Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams

by Scott Rhine

  “I shall hold this dear,” Serog said after a respectful silence. “But why give it to me now?”

  “Great Lady, I have news of both wonder and sadness for you.” She gripped the book tightly against her chest. “Your daughters Sarajah and Ashterah have met and renewed their vows of sisterhood. They will visit with you as soon as they are able.”

  She allowed herself a small smile. “It’s been so long. I feared them all gone. What else?”

  “Their first act as a family was to put to rest the dust of Deliah. Ashterah is your only remaining daughter of the Dawn race.”

  Serog dropped the last few inches onto the floor of his inner sanctum. He rushed to her side, ready to hold her up. Part of her wanted that support and sympathy, but a goddess could not afford to be weak. She fled the man to be alone in her grief.

  ****

  Pagaose watched the battleground from the safety of the observatory. Using its mighty telescopes, he informed the College of Wizards, “The Archanos fleet is on the horizon: two merchant ships, a barge, and a golden crescent. The crescent is a powerful ship formed by several of the gods joined together in harmony. Ashterah herself commands the vessel. The gods are pushing the barge so it can keep pace with the others.” He stepped back and let a student take measurements again.

  Lord Ashford was nervous. “If we can see them, can’t the enemy?”

  Vapordoom, the master of the observatory, said, “We’re the highest point around, so we can see farther. His highness’s assistant warned Queen Sarajah the moment we spotted them, and Lord Pinetto is circling around to approach using the smaller islands as cover.”

  Corrie lay on a cot in the rear of the room, providing communication with the approaching fleet.

  “Hmph,” said Ashford with a nod. “We should make this exercise part of the regatta next year.”

  The student, after much scribbling, said, “About an hour and ten minutes until first contact, sire.”

  “Excellent,” said Pagaose. “Right on schedule. We’ll be able to approach the first ship in the dark, giving us the night-sight advantage.”

  Lord Pangborn complained, “Four little boats against four warships. It doesn’t seem advantageous to me.”

  Ashford grunted. “They’re spread out all around the island. We’ll be concentrated and take them one at a time. However, I’m not convinced of the plan either.”

  Pagaose placed a finger aside his nose, “Magicians hide things in their sleeves. Have faith.” He sat by Corrie’s side, holding her hand. “An hour ten,” he whispered in her ear, giving exact map coordinates for where the first conflict would take place. The Green’s ship, the Call, nosed out in front a little in response.

  As the sky turned reddish-orange at sundown, a panicked student said, “Something’s happening on the deck of the Rebirth. They’re sending mirror flashes to another ship, the Third Doom. It’s weighing anchor and relaying the message.”

  The emperor said, “It’s starting early. Someone must have warned them. Abandon stealth. A thousand years of planning and it all comes down to a few bits.”

  Moments later Corrie startled awake with panicked breathing. “The woman in white makeup pushed me into the crater. I had to wake up.” She clutched the bird figurine to calm her speeding heart.

  “Serog,” deduced Pagaose.

  “I got the message to Sarajah first,” panted Corrie.

  “Good woman,” said the emperor, kissing her forehead. “You may have just saved us. Try to return to dream state, just in case.”

  “I can’t,” she said, her voice shaking.

  He took her chin in his hand and whispered, “We are nobles of the highest tier; we don’t use the word can’t.”

  She smiled at him and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

  Lord Vapordoom announced, “The golden crescent of Ashterah has shifted positions. It’s now pushing the Call at full sail; they’re going twice as fast as before.”

  ****

  On the platform in the middle of the harbor, Niftkin paced the magic circle. “The waiting is the worst part.”

  “No, hearing you whine like a girl is worse,” Komiko replied. One of the six archers on the listing ship snickered. So Niftkin didn’t lose face, she added, “Are you worried there’ll be any more fire-mage assassination attempts? You’re in a pretty strategic spot here. If they kill you or move the One True Sword, they can win.”

