Welcome To The Age of Magic

by C M Raymond et al.

  “Syd! You down here?” It was a male voice, and it was coming through the hatch.

  “I’m here,” Syd called back to him.

  “We need you topside. We’ve spotted a ship.”

  Syd glanced down at Abbey. “You’d better come, too. Unless you’re having too much fun scrubbing those bulkheads.”

  They made their way above deck and found Captain Roy, Dustin, and a few key crew members standing at the rail on the quarter deck, staring at the ship far behind them. It was so far away that it looked like little more than a dot to Abbey.

  Captain Roy shielded his eyes from the sun as he stared over the water. “Well, it’s a Holdgate ship. That much is certain.”

  The others standing at the rail all muttered their agreement.

  “Wait,” Abbey said. “How the hell can you all do that?”

  A few of the crew members looked at her like she was stupid.

  Roy’s voice was patient when he answered. “The build of the ship is the clear giveaway. You can see the cut of it, even from this distance. But also, look at how it’s moving. It’s made up some serious ground in the ten minutes we’ve been watching it, and there’s hardly any natural wind. That means they’ve got a Storm Caller aboard.”

  “Huh.” Abbey couldn’t see any of that, but she wasn’t about to say so.

  One of the crew, a man named Tanner, said, “Could it be a ship on its way home from the Storm Wall?”

  Syd grimaced at the suggestion. “Look at the direction, man. If it were coming from the Storm Wall, it would be coming from farther west. This one’s clearly coming from Bode.”

  “That leaves only two possibilities,” Abbey said.

  “No.” Roy nodded toward the mysterious vessel. “There’s only one ship that could be. You burned Thunderclap’s mainsail. No way they had time to repair it or make a new one and catch us this quickly. And you saw High Tide pass you on its way back to Holdgate. That has to be Summer Wind.”

  Abbey nodded. She agreed with his logic. “What do we know about them?”

  “Their Storm Caller’s a real bastard,” Dustin said. “His name’s Wallace, and he takes Storm Calling even more seriously than my old mentor, Harald. The way he sees it, he’s blessed by the sea. He probably looks at Storm Raiding as his sea-given right.”

  Tanner spat over the edge at that. Abbey couldn’t disagree.

  Roy nodded. “That’s been my experience with him, too. Think you can outrun them, boy? It’s not all that far to Holdgate.”

  Dustin glanced at Roy. “All due respect, but I’m not sure that’s the best play here. It’s going to take time to explain things in Holdgate. It won’t be easy to convince the Magistrate and the other Storm Captains of what we saw, especially if High Tide beat us home. Do we really want to show up in port with another ship hot on our tail and looking for a fight?”

  Roy stroked his beard. “Perhaps not. You got a better idea?”

  Dustin stared at the ship for a moment before answering. “Let’s angle toward shore a bit. Then we’ll let them catch up.”

  Roy looked surprised. “Why would we do that?”

  “We should angle toward shore because I’d like them to at least have a shot of swimming to dry land. And we should let them catch up so I can sink them.”

  Dustin stood on the prow of The Foggy Day, watching the other ship approach. He’d calmed the sea, and the crew had lowered the sails. It occurred to Dustin that—as he’d learned as an apprentice—calming the sea had been the original purpose of weather magic. A bearded man with a robe and a wooden staff had come to Holdgate and taught them to quell the vicious waves so they could safely travel the seas for fishing and trade.

  He wondered how different the world would be today if the original magic users in Holdgate had stuck to that vision. Instead, it hadn’t taken long for them to take what they’d been taught and twist it into something new: storm magic. And as a result, there Dustin was, getting ready to do battle with another Storm Caller for the second time in as many days.

  He took one last look out over the glassy water. It wouldn’t be long before the weather the Storm Caller of Summer Wind was conjuring reached them.

  Captain Roy approached him. “You ready to do this, Storm Caller?”

  “I’m ready.” It wasn’t bravado or even overconfidence that caused him to say that. Unlike the battle with Dahlia, he felt a peaceful certainty in facing Wallace, Storm Caller of Summer Wind. Dahlia had warned him that he might burn himself out in fighting her, but instead, something else had happened. He’d grown stronger. It was like facing someone so powerful had unlocked a new part of him, a part that allowed him to draw in more magic from the sea and the earth and allowed him to shape it more precisely.

