"When I was young, Bergin wasn't even an empire." Wollow said as he used his magic to make a fine break in another prisoner's chains. "Yet another country with grand aspirations, a warmongering little state with a tenuous claim to a long-dead empire. Sure, they had their Immortal King, but he was a fascinating little statesman with little threat behind his grand title."
Rael knew from the moments they had stolen over the past few days to free the others that the old man would continue talking whether he was prompted or not. Concentrating nonetheless on a sheepish Thierrson's chains, Rael humored the former Spellmaster.
"What changed?" Rael cast Synthesis how Wollow had taught them, combining the air and the water around them with the iron chains in a critical spot, turning anti-magic manacles into a set of normal, fragile manacles, eroded away by rust far more quickly than Rael's previous methods.
"When I was a strapping young mage, Bergin developed the first airships." Wollow punctuated his statement with a slap to the side of the hull, causing everyone else to flinch. "No longer would it take decades of study for dedicated mages to learn to fly, when one can train an entire army to take to the skies in less than a year. The countries they often squabbled with for mere acres of land were overtaken quickly, as Bergin dominated in both air superiority and the speed to move troops."
"And by the time the other countries had discovered how to make airships, the Empire had enough land and momentum for it to not matter." Rael finished.
Wollow nodded as his own Synthesis spell stopped, freeing the last of the slaves. There was a moment of awkward silence as everyone looked to Wollow, Rael, and little Azmond, who was pouting because he still had to wear his mask.
"W-what now?" Mila asked.
"They still outnumber us two to one." Rael said, biting their thumb. "Not to mention they have weapons, are more well-fed, and likely know how to better fight on a ship."
"We don't need to fight them all." Wollow shook his head. "Just enough for us to take over the ship."
Rael raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"We sleep in and lock them in their cabin while they sleep. Preferably after they're quite exhausted."
"While we're close to the Edge of the World." People turned to look at Thierrson. After having been roused from unconsciousness and witnessing Azmond without his mask, the man had made a full about-face. The former loyalist meekly continued. "No matter their experience, sailing close to the Edge is bound to exhaust them. They're really strong winds, and it'll be harder for them to sleep the first night since it is as bright as noon whenever you're close to the Edge. So, the second night on the Edge would be best. They'd be in a deep sleep from almost two days of constant work and little rest. But when exactly we should take action is the question."
"Cally Deram!" Azmond exclaimed.
"What do you mean, Child of Dragons?" Thierrson asked.
"There's supposed to be a field of Calidaerum nearby." Rael smirked. "If we're lucky, they'll resupply on the second day near the edge. It'll make them more tired, and it'll prevent them from slinging too many spells, for fear of killing everyone. We can lock them in their cabin, incapacitate everyone else on deck, and hold everyone on the ship hostage in one fell swoop. We'd need to re-enchant these manacles to keep them in line, though. One cuff per person. Could you do that, Wollow?"
"Of course. All we need to do now is to make sure nobody is suspicious. That means, as infuriating as it is, we keep these bonds on, and we keep talking. There's nothing more suspicious than silence, after all."
YOU ARE READING
Dragon's Legacy
AdventureMillennia passed since the Dragons found us. Centuries passed since they left us, separating the world with plumes of eternal rainbow fire. People began to wonder: were we worth saving? Dragons were beings of myth, scaled gods who descended from the...
