Blood of Mages (Rift of Chaos Book 3)

by A. J. Martinez

  Serena

  At the northern beach she stared at the horizon with Auron and Eckxio by her side and twenty Narb Thale warriors. Samird stood in front of the Narb Thales as commander holding a long flute made of whale bones. The princess beckoned Samird to step forth on the sand beside her and play the flute for their vessel. Auron and Eckxio had a confused look on their faces that made Serena giggle.

  “So, are we waiting for a ship or some kind of underwater vessel?” Auron asked.

  “That is correct,” she answered and splashed her bare feet on the foaming shore playfully.

  “What exactly is it?” Eckxio asked as he gazed at the horizon.

  “It’s a whale,” Serena replied.

  “A whale?” Eckxio repeated.

  “We call it a glass whale. You will see,” Serena said.

  Samird paced towards the waves of the shore and paused when his boots began to sink in the sand. He played the flute that would summon their vessel. It was a deep tune and the sound waves made Serena sway her body slowly left and right. She then began to dance, spinning with her arms moving like the ocean waves. Sometimes Serena would lose herself when dancing. She believed that as a water mage, dancing enhanced her magic. Everyone watched her move and strangely enough the tattoos on her body seemed to move as well. After a few minutes of playing the slow and deep tune from the flute the ocean seemed to have responded with a howl.

  “What was that?” Eckxio asked in awe.

  “Those are the glass whales responding to our call,” Serena answered, still dancing and moving her arms like waves.

  “I have never heard of such a creature,” Eckxio confessed.

  “Travel the eastern oceans enough and you will see plenty of them,” Auron commented.

  They all saw it jumping out of the water from afar. Its body was massive, probably larger than an elephant. It had large fins that could cast more shade than a palm tree. There were a few of them jumping out of the water and singing their song of the sea. A song; it was deep, sad, beautiful and calming.

  “When I was a little girl, I would come here with my flute to hear the glass whales sing their song,” Serena said romantically. “I would enter their glass hump backs and explore the underwater world.”

  “Glass hump backs?” Auron questioned raising an eyebrow. “We are going to travel inside those things.”

  “Don’t call them things,” she responded. “They have feelings too.”

  Serena stepped into the water, barefoot. When the tide was up to her waist she dove in and swam towards the whales with great speed using hydromancy. Within seconds she reached the glass whales that dwarfed her. They had to be a hundred feet long and could eat ten men in one bite. They were white and their backs were as clear as glass, thus their name. There were three whales swimming towards her and even underwater she could still hear their song. She approached one whale with arms wide open and hugged its nose. The whale then opened its mouth, and Serena entered and proceeded inside a tube that led to its back where she could breathe. She inhaled and the air was fresh inside the whale. It had enough room for at least five people. Serena stood inside the whale, six feet tall and an extra foot of space over her head. There was a bump on the floor which was the spine of the whale. Serena placed her hand on the spine and whispered a spell. “Aquabos marileluah.”

  With her eyes closed she sent a signal to the mind of the whale. Her spell allowed her to communicate with sea creatures and she knew that the spine was like a canal that sent messages to the mind. “Help us reach the underwater city,” she told the whale. “Let us travel with you, oh dear friend of the ocean.”

  The glass whale responded with a howl and began to ascend to the surface. Its two fellow whales followed behind. Serena looked at the underwater world while in the safety of the whale’s back. Fish streamed by as the whales rose to the top and when they reached the surface she saw her men on the shore waiting for her. She waved at them and signaled for them to come over.

  The Narb Thale along with Auron and Eckxio cruised the water on rafts. They short sailed to the whales then swam inside their mouths one at a time. There were only three whales and each one could carry up to five people.

  Auron had no problem swimming inside the whale’s mouth and into its back. When Serena saw him coming in through the tube she tried to help him but he shoved her away. “No need for assistance, my lady,” he said. “Although, my Elf friend is a little afraid.”

