Chapter 4: Harbinger of doom
Fandri stood on the deck of the Pennon, taking in the sights and smells of his first experience at sea. He inhaled the unfamiliar aroma of fresh briny sea air which made him feel invigorated, as though anything were possible. He watched strange fish swimming alongside the ship, as well as turtles and other dark shadows he could not discern.
The rocking motion of the ship made the halfling’s stomach queasy and his fairy became so troubled she was unable to fly. They sat next to Varl who explained the parts of the ship. They looked with awe at the high crow’s nest, swaying in the wind. Fandri sat on a wooden bench bolted against what Varl named the ‘Aft Castle.’ This large structure extended upwards from the mainsail to the rear of the ship and contained the cabins where the king, the mage and the ship’s captain were housed.
The dramatic weather was increasing in intensity; the gale raced green clouds closer amid erratic bursts of lightning.
Captain Lannon was dressed in a tight-buttoned uniform, his fair hair secured in a neat tail at the nape of the neck. He studied the clouds with a furrowed brow before he entered the large cabin where the king and mage lounged. “My lords, the weather is against us, therefore I recommend anchoring on the lee side of the Bonglo River mouth to wait it out.
“Do not fear, good Captain. I shall use magic to send the cloud away and calm the seas. You have reported a large number of pirate ships anchoring in the safe harbour at Land’s End. The king wishes to sail out now to determine the extent of the shield while they are ashore. We can leave the Voyage here in calm waters to ensure the safety of our other companions.” Nnarndam’s eyes full of confidence urged the Captain on, and Phelaeron-Sky nodded with agreement.
The Captain stroked his close-cropped beard as he pondered their opinions, for his word was law on his ship. “Show me that you can calm this tempest and I will sail you there. I agree this move would be unexpected by the pirates and would be less risk than outrunning them on a clear day. Hmm…very well then. We sail now before the storm escalates.”
The hesitant crew griped tight to the Pennon as she pitched and rolled with the ever increasing waves. Sheeted rain pelted down and drenched all those on the deck.
Captain Lannon lashed himself to the wheel, for the deck was awash with water. The passengers huddled below, waiting for a reprieve. The horses whinnied with fright in the cargo hold.
Fandri had never been this sick before in his life. Each time the ship rode down the back of a large wave, he lost more of his stomach contents. He huddled in a corner, bent over a wooden bucket with Fandri-La slumped by his side. He felt how drained she was and her skin was pale and clammy. He imagined he looked equally unwell.
Nnarndam looked out the porthole at the worsening storm. He decided they had travelled far enough past Land’s End to be out of the pirates’ line of sight. Then he grabbed his ebony staff and lurched forward bit by bit in time with the pitch and roll of the ship. He grabbed the stair rail and pulled himself upwards, trying not to tumble back.
“Ouch.” Hail fell as the mage approached Captain Lannon.
“Thank the forefathers, you are here, kind mage. The wheel is spinning wildly and I do not know how much longer I can hold her.” The captain yelped as hail cut his cheek. He wiped the blood off and gritted his teeth.
A bolt of lightning struck the water nearby, causing the stalwart captain to flinch.
“Hold my waist steady, so I can raise both arms for the spell.”
The first mate complied and Nnarndam held the staff aloft in both hands. He harnessed air magic, causing a gust of wind to form behind him.
They could almost see the wall of heavy air that pushed forward everything in its path. The sailor held tight to the mage to prevent being sucked into the magic event. Rain, hail and lightning clouds receded from above the ship, recoiling from the mage’s hands.
When the storm had been pushed back a significant distance, the mage collapsed against the sailor’s grip and was lowered to the deck. “That’s all I can do. The storm is so powerful and I don’t have water magic to control the rain, only air magic. Quick, we must complete our mission before the waves can rebuild.” His voice came out in fits and gasps of exhaustion.
The captain nodded and watched a fresh breeze billow out the sails. The ship scooted across the now-calm sea, heading beneath blue skies, towards the ominous cloud bank hovering on the horizon.
King Phelaeron-Sky joined Nnarndam on the deck to measure the strength of the Elven Shield.
The mage’s air magic and elf’s shield spell combined as they raised their arms to the sky. Fandri and his fairy felt a surge of magical power as a stream of light burst upwards from the ebony staff and stopped at an invisible point far above them. The light grew across the invisible barrier and spread to the horizon on three sides of them. On the side furthest from Reloria, the shield landed in the ocean not far away.
Phelaeron smiled. “There, as we had hoped. Safe from the Vergai threat.”
Nnarndam nodded and lowered his staff. The white light which covered the sky receded until the pin-point of light directly above them winked out.
As the light disappeared a calamity was revealed behind it.
“Rogue wave. Rogue wave!” The sailor in the crow’s nest high above cried out in alarm. A warning bell sounded. Sailors and knights poured onto the deck.
Shouts of alarm rang out.
Those aboard felt a strange sensation as the ship plunged into a trough.
Fandri looked up and screamed at the sight, for a monstrous wave reared high above them with a white crest on the top. He grabbed Fandri-La and tucked her in his shirt pocket for safety. The terrified fairy stared up at him with wide eyes. “Will it sink the ship?”