  “They already tried,” he said, his eyes sweeping the pink horizon as the sun went down. “One of them stowed away on the supply yachts.”

  “Crap,” muttered the witch. “That’s why Pagaose asked me to stay here and draw my vortex wards. I thought he just didn’t want me reminding him of Ember.”

  “We didn’t want the capture common knowledge. My archers disabled him trying to light one of the cargo ships holding us up.”

  “You must’ve been terrified. You could’ve burned alive, unable to leave.”

  “I was terrified, but only because Nightglow was with me. The enemy has no respect for innocents. To keep her safe, I had to send her home for the duration of the war. We used the information the captive gave us during questioning to stop a second attack, one on Anna’s brewery.”

  “Why there?”

  “It has a large grain stockpile, lots of combustible materials, and Anna.”

  “Bastards.” She paced with him. “Anything you want me to tell Corrie next time I see her?”

  He stopped. “Nothing yet. My family has taken Nightglow in and has been watching over her.”

  “I met them. Corrie had me check up on her. Food’s tight, but they fixed me a dish, too. They’re good people.”

  “We don’t know when the allies are arriving. Every boat we can muster is waiting for the signal to sail out for the attack. All my brothers volunteered.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, regretting her earlier sarcasm. “How many ships are coming to help?”

  “The exact number is secret. I only know about my mission. I do know that the fight is going to be very close.”

  “Why don’t we call the warship back from Bablios?”

  He shook his head. “Logistics. We have no good way to communicate. If they arrived early, they’d be outnumbered and ruin the trap. Plus we’d have to share too much ahead of time and the enemy might hear. Pagaose says everything depends on surprise.”

  “What’s your mission?” she asked.

  He swallowed. “I have to hold the middle until the allies smoke out Sandarac. We think he’s on the Rebirth. If it looks like we’re going to lose, or Corrie signals me, my men and I have orders to sail the Elegance over to his ship and kill him.”

  “Not a pleasant scenario.”

  “Why are you so edgy? You’ve earned your stripes.”

  The witch removed her glasses and tried to clean them. Ever since she dropped them near the dueling platform, the scratches on the lenses bothered her. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “When we teach the mana vortex, we tell people never to activate one inside the protective umbrella or we might dispel it. The theorists aren’t sure what will happen; this is all too new. If I suck in a fireball, the disruption may nullify Pagaose’s spell.”

  The man with the magic sword sighed. “You’re not here for a fireball.”

  “Why then? Come on, you know I can keep a secret.”

  “If they activate the Roseate Lens, it might break the shield.”

  “How?”

  “I just swing a sword. Pagaose and Vinspar say the lens was designed by Kragen’s wizards to penetrate the wall Archanos put around the Door of the Unseen Temple. Sir Tashi told him it would’ve worked; Kiateros helped build it.”

  “Ouch.”

  “If they fire at me, we’ll use your ward and the sword to absorb the attack.”

  “And if that doesn’t work?”

  “I’ll be a glowing cinder. I asked for you to be here because I can trust you to carry the blade back to Pagaose if I fail.”

  “Sure,�
� Komiko said unenthusiastically. “I might reach him three steps ahead of the northern hordes.”

  “If we have a change in plans, Corrie can also reach you.”

  “I guess.”

  “And if I died tonight, I wanted to be with a friend and the best dueling second in the islands.”

  That made the witch smile. “Thanks. If you go up against Urgot or Sandarac, I’d be proud to stand behind you.”

  “For empire and glory,” he said. “Now take a nap. We need you in contact with Corrie as soon as it gets dark.”

  That’s when the pink beam of energy lanced out of the closest enemy warship and stuck the hillside below the military academy. The beam was too low to hit any soldiers, but the rock underneath the mess hall melted and crumbled inward. The avalanche destroyed the crowded mess hall and several homes as it rumbled down the hill.

  “Crap,” Komiko said. “I guess Sandarac had his own surprise.”

