by M. M. Perry
“Maybe?”
“Perhaps, then, if that makes you feel better.”
“Perhaps isn’t better than maybe.”
“It’s a little better than maybe.”
“No. Very likely is better than maybe. Perhaps is maybe adjacent.”
“Stop arguing,” Lasha hissed.
“We aren’t really arguing exactly,” Cass began when Lasha put her hand up to halt Cass.
“Something is happening. I feel it,” Lasha said.
Cass then felt the hair on her arm stand on end, startled stiff by the unmistakable feeling of a strong entity arriving. The elves in the trees around them stirred like leaves rustling in the wind. In a strange way, Cass was relieved. With Oshia arriving now, there would be no questions about who would go or who would stay. And she would make sure to end the torment one way or the other.
When the forest in front of them burst into flame, the whole group jumped back in shock. It was certainly not the way they expected any god to arrive. The elves in the center of the blast were gone. There was no lingering ash or smoke at the blast’s heart—they were simply gone. The elves that had been near but not within the cone of fire burned and screamed in agony. The small creatures lit up the forest, macabre torches that bounced and lurched away into the wood. Not all the elves left. Many others charged at that moment, perhaps believing the humans in the clearing were attacking them. They came toward the group in a furious wave, some clutching tiny, rudimentary knives and other items that Cass could only vaguely describe as weaponry. A second blast took the elves from the side, wiping most of the charging force away. Those that were left seemed to break from their stupor. Their eyes cleared of their blankness and they looked around, horrified to find elves burning in every direction.
After a moment’s hesitation, the elves that remained uninjured bolted into the woods, unwilling to give their lives for their brethren, and clearly no longer under the spell of Oshia’s bidding. Cass looked up at the stars and saw them blur and swirl around. She rubbed her eyes, wondering what was happening to the sky before it seemed to fall. She ducked and covered her head instinctively, though quickly realized the futility of using her arms to stop the sky from falling on her and killing her.
She stood back up as air whooshed over her head, and a patch of night sky landed in the clearing before her. Once she knew what she was looking at, the dragon was easier to see. A second dragon landed, this one carrying her friend.
“Anya!”
“I am so glad to see you all,” Anya said, and she scrambled off the dragon and rushed to embrace Cass. “How can a handful of days seem like so very long? I’ve spent my life travelling and in isolating circumstances, but this, I thought I was going crazy up in the mountains waiting for something to happen.”
“We are so glad to see you, too, though for slightly different reasons,” Cass said releasing Anya.
“Yes, the Ambassador has said. Oshia is coming. You’re lucky. The first battle has been long. He probably lingered to see the outcome.”
“The battle… has been long? The air changed only earlier today,” Cass said.
“When beings of such power fight, the battles are short bursts of mass destruction. Then a period of retreat. So it has been in the past. Today is different,” the Ambassador said.
“It… speaks!” Lasha gasped.
“You did not aid them, I take it,” Cass continued.
“It was never our intention to do so. We are not soldiers ordered to the battles of others. We are caretakers of this world. It would not help this world for us to fight in that war. We have agreed to help bring balance back to the world. That was our agreement with you. Instigating the war helps our goal. The dragons participating at this time, does not. Our moment is soon, however. But we must leave here now. Your enemy approaches. And it is time to gather the things you need to end the gods and bring peace to your lands. I trust you discovered what you came for here.”
Cass looked at Jameson, who had stopped his babbling when the dragons appeared. His eyes were full of wonder.
“Yes, I think we have.”
“Then we shall depart.”
Viola was up at dawn and on deck, watching the skies so intently she hadn’t noticed the fleet coming slowly but steadily their way. She felt a tap on her elbow.
“What?”
She turned to see Manfred staring out towards Ledina.
Viola followed his gaze and saw what looked to be twenty or more ships coming toward them. The winds were quiet that morning, so the sailing vessels weren’t making the best of time. But the winds weren’t dead, and the boats inched ever closer. Their bright red sails with the Cartan symbol emblazoned on it in orange were easy enough to pick out.
“What’s happening?” Viola asked nervously.
A loud rap-rap-rap on the railing startled her. She turned to see the smoky handle of Chort’s cane tapping on the ship.
“Chaos, that’s what’s happening. Thousands of people suddenly find their temples crumbling, their golden statues covered in a thick patina, their crops blessed by Asalla dying… they are scared. Those that were not already urged into conflict by the gods now will fight out of panic. And they will seek to blame and punish whatever they can, if they think it may bring their gods’ blessings back. We came here with urgent business. Then the gods abandoned them. I think they might believe we had something to do with that.”
Viola ran to the large bell at the center of the ship. It was so early none of the crew had come up to the main deck. They were still enjoying their breakfast, safe in the thought that the lookout, who was still sleeping off Viola’s mixture, would let them all know if anything was wrong. Viola gripped the rope attached to the clapper and rang the bell with a mixture of guilt and fear. She thought she hadn’t made the mixture that strong. Had the Cartans planned their attack in the evening, they’d all be in much greater trouble.
The bell rang out loud and clear. The deck was quickly crowded with everyone gawking at the closing ships.
