by J C Maynard
Kyan stood near the bow of the ship, watching the waves crash by as they sailed through the fjord. Port Dellock sat nestled in the valley ahead of them, with towering green peaks rising into the fog above on either side. The cold water below slapped against the wooden planks of the ship, and Kyan leaned up against the railing of the ship to feel the cold, wet wind sting his face.
A few others, including Raelynn, walked around on the deck of the ship. She came up to Kyan and stood next to him. “Aren’t you cold? I’m going to go down to our cabin. It’ll be another forty minutes at least before we dock and are ready to unload.”
Kyan nodded. “I think I just want to stay up here. I like the mountains and the waves.”
“Probably quite a sight for an Aunestaunan.” said Raelynn. She noted Kyan’s slight smile and then continued, “I’ll be below until we dock.” She turned and headed down into the ship while Kyan watched the waves and waterfall-rich mountains roll by.
Their ship had docked and they walked down the ramp onto the wooden pier. Kyan turned to Raelynn as the walked onto the shoreline street. “Where are we meeting the group of Evertauri?”
“It’s a garden off of Greenpeak Street — where the entrance to the Network is.”
Oh I know right where that is. Kyan looked into the city with rolling and bending streets. “Do you know how to get there?”
Raelynn pointed ahead, where Lillia and Dalah were walking towards them from another boardwalk. “They’ll take us.”
Dalah waved at Raelynn, who smiled back. The four of them met halfway between on their pier.
“Raelynn, we missed you.” said Lillia.
Dalah gave Raelynn a giant hug. . “We’re so glad you’re back with us . . . Everyone has been talking about you — what you did in Aunestauna. Giving up your Taurimous to destroy the Cerebrian fleet. If you hadn’t made that sacrifice, Xandria would’ve won the war . . . You’re a hero in the Evertauri.”
“I had no choice.” said Raelynn.
Dalah shook her head. “You did . . . and you saved us.”
Raelynn smiled, but with sorrow deep in her eyes. “I did what had to be done.” Raelynn turned to Kyan. “Anyway, this is Kyan.” The two others introduced themselves to him, which almost made Kyan laugh, as they had no idea they were essentially looking at Calleneck. “Will you lead us to the meeting spot?”
Lillia nodded. “Of course, it’s just up this hill.”
The four of them walked up the gray-stoned, puddle-filled street. Lillia raised an eyebrow at Raelynn and Kyan. “Don’t you have bigger bags? Travelling all this way.”
Both were carrying only small wool sacks. Raelynn sighed. “We ran into trouble back in Aunestauna,” she said, “and neither of us had much to bring back.”
Kyan thought back to the image of his shack being burned by the Nightsnakes and sighed.
Lillia pointed ahead at a gate covered in vines. Behind it grew a lush, dense forest of evergreens, crooked maples coated in moss, and purple flower beds. Kyan followed Lillia, Dalah and Raelynn through the gate and into the garden. After a few bends in the path, they came into a clearing where Borius stood with a few other Evertauri. .
Borius Shipton greeted Raelynn in his low, rich voice, “It’s good to have you back . . . I can’t thank you enough for the sacrifice you made in Aunestauna. You saved the rebellion.”
“That means a lot, Sir Shipton.” Raelynn responded. “This is Kyan.”
Kyan gave a little bow to Borius and shook his hand, finding it humorous that Borius did not know him. “It’s a pleasure, Sir.”
“You’re brave for coming here, Kyan.” said Borius, his dark skin and eyes seemed to understand Kyan and look into his heart.
“How can I help, Sir?” asked Kyan trying to make himself look taller than he was.
Borius chuckled. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we will not need help with our operations in this city tonight. You will stay beneath this garden in the Network entrance with our guards until the Evertauri starts to make its way up to Seirnkov tomorrow morning — hopefully after we have freed the Ferrs and taken control over this port.”
Raelynn crossed her arms. “So he’s not joining us in the attack tonight?”
Borius nodded. “We need him for important things back in Seirnkov and can’t risk him getting hurt in the mission tonight.” Borius turned to Kyan. “Fair enough?”
Kyan nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“I’m trusting you with a great deal, young man;” said Borius, “I also trust Raelynn’s judgement. You’re entering dangerous places at dangerous times.”
