Diary of a Conjurer (2 page)

The temperature dipped from being
humid to cool, and then as the fog rolled in, Silvio’s slender body
shook. He was miserable.

Hours passed. They tossed in the
waters until the island of Taikus was no longer a dark mass against
the horizon. The fog rolled in and concealed its existence
altogether. Silvio dozed, but was awakened when the boat
jolted.

“The water’s getting rougher,” he
turned to Reuben, who only nodded. The solemn look on the older
conjurer’s face was not an invitation for conversation.

“We’re getting closer to shore.”
Kaempie said. The glance he exchanged with Reuben roused Silvio’s
alarm. The two were good friends, close to the same age. Eighteen.
Had Taikus been under the Wizards' rule, protocol would have given
them freedom to choose wives at their age and to enter politics.
Silvio had three more years before that would have happened, so he
felt that it wasn’t a great loss. But Kaempie and Reuben had been
stripped of adult Taikan life just as they were ready to enter
it.

“Let me row,” Silvio said. “I need
to do something to stay warm."

“What, and make one of us
vulnerable to the wind?” Meneka asked. If Silvio were going to
replace anyone, it would be him.

“Share, Meneka,” Silvio sneered.
Silvio edged onto the seat next to Meneka. “Hand me the sweep. Take
a break.”

With protest, Meneka glared
at Silvio but looked to Kaempie for direction.

“Silvio’s right.” Kaempie said.
“The water is rougher here and we’ve both been at the oars a long
while. Let’s let Reuben and Silvio row. I could use some rest.”

No sooner were those words
uttered, and Reuben set to the scull, then the boat lunged into the
air. Silvio flew to the stern, landing on top of Meneka who pushed
him off his stomach as they both grappled to gain their balance.
Kaempie and Reuben knelt, holding onto the sides of the skiff. The
boat spun in the air and dove back toward the water.

“Serpent!” Kaempie called out as
they crashed into the waves. Water splashed against them. Packs and
weapons floated in the bottom of the boat sloshing back and forth.
Kaempie and Reuben both grabbed their spears, leaned over the
gunwale and pierced at the slimy shape attempting to capsize their
vessel.

“You can’t kill it,” Silvio shouted
above the sound of the roaring sea. The serpent screeched, a
deafening cry.

“What then?” Reuben asked him as
the boat rose and pitched over the back of the creature.

“Magic,” Meneka called out.

Kaempie tossed his lance inside the
boat and brushed his soaking hair from his eyes.

“
Reuben,
stop
,” he said. “Stop!”

Reuben looked angrily over his
shoulder. Silvio, Meneka and Kaempie huddled in the center of the
boat, holding onto each other and to the gunwale. Water soaked
their cloths as it showered over them, agitated by the violent
rocking of the skiff.

“Reuben,” Kaempie called again and
the man reluctantly found his place next to the three, his dark
eyes scowling.

“
Will us to shore,” Kaempie
said. They huddled with their heads together as the boat continued
to toss. Silvio would have been thrown from his seat if Kaempie
hadn’t locked onto his arm.
“Save us. By the
wisdom of the Northern Wind we cry. From our hearts.”

“From our hearts,” the others
repeated. Meneka wiped his nose with his sleeve. Silvio bit his
tongue and shut his eyes so tight his cheeks hurt. All he could see
was green. The green of the Wizards' power spun like a water spout
in his mind. He peeked at the others. The fog was so thick with a
putrid green he could barely see their heads. The tossing of the
skiff ceased. They were airborne. A cold wind blew his hair back,
exposing his ears to the chill as they descended, nearing the deep
waters at terrifying speed.

Reuben looked up.

“Hold your breath!” he yelled just
as a giant wave swallowed the boat, their belongings and them.
Before he could inhale, Silvio was submerged into the dark
waters.

By Foot

I ‘
m
going to die.

Silvio thrashed his arms wildly,
but before he could surface, a current pushed him even deeper into
its depths, spinning and rolling him underwater until the rage of
the ocean was satisfied. The final wave slammed him on the beach,
scraping his belly across the sand. Silvio opened his eyes just as
Kaempie and Reuben grabbed his arms and pulled him away from the
tide. They laid him next to Meneka and pushed on his chest until he
convulsed, spitting up salt water, sand, and gravel. When he was
breathing again, Kaempie collapsed next to him. Reuben walked back
to the water, swimming into the breakers to get their boat.

