The Gaellean Prophecy Series Box Set

by C S Vass

  “No,” Nicolai said curtly. “Though your concern is appreciated, Captain.”

  Brett nodded. He had expected as much. Nicolai might have been his friend, but information with the court advisor was regularly kept on a need to know basis. He was partially relieved he didn’t need to know about the details. It meant he would be spared a long and difficult journey across the Dark Sea.

  “I expect you have news for me, Nicolai,” Brett said. “I need to know how things stand. How is he?”

  Nicolai sighed. “Now there’s a conversation that will make a man need an extra cup of wine, and a tumble of whiskey to wash it down. He is…the same. Which is perhaps something to be grateful for. His condition has not deteriorated.”

  “What of the court?”

  “The situation has been contained so far. But it will prove difficult to keep up with the act. People are starting to whisper. They ask where the King is. Why he’s only seen at major feasts, high above the tables, close only to his son and myself. Some of the braver ones even whisper that it’s I that pull the stings in this city. If only they knew.”

  Brett banged his fist on the table. “This is becoming intolerable,” he hissed. “Benjiko is ready, and more importantly he will likely be needed before long. We have the tools at our disposal. We should—”

  “I appreciate your confidence, Captain Brett,” a new voice interrupted. “But one mustn’t stray too close to a treasonous statement.”

  Brett’s heart soared in his chest. Standing up he turned to face his Prince, Benjiko Boldfrost. “Benjiko,” he said, rushing forward to embrace the Prince in his arms.

  “Has it been so long, Captain?” Benjiko laughed. He returned the hug all the same.

  “You have no idea, boy,” Brett said. “This world is turning to chaos.”

  “The world out there as well as in here,” Benjiko concurred. He shot Nicolai a scolding look. “But that’s no reason to do anything drastic. My father is still the King. He’s still capable. I’ll not have you two whispering in the shadows about him.”

  “Of course,” Brett said, feeling oddly embarrassed.

  “Benjiko,” Nicolai said. “Have you been busy with the task I set you to? I haven’t heard from you in a time. Sit down. And for heaven’s sake, have some wine.”

  Benjiko sighed. “I’d rather water. But to answer your question, no. I have not been able to find anything out.”

  “What are you both talking about?” Brett asked.

  “We are trying to determine why Iryllium has been honored with hosting the realm’s Dragons. And where they are.”

  Brett’s heart sank like a corpse thrown from a rampart. “What? No…you can’t be serious.”

  “Do these look like happy faces?” Nicolai asked darkly, gesturing to himself and Benjiko.

  “I assumed…I thought…I thought the Dragons being here was your doing, Nicolai. Do you really mean to tell me that King Boldfrost summoned the realms most powerful force of magic, and nobody in this room has a bloody idea why?”

  “Calm yourself, Captain, you’re shouting,” Nicolai said as he sipped his wine. “Of course, I’m doing my best to keep up the appearance of being in the loop so nobody gets too jittery about their presence here in Iryllium. But to be blunt…yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. I haven’t the faintest clue what the King has in mind. The situation is admittedly complicated…and unfortunate.”

  Brett could feel the blood draining from his face. “Benjiko…tell me he’s wrong.”

  “It’s true, Brett. I was as disturbed as you when I realized nobody seemed to know what the Dragons are doing here.”

  “It gets worse still,” Nicolai said grimly.

  “What do you mean?” Brett demanded.

  “Their location is not immediately known to me.”

  “You…you lost them? As in, you don’t know where they are?”

  “Having possessed nothing, I cannot be blamed for losing it,” Nicolai said. The advisor was already filling his glass again, and Brett was disturbed to see beads of sweat trickling on Nicolai’s forehead. “But yes. Nobody knows where they are. Nobody knows who they report to. They show up in the city and vanish as soon as they arrive. The King assures me the situation is under control.”

  “The King is managing this personally?” Brett said, unable to believe what he was hearing. “The King. Our King, who we’ve been watching so carefully this last year as he shakes and titters his way through various deliriums? He summons our most powerful Star-blessed? Then loses them? While sun warriors launch a major attack on our shores? This is a nightmare.”

