Zaconis - Guardian of Magic

by MJ Schutte

‘Lilian, we can help by making sure these men have enough food to eat. If you track some deer with your talent, Goralt can shoot it and I will forage for vegetables,’ she suggested.

  ‘Ma’am, we have hunters…’ Gene said but the black look on Angelina’s face made him shut his mouth quickly.

  He tried again, ‘Yes, thank you. It will help us greatly if we don’t have to hunt ourselves.’

  Jonathan, who had been standing quietly next to Gene turned to Goralt and said, ‘If the elves are going to help, they will have to accept Gene’s authority. I understand that elves do not like answering to humans, but Gene is in charge here. I will have no debate or argument about this.’

  Goralt looked Jonathan in the eyes for a moment before dropping his head as a sign of compliance. The other elves followed his example. Jonathan breathed a silent sigh of relief.

  Turning to Gene he said, ‘You now have twelve elves to help you. Use them wisely and get this ship finished.’

  The ship builders settled into a routine quickly. Lilian and Angelina went out everyday to hunt and gather vegetables while the men, elves and humans alike, worked hard to get the ship finished. On more than one occasion Angelina watched Jonathan work, without his shirt like the rest of the men, but still she did not feel any romantic or sexual attraction to him. Her mind kept wandering back to the man from the Justice Hall. She often wondered if she would ever meet him. These thoughts always brought a strange feeling to her stomach. Lilian did not notice when Angelina’s thoughts were far away since her own mind was flooded with memories of Brighton. She tried to tell herself that they will find him and that his memories will return, but still the wound on her shoulder did not heal. Angelina tried encouraging her, as did Goralt, but Lilian’s heart was broken and she simply did not have the will to heal the wound that her husband had given her.

  On the fourteenth day after they arrived, Gene called everybody together.

  ‘The hull and the decks are built and sealed. All we have to do now is get the masts and sails up, gather some provisions and we are ready to sail. We were going to build separate quarters for the men but to save time, we didn’t. There is only one private room which should be given to the ladies. The rest of us will sleep on the deck or in the storage areas,’ he declared.

  ‘Agreed. How long will it take to get the masts up?’ Jonathan asked.

  ‘Another two days,’ Gene answered.

  ‘Can you do it without the elves?’ Jonathan asked.

  ‘Yes, but it will add a day. Why do you ask?’ Gene frowned.

  ‘We will need provisions. There will only be the elves, Lilian, Angelina and me, but we don’t know how long we will be at sea. I want the elves to gather as much food and fresh water as possible,’ Jonathan replied.

  A cry went up from most of the men, including Gene, protesting that they also wanted to join the ship’s crew.

  Jonathan held his hand up for silence.

  ‘Gene and the rest of you will stay here and build another ship. As soon as it’s finished, you can follow us. We will be sailing due north from here and hope we find land before our provisions run out.’

  Reluctantly Gene and the soldiers agreed, but only because they did not want to defy the prince.

  ‘Get to work,’ Jonathan said as he walked back towards the ship.

  ‘Father, land in sight,’ the lookout called from his position high up on the main mast.

  Father nodded to indicate he had heard the man and then walked up to the helmsman.

  ‘Follow my directions closely. I do not wish to be spotted by anyone on shore,’ he instructed the soldier.

  Using his sense, Father determined where the best place would be to drop Al’taish off. This meant that the ship could not get close to the shore as there were too many shallow rocks.

  Father was still contemplating what to do when he heard shouts from the front of the ship.

  ‘What is going on there?’ he asked Alexi, who had been standing a few paces away.

  ‘Throw him overboard,’ came the shouts.

  Father took a few steps forward so he could see what was going on.

  Palish and Fayet had Al’taish pinned to the deck. The smaller man struggled with all his might but he was no match for the two Elite Corps soldiers.

  ‘Overboard, overboard,’ the soldiers were chanting.

  ‘I told you I would teach you a lesson. Father said you have to go back to the shore. I hope you know how to swim,’ Palish growled at Al’taish.