“You should leave the blasted thing
to drift,” Silvio called out, coughing. “We’re here.”

“We’re not safe yet,” Kaempie said
quietly.

“I’m not risking my life at sea
again,” Silvio's teeth clattered as he hugged his shivering body.
“I’ll run from the witch on foot before I drown in the depths of
her briny deep. She owns the waters.”

“She owns the land too, with her
dagger fire,” Meneka said.

“I’d rather be warm than wet.”

“Well,” Kaempie said, “She knows
we’re here. Her serpent followed us. There’s not much we can do
about it.”

“You mean we’re going to die?”
Silvio looked up at his leader, unable to believe Kaempie would
give up so soon.

“Or be captured?” Meneka asked and
spat on the ground. “You can’t deceive the queen. And if you could,
you can’t elude her warriors. They’re all sorceresses.”

“Stop it, Meneka. My mother’s a
sorceress. I’ve heard enough of your talk.”

Kaempie interrupted them by resting
a hand on Silvio’s shoulder. “Meneka’s right. Your mother’s ability
to cast spells hasn’t been channeled by Hacatine. The warriors were
gentle once like Claudia. But in the queen’s hands, their spells
are now wicked and cunning.”

“So we’re going to die?” Silvio’s
voice trembled as he repeated his question.

“Not necessarily.”

The three watched as Reuben pulled
the boat ashore, gathering the belongings that had been washed up
on the beach.

“
But we’ll have to discuss a
plan, and we
need to do it tonight.” Kaempie
went to help Reuben gather the arrows drifting in the
surf.

“I’m going on the boat,” Meneka
said.

“
What do you mean, you’re
going on the boat?” Silvio asked as he curled his knees to his
chest. His stomach was still ill from swallowing salt water. His
fingers reached to the delicate chain around his neck.

“I’m going as far away from here as
I can get, whether anyone else comes with me or not.”

“
You’re crazy. You’ll never
make it.”

“Sure I will. Hacatine won’t be
combing the waters anymore because she’ll think we wrecked. She’ll
send her scouts here to pick up our pieces.”

“Why do you say that?”

“
Because we’re just a short
distance from Taikus. Look.” Meneka pointed to the east. Fog still
hovered over the water, but it was rolling out to sea. The view of
the coastline was clear. The silhouette of the island cut into the
brilliance of the moon. “We’ve not come far at all. Hacatine will
find us here.”

“If we don’t move soon,” Reuben
added as he and Kaempie returned. Silvio took the bow and quiver
that Kaempie handed him.

“By water,” Meneka said.

“By land,” Silvio corrected and
then held his breath, hoping the others would agree with him.

Meneka kicked sand into
Silvio’s eyes as he stood. Silvio jumped up. Kaempie held
him back.

“Stop, both of you,” Kaempie said.
"There’s no time to fight. When we get to where we’re going, you
can beat on each other all you want.”

“Where is that?” Reuben spun around
to face the older wizard, fire in his eyes. “Just where are we
going?”

Silvio knew Kaempie didn’t have an
answer. How could he? No one had been given a chance to plan this
trip. They’d been hustled to the beach by Claudia and her friends,
given the skiff and sent to sea.

Away. That’s where we’re going.
Away, as if away is a place of safety.

Silvio’s stomach tightened at the
thought of their voyage having no end. “If we make it to the
northern lands, we’ll be safe. The winds will protect us.”

“How can you be certain of
that?”

“
They saved us from the
serpent, didn’t they?” Silvio said.

“Our magic saved us,” Reuben
answered.

“Our magic and the winds. There has
got to be more to this world than just us.” Certainty rang in
Kaempie’s voice, settling the unrest in Silvio’s heart.

“Of course there is. There’s
Hacatine,” Meneka interrupted. “And I’m going as far away from her
as I can get.”

“
If we’re going anywhere, I’m
walking,” Silvio said. “I nearly drowned just now. The northern
lands are farther away than the entire span of Taikus. The waters
are dark and deep and inhabited by monsters. I’m not taking that
course and you’d be wise not to either. I’m walking.” There was
another secret confidence Silvio kept his mother’s magic. Unlike
his friends, Silvio could disguise himself on land.

