Welcome To The Age of Magic

by C M Raymond et al.

  Benjamin took a deep breath. Jarvi was right. There was more at stake here than just his life, or even Abbey’s.

  “There’s work to be done in Holdgate,” Jarvi said, “and I think you’re the man to do it. Even if Abbey finds the traitor, we’ll need proof. We need to find out who really killed the Magistrate’s son, and we need to do it fast. Are you willing to help? Or are you going to run south and hide in the mountains?”

  Benjamin paused a moment before answering. If he wanted to help Abbey and Holdgate, he was going to have to join Jarvi in gathering as much information as possible. “Yes. I’ll help.”

  “Good,” Jarvi said softly. “Then what do you say we get out of here before we both wind up back in that cell of yours?”

  15

  Abbey dashed through the street, her feet slapping hard against cobblestone. Up ahead, she saw a Barskall Warrior ramming himself against a solid oak door, trying to knock it down. A family of four looked down from the windows above, terror in their eyes.

  Abbey angled herself at the Warrior and ran even harder. He didn’t see her coming, and she collided with him, driving her shoulder into his back. The Warrior crumbled to the ground, and his sword skidded away from him. He quickly flopped onto his back and began to rise. Abbey gripped her sword, willing him to stand.

  Like all the other Barskall Warriors she’d seen, he was armorless, male, and moved with a reckless flurry of motion that didn’t quite seem natural. He didn’t even look at his weapon. The fact that he was unarmed and facing a sword-wielding opponent didn’t even seem to cross his mind. He charged toward her with a nearly inhuman speed.

  Abbey recovered from her shock just in time to raise her sword and kill the charging warrior.

  She looked down at the second body to fall to her sword so far tonight, but there wasn’t time to consider it for long. The city was in chaos. Barskall Warriors and Tor’s Storm Raiders were working together to loot the city of anything valuable. What they couldn’t steal, they burned. What they couldn’t burn, they smashed.

  Some carried swords. Some carried maces. But they all brought destruction.

  Abbey looked left and right, not sure where to turn next. She could only defend one home at a time. As much as she wanted to destroy every one of these Barskall sons of bitches and the traitor Holdgate sailors working with them, she was only one person.

  She heard a familiar shout and spun to her left. Down the road, Syd was facing off against two Storm Raiders. She had a sword in each hand, but her opponents clearly knew what they were doing. They were inching in opposite directions, trying to flank her. Each of them held a sword in one hand and a torch in the other.

  Fury filled Abbey as she looked at those torches. They may have been used to start some of the fires now consuming innocent people’s homes. She rushed to her shipmate’s side.

  The two Storm Raiders smiled when they saw her.

  “Ah, good.” It was the taller of the two who spoke. He wore a helmet with a large dent and a sword that she could see was dinged to hell even in the dim torchlight. “We were looking for you two. Captain said we weren’t to let you get back to your ship.”

  Abbey let out a chuckle. “Who’s going back to the ship? We’re just getting started.”

  The tall Storm Raider shook his head. “Don’t be an idiot. You’re outnumbered three hundred to two. What do you think you’re going to do?”

  “Right now, I’m only worried about the two assholes standing in front of me,” Abbey said through gritted teeth. “I’ll worry about the other two-hundred-and-ninety-eight after.”

  Syd brandished her twin swords, so the torchlight reflected into the faces of the two men. “You are traitors to your city and a disgrace to the stormships.”

  Both men let out a hearty laugh.

  The shorter one smiled, revealing his few remaining teeth. “I know The Foggy Day doesn’t see much action, but you can’t have your head that far up your ass. You have any idea why Holdgate is so rich? Why it’s so safe from the Barskall? You should know that Storm Raiding is a way of life. Thunderclap has been raiding since before you tied your first line.”

  Abbey blinked hard. Could that possibly be true? Had she lived nearly her whole life in a city built on lies? Had Thunderclap been dealing out this sort of violence for years?

