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Going Down
Last Updated:
2022-12-04 13:23:23Related chapters
The Hunt for Knowledge Anti-Gravity
The six passengers looked at one another. Before a seat belt could be buckled into place, the nose of the plane dipped at an angle solidifying what the captain had announced. Beecher’s trash fell to the floor and began its descent to the front of the plane. Instead of preparing for a crash landing, Katalea turned to the window and began to war with the storm. Between clenched teeth she hissed, “Dakari, Zinnia, see if you can conjure something to elevate the nose of this beast!” Dakari got up and moved to Zinnia. They huddled together with determined faces and soon Dakari’s lips began to move while his eyes remained firmly closed. Katalea knew he was messaging back home for help. Katalea was fighting a losing battle. If she pushed at the wind, lightning would flare up off to the other side. When she calmed the electricity, hail would begin to pelt the rapidly descending aircraft. It was as if the weather was toying with her. In her concentration, she had not noticed tha
Last Updated : 2022-12-17The Hunt for Knowledge Obnoxious Airhead
With backpacks slung over their shoulders, the group got their first glimpse of Rio. The airport in Praia do Galeaão fanned out like the spokes on a wheel, with airplanes of every color in the process of loading and unloading their passengers. In the distance a beach could be seen, and Katalea had a momentary longing for a high-speed run in her feline shape down the white sands at home. Two by two, they ambled slowly down the airstairs, trying to find coordination in their limbs after so many hours of non-use. They were met by two lovely assistants, dressed in conservative navy blazers with crisp white shirts beneath. Beecher’s eyes gleamed incredulously when they explained that the group would not need to join the thousands of other travelers at the customs office. They had a private customs area set up just for them. Katalea smiled at Dakari, “Leave it to Grandfather to do things with style,” she messaged him. He discreetly nodded and followed the others to the
Last Updated : 2022-12-18The Hunt for Knowledge Siren’s Song
No one moved faster than Luca. He seemed to be at Zinnia’s side before the scream died on her lips. Beecher and Aquina arrived almost simultaneously, with Dakari and Katalea seconds behind them. Surrounded by glass shards, Zinnia hovered three inches off the floor, wings unfurled. She was not purple, nor was the aura she emitted joyful. She looked absolutely heartbroken. Tears streamed down her face, and her body was violently shaking with sobs. Katalea cautiously approached, somehow afraid to cause Zinnia more pain. “Zinnia, what happened? What’s wrong?” She soothed. Zinnia’s sobs decreased as she saw the others. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful. Beecher’s friend let us use this place for free. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.” “I’m lost honey,” Aquina joined in, trying to soothe her new friend. “What made you so upset? When you screamed like that, I thought Hassan himself had gotten in.” Zinnia looked from one to the other and her e
Last Updated : 2022-12-28The Hunt for Knowledge Shark Bait
Standing outside her partially open door, he could hear her quiet sobs. It tore at his heart that she was hurting. He knocked softly and waited. She didn’t respond but the door slowly opened. She was walking away from him as he entered, not knowing what to do, he just stepped in and waited. He wished for a smart remark that would piss her off. Anything was better than her gloom. “How could anyone be so cruel to them?” She growled. She picked up a towel and began drying her hair, her rage displayed in the aggressive action. Tiny wisps of blue peaked out as if trying to escape. “I don’t know. Some humans seem to see animals as only a means for profit. Maybe keeping them hungry keeps them from outgrowing the pool,” he reasoned. Gulls sounded outside, drawing his attention. He saw a bright multi-colored kite in the distance swaying to and fro in the sea breeze. His attention returned to her as she wrangled her hair into some kind of knot on top of her head. How
Last Updated : 2023-01-07The Hunt for Knowledge Shopping Spree
Elbow to elbow people crowded the shopping area. Little store fronts competed for business with loud music and flashing lights. Katalea noticed a few stray dogs that had picked up their scents and were eyeing them with caution. If only the humans here had a clue just what was walking down their streets. Dakari picked up on a cornucopia of languages, but noticed that somehow shoppers and shopkeepers had found a way to converse. “The language of money,” he thought with a smile, and watched as a little blond girl in pigtails ordered a Brazilian version of a snow cone. The girl reminded him of Lainey and he wondered where she was. He knew somewhere out there in the world, the girl that had saved him from certain death at the hands of the weredragons was wearing a bracelet that suddenly was glowing red. He wondered if she had noticed.Luca stopped walking and pulled the group together. “I think we can all find what we need here. Why don’t we split up and meet back her
Last Updated : 2023-01-16The Hunt for Knowledge Newly Mated
“What do you think happened?” Katalea asked Dakari as they entered their room.“I couldn’t begin to guess,” Dakari responded. He started to reach for his mate, thankful she hadn’t been hurt or worse. His instinct was to protect, but now a baser, more primal instinct was taking over. He saw the passion he felt reflected in her eyes as she began to make her way to him.There was a knock on the door, a light rapping that suggested someone who wasn’t really sure they wanted to knock to begin with.From where he stood, Dakari moved his index finger and unlocked and opened the door. Beecher strode in, a bag of chips in hand. His head turned as the door closed behind him, his eyes looking for whoever closed the door..“I forget that you guys can do stuff like that. It’s pretty cool.” He rounded on Dakari. “I’m really thirsty, can you make a soda appear?” He laughed at his own joke but jumped when a bottle of water appeared in Dakari’s hand.“Water is better for you,” Dakari said wit
