The Legacy (The Darkness Within Saga Book 1)

by JD Franx

  The first bolt fell twenty feet short of the bow, while the second came within less than ten feet of the midship landing, burying itself in the ship’s side below the railing. The third and final bolt overshot the quarterdeck by fifteen feet, landing in the ocean and doing no harm thanks to Yrlissa’s shield and Saleece’s deflective air attack. Whether giving up until closer or having run out of the six-foot-long, heavy ballista bolts, no further attacks followed as the Sorana’s Song began to pull away from the pirate vessels chasing it. Within three hours, the top of Havarrow’s mainmast and flag had disappeared on the horizon.

  With the slight detour brought on by the pirate’s chase, it was dark by the time the Song pulled into WhiteVale Cove. Anchoring in the deep water of the bay, Kiirein pulled everyone together before they left for the harbour master’s dock.

  “Giddeon, out running those pirates today will only mean they will try that much harder to find you. Stopping their plans before we left seems to have put us all on their hit list, so be vigilant. They won’t give up and you know full well that the Suns will come ashore.”

  “How about you? Will your family be all right?” Saleece asked, as she looked at Sorana, her voice heavy with concern.

  The Elvehn woman smiled as she put her arm around her son. “We’ll manage, we’ve had to deal with pirates before. It is what we do best. Don’t worry for our well-being, my young niece. Earlier events will not be repeated. We learn from our mistakes.”

  Ember took the opportunity the say her goodbyes as well. “Thank you for all your help, Sorana, and you as well, Kiirein. It is good to know there are people here who will help when it is needed,” she said, smiling.

  Kiirein took both her hands in his as he bowed to her. “My people have revered yours for as long as we have existed. If you ever need our help again, we will be here, you need only to ask. Take very good care of yourself, my dear. You have brought hope that the Fae are not gone. As we agreed, your secret is safe with us. Nava Varay Sheahn,” he said. Ember looked at Yrlissa slightly puzzled.

  Yrlissa smiled as she translated. “He said, ‘Farewell, young Fae’.”

  Ember laughed in return. “Goodbye.”

  While Kiirein and Sorana went to register with the harbour master, Giddeon, Ember, and the rest went to the Red Dragon Inn to get rooms for the night.

  Upon entering the inn Yrlissa stumbled and grasped her head with her left hand. She opened her eyes to look around and dizziness swarmed her senses. It forced her to direct her sight back to the floor. If not for Max, she would have fallen face first into the sawdust and spilled ale. Ember rushed to her side to help.

  As Max stood beside Yrlissa and steadied her with his arms, Ember whispered, “What’s wrong, Lissa? Are you all right?” Yrlissa moaned and clawed at Ember hard enough to cause her pain.

  “We must leave, now!” she gasped, in a disoriented but hushed tone. “There are over a dozen pirates in here. Something’s trying to hide them from me... We have to go. They will wait until we are asleep and then slit all of our throats,” she panted, her voice raspy and dry.

  “Are you sure?” Giddeon asked, as he bent over closer to her to avoid being overheard.

  With a nod, she replied, “Positive. I can sense them, strongly. The counter magic hiding them is what’s causing the pain. It must be a lingering effect of the spell I cast weeks ago when we were first here. I’m not sure; this has never happened before.”

  Desperate, she looked to Ember for help. “Trust me, mai nahlla. If we stay here tonight, we will die,” she said, as she leaned harder into Max, still unstable on her feet.

  “You can’t ignore what she says, Giddeon. She’s never been wrong before, you know that,” Ember said, supporting Yrlissa.

  Max took more of the assassin’s weight keeping her on her feet. “We just can’t turn around and walk out of here now. They’ll suspect something, and if their orders are to kill us regardless, we will have a bloodbath on our hands. Innocent people will get hurt, Giddeon,” he whispered.

