The Sorcerer's Vengeance (The Sorcerer's Path)

by Brock Deskins

  ***

  Sound flowed back into Captain Brague’s ears and light returned to his eyes just in time to see Kayne hauling his sword back to finish the lethal blow his helm had turned. The captain was not about to give him the chance. Kayne’s follow up stroke hastily turned into a parry as Captain Brague’s fury renewed itself with a vengeance and he hacked at the mercenary leader like a man chopping wood.

  With absolutely no attempt at skill or finesse, Captain Brague screamed in rage, swinging his longsword over his head and battered against Kayne’s raised blade repeatedly, giving the lethal man no chance to do anything but absorb the punishment his sword and arm were receiving under the captain’s relentless assault.

  Kayne saw in the enemy commander’s eyes and the berserker fury in his blows that he realized he was outmatched as a warrior and that the only hope he had of winning was through shear brutality. Kayne knew the strategy, had even had it used against him on multiple occasions, but in the end they all simply wore themselves out until Kayne was able to easily slip his sword into their bodies and kill them. Such a tactic would often work against lesser men, but not against him.

  Kayne accepted the punishing blows upon the serrated back of his blade figuring to let the Valarian notch and dull his own sword. His hand and arm thrummed under the constant battering vibrations but it was nothing he could not handle.

  The mercenary leader saw that the captain was getting desperate as he threw his shield to the ground and gripped his sword with both hands, bringing it crashing down with all of his might, releasing a savage roar of anger and frustration. For a second time, the battle around the two leaders paused as the peal of over-stressed steel rang out in protest.

  Kayne looked at his shattered blade in uncomprehending confusion. His eyes crossed in an attempt to look at the berserker captain’s longsword that was now firmly buried in his skull to a point just above the bridge of his nose.

  Captain Brague wrenched his longsword free with a spray of bone fragments and brain matter and watched the mercenary leader’s corpse topple from his saddle, landing with a dull thud and the squelch of hoof-churned mud, blood, and slush.

  As word quickly spread of the undefeatable Kayne’s death and the continued onslaught of magic killing scores of men at a time, the remaining mercenaries and Ulric’s soldiers began a retreat to the south that quickly became an undisciplined rout.

  The wizards gave a short chase to discourage any who might change their mind, hurling balls of fire and another terrifying meteor storm from Allister into the retreating ranks.

  Azerick pulled up short after chasing the fleeing men to the edge of the forest. “We need to get to the docks! Ellyssa and Roger, go find Wolf and the others and let them know they are safe now. You can put shackles or hobbles onto the men we captured and use them to help clear the keep of corpses. Everyone else, follow me. We are not finished yet.”

  With a sigh of exhaustion, the others chased after Azerick as he raced toward the east city gates while Captain Brague and his men gave chase to the retreating mercenaries, ensuring that they did not get the chance to regroup and pillage the countryside.

  Without the hundreds upon hundreds of men shoving forward through the shattered gates, the mercenaries that had won their way into the city were now being pushed back at a faster pace than that which they had won the ground to begin with.

  Duchess Mellina, her guards, and the defenders upon the walls were about the only true soldiers left to drive the invaders back out of the city. The rest were stalwart citizens, sailors, innkeepers, blacksmiths, and just about anyone who had the courage to pick up a weapon, stick, or rock and use it to defend their city.

  Azerick and his friends raced for the gates. A few of the men guarding the eastern gate recognized Azerick as he approached, shouting for them to open the gates and let them pass. Soldiers on the inside opened a smaller sally gate and let them into the city without question. The party raced through the streets of North Haven toward the docks.

  Azerick sent Horse sliding on his hooves to a stop just before one of the wooden piers. All five of Zeb’s ships occupied the space at the end of the docks just as Azerick had instructed.

  The sorcerer jumped from his saddle and immediately began giving instructions. “Rusty, I want you on the Iron Shark while I take Dolphin’s Grace. Umair, Maira, and Joshua, I want you three to split up between Majestic and the other two ships. Allister, you can lend your support to any of the other four.

