“You sound like you know him well,” stated the king.
“I do,” nodded Prince Oscar. “He helped make my shipping company the greatest in the world. He even trained most of the other captains. You can depend on him, son. That is what is important. Tell him where you want to go, and he will get you there safely.”
“Well then we are off as soon as my short friend devours that rabbit,” grinned King Arik.
“Rabbit?” echoed the dwarf prince with his mouth full of food. “That rabbit was gone an hour ago. Are we having the morning meal onboard the ship?”
King Arik laughed and patted the dwarf on the back as he rose. “I have to get my things together before we leave. Maybe Prince Oscar can find a cook to fill the large void of yours while I am gone.”
* * *
“I was hoping that you would be up early,” Alex said as he entered General Gregor’s office.
“I thought you would want an early start,” nodded the general. “I have picked four Rangers to accompany you. Jer Wiltana, Bart Larmin, Stan Fargo, and Jami Witzak are their names. They can be ready to go when you want to leave. Just give me five minutes to get them.”
“I would have to notify you now then,” replied Alex. “The sooner we get started, the better chance we have of beating Sarac’s men to the Castle of Man. I don’t want to have to enter the castle when it is surrounded by magicians.”
“I agree,” sighed the general. “You don’t have to do this, Alex. Everyone knows that this is likely to be a one-way trip. Even the four Rangers are aware of the odds. They volunteered to go with you. I think they volunteered because it is you that is going. You have quite a reputation yet in the armies of Alcea.”
“I will try not to get them killed,” Alex replied without emotion. “As for doing the task, who else has a chance of helping King Devon? It is not me that they really need, but I go where Jenneva goes.”
“I didn’t expect any other answer,” the general responded sadly. “I know you came close to death the last time that you were up there. Adding thousands of Sarac’s men to the mix will not be of any favor to you. Promise me that you will all leave when it is certain that things will go badly.”
“You know that I can’t promise that,” countered Alex. “It is when things go badly that our help is most needed.”
General Gregor summoned the guard outside his door and told him to ready the Rangers that would be going to Tor.
“Are Jenneva and Tanya ready to go?” asked the general.
“Just about,” nodded Alex. “They are gathering ingredients for fire glue. You never can tell when that will come in handy.”
“You have a wonderful wife, Alex,” the general smiled grimly. “I wish I could send more men with you.”
“I am glad to have the four Rangers,” declared Alex. “They may make the difference in this battle. At least we will be able to delay Sarac’s army. Every day we hold them back is another day that Tagaret can use to get ready for the attack.”
“I fear we may need more days than you can give us,” frowned the general. “The citizens of Tagaret have been great. Even old women and small children report for work each day. King Arik has followed in his grandmother‘s footsteps with his ability to gather the loyalties of the common folk. The people of Tagaret love him.”
“What is there not to like?” Alex smiled. “His heart is squarely with the common folk. He is my kind of king.”
“And that is coming from someone who has had run-ins with all of the kings he knew,” chuckled General Gregor. “I particularly enjoyed your honor guard that was made up of young children for King Eugene at Lavinda.”
“I got my point across,” grinned Alex. “The king was ignoring the frontier villages and leaving the citizens to fend for themselves. That is not something that King Arik would ever do.”
“He was at that,” nodded the general. “And I know that King Arik wouldn’t abandon his people, any of his people. He is young, but in a way he is much wiser than other kings that I have served under. I hope he lives through the trials that are surely coming his way. The people of Alcea deserve his type of leadership.”
“If Sarac can be defeated, Arik is the one to do it,” assured Alex. “Have faith in him.”
“I have learned to have faith in him,” admitted the general. “There is one thing that puzzles me, though.”
“What is that?” questioned Alex.
“The girl, Tanya,” General Gregor began, “she is always close to King Arik. It is almost like she is his personal bodyguard. Or perhaps she has a crush on him. Goodness knows, he certainly would make a good catch for any lass. What I can’t figure out is why the king was so adamant about her going to the Castle of Man. I figured that she would go with him in search of the Dragons’ Onyx.”
Alex bowed his head and nipped on his lower lip. The general was a man that Alex could trust with his life, yet Tanya had good reasons for not wanting anyone to know that she was a mage. Not giving the general any answer would only pique his curiosity. Alex walked to the office door and closed it. He walked back and stood face-to-face with the general.
“There are things about Tanya that very few people know,” Alex said hesitantly. “Her safety resides in secrecy. If I were to share one of her secrets, would it be safe to assume that you would carry it to your grave unspoken to anyone else?”
“If you know of the secret and can attest that it is not something that can harm King Arik or his people,” the general stated, “then perhaps it is best not to mention it. I do not wish to be burdened with it. As you well know, I am a fairly good judge of character. When I have trust in someone, I don’t always think before I speak.”
“Not disclosing one of her secrets was my first reaction to your question,” nodded Alex, “but I know you as someone who will not let a secret rest. Your subconscious curiosity could cause others to take closer notice of her. That could be harmful to her and others.”
“Others?” echoed the general. “Now I am truly confused.”
