Ra' van (Book Three of the Items Trilogy)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  Hearing the commanding noise of their leader, all nearby Shadow Fangs paused and turned to find Shade powering his way after the thrown object. Those in his way quickly parted or risked being run through.

  Once at the edge of the dock Shade had reached his truest speed and jumped. In the failing darkness and torch lit area all watched as one of the largest Shadow Fangs sailed through the air and caught the knot midair, before crashing into nearly the center of the bay. Shade resurfaced with the wood between his teeth and paddled his way back to shore. Seeing their leader enter the water, howls of delight woke the area and many that had been restraining themselves powered into the water without care.

  Lily and Marlin both began laughing as Shade made his way back and soaked everyone within range as he shook the water from his fur. He dropped the rounded piece of wood in Alex’s hand and it was all too clear he wanted it again. Alex obliged and threw it again.

  As Shade reached the dock he was followed by Crest, but she was feeling devious and forcefully whipped her head against her mate’s side and knocked him into the water. She jumped at the edge and landed in the lake after the thrown object did, but she retrieved it and returned. As she spat the pine out she looked at her mate. “What? It was my turn or didn’t you remember.”

  His stern look altered into a toothy smile, but she didn’t realize what it meant. Alex did and all too well. When Alex threw it this time Shade waited just a moment before chasing because he waited for Crest to become occupied with trying to catch this time. Alex and the others watched as Shade bumped Crest and saw her nails gouge inch deep claw marks into the dock before falling into the water without class or elegance. He showed her how it was done and caught the knot just for spite.

  When he returned to shore he said “What? It was my turn.”

  From then on she forgot all about playing fetch and nipped at him and he took off towards the water with her seeking revenge. Soon everyone gathered and began watching and laughing at the two.

  “Now that is a happy couple.” Lily commented as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

  Feeling a little reckless himself, Alex used a Furion’s speed to slip his sword belt off and Lily’s too, jump high into the trees to keep them safe. As he landed she had just begun to uncross her arms in seemingly slow motion. Alex threw her over his shoulder and could barely feel any weight as he ran to the dock’s edge. He flipped her over and cradled her between his arms. It took a moment for her to understand her dire situation before barely getting out “Oh N…” as he grinned evilly and launched her thirty feet and into the cool water.

  Lily coughed as she resurfaced and her pale moonlight hair plastered itself against her fair features. She turned in the water until she caught her breath and sat her hardened amethyst eyes upon her husband. “Just wait…” She ground out before violently swimming in his direction.

  In his impatience and total focus on the furious Lily, Alex didn’t realize Marlin had snuck up behind and plant a foot in his rear.

  Unfortunately for Marlin, Alex had been trained to flare his strength at a moment’s notice, especially when surprised. While in midair Alex turned, grabbed Marlin’s ankle, that hadn’t had time to come down, and pulled with enough force to exchange positions. As his bare feet hit the dock again he laughed as Marlin hit the water. “Nice Try, …” and then Alex felt a sudden pressure lift between his legs and found himself fifteen feet in the air. Without warning Shade had put his muzzle between Alex’s legs and lifted his head with enough force to throw his brother into the water.

  Resurfacing Alex tried laughing, but Lily had arrived and tried drowning him, but he in return grabbed her bottom and gave a squeeze. She let go and allowed him a chance to get a breath, after she let out a girlish squeak. As he got a breath he looked up as Shade pounced upon him.

  Ava decided it was more fun to watch all this from the safety of the trees. She laughed at all of them, especially when Clift jumped in and decided to play too.

  Mayhem erupted for the next hour as Alex and his family played together and shed the burdens they’ve accumulated these past weeks.

  Now refreshed and eased of mind, Alex and the others walked out of the water and back towards the tree that held their weapons and Ava. Beneath the tree stood three figures in the darkness. “My, aren’t we a lively bunch.” Came a familiar voice. It was deep, masculine and husky.

  “Kallel? Is that you?” Marlin asked in disbelief.

