Exiled

by J. R. Wagner

  James whispered, “Apotëket,” and the creatures directly in front of him moved aside slowly. The movement immediately drew Luno’s attention, who stared gape-jawed at James as he walked toward them. Roger’s leg, if it could be called a leg at this point, was torn to pieces. He was pale as a ghost from blood loss. James put his hand on Roger’s hip and said, “Tertiri zé Manukto tupasarri.”

  Roger, who had been too delirious to realize what was going on, refocused. His injured leg began healing itself rapidly. Luno looked from the healing leg to James and then back to the leg with an expression of disbelief. He began to speak, but James interrupted him.

  “We need to leave this place. The lights will only keep away some of the creatures. The ones it won’t are truly the ones we don’t want to meet. Roger, can you walk?” James asked. Roger hesitantly put his foot on the ground and slowly shifted his weight onto it. “Aye, Capin’,” he said as he took his first few steps, “b’lieve I can.”

  “Tertiri zé Manukto Svartbek ahlnãs,” James said, extending his hands.

  The leaves of the surrounding plants began to sway. Globules of water from the leaves began to combine and hover toward James.

  “Tertiri zé Manukto hilosaari.”

  The water glowed blue for a moment then back to clear. “Cup your hands and drink. The water is safe,” James said, sending the water directly in front of Roger who hesitantly cupped his hands. The water fell into them and he drank greedily tossing all doubt aside. Immediately, he was reenergized and his color returned. Not far away a low guttural growl broke the silence. Many of the smaller creatures ran off into the darkness beyond the light from James’s orbs.

  Quickly, the group retraced its steps past the circle of larger creatures, which were still stuck in some type of trance, and back toward the bamboo grove. They heard the growl again this time it came from beside them rather than behind. As they moved out of the jungle, James’s light orbs moved with them leaving darkness in their wake.

  The group reached the far edge of the bamboo forest and now only had a short stretch of jungle before the beach. Once again the growl interrupted the silence. The powerful bass sent tremors through their chests. Finally, the group stepped out onto the sand. As soon as Kilani, who took up the rear of the group, stepped out of the jungle, James turned and began moving down the beach toward the boat.

  When it struck him, James didn’t see it coming. A black shape lunged out of the jungle hitting him in the side. The force of the impact sent both him and his attacker hurtling through the air and into the water. The light orbs immediately fell dark. The weight of the creature was stunning. James felt as if a giant rock had dropped on top of him. Both he and the creature flailed in the water. The long claws released from his chest and back as they both submerged. James pushed for the surface, for air. Although he felt his head break the water and air rush into his lungs, the same blackness that had encircled him when the monster brought him under the water remained. He was disoriented. Not sure which way was land and which way would take him further out to sea.

  He heard two things as the water drained from his ears: the screams of his group coming from behind him and the sound of the creature breaking the surface of the water. This sound was much closer. James lifted a hand above the surface of the water.

  “Tertiri zé Manukto vinka.” Light orbs rose into the air from his palm. He immediately saw the midnight black skin of his attacker as it swam toward him. Its eyes glowed red from the reflecting light.

  The head of the creature looked very much like a big cat from his world. Rather than fur, the skin appeared to be almost rubber. James knew he had seconds before the creature was on him. “Inarjavai,” James said.

  His shield went up just before the creature’s giant paw took a swipe at him. James quickly began to swim toward the shore.

  The creature pursued. As soon as he reached a depth that allowed him to walk he cast another incantation. The water parted between him and the shore, allowing him to run at full speed. The parted water immediately crashed together behind him, preventing the creature from keeping pace.

  The moment he made landfall, his crew was at his side. “Stay back,” he said.

  The creature cautiously made its way onto the beach not taking its eyes off the group. It bellowed, revealing thousands of needle-like teeth inside its terrible maw. James turned his palms downward, saying an incantation as he did. A line of sand rose from the beach in a wall just in front of the creature. It jumped back but was met by another wall of sand behind it. It jumped upward in an attempt to come over the barrier and again was rejected by what was now a cage. The sand rippled as the grains danced along the barriers but held strong when the creature attacked. It let out a terrible roar as it fought to get out.

