James looks to the other guards who have paused on the stairs after seeing the fate of their comrade. They look to him in fear as they back up the stairs and return to the deck above. Voices can be heard arguing up there and though he can’t understand the words being said, he has a pretty good idea. The Ambassador wants the guards to come down and subdue him while they feel that’s a bad idea.
Finally a decision is reached as the voices become quiet. James glances over to where the girls are hiding and can see their faces peering around and over the barrels they’re hiding behind. Turning his attention back to the hatch, he waits.
The light coming through the hatch is suddenly blocked again by several men coming down the stairs quickly. Each is carrying a crossbow and as soon as they clear the hatch, quickly fire.
When he realizes they are sending crossbowmen down, he says, “Shield.” The sphere pulses and a translucent, shimmering shield surrounds him. The glow within the sphere diminishes still further until there’s only a barely perceptible glow.
The first bolt fired glances harmlessly off the shield surrounding him and he begins making his way toward the stairs. Two more bolts are fired in rapid succession and they too are deflected by the protective shield.
“Leech by a hundred,” he says and the closest crossbowman falls to the stairs and suffers the same fate as had the man before. When the other two crossbowmen see their comrade fall, and him advancing they beat a hasty retreat up the stairs, slamming the hatch closed. “Leech by zero,” he says when the crossbowman at last lies still.
At the base of the stairs, he glances back to the girls and says, “Stay down here. No matter what happens, stay down here.”
An ‘okay’ comes from the girls and he begins making his way up the stairs. At the top, he finds the hatch has been secured to keep him from escaping the hold and gaining the ship’s deck.
Leech, shield and incinerate as well as the degree to which it does those commands, i.e. by ten and by a hundred are the only commands which he had imbued the sphere with when he created it. And until he regains the ability to do magic, those are all that he has at his command. If he ever gets out of here, he’ll work on creating something which he can carry that will be more flexible in differing circumstances.
The sphere glows with stored power once again as he tries to figure out what to do. The longer he remains aboard this ship, the closer and possibly further into the Empire he will go. He has to act and act now.
Holding the sphere before him, he gazes at the hatch and says, “Incinerate.” Nothing happens. He really didn’t think that would work, the spell had been intended for enemies, not inanimate objects.
Coming close to the hatch, he tries to hear what’s happening on the other side, but other than muted voices in a language he doesn’t understand, he can’t tell.
“Shield by zero,” he says and the shield surrounding him disappears.
Returning down the stairs, he stares at the grisly sight of the burnt corpse and shudders. He hates what these people make him do. The girls have come out of their hiding place and are coming toward him. “Now what?” one of them asks.
“I’m not sure,” he says. “But I’ll think of something. Try not to worry.” Looking around the hold, he sees many boxes and other paraphernalia which is useful on board a boat. A spare sail, some rope and a box full of tools! If only the A-Team were here! Laughing in spite of the gravity of the situation, he begins rummaging around the box of tools.
He finally comes up with a small five pound sledgehammer and takes it with him back to the hatch.
“What are you going to do with that?” one of the girls asks.
“Smash through the hatch and see about getting us off this ship,” he explains.
“What if they won’t let us?” Gwynne asks him.
His expression turning grim, he says, “Then I’ll have to convince them.”
“How?” Daria asks.
James glances at her but doesn’t reply. Then he resumes moving toward the stairs and up to the hatch. The angle is awkward and his arms aren’t all that strong to begin with. Balancing himself as best he can, he swings the sledgehammer with all his might and strikes the hatch with a resounding thud. The other side of the hatch becomes quiet as he brings the sledgehammer back for another strike.
Wham!
He hits the hatch again and begins to hear those on the other side running around.
Wham!
This time he has the satisfaction of seeing a crack begin to form on one of the slats of the hatch.
Wham!
The crack widens and suddenly the hatch is pulled open from the other side. “Shield!” he cries out as three crossbows fire simultaneously. The sphere pulses and the shield forms just as the bolts are released, causing them to bounce off harmlessly.
“Incinerate!” he cries out and one of the crossbowmen bursts into flame, the other two turn and run. The one on fire begins screaming and falls to the deck where he writhes in pain until finally becoming still.
Still protected by the shield, he makes his way out of the hold and onto the deck. The Ambassador is there as is the captain of the ship. “You have nowhere to go,” the Ambassador says.
Stepping at last on the deck, James breathes the fresh salt air. It’s growing dark, the sun is just now beginning to dip below the horizon. He looks out to sea and can only see water.
“Let me and the girls off in a dinghy and I’ll let you live,” he warns the Ambassador. Just then, a guard comes up behind him and strikes with his sword. The sword hits the shield and flies out of his hand as it rebounds.
James glances behind him at the guard who’s looking at his empty hand in shock. “Don’t do that again,” he tells him.
Turning his attention back to the Ambassador, he says, “Well?”
“You’re not leaving this vessel,” the Ambassador tells him. “Whether or not we all survive is immaterial, you are not to be allowed to go free!”
“So be it then,” says James as he raises the sphere.
