began to breathe heavily in relief much to the alarm of his family.

The golden outline came over Valerian again and his transformed features begun to slip away. When it faded, he dropped to the ground where he teetered on unsteady feet looking unwell. His face paled and his aura grew weak. Avery, already expecting this, rushed to him and propped him up.

What's wrong? His grandmother inquired frantically. Is he alright?

It is alright, grandmother! her grandson muttered weakly. I just feel weak when I revert to this form. It will go after a while. I guess readjusting to this weak body and level of power requires some time.

Again, his family exchanged tense looks. His grandparents, in particular, had some fear on their faces. There was definitely more to it than that.

Avery, take Valerian to his room to recuperate. He is undoubtedly drained from his transformation, his grandfather told the minder.

He missed the angry look that Valerian shot him. He knew they were only sending him away so they could discuss the issue when he left. He could not believe the old coot was actually sending him away at this juncture.

‘When would he stop treating me like a child?' he thought angrily. A strange resolve came upon him. This treatment had to end. The last few days had made that abundantly clear.

With Valerian out of the room, Valan turned to face his family, inviting them to a discussion as was his fashion. The whole thing made his head spin. He was visibly disturbed especially after the last few minutes. Unconsciously, he scrambled for some semblance of control.

You saw the same things I did. What do you think? he asked.

Valerian... h-he.. he ... Jonas started but his voice petered out. He could not articulate what was going on in his mind. The other three sympathised. They were having problems coming to grips with it too.

Perhaps, I should take the lead his aunt offered helpfully. I am the most knowledgeable in this area.

That is true, Valan admitted after some thought. Clara did come from an established line of daemon breeders and as a beast master herself she would know more about it than they did. What can you tell us?

Let me start by saying that Valerian is definitely a descendant of the Golden-Winged Peng, she began. The others made to protest but she raised her hand to quell them, an action she had picked up from her husband.

I understand your objections but let me point out that being the descendant of the peng does not mean that his mother is a peng or that he is an immediate relative. It just means that he can trace his line to it and that his bloodline is pure and strong. There are other factors that lend credence to this as well, she explained.

Factors such as? Valan asked.

Before, we knew he had a legacy only it never exposed itself fully. I believe it wasn't just unawakened but also weak. The traits he displayed before were seriously watered down when compared with what he shows now. His ability to absorb essence and strengthen his body wasn't as strong as it was now. I'm sure Richard and Jonas noticed it too.

The two nodded prompting Valan to ask, Noticed what exactly?

Richard spoke up, Valerian's absorption rate. At first, none of us could actually tell when he was doing it. We could only trace it from its cumulative effects but now even in his base form you can tell if you bother to look.

Understanding what they meant Valan could only inquire, How serious is it?

You know how we always say that Valerian's body is self-cultivating? Clara questioned her husband. He nodded and she continued. "If I didn't know what I do I'd think he was doing it intentionally. As in that, he was somehow cultivating whiles talking to us. His absorption rate is around the same level as that of most first tiers in the midst of cultivating.

Beyond that, I really can't say. It's like his body is a sink. All essence that draws too close to him is sucked in. It isn't particularly significant but anyone who is sensitive to energy and energy flows will surely notice if they come close to him.

I ... see, Valan said.

It's not just that. Did you get a feel of his strength and speed? his wife asked.

That I did, he acknowledged. When he moved his arms, they were pretty much a blur to me.

Richard spoke up again. I'd say that in that form he is at least six times faster than he was before he left. His strength is much greater too, at least twice so but I would need a better demonstration to be sure.

Richard could not help it. He was excited. All these years, he had been holding on, constantly dragging his nephew into training sessions when everyone else was beginning to see it as a forsaken path. With Valerian's new method and physique, the things they could do ...

His aunt was still speaking however so he tried to listen.

"... the most telling signs were his wings and his aura. It was so strong and suffocating and yet had this majestic air. Only high-class daemons have that sort of aura. Valerian even mentioned that dragons trembled in the face of his ancestor's aura. Further buttressing this is the fact that the memories he experienced are consistent with the hereditary memories of high-class daemons.

On top of this, the form he displayed had aspects of the steel monolith transformation. You know your blood legacy better than I do. For this legacy to assimilate it and not the other way around lets you know how far above yours it is. Moreover, the only things it took were cosmetic. As for the wings, they are solid gold. They aren't plated or coloured but made from actual gold with a cloudy pattern splayed over the feathers. And the gold ... I think it is imperial.

The last bit caught everyone's attention.

Are you certain? Can you ...?

