The Legacy (The Darkness Within Saga Book 1)

by JD Franx

  They used the Elvanai Pass in the northern Wayvir Mountains to take them into the Elvehn country of TaCeryss. From there, they continued on towards the port city of WhiteVale Cove. By riding as steadily and as quickly as the horses could carry them, they had few encounters with other travellers and no reason surfaced for the use of sword or magic. It left them all physically tired but they would be able to rest while crossing the WhiteWrym Ocean. Giddeon told them it would be a three-day trip if the winds and currents were normal. Ships flying the Lightfoot flag were the only armed and armoured ships allowed docking privileges in BlackFang Harbour, the legal port of call on the DragonKin island of Ver Karmot.

  They were hoping Oripar Lightfoot’s son, Kiirein, would help them cross the ocean to the Dragon Isles. Oripar and Giddeon had been friends since childhood. The Lightfoot family owned dozens of schooners that were hired by merchant ships to protect them from pirates. With a strong affinity for water magic, the Lightfoot family and their Elvehn mages and sorcerers offered solid protection to the Merchant’s Guild. His son and widow, both extremely talented wizards in their own right, took care of the business since Oripar lost his life trying to help Giddeon get Kael to the other plane twenty years ago. They were just as close to Giddeon now as Oripar had been, never once laying Oripar’s death at Giddeon’s feet.

  Riding down from the mountains into WhiteVale Cove gave the group a stunning look at the Elvehn city sitting on the edge of the bay. The early evening sun shone off the water in the harbour making the calm surface sparkle in a rainbow of luminous colours. The green trees were vibrant with life; the End-Winter rains made them strong and healthy. The homes built in the lush woodland trees were barely noticeable through the dense foliage, each giving shade and cover to the homes beneath them on the ground.

  Even from a distance the city was alive with activity as both the Elvehn and a lesser number of Humans went about their busy day. Giddeon was elated to see the flags of two Lightfoot schooners anchored in the harbour. The white flag with a blue magical fury shaped like a water spout and the yellow lightning bolt arcing through the fury on both sides fluttered lazily with the harbour breeze. The flag was a representation of the family’s heightened abilities with water magic, combined with the crossed lightning bolts, Talohna’s universal sign for the power of protection. The flag was a warning sign on the open water that few pirates would challenge, even with superior numbers.

  The three-masted ships used by the Lightfoot Guide Company were mainly hired to protect the Merchant Guild’s transport and supply vessels. They were also fast enough to keep up with the merchant clippers if they were forced to run as opposed to fight. Most pirate galleons were designed to take abuse long enough for them to trap and then board merchant ships, but were not usually fast enough for chase and catch, instead employing traps and superior numbers. Sometimes running did have an advantage, Oripar used to tell Giddeon.

  Thinking of the long discussions with his closest friend left an empty feeling in the centre of the ArchWizard’s chest. It was a feeling that would never leave him, the nearly two-century-long friendship had started when he was a child at the Eye. Oripar had been one of the few Elvehn wizards at the school during those days. Most Elvehn bonded wizards, called mages, were trained by their own people, whereas very few mages became official wizards like Oripar by being trained at the Eye. It was a distinction without a difference; the variation between mage and wizard was merely a cultural deviation between Human and Elvehn training.

  As they approached the gates to the city Giddeon figured that with the Lightfoot ships anchored in the harbour they would likely find Kiirein at the family’s office near the Harbour Master’s warehouse. Riding up to the gate they were hailed by the guards and told to wait their turn. The first couple with a little baby were allowed through with no problems; the Elvehn couple thanked the guards as they entered the city.

  The couple in front of Giddeon’s group were not so lucky. They were holding hands as they walked up to the gate so the guards asked them both to remove their travelling hoods. The guards took a good look at the physical features of both the Human man and the Elvehn woman, both of whom appeared to be in their mid to late twenties, but with magic and Elvehn bloodlines it was often hard to tell. They were next asked to remove the travel cloaks they wore and were searched. Finally satisfied they had not seen what they were looking for, the guards apologized and granted the couple entrance to the city.

