Omensent: Wrath of a Dragon God

by Barry Gibbons

  "That you did, Captain, that you did!" Damion leaned against the railing wearily, exhausted from the exertion of pushing the huge ship forward. He took several moments to catch his breath, then made his way below deck to check on the others, while the captain hurried to inspect the damage.

  He found their quarters in complete disarray. Their belongings had been tossed about the cabin, while the others had been hunkered beneath the large table, which had remained bolted securely to the floor.

  Raven and Sly were helping Damarius to his feet when Damion rushed in, his face concerned. "Is everyone okay?"

  "We're fine." The old wizard assured him, shooing them away irritably. "That was some ride! I haven't done anything that exciting in decades!"

  Damion hurried over to Raven's side to make sure that she was uninjured, while Sly went to check on the horses. He returned a few minutes later with an unhappy expression.

  "How are the horses?" Raven asked in concern.

  "They survived, but still seem a little rattled." Sly reported, his face a thundercloud of anger.

  "What's wrong?" Damion asked worriedly.

  "One of the barrels of ale slipped loose and broke open." He told them in a mournful tone, tears shimmering in eyes. "It was a complete loss." He shook his head sadly.

  Captain Harper came stumping into their quarters a few moments later. "I've never seen anything like that before in all of my years at sea!" He told them, dropping wearily into a chair. "That storm appeared out of nowhere! One minute, the skies were clear and the seas were calm; the next, we were being bombarded by rogue waves!" He glanced over at Damion. "Thanks for saving my hide back there, by the way. When that wave swept me overboard, I truly thought that it was the end for me."

  "Don't mention it." Damion grunted dismissively. "Besides, we would have never made it through that maelstrom without you at the helm."

  "Is the ship badly damaged?" Damarius asked the captain, taking the seat beside him.

  "She been in worse shape than this." Captain Harper shrugged. "The crew is already making the repairs. What we can't fix at sea, we'll repair once we reach Naquia. It shouldn't take too long to set her straight again." He straightened in his chair. "So, are you going to explain to me what just happened, or am I just to be left guessing?" He gave them an arch look. "I know when I'm seeing something unnatural, and that was not natural!"

  "You're right." The old wizard sighed heavily. "There was nothing natural about that storm."

  "I'm guessing there was magic involved?"

  Damion and Damarius exchanged glances.

  "If so," Damion's expression was grim. "It was a form of magic that I have never encountered before."

  "Nor I." The old wizard agreed with a nod. "It would take an enormous amount of power to perform such an act."

  "Could you do something like that?" Raven asked Damion, looking up at him curiously.

  He thought about it for a moment. "Probably, but it certainly wouldn't be easy."

  "Why is that?" Captain Harper asked in confusion. "Can't you chant a spell, wriggle your fingers, and make it happen?"

  Everyone laughed.

  "There's a little more to it than that." Damion chuckled. "Let's just say whoever was behind it has a considerable amount of power at their disposal."

  "And they seem to be quite determined to stop us from rescuing little Leia." Sly added unhappily.

  "Could the witch who abducted Leia have done this?" Raven asked, her voice full of concern.

  "Only if she had help from the elder spirits." Damarius told her. "A highland witch draws her power from the life force of their victims. Without help from the elder spirits, she would need to feast upon hundreds of victims before she could perform such a display of power."

  "How did she know where we were?" Sly asked in confusion. "We could have been anywhere! How could she possibly know we were here?"

  "The elder spirits, undoubtedly." The old wizard grunted. "The witches commune with the spirits that inhabit the netherworld. There is very little in this world that is hidden from their eyes."

  "So, what you're saying is that there isn't any way to sneak up on them?" Sly asked sourly.

  Damarius shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Whenever she stops to commune with the spirits, she'll know exactly where we are."

  "That could prove bothersome," Damion shook his head. "but there isn't much we can do about it right now. We need to just concentrate on reaching Naquia and picking up their trail."

  "Let's just hope that the witch doesn't commune with the spirits again until we reach dry land." Sly mumbled with a worried expression. "I really didn't like the spiraling vortex of death during the first ride. I'd rather not have to experience it a second time."

  Chapter 10

  He soared high amongst the clouds, idly watching the events below unfold while relishing in the sensation of the winds gently flowing beneath his massive wings. He had decided to look in on this Dragon Lord, still fascinated that a mere mortal could have grown so powerful. A product of both human and dragon, this man had managed to face dozens of the most powerful serpents in the world, and walk away alive! No other man had ever managed such a feat!

  His all-seeing gaze soon located the man on a ship thirty leagues or so behind the ship carrying the witch chosen by the elder spirits to carry out his wishes. He was surprised that the man had managed to close the distance between himself and the witch so quickly. When he had last checked, the Dragon Lord was still wandering the mountains in search of his daughter's abductor, and now, he was less than a day behind, and gaining ground with every second that passed.

