The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series)

by Mark Whiteway

  Lyall and Keris looked at each other. “She thinks like a Keltar,” Keris said.

  It was intended as a compliment, but Lyall was certain that Shann would take it badly. He moved quickly to head off any clash between the two. “You’re absolutely right, Shann. Action–reaction. But what would happen if I was to leap off and then retract the upper lodestone layer, whilst at the same time extending the bronze?

  Shann was frowning in concentration. “The lodestone in the deck would still push me away, but the bronze in my cloak would pull on it.” Shann looked up. “But would it be enough to move the ship?”

  “I did some tests in Sakara,” Keris replied. “The pull is small, but it accelerates with time. I am certain that two of us could do it.” She turned to Lyall. “Three would be even better.”

  “How about it, Shann?” Lyall asked. “Will you help us?”

  Shann nodded quickly. “I’ll get my cloak.” She ran off in the direction of the stern castle, dodging to avoid the debris that littered the deck.

  “We haven’t much time,” Keris pointed out. “The Prophet’s ship has ceased its bombardment. That means they must be getting ready to board us.” She reached into the pack she carried and pulled out her cloak, shaking it free and securing the neck clasp. Lyall followed suit.

  “What do you want the rest of us to do?” Alondo asked.

  “You take the rudder and Boxx…well, just make sure it holds onto something,” Lyall said.

  “No.” All eyes turned towards Patris. “Look, I don’t pretend to understand what you people just said, but you can’t take this ship in there. There are hurricane force winds and impenetrable seas, not to mention the fact that we don’t even know if anything can survive beyond the Barrier.”

  Lyall tested his neck control. “Look, I was going to send you back to Sakara–Shann, too. But the launch is too badly damaged. And we can’t stay put–not with that thing out there.”

  Realisation dawned on Patris face. “You planned this all along, didn’t you? You planned to take this ship into the Barrier. Why? What possible reason could you have?”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have time to explain right now. But I won’t sacrifice anyone else to the servants of the Prophet. You saw what they did to Keris.”

  “I don’t care about that.” Patris said. “I’d rather take my chances with them than face the Barrier.”

  Shann reappeared at the door to the stern castle clad in her flying cloak and hurried towards them. Keris faced Patris. “There’s no time–they will be boarding us any moment now. We have to move.”

  “Look.” Alondo was pointing up at the sky. Lyall followed the line of his finger. The hull of the carrack lowered over their ship now–a predator breathing down the neck of its helpless prey. A dark shape was hurtling across the threatening sky between the two vessels. It landed lightly on the afterdeck, the cloak settling about its shoulders. Keltar.

  The creature walked slowly to the ladder but did not descend. Lyall saw clearly the bald head. The round face. The twisted smile of triumph. It looked down at them. “My name is Saccath.”

  “I know who you are,” Keris said.

  “Then you know why I am here, ‘betrayer’. You will come with me.”

  Lyall stepped forward. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

  Saccath looked around the shattered deck, as the wind and rain continued to lash down. “Your pathetic ship is destroyed. You have no-where to go. Come with me and I will spare these others. Refuse and they will all die.”

  “I told you,” Lyall said. “She’s not going with you.”

  Saccath laughed without mirth. “This is the one who dresses as Keltar. The one who was bested back in Corte by Garai. Do you take your orders from this gundir now? Did you know that he already led one failed insurrection eleven turns ago? Led his people into death and then fled.” He turned to face Lyall. “We have your sister in custody. Renounce this woman, and come with me and I will take you to see her.”

  Lyall’s mind reeled with the news. Aune–Aune is alive. But could a Keltar’s word be relied on? He shook his head. It did not matter. He could not–would not turn against his companions. If it were true–if she was indeed alive and in the hands of the Prophet–then he would find another way to free her.

  Somewhere near the edge of his consciousness, he heard Keris respond. “Saccath, you have been betrayed, but not by me. The Prophet intends to destroy all Kelanni.”

  “Lies,” Saccath spat. “You may have been able to convince that old fool Ferenek before he died, but you will never convince me. I am Keltar. The eyes and ears of the Prophet.” He drew his diamond bladed staff from behind him. “In the name of the Three and of the One, you will come with me. Now.”

