“Well, now ye gonna see if ye can beat Clarice!” one of the sailors said. “Ready? Go!”
Both Clarice and Aidan downed their first rounds of ale in gulps. The crowd began cheering, more for Clarice than Aidan, and many of them huddled around her to watch her drink.
Kaijin walked over to Aidan and watched him worriedly as the giant refilled his empty flagon once more. Clarice was already on her third round, as she chugged the drink like water. Omari approached Kaijin and stood beside him, observing him and Aidan. When Aidan downed his second round, his pupilless eyes began to water, and his face turned blue and purple.
Kaijin bit his lip. “You know, Aidan, if you want to stop, there’s no shame in that,” he whispered.
Aidan shook his head slightly in response. He refilled his flagon and drank. His gulping slowed, and he closed his eyes. Clarice was now on her fifth drink, and she showed no signs of slowing. She occasionally looked toward Aidan, smirking triumphantly as she refilled her flagon.
“I am rather curious of Aidan’s limitations,” Omari muttered to Kaijin. “Can a half-Dragon really get drunk?”
“I don’t see why not,” Kaijin replied. “Though I’ve never seen a drunken half-Dragon before, either—and I’m not sure I would want to.”
Finally, halfway through his fourth round, even though there was clearly still ale in his flagon, Aidan slammed it on the table, sloshing its contents everywhere. His eyelids half-closed, he slumped over and braced himself on the table with both hands. The group stomped their feet and cheered wildly. Clarice continued drinking the remaining contents of what was now her seventh round. Her gulping had begun to slow, and her body swayed slightly. When she glanced over at Aidan, her drinking slowed even more.
Omari tilted his head, curious about Aidan’s condition. “Aidan? How do you feel?”
Aidan groaned. “Aidan is okay, but ...” He paused, placed one hand over his stomach, and let out a loud belch. “That stuff is awful tasting. He could not drink any more, no matter how hard he tried.” His face turned green and sickly, his cheeks bulged, and he quickly covered his mouth. His body shuddered, and his lower abdomen contracted.
Anticipating a gruesome outcome, Omari quickly stepped away from Aidan, eyes wide. “Aidan, I swear, if you vomit on me, I will make you regret it!”
The look of sickness subsided from Aidan’s face, and he lowered his hand from his mouth. “Aidan is okay now. Honest.”
Kaijin blinked. “Aidan, are you drunk?”
“No?” Aidan lifted an eyebrow. “Why would Aidan be drunk?”
“Well you did just have nearly four rounds of ale in one sitting,” Omari said.
“Not drunk?” Silas asked, then he motioned to the rest of the crowd. “Did you hear that, everyone? Aidan’s not drunk!”
“Hogwash!” one of the sailors yelled. “He chugged that shite down like an orc! How can he not get drunk from that? Even Clarice is drunk!”
After downing the last of her ale, Clarice collapsed to the floor, her fingers still curled in the handle of the empty flagon. “I win!” she said weakly.
“Seven! Seven drinks for Clarice! She wins,” a spectator exclaimed, then more cheering erupted. They chanted her name, “Clar-ice! Clar-ice! Clar-ice!”
Two men tried to pull her up to her feet, but she seemed unable to stand on her own. Her eyelids fluttered, and as the men jostled her back and forth trying to rouse her, she burped.
“ToldyaIwin,” she mumbled, slurring her words.
Aidan frowned and approached her. “Are you okay?”
“Bah, whoyaaskin’?” she replied, pushing him away. “I beatya likeIsaidIwould!” She then broke out into a drunken chanty, and the sailors joined in happily.
Rip! Roar! Ya salty dogs!
Beware she comes a’blow
Pawn ye gear and rattle ye luck
Onward! The seas we go!
Raise the sails! We’re shovin’ off!
And prod the dead man’s fellow
Drink up ye ale, ye swivin’ haggard
Onward! The seas we go!
Yo! Ho! Ho!
Onward, off, and shovin’
Yo! Ho! Ho!
Onward! The seas we go!
Omari exchanged glances with Kaijin. Omari didn’t recognize the song, and judging by the confused look on Kaijin’s face, neither did he. After the song ended, the crowd continued celebrating Clarice’s victory with another round of drinks.
