The King's Ring (The Netherworld Gate Book 2)

by Sam Ferguson

  “Better than nothing,” Pinhead said. “Besides, you get sick at sea.”

  Kelden saw another officer approaching and gave a quick couple of taps with the heel of his boot. Redbeard shushed Pinhead and replaced the piece of wood.

  The officer made his way to Kelden and Kelden pushed off from the crate to meet him farther away from where the dwarves were hiding.

  “All ships have reported that they are ready for the voyage, we will take the lead position,” the officer said. “Is Admiral Crillion in his cabin?”

  Kelden nodded. “You may want to knock first.”

  The officer arched a brow.

  “I refused to take his offer of a brandy,” Kelden explained.

  The officer shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. “That was not a wise thing to do. The pre voyage brandy is one of his superstitions. It brings bad luck to turn it down.”

  Kelden shrugged. “Meant no disrespect.”

  “Just, stay here,” the officer said as he pointed to the spot Kelden stood. “Don’t move, and I would advise you not to talk with him until tomorrow.”

  “That bad eh?”

  “I’ve seen him keelhaul someone for less,” the officer said.

  The officer moved to Crillion’s cabin and knocked on the door. Kelden couldn’t hear the conversation, but he saw that the officer was only allowed to poke his head into the door. Within a minute the officer closed the door and moved about the ship barking orders at the sailors. Soon the ship was out onto the sea, and heading north.

  They sailed for the space of two hours under good weather and without any obstacle of any kind, but their luck was destined to take a turn for the worst. Heavy gray clouds formed off to the east as the sun began to set. The distant roll of thunder faintly reached Kelden’s ears.

  “Don’t worry,” Crillion said as he came up from behind Kelden. “The storm is headed due west. We should be able to get up north of it before it reaches us.”

  Kelden turned and nodded.

  “My lieutenant thinks I tossed you out of my cabin for refusing to drink with me,” Crillion said. “Thank you for that.”

  Kelden tipped his head to the side. “It seemed to keep up appearances.”

  Crillion nodded.

  “Ship off the port bow!” the lookout shouted from the crow’s nest. “Two ships off of port!” the lookout corrected himself. “Three! Many ships heading straight for us!”

  “Not possible,” Admiral Crillion said. He held his left hand out and the lieutenant came sprinting from across the deck to give him a spy glass. Crillion then moved Kelden aside and leaned out over the rail and set the spyglass to his eye.

  “What do you see sir?” the lieutenant asked.

  “Make ready for battle!” Crillion called out. Instantly all the men on deck scrambled about. Some ran to man the ballistae while others turned the sails to catch the wind and maneuver the ship. A bugle sounded from high in the crow’s nest, sounding the pending battle. Each ship in the fleet returned the bugle call with one of their own, signaling that they were also preparing for battle.

  Kelden gripped the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white and strained under the pressure. He clenched his jaw and cursed King Sarito. The Shausmatian ships were coming at them from the north. Kelden instinctively knew that an attack had undoubtedly already found Khatthun. He knew the enemy would not pass by Khatthun without striking, for it would leave them vulnerable to attack.

  “Curse Tehrigg,” Kelden muttered. “Khefir take his soul down to hell.”

  “Save your fire,” Crillion said. “You will need it when the real fighting starts. There are twelve of them. They outnumber us nearly two to one. They may also have smaller ships behind the larger ones. It is a tactic they use sometimes to gain an element of surprise. Not to worry though, you are sailing with the saltiest sea dog ever to grace a Zinferthian deck.”

  “Orders?” Kelden asked.

  A hint of a grin graced Crillion’s lips and he nodded. “You are a spitfire, aren’t you? Any good with a ballista launcher?”

  “Never used one before, but I can help load,” Kelden offered.

  Crillion nodded. Then he called out over his shoulder. “Lieutenant Sorbiy, get Captain Ferryl up to the portside ballista. He has offered to help reload it. Keep an eye on him. He needs to reach Khatthun alive and unharmed.”

  “Yes sir,” Sorbiy said. Kelden and Sorbiy ran across the deck toward the heavy ballista launcher nestled securely on the port side of the ship only a few yards behind the bow. Sorbiy pointed to a long wooden crate fastened to the deck. “Open it up!” he shouted.

