The other mermaids giggled.
Harran staggered drunkenly to his quarters, dragging his drenched towel behind him.
Not long afterward the ship pulled expertly into port and the companions prepared to disembark.
Before walking down the plank to the dock, Kazin turned Zylor into a human warrior again. The amulet around the warrior’s neck shimmered faintly to indicate the spell’s success. Zylor was about to remove it and give it back to the mermaid but Shawna stopped him.
“Keep it,” she said. “I have a feeling you’ll be needing it more than I.”
“I have no use for magical items—,” began Zylor.
“Perhaps not,” said Shawna. “But Kazin’s magical strength will be needed in the days ahead. It isn’t easy for anyone to cast a mirage spell for long periods of time.”
Zylor considered her words. “Perhaps you are right. I will use it wisely.”
Shawna smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Olag came on deck to see them off.
“Why don’t you come with us?” asked Kazin. “You’re welcome to join us.”
Olag hissed. “Live among humans? Don’t be absurd.” Then he added, “Not that you guys are that bad, really.” He shook Kazin’s hand. The skink warrior hissed again. “Shaking hands with a mage—and a human one at that! I must be losing my mind!”
Despite his open revulsion, he shook hands with them all.
“What are you going to do now?” asked Sherman. “Are you going to pick our doubles up at the Haunted Shoals?”
“No,” said Olag. “My double is going to do that part. Can’t interfere, remember? I’m done with the oracles for the time being. I’m going home for a change. It’s been awhile.”
“How about you mermaids?” asked Kazin. “Are you going home too?”
“Yes,” said Shawna. “As soon as we’re out a ways, we’ll jump into the water and head home. The ship will navigate itself.”
“A stink warrior isn’t much company,” said another mermaid.
Shawna sighed. “It’s not going to be easy to convince the other mermaids to let the skink warriors alone, but I’ll give it a try.” She smiled uncertainly at Olag, who stared back at her in shock with his frog-like eyes. Up until now he didn’t believe she would take his story at face value. Was there a hint of reason there, he wondered? He blinked and started blindly toward the captain’s quarters.
“One moment, Olag!” called Milena. She caught up with the skink warrior and spoke quietly and earnestly with him for a moment. She handed the skink something and closed his claws around it. Still in a daze, he nodded and then entered his quarters, closing the door softly behind him.
“What was that all about?” asked Kazin when the druid had returned.
“Oh, nothing,” said Milena with a twinkle in her eye.
The companions disembarked with shouted farewells and goodbyes as the magical ship pulled out of the harbour and re-entered North Lake.
Kazin leaned on Sherman as they watched the ship sail away. Within moments it was lost in the mist.
“Strange ship, that one,” said a familiar voice behind them. “You know them?”
Kazin’s group spun around.
“Rubin!” exclaimed Kazin. “It’s good to see you again!” He grabbed the sailor’s hand and shook it warmly.
Rubin looked confused. “It’s only been two days—.”
“Is your offer to book passengers still open?” interjected Kazin quickly, eager to steer the conversation away from his unusual response upon seeing the burly sailor. Of course it was only two days since the sailor had seen them!
“Certainly,” answered Rubin awkwardly. He was looking at Kazin’s splinted leg. “Don’t tell me you tripped again!”
“It’s a long story,” sighed Kazin. “I’ll tell you all about it when we’re underway. Even then you probably wouldn’t believe it.”
They made their way down the pier to where the Lady of the Sea was docked and boarded her to make arrangements with Captain Durango.
The Lady of the Sea pulled out of port the following morning, her graceful lines somehow majestic in the ceaseless fog. Sherman, restless from the previous night, stood resolutely on deck, leaning on the aft rails with his head in his hands as the ship glided gracefully downstream and vanished quietly in the morning stillness.
