The High King: A Tale of Alus (42 page)

Waves lapped against the shore. They were still capped in white, but they had lessened in strength with the passing of the storm. The morning's light revealed a beach still cluttered with the debris dredged up by its fury. The fisherman pirate stepped through the driftwood and kelp carefully, but not so gently that he would not disturb the crabs hidden beneath their sheltering darkness.

With a deft flick of his wrist, the man stooped and tossed one of the scuttling creatures into a bag already squirming with his catch of the day. The pirate rubbed a sleeve across his forehead to sop up the sweat starting to appear on his brow. The weather following the storm was much warmer than that of the day before and was laden with extra humidity trapped on the island from both the rain that had fallen and the usual moisture rising from the ocean surrounding it. The man knew that it was going to be a hot, sticky day.

It was then as his hand passed his eyes that the pirate noticed the body where it lay upon the shore. He had missed it earlier due to his preoccupation with the crabs and the clutter of debris that nearly covered the corpse. Making a face, the pirate moved forward to check just what kind of man had fallen to the nastiness of the storm.

He doubted that the body could be a pirate. Every ship he knew to be near had taken refuge in the port of Gibros half a mile further down along the shoreline. It must be either a merchant foolish enough to have been blown near to the pirate isles or more likely a pirate hunter.

As he stepped over the final wooden barrier, the pirate noted a second body beside the larger gray haired man. White, he clarified silently to himself, the giant of a man had white hair. Scratching his head with a free hand, the pirate considered them thoughtfully and finally decided to take a closer look.

He grimaced to himself. Before he had become a pirate, the man would never have been able to look on a corpse so casually. The man was just morbid enough to want to see who the dead man was, but to do so with no emotion except that of curiosity, proved just how much he had changed in the past two years.

A gasp pulled from the pirate's mouth as he noted the big man and his face in particular. Recognition justified what had prompted him to look. He knew this man and not just by reputation either. Kneeling beside the giant, the fisherman noted that he still breathed. The other man was equally alive, but it was the giant that drew his full attention. Nudging the man in the side gently, the giant still refused to show life beyond his breathing.

"Fine, you always were a deep sleeper," the pirate muttered quietly. Setting the bag down carefully beside him and making sure that its drawstring was tightened enough to prevent his catch from escaping, the man moved both hands underneath the unconscious man. Setting both feet carefully apart, the pirate heaved and rolled the giant roughly onto his stomach.

The giant gasped as his sleep was cut short. "What...?" he grumbled in surprise while his sleep enshrouded mind tried to catch up to his surroundings.

"About time you awoke, isn't it, sir? The day could be half gone for all you seem to care."
"Who...?" he asked turning to face the pirate. The giant's face lit up in shock. "Janus? Am I dreaming, my friend? It wouldn't be the first time that I had awoke wondering what happened to you. Is this real?"
"Master Aramathea, I don't know how you came to be here, but I would hazard a guess that this is real enough. How did you wind up here anyway?"
Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Gerid raised a hand to his forehead as if to relieve a headache. When his eyes returned to the pirate, he answered, "I could ask you the same. When last I saw you, we were in the slave pens. How did you wind up back with the pirates, or are you with them?"
"It is a long story. As is yours, I gather. Who is your friend?"
"My friend?" Gerid turned in the direction Janus pointed and his eyes widened. "Jahkob. I forgot that he was with me." Gerid's eyes glazed slightly as he thought to himself aloud, "Does that mean the girl was real as well then?"
"What girl?" Janus asked searching around them for a third body.
Gerid glanced around briefly and shook his head again, "Never mind, I guess. Must just have been a dream. There is no way that such a strange creature could exist."
Janus looked thoughtful, "A woman that was as much fish as human?"
Gerid looked at him in surprise. "You mean that she was real?"
Shrugging, the pirate replied, "A story told by the pirates is that there is supposed to be a race of people that live beneath the seas. Most of them don't believe the old story, of course. It's just a story told to the children as they go to bed, like those of trolls or gods like our parents told us in Marshalla. There may be truth hidden in the tales, but who truly knows what inspires such stories."
Gerid shrugged, "I may be starting to believe some of the things about the gods and the girl did seem real enough, but like you say who knows?" Gerid leaned over and slapped Jahkob's face lightly. The waterlogged sailor coughed a quick staccato as he began to awake. After a moment the man opened his eyes just enough to see Gerid's face and give a groan.
"Time to get back to work again, sir? Kind of strange to have you coming to wake me." The man tried to raise up and gave another, louder groan and was forced to lay back again. "Sorry, sir," he mumbled apologetically.
Patting the man's shoulder gently, Gerid shook his head, "Don't worry, Jahkob. We aren't on ship. You must have blacked out in the storm. You and I were washed ashore last night after being knocked into the sea."
"Can barely remember the storm," Jahkob mumbled and started to doze off once again.
"It must have taken a lot out of both of you," Janus stated as he looked over Gerid's shoulder at the sleeping man. "Actually, I'm rather surprised you survived last night's fury."
Gerid looked up from his kneeling position and stared steadily at the other man's eyes. "What happened to you? You never said."
His former friend shrugged, "I was bought by a merchant to help fill out his crew." Janus smiled grimly, "Threw up all over the idiot on the first day. Even now it tends to take a day to get over being seasick, but my captain took me out with him every time.
"Anyway, back to your question. The second month with the merchant ship, we were attacked by the pirates. Captain Salazar spied the slave's tattoo on my forearm and decided to keep me as a servant. When the captain found out that I could actually fight half way decently, I was promoted up to a full sailor. I've since earned their respect and learned enough about sailing that I've been made one of the ship's sub-lieutenants." Janus smiled slightly and Gerid knew that the man was proud of his accomplishments. From what Gerid knew of the pirates, it was a rare honor to achieve such a rank from Janus' original position as slave. He knew the next question before it was asked, and cringed a little when his friend decided to ask it. "So how about you, Gerid? I spied the scar on your hand. How have you been doing since you were sold into slavery?" Janus winced slightly. Both men felt the harshness of the unspoken bitterness they had felt over the past nearly three years. It had been unfair to all of them to lose their lives to slavery, but they knew now that life was not always fair.
Unfortunately, Gerid really had been given quite a lot to replace that which he had lost. Not wanting to alienate his only friend on this isle, he said quickly, "I fought as a mercenary long enough to buy back my freedom. Then I turned to privateering and have done well enough."
Janus gave him a penetrating look and shook his head so slightly that the other almost missed it. Most people would have missed that look of doubt or perhaps it was slight mistrust, but, even after almost three years of separation, Gerid knew his friend's thoughts. Janus didn't bother to question further, but did ask, "What are you doing here? Or maybe I should ask what you will do now that you have been wrecked here?"
Gerid shrugged, "I'll do what I came here to do."
Both eyebrows lifted in surprise, "So you did come here on purpose. Do you expect to fight the entire island by yourself? I am your friend, even after all this time, but I won't throw my life away so foolishly."
It was Gerid's turn to smile. "I didn't come here to fight. I came to make the pirates a deal."
Janus shook his head incredulously once again and sat upon a piece of driftwood. The bag squirmed beside him, but the pirate ignored his catch. It could wait. Finally he stated, "Tell me what this deal is and I will tell you if they would listen long enough not to kill you."
Gerid sat himself more comfortably on the sand and began to outline what he had in mind.
A small smile began to grow on the pirate's face and he started to nod as the giant outlined his ambitious plan. "It could work, I think. Yes, I think that it could."