Last Updated : 2023-01-28The Hunt for Knowledge Howls in the Night
It took two hours but finally all were ready to head to the airport. Aquina, all smiles after her visit with her family, sat patiently in the car with shopping bags loaded on her lap. With all the shopping that Zinnia did, none were surprised at how crowded the car was. Greeting them at the airfield were the two same beautiful assistants. Their eyes widened at the sight of all the shopping bags but they sent a crew to begin loading the place.“It looks like you all had a fine time in our city,” one called out, looking directly at Beecher, “but you missed an epic party last night.”Distracted, Beecher smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry ladies, other things came up. Maybe next time.” The others could see he wasn’t his usual jovial self and wondered. He knew they were shooting glances at him, but he didn’t care. His thoughts were his own, and for the moment, they were troublesome.He walked up the portable stairs to board the plane and dropped into the nearest
Last Updated : 2023-02-06The Hunt for Knowledge Insatiable
Aquina’s eyes narrowed and she noticed five doors, each a different color facing the common area. She made a bee-line to the fanciest door and mumbled a string of curse words as she entered. It was a small room with a small bed and even smaller window. It was a utilitarian beige and had no flavor. Aquina turned back quickly to see if she could change rooms. The others had followed her lead and were all headed to their own doors. “I guess the saying, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ works on doors too,” Beecher teased, poised and ready to open his own door. It was not painted and in fact looked to be made of distressed wood. “If there was any justice you would find a doggie bed inside your door.” Aquina blushed, knowing she had been caught trying to find the fanciest room. He opened his door and gasped. A large waterbed was the focal point in the medium-sized room. The walls were painted in an hombre fashion from a light sea green near the ceiling to a deep dark aquama
Last Updated : 2023-02-15
Latest chapter
The Hunt for Knowledge Not so Innocent
It seemed to Luca the celebration lasted all night. He wanted to take his little fairy back to his University apartment and finally have some alone time. The ceremony performed by Rhiannon decreed that it was now “their” University apartment. He couldn’t be happier.The others had elected to stay on campus too, although Dakari had managed with Zinnia’s help to divide the room into two seperate bedrooms for the night. Katalea had wanted to go over to the island, but all agreed that work with the prophetic book was scheduled to begin early. Both Luca and Zinnia grinned and said they’d get in as soon as they could. Everyone just laughed and snuggled a little closer to their own mate.On the walk over, Luca and Zinnia held hands, neither feeling their feet touch the ground. Luca kept running in place and stopping just to feel the joy of having a heart. It was all Zinnia could do to not burst from happiness.When Luca walked up to a door and began to enter numbers into a keypad, Zin
The Hunt for Knowledge Alive
They feasted and rested, curled up now by two’s on the sofas. Katalea thought of how far they had come, virtually all strangers the last time they were in this room. Since they were back in Egypt she had messaged her grandfather. He told her things were a little unstable on the island and probably not a great time to bring the whole group back. Instead he had a team bring the book back to the University under heavy guard. They would deal with that tomorrow. Tonight was for rest and healing.His words caused her some grief, she was homesick for the island. She lay with her head nestled on Dakari’s shoulder while he played with a lock of her hair. She wondered what the trouble was, and found herself very anxious to get back to her “regular” life. Would this quest really be over tomorrow? Across the room, she could see Zinnia getting fidgety. She was up, then down. She had checked on the food numerous times, but they had all had their fill and lay sated, waiting for her to f
The Hunt for Knowledge Lycaon
As the dust cleared, Dakari narrowed his brow and turned to his mate, “Let’s get out of here before more of his ilk show up.”Nodding, Katalea grabbed his hand, “For reals this time.”Although the transition wasn’t as smooth without Zinnia’s presence, they had thought to leave their exit route established when the others had popped out. The air was a little chillier this time and they found themselves more thrown than placed around a campfire. They were surrounded instantly by the largest werewolves either had ever seen.”Ok, so not back to the classroom in Egypt?” Katalea threw out the thought to Dakari, more of an accusation than a question.He shrugged, his face baffled as he looked around. Then he saw Beecher and the others near the front of the group. Even as they moved towards him, a path cleared. Many heads bowed in respect as they made their way to their friend. Beecher lay on his side, his breathing labored. He was still in werewolf form but clearly healing. His fur
The Hunt for Knowledge Nothing But Dust
