Chronicles of Han Storm - Leilaka #1 (Fantasy, Adventure, Dragon Riders)

Leilaka *** Chapter 16 ***

Wattpad Algorithms
Please remember to vote if you liked this chapter. Also kindly scroll down to the end (past the advertisements) to complete a 100% read algorithm which assists authors to achieve higher rankings on Wattpad. Enjoy!

*** Sixteen ***

    Huge, fat, drops of cold rain fell onto my face. I pulled the blanket over my head to try and avoid them. My pants got wet for the effort.

Connor bellowed us up and to horses.

The horses had already come in from grazing and Windshine was waiting for me to saddle him.

*You look better this morning* he commented, presenting his back to receive the saddle.

I placed the saddle on him without effort. After securing it to his body with the girth, I picked Kaliel up, hooking it into position. The sword did not feel so heavy today.

The staff I re-secured in its position under the saddle-flap and then I mounted without effort, being able to reach the stirrup with my foot.

As I adjusted the stirrup straps to allow for the growth that had taken place in my body the past two days, I marvelled at what a huge difference a few inches made.

No longer sitting on Windshine, my legs were hanging naturally down his sides. He was solid muscle between my legs.

It felt good to become a man in this body.

The rain became heavier. My cloak was of an inferior quality. Not having been oiled properly, it was leaking water through to my body. It was going to be a miserable ride until the rain stopped.

I have dealt with heavy rain in mountains before and knew that we had to get out of the wash we had camped in. This was dangerous territory and we had to find high ground until the rain had passed and the waters had run its course.

The mental map I had in my head indicated the nearest safe place to be an outcropping about a mile to the east.

When everyone was ready I set a steady pace out of the gully and back onto the desert plain.

The sand quickly turned to slippery mud, but we did not stay here long before I found the entry I was seeking.

After a short distance we were steadily climbing the slopes of the first mountain range. The footing was secure and the water rushed past us without interfering too much.

I stuck to this course until we reached the top of this first incline.

Here I waited for Connor to join me. The rain had not yet let up. I was drenched, but strangely, not cold.

"You knew we were going to have bad weather. It is unusually early for the Autumn rains to start" Connor remarked.

"Not really this far South. The storms here are worse than up North. It is just treacherous going when everything is wet. The weather can be a welcome ally if you know how to use it" I replied.

From my own experience gained from the lifetime lived as Han Storm within the Universe of Kraita, I was well aware of how one could manipulate the weather, if one so wishes. I wondered if these techniques would work here on Leilaka too.

"That is great to know, but for now, I assume that where we are is the safest place to stay?" Connor asked, returning my attention from that faraway place to my current reality.

"Yes. We will wait here for the water to rush off the mountain before continuing through it."

We did not dismount, but pointed the horses away from the storm, presenting backs and buttocks to it until it finally subsided.