Exodus: The Windwalker Archive: Book 3 (Legends of Agora)

by Michael James Ploof

  There was a sudden flash of light, and Chief was engulfed and frozen in a beam coming from the bow. He looked in that direction and saw the hooded figure extending a clawed hand from which the spell originated.

  Redemption’s cannons erupted beside them, but to Talon’s dismay they did no damage to the icebreaker, for when the cannons hit, a webbed spell of light burst to life, one that covered the entire ship.

  Talon ran the length of the beam toward the bow. Trusting in Kyrr, he leapt and came down safely before the hooded figure. The sorcerer’s hand was still extended, and the beam continued to render Chief uselessly caught in its magical grip.

  All around them, cannons roared as both Freedom and Redemption attempted to break through the magic shield covering the ship.

  With a surge of power, Talon leapt the distance to the creature, who lifted its other hand and sent a blast at him as he came down. Talon instinctively brought the daggers across his chest, and was shocked when they deflected the blast, sending it out wide to explode against the portside rail.

  Without wasting another second, Talon thrust his dagger toward the sorcerer’s gut, but his enemy spun with the attack, avoiding anything but a glancing blow. Talon had won a small victory, however, for the sorcerer was forced to release Chief. The spirit wolf streaked up onto the poop deck and barreled into the sorcerer as he spun away from Talon’s dagger thrusts. Then, to Talon’s shock, his enemy struck Chief with a glowing knotted staff, sending his translucent form spinning through the air and over the rail into the ocean.

  “Chief!” cried Talon, but his voice suddenly caught in his throat as the hood fell back, revealing a shock of tangled red hair.

  “Akerri?” he gasped.

  She leveled red glowing eyes on him and grinned. Bringing her staff to bear on him, she began to advance.

  “Akerri? Why are you doing this?”

  She smiled wider, and her eyes rolled back to reveal darkness. “Your Akerri cannot hear you, plagueborn,” came the voice of Fylkin Winterthorn when she spoke.

  Talon was appalled. He circled Akerri, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening.

  “Now watch,” said Fylkin, “as she lays waste to your precious Skomm!”

  Akerri turned from him and shot the staff out in front of her, sending a glowing spell through the glimmering shield and into the side of Freedom. The explosion lit the world fully for a moment, and Talon lunged forward and tried to tackle her to the floor. A swift backhand sent him sailing across the deck, over the rail, to land in a heap on the deck below.

  He looked up through his daze at Akerri standing on the rail.

  “Kill him,” she said to the Vald crew.

  An eight-and-a-half-foot giant of a man was the first to heed the command and came down with a mighty axe, meaning to cleave Talon’s head. He rolled away in the direction of another Vald sailor carrying a three-pronged trident. Talon shifted beneath the weapon at the last moment, causing it to hit a mast above his shoulder. Talon grabbed ahold of the weapon and heaved the man to the side with a quick effort. Kyrr glowed like a full moon on his finger now, and he took his anger and confusion out on his attackers.

  Talon leapt onto a Vald carrying a giant war hammer and rode him down to the ground, burying his daggers in the man’s chest a dozen times before they hit the deck. In a flash, he was up and circling around a clumsy blow from another. He slit the man’s throat and moved on to the closest, hamstringing this one and burying his daggers in the Vald’s eye sockets before moving on once more.

  He found himself screaming incoherently as he slaughtered the Vald crew. It wasn’t until a dozen men lay dead and bloody at his feet that he looked up at Akerri, who stood looking down on him from the rail.

  “Impressive,” came Fylkin’s voice from Akerri’s mouth. “But enough of these games.”

  She extended her hand, and a beam of light grabbed ahold of Talon and squeezed so hard he had to fight for breath. Akerri walked down the steps as she simultaneously lifted Talon from the deck with her magic spell. She came to stand before him.

  For a moment her eyes turned their familiar green.

  Talon was released, and he fell to the floor gasping. Time seemed to stop, cannon fire illuminated the night, and the cries of the Skomm echoed across the waters.

