Wyrms of Pasandir, Box Set 1

By Paul E. Horsman

For years, seventeen-year-old Eskandar had been hidden among the crew of the safe, dull sloop Tipred.
Now his enemies found him out, and sent a terrible monster to sink him and his ship.

Read all about his adventures in this hgripping box set containing: 'The Road to Kalbakar', 'The Pirates of Brisa', and 'The Bokkaners of the North'.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul E. Horsman
• Release date: Sep 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9789491730399

Paul E. Horsman

Paul E. Horsman (1952) is a Dutch and International Fantasy Author. Born and bred in the Netherlands, he now lives in Roosendaal, a town on the Dutch-Belgian border.He has been a soldier, a salesman, a scoutmaster and from 1995 till his school closed in 2012 an instructor of Dutch as a Second Language and Integration to refugees from all over the globe.He is a full-time writer of fantasy adventure stories suitable for a broad age range. His books are both published in the Netherlands, and internationally.His works are characterized by their rich, diverse worlds, colorful peoples and a strong sense of equality between women and men. Many of his stories, like The Shardheld Saga trilogy and The Shadow of the Revenaunt books, have mythological or historical elements in them, while others, especially Lioness of Kell and his current Wyrms of Pasandir books, contain many steampunk elements.You can visit him at his website: www.paulhorsman-author.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1 – SHIP’S BOY

‘Out of my way, bilge rat!’ the first officer snarled as he pushed past me on the sloop’s crowded quarterdeck.

I shuffled my feet and mumbled. ‘Aye aye, sir.’

Idiot, I thought, irritated. You’re a boor, Lieutenant Wylmer; a flat-footed imbecile. I had totally had it with the Tipred sloop, her first lieutenant and the endless days of choking heat on this useless patrol.

Around us the sea was still and the wind dead as a six days old corpse. To starboard, the shimmering line of the Hellesands desert coast seemed glued to the sky and the dullness of it all made me want to scream.

I shifted my weight from one tired foot to another and leaned my back against the railing. Stand still, curse you! I watched Wylmer’s enormous bulk pass four feet away and fumed in silence. I’d been on duty since sunrise and after nearly six hours dodging my officer’s booted feet, all I wanted was my hammock.

‘You’re just lazy, boy,’ Teodar said in my head.

‘I’m not!’ I knew he was teasing me, so I sent him a funny picture of me being terribly exhausted.

He snickered. ‘Slouch!’

‘It’s hot,’ I complained. Teodar didn’t answer. Of course he didn’t; voices don’t feel the heat. Still, just knowing he was there made me feel better. Teodar’s bodiless voice had whispered to me for as long as I could remember. At first I’d thought he was a ghost living inside my skull somewhere. I even asked him once, all serious. He laughed in my face and teased me with ghostly boos in the middle of the night for the next week. It was funny, but he never did tell me what he was, and why he was helping me of all people.

I didn’t complain. Teodar was the one who’d practically raised me. He probably wasn’t all that much older than me, but he knew everything. He taught me magic, watched over me and kept me company, those early, wandering years in the Borderlands.

I remembered those mountains, the snow, and the company of people who said they were my parents but never proved it by showing a moment’s tenderness or even feeding me. Teodar told me how to catch rats and eat them raw. My parents would have let me starve, so I’d say he saved my life.

A trickle of sweat running down my spine called me back to the present and the hot tropical sun. With my dark gray skin, I didn’t have to worry much about sunburn, but the perspiration on my neck had dried to a horrible itch. Almost ritually, I scratched at it with the hook I have for a right hand and wished I could scratch at the boredom as well. Here we were, nearly a week out from Dvarghish Harbor, and not a single ship sighted.

The lieutenant shifted his bulk again, and I eyed him warily. It wouldn’t be the first time those heavy boots of his mashed my toes.

Suddenly, a flash of sky-blue uniform on the companion-ladder and a hearty laugh froze the lieutenant in mid-step. My exhaustion evaporated as the broomrider set foot on the quarterdeck.

We all stepped aside to make room for our passenger. Kellani of the Kell was a powerful girl with straight, short hair, a hawkish nose and a grin that nailed me to the deck planking as she lifted one reddish-brown hand in a salute.

There haven’t been many girls in my life; only the little shrews at the orphanage who were as horrible as the little bullyboys. I had avoided both like the plague.

Then I joined the navy. The Tipred was a mixed crew, but all female sailors were ancient; way past twenty. That made the arrival on board of a tough girl of my own age a Major Event. Especially one who was both nice to look at and one of those awesome broomriders. She was much bigger ‘n me, but I’m used to that. I’m disgustingly small for my seventeen years. Skinny little beast, the nice orphanage keepers used to call me.

I peered around the lieutenant’s back, hoping beyond hope the girl would discover I existed. I’d seen her often enough since she came aboard, but she never ever noticed me.

This time I must’ve breathed or something, for she did see me and winked. Navy discipline went by the board, and I grinned back like a maniac.

‘Strange ship at forty-one!’ The hoarse cry from the masthead made us all jump. The girl craned her neck, but then she must’ve realized the other ship wasn’t visible from the deck yet, for she smiled ruefully. Her hand went to the crooked broomstick on her back, and for a long second she looked about to fly away and investigate.

Then she relaxed as another cry followed the first.

‘Ship’s a threemaster barkentine; Ahaude, out of Dvarghish.’

I knew Ahaude. She was a Kell ship, a coal carrier. Like us, she’d be bound for Port Naar, the navy outpost on the desert coast.

The broomer caught my eye and gave a regretful smile. Maybe she’d also hoped for something exciting, like pirates.

I gave her a slight shrug and an apologetic grin. Welcome to the Tipred. Nothing ever happens here.

Lieutenant Wylmer had his usual moment of indecision. Big body, slow mind.

‘Let’s check up on her, Quartermaster,’ he said finally. ‘Show the navy’s presence.’

The petty officer was a stolid type, a real seaman, and he saluted without showing his thoughts.

‘Aye aye, sir.’ He relayed the order to the helmsman beside him, and the Tipred turned to intercept the big coaler.

Wylmer looked around the quarterdeck. ‘Where’s the little runt?’

Another of his games, I thought, exasperated. I’m at my post, fool; right behind you. Where else would I be?

Wylmer turned, his puffy face scowling like a rabid pug dog.

‘What do you think you’re doing, ratface? Stop hiding and warn the captain I’m changing course.’