  Giddeon stopped to think for only a second. “Very well, we’ll get our rooms like we planned. Saleece, ask for at least one corner room so we have a window. Tell them Yrlissa is ill and needs the fresh air, just in case the inn’s owner has been bought by the pirates. The windows are large enough for us to escape from. Once outside we can notify the city guard, grab our horses and travel gear from the guard compound, and leave. Everyone understand? Anyone see a problem with the plan? Kasik?” When there were no objections, he added, “Then let’s get on with it.”

  The plan worked without a flaw as again the group elected to run from the pirates who seemed to always outnumber them. It was midnight by the time they had reported the pirates’ location to Captain Falaron’s evening replacement. The group collected what belongings they could and fled the city with their horses, but with very little food and water. Once out of the mountain pass, Giddeon told them they could stop in the town of Albynor for more supplies.

  Giddeon and the others rode hard into the night, pushing their horses close to the animals’ physical limits. After three hours of travelling at a fast pace, alternating between running the horses and a light canter and even walking to allow them rest when needed, Giddeon and Kasik estimated they had covered close to thirty miles before he called for the group to slow for a prolonged walk. After several minutes of letting the horses cool off, everyone got down to stretch and to give the horses a longer rest than the last two breaks they had taken.

  Once down from the horses, Giddeon and Saleece both focused their esoteric sight back along the path they had just travelled. Though Saleece could sense no threat, Giddeon’s more experienced sight extended well beyond her range. Being one of the most powerful ArchWizards to ever be born, Giddeon’s extra senses could reach outwards of four thousand yards when focused or looking for a specific target. He gasped when his senses found the twelve pirates just over two miles behind and closing fast. Having told only the new night-watch guard captain of their departure and direction, Giddeon realized his mistake, one he wouldn’t have made if he wasn’t so tired and in such a hurry.

  Opening his eyes, he looked at Saleece. “Do you feel them?” he asked her.

  “No, Father. I got as far as twenty-five hundred yards. I am too tired to push further,” she replied, sounding weary.

  Yrlissa, however, had reached farther. “We need a battle plan, Giddeon,” she said, speaking fast. “They are pushing their horses harder and getting closer!”

  “Can you keep track of them, Yrlissa?” he asked, leading his horse to the side.

  She followed behind him. “Yes, but you must hurry. They’ll be here in less than four minutes if their horses can keep the pace they have now.”

  He never hesitated, laying out his plan of attack. “Kasik, you and Max run that length of rope we have between the trees several times. Hopefully we can drop some of the horses. With them riding full out they won’t see the rope in the dark and it may give us an edge. Everyone else, tie your horses back inside the treeline and stay down. When you two are done with the rope, Kasik, give them something to chase so they don’t notice the trip-line, or us. Hurry, people Let’s get ready.”

  With everyone off the trail and concealed in the trees, Max and Kasik swiftly strung the rope in a tight criss-cross pattern across the trail several times at a height that would trip the pirates’ horses with ease. Max grunted as he pulled the rope tight and Kasik couldn’t help but notice as it peeled bark from the tree under the force of the big man’s superior strength. He shook his head and mounted his horse as Max tied the trip-line off and joined Yrlissa and Ember on their side of the path. They only had to wait a minute or so before the twelve riders came storming through the pass where they were hidden. At the sight of Kasik ahead of them, they yelled in triumph and pushed their tired horses even harder. Unaware of the thick rope across the trail, they hit it at a full gallop.

  Seven horses and riders crashed to the ground when they hit the rope t
rap. An arrow thumped from Max’s new bow, piercing the throat of the first pirate to avoid the trap before he could collect his thoughts and act. He was ripped from his horse, the power of the forged obsidian bow causing the arrow to launch him from the saddle. A second pirate followed only moments later with an arrow to his chest, the padded leather armour no match for the strength of Max’s shot. Pulled from his feet, the pirate died before he hit the ground.

