The Dawning of Power

Chapter 9

On the final day, a scourge of wind and fire shall descend from the skies, and all creation shall be laid low. -Fisidecles, the Mad Prophet

Watching the increasingly shallow waters that surrounded them, Catrin's eyes were drawn to the mountain that now dominated the horizon. Clouds filled the air around it, and its energy seemed almost threatening. As it drew ever closer, the scenery began to change. Evidence of a long-forgotten civilization surrounded them. Rectangular forms, clearly the remains of buildings, dotted the area, and jars littered the seafloor, some of which were whole.

The crews watched in silence, awed by the sights. A monolithic hand reached from the sand, the sword it held broken and worn. Nearby were the remains of a ship. Only the skeleton remained, laid out neatly and standing out in stark contrast to the white sand. The forefoot and stem were well preserved, however, and were fashioned to resemble a dragon in flight. The sight of the dragon, seemingly flying underwater, thrilled Catrin, despite the dangers the ancient shipwreck warned of.

A large island came into view. It was covered with trees that were laden with color, flowers weighing down their branches. Here Catrin saw a beautiful but distressing sight: violet hummingbirds by the hundreds, forming clouds of iridescent light that danced through the trees. If the birds ended their migration here, that meant Catrin's idea of following them to the Firstland had been founded on a mistake. She had gambled and lost. Now they were months from the Greatland and faced with the possibility of getting stuck there.

Twice the Slippery Eel dragged along the seafloor, dangerously close to running aground, but Kenward did not want to completely empty the hold yet, not knowing how much farther the shallows continued. The Stealthy Shark rode higher in the water, but they, too, had come close to disaster, caught between shallow water and the ruins of an ancient fortress, but her crew managed to avoid the dangers.

"Have mercy!" the lookout called. "Look at that!"

A ring of stone pillars, each the size of a greatoak, stood in a circle. There would be twenty-four in all, if not for the two that had fallen and now lay across the shallows ahead, creating a formidable barrier. Each column had a face carved on it, and they were visages of madness and despair.

"We're gonna have to sail around it," Kenward said.

"Zjhon warship grounded to the south, sir. Looks like it's been abandoned," Bryn called out from the rigging.

"They didn't make it," Kenward said. "I hope we have better luck than they did."

The sight of the ship gave Catrin heart; this was no ancient shipwreck. Perhaps they were going the right way after all. Still, there would be no way to tell which way to go beyond the shallows. Kenward had once told her that ships leave no footprints, and now she understood the hard truth of his words.

After furious debate between the ships, they split up to survey the area, hoping to find a safe channel to sail through. Kenward turned the Eel north, sailing perpendicular to the fallen columns. Pieces of other columns, which had obviously been much taller at one time, littered the area, and they had to move slowly. The farther north they sailed, though, the fouler the air became, filled with a noxious odor.

Beyond the fallen columns were luminous rifts in the seafloor; the gas they spewed churned the waters violently, and a foul haze hung over the water.

"It's not safe to sail over gas bubbles," Kenward said. "Ships have sunk in water filled with bubbles. When there is so much gas in the water, it disturbs the buoyancy that keeps us afloat. If even part of the ship enters those waters, she could be torn apart. We'll have to go back."

Not long after they turned around came a dreadful series of flashes-a distress call. The Stealthy Shark was grounded.

"They made it past the Zjhon warship, but the currents pulled them into sand. They are trying to pull themselves free using the anchor and windlass, but it doesn't look good. The only blessing is that they are on a sand bar. If we can pull her free, she shouldn't take much damage. We just have to get to the other side. Mother wants me to come south now and tow them backwards, but I disagree. We're going to try and make the other side, and then we'll pull them forward."

"Are you sure you want to disobey your mother?" Catrin asked, imagining the fight it would cause.

"My mother knows that sometimes you must follow your instincts to survive. My instincts are telling me to get through first. Besides, if I fail, she'll have a long swim before she can scold me."

Setting a course for the columns that still stood, Kenward scanned the water along with everyone else. They found several gaps between fallen chunks of column, but they led nowhere.

"There!" Bryn called. "Look, sir, to the north. See the gap?"

"Send a boat to check the depth, and see if the water beyond is deep enough as well."

Men scrambled to comply, knowing that time was running out for the Shark.

The gap proved wide enough for the Eel to slip through unscathed, which was obviously not the case for the Zjhon ships that had preceded them. Rub marks and even bits of wood clung to the columns.

"They came this way. That's for certain," Bryn said, and Kenward nodded his agreement, clearly deep in thought.