Of course I'm certain. This isn't something that you can joke with. Gold is soft but when I held his feathers between my fingers and pinched nothing happened. I couldn't leave a mark on it no matter how hard I tried. You saw what I did, they manifested themselves, transitioning between solid metal and pure essence in moments. The only gold I know of that is that mystical and tough is imperial gold. Or do you know of any others? Clara barked at him.

Contrite the magistrate tried to explain, Sorry! I did not mean to doubt you it's just that ...

Her face softened. I understand dear. It's the same for me.

I am worried, he supplemented. "We had hoped that his mother's legacy would reveal itself but this throws all our plans out. If the Golden-Winged Peng, if that really was who he encountered, did not somehow ingrain that method into him we would be even worse off than we were before. How do we help him now? What techniques or training can we give someone who is descended from a primordial?

Moreover, you saw how it affected him. The way his personality changed as well as his body, not to mention the side effects he displayed upon reverting. Valerian has all that power and no idea of its consequences or even how to use it and we cannot help him. Also, if anyone were to find out about this legacy and that his maternal clan carry the blood of a primordial. Who knows what they would do?

Then, realisation dawned in his eyes. He spun, gazing at his family with eyes that burned with emotion.

Could this be the reason for his mother's secrecy? Her background is so shrouded in mystery, she may as well have risen fully-formed from the earth. Perhaps, this was what she was hiding, as well as the reasons for her disappearance. If Valiant did not know this when he went searching for her and ran into some sort of trouble on that level ...?

Clara immediately reached out her hand and took his in it. Rubbing it, she drew him out of his spiralling thoughts.

Now is not the time for that, Valan. Focus! We need to make Valerian our current priority. This is not something we can put away. This legacy is bigger than us. We must decide what to do and how we'll handle this, she told him.

Taking the time to consider her words, the magistrate sighed.

"First, we have to impress upon him that he must not enter that form under any circumstances. It is far too eye-catching and we do not know who might notice. Until we are sure about the effects and how to handle them he has to remain in his human form.

Secondly ... here he hesitated. He could not believe he was about to say this.

Secondly what, Valan? His wife prodded.

We have to go see my father!

TWO

The Steal Truth

HENRY STEELBORN WAS a guard. The kind that stood in front of gates and walls to act as extra security. One might think that it was a lowly occupation for someone bearing the Steelborn name but even Steelborns need guards and his responsibility was many times greater than the average one. He watched over the inner area of the clan compound. The place where the greatest of the Steelborns resided as well as where their prime offices were.

The pay was good and the acknowledgement and responsibility that came with being one of the clan’s primary warriors was stupendous. Far more than a guard should probably have. Then again he was one of the clan’s protectors. Despite this, even he knew that any enemy skilled enough to get past the wards in place would also be one that he would be near helpless against.

His position was mostly ceremonial. He’d stand in Steelborn plate at strategic locations with his weapon out and look vaguely menacing. Plus, he sometimes got to accompany the elders to some events and meetings. It was interesting. Then again so was gate duty. You wouldn’t believe the kind of people that passed through his station each day? Today was very dull though.

As if to make him eat his words a small horse-drawn carriage made its way over. It was one of the clan’s and looked like an elder’s but he didn’t recognise it or the horses. Stopping it for the cursory check, he was nearly shocked out of his boots when he saw the occupants.

Sitting in it was Magistrate Valan, Richard, Array Master Jonas and the magistrate’s grandson. That new kid who had been all the buzz lately.

‘Huh!’ he exclaimed mentally. Henry was an old guard and knew more about the clan’s internal political and historical setting than many. Other guards might not but he knew full well that... ‘The magistrate never steps foot in the inner compound. Never has. Not since ... Wonder what he’s doing here’, he asked himself.

His mind nearly kaput when the man gave him small smile and gave him the answer. Hello Henry. Let us in and inform my father that we are here to see him.

Elder Foreson scurried about the Steel heart, the administrative hub of the entire Steelborn machine. Being the elder in charge of liaising with the magistrate and his family over the last five years, he had been the one contacted when the man in question came in and made his outrageous request to see the Patriarch.

Outrageous because the Patriarch was currently in the middle of closed-door cultivation and was not be disturbed unless in dire circumstances. However, he also knew that if he came out to discover that his son, that Valan, in particular, had been turned away after coming here voluntarily to see him ... well, a series of unfortunate events would occur.

Unfortunately, he did not have the authority to interrupt the patriarch’s cultivation. He doubted he even could. He needed the help of a Great Elder. Unfortunately, in this pressing circumstance, there were none to found in the inner compound.

What’s he like, the patriarch? Valerian asked his uncles softly. He had been told who they were coming here to see and to be honest he felt a little unprepared.

Stories of his great-grandfather were so incredible that it was hard to separate the facts from fiction. The man had so much renown that there no less than five monuments in his honour in the duchy alone. The stories were a bit much though.

