The Crystal Key: An LGBTQ+ Fantasy Series (The Crystalline Chronicles Book 3)

by Blake R. Wolfe

  “Well, well, well,” a deep voice said behind them.

  Dusk turned to see a tall man with a large feathered hat, dark tawny skin, and deep blue eyes staring back at him. His long black hair spilled out from under his hat, scattered with tiny braids, and he wore a gold-buttoned coat that reached past his waist. Every inch of him was draped in lace. Gold hoops hung from each ear and he had a somewhat jovial expression that didn’t seem dimmed in the slightest by what had just transpired. He was younger than Dusk had expected for a captain.

  “I’d say you lads jus’ barely avoided disaster. An’ me too by the looks of it.” He laughed to himself, a big smile plastered on his face. “But I’m glad to be out of there. Time for a change of scenery anyway.” Throwing his arms wide he gestured to the ship. “Welcome aboard The Zephyr.”

  Eleven

  Captain Duillearga wasn’t what Dusk had expected in a ship’s captain, but he was friendly and didn’t expect too much of them. After their initial rounds of introductions, the captain took the group belowdecks to show them where they would be staying. The ship was larger than anything he’d ever seen, but he knew nothing about them so it could have been a smaller vessel for all he knew. Captain Duillearga had a cabin specifically set aside for them. It was small with four hammocks strung across the room and no other furniture, but it was big enough to be comfortable. Diana had informed them that the journey would take about a month, leading them around the string of rocky islands guarding the bay and back westward across the ocean to Inahan. As long as there were no major storms, everything would go smoothly, they hoped

  Little more than an hour out of Emerald Deep, the blizzard that had been coming down from the mountains finally reached them. Dusk caught one last glance at the shore before it disappeared behind a blanket of white. The sailors seemed unbothered by the whiteout conditions and the captain was in a jolly mood. The recent attack didn’t seem to weigh on their minds at all. Dusk bundled himself in his cloak, leaning against the railing and looking out over the choppy water. There was nothing below the ship but a vast dark blue surrounded by flurries of snowflakes. After a long moment trying to see anything in the distance, the cold wind got the better of him and he headed back belowdecks to their cabin. At least there wouldn’t be any wind down there.

  Before he went to the cabin, Dusk made a quick detour to the cargo hold to where Maribel was being kept. There was a small pen at one end of the hold, and Maribel was standing in a small pile of straw swaying back and forth with the light rocking of the ship. She turned to look at him as he stepped in and snorted in frustration.

  “I know and I’m sorry,” Dusk said, stepping up to her with his hand out. “You’ve been shut in that barn for days and now you’re locked up in the bottom of this boat.” He reached out to stroke her fur, but she kept her head turned away. “Would it help at all if I had an apple?”

  Maribel’s ears perked up at that and she swung her head around, pushing her nose against Dusk’s chest repeatedly as if telling him to hurry up. He laughed and reached into his cloak, pulling out a shiny red apple. Her eyes nearly doubled in size at the sight of it.

  “Don’t tell anyone I stole this, okay? It’s just between you and me.” Dusk chuckled and held the apple out.

  Maribel attacked the fruit with ferocity and Dusk had to think fast to get his fingers out of the way. She’d never bit him yet, but he knew better than to get to get between her and a treat. He didn’t know much about horses, but he was fairly convinced she could bite his finger off without realizing it. She was a gentle animal until it came to food.

  “You have a soft heart,” a gentle voice said from behind him. Dusk spun around to see Cyrilo standing at the bottom of the stairs holding an apple in his hand. “I see what Eiran saw in you.”

  “Did you come down to feed her too?” Dusk asked, still running his fingers through Maribel’s mane.

  “Yes.” Cyrilo stepped off the landing and made his way over to them.

