The way he looked then reminded me of Karnelian's last battle and the gods knew that I would not let that happen again. I raised my sword and yelled names I neither knew nor understood. Then I was in the midst of the smoke and swinging wildly at a presence. I hit nothing, but something was attacking me, draining my strength as I fought. I was actually becoming very weak. I could no longer hold up my sword.

From behind me I heard a voice say "Let Majestrix help."

I did not know who or what this Majestrix was but I opened my mind and I felt a new presence. I saw lightning sparks flying between my headband and the sword. A blue haze covered my eyes and I could clearly see the demondarc within the smoke. The sword turned in my hand and lunged of its own accord at the demon's heart. The demondarc laughed, then sobbed as it realized that my sword was killing it. In a last effort, its claws reached out at me, but it was too little and far too late. It swirled away in an amorphous cloud of black, oily gas.

I turned then, and saw Moonflame leaning against the wall, applauding my victory silently. I stared at my upraised blade, wondering what it had done. I could not accept the idea of a living sword, even after it had saved my life. It simply couldn't exist. I must have found some hidden reserve within me to finish the demondarc.

Moonflame was laughing now, even as his black blood flowed from a cut on his forehead. I cleaned the remaining black residue off of my sword and put it back in its scabbard in my room.

"Does this happen every time you stop for lodging?" I asked.

"No." he replied. "Only when I dream. That was very good. Did you like the way Majestrix assisted after you let him?"

"Who is Majestrix? I never saw him, and I killed that thing with my sword."

"Exactly. Majestrix is the sword. He knew what to do even if you didn't. Remember that. The sword knows more of fighting than the man who fights the battle, but the sword must have the man in order to battle. So either without the other is essentially useless in combat. Remember that, also. Here, are you hungry? I'm starved." He walked out.

I followed, once again awed by his words and deeds.

Later that day, as we rode leisurely through the old fields of Qyn, I asked Moonflame about Neverwhere.

"It is a beautiful place," he said remorsefully. "It has a green sky that is almost blue. Its fields at harvest time are red and gold, and the seas are a deep, deep blue. It is said that Neverwhere was once the home of all of the Old Gods before they threw themselves out. Now it is inhabited by many men of many races and their families. They were warriors, most of them. Warriors or wizards. Now they live in peace in a limbo they call home. There are creeks and rivers running the length and breadth of most of the land, and where there isn't a river, there is a lake. And where there isn't a lake, there is the sea. Mastrasshaa himself is sometimes seen frolicking with the dolphins at sunrise during the summer, and Ayriell of the sky is there with the seven Birds of Paradise. Sometimes, I think that even Sharmayn herself may find rest there, if ever She is released. In fact, that may be the only place She may find peace, for only there are the Old Gods forbidden entrance."

"But I thought Sharmayn was one of the Old Gods."

"Ah, She was, but She was deprived of Her status when She came to the Carousel with the gift of Love. The others of the Old Gods, save Ayryon, who loved Her, had Her sent to the pits below the Dragons' Teeth and chained Her there, to live out Her immortal life in a living hell, for not even the Dark One would take Her into his world, so beautiful was She. But enough of the past and enough of speculation. We ride now to the Sea of Good Crossing for the trip to the island of Muriel."

Muriel was an island nation on the continent Ty Fuun. There was a bridge between Qyn and Ty Fuun, but the fastest and safest passage was found over the Sea of Good Crossing. Not that the trip was a pleasure cruise, no, far from it. It was just safer. You only had to face natural dangers on the Sea. On the bridge, however, you had to get past the elementals. No, the Sea was much safer.

We arrived at Port A'Qyn too late to take a passenger boat out, so we decided to charter a boat and whatever crew we could afford. We wandered around the port taverns and inns and found a great many sailors ready to go for enough money, which Moonflame always seemed to have enough of. By the tenth hour, we had quite a crew, twenty in all, excluding Moonflame and myself. No boats were for hire to cross the Sea, though. Moonflame told our motley crew to wait by the wharf and took me around a jetty. There he called upon the names of several of the Old Gods, the dead gods. Apparently, they were not quite so dead. There appeared in front of us a ship of such foreign design, it seemed the eye slid off it as it followed the ship's curves.

Moonflame climbed aboard and collapsed, exhausted. I followed and was able to maneuver the ship around the jetty with little trouble. The men looked in awe at the ship they were to crew. A few shuffled around, mumbling of sorcery and magic, praying to whatever gods they had to protect them. Finally, though, they all boarded the vessel, and, after a few instructions from Moonflame as to direction and time schedules, he and I went below decks to look for food.

