King Tides Curse

by C J Timms

  ‘Can’t sleep,’ Sterling shrugged.

  Swan nodded and put her hand to something in her pocket. ‘How do you feel about a treasure hunt?’

  The three of them pushed inward into the ruins. They passed Bella and a Komodo named Hsein on watch duty. They raised their eyebrows but said nothing.

  ‘It's like an outpost,’ Sterling said. ‘Like a forward fort from the main city.’

  ‘Mmmm…but who were they fighting?’ Gale said.

  On the north side of the outpost, something caught Gale’s eye. A flicker in the dark. He hacked through some overgrowth to find a ruined altar, the metal untarnished. Like it was newly forged. The altar had traces of a silvery-white metal to it.

  ‘Palladium’ whispered Swan, placing her hand on the altar. Sterling put his hand next to a symbol and traced the outline. The altar was covered with a large drawing. Nine weapons arranged in a circle facing inwards to a rising wave. Despite the damage to the rest of the ruins, there was no decay to this altar. There were nine names arranged in a circle adjacent to the weapons in a strange language.

  He recognised this symbol, he’d seen it carved into the wall under the blowhole. There was no mention of the word ‘Heretics’ though.

  Beneath the symbol, there was a single line of Script carved into the palladium, a foreign language.

  The symbols lit up with metallic light. Swan and Sterling jerked their hands back. Two of the signs stayed lit, a crown with a hammer and a burning pyre with twin daggers above it. A metallic birds head poked out of Swan’s pocket to look at the symbols. Then quirked its head at Swan.

  ‘What is that?’ Sterling asks.

  ‘Nothing.’ Said Swan. ‘ A knick-knack I’m working on.’ Swan shoved the birds head back in her pocket. Looking at the bird, Gale’s sensation of water in his ear pounded. He shook his head and turned away.

  ‘Did you take that from the entrance exam?’ Gale asked.

  ‘A knick-knack,’ Swan repeated.

  ‘It’s old canuteian,’ Sterling interrupted, holding his torch closer to the altar tracing the inscription.

  ‘Noble does not rust’.

  Interesting, Gale thought, old canuteian was barely used apart from church nowadays.

  Sterling shrugged, ‘Something my grandfather used to say, Sigfried believed in the classics. Before the madness took him.’

  Gale reached out a hand to touch the altar, but something made him hesitate, a faint taste of salt in his mouth, a quickening to his heart, a tightness in his chest. He pulled back. ‘Come on, we’ve got a long walk tomorrow’.

  They turned to leave.

  With a flicker of silver, a tiny shape slipped from the behind the altar, into the trees above. It tracked their progress back towards the camp. Then it dropped down onto Sterling’s back, quiet as the night. A tiny lego-like figure, holding twin daggers.

  The new sun of a new day failed to rouse Gale’s spirits. Alisdair plotted their course on the map to meet with the rendezvous for the supply drop. Alisdair shouted down a few members of House Laurels who asked questions. Alisdair would stop every half hour and hold an augmented compass in front of him. He would turn in wide arcs, seeming to grow wider every stop.

  One of Yip’s journals dived down from the sky and floated in front of him. Yip muttered to himself for a while then walked up beside Gale.

  ‘We’re heading the wrong way.’ Yip whispered.

  ‘What, how do you know that?’ Gale said, casting eyes around to see who was in earshot.

  ‘I may have snuck into the supply tent and copied the map last night, while you were off exploring.’ Yip winked and jerked a thumb upwards. ‘I’ve been mapping our progress from overhead.’

  ‘Can you get us back?’ Gale asked.

  Yip eyes flicked back and forth, fingers tracing lines in the air. ‘With a ninety-five percent confidence interval, I can get us back to the fracture.’

  ‘Ninety-five,’ Gale said, ‘You’re slipping.’

  Gale thought about fighting it out with Alisdair. The Police Chief’s son was unlikely to listen to him, and he’d just aggravate the situation. Never go directly counter to the boss. They’d smile and play dumb for now. At least they were getting paid by the hour for the work.

  Wait weren’t they?

  ‘Oy Yip, are we getting paid for this?’

  Yip shook his head. ‘Its an exam, we paid to sit it.’

  Gale cursed. ‘He’s not going to listen to us anyway. But Yip, make sure we’ve got a way back’.

  The jungle showed more signs of life as they pressed on, even with thick coatings of insect repellent, mosquitoes were an issue. Titus sprayed a constant cloud of Aerogard repellant around him.

