The deck was empty but for the men and women who’d just boarded and five men kneeling near the mast.
Captain Roy stomped up to the kneeling men. “Who the hell are you?”
One of the men, a short, fat man with a patchy beard, smiled up at the captain. “We’re the crew of Thunderclap, sir. As the ranking officer, I’d like to humbly offer my full surrender.”
Captain Roy blinked hard, confused. “Where are the rest of you? Where’s your captain? Your Storm Caller?”
The man shook his head sadly, clearly struggling to keep the smile off his face. “I do not know, sir. We simply woke up yesterday morning, and they were gone. I suppose they abandoned ship.”
The captain grabbed the man by the shirt. “Of all the bullshit I’ve ever heard, that’s about the least believable.” He turned to his crew. “Search the ship. See if there’s anyone else hiding aboard.”
Worry gripped Abbey like a vise. All the best fighters in Holdgate were either on Undertow, Wave Breaker, or climbing the hull of Thunderclap. And every Storm Caller in the city was standing on the wall, facing the sea.
She ran up and grabbed Captain Roy’s arm. “We have to go back.”
“What? Back to Holdgate?”
Abbey tightened her grip. “Captain, they’re just trying to distract us. They don’t want to raid Holdgate; they want to conquer it. We have to get back there and fight. They’re already in the city.”
Dustin stood on the wall, gazing out at the sea. If there had been more than seven Storm Callers on that wall, he might have felt more confident, but the best and brightest of the fleet were in the north fighting Barskall, in the south protecting trading ships, or in the west maintaining the Storm Wall. So it was up to Dustin and six others to defend the city.
His old mentor, Harald, stood to his right, and a Storm Caller named Audrey stood to his left. Audrey had been silent since they’d taken their places, gazing out into the fog, a look of concentration on her face.
Harald had not.
He nudged Dustin and pointed into the fog. “The thing you’ve got to understand, boy, is that Dahlia’s a genius. Perhaps an evil genius, but a genius nonetheless. That’s why we send the expendable ones first.” He gestured down toward the crew of The Foggy Day in their small boats.
“Expendable?” It was difficult for Dustin to keep the fury out of his voice. He gripped his staff, the new one Benjamin had given him, and tried to ignore the man. He’d put up with his mentor’s dickishness for twelve years. He could do it for one more night.
Harald held up a hand. “Now, don’t get me wrong. I know that’s your crew. But there’s one thing I tried to teach you that you never understood. The crew is just a tool. We use them to raise the sails, and steer the ship, and cook our meals, but they’re not like us. Not really. We have a connection to the sea that they’ll never understand. If not for us, they wouldn’t survive a day out there on the open sea.”
Dustin turned to his mentor. “And yet, other places sail without Storm Callers. You told me that yourself.”
Harald scoffed. “Sure. If you want to call that sailing. There!” Harald pointed at the nose of Thunderclap emerging from the fog. “That’s the old bitch now.”
“Go!” The voice belonged to Captain Roy. He was calling from one of the small boats on the dock. The ones Harald had called expendable.
“I’ve got this,” Harald bellowed. He closed his eyes, and a massive wave swelled up, carrying the small boats forward. Harald opened his eyes and smiled. “You see, boy? Pay attention, and you might learn something today.”
Harald shook his head as the boats surged toward Thunderclap. “I almost feel sorry for them. They won’t last long against the Storm Raiders, but hopefully, they’ll buy us enough time to mount our real defense.”
Dustin couldn’t hold back anymore. He spun toward Harald and put a hand on the man’s throat. “Those are my friends, and I won’t have you talk about them like that. I’m not your apprentice anymore. I’m a damn Storm Caller, same as you. Now, shut up and concentrate on the task at hand, or I swear I will call down a wind so strong it will knock you off this wall.”
He let go of Harald’s throat and turned back toward the sea.
Audrey chuckled. “Seems like you’re the one who’s learning something today, Harald.”
Harald rubbed his throat, but he didn’t respond.
