Then it came – a terrifying strike against the side of the vessel. In a second the flooring beneath her seemed to slide away, and she was thrown violently to the floor. She braced herself with her hands; her knees stung as the splintering wood dug into her skin.
Inside the control room, the captain gave orders. “We don’t have time to cut her loose. We’ll have to subdue the creature.”
“But how?”
“Cut the motor.”
Brondi didn’t want to give up their ability to move away from the danger. “No.”
“Cut it. Now.”
Another thump rattled the ship. Everyone arrived on deck. A third thump, this time stronger. Brondi turned off the motor and all was silent except for the tapping of the rain. And eerie moment of stillness passed.
The captain emerged, and bellowed above the sound of the storm. “Fanna, Kartha, ready the catapults! Everyone else grab any rope you can find to secure the cargo and yourselves!”
Lightning continued to paint pointed shards of white across the sky as thunder cried in a deep rumble that shook the very stars. Another blow shocked them as they rushed to the supply box to gather rope.
Leaning over the edge of the ship, Miranda took in the sight of the enormous beast. The stench of rotting fish and rusted wet metal rose up from its body. Thick bumpy scales that oozed a slimy green liquid peppered its skin. Short pointed ears lay against the sides of its head, and yellow eyes stared out blankly.
A blunt growth on the top of its head was perfectly designed for ramming and two large nostrils near the front of its head opened upon surfacing and flapped shut as it sank under the water.
Grunting noisily, it took stock of the small morsels above, pangs of hunger rippling through its hollow belly. It dove below and took aim for the boat again.
“Here it comes!!!” someone shouted. Everyone hung on to anything they could find while the creature struck its bony head up against the side of the boat. Some were lifted off their feet by the force of the blow; others were knocked over. Everyone was drenched by the giant waves that rose over the sides.
Miranda felt her body slam against a pile of crates. A burning sensation shot through her ribs, but she held tight to the coarse rope that had landed in her lap. The rope cut into her hands, and they began to bleed … the blood mixed with rain, covering her clothes with reddish brown streaks.
She watched a deckhand tie an end of rope to the boat, then to her own waist. Miranda, seeing that her rope’s end was loose, did the same.
“Not too long!” shouted the deckhand.
Miranda shortened the length of the rope. “What does it want?!” The roar of the thunder and crash of the waves made conversation almost impossible.
“To eat, of course!” came the reply.
“Yes, but what does it eat?!” asked Miranda.
“Anything, everything. It’s insatiable!” A haunting look passed over her face. “It likes to hit the vessel so hard, it sends you flying clear up into the air and then has you flying so you land right down into its open gullet. Like a little treat!”
Miranda felt a wave of fear pass through her body. Followed by guilt.
It was my own stubbornness that put us in this position. How could I be so selfish?
The bumps cracked at the hull; the planks were beginning to give way. The crew prepared three large catapults, stabilizing them with bags of sand. They loaded them and waited for orders when suddenly the barrage of attacks stopped and all was quiet.
“What’s happening!?” Miranda shouted over the howling wind.
The deckhand squinted as the rain drizzled down her frightened face. “It’s about to puncture us through the side. It’s going to get a nice distance between us first. Then it can really hit us hard.”
They rocked and waited as rain trailed down their faces and seeped into their skin and clothing. Miranda’s face flashed white with the glow of lightning, a ghostly pallor glowing on her drenched skin.
The captain raised her arm and lowered it quickly. “Fire!” she shouted. The ball, covered with razor sharp blades, soared through the air, but missed the mark. It hit the water and disappeared.
The next time the beast crushed its head against the ship, one of the crew was tossed high, rope and all. The creature rose up, bared its gruesome head, and opened its jaws wide, growling for its reward. While they watched helplessly, the poor girl looked at them with resignation before falling straight into its mouth.
She was swallowed down in two bites and the tarwox pulled the rope taut as he descended. The stretched rope shook and snapped up, flapped over the railing, and hung there, tattered and bloody. It fluttered in the wind as if waving goodbye.