Fandri shook his head in disbelief. The wave had appeared out of nowhere and its enormity was beyond his comprehension.
Captain Lannon bellowed orders to the crew, who struggled to furl and fasten the sails as the ship began to climb the large wave, which rose almost vertical before them.
Fandri knew it was impossible for the ship to reach the top.
Mage Nnarndam tried to push the wave backwards, but his magic had little effect on the teetering wall of water.
The captain yelled above the roar of the approaching wave. “Men, avast. Passengers, lash yourselves with the lanyards to the closest jack lines, rail or beam. Pray to the forefathers that we will live to see tomorrow.”
Hail and rain pelted from every angle.
Fandri felt strong arms grab him and he felt a glimmer of hope when he saw Telmane. The guardian elf gripped the halfling in one hand and Varl in another. He tied them to the deck rail with stout rope and other elves secured the elven king and Grand Mage.
With his heart beating loud in his ears, Fandri screamed as the crest of the wave toppled over and crashed down upon them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Heavy water fell upon the Pennon and the ship shuddered with its weight, rolling stern over bow. It sank at a rapid pace, moments before being torn asunder on the ocean floor.
As Fandri felt the ship sinking, he opened his eyes to dark water all around. Telmane was struggling to loosen the ropes binding him and Varl. The squire was freed first and kicked his feet to head up to the surface.
Fandri tried hard to keep his breath, but started to panic as he and the elf were pulled under with the vacuum caused by the sinking ship. Horses’ hooves and debris battered them as flotsam was sucked out of the cargo hold.
Fandri thought his lungs were going to burst with the pressure, as bubbles of air escaped and he struggled not to inhale the water.
Telmane at last loosened the knots and pulled the halfling up towards the surface. They kicked their legs as hard as they could and the elf grabbed a barrel as it floated upwards.
When they reached the surface, Fandri inhaled a great lungful of air. He sighed, feeling that nothing had ever tasted as sweet as that life-saving breath.
He then realised the surfa
ce of the ocean was a mess of confusion. Wide-eyed horses kicked blindly at people who clung to broken pieces of wood and barrels from the ship. “Varl, where are you?”
Looking around, the halfling saw the elven king and Nnarndam with only a few knights and sailors floating on the surface of the ocean. After the wave had passed, the sea remained choppy and rain continued to batter them.
Blue sky appeared on the horizon and the storm clouds blew steadily towards Land’s End where several ships were now seen being tossed about in the harbour.
“Hold fast to the barrel, boys. I will try to find us something more substantial.” Telmane swam away, leaving them gripping the rim of the barrel.
Fandri watched as the horses and ponies swam for the shore with noses flared. He watched them go and turned to Varl with a pout. “There go our rides. You know, I’m not very keen on sailing any more. First it made me sick and now almost drown.”
Varl gave a wry smile. “It does get better, I promise.”
A short while later Telmane returned with a piece of decking and several wooden barrels tied with rope. He also had Nnarndam in tow and four men and a boy holding onto various pieces of flotsam. It was fortunate the storm had passed over them and the waves were now quite small and regular. The rain had settled to a light drizzle. “Come sailors; let us create a raft from our salvage to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Fandri and Varl worked with the sailors to lash the decking atop the barrels to form a large raft.
Telmane was preoccupied with Nnarndam, as the elderly mage was drifting in and out of consciousness, after swallowing a significant amount of water during the capsize. He gave a weak cough and struggled to hold the plank of wood the elf had given him to stay afloat. Telmane kept his head propped up above the waves and gave a nod of relief when the raft was completed. The mage was the first person lifted onto the raft.
A scaly object brushed past Fandri’s leg and he cried out in alarm. “There’s something in the water.”
Varl gasped. “Perhaps it is a shark. They are a common sight after a shipwreck, to claim the bodies of those who did not survive.” The squire’s eyes darted here and there in a nervous manner, expecting a school of sharks to tear him apart at any moment.
A large shape moved slowly under the raft, witnessed by the sailors and knights who scrambled atop the raft in a panic.
Without a trace of concern, Telmane stayed in the water, peering into the murky depths for the creature. A thought occurred to him. “Has anyone seen the king surface?”
“There are some elves over that way.” One of the sailors pointed to a bunch of debris some distance away. Telmane’s keen eyesight noted three heads bobbing up and down, including one with long black hair, who must be the king.
“Come, let us rescue him.” Telmane and two tight-lipped sailors dived into the water, despite the threat lurking below the waves.
Fandri was about to jump in after them to assist the king, when Varl grabbed him with a firm hold on the arm. “Look.”
A bare arm’s length below the makeshift raft, it was now clear to see the creature. A head covered with spikes was preceded by an open mouth revealing many rows of sharp teeth. Fandri gaped at its enormous size. It was dark with a bright orange stripe running down the length of its body; more than twice the width of the raft and many times as long.
The creature did not touch the raft or its occupants, but swam underneath and headed straight for the elves clinging to the debris. Fandri and Varl yelled a warning to Telmane, whose pointed ears wriggled. He nodded acknowledgement and redoubled his efforts to reach his king.
