Fire Mage (18 page)

So there it was, Seraka. Talis hated the look of greed and thievery in this man’s eyes, but it was their only lead so far. “And where will you be sailing next?”

The first mate frowned. “The need is great, so we set sail to Seraka at dawn tomorrow. You’ll work hard, the wages poor, the food awful…but if you’ve never seen her before, seen the ancient Isle of Lorello…there’s gold in that view. Can’t ye see her vibrant jungles and flaming mountains and mysterious ruins? Ah, the life of a sailor…wouldn’t trade it for all the salt in the world.”

“Then you have room for the four of us?”

“Four?” The man looked puzzled, though in a pleased sort of way.
 

“Well do you?”

“I’ll bring the Captain’s decision…to your?”

“Inn…The Rusty Harpoon.”

“Of course, of course you’d be staying there.” The first mate grinned crookedly, and slipped down the alley, disappearing into the shadows.

Nikulo stumbled into their room past midnight, so drunk he hit his head on the bedpost, then bowed, and apologized for his clumsiness.

“What happened to you?” Mara rubbed her eyes. “And where is Rikar?”

“I last saw my old traitorous friend trying to convince a young maid he was a prince…she didn’t believe him.“

“He is a prince.”

“That’s the funny part. A prince who looks more like a minstrel, a wanton one at that.”

Mara chuckled. “Rikar can’t sing his own name. Which tavern did you last see our
old friend
?”

“The Suckling Pig…surrounded by new friends with a taste for ale.”

“And silver…”

“Nay, always the ale that the silver buys.” Nikulo burped, slapping his chest and puffing out his cheeks. “Whew, I’d better lie down.”

“Did you find those rare ingredients?”

Nikulo hiccupped. “Success!” he said, then rolled over, and started snoring.

“Shall we go fetch him?” Mara studied Talis, her face disgusted and resigned at the same time.

“I don’t see why we should…”

The Suckling Pig reeked of vomit and smoke and sweat. It was the filthiest and most crowded tavern Talis had ever seen. There was an enormous round table in the center of the room and Rikar sat at the far end, shaking dice in an ivory cup.
 

“The gods be pleased, roll sevens!” A girl, maybe fifteen, jumped up and down, screeching, not minding her state of undress.

The table roared. Sevens… Rikar scooped up a pile of coins, grunted, and destroyed another mug of ale.

“Oy!” Mara shouted. “Time to go, we’ve found a ship.”

Rikar raised his eyes, as if annoyed at hearing her voice. “Can’t you see I’m winning here?”

“You’ll end up losing, in the end, whether to the dice or to these…
ladies
.” Talis sneered at Rikar. For all his noble upbringing, Rikar showed himself now as the fool he was. First Nikulo and now this. Even if the Captain let them on as crew, he couldn’t see how he’d manage to wake them up in time.

After Rikar sighed, he stuffed the coins into his purse and rose, shaking off the girl who’d clung to his arm. “The night is over…dawn awaits. Lead on, my prudish friends, may your steps be difficult, and the sinkholes you step in rancid.” For some reason he laughed to himself, as if caught up in some joke of his own.

At the door, someone grabbed Talis’s arm. He spun around, and frowned at the first mate.

“Ye said the Rusty Harpoon…this isn’t the place…”

“Powers of observation.” Rikar scoffed.

“This another of your friends? Tell him to mind his tongue tomorrow morning. Drunk as he is…good luck getting him up. Try a bucket of cold fish…that always does the trick.” The first mate tapped his finger on Talis’s chest. “First light or we sail without you. Not that the Captain cares, mind you. We sail on the finest ship in the harbor, The Bounty of the Sea. Eighteen canons, seven masts—”

“And a blathering fool that talks too much.” Rikar farted, walked past the man, waving the smell in his direction. “I need to water the sea.”

