The Aduramis Chronicles: Volumes 1-3: The Definitive Collection

by Harrison Davies

  ‘I hope so. For if they show so much as the slightest hint of hesitation or fear, then all will be lost. They need to live, sleep, eat and work as a pirate to become one.’

  ‘You will only need to show my men once how they are to conduct themselves.’

  ‘Good.’ Hur’al nodded. ‘Then we shall begin. And from the moment training ends, this ship will no longer be an ordinary airship; it will be an airship manned by pirates.’ He smiled happily, his thoughts returning to his youth for a moment.

  Jericho shook his head. ‘I never thought I’d see a day when I would become everything I despised.’

  ‘Needs must, General,’ Coinin said.

  ‘Of course. And from now on, there will be no ranks or titles, only mine,’ reminded Hur’al.

  ‘Aye, Captain,’ Coinin smirked.

  ‘That’s it, my boy, you’ve got it.’ Hur’al chuckled. ‘Let’s gather the troops and give them the good news.’

  ❖

  ‘Do I get a hook?’ Quindil said, with a big smile on his face and a wave of his stump.

  ‘No, you don’t get a hook. You’ve been reading far too many stories,’ Jericho said, hiding his smile.

  ‘That’s a shame; I think I’d look rather dangerous.’

  ‘We just want to pass as pirates, and trust me, you’re scary enough to look at without one.’

  Quindil laughed heartily at that, along with the others around him.

  ‘We have some hard work ahead of us. Aside from dressing and acting as pirates, we need to make this ship look a little less like a trading vessel. Axl, step forward please,’ Hur’al ordered.

  Axl’s face burnt a bright red, and he pushed his way through a sea of bodies to join him.

  ‘Axl, you will be in charge of the construction under Lacretia’s direction. Hopefully, we will come up with a passable representation. Coinin, I’d like you to join them.’

  Lacretia took both men by the arm, and as they walked, she called to her men. A dozen of them soon crowded into the aft section of the ship where Lacretia discussed the changes needed. Axl took notes on parchment.

  ‘The first thing we need to do is paint the skull and bones, then weave netting to cover the air sac. I suggested to the Captain that we cut holes for cannons in the sides of the ship,’ she told them.

  ‘We don’t have cannons though mistress,’ Axl observed.

  ‘True, but no self-respecting pirate vessel would be without at least the appearance of defences. We only need to make The Peregrine look the part, which brings me to the next phase. We shall rename the ship The Falcon, and along each side of the ship we need to paint the pirate oath.’

  ‘What’s the pirate oath?’ Coinin asked.

  ‘Twice yearly, the pirates pay homage to their king, and to show dedication they paint on the side of their ships a simple verse.’

  Black as night, dark as shadow, swift as a swallow, we will follow, our vow to the pirate king. Where dirty deeds and villainy abound, there pirates will be found. Our honour and oath to pillage as thieves, ‘til death’s release to stormy seas.

  ‘It’s a silly verse really, though the King demands it to show loyalty,’ she said.

  Coinin shook his head. ‘These pirates are a strange breed indeed.’

  Lacretia shot him a dark look that made Coinin wonder if she had once been a pirate. She certainly had the look about her, and she was affiliated with the former pirate, Hur’al.

  Lacretia uncovered a wooden bucket and handed it to Coinin. It was full to the brim with pitch, and a brush hung from the handle by a rope. ‘The first job is to paint a skull and bones nice and big on both sides of the envelope. Axl, can you draw that?’

  Axl nodded that he could. ‘I wonder why they didn’t have the skull and bones on there in the first place?’

  ‘It’s likely to be a new envelope, and they didn’t have time to paint it. A pirate’s life is a busy one.’

  Axl and Coinin left Lacretia to brief the remaining crew, and they headed into the bitter wind. Locating two sheepskin covers, they wrapped up as warm as they could. Nevertheless, they knew their exposed skin would feel the cold terribly, and they had to be careful not to lose fingers or noses to the frost.

  Coinin looked up worriedly at the air filled sac that kept them afloat. He was not a fan of heights, and to climb this unstable, shifting bag of air frightened him. He blew out a steady breath and looked down to see Axl’s eyes widen, silently sharing the panic. Their hearts beat faster as they gingerly climbed a rope ladder that ran from port to starboard over the gigantic envelope.