The sailors turned and screamed when the monster broke through the surface of the water. The watchers on the raft gasped with fright as the sailors’ screams attracted the attention of the creature.
“Monstri!”
“Flee!”
With rapid breathing, the two men splashed and yelled in panic, while the elf remained motionless and silent.
Monstri’s lifeless black eyes rotated towards the sailors, before it dived under the waves again. Its tail flicked up into the air and sprayed the survivors on the raft, then the creature disappeared into the depths.
“Where is it?”
“I can’t see it.”
Anxious eyes darted around, trying to determine which way Monstri was going.
Fandri-La grasped her halfling’s shoulder. “Are we going to die? I am so scared, Fandri.” Her lips trembled and he felt her fear through their invisible bond. The feeling was so strong it enveloped him as well and his shoulders slumped. For a moment he was consumed by the fear, but managed to detach himself from the fairy’s emotions. He exhaled a long sigh.
Then the monster launched itself out of the water in the distance, grabbed King Phelaeron-Sky and disappeared into the depths of the ocean.
Despite the wails and cries of the survivors, Monstri and the elf did not reappear.
Telmane stared at the place where the king had been, his mouth open in total shock and disbelief. He shook his head slowly and Fandri-La watched with a furrowed brow as the elf’s luminous eyes welled with tears.
The survivors on the raft grabbed oars and loose planks of wood and rowed the raft over to the elf. Telmane had composed himself by then, but his eyes still looked troubled.
Fandri-La flew over and snuggled into his shoulder for comfort. She stood up to place a kiss on his cheek. “I am so sorry for your loss, Telmane. The king was a lovely man and a respected leader.”
“He was my father.” Telmane’s eyes welled up again and a tear ran down his cheek and dripped from his pointed chin.
“What?” Fandri jumped in surprise. “We thought you were just his guardian.”
The elf shook his head. “No, I am from the royal bloodline, but alas, I have no talent for magic and therefore I am not a High Elf. This has been the curse of all my siblings, we are all common elves. The heir to the throne after the queen is to be my uncle, Prince Celdar-Moon, who is very talented in defensive magic. Oh, the queen…she must be informed of this tragedy.”
The elf looked around to see the sailors fishing the last stragglers out of the water. The other two elven guardians were dripping on the deck, their heads bowed with despair at their loss.
Telmane took stock of the situation: there was no sign of the Voyage or the sea monster. He squinted at a couple of dark shadows in the direction of Land’s End and frowned. Fandri’s eyes could not discern anything from that distance, but Telmane’s elven sight could. “Pirates.”
A combined groan arose from the surviving sailors at the thought of murderous cutthroats coming their way. With furrowed brows Fandri and his fairy watched the crew members, unsure what pirates were and why they were so feared.
Varl squeezed water from his tabard into the sea and answered their inquisitive looks. “Pirates are the thieves and murderers of the sea. They usually do not dare enter the waters surrounding the Diagro Plains due to our superior ships and weaponry. Here however, they are as prolific and troublesome as rats in a corn field. The knights see it as our duty to eliminate this scourge of the sea when we encounter them, but today I fear we may convert from the hunter into the hunted. Brace yourselves for trouble.”
The squire pulled his sword from its sheath and noted that it remained in serviceable condition. A bark from the sea caused his abrupt turn. “Wolfer. Thank the forefathers you survived. Come here, boy.” To Varl’s delight, three of the hounds were dog-paddling in the water. Something else was in the sea with them and he nudged Telmane to show him.
The elf bent down from the raft and studied the purple newcomers. They had the elongated head of a pony, but the body of a fish, with fins moving in rapid motion to propel them forward. “I believe these are Sea Ponies. I have heard they are sentient and are friends to the mermaids.” He watched with wonder as the creatures nodded to him and motioned back towards the land which was just visible in the distance.
“Hmm…they want us to go back to the mainland
, but how are they suggesting for us to get there?” Telmane noticed one of the Sea Ponies was trying to pull a rope down from the raft with its mouth. His response was immediate. “Pass me that rope there, men. Tie one end firmly onto the raft.”
The sailors followed the elf’s instruction, secured the rope to the raft and threw the other end into the water. A group of about twenty Sea Ponies grabbed the length of it in their mouths and stretched it out in front of the raft, pointing towards the mainland.
“The pirates are coming.” Fandri jumped up and pointed at the ships, which were now easy to distinguish; coming apace with dark sails billowing.
“They won’t come quickly without the wind.” Grand Mage Nnarndam had recovered from his near-drowning and was rising to his feet.
Fandri and Varl cheered with excitement.
The mage looked tired and hunched over, but the fire of determination burned in his purple eyes. He raised his staff, which had somehow survived the shipwreck.
“Blow.”
That one simple word was enough to change the direction of the wind. The pirate ships stopped dead in the water, as their sails dropped. Then wind and waves began to push them back to Land’s End.
The knights and sailors joined the boys in cheering on Mage Nnarndam.
“Huzzah for the Grand Mage.”
“Huzzah, huzzah.”
Artwork: ‘Tsunami’ in water colour by Hecate Jerrett