by Apryl Baker
“I do not know,” Ryder said softly.
“I need to speak with Tobias,” Val said. “We’ll reconvene after I have spoken with the only other person to have travelled to Atlantis.”
She turned and walked off the upper deck, leaving everyone and their questions and doubts behind her.
There was only one thought going through her head as she made her way to Tobias and she couldn’t get it out of her mind.
Dendali’s Curse.
Valeria Aurora Dendali Riverthorn.
Why was her name associated with the curse that had ruined DeCadia?
***
Tobias awoke at the sound of his cabin door creaking open. Grateful for the reprieve from his nightmares, he tilted his head to the side. Valeria walked in, closing the door gently behind her. The light of the candles cast quivering shadows around her. Tobias could tell from her stiff, sure movements something was wrong.
The Captain of The Emerald Queen dragged a stool to his bedside and sat staring at him. With every second that passed, Tobias expected her to break the silence. It remained whole as the two stared at one another. Like a game where the loser spoke first, both contestants remained content to allow the silence to continue.
A new wave of pain forced Tobias to wince and moan. He struggled like the old man he was to a sitting position even as the pain coursed through his body. Over the last two weeks, the wound had begun to heal. However, he was far from making a full recovery. Tobias speculated why Val was in his room. Despite this, he searched for another topic; anything to delay the conversation he feared was about to take place. “I’m not sure if that medicine man you have attending me is trying to heal me or drown me in that tonic he’s always drinking.”
Tobias listened for a chuckle; even the slightest turn of Val’s lips would be something. There was nothing. Her expression remained the same: stern and thoughtful. Tobias gulped as he fidgeted nervously. “What is it that you want from me, girl?” he finally asked.
“I want the truth, Tobias Blood. Can you do that? Can you be honest with me?”
Tobias cleared his throat. All thoughts of the pain coursing through his body were now gone in light of his current dilemma. A shudder of anticipation ran through him. Was it eagerness or dread that overwhelmed him just then? Truly, he didn’t know. This moment was one he’d dreaded for a lifetime, but one he’d looked forward to even longer. The burden of the truth he carried with him weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He’d finally be able to share that burden, even if it meant his death. And just maybe, his brother’s final request would be fulfilled. They might both find some peace—even if it meant Tobias’s death.
“What would you like to know, girl?”
The girl leaned forward slightly, her eyes as cold and icy as the pirate she was. He could see the seriousness of her demeanor. She wasn’t playing games with him now. Gone was the girl who’d fussed over him, sat with him, and played card games until well into the night. Here sat Emerald, Captain of The Emerald Queen, Scourge of the Skies.
“Everything, old man. Start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out. I have a knack for telling when people are lying, but you know that, don’t you? It’s a gift we both share. If you do decide to twist the truth…well, let’s just say you do not want to know the consequences of that action.”
Tobias knew the girl wasn’t lying. As she’d said, it was a gift they shared. A gift only the royal family of Atlantis was born with.
Tobias nodded and started his story. As much as he wanted to tell her everything, something stopped him. Just a moment ago, he’d been relieved, but now, faced with telling her, a knot formed in his stomach. She was all the family he had left. He didn’t want her to hate him. Instead of the complete truth, he’d tell her just enough to sate her curiosity for now. He knew that the best lies were those filled with truth. With one as intuitive as the girl, Tobias would have to be careful.
“I’m an Atlantean, but I’m guessing you already know that much. The birthmark on your back says the same about you. My maternal grandmother was an Atlantean and my maternal grandfather a human. My father was from Atlantis as well. I was born not in Atlantis, but in Brovaka, the capital city of DeCadia. When I was a young man, the opportunity to travel back to Atlantis presented itself and I took it. I remained there, content to live among my—our—people. When the war with DeCadia broke out, I was forced to choose a side. I stood with Atlantis until they won the War. The price of our victory was high, however. There was a curse placed in the waters of DeCadia to stop anyone of the human race from ever being able to enter the borders of Atlantis.”
