Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy (11 page)

Rubin couldn’t afford to show his uneasiness. He turned to his first mate. “We wait.”

The first mate nodded and smiled. Rubin must have an idea of what was going to happen. He always did.

But Rubin did not.

The sea became dead calm and the noon sun came and went. Nothing happened. Now even some of the veterans looked to their captain for answers.

Rubin could give them none.

Then, when Rubin was beginning to lose his own patience, he spotted something dark in the distance. In was not in the water but in the sky. He knew the sailor in the crow’s nest wouldn’t see it for a few more minutes.

“Captain,” murmured the first mate at the captain’s side. “Your orders?”

The dark object in the distance was getting closer. Rubin smiled. This must be what he had been waiting for. “We wait.”

The first mate grunted.

Then the sailor in the crow’s nest cried out. There was something in the sky!

Mutters of relief surged through the crew of The Griffin. Some even fingered the swords at their sides. Veterans nudged new recruits and gave them the ‘I told you so’ look.

Now Rubin could make out the object nearing the ship. It was a large flying creature - a dragon! Rubin’s heart leaped. He dared not hope.

Other crew members began shouting and pointing as they spotted the object in the sky.

Before long, the object flew into view and some crew members gasped as they recognized it as a dragon.

Rubin’s archers stood nearby but he waved them off. He wanted to see what the dragon wanted first.

The dragon circled the ship and Rubin saw a small figure on its back.

“Permission to land?” asked the dragon in a hoarse voice.

“Permission granted!” shouted Rubin.

The sailors looked questioningly at their captain.

The dragon landed on the bow. Despite the ship’s bulk and size, the ship tilted and creaked under the strain. The figure on its back climbed down onto the deck and stretched. It was an elf. Suddenly, the dragon transformed into a human, and several sailors gasped at the strange magical transfiguration. The ship righted itself again.

Rubin pushed past his men to greet the newcomers. He and the elf recognized one another at the same instant.

“Rubin!” exclaimed Della joyfully. She sprang into the captain’s outstretched arms.

Rubin grunted with the impact and gently put the elf back down again. He grinned from ear to ear. “How’s my little elf after all these years?”

“It wasn’t that long!” pouted Della. She grinned. “You don’t look that much older.”

Rubin laughed. “And ye don’t look any older!” He looked over at the mage who had by now come up to them, and grasped his hand firmly. “Kazin, my good friend!”

Kazin smiled. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

“What do ya mean?” asked Rubin.

“It’s a long story,” said Kazin weakly. “Let’s just say that I’m glad I could finally land.”

“Ye look exhausted,” said Rubin, concerned. “Why not rest in me cabin and ye can tell me all about it?”

“Good idea,” agreed Kazin.

Rubin led his friends to his cabin and gave his first mate orders to wait. The sailor nodded and sighed. He had obviously been hoping for a battle.

“So you’re the captain of your own ship now, eh?” commented Della after they had entered the captain’s quarters and Rubin had closed the door behind them.

“Aye,” answered Rubin, beaming. “The Griffin is a good ship, and so is my crew.”

Kazin collapsed on Rubin’s bunk. “You earned it, Rubin.”

“Thank you,” said Rubin. “Captain Durango helped me get started.”

“How’s he doing?” asked Della politely.

“E’s still carryin’ cargo and fightin’ with inexperienced captains as usual,” Rubin answered with a twinkle in his eye.

All three companions smiled, remembering their adventures aboard Captain Durango’s ship, ‘The Lady of the Sea.’

“Obviously you’re not carrying cargo,” interjected Della, breaking the momentary silence. “It looks more like you’re preparing for war.”

“Aye,” confirmed Rubin. “When ye’re dealing with pirates, war is often what ye encounter.”

“It’s certainly more exciting than hauling cargo,” yawned Kazin sleepily. He leaned back on the bunk and closed his eyes.

Della shook her head and said to Rubin, “He’s dead tired. We’ve been flying for almost two days straight.”

“No wonder!” Rubin exclaimed. “I’m amazed ‘e lasted that long!”

“No problem,” murmured Kazin. He rolled onto his side and began to breathe deeply. He was asleep.

Suddenly, the boat lurched forward and Rubin had to keep Della from landing on Kazin.