As they sailed within the columns, Catrin was overwhelmed by the similarities to the Grove of the Elders, and even though it was covered in water, she could feel the power of the land beneath her. Here, too, she guessed, was a place where the power of the land was most concentrated. Drinking it in, she let the natural energy flow around her and bolster her.

The seafloor rose in a gentle dome that crested at the center of the columns. Unable to cut straight through, Kenward guided the ship in an arc, following the columns as guides. Once past the fallen columns, he turned north. As they passed through two of the tallest columns that remained standing, Catrin felt as if she were leaving one world and entering another. Departure from the intense energy field left her swaying on her feet.

Cutting a meandering course, they reached waters not far from where the Stealthy Shark waited, eerily still in the water. Gathered at the stern, the crew were taking turns at the windlass. As soon as they spotted the Eel, a flurry of flashes came.

"She's not happy," Kenward said with a grin. "We'll see what song she sings when I pull them out. Fasha might just walk the plank on her own." When they had gotten as close to the Shark as they safely could, he turned to his crew. "Get a boat dropped and take a heavy line to the Shark."

Once the rope was firmly secured to each ship, Kenward raised the sails. For a time, nothing happened, but then both ships began to slide forward a finger's width at a time until the Shark slipped free.

The waters ahead were deeper, and the level of tension decreased greatly, but still they were wary of unforeseen obstacles. In the shadow of the giant mountain, which was now so close that Catrin felt she could reach out and touch it, the foul smell they had experienced earlier became strong once again, and pockets of bubbles suddenly erupted in the waters around them. Careful to avoid the roiling waters, they lost time finding a clear path.

Cheers rose from both ships, though, when the lookouts spotted the end of the shallows, and Catrin climbed the rigging to see the dark waters for herself. Beyond a ragged line of white sand, it beckoned and threatened. Unexplored waters awaited.

When the ships gained deep water, the order to fish immediately followed. Knowing they might need more food than the ships could hold to survive the voyage, they made use of every bit of space and packed it with food. Both ships sat low in the water by nightfall.

"I must admit," Kenward said. "I feel as if I have survived the dragon's claws only to land in his teeth. Do you have any idea of what way we should go now?"

"I don't," Catrin said, wishing she could do something. Then a desperate idea came to her, and she wondered if it could work. "Brother Vaughn, may I discuss something that happened in the Inner Sanctuary with violating confidence?"

"These circumstances warrant flexibility. Speak freely."

"Were you one of those who chanted during my time in the viewing chamber?"

"Yes. I was."

"Do you know both sides of the harmony?"

"Actually, I do. I learned only one part at first, but when you did not return, we had to be creative, and I ended up learning the other part as well. What are you thinking?"

"Could you teach the crew how to perform the chant?"

"I suppose I could," Brother Vaughn said, thoughtful. "I don't know if it will work without the stone chair… or the special chambers. I don't know."

"We could try," Catrin said firmly.

"We could try," he conceded. "But I'm still not certain it will be safe."

After gathering the off-duty members of both crews, Brother Vaughn instructed them on the chants. He taught them both parts as a precaution. Catrin, though, did not attend the sessions, afraid knowing the individual parts too well would somehow affect her ability to perceive it as a whole rather than the sum of its parts.

"Are you certain you want to try this, li'l miss? We almost lost you under the best of conditions. Trying from out here could be deadly."

"I can think of no other way to find the Firstland. We could sail for the rest of our lives and not find it. I will at least make an attempt."

"I suppose you're right."

Rolph Tillerman packed the last few items into the wagon that would take him away from his home, away from the place where he, his father, and his grandfather had been born and raised. Most of the items packed were for practical reasons, but a few were purely for sentimental purposes-he simply could not leave his entire past behind. Collette did what she could to hide her tears, but he could feel her pain as if it were his own. She had married him here and raised their children here.

Only Jessub seemed excited about the prospect of their journey, and at times, it seemed only his enthusiasm kept Rolph and Collette moving. Under any other circumstances, they would have stayed, but the choice had been taken from them. Hampered by injuries and his advancing age, Rolph had been unable to plant enough crops to keep them fed, and when it looked as if most of what he planted would succumb to pests and disease, he knew what he had to do. Others, too, could no longer afford to remain, and what had once been a thriving community now looked to be in its final days. Rolph knew that the others would help him if they could, but no one was in a position to do anything beyond survive, and it seemed they would need a great deal of luck to do that. Luck seemed one of the many things that were in short supply, and Rolph would not risk Collette's or Jessub's life on it. Instead, he would take an equally daunting risk, and he wondered if he were making a mistake.

