Red World Trilogy

by V. A. Jeffrey

  “Step aside!” Diti commanded sharply. Her voice sliced through the air like a sword. They all snapped to attention at this and looked at each other apprehensively. Even Uwain, the head of her personal guard was surprised at the harsh edge of authority in her voice. Finally, they obeyed. Diti turned to Salayma. Salayma's face turned bright red in anger.

  “Until Her Greatness arrives in all the pomp and circumstance due a queenly bride, there are no queens here in the palace. You forget yourself, concubine.” Zigal glared at Salayma, offended at her open disrespect.

  “Do not trouble yourself over her, Zigal. She is a fool. A fool should be pitied.”

  “Yes, Your Greatness.” Zigal murmured. Salayma would need it, for if it had turned out that she was not carrying a son after all her boasting and demands, the king would likely have her thrown in the furnace. For all Khalit's generosity, he hated being tricked or lied to and he punished people savagely for it. Yet, tricksters abounded in his court.

  And she the biggest one of all.

  Chapter Nine

  Anet sat upon a rock taking in the salty sea air, watching the waves of commotion and activity at the docks. They were waiting for a ship to take them out of the city. Their plan to wait at the house for a ship that could carry them all did not work. The next ship with enough room to carry all of them that wasn't headed far north by the western route or even farther east was captained by a Zapulian named Erdeth and he was headed to the city of Murka in Jura. Erdeth's ship was leaving today and after that there would not be another ship with room available to take them for another two weeks. Mother Berenice and the elder sisters were haggling over the price with the captain while the rest waited. Anet saw the famed great-horned, armored beasts that she'd only read about in legends and the Holy Writings and heard about in fantastic accounts from travelers to the citadel. She'd seen elephanta, or yebu as Sister Iddina said they were called in her homeland and was always fascinated by them but these beasts looked like giant lizards with plated armor and long, tusk-like horns, like elephanta, but the tusks were growing from their heads. They were squat, half as big as the majestic elephanta of the south, bigger than even the great aurochs she had seen a year ago in Yallas-of-the-Valley, their wide eyes wild and rolling in their heads. Anet wondered if this is what men meant when they spoke of dragons. Still, impressive as they were, they did not seem big enough to be dragons. They were sedated and chained and were being led off a great ship with golden sails. She would be sad to leave Yallas-by-the-Sea.

  “Anet come! We are ready to leave now.” Called Iddina. They had to wait until all goods were loaded. The ship was transporting linens, wool, cotton and silk, besides that there were other travelers and their own goods and then the scions and all their goods. Mother Berenice and Iddina and Helga haggled and ended up paying the captain most of their remaining coppers - quite a lot - and none of the three happy about it, but passage to Murka was bought and from there they would seek a caravan traveling to Hybron. They boarded the wide plank. The water below looked murky and dark from Anet's vantage, like one of Matha's mysterious-looking, churning ointment pots on the fire. She wondered excitedly whether they would encounter any sea monsters. After a few hours of getting everything on board, they finally embarked on the Gaspa Sea. It was the Sea of Llordis where famed sea monsters lurked, some that required tribute before passing, or so she'd heard. She heard the lizard beasts at the port roar and moan, the whips driving them on. She felt imaginary whips driving them all toward some destination she could not discern. Anet dreamed often and sometimes those dreams came true but she had not dreamed this and wondered what it all meant.

  The weather was clear and bright and the winds seemed fair. She gazed at the colorful pavilions, rooftops and brilliant orange, scarlet and yellow pennants that fluttered in the breeze, gradually growing smaller as they sailed farther out.

  “Will we have enough food, I wonder?” Asked Kaisha worriedly. Kaisha was always worried about the morning, noon and evening meals. And sweets, if she could get them behind Instructress Helga's back.

  “No. We'll have to tighten our tunics until we disappear Kaisha!” Teased Anet.

  “That's not funny, Anet! We could starve out there on the open sea and I've never been on a boat before!” Complained Kaisha.

