Fractured Families (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 2)

by Jason Paul Rice

  Emilia had to stand on a big rock with Pariah and Princess to see over the huge crowd and into the small open field. One of the Histoman screamed something the former queen didn’t understand and the fight began. The buzz around the crowd increased as Big Ears rushed Cobra. Several twirls of the staff were blocked by Cobra and he used his off-hand weapon to crack Big Ears across the cheek. The circular piece of wood knocked the small man back and to one knee. Tree Branch swooped in, but was a few moments late. The scimitars crashed in mid-air and Cobra spun with a horizontal strike across Tree Branch’s belly only to have the lanky man block his effort. The roar of the audience heightened the intensity as Cobra twisted his hand around and deceptively came straight down to find Tree Branch’s forearm. The red liquid flowed down toward his hands. He stumbled back at Cobra who noticed something out of his peripheral vision.

  Big Ears attacked again and Cobra had to jump away from the two men to avoid getting surrounded. He reset his footwork and waited for his opponents to make their move. The confused men collided with each other and Tree Branch fell hard. Cobra seized his chance and raked his scimitar from Tree Branch’s shoulder blade to hip. Blood fountained up and covered Cobra’s sword arm from the follow through. He quickly backed away from the man and faced the other opponent.

  Big Ears swung his spear with less confidence as he watched his partner struggle to get to his knees. Cobra casually lopped off Tree Branch’s head, almost disinterested in the mandatory task. Another gush of blood erupted before the limp body fell again. A crazed look in Cobra’s eyes became even scarier as he rushed Big Ears. Cobra’s bloody face and body scared Emilia from twenty feet away. She could only imagine what was going through the mind of Big Ears.

  The challenger blocked the first few attempts from Cobra’s scimitar and proceeded to go on the offensive to the surprise of everyone. He backed up Cobra with a whirling dervish of strikes with the front and back of his weapon. He connected hard and true with the wooden end across Cobra’s jaw. A popping sound unlike any Emilia had ever heard seemed to awaken the fire inside Cobra as he let out a terrible scream. He blocked the next round of attacks as Emilia could see the challenger losing confidence with each spin of the spear. Cobra summoned his great strength and ferociously swung at Big Ears numerous times with all his might until an overhand hack of the scimitar shattered the wooden shaft and rendered the broken weapon useless.

  For some reason, Cobra dropped his weapons and rushed Big Ears. Before the short man could react, Cobra grabbed him by his oversized ears. He picked up the stout man and rammed his forehead into the bridge of his opponent’s nose. Blood spurted out and Cobra held Big Ears a foot off the ground as he head butted him a dozen more times. The bone crunching thuds started to turn Emilia’s stomach. The small man with a shattered face tried repeatedly to kick Cobra in the chest but the leader’s long arms held the opponent at bay before pulling him in for another crushing head butt. His stubby legs flailed away, making him look like he was running in place. Cobra threw the smaller man down like a child and choked him to death with his foot to finish the job. Big Ears flopped around for several moments until he became motionless. Through the blood covering the winner’s face and torso, Emilia noticed Cobra’s jaw hung lower than when the fight started.

  The Histoman cut out the hearts of the losers and had a snack before starting the migration toward the coast. Emilia walked with Pariah, Princess, Cobra and the Wamhoff men. Cobra showed some effects of the fight and couldn’t talk due to an apparent broken jaw. The leader of the Histoman didn’t look nervous anymore about the trip. The former queen looked at her new family with pride and couldn’t wait to share Donegal with them.

  BREHAN

  Brehan pressed the tip of Dragon-Bite to Kopar’s Adam’s apple. “I’ll kill you right now if you don’t say the words,” Brehan commanded. “Alright, fucking yield.” Kopar got up, shifted around the loose clothing covering him from head to toe and said, “Are you happy pushing me around? Does it make you feel like a real man?” “Not at all. I’m depending on you to live and I can make you better. Letting you win won’t make you better. You’ll be as skilled as any of the guards, hoping they aren’t more skilled than me. The battle won’t be in sand either but it makes a good practice ground. Duke Colbert used to make us practice in the rain and mud so we were used to different conditions in battle. He told us it rains during war, and my first battle was in a thunderstorm. I remember many men saying they had never practiced in the rain, right before the fighting exploded. Most of them died that day,” Brehan warned. “The Duke seems to have taught you well, unlike my sham of a father,” Kopar lamented.

