Welcome To The Age of Magic

by C M Raymond et al.

  She turned to Captain Roy. “You’re sure about this?”

  “We’ve been over it a dozen times, and I can’t see any other way.” Roy’s eyes were fixed on Thunderclap.

  Tor and Dahlia both stood at the bow now, looking like the king and queen of the ocean, both of them a strange mix of attractive and menacing. A shudder ran through Abbey’s body. It was no wonder these two were so respected and feared. Yet, anger rose up inside Abbey, too. These two had taken the respect, the power the city of Holdgate had put into their hands, and were using it to bring pain and suffering to people throughout Irth. The thought of it made Abbey want to reach for the sword on her belt.

  She turned to Dustin, who looked far less confident than Captain Roy. She felt for the guy. Here he was, on his first voyage as a Storm Caller, and he’d just found out his hero was an asshole. Worse, he was about to face off against that hero.

  Dustin turned to the captain. “I’m still not so sure about this. If Dahlia sees us—”

  “She won’t,” Roy interrupted. “That’s the whole point. While they are busy taking control of the ship, the two of you will be floating off into the fog.”

  Abbey elbowed Dustin. “Besides, you telling me you can’t call down enough wind to move a tiny boat out of sight before she sees us?”

  Dustin glanced warily at Thunderclap, which was now pulling alongside The Foggy Day. “It’s not the speed I’m worried about. If she even sees us, she’ll call down a lightning bolt and fry us before we have time even to figure out what’s happening.”

  “Then we’d best get moving.” Abbey started toward the dinghy hanging from the starboard side of the ship.

  Still, Dustin hesitated.

  Captain Roy sauntered over and put a hand on his shoulder. “Look, son, we have valuable information that could save a lot of lives. The thing that matters is that someone makes it out with that information. You and Abbey are our best shots. The two of you can slip away on that boat and hide in the fog. By the time they realize you’re gone, you’ll be so far out of sight, they won’t know which way to chase you. Abbey’s proven she can handle herself, and she has every right to clear her father’s name. Besides, whatever Tor’s done, I believe he’ll treat his fellow stormship sailors fairly. I’m not confident he’d be as civilized with an Arcadian fugitive.”

  Dustin paused for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. I hate it, but I know you’re right. Abbey and I are the only chance of bringing the truth back to Holdgate. It’ll just be a matter of getting there.” With that, he strode toward the dinghy, his staff clicking on the deck as he walked across the boards.

  Now, it was Abbey’s turn to pause. She knew this had to be done, and she actually believed they could do it. But neither of them had ever been in this part of the sea before. Dustin had spent years cruising the relatively safe southern trade routes, but this was a whole different animal. Not only would they have to watch out for Tor, who would surely be pursuing them, but they’d have to look out for the Barskall. And if they bumped into any other Holdgate ships, they wouldn’t know whether to trust them or not. For all they knew, every ship working this far north was in on Tor’s plan.

  Storm Raiders. Just like in the ridiculous stories her father had heard in Arcadia. But was Tor bringing those stories to life or was he the source of them? Either way, it made Abbey furious. There was a certain mad brilliance to it, she had to admit. If people feared you anyway, why not use that fear against them? It made sense, at least if you were a total douchebag who only cared about turning a profit and didn’t care how many people got hurt in the process.

  And one of those people was her father. Tor was working with the Barskall, which meant he undoubtedly had something to do with the murder of the Magistrate’s son. Had Tor personally been the one who’d decided to frame her father? Abbey didn’t know, but she intended to find out. No matter how many enemies stood in her way.

  A shadow fell across Abbey, and she turned to see Syd standing over her. The woman stood a good four inches taller than Abbey. The first mate’s face was a mask of determination. “Captain, I don’t think they should go alone. Storm Caller or not, Dustin’s never been in these waters. And if they’re forced onto the land, they’ll be even more lost.”

  Roy raised an eyebrow. “You have a suggestion as to who we should send with them?”

