The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul

by Jon F. Merz

  “I could be, though.”

  “You’re young,” said Kancho. “And judging by how you wielded that sword, you’ve been trained in other lineages than what the Murai study.”

  Ran frowned. “I was taught by my uncle, whose father had once served a lord in the far north.”

  “So why didn’t your family continue to serve?”

  Ran looked away, trying his best to affect deep concern. “My uncle’s father . . . left service, and became a wandering warrior for hire. He gradually found his way south and married. He taught his sons everything he knew about fighting.”

  “But you didn’t learn from your father?”

  “My father was killed when I was very young,” said Ran. “I have no memory of him. I was raised by my uncle and infused with the knowledge that had been shared by their father.”

  Kancho looked up from his work and stared at Ran for another moment. Then he grunted and looked back at the sword in his lap. “Well, you’re a credit to them, at least. Good balance. You seem to understand distance. Overall, I’d say with a little seasoning, you could become a true warrior. But why are you out here on this accursed vessel? Why not stay in Gakur?”

  “I’m not of the Murai,” said Ran.

  “It’s in your blood,” said Kancho. “You could ask to have your family name reinstated at the capital.”

  Ran smiled. “I would never be able to serve as well as the Murai. I’ve been brought up to make my own decisions, to steer my own fate.”

  Kancho grinned. “If that’s so, then why take a chance on this damned boat?”

  “I want to sell my blade on the mainland.”

  Kancho frowned. “There’s little honor in being a sword-for-hire, Ran.”

  “True, but there are lots of riches to be had.”

  “Is that why you fight? For money?”

  “If I say yes, will you condemn me for it?”

  Kancho finished with his sword and slid it carefully back into the scabbard. Then he got to his feet and placed one hand on the bulwark. “Men fight for many reasons. Some for honor. Some for the love of a woman. Some for money. As long as you can deliver on the promise that your sword carries with it, what difference does it make?”

  Ran wasn’t sure he trusted that statement as a true account of how Kancho actually felt, especially if he was Murai. “So, why do you fight?”

  “I fight for my daughter,” said Kancho. And then he disappeared belowdecks, leaving Ran alone amid the heaving swells that carried the ship farther westward.

  Ran thought about going after him, but decided it was best to leave him be. When Kancho felt like talking again, Ran felt certain he could get him to open up and give some more indication of why he had taken to disguising himself.

  The giant wave that had picked the Aqaria up and carried her seemed to be subsiding now. Thank the gods, thought Ran. If they could make dry land before nightfall, his feet would never leave the ground again.

  Ahead of him, he watched as Malkyr ordered two deckhands to fit a smaller spare mast where the main one had been torn apart. They did so and then ran up a fresh sail. Instantly, the wind took hold and the Aqaria resumed making good speed. The deckhands tied the sheet off and then busied themselves with other tasks up on the deck.

  Ran’s queasiness subsided as he made his way along the starboard side of the ship and looked again at Malkyr. This time, the captain of the Aqaria took his eyes off the horizon to nod at Ran. “You’ll have to watch yourself around that one.”

  “Kancho?”

  Malkyr smirked. “There’s not a person on this ship that believes he’s just some harmless old drunk. No matter how much rice wine he spilled on his clothes to affect the stench he carries. It’s not enough. If you’re going to disguise yourself, you have to be convincing about it.”

  “Do tell,” said Ran as he climbed toward Malkyr.

  “Kancho’s disguise is superficial. It’ll fool some of the people some of the time. But it won’t hold up to real scrutiny. His bearing, his skill with weapons, even his weapon itself tell a tale all the rice wine in the world cannot wash away. As you’ve clearly noticed.”

  Ran smiled. “Was I that obvious?”

  Malkyr shrugged. “Maybe I’ve been around the rat-infested docks too long. Everyone at the edge of the sea carries a tale. And everyone’s always one step away from jumping a ship bound for anywhere but where they are right then. You can’t trust appearances.”

  Ran nodded and then pointed to the horizon. “Are we closer to land?”

  “Unfortunately, we’re much closer than I’d like.”