“Tanya is my daughter,” declared Alex. “And Jenneva’s, of course. You can imagine the harm that would chase her if that became common knowledge.”
“Blessed sword!” exclaimed General Gregor. “No wonder the lass fights so well. I have been hearing bits and pieces of rumors about her skill as a fighter. She tends to leave a trail of impressed people behind her.”
“She is very skilled,” smiled Alex as he realized that the general’s curiosity would be satisfied for a while.
Suddenly, the color drained from the general’s face. “And you are taking her to the Castle of Man?” the general frowned sadly. “You can’t take your whole family there. Leave the lass behind. We can use her skills for training the defenders. Or send her with King Arik, but don’t take her with you. You have to know that the Castle of Man has the poorest odds for survival of any mission that you have ever taken?”
“Every battle carries risk,” replied Alex. “She could die just as easily with King Arik, or here in Tagaret defending the city. She is a skilled fighter, General. I will not treat her as a child. Besides, I doubt she would listen to me if I did try to dissuade her. Besides, after missing her for so many years, I am thrilled to have the chance to know her and fight by her side.”
“And she is probably as stubborn as her father,” General Gregor shook his head as a knock sounded on the door to the office. “That will be word that your Rangers are ready,” he continued. “Ride safely, my friend. Bring your family back safely.”
Alex smiled grimly and hugged the general. “We will be fine,” he said more confidently than he felt. “You know that I always come back.”
“You had better,” the general said sternly. “I have come to think of you as a son. Now that you have a daughter, I want to come to know her better.”
Alex smiled and opened the door. The general’s door guard was outside and announced that the Rangers were assembled at the palace gates. Alex thanked the man and headed back to his
room to retrieve his packs. As he rounded a corner, he heard King Arik call his name. He stopped and turned, and the king ran up to him.
“I see that you are ready to go as well,” stated King Arik. “Fredrik left a note for me when he left. I guess there were some things that he refused to divulge in public. You and Jenneva need to know, though. Fredrik is Aurora’s son.”
“Fredrik is the descendent?” Alex repeated with wide eyes. “Is he sure?”
“According to his note,” nodded the king. “He finally had to tell Master Khatama, and he felt that we should know, too. His note says that he did not want to steal the limelight from Niki, and that he was eventually going to tell us before it was too late. He gave the cloak to Niki years ago. He also said that they plan to wed. Please let Jenneva know.”
“I shall,” Alex nodded. “That news is a bit of a relief to me. At least he can handle a sword without cutting himself. I was worried that Niki would not be capable of performing when called upon.”
“Me, too,” admitted the king. “Well, I have a ship to catch.”
“Have a safe voyage, Arik,” smiled Alex.
“I worry more about the three of you,” frowned the king. “Tanya must be mad at me.”
“I don’t think she is angry,” replied Alex as movement off to one side of him distracted him. “Her skills match the task, and she knows it.”
Prince Midge and a blue, female fairy hovered in the corridor alongside Alex.
“I am glad that I caught you before you left, Alex,” chirped Prince Midge. “I have been assigning fairy guides to each departing group. I have a special fairy for your team. Her name is Bantam.”
The female fairy separated from Prince Midge and did an acrobatic bow in front of Alex’s face. “Prince Midge saved the best for you,” she giggled. “I look forward to helping you teach the ogres some manners.”
“She does tend to get a bit aggressive at times,” grinned Prince Midge. “I have to hurry to catch the other groups. Take good care of Bantam.”
Prince Midge darted towards the ceiling and soared away.
“Good bye to you, too, Prince Midge,” Bantam said sarcastically as the fairy prince left. “Somebody needs to teach the prince some manners.”
“And I think I know who is willing to take that job,” laughed Alex as he winked at King Arik. “Come, Bantam. We have people waiting on us.”
Chapter 5
Abandoned Land
The inhuman screech tore through King Arik’s head as he gazed upward into the fog. It wasn’t light enough to see anything, but he was sure that something large and dark had just passed a few paces over the top of the mast of the Barnacle. Arik shook his head and looked to see if anyone else had noticed it. Prince Darok’s eyes were large orbs gazing upward. He held throwing axes in each hand, and his wide-open mouth showed a large set of clenched teeth. His huge nostrils were flared, and he appeared to be ready to attack anything that came into view.
Prince Garong, Eltar, and Pioti had arrows nocked and pointing upward. The faces of Prince Garong and Eltar were impassive, but Pioti’s expression was one of fear. King Arik wondered what his own face looked like. He certainly was fearful of whatever was screaming above them. Captain Hill, as he preferred to be called, was not even looking up. His eyes were constantly scanning the fog from port to starboard. He seemed oblivious to the creature overhead.
King Arik lowered his bow and headed towards the helm. He noticed that the crew of the Barnacle was also trying to ignore the commotion, although they were less successful at it than the captain was. They constantly stole glances upward as they lowered lead lines overboard to test the depth of the sea.
“Shouldn’t it be getting light soon?” King Arik asked Captain Hill when he reached the helm.
“This is about as light as it is going to get until this fog burns off,” answered the captain. “You won’t see any sun this far south. We passed under the Darkness during the night. Can’t you feel it?”