Clarice finally sprawled out on the floor and fell asleep, despite the ruckus all around her. Aidan sat beside her and watched her sleep, still appearing dumbfounded.
Kaijin nudged Omari and whispered, “Should we tell him?”
Grinning, Omari shook his head. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been so entertained. “No, Kaijin. Let him bask in his ‘defeat.’”
XX
Hours before sunrise the following morning, Kaijin jumped awake, roused from his deep sleep by the clanging of the ship’s warning bell and Miele’s frantic screeching. Gazing groggily above him at the blackness, where he heard Miele flapping her wings at the ceiling, he groaned.
“What’s going on?” he muttered. “It’s so early.”
Nervousness channeled through Kaijin’s mind, and shaking off the sleepiness, he sat up in his mass of blankets. He summoned a small fireball in his hand and cupped it with his fingers, to dim its brightness. He squinted at Miele, letting his eyes adjust to the light. “What’s happened?”
Miele screeched again and flew to the tiny window. She hooked her claws to hang upside down from the top. She looked back and forth between Kaijin and the ocean.
Frowning, he got out of bed and approached the window. The sky was devoid of the moon and stars. A cool, salty breeze touched his face. Miele shuddered on her perch. Kaijin stared out at the ocean and saw brief flashes light up the cloudy sky in the distance, followed by the rumble of thunder.
Kaijin exhaled. “Just a thunderstorm, Miele. Why are you so afraid of—” The cool breeze picked up, a little more forceful. The wood beneath his feet bucked harder and the sound of the sea grew louder. Kaijin gulped.
Miele flew off her perch and landed on his shoulder. She rubbed her furry head against his neck. Cringing from the tickling sensation, Kaijin tightened his fist, extinguishing the flame in his hand.
A sailor yelled, “All hands on deck!”
Within moments, Kaijin heard muffled voices yelling and footsteps pounding all throughout the ship. He yanked the curtain to his quarters aside and noticed some of the passengers, their faces filled with concern, wandering the narrow corridors carrying lit candles. He looked across from his quarters and noticed his friends were all awake as well, the curtains to their tiny quarters also drawn back. Everyone was accounted for, except for Aidan.
“Oy! What’s all th’ noise about?” Nester grumbled sleepily, scratching his side.
“Whatever it is, it sounds serious,” Zarya said.
A passenger disappeared around the corner of a corridor, only to be escorted back to his quarters by Clarice, who bore a stern gaze.
“And stay back here, ya crazy lout!” she barked, then stormed back down the corridor.
Kaijin looked back at his friends, the brief presence of the half-Dragon reminding him of his missing companion. “Where’s Aidan?”
Jarial looked around. “Maybe he’s above.”
The floor rocked, and Kaijin stumbled forward but managed to stay on his feet. “What the—!”
“The floor’s movin’!” Nester clung to the edge of the wall.
“Drop the main sail!” the captain yelled from the deck above. Other sailors echoed the orders.
The floor rocked again, this time to the other side. A few passengers yelped.
A crack of thunder resounded, and Kaijin heard glass and other unsecure items rattling.
Sable hissed and cowered between Jarial’s legs, while Percival, squeaking, draped his shivering body along Omari’s shoulders.
Omari stumbled forward to his
knees. His face looked pale, with a greenish tinge. Percival hopped off his shoulder, squeaking.
Zarya’s gaze shifted to Kaijin and the others. “We should find Aidan. He might be in trouble.”
Jarial shook his head. “We won’t be able to find him in all this chaos. We’ll have to wait until we’ve gotten out of this storm.”
Everyone reluctantly agreed except for Omari, who still looked green.
Kaijin grimaced. “Hey, now’s not the time to be getting sick.” He slowly approached Omari, still trying to keep his own footing as the floor continued moving from side to side. Kaijin helped Omari to his feet. “And I swear, if you vomit on me, I’ll make you regret it,” Kaijin added with a smirk, remembering Omari’s threat to Aidan from the night before.
Omari groaned in response.