  “Anything I can do to help?” Captain Roy asked.

  Dustin just shook his head. As much as he’d come to disagree with his old mentor’s teachings about how a Storm Caller shouldn’t fraternize with the crew, he understood the philosophy behind it, misguided though it might be. In a battle, a Storm Caller had to act alone. As much as the captain and the crew wanted to help, all they could do was watch and hope.

  He glanced back at the deck and saw Syd, Abbey, and a few others gathered there, watching him. He turned to Roy. “Captain, I’m going to do my best to make this as quick as possible. Be ready to raise the sails on my mark.”

  “You got it.” The captain hovered for another moment, then wandered off to join the crew.

  The Foggy Day began to move in the water, swaying from side to side as Summer Wind approached, bringing their angry weather along with them.

  Dustin had learned as an apprentice that every Storm Caller had his or her own style for drawing power from the sea. For some, like Dustin, total concentration was the key, and part of his training involved learning to shut the world out while he Storm Called. For others, like Dahlia, it was about calmness, emptying themselves of emotion and letting the power flow into the void. For still others, like Wallace of Summer Wind, it was about passion.

  As the ship approached, Dustin could see Wallace standing at the prow, one hand on his staff, the other waving wildly in the air. He was turning his head left and right, shouting orders over either shoulder. The water seemed to mirror his aggressive attitude, and the rolling sea became choppy.

  Dustin decided he’d waited long enough. He’d wanted to confirm Summer Wind was coming here for a fight before he attacked, and he was now confident that they were. He closed his eyes and began.

  Pulling the power of the sea into him was natural now, like breathing. The power gathered and swirled inside him; he only had to shape it.

  Abbey watched from the deck as the sky suddenly darkened and distant thunder rolled.

  Syd stared up at the black clouds. “Our Storm Caller isn’t messing around.”

  “Good,” Abbey replied. “We need to get to Holdgate. My father’s still in that cell, and I’d prefer he not stay there much longer.”

  The ship was swaying pretty hard now, and Abbey gripped the rail for fear of going over the side. Syd, on the other hand, seemed to have no trouble keeping her balance on the wildly rocking ship.

  The Storm Caller on the other ship was gesturing wildly and yelling at his crew. He raised a hand toward The Foggy Day, and a huge wave rolled toward them, sending them rocking even harder.

  “Anytime, Dustin,” Abbey muttered.

  As if on cue, a lightning bolt shot down from the sky and hit the mast of Summer Wind.

  Syd flinched. “Holy shit! Storm Callers don’t usually use lightning at this close range. Too difficult to control. I’ve never even seen Dahlia do that.”

  Another lightning bolt struck Summer Wind. Then another.

  It was chaos aboard the enemy ship. The crew was running frantically, trying to put out the fires that had sprung up around the ship.

  A fourth lightning bolt struck, and Abbey heard a loud crack. Then the mast of Summer Wind fell.

  A few moments later, crew member
s began jumping overboard, abandoning ship. The Storm Caller still stood at his place on the prow, bellowing orders to a crew that had long since stopped listening to him. The fires had spread, and it was clear the ship was going down.

  Dustin turned toward the astonished crew gathered on the deck. “Captain, I’m ready to depart. Let’s go to Holdgate.”

  28

  Benjamin and Jarvi sat at a long, stone table in the Magistrate’s office, their hands shackled. Six Storm Captains and six Storm Callers sat with them, all the ones currently in Holdgate. The only notable absences were the Storm Caller and captain of High Tide.

  Every person at the table wore a troubled expression.

  After the arrival of High Tide, Benjamin and Jarvi had willingly agreed to be placed into custody while the Magistrate investigated their claims. They’d expected nothing less. Once they’d presented their case, they’d known it would be out of their hands.

  What they hadn’t expected was the arrival of High Tide. Benjamin didn’t know what yarn the captain of that ship would spin. It was just another wild card; one he didn’t need right now.

