Ominous Odyssey (Overworld Chronicles Book 13)

by John Corwin

  "The mortals and Lyrolai are free to do as they choose," Dolpha said. "Our domain is the sea."

  With a loud sigh, Shelton tugged the earplugs out and said, "Are you guys talking about hamburgers? Do they have meat on this island?"

  That brought a stunned silence to the conversation until Adam burst into laughter. "Dude, you are awful at reading lips!"

  "What did he have in his ears?" Narine asked.

  Dolpha huffed. "I thought them peculiar decorations for a male."

  "Earplugs." I rolled my eyes. "He didn't want you mind controlling him with your singing."

  Dolpha narrowed her eyes at him. "We would never intentionally do such a thing."

  "Fine, I get it." Shelton held up his hands in surrender. "Mind control me all you want, but I gotta know—are there hamburgers on this island? Pancakes? Bacon?"

  Adam snorted. "Well, we know what's been on Shelton's mind all this time."

  Admittedly, I was pretty hungry, so I phrased Shelton's question into something the others would understand. "Do you have food here?"

  "Of course," Narine said. "Shall I prepare you a shell of krill?"

  Shelton gagged. "Please, no."

  Adam clamped a hand over his mouth and went red in the face trying to suppress his laughter.

  "We request the hospitality of your land," Illaena said. "We have many tales to tell, but our journey has wearied us."

  "If the others have no objections"—Narine looked at her companions—"I am happy to extend our hospitality."

  Dolpha narrowed her eyes. "I do not trust these newcomers. They appear in a flying ship and claim no knowledge of our lands—yet what else exists outside of this?"

  "The world." I let that sink in. "We'll tell you more later, but I assure you, everything still exists outside of your domain."

  Balaena's eyes grew hopeful. "The ocean still sings beyond the ends of our earth?"

  "It does." I waved a hand at the amazing city behind her. "If anything, we thought Atlantis had been lost forever. If we could have food and rest, we'll gladly catch you up on events."

  "Then you are welcome," Balaena said.

  Dolpha scowled and offered a begrudging nod. "Very well, but do not think we will abide any treachery."

  "We're not pirates," I assured her.

  "I am!" Shelton looked hurt. "You're breaking my heart here."

  "Fine." I threw up my hands. "We're sky pirates, but not the bad kind."

  Narine and her companions looked at each with scrunched foreheads, probably because pirate didn't exactly translate into Cyrinthian.

  "I will introduce you to the mortal archon," Narine said. "I am certain the mortals will be most pleased to have visitors since very little ever changes around here."

  "I thought you ruled Atlantis," Illaena said.

  "We do not see a reason to rule anything," Narine said. "Life is simple. The mortals require structure, for their lives are short and even their adults are still as children to us, but they are capable of tending to their own affairs."

  Nearly a dozen people burst from the water below, performed graceful flips, and executed perfect three-point hero landings, splattering water everywhere. They had bluish skin and scales, and their feet were webbed, but before anyone could comment, the scales and feet morphed into normal human feet and skin, though the bluish cast of their skin remained.

  A tall male wearing only a tight pair of shorts stepped forward. He was hairless aside from the wet blue locks on his head. "Who are these people, Mother?" His inner eyelid blinked over round pupils like those of humans.

  Narine remained quiet a beat, as if showing an unruly child that she was not to be questioned in that tone. "That has yet to be determined, Lash. What brings you to the shores?"

  "We were swimming at the fringes when we saw the flying ship," he replied curtly.

  Dolpha bared her teeth. "You're tempting fate swimming so close to the world's edge."

  "We are brave!" a short woman shot back. "Unlike you, we know there is more than this forsaken land. If you would help us, we might find a way out."

  I wanted to jump in and let her know there was something more on the other side, but Narine held up a hand.

  "I will not argue with you in front of guests." The Siren folded her arms. "You may speak with the newcomers later. For now, I am taking them to meet the mortals."

  "Did Sirens mate with mortals?" Adam said.

  Lash burst into laughter. "In the ancient days, the Sirens began to die off. They tried to increase their numbers by pairing with mortals, but all they got was us."

