by A D Lombardo
Covering his mouth, Kai noticed the faintest glimpse of light emanating from his father’s black crystal. A stone once white, much like his own, but now the tainted crystal matched the hate and death which consumed his father’s soul.
Keegan tossed the spent corpse to the deck and moved to the next victim.
When they first boarded, Kai was unsure what to expect, but his father's demonstration reinforced his need to get off this ship to warn the others, Keegan was destroying Katori goodwill. With great speed, one by one, Keegan and his men began to dispatch the crew. His father took some with little more than a touch, others with the flick and twist of his blade—all but one. When he finished, Keegan took a stance beside Kai and surveyed his handiwork, with the sole survivor kneeling before them. The man was dressed too well to be a crewman; Kai assumed he was a merchant with money by looking at his clothes and shoes.
“Padar,” Keegan motioned to a nearby Weathervane. “Drop the skiff and set our survivor on his way. See that he has a strong wind to ensure his little lifeboat makes landfall today. I would hate for him to be unable to tell the tale. The Katori are the real villains—a nation of sorcerers and witches of old, come to destroy them all.”
Keegan pulled the shaking man to his feet. “Tell them, tell them all. Katori comes for Diu in the coming days. We are tired of hiding from the world. Soon, you will know our superiority.”
A child’s scream broke the moment as Keegan shoved the man toward Padar and turned toward the entrance to the cabins on deck. A little girl had been discovered hiding inside a barrel by one of Keegan’s men.
“Shall I eat her?” The bloodthirsty Beastmaster transformed into a black panther and chased the girl. Kai watched in horror as a well-dressed girl in pink—who could be no more than ten—ran toward the merchant, but the Beastmaster pinned her to the deck inches from the open arms of safety.
“Father!” she cried, squirming with fear.
Keegan knocked the panther off his prize and helped the girl to her feet. “No!” he barked. “Not the child.”
Why is she so special? Kai wondered, noticing the softer expression on his father’s face as he smoothed the girl’s dark black curls around her face.
The little girl backed away from Keegan, and her father scooped her into his protective arms and wiped her tears. “There, there Violet, papa is here.” The man soothed his daughter but kept his fearful eyes on Keegan.
“Remember, Papa,” Keegan mocked, “tell Diu the Katori nation is coming for them. We will arrive in days.” Keegan motioned to the dinghy, and the father did not hesitate.
Sadness and anger pounded in Kai’s chest. This misfortunate ship and her crew. Was this his fault, too? He could not help but wonder. Had he not pressed fate and provoked this war, would this ship have gone unnoticed? Another burden he felt was his to carry.
As the weathervanes brought the ship about, they angled them south and provided a gust of wind to fill their sails.
There must be a way off this ship, Kai thought, praying for the souls lost today. He faced Keegan. “You are proud of this? Killing those people and provoking a war?”
“This is all I have ever wanted. For the world to feel our might, to live free and rule over the weak.” Keegan laughed, and his crew joined in his celebration. Their jubilation and cheers burned Kai’s soul.
He could not believe they all wanted this life; his father had to have some good left in him. After all, he did spare the child. “How can you . . .?” Kai wanted to argue but he saw little point. How could he convince any of them there was another way to live free without creating war and chaos?
“Son, we enjoyed these years, but I want more than piracy now. Always have.” Keegan stepped closer. “I would not change this life. Do not think I will waste my time sitting on a throne with a ring of gold around my head. I want to rule the world, yes, but not from a chair or hiding on my side of the world. I am tired of keeping my distance; the time to strike is now, thanks to you. Seeds of mistrust corrupt even the most loyal friendships, and I say we can finally be free to live without hiding. The world looks to Katori now with new eyes. Revered by all, our nation once demonstrated peace and goodwill. I say it is time we demonstrate our might and power like we did during the Great War and the time of dragons.”
Every concept felt like a slap in the face. Kai spat, “Is peace so foreign to you that you only find joy in chaos?”