  “Captain, you really need to pick up this intel faster. You’re repeating yourself.”

  “FUCK!” Brett’s delicate wine glass shattered into a thousand pieces that glinted in the firelight as they rained to the floor. A dark red stain bled down the wall.

  “Really Brett, I’m rather fond of this set.”

  “Fuck your glassware, Nicolai! Do you two have any idea how bad this is? How could this be happening? Someone is influencing him, that much is obvious. Probably the bloody-fucking Tarsurians. Gods be damned!”

  “That is a possibility we may have to accept,” Nicolai acknowledged. “Though I hardly see how shattering my possessions is going to make the situation any better for you.”

  “This is absolutely unbelievable,” Brett said as he slunk into his chair.

  “We had hoped to intercept the girl Nicolai found,” Benjiko offered. “The one you met. Faela. When she first arrived, I personally watched her. That’s how I was able to save her from her would-be assassin.”

  “We had hoped to resume watching her upon her return,” Nicolai added in. “She seemed to trust us. Perhaps she would have given consent. If you had reason to believe she was trustworthy, I would have accepted the plan. So imagine my surprise when you came back to the city without her.”

  “That’s what you two schemers get,” Brett roared. “For not including me in your plans.” His head was pounding horribly now. This was a disaster. A catastrophe.

  “Benjiko,” Brett said at last. “Surely you can at least talk to the King. Try to find out who might be influencing him.”

  “It’s odd,” Benjiko said. The Prince stared into the flames as shadows danced across his face. “I tried. I see no hint of someone else’s hand in this. If I didn’t know better, I would say it really is my father controlling whatever operation is being undertaken with the Dragons.”

  Brett huffed. “This is a man who just two weeks ago needed to be gently reminded which end of the spoon to put in his mouth. You’re telling me he’s controlling the strongest warriors known to walk this earth?”

  “He is still King,” Nicolai said. “His voice may be nonsensical at times, but when it commands one to jump, only a fool keeps his feet on the ground.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” Benjiko said. “Just give us some time.”

  Brett shook his head. “I fear for you, Benjiko. Call me a paranoid old man if you will, but I fear for you. If something happens to you…gods I can’t even think about it.”

  “Then perhaps you should increase the boy’s security while we navigate this situation. That is your job, isn’t it, Captain?”

  Brett clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He might…but could he make it work? Would he agree? It was worth a try at the very least.

  “Very well,” he said. “It may take a few concessions, but I think I have just the man for the job.”

  Chapter 5

  A week had passed without incident onboard Divinity. Godwin was determined to keep Lyra and Robert in their cabin and away from the eastern pirates up above, but it was becoming a challenge to stay in a room below deck with little to do but play cards or stare out of the window to watch the cold spray of ocean water and rain patter against the glass.

  “We must be near the end of the South Shield by now,” Robert moaned while he played with the laces of his boots.

  “I never dreamed the Shi
eld would be so large,” Lyra said, tracing a line with her finger on the glass window. “I can’t imagine how far the Dark Sea must go on for.”

  “Hopefully you’ll never have to find out,” Robert said.

  “But surely you’d want to go back there if you could,” Lyra replied. “To the East, I mean. It’s your home after all. Isn’t it?”

  Robert sighed. “Not anymore, sweetling,” he said. “I left the East, and it’s a dangerous journey to and fro. Especially now, since Und—”

  Robert immediately lost himself in a fit of coughing. Godwin rolled his eyes, unfooled by Robert’s attempt to avoid the uncomfortable topic of Castle Unduyo’s destruction. He knew his sour mood was affecting everyone, but he couldn’t help himself. How would they feel if it was their home?

  “I’m sick of this cabin,” Godwin said as he rose, surprising both Lyra and Robert. “The pirates drink themselves blind whether the sun or moon watches us, and I’ve not caught so much as a whiff of a vodyanoi or water vampire.”

  “Water vampire?” Lyra said, horrified.

  “Come on,” Godwin plowed ahead. “Let’s go get some fresh air.”

