The Fifth Empire of Man (Best Laid Plans Book 2)

by Rob J. Hayes

  The fifth day in Larkos brought with it an emissary from the slaving guild. He was a huge man, as fat as he was tall, and he was certainly tall. He waddled into the tavern surrounded by guards who were no doubt needed to protect his obvious wealth. The man wore gemstone rings on every finger and had a variety of piercings all over his face, each ring and stud sporting a hefty jewel. The fat man announced himself as Orkus Uon, ambassador and messenger of Somolous Tain, the head of the slaving guild. Elaina despised those who traded in flesh, but she couldn’t afford to make any enemies among the Council of Thirteen so agreed to hear Orkus out.

  The slaving guild were unique amidst the others, in that Larkos wasn’t their only place of operation. They had holdings in almost every major city in the known world, except those that outlawed slavery, and the connections and manpower they could give to Elaina eclipsed those of any of the other guilds. But Orkus didn’t offer to help win the pirate’s war so much as make veiled threats over what would happen if Elaina picked any of the other guilds. The slavers could make for excellent allies, but they could also make for very dangerous enemies. Despite the threat, Elaina couldn’t bring herself to take help from those who peddled flesh.

  On the sixth day, an emissary from the Blades walked through the tavern door. The boy was tall and slim with a bald head, and had a slight chubbiness that suggested he hadn’t yet finished his growth. He greeted Elaina warmly and informed her that the Queen of Blades had requested her presence. Elaina grinned at the boy and stayed in her seat, determined to make him wait while she finished her breakfast and ale. The Queen of Blades had turned her away once, and Elaina would be damned before she went running just because the bitch had changed her tune. Rather than show frustration at the delay, the emissary stood by and waited patiently.

  When Elaina finally decided it was time to meet the leader of the Blades she called for her four remaining crew and sent them on their errands. Pavel would meet with the Clerics again – they paid good coin to hear sermons from a travelling priest of their golden god, and though Elaina hated to admit it, they needed the bits. She sent Alfer to the gate district to meet with the Scarred Men and broker an audience with the Scarred Man, and she had Pollick sitting on the docks to watch the ships sail in. The man had the sharpest eyes of the lot of them, and Elaina needed to know the moment anyone they knew sailed into port.

  The Blades emissary had two horses waiting outside the tavern and bid Elaina mount one as he easily swung his arse up onto the other. Elaina followed suit, and before long they were moving through the streets of Larkos at a canter, heading ever more steadily towards the central district where the Queen of Blades held court.

  When they arrived at the same gate Elaina had so recently been turned away from, the young emissary leapt off his horse to exchange words with the guards. Elaina didn’t hear what was said, but there seemed little to no argument and this time the gates opened for her, revealing the central district for the first time.

  Elaina wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but the central district wasn’t it. The streets were empty and clean, and most of the place appeared to be open land given over to green gardens of grass or cobbled squares built around central podiums. Of buildings she saw little other than warehouses, a few houses, and a lot of temples built tall and proud to a variety of gods. Elaina even recognised one dedicated to Rin. It was hard to miss the spectacle floating on its very own saltwater lake – to build a shrine to the sea goddess upon solid land would be an insult the bitch would likely take personally.

  In the centre of the district – and indeed the centre of the city – stood the great guild hall, the meeting place of the Council of Thirteen. Elaina found herself staring up at the giant building in wonder. It was larger than the grandest temple she’d ever seen and its curved walls were supported by many stone struts, almost like legs, that peeled away from the building to plunge into the ground. At the far end, a single tower rose even higher into the sky. The tip of it was flat, and Elaina wagered the view from that point was spectacular. When viewed from a distance the great guild hall looked much like a scorpion, poised and ready to strike at the unwary. She wondered what it looked like on the inside, what sort of treasures were hidden within, ripe for a bit of plundering.

