The Star of Morcyth: The Morcyth Saga Book Five (21 page)

Still protected by the shield, he makes his
way out of the hold and onto the deck. The Ambassador is there as
is the captain of the ship. “You have nowhere to go,” the
Ambassador says.

Stepping at last on the deck, James breathes
the fresh salt air. It’s growing dark, the sun is just now
beginning to dip below the horizon. He looks out to sea and can
only see water.

“Let me and the girls off in a dinghy and
I’ll let you live,” he warns the Ambassador. Just then, a guard
comes up behind him and strikes with his sword. The sword hits the
shield and flies out of his hand as it rebounds.

James glances behind him at the guard who’s
looking at his empty hand in shock. “Don’t do that again,” he tells
him.

Turning his attention back to the
Ambassador, he says, “Well?”

“You’re not leaving this vessel,” the
Ambassador tells him. “Whether or not we all survive is immaterial,
you are not to be allowed to go free!”

“So be it then,” says James as he raises the
sphere.

Miko and Paul stand at the bow of the ship,
the wind whipping their hair and the salty spray misting them
occasionally. It’s cold so they have their jackets pulled tightly.
“Think we’ll catch them?” Paul asks.

“Hope so,” replies Miko. “If we can at least
keep them in sight then we’ll be able to stay on their tail,
possibly attempt to rescue them after they make landfall.”

“I’m worried about the girls,” he
admits.

Miko can hear it in his voice. “It’s
unlikely they will do anything to them,” he assures him for the
dozenth time.

“We’re falling behind!” Dave’s voice reaches
them from where he’s complaining again to the captain. He’s been an
irritant the whole way and the general consensus is they’d all be
better off if they just tossed him overboard.

The captain’s voice can be heard in reply,
his tone saying he’s had about enough. “We are not falling behind.
Now leave me alone!”

Dave glowers at the captain then stalks off
to stand by himself near the rail.

Shaking his head, Miko wonders again what
James sees in him. Maybe he was different back where they came
from?

“Something’s been bothering me,” he says to
Paul.

“What?” he asks.

“Back in Cardri, when we were being led away
by Lord Colerain, where did all those guys who jumped him come
from?” he asks, glancing at him. “I mean, they appeared in just the
right spot and fast.”

Paul smiles as he says, “When we knew the
girls were being taken to the ship, we spread the word that Gwynne
and Daria were being taken. Those of us on the streets have a sort
of brotherhood you might say, we look out for each other and take
care of our own. The guys you saw had been there for awhile, they
just kept their heads low until needed. Didn’t want to tip off
anyone something might be up, just in case.”

Nodding, Miko says, “I see.” He certainly
understands about the brotherhood those of the streets have.

They stand there continuing to watch the
ship ahead of them as the sun drops lower to the horizon. After
awhile Illan comes to join them. “The captain says that when it
turns dark there’s a possibility of losing them,” he says
quietly.

Miko turns a worried expression to him as he
asks, “Lose them?”

Nodding, Illan replies, “A definite
possibility. But the captain says they’ll most likely stay on this
course through the night. That it’s dangerous to alter course
unless you are familiar with the waters in the area. Something
about hitting a reef. So once dawn comes we should be able to pick
them up again.”

“Let’s hope so,” Paul says.

“Never did thank you for what you did for us
back there,” Illan tells him.

“Didn’t do it for you guys,” he admits. “I
figured you were the only hope Gwynne and Daria had.”

“Still, I appreciate it,” he says as he pats
him on the shoulder.

“Where are Jiron and Fifer?” Miko asks.

Nodding his head to the rear of the ship, he
says, “In the captain’s cabin, asleep. The Parvati is in there with
them.”

“How can they sleep at a time like this?”
questions Miko.

“It’s times like these when you get your
sleep,” he explains. “So you’ll be rested when you need to be.”

“Maybe,” says Miko.

From the mid section, a bell begins ringing.
“Dinner’s ready,” Illan tells them. Leaving their post at the bow,
Miko and Paul follow Illan as he goes to get some food. A wooden
bowl full of fish and vegetables along with a single cup of ale is
all that’s allotted them.

