Welcome To The Age of Magic

by C M Raymond et al.

  The deck was no less chaotic. No one even noticed as she climbed through the hatch. The sailors of Thunderclap were scrambling around the main deck. Some were gathered around the prow, where Dahlia usually stood when she Storm Called, perplexed that she wasn’t there. The thunderclap was their signature as well as their namesake, and they always sounded it when they arrived back home in Holdgate. But why had it sounded now, and if Dahlia hadn’t created it, who had? It was a clear night, so the thunder couldn’t have been a natural occurrence.

  Abbey looked across the water and saw The Foggy Day’s prow was also vacant. Good. Dustin must have Storm Called from somewhere else on the ship. That would further add to their confusion.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she took in the chaos around her. The plan was working. Confusion reigned on Thunderclap, and Dahlia was trapped below deck with a raging fire. Abbey didn’t have any illusions that the chaos would last long or that the fire would do permanent damage to the ship—though, she could always hope—but that was all right. They only needed a few minutes to make this happen.

  She turned and glanced up at the quarterdeck. Tor stood, hands on hips, looking as confused as the rest of them, his eyes on The Foggy Day. Then he turned his gaze back to his own ship and quickly scanned the deck. His eyes settled on Abbey, and he went pale.

  “Time to go,” Abbey muttered. There was just one more thing she needed to do first.

  Holding out her hand, she briefly closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened them, she was holding a fireball. This one was much larger than the one she’d conjured below deck, and she knew she couldn’t keep it up for more than a few moments. She drew back her arm and hurled the fireball at the main mast.

  It struck its target, and the mainsail burst into flame.

  The surprise on Captain Tor’s face quickly morphed into fury. He pointed a shaking finger at her and bellowed, “Get the Arcadian bitch!”

  The crew turned toward her and drew their weapons.

  Abbey took off running toward the prow of the ship. As she ran, she concentrated, gathering her magical energy.

  A sailor ran at her, his sword held high, but he hesitated at the sight of her black eyes, and she darted past him.

  As she reached the prow, she thought back to the day of Dustin’s Testing. The way she’d pulled on him, giving him just enough extra support, so he was able to make it to shore. She needed to do the opposite of that now.

  She leaped into the air, hurdling over the rail and out over the water. As she did, she pushed on the ship, focusing on moving it away from her. Just as she hoped, the ship didn’t. Instead, she moved. The push sent her flying through the air much farther than she could jump on her own.

  A strong wind pressed against her back, and she saw Dustin was now standing at the prow of The Foggy Day, his eyes glowing blueish-green.

  The combination of her magical push and Dustin's wind didn’t get her all the way across the gap between the two ships, but it got her far enough. She hit the water about halfway between them and started swimming hard.

  A few moments later, the crew of The Foggy Day was tossing her a rope and hauling her up.

  While Abbey was hiding on Thunderclap, waiting for the signal, Syd and Dustin were gathering the crew below deck on The Foggy Day. The Thunderclap sailor assigned to guard the sleeping berth lay unconscious in the corner, the victim of Syd taking him by surprise with a plank. Dustin had winced at the sound the board made when it connected with the man’s head.

  Captain Roy was there, too, his face alight with a wide smile, even though he was sporting a busted lip, a black eye, and a serious knot on the left side of his forehead. “I’m not sure whether to slap you two upside the head for coming back here or to hug you.”

  The joy Dustin felt at seeing this man surprised him. Only a few short days ago, he’d been annoyed that Roy was his captain. Now, he wanted nothing more than to sail with him.

  Syd ran a hand over her head. “I suggest we delay both of those until later. Besides, we didn’t come back just because we felt sorry for you. We need a quick ride to Holdgate.”

  “I think Captain Tor and his Storm Caller will have something to say about that.” The joy was melting away from Captain Roy’s face as the realities of their situation began to hit him. “You’re good, Dustin, but Thunderclap is a faster ship than The Foggy Day. Call all the wind you want; we won’t get far before they catch us.”