“Look!” Meneka pointed toward the
island. Lights flickered in the Taikan harbor where Hacatine kept
her ships. “We don’t have time to discuss anything. Let’s get in
the boat and head north, like Kaempie suggested.” Meneka raced
toward the shore but Reuben caught his arm and pulled him back.

“Wait.”

“
For what? Can’t you
see?
She’s caught wind of us.”

“
We’ll take a vote right
now.” Kaempie was trying to be diplomatic, but his rationale was
losing way to nerves. Silvio heard it in his voice. Silvio scooted
into the shadow of the nearest tree and watched his comrades.
Meneka struggled to get free from Reuben as Kaempie stacked their
belongings in a neat pile on the beach. All the while, the lights
in the distance intensified. For as much rowing as they had done,
they were only a short sail from Taikus. When Hacatine called their
names at the hall this evening and no one answered, she must have
suspected they had escaped. Silvio hoped that his mother would not
pay for their disappearance.

“If she used her serpents to find
us, she’ll wield the flash of her dagger to kill us.” Meneka
released himself from Reuben’s hold just as the sky lit up.
“Hide.”

It was only a moment’s flash. A
huge beam lit the waters and changed the fog into a haze of white.
Silvio ducked into the trees, Reuben and Kaempie fell face down on
the sand behind a pile of driftwood, and Meneka crouched behind the
skiff as the clouds glowered. The flash was brief. Silvio sighed
with relief.

“She’s watching the waters,”
Kaempie said.

Meneka tipped the skiff upright and
loaded his weapons into it.

“What are you doing?” Kaempie
asked.

“I’m getting out of here.”

“
Didn’t you hear me? She’s
watching the waters.”

“
I’ll hug the coast until
we’re out of range. Are you coming with me or not?” Meneka
said.

Kaempie turned to Silvio, who shook
his head. There was no time to exchange words. A giant wave hit the
beach, lifting the skiff afloat. Meneka climbed into it and Kaempie
ran to him.

It was a horrific
thing—
to watch the waves crash again.
Kaempie was there one minute, and then a cover of bubbling foam
rumbled to shore without him. Reuben ran into the water, but when
another breaker pounded the beach, the dark haired conjurer
retreated. Silvio thought, or hoped, he saw Kaempie holding onto
the gunwale of the little boat as it receded out to sea. But
already the blanket of fog concealed the skiff, and he knew the
moonlight was playing tricks with his eyes.

He
listened to the sound of the waves beating like an injured
heart. The wind blew salt spray into Silvio’s face. It bit his
cheeks with sand, and sent shivers of cold up his spine. He waited,
his pulse pounding in his chest. But the boat didn’t come into view
again. It was gone.

Reuben walked up the beach and
stood next to him, dripping wet, trembling with cold. Silvio didn’t
know Reuben very well, and it wasn’t as though Reuben wanted to
know him. They just stood there, two strangers side by side trying
to comprehend what had just happened.

There were no comforting
words.
The older teenager was lost in his
own troubles.

“I’m going back home,” Reuben
whispered.

Silvio looked up at him. The
older boy’s face reflected the moon, his head turned toward
Taikus.

“You’ll die,” Silvio assured
him.

“I’m going to die anyway,” he
answered. “Even so, I’ve left something behind that I can’t live
without.”

The lights of Hacatine’s ships were
offshore east of the cloud layer. It was obvious now she wasn’t
headed north. No. The ships were headed due south, to Bandene, the
beach where they stood.

“If that’s Hacatine coming here,
I’ll be able to escape back to Taikus unnoticed.”

“How? Without a boat?”

Reuben looked at Silvio,
determination in his eyes. “I’ll move east through the woods until
I come to the channel of Alisubbo. From there, I’ll swim.”

“And leave me here?”

“You can come with me.”

What? Swim?
You’re joking
. “I guess we’re on our own,”
Silvio concluded. It didn’t sound right. It wasn’t supposed to be
this way. He looked north again at the approaching fog. No skiff
came with it. No Kaempie or Meneka.