  “He did and I couldn’t defend him as I swore to do. Not even his family,” Brehan reminded himself. “Stop kicking your own ass. You will have enough people trying to do that soon. I wish everything in life went the exact way I wanted but it just doesn’t. You were spared for a reason. Don’t dwell on the past but make plans for the future,” Kopar said. “Being a pirateer? Taking advantage of the weak?” Brehan asked. “Strong as an ox but you can’t even see the sun. Kopar has a plan on top of the existing plan to take care of my good buddy,” Kopar said as he winked at Brehan and continued, “I have to run back to my room and grab something. Do you remember where the spot is today?” Kopar wanted to confirm. “Yes, I’ll meet you out there,” Brehan said and took off into the sand.

  Shant Island seemed to have become much smaller to Brehan with all the secret meetings in various locations. Brehan now had a pretty good feel of the land. The prospects of life as a pirateer didn’t enthuse Brehan. He wanted to pull this heist and figure out the best way to invest his share. He had absolutely zero interest in spending an extended period of time on Shant Island.

  With all the riches to be gained, Brehan thought he could surely make it back to the King’s Castle in Donegal to see his love. He had seen firsthand that gold could be a powerful bargaining chip to obtain anything a man desired. He also wanted to help Kopar kill his father, Tersen. Every time the albino got drunk, he swore that one day he would kill Tersen Wamhoff. Brehan even heard him moaning about it in his sleep several times. Kopar tried to hide the deep-rooted hatred for his father most of the time but Brehan knew he dreamed of a vengeance-filled reunion with his father.

  Brehan kicked the hot sand, cooking in the blazing sun. His already dark complexion had been deepening on the island. The sparse palm trees provided little cover on the open island. He spotted Sea Wolf sitting alone in some rare shade. Brehan kneeled in the sand and spoke, “What made you become a pirateer?”

  Sea Wolf pointed to his bag of coin. “I was a privateer for three kingdoms. We did the same thing as pirateers, but it was sanctioned by a king, which conveniently made it legal. Instead of black flags, we hung the flag of a kingdom that backed our venture. You gave the king and his men their share and everybody was happy. Then came the Peace on the High Seas Treaty. It put men like me out of work but created an opportunity. Human nature will always exploit and nullify good intentioned endeavors, always. Why should a king who takes no risk receive a share? These kingdoms create the monster and complain when it runs amok. Working for a realm, we took the same risk of death on every trip. We should be the ones to get all the bounty. Only problem is we aren’t welcome in any of those kingdoms on the treaty.”

  “What are you going to do with your share?” Brehan asked. “I’ll enjoy myself back here for a bit to see if any other opportunities should arise. There is always the glittering city of Ton Abelisy. I could become a merchant. I know where to get quality products at low prices and I only need a base of operation. I could live in a palace in the greatest city on earth. Not bad for a man raised by wolves, no?” Sea Wolf asked Brehan. “Not bad at all,” he responded.

  Rando approached and spoke in his boisterous way, “Is this a bastards only meeting? I can leave, if it is.” Sea Wolf coldly stared at him, “It can be again if I choose to open your throat and pour a drink for the thirsty sand.” Kopar an
d Gator arrived together to break the light tension and the men sat in a circle, partly shaded by the hard green leaves above. Kopar had a sketched map he laid out in the center of the crewmates. The coastal map of Lightview showed their route to riches.

  “When are the other fifteen men going to be included? I think everyone should know the details,” Brehan opined.

  Sea Wolf explained, “Not on the island. On the way to the job, we will notify them of every little detail. Loose lips will create a chance for disaster on this drunken island. They will be well versed in their respective roles by the day of our affair. If you look here,” said Sea Wolf, as he pointed to a spot on the map. “The path to the banking cabin winds around this steep hill. They have checkpoints at these spots along the way, marked with an ‘X’. Our insider has told us that all the guards want to eat around mid-day. We will circumvent the last two checkpoints and go straight up the hill, directly to the cabin. The last two points are in place to be sure there are enough guards to protect the loan meeting. We will make sure there aren’t enough guards. We leave in two days at first light, barring inclement weather.”

