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Ioth, City of Lights

Page 48

by D P Woolliscroft


  Seeing Alana about the ship was the worst. Not because he blamed her for anything. Not in the least. The problem was she blamed herself. Whenever he or Trypp saw her, she would apologize over and over, and nothing they could say would get her to stop. In the end Motega had screamed at her the last time, “I can’t help you!” He recognized that had not been constructive.

  Since then he’d mainly spent time in their small cabin, three hammocks still hanging there, the same as the crossing over, not even visiting Vakaka, who was chained in the bilge.

  He crept around the ship in the morning, getting some supplies when he knew Alana would be on deck training with Fin. He couldn’t blame her for getting on with things. Fuck, it would probably do him good to get into a fight.

  “Heh,” said Trypp from his hammock across the narrow cabin. “Do you remember when he punched that door in the Creaking Arm in Carlburg? And he got it stuck there?”

  Motega smiled at the memory, glad for a moment’s distraction. They’d been tossing around memories in recent days, and maybe, just maybe, it was helping to fill the gap. “Yeah. That was a good scrap. I remember…” He paused as a chuckle escaped him. “I remember he ripped the door off its hinges when he couldn’t pull his hand out and still kicked everyone’s arse. Used it like a bloody shield.”

  Trypp was silent for a moment before he asked, “What was that fight about anyway?”

  Motega knew the answer, but he choked on the words. His eyes welled up and a lump manifested in his throat. It took him a minute to force it down and croakily answer, “Someone said you and me shouldn’t be there. A black man, and a savage. He got pretty fucking angry.” A tear escaped from Motega’s eye and slipped down his cheek.

  “Oh, yeah.” Trypp took a shuddering breath. “By Marlth, he was a good man. Better than you or me.”

  Motega closed his eyes and nodded. Maybe the memories weren’t helping after all.

  “Mot!” cried Trypp in alarm, and Motega’s eyes shot open. “Can you see your sister?”

  Neenahwi floated in the space between the hammocks, thin and ethereal. Her mouth moved but he couldn’t hear anything. Gradually she became more defined, though still little more than a ghost in appearance, and thankfully, audible.

  “Brother. Trypp, it is good you are here too.” Neenahwi looked around. “Where is Florian?”

  Motega sat up in the hammock, his legs dangling in the air like a child on a swing. He wiped his eyes and tried to collect himself enough to whisper the words.

  “He’s gone. Pyrfew soldiers killed him.” His eyes bore into the apparition of his sister, anger rising in his voice. “They took the reliquary and left Ioth on fire. Tell me you’ve got a way to make Llewdon pay.”

  Neenahwi’s face fell as she heard the news, her hands holding her head as if to protect her from the pain. Eventually she spoke, her voice quavering. “I’m so sorry. So, so sorry. I know what he meant to you both.” She moved around in a circle, as if she was pacing in thought, though she floated a foot off the wooden floor.

  “Fuck! I can’t believe it.” She looked back at Motega. “We can talk about it more when I see you but we’ll get our revenge. I have bad news too and I don’t have much time. You have to know, Kingshold has fallen. Grey works for Pyrfew. She’s put a shapeshifter in Mareth’s place; no one even realizes. I’ve got the real Mareth, but he’s not well.”

  “What happened?” asked Motega. “What are we going to do?”

  “I’ll tell you everything later. I’m using too much mana to talk to you. You can’t go back to Kingshold. You have to go to the Dwarves. Tell the Admiral you have to stop in the bay near Skargness to pick me up. Look for three rocky outcroppings in the sea joined by a natural bridge of land. I’ll be there on the beach. Take a boat. Bring Alana but leave Crews behind.”

  “Why? Do you think he works for Pyrfew?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I need to start being more careful. In any case, I doubt he’s going to want to stay away from Kingshold. Just go there and meet me. And then we’re going home, Motega. We’re going home and we’re going to stop them.”

  “Home?” asked Motega. “You have another ship?”