  The deeper they went, the more the jungle filled with life. Vibrant multi-coloured frogs made a chorus in rivers. They dodged around large webs with spiders the size of his forearm. One House Laurels member tried to burn his way through a web and got stung by hundreds of tiny fleeing spiders.

  A frog leapt onto the path and croaked at them. From above, a spider dropped and jammed its mandibles into the frogs back. The frog petrified to a stony substance within seconds. The spider wrapped the frog in a cocoon and hauled it away. It had shown no fear of the students. They all kept their eyes up after that.

  Alisdair stopped more and more frequently to check the map. The conversations with his team got more and more heated. Finally, towards the afternoon, they emerged into a break in the canopy. A lake had been made by the fall of a massive tree, the size of a skyscraper. The tree had broken through the surrounding forest and created a crater that had filled with water. Looking up, Gale began to appreciate how tall the forest had grown. While inside the canopy it had been hard to see, but with the gap to the sky, the forest was filled with skyscraper-sized trees.

  Gale knelt down at the lakeside, watching the water. He dipped a finger in and put it to his tongue. The lake was saltwater. In the middle of a jungle.

  Yip poked Gale’s shoulder and gestured to the House Laurels group. Alisdair was in a full-blown argument, his hands waving in the air, voices heated. Gale looked around at the other houses, and although many seemed uncertain, no-one was making their way to question Alisdair.

  ‘Oh lead us, fearless leader.’ Yip said.

  Gale sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He touched ‘Lifting Great Weight’ for good luck and put on his most charming smile. He swallowed his pride and approached Captain Numbnuts. Swan and Yip followed him at a healthy distance.

  ‘Don’t suppose we could have a look at that map could we?’ Gale asked.

  ‘Piss off Knott, I don’t trust you to see this.’ Alisdair waved him off without looking. ‘And you two, flotsam and slag, get back to work.’

  Both Yip and Swan reached for their weapons.

  ‘We’re lost aren’t we’ Gale said, louder. A few of the other students had stopped what they were doing to pay attention.

  ‘No, we’re on a shortcut. In fact, I’ve saved us enough time that we can afford to have a big bonfire here as a celebration.’ Alisdair shot back.

  ‘We probably shouldn’t give our location away like that’ Gale said, hammering politeness into his tone.

  ‘What's the matter, Knott, scared? Don’t worry, we’ll set a watch, but I won’t be trusting you or your Lighthouse trash to watch our backs. Now shove off, or I’ll make sure they fail you for this exam.’

  Gale’s Deep Script pulsed through his veins, ready to be used. This frakker was messing up the mission to find the Blood Knight. He was messing up Gale’s chance to find a cure for Ironchurch.

  ‘Or are you questioning the orders of your commanding officer? I could have you flogged for disobedience.’ Alisdair said, getting right up in Gale’s face.

  Gale’s Deep Script surged in his veins. Do it, break him like driftwood, it screamed. Gale looked around at the other houses who failed to meet his eye. Bella from House Solvent met his gaze and gave a slight shake of her head.

  Not wo
rth it.

  ‘As you say Alisdair. I’m sure you know best.’ Gale said through gritted teeth, then walked away. From behind, he heard Alisdair spit and say ‘Trenchwalker.’ House Laurels broke into laughter.

  Alisdair and the other houses set up large bonfires by the lakeside, their warmth and light bringing some relief to the dark night. Gale and the Lighthouse team set up slightly further down the beach by a smaller fire. Gale poked the fire with a stick while Yip meticulously traced outlines in the sand from memory. They could be moving faster Gale thought. They could be tracking the Blood Knight and Ironchurch’s cure right now. A big group was inefficient, and weak teammates made you weak.

  ‘Righto boys,’ roared Titus. He slammed two cases of beer down onto the sand, scattering Yip’s drawing. ‘Nowhere to be...might be time for a cheeky schooeeyy.’

  Titus proceeded to pull a camping chair, and a bbq set out of his backpack. He cracked a tinny and leaned back.

  ‘Titus is that what you’ve been carrying for two days.’ Swan said.

  ‘What you don’t want a drink?’ Titus said.

  ‘Of course, I want a drink.’ Swan said and gestured for him to throw her a beer, ‘Did you even bring any food.’

