“Things are not going well,” Dariana explains, her white eyes fluttering open. She reaches under her pillow and extracts a waterskin, the bland liquid helping her sore throat. “I was tracking Yola, but there was a backlash a few hours ago. Something is going on between her and whoever is trapped with her. To give me even more of a headache, the other Dariana is having trouble in Gaia. She lost Luke and the Saris keep creating decoys that she’s falling for. Even worse, every time she captures a few of the dolls, a pack of them show up to break their friends out. I talked with the other me and told her to get Delvin and Timoran, but she says there are problems with that too. All I know is that Catarina and Kira Grasdon are trying to get to those two without causing a scene. Personally, I think they’re ignoring the boys because Sari is such a handful.”
“You are too hard on yourself,” Zaria says, fighting the temptation to clean the room. She is not sure if that would break the Law of Influence, but she knows too many of her enemies would jump at the slightest opportunity to seal her. “I have come with a warning about what is waiting for you. The gods were hesitant to tell you about this little matter because they did not know the severity of the situation. Now they believe that sending you in blind would be a mistake. Since the problem involves two goddesses, we’re allowed to approach you. Of course, I demanded that it be me.”
“Do you think you’d be able to kill my father if you were in my position?”
The sore champion groans as she crawls out of bed and lets her blunt question hang in the stale air. She grumbles about her decision to not bring an extra pair of clothes, all of her gear having been left with the original. Everything smells like sweat, cheap ale, and saltwater, which forces Dariana to put on her original garments that feel stiff from being worn for so long. The scent of fresh pine fills her nose as it wafts off the softening fabric. She faces the goddess who is staring at the porthole and toying with a lock of crimson hair, oblivious to whatever is going on in the room.
“I’m sorry for my bluntness,” Dariana says, kneeling before her mother and taking her hands. She sighs when she sees a flicker of pain in the goddess’s eyes. “I was asked that question and have been pondering it ever since. Even though I’m destined to fight my father, I don’t know if I’m capable of delivering the final blow. For all that he’s done, he is still my blood and he has shown mercy on me many times.”
“The history between myself and Ar . . . Baron Kernaghan is complicated,” Zaria carefully admits as a few of her mental barriers begin to crumble. She rubs her arms and extends the short sleeves of her dress to her wrists even though it is warm within the ship. “I can understand why you would be confused. Your father can be very kind and compassionate when it works to his advantage. Nothing like your half-brother, which makes me think Stephen takes more after his horrible mother. I am sorry, but I do not know how to answer your question. If I were in your shoes and retained my shared past with Baron Kernaghan, I would most certainly have some hesitations at the pivotal moment.”
Dariana looks into her mother’s eyes, searching them for a flicker of insight. “Even though he took you through force and manipulation?”
“One day, I will tell you the whole story,” the Purity Goddess promises, averting her gaze and wiping a few tears from her cheeks. With a shuddering breath, she regains her composure and pushes the looming memories from her mind. “The situation with Yola Biggs involves Aeriel the Insanity Goddess. She is a minor deity who has wanted the title of Chaos Goddess since she appeared on Ambervale about seven hundred years ago. We are not sure where she came from, but she claims to have been born to replace Yola. Whether this is true or not is beside the point. It is a belief that has caused her to initiate a battle that has trapped both of them beneath the ocean.”
Dariana takes another long sip of water, her powers altering her mind to make her think it tastes sweet instead of leathery. “So I’ll have to help Yola against Aeriel. That should work to my advantage. Delvin once told me that helping an enemy can create allies or at least earn you a favor. Yola will be more agreeable to my request for help if I defend her. Though I have no idea how I can survive against a pair of battling goddesses.”
“You are more powerful than you realize, my daughter,” Zaria states. The chair moves out from under her and she drifts to the wall, part of her attention drawn to the distant horizon. “This is not something that you should challenge at half strength. For now, the goddesses are physically contained, but that will not last much longer.”