The delight in Keegan’s eyes turned dark and angry without warning. Kai felt his father’s rage and instinctively reared back and used his fists to protect his core. “You know nothing of risk.” Keegan charged Kai with intent but did not touch him. “I live with the Katori secrets, keeping to my side of the world. Those who see my greatest power live in fear. A fear so strong they would sooner end their own life than cross me. Up until recently, any who witnessed my magic firsthand were usually dead and unable to tell the tale. But now I must show the world and ensure the stories are told. I will accelerate this war to create a better world for all Katori, and all who fall in line.”
Keegan gestured to his men.
“I have lost men. Your mutt Ryker killed a few of my Katori a few months back. We risk our lives every time we go out. I am mortal, my boy—I can die. Well, many have tried to kill me.” Keegan laughed and pushed Kai hard in the chest. “Enough talk, take him below.”
The Weathervane wind whipped around Kai. “Admiral Roark will get you one day,” he muttered under his breath as the guard pulled his arm.
“What was that?” Keegan looked around, “Admiral Roark?”
A Caroco man shouted, “navy man who serves King Iver, . . .”
“I know who he is. Do you think this man could best me?” Keegan swung back around, ego danced in his eyes. “You have more faith in this man than me, after everything you know about the Katori, about me?”
Kai did his best to conceal the depth of his relationship with Roark, but the spark in Keegan’s eyes told him his father saw through him. “Your pulse quickened. Most would never notice something so subtle, but I see it—I hear it. Roark means something to you. When will you ever learn? Have no ties in the world, and nothing can hurt you.”
Guilt formed in the pit of Kai’s stomach, devouring him from the inside out. “Leave him be!” he shouted.
“How can I prove to you I am the superior warrior if you have more faith in this Red Warrior? I will pluck this man from his bed, and hang him from the gatehouse of Diu with the Katori pennant pinned to his chest. If he is their best man, I will show them how little he can protect his people.”
Renewed focus narrowed Keegan’s eyes. “This man runs Fort Pohaku, let us pay him a visit. Test his mettle. Man-to-man, blade against blade. What do you say, men? Another deviation before we go home to gather reinforcements for war?”
The men cheered, and Keegan bowed to Kai, “to Fort Pohaku, post haste. We shall ferret out this man and put him on the end of my sword before we deliver his corpse to Diu and it’s pretending Queen.”
Bile welled in Kai’s throat. What had he done? The rusty man of color grabbed Kai’s arm and returned him to his prison. Once again shackled below deck in his steel cage, Kai thought about the differences between this man and the one he called father. Iver and Keegan were nothing alike, and now because of him, the good man—Iver, was dead while the other roamed free. The lack of emotion in Keegan’s words raked Kai’s heart. No matter how he tried, there was no finding goodness in this man. Maybe there was no white light left. Keegan’s soul truly matched his black crystal. Thoughts of Roark dying because of his yammering took him to a dark place. Never before had he deliberately wanted to kill another person, but Keegan was testing his limits.
From his steel cage, there nothing he could do. Who else would suffer because of this man? Rayna, his mother? Kai had to find a way free, or Roark would become the next victim.
Chapter 14
Freedom
Moonlight bounced off the ocean waves and into Kai’s tiny prison
. Salt mist splashed through the porthole and landed in his hair. Clutching his knees to his chest, he sat pondering his next move while Keegan’s ship sailed to Fort Pohaku. Heavy laden with precious bounty, they eased through the waves.
Sounds of a new guard thundered down the steps along with another figure. Fenia approached his cage. “I brought you food and water.” She handed the cup and plain bread through the bars.
“You must help me, Fenia,” Kai whispered. “I must warn Roark.”
Fenia pressed her finger to her mouth. “Shhh, before you get us both killed. You have no more choices. You made a mistake, as we all did; now you live to serve Keegan. He is too powerful to deny, you did not ask to join his cause, but like it or not you are a part of this now, for life or death.”
Her words shocked him. “I will not live my life pretending I have no other choice. Keegan might as well kill me now because I will spend every waking moment trying to escape.”
