So when the captain attacked, Daylen didn’t use his powers. He was forced to block with his sunforged gauntlet, for this captain was indeed skilled—very skilled.
Strike after strike came and Daylen dodged, parried, and blocked, all the while attacking back with his own.
Daylen guessed the man was at least a master, and with his large advantage from the sunforged kite, the bout was indeed even.
The musical chime of clashing sunucles filled the air as the blades and shields crossed, clashed, and countered in bright flashes of light.
The captain locked their swords and shields together, twisting and angling so his sword pointed at Daylen’s head.
A click sounded from the man’s sword and Daylen just managed to jerk his head out of the way of the shooting spike.
“Good!” the captain said with a large grin. “No one’s ever survived that before.”
“That was your best?” Daylen said as their weapons clashed back and forth. “And here I thought I might break a sweat.”
“Oh there’s better, trust me.” The captain switched his style to rely more on his shield, and due to it being sunforged, it effectively put an impenetrable wall between them.
Daylen spun around and struck back, but it hit the invisible barrier extended by the captain’s shield. That thing was going to be blackened hard to get around.
The sunforging process enhanced the purpose of the shield, which was to protect, and thus it blocked anything that threatened the one who wielded it and allowed the wielder’s own attacks through—and that was the trick to get around it.
Daylen feinted an attack, spun around, and pushed himself into a low slide. He skidded through the invisible barrier of the kite, for his slide wasn’t an offensive attack against the captain. Once past, Daylen spun back around and struck.
The captain brought his sword over and blocked the attack, which Daylen had to admit was a damn fine move, and then another click sounded.
Daylen wasn’t fast enough, and the shotspike pierced his shoulder. He grunted in pain as the captain bashed at Daylen with the corner of his kite.
Daylen caught the edge of the shield with his gauntleted fist, but as his wound was on the same arm, he had no strength to push back and get the angle he wanted—otherwise he would have triggered the spring-powered darkstone dagger in his gauntlet. That would have shattered the shield with the merest touch.
Daylen had to let his opponent push him back, so he heaved, something his current positioning helped with a great deal. Daylen had forged the hand pieces of his gauntlet separate from the main bracer, which meant the sunforging process had enhanced a different property: specifically, the grip strength in his hand. Thus, even with his wound there was no way the shield could get wrenched from his grasp.
Pulling backward, Daylen placed his boot onto the captain’s gut and kicked as he rolled, launching the captain overhead.
Daylen rolled onto his feet in an acrobatic flip and, with another jump using the same momentum, he flipped through the air to slash down at the fallen man.
The captain rolled out of the way and sprung to his feet with as much acrobatic grace as Daylen.
Imperious slashed through the deck as if it wasn’t even there.
The captain was short of breath and he smiled. “Haven’t had a fight like this in years. You’re pretty good, kid. That master’s mark is well deserved.”
“From the way you’ve been fighting you deserve one, too. Not a Grand High mark, but you’re at least a master'.”
He scoffed. “I’m not a noble, fair-playing duelist. I’d rather surprise my opponents with a sword in their back.”
“A good tactic.”
“I haven’t become the most feared pirate in the skies from dumb luck.”
“Oh, was I supposed to know who you are?”
“If ya spent time near any dock you would. I’m Captain Blackheart, terror of the skies!”
“And master of cliché titles.”
The captain pointed his sword. “Watch your tongue, boy.”
Daylen’s anger surged. “Or what, you pathetic little snot? You’re nothing but a wretched, despicable thief who preys on the weak and helpless.” Daylen switched his bonds to heal his wound as he spoke. “You’re worse than a worm, you miserable piece of drack. So yeah, this has been fun, but I’m done. No more playing. I’m going to make you suffer. I’m going hurt you slowly and deliberately until you realize in horrifying clarity that you’re about to die—and then, and only then, when you plea for mercy, am I going to do the very thing you’ve done to others. I will rob you of your heart’s most desperate desire by killing you in the most unholy way I can think of!”
With every word the captain’s face grew redder. “Why, you… I’ll see you gutted!”
He charged.
Daylen had meant it when he’d said it was fun, and that now it was over. With light flowing through him, Daylen channeled it into his speed and strength. He deflected the captain’s attack with casual ease and he switched one bond of speed to his weight to anchor him as he kicked. The captain blocked with his shield, of course, but with Daylen’s enhanced strength, the kick launched him into the air and back a good ten meters. He crashed to the ground with none of the finesse he had shown himself capable of. Groaning, he rolled and forced himself to his feet, but Daylen was already there.
Grasping the captain’s sword arm, Daylen channeled strength and crushed the bones underneath. The captain screamed, releasing his sword. Daylen then triggered his darkstone dagger from his gauntlet and punched it into the captain’s shield, which shattered into a thousand brilliant shimmering pieces.
The captain was chuckling.
“You weren’t linked to the shield,” Daylen said with a sinking heart.
“No. You just killed the daughter of Senator Terain. I’d kidnapped her a few years ago. Was a good way to ensure the Civic Guard stayed off my back, don’t ya think?” And then Daylen heard a tap against his sword. A chime of shattering glass sounded in the air as Daylen’s sword redirected the blow. Looking down, Daylen saw that the captain had pulled out a darkstone dagger and had touched it to Imperious.