  He had briefly thought about intervening to insure the witch's escape, but the witch took matters into her own hands, unleashing magic that no mortal was ever meant to wield. The force should have destroyed her the instant that she unleashed it, but it was soon apparent that that elder spirits had granted this witch additional gifts, not to mention nearly unlimited power, in order to carry out his plans.

  He sneered distastefully, wondering if it had been a mistake to involve the elder spirits. It was clear that they would go to any lengths to achieve their ends, including granting nearly limitless power to a mortal, if it meant it would help them accomplish their goals. He had been reluctant to enlist their assistance, knowing that the elder spirits would never do anything that did not benefit themselves, but to his surprise, they readily agreed to lend him their aid, asking nothing in return for their assistance.

  Knowing that he may end up regretting his decision, he told the elder spirits of his desire for the only child born to the Dragon Lord, then left them to carry out his wishes.

  Now, as he watched the witch manipulate the powers granted to her by the elder spirits, he regretted his decision to involve them. Sensing what was to come, he continued to stare down through the churning storm clouds, knowing there was little chance of survival for the man he was so fascinated by.

  A monstrous whirlpool suddenly began to form in front of the Dragon Lord's ship, which was being bombarded with massive waves that were threatening to swamp the entire vessel. It quickly began to pick up speed as it was drawn toward the seething maelstrom, fatally caught in the vortex's grip.

  But then, something happened that forced him to reevaluate his opinion of the Dragon Lord. Instead of panicking, and trying to fight the current that was dragging them to their deaths, the ship suddenly turned into the current, racing towards the maelstrom with break neck speed. The sleek ship skimmed the edge of the vortex, circling it several times as it gathered speed, then abruptly turned away from the swirling whirlpool, breaking free of its inescapable current.

  Once again, this man had somehow cheated death, surviving the raging maelstrom brought down upon him by the witch he was pursuing. It was obvious that there was far more to this man than what was on the surface.

  He watched as the ship continued to flounder its way towards the east, noticing absently that the distance between the ships had now widened consider
ably. There was very little chance of the ship on which the Dragon Lord sailed being repaired quickly enough to allow them to overtake the witch now. It limped along at half the speed that it had prior to the storm, and was listing slightly to one side. It wasn't in danger of sinking, but was still badly damaged, which would slow them down considerably.

  Confident that he had seen enough, he tipped his wing, and flew off towards the east to await the witch's arrival at the temple. He was actually relieved that the man had survived the witch's attempt to kill him. With a little luck, this Dragon Lord may even live long enough to meet him, face to face.

  ************

  They arrived at Naquia three weeks later, just as the sun was setting on the horizon. The Fearless Lady was still listing slightly to one side as they pulled into port, and the main sail was leaning dangerously forward, but Captain Harper managed to skillfully guide the crippled vessel into the harbor, and up to the crowded docks.

  Once they were safely moored to the wharf, they quickly unloaded the horses, who seemed quite happy to finally be free of the confines of the ship, then went to join Captain Harper, who was looking over the damage to his ship with an expert eye.

  "How bad is it?" Sly asked curiously, noticing the sour look on the old sea captain's face.

  "It's not so bad, though it'll still take the crew several weeks of hard work to get her sea worthy again."

  After he finished his inspection, Captain Harper led them to a nearby inn which they could use as a base of operations during their search for Leia's abductors.

  True to his word, the second they had touched dry land, the captain had ordered half of his crew to begin scouring the docks in search of anyone that may fit the description of Leia's abductors. It wasn't long before one of the men returned with news.

  "I think I may have found the ship that was carrying the people they're searching for, Captain." A sailor, an evil looking fellow with only one eye, told Captain Harper, rushing towards the table the old sea captain shared with Damion and the others. "It arrived a few nights ago with only a single man and a woman aboard. They took a room at an inn near the end of the pier."

  "Are they still there?" Raven asked, jumping to her feet excitedly.

  The sailor shook his head. "They set off a few hours after arriving. The innkeeper mentioned that the hooded one was carrying a child which wouldn't stop wailing."

  "Leia!" The young woman's hands flew to her mouth, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.

  "Where is this inn?" Damion asked, his voice filled with tightly controlled anger. "I want to speak with the innkeeper myself. He may have overheard something that may prove useful in our search."

  He and Raven quickly followed the sailor down the wharf to a rather dingy looking building that had a pair of smoky torches burning out front, and made their way inside. It was dark inside of the small inn, which was little more than a common room with several small chambers on the upper floor. The walls and floors were covered in a thick layer of filth, and looked as though they hadn't been cleaned in centuries. There was a nearly overpowering smell of vomit and stale beer, and most of the furniture decorating the common room was falling apart, and completely unusable.

