Two Necromancers, a Dwarf Kingdom, and a Sky City

by L. G. Estrella

  Jake winced. “The flagship? I’ve heard rumours of it although I’ve never seen it myself. We privateers were told to avoid it at all costs. The Sword of the Ocean is said to be one of the deadliest ships in the world. They say it can face multiple dreadnoughts at the same time and win.” He rubbed his hand together to ward off the sudden chill that ran through him at the thought of facing such a mighty vessel. “It’s supposed to be twice the length of a regular dreadnought with firepower and defences to match. I’d pit my ship and my crew against any normal dreadnought and give it even or better odds after all the work we’ve done on it recently, but I’d not want to face the Sword of the Ocean, not in a fair fight, anyway.”

  “Which explains why the princess’s kidnappers waited until she was travelling separately from her father. Even a hit-and-run attack would have failed against such a powerful vessel.”

  “Yes. Even if they’d managed to board the Sword, I can only imagine it has a large contingent of soldiers ready to repel boarders.” Jake glanced over to where one of his crewmen was signalling to him. “Forgive me, but I’ve got to handle a few things.”

  “Of course.” Amanda inclined her head. “I’ll tell Avraniel and Spot to keep their eyes open too. I doubt any of us can see as far as they can.” Her eyes twinkled. “And I doubt any of us are as eager for a fight as they are.”

  Three days after they left the island, Spot chirped a warning from the skies over the dreadnought. He was circling at a height of well over three hundred feet, yet his words had no trouble reaching them. It must be one of the benefits of his telepathy. Amanda had a similar ability at her disposal, but she seldom used it. People generally found her speaking directly into their minds unsettling. Spot, however, was a dragon. It was far easier for him to speak into people’s minds than to attempt to mimic human speech.

  Ships over there! The dragon breathed a short puff of flame to indicate a direction. There are a lot of them.

  Amanda took up a position on the deck and scanned the horizon. Even with her vampiric sight, she couldn’t see anything. Perhaps she needed to be higher. Rising into the air, she was just barely able to make out shapes on the far horizon.

  Do you see them? Spot flew around her in swift, tight circles. Flame kindled in his jaws, and his silver eyes gleamed. Are we going to fight them?

  “No,” Amanda replied. “We are not.”

  The dragon huffed. He had been hoping for pirates to rob – he was always looking for treasure to add to his hoard – but they hadn’t run into any, and Timmy had forbidden him from going off and finding some pirates to attack. The last thing they wanted was to pick a fight when they were so close to completing their mission. Who are they?

  “Can you see the flags on the ships?”

  Spot peered off into the distance for a long moment. Even with his incredible draconic vision, she was asking for a lot. I can see white flags with dark blue suns on them.

  Amanda allowed herself to relax ever so slightly. “Those ships belong to the Shimmering Isles. Calista’s father must have sent them, and he is probably there too.”

  Spot trilled happily. She’s almost home. Once he had understood the princess’s predicament, he’d been much more sympathetic despite her attempts to hit him with a potted plant. Amanda knew how attached he was to his mother and the rest of them. The thought of being separated from them was one of the few things that worried the dragon. That night, after he’d found out, he’d clutched onto Avraniel quite tightly although the elf hadn’t complained.

  “Yes.” Amanda floated back down to the deck. “Captain,” she said as Jake approached with a spyglass in hand. “Spot says there are ships ahead of us. They bear the flag of the Shimmering Isles.”

  “Well, we are right on the edge of their territory.” He raised his voice. “Listen up, boys and girls. We’re going to be running into a fleet not too long from now.” There was uneasy muttering, but he pressed on. “Yes. I know it didn’t go so well the last time, did it? But this isn’t the empire we’re dealing with. The King of the Shimmering Isles is an honourable man, and we’re bringing back his daughter. He’ll be welcoming us, not picking a fight.” He lowered his voice and whispered to Amanda. “Just to be on the safe side, can you drop the illusions and find the princess? I want her out on deck looking as happy as possible. I don’t want them getting the wrong impression.”

