Lost Empire (6 page)

Morning seemed to arrive shortly after they closed their eyes. Despite having no screens, the inside of the tent seemed to be well lit by the scattered morning light. One at a time, their eyes fluttered open to the sounds of soldiers rustling around outside the tent. The sweet scent of rabbit roasting over an open fire called out to them, but summoning the bravery needed to throw back the warm bedrolls took a bit of self motivation, as each breath turned to steam in the frigid morning air.

The irresistible aroma seeping into the tent was enough to make Jacob take the first plunge. “I’m starving,” he moaned as he kicked back the thick bedroll. Even the icy morning air was not going to stop him from getting his share of meat, especially considering they had eaten so little the day before. The others quickly followed suit and crawled out through the tent slit.

As if they hadn’t moved all night, soldiers still surrounded the camp in a square formation just like before, each with his eyes wandering about and a hand fingering his sword, as if even the trees were not to be trusted. Surely they had taken shifts sleeping, hadn’t they? Others knelt down near the fire while rotating freshly skinned rabbits on metal pokers. A stocky man with dark eyes and a square chin rushed two plates full of meat over to them, first handing one each to Jade and Eric. He ran back to the fire and grabbed two more, handing them promptly to Jacob and Athel, all the while muttering apologies about the rabbit being cold.

No one complained as they sat on the damp cold grass and enjoyed the surprisingly well-seasoned rabbit. The morning sun still hung low over the horizon, but its growing intensity provided just a little relief from the cold. “I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord, but we must get ready to go,” said the same stocky man as he meekly approached Eric with his chin low. “Even if we leave now, we will arrive in Candrin rather late this evening. May—may I ask you all to finish your meals in the wagon?” Even though the statement was politely disguised as an honest question, the man waited patiently for an answer.

“
Of course. It’s no trouble at all,” Eric replied as he stood with his plate in hand. “Common guys, you heard the man.” A mild groan followed as they all got up and dragged their feet along the frozen ground. One by one they hopped back into what would be their cramped prison for another day. But even so, none could deny they needed to make some good time in order to avoid spending yet another day in this box.

They could hear murmured conversations and boots scraping the ground as the soldiers stomped out the fire. Not five minutes went by before the wagon began its slow rolling once again. The sound of horses snorting was soon drowned out by the creaking of wheels, a sound they hadn’t missed at all.

“
Ahh! I feel like the walls are closing in on me,” shrieked Jade as she flopped her head down on Eric’s lap and sprawled her legs across the bench. “I wish we were there already.”

“
I’m not sure I agree with you,” said Eric as he ran his fingers through her long hair. “Sure, I don’t care to be shaken around in this little crate for the rest of the day. Nor am I fond of this thin canvas being the only thing keeping us from freezing to death.” He turned and thumped the wall with the back of his hand. “But no matter how inconvenient all this seems, I still feel...safe.” Jade sat up and looked into his dark eyes, suddenly feeling like such a brat for complaining over nothing. “If I’ve learned anything from all this,” his eyes scanned the others, who seemed to hanging on his every word, “it’s that feeling safe is a part of everyday life for normal people. For us, it’s no more than a luxury, and I want to hold on to this luxury for as long as I can.”

They spent the day shifting positions and trading seats back and forth, as if one spot on the hard bench might be more comfortable than another. In reality, shifting views and just being seated somewhere else for a moment helped to break the monotony. Another series of calls and shouts from outside prompted Eric to peek out the back. It was dark out now, but the full moon still provided a surprising amount of light. To the side of the road he could see the lit torches carried by another small group of soldiers. Even by moonlight he could make out the Taron symbols on their breastplates as they saluted and cheered.

The wagon never stopped as they rolled on past the group. The scene of the jubilant men packing up their camp got smaller and smaller until they disappeared from view. The reality was beginning to sink in now. That was the last checkpoint. Next stop...Candrin, and then on to an unknown land full of who knows what. Jade plopped her head back down on Eric’s lap as soon as he was seated. “We’re almost there, aren’t we?” she whispered, as if reading his mind. He silently nodded with a distant look in his eyes. She smiled wide. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to keep you safe...
my lord
.”

He turned on her suddenly and pretended to dump her on floor. She shrieked and laughed while clinging tightly to his pushing arms.

Chapter 4

“
My lord. My lord,” came the harsh whisper as Eric felt himself being rolled back and forth. His eyes fluttered open a crack at first, then shot wide open at the sight of a soldier’s face inches away from his own. He gasped as if out of breath, then sat up with a jolt before realizing he was in no immediate danger. He looked around and saw sleepy, confused expressions on everyone’s faces. Clearly they hadn’t been awake any longer than himself. “My lord, please, we must move quickly. I’m afraid we’ve attracted much more attention than we had hoped,” the dark-haired soldier looked back over his shoulder with an angry glare. “It seems folk have nothing better to do in the middle of the night.”

Eric wiped sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand. “This is it, guys. Is everybody ready?” It didn’t particularly matter if they were ready or not, so he began picking up bags without ever waiting for an answer.

“
No—no, my lord. The men and I will bring all of that,” said the soldier with a touch of urgency seeping into his voice. “There is a crowd forming, and the four of you must get inside the warehouse while drawing as little attention as possible. Please, you must move quickly.” With that, the man turned and stepped one foot outside the wagon and peeked around the corner. He motioned urgently for the others to follow before disappearing out of sight.

