Chapter 8

"Nana what was that?" asked a worried Gem.

"I'm not sure. It felt like we hit something. But the ship isn't moving forward anymore and it's not sinking. But I do hear a lot of yelling, but I just don't know," said Brianna.

Brianna and Gem were in a windowless room with the door bolted from the outside. But with their sparse clothing, or lack there of, they could clearly feel that it was now way colder than it was before.

The reason for their confusion was that they felt the boat picking up speed, and then they felt it jerk hard to a halt. It jerked hard enough to throw them from the single bed that was bolted to the wall they were sitting on onto the floor. Other than the bed there was no other furniture in the room.

Suddenly they both heard a loud voice headed their way. They heard someone saying something about needing to make sure his merchandise stayed safe.

"Nana, are you ready? We should stand in a corner in case they look around the room I can make us invisible but they will find us if they run into us," said Gem.

"Yes honey, let's do this. I'm ready," said Brianna smiling at her.

As they both stood in the back corner of the room Gem turned them both invisible.

Suddenly the door burst open, and an older man rushed in the room. He was about average height and build, with straight brown hair that was both graying heavy at his temples and had sprinklings of silver throughout the rest. He was dressed in very fine clothes that were made of silk and tailored to his frame.

He looked frantically round the room for a minute, and then turned back to one of three guards who were standing outside of the room.

"Where are they? WHERE DID THEY GO!" he screamed at the man.

"No one left this room since you had them brought here," answered the man. He was scared. He's only job was to make sure no one entered or left and now they were gone! But he was sure the door never opened.

"Look around, do you SEE them anywhere? They are gone! First my ship is attacked by some weird magic and now this! Those two cost me 90,000 gilders and they better be found soon or someone is taking their place in my bed tonight," said the man as looked hard at the guard, then he turned to leave.

The guard took off after him saying that they needed to search the ship because they couldn't have gotten far. But the guard did as they expected and left the door wide open thinking they were all ready outside it.

"Nana we have to move slowly. If we move too fast parts of you will become visible again," said Gem in a whisper to Brianna.

"Ok honey, but if I get a chance to get a weapon I will take it. We'll have a better chance if we can both fight," whispered Brianna back to her as they started to slowly move out the door.

When Aric reached the side of the boat he didn't slow down as he quickly climbed up and over the side. The twins were right behind him.

As Aric went over the side of the boat he didn't even break stride as he started fighting. He was breaking the arms, legs, or ribs of anyone who tried to stop him.

He had not pulled his bastard sword yet because he was so angry he wanted to use his hands, and as long as Brianna appeared unharmed he wouldn't kill anyone. But if that changed he knew he would go into the death wholesale.

But even as he attacked he wasn't even giving them the chance to talk or yell out either. It was like he was on a mission. One that would be over once he reached Brianna.

The twins behind him were trying hard to keep up but Aric was moving like a man possessed. And every once in a while they slowed down long enough to pin someone to the floor with ice or knock them out.

Suddenly a voice called out over the sounds of men fighting, and screaming, as Aric hurt them for standing in his way. "YOU THERE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY SHIP!"

As everyone stopped, Aric and his sons looked up a deck and they saw a well dressed older man staring hard back at them.

"I believe you have my wife and my granddaughter on this boat and I came to take them back!" said Aric firmly.

The man laughed. "It's not my fault you couldn't hold on to them. I paid for them fair and square and I'm not letting them go. I'm sure she was ready to be handled by a better man anyway. I'll make sure she has all the sex I can stand before I let her take a break. Of course I do have her and the other one I bought till I tire," said the man with a smirk.

Caelan was now scowling from the remark about his daughter but hadn't said anything yet. Aric's face was one of pure hatred of the man.

As the man was talking his remaining men had gathered around Aric and his sons. The man speaking felt confident that this would be over quick. He was trying to keep Aric talking as long as he could.

"Before I kill everyone on this boat I have a question for you. Do any of your men believe dying for a miserable prick like you is really worth it?" asked Aric slowly.

The men started to murmur amongst themselves. They had been watching as Aric and his sons quickly worked their way through their fellow deck hands.

"Ha! My men are loyal to me there isn't..." started the man, but then he trailed off as Aric was now suddenly holding above him a fireball about ten times larger than his head with both hands.

