The Master And The Apprentice challenge the Angry Elementals
Chapter 5 Part 1 (Voyage of the Dawn Breaker)
The young man paled and started shaking when he saw Rhyslin walking toward him. The young man fell to his knees when the draoidh stopped before the door. "I'm sorry, Maighstir Darkblade. I didn't mean to damage the ship. Please don't kill me."
Rhyslin shook his head at the display. "Get up, Rembran; I won't kill you."
The young man looked up in relief, "You won't? Oh, thank Quetzalcoatl," he slowly rose. "I thought you would be mad at me." He brushed his fingers through his hair as he looked down at the deck.
“Why? For trying and failing?” When the young man nodded, Rhyslin snorted, “If we did that, we would have no army at all.” He reached past the apprentice and pushed the door open. “Come, let's introduce you to Ixa and Andros.”
“Ixa and Andros,” the apprentice looked confused. “Who are they?”
Instead of answering, Rhyslin walked through the door and crossed the cabin to where O'Cuire was standing, looking down at a flashing orb that was sitting on a platform that was attached to thin copper wires that burrowed into the bulkheads, decks, and deck-heads around it. The Draoidh watched the orb, judging its state from the duration and color of the flashes of the orb. After a few minutes, Rhyslin realized the beings inside were distressed and confused. With a nod to the captain, he stepped up and placed his right hand on the orb.
Closing his eyes, he reached out with his thoughts. Ixa, Andros. Are you two okay?” As usual, the two elemental beings pulled him into a place outside reality and made him wait for them to appear. He was surprised when the two beings attacked him with their most potent spells. The two quickly put him on the defensive as they threw rocks, shards of stone, and lightning bolts at him. What the Ifrinn?
Fixing his attention on the weaker of the two, he slammed his staff on the ground and yelled, "Tuit agus cadal." When the screaming woman didn't fall, he blinked in surprise and watched the two. This situation isn't good, he thought as he felt a rush of air behind him and took a step forward, turned quickly, and slammed his staff into the midriff of the man who was attempting to stab him in the back. “glùin,” he commanded, forcing the man to his knees and freezing him in place.
The woman screeched as she leaped for his throat. "I'm going to kill you; then I'm going to kill the magaidh."
Something is wrong, he thought as he sidestepped the attack and reached out, touching her on the lower back. "Gluin." forcing the woman to kneel before him.
"We yield, Maighstir Darkblade," The man said, ending the fight. With the fight over, the draoidh was returned to his body and glanced at the orb, which had settled into a dull brown/blue pattern. That was different. What was wrong with them? He dismissed that thought as he looked at the apprentice and gestured for him to approach the orb. The young man took six timid steps and froze at Rhyslin's side. "Place your right hand on the orb and be ready to defend yourself."
What am I defending myself from? Rembran wondered as he placed his right hand on the orb beside Rhyslin's.
Ixa, Andros. Magaidh Meron is injured. Magaidh Rembran will assume his station until he returns. Hearing Rhyslin's voice in his head was a shock, but one that he dismissed as the two elemental beings pulled him into a strange world. He took a second to examine the space that surrounded him.
"No, no more maighean will ever touch me again!" A woman screamed as she threw a lightning bolt at him.
Acting on pure instinct, Rembran ducked and rolled to the right. Rhyslin never said anything about them using pure elemental Draoidheachd. He thought as he turned in place and tried to figure out where the shot had come from.
"Stupid cow, now he knows we are here," A masculine voice said as he threw a stone spike in Rembran's direction. Again, he rolled away from the attack.
I can't fight them if I can't see them. Rembran judged as he assumed a ready stance. I could at least defend myself if I had my sword and shield. As if granting his wish, the very fabric of the space changed. The nebulous darkness coalesced into a muddy field. Rembrandt was at the center of that field, replete in chain armor, with a shield and sword. That's what I'm talking about. He shifted his stance as the chain settled around him, and his smile turned feral as he hefted the kite shield.
Now, let's see who's trying to kill me, he thought as he bent his will to force the two assailants into physical form. One became a six-foot-tall, barrel-chested plains barbarian wearing buckskin clothing.
The other coalesced into a lovely woman with Auburn hair. Her voluptuous figure was adorned in silken veils covering her head to foot.
The man nodded as he partook of his form. “Good,” he commented as he hefted his light spear and assumed a mirrored stance with his round shield held out.
If you like what you’ve read, please consider buying my book. You can find it at https://books2read.com/u/4A2Wnd.
You can also buy my second novel “Contracts and Chaos” at https://books2read.com/u/bwVkyP
Or if you wish, you can buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/JosephWiess1