Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two (81 page)

“The honor is mine,” she replied
somewhat hesitantly. She eyed James uneasily.

“They’ve been worth the trouble,” he
told her.

Azhan beamed and Hikai managed to
relax a little bit more.

“Now, what’s this about?”

Holding out his water-filled bowl,
Azhan said, “Ships of the enemy are moving this way.”

James felt the tell-tale prickling of
magic and the surface of the bowl shimmered then revealed a
seascape. Five ships sailed in formation; four were identical to
those that he encountered before. The fifth was over a third again
the size of the others. It boasted a second main mast; and at the
fore instead of the single magical device, it had three.

“From the south,” added
Hikai,

“How far away?” he asked as he pulled
out his mirror.

“I am unsure,” Azhan
replied.

Kendrick moved to the railing and
turned his spyglass to the south. A myriad of sails fleeing the
enemy obscured his view. “Don’t see them.”

Bringing an aerial view of their
current position into focus, he scrolled it southward. “I do,” he
said when the five ships appeared. “Maybe twenty
minutes.”

Meliana gasped and clutched Kenny.
“What are we to do?”

To Miko, James said, “Inform Scar that
we’ll need to get underway shortly.”

“Got it.”

“Boys, go with him. Keep an eye out
for other ships that may be moving to join them.”

“Yes, Master,” Azhan said. He and
Hikai then scrambled back over the rails to Captain Anyn’s
ship.

He sighed, then turned to Meliana.
“Events force us to postpone our reunion.”

Her arms wrapped around him and her
kiss was moist with tears. “I know. At least I know you are
alive.”

“Is Daddy leaving again?” Kenny
asked.

“Yes, Grandson,” Kendrick said. “He
must do what only he can.”

James turned to his father-in-law.
“Take everyone to safety. Hug the coast and we’ll draw them
off.”

“Are you sure they will follow you?”
Captain Jehumes demanded.

“Absolutely.”

Captain Anyn was less than thrilled
with the prospect of his ship entering the fray while the others
fled to safety. But with mages and men of questionable stability on
his ship, not to mention Scar’s threat of possible life-ending, or
at the very least pain-filled repercussions if he failed to provide
the Dark Mage with his best effort, realized he had little
choice.

Once relaying James’ message to Scar,
Miko found that Father Keller had Eddra all ready to cross over and
join those leaving with Kendrick.

“A ship heading to battle is no place
for one such as she,” he said as Miko joined them.

“I agree. Remain with her.”

Father Vickor nodded.

He and Father Vickor helped the aged
woman across the deck to the gangplank. Several sailors waited to
assist in her crossing.

As they neared where the
gangplank began, uneasiness settled over Miko.

“Easy,” Father Keller said she stepped
upon the gangplank.

Shorty stood on the gangplank and held
out his hand. She took it with a smile.

The sky darkened and Miko
found it hard to breathe. When Eddra stood upon the gangplank with
Shorty and Father Vickor, uneasiness gave way to dread.

The gangplank was not wide enough to
allow two people to walk side by side, so Father Keller followed
behind her closely, holding onto her waist. She shuffled slowly
across the space between ships.

Every step she took only
deepened the ominous felling of impending doom. His heart raced,
perspiration beaded his forehead; a single drop coursed down his
temple soon followed by a second.

She stumbled midway across but Shorty
quickly stepped forward and added his arm to those supporting
her.

“Easy does it,” Father Keller
advised.

Time slowed as she neared
the end of the gangplank. Visions of horror plagued him; stillborn
babes …storms laying waste to the countryside…pestilence…streets
lined with rotting corpses…death and destruction on an unimaginable
scale…

Eddra reached the end of the
gangplank.

Certainty came that should
she reach the Melia’s Dream, all would come to pass.

Returning to the here and now, he
strode forward. “Wait!”

Father Keller paused and turned back
toward him.

“She must remain with us,” Miko
warned.

“But that would be unwise,” his priest
argued.

“I…,” he paused, “do not believe
so.”

“But, Reverend Father,” Father Vickor
said, “we go to battle.”

“And she must accompany us. Morcyth
wills it so.”

James came to him. “What is
it?”

Already the visions faded leaving only
a feeling that she must not be allowed to cross over. “It would be
best if she remained in our company for now.” To Father Keller, he
said, “Bring her back and ensure her comfort.”

Father Keller glanced uncertainly to
Father Vickor, then to Miko. “As you wish, Reverend
Father.”

They brought her back and returned her
to her spot near the forecastle

Miko turned to James and could see
questions burning to get out. “You must trust me on
this.”

Searching his eyes for a moment, James
nodded. “I always do.”

Scar joined them. “Shall we get
underway?”

James’ gaze lingered on Miko for a
moment longer before he nodded. “Yes.”

Scar signaled Captain Anyn.

“
Cast off the lines,”
Captain Anyn barked. Sailors on both ships untied the ropes
securing them together and tossed them to their counterparts on the
other ship.

Jiron was the last to
leave
Melia’s Dream
. His argument with Aleya about her remaining with those
fleeing had been much more heated than James and Meliana’s. But
like Meliana, her maternal protective instinct prevailed. Jira came
first.

One final hug, a passionate kiss that
promised more later, and then he leapt across the rails not
bothering with the gangplank.

The scamp in question had tried to
follow but her mother quickly took her in hand and forestalled the
ill-conceived attempt. “Not this time.”