  Imlan elbowed and shoved his way through the crowd in an effort to get to Al’taish, but it was too late.

  Palish and Fayet picked Al’taish up and simply tossed him over the side.

  Imlan stormed forward to see where his friend was. He leaned over the railing but could not see Al’taish in the water.

  ‘Overboard, overboard,’ came the chants from the crew again.

  Palish got an evil grin on his face as he winked to Fayet.

  ‘Time to join your friend,’ Palish sneered as he tried to grab Imlan from behind.

  Imlan spun around and shoved Palish backward so hard he lost his balance and tumbled over.

  ‘How dare you attack me?’ Palish roared as he got back to his feet.

  He pointed to Fayet and another soldier.

  ‘You two, hold him so I can teach him a good lesson,’ he said as he pulled a knife from his belt.

  Imlan did not wait for Fayet and the other soldier to move. He charged into them, fists flying. Two good blows and both men found themselves on the deck, hands covering their bleeding noses. Imlan landed a vicious blow to Palesh’s face and he too went down. Imlan stepped back, giving the three men space to get up.

  ‘I will kill you for this,’ Palish growled as he drew his sword.

  Alexi’s hand closed around Palish’s wrist.

  ‘You started the fight. Nobody will be killing anyone today,’ he declared.

  ‘I will…’ Palish tried but Alexi didn’t give him a chance to talk.

  ‘Imlan did not attack you, he was defending himself. If you wish to dispute my ruling then go talk to Father,’ he said.

  For a few moments Palish stared at Alexi looking like he might challenge the decision, but then dropped his eyes and slowly sauntered off.

  Fayet glared at Imlan but the big man hardly noticed. He had already returned to the ship’s railing. He breathed a slow sigh of relief when he saw Al’taish swimming strongly towards the shore. Without looking at anyone or uttering a word, he made his way back to his private spot at the back of the ship.

  ‘Well, it looks like you’re my only friend left on this ship,’ he said to the panther as he flopped down on his bed.

  Al’taish lay on the beach breathing heavily. He lifted his head and looked out over the ocean. He could just see the ship on the horizon. Slowly he got up and turned towards the land. He took a good look around to make sure he could find the place again, knowing that Father would send the daraghna to this location to fetch him. He knew that Zedonia was not too far to the south so he headed in that direction hoping that he could find a horse soon. His wet overcoat was heavy and the sand inside his clothes chafed his skin. He decided to find a fresh water stream so that he could wash his clothes out.

  It was close to darkness before Al’taish finally came across a river. He scanned the area to make sure nobody was around. First he washed all the sand out of the coat and hung it in a tree to dry. He un-strapped the two leather sheaths from his forearms and placed them next to the tree. Next he took off his pants and shirt and rinsed all the sand out. When he was certain the clothes were clean, he walked back into the water. He dunked his head a few times to make sure all the sand was out of his hair and then proceeded to wash his body as best he could without soap. Just as he was about to get out of the water, he thought he heard soft giggling. Al’taish stood dead still and listened. He saw a small movement in the bushes not far away.

  ‘Who is there?’ he called.

  When nobody answered
he called out again.

  A young woman stepped out of the undergrowth.

  ‘Hello,’ she called to Al’taish with a big smile on her face.

  ‘Hello,’ Al’taish greeted back as he sank down into the water.

  The woman came to the edge of the water.

  ‘Could you please turn your back so I can get out of the water?’ Al’taish asked.

  ‘No,’ the woman giggled.

  ‘Please?’ Al’taish begged.

  ‘You may come out of the water anytime you like, but I won’t turn my back,’ the woman replied.

  Al’taish stared at the woman in disbelief for a moment and then decided to use his talent on her. If she was not going to be reasonable, he would simply manipulate her thoughts.

  As he gathered his concentration, she said, ‘On second thoughts, stay there and I will come to you.’

  She lifted her brown dress over her head exposing her naked body. Casually she tossed the dress away and walked toward the river.

  At the sight of the woman’s unashamed nakedness, Al’taish lost concentration, panic rising in his mind.

