Resigned Fate

by West, Shay

  “We don’t. But we also don’t know that we are. If we give up, then we will die, as will everyone in the galaxy,” Jon said.

  “What do you suggest?” Saemus asked.

  “Have the Kromins contact Gentra. For all we know, the prophets have recovered their abilities and have something to tell us. Until we know for sure, we can’t decide anything.”

  Saemus nodded and used his mind to contact the Kromins who were slowly orbiting Astra, waiting for the rest of them to arrive at the portal. He explained what he wished them to do and waited for the telepathic reply.

  -- It will take a moment--

  “I wish I could remember exactly what the original prophecy said. I remember it being all mixed up and stuff not making sense. Maybe we need to read it again?” Robert suggested.

  “I don’t remember much of it either. But all I can think about right now is telling Gwen’s parents about her death. And we also have to warn everyone we see about what’s coming,” Keera said.

  -- The Master we contacted said there has been no prophecy regarding anything since we left. They are saddened by the death of Gwen. They do not offer guidance--

  Saemus sighed. He had been hoping the prophets would have some order regarding the group so he wouldn’t be forced to make a decision.

  “Okay, so we are back where we started. Which is not having any idea what to do next,” Jon said.

  “I will go to your village with you. I agree that we need to warn these people about what is coming,” Sloan said.

  The rest of the Earth Chosen agreed to stay and travel with the Astran Chosen.

  “We will figure out a plan once we’ve told Gwen’s parents about her death and once we’ve contacted Patriarchs Mordaen and Sheldon. Hopefully, they can get word to the people soon, so they can move away from the Blasted Lands,” Saemus said.

  As the Volgon warriors and their Guardian walked toward the coastal town of Neera, Saemus couldn’t help but feel sad. They had been through so much together. He would never admit to the others that he felt a little frightened. Feeror, Voilor, Moylir, and Gerok were good fighters and had saved members of their group on many occasions. They all possessed a quiet strength and confidence that helped to calm those around them.

  “We’ll see them again. We still have a job to do, right?”

  Saemus looked to his twin, eyes wide. “Did I just hear you correctly? Aren’t you supposed to be the one going on and on about how you hate destiny and how much you want to marry some rich Lord and have him spoil you rotten?”

  Kaelin rolled her eyes and punched Saemus in the arm. “Maybe I’m tired of singing the same old tune. Did you ever think of that?”

  Saemus pointedly ignored her glance to the handsome Earth Chosen, Brad Phillips. He had watched his sister and Brad’s relationship blooming since they had first met on Gentra. Though he wanted to be completely happy for his sister, part of him worried about where this relationship would lead. Would Brad be willing to live on Astra? How would he provide for Kaelin and their future children? Would his twin move to another planet and leave him here alone? The thought made a lump rise to his throat. It was selfish, especially if Kaelin was truly in love with the Earthman, which Saemus suspected she was, but he couldn’t help the way he felt. He and his twin had been together since the moment of their conception; he couldn’t imagine living a single day without her.

  The rest of the group was standing around waiting for Saemus to lead them to Vis Rellisa. It would be easier for them to find a boat big enough for all of them in this larger city, rather than traveling with the Volgons to Neera.

  Saemus took a deep breath, willing to shoulder the burden of leading the group. Before his death, Master Brok had been the one everyone turned to, even on the other worlds. He always seemed to know the right decision, and even if he didn’t, he would never admit it to anyone.

  I hope I can fill his shoes.

  ***

  “Do we have enough coin to rent a boat?” Keera asked.

  “Yes, for the hundredth time, we have enough money for the blasted boat,” Saemus said, patience hanging by a thread.

  The fiery red-head had been badgering him about how much they had. As they travelled to Vis Rellisa, they had been able to forage easily for food. Now that they were in the city, they had to find a ship, and fast. It wouldn’t take long for seven people to go through Brok’s coppers, silvers, and handful of gold coins. Seamus hoped to procure a ship this very day so they wouldn’t have to spend coin to room at an inn.

