by Apryl Baker
“Valeria.” Tobias skidded to a halt beside her. “We need to talk.”
“I have a lot to say to you, Grandfather.” Valeria spat the words loud enough for everyone close to hear. “But this isn’t the time. We have a Dragon to deal with.”
Tobias followed her gaze. The beast was nearly on top of them, choosing a path that would bring it directly overhead.
“That’s what I wanted to speak with you about,” Tobias shouted. Hearing his own panicked voice, he took a breath to calm himself. “It’s not a Dragon. It’s another ship with magicians aboard. Turn around. You are not ready to test yourself against them. You’re only just understanding your own use of the power.”
“Are you sure we’re related?” Valeria drew her saber. “If it is as you say, then I’ll use my magic along with steel, and we’ll see how far they get.”
“There will be too many,” Tobias warned. “Swords and guns will be useless against their magic.”
“Well, I guess you’ll have to dirty your hands and stand with us for once instead of hiding behind your lies and manipulation,” Valeria said with finality in her voice. To further end the conversation, Valeria turned to Lukas, who stood ready for her order. “Fire!”
“Fire!” Lukas repeated the command to the sailors manning the guns both above and below deck. His yell was followed by a series of echoes as sailors passed the word along. Angry explosions confirmed the order. The booms of the cannons melded with the furious thunder overhead.
By now, the illusion of the Dragon was fading to the extent the crew could see past the translucent form of the winged serpent to the enemy ship underneath. The volley of cannon fire caught the rival ship just before it sailed overhead.
A heartening shout from the throats of the crew aboard The Emerald Queen rang in Tobias’ ears. The fools actually thought they were winning. A moment later, the cheers died in their throats as an object fell from the heavens. With so much weight, it made the deck quiver. The item landed on two sailors, pinning them to the tough wooden boards.
Just as the tremors from the impact ran up Tobias’ legs, fear was inking itself through his body. He was no coward, but neither was he eager to jump into a scenario where death was the only outcome. He was a survivor, and being so had seen him safely through the past years.
The desire to run was growing stronger and stronger. A plan was already forming. He could somehow manage to hide or even board the enemy ship using the cover of the fight and stow away.
These thoughts caressed his mind as the crew ran to help the two men who were crushed by the falling object.
“Here, here, help them from under the box.” Stephen motioned with a lantern to the pair of sailors unlucky enough to have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Stephen was limping with the help of a crutch, a hastily wrapped bandage around his wound.
More lanterns joined around whatever it was that had fallen from the enemy ship. Curiosity pushed Tobias forward, then dread stopped him in his tracks. It was no box at all. It was a sarcophagus, etched with magic runes, dark magic.
“No,” Tobias roared. “Get ba—”
The rest of his words were lost in a shower of splinters as the coffin exploded from within. All those close to the sarcophagus were blown backward. A figure a head taller than anyone on board rose from the refuse of the casket. It was covered in dark armor from the neck down. Its head was encased in a sinister helmet with a single blade rising from its crown.
A roar that belonged to an animal rose from its chest as it ran for the closest deckhand. In one motion, it impaled the man using the knife-edge on its helmet. With no visible effort, it lifted its head, the seaman in his death throes still connected. With a vicious shake, the berserker freed itself of the dead weight and ran for its next target.
Gunfire ripped through the air, lead bullets meeting the monster in multiple places. In some places the bullets were hindered by the armor; in others, they tore through the steel plating. To the crew’s dismay, even the shots that made it through the thick armor seemed to have no effect on the monster. It ran at them as determined as ever, ready to claim its next victim.
Stephen drew his sword, running to meet the beast. The former captain sank his blade into the torso of the monster, so deep only the hilt remained visible. The berserker stopped for a moment to consider the wound, and the next second it batted Stephen across the jaw, sending him through the air and crashing into the ship’s deck. It would have continued to finish the job had it not been for Valeria, who stepped forward as her men fired off shots from a distance.
