Secrets at Sea

Chapter 28

I've been scanning the ship in my mind for Kepner and the other missing survivors, but I'm only sensing hostile souls aboard The Duchess. I turn my attention back to the ceiling where the hole came and went from and I focus my powers on locating the origin of the void hole. My conscious works through the residue of the spell until I can locate a magical imprint. This imprint will help me to track the magick user that kidnapped Kepner and potentially everyone else from the bridge.

"Weird." I mutter, the track not taking hold onto anyone in particular. Either I'm doing the spell wrong or the person I'm trying to find has a really good barrier spell that shields their magical imprint from being found.

I need some sort of help if I'm going to make it through this ship alone. I don't think I can find the source of the magick and defend myself at the same time, especially since I'm still trying to figure out how to use these stupid powers. I sigh in frustration.

I hear a deep, primal growl from in front of me and I quickly open my eyes. Two dogs stand before me. Well saying dogs would be an understatement. These aren't your normal dogs. For starters they're each about the size of a fully grown bear, with long tuffs of hairs growing out of the patches on the skin that aren't torn up and exposing muscle and bone. Their teeth are the size of a bear's as well with long, sharp canines jutting down and out allowing them easier access to tear into their prey. Both bear dogs are snarling and ready to pounce at the first thing in sight, which happens to be me.

"Easy there doggies." I put my hands up to show them I mean no harm. I stand, planted in place and showing no weakness. I don't want to make myself an easier target than I already am. My mind is blank, fear having wiped out any reasonable logic or power that I had previously. "How'd you two get here?" I ask, my voice seeming to have an effect on them and they stop snarling. They're still tense and could pounce at any given second, but I feel like I've earned a few extra seconds with my few words.

"You two don't belong on a ship, what's going on?" I take a step towards them, my hands are still extended to protect me in case they attack. "You two look so fierce and strong, but you couldn't have possibly swam all the way out here." I take another few steps closer. The bear dogs don't move, but their eyes are still warning me not to make any sudden moves. I'm about five feet in front of the creatures and I stop to crouch down so that I'm at eye level with the two of them. The dog on the left bows his head a bit and walks forward until his nose rests on the palm of my hand. We stand there for a moment, connected, and I can feel the power and loyalty coursing through this beast of an animal. "Hi beautiful." I whisper and place my forehead on his. I know they are both mine once the other bear dog comes and lets me touch them. They are descendants of Huberous, creatures that protected and obeyed the incarnations of the Forest Goddesses.

Well my wish was granted. I think, I'm no longer alone. We walk around the rest of the bridge looking for any clues as to where the survivors may have been taken. The pups have broken off away from me and are sniffing around as well. I don't need to tell them what to do, it's as if they understand my thoughts and follow my lead accordingly.

We give up on the bridge, having gotten no further with the search, and make our way down to the stairwell and into the corridor. We wander aimlessly through the hallways, the pup protecting me from any crazy who dares cross our path, and we end up at the bottom of the ship in the engine room.

"Why'd you bring me here?" I eye the Huberus Hybrids in confusion, but they seem unaware of my gaze. They've trotted off into the darkness to explore the cold, dead machinery. I flick my hand into the air and a soft, bright light erupts from my fingertips. It floats near the ceiling, perfectly illuminating the engine room, allowing me to see the space unlike before. The room is much smaller than I had thought, the ceiling just a couple feet above the engines. The walls are their original metal, welding marks visible all along the walls as if they had to make multiple repairs over the years. The engines that had once towered over me in the darkness now seem small in comparison to my imagination. I touch the frozen engine with the palm of my hand, it sends shivers down my spine from the frosty metal, but I keep my hand firmly planted in place.

"Leben wa rinato en ti." I mutter, feeling the power surge up from deep within my core. The energy shoots through me and into the engine. I hear a loud crash that causes me to jump back, but the magick is done. The engine roars back to life and I hear the ship groan as it jolts forward and begins to move. The lights flicker on in the engine room and my lumo orb fades away.

"At least I did something productive today." I say and begin to follow the path that the bear dogs took.