Dragon Down (7 page)

It looked like a row boat or half of one anyway. I definitely didn
’t like this mysterious, nautically challenged excuse for a dingy. Half a row boat wouldn’t be seaworthy, which could only mean magic. I ducked down near the railing and scanned the deck around me. I didn’t see anything and I started to move toward Zane’s side of the boat when I felt something wet hit my face. I froze, rubbing at the spot on my forehead. It was definitely water. That was all I needed to know, I dove hard to my left and rolled. I yelled to Zane so, he wouldn’t shoot me by mistake. As I hit the deck, I heard a thud and the boat rocked hard. Whatever had come on board had been waiting in the riggings for me and now it was apparently stalking me.

Zane called to me from
somewhere on my right. He’d evidently moved to the other side of the boat when I yelled. The boat rocked again and the deck vibrated under me. Whatever it was it was big and it was headed my way. I got to my feet and walked backwards toward the stern. I raised my arms in front of me, pulling in energy and igniting my bracelet. Preparing to fire, I was ready to fight.

A slight movement on the port side got my attention. The fog was thick
ening, cloaking the area directly in front of me making it hard to see more than a few feet in any direction. Whatever it was its footsteps now thudded loudly on the deck. It either didn’t care or was too stupid to know that it was announcing its arrival. A small stream of water rolled down the deck toward my feet and that is when I saw it. Unfortunately, it also spotted me.

I fired a steady stream of energy at its head, or at least I think it was its head. The thing was nearly seven feet tall and covered
entirely in seaweed. I blasted it repeatedly and it staggered momentarily, but kept advancing. I started to fire again, when I spotted Zane coming up behind it. I couldn’t risk hitting him, so I hesitated. Zane was wielding a large sword or machete, I really couldn’t tell.

The thing must have realized something was
wrong when I stopped firing. It stopped coming at me and turned toward Zane. He swung the sword just as the seaweed covered monster turned its head. He nearly cleaved the head from its shoulders. Yelling for Zane to drop, I fired repeatedly into the thing’s back. An instant later it burst into flames, exploding in an impressively flashy firestorm. Zane jumped to his feet and grabbed a bucket, dipped it over the side and started throwing water on the deck. It’s a good thing because the monster burned so hotly I was afraid the deck would catch fire. Luckily, we sustained little damage. Drained, I slumped to the deck and tried to catch my breath. Zane finished mopping up. He washed down the deck, before joining me.

“What in the name of god was that?”

“Lauren, are you all right?”

“Yes, but what was that thing? There was half a row boat lashed to the bow. It wasn
’t seaworthy, I’d bet on it. That had to be a magical entity.”

“It was a draug
. They are dead spirits that occupy the corpses of dead mariners. I’m sure the inhabitants of one of these islands sent him our way. ”

“That
’s a good thing in a way isn’t it? I mean we must be getting closer or why bother to scare us away. ”

“You might have a point. However, we don
’t know if this draug was just in the area or if he was working with anyone. Usually, these creatures don’t often work for or with anyone. It’s just as likely, that it was just roaming the area. ”

“You have a point and I
’m sure the vampires would have no reason to remove the draug. They don’t want visitors. I may as well try to get some rest. There is nothing more we can do now. Are you all right or is there anything you need for me to do before I retire. ”

“Lauren, get some rest. I can handle things until sunrise.”

I didn’t argue. I was exhausted and now that the adrenaline had been absorbed, I was crashing. I fell asleep the minute I curled up on my corner of the deck. If I’d known my dreams would be haunted by images of the draug, I might have chosen to stay awake.

Groaning because of the stiffness in my joints, I sat up and
gingerly stretched. The sun was already high in the sky and we were under way. I pushed myself to my feet and went to scrounge up something to eat. I found Zane looking over a map of the area. Not wanting to interrupt, I scanned the horizon. There was a fair wind and the sun felt warm on my upturned face. When I glanced back at Zane, he had finished and was moving toward me.

“Thank you for letting me sleep-in. I was exhausted. Have there been any new occurrences?”

“I sent Tokem out to scout about a half hour ago. There hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary. I’ve set a course that will keep us moving back and forth along the grid we set yesterday. I’ve marked where we’ve encountered our magical creatures perhaps, it will help.”

“It
’s about time you got up.”

“It is nice to see you too. Tokem, if I didn
’t know better I’d think you missed me.”

Tokem glided down from the boom and landed between Zane and me.

“Did you find anything?” Zane asked as he turned to take the wheel.

“I thought you
’d never ask. There is a sloop about twenty minutes north of us.”

Zane
’s head snapped up and he tied off the wheel. “What kind of sloop? Did you see a crew or flag?”

“It is definitely a sloop. It has three sails and one mast. It is manned, but I couldn
’t get a close look without giving myself away. There were no flags and no name on it that I could see.”

“Good job Tokem. You better get something to eat because we will need you to keep an eye on it.” Zane said.

“What do you make of it? Do you think it is a problem or is it just another ship?”

