The Inner Seas Kingdoms: 04 - A Foreign Heart

by Jeffrey Quyle

  “Stillwater,” Kestrel called as he stood and pointed out the window. “Can you take Wren and I down to that doorway, where the two guards are?”

  “Huddle together, the two of you, and all of us will carry you together,” the imp answered.

  “As soon as we arrive, you get your closest guard and I’ll get mine,” Kestrel told Wren, “then we’ll go in through the door.

  “There may be a dozen monster lizards in the pool. As soon as we start attacking, they’ll call reinforcements to come, and they’ll fight back as best they can.

  “Stillwater, see that window with the light on? “ Kestrel pointed to a location far across the palace grounds. “Take us there if we need to get away quickly,” he directed, then waited for Wren to pick up her staff and come hug him as the imps and Dewberry gathered around.

  “Would you wish for me to go get Jonson and bring him and other monster lizard hunters, so that you can destroy the evil monsters faster?” Dewberry asked.

  “Yes,” Kestrel said immediately. “That would be most helpful. We’ll wait five minutes to give them time to grab weapons and get here,” he told the sprite, then released Wren and leaned back against the wall, as Dewberry disappeared to go bring more hunters.

  There was a sound that drifted up from the stairwell below. More guards were on the way, apparently coming to check on the delayed return of those who had carried out the grisly regicide they had been sent to perform, or perhaps sent to kill the killers. As they heard the new set of executioners approach, Wren, Kestrel, and the imps took the same positions they had used when they had ambushed the previous guards who arrived.

  “Wren,” Kestrel said suddenly, “do you know where the water of Decimindion is? If we had it, we could start using it here, tonight.”

  “It’s on the ship with Creata. After being in your body with us, and being set free of the Viathin influence, Ruelin realized what was happening to Seafare, and he thought we should bring the water skin to the city with us,” Wren agreed.

  “We can start tonight. Killcen, would you go back and get it?” Kestrel directed the imp, as the boot steps drew closer, and watched the imp disappear just as the door open.

  Another half dozen guards entered the room, and looked at Kestrel in surprise, as he calmly stood at the furthest distance from the door. They looked around and saw the bodies of their dead and bound companions, and saw Wren standing behind them.

  “If you surrender now, we will not harm you,” Kestrel told them.

  “”Who is she, and how are you still alive, my lord?” the leader of the second set of guards asked. “And what makes you believe the two of you can threaten the six of us?”

  “The proof is those men against the wall,” Kestrel said, as he held his knife ready. “Tonight is the beginning of the end of the nightmare that has engulfed Seafare. If you surrender, you can live to see better days in your nation.”

  One of the guards cursed and spit at Kestrel, who immediately threw his knife, and a short battle began. As Wren and Kestrel started to wield their staves, Jonson and a dozen other imps, bearing long metal rods appeared in the space at the top of the room.

  “This one is Kestrel,” Dewberry shouted protectively, hovering near Ruelin’s body, and the guards who still lived ceased fighting in amazement at the appearance of the new force.

  “Friend Jonson, I am so pleased to see the king of the imps here to participate in the slaughter of the monster lizards,” Kestrel spoke in elvish, then looked at the four remaining guards.

  “Drop your weapons, and go sit by the other captives,” he switched to the human language again.

  “My lord, you speak the language of these monsters?” one of the new captives asked.

  “They are imps and one sprite, not monsters, and yes, I share a language with them,” he replied. “Wren is there a skin of healing water on the ship?” he asked.

  When she nodded, he sent Odare to fetch it, just as Killcen returned with the skin of water from Decimindion, and Kestrel ordered all the conscious guards to take a drink from the bag. Each man seemed to shudder and momentarily pass out as the water had an impact on them, then two of them knelt to Kestrel.

  “Forgive us, my prince,” one of them said, “for our actions.”

  As Odare returned, Kestrel shared the healing water with the three injured guards who were hurt in the first battle in the tower. He had a small band of followers now, men he could use for whatever was to come.

