James Somers - The Realm Shift

Today was a complete change from the day when Ethan sank the slaver ship. Today, puffs of white clouds hung in a blue sky. The Azure Sea had transformed back into a sapphire jewel.

Ethan stood upon the deck of the Maelstrom looking out to the horizon where many ships waited for Captain Bonifast to lead them into battle. As they approached the ragtag fleet, which King Stephen had assembled, Ethan noticed none of the other ships matched the Maelstrom in size. There were ships slightly smaller and a few half as big, but the Maelstrom outclassed them all.

Captain Bonifast and Gideon both stood on the deck in front of Ethan, watching the other ships approach. “Will you disembark to meet with the captains of the other vessels?” Gideon asked.

“There’s no time for such things,” Bonifast said. “We’ve still got another day’s travel just to reach the harbor of Emmanuel in time. King Stephen will be waiting for us to give the signal so he can begin his assault.”

“What’s the signal?” Ethan asked.

“Several hundred cannonballs smashing the enemy navy to smithereens while they sit in port!” he said with a laugh. “I can’t think of any better signal to start fighting than that; can you?”

Ethan shook his head. “That would do it, I suppose.”

“And once we barrel through the harbor, this old girl is going to start pounding away at the palace, itself, with our specials!”

“But how can you reach the palace from the harbor?” Gideon asked.

“These specials travel farther on less powder and our long barrels will get them there accurately. I’ll be aiming for the back wall on the cliff side overlooking the Azure. That bright white wall will make an easy target for my gunnery crews,” Bonifast explained. “Mordred won’t know what hit him!”

It sounded like a decent plan, but neither Gideon nor Ethan was as confident as Captain Bonifast. When demons were a part of the equation, just about anything might happen. Still, they were glad to be aboard the Maelstrom, and after witnessing Bonifast take on the slaver in the middle of a storm, and destroy Mordred’s ammunition depot in Tilley before that, the boys felt they had good reason to trust in the captain’s abilities. No matter what took place in the sea battle, the Maelstrom would be the safest place for them.

“As I said boys, I don’t have time to stop and go aboard the other ships in the fleet. However,” he said to Ethan, “if I could get you to take copies of my attack plan over to the other ships, while we are in transit, then we could coordinate and still make up for lost time.”

“I suppose I could do it,” Ethan said with a slight bit of hesitation. He waited to see if Gideon had any objections. The priest said nothing.

“That’s grand, lads. Wait a moment and I’ll retrieve the documents from my cabin,” he said, hurrying off to get them.

Gideon waited until Captain Bonifast was gone and then he spoke up. “Ethan, I would like for you to do something else while you’re away to the other ships, if you don’t mind.”

“What is it?”

“I’m still concerned about King Stephen hiring mercenaries to fight in this armada against Mordred. While you’re gone, just keep an eye out for spiritual activity aboard the others ships.”

“Especially the mercenary vessels?” Ethan asked.

“Exactly. We don’t want to let our guard down with the enemy. Above all things, they’re cunning. Cunning can outmatch brute strength any day.”

Captain Bonifast returned quickly with a leather satchel full of the parchments containing his coordinated attack plan for the fleet. He handed them over to Ethan. “Here you go, lad. I appreciate it very much.”

“Don’t you think the other ship captains will want to know why Ethan has appeared out of thin air to give them your plans?” Gideon asked.

“Possibly,” Bonifast admitted, “but don’t bother giving them an excuse. Say only that you are a servant of the Lord bearing the attack plans for the fleet from Captain Bonifast.”

“They’ll think he’s an angel,” Gideon said.

“Probably, but then they’ll be too afraid to ask anymore questions,” Bonifast said with a mischievous grin on his face. “And they might just fight better if they think this battle is blessed of God.” Somehow, Bonifast always made his outrageous shenanigans seem perfectly logical.

Bonifast and Gideon watched as Ethan disappeared. There was no flash, no twinkle, or specks of light, and no sound. He was simply there with them one moment and the next he was gone.

Ethan noticed the astonished look on Captain Bonifast’s face as he became invisible to them. The captain had not actually seen Ethan perform the realm shift. Gideon, on the other hand, was not surprised by it anymore. At least he didn’t show it.

Once again, Ethan stood in his mercury armor, his sword hovering at his side. He was mildly surprised to find the leather satchel had survived the shift and was still with him. He opened the flap and found the parchments. Good thing, he thought. I didn’t actually think about whether they could be carried over with me.

The Maelstrom sailed through the large convoy of ships, easily standing out among them all. Each ship, in turn, adjusted its course to come in with the Maelstrom in a loose formation befitting a fighting force. There were twenty-one ships in all, not counting the Maelstrom and they all looked formidable. Still, the navy Mordred now controlled had the ability to crush them if given the chance. If Bonifast did not surprise Mordred’s fleet, then this ragtag armada would never leave the harbor.

Ethan remembered his previous experience jumping from the deck of this ship to the slaver ship. He thought about his lesson with the little bird the Almighty had sent in answer to his prayer for instruction, laughing to himself-a simple lesson, but with such understated purpose. It reminded him of a still small voice speaking to him.

Ethan concentrated on the task, placing the leather satchel over his head, resting it on his left shoulder across his chest diagonally. Captain Bonifast and Gideon were already watching the other ships nearby. Bonifast raised his brass spyglass, sweeping their decks for his appearance.

Ethan stepped up to the railing of the Maelstrom. With his next step, he sprang away from the old sailing ship, out over the blue waters of Azure Sea. Ethan swept over the two hundred yards of calm blue toward his target. He touched down precisely with the leather satchel still safely resting at his right hip, his sword ever hovering obediently at his left. He spotted a man with a tricorn hat, whom he presumed must be the captain of this slightly smaller vessel. Ethan approached him.

The man talked with his helmsmen in nautical terms. These eluded Ethan, not having been aboard a ship long enough to be privy to such things. He held a metal instrument to his right eye and pointed it forward. He appeared to be gauging his calculations by the sun.

Ethan walked up to the captain and stood behind him, before making himself visible. As soon as he appeared in the physical world, now wearing his regular clothing again, Ethan spoke right up. “Captain?”

The man turned around. He did not seem startled. “Are you a member of this crew?” he asked.

“No, sir. I bring you news of Captain Bonifast’s battle plans. He has dispatched me with this document to be entrusted to the captain of this vessel.” Ethan removed one of Bonifast’s scrolls from the leather satchel, handing it ceremoniously to the captain. He tried to appear important, but the captain didn’t appear impressed.

He gave Ethan a slightly annoyed look as he took the document and started to unroll it. The captain looked the plan over, then rolled it back up. “Yes, yes, this all seems rudimentary enough.” Then without another word to Ethan, the captain turned back around, returning to his calculations.