Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series

Without magic guiding our ship we seemed to creep into the busy harbor, passing boats both bigger and smaller than ours as we approached the dock. Reven shouted out orders to the other men to hoist the sails while he steered the wheel, his dark hair flowing in the wind. With his black clothing and his twin swords at his waist he looked like a pirate captain from the Water Realm. He’d originally claimed to know only a little about sailing, but luckily he’d remembered more than he’d let on. Without his expertise we would have no idea what to do, especially as we brought the ship up to the dock, but he’d clearly spent some time handling a ship before.

Maneuvering a ship like this with five inexperienced people was a challenge, even if the boat wasn’t that big. As we neared the dock we came disturbingly close to another larger ship, and it was only with a touch of Reven’s magic washing us to the side that we avoided colliding with it.

‘Careful!’ Jasin called out as he hauled on a rope.

Reven only glared at him as he turned the wheel and eased us up to the dock. Slade dropped the anchor and Jasin leaped out to tie the boat off, while Auric remained below deck, much to his dismay. He was the opposite of Slade and hated being in confined spaces, preferring the open air and the sky around him.

When the ship was secure I took in a breath of fresh air tinged with the smell of fish and something else like faint perfume. We’d made it to Stormhaven, and all around us the port was bustling with activity. Sailors hauled goods on and off boats, men and women in colorful clothing strolled along the marina with umbrellas to block the hot sun, and people at nearby stalls called out to offer food and more. Behind it all, the great city rose up with its many silvery spires glittering under the sun as they reached toward the sky. In the distance, the palace stood on a hill with the tallest spires of all, which disappeared into the clouds.

Jasin drew me in for a hug. “Stay safe.”

Our lips brushed and I nodded at him. “We’ll be fine.”

The plan was for Slade, Reven, and I to go through the city and look for supplies and some new horses, while Jasin and Auric waited on the ship. Jasin had argued he should go with us too, but Reven was the only one beside Auric who had been to the city before, and Slade said he wasn’t spending a second longer on the boat. I’d insisted on going too, which meant Jasin had to stay behind to protect the ship with Auric, who needed to stay out of sight until we returned. After night fell we would sneak him out of the city with our new supplies and horses.

‘Are we ready?’ I asked Slade and Reven.

Reven nodded and hopped off the ship. But as Slade and I followed him onto the dock, a number of soldiers suddenly approached us. They weren’t wearing the black scaled armor of the Onyx Army, and instead had smooth metal armor that gleamed gold, with the symbol of the House of Killian etched on their chests. Royal guards.

‘Halt,’ called out the one in the front. He was the only one with a white feathered plume on his helmet, which I assumed meant he was their Captain.

Reven rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, his muscles tense as though he was ready to start slaughtering them all, but I shook my head at him.

I stepped forward with a smile. ‘Is there a problem, good sirs?’

‘All ships that are not registered with the Harbor Master must be searched by order of the King,” the Captain said.

I tried to keep my face calm, though my heart was pounding. ‘Is that truly necessary? As you can see, our ship is small. We don’t have anything of interest here. We’re simply weary travelers looking for a better life in the Air Realm.’

‘That may be so, but I have my orders.’ The Captain glanced between me and the other men, his eyes lingering on Slade’s large form for an extra second. ‘Have you traveled from the Earth Realm?’

He must think that because of Slade’s dark skin, which was more common in the Earth Realm. Slade nodded. ‘Yes, from Mudport.’

Jasin drew a bag of coins. ‘Listen, how about you say you searched the ship and go on your way. We can make it very worth your while.’

‘Is that so?’ the Captain asked, and I held my breath, hoping he’d let us go. Instead he drew his sword and shouted, ‘Detain these people and search the ship!’

Reven reached for his sword again, but I grabbed his arm to still him. Violence might be his natural instinct for dealing with problems, but these men were only doing their job in service of Auric’s family. Perhaps if we used our magic we might be able to escape, but not without drawing a lot of attention from the other people on the docks. Auric would never be able to remain anonymous that way, and word of us might even reach the Dragons. Right now our only advantage was that the Dragons might not know where we were.

“We don’t want any trouble.” I stepped forward and offered my arms in surrender. My mates grumbled, but they stood down. The Royal Guard dragged us each away from the ship and bound our hands, while their Captain watched. Soon they would begin searching the ship and would find Auric below deck. As rope was tied around my wrists, I tried to think of a way we could cause a distraction to allow Auric to get away unnoticed.

But then Auric emerged and stood above us on the ship’s deck. “Let them go,” he said. “They’re with me.’

‘Prince Auric?’ the Captain asked, before dropping into a hasty bow.

‘Yes, it’s me. Release my friends.’ My heart sank as Auric stepped forward, though he didn’t look anything like a prince with his longer hair and his worn commoner’s clothes. There would be no hiding him now. His family would soon learn he was here, and we would never be able to escape Stormhaven unnoticed.

‘I’m sorry, your highness, but I can’t do that. In fact, I need you to come with me.’ The Captain lowered his voice. ‘Your father has been searching for you and he’s ordered us to detain anyone you are found with.’

“That’s not necessary,” Auric said.

The Captain crossed the deck to Auric and spoke quietly. ‘I know it must have been difficult being kidnapped and held captive all this time, but you don’t need to keep up the ruse. You’re safe now.’

Auric’s eyes widened ‘I’m not being held captive!”

The Captain ignored him and turned toward the rest of his guard, who were also bowing at the prince. ‘Get those people to the prison! I’ll inform the King immediately that his son has been rescued. Now, Prince Auric, if you’ll just come with me.’

He led Auric to a carriage, and though Auric protested and tried to explain that this was all a misunderstanding, no one seemed to listen. We were hauled into a different carriage forcefully and the door was locked shut, trapping us inside a small, windowless space. I sank back against the threadbare cushions with my hands bound behind my back as our carriage rolled away, leaving Auric behind.

So much for our inconspicuous arrival.