‘Aye aye, sir.’ Knowing the broomer’s eyes were on me, I gave the lieutenant my No. 1 salute. He scowled suspiciously, but couldn’t find fault with it.

Without looking, I skirted his bulk and sprang down the companion-ladder to the main deck and Captain Malkim’s great cabin.

‘Watch out!’ Teodar shouted in my head.

Only then I saw the Old Man was already on his way aft and I froze in mid-jump.

A strong brown hand grabbed my collar and pulled me up before the unthinkable could happen.

The captain stepped onto the quarterdeck and halted in front of me. My cheeks burned as I urged the planking to burst open and swallow me.

Old Man Malkim didn’t say anything. He just raised an eyebrow at me dangling from the broomer girl’s big fist. Hurriedly, I brought up my iron hook in salute.

‘First-officer’s-compliments-sir-and-he’s-changing-course,’ I gargled, slowly choking to death in the girl’s grip.

‘I see,’ was all Captain Malkim said. ‘Thank you.’ With a nod, he walked over to the wheel.

I sagged as the girl transferred her hand to my shoulder. ‘Phew. Thanks, broomer; you spared me a hiding for sure.’

My savior grinned. ‘Next time, choose someone your own size to play bump with.’

‘There ain’t any,’ I blurted. ‘I’m seventeen, I think, but do I look it?’

The girl held me at arm’s length and looked me over. Her face was friendly, without even a trace of mockery.

‘No,’ she said finally. ‘You look younger to me. You said you think you’re seventeen?’

I wiped my nose on my sleeve, my heart still drumming. ‘Yeah. The orphanage wasn’t sure, you know.’ I glanced up at the girl. She wasn’t laughing at me; she looked interested. Nobody had ever been interested in my life.

‘You’re an orphan?’ the girl said. ‘That must be awful.’ The warmth in her voice puzzled me. Why would she care?

‘I don’t know if I am,’ I said. ‘I’m a foundling.’ That wasn’t the full truth; I was the only survivor when my family got themselves killed. But it was near enough to serve. Teodar always warned me not to talk about my past.

‘A foundling,’ the girl said. ‘That must be doubly awful. Wondering who you are and why you were abandoned.’

‘Yeah,’ I mumbled. She was right; I had been wondering who my parents had been. Very often. And that idiot Teodar refused to say a word.

‘It’s for your own safety, kid,’ Teodar muttered inside my head. ‘When the time’s there, you will know.’

‘That’s what you always say.’ I lifted my hook to scratch my neck again. I know I did that a lot. The salt from the sea and the heat made me itch all over.

‘What happened to your hand?’ the girl asked, staring at my ironware. ‘It’s not a battle wound, is it?’

That made me grin. Should little old Tipred fire her guns, she’d spring enough planks to sink her.

‘Nah, I got a knife through my palm. An accident.’ It was another near truth. ‘Damaged a lot of tendons the temple healers couldn’t fix for the coppers the orphanage was willing to spend on me. They didn’t want to cut the beastly limb off, so they gave me this old thing to put on over it. A pros-thet-ic, they called it.’ I sniffed. ‘It’s just a gadget.’

The broomer girl studied my hook as if it were a tool. ‘It looks like a curved dagger,’ she said. ‘I bet you could fight with it.’

I moved my hook in a slash, ripping the guts out of the air. ‘I can, though I never had to. It did work fine against the street gangs of Seatome. I never ran with those guys, or afoul of them, but I had to tell those kids to leave me alone often enough. The hook helped a lot to convince even the bigger ones.’

Her chuckle made my heart leap. ‘It looks quite fearsome. What’s your name?’

I made a face. ‘The orphanage people found it a funny handle. Very un-Vanhaarish. I’m Eskandar.’

The girl frowned a little. ‘That’s a great name. It has a powerful ring to it.’ She looked at me critically. ‘What’s your tribe, Vanhaari or Unwaari? You could be either; though the gray of your skin has a purple shine to it I’ve never seen before. Were you born in Seatome?’

I shook my head. ‘I was in the orphanage there, but they found me up north somewhere, near the Borderland mountains.’ I managed to say it nonchalantly, but those almost-lies gave me a bad taste in my mouth. She was a nice girl, and I didn’t like deceiving her. ‘What about you? How did you become a broomer?’

The girl was silent for so long I caught my breath, afraid she’d be angry at my brash question. Then she laughed softly, and I relaxed.

‘I followed in my father’s footsteps,’ she said. ‘He’s the guy who practically reinvented broomriding. I’m Kellani, daughter of Maud of the Kell and of Jurgis, the First Broom.’

For a second, I was too shocked for words. Maud of the Kell was a famous name – heroine, liberator and queen all in one person.

I searched the girl’s face, looking for the mockery. It was her little joke. She couldn’t be the Queen of Kell’s daughter. Not here on this stupid old tub.

Kellani grinned at my expression. ‘It’s true. My mother is Queen Maud, and my Vanhaari father commands the Broomrider Corps.’

I blindly gripped the railing as my stomach sank into my boots. ‘And you’re talkin’ to me? Just like I’m somebody?’

Now Kellani blinked. ‘Why not?’ she said.

‘People never see me, lady. Let alone speak to me.’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘Cut out the lady, mate. I’m as old as you are and not lady-stuff at all. Call me Kellani. And never forget, you too are somebody. My father was an orphan; a street waif and a thief. Now you should see him in his fine uniform, commanding thousands of broomriders. With a bit of luck and a lot of bravery, you can go far.’

Her large hand shot out and touched my right ear. ‘That’s a curious earring you’re wearing,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘What is it? A claw or something?’

‘Think so; I always had it.’ I grinned. ‘Perhaps it’s a hand, to replace my dead one.’

Then an urgent yell from the masthead lookout nailed us to the deck.

‘Captain! Ahaude is under attack. There’s some… Some sea monster circling her!’

CHAPTER 2 – SEA COWS AND FISHBEASTS

Sea monster! I forgot everything else and stared at the patch of white sails on the horizon. We approached agonizingly slow, as if the Tipred was afraid to commit herself. Finally, we could see the coaler from the deck. The Ahaude’s armament of four wheeled carronades was even less impressive than ours, and of those, only one was still firing at... something big. A puff of white smoke spewed from its muzzle, followed by a muffled bang.

I nearly screamed as a long tentacle rose from the water and swept both gun and crew into the sea. Then it curled around the ship’s hull and held her tight.

Behind me, someone whimpered like a child. I turned my head and saw our gallant first officer stared at the scene, his face splotchy and his fat body shaking. Curse it! Bluster-boy, with his name-calling and his stamping feet, was scared! I almost spat at him, but instead I turned to the sea and the now frightfully nearby monster.

