Rising Thunder (Dynasty of Storms Book 1)

by Brandon Cornwell

  It was the pirate that had beaten Martin in the hold when Elias first woke up. Bald head, long nose, square jaw, definitely him. Elias had a hold of him by the upper arm. The pirate was yelling and reaching for a knife he had sheathed under the arm Elias held.

  He knew he didn't have much time left. Already his vision was starting to go dark as he hung by his neck. He grabbed the knife out of the pirate's belt and stabbed at his face with it, striking him in the eye. The man screamed as Elias let him go, and dropped to the deck. Reaching up, Elias grabbed the rope with his left hand, and hauled on it, trying to lessen the weight he was putting on the noose. He sawed frantically at the rope with the knife.

  Without warning, he dropped, rope and all. He fell maybe six feet, the rope still tight around his neck. Hands grabbed at him, and he started flailing about with his arms. His vision was almost black by the time someone grabbed the rope around his neck and loosened it.

  Looking up, he gasped for breath as his watering eyes met Delain's. “Are you alright? Can you breathe?”

  “Yes, ” he croaked. A pirate was rushing towards them, cutlass raised, screaming from behind the old man. Elias shoved him out of the way, and lunged forward, catching the pirate by the wrist and the neck. The pirate beat at Elias with his other hand as the giant lifted him off the ground. Hoisting him high, Elias brought him down with as much force as he could muster, striking his head on the edge of a barrel that was lashed to the deck. The pirate's movements ceased, and Elias threw him overboard, stripping him of his sword.

  “Elias! Elias, the captain is not here!” Delain's voice called out to him from not far away. The old man had a gaff hook and a belaying pin and was holding back a pirate armed with a long wooden pole.

  Rushing in from the pirate's side, Elias swung the cutlass hard, trying to break the pole in a single swing. Unfortunately, the pirate saw him coming and sidestepped him, using the pole to make Elias's strike glance away. The end of the pole came back with blinding speed, catching Elias in the stomach. If it had been a spear, Elias would have been impaled. As it was, he had the breath nearly driven out of him and staggered back. He and the pirate faced off, each at the ready, each waiting to strike.

  A belaying pin struck the pirate directly in the eye, causing him to stagger and curse, letting go of the pole with one hand. Clapping a hand over his eye, he tried to cover himself from the new threat as well as Elias. He failed when Delain's gaff hook sunk into his other arm, and Elias ran him through with the cutlass.

  Delain grabbed Elias's wrist. “You have to find the captain! If you can kill him, the rest of the pirates might surrender!”

  Forcing a surrender was one of the last things on Elias's mind at the moment, but the old man made sense. The fight had been fast but was not over yet. They had the element of surprise, but the pirates were starting to regroup. Elias nodded assent.

  There was a clear path to the aftcastle, and Elias took it. Charging forward, he struck the door with his whole body weight, holding the cutlass clear. The weathered wooden door cracked and splintered, bursting inwards and slamming against the wall, opening to a small entry room with another door directly in front of him. Elias braced against the door frame and kicked the door near the handle, splintering wood and knocking it open.

  The smell of lavender and jasmine filled the warm, moist air that greeted him. A large copper tub of steaming water was to the right, and clothes were strewn about the room. The woman who had been dragged up from the oar deck set on the bed, naked, her knees drawn up as she recoiled from the commotion at the door.

  As Elias burst into the room, he parried a strike from the left just in time to protect himself. The captain was swinging a longsword at him, naked from the waist up, his breeches untied. He struck a few more times, with Elias repelling each swing, then backed off to readdress. He moved back and forth while Elias stood his ground, keeping the cutlass between himself and the captain.

  The man started stalking towards him. “I should have cut you into ribbons the moment I saw you, you giant shit!” he spat, menacing Elias with the tip of his sword. Elias suddenly realized that the longsword the captain was using was Elias's own, taken from him when he had been captured.

  Elias held the cutlass ready to parry, trying to keep an eye on the captain and the battle behind him as well. He couldn't tell by the shouting who was winning, and he didn't need to get caught between the captain and any pirates behind him.

