Travellers (Warriors, Heroes, and Demons Book 2)

by Dave Skinner

  It was late the next morning when the front gate of the fort opened and a squad of soldiers came out carrying axes. They made their way to where the goblins had been tied. Ran assumed their intention was to remove the stakes, but the scalps he had left caused them concern. One man was sent back to the fort. As Ran had hoped, the fort officer came out shortly after and walked to the stakes. As he stood looking at the scalps, Ran put an arrow through his neck.

  Chapter 40

  Adel stood alone by the bow of the Red Witch. The ship was tacking after being rowed out of the Marshtown harbour. The wind was not being kind, but the captain, the red haired woman, was doing a valiant job of moving them along. Adel had spent enough time on fishing boats at home to appreciate the skill the woman displayed and the abilities of her crew. She had not conversed with the captain. The woman was busy with the ship, and Adel felt intimidated by her assuredness. In fact she felt intimidated by all her travelling companions. She wished she was still with Bray and Aramas. That thought brought a surge of loneliness. She pushed it away and watched the sails as the ship turned once again.

  She had studied her travelling companions closely when they met with Bray and later as they boarded the Red Witch. They all appeared extremely capable. The wizard was obviously one who took command. From what she had witnessed, she could respect him, even though his affinity for wine was disturbing. Even his young apprentice seemed capable although her infatuation for the Dragon Man, Nailmoe, was obvious. So far it had not influenced Adel’s opinion of her. She had not done anything more than drool over him and turn red and tongue-tide if he spoke to her. The Dragon People held themselves apart, more because they were anxious and impatient than for any other reason. On the walk to the ship they had both asked the captain about the length of the trip. When she replied three or four days, depending on the wind, they had both seemed disappointed. Perhaps they even frowned, that was hard to tell when their scales—or dayskin as they called it—were visible. She would love to talk with them and learn about their home, but did not have the nerve to open a conversation. The only person she felt comfortable with was the first mate, Tyhan Door. He was as capable as the rest, in her opinion, but he reminded her of Burton, the head man of her village, whom she had always liked (well, most of the time when his tongue wasn’t scolding her). Thinking of Burton brought forth thoughts of home, of Grandmother Adel, of her responsibility, of magic, and why she was here, instead of with Bray. She turned and gripped the ship’s rail to squeeze away her tears.

  Steps sounded from behind her. Turning, she was confronted by the wizard and his apprentice. “It is time for a lesson, Adel,” Andoo Toran told her. “I will have Micka perform a task to demonstrate and then you will attempt it. If you cannot see what Micka is doing, tell me so and I will explain. We will start with something simple. Micka, a small flame spell please.”

  Adel watched as Micka held out her hand. Bright sparks appeared in the air above it. Their random movements became ordered into individual circles all spinning around and through each other. Tighter and tighter they spun until they became a small flame in Micka’s palm.

  “The magic comes from all around us,” Andoo explained. “It is up to the practitioner to pull it in and manipulate it as required. Have you done something like this before?”

  “Clamcraver showed me how to make fire and other things. His method of teaching was to hold my hands while he performed the task so that I could feel the magic, and then I would try it on my own. His lessons were few. He preferred to swim and eat.”

  “This is the friend you mentioned before. Who is he? I am not familiar with the name, and I know most practitioners.”

  “Clamcraver is a Selkie,” Adel answered.

  “You learned magic from a Selkie?” Micka blurted.

  “Yes. He saw magic in me and wondered why I was want to use it.”

  “And your coat, it contains fairy magic if I am correct. Did the Selkies have something to do with that also?

  “No. The coat was a gift from a Far Darrig.” She saw the dismay on both their faces. “Is that so strange? I am an Adel after all.”

  “Adel magic is normally limited to withstanding the force exerted by the Little People when they deal with our kind. They do not mean to coerce. It is simply that most of us are unable to withstand their influence. Adels have an ability to ignore the influence, but I know of none who can also control magic. Interesting, but we are off topic. Can you do what Micka did?”

  “I believe so,” she said. Holding out her hand, she pulled forth the energy as Clamcraver had shown her. A huge ball of fire erupted in her palm, causing her to pull back. Instead of disappearing, the fireball fell towards the deck. Andoo’s hand snapped out and sent the fire over the side of the ship. It sizzled in the water and went out. “Oh, it has never done that before,” Adel said just as Tyhan Door appeared at their side.

  “Playing with fire on a wooden ship is not advisable. Do not do it again,” he told her.

  “I... I meant—” Adel stammered.

  “It was my fault,” Andoo stated. “We will be more careful.” Tyhan continued to stare at them with a disapproving scowl on his face. “No more fire. I promise,” Andoo stated. Tyhan nodded and left.

  “It has never happened like that before,” Adel said, her disappointment at upsetting the first mate, and perhaps the captain, apparent on her face and in her voice.

  “My fault,” Andoo said. “I should have considered the ship before asking you to do it.”

  “It was so strong,” Micka said. “Where did the energy come from? I was sure nothing like that was available when I did my spell.”