  Maribel turned to face him and her ears swiveled back for a moment. She looked at the apple, then up at Cyrilo again. Dusk was sure she’d never seen a Rhyka before. But it only took one last glance at the apple to convince her Cyrilo was trustworthy and she leaned forward. She took the apple more gently this time, allowing him to pet the side of her neck. He was making a strange humming noise in his throat to appease her.

  Without prompting Cyrilo began to speak. “I’ve always liked animals since I was a young child. I’d always sneak out of the house to play with the pigs or ride one of the horses. The cows were my favorite though. One of them used to lay with me and take naps on summer days in the shade of a big oak tree.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Dusk murmured, picturing the pastoral scene in his head. It sounded like a dream come true.

  “It was.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

  Dusk paused for a moment, his fingers still tangled in Maribel’s mane. What had happened to Cyrilo to make him leave the kind of life that Dusk only dreamed about? He thought it might be too personal to ask, but the curiosity got the better of him.

  “Why did you leave? Were you captured like I was?”

  “Not at first.”

  Dusk waited patiently for him to continue, still petting Maribel.

  “It was my own fault really,” Cyrilo finally said, his hand pulling away from Maribel. He paused for another moment. “I was young, probably ten or eleven, living the kind of life people envied in our poor village. My family was better off than most and we sold goods from the farm to the villagers. My mother and father had a habit of helping people in need even if we couldn’t really afford it.

  “One spring there was a terrible flood and it destroyed most of the town except for a few buildings and our farm. Many people were starving and living in the streets. My parents, as always, did everything they could to help people, but even they had their limits.” Cyrilo leaned back against a support beam, crossing his arms. “We started housing people in the barn, just to keep them out of the cold and rain. My parents didn’t discriminate against anyone, so not everyone we housed was the most savory.

  “A couple weeks later I went out to the barn late one night. I can’t even remember why I went now. I remember climbing up into the loft to find a strange man I’d never seen. Before I could react he rushed me and slammed me against a wall. He kept asking me where my family kept their money, convinced we were much wealthier than we were. He was desperate and starving, I could see the madness in his eyes.

  “When I told him we had nothing he threw me to the ground, calling me a liar. He rushed me again, but I was faster. I rolled onto my back, kicking him in the stomach and throwing him up and over me. It was something I’d learned from sparring with friends at school…” Cyrilo trailed off, turning his gaze towards the floor. “What I didn’t realize was that the loft door was right behind me. He sailed clean through the door and plummeted to the ground. When I realized what had happened, I rushed to the open door only to see him twenty feet below, speared through on a fence post.”

  Dusk lifted a hand to his mouth in shock.

  “The people who stayed in the barn had heard the commotion and they were already gathering. Some of them looked up and pointed at me, but I didn’t hear anything they said. I rushed down the ladder and ran out the side door, heading for the woods. I didn’t know what else to do. I was afraid of what my parents would think of their only son being a murderer.”

  Cyrilo paused for a long moment, his eyes gazing off into the distance, seeing some horrific scene from his past. Dusk felt a wave of sadness wash over him.

  Cyrilo snapped back, realizing Dusk was still there. “So I ran. After days of walking and starving in the woods, I came across a caravan on the road. The people seemed kind enough and they took me in and fed me. They invited me to come with them to the northern city on the coast that they were heading towards. I started to believe I’d gotten a second chance until we entered the city gates. As soon as we were inside t
hey called someone over and sold me off to pay their debts.” Cyrilo stopped, looking up at Dusk. “And I’m sure you know how the rest of it goes.”

  Dusk nodded quietly. “You know you were just defending yourself, right? It wasn’t your fault what happened.”

  “No, I did kill him,” Cyrilo replied matter-of-factly. “It was my action that caused his death. Whether it was in defense or not is irrelevant. A person died by my hand and I’ve come to realize that in order to survive, sometimes that’s what you have to do.” He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, putting a hand back on Maribel.