  The captain must have realized what Elias was watching for, and yelled out. “Someone get in here and kill this fucking elf-”

  His shout was cut off mid-sentence by a flash of steel from behind him. His eyes snapped open and his swordpoint dropped. He staggered forward a single step, then his throat was slashed out. Blood poured down his chest as he dropped the sword and grabbed at his neck with both hands, frantically trying to stem the flow of blood as he fell to his knees. The woman from the bed stood behind him, holding a dagger, her right arm covered in dark arterial blood.

  She stood without moving, still naked, her skin glistening with water droplets, looking down as the captain gurgled his last breath. Lean though she was, she was still very much so a woman, and not as skinny as Elias had thought. Her skin was much darker than his, but not black, more a light leather-like brown, but much smoother. White and pink scars marked her shoulders, arms, stomach and thighs here and there, a few disappearing into her dark pubic hair.

  He averted his eyes when he realized he had been staring. “Are... uh... are you...”

  “Get down!”

  He spun around to see a pirate charging him with a small harpoon. He raised the cutlass to parry the charge, but before the pirate could close the distance, her dagger flashed past Elias, embedding itself in the man's eye. Elias turned back to see the woman picking up Elias's sword. “Watch yourself! Stay alive!” Her thick, sharp accent added force to her words.

  “Thank you. Do you need-”

  “I can handle myself right now. You handle them.” She pointed out the door as she started rifling through the clothes on the floor.

  Elias looked down at the dying captain on the floor, gurgling in his death throes. Grabbing the body by the wrist, he dragged it out through the battered doors, and with a mighty heave, threw the corpse onto the deck, striking a few clustered pirates with it.

  “Your captain is dead! Throw down your weapons and your lives will be spared!”

  Most of the pirates had grouped up, surrounded by the mercenaries and remaining slaves. One of the pirates cursed and slapped a mercenary's blade to the side with his own. Before he could throw another strike, an arrow embedded itself into his throat. He fell to the deck, gurgling blood and grasping at the arrow. Martin stood on the forecastle, nocking another arrow into the bow he held with his bloody hands. He nodded to Elias, then pulled back, taking aim at the pirates again.

  “I swear to you now, drop your weapons and you won't be harmed. But by all means, if you want to die, keep them in your hands.”

  The pirates looked between each other, then lowered their weapons. At the sound of metal and wood landing on the deck, the slaves raised a cheer. The ship was won.

  ~ ~ ~

  Elias heaved the last pirate body over the edge of the deck. Of the thirty pirates that had been on board when the battle started, eight remained. However, of the fifty-five slaves that had broken free, twenty-eight survived. Even with the help of Elias and his companions, the pirates had killed as many as they lost, including two of the mercenaries. Martin had lost a finger to a cutlass, and Jonas was still unconscious. Elias was a little bruised, a little battered, but for the most part without serious injury.

  The bodies of the fallen oarslaves were laid out on deck, with the two mercenaries laid separate from them. The remaining slaves and Delain all agreed that a burial at sea was the best option for those who had fallen. Delain, having retaken his position as captain, oversaw the funeral.

  The bodies were wrapped in cloth, of which there was an abu
ndance in the cargo hold, weighted with ropes, and lowered over the side of the ship. The two mercenaries were kept in the hold, for cremation upon landfall; Martin had said that it was customary for men from the mainland who died while away from their homeland. The surviving pirates, however, were chained to the benches on the oar deck. Geoff and another man took up station to guard them, ensuring no escape attempts.

  Elias threw a bucket attached to a rope over the edge of the ship and pulled it back up. He used the seawater to wash the blood and grime from his hands and arms, then poured it over the rail and back into the sea. As soon as they made landfall, the entire deck would need to be washed... there was blood everywhere.

  Delain was in the process of assigning jobs to the freed slaves according to their abilities and keeping the vessel sailing smoothly. Some of the rigging had been damaged in the fight, and the first order of business was to get it repaired enough to limp into port at Greenreef, which was visible in the growing light of dawn.

