The Exodus Sagas: Book I - Of Spiders And Falcons (50 page)

“You bring a lot of trouble with ye, not fond of that, get aboard ye big beast and hurry up!” Dennilar peered over the bow of the ship, spotting the rest coming to the plank, and seeing the archers following. “And what do you s’pose we does about them, huh? City guard coming to boards me ship, an I don’t be wantin none o’ that this early in the day damn ye!”

Gwenneth, walking fine on her own now, turned and walked back, waiting for the elven noble, the priest, and James to pass her. Her eyes closed, seeing the arrows stop from the far away guard towers now out of reach, she let go of the warm haze of obscurement, and let go her energies of protection and sense, feeling her mind and body ripen without the magical drain of so much at once. She faced the woman, noting the wand in her hand and the dozen archers marching behind her. The mist vanished and she began to chant as the others boarded the ship, full of cuts and wounds of battle. “
Fingrinis fealties nil
!” her fingers weaved a pattern of a circle as her staff glowed white and shimmered with the sun in front of her and the sea at her back. A white pulsing light, round and immense that covered the walkway around like a giant white shield, appeared, unmoving, and firm nearly fifteen feet high. She took a deep breath, knowing the wizard in front of her would dispel it quickly as it was a novice spell of protection, and she hoped she did. Gwenneth Lazlette opened her eyes, noting the patient men waiting in line behind this young female student of the arts, waiting for her to bypass the spell that blocked them. She breathed deep, reciting a painful incantation in the ancient arcane tongue.
“Visiri van volishiri, helvra vilivanai
…”electricity began to crackle in the air, and pins and needles ripped through her right hand.

Vanessa Blackflame chanted and traced with her wand a rudimentary spell of undoing, focusing on the shield of white energy. She had never seen the spell cover such an immense size that quickly, but nevertheless, it blocked her path. “When the barrier drops, fire upon the wizard and then we board and arrest! Understood?” the men all nodded, readied their crossbows, and took aim.

“What is she doing, trying to get herself
killed
?” James looked at the others aboard the ship. Zen was crouched in prayer and pain alongside the elven noble. Saberrak stared, axes in hand, waiting to see if he would have to charge the walkway, watching Gwenne face off against another wizard and over a dozen archers alone. The knight waited too, watching to see what the minotaur did as much as the readied guards.

“She is fine.” Saberrak said coldly, plainly, as if it were fact not opinion.

“How do you know that?” James questioned the minotaur’s confidence in her, knowing that he had only been on the surface world less than a fortnight now. “She is exhausted, she could be killed, you have no way…”

“Her eyes, composure, steadiness. Reminds me of myself before a battle, she knows exactly what she is doing, knight.” Saberrak breathed out a sigh, and turned to walk to the others aboard this floating mass of wood. He noted the crew also staring as they hurried to loose the vessel from the dock.

James stayed ready at the edge of the gang plank, not sure if he should charge or not. Despite the sureness of the gray horned warrior, he marched down the wooden ramp, and drew his broadsword to stand with Gwenneth.

“You are under arrest by order of Lady Vanessa Blackflame, by order of the Prince of Valhirst! Stand down woman!” one of the guards spoke for the wizard he served as she focused on the blocking magicks.

The shield began to sparkle and fade, Gwenneth’s eyes fixed on the younger woman’s across the walkway, watching for the flinch of her eyes, a motion to fire. Vanessa’s head began to turn to the left, giving away that her spell was complete, all the sign the prodigal Lazlette needed to unleash her magic upon the enemies before her. “
Volishir Valishan Vidrinius
!” her fingers, numb from stored arcane energies, pointed from her right hand, while blue arcs of lightning from the sky ripped into her dark oak staff held in the other hand. Faster than a fast moving storm, blue and white lightning seared from her fingers sawing the wooden planks in half as it traversed from fingers through the line of men, and even the opposing woman herself. No noise issued from the blast, the silent fissure of splintering wood, screams of men that did not dive off the walkway into the sea having their bodies shot through, and howls of terror from onlookers covered the air as the unheard bolt did it’s work. In the blink of an eye, it was gone, leaving six dead men twitching on the ripped wooden walkway, and a young female wizard holding her face and sliding off the ruptured edge into the waves below. Thunder roared from the clear winter sky moments later, low and dull, as if from far away yet guided here in chase of the lightning that had been created without its permission. Gwenneth Lazlette turned toward the ship, and walked past the knight who was still behind her, shield raised and eyes wide in disbelief.

