Sea of Revenants (Nysta Book 6)

by Lucas Thorn

  Like something was working in his brain to convince him to do just that.

  But he was alone, and he knew it. Knowing he’d lost any hope of ousting the elf from the vessel, he looked away. Sheathed the dagger and hung his axe on its loop at his hip.

  Shot her a sour look. “Captain was the best sailor I ever met. Known him for going on ten years. He was there when my Urda was born. Gave me coin to get by when I broke my leg a few years ago. Didn’t need to do that. And I reckon he didn’t have to die today. I don’t give two shits for what Saja says. You’re involved. Up to your fucking neck.” Then he turned and headed back to the body of the captain. Snatched a blanket on the way which he used to cover the dead man after rifling through his pockets. “I’ll see we do right by his wife.”

  “Never mind him,” Ainu said, keeping her voice low. “He’s all words is Nemo. His heart ain’t too bad most of the time. And he really was close to the captain. They’ve known each other a long time. He’s hurting inside. That’s all. Maybe more than the rest of us.”

  The elf would have shrugged, but her side felt like it was on fire. Settled instead on closing her eyes. “Ain’t worried by words,” she said. “But if he comes near me with his axe out, he’d best be fast.”

  “He won’t do that,” Saja said, moving over to sit next to Ainu. Juggled the small idol as though silently absorbing its luck. “He looks like a rat, but he’ll fight like a man. You’ll know he’s coming when he does. Until then, you can relax.”

  “I ain’t good at relaxing,” the elf said. She eyed the idol in the young woman’s hand. A little bigger than her hand, it was carved into a bizarre mix of man and the tentacles of an octopus.

  Reaching out, Ainu touched the idol with her fingertips in a reverent way. Murmured softly; “I pledge my flesh. I bind my soul.”

  “To the waves,” Saja said, apparently finishing a local ritual. Then pulled a small knife and began working at the wood with patient strokes. After a while, she noticed the elf’s puzzled expression and smiled. “The Dark Lord was god to most Fnords. But Grim was never much for visiting the Crossbones. If he had, he’d have found a land with more than enough gods of its own.”

  “I heard he hated the sea,” Ainu said. Grin wide and genuine. “And that he couldn’t swim any better than you could, Nysta.”

  “The Madman chooses only the best,” Saja said, twirling the idol so Nysta could get a better look. “The toughest of us. And he lets our flesh live forever so it can serve him forever.”

  “You mean, the draug?” The elf shuddered, unable to think of anything worse. “You’d become draug? Who the fuck would want that?”

  Saja cocked her head, carving across one of the tentacles. “Don’t you ever wonder what’s underneath us? Some places, there’s no rope long enough for an anchor to find bottom. Maybe there’s no seabed. Maybe it goes down forever. But the Madman and his draug get to see it. All the secrets of the deep revealed.”

  “Bullshit,” Geri said suddenly. “That’s just the stupid story Ihan tells so you’ll let him cut out your fucking heart. You killed as many draug as we did. They look like they’re happy? They’re-”

  “Shut up, boy,” Maks snapped. “Now ain’t the time.”

  Geri made to open his mouth again, but then almost cracked his teeth as he shut it.

  Flushed red. Then spun away, heading for the back of the boat to where Pike was working to pump water from the boat’s blood-drenched innards.

  “Ain’t everyone likes the idea,” Maks said when the boy was gone. “Some of us have other gods we look to. And some fellers just prefer a cleaner death.”

  “Clean?” Saja rolled her eyes.

  “Poor choice of words,” the one-eyed man said with a wince. “You know what I mean. Don’t press the boy, Saja. Let him have his own way same as you have yours. Crossbones has more than enough room for all our gods.”

  He moved away himself to stand beside the two younger men. They traded quick words as the elf, comfortable there’d be no violence for the moment, slid her knife away.

  Finally lifted her jacket to look inside.

  The draug’s undead teeth had ripped through her shirt and punctured her skin. But it wasn’t as bad as it had felt. She’d feared the creature had managed to plough deeper inside. Instead, it was just a few raking gouges. Some more bruises. Deep chunk just below her rib. She figured most of the pain had come from its teeth clipping along bone.