“Yes, Sir.” said Kyan.
“The entrance is right here.” said Borius, touching his hand to a moss covered boulder. A soft yellow flame bled out of Borius’s hand and onto the boulder, which began to shimmer and ebb like water. He spoke through the rock. “He’s coming down.” Borius turned to Kyan. “Just step on this boulder and you’ll fall right in. It will be alright, trust me.”
Kyan he knew exactly how these entrances worked. “Thank you, Sir.” he said as he placed a foot on what look like the boulder, but was really as thin as air. Kyan fell a few feet down through the Taurimous entrance and landed on his feet on the floor of the Network. He examined his dark surroundings. A guard, a vaulted ceiling, a few stone benches carved into the wall, and a dozen candles were the only things there.
“Hello.” said Kyan to the guard.
The guard nodded. “Hello . . . we know this isn’t the nicest place to stay with us your first night, but you’re safe here.”
Well I’ve certainly stayed in worse places. Kyan tried to think about what they might want him to do when they got to Sernkov. He wished that he could be a part of the action tonight. But I guess I should be thankful to be safe for now. Kyan talked a while with the guard about his journey to Cerebria until it was time to fall asleep.
◆◆◆
After he fell asleep as Kyan, he awoke in the eyes of Calleneck the morning of the same day. The Evertauri arrived in the city a few hours after midday and waited in various places around town for Raelynn to arrive, and for nightfall to attack the prison, release the Ferramish soldiers, and take control of the harbor.
~That Night
The sky was dark, and the prison sat alone on its peninsula in a cloud of heavy fog that filled the fjord. Fifty Evertauri had loaded onto the small boats that would carry them around the backside of the prison so that they could invade it through the boathouse, the only other entrance to the prison besides the front gate, which sat on the isthmus of the peninsula. Calleneck sat rowing a boat with Dalah, an older Evertauri from the Council, and a few others. The water around them was black and cold, and the fog hid them from the eyes of the sentries at the prison. The Evertauri had silently rowed past the main port and were now circling their way around the prison. It loomed dark and foreboding in the distance as they maneuvered their boats around the peninsula.
Calleneck looked over at the older Evertauri, who sat with a pure blue dagger in his hands. Sir Beshk was one of the first Evertauri to join Madrick nearly twenty years prior; he had long gray hair to his chest and a gray and white beard that hung to his stomach.
“Where did you get that?” Calleneck said, pointing to the dagger.
Sir Beshk looked up at him, and the dagger turned into a thick blue fire and then vanished.
Calleneck’s eyes opened wide. “I’ve never seen anyone use their Taurimous to create weapons. How did you-”
Sir Beshk smiled. “‘Learned it a long time ago. It’s the same way we make fake doors and entrances to the Network with Taurimous.” His light blue Taurimous swirled like smoke and took the shape of a longsword that looked as if it were made of pure blue topaz.
Dalah stared in amazement. “It’s beautiful.”
Another Evertauri spoke up. “We’re almost there. Get ready; be silent.”
The boats slowly approached the boathouse on the water’s edge, which connected to the prison’s interior.
The prison was made by a series of stone buildings and streets surrounded by a wall, and the boathouse went through it. The boathouse grew nearer, but the fog hung so heavy that they could barely see it. The cold seawater lapped up against the wood of their rowboat, which was the first in line. Raelynn, Lillia, Kishk, and a few other Evertauri that Calleneck was close with rowed in the boat directly behind them.
Slowly, they began to be able to make out the figure of the boathouse sentry. They could tell he was trying to see through the fog. Suddenly, he sprinted inside the boathouse. The older Evertauri, Sir Beshk, turned back to Calleneck and the others with a worried look. He pointed forward and whispered, “Keep going.”
The boats all slowly moved into the boathouse. They looked around at the inside — it was completely deserted. Once inside, Borius, from the boat behind them, carefully stepped onto the floor of the building. Dalah began to whisper, “Where did that sentry-?” Borius quickly put a finger to hips lips. Shhh. Borius motioned the others out of their boats, and they all carefully and silently tied their boats and stepped onto the floor of the boathouse. A large door sat at the end of the boathouse, connecting it to the prison. Borius motioned forward and thought to himself. “I don’t like this . . .”
