A Tide of Shadows

by Tom Bielawski

  “And wealthy beyond reckoning!” Zach added, a disturbing glint in his eye.

  “Captain, I remind you these passengers should not be privy to the secret operations of this ship. I think they should leave the bridge,” the mage said tersely, eyes still closed in concentration.

  “Bah, wizard. You underestimate our friends,” the captain said with a sudden pleasantness in his tone. “I expect Eriagabbyn and his kind are a fair bit better about secrecy than we are.” The wizard neither replied nor showed any signs of even having heard the captain. Yag swiveled his chair around to face Carym as a strange force violently struck the ship causing it to list to one side. The captain shot a look at the warlock as he grunted and the ship slowly righted.

  “What was that Visare?” he demanded.

  The warlock shook his head in response and closed his eyes, concentrating. His skin paled visibly as he opened his eyes and spoke.

  “It is a sea beast, sir. We must escape it before we take another hit, we are taking on water in the crew’s berthing spaces.” he said earnestly. Then he whispered, “It knows it can find a meal there!”

  “Quickly then, warlock! Get the ship up to speed!” Yag shouted as he sat down in the captain’s chair, he pulled a metal tube from armrest and began shouting into it. Carym could hear muffled shouting through the tube on the other end, then he returned the tube to its slot; the alarm had been sounded.

  “Get the charts, we have got to find another route-” Yag began but was interrupted by another violent impact that almost knocked him from his chair.

  Carym pulled himself up off the deck and was about to ask what kind of beast this was, when he saw it through the glass before him. The sight of it sickened him. It was an evil looking creature with pale mottled skin and several huge black lidless eyes. It was oval shaped with long trailing tentacles, each wickedly hooked. As the beast swam by the front of the ship it lashed out with a hooked tentacle, sinking one of its wicked talons into the bulkhead of the bridge only a few feet from where Carym stood. Water began to trickle in, but stopped in a moment as green gel oozed in around the hook.

  “There, take the blue rune path!” barked Yag, as they approached an intersection of tunnels marked with various colored runes.

  “It has hold of the ship! We must break it loose!” declared the warlock.

  Carym ran to the wall where he saw the creature’s talon sticking through the hull. It seemed to Carym as though the gel had a mind of its own. Carym grabbed a sword mounted on the bulkhead and swung with all his might at the protruding talon. His blow severed the upper portion of the hook and sent it sliding across the floor. The creature snatched its tentacle back and water began to flood the cabin through the hole until green gen filled it in and contained the leak. Yag glanced briefly, thankfully, at Carym then grabbed his charts from the floor.

  “Get us away from here quickly!” the captain was sweating now, and his hair stuck to his face despite the cold air.

  The ship accelerated rapidly through the passage, careening off the cavern walls, savagely rocking the passengers and crew.

  “Did we lose it?” asked Carym anxiously after a few moments. The trio had braced themselves against the turbulent ride and were desperately holding onto the beams against the bulkheads.

  “I doubt we lost it,” Visare growled. “Those beasts are very sore losers and we could not possibly outrun one if it was determined enough to catch us. That is one of the drawbacks to traveling these tunnels. We never really know what we will find and we haven’t the benefit of the defenses the ancients used to protect themselves.” The wizard was clearly strained and sweat beaded on his forehead. “Tis only a matter of time.”

  After a few moments, when it appeared things had settled down again, Yag rose from his seat. “Good work, wizard! You have the bridge, I’m-” the captain was interrupted as another powerful force rocked the ship; everyone on the bridge fell. Carym saw through the viewing glass that there were tentacles wrapped around the ship and he could clearly hear the sound of beams creaking under the strain of the sea beast as it tried to squeeze the life from its prey. He looked frantically to Yag and saw that the captain had a large slimy hook protruding from his thigh, a writhing tentacle jerked and tugged at the hook dragging the captain towards a leaky hole in the bulkhead. The wizard appeared to be dead; his neck bent at an odd angle as he lay motionless on the floor. Gennevera and Zach were still trying to hold onto the wildly rocking craft.