The captain’s voice pierced the silence. “Fire!” she commanded, prompting the crew to fire a slew of sharp poisoned darts at the monster, which pierced its back. The tarwox surged up, towered over the boat, its hideous mouth in a grimace, growling in anger.
Miranda agonized at her decision to take the dangerous route. I’m the cause of this. I have to do something. Astriella watched in horror from the pocket as Miranda untied her rope, pulled out her sword, and moved toward the creature. “No Miranda!” shrieked Astriella. Miranda ignored the plea.
“What are you doing?!” screamed the captain. “I command you to move back immediately!”
Miranda shouted back, “This is my fault! I have to fix it! I think I can kill it! Distract it for me!”
The shots continued to fly, some missing, some hitting and injuring, but not stopping the onslaught of barrages.
The captain gripped the railing and squinted against the rain. She felt a responsibility to get Miranda to Sarona. That was her task, and here she was watching her charge walk straight into the mouth of death … unless Miranda could finish the beast off forever. There certainly wasn’t time to stop the Young Warrior. Tinnon signaled her crew to taunt the creature, drawing its attention away from Miranda, who deftly climbed up one of the pole ladders.
The wind howled and gusted anew. Miranda heard a crack coming from the bottom of the pole and felt herself sinking down, bouncing precariously. She used this to her advantage, and leaned over to test her range. Suddenly a rope snapped and the crack in the pole opened wide, causing the pole to lean dangerously close to the creature, who heard the creaking of the wood and turned to see where it was coming from. The tarwox then turned its full attention to Miranda. It descended into the water and for a moment she didn’t know where it was or what it would do next. Suddenly, it rose up, its jaws wide open and aimed at its target.
It was so sure of grasping her, it closed its eyes and went right in for the kill. Miranda positioned one hand on the ladder and one foot balanced on a slippery rung. The pole creaked under her weight. One wrong move and she would drop to her death.
The decaying teeth just inches from Miranda’s face smelled so foul, she gagged. But it was about the right distance for her to touch it with her sword. The crew stared in disbelief. She was suspended on a teetering pole that was ready to snap and her body was surrounded by the teeth of the monster.
She held her breath and reached out as far as she could. As deathly jaws were closing in around her, she made contact with the tip of her sword, freezing the tarwox in space and encapsulating it in a swirl of paralyzing light.
The crew looked on in utter amazement. When they realized what had happened, they broke into cheers. Miranda was keeping the creature secure for the moment, and she turned to smile and bask in the glow of her triumph.
“Well done, Miranda!” the captain shouted.
“Turn it into a little fish!” called a crewmate.
“A monkey!” chimed in another.
“How about a newt!” said yet another.
“Kill it!” ordered the Captain. “It will only transform back later and finish us off another rotten day.”
Miranda pulled the lever from yellow to black. She recited the spell she had practiced in school – the spell to destroy the imprisoned
opponent.
She heard a low guttural sound from the beast before the Tarwox morphed into a vacuous shell. The remains cracked into millions of pieces, shattered into dust and floated down into the waves. The tarwox was gone forever.
Selexi’s Difficult Decision
Putrid liquids boiled, sparkling substances flickered, and smoky concoctions steamed their toxic fumes in plumes. Selexi had worked feverishly late into the night, hatching a scheme that would force the High Council to give her the power she craved – whether Anaya won the challenge or not.
She had been a schemer from the beginning. When she was a girl, she outsmarted everyone. She thrilled at putting one past her friends, her mother and her teachers. Always planning and strategizing, always full of trickery.
In a small cage on the table in front of her sat a small being. After years of failed attempts, she was finally provoking movement, which sent her into a frenzy of dark delight. Combining magik spells and biology, she had molded, mutated and coaxed it to life.
She was dancing around the room, cackling, when suddenly, sensing a presence, she stopped and listened. Something or someone was lurking in the shadows.