We found the galley aforedeck, and Moonflame searched for some minutes before finding what he wanted, a small vial of blue-green liquid. He swallowed this and immediately looked refreshed.

"Remember that blue is the color of water and green the color of life. Any combination of those two can never be harmful, and many of them heal. You will learn more of these as we continue on, and we will talk more of them and of other things once we reach Muriel. Now we must sleep, and hope I don't dream."

With these words, we descended to our cabins, his forward, mine aft. I did not like being so far away from my new teacher, but it was necessary. If anything happened during the night, though, I would be running thirty feet through holds and nets to get to him. I prayed to all gods, young and old, that he would not dream.

I woke at first light and for a moment wondered where I was. Then I remembered the ship and felt the rocking of the ocean. I got up and weaved forward to Moonflame's cabin. Of course, he wasn't there. I climbed a ladder up and saw him swinging on the guy lines, being chased by several of the crewmen.

"Good morning!" he yelled from a rope as he swung over my head.

"Good morning. I take it this is for real, and not some of your conjuring?"

"You take it rightly. I decided to try my skills against real men for a change, and after enough insulting, got these three to comply. Care to join me?" This last line he yelled as he flipped onto the shorter, forward mast, and swung down to the deck.

"No, thank you, it seems you're doing quite well by yourself. Breakfast?"

"Give me a moment to dispatch these pirates."

With that, he spun swiftly on his heels, and with one of his maniacal laughs, charged the three sailors and flipped over them onto the poop deck. The crewmen turned in time to see Moonflame leap up and over the mast to the mid-deck and draw his sword. They fled then to their respective posts, now knowing not to irritate their olive-skinned employer.

Moonflame crossed to where I was standing and held my shoulder.

"Often, the monkey plays and you smile at his antics long enough for him to come around and attack your back, but confront him with your courage, and he will quickly see his own cowardice. Remember. Come, let's eat."

At noon of that day, the lookout in the crow's nest, Inhar of Lashna'k, rang a danger bell. Moonflame and I came from our cabins to the foredeck and saw the figure of a natural danger, a sea witch.

She rose from the sea and with her appeared five sea demons, long serpents with poisonous claws and teeth. The witch threw back her head and shrieked. On board, the sailors and myself were forced to cover our ears, so horrible was the sound. But Moonflame remained calm, not even breathing. He held out his hand, and with a few muttered words, caused his own army to rise from the depths.

The water elementals met the sea demons and the thrashing of the water threatened to overturn us and the witch. Moonflame then called out to Ayriell herself to come and vanquish her longtime foe. Above us, a whirlwind danced into life, and within we could see a fabulously beautiful girl, naked and whirling with the wind. The sea witch also saw her, and shifted her attentions to Ayriell.

Meanwhile, the water elementals had made quick work of the sea demons and were lifting our ship out of danger as the sea witch and Ayriell fought. The sky turned dark, and the sea whipped around the form of the witch. A waterspout formed underneath Ayriell, and the sea witch was caught in it and lifted bodily out of the water. Her tail and fins were clearly visible as Ayriell lifted her up and flew high into the air. Minutes later, there was a splash off in the distant south, and we knew Ayriell had won. Soon, Ayriell was back, glowing in unreal beauty. Her body reeked of immortality, and many of the sailors were down on their knees, trying to maintain their own sanities.

"Thank you, sweet Ayriell. Your aid is greatly appreciated."

In the voice of the wind, she answered, filling the sails of our vessel.

"I came to fight the witch, but you are welcome just the same, Elderonian. Tell me, what is thy name?"

"I am Moonflame, my mistress. The man-child is Hawklok. Your brother and cousin Mastrasshaa knows of him. He and I are alike. I thank you again. I shall try not to bother you often."

"Bother me as often as you wish if it means destroying the likes of that."

She pointed out toward where the witch had dropped. Above that spot, storm clouds had formed, and lightning was striking the ocean there.

"The Bolts are yours, I assume, Master Moonflame."

"No, they are the boy's"

I was surprised. I hadn't even thought of it. But it was good to know that this fabulous being now had a higher opinion of me.

"Well," she said, "perhaps he will become something after all. I shall speak to my brother, Lonki the Watcher, and see what he sees of your future, man-child. Fair sailing my friends. I shall have the elementals of the air help you to your destination. Where are you off?"

"We are on our way to Muriel. I sense we are near the crossing point. But your assistance is once again welcomed and much appreciated. May we once do for you what you have done for us."

"Mayhap you shall get that chance, Moonflame of Elderon. Mayhap you shall."

