The Fallen | Risen Book II

Chapter Eighty Nine

Join the Cause
Ryder Slade

The breeze flew through my hair as I quickly fell to my death.

They say that your life flashes before your eyes before you die. I saw my life, but not all of it, only the highlights.

I saw in flashes, some of my favorite memories growing up. Some of my childhood birthday parties, the road trips our family went on for weeks at a time, learning to ride a horse and failing, learning to shoot a bow and arrow and failing, the day Cassi took in Shadow, several of the girls that I dated and how they all ended horribly, the weekend Patrick, Jayce and I went to a casino for a guys weekend. I saw my parents, I couldn't even remember the specific memory of them just there faces, and seeing them happy. Then I saw Maya, and Ebow.

I was suddenly in a dark tunnel, not standing, but floating. A bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and I saw a figure.

It was my father.

"Dad?" I asked in confusion. How could my father be here? Where was I? He didn't respond to me, but I saw his face clearly now as I floated closer to him. He looked at me with pride.

"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly get any dumber" He spoke with a smile. "You go and totally redeem yourself" 

Suddenly I was falling again, but away from the bright light and away from my father

"DAD!" I shouted reaching for his hand as I fell further and further away from him.

I was awake again, and I wasn't falling anymore. Instead I heard the constant flapping of wings, and felt something tugging on my shirt, keeping me from falling. Was I caught on something?

I looked around and realized I was flying, Below me was the ground and I was speeding past it.

But I wasn't flying at all, I realized where I was. the back part of the collar on my shirt was in a dragon's mouth.

"Thank you for riding Cleaver airways, this is your captain Cyblow speaking and we ask that you please buy me a beer after this" Cyblow spoke with a smile.

I nodded and smiled, holy shit this lunatic caught me.

"Dude, not only are you getting a beer, your're both getting a wedding invitation, screw it Cyblow you can be a groomsmen for this" I laughed.

"Well holy shit, aren't I just lucky. Nope never mind your lucky I saw that ship and wondered why they weren't at the Dojo. Want me to go after them after we put you down?" Cyblow offered.

I thought it over, just like me Jeff doesn't deserve to die for what he's done.

"No, Jeff and his crew haven't done anything that they can't undo"

There was a moment of silence, then Cyblow spoke again.

"We'll set down here"

... 

"Here" Cyblow spoke getting my attention as I watched the pirate ship in the distance fly away. We were in the woodlands, somewhere. Cyblow tossed a can of beer at me.

I caught it, cracked it open and took a sip. 

"Where are we?" I asked.

"I dunno, somewhere east of the Dojo, probably only a ten minute Cleaver ride to get there. She was tired though, we've been traveling a lot the last couple of days and she's not use to it." Cyblow explained taking a sip from his own beer.

Cleaver was fast asleep nearby, her tail by her powerful jaw. Smoke was coming from her nostles as she breathe in and out.

"Aren't you ever scared that she will like, eat you. Even accidentally?" I asked.