  “Let’s go! We don’t have much time,” James said.

  The group moved quickly down the beach. All but James gave the encaged creature a wide berth as they passed. James stopped in front of the cage and said “Apotëket.” It immediately stopped fighting and sat on its haunches like an obedient dog.

  As they continued toward the boat, the clouds covering the moon blew clear, again revealing the blood-red color. Both Roger and Luno let out gasps at the sight of it. Now much higher in the sky, the moon cast shadows from its intensity. They rowed back to the Queen Mary in silence. Luno must have more than his fair share of questions, James thought.

  Luno sat silently staring at James, who rowed. Once they reached the Queen Mary and all were safely aboard, William broke the

  silence. “A bleeding disaster, no?”

  “I think not,” Luno replied. “Think of all we have learned. I am curious as to your story, James and Kilani, and how you’ve come to your newfound abilities,” Luno said, his eyes boring into James.

  James retold the story of how they ended up in the cave. When he reached the part about the stone tower, Kilani, whose mind had been elsewhere, paid close attention.

  “As soon as I touched it, it was as if it woke a dormant part of my brain. I don’t know how, but I know this place. I know the language,” James said.

  “Anythin‘ ’bout a way home?” Roger asked.

  “No. Nothing.” James replied.

  “What else?” Luno asked.

  “There was a warning. It spoke of the islands in the South Cove.”

  Luno had a curious look on his face as he thought that through. “Anything else?” he asked.

  “More than I can recount in one sitting. Mostly about the animals and plants of the island,” James said.

  “South Cove,” Luno repeated, standing and walking to the crate that held his maps. He removed one scroll and unrolled it on the deck among the feet of the group.

  “Prey Island, just off the southern cape. The Resting Man to the east of that and . . . the black castle. It is now clear that one of these places is the key to our escape.”

  “We should head there immediately,” said James.

  “Immediately?” Roger said, incredulous. “Have ya not listened to yerself?”

  “The Never serves its own needs. It wants to keep us here forever. It has no interest in keeping us alive or safe. If we are ever to get off this bloody rock we must go there,” said James.

  “I agree, we should depart immediately,” Kilani said.

  Luno looked at the pair in disbelief. More often than not, others had to convince him to listen to reason, and he’d never known James to make rash decisions. Kilani was guided by a different force entirely, and Luno knew what was on her mind as she spoke her agreement.

  “And what of the third widow and the Severed Heart? asked Luno. “Have you learned anything of either?”

  James considered the question for a moment yet did not show his frustration. He wanted nothing more than to make for the southern islands, for the black castle.

  “The Severed Heart holds many useful plants. One of which may be used for transporting.”

  “Do you know which plant?” Kilani asked with sudden
interest.

  “Aye.”

  “James,” interrupted Luno, “what about travel through South Cove?”

  “What’s it matter? Ain’t no other way of gettin‘ ’ere ’cept by boat,” said William.

  “Not yet,” Kilani replied.

  “You tink of transporting?” William asked. “Eff ve find ze plant, no?”

  “What of the first law?” Roger asked.

  “The first law of magic states that one can only transport to a place they themselves have physically been before. Many have tried to break this law. Most end up going nowhere.

  Some disappeared never to return,” Luno reminded the group. “We’re arguing over the semantics of a thing we shouldn’t even be considering until we have the means to achieve it,” said Luno.

  “If we had the plant it would be one thing. It could take weeks or months or years even to find a single plant on an island the size of the Severed Heart. It will take us less than a full day to sail to South Cove,” said James, his hand in his satchel once again, fingers caressing the key.

  “We cannot afford to make rash decisions. We were given a warning, we should heed it,” said Luno.

  “Luno may be right,” Kilani replied, avoiding eye contact with James.