The captain looked to the sword in shock. “What? That can’t be possible…unless that’s Imperious itself!”
Daylen punched him, making sure to break a few ribs, then grabbed him by the throat dragged the captain to the side railing.
“If…if that’s Imperious,” Blackheart wheezed out, “he must still be alive. But how did you get it?”
Daylen dropped the captain and ripped off a long piece of the side railing of the ship. He then stomped his foot through the floor and thrust the railing through the hole to leave a pointing pike of wood jutting out of the deck two meters tall.
The captain lay there, trying to move, but making very little progress considering his shattered ribs.
Daylen grabbed Blackheart by the shirt and pulled him close to whisper, “I never got it—I’ve always had it. I am Dayless the Conqueror, you pathetic little worm, and now you’re dead.”
Blackheart’s eyes widened in fear. “No—wait!”
Daylen hoisted him up.
“What’re you doing?” Blackheart asked in fear, and then he saw the pike of wood. A sudden awareness seemed to bring horrifying clarity to the captain’s mind. “No, you wouldn’t—wait! If you really are the Conqueror, that means I’m your son! Can’t you see that? I have money, gold! I can pay you! Don’t—”
He screamed as Daylen impaled him by the rear end, slowly, the captain wailing in agony with each penetrating inch.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I was at war with Daymony at that time, and Deena was a much-appreciated distraction in between my battles. Poor Deena took my lust as affection, but the truth was I had none left within me.
And yet still she fell in love. She probably fell in love with the idea of me: the champion of the Fourth Night, the tragic hero who rose up after the death of his family to conquer tyranny, the maj
estic, unapproachable Emperor. As soon as I realized Deena’s attachment, I discarded her like a soiled rag and called for another. The last thing I wanted was attachment.
My people simply believed that the engagement hadn’t worked out.
Several girls later, Deena managed to sneak back into the palace, broken and distraught, and she lashed out at me. I fought her off easily but saw her attack as an attempt on my life, and thus I ordered Deena’s execution.
Now, as I think back, I can see that she hadn’t truly tried to kill me—she was just heartbroken—but that didn’t matter to me. From then on, any girl that grew too attached and tried to rejoin my side, disrupting whatever I was doing at the time, was sentenced to the same fate.
* * *
Daylen felt tired and sickened. Truly, what he had just done was an unholy way to kill somebody, but it wasn’t his first, far from it, and that wretch most certainly deserved it.
Besides, Daylen was, if anything, a man of his word.
What was that stupid stuff the captain was saying? That he was his son? Ridiculous. Daylen hadn’t fathered any children after he had lost his little ones. Oh, he’d had sex, lots of sex, but he had made sure measures were taken to avoid such complications.
Daylen looked at Imperious to find it in perfect condition. His legendary sunforged sword could even resist the touch of darkstone.
“What’s that make it?” Daylen said to himself as he cast his mind into his memory. “Ah, that’s it. Seven hundred and ninety-two.”
By this time, any last remaining pirates that had been on deck had chosen to jump from the ship to skim down to the surface. They were the lucky ones, for Daylen would have killed them too.
Daylen needed to stop the ships—with no one at the helms, they might crash into something.
He walked to the helm of the switchback and disengaged the ship’s main driver. Momentum still carried the ship forward, but eventually those harpoons would rip free from the stress as the Maraven was still in flight, which Daylen didn’t want to happen.
He quickly jumped over to the Maraven and also disengaged its driver. Now both ships would eventually slow and then stop from wind resistance.
Back on the switchback, Daylen kicked down the door that led inside the carrier and dispatched those behind it with lethal effectiveness. His anger had subsided, which made the ugly task a slow dredge of slaughter, for he truly did hate killing people, but these men were loathsome murderers and deserved no mercy, except for the one he had found before with the bright inner light. The rest had barely a glimmer.
By now, the pirates were doing their very best to hide from Daylen. He sighed, not being in the mood to dig them out one by one. His light sense could detect them, of course, but it appeared the walls had reduced its range to the point that he could only sense things five meters behind other obstructions.
Then Daylen suddenly realized he could look for them an easier way.
He channeled all his bonds to his ears, focusing on the softest of sounds. He instantly could hear the heartbeats and breaths of every single creature within a kilometer’s distance. Light, he could hear the flapping wings of a flock of birds eight hundred meters from the stern of the ships. Just like when he enhanced his eyes, it was like his mind was also enhanced to comprehend all the new input. He could hear every single thing at once and know of their locations. Interestingly, Daylen could hear a large collection of heartbeats all gathered together back on the Maraven. With these heartbeats were clear and distinct sounds of whimpering and crying—each from a young and feminine voice.
“No… ” Daylen said in disbelief as his anger surged to a far greater degree than the captain had stoked previously.
Turning Daylen marched back to the Maraven. Once on the other ship, Ahrek pointed to the dead, impaled captain. “That was completely unnecessary, Daylen!” Ahrek bellowed.
“Then why didn’t you stop me?”