  ‘Beer is a food,’ Titus said. ‘That’s what they taught me when I got my responsible service of alcohol certificate at Canu’cairns bowling club. Anyway, we could hunt for meat. Rule seventy-seven, a man can hunt his own meal.’

  Gale perked up a bit at this, ‘Sounds good to me.’

  ‘Shotty not’ Titus said, putting his finger to his nose.

  Swan, Sterling and Yip all yelled ‘Shotgun not,’ putting their hands to their nose before Gale could react. Gale rolled his eyes and summoned his harpoon, taking off his shoes and striding out into the water of the lake.

  From behind him he heard Swan say ‘You bogan, you only brought 4X, and rum with coke! There's nothing here for a lady!’

  Gale came back to the group with a clutch of lake fish. The group was sprawled around the fire, each with a drink. Sterling had even procured a little umbrella that was floating in his can of Bundy Rum. Perhaps just one drink to ease the nerves, Gale thought.

  ‘Love your work Gale,’ said Titus, waving him down with a formidable bbq fork. The other three cheered at the sight of fresh food. A ghost of a smile crossed Gale’s face. Better than Squishburgers certainly and free too.

  ‘Good diplomacy earlier Gale,’ Sterling said.

  ‘What is it they say, the best diplomacy is done at the point of a gun?’ Gale said.

  ‘Probably wouldn’t hurt us to make friends with a few of the other houses, in case we need the support on the map issue.’ Sterling said. ‘Or if Alisdair completely shonks us on the exam mark.’

  Gale nodded, that was just good tactics. Weak teammates made you weak, but allies were needed to win a campaign.

  ‘You’re a thinker Sterlo,’ Titus said and stroked his beard. Titus turned his head to the other campfires. ‘Oy! Do any of you dickheads want a drink?’

  Swan clipped him on the ears, holding out a swear jar. ‘Language, men don’t curse in the presence of ladies. Isn’t that in your code of modern chivalry.’

  ‘But…its just us here Swan?’ Titus said. Swan leapt over the fire, crash tackled him and forced him into a headlock.

  Flint emerged from the shadows to sit at the fire. ‘Beer.’ He said, staring into the flames.

  Titus hurled him a 4X which he caught one-handed and drank. The grey-haired Flint gave Gale a nod. Man of few words was Flint. Not bad in a rumble though.

  Swan shrugged, ‘I could really use a few ladies to chat to.’

  ‘What was that, Swan?’ Came two voices popping up beside her. Bella and Hotaru wedged themselves either side of Swan on the log, warming their bare feet and hands by the fire. ‘We would be happy to assist. Who has those drinks?’

  Swan rolled her eyes. Then slapped a hand to her neck.

  ‘Ah frak, a leech.’ She said, pulling at the little bloodsucker about the size of her thumb. The leech remained stuck on, swelling in size.

  ‘Hold still I’ll burn it off,’ said Bella. Bella held up a hand, lighting a single fingertip aflame. Gale slipped into the Vibe and watched the flame dance, verdant green and blazing orange. Wyld Script, they were on the twins home turf. He flicked his eyes over the twins and saw a resume of written in charcoal on a living plant.

  Swan shoved Bella away. ‘Nuh-uh.’

  ‘Hold her Hotaru, it's for her own good.’ Bella said. Hotaru jumped onto Swan’s back, grappling her arms. Swan lurched wildly from side to side.

  ‘No, just salt the thing,’ Swan said, dodging Bella’s grasping hand.

  Titus grabbed Swan and doused the leech in Aerogard. The little sucker, now swollen with Swan’s blood, gave a cry and leapt from her neck. Swan’s boot slammed down on it.

  ‘That's the most combat we’ll see I reckon,’ Sterling said taking a long drink. ‘We’re a regular bunch of heroes. I can hear them writing the songs now about the tale of the guards of the supply train.’

  ‘Just wait till we’re given a chance mate.’ Titus said slapping Sterling on the back. Sterling’s beer flew out his nose. ‘Anyway, a hero is different things to different people. Now my hero? Mick Fanning, Aussie surfer, gets attacked by a shark and fights it off, punched it on the nose. Aussie surfing legend.

  That was why it was so hard to beat him in an arm wrestle at the pub.’

  Swan rolled her eyes. ‘Sure, sure. Now my hero is Rad-Dad the Shell Breaker. Meanest smith in Locomotyr.’

  ‘What about you, Gale, who’s your hero?’ Bella asked. ‘Let me guess, Tony Robbins or Simon Sinek? Some sort of leadership expert right?’