My good hand gripped the railing as I tried to understand what I saw. I mean, a cow? With tentacles for legs? Twice as long as a threemaster coal barkentine? Sweat broke out all over me. Such beasts didn’t exist – but it did, and it was immense; ugly and terrifying. Two of its tentacles kept the poor Ahaude in a firm grip while the others waved about wildly; flaying the sea and lathering up foam like it were going to shave.

Captain Malkim snatched the telescope from the first officer’s trembling hand.

‘Chottapan’s Blessing!’ I heard him mutter. ‘What is that creature?’ Of course the sea god didn’t answer; none of them deities ever do.

Our brave sailors on the main deck stood frozen, staring at the distant scene, useless as a pack of ninepins. The captain must’ve seen it, too, for he swallowed a curse.

‘Prepare the guns!’ he shouted, breaking the spell. At once, the sailors sprang into action.

Two-pounder balls – against a 400-foot monster, I thought, feeling sick in my stomach. Like killing a whale with snowballs.

At my side, Kellani had been screaming curses and pounding the railing, but now she took a deep breath and turned formal.

‘I’ll ride up and attack the beast from the air,’ she said, and with a practiced flourish, snatched the crooked-handle wicker broom from her back.

The captain shook his head and tried to look both stern and apologetic. ‘You cannot, my lady. I have strict instructions to keep you out of combat.’

I saw Kellani stiffen. If you’ve never seen a Kell warrioress do that before, it’s awesome. All those big muscles tensing, hands balling to fists and eyes flashing made a fearful sight. Wow, was I jealous!

‘I’m a broomrider, Captain,’ she said firmly. ‘The Ahaude is one of our ships and I’m as oath-bound to aid her as any other broomrider.’

The captain coughed. It was clear from his face he was unwilling to let her go into danger. ‘I should order you to fly to Port Naar and let us battle it out, but...’ He glanced at the Ahaude and swallowed.

I knew the Old Man hadn’t much of a choice. I’d no idea what a broomer’s special tricks were, but any help was welcome. The Tipred with her tiny guns was next to useless on her own.

‘Go then, but be careful, my lady,’ he said heavily.

Kellani whooped, pounded my arm and mounted her broomstick. Then she shot away, up in the sky like a bluewing gull.

‘Go, girl!’ I shouted after her, gripped by her enthusiasm. Then I swallowed, feeling the Old Man’s eyes upon me. Before he could chew me out for my breach of discipline, the first officer returned from overseeing the guns.

‘They’re all run out and ready, Captain.’ His voice came out high-pitched, his squinty eyes were wild, and the sweat deluged down his broad face. The sight made me cold. If anything happened to the Old Man and our lieutenant took command...

I couldn’t watch his fear and turned back to Kellani. To my surprise, she’d reached the Ahaude already. She hovered over the monster, well out of reach of those terrible flailing limbs.

A light flickered around her and I knew she’d turned off her shield, the magical force field that was any mana-user’s main defense. She was fully unprotected now. A beam of light sprang from her hand to the tentacle cow. The beast bellowed much like any bovine, and the whole barkentine shook in its grip.

‘Gods!’ I muttered, banging the railing with my hook. Then our first broadside yapped like a row of lapdogs. The shot must’ve tickled the beast, for it lifted the Ahaude from the sea and slammed her down again.

‘Gods!’ This time I shouted. The barkentine was easily twice our size and heavy with coal. Seeing that monster play with her made me feel puny.

I glanced at the captain; his face was grim, but I don’t think he heard my cry.

‘Eskandar...’ A whisper in my mind interrupted my thoughts.

‘Teodar? What is that monster?’

‘It’s an octicalvo,’ Teodar answered. ‘It… shouldn’t be here.’ The concern in his voice alarmed me; I had never heard him worried.

‘Why not?’

‘They died out. You must watch out for boarders.’

‘What boarders?’ I thought.

‘Parasites. Like lice,’ he added. ‘Only much bigger. Better warn the captain.’

‘Yeah, right. I’ll tap him on the shoulder. Capt’n, we might be boarded by giant lice. He’ll believe me.’

‘You’re a clever chap. Think of something.’

Think… I stared at the helpless threemaster and at Kellani, now throwing balls of fire at the beast’s head. A dreaming – The crew thought me strange already from those times they caught me muttering spell formulas or just joking with Teodar. I leaned forward and stretched my arms out to the scene before us.

My body froze and I cried out in surprise as I found myself hovering over the Ahaude’s deck. Below me, tall sailors fought against the creepiest creatures I’d ever seen. Imagine fish with large fins and the hind legs of a frog. Though only knee-high to the giant Kell sailors, their sharp snapping teeth would easily reach my throat. Over their heads, Kellani fired colored beams at the tentacles holding the ship, slowly cutting through one of them without burning the hull. Her face was a mask of concentration. She clearly couldn’t see me and her beams didn’t touch me. Was I invisible in this dream-state?

Then one of the fishbeasts looked up, its mouth widening in a grin fit for a shark.

‘Got you!’ it cried out, waving its large fins as if about to launch itself at me. ‘Dinnertime!’

I yelled and sagged against the Tipred’s railing, the dark green, rippling sea almost within touch. That monster had wanted to eat me. Dinnertime? What do monsters know about that? How can they talk?

The captain’s hand pulled me up as I tottered. ‘What did you say?’

‘That’s an octicalvo,’ I said as coolly as I could manage, trying to focus on his weathered old face. ‘Ahaude’s men are fighting monsters! Horrible, toothy, fishlike parasites.’ Then the purpose of their fins made me cry out. ‘They’re flying fishes!’

The Old Man took a deep breath. ‘I have heard of octicalvo. They’re supposed to be extinct.’ Then he gripped my shoulder. ‘Flying fish?’ He turned and shouted, ‘Prepare to repel boarders!’ No indecision here; bless the gods for Captain Malkim.

A wet, stinking fishbeast plopped down on the main deck. The nearest sailors backed away in horror and I glowered at them. Great help, guys.

‘There you are,’ the beast exulted, staring up at me with round, cold eyes. Then it smiled. ‘Master will be pleased when I eat you.’ It had a voice like a spluttering fountain, but its words came out awfully clear.

‘You can speak!’ I said, my voice catching on the last word.

‘Of course I can; our masters taught us, human. It is not difficult.’ The fishbeast sounded like one of those sneering street kids in Seatome. The ones I taught to fear my hook.