  The wind blew hard, and the wispy facial hair that had grown under his nose and on his chin began to freeze. He climbed higher, refusing to look down, struggling to keep hold of the coarse rope and heavy bucket of pitch. He was as careful as he could be not to lose any of his cargo, but even so, Axl called out more than once that he was spilling the contents.

  Balancing on top of the envelope was an odd feeling. It was unnatural to him to be swaying in such an uncontrolled fashion. Axl joined him momentarily, and Coinin looked away sheepishly. Axl’s face was covered in pitch, and his white hair had streaks of black through it.

  ‘Sorry,’ Coinin yelled over the rush of wind.

  ‘Ah, it's fine. I was experimenting once with a new weapon. It was a clay pot of pitch much bigger than your bucket. I misjudged my footing while carrying it, and, well, shall we just say it took a week to remove the stuff. Little bits of fluff stuck to me for weeks after that. The little bit you dropped on me is nothing compared to that,’ said Axl graciously.

  ‘What’s the plan then?’

  ‘If you lower me over the side, I can begin to paint,’ Axl said. He unhitched the coil of rope from over his shoulder and began to tie it around his waist. Finished, he positioned himself to be lowered over the side of the envelope. Coinin fastened the rope in the same manner and took the strain.

  ‘Ready?’

  ‘No, I hate heights.’

  ‘Me too. It makes me glad I’m not an artist, or I’d be the one hanging off the side.’

  Axl looked at him unimpressed and took hold of the rope attached to his waist. ‘Slowly lower me down; make sure you have a good foothold. When I shout, stop lowering.’

  Coinin wrapped his foot around a loose guide wire that held the envelope in place and took hold of the rope connecting Axl and himself. ‘I’m ready.’

  Axl took a deep breath to steady his nerves and collected the bucket of pitch. He slowly walked backwards, his knuckles white from the force of his grip on the rope then disappeared over the curve of the envelope and out of Coinin’s sight.

  Coinin strained against the weight of Axl and the rushing wind. He hoped this would be over soon and they could return below decks to warm up.

  ‘How are you doing?’ he yelled.

  When Axl did not reply, he called again, and a second later felt a tug on the rope. Suddenly, he found himself face down on the envelope with a pain ripping through his foot as the rope holding him in place tore at his muscles and tendons.

  On deck, Lacretia received a shock as Axl dropped into view before her. He was inverted and smiled embarrassingly.

  ‘If you want something done—’ Lacretia sighed.

  ‘The good news is I didn’t spill any,’ Axl said, holding up the bucket of pitch.

  Lacretia took the pail and withdrew her sword, and Axl’s eyes widened in horror as she sliced at his rope.

  ‘Wait! Stop!’ he yelled.

  His cries were ignored as Lacretia completed her task and Axl dropped to the deck with a painful thump.

  ‘What did you do that for?’ Axl complained.

  ‘How else was I supposed to get you down?’

  ‘Not that way.’

  ‘Well, anyway, what were you playing at, hanging off the side of the envelope like that?’

  ‘I was painting the skull and bones.’

  Lacretia shook her head. ‘Did it ever occur to you to use the rope ladder and paint aro
und it?’

  Axl scratched his head and looked away.

  ‘And I thought you were the genius.’

  Coinin joined them shortly thereafter to find Axl nursing a sore knee. He knelt beside him. ‘Are you hurt? What happened?’

  ‘I slipped, and she cut me down. My knee is a little sore, but I don’t think I’ve broken anything.’

  ‘That’s good then,’ Coinin said, checking it for injury. ‘I felt the rope go slack and I thought it’d snapped and you’d fallen off the ship.’

  ‘Thankfully not. The drop was painful enough.’ Axl turned and scowled at Lacretia, though she ignored it, thrusting the bucket into Coinin’s hands.

  ‘Well, since your friend here is hurt, I suggest you complete the task.

  ‘I’m no artist,’ Coinin objected.

  ‘No time like the present to learn is there? Besides, Axl will assist from down here, won’t you?’