  But Neenahwi was already fading away. He couldn’t hear what she was trying to say. And then she was gone.

  Trypp looked at him, his exhaustion plain in the way he held himself, his face aghast at the message they had just heard. “What the fuck is going on?”

  Motega shrugged, as perplexed as his friend, struggling to process that Kingshold had fallen and the many unanswered questions that it triggered. He closed his eyes to stop the barrage of his thoughts, just wanting to lie down.

  “I dunno. But it sounds like we lost.”

  Call to Action

  Thank you for joining me on this return back to the Jeweled Continent. I hope you enjoyed it, though they have come back to earth with a significant bump after the joy of Kingshold. I would appreciate you leaving a few remarks or comments on Amazon or Goodreads, and of course, telling your friends the good old-fashioned way. It’s this reader led communication that helps to spread the word and get others interested in trying this book.

  You can sign up for my newsletter to be notified of future releases, opportunities to become a beta reader, and behind-the-scenes discussion of what went into the making of Kingshold. Also, if you want to drop me a line, please do. My email address is dave@dpwoolliscroft.com.

  P.S.

  I can’t leave it at that. Motega may be right that they lost these battles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have lost the war. It is to the Wild Continent we go next, the story continuing in Tales of Ioth. I hope you’ll be happy to see Kyle again and their most unusual means of travel.

  Glossary

  Kingshold Districts and Supervisors

  Fishtown - Eldrida

  Warehouse - Gonal

  Central Market - Aldo

  Docks - Colbert

  Garden - Hertha

  Cherry Tree - Jules

  Fourwells - Margaret

  Golden - Geary

  Lance - Row

  Redguard - Ifig

  Whiteguard - Garet

  Inner Narrows - Dyer

  Outer Narrows - Lud

  Four Points - Lowell

  Garmond - Yetta

  Bottom Run - Denley

  Woodton - Odam

  Randall’s Addition - Nara

  Arloth’s Acre - Paine

  Beggar’s Point - Medwyn

  Cast of Characters

  ACTASSI SANFRATELLO: Ioth Assembly Member

  AEBUR: Former Spymaster General and traitor to Edland

  AIOLA: Sister of Florian

  ALANA: Special Liaison to the Kingshold Districts

  ALBERT: King of Hyfil

  AMBROSI MENAPACE: Speaker of the Ioth Assembly

  ARABELLE OF AMTETH: Ambassador

  ARCHIMANDRITE: Administrative leader of the Church of Arloth

  ARKEL: Treasurer of Edland

  BARAX: Demon queen, trapped in the mortal world by Neenahwi

  BARTHOLOMEW: Artisan of the subtle arts of persuasion and inquisition

  BHAGA (Captain): Pyrfew naval captain

  BORS: Squad member of the Ravens

  BRANCHING TREE: Giant. Messenger from The Matron

  BREAM: Second in command to Uthridge of the Edland armies

  CHALICE (Lady): Managing partner of the Hollow Syndicate, rescuer of Neenahwi and Motega

  CHATTERWICK (Major): Commander of the Redpool garrison

  CHERRY: Squad member of the Ravens

  CRABS: Squad member of the Ravens

  CREWS: Admiral and Sea Marshall

  DARRAIL: Governor of Redpool

  DAWNAL: Second Admiral of the Edland fleet

  DILLIE: Daughter of Gwil and Owen

  DOLPH: Former bodyguard to Mareth

  DOVE: Spymaster

  DUG: Squad member of the Ravens

  DUKE OF NORTHFIELD: Brother of King Roland, P
ienzan duke

  ECHA: Member of the Devoted

  EDEN (Lord): Savior of Redsmoke, war hero, formerly richest man in Edland. Banished

  EGYED: Dwarf, ambassador of the deep people, Keybearer of Unedar Halt

  ELKIN: Former chief of the Wolfclaw tribe, Motega and Neenahwi’s great-grandfather

  ERYRLAW: An Ancient. Keeper of eagles.

