Plague of Tyrants

by M. J. Sewall

  Lyrra wanted to kill Cayne herself, but Kett was right. “What's your idea then?”

  “Are any of your boats big enough to get to the Kingdom of the Gods, to Artoth? We can get a ship from there to the Thirteeners.”

  “Yes. Follow me.” She took him to the sea about a mile away. They scanned the rocky coastline carefully for any ships that Cayne might be using to patrol.

  Lyrra stood and stared at the small dock, now in ruins. Kett came up behind her, “Was that where your boats were kept?”

  “Yes,” she said staring at the burnt wood that used to be their dock. Any of their long boats they used for fishing must've been taken, sank, or set on fire. There were two more bodies by the dock, but she went in the opposite direction, “Come with me.”

  She led them through a small thicket of woods a short distance away. Kett had no idea why they were there until she yanked on a pile of leaves and pulled a net out of the ground.

  “I'm glad I could still find this. We keep a few boats hidden in case of troubles,” she explained as she pulled the net off the longboat and with it, the leaves that had been piled on top.

  “I recognize this type of boat. It's not for emergencies, it's for raids in the river lands.” accused Kett.

  “No time for lies. Yes, we have a long history of raiding your lands. But that is in the past. Help me get it to the water.”

  The boat was the length of both of their bodies combined. The long narrow boat had been made from a single tree. Kett had seen many of these boats before. He didn't tell her that he had spied on her people many times in the past, leading raids of his own. Conflicts between their people stretched back to their ancestors. Maybe there would be a time for full truths later, but not now.

  Kett asked, “Will this make it to the gates of Artoth?”

  Lyrra answered, “I've gone that distance before, just not in that direction. We do trading with an island people that are even farther from us than Artoth. It'll get us there.”

  They got the boat into the water. There were some blankets and extra paddles, but no food. They had already been a full day without food. One problem at a time, thought Kett.

  “Don't rock it so much. Just stay still and paddle on your side and I will paddle on mine. It's not that hard.”

  “Our boats are wider back home,” Kett pushed out the memories of his ruined land. “I'll manage.”

  When they were only a few feet out into the calm water, they heard a shout. They paddled faster but turned around to see three soldiers running towards the shore. They had to be Cayne's men. They shouted for them to stop, which made them paddle faster.

  They heard something hit the water just inches from them and realized that the men were firing arrows at them. The man with the bow cursed loudly at himself for missing and fired again. The second arrow stuck in the back of the boat with a “tkkt,” sound. They paddled faster until they were out of range, leaving their homelands.

  It would take all night to get to Artoth. They left the slaughter behind, and luckily the night was calm. They paddled all night, only resting for short periods. They realized how lucky they were to be on the open sea; the stars were out to guide them, and there were no storms or hungry creatures to bother them. Their only enemy was hunger. They only saw one other boat, but it passed without incident.

  They reached the gates by the middle of the next day, grateful to finally glimpse the entrance to the canal. By the time they reached them, their arms were beyond exhausted.

  As they neared the gates, a heavily muscled guard in blue leather armor shouted to them, “What business do you have in the great kingdom of Artoth?”

  Stopping near the guard, his arms grateful for the moments of rest, Kett answered, “We are travelers from Aspora. A madman has killed our people. We seek a safe refuge.”

  “Our great kingdom has had our own problems in the canal in recent days. We want none of yours. No passage,” said the guard, waving them away.

  Lyrra shouted, “Please. We won't beg. But we have come a long way.”

  Another man with a book in his hand came and whispered in the guard's ear. The guard looked confused at first and then a broad smile came over his face. He nodded his head, “You may pass. The second gate is controlled by a different king, but you shouldn't have to worry about that. Fair warning. May the gods be with you this day.”

  A man moved a large lever and the ancient gates began to swing open toward them. The guard said nothing else to them but kept smiling as they paddled through the gate. It closed behind them with a deep rusty sound.

  Lyrra said, “Have you ever been to the Kingdom of the Gods before? They say it's one of the most beautiful places in the world,”

  “I have heard many tales of this place,” Kett answered, “but most of what I've heard is about the greed of the two kings and their hatred of each other.”

