The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus (62 page)

Now they just needed to start their push into Malaiy. As he had said to the men, if they truly hoped to bring down King Orlaan, they had a long way to go. He would instate Karlaan as king and through him he would rule the country before turning his interests to their next conquest. After two centuries of slowly working to expand the Brothers of the Blood, it was time to begin reaping the benefits of that work in northwest Taltan.

Creating Alwere had been a combined effort of him and Sordrian. Now he was on his own, but the fall of his brother had taught him caution and patience. It was time for him to push once more; even though it risked being seen by Darius and those who believed themselves guardians of this world.

It would take days to cross the river, Caldrefan would find. The wizards of Malaiy fought to counter the spells of his men, but eventually their superior numbers helped the soldiers overrun the position. Temporary walls and trenches would be destroyed while hundreds of men on both sides died.

Time was against them as they laid siege to Fort Camden, but Caldrefan's plans were still on track. Malaiy would need time to counter them also, so soon it was just a matter of who could accomplish their goals first.

Chapter 34- Sea Dragon's Bite

"They're still trying to cut us off," Jezra said after using his wind riding spell. He had spotted a ship beyond the sight of a looking glass, yet it had turned towards them and worked to cut them off even when the Sea Dragon changed direction with the wind. "A second ship with the red flag appears to be following the first and will likely only be half an hour behind or less."

Annalicia's brow furrowed and she asked what the others were probably thinking, "Who flies a red flag? Who are they really?"

Reynolvan stood nearby with the other wizards and Captain Delfren. The water wizard stated gravely, "We may not know who they are, but their intent is more obvious. If they can change with our every attempt to avoid them, they must have at least one air wizard onboard. That they continue to do so, we can also assume that they are likely planning to attack the Sea Dragon."

Sighing at the thought of another sea battle, Annalicia said, "We can't know that for sure, but I agree that it is probable.

"We will need to conserve our strength until they get closer. You will need to work with the wind that we have, captain," she added to Delfren who nodded calmly.

Keith shook his head and spoke his thoughts aloud. "We could use Sebastian and his people right about now. With them, I think we could take any two ships on the ocean."

"We still have six powerful wizards," Ivanor replied looked irritated by the younger fire wizard's lack of faith.

"But we don't have anyone like the battle mages," Fisen said agreeing with the fire wizard, which was philosophically strange to all of them. A water wizard siding with a fire wizard shouldn't happen. "We might have enough magic to keep the ship safe, but it will be up to the crew or your bodyguards to shield us. Their swords might be sharp, but a single mage is the equal of an entire squad of men."

"Probably more," Keith said with a nod.

Annalicia waved their worries off and said, "Like Ivanor said, we know spells that no one else on Taltan does at the moment. If a battle mage is equal to a squad of men, a wizard with room to work can defeat an entire army.

"There are six of us and we can all be useful in a fight in ways that other wizards won't expect. We've fought sea battles and won, so we already know how to use our magic here."

She took in each wizard as Anna called their names, "Fisen, Reynolvan, you two will use your water magic to protect the hull just like we did against the black ships. Ivanor, Jezra, you two will prioritize night shields and mage shields depending on which will do more to protect the ship and men. Keith you are best with a sword. You and I will attack with our magic from afar, but you may need to lead the men in repelling a boarding party. Ryan and Welden can back you up. Lend their blades some protective fire magic and they might be able to do almost as much as the mages."

The last was likely an overreach of her guards' abilities. She had seen Sebastian and the other mages at work. War was their element, even at sea. Just four battle mages decimated the first black ship while the wizards protected everyone or did damage. Liam had led the Sea Dragon against two black ships at once with only a couple mages, and her wizards were the main ones to assist since Sebastian had the rest helping protect the Grimnal's village and people.

"We may have a few less wizards and no battle mages, but we defeated two black ships loaded with wizard hunters in their black armor. These pirates might have a wind wizard or two, but they won't be able to handle our abilities," the youngest wizard of them all stated trying to encourage her companions.

Her speech finished with mixed results, but Reynolvan backed her saying, "She is right. There may just be six wizards here now, but we know spells that no one south of Southwall knows. We might not have battle mages to fight on the deck, so we will just have to make sure that they are never able to get here."

The men all nodded emphatically. Wizards with their power and knowledge could destroy ships with the magic. If the enemy had more wizards aboard, the black shields would turn the fight to their advantage. As their morale rose; Annalicia stalled their emotions when she said, "If we can, I would like to take one of them more or less intact. We should find out who these people are. There is still a lot of sea to cover before we find Malaiy. I don't want to find out that we are fighting an entire fleet, but if they have more ships it would be good to know it sooner than later."

Ivanor frowned and replied, "I don't know about the others, but I won't risk our lives just to know who they are."

"Then as a lady of Malaiy, I command you to do your best to make sure that we have someone left to interrogate, Ivanor. We have magic that can disable the ship and the men. Killing them all would be a waste of life and of an opportunity to find out what we are facing."

As the older man started to redden with anger at her refusal to listen to his protest, it was Reynolvan who backed her up again, "If you have a plan of action to do so, we will do our best to protect the Sea Dragon and take them captive. Ivanor does make a good point though. We can't risk all our lives even for information if it comes to that."

Nodding to the lead wizard, Anna stated, "The safety of everyone on the Sea Dragon takes precedence, of course, but I am certain that we can do it."

Unable to dissuade the royal lady, the wizards worked with the crew to prepare the ship for a fight. Food was brought out for the wizards to use as they worked through their reserves. It would only likely buy another ten percent more power during the battle, if it went too long; but that was ten percent more power than they would have without it. With enough time, they could even generate more of their magical strength back.

