by A F Stewart
“I may be able to help with that.” Rafe opened the satchel and withdrew the horn. “I found the Horn of the Gods.” Lord Merrill gave an undignified whoop, but Lynna gave him a quizzical look. He added, “Ulerne’s hunting horn.”
Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “But—but...I thought that was just a story Father wove to amuse us.”
“He told you of this?” Rafe frowned.
“Yes, when I was young. He used to tell me stories to help me sleep. Didn’t he tell you these tales?”
Rafe shook his head, tucking away his puzzlement for another day. “Another one of his secrets, I suppose. In any case, I used it against our skeleton hordes. It drove off the creatures attacking Commander Pelham’s ship and may have done the same to the other invading swarms.”
Lynna smiled. “That explains why those nasty creatures suddenly returned to the sea en masse screaming as if the Kraken chased them.” Then she frowned. “But it only worked above the sea. The dead below in the water didn’t react. Not until the others came back. Then they shook and moaned like a thousand broken rattles. I had to come to the surface to finish the journey to this quaint little place.”
“Interesting. It does seem to have limits.” Rafe ran a finger along the edge of the horn.
“Perhaps.” Lynna spoke softly as if contemplating something. “Perhaps it only works in one place at a time. Above or below.”
“What are you thinking, sister?”
“I don’t know. Just bits of old stories running through my head.” She smiled enigmatically. “May I see it?”
“Of course.” Rafe picked up the horn and handed it to his sister.
She held it gingerly with both hands, her tapered fingers curling around the bell end. “It’s warm like the currents around the Stone Fire Islands.” She trembled and tilted her head. “I can feel its magic. It almost feels alive. It tingles under my fingers and tastes of summer lightning.”
Rafe leaned forward. “You can feel that? I could sense something, but not the sensations you describe.”
“Yes, I can feel it. Like a fierce storm and a calm sea, like the midday sun and the stars at night all swirling together. It’s fascinating. It’s intoxicating.” She stared for a minute and abruptly handed it to Rafe. “Here. Take it back.” She folded her arms and sighed. Rafe stowed the horn into the confines of the satchel.
“This is all very enlightening, but we still need a plan.” Lord Merrill broke into the conversation. “I’ve ordered all surviving ships, naval and cargo, into the closest ports to fortify our defences. Assembled here at the council, are naval captains and other officers from Abersythe, Crickwell Island, Llansfoot, and Storm Point. We need to formulate a strategy and relay it across the Navy of the Royal Court. We’ve already lost a third of the Black Shoals fleet with sailors gone and damaged ships. Tenby has lost ships as well as Pentown. Another concentrated attack could cripple the Navy.”
“A sound move, bringing the ships into shore. They’re far more vulnerable on the open sea than in port. I think we—”
Whatever Rafe would have said went unspoken as a frantic midshipman burst into the room, screaming. “A wave is heading this way! Bones! Masses of bones! We’re under attack!”
Rafe leapt to his feet, seeing Pelham turn pale and Lynna snarl. She scrambled over the table and raced across the hall as he grabbed the horn and chased her outside.
Lynna raced through the streets to the docks, straight to the edge of the water. A shadow smeared across the horizon as a giant shrieking wave barrelled inland. Lynna roared in defiance spreading her arms wide, a burst of pale green light flaring from her body. Beyond the harbour, another wave rose, the sea ascending in colours of emerald and cerulean, an outward tide rushing to meet the legions of Ashetus. The two walls of ocean crashed together in a scream of spray and cracking bone, Lynna’s force of magic and will hammering the opposite swell of sea and horror deep below the surface.
Rafe joined her side as the last of the water fell back into the sea. “Nicely done.”
“It won’t hold them for long. They’ll regroup or more creatures will arrive. They’ll attack again soon, probably within the hour.”
“You’ve done this before?”
She nodded. “At Shadow Cay. They attacked three times before giving up or moving on to another target.”
“Your temple is on Shadow Cay.”
“Yes. They didn’t touch it. I didn’t let them.”