  Robert looked cautiously at the pale sun tipping beyond the western waters, then glanced at Lyra. “Are you sure, Godwin? You’re the one who’s been trying to keep us in here all week.”

  Godwin waved him off. “I am, and I’m also the one who’s going to put my foot through the wall if I have to sit through one more game of Tanzen. Come on. I sent a strong enough message to these guys. Besides, Lyra, they respect your father. They won’t really hurt you. Just be sure to keep your mouths shut about anything that might arouse too much attention.”

  Robert scowled. “I’ll take your intense gaze at my face as a sign of interest, and not that you’re worried about my tongue.”

  “Your tongue has more ways to get us in trouble than Raijen has wines on this ship, so keep its wagging to a minimum.” Without waiting for a reply, Godwin pushed open the door and walked upstairs.

  On deck the crew was in a mirthful mood. Pirates swung from ropes and pulleys sloshing bottles of mead, while underneath their comrades danced and laughed and wrestled to the tune of several pipes and horns.

  “Well this seems like a deal more than the ordinary cheer one might expect, doesn’t it?” Robert said.

  “We knew from the start that these were no ordinary pirates,” Godwin said. “Perhaps they truly don’t fear the winter demons that lurk in these waters.”

  “We ring the joy from each moment as if it were the last drop of juice from an orange,” a throaty voice said behind them. Godwin turned to see the dwarf, Tzuri-ren, smiling. “For we never know which sunset might be our last.”

  “You seem to have done well enough so far,” Godwin said. “This ship lacks no comfort, and there are few enough rivals you might encounter in King Boldfrost’s fleet that could provide a serious challenge to a ship like this.”

  Tzuri-ren laughed belligerently and took a swig from a glass bottle. “True enough, Shigata,” he said. “I could give two dried turds about the fleets of the East and West. It’s that which holds our fate.” The dwarf gestured theatrically to the black waters.

  “The Dark Sea,” Lyra said, softly.

  “Aye, lass,” Tzuri-ren replied. “The Dark Sea is a god we dare not challenge. The guardians say the depths can be counted in miles, but I say they’re fools. That ocean is an infinite void, and any man who says he knows the bottom, even as a bloated corpse, is a bloody liar.” The dwarf winked at Lyra. “But nothing to fear on this trip, not when you’ve got a bold Shigata to guard your health and happiness with his magic sword.”

  “You’ve a magic sword?” Lyra asked, looking at Godwin with wide eyes.

  “No,” Godwin said darkly. “But I do have one meant for fools who go clucking their rumor-mongering tongues to the other hens.”

  His comment was meant to be severe, but Tzuri-ren merely laughed at him. “Don’t hurt me, mighty demon-slayer. I meant no disrespect with my peasant-gossip.”

  Robert, perhaps seeing Godwin’s twitching fingers, quickly stepped in. “Why such festivities, master dwarf? We’ve not heard a racket like this onboard the cog since we first embarked.”

  Tzuri-ren looked like he had been slapped. “What kind of bloody Tarsurian are you, yeh horse’s arse?” the dwarf cried. “Tonight is Kraytük.”

  Whatever the occasion for the strangely named holiday, Godwin certainly wasn’t about to ask because both Robert and Lyra let out cries of astonishment and started jumping up and down.

  “Kraytük, it’s really Kraytük!” Robert shouted. “I can’t believe I didn’t remember the day.”

  “Oh,” Lyra said suddenly. “My father will be all alone today. He’ll be so…”

  Her words died in her throat as she caught a glimpse of Godwin’s death-like stare.

  “Ah, worry not about that lass,” Tzuri-ren said. “He’ll not be the first father alone on the holiday, nor the last.”

  “Yes, best not to think of it,” Godwin said icily. “We wouldn’t want to spoil the mood.”

  Tzuri-ren let out a raucous laugh. “Not that you’d know, westerner. Never try to deceive a dwarf. I saw on your face the moment I named the day that you’ve not a clue what it is.”

  “Fine, you got me,” Godwin said as he crossed his arms. “So why don’t you spread some culture and enlighten me?” Tzuri-ren laughed again as Godwin snatched the mead from his hands and took a long drag of the sickly sweet liquid. It burned his throat as it slithered down into his stomach where it rested uneasily.

