Robert Newcomb: A March into Darkness

Wigg quickly pointed a bony index finger. “You can!” he thundered back. “Or have you forgotten about your power of Consummate Recollection?”

“Uh, excuse me,” Adrian said as she walked nearer. “With all due respect, this isn’t getting us anyplace. Our goal was to teach me how to empower the Black Ships-not to fight among ourselves, remember?”

Sighing, Wigg rubbed his brow. “Yes, yes, I know,” he said. “But you aren’t grasping the concept.”

All morning, Wigg, Faegan, and Jessamay had been trying to teach Adrian how to fly one of the Black Ships. Six of the huge vessels had survived Wulfgar’s attack on Tammerland. The five others lay quietly at anchor nearby. If the Conclave’s plans were to succeed, the ships would be needed soon.

Each ship was easily four or five times the size of the largest that had once served the Eutracian fleet. Every part, including the sails, was solid black. Each of the ships’ five black masts rose dozens of meters into the air. Eight full decks lay below their topsides. Despite their huge size, these potent vessels could not only rise from the sea, but fly through the air with great speed. Due to other enchantments, they were nearly impervious to traditional forms of attack. One Black Ship is easily the equivalent of many normal vessels, Wigg was fond of saying.

Several weeks earlier, Tristan had ordered that a bright red image of the Paragon be painted onto each ship’s huge foresail. It had taken an entire Minion host more than a week to finish the job. When freed to the wind, they were an amazing sight.

The ships were all more than three hundred years old. Once the mainstays of the Directorate of Wizards’ battle fleet, they had been sunk by the Coven during the Sorceresses’ War. Using a Forestallment found in the Scroll of the Vagaries, Wulfgar had raised them and pressed them into his service. Now spoils of war, they were again firmly in the control of the Conclave. But the specialized gifts of those trained in the craft were required to unleash their amazing abilities.

Walking back over to her three teachers, Adrian looked at them humbly. Seawater still dripping from his robe, Wigg shot her a questioning glance.

“Are you ready to try again?” he asked.

Adrian nodded. “Yes, but I believe it would help if you explained the theory once more.”

“Very well,” he answered. Taking a deep breath, he looked into her eyes.

“As I have told you, this is a binary spell,” he started, “and they can be tricky. ‘Binary’ means two parts. As you can imagine, tri-spells and quadra-spells are even more difficult. In this case you are not trying to levitate the ship, then push it forward over the waves. Instead, you must change the atmospheric conditions surrounding her. Using the calculations we provided, first you must create a strong vacuum, just above the ship. If the spell is strong enough, the vacuum will attract the ship, causing her to rise.

“Performing the second part of the spell-while also maintaining the first-is the truly delicate part,” he went on to say. “You must simultaneously enlarge the vacuum and cause it to flow down toward the bow. Only then will she hover while being pulled forward. Instead of the wind pushing her from behind, this vessel ispulled into the emptiness of the morphing vacuums. And as we have already seen, if both parts of the calculations are not properly maintained, then the spell fractures, and the ship falls back into the sea. Now then, shall we try again?”

Nodding, Adrian recalled the complicated series of calculations. She raised her arms.

At once the ship started to rise. She wobbled a bit as her massive hull laboriously left the ocean surface. Dripping seawater from bow to stern, she slowly climbed about twenty meters into the air.

Wigg, Faegan, and Jessamay could see the strain on Adrian’s face. Walking closer, the First Wizard knew that the most difficult moment had again come.

“Good!” he said gently. Her concentration firmly locked on her work, Adrian did not look at him.

“Now,” Wigg said, “while maintaining the current vacuum, enlarge it and draw it down toward the ship’s bow.”

Straining to keep her focus, Adrian did as the wizard asked. This time the spell seemed to hold.

“Don’t be alarmed when she starts to move forward,” Wigg whispered.

No sooner had the wizard spoken than the great vessel started to glide over the waves. A joyous look overcame Adrian’s face.

“Good!” Wigg shouted. “But continue to concentrate! We can celebrate later!”

As the vessel gained speed, Jessamay and Faegan came nearer. The air rushing by them began teasing their hair and clothes. Smiling broadly, the crippled wizard slapped one hand down on the arm of his chair.

“I believe she’s got it!” he exclaimed. He gave Wigg a knowing wink. Wigg nodded, then looked back at Adrian.

“Since things are going so well, let’s try some basic maneuvers,” he said. He knew that Adrian was tiring, but pushing her would help strengthen her newfound talent.

During the next hour, Wigg showed Adrian how to change the ship’s speed, direction, and hull pitch by altering the vacuum’s intensity and shape. Now that she had the knack of it, Adrian was performing brilliantly. So much so that Wigg decided it was time for another test.

“While continuing to sustain the spells, walk to the bow and guide us home,” he ordered. “If you feel yourself tiring, shout out at once. We will quickly augment your power.”

Adrian slowly lowered her arms. She was beaming with pride. So far so good, she thought.

She walked to the bow, and steadied herself by grabbing part of the rigging. The other three mystics felt the huge ship start to carve a gentle turn in the air. Soon she was pointing straight toward the Eutracian coast.

Satisfied, Wigg walked over to the port gunwale. Jessamay came to join him. For several moments they didn’t speak, choosing instead to simply enjoy the wondrous sensation.

Jessamay smiled. “It’s been a long time since we stood on these decks, eh, First Wizard?” she asked. “Then again, in some ways it seems like only yesterday.”

Wigg turned to look at her. She expected to see a smile on his face, but only sadness showed.

“A long time indeed,” he answered. “It’s good to have you back.”

“You miss Celeste terribly, don’t you?” Jessamay asked.

Wigg looked back out to sea. “Yes,” he answered. “She was my only child. Perhaps the hardest part is that I knew her so briefly. She suddenly came into my life as a fully grown adult, only to age quickly, then die in my arms.”

Taking a deep breath, he paused for a moment as the sea wind continued to harass his robe. “A father isn’t supposed to outlive his child,” he added quietly.

Jessamay placed a hand over his. “I know,” she answered.

Wigg returned his gaze to Jessamay and took in her long, curly blond hair, blue eyes, and slim figure. She was pretty, in a wholesome, country-girl sort of way. Her simple green shirt, dark trousers, and black boots enhanced that impression. Three centuries earlier, Wigg had granted her the time enchantments. At the time she had been thirty-five Seasons of New Life. Even though she was nearly as old as he, she didn’t look it-a fact everyone had trouble remembering. But her power was formidable, and the wizards knew that her gifts and knowledge would soon prove invaluable.

Suddenly they heard Adrian cry out. With a frightened look on her face, she turned toward them. The Black Ship was slowly but inexorably gliding down toward the ocean.

“I can’t hold her!” Adrian shouted. “I’m too tired!”

Smiling, Wigg looked over at Jessamay. “Would you like to do the honors, or shall I?”