Dragon Choir (19 page)

“
These are all I could find,” said Minni, placing the
equipment in front of Amber. “Time to show us what you can do. Are
you ready?”

Amber rummaged
through her small belt pouches, but wasn’t happy with what she
found. A sly look gathered upon her face. She pulled a bigger set
of belt pouches toward her, stealing a glance down to the main
deck, ensuring the old master was not there. She busied through the
contents until she found a black silken purse.

Kneeling and
spinning her hand around the pail, Amber created a whirlpool. She
hummed with such long low notes they were swallowed by the noise of
waves pummelling the hull. Her humming layered upon itself, growing
in volume. She spun the water with one hand and tipped the black
purse over the pail. Fine sand cascaded from the pouch, dissolving
into the whirlpool with a vibrant effervescent glow.

The pace of
her unnatural baritone hum sped on. She withdrew her hand and the
whirlpool dominating the bucket split into two. Her hands shone sea
green and wind whipped around her red robes. The whirlpools in the
pail continued to duplicate with Amber’s low rapid humming, until
the pail was a honeycomb of glowing spirals.

Somehow the
very air split apart, rending Amber’s voice in two. The wind
whirled around her, seeding a high note from the low, both pulsing
in tandem, warping water and air. The whirlwind around her split in
two, each half anchoring upon her sandalled feet. They twisted and
danced around each other; writhing snakes under Amber’s control.
Her voice became impossibly loud, so deep and so high, like the
ocean and sky would collide.

The young
elementalist flung her arms out wide, propelling the whirlwinds
across the quarterdeck, port and starboard. Each moment they grew,
gathering speed. The sails filled tight like the skin on a drum.
Clouds of sea spray misted the deck.

“
Selmet!” cried Delik, holding the pilot’s arm to get his
attention. “Bring us straight on to those galleons!”

Selmet’s face
wrinkled with simple joy. The wind and spray whipped his thin white
hair across his whiskered cheeks as he wheeled the ship to a direct
heading.

Minni laughed
and screamed into the lashing wind. Never before had she seen such
a weaver, someone so in touch with the magical essence of the
world. Elrin whooped and hollered through the sheets of spray,
gripping the rail with one hand and waving the other around like a
fool trying to rope a wild horse.

Amber was lost
in concentration, her arms straighter than a ship’s yard and her
robes a red sail in the middle of a magical tempest.

The ship crashed through the sea towards two whirlpools
forming a torment in the ocean. Selmet kept the ship on course
steering between them. The current tugged at the ship, creaking
timbers and shifting the deck under their feet.
Juniper
shot ahead, propelled by the
twin whirlpools pulling the ship and the whirlwinds filling the
sails.

Templestone
and
Fearless
pulled in to line
behind
Juniper
,
catching meagre elemental echoes rippling through the air and sea
in her wake. It was not enough to keep up.
Juniper
sailed on, carving through
the ocean, Amber’s magical vortices of wind and water twisting for
her alone. The ship travelled so fast, they arrived beside the two
Jandan galleons just before the pirates intercepted
them.

Amber drove
Juniper
as a wedge between the two galleons. The
whirlwinds hovered over the Jandan ships, tearing sails and
snapping the rigging, sending their crew reeling across the decks.
A crack split the air and a mast fell, broken in two by the
concentrated force of the wind. It tipped back upon the ship,
ripping through the lines, crashing to the deck. The collapsed
sails and mast blocked off the main access to the marines quarters,
inhibiting their force mounting a counterattack.

The sound of
the mast splitting jolted Amber from her trance and she lost
control of the two whirlwinds. They spun off across the sea, one
meandered away from the ships, but the other moved toward the
pirate vessels that were almost upon them. The ships altered their
course in time to avoid being directly hit, but one of the caravels
was knocked about as the whirlwind changed course across its deck,
sending pirates into the sea and tearing through its sails.

