Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles

by A. J. Norfield

  “What about patrols?”

  Raylan looked at Galirras for the answer.

  “There are no walls or gates. I saw very few guards around. It should not be too difficult to sneak past any patrols, especially if I can create some turmoil on the south end.”

  “You still haven’t mentioned the airships. What about them?” said Gavin to Raylan, who had to think about that, for a moment.

  “I might be able to rip the balloon, if any come after us,” suggested Galirras. “Without the balloon, it would just be another sailing ship, right?”

  “Not good enough,” said Gavin, shaking his head. “There are too many uncertainties. Not to mention that a large part of your plan depends on the one thing we’re here to protect and return safely to the Emperor of the Tiankong Empire.”

  “Galirras can take care of himself. He can easily outfly any horse or man, and if he approaches the airship from above, they shouldn’t even see him until it is too late. I really don’t see any other way to get back home fast enough to beat them there, other than to cross the ocean.”

  “Are you certain they will go straight to Aeterra?” asked Xi’Lao. “They might have a very different direction in mind.”

  Gavin gave a small smile.

  “True, but like you said yourself, such a large force needs to keep moving for provisions not to run out. For the same reason, they wouldn’t be able to stay at sea for long periods of time. They would need to go ashore and restock provisions, at least. The mid-continent is the closest landmass to do so. They might not show up at our shores right away, but it’s more than likely they’ll land on our side of the ocean.”

  “And if they would go south around the mid-continent to the Empire, for example, they would possibly be stuck fighting on two fronts against both our armies. That seems like an unlikely choice,” remarked Richard.

  “That is if the king would send out soldiers to assist the empire,” said Harwin, skeptically.

  “Still, could we take that chance? Take the long way around? I don’t think so,” said Ca’lek.

  “I agree. So, are we going to do this or not?” asked Raylan. “If we want to catch the scouting party for their armor, we’d better get moving.”

  Gavin looked around at each of the members. All of them had eager looks on their faces. These men did not do well without a purpose. They needed a goal, a task to focus on. The wish to return home was driving their will to forget the high risk involved. It was a dangerous mindset to be in for a soldier, to lose sight of the dangers involved. But it would be more dangerous to wander around aimlessly, waiting for the enemy to find them again. The problem was he had been unable to come up with any alternative course of action since their rescue pickup was lost, and not doing anything was just not an option.

  “…fine,” Gavin said, reluctantly. “Everyone gear up and get ready to go. It’s time for us to get a new set of clothes.”

  As the group stirred into motion, Raylan saw Xi’Lao put her arms around Gavin’s lower back and pull him close. They had become more open, showing their affection in front of the group, which was somehow comforting to see. They had already become more than just a group, it almost felt like family with everyone here.

  As he walked away, Raylan heard his brother softly speak to her.

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  Raylan felt the remark sting, driving him more to prove Gavin wrong. He quickly gathered his stuff and joined his older brother as he loaded up his horse.

  “Gavin, I’m sure we’ll manage,” said Raylan.

  Gavin shook his head.

  “I don’t think you understand the full grasp of the situation, yet.”

  “I do. Actually, I think for the first time in my life, I finally understand your need to protect. To shield those things you love…people…friends from danger. To keep them safe, at all costs,” said Raylan, “but in order to do that, you sometimes have to put yourself in harm’s way…”

  Gavin looked at his little brother, in silence, but Raylan noticed his brother’s expression changed. He noticed only the slightest of movements from the muscles in Gavin’s face as his brother looked him in the eye. At that moment, Raylan was certain that his brother saw him in a different light than before.

  Gavin turned round to finish up packing the horse. He glanced over his shoulder, before he spoke, softly.

  “It seems you have indeed grown up…a little. Still, it does not change this ominous feeling I have about all this. Just promise me to keep on your toes, the whole time.”

  “Don’t worry, I will,” said Raylan, firmly.

  Chapter 15

  Infiltration

  Raylan looked at the mass of soldiers slowly passing him as they moved in the direction of the bay. The road was packed with them. Many had large tattoos on their arms and faces, while every single one of them had at least three different weapons with them. Axes, swords, spears, morning stars, but also smaller knives, daggers and more exotic-looking weapons. Raylan had just seen one soldier that had some sort of claw tied to his arm in the shape of three large spiky blades, extending from the back of the soldier’s hand. It reminded him of Galirras’ claws.

  The soldiers looked sweaty, dirty and intimidating. It was not so much a march, it was more a constant flooding of soldiers in the direction of the harbor. Fights occasionally broke out, quickly creating circles of soldiers as they shouted and yelled encouragements to the fighters in the ring. This, in turn, would block the flow of soldiers still coming in, resulting in more conflicts. Eventually, one of the more highly ranked soldiers, often riding on a horse, broke everything up and got everyone moving again.