‘Now I’m going to eat you, spawn of Kambish,’ it said, licking its lips in anticipation.

‘Spawn of who?’ I said. ‘Kambish? Wait! I’m not...’

Then it sprang.

The fishbeast cleared the quarterdeck railing with ease and a flurry of fins, straight at my face.

‘Teodar!’ I screamed, and jumped back. An image popped up in my mind of Seatome harbor and a small boat with a guy crouching in the bow holding a... At the thought, a spear appeared in my hand and I thrust at the monster. I felt the steel point connect as the beast slammed into me and then I fell, hitting my head against the Tipred’s wheel stand.

The speared fishbeast flopped like a landed grouper beside me on the quarterdeck. I sat up, holding my buzzing head, and gagged at the smell of rotting fish. Then the horrible body crumbled and disappeared as if it were sucked into… something.

‘You’re all right?’ the captain asked as he dragged me to my feet.

I nodded, unable to speak. I glanced at the first lieutenant on his knees, praying wildly while tears ran down his plump face. Hastily I turned my head away. So much sheer terror was unnerving.

‘Teodar,’ I mind-yelled. ‘What happened? Did you…? Where did it go?’

‘Great work, kid,’ Teodar answered. ‘You did it right; speared the fishy straight back into the Underworld.’ He sent me an image of applauding hands. ‘Well done! You had a nice dreaming, too.’

‘Dreaming! I was going to make-believe, but it turned real. How? Curse it, how much stuff did you hide inside my head?’

‘You can’t fool your own mind, kid. It knew what you really wanted and took over. I suggest you be careful in your thinking. Your subconscious can act on its own, but it won’t always do want you want. Or like. You must learn to exercise control.’ All of a sudden, he sounded frustrated. ‘It’s too soon. You’re not nearly ready yet. I gave you all your little brain can hold, but you don’t know how to handle it properly!’

I started shaking. ‘And our secret? You told me not to use magic in public.’

‘Doesn’t matter any longer. Your enemies know you now, kid. No more hiding; prepare for change. And more visitors!’

Screaming voices warned me another parasite had boarded. Without thinking, I heated the nearby air and forged it into a sparking trident. It felt solid in my good hand, real deadly. I whooped and sprang down the ladder to the main deck. The parasite flapped around, waving its fins as it tried to kill a gunner.

‘Stand!’ it shrilled. ‘Can’t eat you when you jump around.’

The trident grew hot in my hand. ‘Dinner’s over!’ I cried and speared the parasite. It squirmed and disappeared like the first one, leaving a silvery smudge on the deck. Boy, did that feel great!

The gun captain and his crew lowered their weapons and stared at me, slack-mouthed. I waved to the little two-pounder they’d been loading. ‘Attend to your duties. I’ll take out the beasties.’ Their senior nodded jerkily and they turned back to their gun. Gods! It was a relief not having to hide my magic any longer.

More monsters jumped aboard and I ran around the deck in a wild dance, killing parasites all over the ship.

One landed on the quarterdeck and gave an ecstatic ‘Oooh’ when it saw the first lieutenant. For a second, I thought of the trouble I’d spare the navy if I let the beast eat him, but then I ran aft. The lieutenant cowered against the railing, while Old Man Malkim slashed away at the parasite with his gold-hilted officer’s sword. His blade didn’t hurt the beast, for it disregarded the captain as it hopped up and down trying to get at Wylmer’s throat. I quickly speared the beast, and it exploded wetly all over the lieutenant’s uniform. As the captain stepped back without a glance for his first officer, I threw him a quick salute and ran off to the next parasite.

It was hard work, and after a while, my legs grew tired, my arms ached and my lungs stamped like a leaky old bilge pump. I knew I couldn’t take much more, but there was another, and another, and… Suddenly, a shadow passed over me and thudded down beside me on the deck. I lifted my trident and wearily turned to face it.

‘You can stop now,’ a voice said. ‘It’s done.’

It didn’t sound fishy, and I blinked, swaying on my legs. My shiny trident dissolved in my fist and I managed a grin. ‘Hi!’

Kellani laughed. ‘Hi yourself! Gods, you’re the big surprise today. Where did you learn to do air magic? Are you an Unwaari?’

I shook my tired head. ‘No. Are we safe?’

She shrugged and her face turned serious. ‘I… think so. The sea monster is gone; the Ahaude is still afloat, though barely. I suppose your captain will escort her to Port Naar. I’ll be riding on ahead; the authorities must be informed as soon as possible. You’re coming with me.’

I stared at her. I was getting dizzy, so I wasn’t sure I had heard it right. ‘Me? But…’ Then the world went out.

When I woke, I was lying on a soft mattress in a dim-lit, airless room. There was a faint smell of beeswax and hair oil, and in the near dark, I saw a painting of a plump woman on the wall before me.

Kellani sat at a small desk, writing by the light of a magical spark hanging over her head.

‘Whah?’ I sounded like a frog with a sore throat.

‘You’re back, good.’ Kellani lay down her pen and turned to me. ‘You are in the captain’s cabin.’

I stared at her. ‘Me? I’m but a ship’s boy.’ The Great Cabin was a place of awe and majesty, out of bounds for anyone but the ship’s officers.

‘No longer,’ she said. ‘I used my rights as a broomrider and called you to higher service.’ She smiled. ‘Looking out for wild talents is part of our duty, you know. We must find out what you know and can do, but I declare you a mage.’

‘Teodar?’ I thought frantically.

‘I heard. It’s all right; just go with the tide.’ His voice sounded resigned. Then he snickered. ‘You’re a fine dancer, you know that? Waving that trident and looking so fierce.’

‘Funny fellow,’ I said, grinning. But he was gone already.

Kellani looked quizzically at me. ‘What’s so amusing?’

‘I’m surprised,’ I said quickly. Mage – the title didn’t feel right, but it was a start. After ten years of playing the dumb kid, it would be nice to use my gifts openly.

‘Yep. Now talk,’ Kellani said. ‘Tell me all about yourself. Your past, the lot.’

That shook me. ‘Do I have to?’

‘Yes,’ she said, and she looked perfectly serious now. ‘You really have to.’

CHAPTER 3 – MAGE!

I lowered myself on the bed and fixed my eyes on Kellani’s face.

Dash it, she is pretty, I thought, and my stomach jumped. Teodar gave a deprecating sniff, but he didn’t say anything. Hastily I called my thoughts to order.

