Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two (80 page)

“We should make for Lak Tir,” Captain
Jehume stated.

Kendrick shook his head. “That is
Warlord Halim’s capital city. Any assault on the mainland will
surely include that and I will not be trapped while moored. At
least on the water we have a chance to escape.”

“Alone, is what we’d be if caught
under sail,” Jehume argued. “Lak Tir has a sizeable garrison and
strong walls.”

“Bah,” scoffed Kendrick. “You saw what
they did to Marik’s ship. Their magic tore through his hull in no
time. They’ll do the same to any walls standing in their
way.”

Kenny sat cross-legged, idling the
time away with a coil of rope pretending it was snake, twisting it
so as to turn this way and that. A large bucket, or rather castle,
sat upside down before him. Just as the snake was about to attack a
giant guarding the gates to the great castle, an orb of yellowish
light sprung into being on top of the castle.

It took a second for him to register
that what he was seeing was not part of his imaginary play. His
eyes grew large for he had seen a similar orb throughout his short
life. “Daddy!” he cried.

Meliana turned at his excited cry and
gasped when she saw it.

“Father!” she shouted to where he
stood by the wheel and stepped forward, kneeling down before the
glowing orb. Tears filled her eyes and emotion welled forth. “He’s
alive.”

Aleya joined her as did Kendrick and
most of those nearby gathered round.

“Look,” Kenny said.

A dark point appeared in the deck. It
moved to form letters.

My Love.

A sob broke free as she read his
words. “Charcoal,” she exclaimed. “Or ink; something to write
with.”

“I feared he was dead.”

Meliana turned to her father with
tear-filled eyes and smiled. “I always knew he would
return.”

“What does this mean?”

Without taking his eyes from the orb
and the words before it, Kendrick said to Captain Jehumes. “It
means the Dark Mage is alive.”

“And nearby,” added Meliana. “He could
never do this over a long distance.”

“Daddy’s here?” Kenny asked
excitedly.

“Yes,” his mother replied.

Word of the Dark Mage’s
return spread like wildfire through those on board the
Melia’s Dream
.

Look west-approaching.
Five minutes.

“Tanil,” Kendrick said, turning to his
First Mate. “Get eyes aloft.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Orders were shouted and men flew into
the rigging.

A sailor appeared with ink and
quill.

“Thank you,” Meliana said.

Dipping the quill in the vial of ink,
she started writing, “How…,” but then paused and wrote instead,
“Jiron, Jira?”

Both with me.
Fine.

“Good,” Aleya said. “Would have killed
that man if he had died.” Her tone belied her words and she fought
back a rising tide of emotion.

“Is he behind these attacks?” demanded
Captain Jehumes.

“Certainly not,” replied
Kendrick.

“He would not be party to such a
thing,” Meliana affirmed.

The captain looked little
convinced.

Kendrick hollered to the men in the
rigging. “See him yet?”

“Sails are everywhere, Captain,” one
sailor replied.

Meliana stood and looked to the west.
There were indeed a multitude of sails upon the water. She returned
to the deck and took up the quill once again.

“Where? Give sign.”

Look.

She rushed to the rail.

Far out across the water, a massive
starburst lit the sky.

“There he is!” she cried.

Kenny squealed in delight.

“Tanil,” Kendrick said, “let’s go get
my son-in-law.”

“Think that was a bit much?” Jiron
asked with a grin.

James laughed. “Nope.” Summoning magic
once again, he created another large burst of light high
overhead.

Jira was hopping from one foot to the
other in her excitement.

After such an extended period of worry
and separation, euphoric giddiness welled forth and would not be
denied.

“Master,” Azhan said, stepping
forward. “May we?” He glanced to the fading starburst.

“Have at it, boys,” James replied.
“Have at it.”

For the next two minutes it was like
the Fourth of July. James had to finally halt their exuberant
display when those in the Crow’s Nest were inundated by a shower of
sparks and the ropes started to smolder.

As the two ships drew closer figures
grew to clarity, arms waved and smiles were exchanged. “Bring us
alongside,” James told Captain Anyn.

“Aye, Sir.”

“Meliana!” he hollered.
“Kenny!”

“Father,” Jira said, bouncing at the
rail. “There’s Mother.”

“I see her,” he replied.

Her exuberance diminished slightly at
the tone in his voice. She had never heard it before. “Are you
okay, Father?”

“Yes,” he said, patting her head. “All
is perfect.”

“My Love.” Meliana’s voice reached him
from across the water. It made his heart sing with joy.

The next moments were excruciating as
they waited for the two ships to come abreast. Lines were tossed
from one to the other and they were pulled together. Before the two
sides touched, Jiron flung Jira over the narrowing gap to where
Aleya waited and then hopped over after.

Once secured, the gangplank was run
out between the two ships to facilitate crossing.

Before James crossed, he said quietly
to Scar, “Don’t let Captain Anyn leave.”

“He won’t,” the Pit Master replied.
“Now get over there.”

James hurried across.

“Oh, Meliana,” he said with a catch in
his voice. Their arms wrapped around each other, their lips met,
and he felt the wetness of her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“I thought you dead,” she
whispered.

“You should know that nothing can keep
me away from you.”

Kenny grabbed onto his legs.
“Daddy.”

He took his son and together the three
of them held each other.

“Good to see you again,
James.”