  The Magistrate cleared his throat, then began. “Benjamin, Jarvi, we’ve brought you here to discuss the story you told me yesterday morning in my home. I’ve followed up on your claims. I personally spoke to Cybil and the storyteller woman, and I found their responses consistent with what you told me. However, there is a further complication.”

  Jarvi raised an eyebrow. “Do tell, Magistrate.”

  Benjamin almost laughed. He was amazed at how his friend always managed to appear so in control, even as a prisoner.

  The Magistrate continued. “As you know, High Tide came home yesterday. Captain Uther told a very different story from yours. It seems the voyage north did not go smoothly. They arrived in Bode to find the city in flames and the Barskall in control of it. When they moved in to fight the Barskall, they were attacked by one of their own ships. The Foggy Day.” He looked pointedly at Benjamin. “I seem to recall that their new Storm Caller Dustin spent a good deal of time in your blacksmith shop as a boy. Is that correct?”

  Benjamin didn’t see any point in denying it. “It is.”

  “When your daughter left Jarvi’s home after assaulting my guards, it seems she went to see her old friend Dustin. He smuggled her aboard. Somehow, over the course of a two-day journey, she managed to convince Captain Roy and the crew to betray their allies. Against all odds, The Foggy Day somehow managed to escape after attacking the other three ships. Captain Uther can’t be sure, but he suspects they’re on their way back here to Holdgate to attack the city.”

  Jarvi chuckled. “If you’ll excuse my saying so Magistrate, that sounds like a rather implausible story. The kind only someone desperate to cover something up would dare tell.”

  The Magistrate looked at the Storm Callers and Storm Captains before continuing, as if making sure they didn’t have any objections. “Actually, Jarvi, we felt the same way.”

  Benjamin sat up a bit straighter at that. Was it possible the Magistrate believed him?

  The Magistrate rubbed his chin as he spoke. “You have to understand, this puts us in a very difficult position. Either Uther’s story is true, and a young woman somehow convinced one of the most even-keeled captains in the fleet to betray his allies over the course of a two-day journey, or Uther is working with Tor, which means at least two of our best stormships are engaged in a conspiracy to kill my son, frame a blacksmith for the murder, and work with the Barskall for some unknown purpose. Both are equally difficult to swallow.”

  Benjamin leaned forward and looked the Magistrate in the eye. “And yet, we’re sitting here. I take it that means you’ve come to a conclusion.”

  The Magistrate nodded. “Obviously, we’re a bit more inclined to believe the Storm Captain than the Arcadian blacksmith, so we called Uther here first. After he’d told us his story one more time, I asked him how Tor had taken Captain Roy’s betrayal. He said that Tor was shocked and disappointed, but that he hoped we would show Roy some mercy when we caught him, in appreciation for all his years of service. That was when we knew for sure Captain Uther was lying.”

  One of the captains, a man named Stephen, shook his head. “I’ve known Tor a long time. He had many great qualities, but forgiveness ain’t one of them. If another captain betrayed Tor, he’d want them devoured by sharks. Slowly.”

  Benjamin and Jarvi exchanged a glance. Jarvi looked as surprised as Benjamin felt.

  “We arrested Uther, his Storm Caller, and his first mate immediately,” the Magistrate continued. “It took a while to round up his crew, but we got most of them. The jail is absolutely packed with those bastards. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with them long term, but we’ve got them for now.” He let out a sigh. “If they really are traitors, if Thunderclap has betrayed us and maybe Summer Wind has, too, we are in real danger. Thunderclap alone could do some serious damage to the city. We need to work on preparing our defense.”

  “Perhaps we can be of some assistance,” Jarvi said. Benjamin shot him a look, but the older man ignored it. “My blacksmith friend doesn’t like to brag, but he’s a powerful magician in the Arcadian style. In fact, I’d venture to guess he could have broken out of that jail cell you had him in any time he wanted to.”

  The Magistrate looked at Benjamin, the surprise clear on his face. “We knew you could do some parlor tricks and that you knocked down some of the city guards who came to arrest you in your shop. But this is going to be a real fight against dangerous individuals.”