From the dark corner emerged the leader of the Island of Vinda. Extremely tall and wiry thin, this strange being called Idocra towered over her, radiating cold brutality. She wore a tight black bodysuit and gleaming silver boots. Her skin was the shade of blue silver and the surface of it rippled like waves. Narrowly slanting eyelids framed eyes made of fire that emanated a piercing glow. The top of her long oval head was covered in shimmering metallic hair, wild and kinky.
Selexi was not happy to see this particular visitor. She watched in irritation as Idocra strode around the room, studying the various experiments.
“I haven’t heard from you for some time,” Idocra accused.
“Nor I you.” said Selexi, acidly.
Idocra’s eyes narrowed. “What have you been doing here, in your laboratory?”
“I haven’t made much progress.”
Idocra stopped and raised her fists. “Liar!”
“Well, I have just about….”
“Silence!” Idocra fingered a jar filled with a blue bubbly gel. “Life is not good on our Island of Vinda. We are wanting for food, water and other supplies. Our island has turned out to be very dry, very hot and very useless.” She banged her fist on the table, upsetting the gel, causing some to spill over the side of the jar.
“You cut down all the trees, so what do you expect?” scolded Selexi.
Idocra squinted, brushed the jar aside. It crashed to the floor and shattered. She then sent a ball of fire from her right eye into Selexi’s hair. Selexi rushed to the sink, turned on the faucet, and bent her head under the running water. She was boiling with rage, but didn’t dare speak.
“Watch your tongue, or I will gladly remove it,” reminded Idocra. “Besides … I hear that you are suffering a drought here as well, even with all your precious trees. Ran out of Red Larimar stones I understand? That’s a pity. For you.”
“Why have you come here? I’m not ready for you,” said Selexi, drying her hair with a towel.
“You know very well why. Our ancestors sold Zarada to your ancestors in a moment of desperation. They always intended to buy the island back. But your Sultana refuses to negotiate with us. We will have to invade soon and take Zarada back by force – with or without you.”
Selexi was on shaky ground. Her army of keras wouldn’t be ready for some time. If the Vindans invaded before then, she would be just another Zaradian – powerless.
Just then Idocra’s eyes rested on the kera. “How is your little project coming along?”
Selexi had hoped she wouldn’t notice – I should have covered it – but it was too late. Idocra wrapped her long fingers around the wire cage and brought her head down to view the creature at eye level. She frowned. “You have your own plans for ruling this island, and they don’t involve us, isn’t that right?”
“I call them keras,” said Selexi. “And I do intend to involve you, if we can come to an agreement.”
“... keras … yes, I like it …,” answered Idocra, “With an army of these, we can reclaim our land. And I may be able to arrange a place for you in the circle of power … if you cooperate.”
“And if I don’t join you?” asked Selexi.
“You will be put to use as a slave, like the rest of the fools squatting here. Our army may not be great fighters, but we have other ways of controlling your kind.” Idocra smiled maniacally at the captive being. She caressed the wire outline of the cage and stood to her full height, her large eyes bright and burning with flames. “How long will it take to make a legion of these?”
Selexi thought about her options. On their own, the Vindans would likely be beaten by the Zaradian army, and she alone may not be able to take control either, even with the keras. The Vindans would wait for the keras if she joined forces with them.
She had no choice. She was forced to buy time by appeasing Idocra, building up the keras, and attacking in alliance with the Vindans. Somehow, she would still find a way to rule alone. With her power over the keras, she would ultimately find a way to destroy the Vindans and reign supreme.
The Isle of Sarona
Repairs made, the ship roared through the water as night stole the sea and hid it from everything but the moon. Sarona was not far off now.
Astriella curled up in the nook of Miranda’s elbow, and fell fast asleep. All the excitement was more than she was used to and it had made her very, very tired. Miranda reclined on her back, grasping the pendant tightly, her knuckles blanching white. Eventually she dozed off; her sleep was plagued by visions of being chased and caught. She tossed back and forth, drifting in and out of dreams.