“What in Alden’s name was that?” his hand trembling, having felt the energy from the sky and surrounding the wizard, he had been close enough to sense that something powerful just occurred. He saw the remaining men in full flight from the crashing bridge at their feet.

“Lightning, James Andellis, just a little lightning.” she continued to board the ship, archers and commoners alike fleeing in any direction as the scarred portion of the pier fell into the waters. Gwenne was weak, eyes closing, but smiling in finally being able to unleash all her pent up energy and test herself as never before.

“All aboard, get us out o’ Valhirst men, they be talkin bout this for some time, be
certain
o’ that.” Captain Dennilar limped about pushing the men to get back to work as most of them were staring at the black robed woman that had just destroyed half the docks. They were in awe of a wizard that had called thunder and lightning from a clear day and wielded it like a deadly blade of the heavens.

Saberrak nodded at the wizard, noting her superior attitude, much like his own at times. He looked toward the priest, laying his hands and prayers on Shinayne’s arm, and James Andellis gazing at the sky, seeming at peace with himself finally. Never having seen a ship, and open sea, or how any of the surface world moves and lives till this last week, the minotaur took it all in. He also watched the humans of the crew, noticing that two of them were not able to take their eyes off of Shinayne. At first he thought of her beauty drawing their eyes, dark eyes indeed. Yet something stirred in his chest, warning him that it was not mere attraction that these two were fond of. Saberrak the gray kept them in sight and smell, trying to discern their intentions of attention to the elven swordswoman. He felt unease, yet could not convince himself of why. He steadied himself, as the ship gave anchor, and began to drift out into the Carisian Sea.

Johnas I:III

Southern Docks, Valhirst

“At times the walls surround you, the corridors can imprison you, the castle is your enemy, and your power and riches are your undoing. All you place before Alden shall be taken should you live outside His divine grace
.” -from the book of Saint Tarumin, psalm 12, the Agarian Aldane, 11 AD.

Kaya kept the translucent silk scarf of blue draped across her face as she neared the Altestani ship. It was docked on the southern most point of the city behind some high forested hills, far from prying eyes as visitors from the northern continent were not welcome in most of the countries in Agara. She kept the black robes drawn over her as well, making certain she was not recognized, as the church, her brother, and the agents of the king of Chazzrynn were likely looking for her since her vanishing a week ago. Even here, in the protection of the White Spider and the Prince of Valhirst, the kings own nephew, she felt as if things had closed in around her.

Lady T’Vellon waited fifty feet from the ramp to the six story trireme warbarge, the Headhunter
,
and watched the dark haired slaves with pale complexions work the deck, while the dark skinned Altestani with their royal garb and turbans issued orders and admired the city and the sea. She knew, from Johnas, that they were searching for the scroll as well, hoping it made it to open waters where their immense vessel and numbers could easily go unchecked and unopposed compared to the smaller ships of Chazzrynn. A man approached, headdress and loose clothing with dark skin, looking down at the ground as he walked. Kaya kept her hand on her blade as she bowed, assuming that it was Gregore’.

“You have word from Johnas, speak it now please.” the changeling’s voice was a mixture of monster and man, blending the northern crisp accent through his fanged mouth. Its eyes of solid black, no matter what form it took, gazed up at the lady, easily unnerving her.

“Our prince wishes, should the Queen Sapphire leave port, that you and yours follow and be prepared to assist. The scroll has made way to the docks, but it is unsure whether we will attain it on land or sea. Once either we or
you
have it, the ambassadors from the north should rest with sharks along with their ship. Do you have men aboard the possible suspect ships in port now?” the lady spy had to look away, the unblinking black eyes of the fiendish fey creature raised the hair on her arms and neck.

