Master of furies, p.44
Master of Furies, page 44
‘Where?’ she asked, her eyes narrowing.
‘To a … place to study, to learn how to master my powers.’ He quickly recounted to her his ability to find her and others, and his part in saving Declan in the Wound and ensuring that the massive doors in Akena were burned.
As he spoke, her expression turned darker and at last, when he was finished, she said, ‘You’re leaving me?’
‘Only if you won’t come, too.’
For a moment her expression became stern. ‘So, either I give up being the best damn ship’s captain on this world, or you leave me here alone!’
Ruffio and Zaakara were close enough to overhear their conversation and Ruffio said, ‘We have ships.’
Hava’s eyes widened and she looked from Hatu to Ruffio and said, ‘What?’
‘I said, we have ships. If you need a ship, that is not a problem.’
‘Do you have pirates?’ she asked.
‘Too damn many,’ said Zaakara, ‘if you want the truth.’
She brightened and said, ‘Sounds like my kind of place.’
‘But we have to leave now,’ said Ruffio.
Donte came out of the tent looking for them and walked up as Hava threw her arms around Hatu’s neck and said, ‘Of course I’ll go anywhere with you.’ She squeezed him tight, then playfully pushed him away. ‘As long as they have ships.’
‘What is this?’ asked Donte, starting to show the effects of Collin’s whisky.
Hava shouted to Ruffio, ‘We’re coming!’ Then she threw her arms around Donte’s neck and hugged him, only to have Hatu also come and hug him as well.
‘What?’ asked Donte.
‘We’re going on an adventure,’ said Hava. ‘We love you, idiot. Stay alive!’
Suddenly a huge oval of energy sprang into being, one Hatu felt as it manifested.
The sizzling sound it emitted caused Daylon, Declan, and the rest of the king’s retinue to leave the pavilion and come outside.
Ruffio indicated that Zaakara should step through first, as Hatu shouted to Declan, ‘Say goodbye to Bodai for me when you visit the Sanctuary!’
Declan waved as Hava stepped through the silvery light and vanished. Hatu followed.
As Ruffio was about to step through, Donte sprinted to the oval, shouting, ‘Wait for me!’ He dived through at the same instant as Ruffio and a second later the oval of scintillating energy snapped out of existence.
Sixto came to stand by Declan’s shoulder. ‘Do you think we will ever see them again?’
Declan paused, and said, ‘I don’t know, but I now fully believe anything is possible.’
DONTE SLID ACROSS WET GRASS and hit Hatu from behind, sending him reeling as he turned and fell on his backside.
Hava and Zaakara were far enough away to avoid being knocked over. Ruffio was knocked sideways and rolled a few feet down a grassy incline.
Two men in black robes stood a short distance away. Both held staffs. The slightly taller man had pure white hair that fell to his shoulders, but his face looked relatively young. The second man appeared greatly amused by the pratfall and moved to help Hatu to his feet.
‘Welcome,’ said the white-haired man. ‘I only expected one newcomer, but you are all welcome.’
Hava playfully punched Donte on the arm. ‘You could have got yourself killed, you idiot.’
‘Ow!’ he said. ‘You hit hard!’ He looked around then turned his head so fast he got a spasm in his neck. Putting his hand up to where it hurt, he exclaimed, ‘Look!’
‘What?’ said Hava.
‘Three moons!’
Above, a large moon illuminated the night, and in the distance two smaller orbs were rising.
The dark-haired man said, ‘When all three are high, it’s almost like a bright foggy day.’
‘Where are we?’ said Donte.
The white-haired man made a sweeping gesture. ‘This island is Sorcerer’s Isle, and on the other side of this hill is our school, Villa Beata, which means “happy home”.
‘We are in the middle of an ocean called the Bitter Sea, and you are on a world called Midkemia. I am Magnus.’
The younger man shook Hatu’s hand and said, ‘My name is Philip, but everyone calls me Pug.’
Acknowledgements
Once again, I say thanks to people who made this career of mine possible, beginning decades ago with all my gaming friends, and to the thousands of readers I’ve been privileged to meet in person and online. It only feels like I’m doing this alone at times, but in truth I have many people who make this life possible and rewarding. I would especially like to thank Jane Johnson and Vicky Leech Mateos for editorial wisdom and a lot of hard work during very difficult days.
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Raymond E. Feist, Master of Furies