  “My people hear the same.” They gazed up at the silent mountains hovering on either side of them, so far up they could not even see the tops, only a mist where the tops of the mountains should be.

  “Why didn't they charge us a fee? I have no idea what we could have offered as payment, but it's strange,” said Kett.

  “That's true.” Lyrra said, looking around more carefully, “and why aren't there other ships?”

  A shape loomed ahead, to their left. On the narrow bank was a ruined ship. It was much bigger than theirs, some of it on the bank, but most of it in the water. It was smashed so that it was hard to tell it had been a ship at all, eerie and puzzling as they floated by it.

  Lyrra said, “Stop rocking the boat. Seriously, haven't you figured it out by now?”

  “That wasn't me. Something swam underneath us.”

  Lyrra's eyes got wider as another tale of the canal filled her memory, “Paddle. Faster. Now!”

  They both paddled as fast as their tired arms would let them. They could see the second gate far ahead when their boat erupted upward out of the water. They, along with their boat, were thrown high into the air.

  They both fell back to the water, splashing hard, but came up quickly to see the creature. It hovered straight up out of the water. It was as high as five men and had a head that looked like a snake. There was something like arms on either side as well, but they did not end in hands; instead, they looked like giant worms that slithered out of the thing's body.

  One of the worm-arms slithered around their boat and squeezed, crushing it as though it was made of sticks. It did not stop looking at them as it dropped the sticks in the water and opened its mouth to reveal giant fangs. Its yellow eyes stared as it hovered over them.

  The Asporans would make two fine meals for the beast of the canal.

  Chapter 19: Unwelcome Guests

  Ellice removed her hand from Gordon's mouth. Everyone on deck stood motionless in the dark, listening for any movement on the water. Ellice and Aline had their knives drawn. Gordon slowly drew his curved blade, careful to not make a sound.

  The drums had intensified and then abruptly stopped, which amplified the silence, broken only by the sounds of the water lapping against the ship. A torch blazed just feet from their ship, and the silence was finally broken by the sound of metal on wood. The hooks bit deep into their ship's railing. The ropes attached to the large metal hooks tightened, and the spikes dug into the side of Harlow's ship until the ships were nearly touching. The Sea Lords were coming aboard.

  Ellice, Aline, and Gordon rushed to Harlow's side, but before they got to him, Ellice noticed Harlow's crew had put their weapons away.

  Harlow put his own knife away and yelled, “Not so hard, you want to rip off the side of my ship?”

  A platform fell on the side of their ship, connecting them both.

  Ellice put her knife away and rushed to the old smuggler, “Harlow, what's happening?”

  “Don't worry, my Lady, this will be over soon,” Harlow said. “They're just coming to take back what's theirs from the belly of the ship.”

  “Were you pla
nning to tell me?” asked Ellice.

  “Wasn't sure I'd have to,” Harlow continued, “thought we were to meet up after I got you to the Outlands. That's why we doused the lights, in case it was the wrong Sea Lord. But they're just a bit early.”

  Harlow barely got the last word out before his nose crunched under the force of Ellice's fist. She said hotly, “You didn't tell me you were smuggling for Sea Lords!”

  The blow snapped back his head, “Damn you, woman,” Harlow said holding his nose, which was streaming blood, “you broke my nose.”

  “Be grateful that's all I broke, you lying old man,” Ellice said as she strolled back to Gordon and Aline.

  “Well done,” said Aline.

  “Thank you,” she said, shaking out her hand, “I forgot how much that hurt.”

  Gordon looked at his mother's hand and back to Harlow holding his nose, “Mother, I'll try very hard not to make you angry.”

  More torches were lit, and the Sea Lords walked across the platform onto the ship. Harlow's men had already started to lift the doors in the middle of the deck and were assembling the wooden crane arm to lift whatever the Sea Lords had come for out from the belly of the ship.