  She touched one of the deeper gouges, feeling worms wriggle beneath her fingertip.

  Wondered absently if they prevented sickness from infection. Remembered the brutal burns she’d suffered at the hand of the cleric and figured if she’d survived that without a fever, she’d probably survive this. She put her worry aside.

  For now.

  Shuddering, she closed the jacket before anyone got too curious and reached painfully for a blanket, which she pulled across her body. Could see her coat where she’d taken it off before, but couldn’t bring herself to make a move for it.

  She was soaked through and her whole body felt numb and heavy. Even her brain had settled thick inside her skull.

  Her teeth chattered and she let her head droop down to her shoulder. Felt the roll of the boat as it limped toward shore on rougher seas than before. Ainu and Saja skipped away, dancing across the thwarts and into the rigging. Maks shouted something as Geri and the two women pushed up and down the length of the longboat, checking lines.

  Pike moved to haul on the rudder.

  Halvir rummaged through a chest. Cursing as though searching for something he’d lost.

  Wood protested. Ropes hissed and rapped at the wind.

  Flutter of sail.

  Then Nemo was there. Had somehow managed to creep up and crouch down beside her. Eyes hooded by shadow. His arm reached out and she stifled her sudden panic only when she saw the small flask in his hand.

  He pushed it toward her.

  “Here,” he grunted. “Relax. I ain’t here to kill you. Figure we can settle that later among ourselves. So, drink this for now. It’ll warm you up.”

  She took the flask with shaking hands.

  He’d already uncapped it, so she lifted it to her freezing lips.

  The alcohol burnt on the way down. Some kind of whiskey, she guessed. Spiced with fruit she couldn’t name. It raked sharp against her throat. She coughed once, but took another gulp as the warmth spread through her body.

  Handed it back to him, hands shaking a little less. “Obliged.”

  “Sure.” Then frowned as he noticed something outside the boat. Got up and stalked toward Pike, waving. “Bring us ‘round, boy. We should be heading for Cutter’s Bay.”

  Maks shook his head, quickly heading toward Nemo. “Forget Cutter’s. We’re heading straight for Cold.”

  “But Cutter’s is closer. And Listless is there. We can hole up in the fort. If something’s gone bad on Temple, they’ll know. Also, I know the way through the reefs better that way. It’s a wider entry point. We go this way, we’ll likely hit something without the captain to guide us.”

  “Look, Nemo, we’ve got draug on our ass. Fucking draug. You think they’ll give a shit about a fort? No, my money’s on something going down at Cold. And we gotta find out what that is. Not piss about on Listless.” He scrubbed his jaw. “And don’t you sweat about the reef. I’ve done it enough times.”

  “You want to go to the Temple? Blind?”

  “You got any better ideas? Who else is gonna know why draug have been clawing all over us since Southlight? Only Ihan. And I’m gonna hear from his mouth why the captain had to die, or I’m gonna hear it from his blood.”

  Geri swung himself across the ropes and landed between them. “My vote’s on Cold.”

  “You don’t get a vote,” Nemo spat. “You’re just a fucking kid. Leave this to those of us fully-grown.”

  “Fuck you, Nemo. I’ll-”

  “Hey!” Makes shoved the young man back with one arm. “I gotta dump you both
in the sea to cool you off? This ain’t the fucking time. Come on, Nemo. You know I’m right. You can speak to him for us, if you like. Speak to Ihan. You know him better than the rest of us. You can get him to tell us what’s going on.”

  “Fine.” Nemo threw his hands in the air and stomped away. Looked like he wanted to kick every thwart in his path. “Fucking bastards.”

  Ainu poked her tongue out at Nemo’s back, then grinned at Maks. Who smiled before cuffing her playfully on the side of her head. “Get up front, squirrel,” he said. “And Geri? You keep an eye on that fucking cursed fog. It’s getting too close for my liking. Make sure we don’t get caught with our fucking pants down again. We’ve lost too many good friends. I don’t want to lose the rest of you.”

  “On it.” Then, lifting his voice so Nemo could hear; “Captain.”

  “Don’t be an ass. Just get back there.” The big raider looked down at Nysta. “You alright?”