  The emissary turned them away, towards a smaller structure built all of white marble. A wall surrounded the grounds of this new building, and a number of guards patrolled leisurely around the outside of that wall. As they passed through an open gate, Elaina saw the grounds were festooned with small gardens, pools of still water, and odd bird-feeding devices. Never having paid too much attention to birds, Elaina could only name a few, and there were many more she couldn’t hope to identify here. Some bathed in pools while others fed, and even more flew around the building or rested upon the white stone.

  Another boy, not quite as tall but obviously of a similar age and also with a bald head, rushed out of the building and took hold of the emissary’s horse. Elaina leapt down from her mount and the boy led both horses back out the way they’d come.

  “This way, Captain Black,” the emissary said with a smile. “I believe the Queen will see you right away.”

  “I should hope so,” Elaina said, following the lad through the arch that led into the building. “Already been turned away once, eh.”

  Inside, the building was white and spotless. Green plants as tall as Elaina grew in pots near almost every wall, and those not adorned with the vegetation sported benches, a few of which were occupied with folk looking so serene it sent shivers up and down Elaina’s spine. A number of doorways led off to rooms on each side of the hall, and at the far end there was a pool with ten people lounging about in its crystal blue waters. The place seemed more like an upmarket pleasure house, the type a person might find in Sarth, than the hall of one of the most prestigious guilds in Larkos.

  “So where is she?” Elaina said, eager to hear what the Queen of Blades had to say and just as eager to be away from the place.

  “I will let her know you have arrived, Captain Black,” the emissary said. “Please wait just a short while.”

  Elaina snorted, trying to give the impression she didn’t care. She’d never felt at home in places like this, and she included the whole city in that sentiment. The Blacks were all born to be aboard a ship, and surrounded by wood holding back water was where Elaina would always be most comfortable. She loved cities like Larkos for the freedom and distractions they offered, but she loved them in small doses.

  “Captain Black,” said a voice that passed through Elaina like the tingle she got from a good finger of rum.

  Elaina turned to find a tall woman in a green dress that hugged her figure and left nothing, not even the knives sewn into the fabric, to the imagination. Where some women might wear a fur about their shoulders, this one wore a wreath of blades all shining and, Elaina wagered, razor sharp. Even the woman’s jewellery was shaped in the fashion of little knives. Elaina wondered how many people would die if she took to a dance in a crowded room.

  Yet it wasn’t the vast amount of weaponry – including a long, slender sword buckled around her waist as well as all the knives – that convinced Elaina this was the Queen of Blades. It was her face. Elaina had only ever met one Drurr before, but the man had left an impression – and so did this woman. She was beautiful – not just the type of beautiful that turns heads, but the type that breaks hearts with a mere glance. Elaina felt a strange sorrow simply from looking at the Queen of Blades, and she knew that if she could just get closer to the woman, if she could just earn her approval, that sorrow would turn to unbridled joy. At a closer look, the Queen of Blades’ face was distinctly Drurr. Her skin was too pale and too tight across her cheeks and nose, and her mouth was too wide and contained too many teeth. Her eyes were beyond dark; they held no colour at all, only bottomless black. Her hair cascaded down her back over the wreath of blades, and seemed to change colour as Elaina stared; one moment it was almost as dark as her own, and the next it
was a shining red like freshly spilled blood.

  Elaina realised she hadn’t spoken – she hadn’t even breathed – since she’d looked upon the Drurr. She let out a ragged breath and then quickly sucked in another lungful. Her eyes felt moist, and they weren’t the only part of her. Elaina’s heart was racing, and she just wanted this woman to love her.

  “Captain Black?” the Queen of Blades said.

  “What is this?” Elaina’s voice quavered, pathetic. She wanted to drop to her knees and worship the woman. Only her pride stopped her. She was the daughter of Tanner Black, and she would worship no one. Elaina clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms, using the pain as an anchor against the wave of love that was attempting to sweep away her sanity.

  “It is a glamour, and quite a powerful one,” the Queen of Blades said with a wide smile that enhanced her beauty despite the wolfishness of it. “I’m impressed you are able to withstand it.”

  Elaina wasn’t sure what a glamour was, nor was she certain she was withstanding it. Her mouth felt dry, and she couldn’t even blink her eyes for the fear that she might miss a moment of the Queen’s grace.