  “How can you tell? All I see is a huge bank of clouds. I can’t fathom if it’s mist, fog, or the clouds themselves. We could sail right for the very edge of the world, and I wouldn’t know it until we fell off.”

  “Aye,” said Malkyr. “Which is exactly why you should always trust your captain. He knows best.” Malkyr pointed. “There. You see that break in the mist? The area where it’s darker?”

  Ran looked at where he pointed and saw how the darker mist seemed to be increasing. “Yes, what about it?”

  “That should be Naran,” said Malkyr quietly.

  But as the fog shifted, Ran suddenly saw that it wasn’t a port at all. Sheer imposing cliffs jutted out of the water.

  “Blast it,” said Malkyr. “This cursed storm blew us even farther south than I expected.”

  “Where are we?”

  “They call those the Cliffs of Doom because if you’re not careful the reefs around here will gouge a keel and you’ll sink in twenty fathoms of water before you know what even hit you.”

  As he said this, Malkyr leaned on the tiller, pushing it to the starboard side. The boat responded by veering to port, away from the dark rock cliffs. “This is where it gets tricky.” He whistled, and one of his crew appeared on deck. Malkyr spoke quickly in the sailing tongue, and the man nodded, moving up to the bow of the Aqaria. There, he planted his feet and held his arms out in front of him.

  Malkyr nodded at him. “We’ll seek shelter in calmer waters, drop anchor, and ride out this storm. Chung will guide us into the mangrove swamps that line the coast. It’s a tricky process since the entrance that we need to find is a mere spit of clear water. On either side are the reefs that will grind up my keel if we’re not careful.” He shouted to more deckhands and they came up and took down the sail. The Aqaria slowed and then eased forward, carried on the current.

  “Have you ever lost a boat before?”

  Malkyr stared at Ran. “Never ask a captain that.”

  Ran smiled. “Seafarer superstition?”

  “That,” said Malkyr. “And he might just throw you off his ship.”

  “My apologies,” said Ran. “I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t capable.”

  Malkyr shrugged. “When you sail these waters for as long as I have, you realize that stuff is mostly routine.”

  “Being attacked by sea creatures is routine?”

  Malkyr pointed at Chung. “It is when you’re headed into the Dark Sea and toward Iyarul. The sea is lousy with the stuff of nightmares. And some say the lands of Igul are even worse.”

  “We’ll see,” said Ran.

  “You’d better get down below and tell the others that we’re going to be moving slowly from here on out as we try to thread our way through this mess. I don’t want anybody up on deck. But stand by in case I need you all to abandon ship.”

  “Will do,” said Ran. He started down and then turned back toward Malkyr. “But you’ve done this before, haven’t you? Brought a ship through here?”

  Malkyr smiled. “I’ve plied this sea for thirty years. This isn’t my first time seeking shelter in these waters. But the sea never stays the same. She changes as she pleases. And sometimes, she likes to spring surprises on even the wisest sea captains there are.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Ran ducked beneath the deck and bumped his head as he did so. He’d never get used to the cramped conditions aboard
a ship, he decided. But if he could manage to escape with only a bump on his head, he’d consider it well worth the price. He rubbed his head and made his way past the crates that were stacked and held in position with thick hemp cords. Beyond them, the Aqaria housed a small passenger section that was in effect little more than a hollowed-out section with a few cushions in it.

  Kancho looked up as he approached. “And just what is the situation topside? We seemed to have picked up speed. But now we’re slowing again.”

  “We have. Malkyr let out a new sail, and it was carrying us faster. But we’re approaching the coast, and he dropped it.”

  “Why would he do a thing like that?”

  “Reefs,” said Vargul. “I’ve heard this coastline is rife with the things. If Malkyr’s not careful, he’ll smash us all to pieces.”

  Neviah frowned, but as Ran looked at her, he thought it only enhanced the beauty of her blue eyes and high cheekbones, which ran nearly parallel to each other. “I am not interested in being dashed on the rocks of some forsaken coast. I have places I need to be.” She turned and spoke quietly to her young woman.

  Neviah turned and caught Ran staring at them. “Do you always stare at women that way? It’s rather blatant.”

  Vargul guffawed. “He’s just being honest. And I don’t blame him one bit. Both of you ladies are a sight for sore eyes.”

