Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch's Choice

by Wayne D. Kramer

  Jaxon stood with the help of two crewmates, his face indignant. “That thing’s tough, man. Really solid.”

  “Only an ethereal power can dissolve this,” Fulgar said. “For a Fielder, I admit it will require much strength.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help you?” Daubernoun asked. “Anything that can boost your ability?”

  Fulgar shook his head. “Not unless an etheretical affinity has been awakened within any of you. To my knowledge that is not…” He stopped himself and peered through the faintly translucent wall where Captain Murdoch stood outside the barrier, shouting words they could not hear. “Unless…perhaps…”

  Suddenly the dome started to move. It slid slowly along the ground, moving away from the grimkins.

  “They’re pushing us toward the lake!” shouted Miles.

  “Push against it!” screamed Evette. She threw her hands into the wall of the dome. Her oarsmen and several other crew-members joined her.

  The dome was unhindered, its pace unchanged. It merely pushed the crew along, no matter how much they dug their boots into the ground. Fulgar was not surprised. Fazing this sort of contrivance would require more than any amount of physical strength.

  He searched his inner strength, knowing it was not enough…but he had to try. He gripped the novidian and slammed his hands into the dome. Brilliant white energy emanated from his touch.

  The dome’s movement slowed a little, but it did not stop. It continued toward its target, pushing large rocks out of its path.

  He looked again to the man outside the dome. He knew it was Captain Murdoch. He pounded against the wall of energy as though banging on a door, causing bursts of white light to spread from each impact.

  Fulgar could only hope his signal would be grasped from the other side…because it was the only hope he had left of gathering enough strength against their deadly prison.

  Zale saw the bursts of white light from inside the dome and knew it could only be Fulgar. Feeling insanely helpless already, he was relieved to see the dome’s movement slowed, if only a little, as Fulgar took his powers to it.

  Still, something was amiss. The dome continued to move, closer and closer to the lake.

  Fulgar’s movements seemed increasingly frantic, not so much the controlled actions Zale had come to associate with the man.

  Finally, it dawned on Zale: Fulgar was trying to get his attention.

  I see you, Zale thought. What under the rings do you want me to do?

  Zale looked at the grimkins. While the commander alone had initially created the anomaly, now all five of them were concentrated on keeping it intact. Keeping twenty-something men imprisoned in some hexed dome, Zale figured, must take a combined effort.

  He stepped slowly closer to the barrier. Aside from the pulses of white, Zale couldn’t make out anything definitive within. He could only see dark forms frantically trying to push against the dome’s movement.

  It was getting very close to the lake now. Soon its edge would touch the water. The horrific realization had already occurred to Zale that the grimkins intended to drown his entire crew.

  After a bit longer, the white bursts became handprints. Fulgar was pushing deliberately against the wall, so that the shape of his hands shone through. Zale got the distinct impression that Fulgar wanted him to touch the dome from the outside.

  With another furtive glance at the grimkins, Zale took off and jogged toward Fulgar’s position.

  He was just reaching out for it when he suffered a hard hit from the side that took him down and knocked the wind from his lungs. His saber clashed to the cave floor several feet away, too far to reach.

  “Zale, ye bloated gaffer, surely ye didn’t think our contest would come to an end as swift as that.”

  Gasping, Zale sat up, staring into Seadread’s blade.

  “Now,” Seadread said, “let’s see if ye’ve finally come to yer senses. I’ll be havin’ that Grimstone, if ye please.”

  CHAPTER 13

  SELFLESS DEFENSE

  8/9/3203

  Starlina emerged from the lake, dripping like a wet rag, in time to see Seadread looming over her father. They were perhaps a spear’s throw away, Seadread’s back turned to her.

  “Get away from him, you monster!” she screamed.

  Seadread cackled like dry leaves. “Ah, Zale, seems we have ourselves an audience. Now, give me the Grimstone, and put an end to this game. Show yer daughter ye know how t’ lose with dignity.”

  “Oh, I see,” her father said, still upon the cave floor. “And you’re just going to let us all walk out of here peacefully, like we just lost a friendly game of tag?”