  “You all are to stay here and protect this tower as our safe refuge for now,” he told them. “We others will go to carry out some much needed errands, and we will return, and we will begin to make Seafare a better place once again with your help.

  “Jonson, are you and your warriors ready?” he asked, then had the imps carry he and Wren down to the entrance to the pool, where they immediately slew the guards and opened the door so that their assassination squad could enter the dark, humid pool space.

  One of the Viathins grunted at the sound of the door and the flow of the cooler, outdoor evening air into the space the pool was in. The imps floated across the space above the water, spreading out to arrange themselves above the Viathins, and waited for Kestrel’s command. “We are here to begin setting another nation free from your destruction,” he spoke loudly to the floating entities. “With your death, the liberation of Seafare is underway,” he told them.

  “Now, Jonson,” he called in elvish to the imps, and the long spikes began to plunge downward. Kestrel saw one thrashing animal escape death, and he threw his knife, while he heard Wren’s bow string twang, the sound distinctive amid the bellowing and thrashing of the dying monsters in the water.

  The door behind Kestrel flew open, and an officer of the guard, with a squad of followers who held torches burst into the pool space.

  “My prince, what is happening?” the men stopped and gazed in astonishment at the multitude of imps who were illuminated by the flames.

  “We thought that you,” the man paused, “we heard,” he started again. “What have you done to the pets, oh my lord?!” he saw the black stains that floated atop the water, the blood from the now dead Viathins coating the pool.

  “Jonson,” Kestrel spoke in elvish, “send one of your men to get the skin of Decimindion’s water – hurry!”

  “I am here to restore the rule of decency and humanity to our nation,” Kestrel spoke in a deliberative voice. “You and your men will be among the first to help me do so.” One of the imps appeared at Kestrel’s side, drawing gasps from the astonished guards as it handed the water skin to Kestrel.

  “You speak their language, my lord?” one of the men asked.

  “Do you command them as your servants?” another asked.

  “Here, each of you drink from this,” Kestrel held the skin out to the leading officer.

  “These imps are our allies against the evil of the monsters in this pool. They, and the good men of Graylee, and the elves, will all stand by us to help Seafare become free again,” he said as he watched the skin pass from hand to hand among the score of men who had crowded into the room. Some men reacted, feeling the impact of the control by the Viathins being broken, while others – those who had not been under control – simply passed the skin on without any impact following their own sip of the water.

  “Wren, take half these men and go to the tower where I was prisoner,” he told his cousin, “and take control of the tower, then call our friends down from the top and hold it until I send further instructions.

  “The other half of your men, and you, captain,” he spoke to the officer, “are going to take me to Lady Moorin’s suite as quickly as possible to make sure she is still safe.”

  “Your dream girl lives?” Wren asked in elvish. “Is this real this time?”

  Kestrel took back the skin of water from the last of the guards. “I believe it is real this time,” he told Wren. “And I intend to go make sure it stays real this time.”

  And with that, the two groups l
eft the pool enclosure, where the dead carcasses of the monster lizards floated on the dark water.

  A preview of The Journey to Uniontown, the concluding volume in The Inner Seas Kingdoms Series…

  When the morning sun rose, the crew was exhausted. They had spent the entire night examining their new ship, learning where the supplies were, and securing their prisoners in a stout hold.

  Kestrel and the officers looked up when the lookout who was high in the mast reported that a ship was on the western horizon, headed towards them. Kestrel quickly climbed up the mast and joined the lookout, his elven vision allowing him to discern more details about the ship. “It’s a Uniontown ship,” he called down.

  “Intercept it and find out if it’s come from Seafare,” he told the captain. “If it’s not, we just let it go, but if it is, we need to get that messenger from the ambassador.”

  They floated serenely in their location, allowing the other ship to sail towards them, then moved towards it when the distance was at a minimum.

  “Halt! In the name of Uniontown, haul your sails down,” the captain of the ship called out to the approaching vessel.