  Brehan admired Sea Wolf. He was impressed with his intelligence and manners. He knew it wasn’t easy for a bastard to be well read and battle tested. Sea Wolf used words Brehan didn’t understand and his tactical sense and planning set him apart from all the other pirateers.

  Gator spoke up, “Good, I can’t wait to fuck those Donegal pansies in their arses. We’ll fuck ‘em nice and raw.” Gator spoke like the majority of the pirateers on the island. His first instinct was to threaten physical violence. Vulgarity spewed liberally from most of the pirateers’ mouths except Sea Wolf and Kopar. The former reminded him of Duke Colbert in his decisiveness and planning. Jon Colbert had always told Brehan that good maps and battle plans could win wars. The Duke had told him that the ability to read a map and out-plan an enemy had won kingdoms. Brehan only hoped the maps from Sea Wolf’s insider were accurate, or it could spell huge trouble.

  Brehan had only been to Lightview on his way to Burkeville as a kid. Rando shouted, “I’m gonna bury meself in some good ole pussy till we leave. Who wants to join me?” Kopar and Gator rushed after Rando as Sea Wolf picked up the sandy map and wiped it off. He and Brehan walked back to the horseshoe.

  “Who would have thought the two bastards were more civilized than pirateers?” Sea Wolf asked. “They are a rowdy bunch but they are like a family,” Brehan replied. “More or less, and they have some rotten ones in the bunch, just like all families. Some are spoiling in the sun as we speak. I found a solid crew to pull this off. We have to climb above the cabin where there isn’t any further protection to secure the highland to come down on the guards. I know a little about land battle too,” Sea Wolf smirked.

  Brehan responded, “You know much of all battle, I can freely admit that. Land battles have been won on the same principles since the first families. To use surprise and occupy the highland are two of the basics.” Sea Wolf replied, “You forgot another matter that has stood the test of time.”

  “Which is?” Brehan asked. “Choose men to fight for you who are greedier than you. When you tell a man he very well might die on a mission and he doesn’t as much as bat an eye after hearing the payday, you know you have the right man. I gave most of the men little-to-no details and they eagerly accepted. My secondary list of men became unnecessary when everybody on my first list accepted the offer,” Sea Wolf explained.

  “Have you ever been married, Sea Wolf?” Brehan wondered.

  “Who, me?” asked the captain, as he shook his head. “Only to the sea. I think it should be easy to find an exotic Gama Trakan queen to marry the King of the Sea after I have more gold than a wealthy kingdom.”

  “I should like to think so. What about our articles and vows as pirateers?” Brehan asked. “Those are rules for the sea. Nowhere in the articles does it state that you can’t walk away when you want. You’ve been on the island for a while now. How many old men do you see?” Sea Wolf asked. “Well there’s…Klem…there’s Urchin and, uh, what do you consider old?” Brehan wanted to know. “Gray hair, wrinkles on your ass. No one is truly old on the island. They just look weathered from the pirateer lifestyle. We push it to the extreme and the wise ones realize this life can’t last forever. What if that hole in your shoulder was just a bit lower? How old are you?” Sea Wolf asked.

  “Twenty-two, wait, no I just had a birthday, twenty-three,” Brehan answered, realizing he had forgotten about the months. “That’s about the age when most pirateers die. I’ve already beaten the odds, but I plan to do much better with my future,” Sea Wolf winked. “I’ll have to come visit you in Ton Abelisy when you are settled. I’ve already heard some amazing stories,” Brehan said.

  “Words cannot do justice to the beauty of Ton Abelisy. You have to see it in person. Stories cannot even give you a remote idea of the magnitude. I tended to just stare and wonder how humans could build such magnificent buildings. Do you believe in the Seven Gods?” Sea Wolf wondered. “I do, but in Donegal the churches are treated like a business in most areas, not religion,” Brehan answered.