Dustin glanced at Audrey. “Isn’t it a little weird that Dahlia hasn’t done anything but call some fog?”
Audrey nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
A sudden shout came from behind them, and Dustin turned. The fog was too thick to see much of anything down in the city.
Dustin swallowed hard. “Um, why is the fog thicker in the city than over the sea?”
Not even Harald had an answer to that.
“We have to go down there,” Dustin said, his eyes searching, desperate to see through the fog. “Something’s not right.”
Audrey hesitated. “What good would we be without seawater?”
Dustin cursed softly. “Right. Then stay here. See what you can do about dispelling that fog. I’m going to check it out.”
He grabbed his staff and dashed down the stairs and into the city. As he went, he heard more shouting. The fog was even thicker now that he was down in it. He could barely see where he was going.
He had a choice to make. Either he could stop and try to dispel the fog, or keep going and blindly attempt to find his way through it. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to keep moving. He’d be more effective with his Storm Calling if he knew what he was fighting.
Besides, he was almost sure he smelled smoke.
The shouts were getting louder now, and he hurried toward them. He rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks.
The street was full of Storm Raiders. Syd and her militia were doing their best to fight them, but they were greatly outnumbered. It had to be the entire crew of Thunderclap here in these streets. Who the hell was on the ship?
And behind them, Dustin saw the source of the smoke. The Magistrate’s building was ablaze.
Dustin hesitated again. He felt so helpless. Should he join the fight or try to put out the fire? Either way, his most effective move would require him to Storm Call.
He stepped into an alley and touched his staff to the cobblestone below his feet. First, he’d call the rain; then he’d do what he could about the Storm Raiders. He closed his eyes and pulled in all the energy he could hold, drawing it in with a desperation he’d never had before. The sky cracked with lightning, and rain poured from the heavens.
When Dustin opened his eyes, the fog seemed to have lifted a bit. He could see the people fighting in the street more clearly. He even saw Abbey’s old friend Jarvi joining in the fight, using some kind of metal rod as a weapon. Everywhere he looked, he saw Storm Raiders standing over fallen Holdgatesmen and women. Syd was still standing, fending off an especially fat Storm Raider with her two swords.
“Isn’t this interesting.”
Dustin spun toward the voice, and saw a wagon parked in the shadows on the edge of the street. Dahlia stood in it, her eyes alive with magic. She took a step forward, and a bit of seawater sloshed over the edge of the wagon and onto the street.
“Young Storm Caller,” she said. “It seems you are in a great deal of trouble.”
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Dahlia glared down at Dustin. “I know you’re new at this, but you did pass your Testing, right? You do know that your primary usefulness in a fight is Storm Calling? And that Storm Calling requires seawater?”
Dustin looked around, scanning the ground and seeing fallen militia members everywhere. Anger boiled up inside him. How many people had Dahlia, Tor, and their crew killed this day? How many decent Holdgaters had met their end because of these greedy bastards?
He turned back to Dahlia. “Did you seriously fill a wagon with seawater?”
“We had to water seal it first. We’ve been planning this for a w
hile. Just in case we had to move against Holdgate.” She glared down at him. “I didn’t think the day would come so soon, though. Thanks to you and your Arcadian girlfriend, we had to move a little quicker than we’d planned. It’s a shame.” She waved toward the bodies on the ground around them. “If not for you, these people could have lived a few more years. Ah well.”
“You’re not going to survive this, Dahlia,” Dustin growled. “Holdgate has seen you for what you truly are.”
Dahlia smiled. “Indeed. That’s why I’m going to burn it to the ground.” She turned toward the street and yelled. “Randall?”
The first mate of Thunderclap trotted over to her. “What is it?”
“Be a dear and kill this young Storm Caller while I destroy the city.”
Randall nodded. “All right.”
Dahlia’s eyes began to glow. She seemed perfectly relaxed standing in a few inches of seawater in the back of that wagon. The rain abruptly stopped, and a hard wind began to blow.
She’s trying to spread the fire, Dustin realized. She wasn’t just threatening to burn down the city—she was actually trying to do it!