"Wrong answer! I believe this is where you all die," said Aric savagely.

"STOP, STOP! I'll give them back, I'll give them back! Just give me back my money first!" said the man suddenly very scared. Who is this and why is he using magic? He didn't even see or hear him casting that!

"Not my problem. You knowingly paid it to someone who you knew kidnapped my wife to sell. Take it up with him in HELL!" said Aric just as he started to throw the fireball at the deck above where the man was standing.

"ARIC DON'T!" rang out Brianna's voice.

Aric stopped in mid throw with the fireball and noticed Brianna as she pushed her way through the men who were now cowering from him. She was pulling Gem behind her.

"BRIANNA!" yelled Aric as he cancelled the fireball, pulled her to him, and quickly kissed her.

At first he was just happy to have her back. But he really couldn't fail to notice her lack of attire once he touched her and his face started to darken once more.

"YOU BASTARD! DID YOU DRESS HER AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER LIKE THIS! HAVE YOU BEEN TOUCHING THEM!" said Aric furious all over again as he turned to face the man once more. His eyes were starting to glow red.

The man on the deck above flinched like he had been slapped. After seeing the giant fire ball and the two determined men beside Aric guarding him, he now wasn't really sure he wanted to continue being on Aric's bad side.

"NO, NO! They came that way! I swear! I swear! They were already dressed like that when I purchased them!" he said.

"Aric don't," said Brianna softly as she stroked his face. "The slavers dressed us like this."

Looking her in the eyes seemed to calm him down somewhat.

"We're leaving now. You're welcome to try for her again. But if you do, be aware I'm going to blow your boat completely out of the water with you in it. I will make it a point to do it as painfully as possible while I look into your face the whole time," said Aric looking right at the man.

As they head for the side of the boat to get off, one man thought to take a secret swing at Aric with a bailing pin as he passed him.

Aric didn't even break stride as the man swung at him and missed, but Aric caught the man by the throat and threw him over the other side of the ship where he landed on the ice with a sickening thud.

Everyone heard him screaming so they knew he wasn't dead, but Aric left him to his mates to rescue without even turning around.

As Brianna and Gem went over the side of the ship, they were confused as to why all the water was completely frozen. Brianna looked up at Aric as he carried her in his arms, but he was looking straight ahead at the dock off in the distance as he took off at a jog to get back to land.

Rayne, Cassie and the three other girls saw Gem being carried towards them by Caelan, Jaden was right behind them, and Brianna being carried by Aric coming back across the ice. Aric had his arms around Brianna like he was afraid to let her go.

As they reached the dock Aric lifted Gem and Brianna up and then he and his twin sons climbed up next them.

As they started to move away from the docks the cities guard came up and surrounded them.

"What is going on here? Who is responsible for all this?" asked the man who was obviously in charge. While the other men were holding naked blades, his was still in its scabbard. His manner suggested that he wasn't used to being questioned. He appeared to be in charge of the guard.

Aric stepped forward and stared the man down.

"I did it. The slavers guild took my wife, daughter and granddaughters to sell. I came to get them back," said Aric simply.

"That is a serious accusation you just made. We'll have to get their side of the story as well. They aren't usually known for harassing private citizens," said the Captain.

"Well that will be a little hard since their guild doesn't exist anymore. Their buildings are now craters," said Aric smiling with a dangerous edge

Brianna was suddenly staring at Aric strangely and the guards were all murmuring between themselves.

"Come now I doubt that, we've only heard of one person who might be capable of that, and she is no longer around. She married one of our most prominent citizens and she moved away," said the Captain at what he thought was a joke.

"Oh, you mean my daughter over there? She was one of the victims as well. But I will tell you this once no one messes with my family and sells them as sex slaves," said Aric as he eyes started to glow red.

The men seeing this drew back. Even the Captain swallowed hard.

"I am Rayne Spencer. This is my daughter Ariel Spencer. And my husband's name is Mattholomew Dane Spencer," said Rayne as she quickly stepped forward trying to defuse the situation.

"We were traveling and were kidnapped and brought here to be sold here. This is my father Aric Griffith, known as Aric the Battlemage from the battle of 10,000, didn't appreciate that so he and my two brothers came to get us all back," said Rayne as she smiled sweetly at the men.