  “Whatever makes ye happy, Zale,” Seadread replied. “I really think we’re beyond the point of exchanges and negotiations over who’s doin’ what. What’s fer certain is this: I have ye at the point o’ me sword, and yer crew is slippin’ fer the water, every one of ’em trapped like fish in a barrel.”

  “Not all of them!” Jensen shouted.

  Starlina turned with a start.

  Jensen—her Jensen—emerged from the edge of the lake like a crocodile on the hunt. He plowed into Seadread, water spraying from his clothes. As the scoundrel fell to the side, Jensen took up her father’s saber.

  Seadread sprang to his feet with a wild swing of his sword. Silver steel flashed as they dueled. Jensen’s youthful fervor proved a challenge for Seadread, but the dastardly captain held his ground.

  Starlina’s father had not yet stood. His hands were busy inside of his coat, as though checking for something.

  She gasped. Does he actually have the Grimstone here with him?

  Daring to come nearer, she took a step toward her father and stopped again as she glanced at the strange barrier surrounding the rest of the crew.

  The barrier was slowly moving into the lake. The crew’s dark outlines splashed about frantically as water filled their bubble of a prison. Somehow the grimkins were able to keep them trapped inside while also allowing the water in.

  She saw the whiteness of Fulgar’s hands and dagger banging against the dome. Please, Fulgar, she silently hoped. Please find a way to overcome it.

  Then Fulgar made the outline of a star.

  Starlina’s heart skipped. It was the signal he had asked her to watch for back on the ship, when the dagger had glowed in her grasp.

  She swallowed her fear and ran toward the barrier, stepping ankle-deep into the edge of the lake. She could see Fulgar’s face just behind the dome looking back at her. Maintaining eye contact, he smacked his palms and dagger against the dome, the white of his energy spreading from the impact.

  She had no idea what he expected. There was only one thing she could think to do.

  She placed her hands over Fulgar’s. It was like trying to touch through a pane of glass, typically a futile endeavor.

  But it wasn’t futile.

  Starlina flinched as she felt an intense yet inexplicably welcoming warmth in her hands. The same white glow Fulgar possessed spread from her own hands. Fulgar closed his eyes. Her energy seemed to feed into his.

  “Ahh!” Seadread yelled out.

  Seadread and Jensen were still fighting.

  Jensen had just made a bad step upon a rock, turning his ankle. As he stumbled to the side, Seadread’s sword came around, slicing hard into the back of his left leg. He fell with a bloodcurdling scream, unable to stand.

  “Jensen!” She pulled away from the barrier and leaped at Seadread.

  “Starlina, no!” her father shouted. He was back on his feet.

  She grappled Seadread around the neck from behind, trying to pull him backward. He wriggled free and threw his arm around her neck, tossing her against the nearby cave wall.

  “Starlina!” Jensen shouted, wincing and holding his leg.

  The entire cave rumbled. Fulgar was pushing the barrier back toward the grimkins. Zaps of white energy emanated from around the barrier, striking at the cavern, loosening stalactites and chunks of rock. />
  Starlina’s chest heaved with exertion and terror. Seadread’s sword was now pointed directly at her heart.

  Seadread positioned himself to address her father. “Now ye see, Zale, we have here a final ultimatum. Give me the Grim-stone if ye want t’ see yer starling poppet leave this place alive.”

  “Garrick, you murderous dog!” shouted her father. “Leave her out of this!”

  “I’ll not be impugned by the likes o’ you, Zale. Given ye chance after chance I have, and now we’ve come to this!”

  They had to shout ever louder as the rumbling within the cave increased. Fulgar and the grimkins were deadlocked, although the grimkins were clearly struggling to fight back. As rocks continued to rain down throughout the cavern, Starlina wondered if the cave itself might collapse.

  Three of the grimkins stepped closer to the anomaly, trying to overpower Fulgar. They soon regretted it, as they were zapped by white tines of energy that destroyed their black stones and scattered their lifeless bodies like dandelion seeds.

  Another grimkin was crushed by a boulder from above, leaving only the commander.

  “Zale, ye damned fool!” Seadread spat. “By now it seems ye’d take me serious.”

