Welcome To The Age of Magic

by C M Raymond et al.

  “All right, then you give me another explanation for why they are preparing to throw hooks at our ship.”

  Syd paused, then ran to the rail to see for herself. When she saw the other crew preparing their hooks, she quivered with anger. “What the hell? Their damn ship’s on fire, and they’re worried about trying to hook us?” They turned to address the crew. “Man the rails! Any hooks catch us, you cut their ropes and do it quickly!”

  The crew rushed to their places along the perimeter of the ship.

  Syd nodded toward Dustin. “Is he going to be able to get us out of here? If not, we’re probably looking at a fight-to-the-death type situation.”

  “I don’t know. She’s the best Storm Caller in the fleet, right?”

  “She certainly seems to think so.” Syd shook her head. “Shame she made it above deck.”

  “I lit a fire outside her door just like we planned.”

  Syd clapped her on the shoulder. “Welcome to the world of war, kid. Plans never work out quite like you expect them to. If you’re even right half the time, you’re a genius warrior. Opponents are never as predictable as we want them to be.You think the enemy’s going to pull, they push. You think they’re going to push; they end up pulling.”

  Abbey looked up suddenly. “Holy shit. That’s it.”

  Syd raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what?”

  Abbey didn’t have time to answer. She looked back at Thunderclap. The fire on the mainsail was out now, and the other two sails were raised. They were preparing to give chase as best they could in the unlikely event The Foggy Day managed to get away.

  She grabbed Dustin by the shoulders. “Dustin, listen to me.”

  He answered through gritted teeth, his eyes still pressed shut. “Not… now…” His voice was barely discernible. He was near the breaking point; Abbey was sure of it.

  She gave him a gentle shake. “No, listen! You two are having a battle of strength. It’s like you’re both pulling a rope to see who can yank the other one toward them, right? But you don’t have to play her game. Stop pulling the wind toward us. Push it at her!”

  Dustin opened his eyes just a sliver. Then he nodded and closed them again. He took a deep breath and groaned in effort.

  A massive gust of wind blasted out away from The Foggy Day and against Thunderclap. Its two remaining sails filled, and the ship began to move backward, away from The Foggy Day.

  Dahlia toppled over, falling to the deck as the unexpected wind slammed against her.

  Dustin kept pushing, and now a large wave joined the wind in moving Thunderclap toward the city of Bode.

  Abbey squinted at the other ship. She could just barely see the people on the deck, and she saw Dahlia struggling to her feet.

  “Now!” Abbey yelled. “Go!”

  Dustin channeled the wind, turning it back at The Foggy Day. The mainsail filled with wind and a cheer went up among the crew.

  They moved like the wind itself across the water, away from Bode and out of Thunderclap’s reach.

  The flagship of Holdgate might have been faster, but with its mainsail destroyed, there was no way it could catch The Foggy Day.

  Rain still poured down on them for the next twenty minutes, and a few bolts of lightning hit the water in their vicinity. But they were too far away for Dahlia to wield her storms against them with any real accuracy.

  They’d done it. They’d lost Thunderclap, and they were heading back to Holdgate.

  26

  Jarvi and Benjamin were waiting in the Magistrate’s sitting room when he got up that morning. He walked down stairs and headed for the kitchen, intending to cook himself a simple breakfast of eggs over his fire when he saw the two men sitting in his living room and froze.

  It only took him a moment to recognize them. When he did, he realized running would be useless. Benjamin was nearly as quick as he was strong—he’d proven that the only year he’d participated in the festival games. The Magistrate’s knee wasn’t what it once had been. He knew he wouldn’t be able to make it to the door before the blacksmith tackled him, and the Magistrate had a policy of avoiding being tackled whenever possible.

  So, instead of running, he walked over sat down with the men. Perhaps his conversational skills could save his life, even if his old legs could not.

  The men said nothing as he joined them. They just watched him, their eyes cool, betraying nothing.

  Jarvi held a metal rod with a blue glow at the end that piqued the Magistrate’s curiosity, but he figured now wasn’t the best time to ask about it.

