Nadia didn't know what to do. The four of them couldn't stand against so many sorcerers. It was a good sign that the sorcerers hadn't killed them yet, but she couldn't read their intentions on their faces.
A dark-haired, clean-shaven man stepped forward. "There's no need for violence here. We are not your enemies. All of us are on the same side, fighting against Krinir." He peered up the slope on which they stood, toward the stone temple. "But some of his supporters are nearby."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Klint asked.
"If we supported Krinir, we'd have killed you by now."
Nadia couldn't argue with that. But still she had her doubts about Krinir's actions. If he was as powerful as he claimed, then surely he could have killed them by now. Perhaps he had other intentions she couldn't even guess at.
"I trust them," she said despite her misgivings. She looked up the snow-covered slope. "How close are they?"
"Too close for comfort," the man said. "But Krinir isn't with them." He gestured for them to follow, and they moved quickly, forcing their way through the snow. More flakes swirled in the air, blasting them furiously.
Nadia shivered in the bitter cold. "Where are we going?"
"We have an airship," said one of the men. "It'll take us to the Breezelands."
"What the hell is an airship?" Berig asked.
"You'll see."
They raced through the snow, struggling over the uneven terrain. The hill they followed sloped downward. Most of the time, it was easy to navigate, but occasionally it became so steep that they had to slow their pace. As they descended, shouts came from behind them.
Nadia glanced back. Another group was racing down the slope toward them.
"Are those Krinir's sorcerers?" she asked.
"They have to be," the man said. "We need to move faster."
They made their way down the slope as quickly as they could, but they couldn't rush too much or they'd tumble down the slope.
"There's gotta be a faster way," Berig said. "You've got magic, don't you?"
"We need to save our magic for the coming battle," said the woman who'd spoken first.
Through the snow, Nadia could just make out a large object sitting in the valley ahead. As they approached, she realized it was a ship that looked much like that in which they'd crossed the sea. It had a sail and was constructed of wood. People were running back and forth on deck, getting the ship ready to sail.
The sorcerers pursuing them appeared to have no qualms about using their magic to close the distance between the groups. They'd conjured whirlwinds, which carried them down the treacherous slopes with ease.
"We're gonna have to fight," said the dark-haired man. "You four need to get onto the airship. You won't be much use in this battle."
"We have Earth magic," Markus said. "Isn't there something we can do?"
"And I'm a channeler," Klint said.
"These sorcerers can use every type of magic," the man said, "and they are vastly more experienced than you. Get on the ship. We'll protect you."
Nadia didn't care for running away and hiding behind the protection of others. But from a logical, practical standpoint, she knew the man was correct. They couldn't hope to change the outcome of the coming battle.
But if they couldn't do anything here, how could they hope to rescue Lionar?
No. She couldn't think about that. If she thought to far ahead, she'd go insane.
They climbed up a ladder leading to the ship's deck. The sorcerers remained below, waiting for their opponents to arrive. Nadia and the others strode to the edge of the deck and looked down upon the snow-covered ground below.
The sides were evenly matched in pure numbers. It took only a few moments for the battle to begin. Magic of all kinds crackled in the air. Surges of lightning. Whirlwinds. Boulders falling from the sky. It was so chaotic she couldn't keep track of it. Most of the attacks bounced off shields, but some people fell on both sides.
A massive wave of fire rushed toward the sorcerers defending the party. The sorcerers raised their shields, but they weren't strong enough. A few of them fell, rolling on the snow to extinguish the flames. The other side took advantage, moving forward and sending powerful bursts of lightning at the sorcerers.
Nadia felt a great vibration humming through the ship. At first, she thought magic was striking the ship, but then she realized they were lifting off the ground.
"We can't leave them behind!" she shouted.
A man in a pristine red uniform met her gaze. "They gave their orders. If they ran into trouble, we were to take off. Protecting you four is more important."
