Spiderhunter (Ages of Argainen Book 1)

by Robe

  Veese nodded, looking at the sails, vast and pulled taut by the wind above them. “You know this won’t be over once we defeat Argain.”

  “What do you mean?” Auric asked.

  “The Evil God has started something,” Veese continued. “Not every Touched will be as noble as you and I.”

  “You think others will follow in his path. I think you are right. Our duty will not end with Argain,” Auric agreed, “but surely no individual could be as powerful or dangerous.”

  Veese shrugged. “It is not impossible. The Evil God’s magic is strange and works in mysterious ways.”

  Auric nodded and watched as Veese closed his eyes, and the sails of the Paragon dipped farther toward the front of the ship, a sudden gust surging into them. Smiling, Auric found himself grateful for Veese’s presence.

  -

  “Morning,” Thraun said to his friends as he entered the dining area. Ziem, Joan, and Kandon were all sitting at a round table, eating a breakfast of bread and fish. The food had not been very well prepared as no master cook had been hired to accompany them on their voyage. Dalk returned with a second platter of food and sat at the round table.

  “Rest well?” Joan asked him.

  “Surprisingly so,” Thraun replied as he took a piece of fish onto his plate and looked at it skeptically. “The rocking of the ship is soothing.”

  “We are very different, you and I,” Kandon said to him. “I could gladly go a lifetime without sailing again.”

  Thraun took a bite of the fish before gulping it down with an unsavory look on his face. “I must speak with whomever prepared this meal,” he said and left the table to find the cook responsible.

  “He does owe us a meal, doesn’t he?” Kandon said.

  “I could go for something Rathelstatian,” Dalk spoke. “Ysseri was generous to us while we stayed, but Martin cooking isn’t my taste.”

  “What have you planned for today?” Ziem asked Dalk as he carefully cut bread with his one good arm. “More training?”

  “I see no point in letting my skill decay,” Dalk replied. “Yes. I will practice my form. When the time comes, I do not want to be incompetent. Speaking of which, what will you do in combat, Kandon? Your crossbow has broken, and I’ve never seen you use a sword.”

  “I can spar, my dear peace officer friend,” Kandon replied. “I simply don’t show it off.”

  “Do my eyes deceive me?” a voice rang from the entrance of the dining hall, and the companions turned to see Pest, the young cabin boy from their previous voyage. “Joan! Lovely to see you again!” He rushed to their table and seized her hand. “I heard you would be aboard. I’ve been stuck with the midnight shift, so you were in bed before I was off duty.”

  “Your duty didn’t seem to stop you from bothering her before,” Kandon said.

  “This is quite an important voyage though!” Pest exclaimed. “Of course, you’re aware of that.”

  “Indeed,” Kandon griped. “Now, be off with you. Can you not see the lady is trying to eat?”

  Pest released Joan’s hand and gave a short bow of forgiveness. “My apologies,” he said. “Your beautiful face brightens our journey, Joan. It is an honor to serve on your ship again.”

  “Thank you, Pest,” Joan said, her face flushing slightly as she glanced at her friends. “It’s good to hear that the men are taking their jobs seriously, for this is an important voyage if ever there was one.”

  Pest grinned and gave another short bow before turning and leaving the heroes in peace.

  “Foolish boy,” Kandon muttered. “He has the nerve to flirt with you right in front of me.”

  “He’s kind,” Joan said. “Young and immature, but he has a good heart. Don’t terrorize him too much.”

  -

  Gently, the waves of the sea rocked the Paragon Pelinum. The sky was clear and the sunlight shone brightly against the sails as they held firm, catching the wind guiding them toward Lon Gairdas.

  There was little chat aboard the ship with so few travelers; Dalk practiced his swordsmanship, Auric kept a vigilant watch on the horizon, and Veese ensured a steady gale was keeping the Pelinum’s speed up. The others mostly rested, keeping each other company and hoping that their lost companion was safe.

  It was late in the day when Auric spotted a ship on the horizon and alerted the others to its presence. One of the sailors brought him a telescope, and after a few moments peering through the device, he was able to confirm that they had caught up to Argain. Black knights littered the deck, their shiny armor reflecting back the light of the dropping sun.