Jessub appeared from behind the barn, dirty and scraped as usual.

"Come on, Jessub," Collette said. "We've got to go now, an' look at ya. Yer a boilin' mess, and you've torn yer last good pair o' breeches. Git up here this instant!"

"I'm comin', Gramma," Jessub said, his smile never wavering. "I just had to git my knife from the loft."

Rolph shook his head. He'd been hesitant to give the boy a knife for fear that he'd lop off his own thumbs just to see what it felt like. In all his years, he'd never seen a boy as inquisitive and rambunctious as Jessub, save maybe himself at that age. With one final look at his home and a squeeze on the shoulder from Collette, he chirruped and smacked the lines on Elmheart's rump. A new journey had begun.

In the deckhouse, they gathered. Hastily constructed partitions divided the room only in spirit. Facing the open door, Catrin looked out at the blue sky; clouds like salmon scales forecasted wind, but she was determined. Three times already Brother Vaughn had found reasons not to proceed, but she could wait no more.

"Now is the time. Please begin," she pleaded.

"Are you certain, li'l miss?"

"I am."

At first, the disjointed chanting seemed nothing like what she had experienced at Ohmahold, but then the two groups found synchronicity, and the harmony meshed. Wooden containers used as drums provided the bass. The vibrations were not as deep, but they resonated within the deckhouse.

Closing her eyes, Catrin rode the vibration and drew a trickle of energy, when she opened her eyes, she flew into the blue sky, free of her mortal shroud. In a moment of sheer bliss, she rolled and danced on the wind, lighter than a feather.

Determined not to waste the opportunity, she flew across the water, faster than the wind, casting her senses in every direction, drawing more and more power as a result. In a trancelike state, she flew, searching for land with all her senses. Then, in a moment of clarity, she realized that all she had to do was search for life and she would most likely find land.

At first, all she found were large, fast-moving sea creatures, but then she began to sense rivers of life flowing toward one place. When she moved over one of these shimmering rivers, she saw schools of migrating fish. Farther ahead, she found land. Tiny at first, it grew so quickly that Catrin could hardly believe her speed. What had first appeared to be one landmass was really a series of many small islands. On one, carved into the face of a massive cliff, was a familiar but foreign image: a man and a woman sharing an embrace. Except these figures were nothing like Istra and Vestra; they had large, round eyes and broad noses. They wore strange clothing and even stranger headdresses.

Despite the embrace, one of the man's arms was extended, pointing… to the Firstland; the woman pointed back to the Greatland. Exhilarated, Catrin prepared to return, but when she turned around, she made a terrifying discovery. Unlike her trip from the viewing chamber, no trail of energy extended back to her body.

Trying to gauge the direction from which she had come, she realized how dire her situation really was. If she was off by even the slightest amount, given the distance she had covered, she would have very little chance of finding the ships.

Desperation gripped her as she made her best guess and applied her will to speed. Only the chance of spotting the giant mountain or the shallows kept her from losing all hope. Homogenous waves slid past, only occasional whitecaps breaking the monotony. Unable to accurately judge her speed, she had to be ever watchful, lest she fly right past them.

Weariness set in, and she could no longer extend her senses because it took all her energy just to continue moving. The waves moved ever slower past until she moved no faster than a ship, and she began to lose hope.

You must come.

The intense feeling brought Catrin from her stupor. Rather than words in her mind, this was more like overwhelming emotion, pouring into her, bolstering her, and she began moving a little faster. Still, she struggled to remain focused, feeling as if she were diffusing, like a drop of extract in water.

Do not despair.

Again, Catrin realized she was losing concentration. It would be so easy to just fall asleep, to let herself dissolve away, to become one with all creation.

I need you. You must free me. You must.

The emotional intrusions annoyed her, disturbing her rest. She was so tired and wanted only to sleep a while longer. A wave of desperate need washed over her, overwhelming her, and she was flooded with the hope that someone would come. Someone would end the agony and despair. Someone.

Catrin. Catrin. Catrin.

When her eyes opened, it was a shock. Her body demanded breath, and she sucked in air. Her limbs would not respond, and when she saw Benjin take her hand, it did not look like her own; her skin was ashen with a bluish tint. For the moment, breathing was paramount.