  The catapults on each side of the harbor launched flaming rocks at the ship carrying the Roseate Lens. One rock came within fifty paces and slightly to the left. “Come on,” begged Niftkin. “Range fast.”

  The second rock flew straight toward the mark but dropped ten feet short. The pink beam fired again, blowing the threatening catapult to tinder. Komiko cursed. “Crap! The enemy doesn’t have to compute the arc. They’re going to win. How many beats was it between shots?”

  “I don’t know. Forty-five? Why?”

  “The color of the beam is the same as the sunset. I’m guessing they can only fire until the sun goes down.”

  “Good news.”

  “Bad news. We have at least twenty bits before dark. Can we take twenty-six more shots like that?”

  “Crap,” echoed Niftkin. “We have to draw their fire, but I have orders not to leave.”

  “I’ll take the yacht and draw the vortex on it,” Komiko insisted.

  “I can’t let a woman do that,” objected Niftkin. When she glared at him, he added, “That’s my only way to reach Sandarac.”

  The next catapult in the defensive line burst into flames.

  “You know he’s aiming that weapon. Come with me.”

  “Damn. Yacht. Now. Move!” The archers obeyed, sprinting for the yacht and untying the lines.

  Niftkin pulled on the hilt of the sword, but it didn’t want to budge. “I am the bearer! I received this blade from the hand of Pagaose who received it from Akashua who received it from Myron.” Planting his feet in the water stance he learned from the emperor, he then pulled again. This time, the blade slid clear. He felt like he’d pulled the lynch pin out of a wheel axle on a cart rolling down a hill, but the central bowl of Sacred Amber still glowed.

  When he jumped onto the deck of the yacht, Komiko was already chalking her ward on a large slab of Emperor’s glass sitting on the deck. “I guess you just had to tell it who’s boss,” she joked. “Do you think that’ll work with Nightglow?”

  He snorted. Until Komiko finished her work, Niftkin stood on the prow of the Elegance, holding the One True Sword like a lightning rod.

  As they cast off, the old lighthouse exploded. One of the archers mumbled, “We had observers up there.”

  A bit later, Komiko said, “Done.”

  The second that Niftkin climbed off the prow, pink light passed over their heads, and the wreck behind them burst into flames.

  “Do I charge the vortex?”

  “Wait,” the swordsman said. “I didn’t feel the spell break, not yet. Do you think the dragon lied to us?”

  She shrugged. “No new energy is being fed into the circuit, but the old reservoir is still there. Sometimes complex spells take a while to decay.”

  “There’s a tiny oval of Compass light behind the Lens just before it fires. I could tell when it aimed toward us. Just to be safe, we’ll wait until the last instant to charge your new mana drain. I want to hold the shield as long as possible to keep the enemy fleet out.”

  Komiko growled. “That ship has its sails furled to maximize the light. It’s a sitting duck; if only we could reach it faster. The other warships will be heading this way, though, as soon as the last catapult and sentry station is eliminated.”

  “I have a twisted idea,” Niftkin said, licking his lips.

  “I’ll try anything once,” said the witch. With a sly grin she continued, “Twice if it feels good.”

  “I noticed an old-style ward on the prow. What would happen if you charged the spirit-protection ward on our aft?”

  Komiko grinned. “The repulsion would skip us over the water like a stone, right down that bastard’s throat.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  “I have to be ready to charge the vortex. You do the rear.”

  “I’m not very good at this magic stuff.”

  “That’s not what Nightglow says.”

  “Really?”

  “Get the hell back there. Talk nice to the sword and be all formal about it. Maybe that’ll help.”

  He bit his lip. “Right, no pressure.” Niftkin sheathed the One True Sword and cinched it tightly to his leg.

  A few moments later, a fire broke out in the warehouse district. The hatred gave him the added strength he needed. Komiko called out, “How’s it . . . crap!” She scrambled for a rope to avoid sliding down the steep deck. The yacht nosed up as they streaked toward their enemy. They bounced and became airborne a few times.

  “Are you okay?” Niftkin shouted over the rhythmic splashing.