He raised his head to see a grinning
Kendrick standing behind Meliana. “You as well, Sir.” Unwilling to
break the embrace that had been a long time waiting, he let go his
son but kept an arm around his love’s waist.

“Reverend Father,” Kendrick said as
Miko joined them.

“Any idea what’s going on?”

Meliana’s father shook his
head.

“Most of the island is occupied,”
James explained. He took out his mirror and brought Kendrick’s
manor into view. It remained intact though others in the area had
smoke rising from them. Widening the scope revealed enemy troops
throughout Corillian. Then he moved to Port May and Tearlan. “I
figure they will have it all by nightfall tomorrow.”

He paused, then asked, “Do you know
who they are?”

“No. Nor do I know why they
attacked.”

“We encountered four of their ships on
the way here,” James explained. “They seem to be hunting mages.” He
saw a look of profound worry leap to Meliana’s eyes. He patted her
hand. “Worry not, those I encountered were no match for
me.”

“And that magic weapon they have?”
Kendrick asked.

“Powered by crystals,” he
explained.

“Like yours, Daddy?”

He looked down at his son.
“Yes.”

“It is used by a priest,” Miko
added.

Kendrick turned a surprised gaze upon
the high priest. “A priest? Whose?”

“That we do not as yet
know.”

“They mentioned the ‘Unclean One,’”
James said. “Does that name sound familiar?”

Kendrick shook his hood.

Captain Jehumes stepped
forward.

“This is a trading partner of ours,”
Kendrick explained. “Captain Jehumes, may I have the pleasure of
introducing The Dark Mage,” he paused a moment before adding, “my
son-in-law.”

“Truly?”

James nodded and extended his hand.
“Yes, Captain. I have the honor of having his daughter for my
wife.”

Meliana gave him a smile.

“And me, Daddy.”

“And of course, you too,” James said
with a laugh.

“What do you plan to do about this?”
Captain Jehumes demanded, putting a damper on the joy of being
reunited.

“First we must get everyone to
safety,” he said, then glanced to Meliana.

She slipped from his arm as she said,
“I’m not going anywhere. I lost you once, I won’t lose you
again.”

Looking into her eyes, he almost
relented for he felt the same. But then Kenny moved into his field
of vision. “This is no place for him,” he said. “You know
that.”

“He can go with my father,” she
insisted.

James shook his head. “I cannot do
what may be required for fear of what may happen to you.” Reaching
out his arms, he took her in a loving embrace. “This is not easy
for me,” he whispered, “but our first priority has to be Kenny’s
safety, not how we feel.”

Placing a finger under her chin, he
gently raised her head so as to gaze into her eyes. “You must watch
over him.”

Maternal instinct warred with desire
for a moment before winning out. She sighed, then nodded. “Kenny
comes first.”

“But where is safe?” Kendrick
asked.

“The mainland?” Captain Jehumes
asked.

“I don’t know,” James replied.
“Gaining a foothold on the mainland may be their next objective. If
so, landing there may prove a bad idea.”

Captain Jehumes harrumphed. “Then
where?”

“Farther west,” Miko said. “And north.
Possibly all the way to Cardri.”

“That’s no small distance,” the
captain argued.

“We can help by filling
sails with wind,” James explained. “It won’t take as long as you
fear.” To Kendrick he said, “There we can consult
Ellinwyrd and see if he knows anything about
them.”

Using his mirror once again, he
brought the symbol embossed on the front of the magical device he
captured into view. “Have you ever seen this before?”

The two captains shook their heads.
“No,” Kendrick said.

“It’s on their magic weapons and is an
integral part of their uniforms and, I believe, their religion,” he
explained. “It has to mean something and Ellinwyrd may
know.”

“Master!”

James turned to where Azhan stood with
Hikai at the rail of the other ship; each held a bowl.

“Master?” Kendrick asked.

“Long story.”

He and the others moved to the
railing. “What is it?”

Azhan pointed to the bowl. “The enemy
approaches, Master.”

“The enemy?” he asked confused.
“How…?”

Miko chuckled.

James flashed him a questioning
look.

“They learn fast,” was all he
said.

Hikai absentmindedly let his bowl tilt
and water spilled out.

Having seen him use his mirror, they
had worked out how to do it. But instead of a mirror, they used the
surface of still water in a bowl.

His face hardened. “You used magic
without my permission?”

Azhan’s look of triumph faded quickly
to be replaced by one of fear. The color drained from his face.
Hikai looked to be on the verge of passing out.

“What’s going on?” Meliana
asked.

James kept his gaze focused on his
apprentice until Azhan bowed his head and said, “Yes, Master.”
Without shifting his gaze to Meliana, he said in a quiet aside, “I
now have two apprentices.”

“From the Empire?” she asked
incredulously.

“So it would seem.”

“It was either that,” Miko explained
quietly, “or have them killed. One of the conditions for sparing
their lives was that they swore not to use magic unless he
specifically gave his permission.”

“Can they be trusted?” Kendrick
asked.

“According to Miko,” James
replied.

The high priest nodded
affirmation.

He waved his two
apprentices over to
Melia’s
Dream
.

“Dear, this is Azhan and Hikai, late
of Warlord Kazan’s, service,” he said. “Boys, meet my
wife.”

Azhan bowed deeply. “A great
honor.”

Hikai glanced from her to James
uncertain about whether or not consequences for their magic use
were imminent or not. He finally decided that he would live for a
while longer and bowed silently to Meliana.