by T B Phillips
Her eyes focused on a particular cut between her thumb and forefinger. It had been the first. After Skander Braston had finished with her, he had left her lying face down across the table, staring at the lifeless body of her mother. After she could finally pull her eyes away, she had drawn a knife from the block. Placing it against her wrist she had wanted to end it all, fully intending to do so. But she paused when she heard the voice of the prince laughing in the next room, looting her parents’ home. In that moment she decided that she would live. She moved the tip of the blade and drew it across the sensitive skin beside her thumb. The pain was excruciating but it gave her control. It was her pain to give and so it was welcome.
Tears filled her eyes as she placed her scarred and disfigured hands flat against the ground. All of her tormented years had been bottled inside, represented by each scar and every burn. She breathed in and then out again. As she did, she felt agony flow out, causing her hands to tremble against the ground and causing it to shake.
At first, only the ground beneath her vibrated. Focusing her attention on the gun mount, the trembling intensified, moving out as a wave within the rocks below the fortification. After a few seconds, the tremor had grown violent, tearing the rocks apart and shearing a cleft. That fissure also grew as it radiated out from Eusari and became a fault that tore the small fort into pieces. The remnants crumbled, burying the men inside beneath the rubble.
Gelert licked the wet and salty cheeks of his friend, breaking her trance. She lifted her eyes toward the gaping chasm ahead and hugged the wolf, drying her face on his fur. Looking back at the men staring up from the beach, she pointed toward the city wall beyond the remains of the gun mount. A large crack had formed there, large enough for her army to make their way inside. She rose and quickly pulled her gloves onto her hands, ashamed that someone would see.
Shon approached her cautiously. She could tell he was afraid, and his eyes reflected shock and amazement. “Dearie… That. That was incredible.”
“That was reckless and stupid of me.” She pointed up at the wall, indicating that archers ran to man the intact sections and city guardsmen hurried to form a shield wall in the crevasse. “We lost every element of surprise that we had planned for. Braen was supposed to be the distraction for us to get in under the cloak of surprise, and I ruined that.”
“But we still have the advantage. And we have these!” Shon lifted his rifle up into the air to emphasize his words.
“Yes. We do, but that isn’t the point.” She shook her head, “We’ve deviated from the plan and lost our opportunity to minimize bloodshed.” Pointing first at the open ocean behind them and then at the city wall, she added, “We can’t go back the way we came in, and we can’t charge that fortification without losing the army we came here to win over. We have to wait for Braen and hope for an opening.
Braen had waited until Eusari and the longboats passed beyond the reef wall and were on their way. His crew aided Eusari, and he sailed alone with his best friends, Sippen and Krill. He called to Krill to raise anchor and begin their circling approach to the front entrance of The Cove. After one more long look at the meager assault armada, he created a new current in the water, steering around the island and out of range of an eyeglass. Ice Prince lurched and began to pick up speed as they rounded the main island.
In no time at all, massive outcroppings and stone walls marked the harbor entrance. He could immediately tell that several upgrades had been made to the massive batteries, including stone tops that would prevent their use of Carcass rounds. He smiled at the stories his friends had told him of their daring escape from the harbor. Of course, the account in his head was in Krill’s voice and full of expletives.
“Prepare to come about! I want them to see us coming.”
“Aye, Captain!” Krill ambled up to the main mast with his one eye and wooden leg. He had a bundle of cloth under his arm and attached it to the line that held the ensign. Lowering the Fjorik colors, he attached the new standard and quickly ran it up the mast. In a matter of minutes, a giant banner unfurled, much to the chagrin of the bearded captain.
“Krill! What is that?”
“Your colors, Cap’n!”
Braen flushed with embarrassment as the breeze found the piece of cloth, revealing the Kraken banner from his feast. It was so large it would be visible from the harbor positions.
“Demon’s nipples, Krill!”
The comical man smiled back at him from behind the eyepatch. “Twasn’t me, Captain!” He pointed toward the first mate and smith who smiled a devilish expression from ear to ear, large head bobbing on his small frame.
“Gawds dammit, Sippen! Why would you do that to me?”
“Buh… because it suh… suits you, Braen!” The little man pointed around the ship. “Yuh… you need to listen to your crew. Thuh… they are proud to serve their ‘Lord Kraken’. Wuh… whether you luh… like it or not. You… are the Kraken!” After a pause, he turned with an even wider grin than before. “Nuh… now let’s kuh… kick some ass!”
Braen let out a long laugh at this. “Okay, my friend. Let’s go kick some ass.”
Movement from behind made him spin around, finding two small and timid children emerging from the hatch to the crew’s quarters below. Their eyes were wide with admiration and stared up at the banner. The boy was Sebastian and the girl Suzette. They had been aboard Ice Prince during the crossing of open waters but were supposed to have left with the crew.
Braen narrowed his eyes and asked in a gruff voice, “Why are you still aboard? I ordered you both to disembark!”
