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The Amulet of Storms
VOLUME 2 | CHAPTER 34 - Following the Compass

VOLUME 2 | CHAPTER 34 - Following the Compass

(Ivan)

Ivan stood on the foredeck, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. He watched as they approached the eastern harbor. With the unexpected storm a few days earlier, it had taken them nine days to reach Eel Island.

The Temple of Tor’Sal towered in the distance. The coliseum and the Temple of Cea’Nia were also visible. They passed a leviathan ship that was anchored in the bay.

I wonder if that’s Onix Driftwood’s new ship?

He leaned against the bulwark and shook his head. Jane and her convoluted schemes…

The tropical island and its carefree denizens stirred a wave of memories. Ivan recalled exploring the city-sized ship, the Tempest. He had met Jane there, in the Dome of Antiquities. His memories drifted to the Spirit Competition and the labyrinth.

His musing was interrupted by the clamor on the deck. Orders were shouted all around him. Crewmen rushed to and fro. The sails were lowered, and the ship glided toward an open dock. Mooring lines were tossed, and dockhands secured the ship.

Ivan wanted to go to the market with the ship chandler, but he had a meeting with Commander Craw. It took them about six hours to restock their supplies and the crew was quite busy. Their stay was brief, and the shifters were the only ones that had enough time to canvas the island.

I get dragon magic, but no wings…

Ivan felt cooped up after his meeting with Commander Craw. If I could fly, I could’ve at least circled the island before heading out.

#

The days trudged by as they continued to follow the compass. It kept pointing south. Their only company were the occasional pods of barrier porpoises. Once, he saw a behemoth shark leap out of the water with a kraken in its jaws, never to be seen again.

Ivan sighed. He hoped that they would reach their destination soon.

It was almost midnight when Jane finally emerged from below-deck. Despite working late, she had a jaunty smile and a pep in her step.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “What a beautiful night.”

Ivan stared at Jane. “Yeah, beautiful.” She continued to gawk at the sky.

“I can tell that your meeting with King Tinbury went well.”

“Oh, yes, exceedingly well. We finally reached a trade agreement. Food-related exports to the Shadow Lands will start next week. Shipments of sunstones, cocamon flour, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, and mocca-nuts will be sent to the city of Verla. In return, the Nature Kingdom will receive onyx stones, coffee, tea, salt, mint, copper, tin, and iron. Your sunstone gardens are incredible. We have a few cavern systems near the capital. We’re planning to convert some of those into sunstone gardens.”

“I’m glad that things are progressing well. I’m sure that you’ve had enough of politics, mediation, and trade agreements.” He reached for Jane, and she slipped her hand into his. “Follow me, I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Ooh, I like surprises,” Jane chirped.

Ivan led her to the back of the quarterdeck, and they climbed into one of the lifeboats.

“Wow…” Jane’s eyes lit up. “This is amazing!”

The soft glow of a moonstone illuminated the inside of the boat, which was lined with layers of thick blankets. An open picnic basket was perched to one side. Half of it was filled with flowers and the other half with food.

“You sure know how to make a girl smile.”

“I aim to please. We’ve got spicy food that your chef prepared, and I made your favorite drink, mint tea.”

They ate, laughed, and talked for hours.

As Elara, the Lonely Moon, vanished below the horizon, the vast sky beckoned them. With the disappearance of Elara, none of the seven moons were visible. It was the perfect time to gaze at the stars.

They spotted different constellations in the vast expanse above. The stars of the Golden Scorpion were the brightest and the Shadow Assassin was barely visible.

Jane nudged Ivan. “There is the Ice Wyvern constellation. It’s always been my favorite because of its eyes.”

“Yeah, those twin blue stars are quite a sight. That was the first constellation that I learned to identify when I was a kid.”

As the time passed, their talk eased into comfortable silence.

Jane finally fell asleep with her head resting on Ivan’s shoulder. Being close to her was calming. Her presence soothed the fury of his dragon magic. He had relied on her support in the weeks following Rob Stone’s funeral. The Lord Commander’s passing had put him in a black mood. His thoughts had been full of violence. His emotions had been in turmoil. Her support and the passing of time had tempered his most destructive impulses.

He winced as he remembered punching a hole in the royal chamber walls at Stoneridge. At the time, he had been consumed by rage. He had almost gotten into a fight with the Demon Twins. Jane had defused the situation, dismissed her guards, and calmed him. All she had to do was place a hand on his chest and look him in the eyes.

Ivan exhaled slowly.

This too shall pass.

His mind eventually quieted down as exhaustion overtook him and he fell asleep.

#

They sailed for another eleven days before the amulet finally stopped pointing south.

The captain’s cabin aboard the Aurora was crowded, and the atmosphere was tense.

“William, lil’ matey, can ye examine th’ amulet one more time?” asked Captain Barrow. “These be rum waters. This cursed compass will surely send us t' th' bottom o' th' briny deep.”

