Everflame: The Complete Series

by Dylan Lee Peters

  “My brother and I are looking for transport off of Ephanlarea. We were hoping to speak with Captain Nesbitt.”

  It was obvious that the barman was having a hard time hearing Ben. He leaned closer to Ben and raised his voice.

  “It’s loud in here, son. You’ll have to speak up.”

  Disappointed in his inability to be discreet in this environment, Ben resigned himself to the situation and raised his own voice. “I need to speak with Captain Nesbitt about transporting my brother and I on his ship.”

  The barman took a step back and looked queerly at Ben. The barman’s brow furrowed as he scanned over both Ben and Tomas. Oh no, thought Ben, we’ve made a mistake. Something’s wrong. The barman slowly raised his hand to his white beard and scratched it. Then a disarming smile broke across his scruffy face. He turned his head out to the crowd and barked to the man playing the piano.

  “Hey, Billy!” he yelled out over the crowd. “Stop playin’ that thing! I said stop playin’!”

  The music stopped and aside from a few protests and grumbles, the room went quiet.

  “What’s the problem?” Billy shot back to the barman.

  The barman’s smile was getting bigger all the time and his face was beginning to redden. He looked like a geyser that was about to explode. “I just thought the room might like to know that these two lads over here just asked me…” and now it was obvious that the man was truly on the brink of losing his poise. “If they could speak with Captain Nesbitt…” the man attempted to stifle a giggle, “and ask him if they could take a ride on his ship.” Red-faced and teary-eyed, the barman doubled over with laughter and the room followed his explosion with their own merriment.

  The brothers Floyd sat paralyzed as the entire room laughed heartily at their expense. Moments later, the piano started up again and the barman did all he could to gather himself. He turned back to Ben and spoke.

  “You boys aren’t from here, are ye?” The man’s face was still red from bliss. He turned his head to the back of the bar and looked down toward the ground. He took one pudgy hand and patted the top of the bar. “Come here, Cap’n,” he said. “Come here.” A pair of gray paws plopped onto the bar and a cold, wet nose peered up at Ben and Tomas. “Boys,” said the barman, “meet the Captain!” Laughter once again had the barman doubled over.

  “Captain Nesbitt is a DOG?” blurted Tomas.

  “So much for the mute,” quipped Ben.

  “Well I don’t think it matters much now, does it?” Tomas said indignantly.

  “Oh… thank you lads. I haven’t laughed like that in years. But seriously, I have to know, who told you my dog was a real captain?”

  Tomas was irate at having a room full of people laughing at he and his brother. He hopped off his stool and slammed it against the bar. “Tenturo did,” he spat back at the barman. Tomas turned and stalked off toward the door.

  “Tomas!” Ben yelled after him. He shot the room a fearful glance and then, hastily followed his brother out of the tavern.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Ben yelled at Tomas. “Why would you say that? You know how people might react.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Tomas. “I snapped.”

  “Well, come on. Let’s hide down this alley to make sure no one tries to follow us.”

  Ben and Tomas ran into the black alley directly next to Captain Nesbitt’s Galley. They ducked down and kept their eyes out toward the street to see if anyone passed.

  “How long should we wait?” whispered Tomas. Suddenly, a rattling voice came from behind.

  “Stand up and turn around slowly. Any sudden movements and I’ll bury this arrow in yer back.”

  The two brothers did as they were told. They turned around and found it impossible to see who was pointing the arrow at them. The alley was dark and the fog had obscured most of the moonlight.

  “Sir, I assure you,” began Ben, but he was abruptly cut off.

  “Don’t say another word,” said the man in a deadly serious tone. “There’s a door behind me down this alley. Now I’m gonna back up and open that door and the two of you are gonna follow me in. No funny stuff. I’m serious. I’ve killed before and I’m thinking it’s been too long since the last time.”

  Ben and Tomas had no alternatives. They couldn’t see their assailant and could barely see each other. So they did what they were told. A door opened, spilling light into the alley. The man adeptly placed himself so the light wouldn’t hit him. All Ben and Tomas could see was the steely tip of his arrow.