“Rat poop!” she spat.

“Watch out for your mother,” Jiron
told her.

She pulled one of her daggers and gave
a very solemn solute.

He grinned and did the same. Once
completed, he said to Aleya, “Don’t worry. This won’t take too
long. James will have this over in short order and we’ll be back
together before nightfall.”

Meliana and Aleya stood together at
the railing with Kenny and Jira. They waved and exchanged words of
love and safe passage with James and Jiron.

Kendrick shouted orders and sails
unfurled.

James stood there and watched Melia’s
Dream carry his wife and son away.

“Damn!”

His exclamation startled Jiron. “What
is it?”

James sighed and shook his head.
“Forgot to give her the chocolates.”

“You can do so when we rejoin them
tonight.”

“Don’t let me forget
again.”

“I won’t,” Jiron said, slapping his
back. He waved to Aleya and Jira until they grew indistinct in the
distance.

“
Have the lookout holler
when they come into view.”

“
Aye, Sir,” Captain Anyn
said.

“
Azhan, give us some
wind.”

“
Yes, Master.”

James crossed to the
magical device recently acquired from the enemy ship. The priest,
or rather what had been left of him had been removed and the
machine and deck cleaned during their time with
Melia’s Dream
.

“
Think you can work this?”
Jiron asked.

James shrugged. “Possibly. But it
isn’t the machine itself I’m interested in, rather the crystals.”
Of the original twelve, nine retained their glow. “They may prove
useful.”

“
Be careful.”

“
I shall. Let me know when
the enemy is sighted.”

“
Will do.”

A very fine latticework of golden
filigree provided a cage wherein the crystals were stored. Each
cage was secured on one side by two silver hinges; the other
secured the cage in place with an eyelet and a small silver
lock.

He sent his senses into the lock and
cage to see if there were any magical booby traps waiting to
ensnare the unwary. Not finding any, he modified his assassin spell
and severed the lock. Slipping it off, he pulled open the cage and
removed the crystal.

It glowed deeply with a great amount
of stored magic. Having much experience with crystals, he could
guess with some accuracy how much magic the crystal contained. He
glanced to Jiron, “These will come in handy.”

Shorty joined them and held out a
small cloth bag. “Here.”

James took it. “Thank you,” he said,
slipping the crystal into the bag.

One by one he released the crystals
from their cages. Even the depleted ones he took for they could
still be used to again harness magical energy. The cloth bag bulged
heavily once the last rested within.

“
So what is the deal with
Eddra?” he asked Miko.

“
I believe Morcyth wants
her to remain with us.”

“
She would be safer had she
gone with Kendrick.”

Miko shook his head. “I do not think
so.”

“
What?” James asked,
alarmed.

“
No, no, no,” Miko said
quickly. “I did not mean it that way. There was no part of the
vision indicating harm to
Melia’s
Dream
. Rather, a feeling that should she go
with them, a doom would befall us.”

“
Can you
elaborate?”

He shook his head. “Though I cannot, I
remain steadfast in my belief that she must remain on
board.”

“
Think it came from
Morcyth?”

“
Of that, I am absolutely
certain.” His gaze traveled to where she sat with Father Keller.
“In some way, she is important to our future.”

James followed his gaze, allowed his
to linger upon the now-sleeping old woman before returning to Miko.
“Then we must ensure her safety.”

“
Indeed.”

“
Sails ho!” came the cry
from the lookout.

Rushing to the rail, they looked out
over the ocean toward seven sails in formation moving their
way.

“
Looks like they picked up
two more,” Jiron said. “Could be interesting.”

“
Perhaps.”

“
Are you mad?” demanded
Captain Anyn. “They’ll kill us all.”

James flashed him an irritated look.
“See to your men and your ship, Captain. We’ll deal with this.”
Their gazes met and locked. The captain turned away
first.

“
Hikai,” he said, turning
to his apprentice. “Gather the clouds.”

“
Yes, Master.”

“
Like before, target their
masts.”

His skin prickled with the onset of
magic use. The sky darkened as clouds rolled in from all
directions.

“
What of me,
Master?”

James turned to Azhan. “Protect the
ship.”

His apprentice nodded.

“
And this time,” Scar said,
“don’t forget to send those arrows back to their
owners,”

“
I won’t.”

James gathered magic and put a
protective shield before their bow to ward off attacks from the
magical devices. He then embedded spells identical to those used
during their last encounter with these enemy ships within seven of
his remaining slugs. Knocking each against the ship’s wooden rail
set the trigger event in place, he then waited for the gap to
close. He didn’t have to wait long.

Wham!

Nine beams struck the shield
simultaneously in a massive explosion of heat and light.

“
By the gods!” exclaimed
Potbelly as heated air bordering on searing rolled over the
ship.

Hair smoldered, skin reddened, and it
was over in an instant.

Standing at the bow as he had, James
had felt the brunt of it. Morcyth’s glow sprang to life beside him
as Miko called to his god. The healing light spread to him and skin
that burned was soothed; redness subsided and a more normal color
returned. Fathers Keller and Vickor did likewise for the rest of
those on the ship.

“
Thank you.”

“
Any time,” Miko
replied.

Sailing straight for them was the
large, command ship. On either side sailed three of the smaller
ships like those with which they had previously dealt. After the
attack, the two sets of three altered course so as to angle away
from the flagship; one set to the right, the other to the
left.