“Here, you devil.” Valeria’s eyes shone with green magic that blazed like real fire. She drew her own saber, using an enchantment to cover her blade in a sheet of green magic. “Here.”
The sight was enough to inspire her crew. Bullets raced toward the berserker, and more mariners joined Valeria with their own swords drawn.
It wasn’t just her crew that was inspired either. A warm sensation crept over Tobias, urging him forward. Courage gave Tobias’ adrenaline purpose as he witnessed his own flesh and blood stand up against a creature that would probably kill them all. More than that, shame washed over him. His first thoughts had been to flee, to leave everyone to their deaths. Valeria’s first thought had been to protect everyone onboard her ship. She had more courage in one pinky than he’d ever had in his entire life. Perhaps if he had an ounce of her character, his brother might still be alive.
Tobias decided in that moment he wouldn’t fail her. He would keep his promise to his brother whether that meant his death or not. He would be brave for Valeria, for all the people he’d lost. This much he could do for her. His own green magic pulsated in eager anticipation from deep within once his mind was set. Before Tobias could second-guess himself, he moved to stand by Valeria.
“Surprised to see you here,” Val said out of the side of her mouth.
“That makes two of us,” Tobias shouted, unwilling to take his eyes from the approaching berserker. “Tell your men to stand down. They’ll only serve as fodder. It’s magic that has to defeat this monster.”
“This is a fight that can only be won with magic. Stand down.” Val gave the command to her crew as the beast ran forward. Hot steam shot from underneath its helmet, mixing with the cold night air, then disappearing altogether.
Tobias met the attack with a solid green wall of magic. The berserker crashed into it, stunned for a moment. It began to beat the barrier, roaring its outrage to the heavens.
“I can hold him for a moment,” Tobias grunted. “It’s up to you.”
Valeria was already moving forward, her saber slashing through the air as she reached her target.
The magic-infused monster caught Valeria’s blade in his right hand. With its left, it clutched Valeria around the throat, lifting her from the deck.
No, Tobias thought, fear curling in his belly. She couldn’t die. He wouldn’t allow it. Tobias approached the monster, forming a green lance of magical energy. He impaled the monster’s left forearm, tearing through armor, muscle, and bone. The magical blade sank so deep it sprouted from the other side. Tobias gave a harsh jerk, freeing Valeria from the monster’s grip.
If the beast felt pain, it gave no indication. It yanked its hand free of Tobias’ spear and sent a blow that connected with the magician’s head. Tobias crumpled to the deck.
Through the haze of a concussion, Tobias witnessed the berserker stand over him. A deep, garbled sound Tobias took for the creature laughing rumbled from its helmet. Fate was a tricky little witch. The oracle promised his death at Valeria’s hands, and here he was, about to die to save her. He’d let her put him in this situation. If not for her, he would have fled, but it didn’t matter. He would face his death if it meant giving her a chance to kill this beast and live.
A boom of thunder so loud it shook the entire ship echoed around them. Arcs of lightning rained down, striking the water. The crew held its breath, wondering what new torment was com
ing for them, when the rain stopped and the dark black storm clouds parted. Sunlight burst through, bathing them all in a warm glow, and the winds died down to a gentle breeze. Open air and water lay before them for miles.
They’d passed the third test. Tobias had faced his worst fear, and bravery won out. At least he had done this much for Valeria.
The creature paid no attention to any of this. It was focused on its prey. It lowered its head, ready to impale Tobias on the spike. Out of nowhere, Valeria appeared, a green dagger in each hand. With a scream befitting a demon, she fell on the berserker. The daggers buried themselves deep in the monster’s skull, and when it lifted its head, Valeria yanked the blades free. With a grunt of effort, she plunged them into the eye sockets of the dark helmet.
Tobias witnessed the berserker struggle, striking Valeria across the face and torso. Blood fell from her wounds, but she refused to give in to defeat. Instead, she sank the knives deeper into the skull of her enemy. With a harsh shudder, the monster fell in a heap.