  ‘I guess I have no choice,’ he muttered.

  Coinin bit his tongue and clambered up the rope ladder once more, whilst Axl positioned himself against a bulwark to supervise.

  ❖

  It took all day, but Coinin succeeded in representing the familiar skull and crossbones on both sides of the envelope. Axl had instructed him well, and the imitation would pass inspection.

  Lacretia had supervised the painting of the pirate oath on both sides of the ship, and Hur’al had overseen the creation of a woven netting to stretch over the envelope. Almost every spare length of rope had been used, and the crew had waited for Coinin to finish before cutting down the rope ladder and using that in their construction. With a lot of heaving and pulling, the netting slid slowly over the envelope. It did not cover it completely, though remained firmly attached to the bulwarks on either side of the ship, it offered a stable platform to enable repairs to be made to the main body.

  Jericho had satisfied himself by leading the remainder of the crew, monitoring work on the construction of mock cannon bays. The ship’s carpenter busied himself reconstructing empty rum barrels to resemble the guns that would protrude from them.

  By the end of four days when the light grew too dim to work, the ship no longer resembled a trading vessel. It would now pass as a pirate airship. Closer inspection of the cannon bays, however, would prove otherwise, something the entire crew feared. They were about to penetrate the pirate stronghold with nothing but bluff and bluster, and no weapons to defend themselves.

  Coinin scanned the ship from the quarterdeck and admired what they had accomplished in such a short time, chuckling at the crew now dressed as pirates. Colourful headbands were plentiful, alongside newly created attire. The cloaks they once wore were now pantaloons and the leather from their armour fashioned into belts. The whole crew seemed to possess a new swagger as they got to grips with the pretence that they were now pirates. Hur’al had found a stash of cutlasses in the hold and dished them out to The Brotherhood soldiers.

  A hairy hand clasped Coinin on the shoulder. ‘That lot would make a fine bunch of pirates any day, Hur’al said.

  Coinin turned to the Captain. ‘You really think so?’

  ‘Sure,’ he said, although his eyes said otherwise. ‘Well, we won’t have long till we find out.’

  ‘How so?’

  ‘We are only three days from our destination.’

  Coinin looked ill at the thought.

  ‘Don’t worry; I know what I’m doing. Remember, I used to be a pirate.’

  ‘Tell me, Captain, why did you turn from that path?’

  Hur’al looked out to sea for a moment, lost in his own thoughts, before turning back to meet Coinin’s gaze. ‘I was indiscreet with the Pirate King’s wife, Queen Raffia.’

  Coinin looked lost and showed his naivety.

  Hur’al chuckled. ‘I was caught sleeping with the woman. I managed to escape, but it was close.’

  ‘Do you think it’s wise going back?’

  ‘Well, we will find out. I’m sure the King has forgotten all about it by now.’

  ‘I’m not sure it’s a good idea you venturing into the stronghold considering what you did.’

  ‘True, it is a risk. However, I know the layout and the best places to gather information. I will keep my face covered.’

  ‘And if we are discovered, what’s the plan?’

  ‘Run for the ship and hope we can get a good head start.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound like much of a plan.’

  ‘It’s the only one we have,’ said Jericho, who had joined them. ‘How do I look, Curator?’

  Coinin looked at the former resplendent military General, now clad in what amounted to rags, and barely contained a smile. ‘Pirate like.’

  ‘Now that we’re all here, there is one order of business we need to conclude,’ Hur’al said. He pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a mark on his neck in the shape of a diamond with a key in the centre. ‘This mark is the Pirate King’s brand, given to all who bow to his authority. I’m afraid each of you will need to be branded similarly.’

  ‘Why?’ Coinin blanched and looked a sickly green.

  ‘At any moment we could be challenged and be asked to show our brand as proof we are loyal to the King. Without it, you may as well sign your own death warrant,’ Hur’al replied grimly.

  ‘A cheery thought,’ said Jericho. ‘Well, I guess we have no choice. When do you intend for this to take place?’

  ‘Immediately; the brand is ready. If you will follow me, I shall address the crew.’

  Jericho saw how ill Coinin appeared and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. ‘Don’t worry; it’ll only hurt for a moment.’

