Anders and Zahara could now see the small armada of elven ships slowly gliding across the dark blue sea below. Ivan’s connection with them heightened and Anders could sense his frustration. Zahara, make sure he doesn’t take too much, this will affect you both, he warned.
Okay, Zahara said as they neared the ships.
Good, Ivan said. It’s getting light out now, so come down and fly low alongside our ships. That way we can keep an eye on you if something goes wrong.
Zahara glided down, closing in on the ships. Leveling out at the same elevation as the masts, she slowed herself to match the pace of the elven ships. Anders could see that each one of them was packed with elven and dwarfish soldiers. Coming alongside the lead ship, they caught sight of Nadir and Ivan for the first time since leaving for the Rollo Islands. Remli, the dwarf king, stood beside Nadir. Anders thought the three leaders to be an odd group. It took something quite important for all three of these incredibly independent leaders to agree on a shared goal and forge an allegiance to accomplish it.
“Hello, dragonrider!” Remli bellowed out to Anders as he and Zahara planed level with the ship’s deck. The dwarf waved his stout arm, his long red beard mimicking his arm’s motion, swaying back and forth.
Anders waved, too tired to shout a response.
Remli laughed and used the backside of his arm to slap Nadir playfully.
Nadir looked down scornfully at the dwarf king, not smiling. Remli realized his comrade didn’t share the same amusement as he, so he awkwardly averted his attention.
Anders thumbed at the sword, not sure when he should attempt to summon the energy they so desperately needed, when Zahara asked Ivan, What’s the strategy from here on out?
The plan will be to pass through the narrows while it’s dark tomorrow night. From there it’s only a few more hours of travel until we’ll reach our destination. We will need to continue our course, slowing down a bit later in the day so we can time our passing just right. If we stay out away from the coast until then, we have a good chance of passing through unseen. There is a possibility that we could run into a ferryboat carrying orcs across the narrows between shores. In the letter the Lumbapi sent us they warned of this. The orcs have been crossing during daylight hours, but from what it sounded like, the ferry traffic has slowed. Once we meet up with the Lumbapi, they’ll show us where the orc host is gathering. We’ll launch our attack and hopefully catch them off guard. If we can attack them while they are disorganized, we’ll be able to send them scattering and have an easier time battling them in smaller disorganized groups than as one cohesive unit.
That sounds like a plan if I’ve ever heard one. What about Zahara and me? What will our role be? Anders asked, moving his hand from the sword’s hilt to the saddle handle. Talking was keeping him awake, for now.
You and Zahara will wait until our ground troops have launched an attack, then you’ll fly around and take them on in the rear. I’ll send you along with some elven special forces to sandwich the orc army between us.
Okay, that all sounds good, but what if Merglan comes out to play?
If he does, we’ll need our team of sorcerers to focus all of their attention on him. He’s dominant in single combat, but if we can combine our powers, we’ll have a better chance at holding him off.
Who’s our team of sorcerers?
Well, there’s you, me, Natalia, Zahara and Solomon.
Solomon? As in the old wise man we met just outside Brookside? Anders asked surprised.
Yes. He’s more powerful than he looks. And he’ll be there alongside us in the fighting.
Did you pick him up along the way or something?
No, Solomon journeyed to Southland before Merglan showed his presence. He’s been helping the Lumbapi organize their guerilla-style warfare against Merglan. So far, he has managed to keep their camps hidden from Merglan and Killdoor.
That’s amazing. I thought it was interesting that you would hold his counsel in such high regard, Anders said.
Zahara hadn’t met the old wise man who Anders had been introduced to while passing through Brookside on their way to rescue his cousins, so Anders spent the next several minutes explaining to her how they knew this sorcerer and why it surprised Anders to learn of his abilities.
Anders informed Ivan of their encounter with Red and other Rolloans on the Rollo Islands. He noted how Red reacted to the call to action and told Ivan his suspicions about Red’s abandoning Britt and the others. Ivan seemed concerned with the news and hoped some brave warriors would come to their aid. He didn’t say it, but Anders could sense his concern for Britt and what Red might have done to her. There wasn’t time to deal with the matter now as they were voyaging to war. If they survived, Ivan and Anders would have to talk some sense into Red, but for now, they were forced to let the matter lie.
