The Gaellean Prophecy Series Box Set

by C S Vass

  “The Odruri certainly doesn’t disappoint when it comes to banter and threats,” Jon said. “Yet I can’t help but wonder…is his sword as quick as his tongue?”

  “Do you really care to find out?” Godwin asked. He felt something dark and vicious bubbling inside of him, the kind of primal anger that he only released on the most dire of occasions. Who was this pirate that could get such a rise out of him? It was possible for someone to recognize Godwin as the Odruri—Jon certainly wasn’t the first person to do that—but how did he know about the Prophecy?

  “No, not really. My offer still stands for that sparring match though.”

  “Fine,” Godwin said, making up his mind. “Just one condition. After I win I’m going to hoist you above my head and throw you to the ocean.” Godwin’s temples were practically bubbling with heat, and they pounded like war drums. He had needed a reason to blow off steam ever since Unduyo, and it seemed he finally had it. Of course he wouldn’t really kill the pirate, but winning a fight would certainly put him in a stronger position to find out how he knew so much.

  “Very well.” Jon sounded more amused than scared. “I guess that means that the winner will be left to take care of Lyra.”

  Not waiting for his opponent, Godwin swung a roundabout punch at Jon’s head. The pirate dodged easily and countered with a quick left jab. The blow came faster than Godwin anticipated and clipped his chin as the Shigata threw himself backwards. Though it was a fast punch that mostly missed the mark, it felt as if the end of his chin was hit with a sledgehammer.

  This one is…well he’s as dangerous as he looks. I’ll have to be careful and not let him goad me into making an angry mistake.

  “Come on,” Jon mocked. “I’ll let you take the next few shots without even swinging back. I want to see how hard those punches hurt, and judging by the first one, I won’t be able to unless I let you hit me.”

  Understanding his opponents tactic, Godwin went forward to take him up on that offer. He sent a series of carefully aimed blows that speedily alternated between Jon’s head and the organs of his lower abdomen. True to his word, Jon let every blow connect, just not with their intended target. Moving faster than Godwin would have believed possible, the giant twirled his massive arms like windmills and directly blocked each one of his punches with his massive forearms.

  “Strong,” Jon said when Godwin’s attacks ceased. “If you do that a few more times, I might have some bruises on my arms tomorrow.”

  Godwin breathed in and out slowly, deliberately regulating his air flow. “You, my friend, are far past the point of having a tomorrow.”

  “There’s that scary bark again. I just wish there was a bite to back it up.”

  Godwin noticed that in the time they had been fighting, the two had attracted quite a crowd. Most of the pirates on deck were standing around them, laughing and cheering them on with jeers and music. He tried to locate Robert and Lyra, but Jon stole his attention by sending a kick with his log of a leg at Godwin’s head. Godwin shoulder-rolled past it and landed a hard strike directly into the big man’s solar plexus.

  Smiling, Godwin felt Jon’s feet shift and his muscles cramp as the direct shot reverberated throughout his body and caused him to stumble. “Now there’s the man I heard so much about,” Jon said with a voice that was anything but worried. All around them the crowd roared.

  “Ready to call it quits?” Godwin asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I think I am. You’ve shown me what I needed to know. All the same, if we don’t end the show properly for this lot, I think they might be mad enough to tear us to pieces. Better finish up the performance.”

  “Just remember it was your request when you sink to the bottom of the Dark Sea.”

  Jon came at him again. This time his blows were faster, and there was nothing playful or mocking about his movements. Godwin focused with all his might, glad he hadn’t consumed any more of Tzuri-ren’s mead. Just one of those punches landing directly might be enough to cave his skull in.

  It wouldn’t last. Jon was a mountain of a man, and as such it took enormous effort for him to swing his big limbs around. His movements were slowing, and Godwin still had plenty of energy. The fight was shifting ever so subtly in the Shigata’s favor. When he felt certain Jon was near the breaking point, Godwin circle-spun behind his opponent, stomped him hard in the back of the calf, and when Jon dropped to his knees threw a careful finishing punch into the back of his head.