Amber
collapsed, crumpling in a limp heap upon the deck. Minni rushed to
her side, rolled her over and put an ear to her lips. She still had
breath. Elrin grabbed the pail of water, which had lost its glow,
and splashed a little across Amber’s face. Amber opened her eyes
and blinked, dazed and vacant. Her eyes dipped and her head tilted
back into unconsciousness again.

A gaudy
carrack, painted brighter than a rainbow over a spring fair, danced
through the sea towards the galleon with the broken mast.

“
You must keep her safe,” Minni touched Elrin’s
hand.

A hint of red
flushed Elrin’s cheeks. “Of course I will.” Confusion flicked
through his innocent brown eyes. “But, where are you going?”

Chaos broke
out around them and Minni ran.

***

A
thunderous salvo blasted into the galleon with the broken mast,
pounding through the hull, filling the air with white smoke and
splinters. One, then two of the galleon’s cannons answered back,
but the shots fell short of the carrack, peppering the sea. A
caravel sailed in, following the colourful carrack’s heading,
preparing to broadside the galleon with a second dose.

The indentured
crew on both Jandan galleons mutinied, lead by the rebel agents
planted aboard.

“
All blades board portside! Crew hold firm!” Delik directed
his men to seize the undamaged galleon—splitting the rebels between
two ships would stretch them too far. Juniper’s crew were left to
defend her decks while the rebel warriors followed Delik’s orders,
swinging across the water on ropes and using hooks to pull the
galleon tight against
Juniper
.

Two pirate
caravels also grappled onto the portside galleon and a wave of
fighters broke upon its decks, battering back the Jandans and
aiding the rebels—for now at least. The pirates were fearless,
clashing into the melee with reckless enjoyment, brandishing smiles
as wide as the cuts they made. They outnumbered his rebels two to
one and Delik knew once the Jandans were under control, the pirates
would see their chance to take everything. These men weren’t the
type to hesitate.

Marines were already swinging onto
Juniper
, attempting to dislodge the
ships and enable their escape.
Templestone
and
Fearless
still sailed against the
wind and wouldn’t make it in time to storm the starboard galleon
with the broken mast. The rebels would soon be outnumbered on
the
Juniper
unless Kobb's pirates took the fight to that damaged galleon
first.

“
Take cover!” Delik screamed to his crew holding
Juniper
. The starboard
caravel followed the carrack's lead, rolling out its cannons to
take aim.

Delik ducked behind the mizzenmast. Selmet hit the deck,
prompting Elrin to do the same. The caravel broadsided the damaged
galleon; shrapnel scoured the deck and tore into the rigging. Stray
shot careened across
Juniper
, burning hot through the
air. Screams of friend and foe congealed with gun smoke drifting
over the battle.

“
Kobb! There’s shankakin in there! Cease fire!”

It was
useless, Kobb couldn’t hear him shouting over sea and the clamour
of battle. The lead carrack sailed a lazy turn, followed by the
eager caravel, both coming around for another attack.

“
Send a bird. Cease fire!” Delik couldn’t tell if the spotter
in the nest was dead or alive. The osprey had flown, along with
their chances of negotiation.

Minni was
gone. Right when he needed her, she had disappeared in the thick of
it. He caught sight of a shadow slinking across the deck of the
broken-masted galleon; that had to be her. The figure jumped down
through the hatch just as more shot screamed across the galleon’s
ravaged deck. She’d not free them alone; Delik had to help.

The shankakin
grabbed Elrin’s arm. “Listen lad! We’ve got to free the prisoners
on that ship. Kobb’s doing his damnedest to sink it. You and Amber
both need to stay here and stay alive, or everything is lost. If it
all goes to ash you’ll get your passage on that harlequin carrack.
Keep your head down and work hard. You’ll be fine.”

***

Amber was out cold
on the deck, she wouldn’t wake up no matter how much Elrin tried.
She was no poacher; that elemental magic was woven from the source,
no wonder she was drained. How could she muster so much power, so
young? The Order of Calim would know what to do for her. Sorcerers
would help their own. Elrin cradled her head, fearing for her life
while he watched his companions risk theirs.