  “Good question,” Andoo said as he looked around. “Aha, it came from one of the cabins below. I can feel the power now.”

  “So can I,” Micka added.

  “Let us investigate. That much power in the hands of the uninitiated spells trouble. Come, you two.”

  Power in the hands of the uninitiated, Adel thought. Is he admonishing me for following his instruction? She followed behind Micka and the wizard, feeling more isolated than before.

  They descended the stairs to the main deck and entered the hallway that led to the cabins. Adel could feel power emanating from the cabin the Dragon Woman shared with Micka. Andoo indicated the door. “If you will, Micka.” It was a command, not a question. Micka turned the handle and entered. From behind Andoo, Adel could see the power flowing from a black stone which sat on a table around which the Dragon People were seated. The woman was speaking to a ball of blackness that sat above the stone. She continued as they entered.

  “I am told three or four days to reach the spot, my love. Has your situation worsened?”

  Adel heard a voice from within the darkness, but her view did not allow her to see the speaker. The voice sounded distant and hollow. “We lost many men when the enemy used a dragon at the last battle. Those that remain, and the remaining population, have taken refuge within the city. My uncle has created a protective field around the city which the dragon and his fire cannot penetrate. All of the remaining wizards are working together to keep the barrier strong. We are running out of water and food, but the wizards are able to hold back the dragon, and we are holding the walls when their army attacks. The smaller soldiers—ogres, my uncle names them—are reluctant to attack while the dragon is flying. They also lost many soldiers during its first attack on the battlefield. The beast does not differentiate between friend and foe. I am thankful for that.

  “It is a relief to hear that we can come across. Sooner would be better though. I am relieved that you are okay. Keep her safe, Nailmoe.” The Dragon Man nodded his head. “Now, my uncle looks tired. I must cut this connection for his sake.”

  “I will ask Manda to hurry, but we are at the mercy of wind,” the Dragon Lady said. “Perhaps the wizard can help us along,” she added, giving Andoo a quick glance. “Take care, my love. I hope to hold you soon.”

  The black nothingness faded. The hum of power tha
t Adel had not realized was there stopped. The Dragon Woman looked at Andoo.

  “Can you help, Wizard?”

  “I will try,” he answered.

  ***

  “Four days at most,” Adamtay stated flatly, “Perhaps less. Can we hold, Uncle?”

  “I believe so, Adamtay. If their attempts to penetrate the shield stay the same, we should be able to protect the city and our people.”

  “What happens when we are ready to make the transfer?” Adamtay’s father asked. “We should talk about that.”

  The family was all seated in a small anti-room off the throne room, come together to hear what Mearisdeana had to say. His father, his mother, and his uncle all looked worn down. The strain of the last few weeks had aged everyone, but mostly his uncle. The effort to create and hold the protective shield was enormous. Neventay’s wife and daughter should be there also, but they were out helping to distribute food along with Mearisdeana’s parents. Everyone had tasks to perform. Protocol had dissolved as people were crammed into the city. The houses of court officials and royalty, even the palace itself, contained refugees crowded into every available space. His uncle had explained that keeping the protective shell as small as possible made it stronger and more able to withstand the enemy. At first, some of the more privileged of the court had argued about having to share their homes, and some rich merchants had insisted the shield be expanded to the city walls to protect their warehouses and properties located on the outskirts, instead of just to the keep walls, but then the dragon had made its first flight over the city. The merchant’s argument became meaningless as their properties burned in dragon fire. People realized that not much space was necessary to cower in fear.

  “The practice yard at the soldier’s barracks is the largest open space,” Adamtay said. “Would it be appropriate, Uncle?”

  “It is a good thought, but I worry about what will happen when we have to pull the soldiers off the walls. The practice yard is beside the gate to the keep. If the gate is breached, we would lose our escape route. I think we need a location more in the centre of our defenses.”

  “Something in the palace itself?” his mother asked.

  “Yes.”

  “The biggest space in the palace is the ballroom, but it has those large full height windows on one wall. Will they be a problem?”

  “If the protective spell fails, whether a wall is stone or glass will not matter. The dragon tore those warehouses out by the city walls apart, and some of them were stone.”

  “I believe Neventay is correct,” his father stated. “The ballroom also has the large presentation hall leading to it. Unless someone can think of a reason not to, I believe it should be where the crystals are setup.”

  “Have you considered what it will be like bringing chargers into the ballroom?” his mother asked.

  “The presentation hall is large enough to accommodate four chargers side by side,” his father said. “I do not see a problem.”

  “They are not the cleanest animals. People will be stepping through their waste.”

  His father smiled. “Tell them to wear boots,” he announced.”

  “Could the chargers not come last, after the people?”

  “I am afraid not, Mother. Once through the rift, we will need to create a perimeter around the area immediately. It must be large enough to accommodate all our people, so chargers are needed. I have scheduled six squads of Lancers to be first through the rift. Which reminds me, Uncle, you are certain we will arrive at ground level and not up in the sky?”

