“Asahi, please… save me,” she choked.
He reached for her only to realize that he was leaning out over thin air. The boat’s edge caught him at the knees, and he lost his balance. He exhaled quickly in alarm, twisted, and grabbed the rigging. The rough rope slipped in his grasp, causing a painful rope burn. He gritted his teeth and held on as the upper half of his body tipped over the side.
“Asahi, let go, boy,” his grandmother pleaded with bewildered hurt. “Come back with us.”
A wave of calm washed through him, and he focused on the rope he was holding. Then he swung his left arm up and captured a second rope. His muscles strained as he pulled himself up and swung one leg over the side.
He was precariously hanging by one leg outside of the boat, however, the ropes were supporting the majority of his weight, and he almost lost his grip on them when the boat suddenly rocked. He looked at the bow of the boat when he heard wood scraping against rock. Nali had steered away from it, but there were only a few inches between the boat and the boulder. If he hung suspended where he was for much longer, it would crush him.
Asahi pushed his legs against the hull enough to get some leverage, then he used his weight to fall into the boat. He lay panting on the deck and watched as they glided past one of the largest boulders they had passed so far. His stinging palms reminded him that he was still alive and that they were not out of this yet.
“Asahi, are you alright?” Nali called out.
He gritted his teeth and slowly rose to his feet. He flexed his fingers before he turned in the direction of her voice. The fog thinned for a moment, and he spotted her. She was standing at the helm and was holding one arm out to him. Relief swept through him when he clasped her warm, solid hand.
“I’m fine. How much longer before we get out of this?” he asked.
She tightened her grip on his hand. “Not too much farther. Stay close to me. It worried me when I couldn’t see you,” she answered in a tense voice.
He released a strained chuckle. “I was trying to make sure that Micco will get his boat back in one piece,” he teased.
He scanned the fog-enshrouded deck. The ghostly figures continued to move in and out of his sight, but they appeared to be wary of coming too close to Nali.
Nali shivered, so he stepped up behind her and rubbed her arms. She leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, as the current pulled them closer to their destination.
Isle of Magic
Ashure slowly opened his eyes and clutched his crotch to make sure his cock was still there. He sighed in relief when he confirmed that it was. He just hoped it was still in working order. If it wasn’t, he would have a lot of explaining to do to Tonya—after he killed Drago, of course.
His relief turned to horror when he took in the devastated state of their surroundings. Beside him, Orion lowered his trident and barked out a warning to be ready for battle while Drago stepped out of the Time-Space hoop and shifted into his dragon form. Ashure quickly pulled out his enchanted sword.
“What happened here?” Orion murmured.
Ashure slowly turned in a circle. Smoke still rose from the remains of huts and shops in the village. The grotesque remains of the villagers lay scattered amidst the ruins. Ashure and Orion stepped out of the hoop.
“Orion, watch out!” Ashure yelled when three black shapes emerged from the shadows.
The creatures were dogs, but the alien’s liquid form rolled over their bodies. Orion and Drago turned in unison. Orion struck the closest animal with his trident while Drago released a superheated breath of dragon fire on the other two.
The alien-controlled animals screeched with fury and pain. Ashure surged forward, staying out of Orion and Drago’s line of fire, and struck each creature with the enchanted sword. Each flash of brilliant light nearly blinded him as he pierced their bodies.
He stepped back and warily looked around. Everything was dead or dying. The trees that remained standing were drooping as if in sorrow.
“The attack has begun. We are too late,” he said, his voice reflecting his shock.
Tonya….
“I have to get back to my kingdom,” Ashure said, his voice rising with panic.
“Ashure behind you!” Orion shouted.
He twisted, bringing up his sword as Marina’s father, Ariness, stepped out from behind an overturned cart and aimed a long wizard’s staff at him along with a shouted spell. Fiery explosions rained down—in the area next to Ashure—causing the tangle of thorny vines that had been reaching for him to hastily retreat into the shadows.
“My lords, you are alive,” Ariness said in a trembling voice.
“Ariness, what happened?” Ashure demanded.
“It isn’t safe here. The spell won’t scare the entity away for long. Come with me. Those of us that survived the initial attack have built a temporary stronghold,” Ariness said. A glaze of fatigue and despair coated the wizard’s eyes, and his shoulders sagged with exhaustion.
Orion and Drago warily looked at Ariness before they motioned for him to go ahead of them. Ashure followed the old wizard, with Orion and Drago close behind.
“Ariness, I don’t understand. What happened? How can the alien have spread so quickly?” Ashure demanded.
Ariness glanced over his shoulder before refocusing on the path ahead of him. “Quickly? We’ve been under siege for over a month,” he replied.
“A month!” Orion exclaimed.
Ashure’s stomach twisted. How could this have been going on a month with none of the other kingdoms knowing about it? Surely King Oray or Queen Magika would have sent a warning when they returned