  Syd’s lips curled up in a thin smile. “We should send our best. In other words, we should send me.”

  Abbey paused, frozen with surprise. She’s seen what Syd could do during the fighting in Bode, and she had to admit she liked the idea of having the woman along. “You’d do that? You’d come with us?”

  Syd nodded curtly. “Tor and I… haven’t always seen eye to eye. If you’re going to take him down, I’d like to help in any way I can.”

  Even Dustin was smiling now. “I must admit, I like the idea of having an extra sword on our side.” He gestured awkwardly toward Syd’s back. “Or, you know, two swords.”

  Captain Roy scratched at his chin. “Very well. It’s settled then.”

  Abbey caught a series of light flashes coming from the deck of Thunderclap.

  Roy shook his head angrily. “They’re ready to come aboard. You lot best shove off, and I mean now.”

  The captain gave the signal, and a few of the crew members moved to the port side of the ship. Ropes were being tossed over from Thunderclap. They would be boarded any minute now.

  Abbey, Dustin, and Syd scurried into the dinghy, and the crew lowered it quickly, dropping it the last five feet, so it landed in the water with a splash. Dustin stood up and planted his staff in the bow of the ship. His eyes went blue-green, and a sudden wind pressed against their backs.

  By the time the crew of Thunderclap boarded The Foggy Day, the tiny dinghy had disappeared into the fog.

  17

  Abbey tried not to shiver as the dinghy moved through the darkness. They were out of the fog now, and the night sky was illuminated by countless stars. Abbey stared up at them, taking in their beauty and wondering what mysteries those tiny specks of light held.

  As a child, she’d often wondered if there might be people living up there in the vast sky beyond Irth, living their own stories and having their own adventures. Of course, her father had set her straight and told her the idea of people living in the sky was nothing more than a child’s fantasy.

  Dustin stood in the bow, as still as a statue. He’d been like that for hours now, ever since they’d left The Foggy Day, his eyes glowing and his face a mask of determination. Abbey wondered how long he’d be able to keep it up. Certainly, not long enough for them to get back to Holdgate. He’d have to rest sometime.

  Like all Holdgate vessels, the dinghy had a small iron cup filled with seawater built into the fore section so it could be used by a Storm Caller.

  They were moving through the water at a good clip, and seawater sprayed up in a fine mist, further adding to the chill in the air.

  Syd shifted in her seat for the hundredth time in the last hour. The woman hadn’t said much so far on this journey, but she was clearly nervous. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, staring into the darkness behind them for pursuers.

  Abbey saw a shape in the darkness up ahead, illuminated by the full moon. At first, she thought maybe it was her imagination, but as they got closer, she became sure of its reality. She nudged Syd and pointed toward it. “What the hell is that?”

  Syd spun her head toward the shape, her eyes alive with concern, but once she saw what Abbey was pointing at, she relaxed. “Ah, that’s a relic from the time before the Mad Days.”

  Abbey looked at the metal shape sticking out of the water. The thing was massive.

  “The stories say it was called an olerig,” Syd continued. “There are many of them scattered throughout the sea. Captain Roy always has us observe a moment of silence as we pass them, in memory of whoever came before and built such monstrosities.”

  Abbey stayed silent as they passed. This sea coul
d drown her with a single massive wave, so she damn well better pay attention to its traditions. Once they were safely clear of the relic, she tried the new word. “Olerig. What could have been the purpose of such a thing?”

  “They say it was used to pull power from the depths of the sea.”

  “Like Storm Callers do?” Abbey asked.

  Syd mulled that over a moment before answering. “Perhaps. Though, I get the sense this was different. Just another mystery of the bad old days, I suppose. We’re lucky to live in a more civilized time.”

  Abbey watched over her shoulder as the olerig disappeared into the darkness. Humans had such a short memory. People had probably spent their lives building those strange devices, and now there was no one left who even knew what it was for.

  Dustin shifted his feet a little and coughed into his hand. It may have been Abbey’s imagination, but she was almost certain she felt the wind at her back stutter when he did so.