  Elaina staggered and tore her eyes away from the Drurr, furiously blinking away her tears and struggling to get her breathing under control. Her heart hammered in her ears, her knees wobbled, and her stomach was ripe with the fluttery feeling she got every time she saw Keelin.

  Straightening her back and taking a deep, calming breath, Elaina looked up at the Queen again. The woman was still beautiful – there could never be any doubt of that – but the crushing feeling of love was gone. Instead, Elaina felt sadness at the loss of such a deep adoration. She had no idea how the Drurr could do such a thing, but she hated that any person could have so much power over her emotions.

  “What did you do to me?” Elaina shouted, unable to control her rage. Her hand went to her sword hilt before she realised what she was doing.

  “I would advise against any acts of aggression, Captain Black,” the Queen of Blades purred. “I assure you, you would not survive it. It was magic both subtle and blatant all at once.”

  Elaina barely understood a word the woman was saying. “How dare you!”

  “I dare that and much much more, Captain Black,” the Queen said, her voice now cold and heartless. “It was a test, and it pleases me that you passed where countless others have failed. Now, I understand you are currently a little on edge. Would you like a moment to calm yourself? We have much to discuss.”

  Elaina shook the cobwebs from her head and glared at the woman. She wanted to tear the Drurr’s head off and tear down her entire guild while she was at it, but common sense won out.

  She shook her head. “Then we’d best get to the discussing. Don’t you dare use that glamour shit on me again.”

  “And exactly what would you do if I did?” the Drurr said with a wide, toothy smile. “You are entirely at my mercy, Captain Black.”

  “I ain’t at no one’s mercy, and you’d do well to curry my favour rather than coerce it.”

  The Queen of Blades laughed. “I like your fire, Captain Black, but I negotiate how I will regardless of your preferences. Come, let us take a seat while we discuss. Would you like some wine?”

  Elaina would have liked to decline the offer, but her throat was dry and she needed a drink to fortify her nerves. She nodded and followed the Drurr into one of the chambers to the side of the hall. This new room appeared to be an aviary of sorts, with birds of a hundred different kinds littered about the place, some caged and some not. A hole in the roof allowed them to fly free if they wished – at least, those not in cages – and a number of the winged beasts were sipping from a small fountain that bubbled away merrily in one corner. In the centre of the room was a low, ring-shaped bench. The Queen of Blades moved over to it and gestured for Elaina to join her.

  “Birds, huh?” Elaina said, still trying to control her emotions. “My ma has monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys. She treats them like they’re all old friends.”

  “I like birds,” the Queen said. “They have a grace and attentiveness that very few other animals do. Their variety and individuality are akin to our own and…”

  “Our own?” Elaina said. “You mean Drurr or human?”

  “Both,” the Queen said with a smile. “We are far more alike than you realise, Captain Black. Ah, the wine is here. I own the vineyard, so I can assure you it is of excellent quality.”

  Elaina accepted the glass from yet another pudgy boy-like man and sipped at it. The taste was pleasant, but she wasn’t the type of person who could tell the difference between good wine and poor. She preferred her drinks in the form of fiery rum or bitter ale whenever possible.

  “I’ve been offered ships and the men to sail and fight aboard them by four other guilds,” Elaina said, wishing to get right into the negotiations so she could be away from the Queen of Blades as soon as possible. The woman’s beauty was a constant reminder of the false love Elaina had felt, and the absence of that love felt very much like a broken heart.

  “Straight to the point. You pirates are direct. I have some questions for you first, Captain Black. When you requested an audience, you introduced yourself to my Blades as the future queen of the Pirate Isles.”

  “Aye,” Elaina said. It had been a rash claim. The idea had grown on her since leaving Chade, and she’d decided that Rose was right; Elaina would make an excellent queen of the isles. More than that, though, Elaina had realised it was something that she wanted.

  “And how can you be queen when you do not even have a ship?”

  Elaina had prepared herself for the question. “My ship is away on my business. It will be back when I need it.”