  By the time Max’s first arrow hit its target, Yrlissa had cut the throats of two pirates who had fallen when their horses crashed to the ground. She ghosted through the tangle of horse and Human bodies, killing without mercy until her attempt to run a dagger through a prone female pirate before her was blocked with almost laughable ease. The woman was on her feet in the time in took Yrlissa to recover from the surprise of her failed attack. The young raider’s blades flashed and spun, even twirling in an attempt to intimidate her opponent. An experienced assassin, Yrlissa knew never to spin and flip your blades when you fought with daggers; it was too easy for your enemy to knock one away. With a quick jab, her own dagger snapped forward, clicking the pirate’s twirling knife. With a small shower of sparks it was launched into the forest, and the woman’s shocked look gave Yrlissa all the time she needed to step forward and ease her other dagger up under the chin of the young pirate, pinning her mouth shut as the blade slid through the roof of her mouth and into her brain. Blood sprayed from her shut mouth as she coughed out her last breath.

  Ember left the tree line to help, but was just as terrified as when the others had fought the WraithLord in the HellisKor ruins so many weeks ago. She had both her long daggers drawn and was trying her best to find a target, but everything was happening so fast around her that she couldn’t keep up. Unfortunately for her, the pirate in charge of the raid had been given very clear orders for her to be retrieved, alive and at all costs.

  The commander of the pirates, Dirk Nua, whose plans had been ruined by Giddeon and his group’s interference, had watched most of what had gone down in WhiteVale Cove almost three weeks ago. With help from a man named Sythrnax, Bauro Blackspawn’s sorceress had made sure Dirk had a very clear picture of all that had happened, even seeing the events play out inside the Lightfoot offices as if he had been there in person. The exotic-looking young woman with the red hair and the name to match would sell for more than enough gold to recover his lost men and expenses from their interference and regain Bauro’s trust.

  It took Dirk’s raid leader very little time to figure out which of the women in the group they were hunting was the one his commander wanted. Her dark red hair blazed with a life all its own. The moment he recovered from the shock caused by seven of his men crashing to the leaf mold, he rolled from his horse, the whistle of an arrow passing just above his head. The experienced pirate ignored the close call and stayed low as he tracked his target through the fighting until he saw his chance to chase after her. With everyone else occupied, he could see the red-haired girl was on her own.

  Desperately watching for a chance to help the others, Ember gasped as a hand grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. Instinct alone powered her swing, her dagger arcing in an attempt to slice her attacker across the chest. The pirate seized her wrist before she got close and bent it backwards, forcing the large, hooked dagger to fall from her tingling fingers. A large wooden club descended towards her head. For a split second Ember cowered, covering her head as she wished with everything she had that she was somewhere else.

  A flash of intense white light burst behind her eyes.

  Close to Ember on their side of the raging fight, Max dropped his bow inside the tree line and drew both his swords with the intent to keep a close eye on her. Leaving the trees he quickly saw she was already in trouble as one of the pirates grabbed her. Only fifteen feet away, even his speed might not be fast enough to save her. With all his strength he launched himself at the buccaneer, swinging his sword to sever the pirate’s head without harming the much shorter Ember. It turned out that he was fast enough, but both Ember and the sea raider disappeared in a bright flash of light just as his sword passed through the pirate’s disappearing head. Surprised by the vanishing act, he searched the mass of warring bodies in front of him, before he witnessed a similar flash of light inside the treeline on the far side of the battle seconds later. Not knowing where Ember was and never one to shy from a fight, Max picked up her dropped dagger and slid it through his belt before carving his way back into the clashing bodies as he headed towards the flash of light. Showing no mercy, he stabbed a marauder trapped under his horse and pushed forward looking for Ember.

  Stunned by the flash of white, Ember flinched as an intense blast of air pushed her sideways. Dazed and slightly dizzy, she opened her eyes. Blinking the blurred spots from her vision, she discovered she was standing inside the tree line on the far side of where the battle was in full swing, almost a hundred yards from where the pirate grabbed her only seconds ago. A wet gurgle caught her attention above her. She looked up, her lone blade ready, and saw the pirate who was with her. His eyes were wide with terror and he gasped with pain as blood dribbled from his mouth. Dangling four feet from the ground, Ember gagged as she saw an arm-sized tree branch protruding from his chest. Stepping to the side, she realized he’d been impaled on the broken branch of the tree in front of her. She gagged a second time, and turned to threw up on the ground, her head buzzing with nausea and confusion.