  And on the conversation went until just before the sun began to rise. They had decided two things. First, they would travel to the Severed Heart, where they would spend no more than one week searching for the plant. If, at the end of one week, they could not find this plant, they would sail around the western side of the main island and to the Resting Man to the east of South Cove.

  Despite his reservations about visiting any of the satellites on the southern side of the island, Luno had decided to go along with the agreement because it gave everyone time to reflect upon the rationality of James’s interpretation of what he was told. He’d hoped James would reconsider once he’d had a few days to think it over.

  “We’re agreed then,” Luno said excitedly. “We sail at dawn.”

  — 25 —

  Cetus

  September 1895, Scotland

  Ogilvy, Margaret, and Tabitha sat at the large wooden table by the fire. James paced in front of the fireplace, unable to relax.

  “I suppose I shall begin at . . . well, the beginning,” Ogilvy said, shifting in his seat. “I was sent to find your father by Akil. He believed, as you know, that you are the Anointed One prophesized by the Seer. Once I met him and gained his trust, I revealed our world to him and told him of the Seer’s decree. He agreed, after much convincing, to begin training. During one of our training recesses, Alvaro’s people attacked. They kidnapped me and left Margaret unconscious and injured. This was eleven years ago.

  “So you’re saying you’ve been held hostage for eleven years? You didn’t appear to be captive when we saw you at the council headquarters,” said James.

  “Please allow me to finish before your questions,” Ogilvy said. James nodded, yet frustration was clear in his expression. “I was taken to a place with which I was completely unfamiliar. Even now, I couldn’t tell you where they held us. If I had to guess, I’d say it was in the bowels of some ancient city.”

  “At first, they were civil. They asked questions about what I was up to. They asked why I was speaking to your father, James. They wanted to know why I was training him in our ways. How they knew this was happening is yet another mystery. I gave them answers, but nothing they wanted to hear. Akil and I had rehearsed in the event one of us was taken captive. Eventually they became impatient, and that is when the cordiality ceased.”

  “They then threatened me. I knew they wouldn’t kill me before getting as much information as possible, so I didn’t worry much at first. Soon, though, the situation became more serious.”

  Ogilvy stood from the bench and walked to the fireplace. For several moments he was lost in the dance of the hot coals.

  “On the third day they blindfolded me and walked me down a passage and into a room where they removed the blindfold. A man stood in the center of the room. It was too dark to see his face. He held out his hand and a memory orb expanded, engulfing the entire room. He began walking down a hallway, his back to me. He silently opened a door and stepped into a bedroom. There were two beds. Both were occupied. As I got closer, I realized my sons were in the beds. Despite the effort Margaret had made to hide them from Alvaro, he had found them. Alvaro turned and looked right at me as if I was standing in the same room and he grinned a terrible grin. The memory faded and again I was in the darkened room with the man.

  “He said he wanted to speak candidly to me. He said, ‘I believe you see, Mr. Ogilvy, the lengths Alvaro is willing to go in order to get what he wants.’”

  The man stepped forward out of the shadows, and I gasped. It was Alexander Vinokourov. He paused and looked at me with a sneer. He actually appeared to be enjoying himself.

  Broken, I asked what I must do to free them.

  Again, Ogilvy paused. James stood transfixed. In the few moments since Ogilvy had begun talking James had felt mistrust, pity, and admiration for the man who stood before him. He knew the bravery required for a man to admit that he had been beaten. He admired this. His father had constantly reminded him that bravery manifests itself in many ways. Standing up in a fight was but one. Admitting one’s own shortcomings was a form of bravery Stuart held in the highest regard and said was reserved for only the wisest of men. James noticed Tabitha was wiping her eyes.

  “Vinokourov and I struck a deal. He agreed not to harm my family and in exchange I agreed to become his guinea pig. I would allow his dark sorcerers to perform an experimental incantation on me. If it worked, he would get all the information he required. If it didn’t, I would wander about mindlessly for the rest of my days.”

