Raven Rebellion

by K Hanson

  Also by K Hanson

  Fantasy:

  Storm Raven

  Thriller:

  The Azrael Initiative

  Morgan is Missing

  Raven Rebellion

  By K Hanson

  K Hanson

  2019

  Copyright © 2019 by K Hanson

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  First Edition, 2019

  www.KHansonBooks.com

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to my wonderful wife, Bobbi. I’m so thankful to have found the perfect co-captain for navigating the seas of life.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Nereyda would be damned if she’d let a tiny bridge get in her and her crew’s way. Weeks of hiking across the continent had left their legs aching, their throats parched, and their stomachs empty. The days they had lost as they trudged through the thick forest hadn’t done them any favors either, but at least they had evaded any Imperial patrols. Now, a guarded bridge interrupted their journey back to Lord Devrim’s estate in Ascaya, where Nereyda hoped to reunite with the one person who might be their ally. Normally, they’d be able to handle such a problem with ease. However, her crew and the Islanders who were with them displayed heavy steps, slumped shoulders, and unfocused eyes that showed the toll that their enslavement in the mines and the long journey had taken. On any other day, any single member of her crew could kill the two guards standing just on this side of the bridge, especially if they were surprised, but the guardhouse across the river worried Nereyda. It looked like it could house up to twenty guards at a time, and a small stable with three horses stood next to it. Nereyda didn’t want to face a barracks full of well-armed and rested guards, and she definitely didn’t want any of them running off to get reinforcements.

  “What do you think, Captain?” said Elvar, the old quartermaster, as he ran his hands through his graying beard.

  “The crew isn’t ready for a fight. Keep them here and I’ll go see if I can talk to those guards.”

  “What are you going to say?”

  “I don’t know.” Nereyda shrugged and gave him a smile. “I’ll just use my irresistible charm.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  Nereyda gave Elvar a wink and a pat on the shoulder, then swaggered down the road toward the bridge.

  The guards wore forest-green tunics, with gleaming bits of chain mail showing at the collars. Swords hung from their belts. They leaned against the posts on either side of the bridge and focused more on their conversation with each other than the road.

  As Nereyda approached the guards, they tensed up and reached for their swords. One of them, who had a clean-shaven face under his shiny helmet, asked, “Who are you? Why do you need to cross?”

  Nereyda pushed her black hair out of her eyes and fixed him with her purple gaze. “We’re some tired travelers hoping to make it to the village ahead. You wouldn’t want to get in the way of loyal citizens of the Empire, would you?”

  The guard narrowed his eyes at Nereyda and took a moment to glance over her shoulder at the group a way up the road behind her. “After the attack at the mines, we aren’t taking any chances. Nobody crosses without a permit. I also don’t like the look of you and your friends.”

  “I agree, we could all use a bath.” She wrinkled her nose. “We’ve been on the road for weeks, so what do you expect?”

  The guard shook his head. “No, not that. You all have weapons, and none of you is wearing an Imperial uniform. We have reports of escaped slaves from the mines. We can’t take the risk that you might be some of them.”

  “I suppose it’s not good enough to promise that we’ll behave ourselves?”

  “Unfortunately not.”

  “If you let us through, I’ll buy both you and your friend a drink at the tavern in town. I can be pretty good company, or so people tell me.”

  “I don’t doubt that. But my orders are clear.”

  “If the promise of my company isn’t enough, maybe you’re looking for a bit more of a spark.” Nereyda reached down to the storm she knew was in her stomach. Through her exhaustion, it proved difficult to find. A flutter in her stomach told her she had almost found it. She focused on that feeling, honing in on it. When she latched on to it, electricity jolted through her body. As it coursed through her arm to her fingertips, she sent tendrils of lightning over the ground next to her. She smiled at the talkative guard and winked at the other, forcing herself to ignore the intense tingling sensation that coursed through her nerves. “Is that enough for you?”

  The guards’ faces turned white.

  Before he could respond, a woman’s voice shouted from the bridge. “Stop! What’s going on here?”

  Nereyda glanced over the guard’s shoulder to see a woman in an officer’s uniform rushing over the bridge. She held her helmet in her right hand, revealing dark skin and a tight braid of black hair pulled back behind her head. Her sharp cheekbones and slightly hooked nose combined with her rigid posture to give off a commanding presence.

  She stopped between the guards and fixed Nereyda with piercing emerald eyes. “I’m Guard Captain Limbani and I’m in charge of this outpost. Who are you? What was that trick you were just using?”

  “I’m nobody special. We’re finishing a very long journey. We fought for the Empire in the battle at the mines and are returning home.”

  “You fought for the Empire? You’re not in uniform.” Limbani’s eyes widened. “It’s you. It must be.”

  “Yes, it is me. Who do you think I am?”

  “You’re that pirate.”

  Nereyda set a hand on her hip, resting it near the grip of her cutlass. “If I’m a pirate, I’m not a very good one since I don’t have a ship.”