Tobias stopped to take a breath, doing his best to suffer through the memories of his past, even the watered down version he was giving the girl. He looked past her to the far wall and continued. “I left Atlantis soon after. My home is in DeCadia. It was where I was born and it is where I chose to live.”
Tobias blinked back a few tears. While he left out most of the truth and his involvement in creating the Dendali Curse, the little he told her filled his heart with unbearable grief.
Silence filled the room again as the girl eyed him. Tobias could tell she was weighing his words, tasting the truth of them. Even if she did sense something was off, she would have to prove it.
Telling her the whole truth would mean creating a new enemy in a world that was already stacked against him. If she believed him, then maybe he could build enough trust to gain an ally, maybe.
“Why is it called the Dendali Curse?” Valeria asked.
Tobias tensed at the question. Had she sniffed out his lie? Did she suspect something? Or had she actually managed to find the entrance to Atlantis? “It’s called the Dendali Curse because that was the name of the Atlantean king in power when the spell was cast.”
Tobias fought back the memories of that day as he provided the answer. She tensed at the words as if they had a hidden meaning. Did she realize who she was? If he was right, Tobias was talking to not only a fellow Atlantean, but also the heir to the Atlantean throne, his own granddaughter. He’d taken his family from Atlantis and then abandoned them. This girl carried his blood. He felt it. He’d known the day she was born just as he’d known when every member of his family had been born over the last one hundred and fifty years.
The girl spoke again, “Did—did King Dendali have any children?”
The thickness in her voice and intense stare made Tobias wonder how much she had already figured out on her own. “Yes, he did.” Tobias bottled his emotions. “The King, his wife, and children were all killed by a usurper to the crown named Kronos. His brother, however, escaped the slaughter and fled to DeCadia.”
The girl’s eyes glazed over despite her best efforts to hide her emotions. Tobias seized the opportunity to try to discern how much she already knew. It would do him no good now to tell that if his suspicions were true he was her grandfather. “May I ask what your interest is in the Dendali family?”
Val snapped back to her former stoic state, “No, you may not. Tell me of the Dendali Curse and the significance it holds to those seeking to travel to Atlantis.”
“Where are we, girl?” he asked softly, his entire body clenching in dread. He’d been healing faster the last few days than he had in weeks. He’d felt his body come to life, felt the healing and the regeneration of his cells. He’d tried to lie to himself, but he knew.
They were close to Atlantis, close to his home.
“About a mile away from the Curse,” the girl answered just as softly.
Tobias’s brain worked strenuously to try to see the events unfolding in front of him from all angles. He was banished from Atlantis, he could not go back under any circumstances. Helping her find a way into Atlantis meant his own suicide.
However, it also meant he would be able to keep his promise to his brother. His family would set right the wrong that had been done to Dendali and the people of Atlantis. Could he deny his brother that peace?
The way to Atlantis
through the Crucible was so perilous; still, Tobias hoped he could change her mind.
“You wish to know how to traverse the Crucible?” he asked, stalling for time to think whether he should dissuade her or stop being the coward that he was and do right by his brother for once in his miserable excuse for a life.
“Yes.”
“It is not something to embark upon lightly,” he said. “It is perilous with dangers the likes of which you’ve never seen. We could all die.”
“Still,” she insisted, “I would know.”
She reminded him so much of his niece Anaya. The girl had died that day in Atlantis. She’d never backed down from a fight, never hid from danger. She walked headfirst into any fight. This girl, his granddaughter, had the same spirit as the niece he’d adored and cherished. He’d never denied Anaya anything and he found he couldn’t deny this girl either.
“The birthmark on your back is the key and a map. There is more to Dendali’s Curse than even those from Atlantis know. The creator of the weapon wanted to make sure that anyone born with Atlantean blood running through their veins could find their way home. A backdoor so to speak. That mark allows a person to pass freely into the abyss. Once you pass over the threshold of the Curse, you must brave the Crucible and the trials associated with it”
“And if I chose to cross the threshold, to take my ship into the Crucible, and begin the trials, will the humans on board survive the crossing?”