  The Queen of Blades let out a chuckle and sipped on her wine. “That lie may convince some, Captain Black. Should I still be calling you captain? But you will not pull the blanket over my eyes. The Starry Dawn did not leave Larkos by your leave and is not currently under your command.”

  “Just a temporary setback,” Elaina said, dropping the bluff immediately. “She’ll be back under my boots soon enough. It don’t change my position one drop.”

  “Hmmm. And what of Drake Morrass? I hear he is first in line for the pirate throne.”

  “Morrass is dead,” Elaina said quickly. “Killed on Ash. My da is ready to plant his arse on the throne, and I’m the heir.”

  “You are woefully misinformed, Captain. Drake not only survived your father’s little trap, but also convinced him to take a knee. He has yet to officially claim a kingdom or his crown, which I must say has me a little confused.”

  Elaina clenched her jaw. She couldn’t imagine her father kneeling to Drake, nor even working with him. If the Queen of Blades was telling the truth it meant things must have gone sideways, and she now wondered what sort of place she would be sailing back to once she reclaimed her ship.

  “Do you still claim yourself to be the future queen?” the leader of the Blades said, with a slight lift of her eyebrow that only served to make her look even less human.

  Elaina shifted on the bench. She could drop her claims now and look even more foolish, or she could stick to her course. Confidence had always been one of her strengths, and she refused to look weak to the Drurr bitch.

  “Aye. I got the backing of the Wilds. One way or another, you’re looking at the queen of the isles.”

  “The backing of the Wilds? I assume you are speaking of the Lord and Lady of Chade?” The Queen tilted her head, the motion sending her hair shimmering into a strange shade of blue.

  Elaina nodded with a smirk.

  “Quite the endorsement. The bloodeds’ days are numbered, and it appears nothing will stop Rose and her Black Thorn uniting their lands. They have supplied you with sufficient leverage to take the throne beside Morrass?”

  “Aye, they gave me… eh? Beside Morrass?”

  “The king will need a queen, no?”

  “I ain’t marrying that slimy sack of rat gut,” Elaina all bu
t shouted, and then drained off the last of her wine in one angry swallow. She’d been so certain Drake was dead, so certain she’d return as Tanner Black’s heir.

  The Queen of Blades sipped at her wine and watched Elaina silently. She’d already decided she wanted to be queen of the Pirate Isles. Ever since Rose had suggested the possibility to her, it had been a constant desire playing on her mind. If she was queen, then her father would have to respect her, and she could order that twice-damned first mate of his hanged for his previous crimes against her. She would be able to take Keelin as her husband too, if she decided she still wanted him. Elaina knew she could have everything she wanted if she could just get her own arse on the throne. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, attempting to calm herself. She plastered a smile on her face and met the Queen of Blades’ black eyes.

  “It seems you have reached a decision,” the Drurr said, with no small amount of amusement.

  “Aye,” Elaina said. “I’d fuck Morrass to sit beside him on the throne. I’ve already got the Wilds’ support, and I want Larkos’ too. So how about you go and sell yourself to me, eh? Tell me why I should pick you over the other guilds.”

  The Queen of Blades smiled wide, showing off far too many teeth. “I prefer to discuss what you may offer to me.”

  “I offer the same thing as to any of the guilds. Unhindered passage through our waters, the support and friendship of the isles in times of crisis, and first pick to your guild of any of the wares that my people bring to Larkos.”

  “That is no small offer,” the Queen said seriously. “This is all dependent on your ascendency to the throne?”

  “Aye. You’ll be backing me, not the isles. So why the fuck should I choose you?”

  The Queen waved to her attendant, who quickly came forward and refilled the wine glasses. “I can offer you something the other guilds cannot, Captain Black. I can offer you the support of Larkos, not just one of our guilds.”

  “Ain’t that what they’re all offering?”

  “No. Make no mistake in my fellows’ offers. They will give you the support of their own guilds and whatever forces they can muster – likely a single ship, or maybe two – but only two of us have the power to cajole the rest of the Council into unified action – the Scarred Man, and me.”