Zarya walked toward Kaijin and Omari and stumbled, but Jarial was nearby to grab her arm to keep her from falling. He walked with her and helped to keep her balance. Zarya placed her hand over Omari’s hairless head. She spoke a prayer and her hand began to glow. The light encompassed Omari, and the sickly look left his face. Zarya concluded her prayer, and the glow dissipated. “You should not feel sick anymore for a few hours,” she said.
Omari stared up at Zarya graciously. “Th—thank you.”
“Ease off the ropes, Aidan!” the captain’s muffled voice yelled, and Kaijin looked at the ceiling.
“Did you guys hear that?” he asked his friends.
Zarya cringed. “Indeed.”
“Soddin ’ells! Aidan is up there!” Nester said.
Jarial scratched the side of his face. “Well, aside from Clarice, Aidan is the strongest person on this ship. Perhaps the captain requested to have him assist the crew with some of the tasks.”
I hope you’re right, Master, Kaijin thought.
Zarya sighed. “There is nothing more we can do. There is no sense in getting ourselves worked up over something that is out of our hands. Let us return to our quarters and wait out this storm.”
The group agreed and slowly dispersed back to their quarters.
Kaijin closed his curtain and plopped back down in his blankets. He grimaced when he felt that they were wet. Standing up, he noticed his entire quarters was soaked. Kaijin got up, went to his window and peered out at the rough seas. Raindrops stung his face. The ship rocked as gigantic waves crashed into its side. A huge wave suddenly surged through the window, drenching his face and clothes in cold saltwater. He shivered and pulled back from the window.
“Ugh!” Kaijin said, wiping the saltwater from his face and eyes. Miele screeched in his mind. “I’m okay,” he responded to her. “But I’m really worried about Aidan and the rest of the crew. This storm seems to be getting worse!”
Miele screeched again, then flew toward the window. Her wings flapped faster, and she hovered there for a moment, then flew out of the way of another incoming splash of water from another crashing wave.
Kaijin watched her, then blinked. “Are you thinking of flying out there in that mess? No, it’s much too dangerous!” He paused and realized he hadn’t heard the captain’s or the crew’s voices in several minutes. He felt his heart pound, fear of the worst overtaking him again. What if something has happened to them? He looked at Miele. “All right. Just a peek, and come right back, understand?”
After another reassuring screech, Miele flew back to the window. She made sure there was not another incoming swell before flying out. As soon as she disappeared, Kaijin immediately concentrated on her location. He became one with her, and saw through her eyes.
* * *
Miele flew to the closed doorway of the captain’s quarters and perched there with her wings folded about her body to shield the sideways-falling, heavily pounding rain. She had an ideal view of most of the activity on the ship. The sky was an eerie greyish-black, and the clouds rolled. Lightning streaked across the sky, and a single bolt struck the sea, not far from the ship. A near-deafening crack of thunder sounded afterward.
The crew members, who had secured themselves with ropes tied around their waists, scrambled about the slippery deck to and from their various stations. The captain braced himself against one of the sailors, his arm shielding his face from the rain and wind.
Aidan was bailing water, using large wooden tubs and barrels that must have been brought up from belowdeck. Aidan effortlessly hefted the water-filled containers, which normally took three or four men to carry, in one arm each and dumped the contents over the side of the ship. Rain pelted his face, but he appeared unfazed.
“Gods! What is Aidan doing?” Kaijin said in Miele’s mind.
A swell crashed over the side of the ship, drenching everyone, including Miele. She dropped from the doorway and landed on the slippery floor.
Kaijin gasped. “Miele! Come back!”
Shivering, Miele crawled about the floor, trying to take off again, but she was too drenched and exhausted.
A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed and struck the crow’s nest, splitting it in two and setting it ablaze. Sailors rushed to put the fire out but slipped and fell on the moving, slippery deck. The flaming wooden pillar creaked, groaned, and finally fell over. It crashed into the main deck. Waves greedily rushed into the ship’s newly damaged area and doused the flames.
“We can’t take much more of this!” the captain yelled over the commotion.
More and more water began to rise around Miele as she crawled toward one of the railings.
“Are we ... sinking?” Kaijin asked her.