The ship flew higher into the sky. A few pulses of lightning came toward the ship, but it must have had some kind of invisible barrier around it because the magic fizzled away to nothing.
"Our shields won't hold forever," said the man. "But it should be enough for us to get away." He turned back to the crew, shouting out orders. Everyone scrambled to and fro as the ship rose higher and higher, leaving the battle behind.
Then they began to move forward at astonishing speeds. The ground below was a blur.
Klint's face was a little green. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"What do you mean?" Berig asked. "This is amazing."
Klint gave him a sharp look, then leaned over the railing and vomited.
The glow of the magic behind them soon faded away to nothing. Nadia wished they could do something more for the sorcerers, but the man had been right. She and the others knew very little about magic.
The man in the red uniform approached them. "Looks like we're in the clear for now. I'm Captain Daren Wells, but you can just call me Daren. We're gonna fly southeast across the ocean and make our way toward the Breezelands."
"Do you think we'll run into problems?" Nadia asked.
"Well, if Krinir's sorcerers have their own airship, we might get into a battle." Daren paused a moment. "Don't worry. If that does happen, we're well-armed."
But Nadia could see past the confidence in his tone. There was tightness to his expression that hinted at true fear. She couldn't blame him. All their sorcerers had been left behind, so if they found themselves in a battle, they'd have no sorcerers to defend them.
The airship flew through the skies for hours with no signs of pursuit. As they traveled south, the snow stopped falling, and the air warmed a bit.
Nadia, Markus, Berig, and Klint made their way into the ship, where they found a mess hall. It was mostly empty for the moment, but they were hungry, so they didn't care. Nor did Nadia feel much like talking with the crew. She remembered all too well what had befallen the crew of Darius's ship. Most of them had survived, but a few had died, and those who had escaped were trapped on an island. There was no telling how long they'd remain there.
At the moment, Nadia couldn't shake the feeling that they were sentencing this crew to a similar fate. Anyone who traveled with them faced danger. Perhaps that was the best reason for them to enter the future alone. She tried not to think about that journey, however, for if she did, she would surely go insane trying to devise some way to surprise Krinir.
Nothing came to her. She hated undertaking a mission without a definite plan.
After their simple meal, they returned to the deck. The crew had calmed down, but tension still hung in the air. The clouds had cleared now, revealing the massive ocean beneath them. The waves flashed by as the ship raced through the sky.
Daren stood near the front of the ship.
She approached him. "How does the airship work?"
"It's all magic, really. The sails can help us catch the wind and fly faster, but we can fly because of the wind magic within the ship's engines." He frowned. "We've gotta be careful, though. Our engines send that wind down toward the ground. If the ground's too far away, it's hard to stay aloft. And we can't fly over populated areas. Too much potential for damage."
"What if you fly over a traveler in the wilderness?" Markus asked.
"I can't s
ay it never happens, but we've got lookouts who keep an eye on the ground below. If we see anyone down there, we change course. Makes it hard to fly in bad weather, though. Fog's especially difficult. We don't fly in the fog unless it's an emergency."
"Still sounds risky," Klint said.
"It is."
For the next few hours, they flew southeast without anything notable happening. But as night approached and the sun painted the horizon orange, another airship appeared in front of them.
Nadia stood at the front of the ship, her stomach swirling. "Think those are enemies?"
None of the others answered, but no answers were necessary. Lightning shot out from the front of the approaching ship, striking the shield surrounding them. Berig flung himself to the ground as if that could protect him.
The crew jumped into action, and soon they were sending their own magical attacks back at the other ship. Fire and lightning burst from the ship. Powerful gusts of wind and jets of water struck the other ship but didn't deter its repeated attacks.
The ship rocked again and again as blasts of magic struck it. Their shield held for the moment, but it wouldn't last much longer. With every impact, Nadia could see the shield wavering more and more.
"We need to do something," she said to Markus, Berig, and Klint.