  Gale put his hand reflexively to the copy of ‘Awaken the giant within’ in his pocket. ‘Hrmmm…well…they’re up there. But I would probably say Barry Marshall.’

  ‘Who?’ Bella asked.

  ‘Well see, Barry was a doctor born in Kalgoorlie, a mining town in West Australia. He worked in Perth as a doctor and kept seeing all these patients dying of stomach ulcers. He and another mate, Robin Warren, see they thought they’d found a bug that caused stomach ulcers, only no one would believe him. See back then stomach ulcers were frakking hard to treat, people died from stomach bleeds a ton. Stomach cancer too.

  So no one would believe him that this bug, H pylori, was the cause of a vast number of stomach ulcers. Barry knew that antibiotics could prevent all these ulcers. But who was gonna take his word, a small timer from Western Australia, not exactly the cutting edge of science at the time?

  So he shows it happens in mice, but people don’t believe him still. They don’t let him test on humans because it wouldn’t be ethical right? So Barry does a test on the only patient he’s allowed to…himself.

  Barry, the frakking legend, gets the bug from the gut of one of his sick patients, mixes up a wicked broth and then downs it. The guy goes on to get vomiting, gastritis and finally cures it with the very antibiotics he was saying would work. He and Dr Warren go on to win the Nobel Prize.

  Barry Marshall is my hero because he gives you faith that unexplained shit, does have a cause, you just have to work it out. Then have the balls to follow through on your plan.’ Gale finished

  Silence filled the campfire.

  ‘Sounds like a top bloke, mad lad really.’ Titus said.

  The group broke into a laugher. Even Flint gave a hint of a smile. Gale looked over at the two Wyldfell twins, here on their home turf.

  ‘What do your family do twins?’ Gale asked.

  Bella and Hotaru shrugged, ‘Travelling entertainers.’

  ‘Like a circus? Are you two carnies?’ Titus said.

  ‘No it was not a circus, it was Madame Thyonis’s travelling emporium of mysteries and excitement.’ Bella said.

  ‘Was there a big top?’ Titus asked

  ‘Well yes…’

  ‘And hot dogs, deep-fried hot dogs?’

  ‘Well, we did have those…’


  ‘Sounds like a circus.’ Titus said. ‘What did you to do?’

  Bella shared a look with Hotaru then winked. ‘We were dancers.’

  ‘What about your family Titus, what do they do?’ Bella asked.

  Titus scratched his chin. ‘Didn’t know em really. The monastery found me at a pretty young age on the streets of Canu’cairns.’

  ‘And Gale, what is the mother of…hmmm how did Titus put it…the man-o-war like?’ Hotaru said with a playful grin.

  Gale shrugged. ‘Don’t remember much of em, I was too young. Same as Titus really. Got shifted around a lot through different foster homes. What about you Swan, what does your family do?’ Gale asked, the salt mines still fresh in his memory. What did Jacobian Swan do?

  ‘My dad runs a forge, my mother left us when I was young, but dad always took good care of me. He did pretty well getting me to things like ballet and singing lessons, the mums always loved him. He was a real charmer. One day he found me banging two hammers together in his forge and began teaching me. I’ve never looked back.’ Swan said with a smile.

  ‘Wait, as in Jacobian Swan?’ Flint said, and shuffled down the log slightly. ‘Strike a light, you don’t mean the…’

  ‘Respected businessman.’ Swan said flatly staring back at him. Across the campfire, Yip took a long pull from his hip flask.

  ‘Alright, alright you lot, let's have a game of never have I ever.’ Sterling said. ‘I’ll start, you’ve got to say something you’ve done and anyone who has done it has to drink. But you start it by saying ‘Never have I ever’.’

  ‘Seems like your just making it hard to drink Sterlo,’ Titus said. ‘I didn’t come here to get confused.’

  ‘Nah it's real easy. I’ll even start. Never have I ever, snuck someone up to my bedroom.’ Sterling took a long drink and winked at the twins. Titus also took a sip.

  ‘Titus you dog,’ Sterling said. Gale eyed Titus, he was pretty sure he was just drinking for the sake of it. Hotaru raised a drink and took a slow sip.

  Bella’s eyes went wide. ‘What, when?’ she said. Hotaru just gave a shrug with a wry smile.

  The turn came round to Swan. She looked up from her drink at Sterling, ‘Never have I ever - left someone behind in the entrance exam.’