  “You’re right, he’s still dead, but you didn’t murder him. He picked a battle and you won.” Dusk could see the look on Cyrilo’s face and decided to redirect the conversation. “But now that you’re free, why don’t you go back home? I’m sure your parents miss you. I can’t think they’d hold his death against you.”

  “It’s been fifteen years. I don’t know if they’re even alive anymore. And if they are, who knows what they think of me.” He turned his head to Dusk. “I’m not sure I can ever go back to that life again. Or if I ever want to face it.”

  “That’s the kind of life I’m searching for,” Dusk replied. “But you need to make your own way in the world. I didn’t know where to start when I got away, freedom was all I cared about, so I made it my goal to find it permanently.” A thought struck him suddenly. “Why don’t you come with us to Greencoast Port? The Legion of the Twilight is there and they help former slaves find new lives. Or that’s what I’ve been told.”

  “I’m not sure what I want yet. This is all so new.”

  “Think on it. We’re gonna be on this boat for a month anyway.” Dusk reached out, placing a hand on Cyrilo’s shoulder. “You can do whatever you want now. But try to find some happiness in the world. If not for yourself, then for Eiran. I don’t think he’d want to see you beating yourself up over something you never meant to do.”

  Cyrilo gave him a small nod and went back to petting Maribel who was enjoying all of the attention.

  ◆◆◆

  After the first week at sea, the ship had lost all wonder to Dusk. Instead it felt like a floating prison where the only choice of escape was death by drowning. The others didn’t seem to be faring much better as they spent their days wandering about the deck of the ship, looking for anything that could keep them occupied. The weather stayed fair but cold as they sailed their way across the long bay, but the sailors aboard the ship always seemed to be busy. No matter what was going on, Captain Duillearga always had more orders to call out to keep their speed steady.

  Dusk took to spending his days staring out over the railing to the south. They’d long since moved out of sight of the mainland, but he was surprised to see a series of sharply-peaked islands filling the southern horizon. The long chain created a natural barrier that cut off access to the empire. The islands were mostly rocky with very little vegetation, and jagged on all sides. They were scrunched together tightly, but even if a small ship could pass through, the waterways between them were filled with sharp rocks that thrust up at odd angles. Dusk imagined that below the surface, it was probably worse. Every now and again he saw the battered and rotting remains of a ship that had dared to try and make its way through. He wondered how many might lay in pieces as the bottom of the sea, inhabited only by fish and crustaceans.

  At long last on their tenth day at sea, Dusk finally saw the end of the island chain. The mainland rose up in front of him and the islands began to shrink in the south. At the very end of the chain there was a small gap no more than five hundred feet wide for ships to pass through. The water that flowed between was lighter colored, indicating the sudden shallowness of the channel. The captain cried out orders to his men as they drew nearer and everyone seemed to scramble around Dusk. Men climbed up to the sails, pulled ropes down, and tied things off to prepare for the journey through the channel. Making sure to keep out of the way, Dusk found a spot towards the bow so that he could watch everything transpire and still see down into the water.

  It wasn’t long before he was joined by Lex and Cyrilo who were eagerly looking over the starboard towards the islands. Dusk glanced down to see a pod of Tulamars making their way in from the ocean, slipping past the ship on both sides as they swam. They were beginning to breach the surface of the water to breathe, shooting their spouts into the air right alongside the ship. Here and there one would come out of the water a little further and splash down. Dusk wondered if they did that for a specific reason, or just to play. It seemed odd that something so massive would just throw itself around for fun.

  “Wow,” Lex muttered, staring wide-eyed at the massive fish. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

  “They are beautiful,” Cyrilo replied with a smile. “And very tasty.”

  Dusk and Lex both turned to look at him in disbelief.

  “Listen,” he said, holding up his hands. “When you’re on a ship and starving, you eat what you can get.”

  “I’m not sure if I can trust you anymore,” Lex said without a hint of sarcasm. “Like on a spiritual level.”

  “Probably a good idea anyway,” Cyrilo responded, chuckling to himself.