  An hour later, the fleet became visible. There were two dozen ships – a force capable of crushing any marauding pirates or raiders with ease. At the heart of it was the royal flagship. It was a titanic vessel, every bit as imposing and majestic as Jake had said. The fleet moved seamlessly, and Jake’s dreadnought was soon completely surrounded as the Sword of the Ocean pulled alongside. Amanda could read the tension in Jake and the others. They were not in a good position. If this devolved into a fight, they were doomed. At this range, the flagship’s superior firepower would swiftly reduce them to kindling. That was, of course, discounting the presence of Amanda and the others. Factoring in all of them, especially Avraniel, they should be able to destroy the flagship before the rest of the fleet sank them.

  There were shouts from the flagship as someone announced their intention to come aboard. Jake hastily prepared his crew for the king’s arrival, growling stern warnings for everyone to be on their best behaviour. He wanted this to go as well as it possibly could, and he had no idea what sort of mood the king was in.

  “Try not to look too scruffy,” Jake rumbled. “We’re sailors, not savages.”

  Amanda gave Jake a comforting smile. “Jake, the king spent most of his youth in the navy. I think he’ll understand if you’re not dressed like a noble when you greet him.” She took a moment to check that her own attire was in order. “Leave the meeting and greeting to us. Worry about keeping the ship afloat.”

  Jake grimaced. “I’ll leave it to you then. I’m a sailor, not a politician.”

  It wasn’t long before the royal guard came aboard. These were the elite – men and women who had trained their minds and bodies to the pinnacle of their abilities. Although magic was not a prerequisite for joining, the rigorous tests and arduous trials involved all but assured that all of them had potent magic of some kind. It was simply too big an advantage in a fight. The royal guard were dressed in white and blue – the colours of the Shimmering Isles – and they moved in perfect unison as they took up positions around the deck. Their gazes immediately snapped to Avraniel and Spot. The elf oozed danger without even trying, and anyone with a working brain could tell Spot was dangerous. He hadn’t obtained the iconic draconic look yet, but he was still a seven-feet-long reptile with wings and large teeth.

  “His Royal Majesty!” one of the royal guards shouted, banging the butt of his spear on the deck. “King Erasmus III of the Shimmering Isles!”

  “Oh, stop that. Where’s my daughter?” The king bustled onto the dreadnought, practically throwing one of the royal guards out of the way in his haste. Amanda’s lips twitched. She’d met some of his predecessors, and the family resemblance was strong. He was not a tall man, nor was he especially broad in the shoulders, but he had the stout, hardy frame common to many good sailors. But unlike a mere sailor, he had the presence of a king, and his amber gaze held confidence and poise. As his eyes swept over the deck, there wasn’t a member of Jake’s crew who didn’t stand a little straighter under the king’s scrutiny. However, the moment he saw his daughter, everyone else ceased to matter.

  “Daddy!” Calista screamed as she broke into a run and all but catapulted into him.

  “Calista!” the king shouted.

  Amanda raised one hand to her mouth to muffle a laugh as the king abandoned any pretence at royal decorum to roll around on the deck with Calista in his arms. There was a ripple of fond amusement from the royal guards. Clearly, such displays of affection were not uncommon. However, there was also a palpable sense of relief. They must have blamed themselves for Calista’s capture, and the king’s temper and mood could not have been goo
d following his daughter’s kidnapping.

  Amanda gave them a few more moments to themselves before clearing her throat. “Ahem. Your Majesty?”

  With speed that would have done a striking cobra proud, the king was up on his feet with his regal bearing fully in place. If she had not seen it herself, she would never have believed that the calm, composed man in front of her had been rolling around on the deck with his daughter only a few seconds ago. Rather than the overly elaborate and ostentatious clothing favoured by many royals, the king instead wore a finely embroidered tunic made to match the gleaming white and blue of the shimmering heron, the symbol of the royal family and the most famous bird in the Shimmering Isles.