  He grabbed Starlina by the collar and shoved her back into the cave wall, giving her head a painful jolt. He reached down and ripped at her shirt, exposing her midriff. She felt the chill of his blade for only a moment as it touched her skin, immediately replaced by a vast and fierce sting as he cut a red line across her belly. She screamed in pain.

  “D’ ye take me serious now, Zale?”

  Her father fumbled with his coat. “Stop, Rummy! Look, I have it…right here.”

  He pulled out a cylindrical casing.

  “This is what I found. I just haven’t been able to open it yet.”

  Seadread again had his sword pointed at Starlina’s chest. Hands pressed against her wound, she tried to stop the bleeding. The sting was almost unbearable, but fortunately the sword had not cut deep enough to go beyond the skin.

  “And why is that?” Seadread asked.

  “There’s a riddle,” her father said. “Dark opens dark. It means byrne—I figured out that much. It takes the Dark Ethereal to release the shard of the Dark Entry. But all the byrne you’ve used against my crew has been destroyed.”

  “Well, Zale, not all.” Seadread gestured toward the commander of the grimkins. “But even if he doesn’t survive, it’s but an exercise in patience. Ye remember Vidimir, I’m sure. He’ll have byrne enough, just as he had when he set the dockyard aflame back in Warvonia.”

  “That was him?” Zale replied. “But why?”

  “An act o’ persuasion, o’ course. If that weren’t enough, I knew sailin’ in view o’ yer ship would be.” He cackled. “Ah, ye took the bait as a marvel, Murdoch! We knew we needed ye to get to the Grimstone. The rest, ye see, is history.” He moved the sword tip closer to Starlina. “Now, Zale, give me the treasure… yer sacred, legendary Treasure o’ Macpherson.”

  “Fine, Seadread. You win.” He stepped closer and held out the canister. “The real Treasure of Macpherson isn’t the Grimstone.”

  Seadread grasped the cylinder’s other end.

  “The real Treasure was his family. His daughter.”

  Starlina felt awful and touched all at once. Throughout her entire life her father had chosen time taking voyages over time with her. In truth, she’d never felt particularly valued by him over his treasures. Whether or not that was fair, he’d never really proven otherwise…until now.

  Seadread gave a yellow-toothed smirk. “Very sentimental, Zale, but I’ll be takin’ the Grimstone.”

  Her father released it to Seadread and took hold of Starlina’s arm before Seadread could pull any further tricks.

  More rocks fell within the cavern, landing all around the grimkin commander and rolling off the barrier.

  “Best o’ luck t’ ye, Zale,” Seadread said. “Should ye make it back, I’ll put in a good word for ye with the guild as a grand master.” Laughing, he ran from the cavern.

  Seconds later, the barrier lifted from the ground. Fulgar pushed it away like something immensely heavy, and the crew took their chance to escape.

  Zale felt a wave of relief, with his crew now freed from the barrier.

  “There’s Seadread! He’s running away!” shouted Dippy.

  “Let him go!” Zale replied. “Our priority now is getting everyone out of here alive!”

  His eyes were on Fulgar, knowing the man was giving all of his strength to remove the barrier.

  “We can still catch him, Captain!” Yancy yelled. “I’ve got some spring in my step yet!”

  Zale shook his head. “No. He still has a full, fresh crew waiting for his return. I’ll not lose more of our own on account of that cursed Grimstone. Dippy, let’s get everyone secured!”

  “Pull away our wounded and fallen!” Dippy called out.

  Men were dragged away to safety. Zale’s heart was very heavy to see that good seamen had perished: Jonas, Ian, Sal, Clement, and Winston. Several others, including Jensen and Rosh, were significantly wounded and would need to be helped back to the ship.

  Zale came as close as he dared to where Fulgar still held back the barrier. “Capital work, Healer Fulgar, no doubt worthy of Eloh’s highest honor! The crew is freed, and it’s time to go!”

  Fulgar was covered in sweat, his raised arms shaking. He met Zale’s eyes and smiled.

  Then the Healer lowered his arms with a massive burst of energy, shooting a shockwave throughout the cavern. The blast tore through the grimkin, burning away feathers and skin. Its byrne was destroyed with a puff of violet smoke.