  Raylan looked at Sebastian, standing next to him. Acquiring the enemy’s armor had posed little difficulty. They located the scouting party late in the morning. With the element of surprise and with the help of Galirras, they quickly overpowered the small group. Raylan tried to come up with a way to spare the soldier’s lives, but he was overruled by Gavin, who did not want to take any more unnecessary risks for the already risky plan. The attack was swift and clean. They ended up with eight full sets of armor, more than enough for the small reconnaissance team that Raylan and Sebastian formed. The others would use the armor for their own disguise, on their approach from the north cliffs.

  If not for the stench of blood and the fact that it was taken from a dead person, the armor itself was quite comfortable. Still, Raylan felt an intense resentment when he put it on. It was simple enough armor, covering most of his chest; but it was obviously expertly made, as no sharp edges from the metal could be felt on the inside. The metal had been colored black, with patches of leather, here and there. The shoulders had less mobility than his own armor as it had multiple plates of metal bent over each other, again finished to a polish deep black. Raylan wore an open steel helmet, while Sebastian had one with flaps on the side, to cover up the slave mark on his cheek. The boots were a bit of a loose fit, but had metal protectors on the shins. Flexible leather pants, with heavy leather patches on the front of the upper legs, completed the armor. It was clear that the enemy had been carrying much heavier armor— made for protection—while their own armor favored speed.

  Along the road, soldiers constantly moved in and out of the main masses of people. Finding some drinking water, taking a piss, or perhaps, going for a quick hunt, for whatever the reason, they should have no trouble joining the river of soldiers moving west. Still, Raylan saw they both had their doubts about putting themselves in the middle of the enemy’s forces. The plan to infiltrate the harbor, to scout the surroundings, and to find a suitable ship to take later in the night had sounded simple enough, but the implementation took more courage than Raylan expected.

  Raylan looked at Sebastian. As he took a large breath, he gave a short nod and began to move. He heard Sebastian follow him down the hill and exit the forest. Making a short hop unto the dirt road, he found an open spot in the constantly moving hoard and adjusted his walking speed to match th
e soldiers around him.

  As he carefully glanced around, he noticed none of the surrounding soldiers paid him any attention. His hair was darker than many of the soldiers, but was not uncommon; and although he and Sebastian did not have any tattoos, not all soldiers showed the patterns on their body.

  Raylan checked his right and saw Sebastian maneuver himself closer to him, both were carefully making sure not to lose track of each other.

  On their approach that the morning, they had tried to choose a spot close to the harbor to join the constantly moving stream of soldiers. But, they ended up hiking around an entire area where they were cutting down trees. From what Galirras had told him, Raylan figured most of it was used for the ship construction.

  Because of the detour, Raylan and Sebastian spent half the afternoon walking with their enemies, before—finally—the first harbor buildings showed up from between the hills.

  By the time they entered the seaside settlement, the sun had begun to set, which would make it easier to stay hidden, if needed. Raylan looked around and saw a few soldiers move away from the main stream, to drop off bundles of provisions, swords, straw mats and the like. Other soldiers would grab the gear, before setting of in the direction of the bay. As the land declined toward the water, they saw ships, floating in the bay between the different structures. Most of the buildings were quickly constructed warehouses, meant more for a basic protection against the elements than for providing any kind of luxury.

  Raylan tapped Sebastian on his arm and pointed to some soldiers moving the provisions. They walked over and each took something on the shoulder to carry. Pretending to deliver the provisions, they moved in the general direction of the bay.

  Galirras had been right. The harbor buzzed with activity. Soldiers walked everywhere. They saw large trees being dragged to the edge of the settlement, where carpenters went to work, creating everything from planks to large masts for the sailing ships. A constant mix of hammering and sawing was heard throughout the bay. The harbor felt like a small town, because of all the activity. He saw livestock walking the streets, herded by butchers from the look of the cleavers on their belts.

  It surprised Raylan, a little. He really saw no normal civilians. No farmers, hunters nor shop owners. Normally, such a large force would draw in all kinds of people, looking for the opportunity to make a little bit of extra money.

  The only women Raylan saw were transported in a caged wagon, all of them with iron rings around their necks, connecting them to the bars of the cage. He noticed other slaves were pushing carts holding barrels and boxes. In those cases most of their neck rings were chained together. A number of them carried large pieces of wood, toward the water, most likely for the ship building. The slaves looked skinny; their hair was filthy and full of knots. Their skin was darkened with smears of dirt and sweat from the forced labor. None of them dared to look up, or talk, fearing the whip that already cracked often enough, without provocation.

  Moving between two buildings, they heard a woman scream behind a door. The laughter of men accompanied it, giving Raylan a dark feeling, his every fiber wishing he could stop what was taking place behind that closed door. He threw down his pack and was at the point of opening the door, when Sebastian grabbed his shoulder and softly shook his head. Swallowing hard, he hesitated another moment, before picking up his pack again, cursing and defeated.

  As he started to move, he noticed a soldier looking at them, following their movements. The soldier had been talking to some men, who now continued to patrol the area. But, the single soldier still looked at them with great interest.

  Had he seen me go for the door? Seen Sebastian stop me? Raylan wondered.

