Vahn and the Bold Extraction, The

by Mason, Shane A.

  From his balcony, an apoplectic look of panic spread across Sah Task-Master Carrion’s face. Incensed with outrage, he screamed out, ‘INQUISAT TAKE UP POSITIONS!!!!’

  Amongst the wafting smoke and confusion the Inquisat appeared on horses, beating their way through the crowd to stand at the edge of the lake. The horses seemed filled with unbridled energy, holding an unsteady ground, moving and snorting with a pent up nervous fervor.

  Captain HeGood trotted up and down before his troops.

  ‘SPREAD AROUND THE LAKE. I WANT THIS MARAUDER CAUGHT. IF HE ESCAPES I WILL PERSONALLY BUTCHER ALL OF YOU.’

  Quixote threw a handful of his hair-plucked-thunder flashes at Captain HeGood and his men, and then sailed back into the middle of the lake, disappearing into the misty smoke. Now a hundred plus in numbers, the Inquisat charged off in separate directions around the lake.

  The fighting on the lake intensified. The ships that had fled from Jerkin had regrouped, and accepting they were all likely to die, were determined to go out in a blaze of glory, hopefully damaging Jerkin's ship enough to rattle him.

  Through the haze, the remaining 12 ships weaved their way through the water trying to land a hit on Jerkin. Time and time again, Jerkin fired his guns, their boom echoing out loud. The thick smoke prevented Jerkin from seeing clearly and so he fired his guns at random, sometimes hitting a ship and most times not.

  As the battle raged Quixote burst out of the haze and smashed his ship into Jerkin’s ship, shattering his own ship’s brow. Jerkin’s ship remained unscathed, and the front Quixote’s ship started to sink lower in the water.

  Quixote scurried to the back of the ship and loomed himself up large, yelling at Jerkin.

  ‘YA DIRTY MANGY CUR, SEA STRUCK SPUTUM, FLEA INFESTED LAND GRUB! I'LL RIP YOUR LIVER OUT AND FEAST ON IT. ARRRRRRGGGGGH!’

  The fire braids of his hair flared out and stood up on end.

  Jerkin and his crew froze, gob-smacked at the sight of the fiery-headed pirate lunging for them.

  Jerkin swallowed a few times and then spoke quietly.

  ‘Fire the canons.’

  His spellbound crew watched the smoke twirl around Quixote’s head. Finally one of Jerkin’s crew said, ‘W...w..what?’

  ‘The canons,’ Jerkin said, still in a quiet voice but through clenched teethed. ‘Fire them.’

  His crew still drew a stunned bead on the pirate.

  Jerkin turned and bellowed out them, ‘FIRE THE BLOODY CANNONS!!!!!!’

  His yelling snapped them out of their visual stupor and the canons roared. Quixote shot them a raucous laugh and sliced the speeding canons balls in half. Shivers ran down the spines of Jerkin’s crew.

  ‘It is a Marauder,’ yelled one of his crew.

  The back of Quixote’s ship remained above water, and he stood proud on its deck.

  ‘PREPARE TO BE BOARDED!!’

  Using Quixote as a distraction, two ships rammed Jerkin from the other side, one of them breaking up and the other one remaining intact. Quixote leapt clear across Jerkin's ship, landing on the intact ship and once again threw the crew off, and sailed away.

  The crowd could only see smoke haze where Jerkin's ship floated, though they could hear yelling and booming. From out of the smoke Quixote sailed on a different ship and headed toward them. Behind him, the sickening sound of Jerkin's crew killing the other crew in the water carried across the lake to the crowd.

  Quixote chased the remaining ships down, sinking each of them until all that remained were Jerkin's ship, the Karena, Quixote's ship, and survivors clinging to floating bits of wood. Quixote sailed close to the lake’s edge, egging the Inquisat on and throwing thunder flashes at them.

  ‘YOUR JERKIN IS A COWARD!! I RULE!!’

  The crowd cried out a loud, ‘BOOOOOOOOO!’

  Jerkin broke out of the haze and headed for Quixote. The crowd cheered him on.