The cairn now glowed blue. It pulsed and throbbed as if it had a heartbeat. Kaya stood, just like Katalea’s premonition, pacing, but this time she was not intently focused on the stones, she was focused on Katalea. As if waiting for her. “Can you guys see her? Am I having another vision?” Katalea questioned.“Oh, we can see her, and frankly she is terrifying….” Aquina answered, awe in her voice. The big cat kept pacing, her soft pads making no noise in the silent chamber. Her eyes never left Katatea’s.“She means you no harm,” Katalea whispered, feeling the joy of her panther overtake her. “She is me…” Katalea continued, confidence radiating in her voice, understanding now. “She never left me.”Katalea felt the longing to be one with Kaya rise up. She hadn’t realized how abandoned she had felt by her own self.Kaya’s eyes filled with anguish now. Her proud head bowed, almost in shame. “It was not my wish either,” she said, obviously hearing the cries of Katalea's heart. “It w
The Hunt for Knowledge Outnumbered
As they made their way into the higher elevation, the mountain walls became craggier, and small cave formations began. The trees here weren’t as thick, this new harder soil obviously struggled to sustain life. Ahead, a rounded archway formed, looking more like an arbor than a cave. Katalea walked through expecting to come out on the other side of the hill but instead found herself in a large open space resembling the lobby of the ice hotel. Instead of beautiful ice sculptures though, it was just rough walls. A small stack of rocks to the left looked like a cairn left behind by someone else. There were the remnants of bones, small animal bones, she presumed, that had long since stopped having a body. Still, she felt no presence of evil or danger. They heard the deep dark laugh come from behind them. Katalea stepped forward as if to shield her friends against whatever was coming. ”So valiant, young Katalea.” They could hear Hassan, but there was no one there. He laughed aga
The Hunt for Knowledge Confused
“Ah Elskan,” he pulled back with such sorrow. “I want nothing more than the next millennium in your arms but I feel our friends call.” He pushed a stray lock of purple hair behind her ears, nibbled her neck, and inhaled deeply.“That word, Elskan, you have said it before. What does it mean?”“What?” He looked at her quizzically now. “I have said a word you don’t know?” Tilting his head in wonder, he added, “Out loud?”She smiled coyly now, “Yes, a few times. Elskan. Once when I was hurt, and I think another time when we learned of the sharks,”Visibly flustered, he put his hands at his sides. Tense now, he turned to go, but she grabbed his elbows, “Not so fast buster, you didn't answer.” The smile she gave him was playful, teasing, almost a challenge. He sighed and closed his eyes. Remembering. Oh, why couldn’t some things just stay buried? It had been so very long. Finally, he spoke, “It is the name a man calls a woman he loves. In your tongue, it would be equivalent to dar
The Hunt for Knowledge About That
“Go east she said,” Katalea whispered in her mind and chuckled, thinking of an American term she learned years ago in school in San Diego.”As I remember it, the phrase was, ‘Go West, young man, Go West.” Dakari countered.Katalea blushed, she forgot her mate could always hear her thoughts. “‘Ya, well, I was never very good in American history,” she giggled. It was an age-old joke between them. Dakari had excelled in school, but Katalea had been too busy dodging Dalya and doing gymnastics to pay much attention in high school.With the vampires gone for the moment, and the Hassan family of dragons keeping their distance there was nothing left to do but say goodbye. They thanked Freja for her help and Dakari made light of the situation by conjuring roses for her out of thin air. “We did not come away without losses,” Freja said heavily, “and they will not be forgotten for their bravery in battle.” All heads lowered. A few hands wiped eyes that found themselves moist. “We will ma
The Hunt for Knowledge Two?
To their amazement, they saw what looked like wolves wrestling people. These were not ordinary people, as Katalea watched one short dark man pick up a wolf and hurl it into a tree. They were close enough that Katalea could hear the curses from the man. They were not in any language Katalea had ever heard before. Two more wolves pounced on the man and made quick work of him. Another wolf came at a sprint, two pairs of feral red-eyed vampires at his heels. They recognized him at once. Beecher was in trouble.Dakari roared, and the scene stilled momentarily. All heads turned and in that instant Katalea called lightning to pummel the bloodsuckers. The wolves stood dumbfounded as all their foe just vanished into ash. As a pack, they turned to look at Beecher who was obviously sending them a message that these newcomers were allies. A few wolves shifted, while others remained on guard in wolf form.Never one to hide, Katalea shifted, while Dakari remained. “I have heard myths a
The Hunt for Knowledge Hassan is Coming
Perched high up in her tree, Katalea swayed, the fog swirling around her. Above her, the muted greens and pinks of the northern lights seemed to fight for control of the pre-morning sky. It wouldn’t be long before any vampire trapped outside would have to flee or risk being turned to dust without any help from their adversaries. The sun still had a few minutes to go before it began its assent into the sky but the sky had visibly lightened. It was coming. Katalea wondered if the sun was filtered through the fog if the vampires would be able to stay out longer. She imagined they could. It might be time to dial back on the mist.Light bursts could be seen from just past the crop of trees they were currently resting in. Katalea wasn’t sure if it was from lightning or a dragon blast, but they were drawing closer to their hideout. They would have to move soon.Dakari must have had the same thoughts, for as he touched her arm, she read the alarm in his eyes. It wouldn’t do to be so hig
