The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul

by Jon F. Merz

  Malkyr’s demeanor changed. “You don’t want to do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Upset me. I’m not a man who likes being mocked. I’ve asked you a question, and I expect an answer.”

  Ran shrugged. “I’m telling you the truth. When I left them, they were waiting next to the rock up at the tunnel entrance—or exit, whatever it is. If they’re not there any longer, then they might have gotten impatient and left. Perhaps they thought I’d been captured and decided to abandon me.”

  Malkyr shook his head. “Kancho would never leave you behind.”

  “Wouldn’t he? He’s Murai. You know what that means.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s Murai, no doubt. But he’s also indebted to you. As such, he won’t leave you. That would bring him even more dishonor than allying himself with a shadow warrior. And Kancho doesn’t strike me as the type to easily sacrifice his honor. No, he’s got to be around. And you know where they are.”

  “I do not,” said Ran. “I wish I did, though, because I would urge them to skewer your worthless skin and hang you out to dangle above the hungry sharks we saved you from.”

  “That’s not very nice, considering I’m thinking about denying Kan-Gul’s request to hand you over.”

  “Where is the mighty sorcerer anyway? I’m a bit surprised he hasn’t made an appearance yet. Surely he can transport himself across distances with ease if we’re to believe he’s such a powerful mage.”

  “He is on his way here with a force of his men. They ran into some trouble dealing with dragons or some such thing.”

  “The same dragons we had to deal with?”

  Malkyr smirked. “Apparently Kan-Gul isn’t the only master in this area. And the dragons were so upset about not getting to us that they attacked the Chekhal unit traveling with Kan-Gul.”

  “Interesting. I would have enjoyed watching that.”

  “Probably not,” said Malkyr. “The dragons are apparently all dead. Kan-Gul wiped them out.”

  Ran frowned. “That would have taken some power.”

  “Indeed.” Malkyr leaned against the door. “There’s another way we could play this, you know.”

  “Oh?”

  Malkyr shrugged. “I know a good man when I see one. And you have an extensive array of talents I would like nothing more than to put to good use.”

  Ran smiled. “Good use in this case meaning what?”

  “You travel with me, and when I spot targets of opportunity—be it a castle, bank, church, what have you—you sneak in and liberate their supplies of money, gold, and jewels. Any other treasure you find would be most welcome as well.”

  “And what do I get out of that deal?”

  “You get your life back. Kan-Gul wants you desperately for his own sick purposes. Frankly, I think that’s a waste of talent. We could make a ton of money together. Or I could auction you off back in Nehon and see which warlord wants to boil you alive in oil.”

  “Not especially fond of a death like that.”

  “Who would be?” Malkyr knocked on the door. “You’ve got a lot to think about and not much time to do it in. You know as well as I do that we will locate Kancho and the others. Jysal is going to Kan-Gul—there’s nothing I can do about that. He’s paying good money to have her, and I don’t intend to stand in his way. Your welfare and that of the others is entirely in your hands, however. Agree to my conditions, and they will go free. You will stay with me in my employ for a period of ten years. During that time we will sail far and wide and rob whomever we wish.”

  “Do I get any of the treasure I steal for you?”

  “You’ll get a wage of sorts. And you’ll have your life. When the ten years are up, provided you haven’t been captured or killed, you will be free to go on with your life. I’ll even give you a bonus at the end of our time together.”

  Ran looked at Malkyr. “You’re being serious.”

  “Absolutely. I’m a businessman, Ran. Money is the only god I worship. So have yourself a think about it and let me know. Kan-Gul is due to arrive later tonight. I’ll need a decision from you before then. Understood?”

  “Understood.”

  Malkyr’s face vanished, and Ran was once again alone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Ran had no intention of accepting Malkyr’s offer. As he listened to Malkyr’s footfalls recede, he glanced around the cell and made his decision. He would not wait for Kan-Gul to show up and take Jysal for his own. Ran needed to get out of the cell and now. He had to find out where Kancho and the others were hiding, a fact he enjoyed because it meant more trouble for Malkyr.