  FELIS: Member of the Devoted

  FINABRIA: Originally of Ioth; student at the Hollow House

  FLORIAN: Friend to Motega and Trypp, originally introduced by Jyuth. Veteran of foreign wars, including the liberation of Redpool, mercenary for hire

  FOLSTENCROFT: Administrator

  FOREST: Squad member of the Ravens

  FORGER: Elected leader of the dwarves of Unedar Halt

  GONAL: Merchant, friend of Mareth, Master of the Merchants Guild

  GREY (Chancellor): Lord Hoxteth’s widow, financer of Mareth’s election campaign, Chancellor of the Realm

  GREYTOOTH: Shaman of the Wolfclaw clan

  GRIMES: Commander of the palace guard and city watch

  GWILENHIN: (Gwil) Administrator

  HOSKIN: Former Lord Chancellor of Edland, death apparently by suicide

  IOB: Son of Gwil and Owen

  JILL: Maid to Alana

  JOE: Squad member of the Ravens

  JULES: Owner and landlady of the Royal Oak

  JYUTH: Wizard, founder of Edland, adopted father of Neenahwi

  KANAVEEN: Wolfclaw champion and protector of Neenahwi and Motega after the flight. Lives in the wilderness of Edland

  KAROLE: Landlord of the Strawberry Wine in Hyfil

  KATTERICK: Current Ambassador to Ioth

  KING ROLAND: Final King of Edland, husband to Queen Tulip, headless

  KIRJATH: Student of Myank

  LAI GIOFRE: Peddler of pipes and arranger of jobs

  LANGIT ZERELLI: Ioth Assembly Member

  LLEWDON: Emperor of Pyrfew, wizard, ancient

  MAHO: Member of the Devoted

  MAMES MAMI: A priest

  MARETH BOLLINGSMEAD: Lord Protector. Former bard, former adventurer, former pirate

  MARN: Orphan. Sister to Toad

  MIDNIGHT: Squad member of the Ravens

  MOLEY: Squad member of the Ravens

  MORRIS: Sergeant of the Ravens

  MORRISSEY: Squad member of the Ravens. Miserable bastard

  MOTEGA: Warrior and archer of renown from the wild continent, brother to Neenahwi, mercenary for hire

  MOUSE: Alchemist. Tamer of Draco-Turtles. Guest of the dwarves of Unedar Halt

  MYANK: Wizard, teacher of Jyuth

  NAPONA DIPALLO: Administrator of the Armory in Ioth

  NEENAHWI: Of the Wolfclaw clan, wizard, adopted daughter of Jyuth and older sister to Motega

