Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch's Choice

by Wayne D. Kramer

  PRAISE FOR HEROES OF TIME LEGENDS: MURDOCH’S CHOICE

  “Murdoch’s Choice will take you on the fantasy high seas! Prepare for mystery, engrossing characters, and heart in this adventure! The plot’s great, but it’s Captain Murdoch and his lively crew that keeps me hungry for more!”

  —JMD REID, Author of the “Jewels of Illumination” Series

  “An enthralling treasure hunt on the high seas with a colorful cast of characters, Murdoch’s Choice sucks you in and refuses to let go.”

  —E. R. PASKEY, Author of “The Guardians” Series

  “There is never a dull moment in this novel, and being part of Murdoch’s crew is only a small part of the exciting adventure to come. The book will make you want to read more of the “Heroes of Time” world!

  —JACKSON UTZ, Author of the “Eternal Lifeline” Trilogy

  “From the first page, this book transported me to another time and place that was beyond magical. This is what great writing is all about and I can’t wait for more!”

  —SHANNON EVERHART, Author of Moments at McBride

  “Unique magic system…pirate and heist theme…. It’s Mistborn on a boat.”

  —ALEX MCHADDAD, News Director at EOAlive.TV

  Copyright © 2021 by

  Wayne Kramer and Heroes of Time Productions LLC

  Library of Congress data available upon request.

  All rights reserved.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be

  reproduced in any form without permission.

  Hardback ISBN: 978-1-955997-30-0

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1-955997-14-0

  E-Book ISBN: 978-1-955997-01-0

  Audiobook CD ISBN: 978-1-955997-43-0

  Illustrations by Jade Zivanovic

  and Steam Power Studios

  (copyright retained by

  Heroes of Time Productions)

  Printed in the United States of America

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places,

  and events portrayed in this novel are either products of

  the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  For all the family, friends, and

  colleagues of the late Daniel “Skip” Person,

  our real-life Captain Murdoch.

  PREFACE & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book is an answered prayer. So many authors probably feel that way when their books get published, especially when it’s their first one.

  You also sometimes hear of those authors who have dreamed of getting published for more than twenty years before they finally could. I’m thrilled and honored to join their ranks.

  I actually wrote another “first” book for the “Heroes of Time” series, called Heroes of Time: The First Ethereal. Strategies shifted, plans changed, elements aligned…and so Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch’s Choice came first.

  And I think that works wonderfully. Murdoch’s Choice provides an apt, fast-paced entry for the series. In fact, either book is a great place to start.

  The extensive worldbuilding I had done in creating The First Ethereal fed nicely into the writing of Murdoch’s Choice and, I believe, allows it to be a richer experience packaged into a relatively snappy, smallish debut novel. These two novels are indeed both part of the “Heroes of Time” series, but rather than running purely in sequence they run more in parallel, supporting the broader narrative at different angles that will, eventually, intersect. This makes Murdoch’s Choice something of a tie-in novel to the larger story and thus why the word Legends is also added to the full title.

  Murdoch’s Choice carries extra special meaning for me as a dedication to my late friend, colleague, and part of the family, Daniel “Skip” Person. Captain Zale “the Gale” Murdoch was born in my notes and outlines over the year or so prior to Skip’s passing in December 2018, a character based directly on his larger-than-life personality, token sayings, and intelligence. It was Skip himself who came up with the name (offering “Augustus Macpherson” as an alternative) and suggested that he should captain his own vessel. Somewhere in all of that we brainstormed a feisty red panda to accompany him.

  And so my acknowledgments start with him. Thank you, Skip.

  Also, thanks to your long-departed cat, Queenie.

