Seeing the other wizards struggling to hold back the sea’s attacks, the air wizard stood as tall as her petite frame would allow and knew that failure would not stem from her in this regard. Her magic shield would hold, or so her determined mind decided, as they were just into the second hour. They weren’t even halfway when Wendle took over for Themenor who looked beaten by the storm.
Several crew members began a steady stream of food and drink for the struggling wizards. They did what they could to keep things dry, but the wizards and other men on the deck were long past drenched. Ashleen could feel every breath dragging the rain soaked heavy cloth of her robes against her skin. The weight pulled at her and the cold of the rain made her shiver. Her personal shield had failed as the strength needed for the ship’s protection demanded more than she had to save for herself.
The other wizards were similarly miserable, yet all of them fought to keep the ship safe from the brunt of the storm.
Ashleen glanced to the sails filled with air. The push given was near the maximum they could hold as the shields allowed the northern wind to fill them. It was a risk they needed to take. Only the sails could move them through the storm to safety, but the risk of damaged sails and masts made her wish that they could seal the entire ship. The power needed for that was beyond a mere three air wizards however, even if it was feasible.
Two hours passed and the girl stood holding onto the forward mast while holding the shield that drove through the massive waves and realized that the men had been heroic in their strength. Even fueling her magic with continuous amounts of food, Ashleen knew that she was unlikely to hold much longer.
“Land,” the call finally came much to their collective relief.
They were coming in from the wrong side of the island, which helped those holding back the waves. Instead of coming around the east masking their approach, the Carnivore had found the western side of the island and the harbor holding the Sea Dragon. Lord Romonus urged the captain to change the course to the one he had planned, but the man controlling the ship ignored him. He had seen the wizards on the brink of exhaustion. It was better to risk discovery than their deaths from subterfuge.
Taking anchor on the south side of the harbor so near the edge that they felt more of the storm than the Sea Dragon resting in the pocket, the Carnivore and its wizards were finally able to rest.
Ashleen couldn’t even remember collapsing into the seated position before the mast. Her shield along with the others collapsed as completely as the strength in her legs. Some crewman simply picked the girl up and carried her into the cabin and down the stairs. She remembered voices asking her if she was alright, but the young wizard merely rolled into the warm covers ignoring the words. Falling asleep, the girl would have to deal with magical exhaustion in the morning for she needed rest more than food.
A restless sleep was broken soon after Sebastian had dozed off. It was as if he had sensed the use of magic nearby, but with the storm raging it would do the mage little good to go on deck and look for the source. Perhaps it was something on the island, he thought for a moment. If so, then this island might have some clue hidden somewhere that would give him an idea of why they were here.
Doing the best he could to go back to sleep, Sebastian managed to rest. Morning came as the storm finally pushed past the island. Though the cabin was still dark since it had no windows, the mage could hear steps on the deck letting him know that at least some of the crew were awake. He got up even as Collin continued to sleep. His friend’s stomach had eased apparently, but he was still tired from being sick the previous day.
Walking up onto the deck, the mage tried to take in all the scenery around him. Not only did he look at the island where he faced a beach below a short cliff, but Sebastian took a moment to look at the sea and especially the south where he thought that he had felt a source of magic. If it was from the south, he saw nothing that would lead him to think there was anything to cause the feeling. The point to the south was little more than sand and rocks with a few beaten down bushes mixed with some rugged grass.
He returned his sight to the island sheltering their harbor. Grass and even small trees held the land atop the cliff. Vines and tenacious strands of grass found holds in the wall of stone despite the vertical climb. Where an island would have picked up the resource of plant life was almost a magical question. Had someone brought plants to the island in the past? If so, for what reason? Had the island somehow broken from the mainland or lay beneath the waves with the treasures of life sheltered beneath its soil for untold time? Maybe birds could have brought some, but the island was far enough from the mainland that seemed a bit of a stretch as well. They had seen few enough water fowl since Folley Island, though the storm wasn’t far behind them. Animals often saw the signs before humans and avoided getting caught in bad weather.
He almost laughed at the idea as the Sea Dragon had wandered out to sea and nearly paid for it in the storm. If a bird had seen it coming a few hours before they had, then it was very possible that it had taken shelter. Perhaps there would be some hidden inland on the island, but the mage doubted that they would find any animals.
Joining him shortly after his early morning walk, Annalicia frowned slightly as if considering something. He noticed that her shadow, Reynolvan, was nowhere in sight. Instead of worrying over the missing man, Sebastian greeted the platinum haired beauty. Her light grey skirt shifted in the slight breeze of the morning appearing quite light for the time of year. A pale blue top cut low enough to reveal some of her petite cleavage also was cut to expose her shoulders. It was as if the girl felt nothing of the cold and still dressed as she would for the southern country of Malaiy. Her country he had been told, never experienced winter like North Continent and, in fact, was quite warm much of the year. How a young woman, so petite and delicate looking, could stand the cold so well without even an air shield was beyond him. Her feet were even bare as many sailors were during warmer months.