They take their food from the cook and find
a place near the stern where they have some shelter from the wind
and spray while they eat. Jiron, Fifer, and Qyrll make their
appearance as does Meliana and her father. Dave on the other hand
takes his food and goes off to eat by himself on the other side of
the ship.

When Meliana joins them with her food, she
asks, “Have we gained on them any?”

“Not yet,” Miko informs her.

“We don’t exactly want to be noticed by
them,” her father says. “It wouldn’t be good.”

“I know,” she says. Ever since they
explained to her about the circumstances of James’ arrest and being
given to the Empire, she’s held a deep fear for him. She
understands her father’s logic, but her heart doesn’t care. She
glances toward the fleeing ship and is thankful she can still see
it in the fading light of dusk.

They sit there, quiet as each dwells
silently on what the future may hold while they finish their
meal.

“Captain!” a sailor hollers down from his
position up in the rigging. “Vessel aflame!”

“Where away?” the captain hollers back.

“Dead ahead,” he replies.

“James!” Meliana cries as she drops her bowl
and rushes to the bow. The others follow quickly. In the darkening
gloom ahead of them, a bright orange light can be seen. “Full
sails!” they hear the captain yell. The sailors in the rigging
above begin unfurling the last of the sails.

“Mr. Bessin!” the captain hollers.

“Aye sir,” his second in command
answers.

“Prepare to rescue survivors,” he says.

“Aye, aye sir,” Mr. Bessin replies and then
begins barking orders as sailors prepare their dinghy should the
need arise.

Their ship quickly gains upon the other and
they can see where the sails have all but been consumed by the
flames. It’s listing to the side and appears to be taking on
water.

“She’s not going to last too much longer,”
Meliana’s father says behind them.

“Oh, James,” she breathes as she looks for
any sign of him.

A massive explosion from within the hold
blasts the deck outward, debris sails through the air and splashes
into the sea many yards away.

Bodies can be seen floating in the water
among the flotsam, none appear to be alive.

“James!” Dave cries out from his position
near the bow.

“Daria! Gwynne!” Paul cries as his voice
joins Dave’s.

“Furl the sails!” the captain cries to those
in the rigging and the sails begin to be taken in. Slowing down,
the ship draws near the wreckage though the captain still maintains
a safe distance so as not to suffer the same fate.

A rattle of chains and the anchor drops into
the water with a splash. “Mr. Bessin, lower the boat and search for
survivors.”

“Aye captain,” he replies.

“Incinerate!” James yells as another seaman
erupts in flames. The sphere in his hand is now the size of a
softball, a deep glow wells from within due to all the power it has
stored.

All across the deck are charred remnants of
the crew as well as withered husks from whom James drew the power
necessary to maintain the spells. The Ambassador and captain lie
among them.

At one point during the battle, the ships
crew had taken a spare spar that was stored at the base of the
ship’s rail. Using it as a battering ram, they tried to push him
off the boat and into the sea.

Crying “Leech by a hundred,” he sucked them
dry as they crashed to the deck, the spar hitting the deck and
rolling to the side. So much power being absorbed by the sphere had
caused it to crackle like static electricity. James begins
incinerating crewmen simply to release the pressure. The last thing
he wanted was to have it explode in his hand.

Fire rages throughout the ship, most of the
crew either lies dead or has jumped over the side. A scream from
below rips through the air.
The Girls!

Racing for the hatch, he sees black smoke
billowing up out of it like a chimney. A quick glance around the
ship shows it to be almost completely engulfed in flames. Taking a
deep breath, he steps through the hatch and begins making his way
down to the hold through the black smoke.

Unable to see, he uses the sound of the
girls coughing and crying to guide him. “Over here!” he calls to
them. “To me!”

A hand reaches out through the thick smoke
and takes hold of his shirt. He looks down and sees little Daria
there with several other girls in tow. “Where are the others?” he
cries out.

“B…b,” she says then a coughing fit robs her
voice.