  The approaching ship obediently slowed down and glided near the Graylee crew.

  “Do you come from Seafare?” Kestrel’s acting captain called. “Do you have a messenger aboard from ambassador Probst?”

  “We do; that’s right. How do you know, and what’s it to you?” the officer on the deck of the far ship called.

  “We’re under orders to take the messenger and all his luggage aboard immediately,” the Graylee officer said. Kestrel was proud of how well the man was playing his role. Kestrel tried to stay out of sight, high up the mast, a dirty hat pulled over his ears, his bow hidden close by, ready to go into service if things went badly. “We know because the masters told us to wait here for him,” the officer added.

  The Uniontown captain turned and spoke in a low voice to a junior officer, who left for a moment, then came right back. “He’ll be up directly; push a gangway over for him, will you?”

  The Graylee crew pushed the flimsy, narrow plank walk with the rope railings between the two ships, and moments later a man who was not in naval uniform came onto the deck and crossed over to Kestrel’s ship, as a pair of crew members carried over trunks of luggage, then returned to their own ship.

  “So I merit a special escort, do I?” the messenger asked jovially.

  “We’re on our way to launching a new war based on my message, but I suppose you already know that if you knew to be here to meet me,” he said.

  The Graylee crew hurriedly withdrew the gang plank.

  “Thank you for you cooperation, and have a pleasant journey,” the captain of Kestrel’s captured ship told the other; he was astonished at how easily things were going according to plan. He was anxious to move on before anything went wrong. He ordered the crew to raise the sails, and his ship started to pull away from the other, as he looked up into the sails to catch sight of Kestrel, wanting to see if the elf had any instructions to give from the height, or was ready to come down and give commands directly.

  Kestrel remained high up at the top reaches of the mast, remaining hidden as he waited for them to pull away from the other Uniontown ship. He was pleased they had successfully acquired the messenger, for that meant they had helped thwart the immediate launch of a new attack on Seafare. With winter coming on and the slowdown in commerce and activity the season would bring, it meant Seafare had time on its side to use the skin of water from Decimindion to inoculate its population against the Viathin influence. It meant that all of the kingdoms on the northern shores of the Inner Seas were free of Uniontown’s control. And though that was good, Kestrel realized that it meant Uniontown still controlled the forces of four or five kingdoms in the south, enough firepower for the Viathin threat to still endanger the freedom of the independent kingdoms of Kestrel’s friends.

  The other Uniontown ship was growing smaller on the horizon, Kestrel realized as he looked up. It was raising its own sails and preparing to go on to Uniontown, minus its deadly messenger. It seemed to be time for Kestrel to descend and talk to the captain of the ship.

  Just as he prepared to drop down, he saw a patch of the sea’s surface turn dark. The water started to roil at the spot fifty yards off the side of the ship, and Kestrel realized that another of the deadly oversized Viathin monsters was rising up from the depths of the sea. He notched an arrow on the string of his bow and aimed at the spot where the monster appeared ready to erupt upward, waiting for the horrible head to erupt from the water, again exposing the eyes, the vulnerable target that Kestrel intended to aim for.

  He kept watching the spot on the water, waiting for the cautious Viathin to arise, when suddenly there were shouts from below and bellows from behind, and Kestrel swiveled to see an unexpected monster rise up along the side of the ship. The scaly head rose over the side of the ship and its jaws fixed on a stationary crewman, then it jerked backwards and dragged its screaming victim downward in a fraction of a second, leaving the stunned crew scrambling to belatedly grab swords and pikes and weapons to protect themselves.

  Kestrel twisted his neck to look back at the other spot in the sea, the one that he had expected the monster to arise from, and saw that it was unchanged, still dark and troubled waters, though the monster had not arisen there.