As they flew, Anders felt more revitalized than he had when he and Zahara were flying alone. At least now when he became too sleepy to keep his head up, he could talk with someone who wasn’t as drowsy as he and Zahara were. Anders was beginning to think that he might not need to draw some of the energy stored in the hilt of his sword, that was until he and Zahara fell completely asleep.
Splashing violently into the sea, Anders woke up as he slammed into the water having been thrown off Zahara’s back. The bond he held with the saddle broke when he dozed off and was useless when he needed it. He gasped for air as his mouth filled with saltwater. Frantically, he flailed in the water as he scrambled for the surface.
Popping his head into the fresh air, Anders coughed up the water he’d inhaled upon impact. Treading water in the rolling waves, he could see Zahara flapping her enormous wings. As he bobbed in and out of sight of his dragon, he watched helplessly as she attempted to rise out of the water. Anders tried to swim toward the ships, their sails carrying them at a steady rate. It was no use; he wasn’t going to catch them. He bobbed in the water until Zahara rose from the sea. Circling back and plucking him out of the water with her large claws, she flew high into the air. With a flick of her talons, she tossed him out away from her body as she dove under him, scooping him onto her back. Anders landed lightly on her back and resumed his position in the saddle.
Okay, that’s it, Anders told Zahara. I don’t care about the cost; I’m drawing on some of the crystal’s energy. We need it if we’re going to make it to Southland.
Anders, be careful, she warned. Only take a little. We don’t need much to keep us awake.
Okay, I’ll be careful and only take a small amount, he assured her.
He reached his sword hand down across his body and pulled the steel blade from its sheath. The sapphire crystals along its handle sparkled brightly in the afternoon sunlight. The largest of the crystals was molded into the pommel of the sword with a steel circle casting it in place at the top of the hilt. Anders took a deep breath to slow his suddenly rapid heartbeat. He was nervous. The crystals had the potential to be extremely dangerous.
He hesitated, not knowing exactly how to summon energy from the sapphires. Anders recalled his studies. He’d read about how sorcerers could use magic, by spoken word or by emotion. Since he didn’t know what word might be best for the occasion, Anders tried with his mind. He sent his mind to the largest crystal, attempting to forge a link between it and his consciousness. To his surprise, the crystal felt alive; it even registered as a living being to him. Anders pulled his mind away, suspicious of a crystal that could be living.
Did you feel that? he asked Zahara.
No. What was it?
It felt, alive.
It’s probably just the energy inside that you’re sensing. I don’t feel any kind of being, she assured him.
Anders shifted in his seat, preparing to form a link with the crystal. He reached out and felt its energy, strong, powerful and bright. Anders probed the crystal in the same way he would probe someone’s mind. The crystal opened and received him. Turquoise strands of energy wisped out from the sapphire crystal in his sword’s hilt. Anders’ eyes bulged as he watched the vine like tendrils slide out and slither up his arm like snakes. The wisps of light slid into his body as if his skin were transparent passing into him with ease.
The energy surged into his body like nothing he’d felt before. The crystal’s power passed through his bond and into Zahara as well. The energy was electric, a surge that pulsed into them, vibrating through their very beings. As Anders embraced the crystal’s energy, he could feel every inch of his body growing stronger, every strand of muscle increasing in strength. He felt more alive than he ever had in his life. At first, the sensation scared him, but as he let the warmth of its grasp take hold, he wanted more; he needed more.
Anders that’s enough, Zahara said sharply.
Zahara’s voice seemed far away. He wanted to ignore her, Just a little bit more, he responded. As he did, Anders thought he could hear the faint calls of someone or something’s voice. For a moment he thought it was Zahara, but the direction in which it was coming from was wrong. It sounded as though it had come from within the crystal. He strained to listen for the cries when a booming voice rang through his head.
ANDERS, ENOUGH!!! Zahara roared in anger. He’d gone too far, and she feared for him; she could feel him slipping away, going deeper into the crystal’s consciousness.