  Now, it was Dustin’s turn to smile. “That fact hasn’t escaped our attention. A certain fugitive blacksmith’s daughter is aboard Tor’s ship right now sowing mischief.”

  “I’ve discovered it’s kind of her specialty,” Syd said.

  Roy’s eyes narrowed with concern. “You’re telling me that Abbey is aboard Thunderclap? Alone?”

  Syd chuckled. “Not alone. There’s a shit ton of Storm Raiders on there with her.”

  Dustin leaned in closer to the group. “That’s why we need to get moving. Go above deck. When I give the signal, you attack Tor’s sailors. We need you to be fast. Then get the ship ready to sail.”

  “How’s Abbey going to get back here?” Roy asked.

  Dustin grimaced. “A little magic and a lot of luck. Point is, we need to be free of Thunderclap crew and ready to push off as quickly as humanly possible. Syd, you’ll coordinate?”

  She nodded.

  One of the crew, a tall man with a beard that looked like it hadn’t been touched by a razor in a decade, leaned close to Dustin. “Due respect, but you’ve been a Storm Caller, what? A week?”

  Less, Dustin thought, but he wasn’t about to say it.

  The big man continued. “And when you were here, you never said word one to any of us. You thought you were too good to talk to the crew. Why the hell should we listen to you now?”

  Syd stepped into the space between Dustin and the tall man. She pushed her index finger against the tall man’s chest. “You’ll listen because he’s your fucking Storm Caller, and he gave you an order. Do I make myself clear, Edgar?”

  The tall man took a step back and rubbed the spot where she’d poked him. “Yes, ma’am. Apologies for my question. I was merely—”

  “I’m sorry, are you still talking?” she barked. “You heard your orders. Get your ass above deck!”

  The crew briskly headed up to the deck, not saying another word, leaving only Roy, Syd, and Dustin.

  When they were alone, Dustin said, “He was right, you know. I was an arrogant asshole when I came aboard.”

  Roy laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “You certainly were. But if you can get them out of this mess, it’ll go a long way toward setting things right.”

  Dustin looked at Roy, then at Syd. “You two ready for this?”

  Syd nodded as she drew her swords. “My only regret is that Tor’s not on The Foggy Day. I would like to have words with that man.”

  “You’ll have your chance yet.” Roy turned to Dustin. “When you’re ready, Storm Caller.”

  Dustin gripped his staff and closed his eyes.

  Roy said, “Wait, don’t you need seawater?”

  Syd replied. “It a new thing he can do. Don’t interrupt.”

  Dustin breathed deeply, gripping onto energy from both the ship itself and the water below it. He let it swirl inside him until it felt like a tempest. Then he let it loose.

  Thunder roared, and the ship shook with the force of it.

  Roy whistled. “Damn, son, that’s mighty impressive.”

  Syd grabbed the captain’s arm. “Be impressed later. We’ve got work to do.”

  The three of them went above deck and found that the crew of The Foggy Day had things well in hand. Most of the Thunderclap men were either tumbling over the rail or lying on the deck with a fatal case of sword wounds.

  Dustin raced to the prow of the ship and squinted over at Thunderclap. He couldn’t make out much on the deck of the other ship, but there was certainly a lot of movement. Then, suddenly the mast was engulfed in flam
es as the limp mainsail caught fire.

  “Oh, hell yeah,” Dustin said. Abbey had done it.

  Then, he saw her. She was launching herself over the prow and into the air. Her leap was impressive, inhuman even, but it wasn’t far enough. If she landed too close to Thunderclap, the crew would follow her over the edge and haul her back—or haul her under.

  Dustin quickly called a blast of wind. It hit Abbey in the back, giving her an extra boost to her forward momentum. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. She landed halfway between the ships and then started swimming like mad toward The Foggy Day.

  Syd immediately called out to the crew. “Woman approaching port side. Pull her up!”

  Dustin looked around the deck, and he was amazed at how much the crew had accomplished in just a few minutes. They moved like a single being, everyone performing their tasks wordlessly, knowing exactly what they needed to do to prepare the ship.

  On the port side, two men hauled Abbey over the railing. She collapsed onto the deck in a wet puddle.

