Snared: Voyage on the Eversteel Sea

by Adam Jay Epstein

  “Grab!” the salvage squid said. “Grab! Grab!”

  Its tentacles wrapped tighter around the ship as its body rose out of the water.

  “Wily, now!” Odette insisted again.

  Just then, a tentacle slid over the edge of the railing and grabbed Roveeka around the leg.

  “Eat! Eat! Eat!”

  Wily grabbed the lever of the repurposed machine and pulled. The sound of gears twisting into place was followed by a loud series of booms as the pistons shot out the oars. Seven oars went soaring over the surface of the ocean, missing their mark. The eighth, however, made a splurging sound as it went through the rubbery skin of the salvage squid.

  The tentacle with Roveeka held tight for a moment, then relaxed its grip, sending her dropping toward the ocean. Righteous flew across and grabbed the hobgoblet, keeping her from falling into the water. Moshul grabbed Roveeka and Righteous and pulled them back onto the boat as the squid let out a gurgling scream.

  The squid flailed as it attempted to pull the sharp oar from its side.

  “Grab! Grab! Graaaa…”

  Its tentacles went limp as the venom of the pale cobra took effect. With a mighty splash that soaked the entire crew, the salvage squid plunged into the sea and drifted down toward the bottom of the ocean.

  The crew of brine elves began to cheer as Wily hurried back toward the hatch.

  “Where are you going?” Odette asked.

  “I’m not sure how long the venom’s effect will last on a creature as big as the salvage squid. I need to turn the machine back into a rowing machine so we are far away by the time it wakes up.”

  Wily swung open the hatch but stopped before going downstairs.

  “We’re also going to need to find something to use for oars,” Wily said. “Like those wooden railings. They’ll work.”

  Wily dipped below the deck with a smile on his face. He had avoided disaster. Their search for his father could continue.

  6

  ISLAND BEYOND THE FOG

  Wily’s lips felt as if he had eaten an entire plate of salted mushroom caps. Even the insides of his cheeks lacked moisture. Moments ago, he had drunk an entire jug of water and still he felt thirsty. After a full night of rowing through the Drecks, the Coal Fox had finally left the breezeless portion of sea behind and passed into a dense fog that Thrush had said must have picked up the salty air that hangs over the Salt Isles. The guide gulls kept reporting back to the ship with news that they were making progress catching up with the Squall Singer, but as of yet, Wily had not caught a glimpse of the elusive ship.

  “Echh,” Odette said from her seat next to Wily on the wooden deck. “Even I can’t be cheerful on a morning like this. How can anyone stand this?”

  “My lips taste like over-seasoned slugs,” Roveeka said. “I like it.”

  “Figures,” Odette replied. She stood up and walked over to Moshul, who was sitting at the very front of the ship, letting the wind blow through the blades of grass growing between the clumps of moss on his shoulders.

  “You mind if a pluck an aqua leek?” Odette asked.

  Moshul shook his head and gestured to his knee. Odette pulled a long shoot from the golem’s knee, then held it over her mouth and gave it a squeeze. A small waterfall poured out from one end, giving Odette a long drink. She walked back to Wily and handed it to him.

  “We’re getting closer to the Salt Isles,” Thrush said. “We’ll steer clear soon. The air does more than parch throats. Stings the eyes until they are nothing more than balls of pink. And it rusts metal within hours.”

  “And you wanted to live there?” Roveeka asked Odette and Pryvyd.

  “It would have kept us away from the Infernal King,” Pryvyd said. “That’s worth some irritated eyes.”

  “To think that now we are out here chasing after him,” Odette said.

  Just then the outline of an island came into focus through the thinning fog. It was short and flat and covered in yellow reeds that swayed in the gentle breeze. The forest of trees beyond the reeds was different from any vegetation Wily had seen in Panthasos. The trees had spiky needles sticking out from them in addition to giant pale green leaves. They reminded him of cave urchins on a skewer. The sun pushed through the clouds, dappling the waves with light. Suddenly, the island’s beach sparkled like a million shards of broken glass had been sprinkled along the edge of the sea.