Dustin looked up at the wall where the Storm Callers were stationed, wishing he could signal to them to fight her, to bring on a heavy rain. He didn’t know what they were doing up there, but they were apparently too far away to fully understand what was going on.
The first mate stalked toward Dustin, his sword held in front of him.
Dustin lowered his staff, pointing it at Randall.
Randall chuckled. “You going to fight me with a stick?”
“Nah,” Dustin said. “I’m a Storm Caller. We prefer to use magic.”
He pulled the hook on the back of the staff, and a wave of blue energy burst out of the end. The energy slammed into Randall’s chest, knocking him onto his ass. He didn’t get back up again.
Dahlia blinked, and the glow in her eyes dimmed. “You are full of surprises, young Storm Caller.”
Dustin set the end of the staff on the ground and gripped it. “You have no idea.”
He couldn’t wait any longer, and he couldn’t count on the Storm Callers on the wall. He was going to have to act now if he wanted to save Holdgate.
Dustin closed his eyes and called the storm. He called the rain, pulling on the energy in the ground beneath his feet. He found after a moment that he could even feel the tide pushing and pulling somewhere to the east. As the raindrops began to fall onto his skin, each one focused him, allowing him to draw a bit more energy.
Then, suddenly, the energy pulled back.
Dahlia. She was fighting him. Her energy was fighting his.
She spoke through gritted teeth. “How are you doing that?”
Dustin didn’t answer. Instead, he worked harder, shaping the energy into rain even while he was using it to stop Dahlia’s wind.
“There’s no seawater,” Dahlia said. Her voice came out in a weak groan. “Where are you getting all that power?”
Dustin risked opening his eyes for a moment. He felt a bit of the power slip away, but it was worth it for what he saw: Dahlia’s eyes were squeezed shut, and cords of muscles were standing out on her arms.
She was struggling.
Dustin closed his eyes again and redoubled his efforts. After a moment, he felt Dahlia’s grip on the power slipping.
Something slammed into the side of Dustin’s head, and he cried out in pain. He opened his eyes and realized he was on his back. Randall stood over him. He was rubbing the knuckle of the fist he’d just used to punch Dustin.
“You’ve got a hard head,” he said. He picked up Dustin’s staff and gave it a close look. “Fascinating. A magic stick. What will they think of next?”
Dahlia looked at Randall, her eyes alive with fury. “I had him. You didn’t have to do that!”
“Apologies, ma’am.” He pointed the staff at Dustin. “But you told me to kill him, and I always obey orders.”
Abbey, Benjamin, and eight sailors sat in their small boat, madly paddling for shore.
“They tricked us,” Abbey said. “I can’t believe we fell for it.”
“In our defense, they are Storm Raiders,” Benjamin said. “It’s not crazy to assume they’d come from the sea.”
“Which is exactly why we should have seen it coming,” Abbey replied.
Benjamin pulled on his oar and let out a grunt. “The only way I can figure it is they snuck ashore somewhere outside town, one small ship at a time. Then they approached from the east side of the city while our attention was facing west toward the sea.”
Abbey shook her head in frustration. “No one ever said they weren’t smart.”
They reached the shore, and Abbey and Benjamin took off for the center of town, the sailors close at their heels. The other boats were landing quickly, and their occupants leaped onto the docks and followed, eager to join the fight.
The fog appeared to be lifting, and Abbey saw a building was on fire up ahead. It started raining a few moments later.
“Nice work, Storm Callers,” she muttered.
She ran toward the fire, her eyes fixed on the blaze. It would take a hell of a lot of rain and a hell of a lot of luck to put that thing out.
The militia was spread throughout the streets, and it was clear they weren’t doing well in this battle. Despite Syd’s best efforts to prepare them, one day wasn’t enough. The crew of Thunderclap was making quick work of the barely trained forces.
Abbey saw Benjamin run up to one of the Thunderclap crewmen. The sailor stood a head taller than the Arcadian.
