Zahara's Gift

by A. J. Walker

  Anders didn’t trust this man, but he did trust Max. He also needed answers about what happened after he was struck unconscious, so he decided to listen.

  Anders nodded, and Max stepped out from between them, “I’ll give you two some alone time,” and walked away.

  “I’ll hear what you have to say,” Anders said, his gaze steadily glaring at the man in black. “But first tell me where my cousins are and what happened to my uncle.”

  “I don’t know exactly what’s become of your cousins, but I can tell you what happened to your uncle,” the man matched Anders’ gaze as the two stood face-to-face. “Theodor did not survive the attack,” the man said, not letting his expression change.

  Instantly Anders felt sick to his stomach. When he heard the news, he broke eye contact with the man, and stared vacantly to the side.

  “He did the best he could to keep all of you safe and away from the reality he wasn’t willing to face. Your uncle bravely sacrificed his life to make sure Thargon didn’t find you.”

  Anders barely heard the hollow words as the memory of the giant hound attacking his uncle flooded his mind. “You were the man in the woods with my uncle that night you met in the clearing behind our house,” Anders said.

  “I was,” he admitted to Anders. “And you were spying on us in the trees.”

  “How did you know?” Anders asked confused, because he was positive the man couldn’t have seen him that night.

  “It’s not important now,” he said. “I did what I could to save your uncle from Thargon, but I was too late to stop his death.”

  “You were the one that shot the ball of energy,” Anders said.

  The man nodded.

  “You’re a sorcerer,” Anders said. “My uncle told us all those who could wield magic died long ago in The War of the Magicians.”

  “He had good reason to think I was dead after that terrible war, but that is not what I’m here to talk to you about,” said the man.

  “Why are you here?” Anders asked, partially blaming the man for his uncle’s death.

  “Let me explain myself. My name is Ivan,” he said. “I knew your uncle well. Theodor and I were good friends before you and your cousins were born. We served together in The War of the Magicians. We were both sent to the same military training camp and became fast friends. Over the years we watched as a great and powerful evil nearly tore this world apart. A very formidable sorcerer whose dark shadow almost crushed out all hopes of peace led these evil forces.

  “Near the end of The War of the Magicians, Theodor decided his life as a soldier was over, so he moved to Grandwood. It was there where he became the humble man you knew him to be. He created a comfortable life for you and your cousins, but he did not completely escape the realities of his former life.

  “Thargon and his master have been searching for what your uncle kept secret from them for all these years. Thargon’s master will stop at nothing to find what Theodor was hiding; that is why they came to Grandwood. When you saw us arguing in the woods, I was trying to warn him, but he refused to believe the threat was real. I may have been unsuccessful in saving your uncle from Thargon’s wrath, but I was able to keep them from finding you.”

  Anders sat in silence for a moment trying to understand all of what Ivan had just told him. Finally he looked at Ivan and asked, “How can I trust that what you’re telling me is the truth?”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, Anders. You can choose to believe what I have told you or not, but know that I was a dear friend of your uncle’s and he would trust me to guide you along the path where you have been placed,” Ivan said to him.

  “What happened to Kirsten and Thomas?” Anders asked. “Are they on a ship as well?”

  “Unfortunately, I couldn’t save all of you from Thargon; your cousins have been taken by him. I promise I will do everything in my power to help you get them back,” Ivan said with conviction. Anders’ stern poise slackened at the disheartening news. A pale look of dread washed over his face as he slouched in silence, Ivan added, “I’ll give you some time to think this all through,” and left him.

  Leaning against the side of the ship, Anders looked over the edge at the coastline fading in the distance. He pondered the death of his uncle, who had been like a father to him, and watched as the thin strip of land where Grandwood lay bobbed away, slowly disappearing behind the blue horizon.

  Max, seeing Anders alone, joined him by leaning on the ship’s railing. “I’m sorry about your uncle.”

