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“Hurry,” Claudia whispered. “Hurry before they find you.”
Silvio’s bare feet sunk deep into the sand that glowed under the night sky, calves tense as he trudged toward the water.
His friends picked up the last of their belongings on the shore. A moment later, all four of them pushed their skiff into the sea, piling their blankets, bows, lances and arrows as far into the bow as they could rest them. The salty foam of the breakers tickled Silvio’s toes as the waves receded, beckoning the lad to follow.
Silvio turned to his mother.
“Don’t look back, my boy. Just hurry and stay away from the silver tide. Hacatine’s serpents are alert, and they will see you in the moonlight.” The woman stepped forward. Her cloak hid her eyes, but Silvio could still see the sorrow that streamed down her cheeks. With trembling hands, she placed a delicate chain over his head, and it fell around his neck, weightless.
“She’ll take all the power on Taikus, yours if you stay. Even mine. I’m giving you my magic,” she said.
“Mother,” Silvio protested. He tried moving from her hold, but it was too late. A warm sensation tingled through his veins as the magical glow of his mother’s sorcery eased from the tips of her fingers into his flesh. The sorceress power felt alien to Silvio, being a magic of vision and sight, rather than of wisdom like his own wizardry. She sealed the transfer with a kiss.
“No one can ever steal my magic from you. With it, you are like a chameleon. Like the branches of a stately fir, your arms will spread. Your eyes will see everything that goes on around you, but no one will see you. You will be nourished by the air you breathe, and in your guise, you will find peace. Use the magic sparingly. If you hide with it too many times, you’ll arouse suspicion. Hacatine knows sorcery all too well, and she knows the magic of each of her subjects, mine included. If she suspects I’ve protected you, she might also guess your whereabouts just by the spell. That would endanger both of us. Now go. Go to the far lands. Don’t return while Hacatine is queen. She’ll kill you if you do.”
When he opened his mouth to protest, she touched his lips with her fingers. “I would rather give my son to new lands than have him tortured by the witch. Don’t argue. You won’t convince me otherwise.”
Silvio’s comrades were already in the boat, bracing their oars in the sands of the shallow water to keep from floating away.
“Go,” she whispered again.
They embraced.
He feared all he had left of her was the memory of her standing on the beach—that, and her magic as they rowed over the waves and out to sea.
“So! Here we are. Four teenage conjurers sent adrift from the island of Taikus, running from our homes like outlaws. To where, no one knows,” Silvio said as they rolled over the breakers.
“It’s a sad thing, too. The island needs us,” Kaempie said.
Silvio and his four friends held the last of the stabilizing powers of Taikus. As far as they knew, they were the only ones left of their kind. The Sorceress Queen Hacatine had stripped the magic from the men of the island and left them helpless. She had slaughtered many of her victims. It was to Hacatine’s benefit to wait for each Taikan boy to ripen into maturity so that every bit of their power was ready for her harvest. Tonight was the night planned for Kaempie and Reuben’s coming of age ceremony, but they all knew it was more likely the night of their death. Silvio eyed the older boys as they settled into the crowded skiff. Kaempie rolled up his sleeves, lifted the oars from under the gunwale and nodded to Meneka. Kaempie was the oldest of the four and the one that Silvio looked up to.
“We’ll take our turn at the oars, two of us at a time,” Kaempie said. “Meneka, you and I will row first, and then Reuben and Silvio. We’ll need mine and Reuben’s powerful arms to keep us on course.”
“Ha!” Meneka sneered. “Strong arms? Is that right? Do Silvio and I look like Taikan women?”
“Taikan women are stronger than you think, Meneka. Their powers are secret and capture the mind. Don’t belittle them.” Silvio mumbled, glancing briefly at the chain that glittered on his chest. He closed his cloak, gripping the cloth together.
And of course, Kaempie’s right, Silvio thought, but he knew better than to argue that point with Meneka.
“Still and all, I’ve grub to barter that my arms are just as strong as theirs.” Meneka glared at Kaempie.
“Would you care to wrestle to prove us wrong?” Reuben asked, a wry smile on his face.
“Not in a boat, please.” Silvio’s green eyes darted between the two. He barely knew Reuben, but he had always thought of Meneka as a troublemaker. “You’ll drown us all.”
Meneka snickered. “Spoken like a true wizard,” he said. “One who doesn’t know how to swim.”
“I hate the water.” Silvio shifted on the wooden seat. “And I don’t plan on becoming part of it.”
“We’ll get farther without quarreling,” Kaempie interrupted. “All of our lives are at risk right now. Look, the full moon rises.”
To the east, behind the island of Taikus, which was now just a dark mass against an even darker sky, was the faint golden glow of a moonrise.
“If we don’t reach the shadows of the northern shores of Bandene before daylight, Hacatine’s sea slaves will spot us and we’ll all be dead. We’ll ride the current to Alisubbo and follow the coast from there. Row, Meneka. Show us that exceptional strength of yours.”