The boy looked down at the deck and said nothing. Suzette, on the other hand, stared back at the captain with defiance in her eyes. She’s been spending too much time with Eusari, he thought to himself. Finally, the boy broke his silence. “You need our help. Your powers are limited to water, and you’ll need assistance once you get on dry land.”
Braen nodded. The thought had crossed his mind several times in the planning. “Yes, Sebastian. But what I’m about to do is very dangerous and I promised Eusari I would keep you safe from the fighting and not involve you two.”
“That’s bullshit!” Suzette broke her silence. “We’re here because we want to be, not because we were made to be. This war is for all of us, and we’re helping.”
Braen almost smiled at her words. Yes, he thought, she was definitely spending too much time with Eusari. “Fine. Stay below decks and away from the forward compartments. Get as far aft as you can get and stay there until we reach dry land.”
“Not a chance, Captain Braston.” The girl again expressed defiance and this time Braen really did smile.
To the children he said, “Your funeral.” Then he looked at Sippen and Krill who both shrugged. To them he said, “You two are no help.”
Krill responded, “Sometimes that be true, Cap’n. Sometimes that be true.”
Braen studied the fortifications. The larger main guns had a range of about four thousand feet, a little less than a mile. With that in mind he slowed the current to keep just at five thousand feet. His own guns had a range of about two thousand feet, limiting his attack capabilities if he ran into trouble and had to fight his way out. Suddenly, a thought entered his head.
“Sebastian, Suzette! Do you think you can blow a cannonball three thousand yards?”
The children thought long and hard before Sebastian answered. “I think we can.”
“Sippen. Krill. Do the math and figure out the trajectory to pull this off. I want to do more than get their attention, I want to knock on one of their batteries.” He knew that he couldn’t destroy them with a single canon, but it would be fun to reach out with a long and accurate shot. “I want to say ‘hello,’ to Nevra.”
The calculations and adjustments were made, and Krill nodded back at Braen.
“Fire when ready, Master Gunnery Sergeant!” A single cannon fir
ed from Ice Prince and the ball sailed long and true, pushed by the children through the air. When it hit the mark perfectly, the small crew cheered the explosion of rock and men flying over the side of the battery. They turned toward the harbor and lowered the sails to begin their approach.
From the walls, several large guns fired and Braen nodded knowingly that they would not be able to hit the ship so far out. “Hold this course, boys! Gunnery Sergeant count their reload time. Sebastian, get ready to blow wind like you’ve never done before.” Turning to Suzette he added, “You’ll help him this time. I want to shoot that gap faster than they can load after their next volley!”
The tension aboard Ice Prince was thick as they made their approach, but every man and little girl on board was proud to serve their ‘Lord Kraken,’ as Sippen had called him. They were almost in range, when a second salvo fired from the heavily armored positions.
“That was sooner than I expected, Captain!” Krill’s voice rang out. “They must have made improvements.
Shouting at Sebastian and Suzette, he gave the order. “Wind! Give me wind and let’s shoot that gap!”
His plan was to speed under the salvo, expecting it to fly over their heads. But Nevra had indeed made improvements to his defenses, apparently stealing from some of Sippen’s designs. The harbor guns rang true on that day, striking Ice Prince both below the waterline and atop the main deck. The repairs to the main mast failed to hold and it fell, crashing into the ship and sending splinters as it did. Little Suzette was sent flying backward and Braen watched a splinter pierce her chest. She lay on the deck, quickly forming a pool of blood around her. Her lifeless eyes stared up at the cloudless sky.
Braen froze. All was lost in a single blow and Ice Prince was taking on water very quickly. “Abandon ship!” He cried with agony, realizing that he had failed to retake The Cove.
Chapter Forty-Five
Robert awoke with pain pulsing through his temples. He groaned a little and reached up to press hands against his skull in hopes to dull the pain. He had rested but felt as if he had been awake the entire night. The images of the army and of Max were firmly embedded in his mind and he knew that it was all somehow real, just as he was right about Sarai.
Thinking of her, he turned and met her staring back, awake with the swirling currents of air still flowing. Even with the disfiguring scars she was so beautiful to Robert, and he knew that she always would be. He smiled at her awkwardly. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”
Her voice was weak and little more than a hoarse groan, signifying that her throat must have been damaged when she breathed in the heat. “Do you mean how bad am I hurting?”
“Well, no. How bad are you hurting, Sarai?”
Tears ran down her scarred face. “That depends. My entire body was burned and yet it still hurts less than what you did to my heart, Robert Esterling.”
He reached up and touched a patch of skin by her left eye that was still intact. Tears filled his own eyes, as he whispered, “I was afraid. I was afraid that you would get injured or killed and I wanted to protect you.”
“That was my choice, Robert. I knew my risks.” She pulled her eyes away from his, staring up at the ceiling of the wagon with her mouth suddenly drawn tight. “Is he…” She swallowed painfully. “Did you kill him, Robert? I passed out while you were fighting, and I want to know.”
“No. I left him alive. I had an opportunity to make a different choice and chose your path. If there’s still an ounce of good in that boy, then he has another chance to find it.”
“So, you finally understand that the entire people shouldn’t be judged for the actions of one?”