Acknowledging his greeting with a polite smile, the lady’s almond shaped, green eyes met his as the early rays of morning reflected in her eyes. “Good morning, Sebastian. Have you been up long?”
“For a little while,” he answered. “Is there something wrong? I didn’t notice anyone worrying about the ship this morning, but you look concerned.”
Shaking her head with a warmer smile crossing her lips, Anna replied, “No nothing is wrong with the ship. The crew remains all safe and we can sail anytime we wish. It is just that one of the men watching over the ship on deck last night thought that he had seen a ship in the harbor a moment. There is no ship there now, of course, and the lighting was abysmal with the rain and clouds, but it just seems a bit odd to me.”
Sebastian considered the idea and added, “If there was a ship, then where did it go so soon? The rain barely ended an hour ago. Wouldn’t they have taken time to check rigging and such before moving away from a safe harbor?”
With a shrug, Annalicia spread her hands replying, “And now you know why I was considering such things as well. I doubt that anyone would have concerned themselves with us. Our ship isn’t a pirate or warship, though we have enough cannon to defend ourselves, but to disappear while the storm was still running its course is a little strange to me.”
Glancing to the cliff blocking any view of the other side of the island, Sebastian questioned, “Perhaps it is time for an early morning investigation of this island? If I can find a way up the cliff, I will be able to see far enough to find any ship hiding nearby.”
“I could simply use the winds to scout for a ship,” the lady replied pursing her lips in a slight frown. She expected an air mage to solve problems with magic, Sebastian supposed as he shrugged.
His eyes wandered back to the island as he answered, “Wind riding might find a ship, but I will still need to climb that cliff if the compass is correct.”
“I am sure grandfather’s compass hasn’t made a mistake,” Annalicia replied seeming almost offended that he shou
ld question Darius’s device. “The longboats can take you to shore, but I don’t see any way up the cliff face from here. You might have to circle around the island to find a path. If you don’t find one, I don’t envy you a climb.”
He nodded. From afar, the thirty foot rise appeared both steep and lacking in paths, but distance could hide such things. After a quick breakfast, the mage would need to go see what the island held.
Romonus stood in the cabin peering out the forward window. It had been the lord that had convinced the captain to move the Carnivore in the night. The rain was lessening and waves were much lower, but enough of the storm remained that he had hoped to avoid detection from the Malaiy frigate.
Heading northwest, the captain assured him that the worst was over and that he could have them far enough at sea to avoid easy detection. He would have Themenor or one of his Kardorian air wizards watch them from the winds. It was one of his favorite skills that they knew. Being able to watch without being seen was a spell the man wished he could use.
If they found something interesting, the Carnivore would have to try and retrace their steps. He knew that they were up to something big if they were sending a rare, young man like Sebastian to sea. What it was he wasn’t sure, but Romonus didn’t want anyone, even his allies, to find some power or treasure that might be better held by his people.
Watching the sailors and his wizards as they returned to the deck, Lord Romonus continued to wait and see.
Chapter 11- Cutting the Way
The sound of waves lapping against sand and stone gently filled the air as Sebastian stepped foot on shore. Sheltered by the body of the island, the small harbor had a beach of soft sand mixed with mostly rounded pebbles though looking further along the beach he made out larger pieces of stone that resisted the waves. Jutting tan and brown crags sometimes vertical and others looking like small plateaus, were mostly near the northern end of the island. The color of the stone matched that of the low cliff before him.
With only two long boats serving the Sea Dragon, the mage was in the first launch beaching almost twenty people most of whom were his team. Voices speaking normally seemed soft as the waves set a gentle hum that needed to be spoken over for longer distances. The sun lit the scene in patches as the last of the clouds were driven to the east by a softening wind.
If not for the breeze, the air would almost have felt warm. They had traveled hundreds of miles over three days and much of that direction was towards the south, but they were still in a region dominated by the cold holding Southwall and the rest of the continent.
“It’s getting warmer,” Yara noted much the same as she stood with her jacket unbuttoned around the neck. It was a long brown coat so her opened collar let the yellow of her wizard robes shine in comparison. “Spring’s coming and our travel has brought us into warmer waters. In a few days, we might not even need jackets.” The last was said a bit wistfully. It had been a long winter as all winters in Southwall were.
Nodding, the mage looked to the others gathering their packs loaded only lightly with food and perhaps a little rope. The island wasn’t large, but the climb might keep them on top long enough that they would want lunch before they could return to the ship. If they couldn’t find an easy path to bring them up the stone face, rope would be a necessity if only for safety. Many could climb, but for those who couldn’t the rope could even help pull them up to the top.
Collin quickly walked past the wet sand and dropped to his knees to pick up two handfuls of sand that he allowed to sift away between his fingers. “Land!” he cried melodramatically as Nara rolled her eyes at the man she loved and was trying to remember why.
Laughing at the dramatic earth wizard, only Liam looked ready to join him. Looking a little peaked still, the water wizard added, “Gah, I still feel like I am moving.”