  He jumped from the stern castle to the deck in front of them. Keris and Lyall had their own staffs drawn and were standing their ground. Alondo and Boxx were backing away towards the bow. Shann, without a staff of her own, was casting about wildly.

  Lyall called out to her. “Get back with the others.”

  He looked back to see Patris stepping forward, hands outstretched in capitulation. “I am not with these people, Keltar. They deceived me. I request the sanctuary of the Prophet and safe passage back to Sakara.”

  Saccath regarded him with a mixture of annoyance and disdain; then swung his staff. The wood connected with the side of Patris’ head and the thief collapsed to the deck in a heap. He did not move.

  The three cloaked figures began circling one another slowly, like caged animals.

  “The Thief Guild,” Saccath sneered. “They would betray their own family for a fraction of an astria. A slip of a girl who also likes to dress up as Keltar, a fellow with an odd hat and a Chandara, of all things. Why would you ally yourself with such people?”

  Saccath put one hand to his neck and blipped the control on his flying cloak. “Interesting. I detect a sizeable source of refined lodestone on this vessel. You will tell me its purpose.” Keris swung her staff at Saccath’s head. He sidestepped neatly and she grunted as her diamond blade sliced through empty air. “Very well. We will do this the hard way.”

  Saccath turned and ran towards the forecastle; then flared his cloak, and leaped from the deck, pushing off the lodestone in the ship’s bow and hurtling towards Lyall and Keris. They scattered in opposite directions, tumbling beyond the reach of Saccath’s staff. The bald Keltar touched down once more and began advancing on Keris. “You killed Nikome and then our master, Mordal.”

  Keris managed to get her feet under her and held her staff out defensively. Her voice was cracking. “I had no choice. They attacked and wouldn’t listen. Just as you are refusing to listen. Wh–why would I be doing this if I didn’t believe it to be true?”

  Lyall scrambled towards Saccath and made a thrust with his staff. Saccath knocked it away contemptuously; then in a single fluid movement, raised his own staff over his head and brought it down on Keris’ upheld staff with great force. Keris was sent sprawling to the deck once more, as the sound of clashing darkwood reverberated around the ship.

  Saccath walked towards her slowly, swishing his tail. “Motives–who cares for motives? Small children, perhaps. Or fools like these.” He took in her companions with a wave of his hand. “You are Keltar. You betrayed your master and your oath. For that, you must pay.” He raised his staff once more.

  Lyall was readying himself to lunge once more at Saccath’s back when he registered a blur of motion above him. A fourth cloaked figure came flying feet first, impacting the small of Saccath’s back. Shann. The bald Keltar grunted, lurched forward and fell face first onto the deck. Keris rolled out of the way and sprang to her feet. Shann joined her, so that the two stood side by side. The girl was brandishing an oar as if it were an oversized staff.

  Keris flexed her hands on her staff in readiness. “Using lodestone and bronze layers to effect a downward thrust. Very good. Who taught you that?”

  “You did–at the tower–remember?” Shann
replied.

  Keris smiled wryly. “You learn quickly.”

  “You saved me using that particular technique,” Shann said. “Now we are even.”

  Saccath got to his feet. His eyes were lit with fury. “Th –that will cost you your life, little girl.” He turned and ran towards the ship’s bow. Going for the lodestone in the foredeck. Standard Keltar to Keltar tactics. Whoever dominates the lodestone has a decisive positional advantage in height and power. Up to now, Saccath had not even bothered with tactics. Lyall remembered telling Shann that the Keltars’ greatest flaw was their overconfidence. Turns out we are not quite the pushover you thought.

  Lyall pelted after him, followed by Keris and Shann. He wanted to order Shann again to stay back, but she had already proved her bravery and competence beyond anything he could have expected–and they were going to need every advantage they could get. It was at that moment that he spotted something out of the corner of his eye–something that gave him renewed hope.

  “All three of us–mannatar gambit. Sting and retreat,” Lyall called as he ran.

  “He will be familiar with that,” Keris pointed out.