  The trip through the channel was a little rougher than Dusk had expected. He stood at the railing gripping it with white knuckles as they entered the choppy water. To port he could see low hills and rocky cliffs covered in snow, while off the starboard were the last remnants of sharp mountains that eventually dipped down under the water. There were moments when it seemed like they might run aground on boulders and ridges, but Captain Duillearga and his crew were well versed in their craft. They wove between the underwater labyrinth with precision, avoiding every obstacle in their way. Not a single ding was made to the hull as they found their way through and eventually to the other side.

  Finally Dusk felt himself relax, his fingers tingling as he released the tension. The Zephyr’s sails picked up a stronger breeze, jolting the ship forward, and carried them southward into the open ocean. The water quickly darkened once again and all traces of the Tulamars were gone. Lex and Cyrilo moved away from the railing, no longer having anything interesting to keep them entertained. Looking back over his shoulder Dusk watched for a long time as the last remnants of Ditania slipped out of his sight over the horizon. He didn’t know how long it would be, but he hoped he’d feel the steadiness of land again soon.

  Twelve

  They sailed southwest out to sea til there was no land on the horizon in any direction. Dusk had never felt so lost and alone while surrounded by people. They seemed completely stranded, worse off than they had been in the plains north of the Sunder River. They were all summoned to the captain’s cabin for a brief meeting about how the voyage was going to go. Captain Duillearga pulled out a large map covered in pencil markings and placed it on the table.

  “We don’ want to be seen by the ships that are likely guardin’ the coast, so we’re goin’ out into open water,” he said, running his finger across the large map to show their route. “But we’ll have to pass between the islands here before we can reach Watersedge in Inahan.” He stopped his finger on a chain that ran all the way down to the southern continent at the bottom of the map. “There’s a neutral point here we can stop to gather a few supplies for the rest of our journey.”

  “Isn’t it dangerous to stop?” Tara asked, glancing down at the small red X that marked the island. “Won’t it be under Inahandrian control?”

  “Well, it’s always dangerous to stop, but I doubt it’s under their control. I’m also well known around here, so we’ll be fine. I’ve got quite the reputation.” He straightened up and put his hands on his hips. He shot a small smirk at Cyrilo before continuing. “It’s after the islands that I’m worried about. There’s bound to be Inahandrian ships waitin’ for people who are stupid enough to pass through. Here’s hopin’ they give us a story worth tellin’, eh?”

  Dusk wasn’t crazy about the idea, but he made a menta
l note to be ready if they saw a ship on the horizon. He wasn’t much of a sailor and truth be told he had come to hate The Zephyr already, but he could fight to keep himself above water. If needed, he had an ace up his sleeve that he could play if things took a turn for the worst. But he tried not to think or worry about it. They’d probably make it to Inahan without any issues. He hoped.

  “I guess we don’t have much choice do we?” Tara sighed.

  “Afraid not.” The captain glanced back up at Cyrilo again. “But look at it this way. As long as this ship is above water, you’re still alive.”

  Lex cocked an eyebrow, staring at the captain. He leaned over to Dusk and whispered, “I think this guy has gotten a little too much sun over the years.”

  ◆◆◆

  It was another fifteen days before they saw land again and it wasn’t an encouraging sight. Towering, mountainous islands rose up in the distance, tall enough above the horizon that their peaks were visible far before the beach cliffs. After sailing in open water for so long, the bleak sight was welcomed by all. The sailors seemed to become excited and rowdy while Dusk and his companions looked on, wondering what was so great about an unscalable mountain surrounded by water.

  It was another few hours before the sun dipped below the horizon and Dusk could just make out the lanterns glowing at the base of the island. Every now and then a faint shout echoed across the water. As they came closer the noise continued to grow until Dusk was left wondering if it was some sort of holiday he didn’t know about. The people of the small town seemed to be celebrating as if their lives depended on it. Captain Duillearga once again called them all into his cabin.