  Ogilvy stood and paced in front of the fire. After a moment he spoke again. “Not even giving me a moment to grieve for the family I was about to lose, the guards marched me into a room full of cauldrons, vials, and glass. The stench was nearly unbearable. Vinokourov entered a moment after and said, ‘I’m told for this to work properly you must be completely willing to let it happen. If you are not, I can assure you of two things. First, you will lose your mind and second, your family will die terrible deaths. Now. Will you cooperate?’”

  “I repeated the primer incantation clearing my mind as Akil had taught me and scores of sorcerers before me. I tried to bury my subconscious deep within the recesses of my mind. My voice said, ‘I will.’ My mind was already gone—buried, hidden. I cannot recount what happened after.

  My next recollection was waking up in excruciating pain. My head felt as if someone had driven a dagger into it. I cried out, but I heard nothing. My eyes hurt, yet I saw nothing. All was black, then brilliant white, and then I was there, back in my body. I was me again. A blurred face stood over me. I could tell it was smiling at me. It whispered, and my vision became clear. It was Akil. He had come for me. I tried to speak but he quickly put a finger to his lips to silence me. I obeyed.”

  “I find it easier if you watch the remainder of this story yourself,” Ogilvy said, extending his palm. From it rose a small blue orb. It expanded, filling the room with the scene.

  Ogilvy unsteadily got to his feet. He and Akil were in a darkened cell lit only by the small pink orb floating over Akil’s shoulder. Akil motioned to Ogilvy to follow quietly as he moved beyond the doorway. They proceeded through corridor after corridor and down countless steep, narrow staircases until they finally reached water. Akil stepped quickly into the freezing darkness of the water, giving Ogilvy no choice but to follow or be left behind. His body convulsed from the cold as the water surrounded him. Unable to remain afloat, Ogilvy began to sink into the black depths. A hand reached down and lifted him back to the surface. Along with allowing him to breathe, Akil’s touch gave Ogilvy a renewed strength. They swam through darkness over impossible depths. The terror of the unknown was enough to keep Ogilvy beside Akil despite his desire to stop. A sound echoed in the d
istance. Akil froze, treading water and not making a sound. After a moment he nodded and continued. The scene faded.

  “Time passed. Minutes or hours, it was impossible to know. The only thing I could see was the pink light from his orb hovering just above him in the water,” Ogilvy said, bringing up a new orb.

  The pair had stopped swimming. Akil turned to Ogilvy. “Grasp my arm and whatever happens, whatever you see, do not release it,” he said, his first words since their journey began.

  Ogilvy wrapped his hand around Akil’s wrist, and Akil held Ogilvy’s wrist. Akil turned his body and began carving a circle through the water with his free hand. As his hand sliced through the water it left a trail of light until they were encircled in it. Immediately, they were surrounded by creatures. Their heads were each larger than a man’s torso, and their necks arched high beyond the reach of the light and back down into the water concealing what must have been behemoth-size bodies. The closest slowly opened its jaws and extended a tubular tongue toward the pair. The moment it breached the circle of light it recoiled in pain. All the creatures let out horrible shrieks and lunged at the men. Without warning the pair began falling through the water at great speed through a tube of light. A moment later they surfaced. They were outside. Free.

  Despite the overcast weather, the men squinted, allowing their eyes to adjust to the brightness. Sheer cliffs broke the rolling waves not far from where the men floated. Akil looked at Ogilvy and said politely, “David, you may release my arm now.” Ogilvy looked at Akil’s hand, which had turned white from lack of blood, and released his grip. Akil began to swim toward a low rock formation that stretched out into the sea from the cliffs. Ogilvy followed. They scrambled up onto the rocks and walked a short distance through a narrow natural archway that opened up to a set of steps that had been hewn in the stone centuries ago. Moored at the bottom of the steps was a small sailboat. With the agility of a much younger man, Akil made his way to the boat and Ogilvy followed. Their journey on the water was not at an end.