  “If what Ivan said is true, that my uncle was hiding something from Thargon and his master, then I feel like I hardly knew him,” Anders quickly wiped a single tear from his cheek with the cuff of his sleeve. “I grew up thinking that Theodor was an honest man. I knew he served in The War of the Magicians, but I had no idea of the extent of his actions. I wish he’d told me more about all this. What am I supposed to do now?” Anders asked through watering eyes.

  “I know we hardly know each other, but from what I know about your uncle based on the brief time I knew him, he was a good person who risked his life to save ours’ and your cousins’. You may not have known much about his backstory, but what really matters is you knew the person he was and not the soldier he had been,” Max said placing his hand comfortingly on Anders’ shoulder.

  Anders knew he was right. His uncle was a good person and he knew Theodor would never intentionally bring harm to either of his kids or Anders.

  With his voice a little shaky, Anders took a deep breath and said, “You’re a good guy, Max,” and looked out at the curved horizon. Grandwood had become unrecognizable and the thin sliver of land disappeared behind a blanket of dark blue water. “The last thing I remember from last night was trying to run to Theodor’s aid. I saw a bright light exploding near Thargon. Then it all went dark. What happened after that?” Anders asked.

  “Yeah, you went down hard,” Max said, his eyebrows pinched together and raised high. “After you were knocked unconscious by Ivan’s blast of energy, Thomas, Kirsten, and I ran out to get you. Thargon wasn’t affected much from his ball of energy. He had some kind of invisible shield protecting him. It more distracted him for a moment than anything. Thargon saw that you had tried to rush out from your hiding place and ordered his soldiers to capture you. We tried to drag you to safety while the soldiers were knocked down from the blast’s shock wave, but they quickly regained their composure. I picked you up, in an attempt to escape. Thomas and Kirsten were right with us and we fought the advancing soldiers off as best we could. Somehow you and I got separated from your cousins in the chaos.

  “Just when the soldiers had us pinned, a group of the Rollo Island warriors charged up the road and attacked the enemy from behind. Most of the soldiers were distracted and Ivan took out the rest. I carried you on my back as Ivan led us through the woods. I stopped to look for your cousins, but the soldiers had already captured them. Thargon and his men took them as his prisoners and they returned to Grandwood.

  “After a short while, we came out of the woods and joined up with Red and his warriors on the road. He informed us that the enemy had captured many people at the festival and had taken them aboard their ships as prisoners. Unfortunately, your cousins were among them.

  “Thargon and his men out-numbered us five to one. When we got back to the ships on the beach, we attempted to rescue those who were taken by the soldiers. We were not successful, however, and the soldiers boarded their ships and left as quickly as they’d arrived.

  “The Rollo Islanders’ clan chiefs, along with Ivan’s influence, agreed that Red would take three of their fastest ships along with enough warriors to pursue and attack the enemy ships. The rest of the Rollo people would sail back to their islands and assemble the rest of their warriors and mount the full naval fleet. Our mission is to track down the enemy, rescue the prisoners taken, and sink their ships. The rest of the Rollo Island forces will join us to defeat any of the enemy’s remaining ship
s.” When Max had finished recounting what had happened after the initial attack, Anders was surprised to find that he’d missed so much.

  “I understand it’s a lot to take in,” Max said to him, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

  “Yeah, no kidding. What happened to your brother? I remember he was in the crowd at the start of the mountain race. Did you ever find him?”

  Max looked down at his feet as he scuffed them against the wooden deck, “No, I didn’t.” His gaze rose skyward. “All I can do now is hope he made it out of that mess alive.”

  Anders’ life had changed drastically in the last twenty-four hours. He wished he could just blink and make it all go away, make it go back to the way it was before the attack. He wanted to feel the comforts of having a father figure around and the joy of laughing with his cousins at their home above Highborn Bay. This was no longer an option. He couldn’t make the events of last night disappear and have his old life back. He was going to have to face this problem head on. He was going to have to trust Ivan and attempt to rescue the only family he had left.