  “What have I told you? Any good endeavor man tries will be compromised by greedier men. Religion isn’t exempt. Man is man is man, imperfect as he may be. Whether he wears a crown or holy robes or even a loincloth, he is still only a man. They all have the same instincts and shortcomings. I knew becoming a pirateer was against the law but something made me cross the line. The kingdoms of the world tried to promote peace on the seas and men like me exploited it. Just as something makes a priest give in to temptation. The so-called holy men probably can’t put their finger on the exact moment they broke. We must take the good aspects of faith for our own purpose and realize humans are destined to fail in the eyes of the perfect Gods. How can a perfect being understand the terrible actions of humans? When you see the Great Library of Ton Abelisy you will believe in Gods, any Gods, and think they must have built that structure,” Sea Wolf said with wonder flashing through his eyes.

  “The Gods can be cruel in their own right though,” countered Brehan. “That’s because the Gods are perfect and they punish like a father would his son. Everyone blames the Gods for their problems but never once thanks them for the blessings, except in a disingenuous, rehearsed prayer. At that point most people don’t even remember the message, they are just saying the words. The Gods merely provide opportunities and it’s up to the strong to seize them. Some people expect to sit back and let the Gods do all the work for them. The men who understand the Gods’ messages and take chances will survive. The rest will continue to blame the Gods for all the ills of life, never realizing the opportunities are everywhere,” said Sea Wolf.

  They made it back to the horseshoe town and parted ways. Brehan wanted to visit someone before he left. He went to the only whorehouse he had visited on Shant Island. He walked in and asked for Dacoda. She quickly came into view wearing a see-through gown of white silk and lace with black velvet ties and said in a sexy tone, “Hello there lover, do you want the usual?”

  “Yes I do,” he answered. “We’ll just have to see if I can handle the Wild Bull,” she smiled and led him down the hallway of rooms. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you my nickname. Don’t tell Kopar,” he warned. “I am insulted you think I would say something, discretion is my business,” she stated as they entered a room.

  “I thought you paid me to keep my mouth shut even though most men pay me to open my mouth. Besides, your story isn’t that exciting to be telling other people,” she smiled and the two got in bed together. Brehan looked her in the eyes and said, “I have an offer for you.” “You’re finally gonna fuck me real good?” Dacoda asked as she rolled onto her back and spread her legs. “No. I can’t tell you much about this but I can get you off this island and take you somewhere where they will pay you handsomely to sing. You will live in castles as you entertain the entire realm. We are going to a familiar land for our next job and I can stow you awa
y on the ship and you can run when we get there,” an excited Brehan told her.

  “Oh, I can run, can I? I ran once. Have you ever been raped?” she solemnly asked. “Of course not,” Brehan answered. “Right, how silly of me! So if I run away in this unknown land that you can’t tell me about, the men won’t rape me if I sing for them? That’s what you’re saying?” she wanted to know. “Look, I’m sorry for what has happened to you in the past but this isn’t a land where they rape women for no reason,” Brehan argued. “Oh, well, it’s good that you think so, Sir Brehan, the honorable knight, but most men don’t think like that. The problem with this world is for every man like you, there are one hundred who would rape a woman for no reason. And I have some harsh news for you, every place is a place where they rape women for no reason. Trust me, I’ve been all around the world and seen the same songs, tragic songs. Women raped, then whipped for becoming pregnant from the rape or brutally killed for enjoyment. I don’t want to be the subject of one more tragedy. I am not the type of woman that men try to help,” said Dacoda.

  “I am a man who wants to help you,” he stated. “That’s because you are a fool in love. People in love see the possibilities of success but remain blind to the danger. I am more likely to be thrown into a whorehouse or much, much worse. My dreams to sing are over, they’re in the past now. I’ve made enough money from these drunken pirateers that will soon let me leave the island, on my own. I don’t have to run with hope I won’t die. In a year, I will walk off this island and never look back, but I won’t run. I will have enough gold to live like a noble. I knew what I was getting into here. I will sing for others because I love to do it, not because someone is forcing me to sing for their pleasure. You can come listen to me anytime, my good knight,” Dacoda offered.