  Three sailors were already working the ballista. Two were cranking the gears to pull back the heavy cords that would launch the missile. The third pulled a key from his belt and popped the iron locks holding the lid in place. He bent down and pulled a four foot long, bronze plated shaft up from the chest. The tip had a wickedly sharp, barbed head for piercing the enemy hull.

  The sailor moved in front of the ballista launcher and placed the butt end of the missile into a slot and pushed it back.

  “See how he stays in front of the launcher?” Sorbiy asked. “If he were to step inside the cords, they could cut him in half if accidentally triggered.”

  “What about the arms of the launcher, won’t they hit him when it fires?” Kelden asked.

  Sorbiy shrugged. “It happens sometimes, but better broken ribs then losing your head. Watch him and learn.”

  The sailor clicked the missile into place and then sat on the deck, well under the arms. The two at the crank clicked the cords into place and began swiveling the launcher. “Ready to fire sir!” they shouted in unison.

  “Give them hell!” Admiral Crillion shouted at the top of his lungs. The launcher sprung into place, ejecting the missile with such force that it shook the chains that held it to the deck. The reloader then rolled out from under the contraption to grab another missile. He slid it in as the other two cranked the cords back again.

  “Simple enough, right?” Sorbiy asked.

  Kelden nodded and stepped in.

  “Henner, come with me. I could use another archer in the crow’s nest,” Sorbiy shouted to the third sailor. Henner finished locking the missile into place and then he rolled out underneath to follow Sorbiy. Kelden moved in and wrapped his hands around the third missile as the launcher expelled the second. Kelden didn’t bother watching whether they struck their targets. He left that to the two sailors pulling the trigger. He concentrated on loading.

  “Incoming!” someone shouted from above. Kelden ducked, and a heavy shaft tore through the two sailors that had been working the launcher with him. Their skewered corpses flew across the deck and disappeared over the starboard side.

  Kelden dropped the missile and ran to the crank side. Another missile crashed into the bow, ripping wood apart and jolting the ship, but he didn’t pay it any mind. He set to work, pulling and pushing with all of his strength. It was slow going at first, but after a couple of revolutions the crank became easier to work. When he had the cords locked into place, he ran back to the missile and slid it into the slot as he had seen done. He then moved back to work the firing mechanism. Another pair of missiles crashed into the hull, nearly stumbling him before he could grab the end of the launcher. Kelden gripped the handle and pushed with his whole body to swing the launcher into place. The enemy ship had turned, and instead of moving due south it began heading to the west. Kelden squeezed the trigger and the launcher jumped as the third missile flew out. He smiled when he saw it crash through the enemy’s port side hull, creating a gaping hole.

  “No, not like that,” Sorbiy shouted. Kelden wheeled around to see the lieutenant sprinting for him. “You have to aim lower on the hull so they take on water!” Sorbiy grabbed Kelden’s shoulder and roughly pushed him back toward the chest. “Get another one. You load, I will shoot.”

  Kelden grabbed another missile as Sorbiy worked the crank. Kelden didn’t wait for t
he cords to lock into place before he shoved the rear end of the shaft into the slot. He pushed the missile in, helping Sorbiy reel the crank the rest of the way back. It clicked into place and Kelden dropped to the deck. A half second later Sorbiy had repositioned the launcher and fired.

  “There we go!” Sorbiy exclaimed. “Again!”

  Kelden rolled out from under the contraption and reached for another missile as Sorbiy ordered for everyone to take cover. A series of missiles tore through the crew on deck, the main mast and sails, and several more exploded into the hull. Sorbiy was only narrowly missed by a flurry of arrows that followed the heavier missiles. Kelden watched helplessly as several archers fell to the deck from the crow’s nest and other platforms built around the center mast. Arrows stuck out from each of them as they thumped down. Crillion was shouting orders, but it was hard to hear him over everyone else.

  “Kelden!” Sorbiy shouted. Kelden looked up to see the lieutenant’s red face glaring down at him. “Off your arse and load the launcher!” Kelden reflexively jumped to his feet and moved the next missile into place. At that precise moment the ship lurched, pitching the entire vessel toward its port side and angling it so that almost everyone fell to the deck. Sorbiy accidentally triggered the launcher and the arms slammed forward. Kelden tried to evade, but one of the arms caught him in the left side and an explosion of pain shot through his chest. He crumpled back to the railing, gasping for breath.