Many claimed he was as tall as the city walls and so strong that in the worst case scenario he would carry DaleGuard on his back and run away with it. That he had gale-force breath and wielded a hammer that shattered the sky when swung. The one thing that he knew as fact though was that one of the things keeping the enemies of Bathar away from its eastern lands was the fact that they’d rather not run into him. Hence his titles Champion of the Dales, Stalwart Monolith and the Dale Guard.

Valerian knew little of the man besides what he had read and heard, but what had come across to him was the sheer awe and reverence people had when speaking of him. He was made to seem larger than life. Obviously, he was highly respected and from what he knew he had earned it. Knowing that he would soon be meeting such a person filled him with atypical nervousness.

The Patriarch is ... Richard began. The man of few words found that he had even fewer today. Well ... he’s hard to describe. He is the Patriarch. You’ll just have to see for yourself.

That didn’t help at all.

However, Valerian did notice his grandfather glance over. He had overheard their conversation. That was another thing. He knew that his grandfather’s relationship with the clan was frayed and he knew why but he had no true knowledge of the matter between him and his father. Clearly, there was something there but as was customary in his house: no one talked about it.

They just sat in one of the lounges, waiting at the edge of their seats. Valerian wished that whichever messenger would bring news on their requested audience would come quickly. The atmosphere was unbearably tense. Then, Jonas had an idea.

Uncle Valan, since we are here would it not be better to take Valerian to visit one of the memorials and have his induction done right away?

Valerian’s head whipped in his direction. ‘What memorial? Induction, what induction?’

His grandfather’s voice came from the side. I’m not sure we have time for that but we can visit the memorial. It’s past time he knew after all.

Now, Valerian was well and truly curious. What is it that he should have known?

He was taken to a particular section of the Steel Heart. The Steel heart is not a single building like its name would suggest but rather a complex. The place Valerian was taken was one he had never been before. They passed no less than three sets of guards before stopping at a relatively nondescript alcove.

It was similar to the lounge they were in. There were comfortable seats few potted plants, murals on the walls and an ancient elder dozing in a corner. Why had he been brought here? He posed this question to his grandfather.

Come Valerian, the man said leading him to stand in front of the largest mural.

This place is special but not in the way you think. There is a tradition among us Steelborns. We call it the Induction. When a cultivator consolidates the first tier or gains a certain degree of power we take them aside and reveal to them the true origins of the clan and then induct them as fully recognised members.

That is why we brought you here to the Steelborn only section of the complex and to this memorial. There’s no way you can call yourself a true Steelborn if you do not know the hidden history. Once you do you can register your name in the clan’s ledger as a main member and be accorded the full title and responsibilities, he said.

Valerian opened his ears making sure not let any word escape him. This was news to him. Not the fact that the clan had a secret history. All clans did and in fact, he would be disappointed if they didn’t. Valerian wanted to hear it. There was one problem though ...

What does this place have to do with the induction, that’s what Valerian really wanted to know.

Ah! It’s just a visual aid and one of many memorials that the clan maintains to act as a reminder of our history, his grandfather explained. Look at them, Valerian.

He did so taking note of the giant art of a Steel Monolith, what looked like a battle, a forest. The whole place was covered with them.

This a place created so that we never forget. Be it the good times or the bad. All have shaped our clan into what it is today. It is very difficult to tell the hidden history without them. Each mural is a depiction of a scene from our history a visual reminder to buttress the oral record, his grandfather added.

And this one? Valerian asked.

He was, of course, referring to the one they were standing in front of. it was the largest and most detailed of all the murals. It was a mountain scene, a massive range with a giant, central peak and two smaller peaks at its side. There was a river that flowed down the mountain into the lush forest that surrounded its foot. The setting was paradisiac and the art marvellous.

The artist had clearly poured a lot of time and feeling into the piece. The mountain invoked a sense of majesty and the forest one of plenty. It was the focus of the room making Valerian wonder what significance it held in the tale his grandfather was sure to tell.

That mountain can be said to be our earliest ancestor, his grandfather proclaimed with a smile.

Valerian just stared at his grandfather dumbly, waiting for the man to explain. A mountain as the ancestor of the Steelborns. How? True to his nature, the man began to speak, slowly weaving a tale that brought to light the hidden history of the Steelborn clan.

Steel is not a pure metal. It is nothing more than an alloy of iron and other materials to produce a stronger more resistant metal. For ages, men and beasts alike had experimented with it creating many forms based on the materials and methods used to create the alloy. However, there are also natural forms of steel created. Some by happenstance and others a result of basic evolution. The creatures called Steel Monoliths are an example of both.

The mountain