  “There,” Godwin said as the crowed gasped. His knuckles rested gently against the Jon’s skull. “If I had struck that blow, then you’d be seeing stars for the next week. This fight is finished.”

  To Godwin’s surprise Jon laughed as the crowd booed. “Impressive. And I always heard how merciless you are. Well some things change it seems. Even in this fight. Forgive me if I’m mistaken, but you seemed to be positively enjoying yourself by the end of it.”

  There was no sense in denying it. Godwin’s mood had shifted dramatically during their scrimmage. He felt like a schoolboy coming in from recess.

  “Well what now, Godwin of Brentos?” Jon asked. “Are you going to make good on your promise and throw me into the sea?”

  Godwin felt his face grow hot as he realized everyone was still staring at them. “Here’s what now,” Godwin grunted. “You’re going to refer to me as Godwin, just Godwin, not any other name, for as long as I see you. Better yet, don’t call me anything and don’t talk to me. If you can do that, you can live long enough to see the eastern shores again. But I’m warning you. If you mess with me again, we fight with swords, not fists.”

  “Very well,” Jon said as he rose to a chorus of boos from the disappointed crowd. “I thank you for the fight.”

  “Wait,” Godwin shouted. “Men shake hands after a duel.”

  Jon stopped and turned. “Of course.”

  The two men gripped each other’s hands hard. Through gritted teeth Godwin quietly said, “When I come find you, you tell me everything you know. Until then, no funny business.”

  Jon smiled and nodded. “I look forward to it, Godwin.”

  “Look at the two of those pansies!” Raijen shouted from his crow’s nest. “Two men going fist to fist and not an ounce of blood spilled across the whole deck. I thought the Shigata were made of stronger stuff! And you, Jon, losing like that to a man half your size. I should have the both of you tossed over the edge of the ship for wasting our time.”

  “Best wait until tomorrow, Captain Raijen,” Jon shouted to his captain.

  “What? Why’s that?”

  Jon grinned. “It’s Kraytük. It would be bad luck for the ship to spill blood tonight.”

  Chapter 6

  As night fell the clouds dispersed, and a ghostly blue moon brightened the swirling waters of the Dark Sea. On deck the pirates continued with their revelry which shook the dust from the cabin ceiling and coated Godwin’s shoulders in a thin layer of white.

  Illuminated by the moonlight, Godwin stared at his own reflection in the glass window. Silver eyes looked back at him. His jet black braid of hair had grown longer than he realized. He could see the beginnings of crow’s feet creeping slowly. A time would come soon when few would think of him as a young man.

  A sudden vision streaked across his mind. Himself, as a young man in Brentos in his childhood room. His parents had a comfortable, loving home, and once a month his father would bring home a book filled with mathematical symbols and ancient runes that Godwin would immerse himself in the moment he got his hands on it. Sometimes he would spend days on massive roles of parchment writing out numbers thirty digits long and trying to add them up. That was a different person, one who was supposed to go to the University before war changed everything.

  Clenching his fingers, Godwin grimaced. His hands, blistered and calloused a thousand times over from years of wielding swords, felt oddly unfamiliar. They were too heavy, had too much meat. There once was a time when those hands were soft, and the only blisters he had w
ere in the crevices between his index and middle finger from long hours of writing down formulas in preparation for what was sure to be an academic adolescence. But then Ysabelle Wenjen sent the orders. She had her own plans for Godwin, and they did not involve books.

  “Godwin,” Lyra said as she poked her head into the room. “Are you alright?”

  “Hm?” He didn’t turn to face her. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  She hesitated at the door. Then he heard her approaching footsteps. “You left so abruptly. That man…the one you fought with. Jon. Why did he want to fight you?”

  “Who knows? These vagabonds are drinking themselves blind. What else can you expect?”

  “He said something to you before you dueled. When he did, your whole face changed. I was worried.”

  Godwin turned. He saw a young woman with green eyes nervously trying to meet his gaze.

  “I’m capable of defending you, Lyra. You needn’t be concerned. We’ll arrive in Saebyl soon, and you’ll be able to put these memories behind you. I’ll see to it.”