  “Yes, I am certain. I worked on that problem after you went through to retrieve Mearisdeana. When one of the crystals is at the far end of the rift, you arrive on the surface it sits on. Mearisdeana is aware of this. Falling from the sky was caused by not having a strong enough point to link to. That is why I sent the crystal with Mearisdeana.”

  A knock sounded at the door and a soldier entered. “Excuse me, Majesties,” he said as he bowed. “The enemy is attacking the wall again.”

  Adamtay rose to his feet. “I will see to our defenses.”

  “And I will see to the shield,” his uncle stated.

  ***

  Micka came out onto the deck of the Red Witch. Andoo had taught her and Adel to hold the wind spell. They had all taken turns throughout the day and managed to keep the sails full, but it was tiring work and when night fell they had to stop. Manda had said she preferred to not sail on wizard’s wind at night, so they had all retired after the evening meal for a welcome sleep. Across the water to her right she saw the same wooded shore they had followed all yesterday, although the mountains she could see before were smaller now, nothing more than high hills. Light was creeping into the sky behind them, but the sun was not yet visible. Last night at dinner, Manda had said she expected to see the end of the Tawshe peninsula this morning. They would keep to their course until they passed the first of the Three Sisters islands before they headed almost directly into the rising sun, taking a direct route towards their journey’s end point if the weather held. Bad weather would add time to the trip because they would have to take the shorter water route across to The Point and then turn up the longer coastal route. She had risen early to check the conditions.

  Micka turned and climbed the stairs to the forward deck only to stop at the top when she saw Nailmoe standing at the bow. His back was to her and she debated sneaking away. As much as she would like to stand and talk to him, she found herself wordless whenever he was close. She stopped herself from turning. Get hold of yourself, you fool. If you ever want to be more than a dithering idiot around him you have to get control. She straightened her back and stepped forward.

  “Hello, Nailmoe,” she said when she reached his side at the ship’s railing. “You are up early.”

  Nailmoe turned his head to look at her. She felt a surge of something run through her. His face was not covered in scales. It was pale and smooth and oh so handsome. She pushed down her panic and returned his smile.

  “I could not sleep,” he told her.

  “The movement of the ship can be disturbing to one who is not used to it.”

  “It is not that. I should not be here. I should be at home with Adamtay and my people.”

  “But you are here to find them a safe place and to aid Mearisdeana. What you do is important.”

  “That is true, but I am a Lancer. My place is with Adamtay and my fellow soldiers. Discussions are not to my liking. I am better in a fight.”

  “And in a bed.”

  “Pardon?” Nailmoe asked.

  Oh no. Did I say that out loud? She could feel her face starting to flush. “I... I... it slipped out. Please ignore it.”

  Nailmoe turned towards her and looked her up and down before he smiled. “You have problems when I am around. Are you scared of me? Does my dayskin bother you?”

  “Oh no. It is nothing like that. I... I think you are wonderful.”

  “But you blush and stammer when I am around?” he said with a smile.

  “You noticed?”

  “Micka, everyone has noticed. Since the first moment we met back in Marshtown you have acted like there is something between us that embarrasses you, but we have never met before. I would remember a beautiful woman like you.” He smiled at her again.

  “I... I...” Thinking was impossible. Speaking was impossible. What could she say? “It was the story,” she whispered.

  “A story? What story?”

  “Do you remember the girl in Waysley who guided you to the swimming place?”

  “Tyrese? Yes, I remember her. Do you know her?”

  “No, but she wrote a story about you and her, and swimming, and later at the inn. It was very popular. You are a legend.”

  Nailmoe laughed, a full bellow of a laugh that made her smile with him. “I see, and you read this story?”

  “A friend gave it to me,” she lied.

  “Of course, and you think of it whenever we are together?”

  She nodd
ed sheepishly. Her face was burning.

  “You think of us being together like Tyrese and I were?”

  She nodded again.

  “I think there is only one thing to do then. Don’t you?”

  Micka’s felt her eyes widen as he stepped forward. His arms encircle her as he pulled her towards his body and lifted her from her feet. Then he kissed her.

  At the end of the kiss he lowered her back to the deck. “Thank you, Micka. I feel much better. I can sleep now.”

  Nailmoe turned and walked away. Micka watched his back. Her smile was so large it hurt.

  Chapter 41

  Transgarin watched General Rapterron approach. The General strutted forward proudly. Others of his army had complained about the general’s disregard for his troops. Many of their ogres had died the first time the dragon was used, but Transgarin put an end to the discontent by removing a few heads. Rapterron was getting results, and now that a second dragon had been captured, the return of his crystals was assured. Then they would destroy the KaAnians completely.

  “We are ready, my Lord,” Rapterron reported. “The additional troops are being sent and the second dragon is ready to transport as soon as the troops are through. Within seven days the attack will begin.”

  “Will the KaAnian defenses fall?”

  “The wizards have assured me that the spell they use will fail under the barrage of two dragons. We will breach their defenses and tear them apart.”