by Brad Clark
His breathing became labored, and he dropped to a knee, exhausted. If he had finished the spell, an explosion of fire many times greater than the balls of fire that he had been tossing around would have appeared. It likely would have consumed the room and himself. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of what might have happened if he hadn’t stopped reading the words out loud.
For the briefest of moments, he thought about leaving the book with the dead body. The first thought that came into his mind was that it would be stolen and an unscrupulous person would take it and use it against him. The second thought was a feeling of dread at not ever being able to touch it again.
Squeezing the book tightly in his hands, he quickly left the room. Someone would need to clean the room before he could claim it as his. In the meantime, he would need to find a quiet place to sit and start reading his new book.
***
Marik stepped sideways through the narrow crack in the in the rock. The warmth of the pool swept over him, soothing his tired and cold body. They had pushed themselves as fast as they could go. Stopping only to drink water a handful of times, they tried to make sure they made it back to Mountainscope before the sun was high in the sky. This would allow them to make the return trip to the tower before dark, and then it would only be another half a day's journey to Neffenmark Castle.
His stomach gurgled, reminding him that their last meal had been early this morning before they left. Ilasha was now hunting through the ruined inn for any food supplies that they could take back with them. Hopefully, she would also find something to satisfy his hunger before they left again for the tower.
Standing at the edge of the pool, he looked down into the depths, hoping to see the necklace. Although he wished it would simply appear to him, he knew it wouldn’t. If it had been obvious, he would have noticed it the first time he was in the pool. Plus, Ilasha, who had been in the pool many times, would have certainly seen it.
He pulled off all his clothes and set them aside, unsure what the next few minutes would hold for him. The pool was deep. He could not see the bottom, which concerned him. He was an adequate swimmer, having grown up around the Tyre River and the Gulf of Taran. Swimming down would not be a problem. It would be how far down he would have to swim. If the bottom was too deep, the necklace might not be retrievable. Maybe that would be okay. If he couldn’t get it, maybe no one could.
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. There was no way he could just leave it to chance that someone, or something, could never retrieve it. It was up to him to either find it or die trying. For all the battles that he had been in, for all the dangerous situations that he had been able to get out of, it might be a hot spring that would kill him. But if he did die, at least it would be in an attempt to save the world. Many Karmon Knights had died for much less important reasons. Many had been killed from accidents or their own stupidity. Some, like Brace Hawkden, had died in a vain attempt to redeem himself from the poor choices he had made. Others, like the great King Thorndale, had died trying to save his kingdom from an invading army. If he did die, at least it would be in an honorable and noble way.
Taking one more deep breath, he cleared his mind of all thoughts. He could not let them turn into doubts. Doubt would make him tentative and hesitate. He needed to be confident and strong.
Then he jumped into the water, head first. Like he had been taught since he was a young squire, he kept his hands in front of him and kicked his legs with all his might.
He forced his eyes to stay open even though he couldn’t see much. Although the water was clear, light from above didn’t travel down as deep as he needed it to. His hands were still visible in front of him, but there was little else to see. To his dismay, the bottom didn’t come quickly. Pain shot through his ears the deeper he went. Soon, he knew the pain would subside as he would get used to it. But in the meantime, he wanted to put his hands over his ears and rub the insides.
He bumped into the rocky side of the pool, but he still wasn’t at the bottom. His heart pounded with fear that it went on forever and he would never rise back up, at least alive. With a chest that seemed about to explode, he knew that if he couldn’t reach the bottom, all would be lost. Kicking with frantic desperation, he struggled to keep himself focused on kicking his legs.
Just when he was about to give up and let the water take him, his hands struck rock, and his fingers touched something loose. He closed his eyes and grabbed for what he felt. His fingers grasped something that was long and metallic. He had it. But there was no more air in his lungs, and he felt sure that he couldn’t survive even another second under water.
Curling into a ball, he put his feet on the rocky bottom and pushed off as hard as he could. He kicked as his lungs screamed. His eyes were closed, and he thrashed about knowing that in only another moment, he would black out.
***
Ilasha had slipped through the crack in the rock the moment he dove into the water. Her heart sank as she was unable to say anything to him before he made his attempt to recover the necklace. She had never seen the bottom of the pool and feared that it was so deep that he would never be able to reach it.
Running to the edge of the pool, she watched his body disappear into the darkness. She held her breath, as he would be doing. Eventually, she couldn’t hold it anymore, and she took a breath, hoping he was able to hold it longer than she could. If not, he would never come up.
More minutes passed by than she could ever imagine and her heart began to pound and tears formed at the edge of her eyes. He would not make it. She tried to think about what she could do next. Would she have to dive down there and try and find it? If Marik couldn’t retrieve the necklace, certainly she couldn’t. And then all would be lost, right? Would she just stay here in the village to guard the pool? A sob came out as she became overwhelmed with grief for Marik and what the future would hold.