  Neviah regarded him. “You’ll want to show proper respect. I assure you that I could make things very unpleasant for you if you were to even try anything improper, Northerner.”

  “My name is Vargul. And it’s true I’m from the north. But so what? Vargul travels the world over seeking goods to bring home and sell to his kinsmen. And I have an eye for ravishing women. Which both of you are. I mean no disrespect by stating that.”

  Neviah frowned at him a moment longer and then looked back at Ran. “You have something to tell us?”

  “Malkyr says to keep yourselves here but be ready.”

  Kancho looked up. “Be ready for what?”

  “I don’t know. He says the sea floor shifts in these parts, and the reefs could well wreck the ship. If that happens, then we’ll have to get out of the boat quickly.”

  Jysal blinked at Ran. He found the effect pleasant. “Are we to swim then?”

  “If it becomes necessary,” said Ran. “The other option is to stay here and drown.”

  Neviah shook her head. “I am Jysal’s protector. She will stay with me at all times.”

  Kancho glanced over. “Protector?”

  Neviah nodded. “You find that unusual?”

  “I wonder why Jysal needs protecting,” said Kancho. “There’s nothing unusual about a woman being a warrior. Nor a beautiful warrior.”

  “She is on her way to a temple to the north of here. Once there, she will continue her education. But the road to the temple is a dangerous one, so I was hired to make sure she gets there intact.”

  Vargul rubbed his enormous belly and sighed. “I wonder if Malkyr has any more food aboard this floating tub? It’s been several hours since my last meal.”

  Ran felt a spike of nausea at the thought of food. Kancho noticed and smirked.

  “Not hungry, Ran?”

  “Not even remotely.”

  Ran turned to head back up to the deck, when he felt the ship suddenly rise. He heard Malkyr swear loudly. Ran grabbed at one of the ropes hanging overhead to keep his balance, but then the entire ship seemed to turn over. Vargul cried out as he lost his balance and fell from the seat to the floor. Kancho stayed where he was, and Neviah clutched at Jysal like a mother hen.

  “Ran!” Malkyr’s shouts brought Ran to the deck in time to see that another giant wave had taken the boat up and lifted it high on a swell. Sea spray lashed at Ran’s face as a deluge opened up from overhead.

  Malkyr was pointing to one of the deckhands already in the wake of the boat. “Can you get a rope out to him?”

  Ran judged the distance, but he saw it was already too great. There was no way he could reach the man. And then another wave covered him up and sucked him beneath the swells. He turned back to Malkyr to tell him, but in that next second, the Aqaria turned on top of the wave, and the stern now shot toward the coast. Malkyr was shouting orders to the remaining deckhands, but chaos overwhelmed them.

  And then Ran saw the ominous black shapes beneath the water rising up like so many teeth. “Reef!”

  Malkyr looked, and his eyes widened. “Hang on! Everyone hold on to something!”

  The wave smashed them right down into the reef. Ran heard the awful sound of splintering wood as the reef tore into the keel of the boat, shredding the planks that ran horizontally. Water gushed up from belowdecks. The Aqaria spun once more and then came to rest atop a pointed shard of reef.

  Almost instantly, Kancho shoved his way onto the deck from below. He was drenched through with seawater. Behind him came Jysal and Neviah. Vargul came last, trying to heave his girth up the ladder leading to the deck. He frowned when he saw Malkyr. “Damn you, Malkyr! You’ve gone and lost my cargo because of this. I’ll see you ruined.”

  Malkyr waved him off. “I’ll replace your blasted cargo, you damned fool! Now, if we don’t get off of the ship, we’re all going to drown.”

  Ran looked out into the swirling mist. “How far is it to shore?”

  Malkyr shrugged. “Perhaps three hundred yards. No more, I’m sure. The reefs lie at a pretty fixed distance from the coast.”

  Kancho waited no longer and leaped into the surf, narrowly avoiding impaling himself on a shard of reef. Neviah looked at Jysal and then nodded. Jysal jumped into the waves, followed by her protector. Vargul shook his head and eyed Malkyr. “I’ll see you ruined for this, mark my words.” Then he jumped as well.