  NIJIL: First Minister of Pyrfew

  OWEN: Craftsman. Husband to Gwil

  PERCIVAL: Personal assistant to the Lord Protector

  PETRA: Special Liaison to the Edland Guilds

  RAWLEY: Butler of the Edland ambassador’s residence in Ioth

  RIDGTON: Former Sea Marshall of Edland

  RIDWAN: Student of Myank

  SERENUS: Student of Myank

  SHARAVIN: Mother of the Twilight Exiles

  SHAREF: Former chief of the Wolfclaw tribe, Motega and Neenahwi’s father

  SHEP’D: Leader of the Devoted

  SILKA NIE: Merchant of Ioth, originally of Redpool

  SYD: Squad member of the Ravens

  TAAFE: The First Defender of Pyrfew

  TARRA: Student of Myank

  TASA MARCHIONDRA: Owner of the Marchiondran Mercantile

  THE CARETAKER: Custodian of Myank’s tower in Redpool. Holder of the broom

  THE LIBRARIAN: A wight

  THE MATRON: Mystic leader of the Giants of Wespar

  THE SAINT: Child. Spiritual leader of the Church of Arloth

  TOAD: Orphan. Brother of Marn

  TRYPP: Friend to Motega and Florian, former thief with the Twilight Exiles

  TUFT: (King) Neenahwi’s cat

  UTHRIDGE: Lord General of Edland

  VAKAKA: An Alfjarun

  VISSOK OF SKARIA: Ambassador

  WILPERT: Student of Myank

  WOODELL: First Lieutenant on The Drake

  Acknowledgments

  This has been a difficult book for me to write. Not because I wasn’t excited to sit down in front of the computer every day and crank out words, but because of what I’ve done to a couple of characters that I love. You may be shocked to hear, that there were actually two other major characters in Ioth that were going to kick the bucket in my outline, but they weren’t done with me so we will see them again. I don’t believe in killing characters for shock value, or because that’s what everyone expects in this post Game of Thrones world. There were bound to be casualties, because these characters are trying to do something really hard; fight an unknown enemy after being dropped into the middle of schemes that have been years in the making. I don’t know how you would succeed in a situation like that, and unfortunately our heroes haven’t.

  Yet.

  And though we raise a glass to the fallen, for those still standing (even though they may need others to lean on for a while), what doesn’t kill them will make stronger and they have new journeys to undertake.

  The story will continue in Tales of Ioth, and if my current pace can continue, I hope to have that out around the end of 2019. Tales of Ioth will be another collection of short stories, though four or five of them (depending on how many make it) will tell the tale of how our heroes travel to the Wild Continent. And don’t worry, there’s not a ship in sight.

  Well, I’ve probably written enough without actually saying thank you to anyone! So, I’d better get on with it. First of all, I want to call out some of the awesome fantasy bloggers out there who have supported The Wildfire Cycle so far; Jason Aycock, Justine Bergman, Briargrey (r/fantasy), Nick Borelli, Chrissy (from the returncart), Jay Clementi, Daryl Graves, Olivia Hofer, Kristen Superstardrifter, Jennifer (Bunnyreads), Lukasz, Calvin Park, Jordan Rose, Timy Takács, Esme Weatherwax, Lynn Williams, Wol, and any others that I may have apologetically neglected to call out.

  One of the most wonderful things I’ve encountered is the support from fellow authors; thanks to Jon Auerbach, Angel Boord, Dave De Burgh, Josh Erikson, Bjorn Larssen, Devin Madson, Richard Nell, Kayleigh Nicol, Carol Park, Kevin Potter, Phil Parker, Clayton Snyder, William Ray, Travis Riddle, Phil Williams, and a special thanks to Mark Lawrence for organizing the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off.

  As ever, the book in your hands would not have been possible without the help and support of a number of people. Firstly, my wife Haneen and daughter Liberty, putting up with me getting up at five in the morning every day to write.

  A HUGE shout of thanks to my editor, Bethan May. Beth is a joy to work with; challenging me to be a better writer as well as acting as fact checker extraordinaire (I did not know that ebony can’t float).

  I’d also like to send another massive thank you to Matt Barber, Tam Dudgeon, Ryan Ehrlich, Esposadek, Patrick Kansa, James Polledri, Travis Riddle, Andrew Rimmer, Joe Smith, Mark Watkins and Bernie Zimmermann for their immense help as beta readers once again. In conjunction with Beth, they’ve given me enormous feedback to help get the book where it is today.

  And last, but not least, Jeff Brown my illustrator and cover designer who has once again produced the amazing cover to this book.

  Thanks again to everyone.

  D.P. Woolliscroft

  May, 2019

  About the Author

  Born in Derby in England on the day before mid-summers day, David Peter Woolliscroft was very nearly magical. If only his dear old mum could have held on for another day. But magic called out to him over the intervening years, with many a book being devoured for its arcane properties. David studied Accounting at Cardiff University where numbers weaved their own kind of magic and he has since been a successful business leader
in the intervening twenty years.

  Adventures were had. More books were devoured. And then one day David had read enough that the ideas he had kept bottled up needed a release valve. And thus, rising out of the self-doubt like a phoenix at a clicky keyboard, a writer was born.

  David, his wife Haneen, and daughter Liberty all live with their mini goldendoodle Rosie in Princeton, NJ. David is one of the few crabs to escape the crabpot.

 

 

 


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