  Benjamin raised his hands and stretched them apart, so the chain between his shackles became taut. His eyes turned black, and a link near the middle of the chain turned red, then yellow, then white with heat. He pulled his hands wider, and the chain broke. The deformed, white-hot link fell onto the stone table in front of him.

  The Storm Captains and Storm Callers stared at him, mouths agape.

  “I think I can handle it,” Benjamin said. “If you want me to play a part in fighting Thunderclap, I’m happy to lend a hand.”

  The door to the office flew open, and the Magistrate’s bookkeeper, Cybil, ran into the room.

  “Good seas, woman, have you forgotten how to knock!” The Magistrate pushed back his chair and stood up at the interruption.

  Cybil put her hands on her hips. “You’re going to want to hear this. A ship just pulled into port. It’s The Foggy Day.”

  Now, it was Benjamin’s turn to leap from his seat. Abbey was home!

  Abbey watched from the deck of The Foggy Day as they sailed toward Holdgate, and it grew from a speck on the horizon to the marvelous city where she’d spent most of her life. It was true that the people there hadn’t always—okay, ever—treated her like one of their own, but she still felt ownership over the place. She wanted to visit Arcadia someday to see where she’d come from and where her mother had spent her life, but Holdgate would always be home.

  She turned to find Captain Roy standing at her shoulder.

  “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.” Captain Roy paused before continuing. “Listen, Abbey, I think you should stay on the ship after we pull into port. We know the city guard is looking for you, and I’d rather not see you hauled off to jail.”

  “Same here,” Abbey said dryly.

  “Even the Magistrate wouldn’t dare board my ship without permission. As long as you stay aboard, they can’t arrest you. Syd, Dustin, and I will go to the Magistrate and make our case. When he understands the situation and after he’s released your father, then we’ll come get you.”

  If he understands the situation. Abbey wasn’t confident it would be easy to convince him that the best Storm Captain in Holdgate was a traitor. “All right. I’ll stay aboard.”

  The captain paused. “Well, that was certainly easier than I’d expected. I thought you’d argue that you wanted to be there when we explained things to the Magistrate.”

  Abbey smiled. “I guess I’m starting to trus
t you.”

  Roy laughed heartily and clapped her on the back.

  They pulled alongside the dock, and a crowd began to gather. That was normal when stormships returned. Even the smaller ships like The Foggy Day received a hero’s welcome when returning from the north. But as the crew began to leave the ship, Abbey noticed the crowd was filling with more familiar faces. Storm Captains and Storm Callers, and soon even the Magistrate. And then she saw someone else.

  “Dad!” Ignoring Captain Roy’s instruction, she raced to the gangplank, ran onto the dock, and headed straight for her father.

  When she reached him, she grabbed him in a big hug. Neither of them spoke for a long moment. They just embraced, delighted at the reunion neither thought would happen so soon.

  Finally, Abbey pulled away. “How’d you get out of jail?”

  Benjamin nodded toward Jarvi, who Abbey hadn’t noticed up until now. “He and I did a little investigative work. Nothing special. Just solving murders and stuff.”

  Abbey gave Jarvi a quick hug. “Thank you. For everything.”

  Captain Roy appeared at her shoulder. “So much for waiting on the ship.”

  Abbey grinned. “I figured if my father’s name was cleared, mine must be, too.”

  The Magistrate looked at her. “Nothing’s clear quite yet. Let’s go back to my office. We have much to discuss.”

  Dustin sat at the long table in the Magistrate’s office, on the left side with the Storm Callers. Captain Roy and the other Storm Captains sat across from him, and the Magistrate was at the head of the table.

  Benjamin, Syd, Jarvi, and Abbey sat in chairs gathered near the foot of the table.

  It took more than an hour to explain what had happened during The Foggy Day’s journey. Captain Roy and Dustin did most of the talking, since their positions gave their words an added weight. But when it came time to tell about the raid of Bode, Abbey took over. The faces around the table grew dark as she explained in great detail the destruction the Storm Raiders and Barskall Warriors had wrought upon the northern city.