  Serena looked through the glass and saw Eckxio on one of the rafts. He was arguing with one of the Narb Thales and the warrior had to push the Elf into the water.

  “It’s a little scary the first time,” she stated.

  “He is a big boy, he can handle it,” Auron replied.

  Minutes later, a Narb Thale entered Serena’s whale dragging Eckxio inside, by the arm. Eckxio was coughing when he entered and the Narb Thale that was helping him kicked him out of frustration. “This one is aquaphobic,” the Narb Thale said.

  “I am not afraid of the water,” Eckxio snarled and coughed. “It is the thought of being inside this beast that bothers me.”

  “Glass whales are harmless,” Serena stated. “Next to dolphins they are the most playful creatures in the sea and the most helpful.”

  “There is air in here,” Eckxio said in awe, touching the glass barrier that kept them safely inside.

  “Did you think that the princess would suffocate you?” Auron asked sarcastically.

  “Which is why I asked you to go first?” the Elf joked.

  Serena giggled as Auron and Eckxio bantered. “You two will make this a fun journey.”

  The glass whale howled and Serena knew that it was ready to go. She looked at the other two whales and saw that the rest of her men were safely inside but one. “Where is Samird?” she asked and looked back at the shore. Just as she wondered about him he came in through the tube with a pulse of water.

  “Sorry I am late,” Samird said fixing his dreadlocks. “I was sending a messenger hawk to the castle as you requested, my lady.”

  “Thank you,” the princess replied.

  Serena placed a hand on the hump in the middle of the whale’s chamber. She sent a message to the whale again, informing it of her destination. The three whales howled and dove into the water.

  “By the way, I must remind you. Do not use your spears and swords or any sharp objects,” she explained. “If we make it feel uncomfortable it will open its glass back and throw us out.”

  “No problems there,” Eckxio said nervously.

  They plunged into the northern ocean of Maer Weeyar. Eckxio’s eyes widened but Auron showed no excitement at the underwater world. Schools of fish swam by in countless hues, glinting from sunlight. As the glass whale dove deeper in the ocean it became darker and predator fishes were on sight. A school of sharks swam above them and Eckxio jumped when one swam just a few feet away from him.

  “You are safe in here, they are not going to eat you,” Serena stated and giggled.

  “Just the sight of these beasts is frightening,” Eckxio said. “I am used to seeing and eating smaller fish. These look like monsters.”

  “Those that you see now are sharks, they are ferocious and can track you down just by sniffing your blood,” Serena said attempting to scare the Elf.

  “Is that so, well then, it won’t take long for me to cut them in two and make dinner out of them,” Eckxio remarked. “Are you trying to frighten me princess?”

  “Looks like I failed,” she flirted.

  Serena looked at Samird and he grimaced at her. She winked at him hoping he would smile but he turned his face. Don’t be jealous, she wanted to say but she had to hide her relationship with him around others.

  With nothing to hold on to they had to balance themselves on the back of the whale as it swam downward, deeper into the sea. The glass whale turned on its bio lights on its belly and they were all able to see what was below them.

  “This creature has lights inside its body?”
Auron asked in awe, gazing at the kelp forest and corals at the bottom of the sea.

  “Glass whales are guides of the sea. They shine their light in the darkest of places to make the traveler feel more comfortable,” Serena explained. “It sensed our fear and thus lit our path.”

  “How friendly,” Eckxio added. “Look at that. Are those plants down there?” The Elf pointed at the aquatic forest below.

  “That is a kelp forest. Aquatic plants. The ocean can be verdant too,” she answered.

  Fish swam amongst the kelp. Baby sharks and schools of fish zigzagged around the plants. Seals circled the kelp and hid under rocks, afraid of the glass whales. Jellyfishes with long poisonous strings pulsed upward out of the forest. There was a sea lion fighting with an octopus and a baby shark tearing its teeth into a yellow fish. Most amazing of all were the large ones with curtains for fins similar to that of goldfish. Their fins were veils of all colors and had a long horn on their forehead like that of a unicorn that glowed.