  Giddeon and his group’s approached for their turn, but the guards noticed him immediately. “ArchWizard Zirakus, it has been some time since your last visit. How have you been, Sir?” the first guard asked, extending his hand.

  “Good, Captain Locien. How about yourself? Don’t normally see you on gate duty. Expecting trouble?” Giddeon replied, as he grasped the captain’s arm in greeting. The guard captain looked around to be sure there was no one lurking around or spying from out of sight before he answered.

  “Not here at the gate, Sir, but the pirate fleets have some how managed to get their own people into the city where they have been hired on by merchant ships. Those same ships are later being targeted by the Suns of Blood, and with their own people aboard the merchant ships it takes very little effort to capture it.” With a sigh, he continued on. “So, we are out here checking anyone unfamiliar to see if we can’t get a lead to track down the pirates or at least slow the amount of people they are sending in to the city.”

  Giddeon thought the idea was a good one. “I see. We’re going to have to deal with Bauro BlackSpawn and the Suns of Blood some day soon, aren’t we?” he said, getting a nod from the captain. “Until we can, it sounds like a good strategy, Captain. Until you get a location on their hideout, I wish you the best of luck.”

  “Thank you, sir. Please carry on to the city. I’m sure the Lightfoot family will be delighted to see you.” The guard captain stepped forward to greet the next group that approached the city.

  The city of WhiteVale Cove had a more modern feel because of it being a major port. With the majority of politics and both the Elder and Wizard Councils located in Corynth, the WhiteVale port was the second largest centre of ship landing for the Blood Kingdoms. The largest and most important being the seaport city of Soena, on the very southern tip of Cethos, tucked in against the Wayvir Mountains.

  The road the group walked in on gently curved to the left as they carried on towards the waterfront. After a few minutes they came to an intersection. The Elvehn High Council building stood to their left and the main thoroughfare headed to the right, towards the docks. It had been a rough few months for all of them. Ember was still struggling with Kael being taken and Max’s wounds had healed but left scars that pulled the left corner of his mouth into a downward curve. The beauty of the Elvehn city seemed to lift both of their spirits and added a little hope to their hearts. They were at the beach-side boardwalk in a matter of moments as Giddeon led them to the Lightfoot Guide Company’s office.

  The group followed Giddeon into the Lightfoot building, but Yrlissa decided to stay outside instead. She pulled the hood of her cloak up onto her head the moment they had entered the city; the Suns of Blood pirate armada did a lot of business with the Broken Blades in secrecy. Her face was well-known among the savage cut-throats for several reasons and the last thing they needed was a pirate spy spreading word back to Merethyl that she was still alive. Yrlissa sat down on one of the shaded benches the company provided when they wished to discuss business outside with certain customers.

  Out of habit she pulled her hood a little lower and began to look around. She admired the design of both Lightfoot schooners. They were very well maintained and streamlined in order to be fast on the water. The man leaning against the main mast was trying his best not to let her know that he had an intent eye on her. Having spent her whole life hunting people, no one could spy on Yrlissa Blackmist without her being aware of it. The young man and woman at the head of the docks were also taking an unhealthy interest in her. Normal pe
ople should not be showing such an intent interest in an Elvehn woman waiting outside a shipper’s warehouse in an Elvehn city. Looking around to be sure no one was within earshot, Yrlissa whispered a spell, seeking verification of her watcher’s intent.

  “Isa leahn.” Upon finishing the archaic words, Yrlissa’s pupils dilated wide, giving her a magical glance at the mortal soul. The small wisps of sparkling blue colour that curled through the pupils of her eyes allowed her to see beyond a person’s aura and into their soul, enabling her to see the darkness that marred those of evil or the brightness known only to those free of sin. The two spies down the boardwalk from her who were pretending to be a couple were wreathed in blackness and death, and so was the sailor on the Lightfoot ship. An incredibly dark, living spirit wandered nearby, but she couldn’t actually see it. It was a savage, black soul devoid of all emotion except for raw hatred. The sensation made Yrlissa shiver as if talons of ice had raked across her own soul. Unable to recognize an exact location, she shifted her focus from the creature and its evil back to the pirates.