  Yag shouted a string of curses as he severed the writhing tentacle that gripped his leg. He dragged himself to the helm and waved his hand across a glass ball in the center. The scene in the viewing glass shifted; images of the exterior of the ship flashed into view followed by images of the interior passageways and crew areas. Carym saw that there were several sea beasts now, all of them had tentacles wrapped around various parts of the ship; constricting, crushing, and sensing their prey within. The snapping planks and creaking boards of the dying ship grew louder. An image of the crew’s berthing space appeared.

  Carym remembered the words of the old druid and knew them to be true. There could be no doubt now, the Dark Lord was hunting them. And with that confirmation came the powerful onslaught of emotions: guilt, responsibility, fear.

  “The ship is lost. My crew is lost.” The captain was stunned, his voice barely heard above the noise of the dying ship. Carym panicked and wondered if they were all doomed. A tear ran down Yag’s cheek, disappearing into his beard as he viewed the gory scenes of the ship on the viewing glass. Carym saw that some of the beasts’ tentacles had entered the ship and were seeking out their prey; the screams of dying crewmen could be heard above the creaking beams as sharp hooks bore the men into the deep.

  “Open the damn hatch!” Yag cried to the passengers. “Bring in my guards a’fore they’re lost too!”

  Carym quickly opened the hatch and saw the two Roughnecks lying on the deck. The creaking of beams was deafening in the passageway and Carym saw that the bulkheads were drenched from seeping seawater. Carym and Zach helped the men onto the bridge, shutting the hatch behind them and dropping the cross bar down.

  With a sob, Yag spoke a word of the mystical language of magic and the ship lurched, suddenly listing to one side, then righted itself once more. The viewing glass went dark and the bridge went dark too, the ship now seemed to be accelerating rapidly upwards. The sudden velocity was followed by impact after impact, as Carym and his companions slid around the deck.

  After a few moments that felt like hours, soft lights began to glow and the bridge was filled with an eerie luminescence. The viewing glass was still dark, and Carym had the impression that the ship’s velocity had slowed to an almost imperceptible upward drift. The warlock was clearly dead, Gennevera and Zach were bumped and bruised, and Yag seemed to be alive but his breathing was labored and he had lost blood.

  “Yag!” shouted Carym. “Yag!”

  The captain groaned and lazily opened his eyes.

  “What happened, Carym?” asked Gennevera groggily.

  “I’m not sure,” he whispered, thankful that she was unharmed. Zach appeared to be unharmed as well and he nodded to his friend as he stood. Yag staggered back to the glowing sphere, clutching it in his hands. Judging by the empty socket he gathered that Yag removed it from the center of the helm, staring dejectedly. “We left them behind to die,” Carym stated in sudden understanding.

  “We did what we had to,” said Zach coldly. “Anything less would have doomed us all.”

  Carym cast his old friend a resigned glance; the man’s turnabout was remarkable and inexplicable.

  “Their souls have gone to the afterworld, my master’s minions have seen to that,” Gennevera said after opening her eyes and looking at Carym with anguish on her face. She put her hands on Yag’s head and whispered softly. After a few moments color returned to his face and the pain had eased. The captain looked at the woman with thanks and nodded to her; Carym wondered at her powers. How had she done tha
t? Could all of Grymm’s faithful heal people? The captain would survive, though Carym wondered how well the man’s soul would survive the guilt he would forever bear.

  “I am sorry, lads. I had to do it,” Yag said with sadness. To Carym it seemed the captain lost part of himself. “They were my men, and I know I will surely drown in Sarlyn’s eternal waters for doing it; a captain should go down with his ship. But I had no choice, I have to reach the surface! I did not mention this before, because it’s bad luck to snoop into a passenger’s business. But, I know of your quest.”

  Carym shot an alarmed look at Zach who was staring daggers back at the captain.

  “There is another who seeks your Everpool,” he whispered. “And he commands an entire army! Already, he has subjugated the Vaard, the city-states of the North, and Caelambra. Soon, all the north will be under his heel. And he plans to destroy the Everpool!”

  “Caelambra! You didn’t tell us this before!”