“Well, that’s no good,” one of the larger warriors stated bluntly.
“Two or three ships, we’d have a chance. But not this,” another said.
“Well then,” she said trying to feel confident, “let’s get out of here.”
The warriors all looked puzzled. Most were sure Viola was going to object to leaving the party ashore.
“They will be fine. The dragons have gone to fetch them,” Viola said. “But we won’t be if we don’t hurry.”
At her words the men and women crewing the ship spread out like water, occupying every nook and cranny of the deck, operating sails and hoisting anchors. Some even went below decks and Viola could hear the wooden clatter of the long oars being readied in case the breeze didn’t take them fast enough.
“Will we get out in time?” she asked aloud, though mostly to herself.
“I don’t know. They’re awfully close,” Manfred said.
“Yes,” Chort agreed. “Firing range shortly.”
“Surely they won’t fire upon us? Don’t they wish to seize us? To question us?”
As if in response a loud boom echoed out across the water. A heavy metal ball splashed into the sea between the oncoming ships at the lone Faylendarian vessel.
“Minutes maybe. That’s what we have,” Chort said, almost amused.
“You are on this ship, too, you know,” Viola chided him.
Chort shrugged.
“I may be mostly powerless, but I don’t die like that. I was on a ship swallowed whole by a kraken once. The beast ate everything but me. Placed me gently on a large piece of wreckage and floated me close enough to land for me to safely make my way home. I’m not too concerned. The djinn knows of what I speak. I’m sure he has similar stories to tell.”
“You’re supposed to be on our side at least!”
Chort shrugged again.
“If this is all it takes to defeat you, then I don’t think it’s much of a loss.”
V
iola could feel the ship start to move. The sails were up and filling with wind. The oars dipped in the water, but it was not enough. The huge ship took a great deal to get it going full speed. The Cartans fired another cannon. This time the ball fell in the water close enough to splash the ship.
“Seconds now,” Chort said.
“Will you shut up!”
Viola felt like she should dump the small god over the side of the ship. Just as she was about to launch into a tirade, Manfred tapped her arm and pointed into the sky. The three star dragons were flying fast toward them. The great beasts were moving at an amazing speed. The wind picked up and the ship lurched forward. The stitching in the sails strained at the power of the air filling them. They pulled away from the Cartan fleet on wind made just for them.
“Are the dragons doing this?” Viola asked.
Chort just snorted.
As the dragons matched the new speed of the ship, one landed on the huge center mast, the other two on the smaller masts at each end of the ship. Viola could not see anyone atop the giant beasts, but she saw a rope slither down the side of one of the great dragons and fall all the way to the deck. Slowly a small train of people made their way down the ropes to the deck, gear falling to the deck with loud thunks around them as the landing party descended. Cass alighted last and made straight for Viola, glancing over her shoulder at the Cartan ships behind them, which seemed to have stopped advancing.
“Korick!” Viola shouted as the young warrior came into view behind Cass.
“Hey, Vi! It’s been a while!”
The two hugged before Viola turned back to Cass.
“Now I’m sure your stories are going to be more interesting than mine,” Viola said.
“I don’t know, I think this next part is likely to be the best bit,” she said grinning.
Viola heard the wood on the ship groan as the three huge dragons began flapping their enormous wings. The ship began to rise.
“Won’t they pull the masts right out of the ship?” Viola asked, stunned.
“They say no. They said not unless that’s what they wanted to do,” Cass said, leaning over the railing to watch as the greatest ship in King Callan’s fleet was lifted from the water like a toy by the dragons.
“Showoffs,” grumbled Chort.
The trip back to Centria was so short Viola hardly had time to be updated. While Cass was talking, Viola was transfixed by Lasha, who was gingerly poking at dressings along her midsection. The dressings were soaked through with blood, but Lasha seemed to be suffering no ill effects.
“It’s the dragons,” Viola said once Cass had finished updating her. “It’s one of their powers.”
When Lasha looked at Viola skeptically, Viola gestured to Anya who nodded her agreement. Lasha still did not speak, instead continuing to poke at her side. Viola shrugged was about to ask Cass to come inside so they could discuss what she had learned when the boat began descending.
“Already?”
“Seems like it,” Cass responded.
They all looked cautiously over the edge as the ship was gently lowered into a deep water bay. In the distance only a single statue could be seen towering over the horizon.
“There are some missing,” Cass stated.
“Are you sure?” Viola asked looking out over the trees.
“Yeah, grew up there, remember?”
“Yeah, but I mean, maybe some are just blocked by these trees. It’s still a day’s travel, even from here.”
“I’m sure.”
“A day’s travel to there?” Lasha said incredulously
“Those statues are huge. Taller than two hundred fifty men, I’ve read in a number of pretty well researched books. Big things always look closer than they really are. When walking around Faylendar, if I have to go to a certain temple, I always think it will be a quick walk, and it takes ages. The temple just messes with your perspective. Same with the statues. They look closer than they are. Like mountains. You see them, and it looks almost like you can walk to them, but it’s days away to get to them.”
