“Look! Do you see it?” he asked, pointing up ahead. She could see it. It was still small, but there was definitely some kind of port town up the coast.

There were boats floating out like specks on the water, black and white bugs in an ocean. Some buildings were clustered together at the shore. There were others that were scattered outward from the cluster, white dots among trees. A peninsula jutted out from the coast a little bit before the town. A lighthouse stuck out at the end of it.

“We’re almost there. Then we can rest for a bit and finally get on our way over the water,” Bo said, looking out at the ocean where the sun was starting to set.

“Will we make it before the sun sets?” she asked him, putting the talisman in his hand.

“No,” he frowned, “Can you keep going? Just a bit longer? I think we can make it a few hours after dark if we keep moving.”

“That sounds like a bad idea. What happens at night?” He hesitated.

“It will be fine. There is not much here. I don’t…I don’t sense anything strange.”

“Your friend is there?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s down there, but we’ll be staying with a lady I met on my way in. Her name is Ingrid. She thinks I’m her dead husband, but she will take care of both of us.”

“Are you taking advantage of her?” she asked, a bit horrified.

He turned red.

“No. Well. Not really. She was the one who pulled me into her home. She can be a bit pushy. But I paid her for when I stayed there and my…friend is watching out for her.”

“Okay, well. If you think we can make it, then let’s hurry up.”

Bo picked up the speed, and Leena felt it in her legs.

“Can you make a water wagon? And water horses?” she asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know how to form all the mechanics. It would take too much time to figure out and then too much energy trying to get it to keep moving.”

“Can’t you make your own water sled then?”

“What?”

“Like…something you can just manipulate and ride on?”

He turned away from her.

“It doesn’t work like that,” he murmured. She shrugged it off. If she could manipulate water like he could, she would totally have figured some way of moving them faster than this.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Maybe.

She didn’t even know how it worked.

“How does it work then?” she asked.

“I can’t really explain it. You’ll have to ask my uncle.”

“But you said your uncle does different magic. Or not magic?”

“He teaches magic, but this is not…the same. It’s all different.”

“Does your friend do magic?”

“Well, he hexed me, so…yes.”

“So magic is hexes?”

“Argh. I don’t know. I can’t really explain it. I only ever learned a couple things and only because I didn’t know how you were going to be.”

“Like that knock out one?” she asked. He turned red.

“I’m sorry.”

She didn’t respond to that.

It was almost pleasant walking along the beach. They kept to the edge before the dirt gave way to sand, where the trees stopped and gave way to space. There was no breeze, and the sun was still glaring, but the movement of the ocean was soothing in a way Leena thought she would never get tired of. It was like it was apologizing for the constant back and forth state of her own soul. Dark, light, dark, light. In, out, in, out. Up, down, up, down.

The sun set over the ocean, drenching darkness to their left. The town was fading into the black; small licks of light lit up like stars in the distance. Then they lost sight of the town, the boats, the lights.

It was time to hurry.

“Shit,” Bo hissed as the ocean turned to black, eclipsing the sun. She felt a roiling anxiety deep inside at the ominousness of the dark.

She could barely make him out in the black, and she tried hard to follow his quick steps, but he was a lot faster than she was.

Leena started to panic, her breath pushing and pulling faster than the waves. She stumbled over roots and rocks, unsure of her footing. She could hear Bo whispering to himself, but only black appeared in front of her eyes.

“I can’t see!” she croaked, her hands shaking, “Bo! Bo! Don’t leave me here! Don’t leave me!” Tears welled up in her eyes, but then she felt a strong hand gripping her own.

“It’s okay, Leena. We’ll be fine. Let’s keep going.” His breath was close in her ear, and she pulled away a bit. His grip tightened and pulled her forward. She followed, surprised at the coldness of his hands. It was like touching ice.

Numbness spread through her fingers and hands even as she stumbled through, running with him pulling her along. It was like she couldn’t keep up. He was so fast.

Her hand let go of his, slipping through cold fingers. She felt the brief touch of cold on her wrist, but fingers slipped and couldn’t grip. Leena stopped moving and reached her arms out, feeling for something.

“Bo? Bo?” she cried out.

She was alone.

“No, no, no,” she murmured, “Bo! Bo! Where are you?”

“I’m here, Leena, calm down. It’ll be fine.” She heard the words at her ear again. She shivered, swatting by her ear like she was hitting flies.

“Why…what’s happening?” she asked.

Nothing replied.

“Are we almost there? We were so close earlier,” she chatted, “You said we would make it. I can still smell the ocean. So…maybe this way?” she turned her head to the right. Maybe if she found the ocean, she could find her way. Surely, she would feel the sandy parts and feel the cool, wet breeze if she got to the ocean.

“Bo? Can you hear me?” she whispered.

Her mouth turned down, but she hesitantly started walking to her right. The ocean grew louder, and she felt more confident as she stepped. There were no trees now, she could move her arms freely without hitting anything.

Ah.

Wait.

She stopped, looking up.

It was the lighthouse.

How did she get here?

The area was suddenly lit with a bright light from a lantern hanging outside the door to the lighthouse. The large light was circling around up at the top, flashing its stream over her head and around.

The lighthouse itself was drenched in dark, casting it as gray in the lantern light. There were stones leading up to the door from where she stood. She turned behind her and stared at black.

“Bo?” she called behind her.

Nothing.

Her stomach sunk into a pit.

Then she heard it.

The mocking laughter, soft and cruel.

She ran to the lighthouse.