Champion of the Gods Box Set

by Andrew Q. Gordon

  Samruel peered skyward. “I’m ready.”

  Farrell doubted his friend was, but it was too late to change things. He grabbed Samruel’s hand and flew them out of their safe space.

  The attack rumbled against the energy protecting the Door, strong and targeted, but the energy didn’t come from Meglar. That gave him some hope. They’d reached the water’s edge when the third blow nearly collapsed the shield.

  Samruel moved sluggishly, as if too dazed by what happened to concentrate. Farrell regretted not pushing harder to leave him behind.

  “Sam, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I’m going to get in the water—don’t ask questions. There’s no time. I’ve hidden you from detections, so stay here unless you’re in danger. Is that clear?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I’ll stay here unless I need to move.”

  “Good.” Farrell put his hand on Samruel’s shield. “I’ve added protection from their targeting spell. Between the cloaking spells and that counterspell, you’ll be safe until I get back.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Use the ocean to sink the ships.” He waved down any more questions. “Keep your shields at full power and stay put. That way you won’t attract attention.”

  “Farrell—”

  “I need to go.” He took a step back. “Remember—”

  “I know. I know. Stay here and keep my shields up.” Samruel locked his gaze on Farrell’s. “You be careful.”

  “I got this.” He leapt toward the bay.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Farrell flew toward a deeper patch of water and dropped down. Once his lungs were full, he extended his connection to the water and reached for the Eye. “Show me the enemy ships.”

  His vision took on the familiar cloudy aspect and the image zoomed through the water. He directed the Eye to take him above the surface, and he closed on the approaching fleet.

  Unlike Yar-del’s navy, this was a mismatched collection of mostly merchant vessels. A smaller contingent of fighting ships surrounded them at the periphery. Farrell suspected the holds of the bigger ships held slaves ready to be turned into Chamdon.

  Sinking the fleet meant killing the innocent slaves forced into Meglar’s service. He tamped down any notion of trying to save them. Their fate had been sealed once they were captured. Mercy wouldn’t help them, but it would put countless Stigerians at risk.

  He commanded the Eye to come back through the water and show him any obstacles along the way. Seeing none, he pulled himself forward.

  The sensation of moving through water was more disorienting than on the ground. It took a few seconds after he stopped to find his equilibrium. Once settled, he drew energy and prepared to unleash the ocean on the ships.

  Something moved below and to his left. He tried to ignore it, but when the lone movement became a swarm, he strengthened his shield.

  “Chosen?”

  Farrell didn’t recognize the speaker, but the feel was definitely Arlefor. “Yes. Who’s asking?”

  “Hteber, Teberus’s great-grandson.” An Arlefor in red pushed his way to the front. “I lead the wizards on this mission.”

  “What is your assignment?”

  “We track the shells to be sure they are not heading toward your friends on the big island.”

  They guarded Dumbarten? “Have you always watched out for Dum . . . the big island?”

  “Only since your grandfather asked King Clayden.”

  He didn’t have time to be irritated with Kel for hiding something like this from him. “I was about to destroy these shells. Will that put any of your Arlefors at risk?”

  “No, we are all that are here.” Hteber motioned toward the nine other red-robed Arlefors.

  “Ten to take on three hundred shells?” Clayden had sent ten times that to help Farrell and Kel capture one ship.

  “Our orders do not include engaging the enemy. Lord Argus has a force ready should these shells turn toward the big island.”

  “Then you should leave now,” Farrell gathered the energy around him again. “I don’t want you to disobey your king.”

  “The king will not be angry if we remain to assist the Chosen,” Hteber said with a grin. “If he is, my great-grandfather and my great-aunt the high priestess will convince him we were right to stay.”

  The water choked off Farrell’s laugh. “As you say. I’m happy for the help.”

  “Would you like us to recall the others?”

  “Others? Do you mean Lord Argus?”

  “No, the four wizards I sent to shadow the shells to the south.”

  Farrell’s stomach flipped. It had been too easy. He should have known they wouldn’t send their entire fleet into the bay. “How many shells broke away?”

  “We didn’t count them all, but one in four broke away when the sun rose over the water.”

  A hundred ships off the heavily populated southern coast? “Leave them in place. Once we finish here, we’ll join them.”

  “As you say, Chosen.” Hteber saluted him. “I will tell Lord Argus. He will no doubt come to assist once he learns.”

  If the fleet had stayed intact, Farrell would have told Hteber not to summon the Arlefor army. But with a quarter of the enemy ships already in position to attack, he might need an army before this was over.

  “Have him bring his army to the south coast. I don’t plan to let any of these shells make land.”

  “As you say, Chosen.” Hteber closed his eyes.

  While Hteber sent his message, Farrell surveyed the approaching ships. They’d moved much closer since he arrived and had made the turn toward the bay. His plan had been to strike them from behind. That required them to be heading north and still in the ocean. Now more than a few would escape to the safety of the bay before the wave reached the fleet. If he tried to sink them from behind, the surge would flood the land on either side and destroy much of Berstig as well.

