“What the…” Wellynd muttered, bending over to examine the door latch, finding more blood underneath the small wooden handle.

Not knowing what to do, he moved to the centre of the deck, making sure to hold onto the mast as the boat swayed back and forth, and looked up at the helm. Leofer was dead-focused on controlling the ship, eyes scanning the turbid waters ahead. Suddenly, the ferry tipped to the starboard side and Leofer spun the wheel anti-clockwise to counteract. The rain had slowed down to a manageable drizzle, but water still splashed up onto the deck, the sea not relenting for a moment.

He’d have to figure this out on his own.

Lightning tore across the sky and another clap of thunder cracked in response. They’d have to be around the front, as Leofur’s cabin was locked.

Wellynd blanched.

Or, the storm had knocked them into the sea.

Taking small, careful steps, he rushed towards the starboard side gangway and grasped the slippery handrail to brace himself as best he could.

There. Farther up the narrow passageway, another faint smear of blood was plastered against the outer wall of the cabin.

The narrow passage was already horrifying to skirt when there wasn’t a raging storm. He peeked over the edge only to receive an icy-cold splash on his face. A large wave crashed hard against the hull of the ferry, spraying the gangway and diluting the smear from its dark brown hue to a light pink that now lapped at Wellynd’s boots, mixing freely with the seafoam.

Steeling his nerves, he began to edge along the gangway.

Halfway to the bow, Wellynd heard something. A strange cadenced thumping. That’s odd.

Perhaps the cabin door came unlatched in the storm. Then again, this thumping sounded more wet, as if it were a soaked-through sack of ropes knocking against the deck. He shimmied along the last stretch just as another wave broke against the hull.

When he reached the end and stepped around the corner, he saw the source of the noise.

Jensen’s body was curled up against the front side of the cabin, a small pool of blood welling around his soaked clothes. Klent’s foot slammed into his ribs, knocking the old man against the wall, his hair covering his face, arms held tightly inward to protect himself.

Klent pulled back his foot, preparing for another kick.

For the briefest moment, Wellynd considered slipping back down the gangway.

He didn’t like Klent, but he didn’t like Jensen either. The man was beyond a nuisance for his friend.

His conversation with Alara the night before replayed in his mind. She wouldn’t let it happen. He shouldn’t let it happen either.

“HEY!”

Klent pulled his kick and turned to Wellynd.

“Get outta here, kid!” yelled the storm-soaked soldier, his face drenched in equal parts sweat, water, and mania.

“What are you doing?”

Despite his fluttering heart, Wellynd strode confidently towards the pair and put himself in-between Jensen and Klent.

The soldier scoffed and put his hand firmly on Wellynd’s shoulder.

“I said. Get outta here,” he warned.

“No.”

The soldier dropped his hand from Wellynd’s shoulder, turning as if he were reaching into his back pocket before snapping back toward Wellynd, backhanding him across the face.

Wellynd flinched backwards from the blow before reacting in a hot rage of instinct, throwing his shoulder into Klent’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him as they crashed to the deck.

“You’re gonna kill the guy!” screamed Wellynd in the tussle, wriggling free of their tangled limbs and stumbling to his feet, his voice barely cutting through the howling wind. He moved back towards Jensen, who was still on the ground, coughing behind him.

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Wellynd rubbed his shoulder, fearing he might have broken something when slamming into the man’s bronze plate.

Klent stood, re-adjusting his body-tight armour as he rose, before fixing his stare on Wellynd, a sinister grin plastered to his face. Another spray of water drenched the three of them as the bow just barely failed to crest a breaking wave.

“Damn you islanders are irritating.” he growled, aggressively swiping water off his face.

“I mean Arta never gave a damn about you! You’d think you losers would be begging for someone to put you in your place.” Then, he started forward with wide steps, head half-bowed as he stared up across his brow at Wellynd.

This was not good.

“Well, you’ll have plenty to do soon enough, boy. Once we take your little capital on the continent, your island of ragged bumpkins will be nothing more than Vertan slaves.”