  My long journey to finally becoming a published author carries far too many people to list. I want to thank those on the professional end who rallied to make all the pieces fit so that publishing in our desired timeframe could become a reality: Allyson Machate of The Writer’s Ally for her coordination of the copyediting, proofreading, and publishing details; Emily Hitchcock for a job well done on typesetting, interior design, and putting all the technical pieces together; Ron Kadden for helping me with strategies that really set things in motion; and Nathan Bransford, my editor, who lent me some of his valuable experience and challenged me in all the right ways. Also, thank you to Eric Poggel for his skillful development of my website and online beta reader system.

  Jade Zivanovic of Steam Power Studios did a marvelous job on the cover art, character art, Queenie ship drawings, and the ship’s log. Especially cool about the ship’s log is that it was created using Skip’s real-life handwriting, in particular notes from within his old Bible.

  Many special thanks to Jacob Kuntzman, who has supported my writing endeavors over the years with such humbling and appreciated enthusiasm. He is the absolute best kind of alpha reader I could hope to have, always ready with candid feedback and ideas, and always willing to go over all the changes made along the way.

  I also want to thank all of the beta readers who provided feedback on this novel, even when the timeframe got tight: Jackson Utz, Jason Holmes, Ryan Harger, Joe Sammons, Alex McHaddad, Jade Zivanovic, Luke Dupps, and William Colaw. You guys are awesome!

  A special shout-out to my long-time buds Luke Dupps and William Colaw. Luke is the real-life “Fump” Willigan—a nickname given to him by Skip. His giving me the video game Chrono Trigger back in 1996, which I later endeavored to novelize, is quite possibly what kindled the fire within me to become a published author. William has always been there to listen to the ups and downs of my journey to finally becoming an author, offering much-appreciated encouragement and support.

  Thank you to Lona Person, Skip’s wife, for being an awesome mother-in-law and Mamaw Gangy to our kids.

  A most heartfelt thanks to my parents, Greg and Joy, who worked hard to position me for success in life, and also to my brother, Brandon. We are all blessed to share so much life together, which has built and enriched the person I am today.

  Finally, thank you to my wife, Kaly, and our daughters, Dawn, Brooke, Holly, and Ivy. They get to see and put up with all those moments of my stressing over work while stubbornly pressing ahead to pursue my dreams as a writer. Even so, when Kaly surprises me with a “Best Author in the Galaxy” T-shirt or a “Future Best-Selling Author” mug or a “Writer’s Block” candle (scented of regurgitated ideas)…that, folks, is true love.

  PROLOGUE

  CENTERPIECE

  6/33/3201

  Fiddles and flutes trilled like the skipping of children, punctuated by lively drumbeat. Men guffawed in raucous laughter and clapped the shoulders of comrades, and enough mulled drinks had been consumed to poison the ocean. Here, upon the roof of The Wayward Sailor’s Inn, it was just another celebration of old salts and jolly tars from the seafaring mercantile guild.

  This was an inn of Warvonia within the province of Rock-nee, an old town situated along the kingdom of Tuscawny’s eastern coast. Not much ever changed here, and many of its inner workings happened out of the light of day, but at le
ast one of its constants was the simple, subtle charm of a seaside town, with its rich, salty air and its maze of curvy, sloping streets that seemed impossible to navigate save to those who knew them.

  Starlina Murdoch downed a glass of honey-mulled wine with relish. At fourteen, she was just below the legal drinking age. Nobody here cared. Besides, she knew her limits better than most of the scalawags scattered about the rooftop terrace this evening.

  Tonight the celebration revolved around the return of one of the guild’s most renowned captains: her father, Captain Zale Murdoch of the Queenie, one of the sleekest, fastest, and well-outfitted square-riggers to scale the seas, named after what her father considered to be the “greatest cat that ever lived.” Its gilded figurehead was fashioned in the likeness of a roaring teron, one of the bipedal, winged creatures from beyond the Great Crescent that could best be described as a humanoid dragon. Few in the kingdom of Tuscawny had ever seen these creatures. Of course, her father was one who had. That was how he’d lost part of his leg.