“Lauren, we are near the shipping lanes
still, I don’t like the idea that sloop isn’t flying a flag.”

“How do you want to handle this?”

“I think having Tokem keeping us updated is enough for now. If it looks like it is moving in our direction, we can take evasive actions. There are pirates in these waters.”

“I can take the wheel for now. Why don
’t you get some food and rest? You’ll need it if we have to try and out run this ship.”

“I hope it doesn
’t come to that because there is no way we can out run a sloop. They were built for speed, which is why the pirates prefer them. They have lots of speed and room for a fair number of guns. Call me if anything changes.”

Zane went below decks, and I kept us on course. Tokem came and went for most of the afternoon. It didn
’t appear the ship was headed in our direction. In fact, it appeared to be heading well to the east of us. The news lifted my spirits. I wasn’t looking forward to another eventful night. By the time the sun set, the ship moved away from us. I took the opportunity to fill Tokem in on last night’s visitor. He had, fortunately, slept through it. When I was finishing up my tale, Zane came back on deck. He looked more rested and I was glad I’d let him sleep. Together we got the sails down and the boat’s secured for the evening.

Chapter Six

The next day the sun chased the clouds away and a stiff breeze kept the sails full. I stayed on deck to avoid seas sickness. There were whitecaps on the waves and the boat rocked hard whenever we tacked. Zane was quieter than usual and around mid-day he shared his concerns.

“I don’t like this weather. There is a storm brewing and we don’t have any safe harbor to run to. All we can do for now is reduce the sails and hope it blows over.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Tie down anything that could get washed overboard, including you.”

“Are you serious?”

“Totally, I’m going to do the same as soon as I get these sails reefed.”

“I don
’t want to sound like a wise ass, but aren’t we supposed to be avoiding the reefs?”

“It
’s a sailing term which means to draw the sails in and tie them down. This leaves less surface area for air to push the sails. We will need as much control as we can get, if the weather worsens. Full sails aren’t an asset in these conditions.”

“Okay, I
’ll take care of my jobs, far be it from me to question the terminology of a sailor.”

The two of us got down to business. I lashed down everything I could and then I tied myself to the cabin. Tokem flew up from below deck and I told him he had to be tied to the railing. He flipped me off and went back down below decks.

Zane finished reducing the sails and had me take the helm while he ate. It was nearly impossible to hold the boat on course. Thankfully, Zane wasn’t gone long. He tied himself to the cabin and sent me to get food. I left only long enough to grab something before scooting back up on deck. In the short time I was gone the sky had darkened noticeably. I didn’t dare venture far from the cabin. The deck was rolling and bucking beneath my feet. What I saw nearly took my breath away. I pointed to Zane and he nodded. There was a long line of showers headed our way. The winds screeched and thunder boomed directly behind us. Moments later lightening flashed across the sky, followed almost immediately by a thunderous boom.

When I looked at Zane he
was tying off the helm before hauling himself back toward the stern. I wasn’t sure he would make it without being washed overboard, the stern looked unreachable. The wind had him nearly bent double, his head nearly touching his knees. It was all he could do to reach the back of the boat. Kneeling in the stern he leaned over to check the rudder. Whatever he was doing I didn’t like it, if he washed overboard we were all doomed. When he finally yanked himself back to the cabin he was breathing hard and soaking wet, exhausted he sank down beside me.

Screaming to be heard Zane explained,
“Lauren, we can’t outrun this storm. I’m afraid the rudder or mast will snap if we keep this up. It is a last resort, but I don’t think we have any choice. We need to drop all the sails, fix the helm, and drop the stern anchor.”

I
’m sure I looked at him like he had lost his mind. Drop our anchor in the middle of the ocean.

“Lauren, I need your help. It will take everything we
’ve got to get these sails down. Don’t just stand there let’s get this done.”

Zane turned and headed toward the main sail. He instructed me to lower the main sail slowly while he rolled it in and tied it down. The sail snapp
ing and popping, buffeted by the strong gusts of wind, challenged every ounce of my strength. Finally Zane tied it off. Next, we lowered the jib. It tried to whip free from Zane’s grasp but, he held fast until he pushed it up against the boom. Exhausted we struggled back toward the cabin. The wind battered and buffeted us every step of the way. I was exhausted and I hadn’t done much. It took Zane a few minutes to catch his breath enough to speak.

“Now comes the hard part. We need to drop the stern anchor. Once the boat swings around we
’ll tie off the helm. Lauren, I haven’t lost my mind. The anchor will slow the boat down and help keep the wind directly behind the stern.”

The explanation helped me relax a little
and find some comfort with the plan. Together we hauled ourselves hand-over-hand toward the stern. Zane pulled the rudder up and tied it off. Then we tugged and pulled the anchor toward the stern. It was hard to keep our footing, as we slipped and skidded across the deck. Worst of all, we were literally at the end of our tethers. Finally, we lifted the anchor over the railing and dropped it. The chain flew out until it was gone. The boat lurched hard and the bow swung back and forth, as we clung to the stern.