  “Well it won't matter when the great dragon of the sea demands tribute. He'll rear up his ugly head, ask us what we will give him to allow passage, we will say we have nothing left and he will swallow us all whole, so stop worrying.”

  “Anet!” Kaisha wailed.

  “Anet, where did you get such foolish ideas from?” Scolded Instructress Helga.

  “Sorry, Instructress Helga. I was just teasing.” Anet said. She would never tell on Iddina.

  “Teasing is not a trait of a devout young woman!” Anet lowered her head and remained quiet. But there was a tiny niggling thought that it might be true. Not including the twenty scions or the ship's crew there were sixty-five people in all on board. A generous meal for any hungry dragon!

  The first few hours the weather was clement and the winds cooperative. Anet, not wanting to be stuck below deck was allowed on deck to watch as they sailed the silver-blue waters. The dip and weave and sway of the ship exhilarated her. She felt free, though confined to the ship. She walked from one end of the deck to the other end, the crew respectfully distant, some tipping their caps or turbans or touching their beards to her as a sign of respect. The captain's crew were made up of men from many lands. Most had the deep copper skin and black hair of the Hybronians or Zapulians. But some were deep brown or light brown-skinned. Some were ebony-skinned men of the south land kingdoms, some were the almond-shaped eyed people of the north and then some were the very pale peoples of the Great Ridge lands to the far west and north. Yet, even then Anet had noticed that within all these races, skin colors differed. Some of the white skinned peoples were rather light copper, some blacks were light and those of people of the north with slanted eyes could be nearly bronze or fair. She wanted to ask the men who they were and what lands they hailed from but felt too shy and the men were quite busy and probably had no time for an inquisitive child. Lost in thought for a few hours, Anet had nearly missed the change in weather. The sky grew shadowed and from the east gray clouds formed far off. They were headed south by way of western port cities. She started to feel a little chill in the air. Anet went below deck and sat by Kaisha who was wrapped in a blanket. Iddina was slicing a roll of dried meat with fat and passing the pieces around the group. They were centered around a corner of the ship near many wooden boxes. Mother Berenice had pieces of hard, flat bread, passing pieces of them around. And so they ate and drank some water from a shared waterskin. Anet ate hungrily. She felt tired after the day's activity and the possibility of danger from the Hatchet Men. After eating she lay her head on Kaisha's shoulder and went to sleep.

  They awoke to a violent start. It was night. Two small lanterns were the only light they could see by below deck. Most had been sleeping when the jolt bolted everyone awake. A baby began to cry somewhere in the ship. Suddenly a powerful clap of thunder sounded. They were in the middle of a brewing storm. She heard the soft whimpering of a woman. The wind had grown from a balmy breeze in the morning to a monstrous boil, roaring and whipping around the vessel like a raging demon. Tossed and turned this way and that, Anet's belly roiled with all the food she'd eaten earlier. Kaisha whimpered and grabbed hold of Anet's shoulder. There was a violent lunge and there were screams of terror. The crew were roaring orders and commands to lower the mainsail. Anet could feel water spray from above as the ship was buffered against high waves spraying on boards. This went on all night as the crew struggled mightily to keep the ship on course. They got a reprieve once the ship approached the small port on the island of Jutu and were able to pull in the small towing boat and empty it of water. Anet took this time to vomit overboard. Her head was spinning. Carisse managed to make it, with help from one of the other passengers, to the top deck. S
he put her hands upon Anet's forehead and after a few moments Anet's head and stomach settled.

  “How do you do that, Carisse?” She asked.

  “Practice, knowing the proper place of the hands, and prayer. Take off your head covering and get some air for your head and scalp. I have others to help before we move on, my child.” Carisse smiled and winked at her and shuffled on. Anet obeyed eagerly and pulled off her head covering and let her long braids hang loose. Loose curled tendrils had escaped and she swept them back. The weather still looked threatening but the storm had abated. The captain was talking worriedly in clipped, heavily accented Alhar with one of his men. She sidled over closer to catch snatches of the conversation.

  “The cloud cover will get worse by the time we leave here. If we cannot see the stars how will we direct the ship?” Asked the sailor. The captain shook his head, frowning.