‘Mountains, snow and hunger, that’s how my life began,’ I said. ‘Especially hunger. Sleeping in caves, ruins, holes in the snow. Always running, never staying anywhere longer than a day or two.’

I could almost see the mountains again, the ragged peaks and icy dales, and in spite of the hot cabin, I shivered.

‘There were seven of us. My parents, an uncle and his daughter; two women and me. We were fleeing from something or somebody. Whatever it was, my parents seemed to blame me for it. I still don’t know why they took me along; it wasn’t out of love.’

I studied the broomer’s intent face. ‘Parents do love their kids, don’t they?’

‘Usually, yes,’ she said seriously.

I nodded, glad to have that confirmed. ‘Mine didn’t. As soon as I could walk, they told me to catch my own food. Beetles and worms; whatever I could find, I ate. Nobody spoke to me. They were all lost in their own misery, or whatever.’

Kellani made a strange noise in her throat, but her face remained impassive. I had her undivided attention. That warmed me. When you’re breaking a life-long vow of silence, it’s nice to know someone listens.

‘When I was four years old, it all changed.’ I closed my eyes to imagine my earlier self more clearly.

‘I was a little beast; shorter than those fishbeasts and thin as a bone comb. The night before, we’d come to a broken tower near the edge of the mountains. It was a high place; cold and snowy. We huddled in what had been the central hall – a place of tumbled stones and broken furniture; nothing much else.

‘Then I saw the rat. It was small and thin, scrounging for food just as I was. I wanted that rat, broomer. We’d been walking through the snow for two days, and I was so hungry.

‘I watched it from the corner of my eye, hoping none of the others had seen the beast. I had to make sure they didn’t, or they would’ve stolen it. I crept after the rat on all fours through the dark side-rooms until I managed to corner it.

‘I had found this glass sliver. It was sharp as a dagger. Sharp enough to kill a rat. Yet Teodar objected; he wanted me to do it with fire.’

Here I waited a few heartbeats, but he didn’t protest, so I went on. ‘Teodar is a guy in my head who helped me discover my magic powers. He’s a bit strange, but a great teacher.’

‘True,’ he whispered. ‘Go on.’

‘Shaddup,’ I said aloud. ‘Sorry, broomer; him, not you,’ I said, seeing Kellani’s eyebrows rise. ‘Anyhow, he was showing me how to throw a ball of fire when I heard loud voices in the main hall. Strange voices, followed by screaming.

‘"Wastrels, Teodar warned me. Keep very still." I didn’t need to be told; I’ve never been as scared as that moment. The fireball I had made escaped my clutch. It hit the wall and buried me under a load of rubbish. My fine sharp sliver pierced my hand as I fell. Then I imitated a dead rabbit.’

I let my eyes roll away in my head and my body go limp. My breathing turned shallow and with my mouth half open it must’ve been convincing enough, for after a minute or so Kellani poked me.

‘Hey!’

I opened one eye. ‘I don’t know how long it took, but finally the screams died away and I heard people walking around. They were laughing mean laughs. I probably wetted myself then.’

‘I can imagine,’ the girl said. ‘I think you were a very brave four-year-old.’

I opened my other eye and gaped at her, but she was serious.

‘Didn’t have much choice,’ I said. ‘Then Teodar came back from wherever he’d been and told me to mind-shout for help. He gave me the words and I didn’t think, just hollered. The Winds of the Mountains were with me then. That’s what my elders used to say,’ I added, seeing Kellani’s face. ‘The Winds are fate, luck. And I was lucky, then, for I got an immediate answer. We’re coming down, someone said. Within moments, more shouting followed, and the sound of swords fighting. It was quickly over. I still didn’t dare to move, although my hand hurt something awful. Finally, a girl found me. She picked me up and I passed out until I woke up in Seatome with the healers. The rest you know.’

Kellani sat cross-legged on the captain’s bed, looking at me. ‘That’s quite a story.’

I warmed even more at her business-like tone. I hated people getting teary-eyed and you-poor-kid over me.

‘Who were those people who saved you?’

‘Broomriders,’ I said triumphantly. ‘They had been hunting those same Wastrels, but lost them. Then I screamed and they came.’

‘So they should,’ she said. ‘All this was in the Borderlands? As far as I know, nobody lives there. They’re supposed to be barren and inhospitable.’

‘They’re called the Pasandir Peaks; not the most welcoming place for sure, but certainly not barren,’ I said. ‘I’ve seen farms, with small fields and a cow or two, and there are castles.’

‘Truly?’ Suddenly she grinned. ‘Uncle Saul will be so disgusted. He’s boss of the Reclaimers. His people are searching all ruins of the last war for lost magical items. He kept his people out of the mountains because he was sure nobody lived there.’

‘He was supposed to think that,’ Teodar said unexpectedly. ‘We didn’t want any visitors.’

I repeated his remark aloud and Kellani looked up.

‘You mean we were deliberately kept away? But how?’

‘Misdirection,’ Teodar said. ‘We showed them emptiness and they left. We like our freedom.’

‘We don’t threaten anyone’s freedom!’ Kellani said indignantly.

‘That’s what they all say. We found it better to keep your people at a distance.’

‘Until now. What has changed?’ I felt him hesitate.

‘I can’t tell you,’ he said.

‘You mean you won’t.’

‘I mean I can’t.’

That got my attention. I’d always thought there wasn’t anything he could not do.

‘Really can’t? Like someone’s holding a dagger to your throat if you do?’

‘Exactly like that.’ Again he hesitated. ‘Look, I’m not a free agent. I serve a great and powerful master and I’m bound by oaths a thousand years old.’

That shocked me. ‘You are a thousand years old?’ I said, a little shakily.

‘Of course not, idiot!’ he growled. ‘The oaths are, not me. They are ancient, and they bind me with unbreakable rules. I am, just barely, allowed to train you for a specific purpose. And no, I may not tell you what that purpose is; you must find out for yourself. My master has his reasons for that rule; good reasons. All I can say is this; go and discover your past, your birthright and your future. Then, maybe, I can tell you more.’

I glanced at Kellani, who sat with her head cocked and her eyes far away, as if she was listening.

‘Are you thinking at both of us?’ I said, surprised.

Teodar’s voice sounded strained. ‘She has to know. I’m not a girls guy much, but she’s strong. You’ll need her, bud.’

I stifled a curse. I didn’t mind his funny ways, but now it was definitely the wrong moment. ‘I am a girls guy, Teodar. Don’t embarrass me.’

