The Dragon Ring (Book 1) (27 page)

Swells grew larger. The choppy sea tossed both boats from wave crest to trough. The ocean spray chilled as the sky darkened. Still, the chasing boat strained under sail and surged closer.

“Even from here I can make out the black leather coat and wide-bream hat of a watcher,” Saxthor said.

Bodrin pointed. “He’s the one on the bow. I bet the man coming up beside him is a wizard, too.”

Tournak drew a silver amulet with a marbled center jewel from beneath his tunic. “They’ll not catch up with us.”

“I’ve not noticed your trinket before.” Bodrin said. “How’s it going to stop a boat?”

“What keen observers you two are. The medallion has hung unnoticed around my neck since Fedra came to Tixumemnese.”

Again, the rainbow fish burst from the sea in a fountain of water. Glaring down with its oversized red eyes, the fanged monster sailed by the boat’s side. Tournak brandished the amulet at the scrutinizing fish. The talisman flashed silver rays and the spiny-scaled predator slipped back into the churning water. Once more he surfaced but glided beside the boat. He turned on his side the cold eye verifying Tournak and the talisman. The sorcerer flourished the charm and pointed back to the fast approaching boat. The fish closed its mouth, retracted the splayed fins, but this time plunged into the depths without even a ripple from his tail.

“Is the monster gone?” Saxthor asked.

“Have a moment’s patience,” Tournak said. “Keep your eyes on the watcher’s vessel.”

Motionless, the three observed the shadowing vessel slamming into hostile waves and cutting through the whitecaps. Undaunted, the craft sailed straight for them. The chaos and roar of churning whitecaps were frightening. The exiles could tell the pursuers talked, though they couldn’t make out the words.

“The one in the bow is getting ready to attack us,” Bodrin said.

“He can’t hit us yet; they’re not close enough,” Saxthor said.

The attacking wizard leaned forward, propped one hand on the boat, and shot blue wizard-fire at the exiles. A great swell rose and the whitecap’s crest caught the bolt. The magician turned to the watcher, mumbled something and pivoted to fire again. When he leaned back to shoot another bolt, Tournak veered his vessel to port, evading the shot.

The awesome, yet terrifying, fish exploded from the water and flew over the approaching assassins. The evil magician stumbled backward. The boat cut to starboard, but right away straightened its course, aiming again for the Neuyokkasinians. The wizard and watcher returned to the bow, prepared for another attack. Eyeing the two men about to assault the fleeing boat, the sea monster glided closer over the attacking boat. This time the cutthroats didn’t veer to avoid the fish, but continued on their course, overtaking the refugees. Saxthor could identify the watcher’s extended finger pointing him out.

“Another bolt and we’re sunk,” Saxthor said.

Bodrin pushed Saxthor down on deck. “He can’t miss us if he shoots once more.”

The evil warlock thrust his arm out and hurled wizard-fire at Tournak. Prepared, Tournak jerked the steering oar, narrowly avoiding the blue flame. A second bolt shot past Saxthor as he stood up, searing his hair on the side. Saxthor dropped to the deck, but peeked over the boat’s edge.

“Keep down,” Tournak said.

In a boiling eruption, the sea monster blasted out of the water. He snapped up the wizard, tossed him in the air and swallowed his prey before splashing back down into the dark green ocean.

“I never imagined a fish could do that,” Bodrin said.

Saxthor nodded, peering over the boat’s side.

Tournak grinned. He monitored the hunters as the angry fish, flashing ripples of color through its scales, again crossed the bow and snatched the watcher in his fangs. The vessel swerved and steered around in the opposite direction. The luminous fish arced once more, and took the helmsman, who dangled upside down before he vanished down the fish’s bloody throat.

“He swallowed three men whole.” Bodrin’s head shook.

The wildly pitched boat shuddered as the squall caught it at the same time as a wave. With no one at the steering oar, the craft capsized in the gust of wind. The upheaval tossed the last cringing seamen into the churning froth. As Tournak sailed on, the boys beheld the fish swallowing the flailing crewmember. The ocean denizen rammed the overturned boat, cracking the upturned keel. The shattered craft bobbed for a moment then sank beneath the waves without a trace.

The seas settled somewhat. The sun appeared for a brief period. Tournak looked ahead at the wall of dark mist and said no more.

