by Dan Oakley
Flaming fires, that was a useful trick to have up your sleeve.
Beside me, Trella was still pressed back against the wall, but she was able to move. Her magic was more focused than mine, and she was able to fight Finn’s power.
She let out a muffled yell of annoyance.
Finn held a finger to his lips. “If you want to live, I’d advise you to be quiet.”
There were raucous voices outside, and it sounded like two or more pirates were walking along the corridor.
Would this young mage kill us? Would he call for help? I only knew one thing for sure: I was powerless to do anything.
Chapter 13
I soon realised there was no point in struggling. Whatever spell the young mage had cast upon us was too strong for me to overcome. Even Trella had ceased struggling.
Finn stood motionless with his finger pressed to his lips until the noise from the pirates faded away.
When he was sure they were gone, Finn flicked his wrist, releasing his hold, and we all slumped to the floor.
I tried to speak, but no words left my mouth. Physically we were free, but he had stolen our voices.
I gestured at him angrily, and he regarded me with his mysterious, pale eyes.
Trella tried to speak, and she had more success than me, though she didn’t find it easy.
“Why… are… you… doing this?” Her face contorted from the effort of breaking through his spell to speak aloud.
He took pity on her, and with another wave of his hand, allowed her to speak normally.
Words came tumbling out of Trella’s mouth. “We can help you, Finn. We can help you get off the ship and start a new life.”
Finn shook his head sadly.
I tried to speak again, but felt my throat tighten as though my words were being snatched from the back of my mouth.
Finn lifted his head and watched me. “I don’t know if I can trust this one,” he said. I presumed he was talking to Trella, even though he was still looking at me.
“Tomas is a good mage,” Trella assured him. “He won’t hurt you.”
Finn cocked his head. “He’s hiding something.” He frowned. “For some reason, he is pretending he’s less powerful than he really is.”
He continued to watch me suspiciously as Trella tried to talk him around.
“Tomas is not pretending. He’s had no formal training. He is actually from Terrano, and he grew up thinking magic was outlawed.”
Finn’s pale skin puckered into a deeper frown. “Terrano? He doesn’t look like a Terrano citizen to me.”
Trella shrugged. “Well, he is. You don’t look like a citizen of Marrachi, and yet that’s where you say you’re from.”
Finn’s pale cheeks flushed.
Trella continued, “He didn’t have an easy life and was seen as an outsider. It’s true, he has the potential to be more powerful than either of us, but his magic is raw and untamed.” She reached out and touched Finn on the arm. “He’s a good man. You can trust him.”
The young mage looked down at Trella’s hand resting on his arm and swallowed hard. “I can’t help you. He’ll kill me. It’s mutiny.”
Trella shook her head firmly. “You’re too valuable to the captain. He would rather sell you as a slave than kill you.”
Finn’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “You don’t know the captain. He is vindictive and nasty. He wouldn’t think twice about killing me and would probably enjoy it.”
Kira took a step closer to me. She’d been silent through this conversation, and I guessed like me she couldn’t talk either.
I gestured angrily at Finn. How was I supposed to argue our case if I couldn’t even talk?
With some reluctance, Finn eventually raised his hand and pointed a finger at my throat and then Kira’s in turn. I felt my throat relax, and Kira and I both began to talk at the same time.
I trailed off and gestured for Kira to continue.
She looked pleadingly at Finn. “This is your chance of freedom. Surely you don’t want to keep working for that monster the rest of your life?”
Finn licked his lips. “I don’t, but he won’t let me go.”
“I don’t understand, Finn,” I said. “You are a powerful mage, so why do you let him push you around?”
“He owns me. He bought me at the slave market. He put an implant in the back of my neck. If I try to leave, he can activate the implant to sever my spinal-cord.”
Kira gasped, and Trella walked behind Finn to inspect the back of his neck.
She put her fingers lightly on the young mage’s skin and closed her eyes, focusing.
After a second or two, she said, “Can you sense the device they put into your spine?”
Finn shook his head sadly. “I’ve spent the last two years trying to detect it, so I could try to find a way to deactivate it but…” His voice trailed off.
“I can’t detect it either.” Trella looked up at me. “Tomas could you come here and place your hand just there.” She pointed at a spot on Finn’s neck just below her own hand.
I touched the mage’s neck. His skin felt cool to the touch. I felt an odd flow of energy, a connection of sorts, but nothing else happened.
Trella put a hand on my shoulder and braced herself.
I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but I didn’t want to interrupt. It seemed important.
“I think they’ve tricked you, Finn. I can’t sense anything.” Trella glanced at me. “Tomas, could you feel anything unusual?”
I shook my head. “Maybe a slight transfer of energy, but nothing electronic.”
“I’m not so sure. It could be cloaked,” Finn said. His voice shook. “I’ve heard of spells that can cloak small items so they can’t be detected by magic.”
Trella nodded. “I’ve heard of those spells, too, although I don’t know how to cast them myself. I don’t think that’s the case here, though. Those spells need to be renewed at least once a year. Did that happen?”