The air is bright, milky and viscous. Miranda looks down to see her body is translucent. She looks up to see her grandmother floating before her.
“Miranda....”
“Grandmother?” Miranda’s throat rasps.
“I have been waiting for you,” coos her grandmother.
“Where are you?” calls Miranda. “How do I find you?”
The grandmother begins to fade and drift away, then reappears.
“You will know…,” the grandmother’s fading voice whispers.
Miranda watches helplessly as the vision fades.
“Grandmother ... don’t go. Don’t leave me.”
Miranda’s head turned side to side. She mumbled, “Don’t go…. Come back.”
Astriella, who had been awakened by the sound of Miranda’s voice, whispered, “Miranda.” She buzzed around the sleeping girl. “Miranda! Wake up. You’re dreaming.”
Miranda muttered some nonsense about her grandmother before her eyes fluttered open.
“What were you dreaming about?” asked Astriella.
“Angala.” She looked down at the pendant and rubbed her thumb against the cool stone. “She said she was waiting for me.”
“Could she still be alive?” Astriella asked.
Miranda looked down. “If she were, she would’ve come home by now.”
They heard a burst of voices from up on deck.
One voice broke through all the others. “Land! The Isle of Sarona!”
Miranda ran up the stairs, Astriella perched in her pocket. It was a glorious day, swathed in warm sunrise. The captain was passing the telescope around. Miranda took a turn and saw for herself – a small flat blotch at the end of the sparkling blue expanse.
Suddenly, a black object obscured her view. She pulled the instrument away to see a beautiful black doken sailing towards them. It circled the ship several times before perching on the railing and letting out a “Squawk!”
Elves
A soft breeze ruffled the sails as the motor quieted and the vessel slowed. The churning of the dropping anchor broke the silence. They had landed on Sarona at last.
Astriella rested her arms on the lip of Miranda’s pocket, as they watched the island grow larger and la
rger. In her excitement, she flew up to get a better view. “Oooooh. It’s lovely!” she exclaimed.
Miranda took a deep breath. She had never seen such a place. Everything was different, foreign. “There it is, the very place where Angala landed every time she came to harvest stones,” she said.
The crew filled a small lifeboat with supplies and lowered it into the water. They lowered a second boat into the water for Miranda and her friends. They boarded and set off for shore. The camions were released directly into the sea. They could swim to the beach on their own.
So much of the journey had felt like a dream, but the sound of the boat sliding over the sand as they skidded onto the deserted beach made it real. The crew wasted no time in unloading the supplies: food, water, and camping gear.
Miranda stepped onto the soft sand. It was good to have solid ground beneath her feet again. She stumbled, still feeling the sway of the ship beneath her. The sand was different from any Miranda had seen … light grey and dotted with millions of tiny black shells. The shore was about fifty feet wide and butted up against a dense forest, like on Zarada. However, the trees here had different varieties of bark, unusual leaves and were more lush, green and full. There was no drought here.
The captain smiled for the first time since their departure. “Thought we might not make it, eh? If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be here.”
Miranda grinned back. “If it weren’t for me, you’d have gotten here without risking the lives your crew.”
Tinnon winked. “But that bloody beast would still be lurking out there, and you would have lost the challenge.”
“True.”
“I expect you to be here when I arrive to take you home.”
“And if I’m not?”
“Of course you’ll be here!” Tinnon laughed heartily. “If you can kill a Tarwox, you can grab a few stones from those brainless Deamons! Ha!” The captain pulled her hat off and wiping her forehead with her sleeve, said, “We have a delivery to make, then we’ll circle back to get you in three days time.” Her smiled faded. “If you’re not here by moon fall, we won’t wait. The storms get too rough after that, and we can’t risk being stranded here. But I know you’ll be here. So be here.”
The Larimar Quest (Island Of Zarada Book 1) Page 9