  ‘It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s all those who have to suffer for my foolish quest.’

  ‘First of all,’ said Jericho, ‘I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. If this means finding your brother then so be it. Second, a mark like that may come in handy someday down the line. You forget we are getting a good schooling about this most elusive enemy, and one we’ve not been able to come anywhere near to infiltrating.’

  ‘I suppose,’ began Coinin, ‘only I don’t want Aniol branded. She doesn’t deserve that.’

  ‘It will mean she will have to stay on board,’ reminded Jericho. ‘And Axl?’

  ‘Oh, yes, Axl too.’

  ‘I insist that you remain behind also. This is a dangerous mission, and I don’t want a dead Curator on my hands.’

  Coinin looked Jericho deep in the eyes and set his jaw. ‘I am coming with you. If my brother is there, I will be able to seek him out.’

  ‘Ah yes, of course, the mind thing you did with the troll,’ Jericho said, trying to find the right words.

  ‘Not quite, but similar. I can search him out with my thoughts and follow the trail left for me, as I did in Rostha City.’

  ‘Ah, of course. Then perhaps you will prove valuable. I will permit you to accompany us—’

  ‘Permit?’ Coinin interrupted.

  ‘You did hand over responsibility for this mission to me, did you not?’

  ‘I did.’ Coinin conceded.

  ‘Good, then let’s not delay.’

  Coinin and Jericho joined Hur’al who stepped forward and bellowed.

  ‘Men, I applaud your readiness. There is, however, one task yet to perform. Though you aren’t going to like it I’m afraid.’

  From behind the gathered crew, a voice chimed in, and all heads turned to the source. Lacretia was standing with a red-hot branding iron in her hand. ‘This, gentlemen, is your pirate initiation.’ She plunged the iron into a brazier set into the deck and shuffled the coals that blazed white-hot. Smoke wafted across the deck and set everyone on edge.

  ‘That’s right gentlemen; to be a pirate, you need to be branded as such. If anyone objects, we will drop them off at Lighthouse Point and pick them up later. Are there any objections?’ Hur’al gave the assembled a steely stare.

  There was some murmuring, though nobody objected. Coinin leant close to Hur’
al and whispered in his ear.

  ‘Very well, if that’s what you desire. Crew members Axl and Aniol will not be branded and will stay below decks while we are in the stronghold,’ Hur’al added.

  Aniol stepped forward red in the face. ‘I object Captain; I have as much right to do this as any man.’

  Coinin greeted her. ‘That you do Aniol, however, I need someone to protect Axl; he is not up to tangling with pirates.’

  It took a moment for Coinin’s words to seep beyond her anger and she visibly relaxed. ‘I see your point, Curator.’ She disappeared into the crowd without a further word.

  There was a lot of dissent that Aniol and Axl were to be spared the branding, and after several moments of the grumbling of his crew, Hur’al yelled angrily. ‘For the love of all that is sacred, we cannot send the boy into the pirate den, and he needs a guard. Deal with it.’

  ‘You’re sending that boy,’ said a quiet voice from the crowd, pointing a finger towards Coinin.

  Coinin waved Hur’al down and walked towards the group. ‘This is my quest, my undertaking, and my brother we seek. It is my destiny to seek him out. Axl was here for one task alone, and he has fulfilled that task. I will not ask him to risk his life any further. You, on the other hand, face dangers on a daily basis and today is no different than any other day. If I, as a mere boy, am up to the challenge, then so should you be.’

  The grumbling stopped soon after that Hur’al continued. ‘It will be painful for a few minutes, after which you will each be given a hearty ration of rum to take away the pain. So, who’s first?’

  Coinin immediately stepped forward. ‘I cannot ask any of you to do this if I haven’t done it myself.’ He descended the steps and filed past the crew towards Lacretia. He sat on a wooden stool positioned near the brazier and grimaced at the leather-clad woman. She smiled reassuringly, although she too looked ill at the prospect of branding the boy before her.

  A deckhand grasped Coinin through the elbows and held him tight, and his anxiety rocketed. His eyes grew wide at the prospect of the pain about to be inflicted.