"This is crazy," Gustad said as Milo stood his shoulders, scraping bat droppings from the walls of a massive shaft that was filled with bats. Nearly fifty miles south of Ohmahold, they had covered the entire distance underground, never leaving the ancient mine complex. Several times Gustad had feared they were hopelessly lost, but they did manage to find the place indicated on their map.

"The ancient text says this stuff is what we need," Milo said. "This is the only way I know how to get it. You wouldn't consider keeping a bat as a pet, would you?"

"Not a chance," Gustad said, the very thought giving him a chill. "Hurry up. You're not light on the shoulders, you know." With his hands holding Milo's legs, Gustad stood with his knees slightly bent, trying to hold on to Milo's constantly shifting weight without hurting his back.

"I'm almost done," Milo said. "I need more light."

"I can't hold you and the torch," Gustad said.

"Let go of my leg and hand me the torch. I'll only be a moment more."

Gustad squatted down and grabbed the torch from where he had propped it. Standing back up was slow and difficult, but Milo used a toehold to support much of his weight. Still, Gustad was breathing hard when he handed Milo the torch.

Bits of rock and bat dung fell from the air as Milo worked, and Gustad wiped his face with one hand, holding Milo steady with the other. Pain seared his shoulder as Milo stood on his toes to reach something.

"There's a great big spot… just out of reach," Milo said, his effort to stretch clear in his voice. Shifting his weight, he slipped, sending sparks and bits of still-burning torch all around. Blowing and using his free hand, Gustad wiped the embers away from his face. An ember on Milo's robe started to smolder, but he could not reach it. He opened his mouth to say something, but a shout of pain was all the came out as Milo put most of his weight on one foot, creating tremendous pressure on Gustad's shoulder.

A moment later, Milo must have realized he was on fire, for he leaped from Gustad's shoulders and stamped out his robes, at times only a hand's width from the ledge, beyond which lay the gaping shaft that dropped an unknowable distance into the darkness.

"These droppings had better be worth it," Gustad said, rubbing his sore shoulders.

Leaning on the gunwale, Catrin pointed. "That way," she said. "There we will find the Keys of Terhilian, and the Terhilian Lovers will show us the way. But if I remember correctly, the man pointed… that way."

Kenward looked to where she pointed. "South and then southwest. I don't suppose we should risk trying to cut straight to the Firstland. Better to sail to the keys and then let the Terhilian Lovers point the way. If we knew how far the keys were from the Firstland, we could chance it, but since we don't know, I suppose we'll have to go the long way."

After a series of mirror flashes, it seemed Nora and Fasha agreed. Orders were given to fish. "We'll fill the holds again if we can. The winds are growing stronger, which'll make that more difficult, but you know your jobs. Let's fish."

Catrin attacked her tasks and helped others finish theirs. Once the trawl tubs, nets, and pots were dropped, there was little to do except wait.

"I'm glad we'll be leaving here soon," Kenward said as he joined Catrin, both staring at the shallows behind them. "That mountain gives me the crawls."

Catrin wondered if he might be more sensitive to energy patterns than he knew, for, to her, the mountain's angry energy field raged like an inferno. Like a pot of boiling water with the lid left on, its intensity grew. "I agree," she said.

"Let's see if we've caught anything. The sooner we're done, the sooner we leave." Kenward issued orders and demanded speed from his crew. Everyone moved with determination and purpose, knowing that following orders was the surest way to stay alive. The wind continued to hinder their efforts; the fish just seemed to stop biting, but still they caught a host of crabs. Catrin joined those who boiled and cleaned the crabs, trying to get them into some preserved form.

The Stealthy Shark had better luck in the deeper water and loaded their hold with tuna and small sharks. The big sharks did not show themselves on this side of the shallows, which made Catrin feel a great deal safer.

The crew retrieved their gear and made for the waters near the Shark. Kenward was stubborn, but he was not foolish enough to deny that Fasha had found the better fishing ground. Fasha's messages indicated that her hold was full, but they would continue fishing until the Eel's hold was filled. Kenward swallowed his pride and gratefully accepted what was sent from the Shark. The combined effort filled the hold in a relatively short time, and there seemed a collective sigh of relief when they set sail for the Keys of Terhilian.

"I can't say exactly how far the keys are," Catrin said later that day. "It's difficult to gauge, but I would say three months."

"At least we're not sailing blind," Kenward said. "Your abilities amaze me. It's a pity they're so dangerous to use. I feared you would never return from your journey. How do you do it? Is it like flying?"

"It's hard to explain, but I'd say it's better than flying because you don't have to worry about falling. I just make up my mind which way to go, and the world moves beneath me, as if I'm not moving at all. Tell me. What do you see when you look at the mountain?"