  ‘No, don’t do that!’ he shouted but the woman ignored him and walked into the water.

  ‘What is going on here?’ a male voice boomed.

  The young woman spun around and tried to cover herself with her arms.

  A big, burly man came storming from bushes.

  Al’taish breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure that this man would help him convince the woman to leave so he could get out of the water.

  ‘I said, what is going on here?’ the man shouted again.

  ‘Sir, I was…’ Al’taish tried but the woman cut him off.

  ‘Father, this man said I have to lie with him or he would hurt me,’ the woman said in a small voice.

  ‘No, that’s not true,’ Al’taish gasped as he rose and walked out of the water, forgetting that he too was naked.

  ‘You rotten pig! How dare you try to force yourself on my little girl!’ the man shouted as he produced a long knife from his belt.

  ‘Sir, it is not true. I was merely trying to clean my clothes and wash myself when she…’ Al’taish said but the man interrupted him.

  ‘Are you suggesting that my sweet little angel is lying? I know how a boy’s mind works! I will teach you to respect woman!’ the man roared as he stormed forward.

  Al’taish quickly turned around and dove into the water, swimming away as fast as he could. The man followed but his heavy wolf-skin coat weighed him down which allowed Al’taish to get away easily. He swam downstream for a short distance before turning around to assess the situation. The man was still coming after him so Al’taish swam further, leading the man away from his clothes and weapons. Suddenly Al’taish ducked underwater and swam for the shore as fast as he could. He scrambled out of the water and ran for his belongings. He grabbed the one leather sheath, quickly strapped it to his arm and then yanked his pants on, watching the man as he struggled out of the water.

  ‘Stop running you coward,’ the man growled as he stormed towards Al’taish.

  Al’taish waited until the man was almost on top of him before sidestepping and putting his left leg out. The man tripped over the outstretched leg and landed face first into the mud. Al’taish quickly snapped his wrist back. The blade shot out the sheath and locked into place. Before the man could get up, Al’taish pinned him down with his knee, his razor sharp blade pressed against the man’s cheek. Al’taish made sure he pushed down on the blade just hard enough to pierce the skin and draw some blood.

  ‘Do not move or I will cut your throat,’ Al’taish hissed at the man.

  A small nod came from the man.

  ‘Your daughter was spying on me while I washed myself in the river. I never intended to force myself on her. She was the one who did not want to leave when I asked her to and then she decided to take of her dress. Do you understand?’ Al’taish growled.

  The man grunted something that resembled a positive response. Al’taish stepped back, allowing him to get up.

  ‘I do not wish to fight you, but if you attack me I will not hesitate to end your life,’ Al’taish threatened.

  The man looked at Al’taish with hate in his eyes for a moment, and then spotted his weapon a few paces away.

  ‘Leave the blade and follow your daughter. She went that way,’ Al’taish said as he pointed east.

  For a moment it looked as though the man might go for the knife, but then he decided against it and silently walked into the woods.

  Al’taish wanted to leave his clothes out to dry, but decided it was best to get away as quickly as possible. He gathered his meager belongings and set off in a southerly direction.

  Lilian sat on a rock under a big tree, watching as the soldiers and elves loaded supplies onto the ship. According to Gene, they would be ready to sail as soon as everything was onboard. Lilian felt a tiny glimmer of hope rising in her heart. She was starting to think that her friends might be correct and that Brighton was not lost to her forever. The wound on her shoulder had not bled in two days and was looking slightly better.

  ‘That’s the last of it,’ she heard one soldier shout.

  Good, now we can get going.

  ’Lilian, we are ready to go. Gather the elves please!’ Jonathan called to her.

  He and Angelina were already onboard. Lilian waved to indicate that she heard and made her way to the ship, signaling for Goralt and the elves to follow her.

  She joined the others at the front of the ship.

  ‘As soon as Jonathan gives the word, we will set sail,’ Angelina said, trying to keep her voice calm. Lilian knew the young woman well enough to detect a hint of nervous anticipation.