A scuffling of feet and whispers made the pair turn. Several naval officers and sailors stood behind them all staring at Lynna, looks of awe on their faces. Beyond her ring of admirers, Rafe saw Lord Merrill, Pelham, and the naval men from the council.
“That was marvellous, ma’am! Simply marvellous!” A lieutenant commander blurted out his enthusiasm for Lynna’s quick action.
She glared. “It was nothing. And temporary. Make yourselves useful and man some defences for the port. They’ll be back and we must be ready.”
Surprisingly, every man snapped to attention as if awaiting her next order, and she gave it. “I want a line of armed men along the docks and patrols along the shoreline outside the town. If this place has cannons, I want them primed, manned, and pointed out to sea.”
In minutes, the naval officers, sailors, and the captains from the council raced to carry out her commands. Only Lord Merrill and Pelham remained on the docks with Rafe and Lynna.
They walked forward, Lord Merrill chuckling. “It seems the skill of command runs in your family.”
“Indeed.” Pelham added his voice. “And with your permission, ma’am, I’ll join the defence crews. I’ve battled these things up close, and I believe I can provide useful instruction for combat if any manage to slip past the two of you.” Pelham nodded at Rafe and Lynna.
“Permission granted, Commander.” Lynna smiled at him, and Pelham blushed before hurrying off.
Lord Merrill remained for a moment. “I should see to things as well, but, may I ask, what are your plans to hold these attacks at bay?”
“I’ll take the Jewel out into the harbour. It should afford a better position to use the horn.” Rafe noticed Lynna glance at the instrument in his hand before speaking.
“Yes, that will give you a better vantage point. I’ll return to the sea. I can see more, do more, from the water.” She tossed her head, shucked off her coat, and jumped into the harbour.
Lord Merrill gaped as she left, but quickly drew together his composure. “She’s not one for modesty, is she?”
Rafe shook his head, hiding his amusement. “But she is powerful, and that’s what we need at the moment.”
“Undeniably.” Lord Merrill extended his hand, and Rafe shook it gladly. “Good luck, Captain. I fear we will need it to survive this all.”
Chapter Nineteen
Battles
RAFE STOOD ON THE QUARTERDECK of his ship, Blackthorne at his side. They had sailed from their berth to the middle of Crickwell harbour in record time with the help of a diligent dock crew, Lynna, and a little magic.
“Are we going to make it through this time, Captain?”
“I think so. Between myself and Lynna, we should be able to drive them back and away from Crickwell Town.”
“I don’t mean here, sir. I saw what that horn did at the bay and what your sister did in this very harbour. I’m sure we can hold off their attacks here. I mean the whole of it. We haven’t retrieved the Bow yet, and we’re not even on our way there. And with these attacks on the islands, we’re needed here with the horn. It feels like we’re being deliberately delayed as if Ashetus was playing a waiting game, running out our time.”
“I know it does, and that may well be what’s happening. I have some thoughts on the matter, my friend, and a possible solution to our dilemma.” He patted a sack that he had slung over his shoulder, a bag that held the horn, traded for the more cumbersome satchel. “Lynna said there are hundreds of Ashetus’ hordes under the sea, yet, so far, only scattered companies of these sol
diers have surfaced.”
“Hundreds?” Blackthorne’s voice trembled a touch. “Why haven’t they invaded then? Testing our defences possibly?”
“Possibly. Or Ashetus isn’t powerful enough yet to control them all at once. Either way, I think we may be fighting them on the wrong side of the ocean.”
“The wrong side?” Bewilderment chased the first mate’s words.
“Yes. We used the horn from the ship above the sea’s surface. Our enemy is underneath the water.”
“Under—oh!” A look of comprehension blossomed on Blackthorne’s face. “You mean Lynna. You want her to use it. Do you think she can?”
Rafe nodded. “She examined it at the council. It responded to her or she to it. On a deeper level than I did. I think it is meant for her, not me.”
“Then,” Blackthorne paused, his mouth frowning, “why keep it? Shouldn’t she have it to use in this battle?”