  “Not many people set foot on the Salt Isles,” Thrush said. “They are used more as way points than destinations. They’re far too dangerous to set foot on. Savage beasts, part animal, part mineral, live on them. And that’s only a fraction of the problem. Even the toughest metal rusts away. Which makes getting back off particularly tough. This ship won’t get closer than Oris Rock.”

  Thrush pointed off the starboard bow as he took a sip of his bubbly water. Wily could see a rock that jutted up from the ocean like a falcon’s head. Flags of many colors were strung around the rock like necklaces. Wooden objects like bows and salad bowls dangled on ropes from it, knocking together like a strange wind chime in the breeze.

  “What’s all that stuff on the rock?” Roveeka asked.

  “Oris was the great falcon knight of yesteryear,” Thrush said. “He was the one responsible for returning Glothmurk to the bottom of Skull Trench. Oris is said to still watch over the sea. Keep people safe from the things that lurk in the deep. Sailors say it’s good luck to leave something here for the bird spirit in exchange for good fortune going forward.”

  “I’m guessing you haven’t given an offering lately,” Pryvyd said. “On account of the salvage squid.”

  “Or did I?” Thrush said. “We got out alive. That’s a stroke of good luck.”

  “It was Wily’s smart thinking,” Odette said, “not the Falcon Knight that got us out of trouble.”

  “But perhaps it was the Falcon Knight who brought him to me.” Thrush looked at Wily. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you yesterday for all you did to save the Coal Fox.”

  “The truth is you wouldn’t have been in any trouble at all if I hadn’t come to borrow your ship,” Wily said. “So I’m the one in your debt.”

  “You’re a good kid,” Thrush said with an odd tone in his voice. “The kingdom would be in good hands if you were the one in charge.”

  “Thanks,” Wily said. “That means a lot to me. To be honest, I sometimes doubt it myself.”

  “You shouldn’t,” Thrush said. “And I just needed you to hear my appreciation before I did this.” Suddenly his entire demeanor changed. He turned to his crew and shouted: “Now!”

  Within moments, Wily and his companions were surrounded by every brine elf on deck, all pointing swords and knives at them. Thrush himself grabbed Roveeka and held her tightly, pressing a dagger to her throat while still clutching his glass of bubbly water in his other hand.

  “What are you doing?” Wily cried.

  “Leaving something behind on Oris Rock for good luck,” Thrush said with a sympathetic frown. “This is where you all get off.”

  The brine elves pushed a wooden plank out over the ocean.

  “If you jump off nicely,” Thrush continued, “nobody has to get hurt. Perhaps you’ll even be able to make it to the island over there, assuming you’re good swimmers, of course.” Thrush led Roveeka toward the plank.

  “This is high treason,” Pryvyd said as he pulled his shield off his back. “You’ll spend the rest of your life in a prisonaut for this.”

  “I made a trade to save Ratgull Harbor,” Thrush said. “I was told to bring you here. To get you far away from Panthasos. And dump you in the ocean. If I didn’t, the cavern mage said he would wipe all Ratgull Harbor off the map when they took power. I am sacrificing you to save the city and people I love.”

  “I knew there was something shady about you,” Odette said.

  “Am I a villain or a hero?” Thrush said. “Ask the people of Ratgull Harbor in five years.”

  “A murderer is never a hero!” Wily spat back.r />
  “I only promised to dump you in the ocean beyond the salt fog. I’m not going to kill you.”

  “How generous,” Odette said.

  “Quite,” Thrush said. “Considering the alternative. I am truly sorry how this all happened. I genuinely think you would make a good king. But rulers come and go. Ratgull Harbor must persist.” Thrush took a swallow of bubbly water as he moved the dagger closer to Roveeka’s throat. “Who’s swimming first?”

  “I’ll go.” Pryvyd didn’t hesitate. “Just don’t hurt Roveeka.” He walked straight off the plank and plunged into the water. Righteous flew out over the water, hovering just a few feet above its former body.

  “You promise to let her go?” Wily asked, looking at the fear in his sister’s eyes.

  “Do you really think that I want to be stuck with a hobgoblet on my vessel? I just need to give you a little encouragement to get off the Coal Fox. Then she’ll be joining you.”