  Jonathan watched Gene direct the soldiers into place. The idea was to pull on a thick rope attached to the bottom logs in the retaining wall. This should make the rest of the wall collapse allowing water to fill the hole and they could simply sail out to the ocean.

  Gene gave Jonathan the signal that they were ready. The prince took up his position at the helm and shouted, ‘Now!’

  The soldiers pulled on the ropes with all their might. The logs at the bottom of the wall moved just a fraction.

  ‘Pull! Pull! Pull!’ Gene shouted.

  The soldiers dug their heels in and the logs moved a bit more.

  ‘Just a little more! Almost there!’ Gene encouraged the soldiers.

  Suddenly the logs at the bottom of the wall came lose. Soldiers tumbled over each other as the rope went slack.

  An eerie silence settled over the ship. Nothing happened. Lilian and Angelina looked down at the retaining wall. It did not collapse as Gene had hoped. Instead, most of the logs and the soil was still in place.

  ‘What happened?’ Jonathan asked.

  ‘Nothing. That is the problem!,’ Gene shouted.

  ‘What do we do now?’ Jonathan frowned.

  ‘I don’t know!’ Gene answered, hand in his hair.

  Jonathan walked to the front of the ship to take a look.

  ‘Well, this going to make thing difficult,’ he muttered.

  ‘Yes, it is. It looks like the wall is too strong,’ Angelina commented.

  ‘Yes, and we don’t have a lot of time to make another plan. It’s high tide now. We have to sail now or wait another day,’ Jonathan said.

  ‘Jonathan, do you have any ideas?’ Gene shouted.

  ‘No. I was hoping you had some,’ the prince shook his head.

  Gene threw his arms in the air, indicating that he did not know what to do.

  ‘I don’t think we can send a man in there to attach the rope to the other logs. It is just too dangerous,’ Jonathan mused.

  Lilian watched silently as Jonathan and Angelina kept discussing possible solutions. Gene also shouted out some suggestions but none of them feasible. Lilian realized that if something was not done their ocean voyage would be over before it had even started.

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on the forest beh
ind them, feeling the enormous amount of energy that was available to her. Her breathing slowed as she calmed her mind and body, focusing only on the power the forest offered.

  ‘Get away from me,’ she whispered.

  Jonathan and Angelina looked at Lilian with confusion in their eyes as she slowly spread her arms.

  Two thick bolts of pure black lightning raced from the forest hitting Lilian’s outstretched hands.

  Jonathan grabbed Angelina, pinned her down to the deck and covered her.

  ‘What are you doing?’ he yelled at Lilian.

  Lilian drew an incredible amount of power from the forest before severing the link. Her entire body was tingling, small black sparks running up and down between her fingers. She focused on the energy in her and lifted her hand, palm open.

  A huge ball of pure black fire raced from Lilian’s hand towards the wall, hitting it with a deafening boom and sending large pieces of wood flying everywhere. Lilian threw up a black energy barrier for protection.

  Soldiers were running in all directions, screaming in panic. Elves were lying flat on the ship’s deck covering their heads. The only other person still standing was Goralt. With a smile the elf watched as Lilian controlled the inflow of water with her black energy barrier to avoid any damage to the ship’s hull.

  Silence settled over the ship as it gently rocked in the water.

  ‘Set sail,’ Lilian said softly to Jonathan.

  Slowly the prince got up and helped Angelina to her feet. For a moment it looked like he might start screaming at Lilian, but the look in her eyes made him decide to hold his tongue.

  He returned to the ship’s helm, snapping orders at the crew.

  Still Goralt watched the mistress of Livia Farasnei with a smile on his face.

  ‘She believes,’ he muttered to himself.

  Chapter 12

  Al’taish ran as hard as he could.

  I should have just killed them flashed through his mind, but he immediately felt ashamed at the thought.

  The man he had encountered two days before at the river had gathered some of his friends and tracked Al’taish. He berated himself once more for not using his talent on the man. It would have been so easy to simply plant a thought in the man’s head that Al’taish was not worth pursuing.