  Harlow had a piece of cloth over his broken nose, trying to stop the bleeding. Seven men and one woman came aboard, all dressed differently. Apparently, there are no uniforms for Sea Lords, Gordon thought. The leader was a tall man with a full beard, who came up to Harlow.

  “What happened to you?” asked the tall man. Gordon could see he was wearing white-trimmed leather armor and carried himself with a certain dignity, or arrogance. Gordon wasn't sure which.

  Harlow replied, “Complaint from a passenger.”

  The bearded man motioned for his people to help Harlow's crew recover their goods from the deep part of the ship. The man looked over to where the three were standing, “Transporting passengers now, Harlow? Are things that bad for you?”

  “Not after you pay me for the shipment. You're early, by the way,” said Harlow, still holding his nose. “I'm just helping out an old friend is all.”

  The man laughed as Harlow's nose bled, “I think I'd like to meet this friend.”

  As the crane's arm lifted goods from the ship and began to swing them over to the Sea Lord's ship, Harlow said “Not so fast, coin first.”

  The bearded man tossed the leather pouch of coins over his shoulder at Harlow, as he walked towards the three. The Sea Lord was smiling, but Gordon saw that he was also looking all three of them over carefully, not knowing what to make of Harlow's new friends. His torch in hand, he came to them and bowed deeply, using the torch to make the gesture more dramatic.

  “My name is Loyce. And you are?”

  Ellice answered, “We are deeply private people. You don't need to know our names, Sea Lord. Just load your illegal goods and be on your way.”

  The bearded man made a quizzical stare, almost as though he was amused, “What a strange attitude. When most people find out that I'm a Sea Lord they are… Well, I guess terrified is not too strong a word. Have you not heard what we do?”

  Aline answered, “Murder, rape, thieve, torture.”

  “Ahh. You have heard of us,” Loyce replied.

  Ellice said, “We want no trouble. We simply want to be on our way.”

  Loyce looked back at Harlow who was counting his coins, “It is puzzling. I've never known Harlow to have friends. But if you're not his friends, why would he bother? Where is he taking you?”

  Aline said, “This is not your business. Take your things and leave. I won't ask nicely a second time.”

  Loyce's smile changed. “I'm sure that I didn't drink any seawater, but it seems as though I must be going mad. Why do you think that you can talk to me like that, little girl?”

  “You don't want to call her that,” said Gordon.

  Aline still had her knives out. She looked into Loyce's eyes, but spoke to Ellice, “I won't kill him without your permission, Ellice.”

  Ellice answered, “I appreciate that, Aline. Sea Lord Loyce, as I said, we don't want any trouble.”

  Without warning Loyce slapped Ellice hard across the face. Before Loyce could draw his own longknife, Aline took a step towards him, raising her knife. Gordon put a hand to steady Aline's arm and drew his long curved blade, “No one touches my mother.”

  Harlow came running, quick to join the fight, his bloody nose forgotten as he swung his longknife at the Sea Lord. Loyce barely had time to draw his knife and blocked the blow. He took a step back. “What's gotten in to you, Harlow?”

  “You shouldn't have touched her,” Harlow said darkly. His face changed, and even in the dim light, Gordon could see his face and neck turn a deep red. His eye twitched, and he shouted with fury, “Now you die for it!”

  Ellice and the others formed a half circle around Loyce, his back against the railing of the ship. He held his torch in one hand and his longsword in the other. Gordon decided his expression was arrogance, and it was slipping.

  The other Sea Lords had noticed the escalation and were headed their way. As Gordon began to charge the man, Loyce lowered his torch and looked confused.

  Loyce yelled, “Wait. No! It can't be!”

  But Gordon didn't stop, and continued to rush the Sea Lord, as Aline attacked, and Ellice drew her own blade. They closed in on the man, who was still looking at Gordon's curved blade, “I sent that to the bottom of the sea once, I'll do it again.”

  “Stop! All of you,” shouted Harlow, the unbalanced rage Ellice had hinted at was now in full bloom, “He's mine.” Harlow swung at the man like a warrior half his age. Loyce was surprised by the furor, and began backing away, still managing to keep his torch in one hand, sliding his back against the railing. He swung the torch at Harlow, but the old man met every blow from the Sea Lord.