“Well, if it isn’t the blacksmith,” the crewman sneered. “Good. I could use a new sword.”
Benjamin smiled. “I’m happy to share mine with you. Tip first.” His eyes turned black, and his sword burst into flames.
The crewman was too stunned to mount a defense as Benjamin charged and ran him through with his fiery sword.
The blacksmith spun toward another Thunderclap crewman and dispatched him just as quickly.
Abbey stared for a long moment. She’d never seen her father when he wasn’t holding back. It was a thing to behold. With him on their side, they just might stand a chance.
She heard a familiar voice shout and turned toward the sound. She saw Dahlia standing in a wagon, Storm Calling. Nearby, Randall, first mate of Thunderclap hovered over Dustin, who was flat on his back on the ground. Randall was holding Dustin’s Storm Caller staff, the one her father had made, and was pointing it at Dustin.
Abbey’s eyes widened. She knew what that staff could do. It was designed primarily to knock people back, but at that range, it would be deadly.
She charged Randall and dove at him, wrapping her arms around his body and tackling him to the ground.
He let out a surprised shout as he slammed onto the cobblestone.
Abbey wasn’t going to let up just because she had him down. This guy was eight inches taller than her, and his arms were thicker than most men’s legs. She punched him in the face with her left fist, then her right. She threw punch after punch, pummeling him, not wanting to give him a moment to recover.
With a groan of frustration, he grabbed her by the waist and pushed her off him. She rolled as she landed, and she quickly sprang to her feet and drew her sword.
Randall squinted at her like she was crazy, then laughed as he drew his weapon. “Are you serious right now? I could squash you like a bug.”
“No offense, but I’ve heard that before.” She rushed at him, feigning a strike at his midsection. When he moved to block it, she went for his head.
He just managed to block the blow.
“I can’t help but notice you’re not laughing anymore,” Abbey said.
Randall growled, then he charged.
An image flashed through Abbey’s mind of fighting Olaf in her father’s shop. That fight hadn’t been that different from this one. Randall was certainly more skilled, but he relied on his size and his strength, just like Olaf. And that Abbey could
handle.
She took a step back and easily parried the strike, hitting the tip of Randall’s blade with her sword. She made a counterstrike, swinging for his neck, but he somehow managed to stumble out of the way.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Benjamin helping Dustin to his feet. The Storm Caller looked a little shaken, but he picked up his staff and shut his eyes.
Abbey realized the rain had stopped, and the wind was whipping hard against her. She glanced up at the Magistrate’s building and saw the flames were licking the neighboring structure, driven by the wind.
Damn it all, Abbey thought. Dahlia is going to burn down the city!
Randall raised his blade again and grimaced at her. “Let’s finish this.”
Abbey started to reply but paused as she saw someone creeping up behind him. “You know what, Randall, you’re not even worth my time. You’re just a lackey. It’s your bosses I’m interested in. Isn’t Tor supposed to be the greatest swordsman in the land? Where is he, anyway?”
Randall smiled. “You’ll never get the chance to find out. I’m going to—”
He fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wound in his neck.
“Hey, thanks,” Abbey said to the man who’d stabbed Randall.
“No problem,” Olaf said, his sword raised. “Just remember, I saved your life. So, that kinda proves I’m a better swordsman than you, if you think about it.”
Abbey’s eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t prove that at all. Just because… Wait, I’m debating this with you now? Go kill some Storm Raiders!”
Olaf smiled, gave her a mock bow, and ran off.
Abbey scanned the area, trying to figure out where her help was most needed. Syd and Benjamin were engaged with Storm Raiders, but both were doing fine. The militia was actually rallying with the help of the new arrivals. But Dustin… he wasn’t looking so good.
He was gripping his staff, but not like he usually did when he Storm Called. His back was hunched, and he seemed to be using the staff to support himself.
She turned and looked at Dahlia. The woman seemed to be having a much better time of it. She looked perfectly relaxed, and blueish-green light poured from her open eyes. A Thunderclap crewman stood in front of her wagon, protecting it from any would-be attackers.
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