  She patted her side gently. “I’ll live.”

  His expression hesitated. Then he nodded. “Hold on. Gets rough from here in. There’s more reefs than water between us and land right now. The captain knew the reefs round here better than I do, but we’ve done it enough times we should be okay.” He ran his hand through greying hair. Shook his head as seaspray whipped the side of his face. “You ever been to the Crossbones before, Nysta?”

  “Nope.”

  “Might like to lift yourself if you can, then. Even at night, it’s a sight to see.” He stared ahead wistfully. “I’ll miss them.”

  “You going somewhere?” Saja asked.

  Maks rubbed his face, trying to clear his obvious exhaustion. “You never know.”

  “Yeah, right.” Ainu gave a snort. “Who’d even have you if not us? You’re too old and useless to anyone else.”

  “I’ve still got a fight or two in me, yet. And I know most of the Crossbones like the back of my hand.”

  “Back of your ass, maybe,” Saja muttered, turning toward Nysta with a smirk dancing at the corner of her mouth. Held out an arm.

  The elf grunted in response to the young woman’s offered hand. Took hold of the calloused grip and forced herself to her feet.

  “Obliged,” she muttered. Reached with her other hand to grab the side of the boat and steady herself. Felt stabs of pain race up and down her side as her ribs moved uncomfortably. Worms squeezed between cartilage and the sensation made her want to throw up more than the giddy return of seasickness which rolled in on increasingly vengeful waves.

  But discomfort was short-lived as her violet eyes turned toward the horizon and she caught her first glimpse of the Crossbones.

  The closest islands weren’t far at all. Small jagged humps making white foaming waves glow in the moonlight. Beyond that, the archipelago exploded outward in an uncountable number of mountainous islands towering out of the sea.

  Some looked like heavy pillars, pale columns of volcanic rock draped in slithering darkness which hinted at greenery she’d no doubt see when the sun began its burning climb. Some were shrouded in mist as though determined to cling to their secrets until morning. But there was no denying their horrendous size. Like the jagged teeth of a godlike shark, they sawed out of the ocean and threatened to eat the clouds.

  Glittering points of light twinkled inside the shattered islands, promising a dazzling number of small towns and a few larger ones. Nothing which looked big enough to be a city, though.

  Ainu had told her the raiders travelled from place to place. Moving with the seasons from town to town. Sometimes island to island. It helped to both take advantage of the scarce natural resources, and keep any roaming attackers guessing as to where to land.

  The elf struggled to remain upright as spray clapped into her face on the cuffs of wind. The sound of crashing waves was louder than ever. Almost a roar.

  She looked behind the boat to where the ghostly fog still lingered on their tail. Still nudged at the darkness in their wake. Like a sluggish leviathan of the deep with a thousand bright yellow eyes burning in the dark.

  Hungry.

  “We’re gonna make it,” Saja said, noticing Nysta’s shudder. “See those rocks there? The Madman won’t follow past those. It’s like a gateway. Only reason he’ll come through is to visit the temple. And that only happens when there’s a new priest.”

  “You don’t sound too sure.”

  Saja shrugged. “As sure as I can be. Truth be told, I’m ready to piss myself. If the Madman’s draug follow through, then something’s really wrong at the temple. And if that’s true, then we’re dead. Simple as that. Won’t matter if we make it or not, draug can run as much as swim. By the time we make land, we’ll be too fucked to even walk.”

  Pike gave a sudden yell as a loud crack announced the snapping of the leather strap holding the massive rudder to the side of the longship. He was desperately clinging to it, the threads of the strap and a binding rope being all that was stopping the thing from sliding into the deep and leaving them drifting.

  Nemo, spitting curses, dived in to help and the two wrestled with the rudder as the boat shook and bucked.

  Maks bellowed to Geri, and then headed back to help Nemo and Pike.

  Geri craned his neck to look back at the lights bobbing along the surface, while Ainu scampered for the front and positioned herself up high next to the dragonhead. She scanned the water, expression one of fear.

  “Shit,” Saja’s face was pale. “We’re not slowing. They’re gonna try going in fast, and without anything to fucking steer! Grab something. Quick!”