  Instead, he said, “Master Jarvi, there was some debate among the Storm Captains as to whether you were involved in helping to free our murderous Arcadian friend.”

  Jarvi smiled gamely. “Is that so?”

  The Magistrate nodded. “A few of the captains, mostly the older ones who knew you back in your wilder days, joined me in the belief that you were definitely involved. The younger captains disagreed. They pointed out that you’re a wealthy man. A respected man, even if you are a bit of a recluse. You’d have no reason to risk it all to help a criminal. Or so they said.”

  Jarvi chuckled. “And what did you say?”

  The Magistrate leaned forward and looked Jarvi in the eye. “I told them these things are rarely motivated by money. So, tell me, Master Jarvi. What did motivate you to help Benjamin?”

  Jarvi thought for a moment, then answered with one word. “Truth.”

  The Magistrate didn’t respond to that. He didn’t know how. Instead, he turned to Benjamin.

  After another moment, the blacksmith finally spoke. “Magistrate, I’m very sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”

  The Magistrate frowned. How dare this man—the very man who’d taken his son from him—offer his condolences. “Perhaps in Arcadia, you rend your clothes and weep for days when the inevitable happens. Here, we’re made of stronger stuff. My son is dead. Nothing can change that. I remember him each time I look at the sea, but I move on. I seek the better things life has to offer. Like justice.”

  “All the same,” Benjamin said, “you have my sympathies. You also have my word that I had nothing to do with Bronson’s death. I was home, asleep in bed when the vile murderer struck.”

  The Magistrate let out a soft chuckle. “So, that’s what this is? You’ve realized a life on the run isn’t so appealing, and you’ve come to convince me of your innocence.”

  Jarvi shook his head. “We seek justice, same as you claim to. The real question, Magistrate, is whether you actually want to find out what happened to your son. Or are you satisfied with the easy answer, even though it’s wrong?”

  The Magistrate felt the anger boiling up in him. These two men, one an escaped prisoner, dared to break into his home and tell him about justice? He’d see them strung up in the center of town until the birds had devoured their entrails.

  But first, he needed to survive this conversation. “Gentlemen, a claim like that would require rock-solid evidence.”

  “We don’t have any,” Benjamin said quickly.

  The Magistrate chuckled again. Of course, they didn’t. That would require their claims to have a basis in truth. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

  The blacksmith held up a finger, signaling he wasn’t finished. “We may not have rock-solid evidence, but we do have evidence. Taken alone, maybe none of it would sway you. But all together? If you really are seeking justice, I think you’ll want to look more deeply into the matter.”

  The Magistrate stroked his beardless chin, resisting the urge to punch Benjamin. “Very well. I’m listening.”

  It was Jarvi who spoke next. “I spent some time with your bookkeeper yesterday. She had an interesting story to tell.”

  The Magistrate sat up a bit straighter at that. Cybil had worked for him for years. What could she have to say to these criminals?

  Jarvi continued. “She told me that Captain Tor came to see her some days ago. He told her you’d asked
him to review your appointment book.”

  The words were out of the Magistrate’s mouth before he could stop them. “I did no such thing!”

  Jarvi smiled. “Even so, that’s what he told her. And he’s Captain Tor, so she allowed it. Tor asked her some questions about what he read. He seemed especially interested in your upcoming meeting with Benjamin here. He pressed her for details, and Cybil told him Benjamin had a crackpot theory that a traitor was working among the stormships, and that you’d agreed to hear it. Just to humor him. Again, this was Captain Tor. How could she not answer his questions?”

  “How indeed?” The Magistrate felt a twinge of worry. He didn’t like what these men were implying. “Why would Tor want to see my appointment book?”

  Benjamin shrugged. “Who’s to say? I’m sure he had his reasons. But we found out something else. That very night was the festival. We have a witness who saw your son leave. And he didn’t leave alone.”

  The Magistrate put a hand over his mouth. How had these two men found this information when he himself hadn’t? And he’d looked. “Who left with him?”