  “I’m sorry lads, the Shugu’s actions dictated a different course of action. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”

  “You were paid handsomely to bring us to Caelambra, under the noses of the authorities if necessary. Do you remember?” growled Zach.

  “Aye, that turn of events came about while we were at sea dodging the Shugu before I picked you up. The Spiders made it very clear to me, Zach, that you must be carried north at all costs. No matter the port.”

  “Why?” demanded Carym. “Why would this new army want the Everpool destroyed? Why not control it, use its powers?” He wondered how on Llars anyone could subjugate the Vaard.

  “It is rumored that person is called the ‘Prophet-General’ and he is a Sigilist who commands the Tides of the Shadow. If the Everpool holds the key to unlocking the other Sigils, lost these five centuries, then he can destroy those who would oppose him by destroying the Everpool.”

  “I understand” Carym replied, it was now a race to reach the Everpool. But did this newcomer already know of its location? Or was he searching for it even now? Another pawn of the Dark Lord sent to thwart him. And now Gennevera understands too. He wasn’t sure he wanted to involve her in this, but there seemed little choice now. He looked at Gennevera to gauge her responsiveness.

  “I will help you find your Everpool, Carym.” He marveled at the passion in her voice and was pleased that she would join him. Zach just looked at her and shook her head. Carym knew the man was biting back his words.

  The survivors were silent now, contemplating. The situation appeared hopeless. They were in a small boat in an underground tunnel, floating ever so slowly upward. Toward what? How long will it take to get there? Do we have enough food? What about air? With no wizard to magically control the climate, the air temperature in the small craft was dropping as it acclimated to the water temperature outside. Carym and Gennevera huddled together for warmth. Zach, seemingly unaffected by the falling temperature, leaned up against the bulkhead and dozed quietly. Carym thought it was ironic that Zach had chosen this moment to remain calm. He looked at the captain who stared remorsefully at his dead pilot and friend.

  “What happens now, Captain Yag?” asked the woman, standing before the now dark viewing glass.

  “We wait. The shaft we are in leads upward to one of the ports of Dalcasia. So long as we aren’t attacked again, we should arrive there safely enough,” he said, tiredly. “I think, the better question is, what do we do when we get there?”

  Carym checked on the two Roughnecks, one was alive and the other dead, a bloody hole in his side. He sighed as he closed the man’s lifeless eyes. The other Roughneck was conscious and physically ok. He rose to his feet acting as though he could care less about the tragedy that had befallen him and his fellow crewmen, but his eyes told a different tale. But, Carym knew the way of soldiers, and nodded grimly at the man who nodded back.

  C H A P T E R

  13

  Escape.

  Lordsdeep.

  Ever so slowly, the viewing glass began to light up. At first Carym thought his eyes were tricking him, but even Gennevera noticed it. Finally the boat lurched to a halt as it emerged on the surface of what appeared to be a lake inside a large cavern. Zach jumped to his feet and began tugging on the hatch.

  “Hold a moment lad. You’ll only hurt yourself tuggin’ on that hatch. The gel will dissipate soon enough in the air, then you will be able to open it.” Zach frowned and gave up for a moment, then resumed his impatient assault on the hatch. Yag watched, knowing that the hatch would open when it was ready and not before.

  Suddenly the hatch opened, releasing a blast of cool air and Zach stumbled out, catching onto the handle just before stumbling into the icy lake. Carym climbed out more slowly, warily looking around; what he saw astounded him. All around the perimeter of the vast lake were glowing spheres, which gave the cavern an eerie glow. That was not the most bizarre feature however, there was an entire city here.

  “A city!” said Gennevera with relief in her voice. “How fortunate for us to surface in a city.”

  All of the survivors of the Marineer stared in reverent awe at the sight before them. It was magnificent. There truly was a city, a huge city, on the shoreline. Glowing lamps lined the street leading away from the port area toward the city where tall buildings soared impossibly high as though they thought to climb back to the surface. Thousands of buildings could be seen in the distance in the soft lights. But it was quiet, deathly quiet.

  “Not so fast. This is Dalcasia, if we find anyone alive here we would wish we hadn’t.” The captain’s whispering carried sharply through the cavern. “Warves and troks inhabit this land and they’ll not be happy to see us.”