  Lyra frowned. Slowly she walked towards him.

  “I thank you for your desire to help,” she said. “But you’ve misunderstood. Right now, it’s you that I’m worried about. Tell me, what are you thinking about when your eyes grow distant? What are you thinking about when you look right through me?”

  To Godwin’s surprise he saw Lyra’s lip tremble. He had not realized that the girl thought of him as anything more than a sword. Temporary help on the long voyage up the Shield.

  “I’m concerned about a friend,” he said, surprising himself even further. “A woman I used to know.”

  “You mean Yaura?”

  Her frankness astonished him. “I trust Robert’s been running his mouth again, the damned idiot,” he muttered.

  “Robert has been communicating the worries in his mind,” Lyra said. “That’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s a way to talk through important things and figure out what to do about them.”

  “Indeed. A sign of strength. Forgive my weakness then. I’m in no mood for chatter.”

  “Did you love this woman? Yaura?”

  “Love?” Godwin choked. “No, Lyra. I’d ask you not to think such things of me. Shigata are hired killers. We don’t have time for love.”

  “But she loved you,” Lyra pressed. Godwin found himself growling like a cornered dog.

  “I don’t know what nonsense that idiot has been feeding you,” Godwin said. “But I assure you, she did not. She’s a friend traveling to a dangerous place, and I’m simply concerned. I’d ask you to leave it at that.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I won’t hound you, Godwin. I just…I see the way you look at me. I’m more than a helpless maiden for you to protect. I’m not just a rescued damsel for you to transport north like cargo.”

  She placed her hand on his, and at that exact moment Robert burst through the door with a fantastic crash.

  “Raijen himself just pulled up the most massive cod I’ve ever—oh.” He gave Godwin a look halfway between bemusement and alarm as the Shigata pulled his hand away like he had just touched a hot oven. Before either of them could say a word Robert quickly said, “There’s food on deck, should you want it,” and quickly left.

  Brushing a strand of hair from her face, Lyra said, completely composed, “Are you hungry?”

  “No damnit, I’m not hungry,” Godwin roared.

  “Well then, you’ll know where to find me if you change your mind,” she said as she swept herself out of the room and up the stairs.

  Cursing, Godwin turned back towards the window. If he’d an ounce of sense, he never would have brought her. What was he thinking, taking a teenage girl from her father to travel hundreds of miles up the coast with a group of pirates? He should have found a way to leave Robert behind rather than add another to their company. He had done well when he traveled alone. It was only when others joined him that trouble reared its head.

  “I take it you have a minute?”

  Turning, Godwin saw Jon’s dark eyes staring at him from the doorway. Grimacing, he nodded. “What do you want?”

  Jon smiled mockingly. “That girl who just stormed out of here looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. Or maybe done the slapping. I hope nothing untoward is happening down here. After all, you are a guest on this ship, Godwin.”

  “I’d advise you to check your tone, Jon,” Godwin said. “Or did you forget that you’re speaking to the man who just slapped you around the deck of this ship?”

  “Testy, testy,” Jon chided. He walked into the room and casually picked up one of the decks of Tanzen cards. “Reinko told me you had a temper. I guess I should have believed him.”

  “Let’s cut the bullshit,” Godwin said. “I’m in no mood for a duel of words with you. So you know who I am. You know what I’ve done. You know my old master. I couldn’t care less about any of that. What I do care about is that you know something important about a certain prophecy. Perhaps you also know something about the Sages. So why don’t you start talking before I grow angry?”

  Jon smirked. The entire time Godwin had spoken, he kept his eyes glued to the cards in the Tanzen deck. “Darwin of Dead Rock,” Jon said, holding up the card he had just named. “I’ve been looking for this card for quite a while. It’s hard to think of a more unlucky bastard. Born into that hellhole colony. But even so he learned some pretty interesting things from those monks once he got himself out of there. Magic of the old way. Magic of ice. Magic of shadow. They don’t teach kids stuff like that in school.”

  “If you’re so fascinated, then by all means take the damn card,” Godwin said. “But I’ll not ask you again. Tell me what you know.”