The Evertauri stood behind Borius as he slowly opened the door. They stepped through the doorway and into a deserted courtyard. Calleneck’s stomach began to feel uneasy. Something was wrong. Ahead of them, they saw a giant mound of something in the fog. As they stepped closer, they realized what it was — the corpses of Ferramish soldiers. Borius stopped abruptly and turned around horror-struck to face the Evertauri.
With a face of grim determination, Borius commanded, “At the ready!”
Shrill and high, the horns of the prison began to sound. Hundreds of Cerebrian troops funneled out of buildings and barracks. Calleneck grabbed Dalah and turned around for the doors to the boathouse, but the doors slammed shut and locked from the inside. A burst of yellow light filled the courtyard as Borius sent a wave of Taurimous at an oncoming group of soldiers. Up ahead, Lillia made a shield of her white Taurimous around herself and Raelynn.
The soldiers collided and drove their swords down on the Evertauri. The sorcerer next to Calleneck screamed out in pain with his hand cut off. Calleneck launched a crimson fireball at a soldier, who dodged it and threw a spear toward Dalah.
“Dalah!” Calleneck yelled as she sent a shower of golden glowing sparks at the spear to divert it up into the air. Green and blue fire flew over their heads and into the Cerebrian soldiers bringing their swords down on Evertauri.
Calleneck looked over and saw the bearded old man, Sir Beshk, fighting off Cerebrian soldiers with his blue sword of Taurimous. Callenek ducked as Borius sent what looked light a lightning bolt of yellow at an archer, who got thrown back into a wall but still managed to shoot an arrow at Borius. Borius vaporized the arrow as it flew into a shield of his yellow Taurimous. Scores of additional Cerebrian troops still poured into the courtyard.
He saw a giant plume of blue Taurimous from Sir Beshk crush the heads of ten soldiers. Calleneck looked over to see Raelynn fighting off soldiers left and right with a longsword, striking several down every few seconds. The prison grounds were filled with nothing but soldiers and vibrant, colored flames from the Evertauri.
Calleneck looked around for golden embers. Dalah. He saw a stream of gold embers fly at a soldier. He yelled her name and sprinted for her, sending a shockwave of crimson Taurimous forward to knock Cerebrian troops off their feet. “Dalah!” She heard his voice and ran towards him, but stopped at the sound of a faint, lower battle horn.
Calleneck recalled that sound from Tayben’s memories in Endlebarr — the Ferrs. Calleneck called to his sister. “There are still Ferrs somewhere! We need to find them!”
Sir Beshk knocked aside a group of soldiers with a wave of blue light and raced over to the siblings after hearing Calleneck’s conjecture. “Aye!” he shouted. “Let’s try and find-” He was interrupted by another faint note from the Ferramish horn.
Dalah pointed toward a barracks in the distance. “There!”
Together, the three of them forced their way through the chaos, taking down Cerebrians as they went. As they approached the barracks, they could hear the horn again. A group of Cerebrian archers shot down at them from the top of the barracks, but Sir Beshk disintegrated their arrows with a series of blue fireballs. Calleneck sent showers of crimson spark up at them and pushed them off the roof. The horn from inside sounded again, and Calleneck collapsed the stone wall.
As the stone came crashing down and the dust settled, a deafening sound of cheering broke out as Ferramish men pushed to get out into the night. Standing in front was a simple soldier holding a gold and scarlet Ferramish horn.
The man bolted over to Beshk, shouting in joy, “We heard people fighting and we figured it might be our own men . . . what do you need from us?”
Sir Beshk nodded. “Help us take Port Dellock, then the city is yours and we’ll send a messenger bird to Aunestauna. They’ll send enough soldiers in the next few weeks to help secure the fjordlands. Take your men to the armory and grab weapons.”
A Ferramish messenger boy shouted over at them. “There are four more barracks, hundreds of soldiers each!”
Calleneck called back. “We’ll get them out!”
“Thank you.” said the soldier as the rest of the Ferramish soldiers rushed toward the armory. “We thought we’d end up like . . . them.” He pointed to the mound of dead soldiers in the distance. “They were taking us out to the slaughter one by one every few hours to keep us compliant . . . The ones who resisted their orders the most got executed . . . it would be my honor to fight.”