Then
Zane dropped the rudder back down and tied it off. The wind pushed us back toward the cabin, a small blessing. Zane untied the helm and let the boat swing until it straightened out, before he re-tied it. Then we collapsed in a heap. We were too tired for conversation even if we could have heard each other above the deafening din of the storm. We sat in silence as the rain fell in gusty sheets across the boat.

Zane motioned for me to go below and I shook my head. There was no way in hell I was going below deck. Realizing I wouldn
’t leave, he motioned for us to scoot back against the cabin. He went below and came back with a tarp and pulled it around us while we waited out the storm. It had to be one of the longest nights of my life. The wind screamed and the rain fell in long relentless sheets. I’ve never ridden a bucking bronco or even one of those mechanical bulls. Still, I swear that this is what it must feel like. We were truly rocking and rolling. After one particularly bad sequence I lost my lunch. It was enough to make me swear off sailing for good once we rescued Traygen. Zane went down below and got us some water. It is hard to imagine with us awash in it that we would be thirsty. I gulped mine down and I am sure it never tasted so good. Zane occasionally adjusted the helm, but otherwise we huddled under the tarp. We must have fallen asleep at some point during the night.

A scrapping noise woke me with a start. I might have been dreaming or the draug might be back. The notion of the draug sent a shot of adrenaline through me. Zane woke with a jolt and jumped to his feet. The storm had passed and we were surrounded
by fog. I struggled to my feet. My legs were so stiff I nearly fell. Zane reached out and grabbed me. We steadied ourselves and I activated my bracelet. After several long minutes we still hadn’t heard any further noise. Zane motioned for me to check my side of the boat and he took the other. I inched along the railing toward the stern. Zane had already arrived and signaled he hadn’t seen anything. We stood in the stern and listened. The visibility was only five feet or so. It was hard to see, but at least there wasn’t another half rowboat tied to our stern.

I did notice the anchor chain was taught. I pointed at it and Zane looked out
scanning the anchor chain. He looked surprised and then he laughed.

“What is so funny?”

“I think we’ve run aground. I never thought we would find the island this way.”

“Are you sure? How can you tell?”

He walked back along the railing, looking overboard as he went. When he reached the bow he leaned over to look more closely. He got up and ran back toward the cabin. Lashed along the side was a long pole. My guess is it was about fifteen feet long. He untied it and carried it back to the bow. Leaning out over the bow he pushed it into the water. Hand over hand until he nearly reached the end of the pole.

“Well, I
’ll be. We’ve found something. I just touched bottom. My guess is the noise we heard was the boat scrapping against the bottom. The boat is still swinging on the anchor chain. At its nearest point we must be close to land.”

“That
’s good isn’t? I mean we found an island. When can we go ashore?”

“Don
’t get ahead of yourself. It is good, but we don’t know where we are. We could be on a sand bar. We need to wait until the fog lifts enough for us to see. If it is one of the islands we are looking for, we’ll need to proceed with caution. I suggest we eat and get our gear together while we wait.”

“Do you want me to send Tokem out to check?”

“He might as well wait until there is slightly better visibility. I’m going to drop the bow anchor to stop the swinging. You can get him up. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

I went below deck and woke Tokem. He had evidently slept through the entire storm. He was ecstatic to hear we found land. I
was getting food for myself and Zane when I heard a splash, followed by the sound of the anchor chain, which whirred until the anchor dug into the bottom. Spirits were high as we enjoyed our breakfast on deck. The fog was starting to evaporate and we could see well enough to send Tokem out. While he was gone we strained our eyes trying to catch a glimpse of where we were. Moments later, Tokem sped past me and landed on the cabin roof.

“The island is about a hundred yards off the bow. I didn
’t see any signs of movement or inhabitants. But, it is still pretty foggy over the island.”

I turned to look at Zane. H
e’d pulled out a small telescope and was scanning the area. It appeared he was scrutinizing the water and the shoreline. That is when it dawned on me maybe this wasn’t fog. It could be the mists. I needed to do a scan of my own. Turning my focus within, I channeled as much of my energy as I could, letting it build. Then I sent it out to explore the island, which wasn’t without risks. I could alert anyone else employing magic. A risk at this point, I was willing to take. I sent a low enough field of energy that it wasn’t likely to announce our arrival.

I intuitively knew we weren
’t alone. There was something or someone out there. Luckily, I didn’t sense any strong magic. There either wasn’t much or whoever employed it was being as careful as I was being. I turned to tell Zane what I’d found. He had just finished his inspection, so I waited for him to speak.

“I take it you just completed your own scan. My guess is that we
’ve reached the same conclusion. We aren’t alone and there is some magic being employed. I don’t like the feel of this.”

“Zane, I sensed something. However, it was subtle, which concerns me. Vam
pires aren’t usually restrained. Unless they are very powerful, subtle they are not.”

“My sentiment
s exactly, we will have to use extreme caution.”