Six Heads One Crown (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 3)

by Jason Paul Rice

  The noble dragons had advised Riceros that he could trust this group. He had instantly connected with Russell and could see that his new friend seemed to carry a heavy burden as well. Fire Mountain began to rumble again, causing Riceros to jerk his head to the left. He couldn’t see the mountain through the overlapping tree branches but could feel the intense heat radiating from the giant mound. Ominous, black clouds spewed out of the vent, darkening the sunny sky.

  “Does anyone have coin for ship fare?” Riceros asked.

  “We still have two gold rounds and some silvers, plenty to get to where we need to go,” Russell answered.

  The wind picked up but the thick air seemed to stick to his skin instead of just blowing by. As they neared the edge of the woods, Riceros spotted a bright orange substance streaming down the mountain. It looked like smooth pumpkin soup with large chunks of burning embers mixed in. Fire Mountain appeared to be on fire. Smoke billowed out of the top of the mountain and the confused winds blew the black clouds in every direction. The dark brown dirt of the mountain had started taking on a reddish hue and Riceros knew they had to act fast.

  “It sounds like the Gods are banging two boulders together inside the mountain,” observed Shireez.

  “That doesn’t sound welcoming,” said Russell.

  Dioneer and Lizeria walked in silence. They didn’t say much unless someone asked either of them a question.

  “How far is the port?” Riceros asked.

  “Shouldn’t be too far from here,” said Shireez, who knew the land better than the others did.

  The angry mountain quieted down enough that Riceros could hear Dragon-Eyes snoring. He sniffed the briny smell of the sea and could hear the crashing of the waves from a distance.

  Riceros’ biggest worry was getting Dioneer onto a boat that was sturdy enough to bear his massive body. A sudden boom almost knocked everyone to the ground and Riceros felt the earth shake beneath him. He steadied himself and looked up in disbelief as flowing liquid fire shot high into the sky. The air became denser and hotter. He could hear the muffled growl of pressure building inside the earth. The sounds went back and forth between a whisper and a shout. Riceros rubbed the sweat away from his eyes to look at another eruption of condensed flames leaping from the gorge and landing on the opposite side of the mountain. However, this explosion was followed by thick pockets of air that felt like the flaming breath of a dragon. Riceros could handle extreme heat but the others were getting purple blood burns on their arms. They stopped watching the spectacle and sprinted for the boats. Dioneer picked up the girls and the group tried to beat the fleeing citizens of the island as the docks came into view. Their mad dash lasted only a few minutes before they reached a mob of confused people, all with quick evacuation on their minds. The smallish Riceros got pushed and shoved around by the raucous crowd. He tried to stay as close to Dioneer as possible.

  Riceros heard a loud bang and looked back to see Fire Mountain launching another huge burst of liquid flames upward. This payload landed on their side of the mountain and slowly glided down toward the port. Another blast of heat followed and Russell had to shield Dragon-Eyes completely from the rippling warmth.

  Dioneer turned around to the group and said, “Follow me. Stay close.”

  The giant held the two girls tight and began to plow his way through the crowd. They went down a narrow pier and Dioneer knocked several people into the water as he forged ahead through the frenzied crowd. Russell and Riceros stayed right behind as the Cyclops neared the end. Dioneer placed the girls on the Red Kraken, a small merchant vessel, and held back the oncoming horde of desperate people to allow the men to get on.

  The Cyclops jumped on and landed with a thud as the ship owner came over screaming. “You cannot stay on this boat. It’s for my family, and only my family.”

  The giant picked the man up and tossed him into a smaller boat being undocked about ten feet away. “Does anyone else have a problem with me and my friends?” yelled Dioneer.

  Everyone stared in fear at the one-eyed behemoth but nobody objected. The thirty-foot boat was overfilled and as it left the harbor, people leaped off the end of the docks to try to grab onto the side and hoist themselves over. About forty men flung themselves hopelessly at the port side and no one succeeded. Riceros watched the horrific beach scene as they sailed away.