  He looked down to see the cause of the commotion. The shafts that had pierced the hull were all attached to heavy chains and cords. As the enemy ships turned away, they pulled on the port side of the hull, effectively towing The Arioness.

  A hand slipped under Kelden’s armpit and he looked up to see Sorbiy. “You alright?” Sorbiy asked.

  Kelden nodded, and with Sorbiy’s help, tried to stand and put his weight on his feet. His chest still burned, but he could hold himself. “I can move.” Kelden said. He started for the chest of missiles again, but Sorbiy stopped him.

  “It was triggered prematurely,” he said. “The left arm is cracked. It’s useless now.”

  Kelden turned around and sure enough, the left arm had a deep crack through half of it. There was no way they could use it again. “What now?”

  Before Sorbiy could answer, Crillion shouted from the quarter deck, pointing his scimitar at the enemy ship. “Hard left men!” he yelled. “Prepare to ram and board boys. It’s time to show those frothy fen-sucked foot-lickers the point of our swords!”

  Kelden looked up past the quarter deck to the helmsman cranking the wheel with all of his strength in answer to Crillion’s commands.

  The ship creaked and groaned against the shafts stuck in the hull as the men redirected its course. Several more rounds of arrows and missiles swiped across the deck as they closed in, but other Zinferth ships were in the thick of the battle now. Kelden and Sorbiy kept their heads low until Crillion’s ship came in close. Kelden could hear the enemy taunting them. Arrows rained down on the deck.

  “Hold steady men!” Crillion bellowed. An instant later the ships crashed together. Crillion’s ship plowed into the enemy hull and the two stopped dead in the water. “Board the frog-bellied curs!” Crillion yelled. All of the sailors on the main deck ran toward the bow and leapt over the railing onto the enemy ship.

  Sorbiy looked to Kelden and motioned for him to follow the sailors. Kelden looked back and saw the large crate that held his friends shaking violently. “Redbeard and Pinhead,” he said. Kelden ran, pushing aside the pain in his chest and dodging sailors as they rushed by him to board the enemy ship. He could hear Crillion shouting at him from up on the quarter deck, bellowing something about him being a liver-spotted coward, but he didn’t slow. He had to release his friends. Rather than take the time to stop and wiggle the iron pin free from the latch, Kelden lifted his sword high into the air and brought it down in a heavy chop. The latch splintered away from the crate and the dwarves blasted out from the crate, weapons in hand.

  “Who needs killing?” Pinhead shouted.

  The trio then turned and sprinted for the port side of the ship. To his surprise, enemy sailors had managed to board the flagship as well. Kelden glanced up from the main deck to the quarter deck just in time to see Crillion running his scimitar through a Shausmatian sailor’s chest. Nearly a dozen more were only seconds away from Crillion. Kelden motioned for the dwarves to follow him. They changed course and ran up the stairs to the quarterdeck. Kelden cut through the first enemy sailor with his sword. Redbeard and Pinhead pushed past him, hacking down a trio of Shausmatian sailors as they hooted and hollered.

  Kelden caught up with the dwarves and ducked under a slurry of poorly aimed arrows and then forged ahead. He dropped another sailor with a backward swing to the man’s chest while Pinhead and Redbeard hacked him down at the waist. The three of them ripped through the five remaining Shausmatian sailors until no one stood on the quarterdeck with Crillion.

  “Not a coward,” Kelden said quickly, “just a loyal friend.” He motioned to Pinhead and Redbeard.

  “Indeed,” Crillion replied evenly. “Well, let’s not stand here like gawking geese, go and give them what for!”

  Kelden and the dwarves turned to run at the rail and leapt across the narrow gap. Kelden landed hard on a Shausmatian sailor’s back, breaking him down to the deck and finishing him with a quick chop to the neck. Redbeard also cleared the leap, tumbling across the deck and hacking a sailor’s left foot clean off. The man flopped to the floor, writhing in agony until Redbeard delivered the killing blow. Pinhead nearly missed the ship, but managed to tangle himself in the outer rigging.