  Syd grimaced. “Storm Caller, we need to discuss our plan here.”

  Dustin’s voice was strained when he answered. Clearly, his concentration was still on the sea. “This seems to be working fine. We want to get to Holdgate, right? I’m getting us there as quickly as possible.”

  “And yet,” Syd said, “the wind at our backs has been steadily decreasing in power for the last thirty minutes. I see you up there gripping your little staff, but still our progress slows.”

  Dustin glanced back over his shoulder at them, his glowing eyes alive with anger.

  Abbey nudged Syd. “Uh oh, now you’ve done it. He’s very sensitive about the size of his staff.”

  “What? I am not!” Dustin took a deep breath before continuing. “Do you have any idea how difficult this is? If either of you would like to take a turn, be my guest.”

  Syd chuckled. “I’m not calling your skill into question, Storm Caller. I’ve been sailing long enough to know most of your peers would have needed to rest long before now. Still, you are human. You can’t keep this up forever.”

  “Not forever. Just until we get home.” The weariness was clear in his voice as he spoke.

  For the first time in a while, Abbey really looked at him. At the way he was resting his weight on his staff and the slouch in his shoulders. “Look, as much as I hate to admit it, Syd is right. You were Storm Calling all day yesterday, and then you called down the fog for the raids last night. When was the last time you slept?”

  “We’re all tired,” Dustin growled back at her. “This is too important to stop.”

  Abbey felt a bit of anger rising in her own gut now. This was the exact type of pride that led him to ignore her all those years. “Yeah, we’re all tired, but I think Syd and I can handle sitting here resting. You’re channeling magic to control the damn weather. And Syd’s right. We’re going slower. I’m not going to be caught by Tor and his Storm Raiders just because my Storm Caller friend is too much of an arrogant asshole to admit when he needs a nap.”

  Dustin bristled at that, but he didn’t answer immediately. When he did, there was resignation in his voice. “I’m open to ideas. You got something?”

  Abbey thought about that. “Well, Tor has three Storm Callers left, including Dahlia who’s supposed to be this hot shit badass, right?”

  Dustin nodded grimly. “She’s the best there is.”

  “They’ve also got three warships. Four if we’re counting The Foggy Day.” She glanced at Syd. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” the woman said with a smile.

  “So, I’m thinking they’re bound to catch us on open water.”

  Syd ran a hand across her bald head. “Unfortunately, I agree.”

  Dustin sighed. “Yeah. Me, too. Like I said, I’m open to other ideas.”

  Abbey nodded. “I think we need to rob them of their advantages. There’s one place that Storm Callers and warships are both worthless. Dry land.”

  Syd’s eyes narrowed. “You’re suggesting we walk to Holdgate?”

  “I don’t know about that, Abbey. We’re making great time here.” The doubt was clear in Dustin’s voice.

  “It doesn’t matter how fast we’re going on the open water,” Abbey said. “We agree they’ll catch up to us here. My father’s sitting in a jail cell right now, and we’re his only chance of getting out. Moving across dry land would be much slower, but we would also be much more difficult to find.”

  “I wouldn’t have my Storm Caller abilities if we’re away from the sea.” Dustin was hesitant, but it was clear he was beginning to at least consider the idea.

  “If we’re careful enough, you won’t need them,” Abbey answered.

  Syd nodded slowly. “I feel more at home on the water, same as you, Dustin. But I think the Arcadian is right. We need to move inland. We can head south through the mountains. Tor and his crew will never find us there.”

  Dustin sighed. “Okay. So, we’re in agreement?”

  Abbey smiled. “Let’s get back on dry land.”

  Benjamin risked a glance out the window and saw a city guard passing below. He quickly moved away from the window and out of sight.

  They were in a room on the second story of a building Benjamin had never noticed before near the center of Holdgate. Apparently, Jarvi owned this building. Benjamin didn’t know exactly how rich Jarvi was, but he was beginning to think the answer was very. It was midmorning now, and they’d been holed up here since shortly after their escape the previous night. Jarvi had said it was too dangerous to go back to his home outside of town. After the previous day’s events, and now Benjamin’s disappearance from jail, that would surely be the first place the Magistrate’s men would look for him.