Taking her by the hand, he leads her to the
stairs and says, “Go up on top. I’ll get the others.”

A quick nod of her head and she begins
leading the others up the stairs.

Coughing badly now, James pulls off his
shirt and uses it to try to filter out the smoke. Helping only
slightly, he begins working his way further to the back. “Where are
you?” he hollers but there’s no answer.

In the thick smoke, he can barely see
anything. A crack from above and a portion of the flaming deck
falls in, crashing to the bottom of the holds several yards away.
“Girls!” he cries again.

Moving as quickly as he dares, he tries to
see through the smoke but his eyes are so red and burning now it’s
all a blur. Useless, he keeps them closed, only peering out of them
every now and then.

Suddenly, he hears coughing from up ahead.
The coughing and crying of a small child. Using the sound as a
guide, he comes to the barrels he told the girls to hide behind
earlier and finds a small girl lying with her head on the chest of
a larger. The older girl looks to be unconscious, the smaller one
not much better.

“You okay?” he asks her when reaches their
side.

The small girl looks up at him with red
rimmed eyes and tries to say something but only breaks into a
massive coughing fit.

All around them, the heat from the fire is
increasing as more of the ship becomes engulfed.

“Can you crawl?” he asks her.

When the coughing spell lets up a little,
she manages to nod.

“Follow me then,” he says. Grabbing the
older girl, he gets on his hands and lays her across his back.
Moving on all fours with an unconscious girl upon his back, he
begins leading the other little girl to the stairs.

At this level, the smoke isn’t nearly as
bad, though it is still thick. Glancing back every other step, he
makes sure the little one is keeping up.

They make it about halfway to the stairs
when he suddenly feels the ship lurch slightly and cold seawater
flows across the floor. The hold begins to fill with water. He
doesn’t have that much time.

“Come on!” he manages to yell to the girl
behind him. He removes the girl from his back and then stands up.
The water is now about ankle deep and rising. Picking up the
unconscious girl, he carries her toward the stairs, the little one
following, holding onto his shirt.

As they reach the stairs and start to climb
up, the ship lurches again and begins to tilt. Scenes from Titanic
run through his head as he climbs the stairs. Before he makes it to
the top, another section of the burning deck caves in and lands
upon a small stack of barrels lining one wall. He hopes they aren’t
flammable.

Clearing the hatch, he sees an inferno all
around him. The girls who had come out before are huddled against
one side of the ship. It’s the only area yet to be consumed by the
fire and it’s not going to last very much longer.

When he reaches them, he asks, “Is this
everyone?” Several heads bob affirmative.

He glances over the side to the water below.
Debris has already begun to dot the surface. “Over the side!” he
yells.

“I can’t swim!” one girl screams,
terrified.

“You got no choice!” he tells her. One of
the older girls goes to the rail and jumps over, a couple others
follow. Finally he’s left there with the unconscious girl in his
arms and the frightened girl who won’t go over. The heat from the
fire consuming the ship is beginning to burn his skin. The central
mast suddenly cracks and topples over sending sparks and embers
flying.

One ember lands in the frightened girl’s
hair and James quickly puts down the girl in his arms and brushes
it out before it has a chance to catch. He then looks over the side
and sees that Gwynne and the others have all managed to find
something to grab a hold of to keep from going under.

“Gwynne!” he yells.

She looks up at him.

“One girl can’t swim,” he hollers. “You’ll
have to help her!”

She gives him a nod.

Turning to the frightened girl, he says,
“You can’t stay here!”

Looking at him with fear in her eyes, she
says nothing, just stands there with her bottom lip trembling.

He picks her up and she begins fighting him.
Struggling, he manages to get her to the rail and then tosses her
over. She lands with a scream and a splash near Gwynne.

Gwynne immediately dives under the water and
pulls her up. Helping her, they both grab hold onto the flotsam
floating nearby.

Suddenly, the deck under which James is
standing gives out with a crack, but doesn’t collapse. Picking up
the unconscious girl he jumps over the side and together they hit
the water.