Sebastian could understand the last part. Despite the solid ground beneath him, the echoes of the moving deck still filtered through his head and legs after three days of sailing. “Maybe a little climbing will rid you of that in time to return to the ship for more sailing,” the mage replied evilly, but with a smile that hid the cruelty of his words. His friends knew a gentle ribbing when they heard it, but both men that had been most seasick looked at him unappreciatively.
Shaking his head, Collin added, “Take your time looking, Bas. I’m in no rush to return to the torture device.” Glancing across the water to the ship turned quickly into a glare for the wizard.
“Well, not everyone needs to go up top,” Sebastian noted as he began looking at the cliff wall hoping to find some sort of path. “You and Liam can search the lower part of the island to see if there is anything beyond what the compass tells me. It still points at the cliff, so I need to head up there, but perhaps there are more clues down below that might give us a hint as to what brought them here.”
The two wizards, standing now after Collin’s jesting, both nodded. Liam asked, “How do you want to split up the tasks?”
Frowning, the mage looked at Maura and her wizards. “If she can make the climb or I can find a path to the top, I assume that Maura will make me take her to see what the source of the compass point is. Until the long boats bring more of the crew here, we’re a bit limited in numbers. Collin, why don’t you take Nara and Frell to the south? Maybe Maura will allow Vewen to join you while Liam, Serrena and Olan can take Sergeant Kulvayr to the north. The others can join me climbing the cliff to search there.”
When offered the plan Maura looked unhappy with the idea of sending one of her personal guards away. “Vewen should join us as well,” the woman nearly pouted as she lifted her nose in disdain for the mage’s attempt to control the situation.
“We shouldn’t have anything to worry about for dangers,” Sebastian answered and countered, “but if we do, Vewen is primarily a water wizard and his main component is down here, not on top of a cliff. He can always join us after the groups make a circuit around the island ruling out any potential down here.”
“I want to go up there too,” Serrena complained as well. The redhead seemed to always wish to be joined at the mage’s hip, even though she knew that he and Yara were together. Where Yara wanted him for love, Serrena mostly seemed to want to learn more of his magic.
With a sympathetic smile, Yara replied, “I can go with Liam. That looks like a climb that I would rather avoid anyway.”
Looking triumphant, Serrena grinned and moved to the mage’s side before facing the cliff which made her smile falter with the obvious work that would entail to scale the face. Maura’s frown remained unabated as Sebastian stood strong on having the other water wizard remaining near the waves. With the teams arranged, Sebastian and his group spread out looking for the best way to scale the cliff.
“We could have simply split into two teams,” Maura complained in his ear again as the woman looked morosely at the stone wall before them. “One of the two will probably find a path up and save us the trouble of climbing this rock.”
Grimly, facing the wizard, Sebastian stated, “I didn’t ask you to come at all, Wizard Maura, but this is my expedition. You are here and can either be helpful or return to the Sea Dragon.”
Blinking at the man only half her age attempting to dress her down, the wizard in brown and black robes slowly recovered her composure and replied tightly, “I was sent by the council...”
“Who approved my mission and sending me as leader of it. Now quiet. Unless you see somewhere better to start, this should do.”
He faced the stone and could make out hand and footholds that he thought could work. To add to his chance of success, the mage added a spell, “Reflex.” Normally used for speed, the young man thought that the spell could add to his overall skill for climbing.
Leaping up to the first holds, Sebastian felt the stress on his back and arms as secondary feelings to the stone abrading his hands. He wished that he could wear gloves, but feared the loss of grip and feeling having the second skin covering his digits could be detrimenta
l.
Eyes searched for the next hold and the next. The battle mage now fought stone and gravity as he tried to set each hand while he shifted left and right looking for his next hold. He tried the same for his feet, but only halfway up the man found the best holds left his feet in the air as he leaned back to pull himself up on the uneven bowing stone. With the weight of his backpack adding to the weight, Sebastian swung out and pulled one arm from the wall at a time walking up the stone. Topping the raised portion, the mage was able to return to using his feet to take the pressure off his fingers and hands. He wondered if using his stone armor spell would have helped, but the man was already committed to his choices as another ten feet passed leaving him a little more than two body lengths from the top.
Grunting with the effort, another leap to a handhold just beyond his reach put him one step closer. A push with his feet propelled him to the next and Sebastian caught hold with his fingers bringing a hiss of pain as he scratched the skin against the rock. Another surge brought him even closer to the top. His foot slipped sending small stones down the wall bringing a small curse from the wizard below who was apparently caught in part of the flow. Not worrying over Maura, Sebastian recovered and shot upward to another hand hold.
A few minutes later, the mage finished pulling his body over the edge of the cliff onto ground covered lightly with grass and further back bushes and even small trees began to grow thickly. Turning to the view below, the ship looked tiny and Sebastian thought perhaps he had misjudged the true height of the climb. Even so, as he found a solid tree trunk to wrap his rope around, the mage figured the line would still be able to reach to ground below saving the others the risky free climb. Securing the knot and giving the rope several hard pulls to make sure that it would hold, he threw the line out and over the edge. Making a short arc, the rope unraveled cleanly and slowly fell through the air towards the beach below him.
Battle Mage: The Lost King (Tales of Alus) Page 12