  “It’s not just him.” Came a feminine voice.

  “Mary?” Lily asked.

  “Don’t forget ‘bout me!” said a young boy.

  “Sean?” Alex asked as the three figures stepped into the nearby firelight of a torch.

  It was true, they were here and looking well. Kallel stood burly and as menacing looking as ever and his chest length beard had been brushed and not as unkempt as it usually is. His large arms and barreled chest looked just the same and he still favored brown colors. Mary looked as lovely as ever in a simple blue dress, but she had a new addition. Shay had grown and seated herself on Mary’s hip. She looked about the age to which she’d begin learning to walk. Between Mary and Kallel stood Sean.

  The last time Alex had seen Sean and Shay was when he, Shade and his masters came upon their decimated village at the hands of Juguan priests who sacrificed the entire village for their religion. Only the two children survived, thanks to their father causing a cave in before giving what remained of his life. Kikren found them, but Gerieg and Alex were the ones who pulled them from the debris and sent them to Kallel and Mary for safety.

  “Alex, is that you?” Sean asked as he approached and light reflected off his red item. The full arm, armguard was capable of increasing the user’s strength, but it was the staff over twice his own height that first caught the eye. The Xeal lord of Rulers Forest gave it to Alex after a misunderstanding and when it could no longer be of any use he gave it to Sean to protect his sister.

  He noticed Sean stood two or three inches taller since they last parted. Alex smiled and said “Aye. Sean you are looking well. I see you still have the staff I gave you when we last met.”

  “He doesn’t go anywhere without it. Even sleeps with it.” Kallel laughed. Then he came closer and he and Alex clasped wrists. “My word, none of you look the same.”

  Shade approached Mary and Shay. Shay whimpered at him, but Mary’s twinkling eyes were as welcoming and childlike as ever. She sat Shay on the ground and used a finger to begin making letters in the ground slowly. As she wrote she explained “Since last we met I’ve learned to read and write. Last time I wanted to speak to Shade, but couldn’t because of my illiteracy. Now we can communicate without you translating…” and then she stepped back.

  Shade stepped forward and read “Amazing! Shade you’re huge.” And in his excitement he licked the entire left side of her cheek and she giggled like a little girl again.

  “What are you doing here?” Marlin asked in his excitement.

  “We were told to come here since our ship could fit in the bay. And since we got word in a missive about you being here we all came aboard my ship.”

  “Really?” Lily said and looked at all the docked boats. “I don’t see it…”

  Kallel grinned proudly. “It is that one right there.” and pointed to a two mast sailboat that looked nearly newly crafted. “Since your crew left us, I knew my lazy nature had hindered my duties as a transporter. When I came home I got to work on fixing the old gal and added a few modifications. I was even able to hire a few men to help put on a new forward mast, since the last one was beyond all help. It wasn’t until you gave me a new set of hands that repairs really got noticeable.”

  Sean’s chest swelled as Kallel tussled his brown hair and grinned. “Father has also been teaching me the ways of a sailor and my letters. I’m first mate on the ship.” He stated proudly and planted the staff by his side.

  “Father?” Alex questioned with a raised eyebrow.

  Kallel’s wide ches
t expanded. “Of course he calls me father. So long as he lives under my roof I’ll be respected as such. What did you expect after you sent that Kikren fellow to find me?”

  Mary swatted his large arm, after removing the slobber from the side of her face. “Be nice, you make it sound as if we’re ungrateful.” She then met Alex’s piercing grey eyes. “You have no idea how happy I am that you thought of us first. The two darlings are my most precious possessions.”

  “Awe Mother, stop saying it like that! It’s embarrassing!” Sean said with red cheeks and ears.

  Then Shay cried and everyone watched as Crest laid on her belly to look at the baby girl. Shay quit crying as Crest tenderly licked the child. Sean lifted his staff, but Kallel grabbed it and said “Boy, before you even think of hitting that Shadow Fang, she’ll eat you in one gulp. Just look at your sister.”