  “At this rate, we will catch him well before the sun rises,” Captain Benard spoke. “Whether we can meet him in battle is not something I can answer, though.”

  “Our vessel is not armed,” Auric said.

  “Aye,” Benard replied. “We would have to board them.”

  Auric rubbed his chin and looked at Veese, who was now sitting cross-legged beneath the sails, urging the wind to continue pushing them forward. “Don’t wear yourself out before we reach them,” Auric said to him, causing Veese to open his eyes and nod in acknowledgment.

  “Do not worry, captain,” Dalk said. “We have bested this monster in battle before. He is too weak to fight us together.”

  Benard nodded. “I trust you will win,” he said and returned to his dutiful commanding of the other shiphands.

  “Can we take him?” Joan asked. “Without Reon, we are not full strength, and Argain has half an army on his ship.”

  “We will have to be cautious,” Auric replied. “It will be hours before we catch them. Try to get some rest until then.”

  The heroes nodded and left the head of the ship to prepare themselves for the battle. Only Auric, Veese, and Joan remained above deck.

  “That includes you,” Auric said to Veese. “We will reach them soon enough, and we need you to be ready for the fight.”

  “Surely Argain will not simply let us catch up to him,” Veese said. “We must use every resource we have to reach him. Do not worry, Auric, my strength will not fail this time.”

  “Just try not to exhaust yourself,” Auric warned. “If you feel tired, go below deck.”

  Veese nodded and closed his eyes once again to focus. Joan stepped up beside Auric and looked out at the ship on the horizon, so far away. It looked like nothing more than a small toy.

  Auric sighed. “I’m worried. If we fail, Lon Gairdas will surely be doomed.”

  “Then we must not fail,” Joan said. “You’ve been here for hours. Why don’t you catch some sleep? I’ll keep my eyes on things.”

  “Thank you, Joan,” Auric said and began to follow the others to the softness of their beds, but he took one more glance at Joan. Her blonde hair fluttered around her, caught in Veese’s everlasting gale, and she had something around her neck. It was the chain Kandon had given her, and in the sunlight, its gemstones glowed a brilliant blue, not unlike Zanesh’s sword. Turning back, Auric walked across the deck and down into the hull of the ship.

  “What do you think, Veese?” Joan asked. “Are we going to win?”

  Veese hummed. “I think we will try our best, and should we fail, all of the New World will be owned by Argain.”

  “But will we win?” Joan repeated.

  “Difficult to say,” Veese said. “Argain has an arsenal of treacherous powers and a small force at his command. However, we did beat him last time, and with Balanch out of the way, he will have no one to save him.”

  “So you think we’ll win?” Joan asked a third time.

  Veese opened his eyes and looked at her, his face bearing the scars of the last battle. “Yes. I believe we are going to win.”

  -

  “Turn this ship around!”

  “Settle down, Farseed. We sail into storms all the time,” Captain Benard said to the well-dressed supervisor of the Docking Guild.

  “This is no normal storm, even you must see that,” Farseed retorted. “The Docking Guild did not l
end their ship to be torn apart by bad decision making.”

  “If this ship can’t handle a little wind and water, what is the use of it?” Benard asked.

  “The use of this vessel is to function as a high speed precision interceptor for observation and message relay. It is not a game piece for infantile men to use to obtain whatever it is they desire,” Farseed spat.

  “Your fancy words have no effect on me, Farseed,” Benard said. “I’ve been told to chase that ship, and I’m going to.”

  “Very well. I will take this matter to your superiors, and when I return to Oluld, the Guild will hear of your disregard of our authority.”

  Farseed clammered away, no doubt to bother Auric, and Benard shielded himself from the first rain drops of what appeared to be a very nasty storm brewing overhead. As he repeated to himself what he had said to Farseed, the captain hoped deeply that his supernatural passengers were genuine in their assurance to him that they knew what they were doing. Even if Benard reversed course right away, he didn’t think he could clear the angry clouds that glowered above the ship. Moments ago, they had appeared out of nowhere to crowd the previously clear sky and block out what was left of the sun’s light. Farseed had been right about one thing: this was not going to be a normal storm.

