James did not wait for them to figure it out. He sent his senses toward the slug with the intent to manually activate the spell. But as they drew near, they grew hazy until finally breaking down altogether. Pulling back, they regained their clarity.
He tried a second time with the same result. For some reason, he could not connect with the slug. The presence of the priest must in some way inhibit his ability to work magic. That, coupled with the distance may explain it.
The priest in question pulled out his magic-tracker, the crystal dove and held it out before the slug. It rotated away from it and pointed in the direction of where James stood upon the ship across the water.
“It’s just a dead slug,” James mumbled under his breath. “Hardly worth your time.” He hoped they would dismiss it and in some way cause it to fall to the deck thereby activating the spells. But such was not to be.
A golden glow enveloped the tracker dove and the slug. For a few moments, the priest concentrated upon the slug before the glow vanished. He then spoke to a nearby sailor, gestured to it and the sailor moved to pick it up. The priest stopped him, and then produced a cloth. The sailor took it and used the cloth to pick up the slug. He then proceeded to walk to the side and tossed it overboard.
By this time the flagship had closed the gap; sailors on both ships could easily be made out with the naked eye. Waves of heat rolled over the ship as the priest sent beams of heat to strike the shield. Another series struck and James glanced toward the flagship. Lightning rained down upon the ship as Hikai maintained his barrage.
So dark was the cloud cover above that it had created a gloom in the world beneath; rain began to fall. The gathered storms had sparked other strikes of lightning; one shot for Captain Anyn’s mainmast but was deflected at the last minute.
Azhan shot James a look of accomplishment.
“Good job,” praised his master.
“That crazy Hikai is dropping them all over the place,” Shorty mumbled.
“That last was not him,” Azhan said, defending his friend.
“Then who?”
Azhan shrugged. “Nature? The Gods? Take your pick.”
Another strike went for the mainmast but Azhan readily deflected it.
Low on slugs, James readied a trio of copper coins to act as receptacles for the devastating, ship-destroying spells. Tapping them on the wooden rail to set the trigger in place, he gathered magic and threw.
As before, they soared unerringly toward the ship only this time, they struck a shield at the last minute and deflected harmlessly into the sea.
“Damn,” cursed James.
“They are learning,” commenting Miko.
James thought for a moment then turned to Scar. “Tell the captain to turn and lead them for a while.” As Scar made to do so, James added, “Not in the direction my family went.”
“Goes without saying,” Scar replied then hurried toward where Captain Anyn watched the battle with several of his crew.
“What do you have in mind?” queried Potbelly.
James ignored the question and instead, pulled out his mirror. He first focused on the flagship and found the priest had been joined by a second. Any attempt to zoom in for a closer look resulted in an increasingly indistinct picture that quickly deteriorated into nothingness. Pulling back for a bird’s eye view restored the picture. He then scrolled the image to the flanking ship.
This time he managed a very close look before the image grew affected. The priest that had once held a look of complete confidence now bore a more worried look; many of the soldiers and crew looked just at worried if not downright nervous.
“Not as much protection on the smaller one,” he said.
“Take care of it first?” Miko asked.
James nodded. Closing his eyes, he sent his senses toward the forward hull of the smaller ship. First, he tried penetrating the hull with his senses. When he encountered no resistance, he returned them to the wooden hull below the water line. Then formulating his assassin spell, he cut out a sizeable chunk from the hull.
Water gushed in as he cut away a second section.
Men shouted and scrambled for the ladder leading to the deck above.
A second piece of hull fell away, and then a third before he felt a slight interference to his work. He pulled back and let his senses remain just enough to allow him to monitor the inflow of water into the enemy ship.
“It’s listing!” a sailor shouted. A cheer went up. A moment later another cry sounded that it was turning about and heading back to the island.
All the while, James continued to see what the priest would do about the inflow of water. For him, a simple shield spell modified to prevent water from passion would have sealed the leak. But such failed to materialize. Instead, sailors entered the maelstrom of rushing water with planks, mallets, tar and nails to shore it up. Before they could accomplish it, his senses were clouded over and obscured by the enemy spells.
Letting the magic go, he opened his eyes and saw that the ship was indeed listing badly to one side.
“Hikai.”
“Yes, Master?”
“Hold off on the lightning for a moment,” he told his apprentice.
“Yes, Master.”
Quiet settled over the water as the last roll of thunder faded away. Sailing toward the northeast, they led the enemy flagship by less than a hundred yards.
James sent his senses toward the flagship’s hull in an attempt to do the same to it as he had to the other, but ran into a magical wall some ten feet from the ship. He tried forcing his way through to no avail. He probed for weaknesses first to the right then to the left; up and then down below the water. The enemy’s shield proved to be quite extensive. Could the priest on the flagship have learned from what happened to the other ship? Or was he just that much better than the other priest?
He readied a handful of coins with ship-destroying spells, used magic to send them toward the ship only to watch each be deflected into the sea.
“This priest is good.”
