by A J Callen
The Harbinger rose suddenly on the top of a high swell. Sabir pointed to starboard and yelled to Captain Grenfall. Something like a fountain rose out of the moonlit sea followed by a low roar.
Captain Grenfall’s eyes went wide with fear. “No, that’s bloody impossible.”
Niclas could not see clearly over the bulwarks through the high waves. He strained against the wheel as though a powerful unseen force was pulling it starboard toward the crags. “What’s wrong?”
“The sea is breaking on the reefs.”
“You said your first mate knew these waters.”
“He does and his compass does not lie. I swear by all that is holy, there should be no reefs here, my lord.”
A shiver of foreboding in the cold breath of the gale made Niclas slacken his grip. The vessel turned a point toward the shore.
“Keep her away by two points,” the Captain yelled, “Two points! And the reef to windward!”
As the Harbinger neared the turn of the island, more submerged rocky ridges broke through the churning surface of the sea, as though being pushed up from the very depths of the abyss as they closed in on the vessel from all sides.
Sabir cried out to change course, pointing hard to port not a moment too soon. A giant spiked reef punctured the hull above the deck, letting the sea burst upon the crew in a gushing torrent. The first mate yelled again, punching his hand repeatedly at Niclas before making a pushing gesture.
Niclas did not have to understand a word to know his meaning.
“What this is, my lord, I cannot say but he says something evil follows you from Kardi.”
Niclas did not have to feign his answer, or speak a lie, for the Captain’s resignation to the fearful truth was etched in his creased eyes. “I am sorry, Captain. I believed we destroyed any threat on the island though we had no reckoning of its true power. It is an enemy unlike any we have battled before. We must return to Avidene.”
“I do not blame you, my lord, for your heart is true and noble. I only pray you live to finish this war they have begun… before none of us remains to answer the call.”
Niclas gripped the wheel with all this strength and strained to keep her on course. Dark forces that had failed to destroy him on land were now determined to drown him at sea. For the very love of God, I must return to Avidene and warn the Council while there’s still time.
In the next breath, the tide caught hold of the Harbinger, seizing it like a stick in a racing current and spinning the vessel round the island bend, thrusting it into the wind like a top. Moments later, the bow stuck an emerging reef with such shattering force it threw Niclas from the wheel and sent half the crew sprawling across the deck as their shipmates tumbled screaming over the sides.
Niclas hung onto a broken mast and pulled himself to his feet. He looked to the wheel and Captain Branok Grenfall was gone. Peace be with you, brother. I will not forsake your trust.
Another swell broke clean over the shattered deck as the wood cracked and snapped, signaling that the ship was breaking apart on the reef.
Those that could move helped their wounded crewmen toward the two remaining small rowboats while the rest lay helpless, bloodied and speared by splintered wood, crying out and begging to be saved.
Sabir, bright blood streaming down his gashed forehead, yelled at Niclas and motioned toward the last rowboat. Niclas stumbled across the deck and as he grabbed the first mate’s hand, a massive wave heaved the breaking wreck straight up, pitching it over on its beam—and, with the sudden tilting, Niclas was cast clean over the bulwarks into the vicious sea.
Niclas dropped below the waves, then came up, spitting out the foul water and blinking at the stars, then dropped below again.
He sank beneath the waves many times, and many times through the sheer will to survive he struggled back toward the surface, bursting through just in time to gulp another life-saving breath while being hurled along, unable to swim against the current, beaten and choked by crashing waves.
His strength was ebbing, his body chilled from the depths, his clothes and leather boots growing heavy from the weight of the sea. Niclas feared he would not rise the next time. He looked frantically about in all directions, finally glimpsing lumps of wreckage tossing on the moonlit waves a short distance away.
With the last exertion of his remaining strength, he swam for all his life, carried by the waves toward a shattered piece of the deck. Hauling himself over the ragged edge, he clung to an iron rope cleat with both hands, praying he could hold on and stay afloat.
Hold on for what now, though?
He squinted up at the stars. Gone were the familiar constellations that had guided his journey thus far, replaced now by a seething mass of glittering jewel fragments coalescing into the monstrous form of an all-encompassing, all seeing one-eyed creature consuming the swirling stars of the very heavens around it.
Niclas squeezed his eyes tight shut lest the terrifying omen above should see him and descend to wreak havoc upon the world below.
So, I have failed. All who depended upon me… I have failed them all and my word is nothing… I am nothing.
With this final acceptance, Niclas lay strangely becalmed on his makeshift raft. He felt himself rising above his own body, slipping away into a cold, deep sleep. The storm of fear and unknowing that had raged on for years within was scattering now as the waters calmed around him.
He closed his eyes, too heavy to keep open, and had but one last regret. I will never hold Juliana in my arms again and remember that I had once known love.
Afterword
End of Book One
Thank you so much for reading this book.
I hope you enjoyed Simon Blackfyre and the Storms of Destiny. Please feel free to post your review here if you found the story and characters to your liking. It’s wonderful readers like you that make all the difference to authors like me.
* * *
Cheers,
* * *
A. J. Callen
* * *
Simon Blackfyre and the Corridor of Shadows is available January 2019.
https://ajcallenbooks.com