She lifted graciously off the deck, and a strong wind took our sails and the crew was hard pushed to get off their knees and to their posts before the ship was thrown too far off course.

"You have many sorcerous friends, Sir Moonflame."

"It comes with the territory," he said with a laugh.

We dropped anchor only an hour after the encounter and Moonflame and I, along with Inhar and two other crewmen, Ahmail and Ahmahl, brothers from Othwise on Qyn, set off in a drop boat to the shores of Muriel.

It was darkening quickly as we arrived, so we set up camp and got a good fire going on the sands. We pitched a tent there at the edge of the thick forest and set up the watcheyes. These posts that Moonflame found at the edge of the wood were strong sticks with round bulbs on top, and small knots on the sides. He burned some of the leaves from the plant in the fire, and the bulbs opened up to reveal eyes. He told the eyes to watch through the night and to sound an alarm if any besides we five were walking around. He tested them all to assure us that they were effective. They were that. The shriek that came from the knot-mouth of one of them was enough to wake the dead. We slept well and secure that night.

Early in the morning, I was awakened by the ringing of the ship's bell. I looked out as best I could into the glowing east. I could make out the form of someone in the crow's nest sounding the alarm, but I could not discern who it was. Moonflame and the rest were awake also, and Moonflame ran to the edge of the sea to hopefully glimpse something the rest of us could not see.

I took hold of Majestrix, and pulled him from his scabbard. Again, a blue haze covered my eyes, and I was on the deck of the ship. I looked up and saw a hideous creature ringing the ship's bell. Not another crewman was in sight. It was laughing as it rang the bell, repeating these words "Flame of Moon, today we kills you. Ha, ha! Yes, today we kills." Then he looked down at me. He stared at me as if not really seeing me.

"Ghosteses? Am we seeing ghosteses? We never have we seen ghosteses before."

He threw a rock at me, and I could not move out of the way. As it hit me, I turned, and fell face first into the sand on the beach. The rock landed beside me.

Moonflame was by me, helping me up. Majestrix was in my right hand still, softly glowing, but the blue haze across my eyes was gone.

"What did you see?" asked Moonflame.

"It was a grotesque creature, covered in grey, mossy seaweed. It kept saying 'Flame of Moon, today I kill you.'"

"Are you sure it wasn't 'Today we kills you?'"

"Yes, that was it. It was so strange. It saw me, but thought I was a ghost. It threw this rock at me, and as I turned to avoid it, I was back here."

"Yes, that happens. Were there any other men on board?"

"No, just that thing. Do you know what it is?"

"I know who it was. It used to be a friend of mine, Ariak. But then one day he fell in love with one of the New Gods. He tried to win her love by 'killing' her god-lover, though that is impossible; he was punished and turned into that creature. He blames me for that because I introduced him to that goddess. He has tried to kill me before, and he will try again. A pity, though, about our men. They probably never knew they were killed. They will just continue sleeping forever. Come, we must move, lest he launch his attack on us here, where we have no cover."

"But the men..." said Ahmail.

"The men are already dead. There is nothing we can do but wait to avenge their deaths, possibly with the death of a New God, as well as the Lurcher's. Hurry."

We entered the forests of Muriel. At first, they were thin and easily passed, but they soon became thick and we were hard pressed to cut a path with our hacking blades. It was noon when we stopped at the sound.

"Someone is following us."

"You are learning, Hawk. Who do you think it is?"

"There are the legends, but I don't believe in the undead. It could be your Lurcher."

"Yes, I think you are right. We shall stop here, and see what he does."

We followed the shuffling with our ears as it approached. It must have known we had stopped, for it, too, stopped, just beyond our sight.

I looked back at Moonflame to ask what he wanted to do, but he was facing the other way, obviously fascinated by something.

"This is incredible," he was saying. "I haven't seen specimen like this since I left Neverwhere. They are perfect." He then began to pick at the surrounding shrubs and trees, carefully selecting what he took.

I left Ahmahl with the others and crossed to where Moonflame was.

"What in the name of all the gods are you doing?"

"I am engaged in the tedious process of picking leaves. Some of these have magical as well as medicinal properties. I haven't seen the likes of these since I left Neverwhere. It is absolutely incredible. Quick, get the others. We have to leave as soon as we can. If Ariak realizes the powers of the plants around him, we may be in too much trouble. Hurry."

I turned and motioned to Ahmahl to follow. He got the other two, and we continued as silently as we could through the forest. It was about a quarter of an hour later that Moonflame stopped us and pointed upward.

To Next Section