  “We are going to help Zeb and his men take out those ships outside the harbor, intact if possible. I think Ulric put most every man he had on the ground so I don’t think they will have large crews. At least I hope not. As long as we can take out their sails and weapons we should be able to capture them. I do not want to sacrifice a lot of lives to try and take them intact. If they prove too difficult or costly, sink them.”

  “For Solarian’s sake, Azerick,” Rusty complained, “we are all exhausted and I know you are too. We cannot take on the whole bloody world in one day.”

  Azerick laid a hand on Rusty’s shoulder. “I know you are tired, Rusty, we all are, just like you said; but we need to finish this and the only way we can guarantee that it gets finished is to crush Ulric’s ability to wage war. We have helped rout their soldiers and now we need to take apart his navy. If we can capture some of these ships, then we can help North Haven build its own navy to repel any future threat. Besides, it is a good chance to increase the number of our own ships and that is just good business,” Azerick said with a smile.

  “When did you get so wrapped up in the sailing business?” Rusty demanded.

  “It’s in my blood, Rusty, it’s in my blood. Now everyone make sure you have what you need and let’s get going.”

  Azerick ran down the dock toward Dolphin’s Grace while the others rode or ran toward the rest of the ships. Zeb sent his cabin boy to watch after the horses they left behind, not needing him for what they were about to do.

  “All right, lad, you got us all here so what are we doing?” Zeb gruffly asked.

  The deck and rigging were swarming with men and dozens more were in the hold, every one of them armed and ready to do battle.

  “We are going to capture those ships. Barring that, we will sink them.”

  “Jumpin’ seahorses, boy, those are warships! War galleons with thick hulls and twice as many cats and ballista mounted on her than we have, not to mention the five hundred men each one of them can pack aboard,” Zeb protested vehemently.

  “I can neutralize the ship’s weapons and I think we have already routed most of that five hundred on the battlefield,” Azerick replied.

  “That sounds like a whole lotta thinkin’ and not a whole lotta knowin”, Zeb countered.

  “Look, Zeb, those men had to get here somehow and I bet they didn’t walk or someone would have seen them and warned us. I am betting that nearly all those troops were loaded aboard those ships and dropped off a little ways south of here and they did not have time to return to Southport to load up another full compliment and return. That means they are probably carrying a standard compliment of men at best, more likely a skeleton crew.”

  Zeb ground his teeth as he chewed over the idea. “You willin’ ta bet your life on it, lad?”

  “Since I will be on board the answer to that seems rather obvious.”

  “Cast off, ya louts, hoist the sails, and put your backs to the oars. We’re goin’ shoppin’ for some new boats!”

  Zeb turned back to face Azerick once more. “I hope ya haven’t forgotten about the little detail of the chain stretched across the harbor or this is gonna be a short trip.”

  Actually, he had forgotten about it. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Azerick turned and saw the other ships casting off as well once Zeb ran up the signaling flags ordering them to get underway. Azerick took up a position at the bow of the ship and watched as they neared the harbor mouth and the massive chain stretched across it. The harbor was divided i
nto two by a small rock formation jutting above the surface some ten feet at low tide with a chain running to it from a gatehouse on each opposing shore.

  As Dolphin’s Grace approached the massive chain barricade, Azerick once more allowed Klaraxis to come to the fore enough that he could use his abyssal power of decay and corruption against the massive steel links. Several links near the southern gatehouse turned black and corroded with unnatural speed. The steel flaked and crumbled until it could no longer support its own incredible weight and shattered under the pressure, sending the chain to sink into the sand and silt of the ocean floor.

  The moment the task was accomplished, Azerick pushed the demon to the back of his mind with a shudder of revulsion, still remembering and feeling the effects of losing control earlier that day.