  Limbani held her hands up and shook her head. “No need to reach for your sword. I’m not going to arrest you. I mean you’re the pirate that Lord Devrim mentioned. He gave us instructions to watch for you.”

  Nereyda arched an eyebrow. “Really? Why would he care about me?”

  “I couldn’t say. At any rate, I was instructed to lend you a horse as soon as you arrived, so that you could make for Lord Devrim’s estate with all haste.”

  “What about my crew? They’ve walked a long way with me. Can they come with us?”

  The guard captain shook her head. “No, not at this time. We don’t have enough horses for them. They can stay here at our barracks for the time being, or at least until they’re rested enough to make the journey.”

  “You’re inviting a bunch of pirates into your barracks? I don’t think you know what you’re asking for, but fine, that will do for now. Show me to the horse you want me to take and I’ll be off.”

  “Very well, come with me.” The officer turned to the guards. “See that the others cross safely and are made comfortable in the barracks. They are considered guests of our lord and are to be treated with every courtesy.”

  Nereyda smirked as she thought of her crew being guests in a guardhouse.

  Limbani beckoned to her. “Follow me, Captain . . .”

  “Just Nereyda is fine.” She walked beside her as they crossed the bridge. “Did you ever think you’d play host to a bunch of pirates?”

  “I just follow my lord’s orders.”

  “You can speak frankly with me, soldier. I promise not to rat you out to Devrim,” Nereyda said with a devious grin.

  Limbani scrunched her face up, then nodded. “Fine. I do think it is rather unorthodox that Lord Devrim has chosen to accommodate . . . people like you.”

/>   “You’re still being polite. You really want to call us nasty, rotten criminals, don’t you?”

  Limbani raised an eyebrow at Nereyda. “You’re the one who said it.”

  Nereyda laughed. She enjoyed the chance to tease a soldier who wasn’t allowed to retaliate. “It’s okay to think we are. After all, I think most of you Imperial soldiers are mindless minions who just follow the orders of people who claim to be better than you. But what makes them better, really?”

  Limbani took a deep breath. “Lord Devrim’s different than the others.”

  “We’ll see, I guess.” Nereyda had hoped to get more of a rise out of Limbani, but the officer’s composure impressed her. “Are you from around here?”

  “No. My family is from Takondwa.”

  “How did you end up all the way up here?”

  “That is a story for friends.” Limbani picked up their pace.

  Nereyda and the officer rode in silence under the clear afternoon sky. They followed the road as it wound between rolling green hills. Eventually, they arrived at a familiar town. The two halves of Ascaya sat on either side of a river, with a bridge connecting them. They crossed the bridge and turned at the crossroads in the center of town. This path took them uphill through a forest before it opened to a clearing with a sprawling mansion.

  “Wait here while I let Lord Devrim know that you have arrived,” Limbani said.

  “I can’t come with you? Wouldn’t that save everybody some time?”

  “It wouldn’t be proper. As a guest, your arrival must be announced.”

  Nereyda rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but propriety isn’t exactly a priority for me.”

  The officer declined to respond and instead dismounted and unlocked the gate ahead of them, then pulled her horse through behind her.

  As Nereyda waited, she looked around the grounds. A hedge almost as tall as Nereyda wrapped around the perimeter of the estate. From atop her horse, Nereyda looked over the hedge at the large house. The building featured a terraced structure. It had three stories, with each level being smaller than the one beneath it. The second and third floor each had a balcony on top of the floor below. Aside from the mansion, the estate grounds had gardens and a stable in the corner.

  Officer Limbani strode back to her. “Lord Devrim will see you now. Just head in through the front door.” She pointed toward a large double door in the center of the house, directly in front of the gate. “I will take your horse. Wagons will bring your crew into town, so you will be able to meet them at the tavern not long after you’re done here.”

  Nereyda dismounted and passed the reins to Limbani. “Thanks for the escort. I hope you enjoyed hanging out with a nasty criminal like me.”

  She allowed herself a small smile. “It has been an educational, but pleasant, experience.”

  “Good. Maybe I’ll see you around, Limbani.”

  “Perhaps. Good day, Captain Nereyda.”

  She rode back down the hill, with the other horse in tow.

  Nereyda turned to the house and sauntered up the front path. As she arrived at the doors and reached up to use a brass knocker, she reflected that going in through the front entrance felt strange. The last time she had been at this house, she had snuck in by climbing to the third-floor balcony and finding an unlocked door. Her intent had been to rob the place, but she had instead stumbled into the beginnings of a rebellion. In exchange for her silence, Devrim had given her some supplies to help Nereyda free her crew from the mines. Now, it was time to see why he wanted to see her and if he’d be willing to help her and her crew yet again.

  She knocked on the door three times and waited. A few seconds passed before the door opened.

  “Ah, you must be Captain Nereyda,” said a well-dressed man. “I am Karim and I serve as head of house for Lord Devrim.”

  “You’re in charge of a lot of house, then.”

  “Indeed. My lord has done well and I am lucky to be in his service.”

  “Where can I find Devrim?”