It wasn't long before the sailor in the crow's nest sighted the first ship's sails. A few minutes later anyone on deck could make out the white sails bobbing on the distant water.

"Captain, choose the side you will want to use for your cannon," Annalicia said as the vessel that must be an enemy came closer.

The man gauged the trajectory of the opposite vessel and guessed which way they would try to close with the Sea Dragon. "Port... left, I think," Delfren clarified for the wizard.

Ivanor stepped towards the forward part of the deck and hoped that he could adjust to cover his half of the upper deck while Jezra was further aft. Annalicia joined Ivanor in the prow. She wanted to see what the enemy could muster for an attack. If the wizard needed to move to another part of the ship to enact her part of the plan, Annalicia with her feet bare was as comfortable moving on the deck as any of their sailors.

The other three wizards spread out between the men supplying their shielding. Water magic would be important for the hull and their power could move the thick waves enough to block damage from any cannonballs.

Before they knew it, the enemy ship was close enough to see men in the sails and on deck. Swords were brandished as they eagerly prepared to attack the smaller merchant vessel. Anna smirked. These pirates had no idea what they had started when they came after her ship.

Like a dancer, the wizard called on the sea sending a massive wave into the enemy vessel. Men, once grinning with expectation, fell or held onto the railing in surprise. It was a warning shot in her opinion. The wave was unlikely to do much damage, but if they persisted it was a good foretaste of what the wizard would do to keep her people safe.

Her sense of magic spotted four sources of power. A flare of magic from one made Annalicia call up a shield of night, though she was technically one of the wizards in charge of their offense. The enemy wizard's use of wind magic would be hard to stop for those without an affinity for air currents. The shredding wind attack struck the black shield and was absorbed. Not only was the black shield not destroyed, it fed on the elemental magic and grew stronger.

As the enemy ship started its pass, water magic defended the Sea Dragon's hull while more night shields rose between them and the other vessel. More elemental magic launched. Fire tried to get to the sails, but the shields moved with the wizards' wills catching the flame, while air spells were captured by the black shields equally stopping any damage from making it to the ship or crew.

Cannon on both ships fired trying to damage the other's hulls. The best way to slow an enemy ship was to cause damage close to the water line. Water would fill in with each wave making the weight of the vessel increase and more drag would slow its speed and turning capabilities. The Sea Dragon was quickly protected by the water wizards as they erected thick, magically strengthened waves. Cannonballs struck the water and slowed. A few managed to slip through, but their power was minimized.

Like hail striking wood, little more than a few dents occurred and the Sea Dragon soon finished its crossing of paths. The two ships moved away working to circle for another broadside.

Annalicia watched the slow dance and called out, "Jezra, push the sails with wind! They'll beat us, if we don't help out."

Not only was the wind better for their opponent, the air wizard was certain that the other ship had a wizard using a wind spell to fill the sails as well moving the vessel faster than was natural.

Hurrying to mid deck, Annalicia summoned a gust spell filling the forward sails; while Jezra did the same aft. The Sea Dragon increased speed making its turn in record time and the two ships closed once more. Cannon fired and magic countered their power protecting the Sea Dragon for another pass.

Annalicia used her wind magic going for the sails. Having no night shields or other protection against her magic, the cutting winds caught the enemy's sails putting holes in several. Almost immediately, they could see the enemy vessel slowing. Even with their wizards' help, they couldn't turn as quickly as the Sea Dragon.

With the better angle for the pass, the cannon of the Sea Dragon caused more damage than before. Annalicia switched to a water spell sending huge waves and water spouts into the enemy. Men and sails were soaked by her spells, Anna signaled to Jezra and Ivanor who could also use air magic in addition to his preference in earth based spells.

"Give them a taste of the north!" she yelled through the noise as the wizard whipped up freezing winds drawing down the cold down from the upper atmosphere.

Their opponent's wizards tried to counter with wind spells of their own, but ice quickly formed all over the enemy ship. Sails and lines froze. Many cracked as the wind suddenly struck ice making canvas and rope brittle. The deck became slick with ice and crystals formed on the men's skin and clothing.

Men fell or ducked down holding their arms tight to their chests. Weapons dropped from numbed hands.

A powerful explosion below deck as a cannon had a catastrophic failure ripped a hole in the hull and mid deck. Men were hurled over the railing, some whole, and some in parts.

Annalicia winced feeling their deaths weigh upon her. Though she had meant to do this as bloodlessly as possible, the girl had to remember that this was war, a battle, and this enemy had come after them with the intent to kill her people as well.

It was then that the deck and rail in front of the wizard exploded in shrapnel knocking the girl to the ground. A cannonball found a kink in the Sea Dragon's armor avoiding the black shields and waves.

Her head rang and she felt pain in several places. Lifting her hand to see it before her, Annalicia spied a thick piece of wood sticking through her right hand. Like the Grimnal's knife in his hand, the girl looked at it numbly. Still stunned by the explosion and the surprise of one of the last shots fired as the two ships slid past each other, Annalicia gripped the piece of shrapnel with her left hand and pulled. The pain seared her vision a moment.

As the pain lessened, Annalicia looked at the hole in her hand. Looking through the hole the girl saw light through the opening and wondered why she wasn't fainting from the sight; but as she watched, Anna noted the blood appeared to pool near the wound. Slowly it began to draw back into the opening, which was already beginning to close.

She should have been shocked, but Gerid had proved his immortality to the girl and suggested that she might be one as well. Annalicia had always been blonde and sometimes the color was nearing white or silver during the summer as it lightened; but she hadn't been born with the white hair most immortals had been said to start with. What should have been impossible was true, the girl realized, and knew that her life would never be the same.