  The female who'd spoken earlier growled. "We are halflings—part mortal, part Siren."

  "And wholly unwanted by either," Lash finished. He flashed his pearly whites. "For centuries we have sought a way out of this place."

  "We saw you come from the storm," the female said. "Tell us, is there a way out?"

  I nodded. "There is, but it's incredibly dangerous."

  "Enough." Narine's voice made the others flinch. "We will introduce them to the mortals. If they are willing, the newcomers will speak to you later."

  Lash frowned but didn't argue. "Very well, Mother." He did a back flip off the pier and vanished, his comrades close behind.

  "Apologies for our children," Narine said. "We tried to make them feel welcome."

  Dolpha adopted her favorite expression again, a scowl. "But they are never satisfied. It was a mistake to have children with mortals."

  "The last Trident perished long ago," Balaena said in a mournful tone. "Now there are no more males."

  Narine nodded, but said nothing more about it. "Come. Let us go." She turned and glided up the sloping pier toward the city, her companions at her side.

  Illaena motioned for her crew to follow, and the rest of us tagged along.

  Shelton tilted his head and peered under the edge of their dresses. "Do they have feet?"

  Adam pushed him on the shoulder. "Stop that, you pervert."

  "I ain't—well, okay maybe I am a little perverted." Shelton poked Adam in the chest. "Not like you're any different."

  "They have feet." Elyssa pointed to watery footprints left behind the Sirens. "Don't ask me how they move without bobbing."

  "So their males are called Tridents, huh?" Shelton's face scrunched as another thought seemed to slap him in the noggin. "Hey, do you think Tridents have three—"

  Adam groaned. "Really?"

  He pointed to the statue with the three-pronged trident on the peak. "Just sayin' man!"

  I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to our hosts.

  The Sirens' dresses shifted and flowed as if they were floating underwater the same way their hair did, but there was no bubble of water around them from what I could tell. It was a very strange kind of magic—almost like an aura that followed them no matter where they went. I switched to demon view as we walked and nearly tripped over my own feet when I saw what was normally invisible to the naked eye.

  A hazy blue nimbus glowed around each Siren, the energy rippling and swaying like ocean water. By comparison, the Seraphim had bright auras that burned like candles. Shelton and Adam had smaller, slightly dimmer halos of energy. I'd seen a lot in my short supernatural life, but the Sirens were definitely more unsettling to look at this way than most.

  A group of mortals—judging by their auras—waited at the entrance to the harbor, children jostling and squeezing through the legs of adults to peer at the strangers in their land. It looked like they were dressed for a toga party, the men in short blue and red tunics, and the women in long white and beige dresses.

  Shelton grunted. "Is it Halloween already?"

  "Interesting," Adam said. "The clothing style hasn't advanced much from ancient Greece."

  "How awful!" Elyssa grimaced. "How could clothing not change in thousands of years?"

  Narine stopped nearly twenty feet from the people, and spoke in a lilting tone. "Adonis, I would introduce to you guests who claim to be from the ou
tside."

  That caused quite a stir among the crowd, some looks of alarm, and no shortage of murmurs. A rather homely man with a pot belly and a wrinkled face flourished his arms wide and bowed. "The people of Atlantis welcome you."

  It was time to meet the real locals.

  Chapter 23

  "Archon Adonis?" Illaena asked.

  "He sure ain't no Adonis," Shelton murmured, causing Adam to cackle loudly.

  "I am he," he replied in accented Cyrinthian.

  "I am Illaena, captain of the Falcheen, a vessel of the Mzodi." She thrust a finger toward the turtle pier. "We have washed upon your shores and request your hospitality."

  "You shall have it!" Adonis declared. "Tell me truly, are you from Heval?"

  "We are from Seraphina," Illaena said. "Her skies are beyond the walls of the storm."

  Adonis's gaze wandered toward the ocean where the gray walls rose far in the distance. "By the grace of the gods, is this true?" His eyes darted to Narine.

  "We cannot say," Narine replied in a slightly irritated tone. I got the impression she didn't much like dealing with the humans. "We leave them in your care."