  Starlina took another glass of wine from a passing servant’s tray and leaned against the stone plinth of a statue as she sipped. She threw back her long, brown hair with its streaks of light blue and glared at the statue’s face. It was of a sea captain, pointing his cutlass in the direction of the ocean.

  Her father stood across the terrace, surrounded by fawning sailors resigned to laughing at every word the man spoke.

  “Never seen anyone party like those stiffs in western Zebarb,” the man roared. “Blubberpots and jigglequeens, every one of ’em! Ah haha! Pop-Pop!”

  Starlina rolled her eyes and looked away, beyond the inn, where stretched a calm and deserted courtyard, one of many that was relatively unchanged since feudal times. Soon enough that courtyard would be filled with the boisterous din of drunken sailors stumbling away from this place.

  “Another glass, milady?” spoke a luscious voice from behind her. “Shall I arrange a carriage for your safe return home?”

  She returned a lopsided smirk, spinning to face the source. There stood Jensen Karrack, staring at her with beautiful hazelnut eyes that had hypnotized her since their childhood. His brownish hair had hints of muted yellow throughout, and his lean, square face had a handsome, angular jawline.

  “What you can arrange, Mister Karrack, is to ready your horse and ride me upon your lap all around this city, until at some grave hour we arrive upon my house.”

  The lad raised an eyebrow. “Mister Karrack? Hmm. I’m afraid I find it highly inappropriate to ride upon my lap any lady with whom I’ve not achieved first-name basis.”

  She sat her half-emptied glass upon the stone plinth. “Jensen,” she replied sharply. “Just take me away from this place.”

  Jensen raised an eyebrow. “So soon? The fun is just beginning!”

  “I’ve already had quite enough of sailors for one night, thank you. All I can smell in the air here are sweat and alcohol.”

  “It’s not so bad once you get used to it,” Jensen said with a chuckle.

  Starlina returned to observing the crowd, the music having just paused. Captain Murdoch had just brought in one of the most successful hauls of raw power crystals in the guild’s history. She could hear her father’s coarse laughter bellowing into the air.

  “The guy just looked at me and said, ‘I never met a bridge I didn’t burn! Ah hahaha!’” A fit of laughter followed from those around him.

  Starlina smiled in spite of herself. She gazed into the open sky, tracing the white planetary rings of Eliorin. In the hazy air, the rings illuminated the land in an almost ghostly nightglow.

  She was glad that her father was respected in the guild. Still, he had been away for nearly a month, and since his return two days ago, he had spent maybe ten minutes with her. Such was the way of seafaring merchants, an occupation she dearly wished her father could simply disavow. She knew it was the folly of a little girl, but she missed him.

  “Your father is quite the centerpiece,” Jensen said. “It gives me all the more excitement that, someday, I should hope to be part of his famous crew.”

  Starlina flashed him a glare. “Why must every man in this town take to the sea? Is there not enough to be done here upon the land?”

  Jensen chuckled dismissively. “Let the land be for those who like their vision hampered. Give me a clear horizon—the promise of adventure and discovery!”

  “Overrated tosh, if you ask me,” she said. “I don’t think I could ever be with a man in the seafaring guild.” She ignored the sudden concern in Jensen’s eyes. “They’re far too absent.”

  “Some voyages are long,” he said, “and some are short. But they come with great reward, and is it not true that time apart makes the heart grow fonder?”

  “Time apart leaves the heart to ponder, more like.”

  “Well,” Jensen said, “I think you should keep an open mind. If I could sail with your father’s crew… Well, there’s none closer to reaching the guild’s mastery bar. Imagine he does reach it. I could be one of the few sailors in history to be part of a crew under grandmaster status. We can take fewer jobs…and the best jobs.”

  “They raise that bar every year! You might just grow old chasing after it. All they do is make it so no one could ever hope to achieve it.”

  “Your father will,” Jensen replied with an air of finality.