Finn shook his head. “No, I was taken to a medical room after I’d been… purchased. But since then, I’ve never had any kind of medical procedure, not by a mage or a regular doctor.”
“I think it’s a lie, designed to keep you in check. The slavers want you to be afraid and obedient.”
Finn’s face tightened. “I can’t believe it… I’ve been so scared…”
“Well, just in case, we’ll need to incapacitate the captain,” I said. “So he can’t trigger anything.”
That seemed to remind Finn of the collar Kira had been wearing around her neck.
“You managed to remove it,” he said, staring at the red skin around her neck where the rough material had marked and rubbed her skin.
Kira touched her neck self-consciously. “Yes. Do you think that was all a scam, too?”
Finn shook his head. “No, unfortunately, I’ve seen the pirates use such a collar on another prisoner. The man tried to escape, and it was detonated.” Finn pulled a face. “It was horrible.”
Kira swallowed hard.
I put a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll pay for this. The captain won’t be putting collars on anyone once we are done with him.”
I turned to the young mage. “So, Finn, whose side are you on? Will you help us take charge of the ship?”
Finn rubbed his face with his hands. It was a big ask. Despite his power, he was a timid young man, who hadn’t asked for any of this to happen. We could tell him there wasn’t a device implanted in his spinal cord, but he had to decide whether he believed us.
We waited in tense silence for Finn to make his decision.
“Okay,” he said finally. “I’ll help, but on one condition.”
“What’s that?” I asked, expecting him to say he wanted to be taken back to his family on Marrachi.
But he surprised me by saying, “We wait at least another two hours.”
“Why?” Kira asked. “Wouldn’t it be better to attack now and take them by surprise? If they find out we’re missing, we lo
se our advantage.”
Finn shook his head slowly. “I know their routine. If we wait another two hours, they’ll be too drunk to put up a proper fight. The route has been set, so even the captain will be drinking. They won’t miss me.”
“You’re the jump mage, controlling the ship’s course, so they are free to get drunk.” I nodded slowly. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“What about weapons? Can you access those?” Trella asked.
Finn blinked. “Why would we need weapons? Magic will be safer, and the bysandown would have completely worn off after another two hours.”
“I’d feel safer with a weapon,” I said.
“Hey,” Kira interrupted. “I definitely want a weapon. I’m going to enjoy shooting the captain.”
Finn looked at Kira curiously and then smiled. It was hard not to be won over by her spunky attitude. Despite everything that had happened to her, she was still a fighter.
Finn told us there were two storage areas for the weapons and that he would take us to them when the time was right.
I have to admit I was nervous. We were going to be hiding out in a room, defenceless apart from magic, and we could be discovered at any time. But Finn seemed confident the pirates would stick to their routine, and as he was putting a lot of trust in us, I supposed it was only fair we trusted him.
Torturous minutes ticked by. It was only a small room with no chairs. The walls were gunmetal grey, scratched and old and obviously had no viewing screens. By the second hour, I was starting to feel very claustrophobic.
Finally, Finn determined it was time for us to move.
He pressed the door release button and checked the corridor.
Kira stood right next to me, and Trella stood in front of us as we waited to see if the coast was clear.
Finn turned, nodded once, and then led us silently along the corridor through the ship.
Our first stop was at one of the weapon stashes. I helped myself to a laser knife and two plasma weapons. Kira went for the biggest weapon she could find, inspecting it closely and testing its weight in her hands. The weapon dwarfed her but she handled it with confidence.
Trella looked dismissively at the weapons. She stood with her arms folded, watching us. “You don’t want to be armed?” I asked.
“My magic is the only weapon I need,” she said, and Finn nodded in agreement.
“I’ve seen enough of your magic to know how powerful it is,” I said to both of them, “but not taking a weapon, is shortsighted. What if they manage to inject us with bysandown again? This could be your last defence,” I said, holding up a laser knife. “If you don’t have your magic, you’ll wish you had a backup plan.”
Trella nodded slowly. “You’re right.”
She grabbed a small plasma handgun, picked up a weapons belt and fastened it around her waist, then slid a knife into the holster and grinned at me. “All set.”
Despite my warning, Finn didn’t pick up a weapon.
We paused, checking the way was clear, before we left the safety of the weapons storage room. There was nobody outside so we edged our way along the corridor slowly. We hadn’t gone far when I heard the first out of tune notes of male singing.
“It’s the mess hall,” Finn whispered.
He signalled to us to stand back as he pressed the button beside the door.
I shoved my back against the wall, so I wouldn’t be seen from anyone inside, just in case any of the pirates were sharp enough to notice prisoners wandering around the ship.
A rush of stale air, smelling of beer and greasy food, left the room as the door opened.
Finn crooked a finger, beckoning us to follow him. I took a deep breath and pushed back from the wall, following Finn inside the mess hall. Kira and Trella followed us.
The hall was larger than I’d expected to find aboard a small ship. A small kitchen was at one end of the room, and the rest of the area was taken up by long tables and benches. There were empty glasses and plates everywhere. Liquid had spilled onto the tables and various food items scattered on the floor.
A movement from the far right of the room caught my eye. I sucked in a breath but then saw it was only a cleaning bot, which busied itself sweeping the floor. It had its work cut out.
