Things had changed. Kendra’s dragon was across the sea, somewhere at the edge of the Brownlands south of Dagger, several days sail away. There were no Wyverns or at least none we’d seen. Yet my powers had increased instead of diminished.
No, that was too slight a description. They had expanded, increased, and evolved. I could ‘speak’ with Anna in my mind, seemingly from any distance. Creating storms, albeit small ones, had become routine. Condensing water at my fingertip a daily task. I even tamed lighting and reformed it into a crown for my princess.
But two points kept me awake. There was no essence nearby to draw from, and yet my powers were increasing. It was not a matter of learning more. I felt magic growing inside me, taking charge. How and why were to pair of questions that bothered me.
“Better get yourself a bit of sleep,” Captain said. “While you can.”
I moved to the bench opposite him. “Are you sure I can’t help?”
“Done this a hundred times, don’t worry about me.”
“I can’t sleep. Things on my mind. Listen, I’m sorry to put you in this situation and hopefully, your family doesn’t suffer.”
He didn’t answer for so long I thought he wouldn’t. When he did, it was simple. “If I didn’t help and your Young Mage came for us, as he will for everyone, wouldn’t it be my fault? At least part of it?”
“That’s a generous way to look at things, Captain.”
We sat in silence. Eventually, I stood, gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder and joined Elizabeth sleeping under the tarp at the bow.
The morning sunlight woke me. Elizabeth now sat beside Captain. Gulls circled above, screaming, diving, and calling to us for scraps. It seemed they were familiar with fishing boats and the bounty to be had with what was discarded.
The land was still in sight off to our left, barren and rocky. The heat already told of a hot day ahead. I found a bruised apple in my pack and took a bite as I looked around.
Four black dots in the sky ahead drew my attention. Their odd manner of flapping their wings was familiar. They turned slightly and flew directly at us.
Wyvern. Four of them. I shouted and pointed, “Look!”
Captain quickly lowered the sail. I leaped to the bow and grabbed my sword. Elizabeth did the same, as Captain hefted a long club used for killing large fish the nets hauled in. I stood in the bow, Elizabeth near the mast, and Captain the stern.
One of them screeched as if to alert the others and flew faster. The other three did the same. Their eyes were locked on us.
I’d fought them before, the first time on the mountain top in Mercia where the true dragon had been chained. They had dived in and slashed with beaks or talons. We had nowhere to hide, much like now. I remembered Anna asking about swimming to shore. That might be our only option, soon.
The lead creature swept down and flew past. I dived just in time to avoid the claws reaching for me. They were faster than I recalled, but back then I also had a dragon twice their size fighting with me.
Another dived and approached just above the surface of the water. I was better prepared. While ducking, my sword slashed above my head, at first encountering nothing, then it was almost yanked from my hand as the blade cut deeply.
A Wyvern screamed in pain and blood splattered. I turned to look. A cut as long as my leg along the thigh bled and blood streamed from it. However, it pivoted and aimed for us again.
Captain yelled, “When one of them hits the boat, we’ll sink. Grab something that floats and use it to head for shore. We’ll meet up there.”
That was a plan. Not a very good one because the Wyvern would snatch us from the water at will. None of us had a bow. I searched around for a weapon that would keep them at bay. There was nothing.
Or, was there? My mind had stalled when I’d spotted them. I had my magic, my new and improved magic. I just didn’t know how to use it very well.
With a Wyvern winging directly at me, I calmed my mind, reached out and quickly gathered the energy from the sun that created the first crown I’d made for Elizabeth, the one that set her hair on fire. I drew it tighter, then focused on a place in the air in front of the Wyvern. I forced the energy to form a ball, then ‘scattered’ it like blowing leaves in the fall.
The brilliant golden ball of energy forced the Wyvern to dodge to one side, the silent explosion of golden light scared the creature, even if I’d misjudged and missed it. It beat its wings harder and flew higher and faster, turning away.
“Look out!” the call came from Elizabeth.
I ducked just in time to avoid the slashing beak of another. It scared me, and my anger soared with that fear. Without thinking, I formed water on the breast of the Wyvern, then heated it to steam. It screamed, fell from the sky until barely recovering almost at the surface, and it flew awkwardly away.
I think I scalded it, at least scared it as much as it had scared me. The one bleeding flew in the direction of land. That left one still with us. It circled high above, either waiting its turn when we were not paying attention or spying on us and probably telling the Young Mage our position. I sent water to form on it, a lot of water, enough to cover its entire body. Then I heated it to steam again.
The Wyvern managed one weak scream then tumbled awkwardly from the sky, spinning and shrieking, trying to flap its wings and regain control. It struck the surface of the water with a great splash, floated for a short while, then sank.
“You did that?” Captain asked.
Elizabeth said to him, “You don’t want to tell anyone about what just happened, whatever it was.”
Captain said with a wicked grin, “Some already think a few of my true tales are lies. This one never gets told or they’ll know for sure I’m a liar.”
Elizabeth noticed how I gripped the railing on the edge of the hull, how my knees grew weak, and maybe my glazed eyes. She rushed to me in time to help lower me to the rough boards of the deck. I heard her asking if I was all right, but the sound of her voice seemed distant and unimportant.
I passed out.
I woke with Elizabeth kneeling over me as I lay in the bottom of the boat. It was under sail again, the sun seemed higher, so the time had passed. My memory triggered the attacking Wyverns and I sat abruptly upright, as I checked the empty sky.
“Easy,” she soothed me.
“What happened?”
She stroked my forehead, “We think you used so much energy to do whatever you did back there, that it sapped your strength. Just rest for a while.”
I did as she said, not because she ordered it, but because my body was so weak. My eyes closed again, and I slept until she shook me awake late in the day. “We’re almost there.”
Standing on wobbly legs, I looked ahead to find the entrance of a long, narrow bay, both sides lined with stone buildings, some three stories tall. Near the edge of the bay were docks, piers, warehouses, and merchant ships, fishing boats, ferries, and barges. The activity reminded me of the Port of Mercia in Dire, only exaggerated ten times.
Captain called, “Better get your things together.”
He didn’t intend to remain long. He’d already explained his family would be worried, so he planned to sail home as fast as possible. I refilled his water jugs to overflowing. It was the least I could do.
He sailed to a dock that had a few boats tied up on the other side, none too prosperous from the looks. I climbed out first and reached back to pull Elizabeth on to the dock.