  “I meant only that this would be preferable to surfacing in another lake where there was no way out.”

  “I know what you meant, lass. I’m just not sure we haven’t hopped from the pan to the fire.”

  “We are wasting time!” said Zach impatiently. “We have to get out of here!”

  “Aye, lad. Settle yourself. We’ll get the oars and try to paddle our way to the nearest dock.”

  “Yag, what are those buildings made from?”

  The old pirate looked hard at Zach as if deciding whether to answer him. Then he shrugged in resignation. They would find out the moment the group stepped on dry ground anyway. “Precious gems and metals are what each and every building in this city is made from.”

  Zach didn’t reply. The magnitude of the wealth before them was overwhelming. Utterly overwhelming. Finally, Zach broke the silence. “Carym! The entire city...the, the, whole thing!” Zach appeared mesmerized, ignoring the captain.

  “First things first, Zach. We need to get to the shore, grab a paddle-”

  “What else matters?” With a wild shout, he dove into the frigid water.

  “Zach wait!” he shouted at his rapidly swimming friend. “There could be beasts in the water still!”

  “He is going to get himself killed, and you too if you aren’t careful!” grumbled Yag. “Best let him be, for now. We need to find a way to shore that doesn’t involve being bait for sea beasts.”

  Although Carym had watched Zach’s growing money lust, he was still a bit perplexed by his friend’s irrational behavior. Seeing that his friend had made it safely to the pier and was now climbing up and out of the water, Carym shook his head and turned his attention to propelling the escape craft toward the pier. After a moment, Yag detached a pair of long oars from a compartment and handed one to Carym. Then he and Yag began paddling, slowly and awkwardly, toward the pier.

  As he paddled, Carym studied the port area of the town where they were headed. Tall columns of sapphire and ruby, with white glowing spheres atop them lined the city streets and illuminated them with brilliant colored light which reflected off the water. There were other docks, too. Some made of ruby, others of sapphire and diamond. The docks all led to a main street running the length of the waterfront with streets disappearing into the dim light beyond. Carym could make out two s
tructures in the city beyond the port area; a ruby red tower and a sapphire blue castle.

  He was amazed at the wealth and ingenuity of the designers of this city. Their skills must have been beyond measure in order to have mastered the ways of the deep and to harvest the sheer quantities of these gemstones. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what life had been like here, centuries ago. His thoughts were interrupted by the pull of the stones in his pocket and he resisted the urge to grab them. Pushing thoughts of the stones from his mind, Carym concentrated on his imagination. He saw in his mind an image of a bustling city. He saw streets filled with people; humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes. He saw other beings too, though he had no idea what they were. Peculiarly, among the masses were those of the Orkine races, yet they moved about as if they belonged there with humans and elves. Every person of every race appeared clearly in his mind, finely dressed and in good health.

  But, as quickly as it came, the vision in his mind’s eye was gone and he was staring at the dock that was worth more than entire kingdoms on the surface.

  As the craft neared the dock, Yag supplied Carym with a rope. Finally, he used the rope to secure the odd boat to the dock and began helping others out. When Yag, Gennevera, and Roughneck corporal Gefar, were safely on the docks they began to assemble the few supplies they had remaining. Fortunately, the ship’s armory was part of what was now the escape craft and the group was able to retrieve their weapons and a few supplies.

  Carym looked at the magnificent site before him. It was deathly silent and it was so cold he could see his breath forming misty vapor in the air. He looked around to see Zach standing a few feet from him, gazing intently at a sign posted on the pier, water still dripping from his body, his eyes aglow with a determination he had never before seen in his old friend.

  He could see little beyond the long pier upon which they stood. The area beyond the city stretched into the dimly lit reaches of an immense cavern. Several buildings lined the port area along with strange machines bearing giant cogs, pulleys, and ropes that appeared to be made from a metal similar to gold. Even the buildings themselves appeared to shimmer in the flickering light, making him wonder if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Glowing poles lined the waterfront and in their flickering light he saw dozens of other piers stretching out into the lake to either side of him.