  She looked at the sword in the short man’s hand. She couldn’t be certain in this light, but it was altogether possible her father had made that sword. How many of his weapons had been used for terrible purposes like this one?

  Abbey lunged forward, swinging her sword as she came. She connected with the taller man’s sword, and his eyes widened in surprise at the speed of her attack. She spun to the right and stabbed again, catching him under the armpit where there was a gap in his leather armor. He fell with a grunt.

  She turned to see Syd had already dispatched the smaller man.

  Abbey turned her eyes toward the center of the city where the fire was the largest. She started toward it, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  There was sadness in Syd’s voice when she spoke. “As much as I hate to admit it, they’re right. There’s nothing two people can do against this horde.”

  “Like hell!” Anger boiled within Abbey. This was being done in the name of Holdgate, her city! She wouldn’t let this stand.

  “We’re the only ones who know the truth about what’s happening here,” Syd said. “We have to go back to the ship. If we die here, no one back on The Foggy Day will know the truth.”

  Abbey still wasn’t convinced. “People are being hurt. I’m not turning my back on them.”

  “I’m not asking you to. But think of how many lives we can save if we put an end to this. From what that guy said, this isn’t the first city they’ve raided, and it won’t be the last. Not unless we do something about it.”

  Abbey paused. She knew Syd was right, but she still hated running away from a battle.

  Finally, she said, “You’re right. Let’s find a way to stop these guys once and for all.”

  Dustin stood on the bow of the ship, feeling the power of the sea flowing through him. The fog was growing even thicker. They would need it to cover their escape if the Barskall decided to give chase. It was part of preserving the mystique of the stormships. They appeared out of the fog without warning and disappeared back into it as quickly as they’d come.

  He was surprised at how natural it felt to be standing there, controlling the weather. Supporting the stormships as they helped this city in need.

  He noticed Roy standing next to him, a troubled look on his face. Dustin had no idea how long the captain had been at his shoulder. When he Storm Called, he was lost in his own world.

  Roy nodded toward the fog. “That’s fine work.”

  “Thank you.” Dustin glanced at the deck behind him. Men and women were milling about, most of them with their eyes fixed on the fog. “Does it bother them? Not being in the fight?”

  Roy was quiet for a moment before answering. “Some of them. Others know enough to be happy to avoid fights when possible.”

  Dustin wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Seemed like a strange answer.

  Roy’s eyes narrowed—he saw something. Dustin followed his gaze and spotted a small dinghy coming out of the fog. The sail was down, and the two people aboard were rowing fiercely.

  It was Abbey and Syd.

  “What are they doing back so soon?” Dustin muttered. It seemed unlikely they would have found the traitor already.

  Roy put a hand on his shoulder. “What are you waiting for, Storm Caller? Help them along!”

  Dustin nodded, then closed his eyes. The power was swirling around inside of him like an unfocused storm. He shaped the power into a wave and imagined it lifting the small boat, pushing it toward The Foggy Day. When he opened his eyes, the dinghy was racing forward on a swelling wave.

  As it reached the ship, crew members dropped ropes down to the two women. Abbey and Syd—mostly Syd—tied the lines to th
e boat, and then the crew began hauling it up. A few moment later, the two women were standing on the deck.

  Roy pushed his way to them, Dustin close at his heels.

  “Give them room, you sea-cursed rats!” the captain shouted.

  The crew members spread out, allowing Roy and Dustin to approach. Syd’s swords were on her back, but Abbey was clutching hers in her hand. Dustin couldn’t help but notice the red smears on the blade.

  “What the hell happened out there?” Dustin asked.

  Abbey opened her mouth to answer, but Syd held up a hand.

  “Not here,” the bald woman said. “In private.”

  Dustin blinked hard. “We’re in the middle of a battle here. Should we really leave the deck?”

  Abbey scowled at him. “Yes. You need to hear what we have to say.”

  A few minutes later, the four of them stood in Roy’s quarters, the door shut firmly behind him.