“Then I’ll call back my other self and leave the other champions to Catarina and Kira.”
Dariana folds her legs beneath her and lets her arms hang loose, her hands lying palms up on the floor. The telepath’s psyche drifts into the mental ether and follows the thin strand that connects her to the other half of her mind. She is a few miles from the ship when her world becomes twisted and chaotic. Waves of primal energy knock her around before one powerful blow nearly rips her completely off the tether. Unable to continue forward and terrified at the prospect of being cast adrift in the astral plane, Dariana plunges back into the newer body. She gasps for air and clutches her chest as her heart beats loud enough for it to drown out the noise of the sailors running above deck.
“There’s too much raw power out there,” she whispers, touching her ears to find that they are bleeding. “We must be close to Yola and Aeriel. The waves of aura and whatever emotions they’re feeling have made it too dangerous to contact my other self. I have to wait for her to finish in Gaia and snap back to me. I’ll have to continue on and fight smart. If I can find a place to safely hold my position then I will do that. Do you have any advice, mom?”
“I am not permitted to do such a thing,” Zaria replies as her body fades into a cloud of diamond mist. Like a beautiful ghost, she floats to her daughter and delivers a hug with wispy arms. “I wish you luck. Please do not be reckless.”
The goddess disperses, leaving a soothing warmth on Dariana’s skin. The champion feels drowsy and her eyes begin to close until the ship is rocked by something hitting the hull. The crew is screaming on the top deck and she can hear Captain Furytide screaming orders, the ring of steel weapons leaving scabbards rolling across the ship. Another impact shakes the Ghost Pegasus and the sound of cracking wood sends a chill down the woman’s spine. Not bothering with her boots, Dariana races out of the room and sprints for the stairs as the ship is battered on both sides by the mysterious assailants.
*****
Harpoons and arrows fly across the deck as the crew battles strange creatures that have risen from the depths. Bounding over the entire ship, a school of skeletal fish leap out of the ocean and spit their needle-like teeth at the sailors. The projectiles burn with acid, which is potent enough to eat through the deck even after they have been removed from living flesh. Hovering above the crow’s nest is an inky cloud with forked tentacles that violently whip at the masts and sails. Most of the slimy limbs pass harmlessly through the ship, but one or two strike to cause severe damage to the rigging. Circling the vessel are large forms with two dorsal fins and wide heads that end in hardened spikes. The altered sharks slam into the hull of the Ghost Pegasus, their metal tails firing lightning into the sky with every blow. The only time they stop their barrage is when a sailor or an injured creature falls into the churning waves. With terrifying speed and ferocity, the predators tear the splashing meal apart and make the surrounding sea red with blood.
“We’re dead in the water!” Claria shouts as she defends the helm from a spiny creature. Her cutlass slices off one of its muscular arms and she grabs the remaining limb to flip it back into the ocean. “I hope your friends eat you!”
“How many have you lost?” Dariana asks as she jumps to the helm and balances on the railing. She sees the skeletal fish leap out of the water and scrambles their minds to prevent them from attacking. “If you want to have your men go below decks while I handle this, I’ll understand. This is my problem. I made an oath to pro
tect you and your crew.”
“Forget your oath. We both know such things are only for show. Besides, we’ve lost nine men and we’ll be damned if we let a stranger protect our ship while we hide,” the captain replies while drawing a dagger from her bandolier. She throws the weapon into the bulbous eye of a spider-like beast that is crawling over the railing. “That flying thing is the biggest threat. It’ll take days to repair the damage and continue on our way. That’s if we survive this in the first place.”
“So this is the end of our journey together.”
Claria stares at the silver-haired woman, her eyes filled with rage. “Don’t you dare abandon my ship right now! My men and I might be in this fight, but you’re still right that it’s your problem.”
