Brian Pratt - Fires of prophesy

“What did you say that for?” he asks.

Grinning, Jiron replies, “When questioned, I’m hoping he’ll tell them that we’re going to Cardri so they’ll look for us in that direction.”

“Good idea, if he understood you,” he says. Turning to the giant he created, he cancels the spell and it quickly dissipates back into nothing.

They run toward the estate and see someone run in through the front door just before it slams shut. Altering their course, they make for the front door. Jiron’s the first to reach it and tries to open it only to find it locked. “It’s locked,” he tells James as he joins him at the door.

James puts his hand against it and lets loose the power. With a crack, the door flies open and smashes into the wall.

Jiron runs inside as he searches for whoever it was that had slammed the door shut, but is unable to locate anyone.

“The boat!” James says as he runs through the house to the back where the dock lies.

Jiron joins him and they race through the house and out the back door. Once outside, they find the man running toward the boat, intent on getting away. He turns and sees them leaving the house and bolts toward the boat, drawing a knife and cutting the lines as fast as he can. Giving the boat a shove, the man jumps aboard as the boat begins to drift away from the docks.

As they race onto the dock, the ship is now ten feet away and is beginning to pick up speed as the wind fills the hastily unfurled sails. Without even hesitating, Jiron runs to the edge and leaps across the distance, landing on the deck of the boat.

James stops on the dock and watches as Jiron draws his knives and advances on the man. With sword at the ready, the man engages him, but after a few quick exchanges, his sword drops to the deck and Jiron’s knife is at his throat. He kicks the man’s sword away and then points back to the dock where James is waiting.

Adjusting the sail and turning the tiller, the man maneuvers the boat back to the dock where James climbs on board. “Thank you,” he says to Jiron.

Smiling back at him, he replies, “Not a problem.”

James goes to the man and says, “Take us out to sea now, please.”

The man just looks blankly back at James as if he doesn’t understand. “Do you understand me?” he asks. Again, no response.

Jiron then says to James, “If he’s not going to be any use to us, should I just slit his throat and toss his body over the side?”

The man visibly pales and says, “I can understand you.”

“Thought you might,” Jiron tells him. “Now, take us out to sea.”

“What are you going to do with me?” the man asks, not making any move to comply with Jiron’s demand.

“We merely wish to borrow you and your boat for a short time,” he says. “If you’re helpful, we might even pay you for your inconvenience.” When the man still hasn’t begun to get the boat underway, Jiron says, “Now, are you going to help or should I toss your lifeless body over the side?”

The man takes a moment, obviously deciding between flight and acquiescing. “If you jump in,” Jiron tells him, “I’ll jump in after you.”

As if that’s all he needed, the man turns and begins to get the sails in order. He then turns the tiller to angle the boat out to sea.

“Where is it we’re going?” the man asks.

“Not exactly sure yet,” James tells him. “Maybe you can help us with that.”

“How can I be of any help?” the man asks, confused.

“We’re searching for a friend of ours,” he tells him. “He was taken as a slave and brought to this area. All we know now is that he’s working underground somewhere, possibly in a mine.”

“Then your friend is most likely at the Sorna Iron Mines,” he tells them. “It’s an island some miles off the coast to the south of here.”

James nods his head and says, “That sounds right.” He thinks for a moment as the ship sails further out to sea and away from the port. Coming to a decision, James says, “First, we want you to take us north for a ways and then swing west out to sea before heading to the island, understand?”

“No,” he replies, “but I’ll do it.”

“Thank you.”

As the man turns the boat to follow the coast to the north, he asks, “Are you two the ones they’re searching for?”

“Maybe,” replies James. “Depends on who ‘they’ are, and who’s doing the searching.”

“There have been rumors that spies from the north have come to the Empire to sow dissension and destruction,” he tells them. “One of them is a mage of some power, or so the rumor says.”

James smiles at that, ‘some power’. “What’s your name?” he asks the man.

“Kristo.”

“Kristo?” Jiron say questioningly, “Doesn’t sound like an empire name to me.”

“It’s not,” Kristo replies. “My parents moved us here long ago from our home further to the south.”

“Ah,” replies Jiron.

They continue on up the coast for several miles and when they can no longer see anyone on the shoreline, they have him turn and head west, further out to sea.

James has always liked being out on the water, and with no one trying to immediately kill or capture him, he’s able to sit back, relax and enjoy it. They continue on for another hour out to sea before turning to the south and the island.

By this time, the sun begins its descent toward the horizon. “How far is it to the island?” James asks Kristo.

“Not exactly sure,” he says, “but probably several hours away.” Glancing at the sun, he says, “Be dark by the time we get there.”

“Will that be a problem?” James asks him.

“Definitely,” he says. “I’ve never been there so don’t know the waters or where the dangers are. We could just sail right into a reef or the side of the island before we were even aware it was there.”

“Just sail until dark and then drop anchor,” he tells him. “In the morning, we’ll continue the rest of the way.”

“Are you sure?” he asks. “This isn’t a deep sea ship, just a coast hugger. If we’re caught in a squall, we’re going to go under.”

James glances to the sky and at the clouds beginning to turn pink. “Pink at night, sailors’ delight.”

“What?” asks Jiron.

“Oh, just a saying from home,” he says. “‘Pink at night, sailor’s delight. Pink in the morning, sailors take warning’.” He gestures to the clouds overhead and says, “It just means if the clouds turn pink at sunset, then the sea should remain calm through the night.”

“Is that true?.

“Don’t know,” he replies with a shrug. “It’s just a saying I picked up somewhere.”

Kristo just shrugs as they look at him, “Don’t ask me.”

They continue sailing until dark and then Kristo drops the anchor as they await the coming of morning. James and Jiron take turns keeping watch on Kristo and the boat throughout the night, not wanting to take the chance that Kristo might do something.

When the sky starts to lighten with the dawn, they have Kristo raise anchor and lower the sails. The wind begins moving them and before too much longer, they’re once more rapidly making their way across the water toward the island, hopefully where Miko is.

Using his mirror to locate other ships in the vicinity, James has Kristo steer around them, keeping a safe distance between them to avoid detection. “Jiron,” James says after one such check.

“What?”

“We’re coming up on the island,” he tells him. “It should become visible pretty soon.”

“And?” he asks.

“I’ve been searching the area and I think I’ve located where Miko would be,” he says. “There’s a compound on the northern section that looks to surround a mine entrance. To the south is a series of buildings with smoke coming from them. I think they may be processing whatever is coming out of the mines.”