She blinked through the tears and thought she saw something. In the depths of the water, she could see him coming up for her, and she cried out his name. A moment later he broke through the water gasping for air and thrashing about. He sank back underwater for a moment, but then a strong kick sent him back above water. Reaching out from the side of the pool, she grabbed an arm and pulled him towards the edge of the pool.
Panting and gasping for air, he leaned against the hard rock that ringed the pool, one arm draped over the side, still holding her hand. He looked up at her with clear, sharp eyes, his mouth open, sucking in air.
Her wide eyes asked the question.
Marik answered by bringing his other hand out of the water and setting a glimmering gold necklace next to her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Conner looked into the captain’s cabin. Elissa was sitting on the floor, a bucket between her legs. She held her long hair with one hand to keep it pulled back and away from her face. With the other hand, she held onto the bucket. The ship hit another big swell, rocking the boat back and forth. Conner grasped onto the doorframe to keep from tumbling inside.
Elissa looked let out a painful groan and looked up at him with sad eyes.
“Still sick?” Conner asked.
She nodded her head. With a deep, croaking voice, she said, “I do not know what is wrong. I did not have this problem on the way over.”
“The seas are certainly rougher, and the Elves are helping to push these ships faster than our trip down.”
“But you are not sick.”
“I am lucky, I guess,” Conner replied with a smile.
She returned a harsh stare with narrow eyes.
He let his smile drop and continued, “Glaerion and I are going to go over to Captain Gorge’s ship to meet with the Elven Guard to discuss what we are going to do when we reach Karmon.”
She gave him a floppy wave with her hand. “Go.”
“Are you sure? Will you be all right? Do you need anything?”
“Hallendrielle is warming up some Elven concoction for me. I will be fine.” He
r stomach growled and then she leaned over the bucket and heaved the last remnants of breakfast into it.
“Go!” she cried out while Conner stood watching her. “I don’t want you to see me like this!”
Conner chuckled, but he knew when it was time to leave. He turned just as Hallendrielle approached.
“She is not well,” Conner said.
Hallendirelle’s eyes twinkled. “Do not worry. I will take care of her.” She held up a small mug filled with a sweet smelling liquid. “I have just the thing for her.”
“Glaerion and I are going…”
She placed a long, tender finger on his lips. “I will care for her while you are gone. She will be as good as new when you get back.”
Conner hesitated, looking through the doorway at the beautiful Queen of Karmon puking into a bucket.
“Go!” she said again, giving him a push. With a smile still on her face, she closed the door behind her.
“Conner!” Glaerion shouted out. He, King Illichian, and a handful of Elves were standing halfway across the ship.
Conner gave a slight wave of acknowledgment. The ship hit another wave, and he stumbled. He noticed none of the Elves having the same problem he did. With some caution, he walked across the deck to them. Behind them, Captain Gorge’s Flying Narwhal was approaching their ship. It cut through the waves and didn’t seem to be rocking quite as much as their ship.
“Maybe we should get Elissa to the Flying Narwhal,” Conner observed. “The waves don’t seem to be affecting it as much.”
“Maybe so,” Glaerion agreed. “That ship seems to be more suited for ocean travel than ours.”
“We’ve had no need to traverse the seas,” King Illichian said. “At least not since the time of our exile. These ships are built for fishing close to home, or the calm seas of summer.”
Conner glanced back at the closed door of the captain's quarters. Far in the distance on the northern horizon, the clouds appeared to be darker, and to him, that meant even harsher waves. “Well, after we are done, maybe Elissa will be well enough to leave her quarters, and we can get her over to the Flying Narwhal.”
“Consider it done,” King Illichian said. “Once Hallendrielle has her feeling better, hopefully, the seas will be calm enough to send her over by boat. Now you two be careful, especially you, Conner. We can get the ships close, but it will be dangerous.”
“Are you not coming with us?”
King Illichian shook his head. “This is a meeting for the Elven Guard and you two. Not for me. When it comes time to lead the Elves into battle, I will be in the first ranks. But I will defer initial planning to those who actually fight the battles.”
Conner wasn’t sure how to respond, as he had not even considered the king not being involved in the war planning.
“Remember, Conner, our culture is different,” Glaerion said. “Our leaders are not chosen for their military prowess, as Human leaders tend to be. Our kings and rulers are leaders of men, to advance our culture to prosperity through diplomacy and growth within, not through conquering on the battlefield.”
“Well said, Glaerion,” King Illichian said. His eyes looked past Conner and Glaerion to the Flying Narwhal. “The ship approaches.”
Captain Gorge’s ship had closed to where Glaerion would be able to make the leap from one ship to the other, but it was still too far for Conner. If the seas were really calm, they could have just put a gangplank between the two ships and they could have walked over. Then they had thought about putting them into a small boat and transferring them by that method, but the seas had gotten so rough, they were afraid that the boat might tip over. Conner insisted he could make the leap from one ship to the next, but Glaerion was skeptical. With limited options, they decided that leaping was going to be their best idea. A rope was tossed over from the Flying Narwal and tied around Conner’s waist. If he could not make the leap, or if he fell overboard, they would be able to pull him by the rope. Assuming, though, that he wasn’t crushed between the hulls of the two ships.