  In the first few minutes of the fight, Giddeon and Saleece concentrated their first spells on the raiders who had kept their mounts. Now a very serious threat, the riders needed to be dealt with or the fight would be over before it began.

  Both father and daughter unleashed forked white-blue lightning spells that hit their targets square in the back before arcing away to the other pirates. Giddeon noticed one of the raiders roll off the back of his horse into cover, but the muscles spasms that rocked the rest of the riders caused them to drag their horses to the ground. Locked together in agony, the hearts of both men and beast gave out before the charged electricity had finished being called forth.

  The devastating castings left both wizards panting for air; two days without sleep and the constant threat of attack had left both with little energy. Recovery of their physical strength took only seconds as both armed themselves. Recovering their magical reserves would take significantly longer and some much needed sleep. With the fighting close in now, the use of magic would harm friends as well as the enemy anyway. What little magic they had remaining would have to wait for a clear opportunity.

  With the broken mess of bodies and wounded horses scattered across the pass, Kasik took longer to return and join the battle. For some unknown reason, the third pirate horseman hit with the lightning spell was not harmed, instead he pulled his horse around and headed for Kasik. The two horses passed close with a dull scrape of blades. Kasik’s eight pound greatsword, Still, nearly knocked the sea bandit from his mount.

  The large horse Kasik had rode for many years had been trained far better than the pirate’s new ride and the difference showed as it turned towards the other mare the second she passed by. Having to do battle on land was a rare thing for pirates, and not comfortable on horseback, the pirate never recognized the threat to his life. Pulling the reins with a savage twist, the pirate turned his mount just in time for all six feet of Still’s blade to punch through his chest with enough force to puncture the rusty chain-mail armour and slide out his back. The look of surprise on his face lasted only seconds as Dathac’s reaper culled another soul and carried it away to the darkest plane of Perdition.

  When the marauder fell off of Kasik’s blade and from the saddle, everyone looked across the open field and realized the enemy had all been killed. Getting off his mount the Northman grabbed a piece of carrot from his saddle bags and gave the treat to his large mare while cleaning the blood and viscera from his sword with a rag.

  The mare took the offering and nuzzled his hand. “Good girl, Krellr. You
did good,” Kasik whispered. He scratched Spirit behind the ears and under her chin.

  “No matter how long I live, I will never understand how the Northmen get their horses to turn like that in battle,” Giddeon praised. Kasik only nodded as he watched Max walking through the dead bodies of pirate and horse. The intense frown on his face showed his worry.

  “Max? Is there a problem?” Kasik enquired.

  It took nearly a full minute for him to answer as he watched Ember emerge from the tree line on the far side.

  Pointing at her, he shouted, “The one you took, is he dead?”

  Still disoriented, she stumbled, but managed to answer. “Yes.” Yrlissa ran to her side to help before anyone else could even move.

  “What is it?” Kasik repeated. Still looking around, Max finally seemed satisfied.

  “There were a dozen pirates, right? Twelve? Both you and Yrlissa said there were twelve didn’t you, Giddeon?”

  “Yes. Why?” Giddeon replied, as he too began to look around.

  “Then we have a big god damn big problem. With the one Ember took, there are only ten bodies here. Don’t bother counting, for fuck’s sake,” he snapped, as Giddeon began to count. “I counted three times. There are only nine here and the one Ember killed inside the trees.”

  Sitting on the ground with Yrlissa, Ember shouted back, her voice still trembling. “The tree killed him, Max.”

  “What the fuck?” Max said, shaking his head in disbelief. Yrlissa got up and went to look. When she returned, she gave a quizzical nod of her head to let the others know that technically, Ember spoke the truth. Everyone just looked at her, not knowing what to say.