Tobias had just enough time to sigh in relief before unconsciousness came for him.
Chapter Seventeen
Lukas caught Valeria before she fell. He swung the unconscious woman up in his arms. He had no idea if she was fine or not. More than that, he still had an enemy ship to deal with. If he let her ship fall, Lukas would never hear the end of it. He shouted commands to man the weapons and put Jacoby in charge long enough for him to take her to her cabin. He found Ryder hovering outside her own cabin. Or rather his. He’d given it up for the girl when she’d arrived on deck.
“Is she hurt?” The worry on the Dragon’s face was unmistakable. Being in her human form for so long was changing her more than she knew. Lukas found himself smiling at the thought.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I don’t know if she hurt herself when she used her magic or if it just exhausted her.” Ryder opened Valeria’s door for him and he entered, laying her down on her bed. He only hoped she didn’t fall on the floor. The ship rocked beneath them as another volley of cannon fire left their hull.
“What’s going on out there?”
“Enemy ship.” He motioned for them to leave. “Magicians on board, according to Tobias. I’m not sure how we are going to combat this.”
“Magicians?” Ryder’s eyes lit up. “I can help.”
“No, it’s safer if you stay down here…”
“You don’t understand, Lukas.” She was almost bouncing and he quirked an eyebrow at her in question. “I’m a Dragon.”
“And?”
“And Dragon skin is impervious to magic. They can throw spell after spell at me, and it’ll roll right off my Dragon skin. They are not, however, immune to my fire.” Glee lit up her face.
“You would help us after all we put you through?” This woman kept surprising him. Every day he learned something new about her. The need to protect her warred with the need to protect everyone else on board. If it was Valeria, there would be no questions. He’d let her do what she wanted, but for some odd reason, he found himself hesitating with Ryder. His need to protect her was stronger, fiercer. It confused him.
“Yes, of course. It wasn’t done out of malice.” No guile lay in her words, no bitterness. “You all did what you had to do with the evidence before you. It worked out in the end, and the truth came to light. I cannot blame any of you for doing the right thing.”
“Are you sure you will be safe?” Worry coated his tone. “They can still hit you with cannons and other weapons.”
She grinned impishly up at him. “Yes, but there is only one spot on a Dragon that can hurt them, and it’s so well protected, it’s impossible to get to, let alone pierce. I will be fine, Lukas. I promise.”
The ship shook with the impact of what could only be return cannon fire. The enemy was fighting back. Valeria would never forgive him if he didn’t do everything within his power to save the crew and the ship. “Okay, Ryder, go unleash your worst.”
She wasted not another second but hit the door running. He had to run himself to catch up with her. He barely made it on deck in time to see her jump and transform in midair. It was the strangest thing he’d seen. She seemed to shimmer and fade, a haze surrounding a shape growing bigger and bigger with every second. When she emerged, he found himself staring in awe at her Dragon form, easily twice the size of either ship. She let out a roar and dived toward the enemy ship, fire breathing down upon them.
The crew cheered, and Lukas turned his focus back to them. “Get your bloody arses back to your positions! We let this ship be taken, our Capt’n will have our hides!”
***
Ryder stretched her wings, the air catching beneath the stretched skin and raising her higher. Her inner Dragon had ached for freedom. Weeks of being trapped inside made it eager for a fight. She looked down upon the vessel trying to harm those she had come to care for. Dragons were notorious for being territorial, and those people and The Emerald Queen she currently called home were her territory.
A magical crimson missile streaked through the air straight at her. Ryder snorted when it bounced off her shoulder. It tickled more than anything else. Silly humans. She opened her cavernous maw, readying herself to unleash her rebuttal upon the enemy boat. When the heat from her chest reached her throat then exploded from her mouth, the feeling was inexpressible. Ryder gave in to her battle frenzy, pouring fire on her enemies, the flames shooting from her mouth so intense they melted cannons and reduced wood to ashes on impact.
