The Brass Stormer sped through the water, passing between the remaining four Orion ships. There were precious few crew members left, but the remaining ones were unwilling to give up. They had lost so many and so much that they were prepared to die to kill even one of the invaders who had sprung a prisoner from stasis.

  Marina stood at the port side and Teleri at the starboard, shooting their respective lightning bolts and arrows. With each use of magic, the ship shook. Marina was channelling too much through her staff, leaving Shockwave clinging to Terna while arcane forces sought to draw him back to his elemental plane.

  Two lightning bolts collided in the air, sending a cracking wave of energy across the deck of the Brass Stormer. Marina fell backwards, thumping her head on the ground. She gripped her staff with determination, sore as she was, and forced herself back onto her feet to continue defending the ship.

  As the Brass Stormer streamed past the ships, the skeleton crews remaining were unable to give chase with most of their people having perished on the shore to Pheston’s hammer and Teleri’s arrows. They were left with the option to continue using their magic to hamper the absconders or attempt a true pursuit. They opted to use their magic, only to find it blocked by Marina who had downed a potion to revitalise her mana.

  “They’re almost out of range,” said Lord Gaerfyrd, watching the ships grow further away as he kneeled by his son’s side, clutching his cold hands.

  Marina collapsed on the ground. The effects of the potions she had taken, while not temporary, had been exhausted. She had burned so much of her magical energy that she had little left to give other than what she needed to sustain Shockwave. As much as she was tempted to use another potion to push a little further, she knew it would only hurt her in the long run once it wore off, and continuing at such a breakneck speed would surely lead to her collapsing and the Orion ships would catch them effortlessly.

  A fireball was shakily petering out as it approached the ship. It dissipated upon contact with the hull, merely heating it rather than causing damage. It was a sure sign that they were safe, but it also meant that the guards may now pivot to pursuit. Marina exhaled a sigh of relief and brushed her messy hair away from her face.

  “I’m glad…that’s over,” said Friedrich while wincing in pain.

  Teleri rushed over to him and pulled the goblin mask from underneath his scarf. “I am no longer giving you a choice,” she said. “Put this on.”

  Friedrich shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. “Alright,” he said, “but…I don’t think I can control the goblin. I’m too drained.”

  “We can handle a goblin, Friedrich. Lord Gaerfyrd, please stand aside.”

  The lord did so and, with that, Teleri placed the mask on Friedrich’s face. He immediately felt the overwhelming will of the goblin taking hold of him as he transformed. He struggled against it, trying to assert his dominance, but he could do little. He leapt to his feet and snarled, bearing his jagged teeth at Teleri. She looked at him coldly and drew her dagger, daring him to attack her. Instead, the goblin flopped to the ground and sat on his rear, knowing that he had no choice. He could not flee for there was only water and, stupid as he was, he was not so unintelligent as to dare attack the strong tall-ones on this boat.

  “Is that Friedrich or the goblin in control?” Pheston asked. “I can’t tell.”

  “The goblin,” said Teleri.

  “Are you sure?” asked Marina, sitting up and looking at the goblin. He sneered at her and spat on the ground.

  “Yes.”

  Marina looked over to Lord Gaerfyrd who was leaning against the railings nearby. She stood up and approached him, bowing respectfully. “I’m glad to see you’re safe, Lord Gaerfyrd. I’m Marina, one of your son’s travelling companions.”

  “Marina…” muttered Lord Gaerfyrd, raising an eyebrow. “I knew a man in Eastern Mercia with a daughter named Marina…what was his name?”

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  “I don’t know,” said Marina with a smile, “but he isn’t my father. I come from Northern Mercia, I’m afraid.”

  Lord Gaerfyrd nodded and smiled back at her. “In any case, it is a pleasure. I…to tell you the truth, I am struggling to believe the events of the past couple of hours are real.”

  “Very real,” chortled Pheston. “We’ve been helping your son for some time now. I met the lad during a stint in Keldracht, you know?”

  “Keldracht?” asked Lord Gaerfyrd in disbelief. “The hell plane? Land of Ph’zerak?”