  The spell shifted and showed her that there were three others who had scarred spirits nearby, black swirls in their auras that were reminiscent of the evil they had done but had yet to permanently scar them. The pirate’s assortment of tattoos showed vividly in her mystical view, though they were well hidden from plain sight. It was solid proof of the origin of the three watching her. All three also had the crew mark of a blazing red sun on the forehead of a tattooed skull, the identifying mark of all crew members that belonged to the Suns of Blood. It was a sign Yrlissa knew all too well.

  The Suns were the biggest pirate armada in Talohna and they held the reputation as the most sadistic. Very few pirate crews remained that hadn’t sworn allegiance to the Suns. Unlike most crews from years ago, the Suns had no fear of taking to land to finish their business if it was required. They dealt in every aspect of crime, from profiteering, kidnapping and smuggling, to murder, prostitution and even slave trading. No one knew for sure, but it was rumoured that the Suns controlled almost forty vessels, most of which were traditional pirate galleons.

  They were a constant thorn in everyone’s side, except for the Broken Blades. Merethyl dealt with the Suns all the time, but mostly just in the last ten or eleven years. Yrlissa had often wondered what sparked the relationship because the assassin’s guild never seemed to get the better end of the deals.

  It didn’t take a seer or a prophet to know that the Lightfoot’s guiding company had been infiltrated by the criminals the guard captain was looking for. Still feeding power to her spell, Yrlissa got up and entered the front door of the Lightfoot warehouse.

  Yrlissa stopped and surveyed the Lightfoot front office in a matter of seconds. The girl sitting behind the desk talking to Giddeon also had the hidden tattoo, with the same blazing sun as the others outside. The only person Yrlissa could safely tell without raising suspicion was Kasik. Not wanting to draw attention she giggled in his ear as she told him what was happening and put her hand on his arm so it looked like she was flirting. When Kasik winked to let her know he understood, she tried to get closer to the front desk, smiling at Kasik the whole time.

  Giddeon didn’t seem to recognize the girl working the front, but Yrlissa knew the Lightfoot Guide Company had well over a dozen ships and at least a hundred employees, so she could be new.

  “Excuse me, young lady,” Giddeon said, politely. “We’re looking for Kiirein, is he here presently?”

  Looking up from a stack of papers, she replied, “Yes sir, but he’s upstairs with a client and can’t be disturbed at the moment. Is there something I can help you with? We offer guided escorts for all kinds of merchant and transport vessels sailing as far north as, but not beyond Black Hollow, as well as anywhere in the Southern Kingdoms you may need to go. We also have docking rights for BlackFang Harbour and both sides of Tyr’s Shield if you need escort to the DragonKin or Northman islands.”

  Clearly afraid she would continue talking through the night, Giddeon tried to butt in, but was distracted by Kasik and Yrlissa. He frowned at their behaviour as she giggled like a young teenage girl in Kasik’s ear.

  “No, miss, that’s fine,” he said, ignoring them. “I need to speak with Kiirein or with his mother, Sorana. I can assure you they’ll want to know we’re here.” Yrlissa breathed slowly as Giddeon struggled to figure out what she and Kasik were up to and she could see Saleece getting angrier the more they flirted back and forth. Such behaviour was completely out of character for the normally stalwart Northman, but they needed the distraction..

  Yrlissa looked over her shoulder and smiled at Kasik as she walked towards the desk where the young woman Giddeon had been talking to was sitting. For his part, Kasik winked and even blew a kiss her way. Max stood there watching the show, clearly suspecting that something was very wrong but unable to place it. Instead, he gently brushed against Ember, partially shielding her with his body as his right on his sword’s pommel.