  He could attack them from the front, but if he lost control of the water, he’d destroy the coastal villages. There were problems even if he kept the water in check. The volume needed to sink the fleet would lower the sea level between the two fingers. The surge when the water returned would threaten Berstig and the coasts.

  The sound of a large use of magic interrupted his thoughts. He directed the Eye to show him what had happened. The first ships in the main group had reached the bay and a powerful shield surrounded the entire fleet.

  The lead corsair cut through the waves, and something odd caught Farrell’s attention. He told the Eye to move closer and stifled a curse as the anomaly came into focus. The waves lapped against the edge of the shield but didn’t pass through. Meglar had learned from Farrell’s attack on Kentrish. A giant wave might not work. Still, something seemed off.

  If water couldn’t pass through, the shield would act like a giant ship. That required magic—a lot of magic—to move the enclosed structure. Farrell didn’t sense anything complex enough to account for that.

  He directed the Eye to take him below the waves. The shield extended underneath the ships, and there the water passed through. He could send the water up from below, but the enemy wizards could extend the protection. Then he’d end up in a fight before he could destroy the entire fleet, and Meglar could target him.

  Different plans zipped in and out of his consciousness. Nothing he came up with would allow him to avoid a fight with the Six knew how many enemy wizards. Farrell might survive, but Samruel might not.

  Farrell swam to the surface. “Grandfather?”

  “Farrell?” The concern in Kel’s voice surprised him. “Are you in trouble?”

  “No, I’m fine, but we got here a few minutes too late. The ships are already entering the bay. If I unleash a wave big enough to destroy the lot, it will cause major flooding to the coast.”

  “Perhaps so, but if you do nothing, the Chamdon will ravage much of the coast if they land.”

  Farrell had to let go of his irritation at being spoken to
like an inexperienced fighter. “Agreed, which is why I’m contacting you. Are there any defenses along the coast that can deal with ships?”

  “Some, but stealth was the primary means of safeguarding Tilerstig from an armada. Had Ervend not turned off that part of the defenses, they’d have never found the bay.”

  “His betrayal goes beyond just that, but I’ll get to that in a moment. Are the shore defenses strong enough to keep the enemy wizards occupied for a minute—two at most?”

  Kel paused and Farrell expected to have his inquiry answered with a question. “They all should last longer than that. We designed them to be relentless, not overpowering. It will tax even the strongest wizard to have to sail three hundred miles under constant attack.”

  “I won’t need more than two minutes.” He scanned the shore for Samruel and realized he’d drifted down the bay more than he thought. “There is another problem. Their fleet wasn’t as disorganized as we thought. It split in two at dawn. Some of the ships are headed for the southern coast.”

  “I will advise the queen and activate the defenses.”

  “You may want to handle that yourself. Teberus’s great-grandson is here and Argus is on his way to help.”

  “That’s welcome news.” Kel paused for a second. “The defenses are set. Warn your cousin before you go deal our unwanted guests.”

  Kel’s failure to ask what Farrell had planned surprised him. The brief answer he had been running through in his mind tangled up his thoughts enough that he didn’t respond immediately. “Thank you for reminding me. I keep forgetting he isn’t in the same class as either of us.”

  “Don’t underestimate him. Neither of you are the same as when you were children.”

  “It’s not his ability I worry about. He’s not up to this, Grandfather.”

  “That applies to the whole royal family, not just Samruel,” Kel said. “Isolation has removed the edge I had hoped this remote land would instill in them. Be sure to watch over him.”

  “I will.” Farrell broke the contact. He would try to guard his cousin, but when he was underwater, there was little he could do for Samruel.

  He glanced at the approaching ships and confirmed he had time. Only a quarter had crossed into the bay, and he needed all of them for his plan to work. It took another moment to locate where he had left Samruel.

  Farrell used the water to hide his movements and emerged almost on top of his cousin. Samruel’s mouth hung open as Farrell cleared his lungs. “Arritisa kissed me. Now I can breathe underwater.”

  “You….” Samruel’s eyes were wide open and he shook his head.

  “I’ll explain later, Sam. Kel is activating the coastal defense system, so be careful.” As if Kel had planned it, the spells sprang to life. “I need you to control them and keep them dormant until the bulk of the fleet is into the channel. Then let them loose and hunker down.”

  “I thought you were going to submerge them with a wave?”

  “I still may, but they were closer than I thought. If I tried that now, I’d flood most of the coast in the process.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “You’ll see.” He saluted Samruel and flew back toward the water.

  He wasn’t as confident as he sounded. The scope of what he was about to attempt dwarfed all his previous efforts to manipulate the water. But if it worked, it wouldn’t destroy the communities along the shore.

  “Chosen? Are your plans ready?” Hteber asked.

  “Almost. I need the ships closer together.”

  “We can help you.”

  Before Farrell could answer, Hteber swam off. Connected to the water, he felt the gentle manipulations the Arlefor wizards made. The lagging ships crept closer until all but a handful were in the bay.

  “Chosen, some shells have remained apart,” Hteber said. “It will take some effort to get them to move.”