  The Majestic sailed out of the harbor mouth and into the open sea next to Azerick aboard Dolphin’s Grace. The three other ships followed close behind as they approached the enemy warships not far beyond North Haven’s port. The ships were already close enough that Azerick could see men scrambling about the decks trimming sails, manning weapons, and preparing the big warships for battle.

  It was quickly apparent that the enemy crews had not expected North Haven’s merchant navy to attack. The men on board likely thought them foolish, for even a poorly crewed warship could sink merchant ships with relative ease before they could hope to land a boarding party.

  Zeb’s ships spread out the moment they were beyond the harbor mouth and began tacking in a zigzag pattern as had been discussed previously. The key was to make their own ships as difficult to hit as possible while bringing them within range of Azerick’s and the other wizards’ spells.

  It was a plan still fraught with danger. The spell casters needed to get within approximately three hundred yards for most of their longer-ranged spells to be effective, while the big frigates mounted huge ballista that could launch heavy stones nearly five hundred yards. Fortunately, each ship only mounted two of the massive weapons, one at the bow and one at the stern, and they were slow to reload.

  The loud crack of the heavy ballista carried over the water as huge stones began arcing out toward them. Zeb and the other ships tacked diagonally toward the lethal war vessels trying to make themselves harder to hit.

  Dolphin’s Grace passed through the spray left by one near miss as another tore a large hole through one of the sails. The big cargo ship, Majestic, was struck by a stone just above the waterline, staving in several planks but failing to completely breach the thick wood and cause a hole. Men below decks busily braced the cracked wood with timbers and slapped thick tar mixed with chunks of hemp rope into the cracks to seal them against the inflow of water.

  A second loud crash carried across the waves as a pair of pound stones weighing more than a hundred pounds apiece struck the slower and less maneuverable Iron Shark in rapid succession, but her double thick hull and iron-shrouded bow shrugged off the assault with little real damage.

  Azerick raked a bolt of lightning across the deck as the swift schooner came within range of one of the war frigates. His spell struck the forward heavy ballista, rendering the weapon inoperable and striking down its four-man crew. A second bolt split one of the main masts of the four-masted war galleon, sending the huge timber crashing into the forward mast, tearing sails and fouling ropes as it fell.

  Azerick saw the flash of fire out of the corner of his eye as Rusty’s fireball took out another ship’s heavy ballista and set fire to the oiled ropes, rigging, and sails near the stern of a second enemy warship. Soon lightning, fire, arrows, and stones were streaking between Ulric’s galleons and Zeb’s merchant ships, killing men, shattering masts, and burning sails.

  The damage to the sails and rigging of the warships was so great that even the slow and cumbersome Iron Shark was able to get within boarding range, nearly ramming the larger ship in the process. Grapnels attached to heavy ropes arced out over the gunwales of the merchant navy onto the rails of the frigates. Sailors threw boarding planks across the narrow expanse as they drew the ships together while others swung across through the rigging to gain the decks of the enemy vessels.

  Melee combat was brief. Azerick’s assumption of there being only a light crew aboard the warships proved to be correct. Once they boarded the warships, the heavily packed crews aboard Zeb’s ships were able to take the galleons with almost contemptuous ease. They locked the surrendered enemy crews into the holds while Zeb’s men took over control of the ships they seized as lawful plunder.

  They lost the ship that Umair was aboard but it sank slowly enough that most of the crew was able to make it to the long boats before it went down. The others were plucked out of the rolling seas by another merchant ship that lent its support to the war effort. Balor’s Beauty was taking on water, but not to such an extent that the bilge pumps and men with buckets could not keep her bailed out enough to limp back to the harbor. Three ships had to be chased down but only the one that avoided getting her sails and rigging destroyed was able to flee to the high seas and escape.

  With the help of other merchant ships that had been at anchor in North Haven’s harbor, Zeb’s men managed to tow seven of the ten ships back to port as spoils of war. One managed to flee and two had burned to the waterline before they sunk to the sea floor. The crew continued working on the big merchant ship until she was safe from sinking and could be dry-docked and repaired later.