  Marl had stayed with Jonas for the entirety of the fight and was with him now that he had been moved to a bed in the crew's quarters. The older elf was versed in the ways of a healer, and had more experience than Geoff. He was able to stabilize Jonas, cleaning and bandaging his wounds after the battle.

  Elias looked out over the bow of the ship, to the west. The sky was still nearly black on the eastern horizon, but it was lightening just enough to reveal the rising islands. Each island had a tall mountain rising near the center of it, one of which had a plume of smoke rising from the peak. Elias had heard of the mountains of fire that rose out of the sea, but he had never entirely believed the stories... how could fire rise out of water? And yet here it was.

  The woman from the captain's chambers stood at the bow as well. She had dressed in plain trousers and a tunic, belted about the waist with a red sash, Elias's sword in its scabbard hanging from her left hip. Her hair was pulled back in a blue ribbon, the ends of which were woven into the rest of her black locks. She had said very little since the end of the battle, and the new crew had mostly left her alone.

  They stood in silence for a while, watching the waves roll past as the ship moved steadily towards the island. Elias wanted to talk to the woman, ask her name, but had absolutely no idea how to do so. He was used to living and interacting with men, or women who acted as mother figures to him. This was a woman completely unknown to him, and though he had no inclinations towards her, he felt awkward initiating conversation.

  “My name is Jenna.”

  He turned towards her, surprised. “Excuse me?”

  She turned as well, putting her back to the railing, and leaning back slightly. “You've been standing over there trying to figure out what to say to me for at least ten minutes. I figure you ought to at least know my name. It's Jenna.“

  Elias cleared his throat. “Ah. I'm Elias. Pleased to meet you.”

  Jenna quirked a brow. “Are you?”

  Elias had no idea how to respond. “Should I not be?”

  Jenna smirked and looked back towards the approaching islands. “You never know. I could be one of the most insufferable bitches you've ever met.“

  Elias shrugged. “Maybe. I haven't seen that yet, so for now, I'm going to assume you're not. I did spend my youth around elves, and they can be pretty insufferable.”

  Jenna smiled then, still looking out towards the islands. At first, she didn't say anything, and the silence stretched out for a time. Elias started feeling somewhat uncomfortable, like he should say something. “Is there, uh, anything I can do?”

  Jenna pushed off of the rail. She walked up to him, her shorter stature dwarfed by Elias's massive frame. “Don't treat me like I'm broken. Yes, I have a past, no I do not want to talk about it. Yes, things have happened, no there's nothing you can do for it. Treat me like the person that I am, not the one you think I am.”

  Elias held her deep, almost black eyes with his own and nodded once. “Yes, ma'am.“

  Jenna smiled, reaching up and patting his chest. “Excellent.“ She started down the steps that led to the main deck. “We should make landfall in about four hours, if not sooner, I think. I'm going to see what these bastards have lurking in the mess hall, and maybe we can get these men fed.“

  Elias watched her go, unsure of what to make of the enigmatic woman. One thing he did know was that she still had his sword, and he wasn't exactly sure of how to ask for it back. He leaned against the rail, looking towards the approaching islands.

  This was not what he had had in mind when he left the Northlands. Not at all. There was one upside to this unexpected trip, though... it would be very difficult for the Felle Army knight to track him here, unless the others from the Felle had a way to communicate faster than sending a ship.

  Marl stepped to the rail beside him. “The air smells like home here. It's been far too long since I left. Well over a year.” He pointed to the largest of the landmasses on the horizon. “That island there is the one you mainlanders call Greenreef. His true name is Rapa Matomato, the Green Giant. Behind him is Rapa Wahine, the Giant's Wife. Their children stretch out to the west, forming the rest of our islands.”

  Elias looked down at Marl. “Which one is your home?”