Shouts, screams of panic, and fear played like music in her ears. Ryder sailed low, her tail dragging across the mast. The humungous beam of solid wood snapped with a satisfying crunch. Ryder shot upward, missing the next volley of cannon fire aimed at her by a hair’s breadth. They must know their magic was useless against her. They’d resorted to regular weapons.
The Emerald Queen let loose with its own cannon fire, bringing the ship side by side with the enemy to deliver a devastating volley that tore through wood like bullets through paper.
The attack distracted Ryder for barely a half second, but it was enough for her to miss the round of arrows being shot toward her by the enemy. The opposing aircraft lifted high, anticipating her next move. With speed that could only be learned by hours of training, the archers on board were loaded again. Arrows rained down upon her at a ferocity hinting at magic’s hand at play. She twisted in the air, shielding her belly in favor of her heavier armored back and tail. Most of the arrows bounced off the hardened scales. One, however, hit its mark. The arrow pierced the very corner of Ryder’s eye.
White hot pain lanced through her as she blinked in vain, trying to dislodge the object and remain aware of her surroundings at the same time. She screeched in agony, the blind rage her kind was known for swimming to the forefront. Smoke slithered out of her nostrils as she turned and aimed molten fire toward the archers causing her so much pain.
When the fire erupted from her jaws, it struck only empty air. Ryder pulled up, shocked. Where did the enemy ship go? She sniffed, but the strange smell associated with dark magic was gone as well. She swept the area twice but found no trace of them. Where had the miscreants gone?
She drifted over the boat and allowed herself to shift, slowly gliding down until her human feet touched the deck. Her hand went to her eye, and she felt the arrow sticking in it. This was not going to be pleasant to remove.
Ya-You grinned at her, waving his jug. “You need drink this. Ya-You make you all better.”
No, not pleasant at all.
Chapter Eighteen
“Not now!” Kronos screamed, throwing his goblet. The goblet ricocheted off the marble wall under the map and fell to the ground with an echoing ring. Red wine splashed over the chart of the known world, drenching the land of DeCadia with crimson. Kronos’ muscular frame searching for an outlet on which to unleash his anger further.
Hera and Ajax stood ready for his command. The former appeared exhausted from her journey, while the latter was
straight-backed and ready for action.
“And you’re sure it was green magic you witnessed aboard the ship?” Kronos paced back and forth in the small meeting room he preferred over many of the extravagant halls in his palace. “It was green magic that proved your Titan Project a colossal waste of time and resources?”
“Yes,” Hera said, an edge in her voice. “Two magicians with emerald magic, no more than that. And the Titan Project was a success. It held up against the weapons DeCadia would use against it, both blade and bullet. We had no idea magic wielders would be on board. We can begin work on armor that would protect the Titan from enemy magic if—”
“Enough.” Kronos took in a long breath and released it slowly. It was not anger and tantrums that had seen him this far. He needed to think clearly. “And what about the rest of the crew? What else do we know?”
“I was unable to retrieve my agent once the Dragon was loosed upon us.” Hera ignored her failure and continued. “However, Kat is the very best I have. She’ll gather the intelligence, and when the ship docks, she’ll escape and come to us with the information.”
Kronos waved away Hera’s words. “I know all I need to know. There is only one family who uses green magic. Your only task now is figuring out how to bring down that Dragon. I don’t care if you have to experiment on a thousand soldiers or make a deal with the dead. Find a way.”
“It shall be done.” Hera took the opportunity to bow her way from the room.
“Let me deal with these miscreants for you.” Ajax slammed a meaty fist on one of the few pieces of furniture in the room. The table shook with impact. “Enough of these inhuman projects and magic. I’ll take a fleet of Atlantis’ finest and have the invaders swinging by their necks by noon.”
“The celebration begins tomorrow.” Kronos shook his head. “I can’t have my commander and his fleet absent. People would begin to wonder. I need a show of strength when I make my speech and we announce to the nation what we intend. No, in a game like this, knowledge is the most important tool we can possess. Send word to Ileana.”