  -

  Ziem hadn’t been asleep for long before the heavy rocking of the ship woke him. He sat up in complete darkness, the lack of windows in his room allowing no light to enter. When he climbed out of bed, he stumbled, the floor suddenly tilting extremely, and his side table slid into him. He felt around his room blindly until he found the knob of his door and turned it. Leaving the chamber, he was surprised to find the floorboards damp and rushed up the stairwell to the deck.

  The sky was black, and rain poured down in sheats onto the Paragon, drenching the sailors as they hurried to secure the sails. Joan and Thraun were standing at the head of the ship, and Ziem struggled to get to them past the chaos of the shiphands dashing about.

  “Came out of nowhere,” Joan spoke over the rush of rain when she saw him, her hair flat against her head and dripping. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I think I know who’s responsible,” Thraun shouted, and Ziem looked out onto the raging ocean to see the lights from the ship they pursued. It was much closer than it had been when Auric first spotted it. A crack of lightning lit up the sky as Dalk appeared behind them.

  “Give us a little relief, Thraun?” he asked, drenched from the rain.

  Thraun lifted his hand above him, and the rain suddenly stopped hitting Ziem’s head. He looked up to see the droplets splatting on Thraun’s barrier as it sheltered them. Kandon and Auric soon arrived, out of breath after helping the sailors with the ship’s sails. Another crack of lightning illuminated the faces of the heroes.

  “Why don’t you try to control some of that lightning, Ziem?” Kandon asked. “Could be good practice.”

  “I’m not confident that I wouldn’t fry us all,” Ziem replied. “It strikes too quickly, too powerfully.”

  “So will Argain,” Auric said. “We can’t let this storm distract us.”

  “Someone sure isn’t,” Kandon said and pointed at Veese, who was sitting below the sails with his eyes closed as if nothing was happening.

  -

  By the first light of morning, the storm had finally stopped. The wind calmed, and the sea became still once again. Although slowed during the storm, the Paragon Pelinum had remained on course and was closer than ever to Argain’s ship. A telescope was no longer required for the heroes to make out the wicked shapes of the black raiders aboard, and with the scope, Argain himself could be seen pacing about the ship looking angrily back at his pursuers.

  “He is worried,” Auric said. “He doesn’t think he can fight us or he would have tried it already.”

  “Too bad Reon isn’t here,” Kandon replied, leaning over the side of the ship rail and biting into a piece of fruit. “He could chuck some fireballs over there to keep them occupied.”

  The companions had gathered around a small table at the ship’s head, eating their breakfast, and after Thraun’s words with the cook, the edibility of the meals had greatly increased. Birds were flying toward their ship, and the smell of the salty water around them was particularly prominent. There were clouds on the horizon, catching the early sunlight as it crept into view.

  “I worry about him,” Joan mumbled, indicating with a tilt of her head that she spoke of Veese. “He’s been there since before this time yesterday.”

  “He is strong-willed,” Dalk said. “This is a challenge he can face, and he wants to make sure he does his part.”

  “But to go so long without rest,” Joan said.

  Auric nodded, already feeling similarly on the issue, and he approached Veese. “My friend, is it not time you’ve slept? We will be upon Argain’s ship soon. You will need your strength for what is to come.”

  “We only gain on the Evil God because I continue to push wind into our sails,” Veese spoke, not moving from his statue-like pose. “Should I rest, he will break away.”

  “Please, Veese, just take a few hours,” Auric insisted.

  “We’ll take over for you while you’re resting,” Kandon called, and he looked up at the sails before blowing at them with his cheeks puffed out.

  Veese looked at him blankly before nodding and rising. “Perhaps it is time I do sleep. Kandon’s attempt at mockery was almost amusing to me.”

  As he walked away, the heroes chuckled. “One-of- a-kind,” Kandon said.