“For this battle, I doubt it will make a difference which of us uses it as the creatures must surface. I want to get an idea of its power before I give it to her. The taste I got at the bay suggests it holds immense magic. If she can tap into it more than I, she could unleash a very destructive force. If that’s the case, her using it around a settlement may not be a good idea.”
“I see the sense in that. No point courting more trouble.”
“No. We get through this and then pass it on to her. Then we retrieve the bow.” Rafe laid a hand on the rail. “And to answer your original question, we will get through this. We’ve survived it so far, we’ll make it to the end.” He stared out at the sea. “We won’t lose, Blackthorne. We can’t lose.”
THE SECOND WAVE CAME from the west, larger than the first, but still full of shrieking tormented dead, jangling their bones and gesticulating decayed flesh. Cries of ‘Attack!’ echoed from the dock, and, from the sea outside the harbour, Lynna rose up on a mighty wave screaming a frenzied battle cry. She conjured more waves in front of her and sent them careening forward smashing into the new assault force. In an instant, the skeletal wave dissipated, the dead dropping into the sea, and Lynna’s waves met empty air.
Rafe watched it all from the deck of his ship, waiting.
When Ashetus’ soldiers rose again in another wall of seawater, this time behind Lynna, he blew the horn. It howled, loud and rough, a golden ripple shaking across the air between the ship and the breaker full of the dead. Their tormented voices screamed and faltered, and some of the dead fell back into the sea. The majority of their attack broke off into a series of smaller, multiple forces, closer to the surface but still surging towards the town.
Rafe sounded the horn again and again while Lynna pounded them with counter waves from behind until their defence drowned the enemy wails under the surface. For a moment, peace reigned. But only for a moment.
Another cry of ‘Attack!’ followed by ‘Man the cannon!’ resounding from the town filled the silence. Rafe scanned the water but found no sign of wave or bone. He turned to see a legion of skeletons storming across the beaches, over the crags, past the edge of town. The boom of cannon sounded, and explosions burst across the beach in fractured clouds of sand and bone splinters. Another boom of cannon and more skeletal soldiers fell, yet, still, the legions of the dead advanced, flooding to the edges of town. Naval officers rushed to engage the enemy, and, as Rafe put the horn to his lips, he saw Pelham leading the charge.
The captain sounded the horn, a screaming shriek of noise, a wail challenging the dead to dare defy him. The army of Ashetus answered the blast of the horn with a howl of their own, many falling or thrashing about. Pelham and his officers waded into the fray, slashing and hacking as Rafe smashed another blast of the horn into the air. The second horde of attackers retreated, chased to the water by the Navy.
Lynna swam out, diving down deep. She surfaced with the shout of, ‘They’re retreating!’ before diving under again. Rafe relaxed a fraction as he watched the Navy regroup and his sister patrol the waters just outside the harbour. He turned as he heard a noise behind him to see Blackthorne scanning the beach and town with a spyglass.
“What do you see?’
“The beach and the dunes are torn up from the cannon fire, but I’m not seeing Navy casualties or the enemy. I think we won this round, sir.”
“And hopefully bought a reprieve. The ship stays here for a bit to mind things in case they return. I’m going to have a chat with my sister.” Adjusting the strap on his shoulder, he slipped the horn back in its sack and summoned his magic. He floated over the rail and across the harbour to keep pace with his sister as she swam.
“Why are you here? We’ve driven them off for now. No need to search. I can handle it, and it’s unlikely they’ll come back now. That horn of yours hurts them too much.”
“I know. The Horn is why I’ve come. I think you’re the one who should be wielding it.”
She stopped swimming, turning to face him. She bobbed on the surface her expression wide-eyed and shocked. “Me? But—but why?” Her voice held disbelief, yet her eyes stared at the bag slung over his shoulder.
“This instrument responded to you far more than me, and, while I can use it, I can only do so on land or on board my ship. You may be able to use this under the sea.”
“Under the—” She grinned. “That’s your plan?”
“It is. Will you try?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’ll try.”