  “Randall,” Benjamin said.

  The Magistrate took a shaky breath before speaking again. “First mate of Thunderclap.”

  Jarvi nodded. “The very same. So, you have Tor looking at your appointment book and learning Benjamin is coming to speak with you about a possible traitor among the stormships. That night, Benjamin’s sword goes missing, your son leaves the festival with Tor’s first mate and is murdered shortly thereafter. As Benjamin said, not rock-solid proof. But perhaps something you’ll want to investigate.”

  The Magistrate couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was this possible? Could it be that Tor had ordered Bronson’s death? It seemed outlandish, and yet…

  It made a certain kind of sense. Tor was notoriously territorial about his assignments. He demanded the jobs he wanted, and he dictated which other ships would accompany him. He’d been furious when the Magistrate had forced him to take The Foggy Day along on his most recent voyage.

  But the Magistrate wasn’t going to turn on the captain of Thunderclap on the claims of these criminals. He’d need to investigate.

  There was a knock at the door, and Benjamin and Jarvi tensed.

  The Magistrate held up a hand. “It’s all right. I want to talk about this further. Let me see who it is; then we’ll continue.”

  Jarvi and Benjamin exchanged a worried glance before nodding their agreement.

  The Magistrate opened the door to find a young boy standing there. It was one of the kids who worked on the docks, running errands for Storm Captains. “What is it, boy?”

  “Sir, it’s High Tide. They’ve returned to Holdgate, and they need to see you immediately.”

  Abbey walked the decks of The Foggy Day, enjoying the open air.

  It was a crisp, cool morning and there were no other ships in sight. It was just them and the open sea. For the first time since starting her journey, Abbey felt like she truly understood the allure of being a sailor. You had to put up with a lot: cramped quarters, bad food, the occasional crazy Storm Caller lady trying to kill you. But being adrift on the sea, alone with just your crew on the vast ocean, it made the rest almost worth it.

  Unlike her first day on the ship, no one had ordered her to scrub the bulkheads or haul rope. No one had asked anything of her. She almost felt bad, especially when she saw how hard everyone else was working. They all knew their jobs so well she’d probably just get in the way. She’d volunteer to help tomorrow. Today she was going to enjoy the sea.

  She saw Dustin coming through a hatch onto the deck, and she sauntered over to him. “Hey, didn’t you just go down there?”

  It had been a difficult struggle to convince him to take a break. Only when the sun started to rise and they could clearly see Thunderclap was not behind them did he finally agree to get some rest.

  “I was down there like two hours. I’m fine.” He stifled a yawn. “Besides, you’re one to talk. If you’ve gotten more than two hours sleep since we got off that wagon to Bode, I’ll prepare dinner for the entire crew tonight.”

  As funny as it would have been to see him wearing a chef’s hat, she couldn’t deny his statement. She’d only gotten about thirty minutes of sleep. She was still too fired up from the battle.

  Syd saw them from across the deck and waved them over. When they reached her, she gestured toward the captain, who stood on the quarterdeck. “Captain said he wants a word with the three of us.”

  They made their way up to him, and Roy greeted them with a nod. “If it’s not our heroes.”

  Abbey cocked her head at that. “Well, that’s subjective. You wouldn’t have had to escape from those guys if I hadn’t, you know, gotten you captured.”

  Roy chuckled. “Honestly? I should have figured it out years ago. The way Tor and his friends jealously guard the voyages north. And everywhere I go, I hear stories of Storm Raiders. But it’s never a first-hand account. It always happened to the friend of the cousin of someone who lives in the next village. I assumed it was just prejudice rumors. I guess I had my head up my ass.”

  “We all did,” Syd said. “I never had any love for Tor, and even I didn’t figure it out. My only question is what’s he doing with all the loot? He brings back more than the average Storm Captain, and Holdgate has certainly benefited from his ill-gotten gains, but if he’s regularly raiding, there has to be more.”

  Roy nodded. “Even more important is why he’s raiding. When they had us prisoner, Tor sat me down and offered to let me join the Storm Raiders.”