  Morning was passing, with the most excitement being Auric’s reports as to Argain’s doings aboard his ship. Joan, Ziem, and Thraun stood waiting, bolstering themselves for the upcoming conflict. Dalk managed to coax Kandon into a sparring match in which he quickly bested the mercenary. Disheveled, Kandon sheathed his sword, borrowed from the Oluld armory.

  “I told you it wouldn’t be much of a fight,” Kandon said, returning to Joan’s side and leaning against the rail. “I am not as seasoned as you.”

  “You don’t wield as though you’ve had a proper teacher,” Dalk said. “Your form is almost nonexistent, but your reflexes are good.”

  “Self-taught,” Kandon said, and then he suddenly looked unhappy. “I do prefer a crossbow, though.”

  “How is it?” Joan asked Ziem as he slowly flexed his arm, testing its state.

  “Better,” Ziem said. “Much better. Without Auric, I think I would have lost it.”

  Auric took the telescope away from his eye to look for who had said his name. He smiled as he saw Ziem’s arm was once again of some use.

  “Greetings, fair lady,” Pest said as he joined the companions at the front of the ship. He had a bandana tied around his head so that his hair flowed beneath it, and he wore a white linen shirt, its flaps blowing in the wind. “It is a good day for a battle. My cutlass is sharpened and yearns for the taste of steel!”

  “That’s rather garish,” Kandon said. “I doubt if you’ve ever even seen battle before.”

  “I have,” Pest insisted. “We sailors have to deal with more than just heavy winds. Every now and again, the pirates that roam just east of the South Sea will grow confident enough to chase down one of our merchant ships. I have to say, this is the first time I’ve been on the pursuing side. And of course, there were the battles at Oluld.”

  “But you never actually did anything,” Kandon jeered. He grappled Joan at his right and pulled her in front of him before bending her down against her will and planting a kiss right on her while she struggled to escape.

  She finally broke free of him by jetting a stream of icy water at his face. Giggling, she dodged his second attempt at seizing her.

  All the while, Pest watched with his mouth hanging open before interrupting agitatedly. “I would challenge you to a duel! Certainly you could not insult me after I defeat you in combat.”

  Kandon turned back to the young sailor. “To the mighty skies, don’t you have work to do? They d
on’t call you Pest for nothing, do they?”

  “I have plenty of time to best the likes of you,” Pest said, his chin high.

  Kandon looked at Joan for her to back him up, but she simply returned to him a meaningful gaze. “You were the one who said he couldn’t fight,” she said. “I’m not going to deny him the chance to make a fool out of you.”

  “Very well,” Kandon sighed. “Let’s make this quick.”

  “The stakes,” Pest said, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “a kiss from the fair lady.”

  “Joan is not a prize to be won,” Kandon said. “She has her own free will, believe it or not.”

  “He accepts,” Joan said, grinning mischievously at Kandon.

  Kandon looked annoyed, his usual smirk having vanished, and he pulled his sword from its sheath. “Then we use real swords,” Kandon said. “No play weapons for training.”

  Pest gulped visibly, but he nodded. “First to disarm, then…”

  As he spoke, a loud humming sound came from Argain’s ship, and the passengers turned to see a white beam of light traveling up into the sky beyond sight. Auric replaced the telescope at his eye to see that the beam was coming directly from Argain himself. After several moments, another beam rained from the sky, farther out into the sea, as if the first beam had gone up and arced back down.

  “What is that?” Captain Benard was suddenly at Auric’s side. “Shall we prepare for battle?”

  “I do not know,” Auric said, continuing to gaze at Argain through the telescope. He was standing perfectly still, and the beam was emitting from one of his fingertips, raised toward the sky.

  “Was he aiming for us?” Benard asked.

  “It’s possible, but I doubt it,” Auric replied. “He’s probably altering the sea in some way to slow us down again. Tell your men to brace themselves.”

  Benard nodded and left. The beam bursting from Argain’s ship stopped, and moments later, the second beam also disappeared, its end vanishing into the water below. Argain fell to his knees, and Auric watched as the black knight with the trimmed armor and the tusked helmet, the same one that attacked Hazzul, tended to his master. The heroes stood around, nervously looking at Auric for instruction.