  A mighty rumble followed the blast, and an avalanche of rock fell directly upon Fulgar’s position. Everyone in the cavern fell silent as a huge cloud of dust kicked into the air.

  Shouts of anguish erupted from the crew.

  “Quickly, uncover him!” shouted Zale. “Now!”

  They swarmed the rubble, pushing away cave rocks and shards.

  “Sir!” Yancy shouted. “He’s still alive…but just barely.”

  Zale came at once to their location. Fulgar had been badly pounded. His breathing was labored and rattled. A very large chunk of rock had fallen right over his torso—lungs, ribs, and everything around them.

  “Fulgar!” Zale chewed his lip as he took in the grim state of their healer and spiritual guide. “Hang on. We’ll get you back to the ship.”

  “Nonsense, Captain,” Fulgar muttered. “Waste no resources on my account. There is…no point.”

  “Your head is jiggered,” Zale said. “We leave no man behind. We’ll get you back to the ship, get you rested, get you fed…and you’ll be shipshape in two shakes of a stick.”

  Fulgar smiled weakly. “Such optimism, Captain.” He coughed, wincing. “The Grimstone…. I know…you will do right…. Your heart…is good.”

  Zale sniffed. He fought his emotions. No captain worth his salt would be caught tearing up over a newly initiated physicker.

  “You know me,” Zale said shakily. “Always helping others.”

  Fulgar opened his hand, the novidian anelace resting within. “Please…take it, Cap….” He sucked in a breath with great effort. “Take it.”

  Zale did.

  “Seek the Order of Aether…Diamond…. Tell them… of…Grimstone….” Fulgar swallowed. “Captain Zale…may Eloh’s brightness…shine…on…you….” His eyes fluttered. “Such light….”

  His last words were merely a whisper within his final breath. Fulgar’s head fell aside in death. His lips remained smiling, as though he were merely in peaceful slumber.

  Anyone wearing a hat had removed it. Sniffles echoed throughout the cavern. Zale brushed away his tears. This man had been so much more than a physicker.

  “I imagine he saw the light of the Ethereal Realm just then,” Yancy said.

  “Of that, good sir,” said Zale, “there is no doubt.”

  Seadread’s s
hip was long gone by the time Murdoch’s crew was fully aboard the Queenie. By the soft light of the moon and rings, they loaded the last of their dead and wounded. Many situations might have called for land burials prior to departure. Zale, however, with his crew in full agreement, was not in the least bit inclined to leave his fallen in this cursed land of Gukhan. They would sail well beyond its borders and give them an honorable burial at sea.

  Their fallen crewmen were wrapped in their own hammocks and kept upon the forecastle. Six souls lost in the cave, added to the three taken when the grimkins had boarded their ship. Nine lost in total. It was the worst single-voyage death toll Zale had experienced during his entire career in the seafaring guild.

  It seemed no small stroke of luck that they had avoided any further encounters with Gukhanian soldiers. Word of the overtaken fort might not yet have reached other strongholds or authorities, but Zale knew this would not be the case for much longer. If retaliation came, it would be swift and ruthless. With everyone aboard, there would be no loitering or rest, no good night’s sleep to prepare for an early-morning sail. Rather, the ship would be turned about and sailed at once, for as long as needed until they were clear of Gukhan’s shores.

  Fortunately the river’s current naturally flowed toward the ocean, making their exit faster. Once back at sea they took full advantage of a southeasterly wind and cut the waters as quickly as the elements allowed. It was not a direct course back to Tuscawny, but it was the fastest course away from Gukhan. They could correct for direction later.

  The crew stuck to their tasks, with few words spoken between them. They were tired and hungry and sorely aggrieved, and every one of them was driven by the innate instinct to get away from this place as fast as they could. It would be a long haul from here.

  With nine fewer, there would be more work and longer hours for everyone.

  “All for naught,” grumbled Kasper from the helm. “We don’t even have the Grimstone to show for it.”

  Zale stood by the larboard railing of the quarterdeck, gazing out to sea and watching the dark mass of Gukhan shrink in the distance. “Are you familiar with the concept of a ‘blessing in disguise’?” he asked. “You didn’t see what I did. That Grimstone is nefarious business. Fulgar was right to warn us of its danger.”