“Rogue wave, Captain!” a sailor yelled, pointing starboard.
“Hells ... Brace! Everyone brace!”
As Miele pulled herself up to the edge of the ship’s side, she spotted a great wall of water moving closer to the ship, bigger than any wave she or Kaijin had ever seen.
“Hurry, Miele! Return to me!”
Miele quickly shook excess water from her wings and glided back down to Kaijin’s window. When she was but a breath’s distance away from her master, they both blacked out.
* * *
Aidan dove off the sinking ship and plunged into the cold ocean. He swam to the surface and squinted into the stinging rain. The noise of the raging storm drowned out the panicked cries of the passengers and crew. He held his breath and braced for an incoming swell that engulfed him. He swam to the surface again.
“Kaijin!” he called, but there was no answer.
The storm mysteriously passed and the rains died down to a steady fall. The damaged ship had sunk, leaving only debris and stray pieces of splintered wood floating along the waves in its wake. The fear of being completely alone and helpless overcame Aidan’s mind.
No, how could this happen? Why did it happen?
Aidan swam throughout the area, searching for survivors. He took a deep breath, submerged, and looked around, but his vision was blurry underwater. He surfaced and exhaled. He extended his wings, and floated.
Thick fog began rolling in, concealing whatever lay beyond. The cloudy skies were orange from the rising sun.
Something sharp grazed the bottoms of his feet, and Aidan shuddered. He looked into the depths, but saw nothing. Large bubbles rose all around him, and the sharp sensation on his feet returned. Suddenly, Aidan was lifted out of the water and found himself atop a frilled head of a gigantic creature—a Dragon. The Dragon tilted its head back, and Aidan tumbled down the scaly finned length of the creature’s neck and landed on its back. The creature craned its neck to look around at him. The setting moon peeked through the dense clouds, casting dim light over the ribbed and fluted crests that swept back from the Dragon’s scaly cheeks and glowing, pupilless green eyes which flashed with electricity. The Dragon’s beaked snout lifted slightly as it flicked its long pointed tongue.
“I thought I smelled a Koraseru nearby, and here you appear to be,” the Dragon rumbled in Draconic, his voice guttural.
Aidan blinked and stared, open-mouthed. He called me a Koraseru, just like the Mistress, Kyniythyria,
did.
“Well? What say you, half-blood?” The Dragon added in Common, “Or do you not understand Draconic?”
“I understand, Great One,” Aidan responded in Draconic. “Forgive me. My name is Aidan. Your presence startled me.”
“Yes, well ...” The Dragon sniffed the air, then stared out at the floating debris. “I was out hunting when I caught your scent. I’d not smelled a Koraseru in so long, and I needed to sate my curiosity as to whether what I smelled was real or mere illusion. That, and debris from a destroyed ship sank over my hunting grounds and scared all the fish away.”
Aidan swallowed. “I was on that ship, Great One. I was travelling with friends when a storm hit and destroyed it. I could not find any survivors. I ... I fear I am the only one left.”
“Well, fortunately, we are not far from land. I will take you to shore and return here to search for the rest of your friends and crew.”
“Thank you, Great One!”
The Dragon swam toward the foggy horizon. “My name is Jovi’vezzyvex. You’re kin, and a Koraseru. No need to use the fancy titles around me. Now, then. Hold on tight and hold your breath. We will reach the shore in no time at all.”
Aidan did so and closed his eyes, and he felt the waves rush over his skin as Jovi’vezzyvex submerged and zipped through the waters toward a destination unknown to Aidan.
XXI
Aidan emerged from comparatively warm shallow water into a hot, arid climate that dried his skin almost instantly. Jovi’vezzyvex dumped him onto the soft white sand. Aidan landed on his back and lay there a moment, staring at the cloudy sky still colored by the dawn.
Why was I the only one to survive? He sat up, a sour taste in his mouth.
“Aidan.”
He blinked and looked to Jovi’vezzyvex—and another, smaller Dragon—both of whom sat before him.
Jovi’vezzyvex gestured toward the other Dragon with a tilt of his head. “This is Cragahexika, one of my daughters. She is a healer.”
Flameseeker (Book 3) Page 19