Chapter Thirteen
_________________________
Miko and Paul stand at the bow of the ship, the wind whipping their hair and the salty spray misting them occasionally. It’s cold so they have their jackets pulled tightly. “Think we’ll catch them?” Paul asks.
“Hope so,” replies Miko. “If we can at least keep them in sight then we’ll be able to stay on their tail, possibly attempt to rescue them after they make landfall.”
“I’m worried about the girls,” he admits.
Miko can hear it in his voice. “It’s unlikely they will do anything to them,” he assures him for the dozenth time.
“We’re falling behind!” Dave’s voice reaches them from where he’s complaining again to the captain. He’s been an irritant the whole way and the general consensus is they’d all be better off if they just tossed him overboard.
The captain’s voice can be heard in reply, his tone saying he’s had about enough. “We are not falling behind. Now leave me alone!”
Dave glowers at the captain then stalks off to stand by himself near the rail.
Shaking his head, Miko wonders again what James sees in him. Maybe he was different back where they came from?
“Something’s been bothering me,” he says to Paul.
“What?” he asks.
“Back in Cardri, when we were being led away by Lord Colerain, where did all those guys who jumped him come from?” he asks, glancing at him. “I mean, they appeared in just the right spot and fast.”
Paul smiles as he says, “When we knew the girls were being taken to the ship, we spread the word that Gwynne and Daria were being taken. Those of us on the streets have a sort of brotherhood you might say, we look out for each other and take care of our own. The guys you saw had been there for awhile, they just kept their heads low until needed. Didn’t want to tip off anyone something might be up, just in case.”
Nodding, Miko says, “I see.” He certainly und
erstands about the brotherhood those of the streets have.
They stand there continuing to watch the ship ahead of them as the sun drops lower to the horizon. After awhile Illan comes to join them. “The captain says that when it turns dark there’s a possibility of losing them,” he says quietly.
Miko turns a worried expression to him as he asks, “Lose them?”
Nodding, Illan replies, “A definite possibility. But the captain says they’ll most likely stay on this course through the night. That it’s dangerous to alter course unless you are familiar with the waters in the area. Something about hitting a reef. So once dawn comes we should be able to pick them up again.”
“Let’s hope so,” Paul says.
“Never did thank you for what you did for us back there,” Illan tells him.
“Didn’t do it for you guys,” he admits. “I figured you were the only hope Gwynne and Daria had.”
“Still, I appreciate it,” he says as he pats him on the shoulder.
“Where are Jiron and Fifer?” Miko asks.
Nodding his head to the rear of the ship, he says, “In the captain’s cabin, asleep. The Parvati is in there with them.”
“How can they sleep at a time like this?” questions Miko.
“It’s times like these when you get your sleep,” he explains. “So you’ll be rested when you need to be.”
“Maybe,” says Miko.
From the mid section, a bell begins ringing. “Dinner’s ready,” Illan tells them. Leaving their post at the bow, Miko and Paul follow Illan as he goes to get some food. A wooden bowl full of fish and vegetables along with a single cup of ale is all that’s allotted them.
They take their food from the cook and find a place near the stern where they have some shelter from the wind and spray while they eat. Jiron, Fifer, and Qyrll make their appearance as does Meliana and her father. Dave on the other hand takes his food and goes off to eat by himself on the other side of the ship.
When Meliana joins them with her food, she asks, “Have we gained on them any?”
“Not yet,” Miko informs her.
“We don’t exactly want to be noticed by them,” her father says. “It wouldn’t be good.”
“I know,” she says. Ever since they explained to her about the circumstances of James’ arrest and being given to the Empire, she’s held a deep fear for him. She understands her father’s logic, but her heart doesn’t care. She glances toward the fleeing ship and is thankful she can still see it in the fading light of dusk.
They sit there, quiet as each dwells silently on what the future may hold while they finish their meal.
“Captain!” a sailor hollers down from his position up in the rigging. “Vessel aflame!”
“Where away?” the captain hollers back.
“Dead ahead,” he replies.
“James!” Meliana cries as she drops her bowl and rushes to the bow. The others follow quickly. In the darkening gloom ahead of them, a bright orange light can be seen. “Full sails!” they hear the captain yell. The sailors in the rigging above begin unfurling the last of the sails.
“Mr. Bessin!” the captain hollers.
“Aye sir,” his second in command answers.
“Prepare to rescue survivors,” he says.
“Aye, aye sir,” Mr. Bessin replies and then begins barking orders as sailors prepare their dinghy should the need arise.
Their ship quickly gains upon the other and they can see where the sails have all but been consumed by the flames. It’s listing to the side and appears to be taking on water.
“She’s not going to last too much longer,” Meliana’s father says behind them.
“Oh, James,” she breathes as she looks for any sign of him.
A massive explosion from within the hold blasts the deck outward, debris sails through the air and splashes into the sea many yards away.
Bodies can be seen floating in the water among the flotsam, none appear to be alive.
“James!” Dave cries out from his position near the bow.
“Daria! Gwynne!” Paul cries as his voice joins Dave’s.