  Abbey looked back and forth between Dustin and the captain. It was as if she weren’t sure where to start.

  “Just tell us,” Dustin said.

  Abbey took a deep breath, then spat it out. “They’re all the traitors.”

  Dustin didn’t even know how to process that statement. “Wait, who is?”

  “All of them. Tor. His men. The other two ships. They’re all working with the Barskall.”

  Dustin almost laughed. Surely this was a joke.

  “It’s true,” Syd said. “We saw Holdgatesmen and women working with the Barskall on every street corner. They’re burning homes. Looting.”

  Abbey nodded grimly. “We’re not here to save this city. We’re here to loot it.”

  Dustin still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was no way this could be true. The other ships, maybe. But Thunderclap? No way. Tor and Dahlia had been protecting the Kaldfell Peninsula from the Barskall for years. Why would they suddenly begin working with the enemy?

  He turned to Roy and saw that the captain looked as shocked as he felt. Though, his next words proved he was accepting it a bit more quickly.

  “That dry-faced, lying bastard.” The anger in the captain’s voice was barely restrained. “That’s why he didn’t want us along on this voyage. That’s why he had us stay back while he and his friends went ashore. So they could raid the city without us knowing about it.”

  “And that’s why Tor and his friends always work so hard to get the assignments fighting the Barskall,” Syd added.

  Dustin shook his head. Was everyone but him going mad? “I still don’t understand. If Tor and his people are raiding cities with the Barskall, where’s all the loot? They bring back some Barskall spoils of war, but no more than you’d expect. Not a city’s worth of treasure.”

  “A valid question.” Roy stroked his chin, thinking for a moment before he spoke again. “Just as importantly, who else knows about this? Is it just these three ships? Or are there others? Is the Magistrate in on it?”

  Dustin could see from the look on Abbey’s face that she was growing impatient.

  “These are all wonderful questions,” she said. “But I’d prefer to be alive to contemplate them. Tor’s men saw us. They know that we know what they’re up to. If we want to stay alive, we need to go. Now.”

  A frantic knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The knocker didn’t even wait for a response before shouting through the door. “Captain, you need to see this.”

  The four exchanged worried looks, then headed up to the deck.

  A sudden wind tussled Dustin’s hair as he stepped out onto the deck. He looked out over the water, and what he saw made him gasp.

  Thunderclap was passing through the fog and heading straight toward them. Dahlia stood at the bow of the ship, clutching her staff, her blond hair flying in the wind behind her.

  Dustin looked around and noticed the ship was surrounded by a dense fog now. A fog he hadn’t called.

  A series of lights flashed on the deck of Thunderclap. Dustin swallowed hard as he interpreted them. For the first time, he allowed himself to believe Abbey and Syd’s story.

  “What are they saying?” Abbey asked.

  It was the captain who answered. “Surrender. Surrender or be swallowed by the sea.”

  16

  Tor clasped his hands behind him as he gazed out at the little ship in front of them. It almost looked like a child’s toy sitting in the thick sea of fog Dahlia had conjured.

  He shook his head sadly. “Well, this could not have gone any worse.”

  Randall, his first mate, stood beside him, his leather armor still dotted with speckles of blood from the battle he’d just left behind. “It’s not your fault, captain. You did everything you could to keep them away.”

  Tor nodded his agreement. He had done everything he could. First, he’d politely but firmly requested the Magistrate not send The Foggy Day along on this voyage. If that beardless old fool had listened, none of this would have happened. Unfortunately, the Magistrate liked to show his independence every once in a while. He always seemed to choose the most inopportune times to do so.

  The Magistrate had ordered Tor to take The Foggy Day on this voyage, and now The Foggy Day would pay the price.

  Still, it wasn’t as if Captain Roy and his crew were completely innocent. Tor had given them clear and direct orders: stay behind and maintain the fog cover. Even that simple task had proven too much for the incompetent Captain Roy. It was a shame, really. Their new Storm Caller seemed to have potential. He’d kept pace with Thunderclap all the way from Holdgate, and he’d called down an impressive fog to cover their attack. He’d also seemed sufficiently awed by Thunderclap’s reputation, which was always useful.