One cloaked and hooded figure on the far bank scowled. He instantly recognized the figure at the stern of the Lady of the Sea, even through the thick fog. So they had tried to trick him, eh? Well, he was not far behind now. All he had to do was wait for that traitorous barge operator to come back over in a few hours. A few hours was nothing. The thugs he had hired this time had more backbone than the previous ones. He merely had to spend a day to hire a few more men to seize control of a ship and follow after the Lady of the Sea. The Guardian and his group could run, but they couldn’t hide!
They travelled peacefully for the next three days, sailing rapidly with the wind and current. Rubin told them they were making extremely good time. They would pass Rimmet the following morning.
Kazin recalled Max’s amazement at the ship’s incredible speed. It was good to think of his dead friend once again. He had been so busy lately that he had pushed those memories from his mind. As he sat on deck nursing his leg, he was reminded once again of his own mortality. He marvelled at the courage of his companions in the past few weeks. They had all endured a lot. His own contributions seemed insufficient, yet he knew they respected his abilities as well. In fact, they were all there in part because of him—if for their own reasons.
He watched Rubin manning the helm. The bald sailor had become a close member of the group in the past few days, and they confided in him as though he were one of them all along. They described the events that had brought them together and Rubin listened intently, interested in their stories and always willing to listen when concerns were brought up. He even accepted Harran’s challenge to several games of dice. He was a rock of confidence in the midst of chaos. Even his fellow sailors saw this in him.
Captain Durango was gruff and harsh in his commands, even when giving them to Rubin, but now Kazin sensed something he hadn’t noticed before. He hadn’t noticed because he hadn’t looked. The captain was genuinely concerned for his crew. Even when giving orders and shouting commands, he was egging them on, giving them positive comments, patting them on the back. The crew never complained. They coordinated efforts, working quietly and efficiently.
It was this efficiency that saved them on the fourth day, just hours after they had passed Rimmet and the Simal-Elgar junction. The sun was nearing its zenith and Kazin was below when it began.
“Ship astern!” cried a sailor from the crow’s nest.
Rubin whistled. “First time the Lady of the Sea been caught up to from behind!” He steered the ship to one side to allow the other ship room to pass.
The other ship neared but instead of going around, it headed straight for them.
Captain Durango squinted into the western horizon, chewing his pipe vigorously. “What’s the matter with them? Can’t they see us?”
Zylor, who stood nearby, pointed. “I think they’re coming at us on purpose!”
Captain Durango glanced at the good-looking warrior. “What?! Are ye sure?”
Zylor nodded. “There’s a mage standing on their bow. He’s pointing at us and waving to his sailors. I think they plan to attack!”
Captain Durango swore. “Arm yourselves, men! We’re under attack!”
Within minutes the other ship closed the gap, revealing a large group of rough looking sailors holding various glinting weapons. A cloaked and hooded figure in their midst raised his hands and unleashed a bolt of lightning. The bolt struck low on the back end of the Lady of the Sea. The resulting shock knocked some of the sailors from their feet.
/> “I’ve lost helm control!” shouted Rubin, frantically spinning the wheel. “The rudder’s damaged!”
“Brace for impact!” cried Captain Durango.
Moments later the enemy ship rammed into the side of the Lady of the Sea. The ship splintered under the impact and rocked violently.
Captain Durango lost his footing and tumbled precariously over the edge of the ship. He never had a chance to fall, however, as a large hand grabbed him by his tunic and hauled him back to safety. During his brief moment over the side, Captain Durango saw a reflection in the water that couldn’t have been accurate. Hauling him to safety was an enormous figure with the horns of a minotaur. The captain spun on his rescuer but was greeted by the good-looking warrior. He shook his head in bewilderment.
Meanwhile, several enemy sailors had jumped on deck and were grappling with Durango’s men.
Zylor put the captain down and bounded into the fray to join Sherman and Harran, who were already doing their part to thrust the enemy back. After striking down the first sailor, Zylor returned to his original image. The sight of a minotaur caused cries of alarm on both sides. After seeing which side the minotaur was on, Durango’s sailors cheered and surged ahead with renewed energy. The tide was turning.