Simon held his pack over the left shoulder as he walked a street he hadn't used in almost three years. The sounds of seabirds and the tolling of bells in the harbor brought him back to the day he and his brother had last been to the seaport of Alistaire. They had been fleeing for their lives to start a new business and renew their lives to the north. Little had they known that the ship known as the Patar would instead deliver them into slavery.

Slavery hadn't been the worst to happen to the crew and passengers of the small merchant vessel. It was that point that drew him to the building bearing the sign of an anchor. The office had changed little since he had seen it last. The white wash looked more faded perhaps as did the blue lettering of the sign below the anchor, but the business still seemed to be in full operation.

Pushing on the door, caused the small bell to ring as it had on the last day he had come here. The sound also served to bring the old man's eyes up from his ledgers sitting atop his desk. With a gasp of surprise and shock the old man jumped to his feet. "Simon? How did you...? Where...?" the man couldn't get his thoughts through his mouth quickly enough to finish any of his questions.

Simon smiled contentedly. "Hello, Cardy, it's good to see you again."
The old man had tears in his eyes as his chest filled with emotions that were hard to express. "I never thought that I would see you or any of the others again. It's been nearly three years, Simon. What happened to you all?"
Gesturing to one of the chairs that sat before the business desk for clients, Simon asked, "It's a long story, may I?"
The old man rushed around the desk to lock the door. Flipping his closed sign to face the outside, Cardy took Simon by the elbow and led him through the back door into his home. "Can you stay long, or are you still on the run, my young friend?"
Allowing himself to be led up a flight of stairs to the kitchen, Simon spied the old man's wife, Martine, who nearly dropped a pan still holding the loaf of bread she had just taken from the oven.
"I didn't mean to shock the two of you so," Simon apologized as the woman managed to catch the pan and place it carefully atop a cutting board so as not to burn the counter.
"Nonsense, Simon," Cardy waved away the apology and his wife nodded. "We have never seen the Patar or any of its crew since it set sail on that last voyage. We could only assume the worst. Seeing you means that it must have been pirates, I suppose?"
Simon nodded. "Yes, slavers in fact. We tried to run. Your son-in-law tried his best to escape them, but they were too well organized. The first ship herded us towards more. We never had a chance."
"So you were all sold into slavery? Where? Perhaps I can free poor Dernick from whatever shackles bind him there."
Shaking his head sadly, Simon answered, "They killed him, sir. I am sorry."
A low moan came from his wife. Cardy moved to wrap an arm around the woman to comfort her, "There, there, Martine, I am sad to hear this news as well, but remember that it happened three years ago and we have always figured that Dernick probably died. The man was always loyal to his ship after all."
The woman shook her head, "I do not cry for myself as much as I do poor Sofea. She'll be so hurt by knowing that Dernick is truly gone."
Sighing, the old man tried to reassure his wife again, "The girl is strong, Martine. She has survived three years of his loss. I think that her level head will continue to see her through. She may even want to move on now that we know his true fate."
Nodding her head, his wife left them and went to her room. The woman reappeared before the men had a chance to speak. With a shawl now wrapped across her shoulders to keep out the morning chill brought from the sea winds, Martine stated, "I will go see Sofea and let her know the truth. Please stay for the evening meal, Simon. We will not take no for an answer from a friend who has been kept from us so long." With that said, the woman turned to hurry down the stairs.
"Well, there you go," Cardy nodded to Simon. Gesturing to the next room, which served as a living room. The two men took up a pair of plush chairs after the old man broke out a pair of goblets and a bottle of wine. Settling down and taking a swift gulp, the old friend gestured towards Simon. "Tell me what happened, boy. It will be awhile until Martine returns. She will want to know everything, of course, but I can fill her in on the highlights later."
Simon settled in for the long telling of the past three years. From the doomed voyage to the slave yards and its block, from the time spent as a slave to his return to business with Gerid, he told it all and everything that he knew of Gerid's life as well. When he got to the point of telling of their need to send a spy to Marshalla and their hopes of taking on Merrick, Cardy finally released a sailor's curse in amazement.