  A new round of shouts arose on the side of the ship, and Kestrel drew back his bow again. The monster rose up from the water, moving fast, and Kestrel fired off a hurried shot that hit the monster in the snout as Kestrel quickly pulled another arrow and shot again, while the monster was swiftly withdrawing from the vicinity of the ship. His second shot bounced off the top of the Viathin’s skull, and then the monster was gone.

  Kestrel pulled out a third arrow, ready to shoot, while he heard the voice of their new passenger, Probst’s messenger from Seafare, call out, “Why are the masters attacking us? We are loyal to their orders!”

  “You may be, but we’re not,” Kestrel heard an unidentified crewman growl. “We want to kill the ugly monsters!”

  “What?” Kestrel heard the messenger scream, and then the water erupted in the front of the ship and the monster was directly in front of them. The helmsman instinctively wrenched the wheel, altering the course of the ship, causing Kestrel to grab for the mast to maintain his position, and making him miss his chance to shoot at the Viathin, as it crashed into the front of the ship, causing the whole hull to shudder.

  Kestrel let go of the mast and fired off a shot as he started to fall, then reached up and halted his plunge. The ship shuddered again as the sea monster reacted to Kestrel’s shot that went into its open mouth and pinned its tongue; the monster rose up off the prow where its head rested, making the ship rock further, and Kestrel fired another effective shot that hit it in the eye, then he lost his place and threw his bow aside as he began to fall.

  Kestrel reached for a passing rope, grabbed it and changed the trajectory of his plummet so that he headed towards the surface of the sea. Things were happening quickly, and he had a glimpse of the injured monster struggling away from the ship, staying on the surface as it awkwardly moved through the water.

  Kestrel pulled his sword from the scabbard on his hip while he was still falling towards the water. He landed on the sea’s surface with his legs churning, and he started running towards the wounded Viathin, which was on the far side of the ship. There was a cheer from the side of the ship as the crew lined the railing and saw Kestrel flying across the surface of the water.

  And then a sudden eruption occurred. It was around Kestrel, on all sides, making the water churn and boil in front of him and on either side of him. It was underneath him. It was a sudden roiling of the water and he was thrown off-balance, then suddenly he was off his feet, and surrounded by darkness in a hot, humid malodorous chamber that was as pitch black as a cavern. He bounced off something hard, then off something soft, and swallowed a mouthful of seawater as he was knocked and moved
and shaken relentlessly. The inexplicable chamber shook, and knocked him halfway senseless as his head struck something hard, then he was suddenly engulfed in a tight, constricted cocoon that pushed and twisted and squeezed him.

  The air was terrible, full of noxious fumes, and then there was no air, as the soft sides of the cavern pressed against him, and to his horror Kestrel realized that he was being swallowed whole by a monster Viathin. There had been two of them seemingly, one that had actively attacked the boat, and one that had waited in ambush. It had succeeded in ambushing him, catching him unaware.

  Kestrel felt his own bile rise in his throat at the thought of being eaten by one of the monsters, only his fears were interrupted as the tight constrictions around him suddenly relaxed and he dropped into an open space, one with both shallow fluid that he knelt in and more of the toxic air that he inhaled deeply, then coughed out relentlessly.

  He tried to stand, but his head struck the roof of flesh above him before he even rose to waist height. The flesh below him quivered in a wave of activity, and he felt himself propelled backwards, further into the stomach of the creature.

  This was not how he was going to die, by the names of all the gods he knew, he vowed to himself. He was not going to be beaten and eaten by a monster; he was not going to be denied his chance to defeat all of the Viathins, to overcome Uniontown. He was not going to be denied his chance to see Moorin again, to tell her that he loved her, to kidnap her if he had to as a way to prevent her from marrying Ruelin.

  There was a wrenching in his soul, and he knew that his strong emotions had unleashed the power that lay within him, the dormant divine energy that Kai had shared with him. Instinctively, he spread his legs and his hands wide to stabilize his posture within the monster, then closed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut, as he felt the energy building to a catastrophic crescendo and abruptly release around him, exploding in all directions in a powerful eruption that exploded the Viathin apart from within.