Glaerion jumped first, making what seemed to be an impossibly long jump. He landed roughly on the deck, just as it surged up. He fell over, but tucked himself into a smooth roll and landed on his feet. He waved back to Conner.
Elven sailors had gathered around Conner on his ship while Captin Gorge’s crew had gathered near where he was going to land to offer any assistance they could. Three sailors hung onto Conner’s rope, which was also tied to the main mast.
“The ships cannot stay this close for long,” King Illichian said.
Conner took that as a sign that it was either now or never. Taking five long strides, he jumped from the Elven ship. He knew he was not going to make it the moment he jumped. As he hung in the air, the Flying Narwhal dipped into the trough of a wave, bringing it’s deck lower. It allowed him to travel just enough farther to allow him to hit the deck’s railing hard with his chest. Before he could fall down into the water, hands grabbed his shirt and yanked him over the railing and onto the deck.
Lying on his back, he breathed heavily and rubbed his chest. “Ow,” Conner said.
Glaerion stood over him laughing. “That was a sight to see! I told you that you could make that jump.”
Conner stood with the Elf’s help. Behind Glaerion, he could see the Elven ship pull ahead of the Flying Narwhal and out of harm’s way.
Captain Gorge approached. “Welcome aboard, once again, young Conner.”
The elven ship continued to gain distance between them and Conner asked, “Should we not speed up to match them?”
Captain Gorge shook his head and let out a huff. “Speed up? The Flying Narwhal is traveling as fast as she can. Those Elven ships have much more speed than mine. They had to slow down to let you aboard. I kept the same pace as I have been.” He turned to Glaerion and asked, “Did you give your king my message?”
“Yes,” Glaerion said. “He said the dark clouds on the horizon are no reason to change course. We can go right through any storm that comes our way.”
Captain Gorge lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Your king is now master of the sea? Or can your magic men change the weather too, as they can change the wind.”
“We cannot change the weather,” Glaerion said. “But we can protect our ships from the weather.”
Captain Gorge let out a stream of harsh words in his native language. “I have ordered my ship north and west to bypass the storm.”
“That will add days to our journey. King Illichian will not be pleased.”
“It is my duty as captain of this ship to get you to your port of call safely, and to go through that storm will be suicide.”
Glaerion looked at the clouds once again and said, “They are just dark rain clouds. We should stay on course.”
“You do not know the seas as I do. Those are more than just rain clouds. This time of year, those clouds are the seeds of hurricanes. To be caught in one would be deadly. For all of us. Even your fancy magic cannot beat down the power of Mother Nature.”
“How dangerous is this weather?” Conner asked.
“I have been known to be wrong before,” Captain Gorge said. “But I have been sailing these seas since I was a young lad. Those clouds hold more than just rain. We must skirt the storm or we will be torn to bits, and we will likely all drown. And an extra few days of travel is worth getting to Karmon alive, is it not?”
“Of course it is. Can we signal the Elven ships to follow us around?”
Captain Gorge let out a snort. “I already have tried. When this little get-together was planned, I could feel the change in weather and had Glaerion here tell their king we should skirt around the storm.”
“King Illichian feels…”
“Your king is not a ship’s captain!” Captain Gorge snapped.
“They will be fine,” Glaerion said. “We have been seamen for many thousands of years longer than you have.”
Captain Gorge narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “They are in fishing boats!”
“And Elissa is on one of those fishing boats!” Conner cried out. He turned to Glaerion and said, “You must get me back to Elissa!”
“Conner, you are overreacting. King Illichian would not put any of his people in danger, including Elissa. He knows what he is doing.”
“But Captain Gorge said that it is dangerous!”
Glaerion looked at the captain for a moment before replying. “The captain knows the seas, but he does not know Elven magic. Believe me when I say that Elissa is perfectly safe. Captian, you will continue on your course with the rest of the Elven ships. They will protect this vessel as they will protect your own. Now Conner, come. Ryshak and the Elven Guard are waiting.”
Glaerion stalked off to the captain’s quarters while Conner watched with a pounding, aching heart as King Illichian’s ship headed straight for the dark skies on the horizon.
***
The twelve Elven Guard, Glaerion, and Conner were crammed into the captain’s quarters. Out of courtesy to Conner, they spoke in Commoner, rather than their own tongue. Yet Conner did not listen to the discussion as his mind and heart were elsewhere. He could not stop thinking about Elissa on another ship heading straight for the storm. They had been apart more often than they had been together, and he ached to be with her. Even though they had a wonderful few days together, and they had a future with one another, he could not stop thinking about them being apart.
“Conner? What do you think?”
Conner looked up, realizing that everyone was looking at him. Having been lost in his thoughts, he had heard nothing that they had been talking about.
“What?” Conner replied meekly.