“Yes, they will live. The Krak—the Keeper of the first trial will recognize you as an Atlantean and allow you and your ship to travel on once you’ve entered the Crucible.”
The girl nodded and he grabbed her hand, not thinking. “Listen to me, girl. Do not make this decision in haste. The way to Atlantis is impassible for most. It’s beyond dangerous. Think of your crew. Are you willing to risk their lives for this?” Tobias dropped her hand, his heart heavy and proud all at once. The look in her eyes could not be mistaken. She was intent on continuing through and testing her steel against the Crucible. Panic began to seep into Tobias’s veins. He had said too much.
“Please,” Tobias gasped as Val stood to leave. “You must not attempt the journey. You will doom us all.”
She stood and looked down into his panic filled eyes. “Do not worry, old man. All will be well.” She exited the room without another word.
***
Stephen saw the Captain emerge from below deck. Although the mask obstructed half her face, her eyes were alive with determination. A new passion, a fervor only recently discovered flamed the fires of her resolve.
Before Stephen could ask for orders, her voice rang through the air.
“Gather round and listen well,” she said. “Some of you here know me, some of you don’t. My crew will tell you I have been searching for something for a long time and I’ve finally found it. Where we are going, there is great danger and I am lucky to have you all here with me. Prepare yourselves. Man your stations and hold on tight. Today, we travel into the unknown; today, we find the lost city of Atlantis!
Looks of confusion and then realization as to their destination spread over the face of every crewmember. Prior to this exclamation, only a few were privy to their destination. Now, it was out in the open. Fear permeated the air and despite that, the crew moved as they were commanded. Stephen found himself in awe of the respect the Captain held. Even ordered to sail into the unknown, her crew never hesitated as they manned the engines and began to move forward.
Ryder followed the Captain to the ship’s helm, forcing Stephen to do the same as the dragon’s protector for the day. He arrived as Ryder asked her first question. “Do you understand the path you are on?”
The Captain avoided eye contact with either of them as she focused on the air in front of her. “The ship’s crew will be safe as we begin the Crucible. The Keeper will test my authenticity as an Atlantean and we will be given safe passage through to begin our journey.”
“The Keeper?” Ryder and Stephen asked at once.
The Captain gave them both scowls that would have skinned the hide of the toughest of them. They were saved from her verbal onslaught by shouts from the crew. The ship was a hundred yards above the sea and moving forward. As they passed close to the striking lightening and discolored water, something else began to churn the ocean’s surface.
Stephen ran to the ship’s railing and squinted pasts the sun’s rays to catch the alien sight. The blue-green seawater thrashed as some nightmarish beast moved just under the surface. Bellows full of fear rang through the air as Stephen witnessed the impossible.
A creature heard of only in mythology reared its enormous head from the depths of the ocean. Stephen’s heart pounded in his chest as the Kraken crested the top of the water. Tentacles thicker than any tree shot into the air and around The Emerald Queen. The beast’s head was larger than the ship itself. A maw that looked as though it could swallow them in one bite was lined with rows of jagged, discolored teeth.
Despite the horrific scene developing in front of him, one thing demanded Stephen’s attention above all else, the Kraken’s eyes. Two yellow orbs searched the ship’s deck fixating first on Stephen then on the Captain.
Chapter 14
Shouts and screams tore through the sky in all directions. The Kraken’s army of wriggling tentacles took hold of the air vessel like a giant hand catching a fly mid-flight. Above the bellows of the crew and even past the commands shouted by the Captain, Stephen could hear the ship’s frame moan under the pressure.
The deck below his feet bucked and swayed, forcing Stephen to grab the railing near Ryder. Thick, rubbery arms lined with suction cups squeezed and flexed as the Kraken sought to snap the craft in half.