“Feel it?” questioned the king.
“Aye, feel it,” repeated Captain Hill. “It is a foul feeling, akin to being in a smoke-filled room. It is not so much an irritation of the eyes as it is an irritation of the spirit. It weighs heavy on me. I guess not everyone can feel it.”
“I guess I never thought about it,” mused the king. “I never experienced life that wasn’t under the Darkness until just recently. I truly enjoy the sun and the stars, but I thought my feelings about it were jubilation at banishing the Darkness.”
“Well, that is something for you to feel jubilant about,” nodded Captain Hill. “You bring up a good point, though. Those that were born under the Darkness have little to compare their feelings to. Quiet. Here it comes again.”
King Arik swiftly nocked an arrow and raised his bow skyward. Captain Hill shook his head and gently put his hand on Arik’s arm, forcing the king to lower his bow. The wind blew through the stern of the ship like a small gale. Arik could feel the wind slapping his face as the creature soared overhead, even lower than on the last pass. Once again, the inhuman screech coursed though Arik’s body. In seconds it was dead calm again.
“Why did you lower my arm?” King Arik asked after the creature was gone.
“Why in the world would you want to antagonize it?” chuckled the captain. “Do you think your arrow is going to fell a dragon when you can’t even see it?”
“So it is a dragon?” questioned the king.
“Of course it is,” replied Captain Hill. “Nothing else can create a wind like that. The wingspan on some of them is huge.”
“Aren’t you afraid of them?” inquired Arik.
“Sort of,” shrugged the captain. “Being on a ship is one of the safest places to be, though. Oh, I’ve lost a mast to one of them once, but mostly they just like to terrorize us. See, they can’t get to us with all that rigging up above. I used to think the dragons were fairly stupid because they always fly over us and yet they never get to eat one of us. Over the years I have realized that they just want to scare us. To be sure, they would love for one of us to fall overboard so they could swoop down and grab a quick snack, but mostly they are just having fun. The one that snapped my mast probably miscalculated in the fog.”
“So you think they are harmless?” an astonished king asked.
“I didn’t say that,” chuckled the captain. “I would be quaking to have one of them above me on land. They could swoop down and snare you like an eagle grabs a rabbit. I guess I just like having all this rigging between me and them.”
“Couldn’t they pick up the whole ship?” asked Arik.
“Not a ship as large as the Barnacle,” the captain shook his head. “Whatever they tried to grab would break off in their claws before they could lift it. Don’t worry about the dragons until you get on land. The real danger here is this fog. It’s pretty hard to navigate through. One false move and we will all end up on rocks. If we are lucky that is. We could end up in the sea and then it would be time to worry about the dragons.”
“I’ve done a bit of sailing myself,” nodded Arik. “I used to fish every day. Of course, I never sailed anything as large as the Barnacle, nor did I normally venture far from port, but I understand what you mean when you talk about running aground in waters that you are not familiar with. Have you sailed these waters much?”
“Not too often,” answered the captain, “but I have been here a few times before. I normally keep farther offshore than we are today because I was not looking to make landfall. We used to hug the coast of the Isle of Grakus during the wars. It was the only way to make the Sordoans think that we were coming from Grakus instead of Targa. Not many sailors are willing to sail these waters. The barely submerged rocks will rip your hull out from beneath you. Plus, it is where the dragons like to play.”
King Arik placed his bow on the deck and pulled the Sword of Heavens clear of its sheath. He rotated while holding the sword out before him. Finally, he sheathed the Sword of Heavens and retrieved his bow.
“It’s abeam now,” reported the king. “Have we changed course any?”
“Nothing worth mentioning,” replied the captain as he pulled a knife from his belt and tapped its handle on the wooden wheel.
The noise was not loud, but it was distinctive. The crewmen immediately turned to look towards the helm, and the captain held his arm outstretched to port. Each crewman duplicated the signal so that the captain knew that he was understood. As the crew returned to their duties, the captain began turning the wheel slowly to port.
“The bottom comes up real quick in these parts,” announced Captain Hill. “Have you figured out what you are going to do when you get ashore?”
“Not entirely,” sighed the king. “I have to follow the Sword of Heavens to the Dragons’ Onyx. I assume that there will be dragons where the gem is. My goal is to get the gem and return to Tagaret. You are going to have to stay until I can accomplish that.”
“This is your ship, lad,” chuckled the captain. “You tell me where to wait, and I will be there when you get back.”
“Hopefully there will be a town along the coast so you can stay at an inn or something,” suggested King Arik.
“I am happy enough on the ship,” shrugged Captain Hill. “Besides, all of the towns near the tip of Grakus have been abandoned. That is where the dragons like to play the most. You reckon to kill the dragons and steal the gem?”
“I would prefer not to,” frowned the king. “I have not had to resort to any such things so far. If I get a chance to talk to them, I will try to explain what I am doing.”
“You are going to talk to a dragon?” the captain asked incredulously. “What makes you think they will understand you?”
“The Sword of Heavens showed us a vision,” explained King Arik. “The dragons were talking in the vision. They are expecting a human to try to get the Dragons’ Onyx.”
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