Her eyes filled with worry. “You do not know what you ask. Keegan will kill me—painfully, but only after he kills Denmir before my very eyes. He already uses my husband to heal his wounds. Keegan has taken years from him to restore the damage done to his precious face. I try to help heal Denmir each night, but without time on land, I no longer seem to regain my Kodama power.”
The memory of his grandfather, Lucca, burning Keegan to a crisp to save them all brought a terrible sorrow. “I am sorry for Denmir.”
He wanted to mention Rayna in the hopes that he could convince Fenia to let him escape, but that would be using her daughter against her, and he would not do that again.
Instead, he gulped the contents of his cup and handed it back to her. Fenia left him alone in the darkness. Alone with his questions, his choices, and his guilt.
Helpless to escape, Kai thought about Rayna. He missed her more than words. He wondered if she would ever forgive him, and he thought of what he might say if she gave him half a chance to explain. To feel close to her, he craned his neck to look out at the night sky. The full moon was a golden yellow hue. Kai whispered, “I am sorry, Rayna. I should have listened to you. I will love you for the rest of my days.”
“Shut up over there,” his guard called from the corner.
Kai sulked in silence, watching the moon. With each roll of the ship, he thought of their destination. He would not live like a rat in a cage. Nor would he stand by while Keegan killed Roark and started a war. As a lifelong prisoner, the thought of everyone he loved dying made him bold. He would rather die than follow in his blood father’s footsteps and join him in this war.
Kai resolved that there was only one way to stop Keegan from killing Roark. He gleaned through the darkness to sense the guard; the man was asleep. Kai decided this was his chance.
His chains were anchored to a square plate that was secured to the hull by four black bolts the size of a child’s fist. Placing his feet on either side, he yanked on the chains. They did not budge. Again, he tugged. Denmir’s words rang in his head. You will not break your chains. Kai did not want to drown at the bottom of the ocean, but he would not stand by while his father murdered Roark or killed anyone else.
Kai wrapped the chains around his palms to get a better grip; for leverage, he bent his knees, pulled with his upper body, and pushed with his legs. His hands, arms, and shoulders ached from the effort. His legs began to shake, but nothing changed.
Again, he took a deep breath and pulled with all his might. Magic seeped into his crystal; power sent more than requested. Kai accepted the energy and his stone glowed brightly. The bolts held fast, but the wood groaned and creaked.
Kai’s knuckles were turning white as the chains began to crush his hands. He did not stop. His legs pushed on either side of the steel plate, and he yanked with his arms. Sweat rolled down his face. Something snapped around the bolts securing the metal plate. There was no going back, he would stop Keegan, one way or another.
A crack formed. Tiny at first, then water began to trickle, and the pressure built behind the break. Kai gleaned the expanding crack; the ocean begged to come inside. The damage spread along the seam just below the waterline. One more pull and the plate would come free.
“STOP!” Fenia shouted, hopping down the stairs two at a time.
The guard rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he looked at the gush of seawater pouring in around his ankles. “Are you mad!” he shouted, scrambling up the steps in terror. “You’ll kill us all!”
The ship creaked louder and groaned as the seam burst and more water began to fill the compartment. Kai grabbed the bars of his cage. “Let me go, Fenia!” His eyes begged her for mercy. “I must stop this war before it tears the world apart!”
Fenia hesitated as the ship listed to one side. Denmir bounded down the stairs into the knee-deep water. He looked to his wife; she held the keys to free Kai. Crates sloshed about in the rising water. Denmir snatched the keys and unlocked Kai’s cage, then removed the shackles.
“Go,” he pleaded. “Tell my daughters I am sorry.”
“I am not a bad mother,” Fenia said as the water reached her waist. She looked lost, as if all the life and fight had gone out of her. “We wanted to love them.”
Kai looked at their sorrowful eyes. They were asking him for forgiveness, but there was nothing he could say to absolve them of their choices.
Voices shouted above, and three men came barreling down the steps. Kai ducked into the shadows and waited for them to pass. Focused on the condition of the ship, they did not see him. They grabbed tools and wood to repair the hole in the hull.
Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Kai dashed for the steps—but not before he gleaned his father’s location. Keegan stood at the helm, barking orders. Weathervanes manipulated the waves to tilt the ship and lift the damaged section out of the water. Kai gripped the railing as soon as he emerged on deck. The crew was frantically scrambling to tie themselves to the masts or railings. Many of them clung to ropes, trying to reach the damaged wood with tools and metal bracings.
Without hesitation, Kai let go of the railing and dove into the water. The cold ocean water cradled him in her bosom. The memory of his mother’s manta ray called to him. He needed to stay hidden, so he searched for the thread of creation. As if it had been only yesterday, he remembered the design of the majestic rays. Taking hold of the gold braid that would transform him, he lit the spark within his soul. The sequence merged with his own and shifted the pieces to fit the manta ray form.
Arms outstretched; he pointed his feet. Light burst from his crystal and enveloped him with a blue radiance. His body morphed. His skin turned dark, and wing-like fins formed from his shoulders to his feet. A tail grew.
His broad outstretched wings flapped up and down, propelling him through the ocean. Water slipped around his sleek body and washed over his gills. The possibility of reaching shore before Keegan and the exhilaration of his transformation hastened his speed. He left behind the chaos of the ship and swam for shore, ever hopeful he would find someone willing to listen to his warnings given he was not a murder.
Along the farthest reaches of his gleaning ability, he searched for the shore. He wanted to shift to his dragon, but he could not risk coming to the surface, not yet. He needed to put as much distance between him and Keegan's ship, but terrible pain began to overtake him. The cold water wracked his leathery skin. His new form was acclimated to the warm waters around the Mystic Islands, but this far south, and in the middle of winter, he could feel his manta-body going into shock. Feeling the desire to sleep, Kai forced himself to swim.
He needed his dragon. Unsure if it was possible, he searched for the golden thread of this dragon. Faint in the back of his mind, he saw the dancing coil of light.
Reach for the white light, he heard an echo in his mind.
Faith pushed on his heart. He continued to swim for the surface, faster and faster. Embracing the white light, Kai felt his soul release the manta ray, and his dragon’s spark gleamed. Understanding the orde
r of things, Kai let his mind wrap around the dragon. As his body morphed from manta ray to dragon, he burst from the ocean and soared into the sky.
Clear skies welcomed Kai’s silver dragon. The deep purple glittered with millions of tiny stars. He was happy to be one of them. Just another star in the sky, according to Sabastian.
Kai’s amber eyes scanned the horizon. There was no shore in sight, but he could not afford to stop. First, he spotted a ship, so he flew higher to avoid detection. Then he noticed another in the distance to his left. Scanning to the right, he saw another.
Miles apart, each ship sailed along the shipping lane between Port Anahita and Fort Pohaku . Thoughts of the trader ship sunk near this very spot pushed him faster; he could not let everyone believe that Katori had been behind the slaughter. People needed to know Keegan’s desire for war. He had to warn Roark.
As darkness fell across the sky, he realized how tired he felt from hours of flying. Letting his wings rest, he floated on the wind as long as he could. Each time he pushed himself higher he could glide for miles before he sank back down to the ocean’s waves.
Drifting lower in the sky, he spotted lights on the horizon—Fort Pohaku. The three points of the fort beamed against the darkness.
His wings weary, and his body heavy, he pushed harder. Each beat was exhausting, each breath brutal; he did not give up. The pounding in his head pressed into his massive skull. To keep his mind sharp, he focused on Rayna. The curve of her face, the smell of her hair. He thought of the day they met at the bakery in Port Anahita, her arrival in Diu, and their countless walks through the apple orchard.
Flying lower and lower, Kai did his best to keep the above the splashing waves. Kai glided above the water, keeping to the west of the fort. Remembering Sabastian’s warning about how visible his shiny silver scales were in the night sky, he decided twenty feet from shore to let go of his dragon braid and grabbed the natural white light of his soul. His body transformed back to his human form in a flash, and he dropped into the sea.