  The glowing orange ooze had almost made it all the way down the mountain and the citizens tried to swim out to sea after all the boats had left. Some used planks of wood for support and others paddled with all their strength. A fiery hell washed over the beach, silencing all the screaming people and rushing out into the pearly green waters to cause more destruction. The glowing orange substance turned black as it crashed into the oncoming waves and plowed right through the raging saltwater with burning intensity. The early morning looked like late night as thick, ebony smoke rose from the ocean and clouded the sun.

  Riceros turned away and began to think practically. He took all his new friends below deck to check for supplies. The boat twisted back and forth as the twisting waves were pushed back out to sea by the rolling fire, creating uneasy conditions. They found enough food and drink for about twenty people to make it to Gama Traka. However, there were at least one hundred people above them on deck.

  A loud crash of violent water rocked the hull and violently knocked the vessel sideways. Riceros and his group fell to the floor. The boat started listing on its side, threatening to sink as they made it to their feet and up on deck. Almost all the passengers had been thrown overboard and the group scrambled to save the ship. Dioneer fought his way to the highest part of the ship to steady it with his weight. Riceros and Russell teamed up to use the heavy wind to help them. They fixed some of the sails to catch the breeze just right and an eerie sound of creaking wood followed. The boys got to two more sails and after a few perilous minutes, the boat was upright again. Only twelve remained after the scare and a close inspection proved the vessel to be completely seaworthy. There wasn’t any structural damage to the boat and their biggest problem had sorted itself out. They had plenty of food to get to Gama Traka.

  The seafarers did have one severe issue now. The only man who had ever captained a boat was lost in the monster wave. They had a captain’s apprentice who claimed he was sixteen, but the boy looked as young as Riceros.

  The Red Kraken, with its yellow masts and sails, flowed along the rolling waves at a decent clip. The ship was aptly named as the outside was painted a deep crimson with the black outline of a mighty kraken on both sides. The sharp color of the ship mingled nicely with the aqua green ocean despite the ring of sea filth and water weeds pasted around the hull, although Riceros didn’t like that the ship was so bright and visible, making it an easy target for the pirateers.

  They sat down to a supper of salted beef, stale bread and a tart red wine. Riceros could barely eat because the waves had become increasingly larger as they moved farther out to sea and were making him sick.

  “Who would have thought a mountain could spit a mix of fire and water?” Russell asked.

  “I thought demons were going to come from the under the earth to fly out of the gorge and attack us,” Riceros said.

  “It becomes queerer by the day. I cannot imagine what lies ahead in Gama Traka,” added Shireez.

  The ship fought through the treacherous green waters but Riceros didn’t put much faith in the boy captain to get them to their destination.

  Dioneer recognized a familiar-looking island and redirected the route. Riceros noticed Heldoor from afar before an increasingly odorous stench filled his nostrils. When they reached the side of the island where the Bigwuns lived, scorched black earth stretched as far as the eye could see. The offensive smells multiplied as the ship dropped anchor and docked. Dioneer jumped from the boat and the others climbed down the side ladder to get to land. The ground was strewn with charred, petrified bodies that looked like black statues, frozen forever in time. Dioneer dropped to his knees and wept.
The Bigwuns had finally been freed by Riceros only to be captured and cooked alive. There were only a dozen bodies and Riceros wondered what had happened to the rest of the giants. He patted his friend on the back of his neck, but Dioneer probably barely felt the soothing taps.

  Half of the island had been burned by dragon fire. Riceros noticed several gigantic footprints as evidence that dragons had been there. He felt extreme sympathy for his friend. He understood what it was like to have your family ripped away. Why would dragons come here and kill the Bigwuns? I know this wasn’t the Noble Dragons.

  No one in the group could console Dioneer as they got back on the ship. They also made it a rule not to discuss the trip around any of the other passengers or captain. They battled rising waves again despite the fact that there hadn’t been a storm in days. The skies had been clear and blustery on the Sea of Green. None of the weather patterns seemed to make sense as the boat tossed and turned through the waves.