  “Get inside,” said the man.

  The room they were led into was lit well enough with lanterns that they could see the ale kegs lining the walls. We must be in a storage room for Captain Nesbitt’s Galley, thought Ben, someone heard Tomas say Tenturo. People didn’t care for talk of the Ancients. It was seen as blasphemy to most, and certain men, especially those who might be a bit inebriated, may care enough to do something about it.

  A table sat in the middle of the room. It was round and wooden with chairs surrounding it, the kind of table used for backroom card games or other illegal business. The man with the bow was still outside of the doorway. He called for them to take a seat at the table and they did. Slowly the man entered the room, the light crept across his face revealing the barman who, not so long ago, had been in the midst of a blissful night. It directly contrasted the mix of fear and anger that was written on his face now. His face was stark white and his teeth were clenched. His knuckles were white and held firmly around his bow. Tomas was reminded of a scene, just like this, in the village of Hendrick. It was how he and his brother had met Evercloud, after Evercloud had spoken of the Ancients in a tavern. Tomas hoped that this situation would work out as well as the last. Ironic, he thought to himself.

  The man closed the door with his foot, never taking his eyes off of the brothers. “All right, Captain,” the barman said, “you can come out now.”

  Ben and Tomas swung their heads around the room. Around the corner of a large ale keg walked the barman’s dog. He was long and gray, a large dog by most standards, but he did not seem fierce. His short, gray hair was speckled with white, especially around his chest and muzzle. His ears were darker at the tips and he had two different colored eyes, one brown and one green. The dog calmly moved closer to the table where the brothers sat, tail swaying in the air. He casually leapt upon the table, faced Ben and Tomas, and then he spoke.

  “What do you want?”

  The brothers looked at each other in amazement. How many more talking animals would they encounter on this quest? Tenturo’s words echoed through their minds. Speak plainly and freely. Ben looked into the dog’s eyes and spoke.

  “The great Tenturo has sent us to find Captain Nesbitt. I take it that you are he.”

  “I am,” said the dog. “Now again, what do you want?”

  “We want transport for four to Felaqua,” said Ben. Tomas looked at him oddly.

  “There are two of you,” said the Captain.

  “Our companions wait outside the city. They are waiting for a sign before they will rejoin us.”

  “How have you come to speak with Tenturo?” asked the dog.

  “We freed him from his prison in the White Mountains. In order to even his debt with us he gave us your name. He said you would help transport us to Felaqua in order to free our sister.”

  “Your sister is a prisoner in Felaqua?”

  “The secrets to the spell that bind her can be found there.”

  The dog looked over to the barman who still held his bow drawn. The barman shrugged. Captain Nesbitt turned back to the brothers Floyd.

  “I’m not one for wasting time, so I’ll cut to the chase.” The dog lowered his head slightly and stared deeper into the men’s eyes. “Prove it.”

  Ben and Tomas looked at each other. They hadn’t expected things to go this way and surely hadn’t discussed how they might prove their story. They had assumed Captain Nesbitt would be a human and a real ship captain with a real
ship. They had bargained on being able to board his ship for transport before relaying any truths about their story to the man, certainly before the introduction of Evercloud and Riverpaw. Now they weren’t sure what to do.

  “Well, I’m waiting,” said Nesbitt.

  “He, uh, Tenturo that is,” began Tomas, “gave me this bow.”

  Tomas placed his green bow upon the table in front of Nesbitt. The dog smelled it and shook his head.

  “The bow smells of Tenturo, I’ll give you that. But how can I be sure that the two of you are on the right side of things? There are many who would wish harm to those who had freed the Ancient. Many men, I should say. No creature other than man would worship the Tyrant.”

  Then it struck Ben. “Our party is not made entirely of humans. A bear accompanies us. His name is Riverpaw and he is from the Kingdom of Bears that reside upon Gray Mountain.”

  Nesbitt’s ears perked. “You speak words that I would not expect to hear from humans…but that, in itself, is not proof.”

  “We can take you to him,” quipped Tomas.