  He followed Sebastian as he saw the soldier starting to move toward them. Increasing his pace, he pushed Sebastian into a small passageway.

  “Move, someone took notice of us,” he whispered.

  As they moved, quickly, along the side of the structure, Raylan saw a door and tried to see if it opened. It swung in and they quickly moved inside, closing the door behind them, unseen by the soldier that just came around the corner. The guard looked around the empty passageway, shrugged his shoulders and returned to his post.

  Raylan rested his back against the door. He heard Sebastian slump down to the floor. Both of them had been walking, nonstop, since they joined the soldiers on the road; but only now that they had stopped, did they feel how tired their legs were.

  The inside of the building was pitch-black. No torches were lit, and there were few windows to let in the moonlight. Raylan heard Sebastian breathe deeply, taking the moment to rest.

  “Can you see anything?” Raylan whispered.

  “Not yet, just waiting for my eyes to adjust.”

  While Raylan could barely see, he felt the size of the room was very large. Perhaps, it was the way the sound carried, or maybe he subconsciously took note of it when they entered; but it felt like a massive hall with a high roof. He tried to think of how high the roof was when he had looked at the outside of the structure, but his attention had been on the woman’s screams.

  He pushed off and took a few steps forward.

  “Where are you going?” asked Sebastian.

  “Just trying to figure out what’s in here. That guard might still be out there. We might need to find a different way out.”

  Inching along, Raylan softly slid his feet forward, stretching out his hands, trying to prevent himself from walking into anything. He jumped at the touch of something hard and cold in front of him. As it remained immobile he carefully ran his hand across the surface. It felt cold and rough. His hands followed the form, slowly developing a picture in his mind of the thing in front of him.

  Chest…arms…head and big, taller than me…

  The image of a statue became painfully clear in his mind, feeding the knot in his stomach as he recognized more and more of the shape. He put his head forward and rested his forehead against the chest of the statue, cursing it silently. He let out a disappointing groan, bumping his forehead against the stone chest multiple times.

  A ghol’m…a damn ghol’m…why am I even surprised to see it…of course they would have a ghol’m here.

  He heard Sebastian shuffle closer, attracted by his disapproving sounds.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “A ghol’m…”

  As he stepped back from the roughly carved ghol’m, Raylan noticed his eyes had adjusted to the low light. Outside the clouds split, which let the moonlight pour into the building. As the darkness was slightly lifted, the size of the hall became clear. The sight of it took both their breaths away.

  “Oh crap, that’s not good,” said Sebastian.

  “How many are there?”

  The hall was indeed large, consisting of one, big space.

  “It must be at least three hundred feet long,” said Sebastian.

  As the moonlight illuminated the dark stone of the ghol’ms, they saw some parts sparkle from the black crystals in the rock. The number of ghol’ms in the hall was sickening.

  “There must be hundreds of them,” said Sebastian. “I’ve seen how many the mines produced in those early days. They kept going for all these years…they must have thousands…”

  “Thousands? That means thousands of scrolls…thousands of people…children…all those small infants...how can someone do that? Damn them. Damn them all!” Raylan roared through his teeth, as he kicked the ghol’m in front of him. It did not budge at all…

  A loud clank echoed through the hall, as they suddenly saw the light pour in a set of double doors that had been thrown wide open at the other end of the warehouse.

  Soldiers streamed in as orders were shouted.

  Both Raylan and Sebastian automatically ducked to the floor, forgetting their disguise.

  “They can’t find us here, even with this armor on,” said Sebastian.

  “What are they shouting?”

  “Something about this being the last batch. That they have until sunris
e to get everything loaded up.”

  “Sunrise? Are they that close to setting sail? We’ve really got no time to waste. Grab your pack…we’ll go back through the door.”

  They quickly opened the door, to peer through a crack and to see if the guard was still around.

  “Empty,” said Sebastian.

  “Let’s go.”

  They moved into the abandoned passageway, and rapidly continued on their way toward the water.

  Shifting between the workers, they deliberately moved quickly and smoothly, making sure not to be in anyone’s way and avoiding those who might ask questions.

  As they approached the final buildings before reaching the water, they took position next to one of the smaller buildings, behind a number of crates.

  The bay was filled with ships, just like Galirras had said. Dozens of large sailing ships were anchored along the coast with smaller ships spread out throughout them. Raylan could not see them all, nor did it matter. Where Galirras had seen mostly empty ships and a quiet harbor, the water was now packed with dinghies moving soldiers back and forth to all the ships.

  “We’re too late…no way we’ll be able to take over a fully loaded ship with that many soldiers on it,” said Raylan, angrily.

  “What about the smaller ships?”

  “I don’t see an easy way to get to them with that many eyes on the water. We’ll be spotted for sure. They could instantly block us in and board us…it’d be suicide…”

  “There must be something we can do. What about the one on the far side? I don’t see any one on deck there yet,” urged Sebastian.

  “Seb…Seb is that you?” whispered a very soft voice, nearby.

  Both Raylan and Sebastian froze in the middle of their hushed conversation, looking around for where the voice was coming from.