  Riceros and Russell went to get some food for dinner and encountered a troubling sight. When they opened the door, about two dozen rats scattered from around a pile of food. The damage was already done as the rats had eaten more than their weight in cheese, bread and dried meats. They set the upturned table back upright and put the food on it but the rations had taken a serious hit. Riceros didn’t want to think about the hard decisions that might become necessary if the food started to run out.

  He went back up on deck and stood near Dioneer. After being tossed from the last boat he had been on, Riceros stayed as close to the giant as possible. The Cyclops was still mourning the death of his brethren. Riceros maintained a gentle attitude toward his broken friend but knew that time would heal much better than words.

  Riceros looked over his travel companions. They were a unique bunch. Ranging in size from dwarves to a giant, they had skin ranging from pale white to deep ebony. There were girls and guys but Riceros couldn’t see this undersized, unorthodox force taking on an army of demons. He assumed they must be together to deliver an important message to the real warriors, not to actually fight in battle. As the trip continued, the horrendous conditions intensified with lightning storms accompanying the uneven waves, and Riceros began to worry about the young captain’s ability even more.

  EMILIA

  “GET BELOW DECK,” screamed Ali-Steven as he followed Pariah into the hatch.

  A sideways mixture of rain and salty seawater plastered Emilia and soaked her clothes. The weary invaders thought they might be in the clear until another epic storm had rolled in again. Ali-Samuel cursed as he watched two ships carrying siege weapons sinking in the dark distance. Frequent flashes of webbed lightning illuminated the scene and showed three more of their vessels being swallowed by the angry sea. Emilia hadn’t seen a cerulean sky for the past three days and couldn’t tell if it was day or night. The ship had been blown greatly off course and she hadn’t seen a land mass in days. Thunder cracked simultaneously with a rogue wave that smashed the port side of the ship, knocking Emilia and Ali-Samuel to the deck. The ship tilted suddenly, causing her to slide across the slick deck and crash into the hard wood of the starboard side. Pain ran up and down her left leg and panic shot through the rest of her body. She noticed an upright support beam protruding from the flat wooden wall and dug her nails in. She held on with every last shred of strength to avoid a tempestuous death. The ship slowly righted itself before steadily climbing another enormous wave. Emilia felt a great queasiness as they reached the top and quickly dropped into the next valley of water. A firm grip on her arm proved to be Ali-Samuel and he dragged the small woman over to the hatch. Even below deck, the boat bobbed back and forth, making Emilia feel even worse.

  Ali-Samuel went straight to their cabin as Emilia finally gathered her bearings, shook off the pain and went to see how the Histoman were doing. They had gathered in a hold where the people could sit and talk. However, the terrified passengers sat in silence, praying to Rolog every time the ship conquered another wave. Pariah, Princess, Cobra and about a dozen Histoman all looked terrified.

  Emilia walked over to her friends.

  “SO LAT PO DON TEL AH SPE HO,” Cobra said in a dismissive tone.

  “What did he say?” Emilia asked Pariah.

  The young woman responded, “You…no, he didn’t say at all.”

  Emilia could easily tell Pariah was lying and said, “I won’t get offended. Tell me what he said.”

  “He say you are liar. You never tell Histoman this is happen,” Pariah told her with a lowered head.

  Emilia defended herself immediately, “You can tell him that I’ve never been in a storm at sea so this is a shock to me too. Furthermore, none of the Histoman are following me to Donegal. They are following Ali-Steven like a flock of sheep. I don’t control the weather and if they should die, so do I.”

  Pariah translated the message and Cobra scolded her and moved to the other side of the room. The dirty looks from around the room told Emilia to tread lightly with dismissing Ali-Steven as a son of their God. An elder man named Stag Horn jumped up and ran over to the metal barrel of overflowing vomit. He lost the contents of his stomach just as the boat shifted and dumped the dross all over his lower body. The repulsive smells attracted the tiny flying creatures which needed to be constantly swatted away. She scanned the room again and saw the blame on their faces and the judging eyes of her supposed friends.