  A few draug heads broke the surface, sliding in the grip of curling waves. Matted hair plastered to their heads. Eyes stared flatly at the boat, and they began to glide through the water like sharks, noses pointed directly at the Blue Ox and its panicked crew.

  “Oh, fuck,” Geri croaked. She heard his voice clearly despite the crashing waves. Then his shout rang out; “Maks? Maks, they’re coming!”

  The elf couldn’t see any axes lying around. Instead fumbled her way toward a large baling hook used to shift cargo. Held it tight in her right hand. Her ribs burned with agonised fire, but she forced herself to ignore the pain and clenched her jaw to stifle sudden cries which tried to work free as she moved.

  Something big slammed against the side of the boat. Then a grey hand reached up, torn by barnacles and leaking thick black blood.

  Saja brought her axe down, severing the clammy hand at the wrist.

  The draug dropped away with a splash muffled by the frenzied waves.

  It would be a race, the elf guessed. A race to see what killed them first.

  Draug or the reef.

  Her heart beat faster, eyes flicking along the side of the boat. Saja and Geri moved quickly to the side where more draug had lifted their heads above the water. Halvir stood close to the three men battling with the rudder, steely determination in his eyes.

  Ainu gripped her axe in both hands as she stood a few paces from the elf, close to the prow. She could no longer see the path ahead, so the three men working the rudder were doing their best to steer with only experience and gut instinct.

  She heard Nemo give a shout and half-turned before seeing what he was jabbing his finger toward. A stocky draug, dressed in broken mesh armour and waterlogged leather breeches, struggling to make it over the side near the back of the boat.

  Dead eyes blank as it looked up to see her bearing down. It made a frantic thrust of its legs, trying to get inside, but a few links of iron armour were caught on a splintered rail.

  Still, it lashed with bestial frenzy as she drew close. Sharp fingers grasping for her. Dark ooze drooling from gnashing teeth. She reached back, snarling as pain wracked her side.

  And brought the hook down.

  Hard.

  It speared into the top of the creature’s head. Split its skill and ripped brain before the savage spike spat free through the front of its face just below the cheek. It let out an inhuman squeal which only served to enrage the elf eve
n more. She wrenched hard on the hook. At first, it dragged the creature further inside.

  But then the skull couldn’t take the force and old bone splintered to pieces as she jerked with brutal hate. The skin of its face stretched and snapped free with the hook. An eyeball slithered to the deck in a gush of slime-coated gore.

  She stumbled, then lashed out. Kicked hard into the crook of its neck to send the undead creature spinning back over the side.

  “Fucker,” she spat after it.

  Then turned to see Ainu struggling. Wrestling. The slim draug had her pressed to the mast, hissing in her face like a cat.

  Would have lunged at her throat and torn it away, but Dreams of the Sleeper spun from the elf’s hand and skewered its ear. Made the draug take a shuffled step sideways, clawing for the knife buried in its head.

  Which gave the young woman time enough to wind up with a swing of her axe and drive the heavy head deep into its hip.

  Tearing the axe free, she charged the creature, wheeling it back until its hip hit the side. Her weight, combined with its confusion, sent it into the ocean with a wet roar. It made a last grab for her hair, but its fingers found only silence.

  Then Maks screamed, voice shrill as it echoed across the deck. “Hold onto something!”

  The elf leapt for one of the thwarts. Choked a curse as pain shot again through her punished ribs. Grabbed hold of the wooden thwart just as the Blue Ox hit the reef.

  The boat bucked hard and let loose a wooden scream as it scraped across a section of reef. For a moment, she felt the vessel lurch and begin to roll. Thought the longboat would spin like a top, but it didn’t. Instead there was a bone-crunching crash and the boat dropped a few inches into foaming sea and was then sent skidding forward across rocks which sawed and scraped the belly of the craft.

  “They’ve stopped following!” Halvir roared above the noise. “They’ve stopped-”

  And the side of the Blue Ox imploded. She saw rock and coral cut right through the timber, shredding it to splinters. The boat swerved and spun, slamming to a sudden halt as exposed ribs were entangled and broken across the reef. The prow dipped and she saw Ainu dive over the side just before more rocks burst through where she’d been standing and tore the dragonhead free.