  “Yes, but I have a surprise planned,” Lyall said, “one that isn’t covered in shassatan.”

  Keris shot him a look but said nothing.

  Saccath reached the foredeck and fully extended his cloak, hurtling upwards. He was closely followed by Keris, then Lyall and Shann. As the four of them met in midair, the deck rang with an array of blows.

  Shann was struggling with her unwieldy oar, warding off Saccath’s attacks as best she could. Suddenly, he whirled his diamond blade and sliced her oar in two, narrowly missing her hand. She threw the paddle half away and gripped the handle end, which was more attuned to her size.

  As they sank back downwards, Keris pulled away from the fray, dived towards the foredeck and then immediately pushed off from the lodestone again. As she passed Shann, she pushed off the upper lodestone layer of the girl’s cloak to gain an extra boost in height. Keris shot into the air whilst Shann was knocked flat against the deck. Using the poorly armed girl as a lodestone baseline made perfect sense as a tactic, but Lyall had a feeling that Shann wouldn’t see it that way. There would be time enough later to debate such minutiae–if they all made it through this alive.

  Keris reached the apex of her leap and began to drop rapidly, angling towards Saccath, who was now rising to meet her. He had read her actions and was braced for her assault. As they met, there was a concussion of wood against wood. They strained against each other–a contest of strength and wills.

  Shann was still getting to her knees–the breath had been knocked out of her. Lyall glanced sideways towards the deck–it seemed that his little surprise was ready. Time to end this.

  The rain continued to pelt down as Lyall launched himself upward once more. He made no attempt to engage the Keltar. Instead he called out to Keris, “Mannatar–withdraw.” Keris seemed not to hear as she pressed her attack. She and Saccath were beginning to sink slowly towards the deck. “Withdraw.” She disengaged herself and pulled away. Saccath swung his staff, the diamond blade slashing her arm as she fell. Lyall backed off, leaving Saccath alone in midair. “Now.”

  Instantly, the air around Saccath congealed and he was struck with a giant invisible fist. The bald Keltar’s mouth opened as he was hurled backwards and disappeared over the ship’s prow. Lyall landed next to Shann and helped her to her feet. They both made their way to the forward rail where Keris was already standing, her long dark hair blowing about her face in the strong wind. Lyall leaned over the rail and scanned the water. The sea was slate grey, strong winds plucking spray from the choppy waves. Of Saccath, there was no sign.

  “Is he gone?” The three cloaked figures at the rail turned to see Alondo standing before them. He had slung his vortex arm behind him. Boxx was by his side–bobbing up and down in curious fashion.

  “It would seem so,” Lyall replied. “I’m sorry you had to do that, but we had no choice.”

  “Well, I for one won’t miss him.” Alondo grinned through the pelting rain.

  “Impressive,” Keris said. “I suppose we should call that the ‘Alondo gambit.’” She walked past Alondo and carefully picked up something from the deck, holding it reverently. Saccath’s staff. Dropped in his final moments of panic. She walked over to Shann and held the staff out to her. The girl looked distinctly self-conscious with everyone looking at her. “You fought bravely,” Keris declared. “This is yours by right–to replace that which was lost.” Lyall and Alondo both nodded their assent. Shann reached out and took hold of the staff as if she was expecting it to bite her at any moment.

  Lyall suddenly remembered something. “Patris.”

  “I checked him–he’s alive,” Alondo smiled again. “Maybe we should throw him overboard so he can keep his ‘friend’ company?”

  Lyall looked at him disapprovingly. “He didn’t ask to be in this situation. I was the one who decided that we should be less than honest with him about the true purpose of this voyage. If anything, the fault is mine.”

  “What do you want us to do with him?” Alondo asked.

  Lyall looked up at the carrack, its sails still towering over their ship’s stern. The shipmaster was no doubt already speculating at how events had played out over here–debating over what should be his next move. There was not much time.

  “You and Boxx get him into the launch. Keris, Shann–let’s get this ship moving.”