James cocked an eye to Scar and nodded. “So it would seem.”
An image from a Melville book read back in high school came to mind and he turned to his apprentices. “Either of you proficient with commanding animals?” Their blank expressions said the answer was no. “Don’t worry, neither am I.” Bringing a whale or other large sea creature up to take out the ship, while a great idea, was not very practical when it came right down to it.
He stared at the pursuing ship for a moment. “It’s going to catch us, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” replied Miko. “They have gained continually since we turned and ran.”
“What we need is a submarine.”
“A submarine?”
James nodded. “A ship that sails beneath the water.”
Scar laughed and Potbelly guffawed, “Now that would be something.”
Then James got a reflective look as he turned toward the port side of the ship.
They followed his gaze and saw a six-man rowboat secured to the deck with rope and tackle.
Walking to the rowboat, James ran his hand along the edge as he looked thoughtfully back at the ship trailing them.
“What are you thinking?”
Turning to Miko, he said, “Thinking about being creative.” Then to Scar, “How about some fun?”
Grinning, Scar replied, “Anytime you’re ready.”
Five minutes later, the rowboat had been raised and then lowered over the side just enough that it rested even with the ship’s railing.
“Okay, boys,” he said to his apprentices, “Unleash the heavens.”
Lightning slammed into the forward section of the shield surrounding the enemy ship. Waves leapt up to break over her bow.
“Let’s go.”
James hopped into the rowboat along with Jiron, Tinok, Scar, Potbelly and Father Vickor.
“Lower away,” ordered Captain Anyn.
As they lowered them to the water, James said to Miko, �
��Give me a couple minutes then have them stop.”
“I shall. Good luck.”
Once the boat settled upon the water, they removed the lines and drifted away from Captain Anyn’s ship.
“You sure you can do this?” Shorty asked nervously.
“I believe so,” James replied.
After allowing them to fall behind a ways, James closed his eyes, calmed his mind, then gathered magic to him. A shield sprung up around the rowboat, then quicker than he had anticipated, they sank beneath the waves.
Chapter Forty-Five
“This is a most unsettling experience.”
Father Vickor ran his fingers along the inner side of the shield, beyond which swam a fish.
Twenty feet below the surface, James concentrated on keeping the bubble spell active. The others sat and looked in awe at the dark, enveloping water.
“My spells are unable to penetrate the priest’s defensive magic,” James said. “Getting behind them is the only way. Keep an eye out for the ship to pass overhead.”
His plan was to sink beneath the surface, allow the enemy ship to pass, then come at them from the back. Hopefully, they would remain undetected throughout this rather unorthodox journey.
At first, he wanted nothing more than to destroy the ship and rejoin his family. Miko, on the other hand, once he learned of what James intended to do, had argued for a mission aimed more at intelligence gathering than destruction.
“We need to know more about them,” he had argued. “Who are they? Where do they come from? And more importantly, what do they plan to do?”
Potbelly nodded. “And are they going to be satisfied with just the island and maybe some coastal cities? Or are more soldiers on the way for a deeper push into the Empire? We need to find out what is going on.”
The argument that made his mind up was “Are their attacks limited to this area? Or are other ships heading for points west where we sent the others to safety? Maybe even to Cardri itself?”
James agreed, they had to know whether or not Meliana and Kenny were leaving one war zone for another. The best way to do that was the capture and interrogation of one of their priests.
Now, they sat in a rowboat encased in a shield twenty feet below the surface. He had moved them out of the enemy ship’s path so as not to encounter its protective shield. Such an encounter while unlikely to dispel James’ protective shield which would prove disastrous, would at the very least alert the priest on board that something was afoot.
Not long after they had submerged, a shadow passed across the light filtering down from above.
“There it goes,” Shorty said.
James immediately turned their boat in pursuit. Keeping it under the waves, he gradually brought them closer to the surface as they gained on the ship.
Back on Captain Anyn’s ship, his two apprentices kept watch on a glowing orb.
“This plan is crazy,” Father Keller said, and not for the first time.
Miko gave him a grin. “He has had crazier. We must trust in him.”
“What happens if he loses his concentration? Has he ever done this before?”
Thinking back to the ride on the door across the desert, Miko replied, “In a way.”
“The Dark Mage can do anything,” Azhan said.
“I would not say that,” Miko argued. “He is a man, as any other. He merely has abilities greater than most.”
Azhan did not look convinced.
“It’s gone,” Hikai announced.
The orb had vanished. Which meant that James’ link to the orb had been severed by the insertion of the enemy’s shield between him and the orb. That mean he was now behind the enemy flagship.
“Then let us begin.”
A bowl of water rested in Miko’s hand. Instantly, an aerial view of the enemy ship came into focus.
“Now.”
Magic flowed from the two apprentices and lightning slammed unrelentingly into the bow of the enemy ship. Its shield held.
Water rose in massive waves as Azhan bent the seas to his will. They hit the bow with incredible force, breaking upon the shield as if it were a rock protruding from a riverbed.