  Never losing his mocking smile, Jon pocketed the card. “That’s mighty generous of you, Godwin. My thanks. Although, if you’re simply trying to bribe me for information, I’m afraid there’s not much I can tell you. You’ll have to go see your old master to find out more.”

  “Reinko Assini?” Godwin scowled. “Why would I care to do that?”

  “Master Assini is a great man, and he’s requested your presence. Why he did that when he could summon anyone in the West is beyond me. But worrying about such is far above my pay grade.”

  “Wait a minute, you bastard! Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done here. Not by a long shot. What do you know about this prophecy that you so smugly mentioned before?”

  Jon chuckled. “Nothing at all,” he said. “Other than that I was told to mention it if you were being uncooperative. Master Assini assured me it would get your attention. Big surprise, once again he was right.”

  “So who the hell are you exactly?” Godwin pressed. “Are you really one of these pirates, or just one of my old master’s dogs?”

  “Why not both? Is a man not allowed to fish and hum a tune at the same time. My loyalty to Raijen and my loyalty to Assini don’t conflict with each other, Godwin. Now I will tell you this. I’ve never quite seen Assini the way he’s been acting. I can’t imagine why he’s so eager to meet with you, but the fact remains that he is. Don’t disappoint the man, Godwin. Be a good little pupil and go to him. He was dead certain you won’t regret the decision.”

  “Even if I didn’t already have plans, even if I wasn’t already doing something important, I’d sooner stroll into the Tarsurian Senate and shit on the floor than see Reinko Assini in this lifetime again. Where would I even find the bastard?”

  “Ha! Just as I thought. You can find him in Brentos, perhaps. Or somewhere else in Coldclaw. Don’t stress out on the details, my Shigata friend. The important thing to remember here is that you should keep those little peepers open and on the look out for him. I haven’t the slightest doubt that if you can do that, your paths will cross sooner rather than later.”

  “That’s it? That’s really all you know about the Prophecy? That’s all you know about why Reinko wants to see me?”

  “That’s all I know,” Jon repeated.

&n
bsp; Godwin glared at the pirate, breathing heavily. This was the last thing he needed on top of everything else. “Tell Reinko to kiss my arse. I don’t have time to deal with him.”

  An explosion caused Godwin to place his hand on the hilt of his sword and rush to the window. Red and green rained down like fireflies from the sky. “No need to be so jumpy, friend,” Jon said. “It’s just a celebration of the holiday.”

  “For criminals you all lack any common sense when it comes to stealth. I’ll be a monkey’s arse if you keep setting off these fireworks without attracting the attention of Boldfrost’s fleet.”

  “Maybe so, Godwin,” Jon said as his eyes flickered with laughter. “But sometimes the lights are pretty enough to warrant a little risk.”

  A short time later, Godwin found himself back on the deck of Divinity. He was there to watch for danger more than to enjoy the fireworks, though he had to admit that the display was more than a little impressive. Fantastic explosions of red and gold weaved through the air creating a tapestry of color unlike any Godwin had seen in many years.

  “So my great-uncle Bertrand stayed in good spirits about the whole affair,” Robert slurred drunkenly to the dwarf Tzuri-ren who was clutching his side and heaving like a man with a bolt in his ribs. “He said, ‘this day may have cost me my spine and both testicles, but all in all a wedding is still a day to be celebrated!’”

  “Bahahaha!” Tzuri-ren roared as he shook like a vat of jelly in an earthquake. “They say that every human wedding is truly officiated by a surgeon. Now I see why!”

  Godwin rolled his eyes. He had missed the greater part of the merry-making that had gotten everyone to the point of dancing on the border of incoherence, and he found he was in no mood to join them.

  “Robert,” Godwin hissed as he grabbed Robert by the arm. “Don’t drink so much.”

  “Oh, lighten up, Shigata,” Tzuri-ren said. “It’s a special night tonight.”

  “It’ll be more special if we still have our heads by the end of it,” Godwin said. “All of this racket…Boldfrost is sure to notice. You think after the attack on Unduyo that he won’t have extra security patrolling the coasts?”