  Wily ran down the plank and jumped. He was in the air for only a second before he plunged into the cold ocean water, the impact nearly knocking his trapsmith belt right off his body. Still underwater, Wily opened his eyes. Even with the bright sunlight streaming in from above, he could see only forty feet below; beyond that everything went black. It was like he was floating over a bottomless hole. And it was nearly silent. Below the surface everything was still and quiet. For a moment it reminded him of the long hours he spent lying in his bed with the door shut back in Carrion Tomb, all the sounds of the dungeon muted by the thick rock walls of his room. The flash of memory was interrupted by the sharp pang of his lungs tightening as they drained of air. Just then, the water exploded with bubbles as Moshul cannonballed into the sea.

  Wily kicked back up to the surface. As his head emerged from the water, the screams of the brine elves and the loud slaps of the waves hitting the side of the Coal Fox came rushing to his ears.

  “Grab on to me,” Pryvyd said from the water nearby.

  “No way,” Wily said. “You’ve got to try to stay afloat with that armor. You don’t need me weighing you down.”

  “Remember the halo wax,” Pryvyd said. “This armor is practically a floatation device.”

  Wily had forgotten that the Knights of the Golden Sun coated the inside of their armor with a magical wax that was lighter than air. It made carrying a suit of armor less of a burden for the long hours they spent patrolling and protecting the kingdom. On their last adventure, Wily and his friends had coated the rocks at the Lava Crown with halo wax to make them float over the fiery volcano.

  Wily grabbed hold of Pryvyd’s shoulder as Odette jumped into the water as well, performing a perfect dive and surfacing just an arm’s length away. She seemed to make any feat of physical activity look ridiculously easy, no matter how difficult it actually was.

  Thrush came to the side of the Coal Fox with Roveeka still held at dagger point. “I wish you much luck,” Thrush said as he tossed Roveeka into the ocean. “You’re going to need it.”

  Wily watched helplessly as the Coal Fox used its mechanical oars to turn back in the direction of Panthasos.

  “Is everyone okay?” Odette asked as waves bobbed her up and down.

  “Besides being terrified?” Roveeka asked. “That took a lot out of me. I’m not brave like the rest of you.”

  “We need to swim for the island,” Pryvyd said.

  Wily looked across at the Salt Isles. The distance didn’t seem so far, but he knew that this was deceptive. And who knew what was lurking in the water beneath!

  “And fast,” Odette added as she pointed to a bank of storm clouds coming closer, arcs of lightning dancing between them. Pryvyd took off his armor.

  “If we all hold on to one side of the armor,” Pryvyd said, “and let Moshul do most of the kicking, we should be able to keep our strength and make it across.”

  Once everyone was in position around the floating armor, Moshul began kicking. The golem’s powerful legs pushed them along steadily. Wily had practiced swimming in the underground pools of Carrion Tomb and was quite adept, but this was completely different. With every wave, water splashed into his mouth and eyes, leaving him spitting every couple of seconds. As they moved slowly toward the island, Wily thought he felt blobs of jelly rubbing up against his ankles. Yet each time he stuck his head below water to see what was the cause of the strange sensation, nothing was there. Wily wondered if the sea was filled with invisible fish or if they were just too quick to spot.

  It seemed like Moshul had been kicking for hours, but they appeared to be no closer to the Salt Isles at all. The hot noon sun was pelting down on the group. Wily thought it was strange to feel chilled and blisteringly hot at the same time, but the long swim was accomplishing both.

  As Moshul continued to kick, Wily spied something large and blue moving beneath them. It took only a moment to realize the creature below was actually not a single creature but an entire school of blue-eyed opals. The fish circled around the group and began to nibble bugs and shoots off Moshul’s legs.

  Moshul signed with one hand.

  “I’m sure it’s not pleasant,” Pryvyd said. “But at least sharks aren’t nibbling on us. Your plants will grow back.”

  As Moshul’s legs grew tired, Wily and the others had to start kicking along with him. After just a few minutes, Wily was reminded of what it had felt like rolling the boulder back into place in Carrion Tomb, time after time. Endless. He looked out at the island and wondered if they had made any progress at all.