  “Lord Devrim is in his study upstairs.” Karim gestured up the stairway that ascended from the foyer. “Allow me to show you to him.”

  “No, I know where it is. Thanks, though.” She started up the stairs as the butler sputtered his objections.

  She made her way up to the third floor and found the room where she had first surprised Devrim and his friend. Nereyda pushed through the door without knocking, and spotted Devrim sitting at his desk across the room. He ignored the creak of the door and focused on writing on a document on his desk.

  “You want me to wait while you finish that?” asked Nereyda.

  Devrim looked up and gave her a smile, framed by stubble. “Ah, Nereyda, I was just finishing a letter. I expected Karim to show you up.”

  “He offered, but I told him I knew the way. He’s very particular about being proper.”

  “Yes, he is. It’s the reason I hired him, actually. As someone who is new to being nobility, I needed someone who could help me keep all of our protocols straight.”

  “Limbani said you wanted to talk to me, which is convenient because I was coming here to talk to you anyway. But why the rush? Why go to the trouble of lending me a horse to get here?”

  “Why don’t you sit down? Then we can get to business.”

  Nereyda pulled a chair up to the rich mahogany desk and waited as the warm glow of a lamp flickered. Devrim lacked the gaudy jewelry so common among nobles, though she took a moment to appreciate the fine dark green tailored shirt that fit well on his athletic build. Nereyda made herself look back up at his face.

  “Now that we’re comfortable,” said Devrim, “you said you were on your way to talk to me? What did you want to talk about?”

  “After the battle at the mines, my crew and I needed somewhere to go. Without any real friends anywhere, the only person I thought might help us was you. You asked for a distraction and a bloody nose for the Empire. I think freeing every slave in the mines is quite a bit more than what you asked for. Since I more than held up my end of our bargain, I came to ask for something.”

  Devrim studied her face for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “And what is it that you want from me?”

  “I want a ship large enough for my crew and the Islanders who are with us.”

  “A ship? If I had one to give, you could have her right now. But, sadly, Ascaya doesn’t have much of a port.”

  “I thought that you were rich and that the Emperor personally made you a noble. All of that wealth and power, and you can’t even do a small favor for me? What’s the point, then?”

  Devrim grunted. “My wealth and power can get me quite a bit, but not that, I’m afraid. Buying a fully armed ship large enough would raise more suspicion than I would like.” He frowned as he glanced at the trees swaying outside the window. “And it was the previous Emperor who promoted me to nobility. I believe that the current occupant of the palace regrets his father’s decision.”

  “So what can you do to get a ship for us? I’d say we’ve more than earned your help.”

  He returned his attention to her. “You have, but there is only so much I can do. Why is this so important to you?”

  Nereyda rose and paced in front of the desk. “You really have to ask? The sea has been my home for as long as I can remember. And it’s been home for most of my crew.” She waved in the direction of the village. “How would you feel if your own home was taken from you? Wouldn’t you do everything you could to get back there?”

  “In that case, maybe there is something we can do, but it will not be easy. And that takes us to why I wanted to bring you here.”

  Nereyda crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at him. “I’m listening.”

  “As you know, we’re working on bringing change to the Empire and reforming it to better serve its people.”

  “I remember that. You said you were going to try to work within the system and with the other nobles to make it happen.”

  “Ye
s, that would be my preference, but I don’t believe that approach will get the job done by itself. I think the time has come for a real rebellion.”

  Nereyda leaned back against a bookcase, staring down at Devrim with suspicion. “I see where this is going.”

  Devrim rose and strode over to Nereyda. “I need people who know how to fight. I’ve recruited some from my own lands and from other sympathetic nobles, but it is not enough. With your crew, though, I think we could get a real start on assembling our army.”

  Nereyda shook her head. “We’re pirates, not soldiers. We already got mixed up in a battle and I think we’ve had enough. Besides, fifty of us isn’t really much of an army.”

  “Then don’t be soldiers. Be pirates,” he said with eagerness lighting up his eyes. “We’re not going to win against the Empire in open battle anyway. We need to fight dirty. And who better for that than a bunch of pirates?”

  “Well, I do like it dirty.” Nereyda gave him a grin.

  She caught a hint of a smile on his face before he cleared his throat and moved on. “Then you’ll be perfect for what we need to do.”

  Nereyda was almost tempted, but then remembered Brynja’s betrayal at the mines and a cold feeling came over her as she recalled the sting of her first mate’s actions. “So, if we help you with this whole war, I’m supposed to trust that you’ll give us a ship? Hardly seems like a good bet.”

  “It’s the best I can do right now. But you have my word that you’ll have your ship.”

  Nereyda sighed. “I need to think about what’s best for my crew, and the Islander friends we have with us. You’re asking us to do all of the work before we see any reward. That’s not the kind of deal I can trust. And we barely made it out of the battle at the mines. We’re not up for an entire war.” She backed toward the door. “We’ll just have to find our own way.”

  He moved to block her path and glared down at her. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?” he asked in a heated tone.

  “We’ll go get our own ship.” Nereyda’s eyes flashed with defiance.