  “Well, I was just asking!” Keera walked away in a huff.

  “Jon and I will go to the docks. The rest of you stay here and stay out of trouble,” Saemus said.

  As the pair walked to the docks, they couldn’t help but notice a group of people gathered around someone talking in a shrill voice. Saemus frowned and walked close enough to hear what was being said.

  “I spoke with the Nomad myself. He was terrified and speaking of something monstrous that would soon come over the Mishrae Hills. He said we must leave our homes and make for the Shadow Mountains if we are to survive.”

  “What did he say is coming for us?”

  “Is it evil spirits?”

  “How long until it arrives?”

  “How long do we have to pack?”

  The noise from the crowd drowned out the man’s voice. Saemus tried to get a glimpse of him through the throng of people, but they were packed in too tight.

  “So the seers and prophets were right! Something is coming!”

  At those words, the crowd went from boisterous to frightened. The tension rose as people recalled how their lives had been torn apart by the suspicions brought forth by the evil, dark magician Fa’ Vel and the actions of his Tribunal.

  “I thought we were done with all this,” Jon whispered.

  “Me too. I guess word that an enemy is indeed coming for them is bringing it all back,” Saemus said.

  More people gathered to see what the disturbance was about. When word spread about a nameless danger coming for them from over the Mishrae Hills, so did the fear. Rumors had been flitting around Vis Rellisa for the past few weeks, of things that sounded impossible and terrifying.

  Saemus wanted to step in and tell the people that although what the man said was true, there was no need to panic. They could calmly pack their belongings and make for the Shadow Mountains. The voices of the people rose in terror.

  “But what are we supposed to do? I can’t just pack everything and leave my home!”

  “What do I do with my livestock and chickens?”

  “I don’t have the gold to buy passage across the Sea of Solace!”

  “Will the Patriarch help us?”

  Saemus realized there was nothing he could say that was going to make people less afraid. They were being told to pack everything they owned, leave their homes and businesses behind, and make for the Western Continent. The only way to safety was across a large expanse of water. They couldn’t just load up their wagons and families and travel to the Shadow Mountains.

  “These people need the Patriarch to help them,” Saemus said.

  “That’s not our concern. We are supposed to be finding a ship,” Jon said as he turned away from the crowd.

  “This is our concern! We still have a job to do, in case you’ve forgotten!”

  “Right now, our only job is to tell Gwen’s parents about her death. After that, we can travel all over Astra to warn people if that’s what you want.”

  “The Patriarch’s seat on Tranquility Island is closer. It wouldn’t take long for us to make a quick trip to warn Sheldon of the danger.”

  Jon opened his mouth, ready with a sharp retort, then closed it with an audible snap. Even though he had never been as studious as Saemus, he did know the location of Tranquility Island. He just hated the idea of following yet another of Saemus’ decisions. Who put him in charge anyway? “You’re right, of course. It wouldn’t be longer than a day or two at most to bring word to Pat
riarch Sheldon before we make for Faerow,” Jon said through clenched teeth.

  “Let’s go find a ship. The faster, the better. I don’t like the look of this crowd,” Saemus said.

  Saemus and Jon walked quickly to the docks. Saemus was anxious to find a ship that would take the group to Tranquility Island. More importantly, he needed to find a ship that would take them and not charge them too much. He hadn’t had much practice haggling and he feared a savvy captain would insist on a price he couldn’t afford.

  “Great Lucian’s Ghost! Saemus, do you see that?”

  “Jon, wait!”

  Saemus groaned and ran after Jon, dodging around people, yelling apologies if he brushed someone a little too roughly. As he came to a stop just behind Jon, he understood what had gotten his fellow Chosen so excited.

  “Har! If it ain’t my far-traveled lads! What brings you to the shores of Vis Rellisa?”

  Saemus shook the meaty hand of Cook, who served aboard Captain Thrace Morden’s ship. The man looked exactly as he remembered, except his belly was perhaps a mite larger. The apron that barely covered his sagging middle was filthy and his head was as bald as a newborn babe’s.