He snorted. ‘Of course not. Now you know your objectives. Find out about me, you, the Mountains, and your enemies. I won’t be at hand all the time, so be prepared to fight your own battles.’

‘Wait!’ I said hurriedly. ‘My enemies?’

‘The octicalvo wasn’t there by accident. It was sent to kill you. Monsters like that have been hunting you for some months now, but this was the first time they searched at sea.’

‘They? Who wants to kill me?’ I said shrilly. ‘Why?’ Suddenly I remembered something. ‘That first parasite called me spawn of kambish. What is kambish?’

‘I can’t tell you, I’ve already said too much.’ He sighed. ‘Be glad that octicalvo was stupid enough to attack the wrong ship. It gave you time to prepare. And it hadn’t counted on that muscle-bound fly-girl with her flashy lightning.’

‘Hey!’ I said.

Kellani grinned softly. ‘I like you too, butterfly.’

‘Butterfly! You don’t know who I am, girl. Eskandar, go find your past. Beware your enemies; they know you now. Exercise your powers. When you’re ready, I will tell you more. Have a care; you can topple mountains, but not yet, kid. I’ll be in touch.’ Then he was gone.

‘So that’s the guy? He’s a strong mind-speaker. Where does he live?’ Kellani said. ‘Not in your head, at least.’

I shrugged. ‘He won’t talk about himself. He’s a real person; that much he admitted. But where? Someplace in the Peaks, I think. He always swears by the mountains and the wind, like my family did.’

‘He’s funny,’ Kellani said.

‘Funny! He’s embarrassing.’ I sat up on the captain’s fine blanket. ‘But Teodar saved my life plenty of times, you know. He was the only one who ever cared for me. I can stand a bit of embarrassment from him.’

I got more than a bit of embarrassment when I came on deck to find the whole crew cheering me. For six years I had lived among them almost unnoticed, and now they wanted to shake my hand, slap my back and thank me. It was awful.

When we reached the quarterdeck, the Old Man saluted me. Me! The first officer followed suit, but he didn’t mean it. Hatred burned in his eyes. But what did he hate me for? Saving his sorry life?

‘Thank you for your service to the ship, Mage Eskandar,’ the captain said. ‘Without your prompt action, we would have been overwhelmed.’ He smiled at me. ‘I understand from the broomrider you had to stay among us incognito. I don’t know the reason why, but I am proud it was our ship that harbored you.’

‘Uh, thank you,’ I said. For a long time I’d been thinking a great many less than nice things about the old Tipred and now I didn’t know what to answer.

‘I’ve learned a lot in those years,’ I said, and at least that bit was true. ‘I’m proud to have served on the Tipred.’

‘We must leave now,’ Kellani said, coming to my rescue. ‘Both of us have to report what happened to our superiors as soon as possible.’

‘We took the liberty of collecting your gear for you, Mage,’ the captain said. He snapped his fingers and the first officer hurried forward. He held out my carryall and smiled with as much grace as he could manage.

‘I checked the muster book and found you had accumulated quite a bit of back pay,’ Captain Malkim said.

I nodded. I’d never seen a penny from the navy, just bed and board.

The Old Man produced a leather pouch. ‘You’ll find six years of wages in here, based on the rank of able seaman. That was the best I could do without navy H.Q. having apoplexy.’

Embarrassed, I pocketed the money and stammered my thanks. Generous of him. Six years back pay at nine pennies a day! I tried to calculate how much that was, but I failed. It was a staggering amount of money.

Again, Kellani took pity on my confusion and slapped my shoulder. ‘Come,’ she said. ‘You can sit in front of me.’

I gingerly lowered my backside onto the broomstick. Riding a broom wasn’t among my spells. Teodar had never heard of it, and while I had, I always thought it something for the elite, people like Kellani. So I was careful, expecting a hard and uncomfortable seat. Instead it was like sinking into an invisible soft chair. My relief must’ve shown on my face, for she gave a big grin. Then she sat down behind me.

‘Easy up,’ she said, and the broom rose.

Old Man Malkim and the first officer saluted again as we shot away toward the distant coastline.

‘A good man, Captain Malkim,’ Kellani said. ‘He was really grateful. Paying you six years’ wages from the ship’s funds won’t make him popular with the bureaucrats at navy H.Q., so it was a fine gesture.’

I nodded, too full of it all to speak. I looked back carefully, but the ship was already a small white speck on the horizon.

I leaned back and sighed. Me, a mage. A mage with money. Being a livelong pauper makes coin an important subject.

‘What’s a mage’s pay?’ I said, dreamily.

Kellani thought. ‘Depends. A common mage makes around three crowns a day. The really mighty ones ten, twenty times that amount.’

‘That is…’ My eyes got glassy. ‘A fortune.’

‘Yes,’ Kellani said absently. ‘But what is that?’

I looked where she pointed at a dark dot coming our way.

‘A bird?’ I suggested.

‘Perhaps.’ She didn’t sound convinced. ‘It’s awfully fast.’

I was right. More or less. Up front, it was a bird. One of those fancy tropical types, with a long, curved beak that looked strong enough to rip up a crocodile. The body could have been a hundred-pound tomcat with many-colored wings and a long striped tail.

‘What is it?’ I screamed.

‘No idea,’ Kellani said. She didn’t yell, but her voice was decidedly louder than necessary.

Just like that first parasite, this monster appeared happy to see me.

‘It is youuuu,’ its bird voice fluted. ‘Kambishboy! You must dieeee.’

‘Whyyy?’ I cried, looking up as it hovered over the broom.

The bird-whatever only laughed, a whistling sound. ‘Youuu are not wanted,’ it warbled.

Then it dove down, its four claws stretched out to me. Kellani’s shield flashed on around us and with a surprised ‘oof’, the beast crashed into us. Our broomstick bucked, but it held its course. The monster flapped wildly, squawking.

‘It’s dazed,’ I shouted. ‘Let’s run!’

Kellani said something, and the broom gathered speed. The monster yelled its rage and came after us. It was fast. Too fast. It shouted, a high-pitched. ‘Don’t go! No, no, no!’ Again, the beast crashed into Kellani’s shield. The broom shook like the Tipred in a gale, forcing us back over the sea.

‘Teodar?’ I thought, but there wasn’t any answer. Fine! Desert me. Then I remembered him saying I should fight my own battles and I grunted. The monster flew parallel to us, cackling like a demented chicken; one round eye watching me.

Kellani muttered something and the broom headed back to the coast. The monster screamed. Again, it bumped into us, and again we flew seaward.