  Kasik stepped up even with Giddeon and smiled at him with a stupid grin. “What do you think, old man? Pretty sweet looking little thing, huh? I think she’s got the eye for me.” Shocked senseless, Giddeon just stared. Yrlissa nearly laughed out loud at the indignant look on his face, she bet Kasik never spouted such immature adolescent garbage even when he was a youth. She hoped the display didn’t alert the pirate as she reached the woman’s desk. Leaning over to strike up a conversation, she could see Saleece almost ready to burst with fury, not having a clue what was going on either.

  Yrlissa smiled to the woman as she leaned over her desk. “What do you think, hun? A true Northman.” She giggled, again. “Can you imagine what a night with him would be like?”

  For the first time in many years Giddeon had completely missed the threat that was standing right in front of him. The woman, an experienced pirate, hadn’t been fooled by the display of acting and jumped from her chair, barking her spell. A bolt of lightning surged from her hand, crackling towards Giddeon’s chest with a sizzling flash of light. Kasik’s sword, Still, appeared like magic before Giddeon and swallowed the bright bolt of energy before it burned into his chest. The silence rune folded into Kasik’s sword and his quick reflexes were the only things that saved Giddeon’s life. Lunging forward, Yrlissa grabbed the pirate by her hair and pulled her backwards over the desk onto the floor. Bracing the pirate against her knee, she slid the point of her Elloryan dagger up the woman’s right nostril and pressed the wide quillion into her mouth stopping her from casting more spells, the implication clear.

  “Max,” Kasik whispered, “quickly, go watch the back stairs. There are probably more of them on the second floor.” He pointed to where the back stairs were located.

  As Max nodded and headed for the rear of the office, Kasik bent over and stared at the pirate Yrlissa held under the threat of her blades. “Right? Are there more?” She hesitated, forcing Yrlissa to slowly push her dagger further up the woman’s nose. As blood began to trickle over her lips she whined to let him know he was right. “How many? Is Kiirein up there? And any more that use magic? If she lies or hesitates even once, Yrlissa, kill her,” he whispered.

  Yrlissa smiled crookedly as she looked down at the female pirate. “Gladly. What do you have to say, pirate? Is Bauro still worth dying for or has the bastard changed over the last decade?”

  The female pirate answered with a sigh. “Three more upstairs with the owner, but no more magic users.”

  “What about outside, how many?” Kasik asked, as he scratched at the stubble on his chin.

  “I do not know. Those outside are accepted crew members of ships in the harbour. They won’t risk exposure to interfere here,” she answered. Kasik nodded to Yrlissa and her quiet whisper forced the woman into unconsciousness, the words a stronger, more offensive variation of the spell she had used to help Ember sleep weeks ago.

  “If you want I’ll stay here and watch over this one if you guys want to help Kiirein. Okay?” Ember muttered, making s
ure to be quiet like the others, as she knelt down beside the sleeping woman and tied her hands behind her back with a length of leather from her travel pack.

  “Thanks, Ember. Make sure to gag her mouth. She can’t cast spells if she can’t speak,” Giddeon said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I missed that. How did you know, Yrlissa?”

  “There are more pirates outside. They’re not as well hidden from magic sight as they like to think they are. Something else is here as well, Giddeon. Something very dark, but I can’t place where.”

  “Captain Locien and Captain Thaldurin will have to worry about that, we don’t have the time to hunt down something even you can’t find.”

  “Fair enough. Now let’s go get the boss man,” she suggested, already moving towards the back stairs with both of her daggers drawn.

  Once they gathered by the back stairs with Max, Giddeon gave the orders. “Saleece, presence of life spell, so we can see how they’re positioned upstairs.”

  Concentrating for a second to gather the power, she whispered, “Pekkja Lifdagar.” Raising her hands over her head towards the ceiling, the magic activated quickly and everyone’s eyes hazed over in a light film of pale blue. They could see four bodies upstairs, all of them an identical shimmering blue exactly like the haze in their own eyes. One was sitting in a chair with his hands behind his back. There was no doubt which was Kiirein. The other three were standing together talking about ten feet in front of him at the landing for the top of the stairs.