  The young men briefed Cook as they boarded Lucian’s Fury. Saemus felt a thrill of excitement as he walked up the wooden plank. He enjoyed being on the ship.

  Kaelin and Keera won’t be nearly as happy.

  Saemus couldn’t help but smile. The two girls had the weakest stomachs when it came to sea travel. They spent most of the time hanging over the side of the ship.

  As quickly as his smile appeared, it faded. Gwen had loved life aboard Lucian’s Fury. Captain Morden’s men had accepted the tiny dwarf girl and showed her the ins-and-outs of sailing. She’d seemed to come alive in the salt-spray and wind.

  “Hey Cap’n, look who I ran into out on the docks!” Cook slapped Saemus and Jon on the shoulders so hard their teeth rattled.

  “Well, bless the Good Spirits! How are you lads?”

  “As well as can be expected. We need transport to Tranquility Island. We have news for the Patriarch,” Jon said.

  Morden frowned. “Sounds serious. Well, we weren’t planning on going that way but we can make a detour for old friends.”

  “We’ll pay you for your trouble—”

  Morden snorted as he turned to Saemus. “You’ll do no such thing! I wouldn’t feel right taking money from you lot.” As he turned to leave, he spoke over his shoulder. “We leave at first light but you’re more than welcome to come aboard tonight so you won’t have to pay for rooms in town. We still need to take aboard some cargo or else we’d be leaving right after lunch.”

  Morden tipped his hat and walked briskly to the front of the ship, bellowing orders as he clomped along.

  “You best be off now and fetching the rest of the group, eh? You make sure to tell little Gwen that I have a sweet surprise baking in the ovens as we speak. Har!” Cook grabbed his belly as he laughed.

  Saemus and Jon shared a look that was not lost on Cook. As quickly as the smile appeared it was replaced with a frown of concern.

  “Well, you tell ol’ Cook now what’s going on. I can take it.”

  “Gwen, she...” Saemus tried to swallow around the lump in his throat.

  “Oh no, not that sweet lass. What was it? Sickness? Bandits? If you know the name of the bastard that did her in you tell me, now, and I’ll see to it the man meets the Dark Spirits.” He cracked his knuckles, his jolly face taking on a sinister air that caused Saemus and Jon to take a step back. All of a sudden, the man seemed to gain a little more muscle and lose more than a little of the fat.

  “That’s part of the reason we need to see the Patriarchs,” Jon rubbed his face, unwilling to discuss Gwen’s death. It was still too painful. The two of them had grown up together and it was as though he had lost one of his sisters.

  Cook’s jaw flexed and relaxed a few times before he managed to nod stiffly. “Perhaps you should wait and explain what’s going on after you return with your friends. I best go see to lunch.”

  Saemus watched the man waddle down the stairs to the galley, feeling wretched. Cook and Gwen had forged a close friendship during the time they had spent aboard Lucian’s Fury. It was clear the man’s heart was breaking. Seamus feared it would shatter when he heard exactly how the dwarf girl had met her untimely end.

  “Let’s go get the others,” Jon said.

  The pair walked down the gangplank and made their way back to the others. Jon led them back down the street where the crowd had been. Both sighed in relief when they noticed only a few stragglers listening to the man preaching about their doom. They seemed bored rather than enthralled by what the man had to say.

  Kaelin and Keera were delighted that they had found Captain Morden at the docks, and yet at the same time, they wished there was another way across the Sea of Solace. Neither girl handled traveling aboard a boat very well.

  Saemus filled them in on what they had seen on the streets as they made their way to Lucian’s Fury. “Morden’s agreed to take us to Tranquility Island so we can tell Patriarch Sheldon about the Mekans.”

  “Did you tell Captain Morden about what happened in the Blasted Land?” asked Keera.

  Saemus shook his head. “No. It will be easier to speak of what happened once we’re aboard.”

  Keera sighed sadly. “Cook will be devastated.”