"I agree," Berig said. "But what the hell are we supposed to do?"
"I don't see any Earth magic," Markus said. "That probably means they can't use it. But we can. We can send boulders at the other ship. Maybe it'll fall out of the sky."
Nadia had no other ideas. "Well, it's worth a try."
Klint sent his own bursts of magic toward the ship, but his staff lacked the required range. The ships performed an intricate dance, moving with much more agility than seemed possible. Shouts came from all around. Nadia smelled burning wood.
She, Markus, and Berig linked hands and focused on summoning boulders from the sky and then sending them at the opposing ship. It took a few moments for the magic to materialize, but once it did, Nadia could see the boulders raining down toward their enemies. The shield around the other ship didn't stop the boulders.
Distantly, Nadia could see the opposing crew running for their lives. Some of them were struck by the boulders. Others shouted orders and continued their attacks with renewed vigor. Nadia, Markus, and Berig kept their magic going, but Nadia could feel her energy dwindling. Even at the beginning, she'd known that it was mostly Markus's doing. He was the most powerful by far.
The other side had sorcerers of their own. Soon boulders were raining down upon both ships. Nadia, Markus, and Berig had to fling themselves apart to dodge a giant boulder heading directly toward them. It struck the deck between them, breaking through the wood and sending a shockwave at the three of them.
Nadia struggled to her feet as more boulders crashed down. Soon there were holes all over the ship, which had begun to rock alarmingly. Klint's face looked green again.
The other ship was closer now, its sorcerers continuing their assault. Then somebody on the other ship placed a walkway between the two. People rushed across the bridge. Most looked like ordinary crewmen, armed with swords and daggers and axes. But others had the ageless looks of sorcerers.
"We have to think of something," Nadia said as Klint fired a burst of lightning at the boarders. Some of the airship's crew members were sending volleys of arrows at their enemies. But the sorcerers had cast fire shields, against which the arrows disintegrated.
A man with a sword charged toward Nadia, and she raised her own sword just in time to block his attack. For the next few seconds, she engaged in an intricate dance with him. Sweat poured down her face. Then Markus charged forward, plunging his sword into the man.
The man fell, clutching at the wound, but Nadia didn't have time to relax. Two more of their enemies engaged them. Markus took one while Nadia fought the other. Their swords met with a quick series of clinks and clanks. Nadia ducked a swipe of her opponent's sword, then got under his defenses, stabbing him in the stomach. He fell, clutching the wound, his expression twisted with agony. She would have felt bad for him if he hadn't just tried to kill her.
Magic crackled in the air, illuminating the sky in yellow and orange. Great gusts of wind tore across the deck, knocking people over. Nearby, Klint was launching every type of magic he had at their opponents. It was almost fun watching him use his staff.
But she had her own concerns. Another man rushed toward her. She ducked one swing of his sword, sidestepped another. Then a burst of lightning struck both of them. Searing pain branched through Nadia's entire body, and she hit the deck. Her opponent lay beside her, twitching. She recovered first, and though it didn't feel honorable, she stabbed him while he was down. When life and death were at stake, there was no time for honor.
Chaos had erupted all around. Both crews were mixed together so thoroughly it was almost impossible to tell who was who. Magic flew everywhere. Walls of flame. Giant surges of lightning. More boulders from the sky.
One of these boulders crashed down right next to Nadia. The shockwave from the impact sent her sprawling to her right. Struggling to get her breath back, she hopped to her feet. Some of the opposing sorcerers were now marching toward her and Markus.
She couldn't pull stalagmites out of the ground, for there were no rocks to work with, and she didn't want to summon boulders from the sky. Nor would it work to make the ground quake. They were high in the air, sailing over the vast ocean.
None of their magic was of any use right now.
Shouts and screams came from all around. The smell of blood hung in the air. Somebody grunted nearby. People were falling all across the deck. Nadia got a few glancing blows from swords, and blood trickled down her left arm. She ignored the pain, though, engaging opponent after opponent. She didn't think, didn't pay attention to anything but the battle.
