Vigo and Leif dismounted and tied their horses to a post outside a small, well-lit inn on Ingur’s Gate. They were close enough to the port that Leif caught a brief view of the horizon over the water. As they moved closer to the port, the quality of care that had gone into the buildings was readily apparent and they had had no more confrontations with the locals. The sun had only just disappeared but splashes of yellow and orange still painted the northern sky. The sign outside the common room read, “The Sailer’s Wisdom.” Aside from the spelling error, the place was better kept than most of the buildings they’d passed.

  The inside of the inn was small but tidy. It was plain except for a small model ship mounted above the stone fireplace. A pretty young woman sat at the end of the bar. She plucked a psaltery as she sang a quiet but cheery song that Leif didn’t recognize.

  Vigo scanned the room then strode to a table in the back corner with two men. Both wore thick cable-knit sweaters. One chewed on the back of a pipe and they both nursed glasses on the table.

  “Anker, you’re not in your usual seat.” Vigo stood before the seated men. He pulled out two more chairs from the table.

  “That bastard took it, Vigo.” He waved towards the table opposite theirs. “You’re lucky I’m here tonight.”

  “You’re always here.” Vigo sat in one of the two seats and indicated for Leif to join them. “Anker, this is Leif. He will be accompanying us to Danaria. We’re ready. As soon as you’re fit to sail.”

  “Bloody hell, Vigo. Have an ale. Have a meal. You remember my first mate, Eudo? We were just discussing Penth, sad state of affairs that has come to, eh?”

  “Tomorrow, Anker. We have commitments in Danaria plus we’ve had run-ins with bounty hunters, and we had a deal. Tomorrow.”

  “Bounty hunters? For what? From where?” At Vigo’s stern look, Anker then shook his head. “I’ll have the crew ready at sunrise.”

  ***

  Vigo and Leif stood next to Anker and Eudo on the deck of the Illusion. Dawn had arrived and had brought with it a thin layer of mist over the port-harbor. The crew casted-off immediately and without fanfare. As they slowly rowed through towards the mouth of the harbor, Leif felt tension release that he hadn’t even known he’d been holding.

  Before the Illusion were two opposing jetties which resembled gnarled fingers, pointing towards the Kilden. The jetty’s were the gate, the only entry and exit point to Sersk harbor. Soon, the crew of the Illusion would pull in the oars and the sails would carry them to Danaria.

  It would be difficult to track them across the Kilden Sea. Once they were in Danaria, Leif’s trail would have been cold for several days and he would simply be Vigo’s unknown and unremarkable apprentice.

  His thoughts were interrupted by a call from one of the sailors. He hadn’t caught the message, but Anker had.

  “Three oared vessels approaching our starboard side.”

  The three skiff’s were smaller than the Illusion, but they moved quickly across the water.

  Vigo looked at Anker and pointed to Leif, “Is there any chance of hiding him below deck?”

  Anker simply shook his head. The Illusion was a large cog but space was limited. “If they board my ship it won’t take them long to find him and a number of other things I’d prefer not be…found.”

  Vigo looked back to the approaching skiffs. “Get him off this ship. We’ll pick him up when it’s done.”

  Leif was about to argue but Vigo just held up a finger, “Don’t.”

  Anker nodded to Eudo who turned to Leif, “Let’s go, son.” The two of them dropped to the main deck from the stern castle. Eudo slung a web of rope and miniature barrels over his shoulder then he hopped over the portside bannister. His head popped up back over the railing a moment later. There was a thin cut-out in the illusions hull just above the waterline. Eudo’s booted feet were tucked into it and Leif held himself pressed against the hull, his right arm looped around the ship’s railing.

  Leif silently joined him and the pair of them waited. They were still in the harbor but were quickly approaching the jetty’s that marked the exit.

  A loud voice called out. “Captain of the Illusion, I am Master of the Foerstian Border Guard of Sersk. Stop your ship immediately.”

  Anker complied; with a wave of Anker’s hand his men stopped rowing. They cut the blades of their oars into the water to slow the Illusion. Anker then stepped up and responded. “Sir, I am on an urgent mission to Danaria. I’ve never been stopped entering or exiting this port. What is the meaning of this?”