  As Loyce's men came up behind the fight, Loyce changed tactics and threw his torch over his head. The torch flipped from his hand and touched the main sail. Flames ripped up the material like it was paper.

  “No!” screamed Harlow. He slashed at Loyce, but he was answered by the Sea Lord's knife. The old man turned instead to his burning sail.

  Aline turned, and launched into Loyce's crew. Gordon and Ellice attacked the Sea Lord himself. Harlow growled in rage and rushed to put the fire out, and Loyce used that moment to try and run. Knives clanged as the Sea Lord and his men quickly turned it into a running fight, Loyce and his men running for their own ship and away from the fire. They made for their platform, still connecting the ships. Gordon, Ellice, and Aline fought them as they fled. Aline was fighting five at the same time and felled one of the enemy. Ellice was pursuing Loyce, sending another man tumbling overboard as he made the mistake of getting in her way.

  Loyce yelled to his own ship, “Make way! Disengage the ships!”

  Flames leapt from one sail to the next. A gust helped the fire come to life and seemed to be devouring Harlow's ship from the top down. His men furiously tried to release the burning sails, but sails were tied tightly to a ship for a reason.

  Loyce's men leapt over their platform. Aline made it over before Loyce's men dropped the platform overboard, splashing into the dark waters between the two ships. They didn't bother to release the hooks, throwing the ropes and all at Harlow's burning ship instead.

  Ellice and Gordon were at the edge of Harlow's ship. She looked back at Harlow, the man she once knew, the man who had lied to her, then came to her rescue in the end. Harlow caught her eye and nodded sadly. They both knew they would not see each other again. Ellice turned back to Gordon.

  Gordon screamed, “We have to get Aline!”

  “Son, we can't make that jump,” she said and knew it was true. She looked back and saw the burning sails. There was no good option, but they knew they couldn't leave Aline alone, they had to at least try to reach her.

  They jumped away from the burning ship and fell a few feet short of landing on the Sea Lord's ship. Gordon and his mother both splashed into the freezing water
.

  Chapter 20: What Sea Lords Do

  Aline glared at Loyce. The torches and lanterns lit up the deck. She saw the glint of light reflect off the arrow tips, ten in all, pointed at her in a rough circle. Her hands were bound, but her eyes burned as she stared at Loyce. He returned the stare directly and did not look away from her deep blue eyes.

  He shouted to the man near the edge, “Are they secure?” He stared at Aline. She stared back.

  “We're hauling them up now. They look like wet dogs.”

  The crew laughed. A wet and coughing mother and son came onboard, and dropped to the deck, sputtering.

  “Bring them here. Jon, get some blankets. So, little girl, you want to tell me how you came on board my ship and killed two of my crew before we stopped you?”

  “You hit my friend,” said Aline.

  “I see. I hit the woman, yes. So, if I'd killed her, you would have killed half my crew then? That's how you measure justice, little girl?”

  The crew laughed. Aline stared.

  Two men set Gordon and Ellice on the wooden bench next to Aline.

  “Are you alright?” asked Aline.

  She got coughs as a response, but they both finally nodded their heads. The men wrapped them in blankets. Ellice looked over her shoulder as the fire on board Harlow's ship got father away.

  Loyce looked at Ellice. “You'll drink some spiced wine to warm you, and then you will tell me who you are, and why you were on the old man's ship.”

  Gordon's shivers increased, and his teeth were chattering. Ellice pulled the blanket around him as she rubbed his shoulders. They brought the spiced wine.

  “Now for you, little girl,” said Loyce as he handed the warm cups to Ellice. Aline's eyed flared at the insult, and their general situation.

  Gordon refused his cup. Loyce offered it again, “Don't be stupid. It will warm you, boy.”

  “It's… it's… too sweet,” Gordon chattered.

  “What? What do care how sweet the wine is?” asked Loyce, confused. Aline turned her eyes to Gordon, “Look at me.” He complied, and she took charge.