Champion of the Gods Box Set

by Andrew Q. Gordon

  Three days at sea had helped repair some of the damage between the two. When they’d met, Cameron had been sweet, attentive, and fun to be around. Asking Farrell to intercede on his behalf had been exactly the type of thing his mother had warned him about. When Farrell had declined to help, Cameron disappeared.

  “If you don’t have a location, are we going to just sail around until you say stop?”

  “Not exactly.” He held out the large blue gem. “This is the Eye of Honorus.”

  “The Eye?”

  “Yes.” He put it away and motioned toward the bridge. “I’ve been checking it to be sure we’re on course. Shall we go check on our heading?”

  The Eye had shown the Dauntless was slightly off track, but it only required a minor adjustment. Once the helmsman had made the correction, Farrell left Cameron to run the ship.

  Farrell found a quiet place in the prow, lifted his legs, and sat hovering over the deck. They were getting closer to Rastoria, but he hadn’t been able to communicate with anyone in the city. The answer might be he needed to get in the water, but he would give it another try before he’d jump into the sea.

  “Can you see all the way to the bottom?” Cameron asked.

  “Hardly.” He stepped down. “Even with my wizard’s sight, I can’t see much more than what’s on the surface.”

  “Pity, I had plans to use your new talent to breathe underwater to find sunken treasure.”

  Cameron’s sense of humor had always been something Farrell enjoyed and it slowly returned to their interactions. “You’d have better luck just asking me for a ship full of gold. I’m told Trellham has more than I can spend in a lifetime—even one as long as mine.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I’ve been a bit busy to go count it myself.”

  “Admiral Cameron!” a sailor shouted from the crow’s nest. They looked up, and the man pointed to the northwest. “Ship off the starboard bow.”

  Farrell couldn’t see the vessel, so he enhanced his sight. “It’s flying Glaston’s colors.”

  “How can you see their flag?”

  He waved his finger in front of his eyes. “Magic. It’s a three-masted merchant riding low in the water. Or at least that’s what it appears to be.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  “I’m not.” Farrell retrieved the Eye and stared into it. “Show me the ship approaching the Dauntless.”

  Instantly he soared across the waves. Sometimes the images were so vivid he had to remember he wasn’t seeing with his eyes. The deck was crowded, but most of the sailors only pretended to be working. Instead they coiled ropes or tied knots even Farrell could see were useless on a sailing ship. Others secured items already tied down. Only half the men in the rigging were close enough to the sails to adjust them if needed.

  Farrell directed the Eye below deck. The only cargo he saw other than food, drink, and supplies for the ship itself were hundreds of soldiers.

  “As I suspected, they’re no merchants. The only things in the hold are soldiers.” He created an image of what he saw and allowed it to replay as Cameron called for his officers.

  “They outnumber us more than two to one,” the captain of the marines said.

  “Then Farrell and I will make certain more than half never make it to the Dauntless,” Kel said.

  “Doesn’t this seem too coincidental to you?” Farrell asked Kel. “What are the odds that ship would find us? And here, almost right on top of Rastoria?”

  “I agree it’s a troubling development, but I suspect they are hunting for Yar-del naval vessels, not this one specifically.”

  “They are?” He forgot to ask it privately.

  “They are what?” Cameron’s testy tone mirrored the tension on the ship.

  “Sorry, I was thinking out loud.” He avoided the reproachful look from his grandfather. “I do not believe they’re here by accident.”

  “Agreed,” Cameron said. “One of our ships came back heavily damaged after a run-in with a fake merchant. They were flying the flag of one of the northern free cities. They were almost overpowered, but our wizards were stronger and managed to sink the enemy before our ship was destroyed.”

  Kel raised an eyebrow toward Farrell. “Between Farrell and myself, we hold a few surprises that they are not expecting.”

  Cameron pointed to Mauruth, the ship’s lead wizard. “I’m placing you and the other wizards under Kel’s command.”