  ~

  Shann stood on the foredeck of the Reach, fumbling at the straps on the harness that now enveloped her shoulders and upper torso. Her fingers felt numbed by the constant wind and rain. Lyall, who had already completed his adjustments, came over to help her. Keris stood a short way off, her own harness tethered to the iron rings which had been set into the deck for this very purpose. Waiting patiently.

  Lyall smiled at Shann encouragingly, as he checked her over. “You understand how to do this?”

  Shann fought back the feeling of being patronised. “Leap off using lodestone. Then retract the upper lodestone layer and extend bronze.”

  “Correct. However, it’s important that the three of us act in concert, so that we pull at the same time. We leap together. Then extend bronze together on my signal. All right?”

  Shann nodded. As usual, she found his intense blue eyes reassuring. She wanted to ask him about Saccath’s taunts concerning events at Persillan and about his sister, but this was clearly neither the time nor the place. Keris was standing, listening to every word, and she had no wish to embarrass him. Besides, Lyall was right–getting the ship underway was their priority right now.

  She and Keris took up positions to Lyall’s right and left. “Ready?” he called. “Go.”

  They ran a few steps towards the ship’s prow, extended their cloaks and leaped into the space above the deck. Just like the three perridons in Arval’s tale, Shann mused. As the line went taut, she felt the strain of the harness against her shoulders. She looked across and saw the others alongside her, suspended in midair and raised her hand to her neck control, awaiting the signal from Lyall.

  “Now.”

  As she withdrew the lodestone and simultaneously extended her bronze, she felt a subtle change of pressure on her harness. For an eternity nothing happened. Then a shout from below. It was Alondo. “She’s moving.” He ran towards the stern, climbed the ladder to the afterdeck and took up position at the ships rudder. Boxx scampered after him.

  Slowly, determinedly, Annata’s Reach came about and headed into The Great Barrier of Storms.

  ~

  It was unlike anything Shann had ever experienced before. The colossal tempest assailed her senses. Rain lashed against her face, obscuring her vision. Cracks of blue lightning blinded and deafened her. Wind buffeted her small body like a dozen mailed fists. Before long, it felt to her as if she were surviving on willpower alone.

  It was impossible to tell if they were making any progress. Bene
ath them, the Aronak Sea lifted up their tiny ship on waves the size of mountains before dropping them just as suddenly into valley-like troughs in between. She fancied she could hear Lyall yelling encouragement, but the maelstrom immediately ripped up his words and threw them away contemptuously.

  Above the cacophony of sound, Shann had the impression of a high pitched whine below. She glanced down to see Boxx on the foredeck. It seemed to be pointing aft. She hazarded a look over her shoulder. Through the mist and rain she saw the unmistakeable shape of the carrack. Sails trimmed to beat against the gale. Bearing down on them.

  A sudden concussion–but this time it was not lightning. The sea burst ahead of them as the lodestone cannon overshot its mark. Again Lyall shouted something. She could not make out what he was saying, but she got the message clear as crystal. The Prophet’s ship was no longer trying to cripple their vessel. It was trying to sink her.

  There was another impact just off their larboard quarter. Shards of timber blew out as their ship listed violently to starboard, then righted itself. The wooden hull creaked in protest. Lyall shouted and pointed downwards.

  Shann nodded and adjusted her neck control, withdrawing the bronze and partially extending her lodestone layer so that she drifted downwards to where Boxx was waiting patiently. As her boots made contact with the rain-slicked deck, she was already tearing at the straps of her harness. She tore it free, letting it fall to the deck, and raced to the port rail, with Boxx behind her. Leaning over the side, she saw shattered timbers floating on the sea. The side of the ship was now marked by a dark gash. They were holed just above the waterline.

  Shann had barely had a moment to survey the damage when she heard a loud retort followed by a terrible rending of wood and canvass. As she peered into the mist and spray, she saw the pursuing vessel heeled violently over to larboard. The titanic storms had slapped it like a petulant child, toppling the mainmast and snapping the mizzen mast in two. The flame symbol of the Prophet still fluttered boldly as the ship was blown onto its side by the howling winds. Crewmembers jumped or were thrown into the turbulent waters. Shann realised with a sickening feeling that there was nothing she could do to save them. Slowly, the Prophet’s ship began to capsize.