“Aye-aye, captain.” William saluted and peered over the table. “Let’s see. Well, it used to point south, but now the essence is right here.” He pointed to the center of the amulet. “When the ship moved further south a few hours earlier, it pointed north. When we came back and sailed east, it pointed west. The artifact is definitely pointing to this general area.”

“Ahhhh, this 'ere 'as t’ be th’ spot,” Captain Barrow declared. “It be coverin' at least a league.”

“But there is nothing around,” Lin echoed the sentiment of others. “We’re surrounded by ocean.”

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Ivan glanced at Lin and nodded. She had been distant toward him in the last month. He knew that his relationship with Jane had caused uneasiness for both kingdoms. He dismissed the fleeting thought.

“Have we sent any shifters to investigate under the water?” Ivan asked.

“Yeah, Rose is doing that right now,” his aunt replied. “I flew high above the ships, and I didn’t see anything around. There is no land in sight.”

“I should check on Rose,” William blurted.

Ivan placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder before he could race out of the cabin.

“Woah, slow down, William. You’re the only one that can see inside the amulet.” Ivan looked at him pointedly. “Besides, the last time you went chasing someone under water, things didn’t go so well... Just stay put for now.”

William opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment, Rose burst into the cabin. Her dress was soaked, and she dripped water everywhere. The captain looked down at the ornate rug and grimaced. Lisa waved her hand and Levitated the water. She merged it into a ball and tossed it out of the porthole.

“So, what did you find?” asked Lin.

“Well, the water temperature is lovely for a swim,” Rose declared. Alecta groaned.

“Never mind the swim,” Vala snapped. “What did you find?”

“The water isn’t very deep. We can actually anchor our ships here.” She paused. “Though I did find something peculiar,” Rose added without saying anything else.

♫ Mmm hmmm ♫, she hummed as she leaned forward and examined the navigational chart, as though there was no one else around her.

“Come on, Rose. What did you find?” Lin prodded her. “What was so peculiar? Go on!”

“There are no signs of life in these waters... The ocean floor looks like the Graf Desert, golden sand as far as the eye can see. Not a single fish, coral, or crustacean.”

“Not even seaweed?” Lin asked.

“Not even seaweed.”

“What could cause that?” Lin grimaced.

“Magic?” Jane suggested.

“A void predator.” William perked up.

“Maybe thar be a lot o' brine in th’ water,” Captain Barrow added.

“Well, it’s neither brine nor poison,” Rose replied. “I tasted the water and I lived.” There were more groans around the room.

Rose shrugged. “Though I did detect traces of magic.”

“Well, why didn’t you say that to begin with lassie?” Commander Craw threw his hands up in the air.

Rose smiled at the angry commander.

“Were you able to determine what type of magic?” asked Lisa.

“Not exactly.” Rose tapped her chin. “It felt a bit like the magic of the Stone Giants, but a lot more potent.”

“That’s promising.” Lisa’s eyes lit up.

“One of the clues that we were given by Leaflet was to find a place that cannot be found, but it can find you. That certainly sounds like a place of magic,” Ivan interjected.

“Agreed,” Lin said. “And the compass is clearly pointing to this location.”

“It seems we’re all in agreement.” Jane examined the map. “We’re in the right place. Now, we need to scout and gather information.”

The captain looked at Jane. “Me Queen, shall we drop anchor 'ere?"

“Yes, we’ll anchor the lead ship here.” Jane looked at Lin. “Perhaps we should send the other ships out to explore.”

“Agreed.” Lin nodded. “We can spread out and search the area. I’ll join my shifters with the aerial and aquatic search. William, you stay with the Aurora and keep an eye on that amulet. We’ll regroup before sunset tomorrow.”

“Very well. I’ll take the Walrus and head east,” Rose declared.

The captain of the Walrus narrowed her eyes and gave Rose a sidelong glance, before asking, “How far should we sail from here?”

“Let’s stay within a league or two,” Jane replied. “Based on the compass, that should cover the area that we need to explore.”

Within the hour the convoy split and only the lead ship remained behind.

#

“Sink me. These be black spotted-waters.” Ivan overheard one of the crewmen grumble the following day.

“Bane barnacles. Thar's no fish in sight,” another one replied and touched her forehead as a gesture to ward off evil.

“Aye, me bones been creakin' ever since we skirred ‘ere,” another one complained and spat three times over his left shoulder.

Ivan leaned back against the stern and listened to the crew chatter.

Sailors are a superstitious bunch. Maybe a little conversation would ease their worries.

He had learned most of the sailor’s names shortly after leaving the capital and had spoken with many of them during the voyage. Most were excited to talk to him and called him the Dragon Slayer. Initially, some of the crew had been awestruck and tongue-tied around him. His open sparring sessions, training routine, and demeanor had eventually put them at ease.

Shortly after the battle of Stoneridge, the story that he had killed a dragon and had absorbed its power had spread throughout the kingdom like wildfire. At the capital, he had even heard a bard singing about his exploits. It made him cringe.