Dariana’s attention is stolen by the sight of a dwarf about to go overboard. She watches as he stabs the yellow and blue creature in front of him, but its death thrashes knock him off balance. Not waiting another second, she leaps over the deck and rushes through the battle to catch the sailor by his ebony beard. One of the sharks erupts from the ocean, but the dwarf is hauled out of danger before the toothy mouth can catch him. Seeing an opening, Dariana punches the beast with enough force to put her fist through its soft stomach. Shaking the blue blood from her hand, she watches it fall back to its brethren who rush to devour the dying creature.
“My apologies to you and your beard,” the telepath says with a small bow. She backhands a pouncing man made out of coral, turning the monster into powder. “You should be proud that it is strong enough to not come off in my hand.”
“This isn’t the time or place for chitchat,” the gruff sailor states before charging back into the fray.
With so many enemies, Dariana is unsure what she should attack first. She makes her decision when one of the top yards crashes to the deck and injures several sailors. Jumping into the rigging, she is swiftly attacked by the inky cloud creature’s tentacles. Its mind is a jumble of gibberish, so it is impossible for her to tell the difference between the real limbs and the illusionary decoys. Bounding from one perch to another, Dariana nimbly dodges every possible threat while making her way to the battered crow’s nest. Sensing danger, the creature floats higher and wraps its tentacles around its fluffy body. With an ear-wrenching crunch, the forked limbs harden to create a dark red shell like that of a crab. The telepath makes a powerful jump that rocks the Ghost Pegasus and she tries to shatter the monster’s shield with an elbow strike to one of the faint seams. Her attack does nothing except make her arm ache, so she kicks off the beast and lands back in the crow’s nest.
“Tough, but not impossible. I’ll be right back,” the champion says with a wide grin.
Dariana dives off the main mast and aims for the churning water, the silhouettes of the hungry sharks gathering below her. Increasing her muscles, she lands with a punch that creates a towering geyser and brings the Ghost Pegasus dangerously close to tipping over. The sailors continue fending off the beasts, but all of them are keeping an eye on the ocean. Claria beheads and guts a sword-wielding fish creature, giving herself an open path to the railing. She jumps onto the slick wood and holds onto the rigging, her eyes squinting to locate any sign of the other woman. The waves are filled with blood and several of the altered sharks are floating belly up, their only movements being caused by the eerily gentle tides.
A few silent seconds pass before Dariana bursts from the water, lands on the railing, and leaps back to the crow’s nest. In her hands is the biggest of the sharks, the predator dotted with bleeding holes left by the woman’s punches and kicks. The tentacle creature tries to fly for the clouds, but it is not fast enough to escape the champion. Dariana jumps off the Ghost Pegasus with enough force to crack the mast and wields the shark like an oddly shaped pick-axe. Its pointed head pierces the hard shell and impales the soft body inside. Not wanting the corpses to land on any of the sailors, Dariana flips around the shark and kicks it with both legs. The dead creatures crash into the distant ocean while the champion falls into the rigging, the ropes barely suspending her over the continuing battle.
“Let’s not let our guest do all the work!” Claria shouts while raising her cutlass over her head.
No longer scared of being eaten if they fall overboard, the sailors shout in agreement and charge the remaining beasts with renewed vigor. A net is thrown out to catch the skeletal fish and they are battered against the deck by an enraged dwarf. With the sharks and tentacle cloud defeated, the battle is finished within several minutes and there are no other casualties on the side of the sailors. A cheer of victory erupts from the crew, but the sound dies down when they see the state of the Ghost Pegasus. Even with their well-stocked supplies, their precious ship will not be sailing for a long time.
“Are you going to stay in there all day?” Captain Furytide asks as she climbs to Dariana. All she gets from the silver-haired woman is a look of utter exhaustion. “You overdid it, didn’t you? I don’t understand your powers, but I’m guessing a mortal body can only use them for so long before it can barely function.”
“I’m not even at full strength,” Dariana admits while weakly holding onto the ropes. With Claria’s help, she slips out of the rigging and drops to the deck. “I’m sorry about the trouble I brought to your ship and crew. I’ll give you all that I have to make up for this.”