  Abbey was surprised at that. “No offense, but you don’t seem like the other Storm Captains in their group. You’re too, I don’t know, humble.”

  “You’re not wrong,” Roy said. “I got the sense that he’s getting greedy. He wants to grow his fleet, and he wants to do it fast.”

  “But why?” Dustin wondered.

  “Conquest.”

  Dustin and Abbey exchanged a concerned glance.

  “Seriously?” Syd asked.

  Roy nodded. “He wants to rule nations.”

  Abbey shook her head. “Holy shit. This guy is even crazier than I thought.”

  “Exactly,” Roy said. “That’s why he teamed up with the Barskall. He needs a land army.”

  Abbey was still having trouble wrapping her mind around the idea. A Storm Captain who wanted to be a king.

  “There’s something else.” Roy looked around to make sure none of the crew was eavesdropping before he continued. “I’m not the only one Tor tried to make a deal with.”

  Syd’s eyes narrowed. “Who else?”

  Roy waved his arm, indicating the entire deck. “Everyone. He offered every single member of the crew a spot on Thunderclap and an equal share of the profits from the Bode raid as anyone already on his crew. They all turned it down. They turned down riches and a prestigious posting on the flagship of the fleet.”

  Dustin blinked hard as he surveyed the deck.

  Roy nudged him. “Remember what I told you your first day? I told you we have the best crew in the fleet. Do you believe me now?”

  “Yes,” Dustin said meekly. “I do.”

  Roy patted him on the back. “Anyway, I thought you should know. Now, Storm Caller, I’m going to need you at your best when we get to Holdgate and give our report. How about you go back below deck and get some more shut eye.”

  Dustin shook his head. “Not yet. I have to do something first.”

  “What’s that?” Roy asked.

  Dustin turned toward the crew. “I’m not going to sleep until I’ve learned their names. Every last one of them.”

  27

  It was midmorning the next day when they spotted the ship approaching from the north.

  The previous day had been pleasant and uneventful. Other than constantly looking over their shoulder to make sure Thunderclap wasn’t on their tail, the crew were back to their normal routine. Dustin hadn’t succeeded in learning
all the forty-seven crew member’s names, but he was well on his way.

  As for the crew, they seemed to be enjoying the attention from their young Storm Caller. They made a game of it, testing him when they passed him on the deck or bumped into him in a passageway, then razzing him if he failed to recall their names. Some of the crew had taken to calling him Daniel or David, pretending they couldn’t recall his name either.

  Abbey’s guilt at not pulling her weight had finally gotten the best of her, and she’d returned to scrubbing bulkheads that morning.

  Syd came across her in an empty passageway and laughed. “You know, you don’t need to do that. We’ve only been at sea a couple of days, and you gave it a pretty good scrubbing on the trip north.”

  Abbey frowned at her. “Can you please just let me feel useful for a few minutes?”

  Syd started to walk away, still laughing, but Abbey stopped her.

  “That story you told in the village,” Abbey said. “About your brother. You never found out what happened to him?”

  A shadow crossed Syd’s face. “I haven’t yet. But I will.”

  Abbey nodded. “Listen, we don’t know how long Tor’s been Storm Raiding. We shouldn’t assume your brother was part of it.”

  “I don’t.” Syd’s voice was cold, but it softened when she spoke again. “I’ve had many years to consider what happened to him. Maybe he was a coward, or a traitor, or a Storm Raider. Or maybe he was a hero who was killed because he refused to follow Tor’s evil orders. Honestly? It doesn’t much matter. He was still my big brother, and I loved him. I’m not going to judge him harshly no matter what I find. I just want to know.”

  Abbey thought of her father and his past as a Hunter in Arcadia. “I get that. We don’t love our families because they’re perfect.”

  “Wise words, Arcadian. You know, when this thing’s all over, I’m going to try to convince you to permanently sign on to the crew of The Foggy Day.”

  Abbey considered that a moment. “You might not have to try that hard.”