  “Kelden!” Pinhead called out. Kelden turned back and pulled him from the ropes to set him on the deck. An enemy sailor rushed in with a cutlass, but Redbeard hacked through the man’s knee, severing the leg and dropping the man to the floor. He then struck the man’s spine at the base of the neck.

  “Stop playing around, Pinhead,” Redbeard shouted.

  The three of them formed a formidable triangle, cutting their way through sailors as they made their way to the middle of the main deck. Kelden spotted the enemy captain calling out orders to his men from behind a wall of sailors. Kelden let the axe slip in his hand, extending his reach. Then he broke into a jog.

  “Pinhead, on Kelden!” Redbeard called out. The two dwarves carved their way through the enemy, dropping anyone who dared come at Kelden from the side while Kelden destroyed any sailor in his path.

  Kelden dropped a big bald man with a quick slice to the man’s jugular, and then he ducked under a swing from another sailor’s cutlass and lashed out with a stabbing strike that shattered the man’s nose. It wasn’t a lethal blow, but it staggered the man back a couple of steps and Redbeard was quick to jump up and finish him off. Kelden moved ever closer to the protective wall around the enemy captain. There were seven men forming a semi-circle around the officer. Each of them held shields. Kelden turned to Redbeard and smiled. The dwarf nodded and the three of them sprinted forward.

  The dwarves were easily outpaced by Kelden’s long legs. The merchant guard captain ran full tilt, clenching his jaw as the shield-wall moved in together, preparing for impact. Three yards away, Kelden threw his axe with full force at one of the sailors. The man reflexively raised his shield to block the weapon. The axe clanged against the steel shield and glanced upward into the air. Kelden dropped to his knees and leaned forward.

  Redbeard saw his cue and ran up Kelden’s back, launching from the man’s shoulders as Kelden lunged upward to add momentum. The shield-wall reacted by tilting upward to counter the flying dwarf. Redbeard launched his axe downward, forcing the men closest to him to duck their faces behind the protection of their shields. At the same time, Pinhead ran in under the lifted shields and hacked into the legs of three of the men in the center of the shield-wall. The remaining four moved to engage Pinhead, but Redbeard snatched Kelden’s axe before it fell out of reach and flipped it down, dropping another sailo
r as the blade buried itself in the man’s skull.

  Kelden came in fast and hard, ripping a shield from one of the dead men and spinning to bash two of the sailors. Their heads jerked to the side and they went sprawling onto the deck. Pinhead and Redbeard finished the last remaining sailor and Kelden moved in for the captain.

  The captain lunged forward with a lightning-quick stab of his saber. Kelden spun the shield down to block it. Before he could counter, the captain retracted and then launched a downward diagonal chop. Kelden lifted his shield and smacked the saber away. The captain deftly drew a long knife from the front of his belt and thrusted directly for Kelden’s stomach. Kelden saw the move just in time and spun out to the right, away from the knife. He then brought the edge of the shield down, chopping into the captain’s shoulder. The man cried out and dropped his saber. Kelden then slammed forward, bashing the captain with the shield and knocking him back against the railing.

  “Catch,” Pinhead called out. Kelden stuck his left hand out and snatched Pinhead’s axe from the air. The captain reacted by lunging forward with his knife again, but Kelden kicked the man in the stomach, doubling him over. Then he brought the axe down and the captain’s head rolled out onto the deck.

  A chorus of cheers went up on the ship and Kelden realized that the ship had been captured. He looked around to see all of the Zinferth ships similarly engaged, with sailors crawling over their ships. The vessel they stood on pitched suddenly toward the starboard side.

  “Sorbiy!” Kelden shouted out.

  “Here!” Sorbiy stepped forward, wiping blood spatter from his face. “We are taking on water here, we have to move!”

  Kelden nodded. “My thoughts exactly.

  “We’ll get the men back to The Arioness. You three move on to the next ship,” Sorbiy instructed.

  “How are we supposed to do that?” Pinhead asked. “We can’t swim very well.” Pinhead made a mock doggie-paddle gesture with his stubby arms to emphasize his point.

  Sorbiy pointed down. “There is a smaller longboat fastened to this side of the ship. Take it and row over to the next ship.”