  “Your son has had an interesting couple of years, my friend. But don’t you worry about him, he’s turned out just fine.” Pheston glanced at the goblin who was picking his nose and eating his snot. “Well, he’s fine most of the time. As I said, it’s been an interesting couple of years for him, but the other two can tell you more as they’ve been with him the longest.”

  *

  Friedrich wrenched his weary eyes open and stared at the morning sky above. He lifted his hands to his face and was relieved to see they were his own; pale and broad, not green and clawed. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked around the deck where his friends were. Marina was sitting cross-legged and leaning against the door to the cabin, looking ill. Teleri was sitting on the bow and watching the waves. Pheston was at the wheel, looking smugly satisfied. The only person missing was his father.

  “Welcome to your first morning of freedom under a new sky,” called Pheston, upon noticing Friedrich stirring. “Nice to see you back to your old self, lad.”

  “Friedrich!” called Marina with an uneasy smile. She stood up and staggered over to him, looking like she might vomit. She then dropped down beside him and hugged him tightly. “I was worried about you.”

  Teleri glanced over and gave a quiet wave that Friedrich returned with a smile. She looked back to the water and continued staring out into the open air.

  “What happened to me?” Friedrich asked Marina.

  “When you turned back into yourself, you fainted,” she said. “We weren’t sure what to do, but we could see you breathing so we thought we should let you rest. I wanted to move you downstairs, but Pheston said to let you lie here because it isn’t too cold. Are you well now?”

  “I feel fine,” shrugged Friedrich. “Tired, I suppose, but fine. How are you? You looked like you were hitting your magical limit.”

  “I’m tired too, but we kept moving for a coupe of hours and then I took a break to rest. I thought you would wake up before me, but you were out for the count.”

  Friedrich laughed quietly. “This is one of those moments when you realise that sharing your body with multiple souls can take a toll on you.”

  “Who’d have guessed?” asked Marina with a sly grin while nudging Friedrich in the side. “But I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay too.”

  Marina hugged him again. “You should talk to your father now,” she said. “We didn’t want to tell him much about what had happened over the last couple of years. We thought it best that it came from you.”

  “Thank you,” said Friedrich. “For everything. You’ve been by my side for so long now and I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

  Marina released him from the hug, red-faced. “No thanks are necessary. It’s just nice to not be alone.”

  Friedrich nodded and stood up. His knees were weak, but the boat was stable enough that he could keep his balance. He slowly walked over to the door and headed inside to where a bedroll was lain on the floor. His father was sitting on it, having no doubt been awake for some time. The expression on his shadowed face told Friedrich that he was trying to gather his thoughts and piece together everything he had missed during his imprisonment.

  “Father,” said Friedrich.

  “Friedrich,” said Lord Gaerfyrd, arising. He walked over and embraced his son. “How I’ve missed you, my boy. I feared that the worst had happened to you.”

  “I’m used to the transformations; it wears you down sometimes, that’s all.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I thought perhaps you had died long ago. I was sure the True King Believers had gotten to you.”

  Friedrich pulled back from his father’s embrace. “I’ve been on the road since I last saw you, father. The entire time I knew I had to find a way to rescue you. We may have lost mother, but I wasn’t going to let those treasonous scumbags tear our family apart.”

  “I…I can’t believe this,” said Lord Gaerfyrd solemnly. “Any of this. When you’re used to your life and everything changes so suddenly, you feel like you’re having an out-of-body experience. The imprisonment gave me nothing but time to think. Now, to be free…and freed by you? It’s strange, son. Keldracht?”

  Friedrich couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, but that’s later on in the story. Let me tell you everything from the start,” he said.

  He and his father headed outside onto the deck and sat by the edge of the boat. Friedrich launched into his long tale, telling his father everything from the last time he had been home to the journey into the tower. He spoke of finding the fox mask in the goblin king’s treasure pile. He told his father of his first meeting with each of his companions. When his father heard about the Undercity and Tierfyr, he looked as though his fingernails would cut into his hands, so tightly clenched were his fists.

  As Friedrich spoke, his friends all listened in. Occasionally they chimed in, especially Pheston, but they tried to let him have his time with his father as much as they could. Thankfully, for the next several days, they had nothing but time.