After talking with the crew, his thoughts turned back to the artifact.

The Amulet of Storms brought us here. This must be where we need to be. Still, we haven’t found what we’re looking for. He crossed his arms and stared at the ocean.

They had scoured the area since yesterday. William had confirmed Rose’s report about traces of magic in the water, but those magical remnants were spread over a league. Nothing additional was uncovered during the underwater or aerial searches.

Ivan looked up and squinted. It was past midday. A single cloud drifted overhead. A cheer from the quarterdeck interrupted his contemplation. He turned around and saw his brother surrounded by the crew.

“What do you want to see?” William asked the sailors.

“How ‘bout ye shift into a huge cow, 'n we tip ye o’erboard!” a crewman shouted.

“Nay, I want t’ see a rounded porker doin’ a bellyache dive,” another countered.

“Can ye shift into Lazy-Eye Joe’s curvaceously corpulent beauty 'n let us furl ye down the gangplank?” Laughter erupted and Lazy-Eye Joe started to brag about the size of his wife.

The crowd around William grew.

“I’ll start with the squealer-smash,” William announced.

Ivan grinned as his brother bounced off the gangplank, shifted into a plump porker, and then catapult-balled into the water. He squealed all the way down.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeaal!

Plop!

Splush!

A geyser of water shot into the air and raucous cheers erupted.

More suggestions were yelled by the time William returned to the quarterdeck.

“How ‘bout a jumpin’ jackass?” Grog cried out.

“I already see yer flappin' face every meal,” the cook bellowed at Grog, which was followed by another round of guffaws.

William truly knows how to make friends everywhere he goes. Ivan smiled.

(Jane)

Jane stifled a yawn. She had not slept much in the last few days and felt exhausted. She rubbed the back of her neck. Five days had passed since they had arrived in this desolate location.

We’ve been stuck in this forsaken place for too long without making any progress, she grumbled inwardly.

Every night the other ships returned and reported the same thing. Nothing… An uneasy feeling gnawed at Jane the longer they stayed here. They had yet to see any birds or fish within a league. It felt ominous. The sailors had even started calling the area the Dead Sea.

This place reminds me of one of the abandoned western villages from home. She shivered. Those villages were all ghost towns, buried by ashfall.

We have provisions for another nine days and then we’ll have to head back.

Jane stretched and leaned over the navigational chart. Is this even the right place? I’m not sure about anything anymore. She rubbed her temples. As stupid as it sounds, maybe we just need to stay anchored and wait. Maybe we can’t find what we’re looking for. We just need to be patient and let it find us…

An involuntary cry escaped from Jane’s mouth as the ship shuddered. She lurched as the pit of her stomach fell.

She gasped and grabbed the side of the table. The ship shook and groaned. Several books fell off the shelves. Captain Barrow’s favorite bottle of rum smashed onto the floor. People shouted and things crashed outside of the cabin.

Aaaaaaahh!

Fa-thump!

Crash!

She gripped the railing and made her way out of the captain’s cabin. She emerged onto the quarterdeck and her eyes widened. A wave crashed onto the starboard, and she was thrown to the side.

“Oy, wha' the pufferfish!” a sailor cried out.

“Wha’ in Cea’Nia be goin’ on,” another one yelled while hugging the mizzenmast.

“We be all goin’ t’ die, that’s wha’s goin’ on ye daft geezers,” the cook bellowed, while brandishing his wooden ladle.

“Shut yer blowholes,” the captain roared at them. “If we’re goin' t' die today, the last thing I wanna hear be yer yappin'. Git t’ yer posts, ya worthless numskulls!”

“What’s going on?” Jane yelled at the captain.

Before he could reply, another wave smashed onto the side of ship and more people tumbled onto the deck. The squid-racer swayed and swaggered.

Jane yelped as she was jerked downwards. She crumpled onto the deck. Her body was flattened against the floorboards. People screamed, including her.

Blergh. Her stomach roiled.

Don’t puke. Don’t puke, Jane. Queens don’t puke. She willed her belly to obey.

She tried to get up on her hands and knees but could not. She lifted her head and looked around. The rest of the crew was in the same predicament.

The upward pull intensified. It was like a lift that had a broken enchanted counterweight. The ship rose higher and higher.

She swallowed. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ivan crawling toward her. He had a grim but determined expression.

As soon as he reached her, he enfolded her in a protective embrace with one hand. His other hand clutched a handrail rope. She held onto his arm and waited for what came next.

The ship pitched to one side. Her grip on Ivan’s arm tightened even as the rising sensation abated. The squid-racer groaned, bobbed in the water, and then came to a stop.

“Snarling-sea-sirens!” the captain cursed as he stood up and stumbled. “Wha' in the seven moons be goin' on 'ere?”

Jane looked at Captain Barrow and saw his shocked expression as he swayed on his feet. His jaw dropped and the color drained from his face.