  Sean’s strength relaxed as he watched Shay gurgle and stop crying. She then reached her little hands and grabbed Crest’s long whiskers as they tickled her.

  Alex knelt by the overprotective brother and held his left forearm out a certain way and whistled. The trees rustled overhead as Ava dropped below and landed on the silvery, wing forearm protector. He then stroked Ava’s soft feathers and said “Sean, since we last met I’ve made many new friends. You remember Shade from before, well his mate Crest is the one playing with your sister. You have my word that she is being extra gentle with her and will never cause her harm.

  “And if you don’t know what kind of creature this is on my wrist, it is a Fury. This is Ava, my foster sister.” Then Alex’s voice altered. “Ava, this is Sean, the young boy I mentioned back in the Shura Mountains. Greet him.”

  As she extended a wing forward Kallel grumbled “Still weird…”

  “It doesn’t get any easier and I’m his wife.” Lily said as she knelt beside Crest and played with Shay, cooing sweet nothings at the baby girl.

  “Wife?” Mary asked, uncertain.

  Lily tucked a loose, drying strand of hair behind her ear to look up at the middle aged woman. “Aye, wife. When he returned we married in the traditional Ra’van Marking ceremony.” And showed the faint scar between her cleavage, after sliding her protective item away for a moment.

  “It was about time.” Mary stated in a sigh and it made Lily tilt her head in confusion. “The tension between the two of you was palpable. I was sure that you’re made for each other and here I’m right again!” and she turned and grinned triumphantly at Kallel.

  He grumbled and sighed before pulling out a silver coin and flicking it at her. It was all too clear they had made a bet and he lost.

  Marlin came closer and asked “So am I to assume that you are partaking in the current mission to overtake a few battleships?”

  “Aye.” Kallel said with a little more cheer. “Now I can finally get some retribution from all the time’s they’ve boarded me. By the way, can I assume you’ll fight on my boat?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Alex said with mirth. “It’s late and we all need a good night’s sleep.”

  As Alex approached the pine tree from earlier Kallel asked “Well who do I need to talk to, to request having your pack aboard?”

  Alex jumped fifteen feet up and grabbed both sword belts and landed to hear nothing but silence. He nearly laughed as he turned around to see the stunned expressions of Sean, Mary and Kallel. As he returned Lily’s swords Marlin answered the question. “Kallel, Alex is just having a little fun with you. He is Prince Alex, heir to Ra’van and all he has to do is inform General Rakkian on which ship he’ll go on. No one can tell him what to do.”

  “Except me.” Lily informed and bumped her hip against Alex’s.

  He grinned back.

  Mary said under her breath, but Alex’s acute hearing caught it “I thought Kikren was fooling us…”

  “We will have more time to talk tomorrow, when we leave together to catch up on what has been done since we last parted.” His voice then altered. “Alright everyone, it is time to get some rest.” Ava looked up and flew to land on his left shoulder as Crest stood.

  “Pleasant dreams everyone!” Mary said and then turned to the young ones. “Alright you two, time for bed.”

  Before going to sleep Rakkian had listened to Alex say which ship he’d be in charge of tomorrow. At least the room they were given was large enough to incorporate everyone. Marlin slept in the next room while Clift remained near the stables with others of his kind.

  “Permission to come aboard?!” Alex shouted from the end of the ramp.

  Early morning arrived and sunlight had only been visible for the past hour and a half. Already over half of the boats had departed at first light. The only reason the main pack hadn’t left yet was because Alex needed to use one of Janken’s mirrors and report to Allahandra as scheduled. Janken relayed her orders to have Rakkian remain behind and coordinate the attack from the village. Beta would also remain behind as his partner and temporary leader.

  Kallel’s head peered over the port side and grinned at what he saw. Besides Alex and his whole crew, six Shadow Fang’s and their human companion’s waited on the dock. Other than Shade and Crest only one other of their kind had grown into a lord, the rest were average and stood at a person’s ribs. They were still large and deadly. He grinned and said “Permission granted! All aboard!”