  What has become of me? Only months ago I could snap my fingers and have anything I wanted. I used to live in the King’s Castle and now I travel in filth with barbarians. I can’t believe they blame me. They need to realize they serve a false idol. We need Cleon to see us back to the civilized side of the world so we can cleanse the sins of the Histoman properly. My Gods will lead them to safety and they won’t even thank me, I’ll bet. I cannot wait to convert these people to The Faith of Eternal Light when we win.

  With everything swirling in her head, Emilia had forgotten they were almost out of food. They had brought enough for an unexpected delay, but the unpredictable Sea of Green had already forced them to nearly exhaust the emergency supplies. Emilia left the nasty room and couldn’t understand why the Histoman didn’t use the plush cabins. This was a luxury vessel and the finest one in the shrinking fleet. The Histoman wanted to be together but they had chosen the worst possible area in which to congregate. Many areas of the interior of the ship were decorated with gold and precious gems, and Emilia thought about the irony of the situation. They had the money to purchase more food than they could ever eat anywhere in the world. The only exception was being lost at sea.

  She entered her room and unknowingly complained to Ali-Samuel about the Histoman.

  He stayed calm and said, “Those ungrateful barbarians. You are taking them to a place where they can become civilized citizens. Our first decree shall be to outlaw heart eating. Look, we can use them to serve our purpose and then we won’t even have to see them again.”

  “That isn’t what I meant. I want them to like me. I like them and would never lead them into danger. They just need to be polished up a bit but they are like a second family to me,” Emilia said.

  “Make up your damn mind. One moment you hate them and I sympathize and then you suddenly love them again,” Ali-Samuel replied.

  “Well, it’s somewhat like you and me. I love you with all my heart but sometimes I get mad at you. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped loving you. I am just upset with them right now,” Emilia said.

  Two days later, the thunderstorms ceased but they still couldn’t find dry land. Emilia slowly savored the last bite of smoked pig’s ear. Emilia had been experiencing terrible dreams involving both of her sons. In the night terrors, an eighteen-year-old Ali-Ster and a redheaded newborn were always in the middle of the woods. Snarling woods foxes moved in and ate Ali-Ster as Emilia was forced to watch with her eyelids being held open by Ali-Stanley. After the beasts finished with her older son, they moved on to the baby but she woke up before they attacked her younger boy every
time. Emilia didn’t know what to make of all this because she had been informed that Ali-Ster had died from an arrow attack. She only took the nightmares as a sign that she would soon be joining Ali-Ster in the heavens. She made peace with death and constructed a final plan. Before she succumbed to starvation, Emilia was going to plunge into the emerald waters and put her fate in her Gods’ hands. She hadn’t seen the Histoman in the past few days, preferring to stay positive. She didn’t need Pariah to translate the hateful words coming from the Histoman to understand they still blamed her. A pounding sound startled her. Ali-Samuel leaned over and opened the door.

  His father greeted them with a wide smile on his face. “We’ve found land,” Ali-Steven exclaimed.

  “Hot damn,” screamed Ali-Samuel as he jumped out of bed, clapping his hands. They went up on deck and were greeted by a gorgeous sight. They had not only hit land but a booming port to boot.

  At least we can land in a civilized kingdom.

  As they got closer, Ali-Samuel said, “Interesting. We’re landing in Elkridge.”

  “Bullswaggle,” his father retorted. “Look at the flags. A black field with a gold sword.”

  “I do have eyes, father, and they work much better than yours. This is the standard of the bastard warrior I told you about. He is quite dangerous. Perchance we should reroute down to Lightview,” Ali-Samuel suggested.

  “No. We need to land here. We won’t be welcome anywhere in Donegal but let’s see if gold can erase some of those concerns. I would hate to have to use force,” Ali-Steven said.