  “So beautiful,” Eckxio whispered. “When Willow returns I will take her to see the deep sea one day.”

  He keeps mentioning this woman named Willow, Serena thought and became even more curious.

  “So, tell me more about this, Willow, you keep speaking of,” she requested.

  Eckxio beamed with a soft smile and Serena could feel how deeply in love he was with this woman.

  “Willow, she is my love, the light of my moon and the blaze of my sun,” he said vehemently. His eyes swelled as he spoke of her and she even felt his maju rising. “She is blonde.”

  “Blonde?” Serena questioned, unfamiliar with the term.

  “You know, golden hair. Like the color yellow,” Eckxio explained with joy.

  “Yellow hair. Oh my, she sounds stunning,” Serena replied.

  “Yes, and she is one foot taller than me. To my knowledge, we are the first Elf and human in our country to ever marry,” he continued. “Her eyes are blue like the clear sky. She is a girl raised in the forest. A verdant mage and free spirit. Everything she does is whole hearted. The way she loves, the way she talks and even her anger.”

  A tear left Serena’s eyes after hearing Eckxio describe his beloved. She wiped it embarrassingly.

  “Oh, I am sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry, princess,” Eckxio said.

  “No, don’t worry. It was beautiful,” Serena confessed. “It was only a glimpse but I felt the love you have for her. It was so strong; I never felt anything like it.”

  Ah, that love, that feeling she so craved. She envied Eckxio yet she was so grateful for showing her that such a bond is possible. It pierced her heart and shook her soul for a quick second.

  “I am an empath, I can feel people’s pain so deeply, sometimes I can’t help but to cry,” Serena confessed again. “It was so sharp. I envy you.”

  Eckxio blushed and said, “Thank you,” in a very embarrassed manner.

  “You are an empath,” Auron stated. “Does that mean you can feel what others are feeling at all times?”

  “No, only when I choose to. Otherwise my eyes would dry out from so many tears,” she answered and giggled.

  “I see,” Auron replied and looked away.

  Serena could not help but to think that Auron was up to something, however, they had only just met and she did not want to stir up arguments, especially when they were stuck together inside a glass whale.

  “So, these Laguans, what are they like and what are we to learn from them?” Auron asked.

  “The Laguans are a race of shape shifters, not by magic but by biology,” she answered as she stared down at the kelp forest. “They can take many shapes but they are always blue. Their original form looks much like a human with two legs and two arms. We have been at war with them for centuries, fighting for the Sapphire Cosmo Jewel. They claim to be the original bearers of the jewel and believe that it will help them become the supreme beings of the sea. We want the sapphire jewel to always be close to Oceamus, the dragon god of water. The sapphire jewel helps us not only to purify our water but to also make it sacred. Water is the ultimate element in the world. Without it we cannot survive, the same way that we cannot survive without air. We Maerians wish to be the bearers of the jewel to serve our god, Oceamus. The Laguans want it for selfish reasons. They have no interest in helping the world.”

  “Do you think they will listen to you?” Auron asked.

  “Of course. I am next in the throne after all. If they still believe that we have the sapphire jewel then they will have to speak with me from now on,” Serena said. “What is your story?”

  “My story?” Auron repeated. “I was fooled into taking the Crimson Cosmo Jewel by one of the Specters. The masked fiend was controlling the king of my country to force me to travel back to my original lands and I had no choice but to steal the jewel from my people. Sad to say but I hand delivered it to the Specters and had no idea. That was five years ago and now they return with an attempt to rid the world of magic.”

  “And they possess three already. Well, I know for sure that if we can’t find the sapphire jewel, neither will they,” Serena replied.

  “Let’s hope you are right,” Auron said. “The Specters are well informed and have surprised us in the past. As long as we get to the jewel before they do they can’t win.”

  “Everyone look!” Eckxio shouted pointing at a sea creature in the kelp forest.