  He should never have trusted Malkyr at the start. That was one of the biggest mistakes he’d made. But even as he scolded himself for bad judgment, he reminded himself that this was what the wandering quest was all about. Shinobujin thought of it as a type of finishing school for recent graduates. There was nothing like being exposed to the real world and real consequences to impress upon you what worked and what did not.

  Ran also recognized that he still had much to learn. Despite having graduated, he was still very new to the world at large. His ego had already tripped him up and he hadn’t fully taken into account the possibility of betrayal by someone who had depended on him.

  Malkyr’s voice drifted down from above. “Baraz, get your butt below deck and guard the prisoner!”

  Ran had precious little time. He ran his hands over the walls of the cell, searching for what he needed. On the second go-around, he found pieces of splintered wood and carefully extricated them from the planks they had been part of. They were both long and thicker than they needed to be, but Ran wasn’t sure if the salt air had weakened them at all.

  Ordinarily, lockpicking required metal tools to work properly. But Ran had also been shown techniques using stiffened wood with one acting as a rake and the other as a pick. If he was able to reach the lock, he could attempt it. He reached his arms through the bars, grateful they were set wider apart than he would have expected in a formal cell, and let them dangle down toward the lock itself.

  Ran let his hands feel their way over the lock. He couldn’t see it, of course, but he could picture it in his mind. Then he reversed the pieces of wood and inserted them one at a time into the lock. The simple padlock hung on a bolt that Ran could have easily kicked through if he’d needed to. But that would create a lot of noise, something he didn’t want.

  Footsteps echoed overhead. Ran forced himself not to rush. He worked the pick and rake into the padlock and felt the slivers of wood trip the pins. There were only three, and Ran quickly worked them into the correct position. Then he took the wooden pieces out and, using his free hand, pulled down on the lock.

  It popped open with a thunk that Ran prayed hadn’t echoed across the expanse of the ship. Then he slid the lock off the bolt and opened the door.

  “Hey—”

  Baraz. Ran didn’t even pause. He stepped out of the cell and drove his front foot into the guard’s groin, doubling him over. As his head came down, Ran’s knee came up and crushed his nose. Ran kept moving and with his right hand cupped the guard’s chin and yanked it around, snapping his neck. Baraz dropped to the ground. Ran dragged him into the cell, closed the door, and relocked the padlock. Let Malkyr wonder how he could have escaped a locked cell.

  Ran smirked. Once again, the legend of the night stalkers might give him a psychological edge. If Ran could escape from a locked cell and take out a guard, did he do so using magic? The truth was he could not, but planting such a thought in the minds of his enemies could work to his advantage. And Ran was going to need every edge as he made his escape.

  He crept across the deck, hearing footsteps above him. He headed toward the stern, back where he knew the captain’s quarters would be located. He paused outside of the door and then pressed down on the handle, hoping it would not squeak when he entered. Inside, the small room showed a bed and a simple desk. A secondary door sat off to the port side. Ran opened it.
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br />   A toilet—little more than a seat over a large hole leading right out to the sea—greeted him. Ran frowned. He’d expected to find a closet or armory with weapons. He was still unarmed and didn’t like his odds for confronting the other sailors aboard the ship.

  His ears caught a sound. Ran turned. Someone was coming down the ladder.

  Malkyr?

  It had to be. Malkyr wasn’t the patient type, and he would want an answer from Ran about his offer. When he found the cell empty, the ship would erupt into chaos, and they would search everywhere for him.

  Ran felt his heartbeat quicken. He had no way out of the cabin. There wasn’t a secondary ladder leading above decks.

  “He’s gone!”

  Malkyr’s voice reached his ears and Ran knew he had precious seconds to act. They would tear the ship apart looking for him.

  Ran grimaced.

  No choice.