  The three cousins poked the Karena out of the haze, drew it to stop, and held their waters near the edge of the smoke-mist hoping to draw Jerkin’s attention from Quixote. Jerkin ignored them and carried on pursuing Quixote. Desperate to get his ship broad side to unleash a mighty volley of cannon balls, he relentlessly chased Quixote.

  Quixote placed his ship between the Vahn side of the lake and Jerkin’s ship, and pulled his ship to a halt, waiting until Jerkin closed in on him. As Jerkin cried out to fire, Quixote threw thunder-flashes to blind them and sped away. Jerkin’s cannon balls roared over head of the crowd hitting the Vahn.

  Time and time and time again, Quixote drew him in and sped off.

  Lexington shook her head.

  ‘He’s playing with him. At this rate, he’ll go on forever!’

  Ari placed a hand on Lexington’s shoulder.

  ‘I have an idea.’

  Ari pulled on an archer’s cap and costume, grabbed a bow and arrow and despite the distance, shot an arrow into the shin of Jerkin. Jerkin howled with pain, diverting his gaze away from Quixote and onto the cousin’s ship.

  ‘Hard a starboard!’ Jerkin yelled.

  Jerkin's ship swung toward the Karena.

  Seeing this, Quixote swung his ship toward Jerkin and made full speed toward him.

  Everyone held their breath and watched in tension-ridden silence, as the ships headed full speed toward each other, the result of which would decide who would win.

  ‘Kit up!’ Melaleuca yelled out.

  Ari reached into the hull, pulling out new costumes and handed them to the others. They pulled them on and stood their looking at each other dressed as Vikings of old. Smirking, Melaleuca nodded to Ari, ‘Ready with our thunder-flashes.’

  Lexington’s sword hand shook, and Melaleuca stilled it.

  ‘It’s okay Lex. Relax. Pretend to be a Viking. Feel it.’

  Quixote’s ship hit Jerkin’s first, plowing into it at full speed, shattering Quixote’s hull into smithereens. The impact caused him to fly over Jerkin’s ship and land in the sea metres away.

  ‘Lower the cannons,’ Jerkin yelled.

  Ten metal cannons lowered their muzzles and pointed at the water by Quixote.

  ‘Angle on target and fire when ready!’ Jerkin commanded.

  The cannons roared and spat out their canon-balls, though unable to lower the canon enough they flew over Quixote’s head.

  Melaleuca cried out to light the fuses. Seconds later, light, explosions, and smoke filled the air all around the three ships as the thunder-flashes erupted like a factory of fireworks blowing up.

  The Karena smacked hard into the side of Jerkin’s ship, halting it, and Ari reached into the water and fished Quixote out, dumping him on the deck. Lexington grabbed Quixote’s arm, and removed his bracelet. Quixote looked up. ‘Sorry, I got carried away again.’

  ‘Never mind,’ Ari replied. ‘Get these on. Quickly.’ He handed him Viking clothes. ‘And then throw the pirate costume overboard so that it looks like the pirate Marauder drowned.’

  Lexington smashed up the fake Quixote dummy, handed his bracelet back, and along with the others readied herself for the last final attack.

  ***

  Through the dense smoke the crowd heard the thud of the two ships hit each other. A brief silence followed, and then yelling and screaming, heightened by the din and clash of metal rang out loud. Jerkin’s crew and the four cousins battled hand to hand for their dear life.

  The haze-hidden fight seemed to rage on forever.

  Never had such an end to any High Galelain ever been seen in abyones lifetime, or spoken of from their veiled history. With one common breath they waited, their hearts in their mouths. Some longed for the outsider children to win, and beyond a hope prayed a forbidden, silent utterance that the lone Marauder pirate would herald their salvation. Others, filled of discipline, held out the high hope of seeing Jerkin win, knowing that he must be disqualified, but that for now, and for all time, he would be a hero.

  The fighting ceased.

  As if creation honoured the battle and the lives just
lost, the small wind died away, bringing an eerie quiet and conclusion to the battle; the shortest and most intense High Galelain ever.

  No one breathed, no one moved, no one dared say a thing lest it jinx their longing for victory.

  Chapter 36 - Victory or Defeat

  Needing to get his mind off the High Galelain and all that could be lost, Uncle Bear-Nard sought solace in the bracelet room.

