it out with that going on.”
“How are we to get off the island now?” Miko asks.
“There’s still the dock over by the smelters,” James replies. “It’s further south a ways, but it’s our only hope.” The weight of impending doom seems to be dropping down upon him, “I don’t think we have all that much time.”
As they get moving though the forest, Essin asks, “Time for what?”
James glances back toward where the fire and lava shoots to the sky, “Before the entire island goes.”
“Goes?” Miko asks.
“ Kaboom!” he shouts loudly, raising his arms into the air, “taking everything and everyone with it. Apparently, this area use to be volcanically active long ago, and I seem to have begun a series of events which are going to bring this area back alive again.”
With renewed determination, everyone picks up speed as they crash through the underbrush, heading to the southern docks. James takes a turn at carrying the comatose Nate, giving Essen’s arms a break.
When they come to the smelter area, there’s a flurry of activity going on as the people there load what looks like long bars of iron onto wagons. Some wagons have already been loaded and are on their way to the southern docks.
“There must be a ship there,” figures Jiron, “and they’re trying to save as much of the iron as they can.”
“Then we’ll just have to convince them to take us along,” James says as they remain in the forest and skirt around the buildings.
“Do you think they will?” asks Essin.
James just looks at him and shakes his head. “It’ll end up being us or them,” he says.
“Oh, right,” he says.
Once around the camp and come to the road, they no longer try to avoid being seen as they race onto the road and make a break for it to the south. A cry goes up behind them from the drivers of the wagons currently on the road but they are slow and there are no guards with them. Not paying them any heed, they continue racing toward the docks and their only chance to make it alive off the island.
“How far is it?” Jiron asks.
“Not sure,” James replies as he begins to get a stitch in his side, “maybe another mile or two.” Then turning to Essin he says, “Here,” as he hands the unconscious Nate back to Essin. “I may need my strength when we get to the docks.”
Once Nate is back upon Essin’s shoulder, James is better able to continue running. The ground begins to once more tremble as shockwaves ripple outward from the mine. “It’s not going to be much longer!” he yells.
Suddenly, the road opens up on a clearing, the dock lies on the far side over a hundred yards away. Two wagons are being unloaded as a dozen people transfer the iron bars to the only ship docked there. A dozen guards stand watch.
When they enter the clearing and have covered half the distance to the docks, one of the workers sees them and gives the alarm. The twelve guards turn and draw their swords as they move to intercept them before they can reach the ship. Iron slugs begin flying toward the advancing guards, taking out five before they take a dozen strides. Using a tactic he saw in an old war movie, James takes out the ones in the rear to keep the advancing ones from realizing their number is decreasing.
Then he let’s loose more of the power as the ground erupts, throwing another five into the air.
Jiron advances upon the remaining two, knives at the ready. The first one closes with him and he deflects the sword thrust with a knife as he follows through with the other. The guard dances back as his slice misses the guard’s chest by bare inches.
The workers on the dock, having seen the guards taken out so readily, and the ground erupting before their eyes, turn to flee for their lives away from the wagons and the dock.
The ship’s captain begins barking orders as he attempts to move his ship away from the dock before they have a chance to approach.
Essin lays Nate on the ground and grabs a nearby stick as he goes to aid Jiron. He comes up behind the second man Jiron is engaged with and strikes him in the back of the head. The man staggers a few steps before dropping to the ground.
Jiron glances over to Essin and gives him a slight nod as he continues the fight with the remaining guard.
Miko sees the boat begin to pull away and hollers over to James, “The boat is leaving!”
Looking over to the boat, James realizes it’s already a good five feet from the dock and departing steadily. The magic surges out of him as he creates an invisible tether from the dock to the boat. The ship suddenly lurches to a stop, the captain shouting orders to his crew but nothing he does moves his ship one inch further. Beginning to pant with all the magical exertions, James begins to shorten the tether and the boat is slowly brought back to the dock. Spots dance before his eyes as he sinks to one knee from the effort of drawing the ship back to the dock. He glances over to Jiron and watches as the remaining guard falls to the ground.
After his remaining opponent falls, Jiron turns to find James at the edge of the dock on one knee. He runs to his side while Essin and Miko bring forward the unconscious Nate.
As the boat pulls up to the dock, James sees the captain and crew there with swords drawn ready to sell their lives dearly if they must. “Request permission to come aboard captain,” James hollers to him.
“Why should I let you?” the captain yells back.
“Because your ship isn’t going anywhere until we do,” James tells him. “This island is about to erupt in a volcanic explosion of immense proportions and we all need to be as far away as possible.”
As if to add credence to what James is saying, the ground begins to shake violently, dropping everyone to the ground. Trees in the forest are heard toppling over and from the mine area, another blast erupts into the sky.
When the ground once again calms, they return to their feet. The others gather around James as he stands there before the ship. When Essin and Miko bring Nate close, the captain sees him and says, “Nate?”
James looks over to Nate and then back to the captain, “You know him?”
“Aye,” he replies, “he’s my cousin.” Turning to his men he signals for them to lower their weapons and then returns his own sword to the scabbard on his hip.
“Permission granted,” he says, “hurry and come aboard.”
As they begin moving toward the ship, a mob exits the forest behind them. Consisting of both slaves and guards from the compound, they swarm into the clearing, hell bent on reaching the ship and safety.
“Come on!” the captain yells and then begins barking out orders to his crew as they once more get the ship ready to sail.
Suddenly a hail of hot stones falls on the ship and those getting aboard from where they had been belched from the belly of the emerging volcano. One stone strikes James in the head, causing him to falter and fall to the ground. Jiron helps him to his feet and then half carries him across the gangplank to the ship’s deck.
Miko turns and gasps when he sees one armed Black Tooth in the fore of the advancing mob. From somewhere he’s acquired a sword and has it gripped in his remaining hand. When their eyes lock, an evil grin spreads across his face as he quickens his pace to reach Miko.
“Miko!” James yells from where he stands on the ship. “Hurry up!”
When Miko and Essin reach the gangplank, the captain is there and he takes Nate from them as they board the ship. Two crewmen pull in the gangplank as the wind fills the sails and the ship begins to back away from the dock now that James is no longer holding it captive.
Before the ship is able to put enough distance between them and the dock, a few of the people running toward them try jumping the distance between the dock and the ship. Most land in the water but a couple manages to reach the deck, Black Tooth is one of those to make the ship’s deck.
Crying out as he lands on the deck, he turns toward Miko who’s only a foot away and raises his sword to end his life. Miko looks up at death coming for him and then closes his eyes as he braces for the end.
As Black Tooth strikes down at Miko, he suddenly gasps and falters. Miko opens his eyes and sees a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, blood beginning to flow down the front of his body. Staggering to the side, he looks down at the bolt sticking out of him. With a cry of animal ferocity, he again lurches toward Miko, intent on killing him with his last ounce of strength.
Another bolt strikes him in the shoulder causing him to drop his sword. Coming forward with the crossbow