  As everyone boarded Alex looked upon the boat he traveled upon several seasons ago. Not only did the ship’s sides show off fresh wood, but the deck looked newly crafted. The forward mast had been crafted from a tall tree and held a single, white sail and the taller, central mast held two. Ropes coiled around the masts bases and wooden planks had been nailed to them to create ladders. While Alex and the others looked over the completely remodeled ship they went below deck and were even more surprised to find it not only dry, but smelled fresh and clean. It was slightly smaller because there was a hold for caught fish to be held and a stone stove to cook with fire and not risk the ship catching fire.

  Before long they went back up on deck and began procedures to depart. Five of the six men began pulling the ramp up and untied the ropes holding them to the dock while Alex pulled anchor, which would have taken three men to pull up. Clift stood beside Shade as he began telling others what to expect on riding a boat and that not all of them should remain on the top or bottom decks because of space issues. No more than six fiends could be allowed on either level or risk having trouble arise. Once the task ended he approached the upper deck to find three surprising guests. Mary and the kids sat on the bench to the back of the boat while Kallel oversaw how the warriors worked. Lily also sat with them and was playing with Shay.

  At his approach the women quieted. “Mary, what are you and the children doing here? We’re about to depart.”

  From the serious expression she applied he knew she was prepared to defend herself. “This isn’t my first time going on dangerous missions. On our way here we were boarded five times, practically once every week. You might not believe this, but having Sean and Shay alleviated suspicion on us and removed much tension.”

  “I’m not comfortable with this.” Alex said while crossing his arms. “Having two young children aboard during a mission such as this is too dangerous. What if…”

  “Alex, believe me, I will not allow any harm to befall my children. When the situation arises I’m more than capable of protecting myself and them. During the mission I will have them in plain sight so that the Guard will be less suspicious and give you and the other warriors a better opportunity to succeed in this endeavor.”

  As she finished speaking Alex looked to her side to watch Sean absently rolling the staff in his palms. He stepped forward and knelt, nearly startling Sean. “How about you? Do you want to be aboard with your sister, knowing we are looking for trouble?”

  A hint of fear flashed in his eyes and then hardened when he looked at his baby sibling. Sean spoke quietly, but no less adamantly. “I don’t like it, but if we can make it easier for everyone to c
ome back alive then allow us to stay. Father has already made a compartment for Shay and myself to stay in once we need to hide. And if danger comes too close I can pull a rope that will eject us off the boat…”

  A deep sigh couldn’t be stopped as Alex stood. “I still don’t like it, using children to lull the opposition into becoming careless… This is a dangerous game to be playing with.” And walked away in frustration. While walking down the steps he met Kallel’s stare and knew he heard everything. The look in the old sailor’s eyes explained his reluctance to use children also.

  While walking to the starboard railing Shade and Ava saw the distress in Alex, but the look he returned said he wished to be left alone for the moment.

  We’re no better than Runkamon… Alex debated internally while leaning over the rail, listening to the water lap at the side of the boat. Taking children from their home and putting them in harm’s way sounds exactly what they do with level five children in Ra’van. I cannot allow myself to be secure in this knowledge. I understand the principal and the results to be gained, but the costs aren’t acceptable. I want them off the ship and out of harm’s way, but I’m not their parents. Kallel and Mary are. No matter my opinion, I cannot force parents to have their children leave. Last night I saw how they’ve become a loving family and are raising them in a healthy way, but today it has all become undone. What can I do? Sean and Shay already lost one pair of parents, what would be more devastating if it happened again?

  Suddenly he was brought from his thoughts as a hand gripped his shoulder. White hair moved into his field of vision as Lily leaned over the rail as well. Her strong, beautiful and self-assured voice calmed his frustration. “We are about to depart at any moment. I wanted you to know I’m just as upset about them tagging along. I’ve seen Mary’s skills before and know she’s well equipped, item wise, to protect the children, but to settle my own fears I’ll step back and personally guard them. I’ll let you and the boys take care of securing the ship when the time comes.”