  The Master of the Guard strode confidently towards the front of his ship to speak again. “We have reason to believe that there is a criminal, wanted by the crown of Maedelund, who may be attempting to stow away aboard a vessel to continue to escape Maedish justice. In accordance with our treaty with Maedelund, we must attempt to locate and arrest the subject and return him to his homeland for judgment. You must consent to a search of your vessel. This is only a temporary inconvenience, I assure you.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Vigo responded before Anker could, “The Foerstian Border Guard has no authority here. As of two years ago, the Port of Sersk was sold to King Harald of Danaria. The Guard was replaced by the Port Patrol, as you well know.”

  The speaker on the skiff sneered but Anker spoke before he could respond, “Sir, I honor no crown, only the sea and the House of Erling. As he said, you have no authority here.”

  The man’s anger became increasingly evident. He paused only for a moment before responding, “Then your vessel will be sunk, captain.” A figure with a deep dark hood stepped up.

  Anker turned to Vigo, anxiety creasing his forehead. “Please don’t let them sink my boat.”

  On the other side of the Illusion, Eudo and Leif slipped into the water. They were only a few meters from the end of the rock jetty at this point so it would be a quick swim. They looped the net tied to the small barrels under their torsos, the web kept them buoyant as they kicked their feet. The water was cold but not as cold as Leif had expected. He guessed his adrenaline was helping with that. He turned onto his back as he kicked so he could continue to watch the Illusion. The angle at which they swam allowed them to watch much of the scene unfold while avoiding detection.

  ***

  Vigo wasted no more time. He leapt from the deck. It was a long arcing leap, which would have been impossible for anyone but a mage. He landed on the water without sinking, as if it were firm as a stone, then immediately leapt again. He landed on the first skiff as he drew a sword from his back. There was no hesitation in Vigo’s movements, nor fear.

  The skiffs were small. Only fifteen feet in length with four oarsmen, two on each side, which meant sword-swinging space was limited. He would make do.

  Vigo had wanted to avoid another altercation; to be on their way as swiftly as possible. But now that he had engaged, he was eager for the fight. Magic and adrenaline coursed through him. His power was like a drug that begged him to use it. His skin tingled and he smiled a wicked smile at the exhilaration of battle.

  He stepped up to the two men who had drawn their own blades. The supposed Master of the Guard swung at Vigo’s head. Vigo parried and as the swords met, the speaker's blade shattered.

  In the brief moment the stunned speaker took to look at his broken sword, Vigo slid his sword into and out of the man’s ribs and turned to the second man who was already swinging.

  This one had pulled the hood off his head and was smirking as he swung. There was an inhuman power and speed in his movements. Another wizard then. Vigo ducked. As he dropped, he drew the dagger at his waist and sliced through the tendon at the base of the man’s calf. The wizard grunted in surprise and pain. As he began to collapse backwards Vigo cut upwards with his sword. He severed the wizards sword hand, then reversed his swing and cut down through the wizard’s neck, severing his right carotid artery. The wizard, along with his sword, and his severed hand, clattered to the deck as he frantically grasped at his neck with his remaining hand.

  Vigo swept his eyes around searching for more threats. The four oarsmen had all pressed themselves into the bow of the skiff. Trying to make themselves as small and non-threatening as possible.

  Two mages, swords drawn, leapt from the other skiffs, one a wizard, the other a witch. They landed and Vigo attacked. He had intended to make this quick, to end it as soon as he was able. But he found himself caught up in the throes of the fight, finding joy in the contest and his own mastery.

  The pair of mages parried Vigo’s assault in unison before lunging back into him. He deflected and slipped between them. Blades clashed and Vigo danced a brutish and violent dance around and through the swinging swords. He slapped the witch across her face with the flat of his blade then cut deeply across the wizard’s thigh. He was toying with them. His eyes were alight. He was laughing. In the thrall of his magic and the joy of a challenge, he pressed the attack.

  Seemingly from nowhere, the witch summoned a blade of air into her left hand. She wasted no time in stepping up and thrusting both her weapons towards Vigo’s chest. He smirked and parried in response but the air-blade had disappeared. His parry went wide and allowed her sword to slip in through his guard and sear across the narrow space between his neck and the leather armor covering his shoulder. Despite the pain and his frustration at the cut, he laughed to himself for his mistake.