  “My hair’s going to be a mess.” Her rain slicker was flapping so hard that she handed it to him before it beat her to death. He wrapped the oilcloth around his leg too in order to prevent the spray from damaging his sword.

  “Charge the vortex,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Otherwise we might flip. We also can’t see the lens from this angle.”

  She powered the new ward. “This is for you, Ember.”

  The yacht stabilized a little, but went even faster across the harbor. She wouldn’t have believed it possible.

  “Everyone grab a paddleboard,” Niftkin ordered. The yacht was shaking under the stresses. Every moment elongated for him as he waited to give the next command. He felt that his will alone kept them upright, and that any wavering could topple them.

  When the pink beam struck, he watched Komiko at the center of the ward glow the same hue. A heartbeat later, the energy flickered out.

  “It burns!” The glass beneath her glowed from absorbing the mana.

  “Take my hand. We’ll jump off.” They were slowing slightly, but close enough that their momentum might carry them into Sandarac’s ship.

  “One more shot. We have to be closer. I can take it. Aw, gods it hurts.”

  “You don’t have to do this,” he insisted.

  “Wouldn’t you if they’d killed Nightglow?”

  “Yes,” he admitted. “But I’d take a paddleboard and sit on it.”

  She laughed and accepted the offered floatation device, putting it between her and the hot glass.

  “Prepare to abandon ship.”

  “Flash!”

  The next blast knocked her out, but the Elegance held together.

  Dragging the witch out of her circle, Niftkin wrapped his arms around her and the board together. “Abandon ship!” he called and then jumped off the boat.

  His head had just cleared the waves with help from the archers when Niftkin heard the Elegance crash into the prow of the enemy vessel. Water poured in through the hole, tipping the warship forward and spoiling the aim of the lens for several bits.

  The archer nearest him asked, “Are we going to get fired for this or do we get a medal?”

  “I don’t know yet. Start swimming with the concubine.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To finish the damn mission,” said Niftkin. Four of the six archers swam with him.

  Chapter 51 – The Amber Scythe

  “The Third Doom is approaching the harbor fast,”
Lord Vapordoom announced.

  “Send out every ship we have now!” Pagaose commanded. Men rushed to send the signal. “If one warship gets through before my trap springs, things are going to get ugly.” After hearing report after report about the damage from the lens, Pagaose had deployed several students with smaller telescopes. Each student was coordinating firefighting efforts and rescue teams. One rescue squad had been burned down already.

  “And things have gone so well so far,” Lord Pangborn sniped.

  “Speak thus again, lord, and you will be chastised,” the emperor stage-whispered.

  “Lady of the Deep is drawing in to protect the flagship. What the hells is that guard of yours doing?” demanded Lord Vapordoom, forgetting that no one else could see through the telescope while he was observing.

  Pagaose peeked over the astronomer’s shoulder. “He’s doing his job, just a little early—as usual. He’s going to ram the Rebirth to stop the lens. ”

  The council crowded around the largest telescope, vying for a look. The action, however against orders, had given them hope.

  Vapordoom said, “Duwara, you go first; he’s your kin.”

  The old soldier, who now accompanied the emperor everywhere, leaned over. “Heavens, I’ve never seen a yacht move so fast. The lens is firing. He survived!”

  “Give me an update on the Call,” the emperor snapped to one of the junior astronomers as he walked to Corrie’s side. He should have moved the cot closer to the telescope, but it was too late now. If they jostled her, she might wake again.

  “They’re t-two-thirds of the ways, sire. Their target moved toward the harbor and they had to adjust.”

  Pagaose whispered in Corrie’s ear, “Forget the Greens; let them catch up later. Use the Scythe now.”

  “Only one of the enemy warships hasn’t joined the flagship,” Ashford complained. “Where are they and what are they doing?”

  “Uh-oh. The dragon blacked out another ward, sire. The Pride of Fireton is going to establish a beachhead on Shade Side.”