  “No, I’ll deal with them after I destroy these shells.” He searched for the scout ships. They’d made it well down the channel. “There are two shells that are farther down. Can you help bring them down?”

  “At once, Chosen.” Hteber flashed a toothy grin. Though Farrell knew it was a smile, the pointy teeth made it appear sinister.

  “My thanks, but don’t go yet. I need your help here first.” Farrell pushed an image of what he planned into the Arlefor’s mind. “When the water returns, it will flood the land. I’ll try to keep it contained, but if you and your wizards could help, I would appreciate it. Then we can deal with the remaining shells.”

  “With respect, Chosen, the perfect time to strike those in front and behind is the moment you destroy most of the shells. We wouldn’t want to lose that advantage.”

  “You have a plan?”

  The Arlefor nodded. “Eight of my wizards guard the land while I and another use the surprise to take down the remaining shells. After the water settles, we’ll take out the two shells in the lead.”

  Two Arlefors against ten guarded ships didn’t seem like good odds. The more likely result would be the unsuccessful attack from below. That would make it harder for Farrell to destroy them after the shock wore off.

  “Take three others with you and leave three on each side to guard the land.” Farrell would have to exert greater control over the water. “There are too many for just two to take down before they realize the danger.”

  “As you say, Chosen.” Hteber pointed to three wizards and motioned to the left. Three others swam right, and the last three followed him toward the mouth of the bay.

  Farrell watched the Arlefors move into position. Magic flared to life above the water, and he noted a small change in the strength of the shield below the ships. It wouldn’t matter for what he had in mind. If what he planned worked, none of the usual defenses would save them.

  When the others were in place, he gathered energy through the water. The area he needed to manipulate was many times larger than anything he’d attempted before. He tested his control before he executed the spell. A thin sliver of water disappeared, leaving a space between the two layers.

  Satisfied, Farrell removed everything below the gap, forcing the liquid to the sides. Keeping the remaining water in place nearly broke his control. He bore down and held it steady. Pushing out his will, he moved the water underneath the ships up on either side of the fleet.

  With the remaining layer of sea gone, the ships plummeted two hundred feet to the ocean floor. Farrell strained to keep his grip on the water until the vessels crashed onto the ground.

  As he’d hoped, the sudden drop didn’t give those on board enough time to react. The energy surrounding the ships couldn’t protect them from the force of the impact. A handful of personal shields remained, but the main one winked out. Farrell couldn’t tell if the wizards survived or just their magic. It didn’t matter. He released his hold, and the water rushed in from all sides.

  Two bodies rose from the wreckage and struggled in the churning water toward the surface. Farrell separated his staff and fired. Like wispy balls of soap, the shields popped when struck. Both wizards gasped as their protection evaporated and sucked in lungsful of seawater. They struggled for a few heartbeats and then drifted down toward their broken ships.

  Farrell swept the seafloor again for survivors. Finding none, he turned his attention to the surface. Energy flew between the remaining ships and the shore. He ignored those to check for flooding. The waves were higher than when he entered but not dangerously so. The Arlefor wizards had settled the water enough that there was no danger of flooding.

  Kel’s defenses were hard to locate. They weren’t housed in towers or set structures. Balls of energy seeped from the dirt, hovered an inch above ground, and then sped toward a target. Strings of fire spit into the air and pelted the shield around the remaining ships. Their minimal profile evaded the countermeasures from Meglar’s forces. As Kel had said, the spells weren’t devastating, but they were relentless. More important for Farrell’s purposes, they were a distraction from t
he real threat.

  Two ships were already in an irreversible slide to the bottom of the ocean. Several others sat lower in the water and were likely lost as well. Three seemed unaffected, but a closer scan revealed otherwise. A large amount of energy surrounded the hull of each. Water gushed back into the sea from a hatch on one vessel and magic covered the holes on the other two.

  He dipped back into the sea to see what happened below. The shield under the ships was stronger, but the wizards had forgotten to extend the seal. Hteber and his wizards exploited the mistake. They manipulated the water inside the protected area into cylindrical rams. They repeatedly struck the vulnerable underbelly of the remaining vessels. The size of the holes they created would sink even the strongest ship.

  Pushing up, Farrell readied a series of attacks. If he distracted Meglar’s wizards, the ships would be beyond saving.

  It took a moment for his vision to clear. Two more boats had taken on too much water and began a nosedive to the bottom. Sailors from the four doomed ships jumped into the water and swam away. The wizards from nine damaged vessels converged on the flagship. Whenever the magi fled their doomed ship, that vessel accelerated its descent.

  The shield on the flagship strengthened, and it sat higher in the water. It adjusted course and headed away from land.

  “Chosen,” Hteber said. “We are cut off from the ocean surrounding the last shell.”

  “All their wizards assembled on that shell, and they are trying to protect themselves.”

  “Should we attempt to breach their defenses from below?”

  “First make sure they can’t sail away.” The underbelly would now be as protected as the topside, so stopping them from moving would be the first step. Then an attack from all sides made tactical sense. “Once they can’t move, then you can try to break their shield. But only if you can do it without endangering yourselves. Otherwise break off and move to safety.”