  Starlina absently picked up her wineglass from the plinth, swirling what remained of its contents. There would be no use arguing with Jensen. Ever since he was old enough to know what sailing was, it seemed, he had idolized her father.

  “Your birthday is just around the corner,” Starlina said, swinging her hips enticingly.

  This year, on the fifth of Jovidor, Jensen would turn seventeen, the age when citizens throughout Tuscawny could declare their desired discipline for consideration with their nearest vocational university. It was the only real chance anyone had to pursue a career path of their choice. Without an approved declaration, the guilders could assign civilians wherever they pleased. Rocknee Vocational, just outside of Warvonia, was renowned throughout the kingdom for the quality of its maritime disciplines. At only fourteen, Starlina still had time to consider hers. Jensen, of course, already had his sights set on the seafaring mercantile discipline, but Starlina had not given up on him yet.

  He grinned. “So it is.”

  “And there are so many sea-related occupations that don’t require sailing.”

  “A little late for me to change course now,” he said.

  She arched an eyebrow. “It’s only the thirty-third of Jervens. Plenty of time to make a change.”

  He ran his hand gently through her hair. “Ah, Starlina, I so long for the day when you can join me upon a ship. Then you might see just how majestic it is.”

  She shook off his hand. “I’ve been on a boat before, Jensen.”

  “Not with me on it,” he said with a wink. “And what discipline shall you declare, Starlina?”

  She licked her lips in thought. “I suspect it shall be whatever keeps my feet firmly upon the land, sir.”

  Lute and cello chords sang out, whilst kettledrums pounded a beat. Brightly dressed minstrels in an upraised gallery took over to liven up the occasion.

  Jensen held out a hand. “I hope your feet aren’t planted too firmly. Care to dance?”

  She took his hand, he took her waist, and together they floated about the terrace like youthful swans on a lake. As children they had danced together countless times to music much like this. Yet, as Jensen’s strong hands clasped her sides and twirled her with such control, suddenly the dance felt anything but childish.

  Song after song they spun and glided about, until nearly an hour had passed like a few minutes. She was barely aware of anyone else around her. If her father had broken away from the men for any manner of doddering dance movement with his wife, Lola—Starlina’s stepmother—she was oblivious to it.

  Finally the music stopped, leaving Starlina breathless in Jensen’s
arms. Conversation picked up all around them, just as before. Her attention was only on him. He held more than her sides. This boy—nearly a man—held her heart. In truth, he always had. If only she could make him see the joys of life—life with her—without so itinerant a job as sailing…then all could be perfect.

  Jensen released her. “You’ve only gotten better at that,” he said.

  She drew in a breath. “As have you, good sir.”

  “I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a polished gemstone like pinkish-purple glass. “This is lilac kuntupite. It’s a power crystal, and you might hear about its use in everyday household appliances, but this is a very pure form. It’s said to align the hearts and souls of people who care for each other over great distances. Might be a load of rubbish, but who knows? I got a pair of them from a friend in the guild. So, now I have one…and so do you.”

  She took the stone and looked it over, not quite knowing how to react. It was a genuine gesture, but with it came again that promise of “great distances,” a constant she’d already had to endure growing up with Zale Murdoch as her father.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Thank you.”

  “Let’s hang ’em first and then have the trial!” Her father’s voice had a remarkable ability to carry a broad distance. The men around him were in stitches, their faces red, likely as much from the drinking as the laughing.

  “That silly man will be the one to break the mastery bar?” she asked. “And I thought I was the one who’s had too much wine.”

  “He will, alright. You just wait and see. Your father’s unstoppable. Captain Zale ‘the Gale’ Murdoch—the man, the scourge, the legend.” The nut-brown eyes of his dashing face looked into hers. He moved closer, very close, his face inching toward hers.

  She jolted back. “You haven’t asked my blessing to approach like that.”

  He smirked. “Sailors don’t ask questions. They take action.”

  He kissed her cheek and walked away, Starlina’s heart racing and her mouth grinning from ear to ear.