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The BloodVaine EpicChapter 27: Onboard An Airship
Lord Void appeared to be steering with sheer mental instinct. The airship’s speed increased to maximum and Marus groaned, muttering under his breath what could have been prayers. Suddenly the Arklyndellys Vulondur jerked to a stop, Marus and Gib were thrown to the deck.
“Gib!” Lord Void snapped, “Take the helm! Don’t press any buttons and keep her steady!”
Gib obeyed and Lord Void moved to the side of the airship, now hovering only a few feet above the ocean’s surface. Lord Void closed his eyes and preformed a simple summoning spell. After a few tense minutes, a column of water suddenly erupted from the Leo Ocean. The Twin Pendants of King Kris flew into Lord Void’s hands. His eyes lighted up in their old evil way, but faded again when he realized the power of the Pendants was no more. They had served their purpose, rising the god-dragon Eroth Gamus to power, and now they were mere trinkets. But no, he was wrong, there was something still in the Pendants.
“Megabloks!” Lord Void exclaimed, “There’s...there’s someone alive in there!”
“What?” Gib was confused and astounded.
“Stand back,” Lord Void commanded, and he dropped the Pendants onto the deck of the Arklyndellys Vulondur. He summoned his staff of power to him and relaxed, concentrating...probing...which incantation had been used to imprison these persons?....Lord Void pressed and folded the Mana life-force, probing deeper...deeper...
Ah.
Lord Void knew what he had to do. The spell that he was about to perform would weaken him greatly, but if the three persons in the pendants could aid him and Gib and Marus it would be worthwhile.
A great burst of energy erupted from Lord Void. The Mana was disrupted once again, but not nearly as much as when BloodVaine had stunned all of Drullen Bell Keep. There was a crack and suddenly the energy shut off. Lord Void slumped to the deck, exhausted.
Reno, Aros and Luxus lay on the deck not three feet from him, staring.
Oh tyco... Lord Void fumed inwardly.
Aloud he managed, “Ah...Reno Regga...alas...we meet...once again…”
Gib stared in disbelief. He had seen a lot of strange things since he left the Neverwood but this... This topped them all. Those pendants had people in them! Gib looked at Jackal. The wolf was fine. He didn't seem fazed one bit. Gib on the other hand had been fazed ever since he left the Neverwood. First the fire breathing fortress. Then the airship and the view from the air. It was all new and rather frightening too. In the Neverwood he was in charge, but here....here he was defenseless. Gib didn’t like the position he was in, but then, he couldn’t help it now.
Reno was struck dumb, which was lucky for Lord Void. If Reno had chosen to jump forward quickly and skewer Lord Void with his sword the Dragon Master sorcerer could have done nothing. He was weaker than a newborn child, unable to even control his leg and arm muscles. He had nearly killed himself to free them from their prison, and it would take him at least a week to fully recover.
However, Reno did not strike, he did nothing. Neither did Aros or Luxus or Marus. Gib, at the helm, was still so amazed three living, breathing human beings had been stuck inside the Pendants that he did not notice the Arklyndellys Vulondur was slowly drifting toward the Eastern Kingdom isles.
At last Reno spoke. It had taken Reno a while to find his voice. Who could blame him? If you had been kidnapped by a insanely powerful wizard, sucked into two pendants and dropped into the sea...only to be saved by your old enemy who also happens to be a wizard, you would be speechless too. But now, as Reno realized that Lord Void wasn’t going to attack anytime soon, he found his voice.
“Lord Void...I should have guessed. You are the only one I can think of who still has it in for me. Well, here I am! Go on and incinerate me! You want the pendants? There they are! Oh, by the way...your plan worked great! As a matter of fact I don’t think anyone in the world could kill that dragon now! And isn’t it ironic. The guy who has the beast also has it in for you. I suppose I should thank you for saving us but you know what...I think you’re the one responsible for this whole mess in the first place. That’s right. Your pal BloodVaine told me all about you. So what do we do now Lord Void? How do we stop you little friend from doing what you never could?”
Lord Void didn't answer. He might have, but something interrupted the conversation. Marus had been waiting for this moment ever since the airship had left. He had been planning, plotting, waiting for the right moment to escape. Finally, he saw his chance...and he acted on it.
Jumping behind Lord Void, he swung his saber up to the wizards neck and backed up to the edge of the ship.
“All right! Nobody move or the wizard gets it!”
Aros looked at the crazed Dragon Master with an emotionless face. “Ok. Give it to him.”
“You numskull!” Lord Void said to Marus through his teeth.
“Quiet!” Marus said. “Gib, take me to shore!”
“What?” Gib said. “I don’t know how to work this thing!”
Marus looked about nervously. This wasn’t going like he planned. Suddenly Jackal jumped at him. The wolf’s teeth sunk into his arm and he dropped the saber. Then Reno and Aros were on top of him.
“Wait!” Gib shouted. “Don't kill him. He is indebted to me.”
The two brothers stopped with Aros landing one last punch and knocking the Dragon Master out. Lord Void was out too, having knocked his head on the side rail of the ship.
“And who are you, stranger?” Reno asked. “You don’t seem to be a Dragon Master.”
“No,” said Aros, agreeing. “He has an honest face. Tell me sir, how do you come to side with these villains?”
Gib was taken aback. He wasn’t experienced with talking to people. And he definitely wasn’t used to people calling him sir.
“Gib. My name is Gib.”
He did his best to explain how he came to be where he was. He missed several points and had to explain things over again, but in the end he managed to give a satisfactory (even if jumbled and short) account of himself.
Reno and Aros stared at Gib, looked at one another, and then nodded.
“Alright Gib, we believe you...but are you sure we can trust Lord Void?” said Aros.
“He kidnapped me and sent his lapdog Majisto to...kill Dale, one of…our friends. Besides, he is a Dragon Master.”
Reno practically spit out the faction name.
Gib shrugged. “He swore to kill the Eroth Gamus...and so far he has kept that promise…”
Aros nodded, but Reno still glared at the still form of Lord Void.
“Why is he so weak? Last time he could have turned me into a rat if he wanted.” asked Reno at last.
“I don’t know much about magic, but I do know he nearly killed himself trying to get you guys out of those Pendants.”
Gib’s answer took Reno by surprise. However he had no time to say anything, for suddenly the Arklyndellys Vulondur shuddered violently and ground to a halt. All three of them looked about, shocked to find themselves surrounded by palm trees. The airship had drifted so far south when Reno, Aros and Gib were talking that it had run aground onto the beach of provincial Eastern Knight’s Kingdom territory.
Lord Void awoke with a groan.
“What the megabloks did you do now?” he murmured.
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