Her sword arm began to ache, but she barely noticed it. At some point, she'd lost sight of Markus, Berig, and Klint. She prayed they were alive but didn't have the time or opportunity to check on them.
Three men rushed toward her. She couldn't handle all of them at once, but she still braced herself for the assault. Then a wave of fire came out of nowhere, slamming into her opponents. She turned to the left to see Klint rushing forward, directing the flames at about a dozen men.
"Good timing," she said.
"Sorry it took so long. I've been a bit busy." Klint charged again, setting many of their opponents on fire. To Nadia's horror, most of their own crew had fallen already. It didn't look as if they could escape this battle, even with Klint's help.
"Have you seen Markus?" she shouted.
Klint pointed to his left. "He's back that way."
Nadia rushed in the direction he'd indicated, stabbing one opponent who got too close. He fell without resistance. Toward the edge of the ship, she found Markus battling a large man. Markus was talented—handling his sword with speed, strength, and grace—but his opponent was skilled as well.
A sorcerer approached from the right, sending a powerful gust of wind at them. Nadia hit the ground before the wind could blow her off the ship. Markus's opponent saw her hit the ground and did so himself.
"Markus, get down!" she shouted, but it was too late. The wind blasted into him. He tried to keep his balance, but the wind was too strong, sending him toppling over the railing. When he tried to grab the railing, he found no purchase. Nadia could only watch in horror as he tumbled out of sight.
He didn't even scream as he fell.
Chapter 16: After the Battle
The battle raged around Nadia, but she didn't care. All she could think about was Markus plummeting to his death. Even if he somehow survived the fall, he'd be stranded in the ocean with no one there to rescue him. She felt lost in a fog. She didn't care if she lived or died.
"Nadia, we've gotta run," Berig said, tugging at her arm.
She didn't move.
"I saw what happened," Berig said. "Markus wouldn't want you to die."
Desperation swelled within her, and tears streamed down her face. "What does it matter? We're not going to escape this."
"Well, we've gotta try."
No, they didn't. Nadia appreciated what Berig was doing, but he didn't feel the pain screaming within her. Markus was dead. That thought echoed in her head again and again.
Somehow, she was on her feet and moving alongside Berig. They ducked spells that came hurtling toward them. The air was alive with energy, burning with the heat of nearby fires. Smoke billowed everywhere, obscuring the chaotic battlefield.
Nadia stumbled through the carnage in a daze, clinging to Berig's hand as he led her somewhere. She didn't care. A cold numbness was spreading within her. She felt as if she might vomit, as if her legs would collapse and never support her weight again.
This had to be a dream.
Men lay all over the deck, pools of blood forming around them. At this point, she couldn't tell friend from foe. Both had died in this battle. Why had these people gone to such extremes to capture them? She supposed they were servants of Krinir's.
But did Krinir truly fear them enough to go to all this effort?
The smoke cleared a little, revealing a horrifying sight. A small group of enemy sorcerers stood just ahead of Nadia and Berig, looking at them with chilling smiles. The sorcerers stood close to the railing at the side of the ship, but there was no hope of knocking them overboard.
"Time for this to end," said one of the men. He pointed a finger at Nadia and Berig, and there was no point pretending. They were going to die right now.
* * * * *
Markus clung to the rib-like structures on the outside of the airship, his arms complaining at the effort. After he'd fallen, he'd reached out frantically, trying to find anything he could hold onto. His palms were scraped bloody, but he held on with all the strength he had.
Somewhere nearby, the ship's wind engines kept it afloat. The roar was so loud he couldn't even hear the battle raging above.
He glanced around, looking for an escape from this situation, and saw it. A boulder had blasted a giant hole in the side of the ship. It was maybe ten feet away. All he had to was climb there. The rib-like structures gave him a clear path.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 141