  The innkeeper, a greasy looking fellow with an unhealthy looking rash that covered half of his neck, stood behind a filthy bar absently wiping out a tankard with a dirt encrusted rag. "What do you want?" The man grunted at them in an annoyed tone.

  "We heard that a couple of people we're looking for may have stayed here a few nights ago." Raven's expression was anxious. "They had a young child with them."

  "Oh, those two. They were here four or five nights ago. They paid for an entire night, but left after only a few hours. That child they had with them cried the entire time they were here."

  "Did they say anything to you while they were here?"

  The man shook his head. "I only spoke with the man for a moment when I rented them the room, and then once more as they were leaving. The man asked me if I knew of anywhere he could purchase some horses. I sent them to the livery a couple of lots down."

  "Is there anything else you may remember about them?" Damion pressed the man desperately. "Anything at all?"

  The man started scratching the rash on his neck absently. "Nothing that I can think of, although I do remember thinking to myself that the child sounded down right outraged to be stuck with those two. The poor thing screamed at the top of its lungs the entire time it was here." He shook his head. "That's really all that I remember. I wouldn't have remembered that much if it wasn't for the fact that three of my regular tenants disappeared that same evening. Their belongings were still in their rooms, but there hasn't been any sign of them for days."

  Damion and Raven exchanged glances.

  "Thank you, friend." Damion handed the man several silver pieces. "You have been an enormous help."

  They hurried outside, then quickly made their way down to the livery the innkeeper had directed them toward.

  A strange looking man with bulging eyes and enormous eyebrows emerged from the stables, a curious expression on his pale face. He was dressed in a robe made up of a riot of clashing colors, and his long black hair had been carefully braided in hundreds of tiny braids. "Alaestye." He greeted them as they approached, sprinkling salt at their feet in some type of ritual greeting. "Welcome to my humble establishment." His voice was surprisingly lyrical. He didn't speak the words, but more sang them in a soothing baritone that seemed to cut through the tension like a knife. "We have some of the finest horses that you could hope to find, and you'll never find someone who can make you a better deal."

  "We're actually not interested in purchasing a horse." Damion told him, cutting to the reason for this visit. "We were told that a pair of travelers that we are searching for may have purchased horses here several nights ago."

  "Possibly." He stared at Damion with a speculative expression. "What did they look like?"

  The huge warrior quickly described the hooded woman and her huge man servant. "They had a young child with them." He finished, noticing that the man's eyes had suddenly widened in recognition.

  "Aye. I remember them." The man sang, still staring at Damion wide eyes. "They purchased a pair of horses from me, then lit out of here like they had a demon on their tail!" He grinned hesitantly. "Now that I see you, I realize they did!"

  Damion chuckled. "Did you happen to catch where they may be heading next?"

  The strange looking man shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid not, milord. As soon as they paid for the horses, they mounted up and took off towards the east at a gallop."

  "What lies to the east?"

  "Sherish. It stretches for several leagues in every direction."

  Damion frowned. "That could make it difficult to pick up their trail. If Sherish is that big, they could simply disappear into the city."

  "That's doubtful." The man disagreed. "There are only a few humans who choose to live in Sherish. Most people find the gnomes annoying, and living in the same city with them can be quite dangerous. Not a day goes by without some gnome managing to somehow blow himself up, usually killing anyone that happens to be in the general vicinity. That tends to discourage most sensible folk from living amongst the little people. If the people you're looking for are still in Sherish, they shouldn't be too difficult to locate."

  Damion gave the man several silver pieces for his assistance, then they hurried back to inform the others of what they had discovered.

  "So, I guess that means we're heading to Sherish?" Sly asked once the huge warrior had finished telling them what they had discovered. He looked down at his full tankard, then sighed sadly.

  "We'll set off first thing in the morning." Damion told the little man placatingly. "It's already too late to start our search tonight. Let's take the evening to rest up a bit, then set off at first light. We may be running short on sleep for a while, so we had better enjoy it while we can."

  They gathered in the inn's common room
early the next morning to bid Captain Harper farewell.

  "Don't you worry about anything." The eccentric sea captain assured them with a broad smile. "The Fearless Lady will be repaired and waiting for you when you return. Go get your daughter back, my friend."

  "Thank you, Captain." Damion said sincerely. "We could have never of gotten this far without you."

  "Not without a lot of swimming, anyway." Sly snorted, rubbing his bloodshot eyes with both hands.

  Raven hurried forward to give the captain a fierce embrace. "We will be forever in your debt."

  "Don't be ridiculous." Captain Harper laughed. "It won't be forever. It'll only be until we finally return to the south where your husband can pay me!"

  They finished saying their goodbyes, then hurried to retrieve the horses, eager to be on their way.