  It was a shame that the Storm Caller’s life would now be forfeit. It was sad, but it was also the price of doing business. Sometimes these things happened. And it was possible that Tor might be able to swing this unfortunate event to his advantage.

  He turned to Randall. “You’re sure of who you saw?”

  Randall nodded. “Two swords. Bald head. Who else would it be?”

  Ah, yes. The Foggy Day’s first mate. Tor had almost forgotten about her. She was the one person aboard The Foggy Day that even his most hardened men respected. “Not her, you idiot. The other one.”

  “Oh, sorry. Yes, I’m sure it was the Arcadian. I’ve been in her father’s shop a hundred times picking up equipment and what not. She was always a pleasant sight on those trips.”

  Tor smiled. Thunderclap still had the luck of the sea. What other ship could possibly stumble across a wanted fugitive while raiding a distant city? This would give him a convenient excuse for what he was about to do to The Foggy Day. They were harboring a fugitive. Perhaps they were all in on the murder of the Magistrate’s son. Perhaps they were even—seas forbid!—working with the Barskall.

  At least, that’s how he’d sell it to the Magistrate.

  Despite the strange and troublesome events of the night, it relaxed him to know he was going to come out of this unscathed. Better than unscathed, in fact. His reputation would likely be improved.

  He headed toward the bow of the ship and approached Dahlia. Startling her while she was Storm Calling was never a good idea, so he gently cleared his throat before placing a hand on her back.

  She kept her blue-green glowing eyes on the sea. “Still no surrender. Does it worry you?”

  Tor shrugged. “Why should it? I wouldn’t give up my ship easily. Why should he?”

  Dahlia chuckled. “He’s hardly the man you are, my love.”

  “Even still, they have a lot to work through. Giving up one’s ship is not an easy decision. They are probably still trying to figure out whether they can trust the report their first mate and onboard fugitive brought back.”

  “Exactly,” Dahlia said, her eyes alive with light. “Their confusion is our ally. Every moment we give them is another moment they have to plan, to plot, to get their heads about them. I, for one, do not want to let that happen.”

&nbs
p; “And what would you suggest? Call down lightning to burn up their tiny ship?”

  Dahlia smiled. “I’ve heard worse ideas.”

  Tor sighed. He didn’t blame her for being on edge. Bode was the largest city they’d raided, and the first one where they’d teamed with both the Barskall and two other ships. Tensions were high all around. Still, it was just the first step on a much larger journey.

  He cared deeply about Dahlia. She was the best Storm Caller in the world, and she was the best woman who’d ever shared his bed. Yet, she didn’t have his ability to take things in stride. This plan would take a long time to complete, and there were bound to be many more setbacks along the way. He hoped she could deal with them without wanting to burn down the world every time something didn’t go exactly her way.

  “Captain! Look.”

  Tor looked back and saw Randall pointing toward The Foggy Day. A light flashed on its deck.

  The message they were sending made Tor smile.

  We surrender. Awaiting your instructions.

  He reached up and gently rubbed Dahlia’s back. “See, my dear? Nothing to worry about?” He turned toward Randall. “Signal back to them that we’re preparing to board their ship.”

  “Aye, captain!”

  A feeling of calm settled over Tor as he looked at the ship they’d just taken without firing a single arrow or calling a single lightning bolt. Perhaps tonight wasn’t such a loss. The city of Bode had fallen as easily as The Foggy Day after all. It was the first of many.

  With the Barskall and the three best ships in the Holdgate fleet on his side, Tor would turn the Storm Raiders into more than just a legend. He’d make them rulers.

  Abbey was sure of only two things: she didn’t like this plan, and it was the best one they had.

  They’d spent the twenty minutes since Thunderclap appeared out of the fog trying to figure out something. Anything. And this was all they’d come up with.