  He ran his fingers over where the yellow bracelets had been, and touched the remaining ones; glad they had not yet experimented with the green bracelets. His fingers probed below them feeling the near invisible bracelets the cousins had failed to see. Made of a substance that absorbed all light, their activation warned the bracelet-wearer their innocence was in danger of diminishing; at least that was what he had worked out. At full warning they could swallow light for miles around.

  When the yellow and green bracelets had dimmed a few months ago, the obsidian black bracelets had hurled their light swallowing powers out into the room telling Uncle Bear-Nard that the cousins’ parents were either dead or near death.

  He felt where one of the black bracelets was missing, though worried little about it knowing where it had been all this time. Corrupted years beforehand, scant chance existed of Daquan ever using the black-as-night bracelet again.

  He pulled his hand away and noticed three of the black bracelets had a faint glow around them. He plucked them out one by one, scrutinizing them, confirming their activation. His heart sank. It meant three of cousin’s innocence was at risk.

  He ran out of the bracelet room in a panic and headed upstairs thinking he should get to them quickly, but then stopped halfway, realising he could not just waltz into the High Galelain and remove them.

  Argus! I will contact him.

  He moved off again, this time stopping in the large cathedral entrance hall, realising that Argus was at the High Galelain and could not respond.

  Now he knew that all he could do was sit and wait.

  ***

  From out of the clearing smoke, Jerkin Bod’armor’s ship appeared, tattered and damaged, but still floating; the winner.

  The crowd roared and cheered; conclusive proof of the superiority of discipline. Others cried foul and yelled for the ship to be disqualified.

  Daquan searched through the wafting smoke for the cousins’ bodies, but could not see them for the debris.

  Instead of a victory lap, Jerkin’s ship headed straight toward the amphitheatre; the tumultuous crowd rushing back to the starting platforms. As the ship passed through the gap in the Vahn and entered the amphitheatre waters, the cheering died away, stopping abruptly.

  The four cousins stood on the deck dressed in their brown uniforms; the pirate flag fluttering lightly off the mast.

  Out on the lake cries for help and moans could be heard, and a few floundering arms waved about amongst the debris of wood and smoke.

  A speechless and livid Sah Task-Master Carrion gawked at them. Even the High Overlord Sector stood up, shaking and reeling in disgust. In contrast, Daquan gazed wild eyed at them, and turned to leave.

  High Overlord Sector turned to Daquan, saying, ‘As a new Overlord, you must present these winners with the shield,’ adding, ‘however distasteful it might be giving as such to outsiders.’

  ‘My Lord,’ Sah Task-Master Carrion said, ‘it seems this ship they are sailing has banned weapons on it. I suggest we disqualify and disgrace Jerkin Bod’armor for sailing it, and disqualify and ban the outsiders.’

  The High Overlord Sector reflected momentarily on it, troubled, and then said in his aged voice, ‘Perhaps the new Overlord Ramathor is right. The winds do indicate change.’ He raised his eyebrows and searched Sah Task-Master Carrion’s face, though saw little understanding. ‘I am not long for this world, and do not envy whoever takes my place.’

  ‘But they are ─ ’

  ‘The winners!’ High Overlord Sector said back. ‘I am Overlord of more than New Wakefield. My eyes reach beyond these seas. You cannot suppress a catalyst once it has started. We can only slow the inevitable.’

  He reached up, grabbing Daquan’s arm and steadied his legs. ‘Come we have a shield to award.’

  From the back of the crowd Con and the other Gorks threw all caution to the wind, crying out, ‘THREE CHEERS FOR OUR NEW CHAMPIONS!’

  Suddenly those that had been holding back yelled their approval with great gusto, shouting and cheering. Booing, followed by screams of “traitors” spread like wild fire, and pushing and shoving surged through the crowd.

  A chorus of young voices started chanting, ‘UPRISING, UPRISING, UPRISING...,’ that got louder and louder and louder, until it drowned out all other voices.

  Like a broth of soup just before boiling, undercurrents of hate simmered, and outright violence teetered on the edge of erupting into pandemonium.

  The cousins shifted about on the ship, unsure if any minute they would be swamped under a tidal wave of protest.

  ‘Do not dock until I say so,’ Melaleuca said.