Talis chased after Rikar, who shambled his way towards the docks. As Rikar relieved himself into the water, Talis yanked back on his shirt to keep him from falling in. Why he was helping him? Maybe he felt sorry for the fool. Maybe he knew they’d need him in the days to come. Whatever the reason, Talis and Mara guided Rikar back to the room and shoved him into bed.
 

The innkeeper woke them before dawn as promised. Nikulo had a long river of drool spilling out of his snoring mouth. Rikar was curled into a ball, shivering and mumbling from a bad dream. Talis and Mara stared at them, chuckling. A perfect pair of clowns.

Without time for breakfast, they all headed down to the docks. Nikulo stumbled along, wincing, pulling his hair from a bad headache.

“Never again,” he said. “I don’t know what that bartender put in the drinks…something funny going on in his brew.”

“With any luck we’ll be back again for more.” Rikar took a deep breath. “Just what I need, a good sea breeze to keep my spirits up.”

“And rolling waves to have you barfing up yesterday’s meal.” Mara pointed at the seagulls kicking around in the sea. “They’ll appreciate it.”

“Don’t even mention it.” Rikar placed a hand on his stomach. “The world is still spinning.”

The first mate ambled up to them, chewing on a fat cigar. “The worst bunch of motley vagabonds I’ve ever seen. I’m certain you’ve never even set foot on a ship…well, you’ll learn soon enough…if the food doesn’t kill you first. Hey you, fatty, you’re looking kind of sick. Is he alright?”

“The sight of your face is making me ill…apologies for whatever my mouth gushes forth.”

“I like him…there’s salt in that fatted pork. A good choice letting you on after all. Get on up the gangplank and keep your mouths’ shut.”

Talis stared up at the bow of the largest galley in the docks. A goddess kept watch over her direction, painted in silver and gold and black. Her long flowing golden hair swept down along the sides of the ship, as if the wind might lift her up into the sky. The Bounty of the Sea. Her name made him hungry.

They sauntered up the plank, unable to avoid the leering eyes of the crew.
 

“Make yerself at home,” a midget of a sailor said, gesturing towards a rail.

A deep, booming horn sounded, announcing their departure. The crew raised the gangplank and pulled the anchor in. At the docks a horde of cats ran by, as if expecting a fresh new load from the sea. The galley shuddered as the sails popped, taking ahold of a cold, morning breeze. Soon they were out past the docks, navigating through the winding harbor and out into the vast, blue sea.
 

For the first time since their journey started, Talis felt hope surging inside his heart. They’d finally found a ship to the island of their destination. The Surineda Map had been true, the words of the hero true; out on that island lay the promise of a power so strong, they might actually have a chance of saving their city.

If they could survive the dark journey ahead.

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About the author:

John Forrester is the author of Fire Mage and Sun Mage of the Blacklight Chronicles fantasy series. He lives in Palo Alto with his wife and two boys. When not practicing at the archery range in the mountains, he's furiously at work on Shadow Mage, third book in the series.

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/fire.mage.book/
 

My website:

http://www.blacklightchronicles.com/
 

Bonus Preview! Sun Mage, Book Two in the Blacklight Chronicles series (now available):

Chapter 1

The first mate waddled up to Talis, grinning wolfishly. “Enjoying the voyage? It’s quite a view, to watch the continent slowly slip away. Like your freedom… Take a good look, it’ll be your last view topside the whole trip.”

Talis whirled around, gripping his sword, but Mara whispered for him to stop. All around the deck hands lumbered towards them with brutal, leering eyes.
 

“Go ahead…fight me.” The first mate pinched up his face into a hideous smile. “The person who raises his sword…he dies, painfully… Now think about it, would you rather die than be sold into slavery?”

As Talis glanced around, he knew the odds were vastly against them, so he lowered his sword in defeat. They’d been tricked and sold into slavery. Talis stared at the land fading from view and felt a sudden trembling possess his arms. Would he ever see his home again? Now Mara, Nikulo, Rikar and he were also trapped, sold to a life of slavery in the City of Seraka.

Mara glanced at him as if to say, You couldn’t have known. She reached out and held his hand.