Milena was not far away, doing what she could to block the magical attacks of the enemy mage. It seemed the mage was concentrating his attacks on Sherman. Every time he sent a lightning bolt at the warrior, Milena’s shield would deflect it harmlessly. He would then cast his shield eating spell and Milena would lose her shield. Fortunately, each time the mage cast another lightning bolt spell, Milena would already have another shield in place.
This worked effectively until the mage decided to cast his lightning bolt at the druid instead. His aim was slightly off and grazed the druid’s shoulder. Milena cried out in pain and immediately lost her shield protecting Sherman. The mage grinned at his success and prepared to fire at the unprotected warrior. Sherman was too busy fighting the other sailors to notice.
Suddenly a lightning bolt struck the enemy mage in the arm. The mage spun wildly, releasing his lightning bolt into his own men. Leaning on an open hatch door was Kazin, a bloody patch visible on his forehead.
Suddenly the enemy ship broke free, the current pulling the ships apart. The remaining enemy sailors bounded for their ship as it tore free. Within moments the battle was over, the enemy ship floating downstream and the Lady of the Sea listing to port.
“Get below and man the bilges!” commanded Captain Durango. “Find the leaks and seal ‘em off! Raise the sails to steer the ship forward! Let’s go!”
The sailors who could still manage ran to obey. Those who could not were huddled in a group around the druid. Milena healed one sailor after another, ignoring her own wound.
Kazin dragged himself over to help the druid.
Milena glanced at Kazin. “You were just in time. That mage wanted Sherman in a bad way.”
Kazin nodded. “I’d have come sooner, but every time I was about to come out on deck, there was another bump and I fell down again.” He touched his forehead and winced. “It just isn’t my day.”
There was a momentary lurch and the ship righted itself.
“They must have repaired the leak,” commented a sailor.
Several of the sailors who were healed got up and went to work on the ship.
Durango appeared from below and spoke with Rubin. “The leaks are stopped and the bilges are removing the water from the hold, but the rudder’s still out of commission. We’ll have to run her aground and do the repairs that way. Any suggestions?”
Rubin tilted his head and rubbed his chin. “The junction to the Silver River is comin’ up. The south half is a sandy, boggy area. If we steer her in there, we’ll come to a soft stop with no damage.”
Durango frowned. “It’ll be a soft stop, sure enough, but we’ll never break free once the repairs are finished.”
“What if we go in with the water still in the hold?” asked Rubin. “When we’re done with the repairs, we’ll pump the hold and the ship will rise above the bottom!”
Durango slapped Rubin on the back. “Clever idea, lad! The current will push us further down the Elgar and we can turn back and sail into the Silver River with our steering intact! You go below and give the orders. I’ve got to talk to our passengers.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Rubin.
Captain Durango came over to Kazin and Milena. “My thanks to you and your people for your help,” he began. He looked over at his injured crew sprawled on the deck. “Your healing is greatly appreciated as well.”
“Not at all, captain,” said Kazin. “I’m afraid it’s our fault this happened in the first place. Apparently someone has been after Sherman right from the first. We should have warned you of this before we booked passage.”
“Well, what’s done is done,” said Durango, “but one thing I’d like to know, Kazin, is why you brought a minotaur on board. We’re at war with that race. If it wasn’t for the fact that he fought on our side—and saved my life to boot—I would have had him killed and thrown overboard!”
Kazin nodded. “It’s for that very reason that we disguised him. You see, he’s with us, and even though we trust him, we can’t expect others to do the same. Would you have let us come along had you known who he was?”
“Not unless he was placed shackled and chained in the brig,” admitted Durango.
“You’re next,” interrupted Milena, addressing Kazin. She held her hand over the mage’s forehead and chanted her spell. The wound healed over almost instantaneously. “I might as well check your leg,” said Milena, gently pulling Kazin’s leg toward her.