  “What is it?” Serena asked and stared in the same direction.

  “They look like people with…fish legs?” Eckxio was unsure.

  However, Serena knew what they were. Half human, half fish. “Merfolk.”

  “Mer…what?” the Elf struggled to pronounce.

  “Half human and half fish. They are called merfolks and seeing them around here means that we are close to the underwater city of the Laguans,” she concluded.

  There were only three merfolks in sight swimming away from the glass whale. Two were female and one was male. Their scales were red, black and blue and glinted in the light. They rapidly fled from the whale and Serena knew that more would appear soon.

  “Remember, we are visitors. We did not come here to fight,” she reminded.

  “Sure, why should we worry about being attacked by someone whom you’ve been at war with for centuries,” Auron remarked.

  “Keep talking like that and you will be dead before we reach the surface, red head,” Serena threatened. “I recommend you remain silent when we are in front of the Laguan king.”

  “Just trying to lighten the mood, princess,” Auron said and chuckled.

  “I appreciate the sense of humor but now is not the time,” Serena replied.

  She placed her hands on the spine of the glass whale and sent a message to its mind. Do not be afraid, please stay calm, they won’t harm you, I promise. It was not long before she received a message back from the whale. It sensed danger ahead and wanted to turn around yet Serena begged for it to continue.

  “Is there something wrong princess?” Samird asked.

  “It is scared,” she answered, “but it will continue to our destination.”

  “Is this the first time you have used these whales to travel to the city of the Laguans?” Auron asked.

  “Yes,” Serena replied solemnly and saw Auron gulping nervously and his face turning red. “You look like you are about to panic.”

  “I willingly agreed to go on a suicide mission,” Auron said. “Well, it’s too late to swim back now.”

  “Gentlemen, do not worry, for I am your water mage,” Serena said cheerfully.

  It felt like an hour had passed and the Laguan city was still not in sight. Eckxio kept shouting every time he saw a mermaid. The kelp forest was long gone and now they saw an underwater desert with shipwrecks covered in coral and sea shells. Ray fish swam close to the sand and camouflaged when the glass whale shone its light. There were turtles that moved through the sands below, spinning inside their shells. They had fallen silent amongst each other until they sa
w a blur on the subaqueous horizon.

  “Mobororo,” the princess murmured.

  “Is that the city?” Eckxio asked as he gazed next to Serena.

  “A dome,” Auron whispered, astonished.

  The city of the Laguans was made of many domes and orbs connected to one another with tubes. One giant orb around four large domes at its center and the rest of the city were orbs where families lived. They looked like blue fish eggs from up high. The city was at least ten miles long. It lit up the bottom of the ocean with the lights of each orb that moved like eyes. It was like looking at the nesting ground of an even larger aquatic creature.

  The glass whale dove deeper towards the city in the canyon. Hundreds of warrior merfolks had already gathered around the city with green swords like emerald gemstones forged into weapons. When the Laguans heard the howl of the whale they assembled quickly. They swarmed like schools fish. Their bodies were blue and their eyes glowed. They wielded harpoons and formed what looked like a net that spread up to one hundred feet, joining arms and legs.

  It was a strange maneuver that Serena had never seen before and yet it was a great defense. They seemed to be ready to sacrifice themselves for their home and even had larger Laguans in the front line ready to attack. Serena knew she had to prevent the whale from coming any closer. Stop! She told the whale as she pressed her hand on its spine. Slow down. But the whale already knew and began to slow down. Do not move or they will attack. Hold Still.

  She looked towards the right side of her whale and saw the other two whales just arriving with the rest of her men. She looked back at the battle formation of the Laguans and knew she had to speak to them before they chose to attack first. Warrior merfolks were ready to strike and Laguans willing to die to protect their home, yet if only they knew that today she meant no harm.

  “Everyone wait here. I am going to meet with their leader,” Serena said.

  “Princess, let me go with you,” Samird urged.