The Sorcerer's Destiny (The Sorcerer's Path) (26 page)

“Is this it?” Alex asked.

“It is,” Raijaun answered. “Has anyone seen Peck yet?”

“Here, sir!” peck’s voice called out from behind the group before pushing his way to the fore.

“Peck, are your riders ready to move?”

“Already saddled and mounted.”

“Get them out as quickly as you can, warn the towns, and get to Brelland.”

Peck saluted sharply. “Yes, sir!”

“Has there been any news of Azerick?” Allister asked.

“None whatsoever.”

“How are we supposed to fight these things without him?” Rusty asked morosely.

“We will fight exactly as we have been trained to,” Raijaun answered. “We are not going to win this war today, so it is not an immediate issue.”

Allister gave Raijaun a grave look. “What if he does not come when we meet them in the valley?”

Raijaun stoic façade slipped just a bit. “Let us pray we do not find out.”

Miranda burst through the front door of the tower fully armored with her helm in hand. “What are we doing?”

“Everyone is preparing to move to the city.”

“What can I do?”

“Nothing here. You should take a platoon of our people, ride ahead, and inform the Duchess so she can prepare the city.”

Wagons, horses, and ranks of people on foot massed in an orderly column stretching out of the gates and pointed toward North Haven. In less than an hour, every man, woman, child, and farm animal went from dead asleep to ready to march with a few of their worldly possession strapped to their backs. A plaintive wailing echoed over the caravan from the distant woods.

“Did we send someone to get Wolf?” Miranda asked as she took the lead of her guard contingent.

Ellyssa shook her head. “The idiot refuses to leave his woods. I have tried talking him into leaving with us a hundred times over the past year, but he refuses to budge.”

Miranda pressed her lips into a thin line of dismay, but she understood the young man’s conviction. Were it not for Azerick’s insistence, she would stand and defend North Haven until the last drop of blood drained from her body. Only her husband’s belief that her greatest value lay in fighting the battle and restoring civilization after the war convinced her it was more important to survive than die needlessly.

“All right, but inform everyone guarding the gates to keep an out for him in case he changes his mind. It looks like you are all ready to move out. I will ride ahead and apprise Mother of the situation. I am sure she and General Brague have already roused the army, but she will need to know exactly what is happening even if I have little to share at this moment.”

“Be careful, Mother,” Raijaun said. “Father said they would likely come from the sea, but it is not unreasonable to think the Scions might be able to gate smaller units onto the mainland as they have done in the past.”

Miranda smiled, the hint of tears gleaming in her eyes. She leaned over in her saddle and hugged her step-son. He was so tall now she could wrap her arms around Raijaun’s neck while seated upon her horse. Azerick rarely showed his demonic form, but the image of it was burned into her mind for all eternity. Raijaun looked so much like him now, and being reminded of his absence tore at her heart.

“Raijaun, I know I have been a terrible mother, but know that I love you. You are a good boy, and I am so proud of you.”

“It’s all right, Mother. We all do the best we can. I think you tried harder and did far better than most women would have done if faced with such an unusual situation.”

“I was blind. You were always the good son.”

“All good mothers are blind when it comes to their children. It is the side-effect of unconditional love. Do not give up on Daebian yet. I do not think any of us can understand the enigma he represents, but I know he will be a vital role in this tragic play that is unfolding.”

“But for which side?”

Raijaun shook his head. “I cannot begin to guess.”

***

A knocking at the door roused Daebian from his sleep. He disentwined himself from Eva’s arms, pulled on his trousers and boots, and stomped to the door. He yanked open the portal and glared at his first mate in mock agitation.

“Are we sinking?”

“No, sir. We’re near the coordinates you set.”

“Ah, excellent.” Daebian turned to Eva. “Best rouse yourself, dear. I’ll be needing your other fantastic skills soon.”

“You are awful!” Eva laughed.

“And you sound just like my father.” Daebian grabbed a shirt and followed Tobias onto the deck. “I am rather awful if you consider the fact that I am only ten years old.”

“Put that way Eva is the deviant.”

“She is isn’t she? I will have to punisher her for her wickedness later. Have we spotted anything yet?”