  “We cannot. We will stay here for the night and hope tomorrow is clearer.” Anet wondered if they would encounter the dragons of the sea. The sailor and the captain did not seem concerned, strangely, over this but over the storm. But would this not be the perfect time for a dragon to strike them? In a maelstrom?

  “I think this storm is a demon storm.” Said the captain.

  “You do? Why?” Asked the sailor.

  “I prayed to Dana for calm waters and to Hec for sunny skies and that his light would not be obscured by the cloud masses of Turok but it would seem the storm god has prevailed, for now. We cannot even see the evening star, Elitaph. Bad fortune, that is. Very bad.”

  “Well, we have these wise women on board. Perhaps they will bring us luck. I hear the gods listen when they pray. Not all is lost.”

  “We will see.” Said the captain. Anet paid little attention to Hec or Turok or the many other gods and goddesses in the world. From Gamina they were all so far away. But the sea monsters! If they encountered one what could they do? She wandered the deck looking for someone to talk to about the things on her mind and she thought the sailors would know more than anyone else. She found a sailor pulling together and fixing some planks.

  “Excuse me, sir.” She asked. The sailor turned around.

  “Are there any sea dragons in the Gaspa Sea?”

  “Dragons? No, girl. No dragons in the Gaspa Sea. Only in the Llordis Sea, as far as I know.”

  “The Llordis Sea!”

  “Yes. The great Lord of the Llordis is Abgaron, son of Garon, one of Turok's names in the north and the far west. It would be well if we were traveling the Llordis, little one. For we could throw a pretty maiden to the sea, into the maw of Abgaron as an offering to make the storm go away!” He said and laughed. Anet was not amused. She fixed him with her most severe, Instructress-Helga frown.

  “And why would you do such a thing?” She asked, indignant.

  “Why, that is what the sailors of old times did to appease the gods of storm and sea. Seemed to work well back then. Still does. Or so I hear.” He winked at her. Anet sniffed and turned and stalked off. She was a Scion of the citadel. How dare he tease her like that! Perhaps Instructress Helga was right. Scions did not have time for such superstitions, though now that she thought on it, she probably should like to look upon Abgaron's great scales and head and tail looming over the ship, breathing smoke and hot steam before they threw her overboard. She was quite sure that Airend-Ur, who made everything and everyone, would give her a great star-sword so that she could defeat the evil dragon. She wondered if such creatures could be controlled or commanded by anyone besides the gods themselves. And it made her marvel at how little most Hybronians knew about the wide world unless they traveled the deserts or sailed the seas. She'd heard it more than once recounted by the gentle Gaminite townspeople and farmers, who were as provincial as they came, that there was not much to the world but this: to the north was The Great Ridge, to the south was Jura, to the west was Egi and to the east was Zapulia, with Hybron the very center of the world. This was the compass and thought of most people in Hybron and how they saw their place in the world. There was so much they did not know and they did not seem to care. But she cared a great deal. She saw some of the younger sisters off ashore fishing or looking for plants to take home or just sunning their legs and feet. She went off to find Kaisha. At least she had new information, disappointing and comforting to her and Kaisha, respectively: there were no dragons, from those who knew, in the Gaspa Sea.

  After that day of rest in Jutu, the next day they sailed on and unfortunately the seas became rough again. The sky was a thick mash of light and dark gray storm clouds and they had to endure the tempestuous winds and rough seas for five more days. The women spent most of this time in fervent prayer, Mother Berenice keeping the lanterns lit and seemingly the only source of light and hope on board as the other passengers prayed and wondered in silence when the storms would abate and if they would make it to shore alive. The baby wailed in terror whenever he was not nursing or sleeping. The scions took the mother and baby among them and made sure the mother always had food before anyone else to keep her breasts full of milk.