He raised an eyebrow but then concentrated on the mountain for a long time. "Pressure," he said finally. "Inevitability. I can't explain it."

"I think, Kenward, you've more talent than you know. I, too, see the 'pressure,' as you put it. I wonder if you don't have some abilities with Istra's power."

Kenward stood, stunned, his mouth hanging open. "You really think so?"

"Let's find out. Say nothing," she said. "Chase, would you come here a moment?"

"Let me finish this first," Chase said, helping Farsy load pine boxes back into the hold. He came over when they were done. "What do you need?"

"Look at the mountain, and tell me what you see."

"I see a mountain. It's big. What's this all about?"

"Do you see anything unusual about it?"

"C'mon, Cat," he said, but then he saw how serious she was; with her eyes she pleaded. Sighing, he turned and looked again. Catrin watched him intently and jumped when he gave a start.

"Gods have mercy," he said. "I thought you were nuts, but the mountain is breathing-flexing. It just moved!" His shout got everyone's attention, and both crews watched in horror as the colossal and seemingly permanent mountain jumped and split. With the ferocity of the gods, the top blew apart and a column of fire leaped into the sky. Nearly half of what remained slid sideways and dropped into the sea with an inconceivably violent impact. Black clouds filled the air and rolled across the sea as if the world were ending. No one moved at first, but then the reality of the situation set in.

"Turn us about!" Kenward barked. "Set a course back for the mountain!" For a moment, the crew hesitated, unsure they had heard correctly. "Now!" he shouted, and no one argued. Too many times he had proven his wisdom and skill, which was needed now more than ever before. Frantically, he signaled the Shark then started cursing when the response came. "They'll run before the wave and clouds, but I don't think we have enough time. The wave will overwhelm us. Have I judged wrongly?"

"What wave?" Catrin asked, and Kenward pointed. In fascinated horror, Catrin watched the seas rise to an impossible height, nearly as tall as the mountain had been, and the wall of water raced toward them like the shadow of death.

"I trust your instincts," Catrin said. "Do what you think is best."

Anguish was clear on Kenward's face as the Stealthy Shark disappeared in the diminishing light, heading in the opposite direction. Before the wave reached them, dense ash began to fall from the sky, coating everything. Unlike the ashes from a fire, it was heavy and gritty. Like black snow, it fell and accumulated, weighing them down.

"Keep the decks clear of ash," Kenward demanded. "If we take on too much, it'll either sink or capsize us." His words inspired haste, and despite the encroaching darkness, the crew struggled against an irrepressible tide of ash.

The pressure in the air suddenly changed, and Catrin drew a deep breath through the cloth she had wrapped around her face. Kenward howled like a madman as the wave overtook them. Sailing straight into it at full speed, they began to climb, and soon they were pointing straight into the sky, staring at a roiling mass of ash and fire streaked with red lightning.

Groaning as she flexed against the tremendous forces, the ship slowed. Holding on, Catrin cried out as Farsy and another man tumbled from the rigging and into the dark waters below. Finally cresting the wave, the Slippery Eel seemed to drop from the sky.

Benjin watched, helpless, as the Slippery Eel was lost from sight. Death would come no matter which course they chose, he thought. He would have preferred to stay together, but Nora and Fasha stood firm and stayed their course, away from the eruption. Powerless and impotent, he cursed fate and waited for the inevitable.

Rising up to blot out the sky, the wave came, roaring as it displaced the wind. Tying himself to a cleat that protruded from the deck, Benjin stood facing the stern, staring up at the roiling sky, only rope and harness keeping him from falling into the water below. Feeling more as if he were on the face of a cliff than the deck of a ship, he closed his eyes and held on as tight as he could.

Overwhelmed by the speed and height of the wave, the Stealthy Shark rolled forward, tumbling end over end along the crest like a piece of driftwood in the surf. Above the roar could be heard the snapping of wood. The rigging was torn away first along with the masts, but then the seas claimed the deckhouse, steerage, and most of the gunwales, tearing them away is if they were made of parchment.

When Benjin once again felt air on his face, he sucked a deep breath and prepared to be plunged beneath the water again, but what remained of the Shark stayed upright and raced down the trailing edge of the swell. Looking around, he saw Fasha still moored to a cleat. Like him, she had chosen to tie herself off to a part of the deck itself. The choice had saved their lives, but they were alone; no one else remained.

Fasha looked up after untying herself. "I've lost the Shark."