He picked at his teeth before spitting onto the deck, grinning as he drew closer

This was really not good.

“You didn’t have to keep beating him! You’re taking him to the Fort anyway. Let’s just let it go and be on our way when we dock in Revenshore!” yelled Wellynd, fully knowing his efforts were in vain. He just needed time to think.

“No, no, no, no. You tried to play the hero. Now I get to have fun with both of ya.” said Klent, his voice raising to a yell as he suddenly rushed forward, arms outstretched.

Wellynd let out a yelp as he just barely slipped out of Klent’s grasp, the boat rocking sideways and throwing the soldier off balance.

Taking two short, powerful steps, Wellynd threw himself onto his hip, sliding feet-first down the sloped deck, bracing his legs as he landed firmly against the edge of the ship.

The boat started to rock back the other direction, and Wellynd planted his hands onto the deck, looking towards Klent who was still catching his balance. Waiting until the deck began to level out, he pushed off the side and began sprinting toward him. He had no plan other than to tackle the man.

A few steps before impact, Klent caught his balance and crouched down as he swept his leg in a wide arc that caught Wellynd’s shins.

Pain shot through Wellynd’s shoulder as he crashed into the deck and skid across it. He rolled over and began to push up onto his knees as he heard slow bootfalls thumping towards him.

Air exploded from Wellynd’s lungs as he was rocked by Klent’s boot, rolling within inches of the boat’s edge.

He didn’t try to get up this time. His coughs felt wet, and he closed his eyes against the shooting pain in his ribs.

Strutting over to Wellynd, Klent picked him up by the folds of his cloak and raised him up to eye level.

“Hero, Hero!” Klent cackled “Hey! I’ve got a great idea! How about we see how well the hero can swim?”

The man’s breath reeked of alcohol. Wellynd clenched his teeth and began to thrash, throwing wild punches and kicks at the armoured soldier. He landed two hits, one kick striking his thigh, the other a punch landing somewhere on his shoulder. Klent grunted as the hits landed and, in response, pinned Wellynd against the edge of the boat, his knee crushing into Wellynd’s chest, which freed one hand to block the boy’s feeble strikes.

Grabbing Wellynd’s left wrist, Klent stared at him and smiled.

“You remember how I said we learn cool stuff in the military? Let me give you a preview.”

He exhaled a slow breath, his eyes glazing over, lazily focused on something far in the distance. Tightening his grip on Wellynd, he raised his other arm behind him in a smooth motion as if winding up for a punch.

He widened his stance, a knit forming between his brow. Wellynd squinted against the torrent. The man’s whole arm seemed to be vibrating.

Cocking his arm back an inch further, Klent looked like he was about to strike when something hit him in the back of the head.

Klent turned his head and, to both his and Wellynd’s surprise, saw Jensen, standing, bracing himself against the side of the cabin wall, letting out ragged coughs, blood dripping from the sides of his mouth.

“Ya git” Jensen yelled, before being seized by another bout of violent coughs.

Klent just laughed “Wait your turn old man. I’ve got….”

Whatever Klent said after that, Wellynd didn’t know. He had unfocused his eyes, trying to relax his shallow breathing and calm his racing heart. The sounds of the world around him faded to silence.

He moved his hand so it was just in front of Klent’s turned head and began to pull. As quickly as he could.

He directed everything into his arm, and within moments it felt like it had grown twice its size.

Klent was still saying something to Jensen.

The pain in his chest was nearly unbearable, and his vision began to blur.

Don’t pass out.

Klent spat at Jensen before turning his head back toward Wellynd.

Just as the soldier's cheek brushed his fingertips, Wellynd slammed his hand onto the soldier’s brow and released all of the tension he’d been holding.

An explosion of burning light spilled violently out from his palm and directly into his aggressor’s eyes.

Klent stood up and fell backwards, cutting the air with a blood-curdling scream.