  He stepped into the toilet, closed the door behind him, and looked at the hole. It was barely wide enough, but fortunately the toilet looked to have been custom-made to accommodate a captain with a larger than normal backside. Ran jerked the seat up and looked at the hole. It didn’t smell as bad as he thought it would, and he could see straight down into the water. Maybe ten feet. He heard footsteps running all over the decks now.

  Ran positioned himself on the edge of the hole, aware of the filth caking its sides, took a deep breath, and then lowered himself down the short tunnel, carefully closing the seat over him as he did so.

  As soon as he let go of the sides of the seat, he dropped. Ran tried to slow his descent, but the muck on the sides acted like a lubricant and shot him down the shaft and into the cold sea below.

  Ran blew out as soon as he entered the water, trying his best not to make a large splash. He cracked his eyes and then kicked his legs, driving himself into deeper water. No doubt the sailors above on the raider ship had heard the splash and would be searching the depths.

  As he swam away, several arrows zipped past him in the water. But they soon stopped. They wouldn’t waste arrows unless they had a clear target.

  Ran kept kicking and swimming away from the raider ship. He wanted to get closer to the transport vessels and use their massive bodies as cover. His lungs felt like they were going to burst, and Ran had barely cleared the first vessel when he needed to surface and steal a breath. As his head came out of the water, he could hear the chaos on the docks. Footsteps pounded across the piers and decks of various ships as Malkyr’s men searched for Ran.

  He allowed himself a quick grin, then stole another breath before submerging once again and heading for the last transport vessel. As he kicked, he heard splashes and then saw floating lanterns above him casting their light into the depths of the harbor waters. Overhead, Ran could see the roof of the cavern. He tried to stay deep enough that the lanterns would not illuminate him as he swam.

  The bottom of the harbor was remarkably clean and sandy. Ran spotted a few fish, and fortunately he did not see any of the ravenous sharks that had marauded them at the reefs. Still, the sooner he got out of the water, the better. Malkyr would know there was only one possible way he could have escaped the vessel, and that was through the toilet.

  Ran swam harder, aware that his lungs were straining again. He waited until one of the lanterns passed overhead and then surfaced when he thought the eyes of sailors would be on the lit area rather than the one the lantern had just passed over. He snatched a quick breath and dove down again. He pulled for all he was worth and swam beneath the keels of two more transport vessels. He estimated the depth of the harbor was roughly twenty feet.

  A few more fish swam past him, but Ran paid them no mind. Beyond the last transport vessel was an outcropping of rocks that he hoped to use as a shield in order to gather his strength back after the exhausting swim.

  Another lantern passed between the transport ships. Ran had to wonder if putting a lit candle so close to a wooden hull was a smart move. But Malkyr would be desperate, and rational thought was always the first casualty of hurried thinking. Ran kept swimming and passed by the last transport vessel. He had a hundred yards of open water to cross before he reached the rocky outcropping.

  Just as he thought he might not make it, he pulled even harder and managed to surface directly behind the rocks. With only his head exposed, Ran sucked air into his lungs and took a moment to restore normal rhythm to his breathing. The chaos on the docks continued, and Ran leaned his head around just enough for one eye to see. Scrambling figures were running all over the place.

  There seemed to be no reason to their search pattern. That was another psychological edge that Shinobujin had exploited numerous times in the past. A careful search pattern would have taken time to organize but resulted in a more thorough search. Rushed as they were, Malkyr’s men were running here and there, scanning the water and thinking they had checked each place in turn. But in their rush to do so, they had obvious gaps. Ran had moved through those gaps and now rested away from where they were searching, somewhat secure behind the outcropping of rocks.

  With his breathing back to normal, Ran scanned the immediate vicinity, trying to work out where Kancho, Jysal, and Neviah could possibly be hiding. The choices were limited to farther back in the tunnel or some place Ran could not see. Years of training had taught Ran to always watch for possible hiding spots as a matter of habit, so that at a moment’s notice he could slip into one of them. But even he had to admit there were very few places three people could hide effectively from a thorough search.