  Anders worked his way through the crewmembers on deck, moving toward Ivan. Facing him, he said, “I’m grateful for what you did to help me last night. Max told me about how you helped us get to safety. But do you know how I really feel?” He leaned over and whispered in Ivan’s ear, “I don’t want to trust you, but it looks like I have to if I want to see my family again. They had better be alive when we catch up to Thargon and his soldiers. If they aren’t, I’ll kill you myself.” After he and Ivan exchanged crossed glares for several deep breaths, Anders walked back to the other end of the deck. Running his hands through his unkempt shaggy hair, he looked out at the water isolating the ship and realized he would not see his home for a very long time.

  ***

  The salty ocean waves crashed over the ship’s bow as they pursued their enemy through turbulent water. In the distance, billowing storm clouds developed in the warm afternoon air. Anders stood near the bow alongside Max and Ivan. The wind washed over their faces as the smell of rain filled their nostrils. They eyed the looming clouds warily.

  “Enemy ships, dead ahead!” a crewman shouted from high up the center mast.

  Anders clambered around a group of people sharing a telescoping lens to see the ships more clearly. He scanned the area to see if he could catch a glimpse of the fleeing ships.

  Spotting them in the distance, the ships looked like tiny specks far away on the horizon. With just his naked eye, he couldn’t quite see the ships clearly. A female warrior passed the telescope to him. There, through the circular optic lens, he saw three tiny ships with black sails bobbing across the water.

  “We’re gaining on them,” Anders said to Max passing him the telescope.

  “We’ll be able to engage them before nightfall,” Red said as he came to stand alongside them. “Our ships are far superior in speed. At this rate we’ll surely overtake these three ships before too long.”

  “Have you constructed a battle plan?” Ivan asked Red.

  “I have faith our crew will easily overtake these stragglers,” Red said confidently.

  “Perhaps we should go to the Captain’s quarters and plan a strategy. I have some insight in the ways of this particular enemy and I think I could be of help to you in this matter,” Ivan suggested. Anders could tell by the look on his face that Red was insulted by Ivan’s recommendation.

  “You don’t trust the strength of my warriors?” Red asked.

  “I don’t doubt your crew’s skills in battle,” Ivan said, attempting to reason with him. “I fought an entire war against Thargon and his master. I just want to make sure we have a clear plan before engaging with those in his command.”

  Red pursed his lips and waved over the higher-ranking members in his crew to discuss their strategy. Ivan followed them to the rear of the ship and into the cabin.

  Anders and the others waited for them to come up with a plan for the upcoming naval attack. The suspense mounting of the fight to come loomed over them. Anders could hardly stop his nerves from getting the best of him.

  As the day grew longer, they closed the gap on the enemy. Anders noticed the ships they were pursuing sailed directly toward the storm that had been building all afternoon.

  “The ships are going directly into that storm. Are they mad?” Anders asked Max, his face contorted with concern.

  Max saw the trajectory of the ships as well and said, “We need to tell Red.”

  Anders agreed and the two of them went back to the cabin where Red and the others were deliberating on a battle strategy. Opening the door and entering the cabin, Max and Anders gained the attention of everyone in the small room.

  “There is something you need to see,” Anders urged them. The seriousness in his tone drew the attention of the leaders and Red and Ivan rose from their seats to follow them. Max and Anders directed them out of the room.

  “Look, their ships.” Anders said pointing off the end of the bow. Ivan and Red squinted and watched the ships for a moment. Worry clouded Ivan’s face, but Red’s expression remained unchanged and didn’t seem concerned by what he saw.

  “They’re heading right into the heart of the storm,” Max urged.

  “That doesn’t scare me,” Red bolstered. “We have the fastest and most well-made ships in all of Kartania, or any other world for that matter. We’ll fight through the storm.” Red said confidently.

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” Ivan asked. “This could very well be a trap.”

  “What trap is that? They’re just trying to lose us in the rough waters of the storm. Our ships are far superior to those of our enemy. We’ll continue our pursuit and overtake them by nightfall.”

  “Ivan’s right, this could be a trap,” Anders said, angry at Red’s decision.