“No, sir, but that ain’t surprising. What is it you expect to find out here? Begging your pardon, Commodore, but the men are getting a might uneasy. We’re in the middle of a barren sea, and now the sky’s cracked open like the shell of a boiled egg.”

“When war comes and battle is met,

Blood will spill and rivers run red,

Men will die, their hearts filled with regret,

While the victors stand in a field of the dead.

The coward will run away and hide,

The fool will fight for honor and pride,

But the wise man will…,”

Daebian looked to Tobias to finish his rhyme.

“Do his damnedest not to die?”

“Will choose the winning side. War is upon us, and it is time to choose our allegiance.”

“If it’s the same to you, I’ll still do my damnedest not to die,” Tobias stated firmly.

Daebian clapped him on the shoulder. “Please do. You are a good man, Tobias, and it would be a great inconvenience to me to replace you.”

“Aye, sir, I wouldn’t want my death to be an inconvenience.”

“I appreciate your consideration.”

“So war is coming and we need to pick a side, but who’s coming? There ain’t nobody out here but maybe a crazy Northman or minotaur ship.”

“I assure you, they are coming, and they are far more frightening than Northmen or minotaurs.”

A shout from the crow’s nest rang out. “Sails two points off starboard!”

“And there they are. Let us see what we have.”

Daebian pressed his spyglass to his eye and scanned the horizon. Just peaking over the edge of the world were the sails of several ships. As Daebian watched them draw near, it became apparent these were not ordinary ships.

“Captain!” the lookout shouted.

“I see it, and it’s Commodore!” he shouted back. “It looks like my father was telling the truth. They do have flying ships.”

Tobias took the spyglass Daebian offered. “Dear gods above. What are we going to do about those?”

“We are going to go apply for a position.”

Tobias’ face fell slack. “Something tells me this ain’t the parlaying sort of applying is it?”

“Not a chance.”

“What is it you have in mind?”

“We’re pirates, what do you think?”

Tobias sighed and studied the flying armada. There were two dozen ships of similar size with a massive dreadnaught flying in the center. The hulls were an off-white and smooth without the visible seams of timber-constructed ships. It was as if they were carved from a single enormous bone. Their sails were a shimmering screen like a soap bubble flattened into sheets and hung from masts and yardarms.

“I suppose we might be able to pick one of the smaller vessels off from the rear if they ignore us and fly past.” Daebian narrowed his eyes at him. “But you want the big one.”

“Damn right I want the big one.”

“You have a plan for snatching it?”

“Two stupid statements in a row. You’re slipping, Tobias.”

“Sorry, sir, I guess I’m a bit put off from seeing flying ships.”

“I suppose I can understand that. After all, you’re only human. Bring as many men onto this ship as we can cram aboard and have the others hold their positions here.” Daebian turned toward his cabin. “Eva!”

Eva appeared from his stateroom and bounded up the steps to the aft deck. “Yes, darling?”

“I will need you soon.”

“Are those ships flying?” she asked as she looked at the vessels sailing above the horizon.

“They are, and that is what I need you for. I need to get our men onto the flagship. Can you open a gate onto their deck?”

“I should be able to, but using the gate is disorienting. They will be vulnerable for a few seconds until they get their feet back under them.”

Daebian smiled slyly. “Not a problem. The enemy will be sufficiently distracted.”

Nonessential crewmen began shuttling over from the other ships in Daebian’s fleet and soon filled the hull and decks of his flag ship. Once aboard and prepared for combat, his ship set an intercept course for the flying armada. The fear aboard the human vessel was palpable, and the smell of sweat permeated the decks. Men gripped swords and knives in trembling fists and said prayers to Serron.

The flying ship drew closer and matched his course to intercept. Apparently, the invaders were as interested in him as he was in them. Creatures swarmed the gunwales and scurried through the thick, web-like rigging, looking eagerly down at the seemingly helpless human ship.

“Gloom, find me an open window so I might slip inside and introduce myself.”

The crow squawked an acknowledgement and flew toward the Scion ship. Daebian watched the vessel grow larger through Gloom’s eyes and was soon circling above it. Scores of four-armed insect-like creatures swung from rigging and scampered up masts and across yardarms with gravity-defying sureness. He picked out his point of insertion, stepped into the shadowy doorway on his vessel, and emerged on the deck of the enemy ship.

