Lord Of Dragons (Book 2)
Read Lord Of Dragons (Book 2) Online
Authors: John Forrester
Copyright © 2014 by John Forrester All right reserved. Published by Amber Muse. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system. Cover Design by Anca Gabriela Marginean Visit:
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Chapter One
IN THE REMNANTS of twilight, Sebine glimpsed a fabric of change amidst the delicate filaments of golden light threading over the silky surface of the Ferelian Sea. It was an intricate weave woven of the finest strands of the living and the dead, of times past and of a time yet to come, and it told a sad story of how the world would transform like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. But in this fabric, she could see that the butterfly the world was to become was a demon.
A heavy tension twisted Sebine's shoulders into knots at the future she saw in her gazing. She wished Master Greyth Shalinor and Master Vhelan had never shown her the art of gazing, for with all the vastness of the sea and the slowness of the ship, she found herself staring for many mindless hours at the sea. This was a deeper kind of meditation than the Hakkadians practiced in their lair, for out here under the wind and the sun and the stars, the world came alive in the sea spray striking her face and the smell of the ocean wafting into her nostrils. Every cell in her body blossomed and stretched open long-dull senses to marvel at the beauty of the world.
But with that awakening came the realization of the hopelessness of their cause. Master Vhelan had left her without a word and had taken the dragons back to Trikar, and likely returned into the service of the King. Tael had moped about the ship, undoubtedly sad over the loss of the dragons and his grandfather. The wonderment and excitement that had flowered on his face in dragon flight, that was how Sebine pictured Tael when she closed her eyes and thought of him. The freedom and the love pouring from his eyes.
"What do you see when you stare at the sea?" Tael's soft voice provided a pleasant interruption to her thoughts.
She inhaled the scents of sea kelp and wet wood from a gentle storm that had drenched the ship only hours ago. "It's like when your grandfather gazed at the clouds in the dawn. A kind of mesmerizing magic that leads your mind astray until something rearranges the view and reassembles into a kind of pattern...a pattern that feels familiar and filled with truth."
"Sounds indecipherable." He flashed her a teasing smile.
"Actually, it is understandable, but not in a logical way, more in a feeling way."
"And what does it tell you?" His eyes aimed at the glittering horizon. "What does the sunset say to you?"
A heavy sigh escaped from her lips as she turned away to stare at the sun dipping below the sea. "I see the world as it is weaving together, a dark weave of demons and death. Maybe when we remained in Trikar we held some opposing force at bay and prevented the spread of evil, but now that we are gone, I fear the worst will happen to the Kingdom. Humans are the caterpillars and the demons are the ravens that will ravage the land."
"You see all that in your gazing?" Tael said, his eyes squinting as he studied the sea. "I only see the colors of sunset and a beautiful girl at my side." He tickled her sides and she laughed and threw off her morbid cloak. "Let's just enjoy each moment together out on the ocean. Trouble will come soon enough, but for now we're here in this amazing place. Did you ever imagine it would be so immense?"
He was right and Sebine knew it, the southern coast and the Ferelian Sea was gorgeous, beyond anything she'd pictured while reading books of pirates and sea captains sailing the southern seas. They had seen dolphins and turtles and gigantic whales that swam in schools through the sea. And at night the stars were reflected in a phosphorescence illuminating the surface of the sea in shimmering threads of blue light. The plaintive and delicate whale song haunted her mind at the memory, so sad and seductive, like the singing of sea nymphs luring sailors to a watery grave.
The ship's captain had told them a story of a sailor that was in love with swimming in the sea, and of his love for diving and listening to the song of the whales. But each time his dives were longer and the songs more haunting, until the man never returned and was taken by the sea. "Such is the sailor's love of the ocean," the captain had said. And Sebine felt it too.
There were other stranger things in the sea. Flying fish that flocked in thousands fluttering over the surface. And giant squid and sea serpents threatened the cutter several times, and the sailors had to wield long spears and stab the beasts until they slithered back into the sea. But the most bizarre sight Sebine had witnessed was the beautiful sirens that lay naked on the rocks of a small island singing a mesmerizing song that caused the sailors to plug their ears in desperation. Tael was foolish and stared at the maidens with a stupid puppy-love fondness on his face.
Sebine had found herself unaffected by the sirens, and she waved at them in a friendly gesture, only to find jealous scowls as they dove into the sea.
They must think me the mistress of this vessel
, she had mused, and felt like she protected them from harm. Indeed the old captain had said so after the disappearance of the sirens, and after their uncanny knack for avoiding dangerous storms. And now, as they approached the outlaw city of Glar Bay, the captain lamented that their time together would soon be over.
"Are you sure you don't want to sail on to Rez'el or as far as Erelim?" Sebine winked at the grizzled sea captain who now stood at the wheel with a fierce expression on his face. But his eyes were unwavering as he stared ahead at the darkening shore.
"As much as I love the blessings you bring of the sea goddess, and how you sweet talk the storms and soothe them of their rage, I'm afraid I have a heavy obligation to Master Oberon to carry his load east to Ghen." The old man cleared his throat and winked at Sebine. "Not to mention the hefty bounty on my head in the Malathian Kingdom. And I most certainly don't want to part with my head, regardless of how ugly it is."
"Oh I don't know, captain, you have a quite handsome face," Sebine mused, crinkling up her eyes in a wry smile. "I bet that the ladies say you have the distinctive bearing of the old gods, don't they?"
Captain Greivish blushed at that, and scratched his beard in a nervous tick that Sebine had often observed. "You're far too pretty for me to call you a liar. Though perhaps you left your glasses back home?" He tapped his fist against his brazened face. "This mug is an old pirate's mug, and the only ladies that love it are ladies with an appetite for gold."
The blare of a conch shell broke their bantering and all eyes swung around to spy the flickering lights of a city far off in the distance. From her study of the captain's maps, Sebine knew it was Glar Bay, and though she felt relief at the thought of setting foot on land, she also found dread filling her heart at the prospect of making their way through the outlaw city.
"Now you'll find Glar Bay a bit tricky for the uninitiated to traverse," Captain Greivish said, and rubbed the tiredness from his weathered eyes. "Your grandfather only asked me to get you safely to the city, but I'll do better than that for the old wizard, I'll lead you to Master Oberon himself, who should be able to find you a ship to a western city. And I won't lie to you, getting into the Malathian Kingdom is nigh impossible and you will find the proposition quite expensive. The Malathians are at odds with those of the Kingdom of Valance, especially after what King Braxion did to Prince Jaraz. There are many rumors of a coming war between the two kingdoms, and this makes a pirate's heart grow warm at the prospect of gold and riches from the strife."
So the news has spread this far
, Sebine thought, and wondered how they'd bribe their way into the Malathian Kingdom. Certainly being introduced to this Master Oberon was an advantage that she hadn't expected. Master Greyth Shalinor had practically left them alone on the docks with little guidance on how to proceed in Glar Bay, but at least the captain was helpful, or at least she hoped he wasn't just planning on using their disadvantage to his financial gain...
"Tell me of this Master Oberon?" Sebine said, and studied the pirate for hints of greed and malice.