“You seriously made us pay for passage
and
sold us as slaves?” Rikar glared at the first mate.

The man grunted. “You offered me coin. How could I refuse?” The row of gold teeth displayed from his smile gleamed in the fading light.

“At least offer us the dignity of bribing our way out of slavery.” Nikulo hefted his coin purse.

“You’re in no position to bargain, lardy.” The first mate scooped up the purse from Nikulo’s hand. “Consider it a double bounty. We get your money and valuables,
and
collect the per-head price from Seraka’s slavers.”

“You’ll get what you deserve…” Talis wanted to kill him.
 

The first mate whistled, and a fat sailor with beady eyes and grimy hands waddled towards Talis.
 

“Hand over your stuff. And
please
…put up a fight.” The man hissed out a laugh. His mouth smelled like garlic and ale.

Talis raised his hands in supplication, but the sailor’s hairy knuckles slammed into his stomach and pain shot through Talis’s belly. The sailor chuckled and smacked his lips in satisfaction.

The first mate scowled. “Manef, just search him.”

Manef stepped close and grabbed Talis’s fire sword. He hooted as he stared at it.
 

“Well look here…this will fetch a pretty penny.”

“Give it back…“ Talis clenched his fingers into a fist.

When Manef saw Talis’s reaction, he kicked Talis away. Talis felt a fire broiling along the back of his neck. They stole his sword. The sword father had given him.
 

“Do you really want to make it hard on yourself?”

“Just do as he says.” Mara put her arm in front of Talis.

“Listen to your friend. Your life is worth more than meager possessions.” The first mate stared greedily at the sword. “Now search them all…take their weapons…anything that looks valuable.”

Manef took Mara’s daggers, Rikar’s sword, and Nikulo handed over his sword voluntarily.
 

“What’s this?” Manef grunted, staring into Nikulo’s backpack.
 

“Medicine.” Nikulo retrieved several vials. “Would you like to try some?” He smiled, but Talis caught a devilish glint in his eyes. Poison. The vials were filled Nikulo’s latest concoction.
 

“What do I need with medicine.” Manef waved the pack away.

The first mate shoved them below deck and led them to a tiny room. He pushed them inside and slammed the door. Their dark, cramped cell at least had a small porthole where they could stare at the endless, blue ocean. Talis stared out over the vast blue ocean, wondering what lay ahead at the Island of Lorello.
 

“Can we fight them?” Talis said.

Rikar shook his head. “Not if you want to live. I think a few of the men onboard are sorcerers. Many armed guards. They’re fully prepared for a fight.”

“So what then?” Nikulo held his breath.

“We wait. And keep your tempers calm.” Mara glanced at each of them. “I’m sure the right opportunity will come along once we reach the island.”

“What if Seraka is more heavily guarded than the ship? What then?” Talis said.

“Mara is right.” Nikulo raised his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Our destination is the inland part of Lorello. Let’s bide our time until we see what fate brings us.”

“You fools wait for a deadly fate.” Rikar scoffed. “I’ll plan our escape.”

As promised, the food was terrible. Slop that smelled like pig’s gruel. Rikar and Nikulo turned violently ill. And the smell only made Talis and Mara sick as well. There were storms that shook the ship for days. Lightning blasts that raged across the feverish sea. Talis was sure they were doomed and would sink to the bottom of the ocean. Maybe Rikar would find his father in the Underworld sooner than he’d expected.

After a week passed, the storm broke and sunlight knifed through thick dark clouds, illuminating the emerald hues and brilliant whitecaps. Then the birds came: first a lone albatross, then a line of pelicans and red-billed tropicbirds.
 

“Land-ho!” a sailor shouted above.

After several hours, the ship turned. Talis strained his eyes. He glimpsed the island at last. A jagged coastline, rows of rocky cliffs. Then dense, lush jungle reached down to the sea. Golden hills high above led up to an enormous range of volcanic mountains. The Island of Lorello was beautiful and ominous at the same time.