  Dustin raced over. “Abbey! You okay?”

  Her hair was hanging in her face as she slowly looked up at him, a wide smile on her face. “How badass was that?”

  Dustin grinned back. “Very.” He turned and called to Captain Roy. “How we looking, captain?”

  “The crew’s going for a record here, but we’re not there yet. Five more minutes.”

  Syd stared at Thunderclap, her eyes suddenly wide. “I don’t think we have five minutes. Look.”

  The Thunderclap’s mast was aflame, and the crew was running around the deck, frantically trying to put it out.

  And at the bow of the ship stood Dahlia, gripping her staff, her eyes aglow.

  25

  Dustin walked toward his place at the prow of the ship. Abbey followed close behind him. He was about to face off against Dahlia. The greatest Storm Caller in Holdgate. The woman even his mentor, Harald, had openly feared. The woman whose skills had helped end any doubt as to which ship was the greatest in the Holdgate fleet.

  Tor was the most respected person in Holdgate, but Dahlia was the most feared.

  Her voice came across the water, carried by the wind. It sounded like she was barely speaking above a whisper, yet it was perfectly understandable by every man and woman aboard The Foggy Day.

  “Young Storm Caller. Your Arcadian friend has hurt my ship.”

  Dustin and Abbey exchanged a worried glance.

  “How’s she doing that with her voice?” Abbey asked.

  Dustin shook his head. “I have no idea.”

  Dahlia’s voice sounded almost sweet when she spoke again. “Face me, young Storm Caller. Try yourself against me. Let’s see if you’re worthy of your cloak and your staff. Let’s see if you’re worthy to sail in my sea.”

  Abbey grabbed his arm. “Don’t take the bait. You don’t have to beat her. You just have to get us out of here. That’s the priority.”

  The ship began swaying as the sea around them grew angry.

  “Easier said than done,” Dustin said.

  “Hey, look at me.”

  Dustin turned to face her. There was a steely resolution in her eyes.

  “Everybody thinks Dahlia’s hot shit, but only one of you can Storm Call on land. And it ain’t her. Get us the hell out of here.”

  Dustin smiled “I think I’ll do just that.”

  He stepped to the prow and set his staff in the seawater. Even though he didn’t need the water, it was still useful to him. There was comfort in the familiarity, and the magic seemed to submit to him even easier with it.

  He called over his shoulder to Abbey. “Check with Captain Roy and let me know when we’re ready to go.”

  “You got it.”

  He heard her feet on the deck boards as she dashed away. He looked up at Dahlia and saw her eyes were fixed on him, a slight smile on her face as if she were unaware of the fires blazing behind her.

  She shut her eyes for the briefest of moments—little more than a blink, really— and water began to pour from the heavens. One moment, the skies were clear; the next, a storm raged above them. The downpour made what Dustin had done in the mountain village seem like a gentle shower.

  Dustin gripped his staff, willing himself not to be intimidated by the awesome display. He had tricks of his own. If she wanted water, he was more than happy to give it to her.

  He focused his mind on the sea, and a massive wave swelled near Thunderclap. It rushed at the ship and crashed into it, sending the stormship bobbing.

  Dustin heard shouts of surprise from the crew on the deck of Thunderclap, but Dahlia was unfazed. She let out an eerie laugh that somehow sounded like the sea itself, and the sky crackled with lightning.

  She spoke again in her soft voice that somehow carried across the water. “Thunderclap has survived bigger waves on the open sea than that, Storm Caller. I sense you are powerful, but you clearly have no idea how to use that power. Allow me to demonstrate.”

  He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Abbey standing there.

  “Roy says we’re ready.”

  “Thank the sea.” Dustin closed his eyes and called down the wind. It filled The Foggy Day’s sails, and the ship began to glide away from Thunderclap. Dustin knew Dahlia couldn’t hear him, but he couldn’t help replying. “Sorry. I’ll have to see your awesome demonstration of power another time.”

  Suddenly the wind stopped.

  The smile melted from Dustin’s face.

  Abbey cursed softly. “She’s a real bitch, isn’t she?”