  Malkyr gave his remaining crew the order to jump, and they did so, leaving only Ran and himself. Malkyr grinned mischievously at Ran. “Some journey so far, eh?”

  “I could do without all the excitement. I’m more tested in battle than I am in swimming around reefs.”

  Malkyr clapped him on the back. “At least you’re not losing your boat over this. The Aqaria has been very good to me. Losing her hurts.”

  Ran frowned and then searched for a spot in the water to land. Already the other passengers and crew were swimming in the direction of shore. Ran picked a patch of water and then stepped off the boat. His masters back at the school in Gakur had taught him several techniques for entering the water without making a big splash. Ran employed one of those techniques now, keeping his feet together. At the last second, he grabbed a breath before he hit the water and sank. Once beneath the waves, he scissor-kicked back to the surface.

  He grabbed a fresh breath as rain pelted him from above. Some trip, he thought. He saw Malkyr’s head break the surface several yards away. Malkyr spotted him and pointed in the direction of the shore. Ran started swimming toward the coast, with Malkyr behind him. As he swam, Ran spotted a crew member about twenty yards ahead of him, off to the left and swimming hard.

  He looks scared, thought Ran. Then he saw the reason why.

  A huge fin broke the surface.

  And Ran heard Malkyr swear behind him. “Reef sharks!”

  Ran had no idea what the beasts might be like, but he knew they had rows of teeth they’d like nothing better than to bite into a fresh bit of swimmer. He redoubled his efforts and saw a glimpse of land through the mist.

  A terrible scream from the crew member punctured the air. Ran turned, saw a spray of bright red blood explode from the waves before turning frothy pink as it fell and mixed with the sea water. A giant mouth reached up out of the waves and took the crew member down. The surf churned, and Ran saw a hand stab through the surface before being jerked back under. Then it was gone.

  As Malkyr swam past him he shouted. “You’d better swim like the gods of death are on your heels.”

  Ran needed no further encouragement and piled on the effort. His legs were strong from years of training, and he used that strength
to his advantage now, pushing past Malkyr. He felt something swim past him, brushing against his tunic as it did, but then it flashed off toward Malkyr.

  Ran turned to call out but then felt his feet touch the bottom. At last! He saw a fin emerge behind Malkyr and waved him on. “One behind you! Swim!”

  Malkyr didn’t waste time turning his head, he merely swam even faster toward Ran. Ran kept moving toward the shore, feeling the depth of water recede as he did so. And then Kancho was there, his sword out. Ran unsheathed his and together they stood in the thigh-high surf as Malkyr stroked toward them.

  Just as it appeared he was safe, Malkyr cried out in pain. Ran searched the water, and then Kancho pushed past him. “We need to help him.”

  Ran waded out, not sure how they could hope to help Malkyr. But Kancho didn’t stop, and then Ran watched as he slashed through the waves at the shark. Again and again, Kancho cut down through the water. Ran saw a movement of gray under the surface and stabbed at it with his blade. He felt a moment of resistance before his blade slid deep into the belly of one of the ravenous beasts. The water around them was stained a deep, dark red. Malkyr had stopped screaming, because he was unconscious.

  Kancho nodded at Ran. “Get him out of the water.”

  Ran grabbed at Malkyr beneath his armpits and hauled him back toward the shore. As they came into shallower water, he could see that Malkyr had suffered a large bite to his left calf. There was a lot of blood loss from the shredded skin and muscle, but otherwise he was unharmed. Still, if they didn’t stop the bleeding, he would die quickly.

  Neviah rushed into the surf as Ran approached. “Let me help.”

  Ran nodded and allowed her to take an arm. Together, they dragged Malkyr’s body to the black sandy beach. Ran collapsed, huffing as he sought more air for his exhausted body. Neviah peered into Malkyr’s eyes. Then she spoke to Jysal in a strange tongue that Ran had never heard. Jysal reacted immediately, tearing a section of her dress and handing the strip of cloth to Neviah. Neviah tied it around the upper part of Malkyr’s leg.

  Kancho struggled out of the surf, his sword dripping blood. He glanced at Malkyr and then at Neviah. “Will he live?”