The pirates were slumped over the tables in the middle of the room, one was snoring loudly and the others were singing drunkenly. None had noticed our arrival. Finn had been right. The fact the pirates were worse for wear certainly made our job easier.
I scanned the room again. One thing was worrying me.
I couldn’t see the captain.
I stepped out of the way as the cleaning bot rumbled towards me, emitting a slow hum as it sucked the crumbs from around my feet.
“Where’s the captain?” I asked the others in a whisper.
A deep, rumbling voice replied, “I’m here.”
I spun around, and my stomach sank. The pirate captain stood in the doorway watching us through narrowed eyes.
Chapter 14
Unlike the rest of the pirates, the captain didn’t appear to be drunk. His large frame completely filled the doorway. Strands of his red hair fell across his face, and he glared at us through his narrowed, bright blue eyes.
“What is going on here?” he boomed.
The commotion disturbed the other pirates. The one who had been sleeping, lifted his head from the table, blinking blearily at us, as though he thought he might be dreaming. The others, who’d been singing, stopped abruptly.
“Get up, you fools, and recapture the prisoners,” he roared.
He turned on Finn. His lip curled up in a snarl.
The young mage was quaking with terror.
“How did this happen? Did they get the better of you? Are you really so stupid that you could be outwitted by a pair of heavily drugged mages and a young girl?”
Finn’s lower lip quivered as he opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn’t going to wait for the pirates to get the upper hand, and in my opinion, Finn didn’t owe the captain any explanations.
Raising my hand, I produced a glowing ball of energy and turned to face the captain again. I held the magic in the palm of my hand but didn’t strike straightaway.
The captain gritted his teeth and let out a growl when he saw I was using magic.
“You incompetent wretch!” The captain hissed at Finn. “You didn’t give him enough bysandown. Use your magic to stun him before he kills us all.”
Finn looked at me and then back at the captain. Fear had overwhelmed him. He wanted to help us, but he was desperately afraid of this huge man, who’d threatened to sever his spinal cord if he dared step out of line.
When Finn didn’t move, the captain let out an impatient breath and grabbed the small black box from the pocket of his jerkin. He held his finger above the red button menacingly.
I smirked. He hadn’t yet noticed Kira was not wearing the collar.
My gaze drifted over to Kira and then back to the captain. I grinned.
He followed my gaze and his mouth dropped open. “What the…? How did you remove the collar?” He gulped, realising that he no longer held any power over us.
He was a bully, and like all bullies, deep down he was weak. Desperately looking around for a way to escape, he began to panic. Then he spotted an unattended weapon beside one of the drunken pirates. He made a move to grab it.
I sent a warning shot, a bolt with enough power to merely graze the side of his leg. I didn’t put much energy behind it because I didn’t want to create any holes in this ship and cause worse problems than we had now.
The captain squealed like a stuck pig and moved out of the way pretty quickly for such a big man. “Mage! I order you to subdue the prisoners!”
Finn raised his right hand, which was shaking uncontrollably.
“It’s going to be all right,” I said. “He doesn’t hold anything over you anymore. You don’t have to do what he says.”
I felt a hand grip my shoulder. One of the pirates had
decided to try and tackle us himself. A pretty dumb decision in his drunken state.
I hit him with a right hook to the jaw, and he crashed across the table behind him, taking a few glasses with him, before landing on the floor with a thump.
The cleaning bot was still buzzing around the room as though nothing unusual was happening.
“It’s you who should surrender,” Kira said, aiming her large plasma weapon straight at the captain’s head. “Although it doesn’t really bother me if you don’t. It’s probably easier just to shoot you anyway.”
She said it with such conviction that I believed her. From the expression on the captain’s face, I think he did too.
Trella moved beside Finn and whispered something to him. She spoke so quietly I couldn’t work out what she was saying, but I guessed it was something encouraging.
Finn took a deep breath, and with a flick of his wrist, all three pirates crashed to the floor. Their bodies wriggled when they tried to get up again, but their heads remained stuck to the floor as if they were held there by some invisible force.
Then Finn turned back to the captain, whose eyes were now wide with shock.
“What are you doing? This is treasonous. You’re a traitor! I will see you hung when you get back to Marrachi.”
“I’m no traitor. I didn’t sign up for this. You bought me at a slave auction. You are the criminal, not me,” he said in a surprisingly calm and level voice.
“That’s nonsense. I gave you a job, and I’ve always treated you well.”
In the short time I’d seen the captain interact with Finn, I knew that wasn’t true.
“You’re a bully, an evil man.” Finn’s voice was cold.
“You can’t kill me,” the captain spat. “If I don’t put the code into my personal server at eight p.m. tonight, your spinal cord will be severed. You need me.”
Finn shook his head slowly. “You lie. I am a Marrachi spacemage, part of an old and noble tradition. You are merely a pirate, and you hold no power over me anymore.”
The captain’s eyes bulged, and at first, I thought that was just because he was so surprised that Finn was finally taking a stand, but then I noticed his dark complexion, turning red. He gasped for air.