  Allister and Rusty stood back on the docks and scanned the harbor for the sleek schooner but it was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where are Azerick and Zeb?” Rusty asked with a tinge of concern in his voice.

  Allister shook his head. “I’m not sure, son.”

  Allister grabbed Toron by his powerful shaggy arm as he went past. “Toron, have you seen Azerick or Zeb’s ship?”

  The big minotaur looked down at Rusty and the old wizard. “They were sailing south as I was returning to port and signaled by flag not to follow.”

  Rusty let out a long breath. “He’s going to go get Ulric.”

  “Then may the gods have mercy on his black soul because that boy sure won’t,” Allister intoned.

  CHAPTER 23

  At the same time Rusty, Allister, and their prisoners were digging mass graves and cleaning up the school; Azerick, Zeb, and a packed compliment of sailors sailed to Southport.

  Azerick spent the majority of the prior two days resting, replenishing his own energies, as well as renewing the energy of his staff. He finally made an appearance on deck late in the afternoon of the second day at sea.

  “You’re lookin’ better, lad,” Zeb appraised as he walked up next to the young man.

  Azerick just nodded, his mind already in Southport, two days ahead of his body.

  “You got a plan for once we get there?” Zeb asked, knowing that the sorcerer probably did.

  Azerick’s mind returned to the ship. “Strike our colors and sail into the port as a neutral vessel. Signal the harbormaster that we have urgent news for the duke regarding the battle at North Haven. He will be expecting someone to return to tell him that the city was taken and for his men to move north.

  “We will sail in at night and take any ship that flies under Ulric’s banner. There should be fewer than we fought at North Haven and will likely not be fully crewed unless they are ready to set sail. Hopefully the crew will be billeted on the mainland close by and only a guard force set to watch the ships. If they are loaded and ready to set sail, I will destroy them when we sail out. If not, your men will take them and return to North Haven. You wait here, if possible, while I take care of business within the city.”

  Zeb looked at Azerick and scratched his short beard. “What kind of business would that be?”

  “Personal business,” Azerick replied darkly and returned to his cabin without another word.

  They had to spend several hours anchored at sea until well after the sun set two days later before sailing into Southport’s harbor. An armed customs ship sailed out t
o meet them before they could approach any of the docks. Large, bull’s-eye lanterns bathed Dolphin’s Grace in beams of bright light.

  “This port is closed by the order of Duke Ulric, Lord of Southport,” a voice boomed across the dark expanse of water.

  “I have an urgent message for the duke regarding the battle at North Haven. Let us pass,” Azerick shouted back.

  “You can pass your message to me and I will ensure that the duke gets it,” the man returned adamantly.

  Azerick was in no mood for the man’s foolishness. He opened a gate, stepped from the deck of Dolphin’s Grace, and stood directly behind the man on the customs ship.

  A bright light flared at the end of Azerick’s staff, casting his hooded head in deep shadows. “I was sent with two of my colleagues by Duke Ulric’s command. I was further commanded to return with all haste once I had something to report. Are you now going to delay my report, or even more foolishly, countermand my orders?”

  Hands flew to sword hilts as the startled customs agent spun around in shock to face the angry man that suddenly appeared behind him.

  “Well, you see—sir, it’s just that I—,” the man stammered.

  “Quickly, man, your answer may well determine how much longer you get to enjoy breathing!” Azerick snarled.

  “No, sir, of course, sir, proceed with your duties,” the sweating agent said in a panicked voice.

  Azerick returned to the deck of the schooner as the customs ship shuttered the lanterns and quickly sailed back into the harbor.

  Dolphin’s Grace grabbed the wind and sailed smoothly into the port just a short ways behind the customs ship. Seeing that the schooner carrying the wizard was behind them, the nervous customs man ordered his ship to take to a point on the far side of the harbor, not wanting to be anywhere near them.