  Adonis bowed. "As you say, milady of the deeps."

  Dolpha narrowed her eyes. "Very well, then. When the stories have been sung, we will hear them and determine their truth."

  "You don't want to stick around?" I asked.

  Narine's unsettling eyes locked onto me. "When you are ready, we will host you in our home." She dove over the side of the pier, drawing gasps from Elyssa and Shelton.

  I ran to the side as Dolpha and Balaena followed and watched in horror as they plunged into the ocean some hundred feet below.

  "I wonder if they ever belly flop," Shelton said.

  Adam grinned. "That would be one epic smack."

  "Do they always do that?" I asked Adonis.

  "The Sirens do as they will," he replied.

  Some citizens frowned and shook their heads as if they'd put up with enough Siren shenanigans, while others clasped their hands and bowed heads in reverence. I got the feeling the Sirens felt like they were stuck in an apartment with roommates who never cleaned their rooms or washed the dishes. Judging by the reactions of some mortals, the feeling was mutual.

  "Where are the Lyrolai?" I asked.

  Adonis's smile vanished. "They keep to themselves on the other side of the island."

  "They take good crop land and use it for nothing," a young man spat.

  "Now, now, Eris." Adonis gave the man a look of warning then turned back to us. "If you would have food and wine, please come with me."

  Shelton's mouth twitched. "Do you eat pork?"

  Adonis looked surprised. "Of course."

  Illaena's lips curled in disgust. "Do you have something other than meat?"

  "Potatoes, beets, maize, bread, and many other delights," Adonis replied. His gaze wandered back to the Falcheen. "Are your stores low?"

  Illaena nodded. "We would trade gems for food."

  "We have little use for gems," he said.

  That drew sharp looks from the women in the crowd.

  Adonis caught the hostile gazes and hastily amended his sentence. "But with our bountiful harvests, we have plenty to trade for gems."

  Illaena offered a curt nod. "If it pleases you, we will take the food back to our ship and eat there."

  Adonis looked from them to me and my friends. "I had hoped for stories of your travels."

  I indicated my group. "We'll stay in town and give you all the stories you can handle."

  Cheers rose from kids and adults alike as if I'd just announced free cookies.

  Adonis grinned from ear to ear, revealing some teeth sorely in need of a dentist. "We have listened to the same stories so many times, it will be good to hear something new."

  Shelton snorted. "That ain't gonna be a problem."

  We followed Archon Adonis to large storehouses filled to overflowing with fruits, veggies, grains, and more. Even though nothing was refrigerated, the food seemed perfectly preserved.

  Illaena picked up a tomato and rotated it in her hand, a perplexed look on her face. "This is glurk?"

  Adonis frowned. "It's a tomato, mistress."

  Illaena shook her head. "Justin, are these the mortal foods you told us about?"

  Shelton rubbed his hands together and answered for me. "Yes they are!" He stared lustfully at an apple. "Can I have one of those?"

  "Of course," Adonis said. He picked up a fat juicy one and gave it to Shelton. "In order to remove the preservation ward, you must mark a circle with a cross." He demonstrated on the apple. "Otherwise you will find it quite impossible to bite into."

  "Thanks!" Shelton took a big bite, spilling juice down his chin, and groaned in pleasure. "I think I died and went to heaven."

  "God forbid if they have donuts," Adam said. "By the time Shelton sees Bella again, he'll be ten times bigger."

  Illaena spent some time testing various foods, and settled on a few bushels of pomegranates, nuts, corn, and a few dozen loafs of bread. The Seraphim seemed particularly fond of the brown Kalamata olives and took an extra basket with them back to the ship.

  Adonis was perplexed by their dietary habits, particularly where it came to meat. "Animal flesh is essential for your health," he said after Illaena turned down a haunch of pork. "And it is very tasty."

  "We desire none of it," she replied.

  "You wouldn't be saying that if you'd tried bacon," Shelton said. "I'll bet I could whip up some bacon-wrapped grilled cheese sandwiches that'd rock your world."

  Illaena and Tahlee gagged.