“Yes, yes. Gregore’ has many in place, and suspected ships are being watched. The Altestani have spies throughout Valhirst, do tell Johnas, and they plan to expose him to gain allies in Harlaheim and Caberra. We will dispose of them, tell Johnas, yes, yes.” the shapechanger thought quickly, as its kind grew faster and more intelligent with age, unlike the human cycle which normally slowed with time. Gregore’ was an ancient among doppelgangers, yet no one knew exactly how old that was, just that he or it, was old enough to be very dangerous.

Kaya heard thunder in the air, but thought little of it. She noticed the guised creature she spoke with, however, took great interest in it and began to pace and concentrate on things around them. “Very well, Gregore’, I will inform the prince, farewell.”

“Powerful magicks, like mine, yes, much like mine. Tell Johnas the wizard with them is strong, and I will handle that myself, yes I will, yes I will. Tell him I wish to consume her and feast of her memories in private, yes, in private.” fangs began to drool and moisten, as the creature thought of the woman it had sensed, and all that she must know to have summoned the thunder with arcane powers.

Backing up slowly from the fidgety doppelganger in disguise, Kaya gripped her blade tight after hearing it talk of eating a woman in private. Prince Johnas used these things often and in numbers unknown throughout all his webs on this continent and others. Regardless of their usefulness, the lady spy did not care for them nor trust them. They seemed too alien in mind and behavior despite their ability to blend. “I will tell him,
in better fashion
, but I will tell him.” she turned and walked back toward the city, noticing the haze in the sky was gone, and the crisp sea air and sky allowed a bright winter sun to warm her just a bit. Kaya looked to see where thunder could have come from, seeing no clouds in the sky at all. Dozens of vessels, grand and smaller of stature, came and went from port constantly. Kaya took her time returning to the web below, entranced and alone by the sea and so far from a home she could never return to.

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The clattering of something in the keyhole roused the Harlian’s attention from staring at the wall in deep depression, pain, and thought. He turned, seeing the outline of Heathen opening his cell, with a bundle of cloth under his arm. “I am not ready to die yet, minotaur, tell your prince to …”

“
Shut up Harlian
, do you want to leave here now, or should I wait till
after
they torture you?” the one horned guardian tossed his clothing and weapons to the bloody, dirty mess of a man. A new saber, likely stolen from the barracks, was sheathed in the middle of the garments.

Balric had no words, he could not move, and had no idea how to thank this beast that he had thought heartless and cruel beyond doubt. “
Where is she
?”

“She leaves on the Queen Sapphire should the ones Johnas is after reach the waters. Take this tunnel left, then right, follow it to the surface. I can not protect you, but I would suggest heading north out of the city to Harlaheim to find her. They are being sent by ship, Farrigus will be with her, and the docks are covered, stay clear.” Heathen felt something close, he could hear the echo of heavy breathing, only since he had spent so many years under the city. He knew how the air moved, smelled, sounded, and felt, and someone was coming slowly down the stairs in which he had just quietly traversed.

“I do not know what to say, how to thank you.
Why
are you helping me?” he was getting dressed faster than he could ever remember, still moist on his chest, still bleeding from his cut from the Prince.

“Just go, before I change my mind Harlian. Leave here and find her, otherwise she rots here as the Prince’s pet until he tires of her, I know this much.”

“Who is that behind you,
a kinsman
?” the swordsman spy looked at the figure of a larger minotaur slowly walking down the corridor of prison cells. “Is he your lookout?”

“
Heathen
…old treacherous, one horned, disgraceful excuse for a minotaur. Are you freeing prisoners from the very hand that
feeds
you?” Chalas had his blade out, dragging the tip on the stone, forcing the scratching of metal to echo repeatedly with loud intermittent taps. His stare could be felt from thirty feet away in the dark, penetrating any armor or years of battle. “Perhaps I can be of
assistance.
”