“Furl the sails!” the captain cries to those in the rigging and the sails begin to be taken in. Slowing down, the ship draws near the wreckage though the captain still maintains a safe distance so as not to suffer the same fate.
A rattle of chains and the anchor drops into the water with a splash. “Mr. Bessin, lower the boat and search for survivors.”
“Aye captain,” he replies.
“Incinerate!” James yells as another seaman erupts in flames. The sphere in his hand is now the size of a softball, a deep glow wells from within due to all the power it has stored.
All across the deck are charred remnants of the crew as well as withered husks from whom James drew the power necessary to maintain the spells. The Ambassador and captain lie among them.
At one point during the battle, the ships crew had taken a spare spar that was stored at the base of the ship’s rail. Using it as a battering ram, they tried to push him off the boat and into the sea.
Crying “Leech by a hundred,” he sucked them dry as they crashed to the deck, the spar hitting the deck and rolling to the side. So much power being absorbed by the sphere had caused it to crackle like static electricity. James begins incinerating crewmen simply to release the pressure. The last thing he wanted was to have it explode in his hand.
Fire rages throughout the ship, most of the crew either lies dead or has jumped over the side. A scream from below rips through the air. The Girls!
Racing for the hatch, he sees black smoke billowing up out of it like a chimney. A quick glance around the ship shows it to be almost completely engulfed in flames. Taking a deep breath, he steps through the hatch and begins making his way down to the hold through the black smoke.
Unable to see, he uses the sound of the girls coughing and crying to guide him. “Over here!” he calls to them. “To me!”
A hand reaches out through the thick smoke and takes hold of his shirt. He looks down and sees little Daria there with several other girls in tow. “Where are the others?” he cries out.
“B…b,” she says then a coughing fit robs her voice.
Taking her by the hand, he leads her to the stairs and says, “Go up on top. I’ll get the others.”
A quick nod of her head and she begins leading the others up the stairs.
Coughing badly now, James pulls off his shirt and uses it to try to filter out the smoke. Helping only slightly, he begins working his way further to the back. “Where are you?” he hollers but there’s no answer.
In the thick smoke, he can barely see anything. A crack from above and a portion of the flaming deck falls in, crashing to the bottom of the holds several yards away. “Girls!” he cries again.
Moving as quickly as he dares, he tries to see through the smoke but his eyes are so red and burning now it’s all a blur. Useless, he keeps them closed, only peering out of them every now and then.
Suddenly, he hears coughing from up ahead. The coughing and crying of a small child. Using the sound as a guide, he comes to the barrels he told the girls to hide behind earlier and finds a small girl lying with her head on the chest of a larger. The older girl looks to be unconscious, the smaller one not much better.
“You okay?” he asks her when reaches their side.
The small girl looks up at him with red rimmed eyes and tries to say something but only breaks into a massive coughing fit.
All around them, the heat from the fire is increasing as more of the ship becomes engulfed.
“Can you crawl?” he asks her.
When the coughing spell lets up a little, she manages to nod.
“Follow me then,” he says. Grabbing the older girl, he gets on his hands and lays her across his back. Moving on all fours with an unconscious girl upon his back, he begins leading the other little girl to the stairs.
At this level, the smoke isn’t nearly as bad, though it is still thick. Gl
ancing back every other step, he makes sure the little one is keeping up.
They make it about halfway to the stairs when he suddenly feels the ship lurch slightly and cold seawater flows across the floor. The hold begins to fill with water. He doesn’t have that much time.
“Come on!” he manages to yell to the girl behind him. He removes the girl from his back and then stands up. The water is now about ankle deep and rising. Picking up the unconscious girl, he carries her toward the stairs, the little one following, holding onto his shirt.
As they reach the stairs and start to climb up, the ship lurches again and begins to tilt. Scenes from Titanic run through his head as he climbs the stairs. Before he makes it to the top, another section of the burning deck caves in and lands upon a small stack of barrels lining one wall. He hopes they aren’t flammable.
Clearing the hatch, he sees an inferno all around him. The girls who had come out before are huddled against one side of the ship. It’s the only area yet to be consumed by the fire and it’s not going to last very much longer.
When he reaches them, he asks, “Is this everyone?” Several heads bob affirmative.
He glances over the side to the water below. Debris has already begun to dot the surface. “Over the side!” he yells.
“I can’t swim!” one girl screams, terrified.
“You got no choice!” he tells her. One of the older girls goes to the rail and jumps over, a couple others follow. Finally he’s left there with the unconscious girl in his arms and the frightened girl who won’t go over. The heat from the fire consuming the ship is beginning to burn his skin. The central mast suddenly cracks and topples over sending sparks and embers flying.
One ember lands in the frightened girl’s hair and James quickly puts down the girl in his arms and brushes it out before it has a chance to catch. He then looks over the side and sees that Gwynne and the others have all managed to find something to grab a hold of to keep from going under.
“Gwynne!” he yells.
She looks up at him.
“One girl can’t swim,” he hollers. “You’ll have to help her!”
The Star of Morcyth: The Morcyth Saga Book Five Page 16