  Fights broke out; people shoved and hit each other, and scuffles turned nasty. The whole crowd, a vast number the cousins could not count began shouting for their blood.

  Captain HeGood commanded his flagman to signal the Inquisat to return, though told some of them to stay patrolling the lake looking for the Marauder pirate who had seemed to disappear. With the thundering of hooves, the Inquisat surrounded the crowd and charged through it, ushering an uneasy calm.

  High Overlord Sector, Sah Task-Master Carrion and Daquan made their way to the first platform, signaling for the cousins to come in, and then faced the crowd. Discipliners and Pedagogues approached the base of the platform, and formed up in an orderly fashion and turned haughtily to face the crowd.

  Docking the ship, the four cousins stepped off and stood before three of the weirdest looking people in New Wakefield. Within a split second Quixote disappeared, returning the bag and the costumes to the attic and then reappeared.

  Melaleuca ran her unsure eyes over Daquan. A large wide man, hair filled his face like a wild bush out of control, and the hair on his head seemed black and dense like an impenetrable forest. A permanent sneer distorted his face and great black bags of dark skin gathered under bloodshot eyes.

  The High Overlord Sector fascinated her the most; so old and ancient looking as if cobwebs had been spun and soaked in dust to form his skin. Even his hair looked frail and brittle like delicate wisps of glass fibers.

  Daquan grabbed Lexington by her bracelet arm, and all the cousins drew in a breath.

  ‘Move forward a little,’ Daquan said, and then let go of her arm.

  Daquan felt the bracelet on her arm, realizing they sat right under his nose. His pulse quickened and his mouth became dry. Years of suffering from desiring them, threatened to erupt. With all his strength he subdued himself.

  The disapproving crowd turned their back on them, though some tried to resist and stay facing them but peer pressure made them turn as well.

  High Overlord Sector took the shield and shoved it at them. Ari went to take it but Lexington stood in the way, pushing the shield back.

  ‘We don’t want your silly shield. Keep it.’

  A shocked gasp ran through the crowd, and unable to resist, people started turning back.

  Melaleuca eyed the three figures of authority, unleashing her inner resolve on them. Daquan’s insides curled as he could see the haunting memory of Karena in her face. Even Sah Task-Master Carrion stepped back as Melaleuca’s daring and guts-filled-look hit him.

  High Overlord Sector took her stare, and without flinching said back so that the crowd could not see nor hear. ‘This one is dangerous. Perhaps it would be better if you all left and went back to the outside world again.’

  Sah Task-Master Carrion protested.

  High Overlord Sector replied. ‘I know a fight that we will lose when I see it. Heed my warning as I shall soon be gone. Leave these ones alone and all will be well in New Wakefield.’
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  Shivering and wet, Lexington addressed the crowd.

  ‘There we did it. We won your silly competition. Your ways of hate and strength have failed, and our ways of fun and play have worked. Let that be your champion, a lesson learned.’

  Boos and hisses spat at her, though a lot of young voices cheered her. Captain HeGood raised his arm again to signal the Inquisat to attack, though the High Overlord waved him off.

  ‘Listen!’ Lexington yelled. ‘Some of your children still cry out from the lake. Is it braver to let them die or admit how cowardly it is not to save them?’

  Roars of protest and screams drowned out Lexington’s voice. Some in the crowd started spitting and throwing objects at her.

  Ari shielded her.

  High Overlord Sector ambled forward. Standing unsteadily, he held up his arms, invoking silence. As the noise died down, the High Overlord turned to the cousins.

  ‘You are free to go.’

  The four cousins stepped down from the platform, hesitating before the angry crowd.

  ‘Leave them,’ High Overlord Sector croaked as loud as he could. ‘Let their path not afflict you. Let us prepare for the Thistle Ceremony as are our ways. Return home and practice your discipline for tomorrow we shall begin.’

  Out of fierce loyalty to the High Overlord, the crowd parted and let the four cousins through.

  Daquan grabbed Quesob and whispered instructions to him. Quesob jumped into the crowd and started to push his way through.

  ********

  The cousins walked home, relieved that the High Galelain was over, and joked about their exploits. Led by Quixote and Ari they ran through them time and time again.

  ‘Did you see the look on Jerkin’s face?’ Ari said. ‘I almost felt sorry for him.’