  “You expect me to allow you to lead me outside of the village to be trapped by whatever you might have waiting for me?”

  “Riverpaw cannot enter the village,” said Ben, “for obvious reasons.”

  The brothers looked at each other. They were out of ideas. Captain Nesbitt grumbled and looked toward the barman who again shrugged in response. Nesbitt turned back to the brothers.

  “You say there is a bear among you. Explain how that came to be.” Nesbitt’s voice was growing impatient.

  Tomas began to tell the story of how Evercloud and Riverpaw had joined them. Both Nesbitt and the barman stared in disbelief as the story unfolded. Tomas finished the story as quickly as he could, trying not to leave out any important plot pieces. He knew the dog was growing impatient and their safety may depend on his account. As he finished, the dog sat down and scratched behind his ears.

  “This is the strangest, most unbelievable story I have ever heard. Yet I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how you would concoct this story if it were not true.” The dog paused and again stared at the brothers. “You say this Evercloud has spent his entire life on Gray Mountain?” The brothers nodded in unison. “The bear cannot enter the village, that is true, but this man certainly can. Have him meet me here, but alone. If he can convince me that this story is true, I will transport you to Felaqua. Now go.”

  The dog nodded his head toward the door and the barman opened it. Ben and Tomas promptly walked out the door and back into the fog-choked alley.

  “This better work,” said Tomas as the men ran back to meet Riverpaw and Evercloud.

  •••

  Riverpaw lay in the thicket, wide awake, while Evercloud snored beside him. He hadn’t been able to sleep very well since the White Mountains. Sometimes it was the death of his father, Whiteclaw, which kept him awake. He wondered if his mother knew yet. Would she blame him, would she blame herself? He wished he could be with her. But the majority of the time, what kept him awake was the voice of the Messenger echoing through his mind. Where had that man come from? Where was he now? Could they defeat him? What exactly was his involvement with the Great Tyrant? Riverpaw’s mind would not let it go. The bear grunted in frustration and stood up. He walked to the edge of the thicket and stared at the moon through the fog. His stirring had woken Evercloud.

  “Still having trouble sleeping?” Evercloud yawned and rubbed his eyes.

  “How is it so easy for you?” asked Riverpaw.

  “Because I’m going to stop him. I know it. It can’t be any other way.”

  “What if it is?”

  “I won’t let it be.”

  “I don’t know how you can be so confident,” said Riverpaw. Evercloud placed a hand upon his friend but said nothing. Riverpaw looked away from the moon and slightly nodded his head. “We don’t have much other choice, do we?”

  Evercloud didn’t need to answer the question. Without warning, an arrow whistled overhead.

  “Tomas?” Evercloud asked Riverpaw.

  “Must be,” Riverpaw responded. “Who else would randomly shoot an arrow that far over our heads.”

  Evercloud shrugged. “They’re earlier than we expected though. It must not have gone well.”

  Riverpaw and Evercloud looked toward the village of Cerano and saw two figures walking toward them. As the figures got closer, it became apparent that it was the brothers Floyd.

  “What happened?” asked the bear.

  “We found him,” said Ben, out of breath. “We told him everything.”

  “And…” said Riverpaw.

  “He didn’t believe us,” said Tomas. “He wants to meet you, Evercloud. He thinks you can convince him.”

  “Okay,” said Evercloud. “Let’s go then.”

  “No,” said Ben. “Just you.”

  The brothers Floyd explained how the conversation had gone and why Captain Nesbitt wanted to see Evercloud alone. Evercloud nodded and the brothers told him exactly where he needed to go in order to meet Captain Nesbitt. Evercloud seemed to understand and turned to head for the village. Tomas stopped him short.

  “Oh, one thing we forgot to tell you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He’s a dog.”

  “What?”

  “Captain Nesbitt is a dog. He’s a talking dog.”

  “Oh…Okay.” Evercloud turned back to the village, unfazed, and started to walk away. Tomas looked at his brother disappointed.

  “Did you really think it would impress him?” said Ben.

  Tomas shrugged.