As fireballs lit up the night sky, Calleneck, Dalah, and Sir Beshk wound their way through the streets to the other barracks to free more Ferramish soldiers.
~An Hour Later
Calleneck ducked behind a carriage as a volley of arrows shot through a street of Port Dellock. The Evertauri had made their way back into the central city as the Ferrs secured the prison and the outer city.
Looking over his shoulder, Calleneck sent a wave of crimson hurling towards the Cerebrian archers. The Evertauri and the Ferrs had taken hold of the prison but met thousands of Cerebrian soldiers in the city of Port Dellock. Running into an alleyway with Dalah, Calleneck crossed over to the next street.
A great green fireball flew by at a frightening speed, blowing the Bernoils’ hair back as it passed. Calleneck and Dalah peeked around the corner and each sent jets of light at the Cerebrian troops.
The tall, blonde Evertauri who had sent the green fireball swung his Taurimous like a rope to slice the shields of the soldiers. He turned to Calleneck and Dalah. “Cal! Sir Beshk said to retreat back to the entrance! We’re being overrun and the Ferrs are pushing in from—” He ducked as an arrow flew passed. “The Ferrs are pushing in from the east.”
Calleneck launched a shower of crimson sparks like a swarm of insects at the Cerebrian swordsmen charging down the narrow street. “Garner, you go and take Dalah!” Calleneck disintegrated an arrow with a shield of crimson light. “I’ll hold them off!”
The blonde Evertauri, Garner, nodded and signaled to Dalah. Together, they sent waves of green and gold flames at more troops and ducked away through a side alley. Out of the corner of his eye, Calleneck saw a flash of purple light as Sir Kishk the Trainer rounded the corner downhill.
Kishk called up to Calleneck. “Aye! Follow me!”
Without hesitation, Calleneck bolted down the street to Kishk. “Do you know the way to Greenpeak Street?” said Calleneck breathless.
Kishk exploded the side of a building in purple fire, sending a cloud of debris between them and the Cerebrian swordsmen. “You’re the cartographer! I know it’s somewhere up this street.” Sir Kishk pointed to the right.
The two of them wound through the streets fighting Cerebrians until finding Greenpeak Street — the entrance back into the Network. A who
le group of Evertauri were funneling into the garden off of the street, escaping from the city as the Ferrs secured it from the outside.
Sir Beshk with his waist-long white beard was guarding the gate and rushing the Evertauri through. “Go! Go! Get back!” he yelled.
Kishk and Calleneck ran towards the gate to the garden. A Cerebrian war horn sounded as hundreds of soldiers rounded the street corner and spotted the Evertauri.
Sir Beshk’s eyes shot open wide. “Fall back now!” he bellowed at the Evertauri as he launched a bright blue disk of Taurimous up at the Cerebrians.
But before Calleneck reached Sir Beshk and the gate to the garden, he stopped at the sound of his name. He looked back down the street; two blocks away Dalah came sprinting towards him with tears rolling down her cheeks. As Sir Kishk bolted inside the garden, Calleneck spun around and ran back to Dalah.
Behind him, Sir Beshk yelled, “Calleneck Bernoil! Get back here now! Don’t leave!”
Calleneck raced down the puddle-filled street to Dalah, who ran up to him. “What the hell are you doing Dalah? I told you to go with Garner!” He grabbed her and pulled her back up the street with him.
Tears fell down her face as she ran with him back toward the gate. “I’m sorry, I came back to find you because everyone was evacuating and you hadn’t come yet!” At the top of the street, Cerebrian cavalry charged down at Sir Beshk.
“Damn it, Dalah!” said Calleneck. “You need to take care of yourself, don’t worry about me.”
Hundreds more troops rushed between the Bernoils and Sir Beshk. Arrows began to fly down at them, and Calleneck shielded himself and Dalah with a ribbon of light.
Sir Beshk shouted down at the Bernoils. “Hurry!”
A Cerebrian commander shouted an order, and lines of soldiers charged down toward them. The Bernoils slammed into them with their Taurimous, but there were too many. Sir Beshk wielded his bright blue energy, trying in vain to fend off every troop. Calleneck and Dalah shattered multiple men’s swords, but they were slowly losing ground, being pushed farther and farther from Sir Beshk. The Cerebrian troops were shouting, “They’re using the Goblin tunnels! They’re going underground!”