  Eor, ever the discoverer, stepped forward. "I would be brave enough to try something that sounds so vile if only to qualify your exuberance."

  "Yeah, well stick around," Shelton said.

  "No, he will return to the ship with the rest of us." Illaena rounded up the rest of her crew and set out for the harbor.

  Eor stayed behind for a moment and said, "Shelton, procure some bacon and bring it to me later. I assure you I am brave enough to ingest it."

  Shelton gave him an approving pat on the back. "You got it."

  Eor nodded and reluctantly left to follow the other Seraphim.

  "What preservation spell are you using on the food?" Adam asked Adonis.

  "It is something we learned from the gods of Heval," the archon replied. "Some of our family who went to live there returned with magical gifts that help us in many ways of life."

  "Gods?" I said. "You mean Gallifer, Sithain, and Purah?"

  He nodded. "Who else would live atop Mount Olympus?"

  Shelton shrugged. "Zeus, Hera, Ares—all the Greek gods."

  "I'm afraid they were lost in the destruction of the world," Adonis said, "or so the legends say."

  I figured it was best not to jump straight into the story of how their supposed gods—the Fallen—had tried to mind control their king and take over Seraphina. It was best to learn about the local politics before pissing off the citizens.

  "We have told and retold the old legends so often, even the young are tired of the retellings." Adonis motioned us outside. "Come, let us prepare a feast in your honor that you may tell us new stories."

  Shelton paused in the middle of gorging on grapes. "A feast? Now we're talking. Can I help cook?"

  Adonis frowned. "I suppose, though guests should not have to prepare their own food."

  Shelton wandered to the meat aisle and sighed as if he'd died and gone to heaven. "I want to, believe me."

  "Certainly, if you so desire." Adonis turned to the rest of us. "In the meantime, I can show you to your accommodations."

  "That would be great," Elyssa said.

  Trailed by an ever-growing crowd, Adonis led us up through the winding paths and stairs of the city. People driving donkey-drawn carts stopped in the middle of the brick-paved roads to stare when they saw our group coming toward them. Some people ran ahead of us, yelling the news that there were visitors and that there would
be story time for dinner tonight.

  It was an odd juxtaposition—the old-fashioned carts pulled by animals in a city where every building looked like a monument to modern architecture. Even the houses were built on a grand scale—stained glass window, soaring arches, and ornate columns. Most of them would be considered mansions back in my old neighborhood.

  The yards were large, and every yard had fruit trees of some sort—oranges and lemons hanging heavy from limbs, while other yards grew other staples such as corn.

  "We cannot let even the tiniest space go unused," Adonis said when he noticed me staring. "Though we have some farmland, the Lyrolai refuse to let us expand further."

  "How large is this island?" I asked.

  "Perhaps forty square miles," he said. "Plenty of room for the Lyrolai to allow us more land."

  "Have you ever fought them?" Elyssa asked.

  Adonis's eyes flared. "Goodness, no. We have not seen war here in thousands of years. The Lyrolai keep to themselves and the Sirens and their offspring do the same." He sighed. "We mortals are more dependent on the others than they are on us. I believe they would be perfectly happy if we all died off."

  "How have you kept population under control?" Adam asked. "Your city seems large enough to house thousands of people, not just hundreds."

  "It could house more people, but we could not feed them," Adonis said. "We live a comfortable life. There is no disease, no war, and no reason to expand our numbers." He waved his arms at the grand buildings. "We have advanced medicines, but little need of doctors. We have advanced weapons left over from the days before the end of the world, but no need for them."

  My heart beat a little faster. Could those be the weapons Kaelissa wants?

  Adam's ears perked. "Advanced weapons? Can I see them?"

  Adonis pursed his lips. "Perhaps. They have not been used in so long I doubt they even work, though we have schematics for making new ones."

  "Do you have any flying vessels?" I asked.

  "We used to have many flying chariots," Adonis said. "Unfortunately we no longer have enough raw materials to maintain them."

  "Man, I'd like to see a flying chariot." Adam tapped a finger on his chin. "Do you have Arcanes here—people who practice magic?"