Sentria: The Age of Adventure (Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Dead Seas

I stared at the pirates in front of the Green Lizard in disbelief. They were holding torches, lighting up their section of the dark beach. All the men looked grizzled and dirty and I feared for Prince Lucas's safety in such a company. I searched desperately for him but I didn't see him. I picked out Snakeskin instantly who stood in front of the group, tanned and hairy. He wore a black tiger fur coat that came down to his feet and a live green king cobra slithered around his neck. 

"Lassie?!" said Snakeskin with a hardy laugh. He held a cup of what I assumed was ale by his sloppy gestures and peered in our direction. "Is that you little Lassie?!"

The Iron Lass didn't move. She stayed in place and stared at him without a reaction.

"I have it on good authority that you have people with you looking for me," he said. "Or more exactly, this."

A pirate from the ship walked down the ramp holding Prince Lucas. He was badly bruised with his arms tied behind his back. Both of his eyes were black and his jaw was swollen. It was my worst fear. Lucas was brought next to Snakeskin and pushed down to his knees.

Snakeskin laughed again and said, "I wanted you to know, that by harboring people against me,  means that you are against me, and we're gonna cut every single last one of your crew in half with rusty swords for your offense." He poured more of his ale in his mouth and spat it on Lucas's face. "Do you hear me!"

"Run!" She told everyone, and all the pirates around me ran for the Emperor King.

I turned to Eldwyn and said, "Eldwyn—" but before I could finish, he created a portal with a circle of his arm and ported over to Lucas. I saw him in the distance grab the prince quicker than Snakeskin could react, and he ported in front of the King Emperor. The pirates in league with Snakeskin then ran after him and I raced towards the ship. They were closer to it than I was, but I was faster than all of them.

I made it to the ship and the sailors were in their position to sail the King Emperor away. I could tell by the look of the ship that it hadn't finished being repaired, but the Iron Lass was left with no choice. I looked around for Prince Lucas and saw him by the side of the boat in Eldwyn's lap. His eyes were half-opened and so was his mouth. He looked awful.

"Lucas...how are you?" I asked as I kneeled to his side.

Prince Lucas didn't answer me. He tried to smile but it pained him too much and he gave up. I took my shirt and cleaned off his face. As we sailed, the boat leaned to one side. The sailors did their best to compensate, but the ship just wasn't in the best condition to move as fast as it once had.

"Lagoon Lad!" screamed Lodi. "See to these sails!"

Eldwyn stood up and lifted his hands in the air, and this time the winds obeyed and the ship moved northward at a faster rate than ever before. They weren't yet free, however, as the sound of cannon fire cut through the night air and a cannonball hit the back of the ship. The ship rocked and Eldwyn fell to his knees then got quickly. 

"I will not be stopped!" he yelled, looking angrily at the rival ship. He used more force of wind and the Emperor King moved faster.

"I need to find find the surgeon!" I told Eldwyn above the whipping winds and cannon fire. "Lucas is in bad condition!"

Eldwyn turned his head to me and said, "We need the vital elixir!"

"They're in the Green Lizard, Eldwyn!" I reminded him.

"They have your sword and shield too, Darren. He stole from us and we should return the favor."

"Eldwyn!" I yelled at him, but by then he had created another portal and disappeared.

I saw another portal appear on the Green Lizard as Eldwyn jumped out of it. He wasn't normally this irrational and I began to panic. I closed my eyes and prayed to Danos to save my friends. This was awful, and I felt powerless, at the mercy of nature like a feather in a storm. Seconds felt like minutes and I kept telling Lucas that all would be well over and over again, though our surroundings didn't make it appear as such. 

The sailors fired their cannons back at the Green Lizard and the cabin boys helped them. I wanted to load the cannons for them as I had been taught, but I couldn't leave Lucas' side.

Eldwyn reappeared back on the ship with all the items in his arms: my sword, shield, and our bags. I was more relieved that Eldwyn returned than our things returned. They spilled to the floor until there was just a small pouch in his hand. 

"Here." Eldwyn tossed me the bag to me and I caught it. It had the vital elixir in it. I took it out and poured the contents in Lucas's mouth.

"That was dangerous, Eldwyn," I said, looking up at him. "You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I know what I'm doing," said Eldwyn, lifting his hands controlling the winds again. "I'm not that same relic you once knew in the Old Wood. I can take care of myself."

"I've known that you've grown but you're becoming...recklessly. We need to have a plan and think things through."

"I've survived on my own for a year without you and I'm in control of my powers."

Another cannonball rocked the ship and I saw Eldwyn bite down in anger. I had never seen him give in to his emotions this way.

"We can't take another hit!" said Lodi, holding onto one of the masts.

Eldwyn walked over to the side of the ship nearest to the Green Lizard and I was struck by a bad feeling. "What are you doing?!" I asked, reaching out to him as if I could pull him back.

Eldwyn walked between two of the cannons that were firing back at the Emperor King. The area was thick with smoke as cabin boys ran back and forth with gun powder and lit the fuses as  sailors aimed the cannons. Eldwyn raised his hands up in the air slowly. Then, just as slowly, he moved his hands forward, pulled them back, and with force pushed them back out again. 

I couldn't believe what I saw next. 

The Green Lizard ripped in half from a vicious wind, slicing it like an invisible blade. The wooden ship exploded in fire as men were thrown into the ocean. Bloodcurdling screams filled the air as the ship slowly sank. The remaining pirates jumped overboard into the dark sea trying to save their lives.

"Eldwyn..." I said, "What have you done?"