  The king inclined his head toward her and the others. “I, King Erasmus III of the Shimmering Isles, wish to extend my deepest thanks and most heartfelt gratitude for rescuing my daughter and seeing her safely returned to me. There are no words that can express how happy I am to have her back. Know that you and yours will always have a friend in me and that the Shimmering Isles will always welcome you.” His lips curled, and he laughed. “Although I suppose you’ll be wanting a bit more than words, eh? That Supreme Cleric of yours was very tactful, but I’m not an idiot. Rescues like this don’t come for free.”

  Amanda glanced at Timmy. The Supreme Cleric had opted to leave the initial negotiating up to her and Timmy with Gerald serving as their clerk. Some might have question her decision, but Victoria had chosen wisely. Despite his claims to the contrary, there were few who understood negotiations, politics, and warfare the way Timmy did. He might not have liked politics, but that didn’t mean he was bad at it. Amanda was also one of the most experienced diplomats in the world, and she’d been in similar situations before. The same could not be said of the others in their group although she did have her suspicions about Old Man. The swordsman liked to cast himself as a simple warrior, but his remarks in some of their discussion suggested he had once been someone far more important. He had likely served as a general of some sort, and she was certain he’d worked alongside nobility before too.

  “Indeed. However, we can wait to discuss such matters until a more convenient time.”

  “Certainly.” The king still had one arm around Calista. “I shall invite you to my palace, and we can discuss these matters in more comfortable – and secure – settings.” He scowled, but it was not directed at them. Instead, it was directed at the southern horizon toward the forward naval bases of the empire. “I imagine we’ll have a lot to discuss if the evidence you’ve brought with you is as convincing as the Supreme Cleric claimed.” He shook himself and smiled down at Calista. “For now, though, I wish to spend time with my daughter. We have been parted for far too long.”

  As the pair wandered off with the royal guards, Timmy nudged Amanda with his elbow.

  “Interesting fellow, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. But he seems like a practical man. We’ll have to see how it goes.”

  “You know I hate politics, right?”

  Amanda smirked. “You are not getting out of this.”

  Chapter Seven

  Gerald was not someone who enjoyed being at sea. Setting aside the issue of seasickness – he could only down so many potions before he had to worry about potentially poisoning himself – there were so many different and generally horrible ways to die. He could drown if the ship floundered in a storm or if he was washed overboard. He could be mangled, stabbed, crushed, poisoned, or eaten by all manner of deadly creatures like sharks, swordfish, octopi, squids, whales, krakens, leviathans, sea serpents, and the gods only knew what else. He’d once read an article about a bureaucrat who’d finally gone on holiday after decades of hard work only to die after stepping on an extremely venomous variety of sea urchin. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but it was hard not to view the sea with at least some suspicion.

  At least, they were on a dreadnought. True, it was a military vessel, so the cabins weren’t as comfortable as they could be, but he was more than happy to live with that. The dreadnought was absolutely armed to the teeth, so it would take a kraken or leviathan to threaten it, and with Avraniel around, they should still have enough firepower to make a fighting retreat if one of those turned up. It was at times like this that he envied Spot. The dragon could easily fly away from his troubles, not that he would. If anything, they’d have to worry about Spot picking a fight with one of the aforementioned sea monsters before trying to eat it.

  The sight of land on the horizon, and not just another island they would be passing but an island they would be disembarking at, sent a wave of joy through him. Sure, there were dangerous things on land – wolves, bandits, bears, hydras, and crime lords all came to mind – but he was a better runner than he was a swimmer, and they should be safe at the royal palace. After all, what kind of king would allow monsters or criminals to wander around his palace?

  The answer, as it turned out, was that King Erasmus was exactly such a king. A boisterous welcome from crowds thrilled to have their princess back stretched all the way from the docks to the palace itself. For someone who had never been the centre of attention, Gerald was only too happy to let the others take centre stage. When they arrived at the palace, Gerald was not surprised to see that it was a stately but not overly ostentatious building. It was designed to take advantage of the cool sea breezes that blew over the city despite the sweltering heat that had already begun to make its presence felt. Honestly, he couldn’t wait to change into something cooler. At least, Spot was happy. The moment he had some free time, the dragon would probably find something to eat and spend the rest of the day basking on a large rock in the sun.