“In an hour or so the ship will run aground so we can further repairs,” continued Durango. “We are steerin’ using our sails, so it’ll probably be a rough landin’. I suggest everyone goes below before we attempt the landin’.”
There were murmurs of ‘Aye, captain’ among the sailors on the deck.
“I hope we don’t run into that other ship in the meantime,” commented one sailor.
“Don’t be concerned with them,” said Durango. “They’ve had their asses kicked by the best. They won’t be back any time soon.”
Several of the sailors laughed at the Captain’s remark.
Captain Durango nodded in satisfaction and put his empty pipe in his mouth. Chewing abstractedly, he turned and went below.
“You’re healing fast,” said Milena. “By the time the ship does the landing, you can remove the splint. Your leg is almost as good as new.”
Kazin gaped. “But it’s only been a few days!”
“The break was clean,” explained Milena. “With my stronger healing power, it didn’t take long to mend.”
“You mean I’ve been crawling around when I could have been walking?” asked Kazin.
Milena reddened. “I didn’t want you to aggravate the injury until I was sure it was healing properly.”
Kazin groaned and punched the druid playfully in the shoulder.
“Ow!” cried Milena.
“Oops!” said Kazin. “I guess you should heal yourself now.”
Milena sighed in mock bitterness. “You’re a walking catastrophe, Kazin.”
Kazin caught the twinkle in her eyes.
Chapter 39
The clearing was quiet and calm as Kazin stoked the fire. The others slept peacefully not far away, still close enough to receive the fire’s warmth. The summer night was unusually cool. Milena had finally retired for the night after chatting with the mage about their task concerning the orb and Kazin’s quest for the Book of Prophesy. She had sounded glad that it was almost over with.
Kazin sat back and reviewed the afternoon’s events. After successfully running the ship aground, the companions borrowed a long boat and made their way to
the south shore. With evening’s shadows already moving in, they made their way along the Silver River for the next few hours, intent on making the most of their traveling time. Kazin was amazed at his leg’s quick recovery and was eager to try it out, pushing himself and his companions along at a brisk pace.
Now they were retired for the night, and Kazin had chosen first watch. Perhaps his excess energy was a result of Milena’s healing magic. He wasn’t sure.
A twig snapped sharply behind him and he turned, alarmed. Did he just catch sight of something white? He cast a warding spell on the slumbering companions and rose quietly, scanning the bush. There it was again. Something white was among the trees. He recalled a similar event several weeks ago. Was this the same thing? He started forward into the darkness quietly.
The white thing reappeared several times, prodding him onward. After several long minutes of this, Kazin heard something that sounded like a cry. It came from off to his right. A few steps further took him to a small clearing glowing orange with firelight.
He peered through the bushes surrounding the campsite. Four short, shadowy forms stood around a large fire with a gigantic pot hanging from a tripod immediately above it. The figures shuffled around the pot, mumbling words Kazin could not distinguish. One figure moved away, revealing the reflected face of another one directly across the fire from it. It was a bunch of goblins! The one whose face was revealed raised a stick and jammed it into the pot.
A figure in the pot lurched and cried out, pushing itself up and away from the stick. Judging by the long, golden hair and the small, pointed ears, the figure was an elf maiden. She was in trouble!
Kazin wasted no time. He stepped boldly into the clearing and blasted two of the goblins with fireballs. They shrieked in agony and raced off into the safety of the woods. The goblin with the stick threw it at the mage but missed. Kazin cast a lightning bolt at the creature and struck it in the arm. It screamed and ran, howling after his friends. The fourth goblin was determined not to let itself be victimized by magic. It picked up a nearby spear and came at Kazin.
Kazin had no time to cast another spell so he brought his staff up to fend off the goblin’s blow. He threw the goblin off balance and cast a new spell at his adversary. Suddenly the goblin’s spear turned into a snake and coiled around to look at who was holding it. With a shriek of fright, the goblin dropped the snake and fled into the woods after the others. The snake turned back into a spear upon hitting the ground.
Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 37