Daebian leapt from the darkness with blinding speed, slashing at the creatures, rigging, and lines in an effort to create as much chaos as he could. Despite their heightened alert status, nearly a dozen creatures fell to his black blade before the hue and cry of a general alarm began sounding across the ship. Daebian ran from shadow to shadow, leaping out of the darkness to cut down an enemy before darting away and appearing almost instantly somewhere else on the deck.

From high upon the rigging, Daebian saw the glimmer of Eva’s gate rippling in the air near the center of the main deck and begin disgorging his crew. He used his abyssal power to conjure a fog as black as night and shrouded the deck around the portal in darkness. Accustomed to fighting on the rolling and pitching decks of a ship, his people were quick to regain their balance and took up defensive positions, fired crossbows into the inky fog, and waited for the monsters to leap out of the darkness.

“Tobias!” Daebian called down from his perch.

The first mate looked up from the eye of the black fog and spotted Daebian in the rigging. “Yes, sir?”

“Fight your way to the wheel and keep us away from the other ships!”

“Aye, sir!”

Daebian began to clear away the black miasma so his people could take command of the wheel and hopefully the ship. Leathery-skinned, multi-limbed crew leapt through the vanishing haze, stabbing and slashing at the human invaders. His crew fought back valiantly despite the disconcertingly freakish nature of their foes. The humans gained the momentum, largely thanks to Daebian’s surprise assault and their sudden arrival via Eva’s gate, and began cutting a path toward the stern.

A slight tremor in the line alerted Daebian to the presence of an enemy who must have extraordinary stealth to be able to nearly catch him unaware. He ducked just in time to avoid the sword aimed to take off his head. The blade struck the mainmast with a dull thud and buried its blade nearly an inch into the glossy substance. Daebian looked into the furious, multi-faceted eyes of one of the spider-creatures as it wrenched its blade free. Its leathery carapace was a deep burgundy instead of the dull grey of its crew.

“You will pay for your brazenness, pathetic human!” the creature hissed.

Daebian narrowly avoided the creature’s thrust and quickly came to the conclusion that he was at a significant disadvantage when it came to fighting and maneuvering in the rigging. His escape options were limited, and a swift kick completely eliminated them. Daebian twisted as he fell, desperately searching the rapidly rising deck for a shadow. He spotted the long sliver of darkness created by the mast, but he was on the wrong side of it. Sending his demonic power outward, he grabbed the shadow, pulled it beneath him, and opened it wide.

He fell into the shadow and vanished into the deck. Failing to identify an exit before diving in, he flew through the shadow ways and risked a blind jump using his intuition. Daebian tumbled out of the shadow ways into a room steeped in darkness and stained with a faint red light. His body came to stop when it struck a wall of fleshy solidity and quickly leapt to his feet. He clamped his mouth shut to stifle the gasp struggling to get out and held his breath. Thousands of ravagers packed the hold from wall to wall and seemingly stacked on top of each other as they gazed at the glowing red orb floating several feet over their heads. A few of them rumbled at Daebian’s sudden intrusion but did not move. Daebian slowly let out his breath as he saw that the ravagers were in some kind of torpor, likely the only way to transport the vicious creatures without them tearing each other apart.

“That’s all right, don’t get up. I was just leaving,” Daebian said as he stepped back into a darker patch near the hull and leapt onto the deck.

The deck was awash in yellowish ichor and streaked with red blood. Bodies of both human and monster lay scattered about like unsecured cargo crates tossed around in a storm. Tobias and his boarding crew were near to gaining the wheel, but they struggled against fierce resistance from both their front and rear. Daebian hacked at the backs of the mob trying to get to his men and forced a large number of them to turn their attention to him. He leapt from shadow to shadow and cast sections of the deck in darkness that only his eyes could pierce, striking out like a phantom to thrust his blade into the backs of his enemies.

A large portion of main host broke away to deal with him and relieved the pressure on Tobias’ forces enough to resume making headway toward the ship’s controls. Daebian’s superior reflexes and ability to use the shadow ways kept him from harm’s reach until the ship’s captain nearly dropped on top of him. He rolled to the side just as the Captain plunged from the rigging and carved a long divot into the deck with his sword.