  “Gladly friend,” Tzuri-ren replied as he took the bottle back and handed it to Lyra who sniffed at it nervously. “Kraytük is a Tarsurian holiday. It celebrates the descent of Sacred Jeresemeno’s half-brother Kray to the bottom of the universe where he placed our entire world upon his back and holds us upright to this day.”

  Godwin snorted, and not just because the mead was scorching his nostrils. “Aren’t you the one who just said that anyone who claimed to make it to the bottom of the ocean is a liar?”

  “Anyone, not any god,” the dwarf replied indignantly.

  “Show some couth, Godwin,” Robert chided. “This day is to be celebrated, not picked apart by skeptics.”

  “I’ve always dreamed of celebrating Kraytük back in the East,” Lyra said. “I don’t imagine I’ll ever get the chance.”

  “You could always stay onboard with us, lass,” the dwarf said with a smile. “We make for home after we take this lout to Saebyl.”

  Godwin could see the girl contemplate the possibility and cursed his decision to come up on deck. There was no way he could leave her alone with these men to sail for countless miles across the ocean. Then again, maybe he could make Robert stay behind as well to watch her and rid himself of two problems at once…

  “Ooh, so pretty,” Lyra exclaimed as an explosion sounded above them and a fountain of glowing red lights fell to the surrounding waters.

  “Which of you blithering idiots did that!” Captain Raijen roared from the crow’s nest. “The sun’s not even fully set. I’ll take the hands of the next man who puts them on my treasure before the time is right!”

  “Is it really wise as pirates from the East to set off fireworks on the coast of Western Gaellos on a Tarsurian holiday?” Godwin asked.

  “Where’s your festive spirit?” a familiar voice asked.

  Frowning, Godwin turned and saw the large pirate he encountered earlier who had approached Lyra. He smiled with his unmistakable broken teeth.

  “Where’s your manners?” Godwin replied. “I don’t remember asking you to join us.”

  “Didn’t know I needed an invitation,” the pirate replied. “But let’s not be unfriendly on a special day. The name’s Jon. No need to introduce yourself. I’ve heard all about the legendary Godwin of Brentos.”

  Godwin misliked everything about that sentence from the fact that Jon knew of Brentos to the ‘legendary’ he mockingly plac
ed in front of his name. But he especially misliked the glint in Jon’s eye that so unmistakably said I know all about you.

  “Then you’ve surely heard I’m poor company,” Godwin replied. “So be off.”

  “What a shame,” Jon replied. His muscles bulged under his vest. “I was hoping that you might be in better spirits since we last talked. I thought perhaps you would reconsider my offer of a friendly little sparing match.”

  “I’d really love to, but as you can clearly see I’m busy.” Godwin smiled. “You see, I don’t want to be rude and leave my companions.”

  Jon smirked. “Then you’ll be happy to know you won’t have to. They’ve already left you.”

  Godwin turned, cursing, and saw that Jon was right. In the few moments his back was turned, Robert and Lyra had wandered with Tzuri-ren over to the other side of the ship and were laughing merrily with a group of pirates.

  “Don’t feel bad, Godwin. It’s understandable that you’re bad company. I’d be upset too if my home were destroyed. Which still might happen if this Prophecy comes true.”

  Godwin’s heart skipped a beat. He looked carefully into the stone-like face of this strange pirate with dark eyes and a long crooked nose. “Who the hell are you?”

  Jon smirked again. “Someone who has found himself tied up with the famous Godwin of Brentos of the Bloodwater Wars in more ways than one. Or do you prefer your old name from that era, Odruri?”

  Godwin kept his face a mask, but inside he seethed. Looking around carefully, he ascertained that nobody was in danger of overhearing them as far away as they were from the main celebration.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, friend,” Godwin said viciously. “But I’ve been cramped and tired in that cabin below for about a week now, and your captain has clearly demonstrated he doesn’t mind if I kill a crewman who starts nattering on like a jackass. So you can either start talking very quickly, or I can cut you down like a dog and spray your guts across the water.”