  “Talon? Talon, help me,” said Akerri in her own voice. She reached for him, but then her eyes changed once again, and she slowly pulled back and sneered.

  “You are too late, Windwalker. Now, she is mine,” said Kreal.

  “Let her go!” Talon cried, leaping to his feet and reaching out a shaking hand. “Akerri, fight him, come to me!”

  She reached for him, eyes mocking, and hit him with a blast of light.

  Talon cried out in agony as lightning hit him and sent him over the rail into the cold waters below.

  The frigid water consumed him. Talon sank below the passing ship and watched as the Vald ship’s cannons fired relentlessly on the Skomm ships. Down, down into the dark abyss he sank, not having the will to swim to the surface. Every fiber in his body screamed with pain, and his crushed lungs burned with the need for air. Kyrr illuminated the darkness, but Talon resisted the urge to save himself. Akerri was lost to him. Somehow, Fylkin had found her.

  Kyrr afforded him the strength to hold his breath against the growing pressure as he sank far below the surface, to where the light fought to break through the encroaching gloom.

  Just when he had surrendered himself to oblivion, a streak of blue light flashed before his eyes, and something grabbed him by the collar. He was flying for the surface now, being pulled against his will toward salvation.

  Chief erupted out of the water and landed with Talon on the deck of Freedom, whose crew was scrambling to douse fires, fix sails, and keep the ship from faltering.

  Talon lay on the deck coughing and sputtering, trying to get his bearings. Chief licked his face and whined, and suddenly Talon remembered Akerri. He shot to his feet and lurched over to the aft rail. Seeing nothing, he looked starboard, and then port side. There he saw the ship disappearing into the gloom.

  “Windwalker!” said Argath, who bled from many wounds but grimaced against the pain and pulled Talon to his feet. “Praise the gods you’re still alive. Look. The bastards are being chased off by the sun elves.”

  Talon then noticed the flashes of light following the Vald ship.

  “Don’t let them…hurt…Akerri,” he managed to utter before falling flat on his face and passing out with exhaustion.

  Chapter 16

  Zilena of Elladrindellia

  I had hoped to help Talon in his fight against the Vald. Naively, I hoped that the council would be more lenient. Now, as I settle into the deep forests of Elladrindellia to begin my exile, I am heartened to learn that Zerafin’s sister has taken it upon herself to help the lad.

  -Azzeal, Ralliad of Elladrindellia

  Talon awoke to the sound of a beautiful elven song and jerked his head to the side. Seeing the strange elf maiden smiling at him, he flailed back and hit the corner wall.

  “You are safe now,” came a voice. One that instantly put him at ease.

  “Where am I?” Talon asked, glancing around at the smooth rounded walls and exotic fabric that he lay upon.

  “You’re on the elven flag ship Veralas. You are safe now. Relax and get your bearings.”

  “But…Akerri…what happened to the Vald ship?” he asked.

  “Your mind screamed for her to be spared, so I allowed them to escape…against my better judgement,” said the long-haired elf maiden.

  “Who…who are you?” said Talon, suddenly realizing her beauty and grace.

  “I am Zilena. You have met my mother, Araveal, and my brother, Zerafin. They both speak highly of you.”

  “Then you have come from Elladrindellia? You’ve been trailing us?” he said.

  “No, but I have spoken with them…mentally. I have been at sea for over a year, doing my duty to keep watch on the western wat
ers.”

  “Why did you intervene? I thought the council was against that,” said Talon.

  “I did my duty. All waters east of Fendora Island are considered our responsibility to patrol. And so we do. We caught wind of the Vald ship just before the attack. It cost great amounts of stored energy to conjure the wind to get here so quickly.”

  She handed Talon a small saucer, and he drank greedily.

  “What was it that had control of Akerri? Was it Vald magic like my amma Gretzen’s?”

  “No,” said Zilena, shaking her head in dismay. “She has been possessed by a dark elf. I felt it clearly when we gave pursuit.”

  “A dark elf…but how? She spoke in the voice of Fylkin Winterthorn.”

