Becalmed

By Elysian Alder | Assistant Editor

Harken to the plight of mariners in search,
A dire fate that oft doth besmirch,
As if bewitched by the sorcery of thee,

Cast adrift on the endless sea…

—FROM THE POET’S TREASURE BY VITO

***

At dusk, the sinking sun cast long shadows across the ship’s deck, and a creeping sense of melancholy knotted itself tightly in Donovan’s chest. The sea lay placid, as still as a pond, and seemed just as unmoved as it had been the past two days, leaving their ship adrift on the endless waters, motionless and alone. Stagnancy had led most of the crew below deck to seek shelter from the scorching sun, and the lack of wind or motion had rendered the elements unbearable.

Donovan, unable to bear the weight of his thoughts, leaned over the railing of the stern deck. Resting both of his elbows on the timber, he nestled his fingertips in his hair and closed his eyes, his head cradled in his hands. How had it all gone so wrong? Ordinarily, he would have found it all too easy to overcome the predicament, to draw his staff and force the ship out of the still waters, but the sea had other plans, holding them captive in what seemed to be the only stretch of sea cursed with a magic negation field. How had he failed to detect it before they steered into it? He was no pirate captain or sailing master, so certainly the actual skill of navigation was beyond him, but the value of him being there was in his prowess as a mage. So how…?

• From “The Poet’s Treasure,” a work-in-progress fantasy novel by Elysian Alder