  “Pretty much.” But Dustin wasn’t going to give up that easily. He might not have experience battling other Storm Callers, and he might not be able to throw his voice across the water, but there was one thing Dustin was good at: he could call the winds and push a ship across open water. If she wanted to put him to the test on that, he was more than up for the challenge.

  He closed his eyes and concentrated. When he gripped the power in the sea, it felt different than it usually did. More slippery, as if he might lose his hold on it at any moment. It was because she was trying to use it, too, he realized. He gripped down hard, refusing to let go. He would use this power to fill the sails of The Foggy Day, and no one was going to stop him.

  He kept his eyes closed for what seemed like hours. He wasn’t making up much ground, but he wasn’t losing any, either. Standing toe to toe with Dahlia, and not losing? He’d never thought it possible. Granted, he wasn’t winning, but against Dahlia, a draw was a win of sorts.

  No. That wasn’t true. There was more at stake here than just his pride. It didn’t matter if he was facing Dahlia, or a rookie apprentice, or the entire brotherhood of Storm Callers. He had to win this. If he didn’t, Holdgate would never know the truth. Abbey’s father would remain in jail and would probably be executed. Tor and Dahlia would continue their Storm Raiding, even as everyone back home thought of them as heroes. Worst of all, people in every coastal village between here and Lost Isles would continue to live in fear of the day the Storm Raiders would decide it was time to come in the night and take everything they had, up to and possibly including their lives.

  Dustin couldn’t allow that to happen. He wouldn’t. This would be his true Testing. Could he do what was required of him when it really mattered?

  He dug deeper than he ever had before and gathered the magic.

  Abbey hovered near Dustin as the rain pounded down on them, watching the two Storm Callers do battle.

  They couldn’t have looked more different. Dustin was the picture of intense concentration. His eyes were squeezed shut, and a blueish-green glow seeped out between his eyelids. The muscles on his arms stood out as he gripped his staff, and his teeth were bared.

  Abbey probably wouldn’t have been able to see Dahlia through the driving rain if not for the bluish-green light pouring from her open eyes and bathing her in light. From this distance, she looked perfectly relaxed. Her golden hair hung wet around her shoulders, and a slight smile playe
d on her face.

  It was infuriating. Here Dustin was, fighting for their escape with all his might, and there was nothing Abbey could do to help.

  She turned to look around at The Foggy Day and saw that all three sails hung limply.

  One of the crew, the tall man Abbey had heard Syd call Edgar said to her, “Hey, what’s going on. Why doesn’t the Storm Caller do something?”

  Abbey practically snarled at him. “He is doing something, you idiot. He’s fighting her. If it weren’t for him, she’d probably have torn us to shreds by now.”

  Edgar raised a skeptical eyebrow and looked past her, toward the other ship. “Nothing’s happening.”

  “That’s because he’s not losing!”

  She turned back to Dustin, wishing again there was something she could do. She supposed she could try throwing a fireball at Dahlia, but there was no way she could get it that far. And even if she could, this torrent of rain would probably put it out before it reached her.

  Dahlia’s voice filled the air again. Last time, Abbey had been too far away to see Dahlia as she spoke, but now she could see the Storm Caller’s lips moving.

  “Give up, young Storm Caller. If you continue this foolishness, you may end up with a broken mind. A person can only handle so much magic, and then they burn out. I know where my limits are. Do you know yours?”

  Dustin didn’t respond. The strain was clear on his face.

  Abbey believed there was truth to Dahlia’s words. Her father had said much the same thing. Part of her wanted to stop Dustin, to protect him, but she knew that was foolish. The only way he’d stop would be if she physically forced him to, and he’d hate her for it.

  Abbey squinted at Thunderclap. There were men on the deck swinging ropes. What were they doing?

  Suddenly, she recognized the objects they were holding. She’d used one herself to board Thunderclap not long ago.

  She spun and scanned the deck of her own ship. When she saw Syd, she ran to her.

  “They’re going to try to board!”

  Syd shook her head. “In this heavy rain? That would be crazy. There’s no way.”