  The most likely answer was that they had retreated farther back into the tunnel. Perhaps they had managed to locate a branch in the tunnel. Ran frowned. They hadn’t seen any branches on their way down. Although once Jysal had noticed the light, their awareness had been fixed on that. Even Ran had focused only on the light and not what else the tunnel might have held. He closed his eyes and took several deep cleansing breaths to focus his mind. He recalled the image of the tunnel as they approached the light at the end. There were several shadows along the rough wall that would have been large enough for him to hide in. Perhaps one of them held a small crevasse leading to a side passage.

  Of course, Jysal had magic at her disposal. Was it possible she knew a way to turn them all invisible? Had she rendered them immune to sight? Could it be that Malkyr’s men might be walking right past them? Malkyr knew that Jysal had magic power, but he didn’t think she could do anything with it yet. She was, in his mind, on her way to the temple to learn how to use it.

  Even if they were invisible, they would still need to be absolutely quiet. And just because they couldn’t be seen didn’t mean that some of Malkyr’s men might not bump into them unexpectedly. Invisibility was no guarantee of safety, Ran decided. Better to try to make an escape or at least move back to a better defensive position.

  But where?

  While they were at the tunnel entrance, they held the higher ground. Kancho could have held off a frontal attack for some time and Neviah would have spelled him. But what would that gain them? Malkyr would simply throw more men at them until they were exhausted and easy to overwhelm.

  And Ran would have heard the noise of battle. Kancho and Neviah were ferocious fighters. They would kill many of Malkyr’s men before succumbing to the assault. No, he decided, they had to be elsewhere.

  Something told him to duck back behind the rocks. As he did so, a brilliant burst of light flashed over the rocks he’d been bobbing next to in the water. Ran shrank back into the shadows of the nook he was in and waited. The light stayed on the area for another thirty seconds before moving off. Malkyr must have had some sort of huge candle and a reflector that could throw light into other areas.

  Wonderful, he thought. So much for being invisible in the shadows. Ran would need to figure out a way out of the water and out of the harbor. He knew he could always swim out of the tunnel and head for open sea, but that meant leaving his friends behind. And the sea was no safer than his current predicament.<
br />
  Malkyr would most likely assume he would make for the open ocean anyway. Ran would go where he was least expected—he would stay in the harbor and wait for his friends to arrive.

  The water surrounding him chilled his bones, and Ran tried a rapid series of breaths to flush himself and generate some warmth. It helped momentarily, but then he heard several heavy splashes, and his heart started beating even faster. Something was wrong.

  Ran sank into the water until just his eyes were out of it. Then he moved to the edge of the rocks and peered around back at the harbor itself. Sailors still ran around the docks, peering into the water. But they had added a new variable to the search. As Ran scanned the water, he could make them out easily moving against the current.

  Malkyr had put swimmers into the water.

  And two were headed directly for him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  They hadn’t seen Ran yet, but judging by the direction they were swimming, they were coming to check out the outcropping. Ran had seconds before they reached the area, and he had a decision to make. If Malkyr was smart, he would have dispatched these men and then had one wait outside the location while the other went to check it out. If Ran tried to subdue one, the other could raise the alarm.

  But as they approached, Ran could see they were both coming into the area. Even better, they appeared to be uncomfortable in the water. Their stroke technique was awkward and clumsy and produced more splashes than movement. Ran nodded to himself. He could work with that.

  As they approached, he took a deep breath and dove deep. Once he hit the bottom, he kicked off and darted under the two men. Ran kicked over to the closest transport vessel and waited near the keel for the two men to scour his previous hiding spot and declare it free of nightstalkers.

  It took them barely three minutes to do so, during which Ran surfaced exactly once to snatch a quick breath before descending again by the keel of the transport. It was too bad, he thought, that the transport ships didn’t have an entrance under their keel that would grant him access. He could have hung out there while trying to formulate a plan to reconnect with Kancho and the others.