“And her serpent? What if one of her messengers sees us?” Silvio asked. Everyone knew about Hacatine’s water slaves, giant eel-like creatures that slithered along the ocean bottom, surfacing at her command. No one was sure how Hacatine tamed them, but it was rumored that whenever she raised her golden dagger, a serpent broke the surf and bowed to her will. With her spells, the witch not only could summons the water eels, but could also call forth the Griffons, giant condors with black hearts and razor talons. With these servants, Hacatine could track whomever she pleased.
“Let’s just hope she doesn’t know we’ve left until we’ve reached land.” Kaempie mumbled. “Maybe she’ll think us insignificant enough not to bother tracking us.”
“Yes. Here’s hoping.” Meneka’s tone reeked of sarcasm. It was doubtful that Hacatine would stop her pursuit of the last four wizards in the world. Without their power, she could never claim full dominance over the Winds of the North.
None of them spoke after that. Meneka and Kaempie rowed in time with each other, their backs rocking back and forth as they navigated the surf. The wind picked up the salty spray as the oars tossed water in the air. Silvio slid off the seat and nestled against the blankets in the center of the boat, grabbing onto whatever he could to keep his balance when they hit a surge. Reuben sat next to him, staring at the island they were leaving behind.
The temperature dipped from humid to cool, and then as the fog rolled in, Silvio’s slender body shook. He was miserable.
Hours passed. They tossed in the waters until the island of Taikus was no longer a dark mass against the horizon. The fog rolled in and concealed its existence altogether. Silvio dozed but was awakened when the boat jolted.
“The water’s getting rougher,” he turned to Reuben, who only nodded. The solemn look on the older conjurer’s face was not an invitation for conversation.
“We’re getting closer to shore.” Kaempie said. The glance he exchanged with Reuben roused Silvio’s alarm. The two were good friends, close to the same age. Eighteen. Had Taikus been under the Wizards’ rule, protocol would have given them freedom to choose wives at their age and to enter politics. Silvio had three more years before that would happen, so he felt it wasn’t a significant loss. But Kaempie and Reuben had been stripped of the adult Taikan way of life just as they were ready to enter it.
“Let me row,” Silvio said. “I need to stay warm.”
“What, and make one of us vulnerable to the wind?” Meneka asked. If Silvio was going to replace anyone, it would be him.
“Share, Meneka,” Silvio sneered. Silvio edged into the seat next to Meneka. “Hand me the sweep. Take a break.”
With protest, Meneka glared at Silvio but looked to Kaempie for direction.
“Silvio’s right.” Kaempie said. “The water is rougher here and we’ve both been at the oars a long while. Let’s let Reuben and Silvio row. I could use some rest.”
No sooner were those words uttered, and Reuben set to the scull, than the boat lunged into the air. Silvio flew to the stern, landing on top of Meneka, who pushed him off his stomach as they both grappled to gain their balance. Kaempie and Reuben knelt, holding onto the sides of the skiff. The boat spun in the air and dove back toward the water.
“Serpent!” Kaempie called out as they crashed into the waves. Water splashed against them. Packs and weapons floated in the boat’s bottom sloshing back and forth. Kaempie and Reuben both grabbed their spears, leaned over the gunwale, and pierced at the slimy shape that was attempting to capsize their vessel.
“You can’t kill it,” Silvio shouted above the sound of the roaring sea. The serpent screeched, a deafening cry.
“What then?” Reuben asked him as the boat rose and pitched over the back of the creature.
“Magic,” Meneka called out.
Kaempie tossed his lance inside the boat and brushed his soaking hair from his eyes.
“Reuben, stop,” he said. “Stop!”
Reuben looked angrily over his shoulder. Silvio, Meneka and Kaempie huddled in the center of the boat, holding onto each other and to the gunwale. Water soaked their clothes as it showered over them, agitated by the violent rocking of the skiff.
“Reuben,” Kaempie called again, and the man reluctantly found his place next to the three, his dark eyes scowling.
“Will us to shore,” Kaempie said. They huddled with their heads together as the boat continued to toss. Silvio would have been thrown from his seat if Kaempie hadn’t locked onto his arm.
“Save us. By the wisdom of the Northern Wind, we cry. From our hearts.”
“From our hearts,” the others repeated. Meneka wiped his nose with his sleeve. Silvio bit his tongue and shut his eyes so tightly his cheeks hurt. All he could see was green. The green of the Wizards’ power spun like a waterspout in his mind. He peeked at the others. The fog was so thick with a putrid green he could barely see their heads. The tossing of the skiff ceased. They were airborne. A stiff wind blew his hair back, exposing his ears to the chill as they descended, nearing the deep waters at terrifying speed.
Reuben looked up.
“Hold your breath!” he yelled just as a giant wave swallowed the boat, their belongings and them. Before he could inhale, Silvio was submerged in the dark waters.