“What happened?” Saxthor asked.

“Fedra carried the amulet when he came with the letter about the change in plans,” Tournak said. “Had anyone other than Memlatec’s choice tried to use the charm, it would’ve flashed flame-red rays, and the fish would’ve swallowed the wearer first. As you saw, I was the right one. The assassins failed the test.” Tournak put his free hand on each boy’s head in turn. “I guess I’m too tough, and you two are too tender. Those men must’ve been just right.”

The youngsters settled to the deck and stopped talking but still glanced at each other and Tournak every few minutes.

“You boys going to catch some fish for dinner?”

“We’ve never seen men die before,” Saxthor said. “The shape-shifter doesn’t count.”

“It won’t be the last time,” Tournak said. “The world is changing very fast, and you’re at the center of the upheaval. Sorry you had to witness such drama, might as well be now as later, I suppose. Those men ignored the warnings. They paid the price for their decisions.”

Bodrin kicked a coil of rope. “At this rate, there’ll be nothing left for us to experience when we grow up.”

Tournak laughed. “More to come, lots more.”

As they approached the wall of mist, Saxthor observed a tree floated in the whitecaps. Then the ocean churned, the tree bobbed and a sudden upwelling began to swirl, yet again. The edges spun in a rippling, circular current. In a flash, an enormous vortex appeared sucking anything the swirling course caught down a dark funnel to the sea floor.

“What now?” Saxthor asked.

The spinning current seized the tree, three times the boat’s length, off the vessel’s starboard side. The tree trembled, seeming to struggle. Its limbs shook and jerked above the water as if grasping for the sky. The crown would plummet and the roots pop up and then flip again. In the end, the massive root system flipped up in the air. The exposed roots trembled as though the vortex was grinding up the canopy. In a diminishing, quickening spiral, the whirlpool pulled the entire tree into the funnel’s dark core, where it disappeared, sucked down in the sea.

“A whirlpool that can eat a whole tree,” Saxthor mumbled. “I’ve seen eddies in the river, but none this big.”

Bodrin leaned over the boat’s side. “It’s caught our boat.”

The boys clung to the cabin as the vessel struggled in vain to resist the vortex’s tug. As if surrendering to its fate, the boat began to turn to the whirlpool’s center.

“It’s pulling us in, Tournak!” Saxthor said.

“The Vortex Virax,” the wizard said, “Memlatec created this guardian device as well.”

“Huh, nothing gets through to the island,” Bodrin said.

“This middle shield removes anything approaching Helshia. Should anyone be foolish enough to disregard the fish’s warning, or get past it, Memlatec anchored the Vortex Virax to the sea floor to activate on their approach. The phenomenon will suck any boat straight to the bottom if imprudent adventurers defy the challenge.”

Saxthor scrambled to the bow rotating starboard. “Do something.”

The vessel’s wood creaked under the sucking current’s strain. The drift accelerated. Water washed over the side as the boat veered more toward the spinning water.

“Can we escape the pull?” Bodrin asked.

Tournak chuckled and threw his amulet into the vortex. Silver rays shot through the blue-green water. The sea calmed and smoothed out. The fishing boat sailed on and vanished in the Veil of Helshian Mists.

* * *

Once they passed the veil, the boat cruised on a placid, sunny sea straight for the isle of Helshia, visible for the first time. The stress of the voyage was behind them. Soon, the deep ocean’s blue-green spanning the channel between Helshia and Tixos gave way to lighter green, transitioning to aqua in the warm shallows. Porpoises raced along beside them as if playmates.

Graceful sea turtles flew through the marine world on flipper wings. The turtles would coast to a halt and turn down to graze on lush algae beds growing on the island’s fertile lava rock or on occasional undulating jellyfish.

Close to the shore, the seawater was crystal-clear. Searching for the mollusks hidden below, starfish speckled the lava sands. Crabs darted to rocky hideouts under schools of jewel colored fish zipping back and forth beneath the boat. The richness of life forms in the tepid waters surrounding Helshia was exceptional. The fertile, somewhat recent lava rock grew luxurious kelp beds, the basis of an over abundant food chain. No one had ever fished these waters.

Bodrin steered the boat onto the pristine seashore with glistening black volcanic sand. Cautious of potentially sharp rocks, the three sailors gingerly tested the shore for stability and razor-shelled oyster beds.