  Farrell had spent some time with the Dauntless’s wizards and had learned much from them. Mauruth didn’t seem bothered with losing his job. “Of course, Admiral.”

  “Excellent.” He turned to Farrell. “Then with your leave, I’ll sound the alarm and ready our defenses.”

  “No, don’t. They’re counting on their deception to catch us by surprise. To do that, they sacrifice a bit of battle readiness. Sounding the alarm or even showing that you’re preparing defenses will only tip our hand.”

  “So we deceive the deceiver?” Cameron searched the other faces for confirmation.

  “Exactly,” Kel said. “Once they get close enough, we can deal with them properly.”

  “Very well. We’ll do our best to pretend we don’t know what’s about to happen.” Cameron shouted for his officers.

  “We should capture the enemy ship, if possible,” Kel said.

  “I can use what Teberus taught me to immobilize the ship, but I’m sure you felt their presence.”

  “Yes. Leave their wizards to me.” Kel nodded and stared at the now visible ship. “I doubt it will be possible, but I’d like to capture them alive. If not, we must ensure they do not escape.”

  “Understood.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Standing beside Kel, Farrell watched the enemy vessel come steadily closer. They’d altered course to move away from the Dauntless, but after consulting with Kel, Cameron plotted an intercept.

  “Still think they are after Yar-del’s ships?” Farrell asked. He kept any smugness from his voice. “Nothing they’re doing makes sense.”

  “I think it does.” Kel’s penchant for short answers without explaining irked Farrell. It also let him know how others felt when he did the same thing.

  “Some reasons to support that theory would be helpful.”

  “If I tell you why, you’ll know my thoughts but won’t have learned to think like me.” Kel looked away from the ocean. “Let’s start logically. What do we know about our enemy?”

  Farrell didn’t enjoy being treated like a novice. “They’ve deployed a ship full of soldiers and are flying the colors of a neutral city-state. In addition to the soldiers, they have three powerful wizards, one of which is a grand master.”

  “We also know they tried to divert course to avoid coming too close to us,” Kel said.

  “Right, which suggests they have no interest in attacking a warship, despite their advantages.”

  “Is that what you take from their actions?”

  “I thought so, but I can see you have another idea.”

  “Their altered heading wasn’t enough to evade us, but enough to get Cameron to come after it.” Kel stuck a finger into his mouth, removed it, and held it up. “Note the direction of the wind. If they turn now, they’d have a strong tailwind to ram us if they wanted. We, on the other hand, will need to tack once to position ourselves for boarding.”

  “You think their move was to maneuver into a tactically superior position?”

  “No.” A gust of wind pushed Kel’s long white hair all around his face. “I think their move was designed to get us to chase them because they believe they have the superior strength and will have surprise on their side.”

  “All you say is true, but it still makes no sense to send that force on one ship to search for Yar-del warships. It’s overkill.”

  “You’d agree, however, that deploying that many soldiers on a merchant vessel flying a neutral flag is an interesting and possibly useful tactic for luring unsuspecting warships, woul
dn’t you?”

  “Yes, but it’s a terrible use of resources.” Farrell watched the soldiers dressed as sailors go through the motions of working the ship. “This is like using a smith’s hammer to smite bees pouring out of a disturbed hive; effective for the one you kill, but the rest get away.”

  “But to usurp your example, what if the smith is merely walking toward a locked door with his hammer and comes upon a lone, troublesome bee?” Kel gave him that annoying look that said try to keep up with me, child.

  When Farrell was in training, Heminaltose used to tell him to make sense of something that didn’t make sense. It used to frustrate him to Neblor and back, but it generally was good advice once he followed it.

  “Assuming they have another object, a door to un—” He whipped his head around to find Kel smiling at him. “They’re going to punch a hole in a locked door.”

  “Very good.” Kel smiled in a way that was only slightly condescending. “At least, that is what I suspect they are planning.”

  “Dumbarten?” He needed to warn Penelope.

  “Doubtful, at least not just yet. Meglar can’t afford to take on the full might of Dumbarten. That will come after he conquers the Ardus.”