“I doubt you have enough right now, so we’ll settle our accounts when we return to the docks,” the orc says as she heads for the helm. She looks out over her ship and makes a quick assessment of the damage. “It could have been worse, but I haven’t seen the hull yet. The old girl seems to be listing a little to the right. You five go check it out! Do a patch and pump if you think it will work. It looks like we’re stuck for a while, Dariana. Any idea what you’re going to do?”
The champion yawns and leans on the dented railing. “I have to keep moving. A few hours of meditation will be enough to recover my energy. Though I have no idea what to do without a ship.”
“I’m wondering the same thing,” Claria admits while she watches her crew begin the repairs. With a sigh of resignation, she pulls a brown and green shell from her pocket and rolls it in her palm. “There’s something I can do to help you. It’s a deal I have with a special friend who I can summon relatively quickly. He’s the reason you don’t see any lifeboats on the Ghost Pegasus. All I ask is that you keep this a secret.”
“I promise, but why would you share this with me?”
“Because you defended my ship and the ocean will be a safer place if you succeed.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
“You still owe me for the damages, so friends might be pushing it.”
Claria blows into the shell and throws it into the ocean, a spark of magic drifting along with the ripple. Knowing it will take a few hours to get a response, she leaves Dariana to meditate at the helm. The captain watches the medic tending to the wounded, who are trying to be useful by handing out waterskins and rations to those healthy enough to work. Wanting to get her hands dirty, Claria helps her men clear the deck by piling the pieces in the middle and repairing whatever is salvageable. The chunks that are too damaged to be of use are marked with the Ghost Pegasus symbol and lowered into the ocean where they drift in blind search of help. High above, a trio of halflings fix the rigging and work on bolting metal patches to the cracked sections of the main mast. The work continues until the sun is at its peak and the uncomfortable heat forces the sailors to rest.
Even Claria finds herself yawning and sprawled in the shade of the remaining sail by the midafternoon. She is falling asleep when the sound of something wet striking the deck makes her draw her cutlass. A laugh of genuine relief bursts from her throat when she sees the black-haired merman using the railing to stay upright. Being of the deep sea species, he has brown scales that glisten in the sunlight and a longer dorsal fin. His tail is adorned with seaweed and colorful stones that clack on the wood whenever he moves. There are scars from many fights covering his
dark-skinned torso and arms, the old injuries not taking away from his beauty.
“You’ve looked worse, Furytide,” the merman says with a charming grin. His front teeth are sharp like that of a shark, but his molars are flat to crush seaweed and crack oysters. “I hope this is a simple request. Things are really bad under the waves. You wouldn’t believe what is going on down there. I’ll tell you anyway because I love your expression of confusion. A pair of goddesses got trapped on the sea floor and they’re brawling.”
“I know, which is why I’m out here, Yarly,” Claria replies, smirking at the merman’s attempt at a pout. “There’s a woman resting at the helm and she’s been told to free the goddesses. She needs one of them to save her friends. Time is of the essence and, obviously, my ship is too damaged to finish the journey. I was hoping you’d take her the rest of the way.”
“You know I don’t like escorting strangers. Besides, how can a mortal stop two goddesses?”
“I am the daughter of Zaria, Goddess of Purity, and a champion of Gabriel the Destiny God,” Dariana declares as she approaches the merman. She kneels next to Claria and strokes the orc’s face, her touch easing the captain’s fatigue. “Thank you for all of your help. I promise to repay you when I return to Gaia. There’s a large merchant ship nearby and I let her crew know your location. They feel compelled to help get you safely back to the docks. I’ve also told them about a nearby school of tuna that can be caught for food.”
“You’re full of surprises,” Claria admits, dragging herself to her feet. “Still, I’ll be happy to get rid of you. That is unless Yarly is too much of a pompous coward to lend a hand.”
The Merchant of Nevra Coil (Legends of Windemere Book 8) Page 26