  “Rapa Matomato. It is where the largest village of my people is, and I am the leader of that village. My wife has been leading in my place.” He smiled slightly, closing his eyes and breathing deeply through his nose. “Every night I dreamed of coming home to my wife and my daughter. She is about your age, but every bit as formidable as her mother.” He glanced up at Elias. “You should come with me to my village once we dock at the port. I daresay it's more comfortable than any accommodations on this boat.”

  Elias nodded. “I'd like that. I haven't been to an elven village since I was barely a century old.”

  Marl smiled again, broader this time. “Then it's settled. Once the men at port are done with us, we'll head out.” He pushed back from the railing. “I'm going to go check on our patient. Try to find some sleep if you can. You'll need it.”

  Elias smiled. “I will when it comes to me. Thank you, Marl.”

  He turned back to the west, listening to the waves lapping at the hull of the ship as it sailed towards the island, the sky growing lighter as dawn approached.

  ~ ~ ~

  Elias stood at the gangplank, watching the mercenaries escort the captured pirates off the ship. Delain stood on the pier with a group of officials from the port that was named after the island chain, Greenreef. They had docked at the largest of the islands, as it was the most well known as friendly and safe to non-pirate vessels. Some of the smaller islands at the western end of the chain had been commandeered by pirates and turned into fortified refuges, almost like a sort of anti-government society.

  The settlement here had been founded by men and elves from the mainland, and as such retained much of the culture and practices of the lands of origin, however, the tropical climate and the presence of natives on the island made for an interesting mixture of cultures. The administrative buildings were made of stone to withstand the occasional tropical storm, but most dwellings were made of wood and thatch, both of which were abundant on the island.

  Men and elves were busy upon the piers and the shore, moving cargo to and from several other ships, however, there was a bit of a crowd at the foot of the pier they were docked at. Apparently, the ship they had retaken was well known as a pirate vessel, and there had been a bounty on the heads of the pirates who sailed it. The port authority was trying to decide exactly how to pay out, since all of the dead had been thrown overboard. Delain had produced the captain's log, which numbered the pirates at 30, eight of which remained alive. Those eight had already been paid for, twenty gold coins a head. The other twenty-two were what was being debated.

  Elias left the haggling to Delain. He would take his share, of course, but the ship needed repairs and supplies for the return to the mainland, as well as a crew of able bodied sailors capable of making the voyage. Mu
ch of the cargo could be sold off, as the owners were presumably no longer alive to claim it, which would help with the costs immensely.

  As the last pirate was transferred to the custody of the port authorities, Elias turned back to the forecastle and went to go check on Jonas. The man had been unconscious for a long time, which was dangerous.

  As Elias entered the cabin, he could hear Jonas grumbling. Marl was sitting on a stool next to him and looked up as Elias approached.

  “He's not conscious yet, but he is making noises, and has been for a few minutes now. He will likely wake up soon.”

  Elias sat down on the bed next to Jonas. “Not soon enough. He's the reason we're free.”

  Marl looked at Elias quizzically. “I remember it a bit differently.”

  Elias shrugged. “I wouldn't have had the motivation to try if he hadn't first. I just followed his lead.“ He looked down at Jonas's face, the top of his head wrapped in bloodstained bandages, a patch over his swollen eye. “He was the leader of the group I was captured with, and he fittingly led the way to freedom, if not in person, then in spirit.“

  “You need to take credit for your own achievements, Elias.”

  Jenna's voice cut through the ambient sound of the port bustle. She sat down across from Elias and Marl. “It was you who broke your bonds, and you who took the keys. You led the charge, and you killed the captain.”

  Elias was taken aback.”But I didn't!You did!”

  Jenna shook her head. “Not according to the men. You burst through his door, caught him in an act of villainy, and cut his throat. That's what they believe, and that is the story they will tell from this day forward. Elias, the Iron Oarsman. Liberator of slaves, crusher of pirates.”

  Elias shook his head, chuckling slightly. “That is a reputation I neither want nor need.”

  Jenna leaned back, studying him. “Be that as it may, you have it. So now, it begs the question; what are you going to do with that reputation? What are your plans now that you're no longer bound to the sea?”