  “Then where?” Farrell immediately thought of Trag.

  “Anywhere else on Lourdria. Jerdas would make sense tactically.”

  “He’d still get bogged down. Preventing Meglar from conquering Jerdam might be the one thing that could unite Utremth and Najan.”

  “If I’m correct, this isn’t meant to be a conquest and occupation. Merely a test.”

  “Test? But it would alert Dumbarten to the tactic.”

  “It would also freeze Markus in place,” Kel said. “Most of your short life, you’ve been reacting to Meglar. He’s thinking into the future, far into the future. If he can demonstrate his ability to insert himself into another kingdom, Dumbarten will need to commit most of its resources to keeping him in check.”

  “But it stretches Meglar thin, too.”

  Kel leaned on his staff when a wave rocked the boat more than usual. “Not necessarily. If I’m right, this ship will sail into a port—let’s use Jerdas as an example—and immediately open a Door. Zargon will send in a few divisions of Chamdon, and the wizard will transform any civilians her forces capture. By targeting the soldiers, they’d quickly gain control of the city. Then they’d have a pool of humans to turn into Chamdon. With that, they could conquer the rest of the country.”

  “But they’d burn out their Chamdon and not have enough left.”

  “At which point they’d go back to Zargon, having created panic and disruption on the west coast of Lourdria.”

  Farrell nodded as he followed that line of thought to its end. “Long-term thinking.”

  The canvas fluttered overhead, and Farrell watched the sailors make the necessary adjustments to tack back toward the enemy. He already considered them the enemy. The Dauntless flew Dumbarten’s colors—something that would likely change once Zenora officially took control of Trag—so the vessel had no reason to fear its approach. Dumbarten warships only attacked pirates, certainly not merchants from Glaston. But Farrell saw an increase in activity on their deck.

  “Warn Cameron about what you surmise. We’ll tell Markus after we leave Rastoria.”

  “Going somewhere?” Kel asked.

  “Thinking long-term.” He winked. “The less they report back to Meglar, the better.”

  “Good hunting and be careful. There is likely more here than we can guess.”

  “Then you be careful, too. That wizard is going to see you first and not me.” Farrell dove over the railing before Kel could answer.

  Just before he hit the water, Farrell heard Cameron scream his name. Kel would need to explain. Farrell’s attention was on stopping their enemy. His breathing spells kicked in just before he slid headfirst into the waves. He had a brief moment of angst, but it faded as he took his first breath.

  The last time he moved through the water, he’d had help. Lacking an Arlefor or dolphin to carry him, he applied one of the spells Teberus had taught him. The surrounding water formed into a solid block, and he used it to push himself horizontally instead of into the air. He wanted to keep this false merchant far enough away from the Dauntless to give Kel more time to act.

  That assumed their enemy could attack after what he planned to do to their ship. Still, the more time the Dauntless had to react, the better.

  The keel of the merchant was visible when Farrell released the water behind him. He and Teberus had practiced what he was about to try in Rastoria, but his plans involved working the spell on a much larger scale. As the ship passed over his head, Farrell unleashed his will on the water.

  Focusing intently, he solidified the water around the ship. Building outward from the hull, he soon ringed the ship with several feet of dense water. The drag was already slowing the ship. He extended his will and directed the water to hold the ship still.

  His plan worked, and the enemy vessel hovered motionless over his head. He tamped down a moment of glee as he pushed his way skyward. Overconfidence could be fatal. He didn’t know the full extent of their power yet.

  Riding a plume of water, Farrell emerged off the aft side of the ship. Sailors and equipment were strewn across the deck. He used the chaos to search for any wizards. The two he located near the bridge were not the powerful ones he and Kel had sensed. These were low-level masters. The male was facedown on the deck and appeared unconscious, and the other rested on hands and knees, shaking her head. Farrell pointed his staff at the pair, and his blue energy left a gaping hole in the deck where the two wizards had been.