  “How is it a trap?” Red asked. “They’re running scared and think we won’t follow them into the storm. They’re trying to avoid a fight with us because they know we’ll defeat them. I’ve seen desperate crews do the same thing before, trying to flee the wrath of our ships. Each time we’ve overtaken them because our ships are much faster and can out-sail any storm.”

  “What if you’re wrong and it is a trap?” Anders asked. “If your ships are truly as fast as you say they are, what more are we risking sailing around the storm and running them down on the other side?”

  Angered at Anders and Ivan’s questions, Red said, “We will continue our course and defeat them in the storm. I’m your Captain and that is my final decision on the matter.” Red stomped back to the cabin, grumbling angrily in his native Rolloan tongue.

  Ivan spoke to Anders without looking at him, and kept his eyes on the ships sailing into the outer edge of the storm, “This is no doubt a trap and we need to be prepared for the worst. However, if this wasn’t a trap and we did sail around the storm, we’d run the risk of losing their trail. If we lose sight of them now, we might never find out where they’re going. The ocean doesn’t leave a set of tracks to follow and it’s easy to lose a ship in the open ocean if you don’t know where they’re heading.”

  “I don’t like it,” Anders said to Ivan.

  Ivan turned to Anders, “Me either.” Then he, too, followed Red back into the cabin.

  Anders and Max were frustrated by Red’s dismissal of their concerns. Anders was also angered by Ivan’s decision to allow Red to sail into the storm even though he knew it was a trap as well. Once they were alone, Anders said, “If Thargon is truly as clever and evil as Ivan says he is, wouldn’t he send these three ships from his fleet to lead us in the wrong direction? If he is that evil, what would he care if a few of his fleet were sunk by our cannons or wrecked by the storm?”

  “I think you’re right,” Max said. “They could’ve slowed down intentionally to allow us to catch up to them, just to create this dangerous predicament.”

  “I can’t believe Ivan is allowing him to go through with it,” Anders said,
frustrated.

  Max shrugged, “You’re probably right. I just hope they know what they’re doing. We’re stuck with their decision either way.”

  Exhaling heavily, Anders kept the rest of his opinions to himself. Instead of talking about something he couldn’t control, he began to prepare himself for the storm.

  As daylight faded to dusk, they caught up to the three ships; the others in their fleet were nowhere to be seen. Red dismissed the fact that they couldn’t see the other ships, suggesting that these three were sent back to destroy the Rollo Island ships so the others could escape, but Anders had his doubts.

  Anders noticed Ivan standing at the rear of the ship, muttering to himself. Anders thought Ivan was praying and didn’t pay much attention. Instead he focused on what Red was ordering them all to do, engage the enemy ships with cannon fire.

  As they advanced on the ships in the stormy waters, they had to wait for just the right moment to fire because the rise and fall of the waves disrupted their clear line of sight. The crew would have to wait until the ship was at the peak of a wave before taking aim and firing. If they didn’t fire at exactly the right moment, their cannon balls would splash ineffectively into the rough ocean waves.

  The fleeing ships shot their stern cannons at Red’s ships; each time they missed. Anders was helping the gunner load and fire the cannons. They struggled to keep the cannons from rolling out of firing position while being tossed by the storm. Every time they came racing down into the trough of a wave, a burst of water would pour in through the cannon doors. The water would rush out again once they began to climb up the next wave. Many times the crew struggled to keep themselves from being swept off their feet and out the hatch doors.

  After waiting for what seemed like a lifetime, Anders heard the order to take aim. They pointed the cannon directly at the ship in view off the starboard bow. He watched it climbing the wave in front to them.

  “Fire!” The order was given.

  One of the gunners lit the fuse. The cannon roared as it released its explosive contents. The ropes holding the cannon snapped tightly as they caught the steel barrel on wheels before it could roll across the floor and smash into the other side of the ship. Through the hatch door, Anders saw the cannon balls blast the rear end of the enemy ship. His ears rang from the explosions of firing cannons in close quarters. Wood splintered off the outside of their target and Anders thought he saw a cannon ball hit one of the masts before the ship disappeared beyond the peak of the next wave. He heard muffled cheering from his crew.