The enemy’s ship pitched with the rough seas but otherwise remained unaffected. As an attack it failed utterly, but as a distraction while James did his thing…
Thunderous concussions hit them as they breached the water. Twenty feet behind the rudder, James sped up their progress. Spray fountained into the air as they cut through the waves.
“Keep watch,” Jiron said. “If we are discovered before gaining the ship things could get dicey.”
Azhan’s handling of the water caused massive swells to roll and crest all around them. It took every bit of concentration he could muster to keep them moving forward and on a somewhat even keel. Had they been at the sea’s mercy, they would have overturned in seconds.
The rear of the ship remained devoid of sailors; all eyes were focused upon the fleeing ship before them. Thus far, it appeared their plan was working.
Minute by minute they gained upon the flagship. James angled slightly to the starboard so as to avoid the rudder. He came alongside. Once they were within inches of the side of the ship, he took a deep breath, worked to maintain their position while extending his senses to the side of the ship. A moment later, his assassin spell caused a section of the ship next to them, roughly four feet in diameter, to break free and fall away.
Jiron and Tinok quickly scrambled inside. Scar and Potbelly followed. Next came Father Vickor who paused at the opening to extend a helping hand to James.
James cautiously made his way to the opening while continuing to maintain the rowboat’s position. He took hold of Father Vickor’s hand and once he had a foot within the opening, shredded the rowboat with a series of assassin spells before letting it go. Chopped into many pieces, it sank beneath the surface leaving very little evidence upon the surface that they had been there.
Holding his hand out the opening, he gave a thumb’s up.
Miko looked up from the image in the bowl. “They are in.”
Azhan and Hikai ceased their attacks.
“Should I keep the clouds handy?” Hikai asked.
Miko shook his head. “I do not think they will again be needed.”
“Very well.”
The dark clouds above began to dissipate.
Two bodies lay in a pool of blood in the bottom of the cargo hold. It was packed full with barrels, boxes and sacks brimming with food and weapons. Tinok wiped his blades clean on one of the deceased men’s shirts before returning them to their sheaths.
“It’s clear they mean to stay awhile,” Jiron commented as James joined them.
“They have enough stores here to last months I would think,” Scar added.
James gestured to the two dead sailors. “Anyone else?”
Jiron shook his head. “No. We surprised these two and quickly took them out before they could raise the alarm.”
“I think they were shocked to suddenly see a hole open in their ship,” added Tinok, then he pointed to where a ladder climbed to the deck above. “And when we entered they made a run for it.” He glanced back to James. “They didn’t make it.”
Already the concussions of his apprentices’ diversionary attacks had faded away. Miko had been watching. Now it was up to them.
James nodded. “Very good.”
From his pocket he pulled forth two of the magic-filled crystals removed from the enemy’s magical weapon. “Here,” he said, “each of you hold out your hand.”
“What for?” asked Potbelly, his reticence clearly visible.
Jiron held out his hand and James tapped the back of it with each of the crystals. The knifer then hurried to the ladder and climbed up to take a look.
James turned to Potbelly. “I’m having them recognize you so the spells I embed will ignore you.”
“Oh,” the Pit Master replied and then extended his hand.
Each in turn extended their han
ds to be tapped by the crystals. Once both crystals had recognized everyone, James embedded the final spells.
Scar had a bag opened and was sniffing a piece of jerked beef. After a quick taste, he put several more in his pocket.
“Shame to waste all this food.”
Potbelly stood next to a score of small wine casks stacked neatly against the outer hull. He sighed longingly. “Tell me about it.”
James just rolled his eyes and moved to join Jiron at the ladder. The others followed. Potbelly had a cask under one arm and two mugs in hand. He handed one to Scar.
At the top of the ladder, Jiron had the hatch cover lifted just enough to allow him to peer out to what lay beyond.
“Looks like crew quarters,” he said.
A row of hammocks hung across the open space in tiers of three.
“Anyone?” James asked.
Jiron glanced down to him. “Doesn’t look like it.” Peering back through the opening, he raised it scrambled through.
Shorty came next, knife in hand ready to throw. As the others made their way up, he and Jiron moved to the only exit from the room; an opening leading to a passageway running the length of the ship. Doors stood closed along its length. Near the middle, a beam of sunlight shone down upon the wooden floor. Another broke the darkness at the far end.
“It looks like there are two ways up to the main deck,” Jiron told James as they joined him. “One in the middle and another at the far end.”
“The far end would take you close to the priest,” Scar advised.
Just then from down the hall between the midsection access to the upper deck and where they stood, a door opened and a man stepped out. Dressed in ragged sailor attire, he had to have been an ordinary crewman.
He at first turned to head away from them toward the light at the far end, but something caused him to pause, and turn back toward where James and the others stood. His eyes widened as he saw them standing at the end of the passageway. Any sounding of an alarm he had been about to utter remained stillborn as one of Shorty’s knives sank to the hilt in the upper part of his chest.
Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two Page 57