  It took a moment for a response, but then people rushed onto the deck from every opening. Arrows and spears bounced off his shield before the wizards took aim at him. Other attacks followed, and he used himself as bait to draw their fire.

  More soldiers and wizards emerged from below, and they stepped into a maelstrom of counterattacks from the Dauntless. A cluster of red strands flew over the rail and targeted the enemy wizards with an eerie precision. The bands wrapped themselves around the wizards’ shields like an octopus engulfing its prey.

  With a flurry of motion, the red energy ruptured some of the shields beneath them just as a barrage of energy blades slashed across the deck. Whatever Kel sent, the effect was devastating. The wave of silvery energy blanketed the ship. Everyone not behind a powerful shield was sliced multiple times. When the attack passed, only two wizards were standing. The brutality of the attack left Farrell stunned. Before he could react, something shoved him away from the ship.

  A powerful shield now protected the ship. He probed the edges and was immediately struck by a strong burst of energy. The attack hadn’t damaged his shields, but it proved their enemy was formidable.

  “Time to end this,” Kel said. “I do not want to give them a chance to escape.”

  “Stand ready. I’ll try to draw their attention again.”

  He sent a command through the water as a test, and a small tendril of liquid inside the enemy shield snaked up the side of the ship. Satisfied with his control, he caused the ocean to erupt on all sides and crash down onto the deck. Farrell kept a continuous stream of seawater flowing onto the ship. As the holds filled with water, he created more liquid tentacles and used them to rip the ship apart.

  Railings splintered, a mast snapped in two, rigging shredded, and long holes were gouged in the sides of the doomed vessel. Amid the confusion, men battled the torrent of water to get topside. Their struggles would be meaningless as their ship was about to sink, leaving them in the middle of the Kessan Ocean.

  Water poured out the holes he’d made. He released the water underneath, and the ship sank like a stone. The few soldiers who made it topside were being sucked down with the vessel. Farrell formed the water into a solid sheet and placed it under them. Cameron’s men could deal with the few prisoners who would survive.

  The broken stumps of the mast had nea
rly disappeared when a pair of explosions shredded the remains of the ship. The blasts caught Farrell’s life raft flush, pelting the sailors he’d sheltered with deadly splinters of wood and energy.

  A trio of black-robed wizards arose from the ruin of the ship. Farrell stared dispassionately at them and used the time to assess their abilities.

  The Dauntless, protected by its own shield now, moved closer to Farrell. On the deck Kel organized the other wizards for battle. That their enemy hadn’t fled surprised him. Farrell stole a glance at Kel and confirmed his grandfather had hidden his aura. Despite that, the wizards couldn’t ignore how quickly their ship had been destroyed. Were they expecting reinforcement Farrell had missed, or were they that confident in their abilities?

  “Something feels wrong,” he sent to his grandfather.

  “What troubles you?”

  “They ought to have fled after what we just did. Why are they still here?” He strengthened his shields. “Do you sense anything other than what we see?”

  The brief silence that followed felt much longer. “There is something,” Kel finally said. “There is a link between one of those wizards. I’ve not traced it, but the older woman in the center is a cousin of Meglar’s mother.”

  Farrell confirmed she was the most powerful of the group. He searched her first, then the others. “I don’t see the same link Meglar had with Tixel.”

  “I would be surprised if any wizard allowed him to do that to them after what happened at Trellham.” Kel paused. “Still, I sense something, so be careful.”

  Farrell pulled more energy from the ocean. “If you determine an attack is imminent, let me know.”

  Though he’d never met her, his “cousin” might as well be Meglar for all Farrell cared. She supported his efforts, and that was enough reason to kill her. The lesser wizards were an annoyance.

  “Have the wizards from the Dauntless concentrate on the two lesser ones. I’ll deal with my cousin.”

  “Be careful not to let your hatred of your father cloud your judgment.”

  “My thinking is clear.” Farrell checked his motivation to be sure. “She’s our enemy and needs to be destroyed. If you guard against outside assistance, I’ll take care of her.”