  In the next second, Vigo gave her a malicious smirk before catching the wizard’s blade with his own. With his other hand, he casted a force of air at the witch and slammed her into the four oarsmen huddled in the bow.

  He turned back to the wizard. He took three steps forward, parried two thrusts, closed the space between them and slammed the palm of his left hand into the wizard's chin. He caught the stunned man by the throat and wasted no time sliding his sword into the man’s heart.

  He dropped the wizard and turned again to face the witch. She stood hunched but defiant. A glowing light formed in her hands then she forced a beam to spring outwards towards Vigo.

  Vigo responded in kind. A flower of light bloomed in his hands and he released it. The beam that shot from his palms was twice as wide as the witch’s. His power consumed hers. It pushed over and through her beam and crashed into her, searing her with heat and pain until she collapsed unmoving.

  It was a thrill, but it was a pity. Vigo didn’t like killing mages.

  ***

  Leif and Eudo had made it to the eastern jetty. They had struggled up the sharp rocks which were mostly covered in salt and excrement from the gulls. Both were transfixed by the combat on the skiffs.

  Leif was in awe at the scene he had just witnessed. Vigo was a master of sword, and magic, and violence. Any reservations Leif had about apprenticing to the overbearing wizard evaporated. This man knew his work. This man was Leif’s best chance at mastering his own abilities. Leif looked back at Eudo whose eyes were fixed on Vigo. Leif’s movement disrupted Eudo’s trance and the man shook his head. “Let’s go. It will be easier for them to pick us up from the beach.”

  They both crept over the large rocks and made their way back to the beach. The Illusion and the skiffs had drifted well past the mouth of Sersk harbor and out into the Kilden Sea. It had given them a clear view of the skiffs and Vigo’s fight.

  Leif continued to watch the boats as he worked his way back to the beach. There were men still standing on the other skiffs. One raised a bow and released an arrow at Vigo. Almost lazily, Vigo waved his hand. The darting arrow was swept into the water between the skiffs. In the next moment, a beam of faintly yellow light erupted from his hand. It arced over the water and blasted through the hull of the first skiff, then the second.

  Leif and Eudo made it to the beach. Eyes still on Vigo and the small boats that were now rapidly taking on water, Leif said to Eudo, “It seems he’s a bloody good wiz-”.

  Before he could finish, a canvas sack was looped over Leif’s head and cinched tightly.

  Leif instinctively reached up for his neck to loosen the bag but he was forcefully shoved forward. He landed with his hands in the sand. He quickly reached up to try again but someone crashed into his back, pinning him to the beach. Multiple hands grabbed his wrists and forced them behind his back where they were tied together with a dry abrasive rope. Leif was then dragged away from the water and towards the trees he’d seen prior to the dark brown canvas he saw now. “Are you all insane? Did you not just see what he did? He’s going to kill you!” It came out muffled with the canvas pressed against his mouth.

  There was no response. Leif tried to pick up his feet and run but they kicked his legs out from under him. He hadn’t brought his sword, but he couldn’t use it anyway with his hands bound as they were.

  He was lifted and shoved into the back of a wagon. A knee pressed painfully against his back. “You know he’s going to come after me. Your only chance is to let me go.”

  It was Eudo’s voice that responded, “It’s not personal, son. A man of my station gets few opportunities to improve his position and the bounty on you will improve mine for generations. That’s all this is. You seem a fine fellow. Stay quiet now.”

  Eudo removed his knee and the wagon started moving, quickly. There were hundreds of wagons coming and leaving Sersk each day. If they reached one of the main roads it would be difficult or impossible for Vigo to find him. So, he cried out. With all the force and volume he could muster he screamed. A fist slammed into his face. Hard. Pain flashed through his head but he screamed again. The fist came again, harder this time, and slammed his face into the floor of the wagon. Pain pulsated through his head. His ears rang and his eyes watered. Leif didn’t think he could see straight even without the bag. He didn’t scream again.

  He didn’t know what to do. He hoped Vigo would arrive quickly. He wasn’t looking forward to having to explain to the wizard why he’d let himself be taken.