“I guess you are right. But how can statues be so large as mountains?”
“That’s what happens when gods make things. We don’t do small,” Chort bragged.
Two of the great dragons released their hold on the ship and flew out over the water. The group watched as they circled the air, diving into the water, then grasping great fish with their claws.
“It must be hard to be away from the herds of great mammoth,” Cass shouted to the Ambassador, who was still perched on his mast high in the air.
“We manage well enough,” he said, his voice easily carrying to them. “Meet me on shore. Bring the seer.”
The star dragon lifted off and flew the short distance to shore. They watched him stretch his wings on the sand, as if sunning himself.
“Get the dinghy ready!” Gunnarr shouted. Several of the crew busied themselves with that task.
“Are we all going then? Everyone?” Viola asked, gesturing to the crew.
“For now, I’ll head to the shore. See what the ambassador has to say. For whatever reason he didn’t want to say it here. So it’ll be just me for the moment,” Cass said.
Cass and Jameson were lowered into the water. Cass took the oars and began rowing to shore. Jameson sat quietly in the boat. He said little since the dragons appeared. His babbling stopped at that time as well.
“Are you ok?” she asked as the water lifted and lowered their boat with the waves, the sound of them lapping against the wood.
“I guess. I’m a seer though, so I’m never really alright. I’ve spent the last two years of my life living in terror in Sanctum, hoping I could avoid the inevitable. Then weeks, at least I think it was weeks, stuck with the elves.”
“The inevitable? Meeting me, you mean.”
“Yes, meeting you. I’ve never been able to avoid my visions. And you have plagued me most of my life.”
“I wonder why that is. My mother often talked of such visions. They’re rare among seers,” Cass said.
“Yes. I went to a wise woman to ask once. She said it is because we are connected somehow. I asked her how I’m connected to you if we never met. She said our families must intersect somewhere,” Jameson said, watching the water to calm himself.
“Well, not to diminish a wise woman’s words, but I doubt that very much.”
“You just came here on a boat suspended by three dragons the likes of which I’ve never seen before, and you doubt we could be distant cousins?” Jameson asked incredulously.
“My mother is Timta. The gods do not often mate with mortals, at least if they have, you don’t see their offspring running around everywhere.”
“Your father?” Jameson asked, unimpressed by Cass’ parentage.
“I was told he was Magnar. Though it was a god told me, so keep that in mind.”
“Magnar the mighty? Well that’s it then.”
“You’re related to Magnar the mighty?”
Jameson sighed as Cass continued to row. “Is it really so unlikely? I may not be big and strong like you lot, but my brother was.”
“Was?”
“He was killed helping merchants traverse the Sullen. Nothing fantastic took him. It was pirates.”
Cass rowed silently for a while. Jameson remained in thought.
“He must have been very brave. The pirates of the Sullen Sea are no small matter.”
“Yes. He was. And I was always the disappointment. Not to him, to my father. My father always claimed his grandfather was Magnar. Said greatness ran in the family. His father was Cedric the Unstoppable. His mother was Sarna the Deadly. Said he would have been known as David the Mightier if he hadn’t lost his leg to a kraken. He told the story of how he survived so many times I knew it by heart. But I was never like John, my brother. He was the strong one. I was the one who had night sweats and terrors. Who saw things yet refused to become a full-fledged seer. My father said I was afraid of being great. Of being a seer
who could aid others. I was just afraid. Anyway, so if he was telling the truth, we are cousins.”
“Well,” Cass said as the boat slid into the sand, “then hail, cousin.”
She hopped out of the boat and reached in with her hand. Jameson gripped it hesitantly, then she helped him out.
“I wish I weren’t your cousin.”
That was all he said before he walked up the shore toward the dragon sullenly. Cass crossed her arms and frowned. She knew there was little time to assuage the man’s fears, let alone try to bond with him. They’d just have to work together as best they could. She trotted to catch up to him just as he reached the sunning dragon. The Ambassador lifted his great head and looked down at them.
“Please step aside,” the dragon said to Cass.
Cass was puzzled, but did as she was told.
“This is the only way.”
It was not an apology, simply a statement of fact, but it sounded ominous nonetheless. The dragon began filling with air and Cass’ eyes widened. She was about to object when a geyser of violet and blue erupted from the dragon’s mouth, surrounding Jameson. Cass could no longer see her newly discovered cousin through the stream of what she only imagined was some kind of power. It was different from the flames she had seen the dragons emit. For one, it was not even the slightest bit warm. She waited the few seconds it took for the dragon to finish and ran forward to catch the collapsing Jameson as the power subsided.
“What did you do to him?”
“I unlocked his potential. It will be very painful to him, but it is the only way. You need to see what you need to do. I cannot tell you, because I do not know. I told you two things could be done to stop complete destruction. Convince the gods to cease their fighting. This can no longer be accomplished. The frenzy has already begun. The other is to get the gods to cede their power to us. We cannot simply kill them. Their power is released into the world if we kill them. That would create great beasts that make the gods look like playthings. The gods must willingly give us their power,” the dragon said.
“If I kill a god, the power goes everywhere?” Cass asked.