  “He knows Gwen’s dead, just not how it happened,” Saemus admitted.

  “I don’t want to live that all over again. It would be so much easier if we could just try to forget it ever happened,” Keera said, tears welling in her eyes.

  Sloan, who was walking beside her, grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Pretending she didn’t die won’t make it any less true. And it’s not a good legacy to her memory. Gwen was brave and strong. She gave her life to save the man she loved.”

  “I know. But I still wish she was here,” Keera said.

  “She will never truly be gone as long as you remember her,” Sloan said.

  She smiled, grateful for his words even though they didn’t dispel the sadness. Gwen had been her best friend. There was nothing she couldn’t tell Gwen. Who will I tell my secrets to now?

  Keera glanced at Kaelin, striding along next to Brad. While it was true that all three girls had grown closer since starting on this journey, Keera would never trust the beautiful Kaelin with her deepest secrets.

  Morden’s men were swarming over Lucian’s Fury, looking like ants from far away. Morden’s first mate directed them to sit and wait in the galley. The decks were full of crates of various shapes and sizes and there wasn’t much room to walk.

  “As soon as I get all this cargo in the hold, I’ll let you know. Then you can come on deck. Cook should have lunch ready by now,” the man said as he strode off, leafing through a stack of parchment.

  Saemus and Jon led the way to the galley. Their mouths watered as they caught the scent of Cook’s amazing culinary skills wafting through the open doorway.

  “I don’t know what that is, but I think it’s the best damn thing I’ve ever smelled!” Robert Marshall said as he inhaled deeply.

  “Just wait till you taste it!” Jon said.

  The Chosen and the remaining two Guardians picked places to sit around the long wooden table, peering into bowls, trying to identify what was in them. Kaelin and Keera, looking decidedly green, excused themselves and headed back on deck. Even anchored at the docks, Lucian’s Fury swayed with the minute movements of the water. It was more than enough to send the two girls to the sides of the boat.

  Cook moved expertly around the table, spooning out portions and serving the group. Everyone focused on the food on their plates, mostly because it was the most delicious fare they could ever remember eating, but there was an undercurrent of tension and sadness at the thought of having to tell Captain Morden about what had transpired since they had last seen him. Some of the wounds were still too fresh.

  “Ah, smells good! Is that ee
l pie?” Captain Morden strode into the galley, grabbing the kerchief off his head and tossing it on a side table.

  “Aye, with a bit of crab thrown in. Eel has been scarce this season,” Cook answered as he grabbed a plate for his captain.

  Captain Morden took his accustomed seat at the head of the table, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He chatted amiably with those seated closest to him, trying to set them at ease. He knew that this group was dealing with something much bigger than themselves, something that had caused them tremendous amounts of pain. While he wanted to know the details, he also knew he had to tread lightly. If he pushed too hard, they would likely clam up and then he would never know the truth of things.

  These folks are tied in with dark forces, of that I’m certain.

  Morden waited patiently for everyone to finish eating, then focused his gaze on Saemus. For whatever reason, the boy seemed to be the one in charge, though there were others in the group far older than he.

  “So, I think it’s time we had a little talk.”

  ASTRA

  SAEMUS TALKED UNTIL HIS VOICE WAS RAW. At least, he told himself it was the talking and not the difficulty in keeping his emotions in check that hurt his throat as he told Captain Morden the story of the group seated around the table. He did most of the talking, though some of the others added in bits and pieces he had left out or passed over. It was at that moment he realized how much they had all been through in the short period of time they had known one another.

  “The Nomads are telling the truth; something bad is coming and it will be here soon,” Saemus said.

  Captain Morden frowned. “And the bad things that are coming... they are called Mekans?”

  “Yes, and they will eventually destroy this whole world,” Saemus whispered.

  Morden sat back and rubbed his hands over his face, absently noting the stubble. The story sounded impossible: magical portals that transported people to other planets, weird alien worlds so different from Astra, strange ships that could fly through the sky and travel to other worlds, weapons too strange to contemplate.