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He nodded. “They’re holes made by the nightmare slug. The creature is commonly found in witch wood, which is another reason for its name.”
I wrinkled my nose. “How about you tell me more about the slug after I’ve eaten my candy?”
Ben smiled and swept his hand over the vast array of goodies. “Purchase what you wish, provided it isn’t the whole cart.”
I picked out what looked most delicious, and in a few minutes we found ourselves strolling the wharf trying to avoid being crushed by crates and angry workmen.
“What do you think of the port?” Ben wondered.
“It’s certainly busy,” I mused as I sniffed one of the candies. A snort escaped my nostrils. “I swear I can still smell thunder fumes whenever I eat candy.”
He chuckled. “It’s the lingering excitement of the event in the air of the port. Sometimes it lasts for weeks, or at least until the last foreign spectator has ventured home on one of the boats.”
I looked out toward the sea and the glistening waters. “What is that way? I think you mentioned there was some kind of island country where an aunt of yours became a noble.”
Ben pointed due south from our position. “That would be Kalea some fifty miles out. You can just make out a low hill in the distance that is the sandstorm that protects the island.”
I swept my eyes over the wharf. “Is there a spot where we can enjoy the water without also admiring someone’s tattoo?”
His eyes twinkled. “We’re headed there now.”
Our feet took us down the wharf to the eastward arm of the sea wall. The commercial noise was replaced by the soothing call of the sea as the waves glided over the white sand. An ancient path of weathered boards, each of a different size and age, led to the very tip of the narrow land mass. The earth sloped steeply down near the end so we were able to take a seat facing outward and have our legs dangle over the edge.
I leaned forward and admired the view. The green-blue sea of Ceorulus stretched out before us as far as I could see. The only blemish on the horizon was the dot of Kalea in the far distance.
The waters gently lapped at the stones beneath our feet and created a sweet lullaby. “It’s so peaceful.”
Ben stiffened by my side and his eyes darted toward the port. I looked at what had caught his attention and discovered a single man strolling toward us. He was dressed in white cloth of some light material and some of it was draped over his head in a hood that partially concealed his face. One of his hands was tucked into his open shirt that revealed his very tanned skin.
He stopped a few feet away and smiled at us. “Excuse me. Would I be interrupting you if I passed?”
Ben shook his head. “Not at all, but I suspect that isn’t all you wish to do.”
The man chuckled. “You are a very astute person. Perhaps that is why you give off such an imposing presence of magic?”
“And how would you know that?” Ben wondered as he slowly climbed to his feet. For my part, I scuttled to my feet.
The man drew out his hand and revealed a small ball that appeared to be made of sand. The countless bits of colorful dust gave off a soft glow of yellow light. “This, my friend, is what tells me you are needed.”
I blinked at him. “Needed for what?”
He snapped his fingers. A strange ripple appeared around him, and the next moment a half dozen men leapt out from behind the stranger. They wore the same garb but also sported very large sticks with strange sapphire stones on the tips. The men raced toward us and Ben positioned himself in front of me. They lifted their sticks and the stones let off a soft glow.
It was at that moment I felt a strange lethargy fall over me. “B-Ben,” I whispered as I dropped to my knees.
Ben spun around to aid me and one of the attackers hit him hard on the back of the head. He crumpled to the ground beside me and blood pooled at the point of impact. I covered his body with my own as the men surrounded us.
Their leader stepped forward and there was an apologetic look on his face. “We are sorry to do this, miss, but it must be done to save our people.”
I couldn’t find the energy to reply as all the strength was sapped from me. The world grew dark and I fell into unconsciousness.
CHAPTERTWO
I wokeup with the mother of all hangovers without the satisfaction of at least a cup of drink. A groan escaped me as my weary body complained of my shifting. It didn’t help that I lay atop a rather hard surface covered in some flimsy and torn sheets.
My eyes fluttered open and I found myself staring up at a short ceiling some six feet above me. The roof over my head had been hewn from some hard sand-like yellow stone, as had the walls. I eased myself onto my arms and discovered I sat in a small square space and beyond it lay a narrow, dingy hall.
My heart dropped as I realized a wall of bars kept me from escaping. That, and the disappearance of a particularly important person.