“Yes. But I don’t know how many more chances he should get.”
She turned and again met his eyes. “That isn’t for us to decide. That’s up to him, Robert, but at least we’ve shown him the right way to live. He has choices to make that have nothing to do with his people.”
The prince nodded. “Sarai, I am about to fight in a battle. My brother has claimed my throne, and I marched south to Eskera with Max. We’re outnumbered three to one and our opponent has both cavalry and artillery.”
“You brought me to a battlefield? You really aren’t very good at romance. Do you know that?” She tried to smile but the pain in her face made her wince instead. “Don’t surrender, if that’s what you’re thinking. Your brother will have you killed no matter the outcome.”
“I know. I just don’t want these men to die when it only has to be me.”
She looked deeply into his eyes, pondering something and saying nothing for a while. Finally, she responded, “You don’t get it, yet, do you?”
“No. I guess not. What is it, Sarai?”
“Men will follow you, Robert. You wield so much potential it isn’t fair. You have wasted your entire life brooding over your insecurities and inadequacies, that you don’t see how truly remarkable you are.” She indicated the shimmering flow of air around her skin. “And this. I saw you fighting against Taros like a Falconer. I don’t know how you did, nor how you are doing this, but you need to open your eyes to your potential. You’re special, Robert Esterling. You’re special and men will follow you into the Caldera if that’s where you take them. That’s also why I love you.”
“You… You love me? Even after… after that night?”
“Yes. I just want you to stop thinking that strength will solve all of your problems. You also need compassion.”
“That’s why I let Taros live, Sarai.”
“And that’s the only reason that I’m speaking to you now.” She closed her eyes, squeezing tears out from the sides. “I can’t solve the problem of this battle for you, but I can tell you that there are other options to fighting.”
When she finished speaking, he knew the conversation was closed. He leaned over and placed a gently and cautious kiss on her lips, still perfect and unmarred if just a little chapped from the cold. Rising, he stepped out of the wagon and into the pre-dawn night. Cold air blasted him as soon as he emerged, forcing him to tighten his tunic. He quickly found Max and Titus leaning over a map in the command tent. They were in some kind of disagreement about strategy.
“Sir, with respect we need to cross the swamp and move north to here.” Titus indicated a place on the map that appeared to be high ground.
“Foolish.” Max shook his head. “We don’t know how deep that mud is. We could lose half our force over what? High ground that will make it easier for their cannons to make us scatter over the top? No. We need another option.”
“March them into the swamp, General Reeves.” Robert spoke up from behind his mentor. “Find a sturdy footing and wait it out. Let them die trying to get at us with their infantry.”
Max inclined his head toward the prince. “Nice thought, but same problem. Their artillery will scatter us and do the same to our own men. Besides, finding a footing is damned near impossible.” After a short pause he added, “and that water is near freezing as it is. Our men would die from hypothermia if they happened to survive.”
“I can get us across, Max. I think that I have a way.” He pointed at the swamp on the map. “And out there we are protected from Lourdes’ cavalry. Since he isn’t going to help us, we need to keep him off our flanks.”
“How did you know about that?”
“The same way I know five thousand men reinforced them before we could arrive.” And to himself he thought, the same way that I know they have Falconers.
This caught the old general’s attention, and he turned to face him completely. “Even so, we’ll be sitting ducks for their artillery.”
“I have a plan for that.”
The men listened intently as Robert explained his idea, pointing out flaws in their map as he did. After he had finished, Max and Titus stared dumbfounded. “How can you be so sure about the terrain?” Reeves asked. “Our best scouts were out all
night putting this together.”
The Esterling boy smiled, “They didn’t have a birds eye view.” With that an eagle screeched from the forest. Within seconds, the heavy flapping of wings could be heard outside and the men walked to the tent flap to look out. Robert pushed past them, and a large eagle landed on his shoulder, gently squeezing her huge talons into his tunic. Turning to face the men, Robert laughed at their expressions.
“You… You see through her eyes?” Max was astonished at the sight.
“I can. I can also hear if she is close enough.”
“Last night? You could hear me talking to Lourdes?”
“Aye. I think we have a lot to discuss after the battle, Max. Or should I be calling you something else?”
The general looked down at the ground embarrassed. “No. Max is fine.”
Robert nodded. “Come on, gentlemen. Let’s get ready for the battle.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Water rushed into the belly of Ice Prince and Braen froze in place, helpless to save his friends. Krill had slid across the deck and would have blown over the side had it not been for dumb luck. He clung desperately to the rail while tangled in a rope and struggling to regain his footing. His wooden leg scraped uselessly against the slick hull of the ship, unable to give him the leverage he needed. His tenuous grip was failing.
Sippen was unconscious and laying near the helm. A spar had struck him hard across the face and blood ran down his bruised and swollen cheek. He should not even be onboard, but had insisted on staying with his lifelong friend. Only Braen’s overconfidence in the plan had allowed the little man to come along. Braen thought about how Sippen might never wake up, how he would slip silently beneath the cold waters and drown when the ship submerged.