Sailors began falling off the airship as the monster toyed and played with the vessel. Dying screams faded into the oblivion below as the Kraken opened its colossal maw and welcomed its next meal.
Out of the chaos, a single voice rose above the din. The Captain had abandoned the wheel in favor of her saber and began hacking at the closest tentacle she could reach. “If you want to live, fight! You must fight! Now, stop your screaming and free the ship!”
Stephen chided himself for his temporary lack of direction. His hand grabbed the hilt of his sword. As he drew it, he recalled that the only thing holding him to this spot was his duty as Ryder’s sworn protector. One look at the girl and Stephen knew he would need not worry about her.
Already, Ryder had begun her transformation from human to dragon. Stephen had never witnessed an evolution of this kind and the sight horrified him. Stuck between the Kraken below and the dragon forming in front of him, Stephen’s hands began to tremble.
Ryder’s body shifted and grew. Her skin took on a blood-red hue, starting at her head and then traveling the length of her body. Soon her clothes, meant for a young girl, tore away. Scales covered Ryder’s body and a long tail beat the air behind her. Stephen watched, oblivious to the other events around him as he witnessed Ryder shed her human form.
Wings sprouted from her back, each the length of her new body. The way her red scales caught the sun made her look like a deep ruby glittering in the light. Stephen was so awestruck by the sight he lost track of his surroundings. All his brain could take in at the moment was the sight of the dragon that stood as tall as the biggest vessel in the Royal Navy. If it wasn’t for the Kraken controlling the movement of their ship, Stephen wasn’t sure if the flying craft would be able to support Ryder’s weight.
Without warning, Ryder’s right wing extended from her body and raced toward Stephen. With a rush of wind, Stephen was engulfed in the red appendage. Scooped up like a baby bird, his feet left the ground and he was drawn in close next to Ryder’s chest.
Before he could react, before he could even think about what his reaction should be, Ryder released him. Stephen stumbled back onto the deck with his sword drawn and pointed at Ryder.
A loud crash behind him shifted his attention from the dragon. Exactly where Stephen had s
tood only seconds before, a huge, slimy bluish green tentacle slammed into the deck, splintering the boards.
Stephen looked back to Ryder. Who should be whose protector now? The voice was unmistakably Ryder’s, yet the sound did not come from the dragon’s lips. Instead, a voice had spoken in Stephen’s head. There is no time to explain now, Ryder continued, I’ll distract the Kraken. Help the Captain free her boat!
Just like that, Ryder was gone. With a strong push of her wings, she rocketed into the air.
“It’s a ship, not a boat,” Stephen whispered, shock eating at him. Had a dragon just saved his life?
The mayhem onboard the ship was out of hand. Crewmembers ran in every direction, some trying to avoid the paths of the wiggling tentacle arms of the Kraken, others running to obey their Captain’s orders and began hacking at the monster’s grip. Stephen found himself with a small group of sailors that included the Captain, working to sever a particularly large tentacle that wrapped around the ship’s main mast.
Stephen raised his saber above his head. Both hands wrapped around the hilt, he drove the steel blade down on the Kraken’s limb with all his might. A deep gash appeared on the wet arm of the monster. The latex-like skin split open, revealing a grayish flesh hue underneath. The smell that wafted from the creature’s wound was horrendous. Stephen bit back the bile that came to his mouth and continued to hew away at his section of the extremity.
Ignoring the smell of dead fish and vomit proved to be impossible. Pieces of the Kraken’s flesh were spiraling through the air as Stephen continued to cut through the arm. Soon, he was covered in bits of flesh and stank just as much as the monster. A wail unlike anything Stephen had ever heard came vibrating up from the Kraken below. Whether it was due to his effort, or those around him or a combination of both, was unknown. Something, however, was getting to the Kraken.
“Keep at it!” the Captain bellowed from beside Stephen as she sank her sword into another deep gash in the monster’s skin. “We have a dragon on our side! We will not fail!”