AS SOON AS IT BECAME safe, the Jewel left Crickwell Town with Lynna on board and sailed in haste to the seas past Razor Reef and on to Rock Island. When safely in an open expanse of water, Rafe ordered a heave to and the dropping of the ship’s sea anchor. As the ship slowed, Rafe joined his sister at the stern—the horn tucked under his arm—where she gazed at her ocean, at her domain.
“Are you certain I can do this? That horn—”
“Is powerful, I know. But you’re more than a match for it.”
She snorted. “We’ll see.” She held out her hand. “Give me the thing before I change my mind.”
Rafe placed the Horn of the Gods in her outstretched palm. He watched her inhale a breath and let it out slowly. “I can feel it. So fierce, so eager. It wants the fight, brother.” She curled her fingers around the horn’s neck and claimed possession. Then she climbed on to the ship’s rail, her teal-coloured hair fluttering in the wind. “Time to test the whole of it, brother.”
She leapt from the rail in a graceful, backward dive. With a flick of her wrist, the sea came up to meet her, wrapping her body in a swell of water, pulling her under and away from the wake and rudder of the Jewel.
Rafe leaned over the railing and watched her surface, her hand raised, waving the horn. She put the instrument to her lips hesitating for a fraction of a moment. Then she drew a breath, sank beneath the sea, and blew a note from the Horn of the Gods.
The muffled, congruous sound came bursting out like wild horses ripping through the water in a wild ride. The ocean bucked recklessly, rocking the ship, and shuddered a vibration through the Jewel’s bones. Pale emerald mist swirled in its wake settling on top of the water like foam. Just under the surface, Lynna lowered the horn from her mouth and clutched it to her chest. Then she surfaced.
Rafe shouted down to her. “Well, it seems as if you can use it! How do you feel?”
She turned her head upward, a laughing smile lighting up her face. “Magnificent! I can do this brother! I can do this! And I know just where to start. There was a small band submerged by the West Shoal Reef. A perfect place to try it out on them.” She stared at Rafe, waiting.
He nodded, adding, “We’ll head to Rock Island and then back to Shadow Cay to meet at your shrine! Keep safe, sister!”
“I will!” She shouted a farewell, holding the horn above her head like a prize. Then she disappeared beneath the waves.
THE Celestial Jewel left Lynna to her work and sailed full speed to Rock Island, storming into the Blue Bay harbour as soon as the ship was able. Two naval vessels and armed sa
ilors with salutes and grim faces greeted them as they docked in port. Even here, they could see signs of fighting and invasion, and the captain wondered how they held off the skeleton hordes. After docking, Rafe gave Blackthorne orders to hold the ship and disembarked alone. He eschewed a solitary walk, instead using his magic to propel him to the temple in the quickest way possible.
He descended at its gates, enshrouded in a misty cloud of blue, to find the entrance open to him. He strode in through the garden and was met by Rayla near the temple’s main doors. Oddly, she held a lit lantern although it was daylight.
“The Oracle said to expect you and escort you to the old underground passageways.” She bowed slightly. “She said we should leave immediately, so if you will come this way.”
She walked off without another word, and Rafe followed her, though he knew the way without her assistance. If the Oracle wanted her to accompany him, it would be important.
The duo meandered their way through the garden and out a side gate to the area behind the temple. They passed the pergola and the temple’s well coming to what appeared to be an abandoned stone outbuilding.
“We’re here.” Rayla broke the silence that had settled between them and opened the door to the building. She held up the lantern, illuminating a stairwell carved from the rock, leading underground. She started down the steps, lighting their path as Rafe followed. He pulled the door almost shut behind them, leaving it open just a crack.
They descended the narrow, winding staircase to an underground alcove with another door. Rayla produced a key from her pocket and handed it to Rafe.
“You may do the honours. This opens into the tunnels, as you know. The Oracle told me to take you to the old Oracle Chamber. She said that’s where you need to be.”
This surprised Rafe. Though he had traversed the tunnels before, he had never ventured into that sacred space out of respect for his priestesses. It spoke of secrets in his own house, and he filed away that bit of information to be discussed at a later date.