‘This won’t do,’ Kellani said, turning us around again. ‘The broom spell isn’t endless and it’s way too far to swim.’

‘We must fight it.’ My own words shocked me. Fight it?

‘That will be difficult with you on my lap,’ she said. ‘You’re blocking my aim, mate.’

I mentally flipped through the spells Teodar had shown me over the years. Wind… no, our broom would be caught in any wind spell too. Rain, hale, useless for a small target in mid-flight. Frost… I narrowed my eyes at the monster on the other side of the shield, its beak muttering dire curses at me.

‘I got an idea,’ I said. ‘Must get the beast mad first.’ I pulled a face at the monster. ‘Chickenbird!’

Apparently the beast took that personally, for it squawked angrily.

‘Cat canary! Fakey monster!’ My lame taunts wouldn’t have impressed a Seatome street kid, but the beast was a lot touchier. Its eyes glowed red and it smashed against the shield in an attempt to get at me. For a blood-chilling moment, the broom stalled, but then it resumed its course.

I waved my hook at the beast. ‘I’m gonna get ya, baby bird! Girl, I gotta plan! Down ya shield!’

In my excitement, I slipped back into the dialect of my childhood, but the broomer understood me. Not only that – she trusted me. Her shield switched off and hot winds from the nearby lands tore at us, lashing us with fine desert sands.

‘Now I’ve got youuuu!’ the monster fluted angrily and threw itself at me from behind.

‘Not so, baby bird!’ Hanging precariously over Kellani’s shoulder, I slashed my hook at its head. The monster screamed and colorful feathers flew into my face.

‘Freeze!’ I shouted wildly. ‘Ice! Blizzard! Cold!’

From within the hook’s curve, a shimmering vortex sprang across an arm’s length of empty sky and enveloped the monster.

‘Uuuuhhh!’ With a frosty crack, baby bird turned into a giant, spread-winged ice sculpture. As it toppled, one of its claws hooked behind the broom spell’s invisible backrests. The monster’s additional weight was too much for the poor broomstick. It fought to stay in the air, but slowly the frozen beast dragged us down toward the waiting sea.

Cursing, I climbed half over Kellani’s shoulder and pulled at the claw stuck behind her, kicking and pushing until it came loose. The beast fell away and the recoil was powerful enough to send the broom, and us, spinning out of control.

I screamed. A tiny part of me had enough sense left to shout a command word, and immediately my own shield enveloped us, shutting out the winds. As we went round and round, I clung to Kellani’s shoulder, waiting for the moment we’d hit the sea.

It seemed like hours, but it must’ve been only a matter of seconds until Kellani got her wits together and yelled a command. Immediately, the broom steadied. Its flight straightened out as it sped toward the shore, barely a manlength above the waves. Screaming words I thought only sailors knew, Kellani steered toward the distant coast. The sky behind us was empty and the sea a deep blue field of unbroken little ripples, running for the beach.

‘You did it!’ Kellani shouted. ‘What did you do?’

I blinked at the logic of that. ‘Froze it. Don’t know for how long.’

‘Long enough to drown the beast, I hope,’ the broomer said. ‘Neat trick, mate.’

I eased back into my seat, suddenly exhausted. ‘Teodar?’

‘It’s all right,’ he answered like he always did when I was small. ‘Sleep, kid; I’m here.’

So I slept.

CHAPTER 4 – RECLAIMERS

Kellani leaned back into the invisible support of her broom, holding Eskandar with one hand. His racing heart slowed down under her fingers and his breathing turned to normal while he slept.

He’s such a small guy, she thought. How did he do it? Freezing that birdcat, fighting those parasite fish. Where did he get the power?

She had seen enough to know Eskandar had saved the Tipred, for the ship’s crew had been useless. Vanhaari don’t make good sailors; they’re farmers at heart, and they had panicked. Eskandar defeated those fishbeasts singlehanded. And if he hadn’t somehow lured all of those parasites to him, they would have lost the coaler as well. The memory of Eskandar dancing over the sloop’s deck, waving and stabbing his shiny spear into exploding parasites, made her smile.

But not for long. Uncle Yarwan won’t be pleased with my whisking the guy away from the navy, she thought. Nor will Mother and Dad. Of course, it was part of a broomer’s duty to watch out for wild talents. Untrained mages could be dangerous and had to be enlisted if possible or taken into custody should they prove troublesome. Only I wasn’t supposed to do broomer things yet. For a whole year I was to study and train, with no gadding about, no riding and certainly no fighting. The broom on my back was part of the uniform, but while underage, I was not allowed to use the thing. Until my eighteenth birthday, I was to be as useful to the Service as a dead cat. I gave my word I would be good. Then, at the first hint of action, I broke that promise. Mother won’t like that at all.

She slapped her knee. What else could she have done? She fought the octicalvo to stop it sinking the Ahaude. Captain Malkim couldn’t have done it with his little guns. And Eskandar needed to be away from that dull ship of his.

Eskandar. What a strange background, and with that funny fellow talking to him… Look how the birdcat went straight for him. That first parasite did the same, if she could believe Captain Malkim’s words. Why did they want to kill him?

On impulse, she sent out a thought to the butterfly guy. ‘You, Teodar or whatever your name is; are you there?’

‘Yes.’

She blinked, surprised he answered her. ‘Can we talk?’

‘What about?’ He sounded wary.

‘Eskandar. You. What the heck is going on.’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know you.’

She grinned. ‘You wanna go by the book? I’m Kellani of Kell-Spellstor. Broomrider Officer of the Weal of Four Nations. Daughter of Queen Maud of the Kells and niece to the Lord Spellstor of Vanhaar. Enough?’ Of course, she was only a cadet, not a proper officer, but he didn’t need to know that.

‘I don’t know these names.’ He sounded unsure and surprisingly young. Before, she’d pictured him in his twenties, but he couldn’t be much older than her.

‘You don’t know? Where do you come from that you don’t recognize the most powerful names in the lands?’ Then something surfaced that Eskandar had said earlier. ‘You’re from the Borderlands, aren’t you? The barren mountains.’

‘The Pasandir Peaks. Eskandar told you they’re not barren.’

She smiled at that. ‘So he did. Was he born there? He looks somewhat like a Vanhaari or Unwaari, but not entirely.’

‘Those names…’ He hesitated. ‘So long ago. Very long ago. No, he’s not one of those two tribes.’

She sat up straight. ‘You’re saying there are people living in those mountains that look like Vanhaari but aren’t?’