Delik had
leapt across to the galleon with the broken mast and ran towards
the hatch, not even stopping when attacked by a marine. He stepped
to the side and lashed out with his short sword. The marine
crumpled to the deck, incapacitated by the slash to his hamstring.
Delik sped on, disappearing below the deck of the damaged
galleon.

Jandans boarded
Juniper
, some fleeing the mutineers
on their own ship, others driven by their officers to abandon the
damaged galleon. An officer raced up the stairs to the quarterdeck
with his sword drawn. He took one look at Amber lying on the deck
in her red robes and charged at Elrin. Elrin dove to the side
avoiding the sabre as it arced around with the full force of the
muscular Jandan. Elrin swung his sword, hoping to catch the
officer’s exposed back, but the hanger was too short and the attack
went wide.

The officer
turned in a fervour, lunging and slashing. Cannon blasts exploded,
shaking Elrin’s nerve and dulling his ears. He retreated from the
blows until the small of his back pressed against the rail. The
officer lunged. Elrin dodged to the side, but the officer had
expected it, turning the sabre out and slashing around with a
killing blow to Elrin’s neck.

Elrin saw his
own death in the polished steel. The sabre quivered just under his
chin, stopped by a huge olive-green hand. Hurn Ga Kogh loomed over
them. He grabbed the officer’s head like an apple, and dashed his
body against the mast. The man crumpled in an unfortunate heap.

“
My thanks, Hurn,” said Elrin, his heart racing. “You saved my
life.”

“
That death not for you,” said Hurn in his deep rumble. He
knelt beside Amber, laying unconscious on the deck. “Little Bell
stopped ringing?”

“
No, she’s ok, just exhausted from weaving more than her body
could handle. Do you know her?”

“
Sang tiny bells in head, help sleep.”

Elrin raised
his sword. “Look out, Hurn!”

Three marines
came swinging across to take the quarterdeck. The pirate ships
fired again, ripping through flesh and rigging. The rope holding
one of the marines snapped and he fell hard against the gunwale
then slipped into the sea. Elrin grabbed the pail of water and
swung it at one of the others. It flew through the air and slammed
into his target. The marine let go in midswing and crashed onto the
deck at an awkward angle, clutching at his crooked leg. The
remaining marine landed hard on the deck, tumbling into Amber. The
impact roused the magical prodigy, who groaned and sat up, grasping
her head. She scrambled behind Hurn, frightened by the black star
on blue of the marine’s surcoat. Elrin circled around while Hurn
swung his tremendous arms, swatting and grasping for the Jandan
fighter.

Elrin pressed
an attack from behind, slapping the flat of his blade against the
side of the man's head. “Yield!”

The Jandan
counterattacked, swinging his blade around in a wild arc. Elrin
stepped back, dodging the blow while Hurn brought his fist about,
knocking the marine to the deck.

“
We’ve got to help Delik and Minni free the slaves from that
galleon,” insisted Elrin. “Stay together and follow me.” He jumped
across from the gunwale onto the galleon's main deck.

Amber gathered
up her satchel and pouches then froze at the gunwale, unable to
make the jump across to the galleon. Hurn lifted her like a doll
under his arm and leapt across, his large feet splitting several
boards on the deck where he landed. The girl slapped his arm and
giggled in nervous excitement.

Men ran from below decks in a panic, scrambling across the
fallen rigging and collapsed sails to climb onto
Juniper
. Mutineers
filled with bloodlust raged at anyone in a uniform, beating them
down with fists or slashing at them with stolen blades. Amber
pulled Elrin out of the way of a berserk Jandan swinging a fire
stoker at all who came near him. Blood oozed from a gash on the
man’s forehead, caking congealed gore over his eyes.

Hurn stepped
in front of Amber and Elrin and cleared a path to the hatch,
batting any foolish aggressor out of their way with a heavy hand.
On the gun deck below, cannon smoke hung in the air greased with
the smell of burnt flesh and thick with curses. Spot fires licked
the bloodstained deck, crackling along with the cries of the
wounded and battle hungry.