"Your audacity amazes me, lad. If I may, I almost think that the two of you may almost have gained more than you ever lost. Why don't you put away these ideas of attacking Merrick? You have no idea of the forces that he has raised as an army to take over the world."
Simon shook his head, "You have not told me what we face yet, my friend. Please tell me. That is why I have returned at this time, despite my gladness at seeing you and your wife again."
The old man chuckled, "Did you miss us so? You are kind to humor me with such words, but we know that is not that true. Do not get me wrong, I know that we were friends even before your father passed on, but I see in your eyes that this is business. It was that same look that you wore so many times over the years and especially the night you came seeking passage out of the country."
Simon started to protest, but Cardy raised his hand stopping him. "We haven't all night to argue, so let me get straight to it, my friend. The High King, as Merrick calls himself now, has made a deal with demons. They call them gargoyles, but let us face the truth. Ten foot beasts that fly using their great wings and possessing the strength of dozens of men, I would call them demons, wouldn't you?"
"I..." Simon started in confusion, but again the old man cut him off.
"You have not seen them and neither have I, except flying in the distance. What we call them does not matter. What does matter is that less than a hundred of them were enough to force King Terris and his knights to surrender themselves to his mercy or die before them.
"With the knights sworn to him and Terris's daughter given as his bride to seal the bargain, the man ran over Sileoth in less than a summer. Terris was one of his generals. With his mind and the armies' strength, it was no contest. If Maris' wizards hadn't devised magic golems to fight against them, they would have conquered that country and the remains of Sileoth's armies fighting there long ago." The old man gave a tired smile, "Did I forget to mention that he has dragons fighting for him as well?"
Simon puffed out his cheeks and blew out in dismay. "You paint a vividly dark picture, Cardy. Let me ask you this though, does the resistance remain in any form anymore?"
The old man leaned closer, "Yes, I believe so. The fools continue to do what they can while Merrick is away. They don't dare to risk his wrath when the king has time to do anything about it. The queen does about as much to resist him as any from what I hear."
"How so?"
With a wolfish grin, he laughed, "They say that she and her maidservants run around the city naked. I am also told that the women are so beautiful and defiant in their beauty that it brings hope to everyone who sees them. It would be worth the risk to go to Hala if you are daring enough, young Aramathea."
Simon smiled though his heart was not in it. "It sounds like the queen is a tramp to me. How can the people see her as anything but a madwoman obsessed with revealing her beauty? I would think that it honors Merrick rather than hurting him."
Shaking his head vehemently, the elder man denied his words, "No, no, Simon, it is completely known that the queen hates her husband. When he left, she began this strange behavior. Word has it that she has contacts with the resistance now. Another rumor says that her father is the resistance's leader, but that is impossible. He was killed almost a year ago, it was said." With a discerning look, Cardy added, "I really do think that you may want to go there. Others tell me that the heart of the resistance can be found in Merrick's very own capitol."
"Perhaps I will. I need to know more about what we are up against, before I allow Gerid to commit his fleet completely to attacking Merrick."
Cardy looked at him in amazement. "You mean that you still plan to go through with this insanity?"
Laughing humorlessly, Simon stated, "I probably couldn't stop Gerid from going through with it if I wanted to, but I can give him the advice to wait until we are better prepared. He has put together a fleet of more than twenty ships and he has the money to buy a dozen or more if he desires. Then there is the fact that he is an admiral of Rhearden, which may mean that he could get a loan of the king's ships in this venture if he asked. I doubt that anyone will be able to stop my brother from his need to stop Merrick."
The old man shook his head. "Such power. I think that you boys did gain much from your losses all right."
Simon slowly shook his head, "We lost too much when we lost our sister and friends. That is the reason that we will fight Merrick, no matter what the odds. Vengeance will not be denied. The gods seem to favor us in this endeavor, Cardy, and we will not falter."