They stopped at a small port on an island called Huihana. It was part of the Moana Islands, the home of the water witches.
"But don't let them hear you call them that," Chord had warned. He had also warned her to stay close to the dock. Moanan's were generally friendly, but the port was full of traders from all around the world and the same could not be said for them.
Elowyn watched from the docks as the captain disappeared into the town, Erik close behind him.
Elowyn looked around her. She had never been at a port before. There were no ports in Cera, only on the main island of Suditi. There were many different boats in the water. Some were small, simple kayaks like the ones back on Cera. Others were larger with sails that were ribbed. But the Tygar was by far the biggest ship in the harbor.
"Have you gotten ill yet?"
Elowyn turned back to Chord. He was speaking to her, but his eyes were fixed on where the Captain had disappeared. He looked worried.
"What do you mean?"
"Many people, when they sail for the first time, they become ill. Unused to the movement of the sea."
Elowyn thought for a moment. She shook her head.
"I don't believe I have gotten ill so far."
He nodded.
"You're lucky."
"I guess."
Elowyn could feel her cheeks getting warm. She couldn't understand why this seemed so awkward. What was he so focused on?
She turned away from him and looked back to the village. She spotted a group of children on the outskirts of the village playing a game. It looked similar to a game played back in Suditi. Elowyn pointed to the children.
"May I?"
Chord nodded, still distracted. She walked to the children. The nearest child spoke to her, but she didn't understand his language. She motioned to the game. They ushered her to join.
Elowyn sat with the children and began to play the game with them. It involved tossing small pebbles into shapes drawn into the dirt. She played for a minute and soon realized that it wasn't anything like the game played on Suditi. She glanced back at the dock and noticed that Chord was no longer there. She stood and viewed the area. He was nowhere in sight.
Elowyn started walking back toward the dock when she saw him. He was walking away from the docks, deeper into the village. Elowyn started hurrying toward him. She called out to him, but he didn't hear or, or he chose not to respond.
Chord turned around a corner and vanished. When Elowyn followed him around the corner she bumped into him. Only it wasn’t him. The man had the same light hair and the same height, but he wasn’t Chord. She excused herself spinning back toward the docks. She had followed him deeper into the village then she had expected and she could no longer see the docks.
Elowyn crept down the street, looking down the alleys, trying to remember the way. The street became darker, despite the sun still being high. The temperature dropped, Elowyn could see the mist from her mouth each time she exhaled. She had never been in a place cold enough that she could see her breath.
A hiss came from behind. She turned, but nothing was there. A scream came from nearby. Elowyn froze. More screams accompanied it. Without warning, a nearby building crumpled. People climbed out of the rubble, followed by a heaving, slimy thing. It was black and covered with spikes that protruded from the wet skin. Its head was round and amphibious.
It looked at Elowyn. Its eyes were red and bulging from its head. Its cheeks puffed and suddenly a spray of black fluid erupted from its mouth toward her. She screamed and jumped to the side. The fluid hit the wall of the building behind her. It hissed and ate through the stone, dissolving it.
The creature aimed at her again. Elowyn held out her hands, light shot out from them, her palms glowing. The creature was momentarily blinded, it's shot barely missing Elowyn again. She took the chance to run.
The great beast howled and charged after her, it's run more like a hop. Elowyn ducked into a building and praised the gods when she saw a backdoor. She ran through it. The beast spewed the vile liquid all over the building. It easily barreled through the weakened walls. The falling debris knocked her over.
"Elowyn!" Chord's voice drifted through the chaos of noise coming from the town.
"Chord! Help me!"
The beast's cheeks flared, preparing to spit. Chord ran out of an alley, a sword in his hand. He swung the sword, slicing open the creature's cheeks. The black slime spilled out like a broken water skin. Chord easily dodged the fluid. The creature screamed, flecks of flesh and the corrosive substance flying from its mouth and hitting Chord.
Chord roared back. He raised his sword. The blade began to glow with white, lumomancer light. He thrust the sword into the beast's face, burying the white blade into the creature's skull. The creature fell into a slimy mass.
"Chord!" He ran to her. She tried to wiggle free from the rubble, but her leg was trapped. "I cannot get free!"
Chord used his sword to pry the rubble away from her and pulled her free. She stood and tried to run, but her leg couldn't hold her weight. Chord simply picked her up and ran.
They ran through the village, dodging people who were scattering every which way. The giant toad-like creatures were everywhere. Buildings and trees were melting all around. Chord barely managed to avoid a falling tree, it's branches whipping his back as he turned to protect Elowyn.
It was more chaos at the docks. Here there were creatures of a different kind, giant black bugs, massive red-eyed rodents, beasts that almost had no solid form. These were demons, Elowyn realized. There had been no demons on Cera. These were the creatures she was expected to fight.
She screamed as one of the huge rodents jumped at them. Chord was knocked to the side and Elowyn went tumbling to the ground. Her head hit the wood planks of the dock first and everything immediately vanished.
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