  On the sixth day, the rain was unrelenting and the storm grew even worse. Anet spent that entire day grasping for any sister beside her for comfort. Kaisha had to be given constant sedative droughts to keep from screaming. At any moment they thought the ship would burst apart on the open sea and all would be lost. Anet saw in the far corner a man, tall and gaunt, staring pointedly at her. He seemed to carry his own lantern. She had not remembered seeing him on board before now but she had not paid close attention to all the passengers. He nodded to her mysteriously, his dark eyes like pools of ink and he himself the color of opal stone. She looked around to see if anyone else saw him. No one seemed to notice or care as they were preoccupied with their own souls. She thought that maybe she had imagined him. The man was still there, staring and then she heard a voice in her mind.

  Do not fear the storm, child. You have been chosen for a purpose. No one on this ship will die, you least of all will come to harm, for you are blessed.

  Anet felt a calm come over her that she had not felt before. She was no longer afraid. She looked for the man and it was then that she did not see him. It then occurred to her that perhaps she'd had a waking dream. She turned toward Mother Berenice who was looking at her in wonder. Mother Berenice looked toward the corner where the mysterious figure sat but there was no one there. Then she glanced at Anet and a knowing look dawned on Mother Berenice's face. Anet was confused by this but she knew Mother Berenice was graced with perceptive powers and visions of her own. Anet knew she had not imagined the man.

  Hours later that night a violent jerk nearly overturned the ship and everyone screamed. Terror was rising in the crew and the passengers and the crew got ready to throw the cargo overboard. Mother Berenice stood up, steadied herself and gathered her tunic and skirts underneath her, affixed her head covering and her mantle upon her and addressed the crowd huddled together.

  “Men, women, all who are here, listen to me! I tell you, none of us shall die on this voyage, though it seem dire!”

  “And how do you know, woman? We are lost at sea and no god has answered our prayers, including yours!” Shot a man.

  “I know it would seem so but but we will not die, nor will the ship sink or go under. Be of good faith. I am a servant of the First Pillar. I would not lie to you for He would strike me down if I said so, though it be false! Do I seem to you a feather brained filly, covered in step chains and full of gossip to you?” Mother Berenice's voice took on a force of deep timbre and tone that made the air vibrate and everyone fell silent as she spoke. It was rare when she did this. Anet had only heard her speak in this way once and that was when they were threatened by Hatchet Men encamped outside the citadel, when she cursed the Ainash over the walls of the fortress. It was like a wave of fire that rolled over the room of the lower deck. Everyone strained to listen. Mother Berenice then softened her voice a bit and she called all the people to her. They made their way toward the scions.
>
  “Come and let us pray together, for many who pray together with all sincerity are a powerful force.” She beckoned the people and they gathered together around the scions and as one group, all the people and the scions held hands and bowed and Mother Berenice raised her voice in prayer to God and they prayed with her all night. When the morning came the storm had gone and the sky was as clear as the morning call to prayer at the citadel of Gamina.

  Chapter Ten

  Bakku fanned himself wearily as his palanquin atop the elephanta swayed slightly. He was thankful for the screen dividing him from the insects - but would rather it all be over. His falcon was stoically perched on her bar next to his seat. He fed her a morsel of raw meat and she snapped it up hungrily. They had entered Egi and crossed the river Mowret yesterday with no little amount of effort and he was in a hurry to seek some comfort in a cool, luxurious, stone-hewn mansion, somewhere. Anywhere. They had passed countless dirty little villages full of dirty people gawking at the great procession and he was sick of it all. Egium was finally within sight, a mountain-clad city standing over the land amid sharp, dagger-like cliffs. Even in the distance the buildings and towers in the towns along the main road were long, high and slender, the opposite of Jhis's monstrous structures. In dimensions Egium's splendid grace matched Jhis's massive grossness.

  They passed between two giant stone images of the ancient moon goddess Elyshe, mother of Nimnet. Someone was strumming an oud somewhere below him. He wished he could strike them but he was too tired. He hated music. He felt a pain in his left hand and saw that it was bleeding from his fingernails digging wounds in his palm. It was his anger at the inconvenience of travel. He steeled himself and renewed his fanning, furiously this time. The train was as slow going as a procession of mud snails.