  •••

  Evercloud walked the foggy streets of Cerano along the path that would lead him to Captain Nesbitt. The air had grown very cold and Evercloud couldn’t help but shiver, despite the blood pumping furiously through his veins. Time was not something he had on his side. Iolana was out there, somewhere. He had failed her once and he wouldn’t allow it to happen again.

  In what seemed to be no time at all, he stood in front of the alley that the brothers had described to him. The sign to Captain Nesbitt’s Galley swung in the cold, night air. The piano music was gone and the patrons had all gone home. The only noise Evercloud could hear was his own breath. The alley was black, pure and total, yet he did not hesitate. As if falling off of a cliff, he entered the void of the alley and was quickly met by a harsh voice.

  “State yer business. There’s an arrow aimed for yer heart.”

  “I am Evercloud. Take me to Captain Nesbitt.”

  “Inside,” commanded the voice and a door at the back of the alley swung wide. Light spilled onto the barman as he held the door open. “Have a seat at the table.” Evercloud did as he was told.

  “It’s an honor to meet you,” Evercloud said to the dog sitting in the corner of the room.

  “They told you, did they? Well, good. One less thing to get around.” Nesbitt moved closer to the table. “It’s late and I’m tired, so do what your friends could not and tell me why I should transport you to Felaqua.”

  “Because if you don’t, you’ll die.”

  This was the last thing the dog had expected to hear. “You dare to threaten me in exchange for service. Keep in mind, lad, there’s an arrow pointed at you.”

  “My death will only make your own come faster, Captain. And it is not I, nor any of my companions that you need to fear. The Tyrant has returned. He and his servant could be anywhere. For all we know, they are on their way here now. It is the great Tenturo who has sent us here, with the promise that Captain Nesbitt would help us in our quest. Helping us is helping Tenturo, and if you refuse, then I have no more time to waste on you.”

  The dog stared in amazement at Evercloud’s words. “In all my years, boy…” began Nesbitt. He stopped himself and reconsidered his words. He grimaced and shook his head. “There is no way.” Again the dog stopped himself short. “No man would ever walk into this room and speak to a talking dog like that. All while he had
an arrow pointed at his heart. But you’re no common man, are you?”

  “I wouldn’t know how a common man should act, Captain.”

  “That’s obvious,” chimed in the barman.

  The dog laughed. “Go and signal your friends, bear man. Meet us at the docks just south of here. We leave for Felaqua tonight.”

  “Thank you, Captain Nesbitt.”

  “Don’t thank me. Thank Tenturo and thank the whiskey we purchase in Felaqua.”

  Chapter 4: Memories of Fire

  “I want to thank you for saving me from those men back there. I can’t remember how I’d gotten myself into those mountains, I must have been searching for something.”

  The Messenger turned his head and stared with his deep-blue vision into Iolana’s eyes. She really doesn’t remember a thing, he thought to himself.

  “Those men are evil. I had been tracking them for some time. They killed your father and most likely, had plans to kill you.”

  “They killed my father?” Iolana said in astonishment. “I-I can’t remember.” Tears began to swell in Iolana’s eyes. “I c-can’t even remember my own father.”

  “Those men hit you in the head. It must have impaired your memory.” The Messenger looked into the distance. “Don’t worry, they can’t hurt you anymore. I have an errand to take care of and then I will be tracking them again. I don’t plan on failing a second time.”

  Iolana dried her eyes and smiled. “You’re a brave man,” she said to the Messenger. “I never asked your name.”

  “My name?” the Messenger seemed confused.

  “You do have a name, don’t you?” Iolana continued to smile at him.

  Lightning flashed in the Messenger’s eyes. He hadn’t seen a woman smile at him for so long. It stirred memories in him, memories of a woman he used to know, memories of a warm embrace, memories of lightning and rain.

  “My name is Murray,” he said.

  “Well, thank you again for saving me, Murray. I really can’t remember anything before the mountains.” Iolana grimaced. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

  “You’ll stay with me,” said the Messenger. “Until I’ve found the men who killed your father.”