I close my eyes and push against the connection to Silas on the pier.
“Silas,” I think. “Can you hear me?”
The connection is dark, and I can’t feel his presence nearby. I glance toward the wall. His magic must be blocking more than just the looming ships sailing their way.
“Silas, Gods damnit,” I yell into my mind. “There are more than two ships.”
No response.
“We have to get off this ship,” I shout back to Larkin. “Silas can’t hear me.”
Larkin moves to the opposite side of the ship, swinging the sword, as if he had done this his entire life. He fights with such ease that I can’t help but admire his stamina and precision. With each creature he strikes down, he moves on to the next one, occasionally taking on two at a time. Larkin swings his sword and slashes through the ropes that keep the lifeboats anchored to the ship's side. The small boats crash into the churning water, and some of the Wielders begin to abandon ship. The creatures scream as the water rises around the boat, recoiling with every drop that touches their cracking skin.
Are they afraid of water?
I watch a creature miss the dock's landing and plunge into the choppy water below. A brutal scream escapes the creature’s mouth as it claws against the current, desperate to grab onto anything. Its long arms slap against the waves, and the resurrected begin to vanish beneath the black water. I watch in horror as the once-human face disappears into the darkness.
“Silas, they can’t swim. The creatures can’t swim,” I scream, praying he can hear me.
Larkin races back to where I fight, just in time for me to drive my axe into the neck of a resurrected being. Blood peppers my face, and we have a moment of reprieve while the others continue fighting, and I use my magic to rest my aching arms.
“Good shot,” he cheers.
I stop to catch my breath, my chest heaving. “Thank you.”
“We have a decision to make right now,” he says, his chest also rising and falling rapidly.
“You aren’t supposed to make decisions under pressure,” I respond, wiping my eyes.
I pause for a moment and expel another surge of magic toward a creature stalking us. The blast throws the resurrected being back, taking out two more in its path, allowing us a moment to speak.
“This ship is sinking, and we have limited time to get off. We can shift as close as possible to the pier, or we can shift to the other ship and help them fight.”
I glance toward the pier and see the wall standing tall, still intact, without even a flicker of light escaping through the darkness. Then, I turn my head toward the ship, racing to cut off the other two containing the resurrected.
I consider both sides: one houses the people I care about the most in this world, and the other is filled with warriors who are risking their lives to fight for their kingdom.
I glance back at Larkin, and through the blood, his dark eyes shine with adrenaline, and his hair is no longer blonde; instead, it’s dark and coated with dark red blood.
“I don’t think the resurrected can swim,” I rasp. “I believe they crashed into this boat to bring down an entire ship of ours to limit our numbers. They were willing to sacrifice these creatures so the other two ships could sail toward land.”
“I think you are right,” he agrees.
“We need to head to the second ship and assist those Wielders. If they realize the creatures can’t swim, it gives us an advantage being in the water.”
“Alright,” Larkin says, turning to race to the front of the ship. “Hurry.”
I follow closely behind, swinging my axe at every creature that moves in my view. The screams fill the air, and even amidst the battle, I can’t help but think of those on the shore. The anxiety, the fear of what awaits them. If we can control this from the water, we stand a chance, but I’m not sure how to stop both ships from docking.
My vision snaps around the deck, and I notice a Wielder wearing different clothing than ours, with Rigils scarred into his body. I narrow my eyes, realizing several people are steering the ships on the long journey across the sea. I hit Larkin, and hisgaze immediately finds the Wielder scrambling on the ground near a fallen resurrected creature. Larkin rushes over to the man and lifts his sword. The enemy raises his arms, and I can see he mouths something to Larkin, begging for mercy. Larkin’s eyes turn dark, and I flinch as he drives his sword through the man's chest. The opposing Wielder slumps on the wooden deck.
I turn to face the Wielders still fighting for their lives and attempt to ignore the ones that have fallen so soon. Brave women and men lay motionless on the sinking ship, and it pangs my heart.
This battle has just begun, and our numbers are already down.
“Abandon ship. The creatures can’t swim; shift as far as you can to the shore, or get on the lifeboats.” I begin to wave my arms to get their attention. “Warn the others. Do not keep fighting. Go!” I scream, my throat becoming raw as my shouts struggle to compete with the howling wind.
Some of the Wielders vanish into the shadows or bright light, while others continue to swing their weapons desperately, aiming to bring them all down before the job is done.