‘I’m not saying anything,’ he said sharply. ‘Don’t try to put words in my mouth, girl.’

‘You sound like a grumpy old man now, butterfly,’ she said.

‘I’m not a…’ Suddenly he laughed. ‘You’re right; I did sound like a grumpy old man. I’m not used to speaking with women. Still, I won’t answer the question - not yet.’

‘Fair enough for now.’ She chuckled. ‘Another question. Eskandar was serving on a Weal Navy ship. Why?’

‘I needed a safe place for him. No enemy would seek him where he was.’

‘Yet they did. That tentacle cow was seeking him.’

‘The octicalvo; yes. Perish them! The guy isn’t ready yet.’

She thought of Eskandar’s dancing. ‘He seems pretty powerful to me.’

Teodar growled at that. ‘He is. Very powerful. But he doesn’t know how to use all I gave him. I needed at least another year.’

She heard both anger and despair in his voice. ‘He has enemies.’

‘Many.’

‘Enemies who shouldn’t exist,’ she gambled, and felt his surprise.

‘How do you know?’

Kellani sighed. ‘I’m not stupid, mate. I am a battlemage from an ancient line of warlocks. Those monsters weren’t natural.’ The words didn’t come easy; with the Kell, the mother’s line was what counted. But her father’s lineage, the Spellstors of Vanhaar, had been prince warlocks for over a thousand years, and she wasn’t ashamed of them.

‘It is true,’ Teodar said. ‘Those beasts have been extinct for ages. Someone recalled them and sent them out to kill Eskandar.’ He snorted. ‘Don’t.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Don’t ask me why. I won’t tell you that either. He must discover it for himself. If only I’d had more time. Now they know about him, while I can’t stay with him all the time. I have other matters to take care of.’ He sounded angry and… scared. ‘I hate the thought of him wandering the world alone and only half-finished.’

‘He isn’t alone,’ she said. ‘Our people can help him develop his talents. We’re trained to do that.’

‘His knowledge is secret, woman. Not for just anybody.’

Kellani shrugged. ‘What choice do you have? Either we help him or he dies.’

He was silent so long she wondered if he was still there.

‘You have a point,’ he said, grudgingly. ‘All right; you help him, girl battlemage. Beware, though, his power is far greater than you think. Now, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve others screaming for my attendance – which they won’t get.’

Kellani felt him pull back; it was as if a door slammed closed. Strange guy; she thought. His thoughts were normal enough, but they carried an echo of something much larger. Like a butterfly, a soul guide, as the wisewomen called them.

She filed the whole conversation away for later, now they were nearing the coast and it was time to go looking for help.

She cast her mind round as far as she could reach, but all was empty. That could mean there wasn’t anybody around, which would be bad, or else her mind wasn’t strong enough. The ability to talk mind-to-mind was a prerequisite for broomriders, but she knew she was awful in soft magics and only barely made the grade.

Eskandar shifted in her lap. She touched his shoulder and he mumbled something.

Soon the distant coast became a beach, a stretch of surf beating upon white sands.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and sent her mind out. ‘Broomency – Broomency. Kellani broomrider; need assist.’

She frowned. It was as if there was an echo to her thoughts, strengthening them. She glanced at Eskandar, but he was fast asleep. She shrugged. The heat… I must be imagining things.

For it was hot, every moment she had to switch her shield off to send a call. They rode over the worst desert in the world – Hellesands; an orange-red panorama of ribbed dunes stretching to the horizon.

‘Broomency – Broomency.’ Every time, that faint echo called along with her.

Eskandar hung limply in her arms, his face flushed from the desert heat. Those strange reddish undertones in his gray skin were more pronounced now, and his breath came in gasps.

‘Broomency. Kellani broomrider; need assist,’ she called, throwing all her mounting urgency behind it.

Suddenly a man’s voice entered her mind, sounding calm and authoritative.

‘Kellani broomrider, this is Reclaimer Unit Four-Five-Three. Our base is close by your position. Stand-by for coordinates.’

Relief made her giddy. A reclaimer unit! A low buzz filled her head as she received their coordinates and a lot of rubbish to mask it in case Wastrels were snooping. Quickly, she gave a new spell of direction to her broom and they changed course. Then Kellani sighed in relief. They were saved. She sent a happy smile to go with her message.

‘Kellani broomrider to Reclaimer Unit Four-Five-Three. Got your beacon. Am homing in. Glad to hear you, friend!’

A young man’s voice, excited and familiar, shouted over the calm answer, coming as clear as if he stood next to her.

‘Kellie? It’s Naudin here. What are you doing, cuz?’

She laughed. One more surprise, this strange day. Naudin, her uncles Basil and Yarwan’s kid. What was he doing in the desert? Surely he wasn’t a reclaimer?

‘By Gorm, Naudin! I’ve got tales to tell, but not in mindspeak.’

The guy sent her a broad grin. ‘Sounds exciting, cuz. You‘ll tell me later, I know you will.’

She snorted. ‘They’re broomer secrets,’ she said as haughtily as she could. ‘I’m on official business, child.’ They were of an age, but she was a lot bigger, and the answer would silence him.

As he started to say something, the broomstick hiccupped.

In spite of the heat, Kellani’s breath froze in her veins. Curse it, not now! The spell can’t be exhausted yet! We haven’t been in the air all that long. But all at once, the broom felt sluggish and lost speed.

‘Naudin! Going down!’ she cried. They were perhaps two manlengths from the ground when the broom’s spell broke. For a heartbeat or two, they stalled. Then the sand came up to meet them and the world went dark.

CHAPTER 5 – NAUDIN TO THE RECUE

‘Naudin! Going down!’ At Kellie's desperate cry, Naudin squeezed his second helping of Cook’s blueberry pie to a pulp. His brain whirled as the sweet purple filling dripped down his fingers. What happened? Did they crash? All the horror stories about people lost in the Hellesands flashed through his mind. The mummified remains, the bleached bones – it was noon and with the sun at his highest, the heat out there was deadly and there would be no shade at all.

The dig crew gathered around the mess table just sat there, and Naudin’s anger grew. Those dolts should’ve been up and running already. Instead, they all waited like sheep for old Lyster’s decision. He clenched his teeth in frustration. After a whole week at this fool dig site, his opinion of the boss reclaimer contained words his mother wouldn’t like.

Unable to keep calm, Naudin pounded the table. ‘We have to find her!’

‘I suppose we must,’ the supervisor said, plucking at his lower lip. Then he brightened. ‘Or we could warn Port Naar and let