  The graceful arches and elegant thoroughfares that dominated the palace’s architecture suggested it had yet to see much use as a stronghold, which made sense. The Shimmering Isles was famous for its navy. If the opponent managed to land a significant number of troops, then it was likely because the battle had already been lost because the navy would never allow that to occur if they still had ships on the water rather than under it. The again, maybe the palace had traps. Gerald shuddered. He still had nightmares about the swinging blade traps and some of the other traps from the compound. He also hadn’t been able to convince the rats that he hadn’t meant to melt people with hydra acid. They were convinced that he’d finally taken the first step to becoming a true warrior or something, and nothing he said could dissuade them. A few of them had even offered to teach him the quickest, most efficient ways to gut a man. Gerald didn’t want to know, but his attempts to convey that had only convinced them he was going to ask Old Man whom they had apparently deemed a more than suitable instructor for him.

  A large reptile of some sort shambled toward them, and Gerald recoiled. He and large reptiles did not get along well. Spot was the exception. Practically every other large reptile he’d ever met had tried to eat him. And this reptile was definitely large. It was roughly the same length as Spot, but with a heavily set, muscular frame. Its scales were a pale brown mottled with patches of green, and it moved with a gait that suggested it spent just as much time in water as on land. The reptile stopped a few yards away, and it and Spot locked eyes. Eventually, Spot made a sound of approval, and the reptile continued past Spot and leapt at the princess.

  “Oof!” The princess tumbled to the ground, and the reptile gave her face a happy lick. “Sunny! It’s great to see you! I was so worried you’d been badly hurt!”

  “Sunny?” Gerald swallowed thickly. He moved closer to Spot for protection. Apart from the occasional playful ambush, Spot was the only large reptile he got along with. The time Spot had hidden in his bathtub and surprised him had almost given him a heart attack, and he’d almost whacked the dragon with his frying pan. “What kind of, uh, animal is he?”

  Timmy peered at Sunny thoughtfully. He knew animals better than almost anyone due to his profession as a necromancer. The odds were good that if it existed, he’d probably at least considered making a zombie out of it. The reptile hopped off C
alista to let her sit up and stood patiently as Timmy examined him. It was clearly well trained.

  “If I’m not mistaken, Sunny here is a male coastal salamander. They’re kind of like other salamanders except instead of living in mountains and volcanoes and controlling fire, they spend most of their time in and around beaches, mangroves, and other coastal areas. They can control water.” He shrugged. “I’ve never made a zombie out of one, but I imagine their anatomy isn’t all that different from their fiery cousins. Obviously, there are a few differences. He seems better adapted for swimming and less agile on land.”

  “Oh.” Gerald breathed a sigh of relief. Salamanders could be tamed and turned into bodyguards or pets with enough effort – and enough instructors since they could attack quite viciously if they didn’t like someone – so Sunny wasn’t likely to go on a murderous and hungry rampage any time soon. “What does he eat?”

  Calista smiled and patted the reptile. “Sunny mostly eats fish, but he doesn’t mind munching on the occasional octopus or squid. He’s also fond of turtle from time to time, but it depends on the turtle.” She giggled. “They can get very large, and their beaks are rather sharp.” Nearby, Spot gave a sound of approval. He could appreciate his fellow reptile’s taste.

  “Yes,” the king remarked. “I got Sunny for my daughter when she was still a toddler. He has grown considerably since then and become a loyal friend and protector. He was most… upset when they took her, and he was grievously wounded trying to fight off her abductors. Fortunately, we were able to heal him, and I have no doubt he will guard her even more zealously now that she has returned.” He gestured for them to follow him. “But, please, let me show you to your lodgings. Rest for a while, and we can begin our discussion this evening after dinner.”

  Their lodgings were certainly comfortable – far more so than any Gerald had enjoyed since leaving the castle – and Gerald was sorely tempted to throw himself onto the bed, crawl under the covers, and stay there for at least a week. He had already exceeded his quota for near-death experiences for at least the next month. Alas, there was work to do, and he soon found himself in a council of sorts with Amanda, Timmy, and Vicky although the cleric was only present via scrying sphere.