Chapter 12
1537 Words
12
“Keep her in the water!” Xander ordered Abha as he rushed southward down the beach.
I tried to follow him, but Abha swam over and wrapped her body tight around me. I twisted around and pushed against her snake body. “Let me go!”
“You are remaining here,” she insisted.
I glared at Xander’s disappeared, and cute, backside. “Xander! You ass! Tell her to let me go!” He didn’t even pause.
Abha glanced to our left. “He is being careful. Look.”
She pointed in the direction of the opening of the bay. I followed her finger and my eyes widened as I beheld a small fleet of white-sailed ships. They drew into the bay on the winds of the ocean and extended their oars once they entered the calm bay. The wooden paddles stretched fifty feet and allowed the ships to cut through the water toward the docks.
I squirmed and thrashed. “Let me go! I want to help!”
She scoffed. “A Mare Fae who is hardly swimming? Are you having any powers?”
I glared at her. “Just let me go! Now!”
My word was punctuated by an unnatural phenomenon. A wave swelled from the deeper depths of the water to our left and slammed into us. The wave slipped between the snake and my body, and pushed us apart. I yelped and took in a mouthful of water as I was dragged down the bay by the rogue wave.
Abha stood in the water and watched me move farther and farther away from her. I waved to her. “Some help here!”
A sly smile slipped onto her lips. She raised her hand and waved back. “You are doing good swimming now!”
“Not helping!”
I twisted around in the grip of the wave and watched the beach fly by. Xander had a twenty-yard head start, but I was gaining. Unfortunately, I was also coming between the shore and the incoming ships. Also, there was a problem with the docks. I was coming up on a long one that was too low for me to sail under.
I leaned back and pressed my feet in the water like there was a brake. “Whoa!”
The wave stopped and melted into the water. I was dunked into the six-feet deep water and came up sputtering.
The fast ships reached the docks and a rough-looking crew of monsters jumped onto the planks. Their features were hidden under heavy cloaks made of sheep skin and the skulls covered their faces. Most carried leather bags, but some wielded slingshots. I’d seen enough of Euclid’s expertise with that weapon to know it was no toy.
I paddled toward shore. My terrible form meant I sounded like a bull in a china shop. The rough customers on my dock hurried down the planks toward to me. My feet touched land and I sloshed through the water to shore. I was in front of Cayden’s beach paradise that was now a hellish war zone.
A ram’s horn blown by one of the invaders sounded the alarm and my pursuers paused. Many shouted and pointed to the southern cliffs. Two dozen shadows flew from the barracks toward them. I hurried away from the dock, but the bag-carrying things merely scurried past me onto shore. They rushed up the beach onto the road like rabbits and disappeared into the interior of the land.
The ones with the slingshots knelt on one knee in the direction of the southern cliffs and drew out little balls of a waxy green substance. They armed the sling and drew back the shot. Another row of the invaders with thick wooden shields placed themselves between the weaponed comrades and the incoming dragons.
“Hold your hands!” one of the invaders bellowed.
The fellow wore the largest ram skull among them and stood among the weapon wielders. He raised his hand. The dragons drew closer. Fifty yards. Twenty. He dropped his arm. The slingshot people fired their gunky balls at the dragon warriors. The ammo splatted against the wings and bodies of the dragons. Any who were touched cried out in pain and fell from the sky in a dizzying tailspin. Their wings disappeared into their backs and their taloned claws became human hands. They hit the water hard.
Half of the remaining patrol dove down after them while the other half stopped their charge in midair. They held bows and drew arrows from the quivers on their backs. The dragons fired off the arrows, but the shields blocked most of the arrows.
An errant arrow whistled past me and reminded me I was in a bad spot. I rushed to the stairs and onto the patio. A crashing noise came from inside and the patio doors were flung open. Colin and his mother ran out with one of the invaders close at their heels.
I picked up one of the pillows for the benches and whacked him in the face. The invader was more stunned by the soft attack than the attack himself and stumbled back. A low growl echoed from his skull helmet.
I backed up with my pillow weapon against my chest and nervously smiled at him. “Sorry?”
He let out a yell and lunged at me. A shadow flew down from the roof and slammed into his back. The invader crashed face-first into the hard stone patio flooring. His skull helmet broke in twain and revealed the face of a human man.
I looked up and smiled at Xander. “You’re late.” He had a stern face as he picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. “Hey! Lemme down!”
“You were to remain with Abha,” he growled as he marched inside the house.
There was a mild amount of destruction in the hall, and I heard a sound of clashing metal come from the kitchen. Colin and his mother hurried behind us.
“Your Lordship, are these the humans who have terrorized the coast?” Colin’s mother asked us.
“They are pirates, Mother!” Colin shouted with glee.
“They are indeed the human scavengers,” Xander confirmed.
We turned right at the entrance hall and hurried to the kitchen doorway where we stopped. Before us stood Darda, and opposite her was one of the cloaked humans. She held a ladle, he a long sword. They fenced to and fro around the kitchen, overturning pots and pans as they went. The four of us watched like spectators at a tennis match until Xander cleared his throat.
“A moment, My Lord,” Darda replied. She disarmed the fellow with a quick twist of her wrist and conked him hard on the head. He dropped to the floor in a heap of sheep rags before she turned to us. “I am glad to see you are both safe.”
Xander pursed his lips as he looked down at the unconscious human. “These humans have no killing intent.”
I snorted. “They were just after everybody for their clothes?”
He set me down. “That is quite possible, but for now you must remain here while I fend them off.”
I crossed my arms and glared at him. “Like hell I am. I’m going with you.”
“Me, too!” Colin yelled.
His mother grabbed his shoulders and pulled him against her chest. “You are certainly not!”
“There will be no discussions,” Xander replied as he looked to Darda. “Keep her inside.” Darda bowed her head.
Xander turned away. I reached out for his arm, but Darda leapt between us and shook her head. “Let him be, Miriam.”
I frowned. “I can help!”
She arched an eyebrow. “How do you intend to do so?”
I grabbed a spoon off the island and waved it at her. “I don’t care. I’ll fight with this if I-” Darda knocked the spoon out of my hand with her ladle.
“You would only endanger both of you,” she insisted.
I whipped my head around for another weapon. A pitcher of water sat on the counter. I rushed over and picked it up. The water sloshed over me as I spun around to face Darda. “I can control water!”
She furrowed her brow. “Miriam, have you lost your senses?”
“I can! Watch!” I concentrated on the surface. My reflection glared back at me. After a few moments I relaxed and frowned. “I know I can.”
Darda walked over to me and set a hand on my shoulder. “I will protect you here. Be assured of-” I whacked her arm away.
“I don’t want protecting! I’ve had enough of everybody pulling me around like I’m some dead weight!” I snapped. I stuck my arm in the pitcher to draw water. “I’m going to do something!”
And I did. The water in the pitcher rose up in the shape of a serpent and hissed at Darda. She stumbled back with her mouth agape. Colin’s mother drew him back, but he grinned and pointed at the creature. “I want one of those, Mother!”
I gawked at the serpent. “Am I. . .am I doing that?”
Darda set her eyes on me and blinked. “My Lady, how have you done that?”
I shook my head as I drew my arm from the water. The sea dragon shrank in size. I pushed my arm back in and it got bigger. An idea hit me. I stiffened my jaw and shoved the jar into Darda’s hands. The ladle clattered to the floor. “Stay here and protect these two.”
“But Miriam-” Darda started as I strode past her.
I took off and my voice echoed behind me. “If this works I’ll be right back!”
- Writer