The beach was a paradise. A stream spilled down from the two silent volcanoes with clear, fresh water. The flow fanned out, merging into the salt water at the cove where they landed. Rich plant life formed a canopy over the creek. Trees, palms, and vines hung with tropical fruits. Goats scampered in small groups across a grassy plain between the high tide line and the higher land, where trees stretched out their wind swept branches. Brilliantly colored tropical birds chattered in the trees between flights to feast on the succulent fruits. Abundant food and water was everywhere on Helshia. Memlatec had outdone himself in bringing this refuge into being.

Tournak and the boys began to explore the island’s interior. Below the rocky volcanic slopes, a rich plain suitable for crops spread out, linking the two mountains. Forests offered timber for building. Easily worked lava rock made a more permanent shelter possible. All they needed were tools, and they’d brought those on the fishing boat, along with vegetable seeds in a chest, stowed in the cabin.

After resting for two days and exploring for a week, the refugees started building the lodging that was to last them for seven years.

* * *

Memlatec told Queen Eleatsubetsvyertsin the boys had been lost while out on the adventure with Tournak. The queen’s sorrow had to be genuine, or the perceptive witch would sense the deception. Saxthor’s life was at stake; the queen must not know the truth. Her grief broke his heart, but Earwig also knew of the adventure with Tournak. A credible story the insidious witch might believe was mandatory.

Earwig, ever fanatical in her vengeful hatred and aspirations for a crown, kept her spies searching for the lost boys on Tixos. She never received word of their departure from the last watcher. Even in her conjuring and with divining crystals, she wasn’t able to discover Saxthor was alive. The Veil of Helshian Mist absorbed her energy probes and blocked her attempts to locate the perceived potential threat.

For the sorceress, the happy accident removing the second claimant to the throne was a relief. She kept the queen under surveillance for any sign the story might be a ruse. The witch turned her attention to defaming the queen and debasing the self-indulgent crown prince. He would alienate their subjects beyond tolerance. If the insufferable behavior continued, Earwig hoped she might buy support and encourage a revolt when the boy ascended the throne. The restoration of her subservient husband was her incessant goal, after all. She would again be queen, she fantasized. The hopeless prospect delighted her. She never faced the fact the people hated her even more than they disliked the egocentric crown prince.

As time passed and no trace of the boys surfaced, the queen ended her search. With reluctance, she accepted the loss of her second son, although she never gave up hope.

* * *

All went according to Memlatec’s plan until a simple mishap in Dreaddrac cracked and drowned the king’s timetable.

14:  Mishap in Dreaddrac

No sooner had Tournak and the boys escaped from Olnak than Memlatec began to sense the growing power in Dreaddrac was reaching a dangerous level. In the Wizard’s Tower workroom, Memlatec read the energy fluxes across the peninsula through a divining crystal. Strange new pulses arose from the north confirming the wizard’s suspicions. Saxthor’s power grew in response to the Dark Lord’s increasing strength. Memlatec’s alarm intensified until a knock at the door shattered the trance.

“Who is it?”

The door opened, pushed by a food tray and potbellied Aleman in his apron. His tangled frizz of thin gray hair was like the intrusion.

“You needn’t bring refreshments all the way up here Aleman, just call me and I’ll come down.”

“You deaf old fool, I did call you, I called you many times.”

“I’m sorry; I was absorbed in my work and didn’t hear you.”

Aleman still wheezed from the climb up the tower. “What you got there? Must be some special gizmo, you rubbing the thing like a dog’s head and all.”

“This is a reflection orb. It displays the planetary energy flows through the gradients as well as unusual pulses where they’re not supposed to be.”

Aleman cocked his befuddled head at Memlatec. He puffed up, frowned, and studied the sorcerer for a moment. Understanding never came. Shaking his head, the potbellied housekeeper cleared his throat and put down the tray.

“Uh huh, that’s nice.” The old man started to shuffle papers on the worktable.

“Thank you for the food, but as I’ve told you many times, you needn’t straighten up in here.”

Aleman ignored the wizard. He tidied a few more papers before Memlatec tapped his hand with a wand. Aleman looked up at him frowning.

“Don’t go getting cranky you old coot.” Aleman scanned the room scratching his shaking head. “This place needs a good cleaning.”