“What was that?” asked Della in alarm.

Rubin took a quick look at the mage, who still slept soundly. “I aim to find that out!” He pushed past the elf and barged out onto the deck, with Della close on his heels.

Rubin half expected to see his sails billowing in the wind. Instead, the sea was dead calm and the sails rippled only from the forward motion of the ship. Sailors everywhere staggered to their feet and regained their footing after having been thrown to the deck. They looked around, bewildered and confused.

The first mate came running up to Captain Rubin. His eyes were fearful. “Th - the ship’s moving yet there is no wind!” he exclaimed.

“I see that,” said Rubin slowly. Sailors were milling about uncertainly, looking to Rubin for leadership.

“Now I see what Kazin meant,” interrupted Della.

Rubin turned to the elf. “What do you mean? Is this some sort of magic?”

“I think so,” said Della. “Kazin told me that the druids used this sort of magic last time.”

“The last time? I don’t understand.”

“He was headed for the Tower of the Moon,” explained Della. “Kazin said last time he visited the tower, the ship he was on magically transported to Oracle’s Island, where the tower is located.”

“So we’re headed for the Tower of the Moon?” asked Rubin.

“I assume so,” said Della.

Rubin relaxed. “Then I guess we have no choice but to go there, eh?”

Della smiled. “Yup.”

It was a full day before the sailor in the crow’s nest reported seeing land. Rubin, Della, and Kazin came out onto the deck to see for themselves.

Kazin recognized the mountains that came into view on the western horizon. “Oracle Island,” he commented aloud.

The ship cruised for only a half hour before coasting around to a lagoon situated on the southeastern side of the island. Trees and brush covered the island like a dense carpet, and songbirds could be heard above the rush of water beneath the ship’s hull.

Upon entering the lagoon, the ship slowed, gliding gracefully through the clear blue water. A dock appeared on the shore ahead of them, with several green figures scurrying about in preparation for the newcomers.

“Skink warriors!” exclaimed Della in delight.

Some nearby sailors heard the comment and fingered their weapons nervously. But when they looked at Rubin, he shook his head. This was no place to do battle.

A sailor cried out and pointed to starboard. Other sailors followed his pointing hand and their eyes widened in disbelief. Swimming in the lagoon were many alluring and gorgeous ladies. Most of the women had long, beautiful hair. There were red heads, blondes, brunettes, and even a few with coal black hair.

As the ship drew nearer, the sailors discovered the most interesting feature of the women. Glistening in the sunlight beneath the water, instead of legs, were silvery tails. They were mermaids!

Rubin’s entire crew jostled for position along the ship’s rails to get a better look. The mermaids smiled and waved, calling to the sailors in enticing tones.

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried a voice suddenly from the far end of the dock. A heavy set woman, dressed in a brilliant blue robe, huffed and puffed as she pounded along the dock toward the approaching ship. The dock bounced so heavily that several of the skink warriors lost their balance and splashed into the water.

By now, some of Rubin’s sailors were getting ready to jump overboard to respond to the lure of the mermaids. Once captured by a mermaid, a human male would never return. The mermaid would use the man for mating. Then he would disappear forever.

The blue-robed woman ran right to the end of the dock, her arms flailing wildly as she narrowly avoided plunging into the water after the skink warriors. Seeing the sailors about to jump from the ship, she gasped, “Oh, no! Don’t - oh never mind!” With that she rattled off a magical chant and swung her arm in the direction of the Griffin.

Up until now, Kazin had watched events unfold with an amazed detachment. Now, a sudden wave of fatigue smashed into him like a whiplash. All of the sailors aboard the ship collapsed into crumpled heaps on the deck of the Griffin. Kazin himself staggered under the blow, falling to his knees and nearly passing out. Only his mental discipline, taught to him as a mage in the Tower of Sorcery, allowed him to remain conscious. As it was, he could only watch with blurry eyes as the blue-robed figure on the dock used her magic to guide the ship into position before the dock.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear!” lamented the woman numerous times. She chanted another complicated spell and levitated herself from the dock up to the level of the ship’s deck, floating gracefully through the air. She saw all the sailors lying there fast asleep and exclaimed, “Oh, dear!”