“I’ve only just noticed, what with all the pirates dying over there that man’s screams weren’t out of—”
Daylen cut him off. “That’s about to appear tame if I find what I expect.”
Ahrek stopped, his eyes widening slightly through his anger. “What’s wrong?”
“Follow me and you’ll find out,” Daylen said through gritted teeth.
Daylen kicked down the door, scaring the life out of the Maraven’s captain and first mate.
“Fire!” the captain said as a man pilled a lever to the housing-unit of a warhead. A Light-blackened warhead!
Channeling all four bonds to his speed, Daylen just managed to dodge the flying warhead, which had been aimed at a slight upward trajectory and flashed by in an instant to disappear outside.
A warhead was like a giant shotspike with a melon-sized chunk of splintered iron as its head. It was pushed by a powerful darkstone driver and, when launched, would fly with incredible speed to explode upon impact from the sheer force of the kinetic energy, throwing deadly shrapnel everywhere. Where under the Light did these idiots get a military-grade warhead?
“Oh, Light, it’s you!” the captain said. “I thought you were the pirates. Wait a minute—you actually beat them!”
Daylen ignored him, as he had a much more serious concern. He walked past the men standing behind the door.
“Hey, where are you going?”
Daylen continued through the skyship, the captain following with Ahrek in tow.
“Stop! You’re not allowed back there,” the captain said, drawing his sword as he reached the cargo holds.
A sudden force pushed the captain flat on the side of the hallway and held him firm.
“Thank you,” Daylen said to Ahrek as he broke the lock and opened the door. The light from the hallway illuminated the darkness of the hold. It was the size of a large room and had no source of light within.
It was filled with young girls.
They had all been very poorly treated. Most wore nightgowns, dirty and tattered, and the others who were in dresses weren’t faring any better. The horror and despair in their haunted eyes said it all. These poor young girls had been kidnapped and were on their way to be sold into the underground human trafficking market as sex slaves. It couldn’t be anything else.
“By the Light, no!” Ahrek said in sincere dismay and then spoke to the poor girls, “Don’t fear, young ones. My name is Lightbringer Ahrek, and my friend and I are here to help you.” Ahrek turned to Daylen. He regarded him and spoke softly, but with the most anger Daylen had ever heard in his voice. “I’ll stay to help them and leave you to do what needs to be done.”
“My pleasure.”
Daylen made his way through the crew of the Maraven and methodically killed each one of them. None possessed even the slightest amount of redeeming light. Ahrek had been right about these men.
The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on him, either. Here he was killing men for a truly loathsome crime, and yet he had committed worse. There was just no one there to stop him, or rather those that had the power to stop him took too long to act. That someone so unworthy as he held the blade this time didn’t really matter so long as evil was destroyed.
Daylen made sure to do his dark work cleanly so that no more blood would stain the ship, snapping necks with enhanced strength and speed. Those poor girls would have seen more than enough horror recently. Of course, that standard didn’t apply to the captain. No, the captain of the Maraven received the same treatment as Blackheart himself. They now hung on the pirate switchback, impaled side by side.
It had been horrible, killing man after man, and even a woman here and there. After the first few had tried to fight him, the rest had given up and pled for mercy.
Their desperate screams found nothing but death.
A better man, like Ahrek, would have found the task far too distasteful, but Daylen was different, and he had the strength to do what needed to be done when others couldn’t.
During this time, Daylen also finished cleaning out the pirates from the other ship.
Afterward, he grabbed Blackheart’s sunforged sword and took a look in the dead captain’s quarters. The room was comfortable enough, but not lavish, scattered with maps, clothes, and other odds and ends. Daylen couldn’t find anything that might shed light on who Blackheart really was, found nothing about his past victories—including the poor girl he had linked to his shield—and nothing of his plans for the future. So Daylen left and collected the bodies of the Maraven’s crew into one of the unused cargo holds before returning to Ahrek.
Ahrek was in the middle of treating a girl while summoning light in one hand.
“The ship is safe and clean,” Daylen said. “The girls can come out.”
Ahrek sighed and gave Daylen a soft smile. “Thank you, Daylen.” Ahrek then helped the young woman he was attending, sixteen years old or so, to her feet. “Come now, child. Come into the light.”
Those girls who were faring better helped the others that were still struggling.
They swept away tears as they walked into the sun once more, several collapsing to the deck in relief and joy.
“How many?” Daylen asked Ahrek in a whisper.
“Fifty.”
“Were any of them close to turning?”
Ahrek’s reply was laced with disgust. “Yes. The wretched traders were fools. It seems they only knew the most basic facts about turning and thought they would be safe giving the girls light at intermediate intervals.”
“Well, with a few falls of constant light, they should recover.”
“From the turning process, yes, and I can heal the physical injuries. But the emotional scars… Oh, these poor girls. From the looks in their eyes, I can guess many of them have been raped several times already.”
Daylen felt sick. “It was the crew. They do it to break the girls in, so they won’t have an emotional collapse once sold to their new owners.”
Ahrek’s face quivered with rage. “I…I just can’t understand how people can do things like this!”
Shadow of the Conqueror Page 24