Tales of Vyscher Book 1

Chapter 8

The light up ahead turned out to be an immense lighthouse, soaring to over a hundred feet tall, situated on the eastern point of an opulent walled city. Tad immediately knew that they were in the city of Newport, on the far isle of the elves. Although he was pretty sure his tutors had mentioned the elves were gone and humans lived here now, his father definitely had told him of the lighthouse. He had even seen it once when he was on a trading ship years ago learning the business, and had gone on and on about its magnificence. Tad could only judge it from the air as they slowly glided past it, but it was indeed magnificent, if a bit run down. Perhaps with the elves gone, the humans didn't take the time to keep its appearance up?

The crew was situated along the edge of the ship, pointing down at the crowds that were evidently gathered to take in the sight of a flying ship. Tad and Flewin couldn't see anything from the cage, but the crew was as engrossed by the city and the people living there were in them. Of course, that didn't stop the crew from spitting down at the crowd; that was just in their nature.

What they could see, was the top of a tower in front of the ship, and growing steadily larger. They were obviously headed for it, and descending a bit as they sailed closer. Once they had dropped to the level of a balcony near the top of the tower, Tad could see several people there waiting for the ship to arrive. He had to assume these were the people who had hired Captain Lynch and the crew.

The ship came into the balcony as if it were a dock, the crew tossing ropes fore and aft to keep the ship stationary. There was quite the reception on the tower, at least twenty soldiers as well as an exceptionally large man that he took to be the ruler. Maybe he was the king? Only royalty could eat as much as this man evidently did, and his crown looked like a cap on his balding head.

There was quite a bit of talking between Captain Lynch and this king, but Tad was too far to hear the conversation in its entirety, only bits and pieces. He did see the captain pointing at him and Flewin in the cage, and the king shaking his head. That didn't bode well. There was also mention of slaves, though Tad didn't think it was them that they were discussing, and Vyscher, though who or what that was he couldn't tell.

The best part of the rendezvous was that there were sacks and boxes of supplies passed over to the ship, so there hopefully wouldn't be any need for more bait.

Captain Lynch shook hands with a smiling king, and the ropes were cast off. Once more the ship headed westward, this time over land. Tad could only hope there was a bright spot somewhere in their future. He felt Flewin grasp his hand and squeezed back.

"We have to keep hoping," he whispered to her. She nodded in agreement, tears in her eyes.

"I miss Serev!" she choked.

Tad realized he missed her as well, she had always made him feel braver. Glumly, he could only nod in response. It was just the two of them now.

It turns out, that ogres carrying a pair of cows leave a sizable trail. The big bodies weighed down with the cow carcasses left a trail that was extremely easy to follow down to the south. Between the giant footprints and the dripping blood, Vic and Rek were able to be on the lookout for the ogres rather than tracking them. The grass wasn't nearly long enough for ogres to hide in either, even laying prone, so there was little worry about an ambush.

"This trail is so easy we could have followed it from the air," Rek said wryly.

"Are your feet already tired?" Vic teased her.

Rek raised her eyebrow in response. "Of course not! Just saying it would have been quicker, and the quicker we're done the quicker we have a sevenday off!"