  “Yes, we have been suspicious of a Vald and dark elf union for some time. It seems that our suspicions were well founded.”

  Talon sat up fully and got out of bed, relieved to find that he still had his clothes on. He remembered Chief and reached for his pocket. The familiar weight of the trinket settled him—somehow, he knew that Chief was back inside, where he was resting.

  “This changes everything,” Talon dared to say to the princess. “Now that the dark elves are involved, the council can no longer ignore their responsibility to intervene.”

  “That is not entirely true,” said Zilena. “The council can ignore whatever they wish to ignore, as they so often do.”

  Talon studied her eyes, noting how much they looked like the queen’s, and how easily they stared back, unwavering, and finally forcing Talon to turn away. There was no malice in her eyes, nor was there anything menacing about her, but there was a depth of understanding that was terrifying. He had felt the same way when he first met Azzeal.

  “You and Azzeal are of like mind,” said Talon.

  Zilena nodded. “And you are a perceptive one.”

  “Then you also believe that your people should intervene in Volnoss.”

  “Yes, but I cannot blatantly go against the will of the council.”

  “Why not?” Talon asked boldly. “Just because something is a rule, that doesn’t make it right. On Volnoss, the Vald are able to kill any Skomm, with no repercussions; that is a rule. Should I follow it, even though it says that I should lay my neck bare for the blade of my master?”

  Zilena squared on him, intrigued. She flung back her long dirty blonde hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

  “Such obedience is needed if a society is to remain intact.”

  “A society with such rules shouldn’t be left intact.”

  Those piercing eyes studied him again, but Talon held his ground. Zilena looked to be about twenty human years, though Talon knew better of that illusion. There was knowledge and wisdom in those eyes that told the truth of it, and he found himself once again awed, and indeed humbled by the awareness and memory that they must possess. Another part of his mind thought that although the elves lived centuries, even eons, they didn’t seem to change much. He imagined that in such a long-lived society, affairs of all types got on much slower. Indeed, the elves never seemed much in a hurry, nor did they act out their feelings of boredom or stress. Rather, they seemed ever placid, as though they were observers, even of their own lives. Yet there was a child-like love for the world and for living that Talon envied. He found himself wondering how, after so many years of daily challenges and hardship, could one remain so pure of heart?

  “Your mind churns like the sea in a storm,” said Zilena. “I apologize, but you were—”

  “Thinking loudly, yes, I know.” Talon sighed. “Then you heard my mind, you know my thoughts. Isn’t it possible that I am right?”

  “I believe that you are,” said Zilena, “but I also believe what I said. That is the dilemma.”

  “What does your heart tell you?”

  Zilena gave a small, musical laugh. “You sound like my sister, Avriel. I am sorry, I do not share her romantic notions.”

  “But don’t you have an inner voice? One that always knows what is right and what is wrong?”

  “Yes,” said Zilena, seeming slightly taken aback by any notion to the contrary.

  “And what does that voice tell you?”

  Zilena stared at Talon, her eyes darting back and forth between his, as though searching for something elusive. Finally, she looked to the floor, as though the words on her mind caused her shame.

  “It tells me that my people should help your people. It tells me that we have done a terrible thing in ignoring the plight of the Skomm.”

  Talon saw the sincerity in her watery eyes, and he found a lump quickly growing in his throat.

  “But I will be shunned by my people if I do this. I will be punished by the council, and I will shame my mother.”

  “If you do what?” Talon asked, suddenly frightened by her quick spiral into sorrow. “I didn’t mean for you to…I’m sorry.”

  Zilena kissed his cheek, startling him and sending warmth through his body to places that only Akerri had ever stirred. He felt his face flush and his ears became hot.

  “I should be the one to apologize. Being around you, hearing your mind and feeling your feelings…it has awakened parts of me that have been in slumber. The voice you speak of; mine tells me that I should help you. I do not care the cost. What can the council really do, send me into solitude? So be it, for this shall be an adventure to remember.”

