by James Derry
“You could wish that the Key would go away,” Jamal suggested.
“Go where?”
“You could wish that the Key had no power.”
Sygne ran her fingers through her hair. “That sounds like it might work.”
“Let’s do it.”
Sygne took a deep breath. She told Jamal, “Maybe you should take that hatchway down to one of the lower floors. Get away from this area. Who knows what will happen it this spell goes wrong.”
Jamal bit his lip. “So I could escape down that ladder, or be here for my friend during the scariest moment of her life.”
Sygne nodded.
Jamal said, “I choose the latter.”
Sygne smiled, “I told you not to use that word.”
“Just work your magic, scientician. I’m right here with you.”
Sygne reached for the blue light, closed her eyes, and spoke the words.
21 – Bon Voyage
Some degree of chaos was inevitable in the days that followed. A beastly deity and its followers (all one and the same) roamed free in Albatherra’s Garden Reach. There was some stealthy upheaval among the upper echelons of the Academy. Here and there, rumors spread of a foul, one-armed witch lurking the streets at night. But nowhere was the confusion more profound than in the stories that spread about the Demigod King’s adventures on the ‘Night of Green and Blue Flame.’
Some claimed that King Pawn had called forth the fabled Threefold Key, and that he had used it to reshape the world. The changes were so absolute that mortals and gods couldn’t even remember the way things had been before the Night of Green and Blue Flame. The old world had been annihilated, and a new world was all we could know now. ‘Might as well live with it,’ the Albatherrans said, ‘or live in it.’ Other theories held that the Demigod King had fought tooth and nail to protect his kingdom from the Threefold Key. He’d battled through flame and ice and quicksand to extinguish its power. Some said they’d seen him battling with a black winged demon over the streets of the city, but that didn’t seem possible, considering the fact that someone had stopped the Threefold Key just a few minutes after those sightings occurred. Reports persisted that there had been more than one King Pawn on the Tower of Rotutta. Others said that the Demigod King had been found sleeping peacefully after the danger had passed, as if he had been completely undisturbed by the near-cataclysm.
But everyone agreed, despite these lengthy periods of doubt, that things could have been much worse.
And so there was a palpable sense of relief in the air as Jamal and Sygne made their way along the wharves on the city’s eastern edge. Jamal felt it like a cool breeze drifting in from the ocean. They both wore hoods over their heads and scarves over their faces. In the last two days, there had been no flurry of hostile action from Albatherra’s peacekeepers, no public announcements to be on the lookout for any Ardhian or redheaded fugitives. Still, Jamal thought it was best to keep their profiles as low as possible, and Sygne had agreed. The Demigod King might have spies anywhere. He might have brothers anywhere! And they didn’t know what Pawn and his brothers thought of the ‘Groundbreakers’ ruining their chance at momentary omnipotence. Best to avoid the Demigod King and his men altogether, and leave the city as carefully and as quietly as possible. Better to go somewhere far away from bitter gods and capricious sovereigns, to relax at a safe distance and let the rest of Embhra cool off for a while.
“There it is.” Jamal pointed to a pretty skiff nestled among the docks. It had a ribbed sail, the sort that was popular in Prathet-Sin and the other kingdoms to the east of the Serrated Sea.
Jamal squared his shoulders to her, and Sygne turned to face him straight-on. He took both her hands in his. “Are you ready for this?”
“I think so,” Sygne said. “I’ve always wanted to see the homeland of Mentor Shen Yong. I hear they are making great scientific advances in the Far East. I want to know more. How about you?”
“A new land. New musical instruments. New musical styles. I’m going to give songwriting another chance.”
“Excellent.”
“I’m excited,” Jamal said. “I was working on a new song last night.”
“Really?”
He pushed back Sygne’s hood so that her red hair seemed to blaze like wildfire in the morning light. He said, “It’s a love song.”
“I can’t wait to hear it.”
She was nearly as tall as he was. She didn’t have to stand on her tiptoes to push his hood back from his face. They stood that way for a little while, nose-to-nose and smiling as sailors and stevedores hustled past.
Any nearby observer would have had a hard time judging who kissed whom first. But once they started, they kissed for a long time.
They might not have stopped kissing, except that they were interrupted by a man in a red skullcap and Eastern dress.
“Jamal!” The man shouted. He was so frantic that several men turned their way. (More than were leering already.) “The Singing Swordsman? Is that you?”
Sygne and Jamal both touched their hoods and nearly drew them over their heads. But any hopes of keeping a low profile had already been dashed. The stranger pointed to his skiff, which was just a short distance away. There were other sailors on the vessel; they were working to undo its moorings, making ready for a quick departure.
“Zhang?” Jamal asked.
“Yes. That is me. Pleasure to meet you. Very nice.” Zhang rushed through his pleasantries, shaking their hands like a man desperately bailing water out of a sinking ship.
Jamal had to chuckle. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Almost everything! We have a very bad problem.” Zhang swept his hand out to the water. “Across the Serrated Sea. Very bad. We think no one can help us. Then we hear the stories. The goddess who was humbled. The city of death that was found and re-buried. The hideous Un-God that was tamed. Very impressive stories. We think only the Groundbreakers can save us!”
“‘Groundbreakers?’” Sygne asked.
Jamal spoke from the corner of his mouth. “Just go with it.”
“Can you help?” Zhang asked. He stared at each of them in turn, his eyes pleading. “Singing Swordsman. Scientician. You are our only hope!”
Jamal glanced to Sygne. “Another adventure. So soon?”
Sygne took a deep breath. She tilted her face to the sun. Jamal imagined what she was feeling. The salt air. The soft breeze. Gulls beckoning in the sky. The waves were a constant, calming motion all around them.
She smiled.
“I’m ready if you are.”
***
THE END
From the Author
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this book (and even if you didn’t), I would love to hear your feedback. Please consider reviewing GROUNDBREAKERS at the site where you purchased it. Every review helps the book connect to more readers who might enjoy it—and every opinion is welcome! Also, you can contact me at [email protected].
Also, check out my site http://www.james-derry.com for my progress on upcoming releases, and my random ramblings on writing, reading, pop-culture, and more. And connect with me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/derrywriter) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/derrywriter).
Copyright © 2019 James Derry
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, or events is entirely coincidental.
For more about this author, visit James-Derry.com
Table of Contents
Book Three
Map
Prologue
1 – Allées of the Garden Reach
2 – A Stealth Mission
3 – The Deep Tower
4 – This Immortal Coil
5 – A Cold Draught
6 – Disclosure
7 – Garden of Delights and Darkness
8 – Homecoming
9 – Entreaties to the Demigod King
10 – The Study of Phrens
11 – The Succubus
12 – Introductions
13 – Escape Plan
14 – Run!
15 – Baptism
16 – The Alpha Protagonist and the Omega
17 – Interior Monologues
18 – Independent Streaks
19 – The Royal We
20 – Best Intentions
21 – Bon Voyage
From the Author