: Chapter 3: Flood of
Monsters :
It was still very early when
Bryn woke up through loud screams and shouts. She quickly got dressed and
hurried on deck, just in time to see a huge sea monster attacking the Nomad.
Everyone was in panic, trying to fight the creature. Doubar was at the tiller
and Rongar kept throwing his knives at the monster, but that didn't seem to hurt
it. When Sinbad saw Bryn he yelled, "Bryn! We desperately need your magic! Do
something!" The beast slammed its enormous tail against the ship and two
crewmembers lost their balance and fell into the water, where they were
devoured at once by the scary creature.
Bryn tried to concentrate,
leaving all thoughts behind for a second. She could feel the power running
through her body, until yellow fireballs started forming in her hands. Just as
she intended to throw them onto the monster, she heard its screams. It flinched
and finally was drowned by the waves that closed peacefully over the dead
monster's body. Surprised, Bryn first looked on her hands, where the fireballs
were still ready to be thrown and then heard Sinbad cry, "Maeve! Thank Allah!"
as he ran towards the other sorceress to embrace her passionately.
"Looks as if I've just
arrived in time", the young woman said, with a glance at Bryn. And tapping her
shoulder she added, "I think you could use a little practice." Bryn couldn't
believe it, watching Maeve who was completely calm – as if that monster hadn't
been a problem for her at all. Sinbad went over to Bryn and said with a smile,
"Don't take her too seriously! That's just her kind of humor. You'll get used
to it." Get used to it… Until now, Bryn hadn't realized that Maeve wasn't just
a guest or passenger on the Nomad who would be gone at the next port. No – she
was a crewmember, she was going to stay! She felt awful.
The whole crew was now
standing around Maeve, thanking and congratulating her. Bryn watched out for
Dermott, but the bird hadn't left Maeve since she came on board the day before.
Yet she noticed a change in his behavior. He seemed so…hypnotized in some kind.
As if a spell had been set upon him. Strange… Bryn looked into Maeve's face and
knew that either she would have to accept her presence or wouldn't be happy
here again. She sighed. The others hadn't even noticed that something was
troubling Bryn. Before Maeve came, Sinbad could see the sorrow in her eyes at
once, but now everyone was so occupied with Maeve's return – they seemed to
have totally forgotten about her. It's going to get better as soon as
they'll get used to Maeve's presence again, Bryn told herself over and over
again, but she couldn't quite believe it.
"Good! Very good! I didn't
think it would be that easy." Angra already felt like the final winner. He had
thought that, at least, Sinbad would be a problem, but if everything went on
the way it did now, she would soon be ready to give up to the dark side – to HIS
side. "Foolish little witch", he laughed. "Don't you know that you can't win
against your feelings?" He knew that he would only have the opportunity to gain
Bryn's powers if she came to him on her own behalf. Soon, it would be time for
him to get in contact with her – soon she'd be ready to turn against goodness –
but not yet.
It didn't get better. One
week had passed now. Sinbad was eager to dock at the next port – his ship
desperately needed to be repaired. But every time they got closer to the shore,
something happened so they had to sail away again to try their luck at the next
town – two more times, they had been attacked by sea monsters. They lost three
more crewmembers and Firouz got lightly injured trying to fight the beasts. It
was strange being attacked that often in such a short period of time! The sea
seemed calm and they were now sailing a little more northward – usually the
water was too cold here for such creatures.
"It must be witchcraft or
something", Bryn said to Sinbad, only half-joking.
"Yes", he replied. "Somehow
they seem to scent where we are." With that, he turned around to help Maeve
with her work. He doesn't even see me any more. It had been Maeve who
had defeated those three monsters, not giving Bryn a chance to show her powers.
Bryn was glad that Maeve saved the Nomad and knew that it wasn't the right
occasion to compete when it came to fight for your life – yet she slowly but
surely felt being substituted by Maeve. Now Maeve was the one who was asked for
help when magic was needed. Maeve was the one to communicate with Dermott.
Maeve was the one Sinbad talked to when there was something wrong… How could
they forget her that easily?