  Thankfully, Jarvi had a number of properties in the city, and most of them were listed under false identities. For the first time, Benjamin was grateful for his friend’s paranoid nature.

  Jarvi had been looking out the window for the past hour, clearly deep in thought. Benjamin was a man of action. He was getting tired of sitting around. If they were going to work to find the real killer as Jarvi had said, he wanted to get on with it.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Benjamin asked finally.

  Jarvi was slow to answer, but when he did, it was with another question. “How much do you know about the history of the Storm Callers?”

  Benjamin shrugged. “Not a lot. I heard about them in Arcadia, when I was at the Academy. But it was more rumor than anything else. Stories of Storm Raiders and all that. Arcadia’s landlocked, so it wasn’t something we worried about one way or another.”

  “And when you came here? Were you surprised at what you found?”

  Benjamin thought about that for a moment. “I suppose I was. I had no idea they’d be so important to the city. I didn’t expect them to be treated with such honor.”

  Jarvi turned from the window and looked at his friend, a thin smile on his face. “It wasn’t always that way. Some of us are old enough to remember another time. Things were different just after the Mad Days.”

  Benjamin chuckled. “We call it the Age of Madness where I’m from.”

  Jarvi nodded. “Both names are too civilized, as far as I’m concerned. It was a brutal time. And even after the madness ended, life in Holdgate was difficult. The people tried to eke out an existence by fishing, but the rough seas claimed many lives. Those who survived were barely able to bring back enough fish to make the risk worth it. And trading via the sea? Only a fool would attempt such a thing.”

  Benjamin scratched his chin. Somehow, in all his years in Holdgate, he’d never asked Jarvi for details about the time following the Mad Days. He supposed he’d been too busy adjusting to the culture to worry about its past. “So, what happened?”

  “A man came from the south. A man of great power.” Jarvi turned back to the window and paused a moment before continuing. “I wasn’t here when it happened, so this is all second hand. I was one of those fools trying to travel to other places to trade. When I returned from my voyage, Holdgate had changed.”<
br />
  “How so?” Benjamin asked.

  “This man had taken pity on our pathetic town. He’d taught a handful of young people the basics of calming the sea. He didn’t stay long. I’m told he headed east across the mountains after a few short months with us, but it was enough. Those young people began to practice, to hone and develop their skills beyond what he’d taught them, and they became the first Storm Callers.”

  Benjamin considered the story, trying to fit the timeline together in his mind. He’d grown up hearing stories about the Founder, the man who’d ended the Age of Madness and brought magic to Arcadia. Could this mysterious man be the same person?

  It hardly mattered now. They had more pressing matters to discuss. “As interesting as this is, Jarvi, I hardly see how this pertains to our current situation.”

  Jarvi let out a surprised laugh. “My friend, it has everything to do with our situation!”

  Benjamin tilted his head. “You’re going to have to explain that.”

  Jarvi held up a hand. “My apologies, I’m getting ahead of myself. Allow me to explain. Think about the Storm Callers. They’ve only been around for, what, forty years? And you heard stories of the Storm Raiders as a boy. That means some of the original Storm Callers may not have been as kind as we in Holdgate have been led to believe. In fact, it wasn’t long after the first Storm Callers showed up that we first started having trouble with the Barskall.”

  Benjamin leaned forward and rubbed his chin. “Wait. Are you saying Storm Callers have been working with the Barskall since the beginning?”

  Jarvi shook his head slowly. “No. It doesn’t track. There would be too many people involved. It would have gotten out by now. But what if there was a small group? A few. Maybe even a handful. When I traveled in my younger days, I heard tales of Storm Raiders from all corners of Irth. I’m starting to think this might be bigger than a single traitor working with the Barskall. There could be a whole group of them, and they may have been working with the Barskall for many years.”