Kazin groggily tried to rise to his feet and the woman spotted him immediately.

“There you are!” She floated over to the mage and helped him to steady himself. “Are you all right?”

“I - I think so,” said Kazin, shaking his head. “Your ‘sleep’ spell sure packs a wallop!”

“I’m sorry!” wailed the woman. “I saw those sailors trying to jump and - oh - it’s useless!” she lamented in exasperation.

Kazin let go of the woman to stand on his own. He was O.K. now. “It’s O.K. Martha. There’s no harm done.”

Martha started. “You remember me?”

Kazin smiled. “Of course! How’s Adriana?”

Martha gestured with her hand. “Oh, as boring as ever. She’s absolutely no fun at all! The treemen are more exciting.”

Kazin laughed. “You sound lonely.”

Martha harrumphed. “I wish we had more visitors. This reclusive lifestyle gets tiresome after a while. At least the plants and wildlife provide some amusement.”

“No doubt,” said Kazin.

“I’ll take you to the tower,” said Martha. She looked at the mermaids nearby. “If it wasn’t for those treacherous mermaids, I could wake everyone, but it’s better they remain asleep until the ship has left again.”

“I thought you had more control of the mermaids,” Kazin commented.

“We used to,” admitted Martha, “but Adriana and I have been rather busy lately. We need our energies for other things, as you will soon find out.”

“Is Amelia -?” began Kazin.

Martha shook her head sadly and put a hand on Kazin’s shoulder. “She is at peace, Kazin.”

Kazin nodded. The last time he was here, the eldest druid, Amelia, had sent him on a strange errand with his companions. Amelia had claimed to know things about Kazin and the others, and he had never had a chance to question her about her strange ability to see into the future. Now he would never know.

Kazin cast a quick glance at Della, who lay nearby fast asleep. Rubin lay a few feet to her left. “I wonder if I should wake Della and Rubin.”

Martha sighed. “I’m afraid if we do that, we may alter the sleep spell I cast and some of the sailors may wake early. As it is, I know they will sleep for the duration of your visit.”

Kazin grimaced at the thought of Della’s wrath when she awoke, but he didn’t want to interfere with Martha’s magic. Druid magic was unpredictable from his standpoint. If Martha said not to interfere, he would obey. He would also tell Della the same thing when she awoke. If the elf didn’t like it, it wasn’t his fault.

“Let’s get going,” urged Martha, interrupting the mage’s thoughts. Without waiting for an answer, the druid held Kazin’s hand, chanted her levitation spell, and she and Kazin floated over the rails of the Griffin to land on the dock below.

By now, the skink warriors were all safely standing on the dock. Several were still shaking water droplets from their water-resistant skin.

Skink warriors were an ugly looking species to behold. Once, their ancestors were lizardmen, just like their counterparts in the mountains. But many generations ago, a dispute between magic users and non-magic users caused a rift within the lizardman population. The non-magic wielders became proficient with long range weapons to combat the long range magic of their counterparts. The magic users eventually prevailed, and banished the non-magic wielders, but not before turning them magically into skink warriors.

The non-magic lizardmen had their appearance changed drastically. Their faces were transformed from pinched, sinister snouts into wider lips and larger mouths. Their faces became more reminiscent of frogs than lizards, with eyes protruding rather than squinty and small. Their clawed hands and feet became webbed, enabling them to swim with great speed. Gills ran down the sides of their necks, allowing them to breathe under water. Spiked red fins also ran from the tops of their heads all the way down their backs.

Although not considered trustworthy, a pact with the Tower of Hope permitted their race to move somewhat more freely among the humans. Nevertheless, they still preferred to stay within their realm in North Lake, much to the dismay of the mermaids, who considered their presence an intrusion. At some point, the druids had stepped in to keep the peace between the skink warriors and mermaids. The peace was not liked by either side, but they obeyed the druids because the wrath unleashed by the druids was fearsome to behold, should the druids become angered.

Now Kazin and Martha walked past the skink warriors on the dock and entered the woods beyond. There was no trail, but where they walked, trees uprooted themselves and moved aside. When the druid and mage passed, the trees moved back into place again. Martha playfully slapped the trees as they moved stiffly around them, encouraging them and passing small bursts of magical energy through her fingertips into their trunks.