  Then, to everyone’s surprise, Moshul was suddenly towering over them. He was standing on solid ground. They had reached the shallows. Yet they were still a great distance from shore. Moshul, despite seeming exhausted, signaled for everyone to climb up on his shoulders. With tired arms, Wily pulled himself up and sat in the perch that was usually Roveeka’s spot.

  “Huh,” Wily said to his sister. “It really is nice up here.”

  “I told you,” the hobgoblet said with a smile.

  Moshul took huge slow steps through the water. Wily could peer down and see the rocky ground below. Colorful sea stars and crustaceans dotted the sandy bottom. As they got ever closer to the island and the water became shallower and shallower, Wily was able to fully appreciate the size of the Salt Isles. The one they were approaching was not the tiny speck in the sea he had first thought. It stretched for what seemed like miles in both directions.

  “It’s even saltier here than it is out in the ocean,” Wily said, puckering his lips. As the waves hit the rocks, plumes of spray churned the air with white flakes that were carried by the wind like snow blowing from a high peak. After another hundred steps, Moshul was putting the group down on the shore. Wily could now see that what appeared to be glass from a distance was actually very fine salt crystals catching the sunlight and reflecting it back in every direction. It was so bright he had to shield his eyes. The reeds hugging the side of the beach were tough and yellow, with thick roots that dove deep into the earth.

  Wily lay back on the beach of salt and let his body sink into the fine granules. Despite knowing nothing about this island, he was overjoyed to be on it right now. If he had his wish, he wouldn’t swim again for years.

  As Wily stared at the sky, he could hear a soft rustling by his ear. He looked over to see a pair of thumbnail-size yellow crabs lifting their eye stalks for a better view of Wily’s curly brown hair. They seemed to like what they saw because they began to try to find their way into his locks.

  “You don’t want to hide in there,” Wily said with a smile. “I bet there is a rock or a seashell that would make a better home.”

  Wily reached out a finger but the crabs backed away cautiously.

  “I won’t hurt you,” Wily clicked.

  Suddenly, a loud shriek pierced the air. The spooky sound came from the jungle. It was quickly echoed by a second and a third shriek, identical to the first. Then, more and more screams. It was almost as if the entire jungle had come alive.

  Wily sat
up with alarm, as did all of his companions. Everyone peered into the reeds looking for the animals making the noises.

  “It sounds like the whole jungle is screaming,” Roveeka said.

  “It is,” Odette said ominously.

  She pointed to one of the strange trees with needles sticking out from its bark. It had a large knot in its trunk that was moving. Or at least it first appeared to be a knot. It took Wily a moment to realize what he was seeing. The tree had a mouth—and it was screaming!

  7

  THE SCREAMING TREES

  “DO YOU THINK the trees were people placed under some horrible curse?” Pryvyd asked the others as he cautiously walked up the beach toward a row of the screaming palms. “Doomed to cry out in pain for centuries?”

  “Why don’t you ask them?” Odette said. “They have mouths. Maybe they can answer.”

  “Can you speak?” Pryvyd said as he approached one of the trees. In response, it only screamed louder than before. Pryvyd backed away. “I’ll take that as a ‘no.’”

  Moshul began to sign to the others. “I don’t think it was a curse,” Odette translated. “They must have evolved this way to scare animals away from them. Plants can be very smart like that.”

  “I think that the needles sticking out from them would be reason enough not to bother them,” Roveeka said.

  Moshul signed again. “Fresh water must be very valuable on this island. The plants don’t want that to be stolen from them. Animals like the one that made those.” Moshul pointed to a spot at the top of the beach where white hoof marks were visible in the salt.

  Roveeka approached the prints curiously and leaned down. She jabbed her finger into the print and then scooped up a handful of white flakes.

  “What type of mineral is that?” Pryvyd asked the hobgoblet.

  If Roveeka had one area of expertise it would be … knife throwing, but coming in a very close second would be her knowledge of all things geological. Whether a rock, stone, or gem, Wily’s sister could identify it and tell you a hundred facts about it.