  Talon was speechless. He stared at her, trying to find words to thank her. But then guilt burrowed deep inside him.

  “I didn’t mean to suggest that you go against the council. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

  “Of course you meant for me to go against the council,” she said with a knowing smile. “Do not think that you have forced my mind. What I do, I do of my own free will. I will simply assign myself to investigate this dark elf and his relation to your former Chief Winterthorn, and I will send word of my intentions back to my mother and the council.”

  “Will they approve?” Talon asked, still hoping to avoid getting her into any trouble.

  “I believe that they will. What choice do they really have? As you said, this needs to be addressed immediately. A dark elf has invaded the mind of a human, and is somehow able to cast spells through her. I am the highest-ranking member of this ship, and therefore it is my responsibility to intervene before too much destruction is wrought. Now, let us waste no more time and set a course of action.”

  Chapter 17

  A Much Needed Ally

  I often find myself thinking of Aurora Snowfell. And I wonder. Is my fate written in stone? Isn’t there some way that I might sway her hand? I know from my visions that she will be reluctant to strike me down. There is a looming shadow behind her, one that I fear more than my imminent death. I have spoken with the queen about this, and we are working to induce my visions. Perhaps they can give us some warning of this coming darkness.

  Azzeal, Ralliad of Elladrindellia

  Talon and Zilena took a small boat from the elven ship and made the short journey over to Freedom, where Argath was waiting with his best men. The elven princess brought with her no guards, which Talon knew Argath would take as a great show of confidence and strength.

  The ship looked as though it might sink at any moment. The rail surrounding the deck was missing in more places than it was intact. The sails were in tatters, and smoke still billowed from many holes in the deck. Worse yet was the main mast, which hung in the water, having been snapped in half. Freedom was taking on water, that much was apparent by the way she leaned toward the bow. The steady pounding of a drum accompanied the rhythmic splash of water from buckets and the song of the Skomm working to fight the encroaching waters.

  Talon felt a pang of sorrow at the sight of Freedom, once called Sea Queen. He had been through a lot on that ship, and it pained him to see her so.

  When they were on deck, Argath marched over with the other former gladiators and stood tall before Talon and the lithe elf.

  “I’m glad to see that you survi
ved the ordeal,” said Argath before turning to Zilena.

  “This is Zilena, princess of Elladrindellia,” said Talon. “Daughter of Araveal and Veralas.”

  “Hello Zilena,” said Argath with a nod upward. “I am Argath, captain of Freedom.”

  Zilena looked around at the destruction and the crew, who were obviously distracted by her appearance despite their desperate duties.

  “Soon you will be captain of a sunken ship. I apologize for being crass, but I believe that your ship warrants more attention than pleasantries at the moment. May we offer a helping hand?”

  “My lady, you have done so much already,” said Argath. “I thought that the elves had strict rules against intervention.”

  “That is true, but this is an extraordinary circumstance. Dark elves aided in the attack against your ships, and therefore it is our duty to help where we can. Besides, these are elven waters, protected by the treaty of Elladrindellia and Uthen-Arden.”

  “Then, by all means, do what you will,” said Argath, extending a big arm to the deck.

  Zilena gave a small bow and motioned to the waiting elven ship, making strange patterns with her hands. A flash of light answered her, and Argath, Talon, and the rest of the crew waited in silent anticipation. What happened next surprised even Talon, who had seen firsthand the elves’ magic.

  Freedom shook and shuddered. Surrounded by a web of light, it suddenly rose above the ocean. The waters that had been slowly filling the hull poured out, and all eyes went to the princess, who had reached into the cloak about her leather armor and now took out a single seed. She whispered against it, held it aloft until it was glowing like a hot ember, and finally tossed it down onto the deck.

  “Please,” she said serenely. “Do not be alarmed.”

  She aimed a white ring at the seed, and from the glowing crystal set about the silver came a thin beam of light. A ring glowed on her other hand, and she pointed this one at the sky, whispering elven words and causing a small cloud to form above her. The cloud broke, and rained its waters upon the seed.