One by one they jumped out the back. The full moon was bright enough to provide decent vision, but this didn’t seem to be a good thing, as shouts rang out the second their feet hit the road. The surrounding soldiers fell into formation instantly, lining up in two tight rows with their backs facing each other, forming a sort of living hallway shielding the group from the growing mob. The four friends quickly followed the hall of armor, ducking down low to try and hide behind them. The shouting mob pushed against the armed men, trying to get a look at what they were hiding, but when the sleek hissing of half-drawn swords filled the air, they backed off immediately. However, the angry shouting never ceased.

Jade instinctively pulled her hood down low, trying to hide her face as they hurried toward the open door just ahead. The thirty-foot sprint felt more like two hundred. Even Jacob was a bit rattled by all the attention. When they finally got through the door, a soldier slammed it shut behind them and threw down the thick wooden bolt. Although now muffled, the angry shouts from outside could still be easily heard.

“
I don’t think they saw any of you. They just saw something or someone run in here. The inevitable rumors as to your identities will contain mismatched information, then die out in a week. For the most part, I think we’ve contained this,” he said a bit breathlessly, then pointed back over their shoulders, “I hope
this
will provide a bit more comfort for the remainder of your journey.” They all turned and laid eyes on one of the most awesome sights any of them had ever seen. The secret project of Candrin was secret no more. The soldier suddenly looked a bit worried again. “Now, trying to hide
that
…well, that’s going to be a bigger problem.

There in all its glory stood the largest ship they had ever seen. It was clearly over a hundred feet long. The mainmast itself easily cleared sixty feet and came dangerously close to touching the high ceiling, while the other two masts stood around forty feet each. Multiple white sails remained coiled into tight bundles high up on each mast. The poop deck was raised high and painted black, but the rest of the ship maintained a natural wooden color, although the waterproof stain added a bit of darkness to it.

The rolling shapes of the hand-carved wooden rails surrounding the main deck mimicked that of waves in the sea, as they seemed to flow from the quarterdeck toward the front. Even the bowsprit was ornate and decorative—a thick, black post around ten feet long that ended in the head of a green snake. Everything about this ship screamed durability and quality. And why not? This marvelous vessel was about to be used to do something no other ship ever had.

“
I hope she was worth all the effort,” came a low, gravelly voice from off to the side. A short, stout man with long blond hair tied back leaned against one of the many wooden barrels lined along the wall. He wore green britches and a matching vest with a thin white ruffle down the front. Although using the barrel for support, he also held a black hand-carved cane in his other hand. A sweeping silver design swirled up the cane and ended in the head of an eagle. His commanding green eyes took them all in.

Eric stepped forward, having a pretty good idea who this must be. “Good evening, sir. My name is—”

“
Bah! I know who all of you are,” he said as he pushed away from the barrel. He ambled up to them with an obvious limp as he angrily cracked the cane against the wooden floor with every step. “You’re the reason my men had to work night and day to build that ship. You’re the reason our fishing industry nearly came to a halt due to lack of manpower. And finally, you all are the reason that some of my finest crewmen are going to die on some fool’s mission!” The angry tirade finished with a fit of coughing as he leaned heavily on his cane.

“
And you must be Lord Andry, I presume,” said Eric calmly. “I’m sorry our need for your assistance has caused you so much grief. And please, don’t think we aren’t grateful for your efforts. But I must ask you, if it was such an inconvenience for you to agree to the Queen’s request, then why did you?”

The man looked quite amused all of sudden, even allowing himself a light chuckle. “Tell you what, laddy, I’ll give you a bit of advice. Words to live by. There are literally thousands of mistakes a man is capable of making. But rest assured, no matter who that man is, saying no to a Queen will always be in the top ten.” His smile widened just a bit more as he raised an eyebrow. “And saying no to
that
Queen will always be in the top three!”

Their brief laughter was interrupted by a call from up on the deck. “And I suppose you all are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” There stood a lean man with his elbows propped up on the rail. He wore fancy black leather boots and long white socks that hid the bottom of his dark purple silk pants. Partially hidden beneath his white ruffled shirt and purple vest was a white leather belt with a large silver buckle shaped like a tiger’s head. Multiple hoops of gold and silver hung from his ears, revealed only because his long black hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Lord Andry gestured up toward the man. “Captain Najus Svastith has been burdened with the task of trying to get you all to a land no one has ever even seen before. I fear he will never return.” He turned to the group and looked Eric squarely in the eye. “Lucky for you, Najus doesn’t fear anything. Now go, all of you, before this suicide mission draws any more attention that it already has. I need to begin working on an explanation for what the townsfolk are about to see.” A long flimsy plank lowered down from the boat as he spoke. He reached out and dropped a hand across Eric’s shoulder, prompting him to hold up.

Jacob turned back one last time as the three walked toward the boat. “Just so you know, despite your warnings of impending doom, we have every intention of returning in one piece.”

“
And I pray that you do,” Andry called back, “but I would never place a single coin on your odds.”

Both Eric and Lord Andry watched them walk up the makeshift bridge as it jiggled and bounced under their weight. He waited to be sure they were all far enough away. “Listen here, son. I don’t know exactly what happened in Taron that fateful night, and with all these rumors and stories sweeping through my city, I don’t even think I want to know.” He sighed as he dropped his hand back to his side. “But this much I do know. The Queen is far from crazy, and certainly no fool. If she believes your importance is that great, then who am I to disagree with her?” He gestured toward the ship. “Those men up there are a bit rough around the edges, mind you, but they are a fine crew. If anyone can help you see this through, it’s them. Go now. I’ve fulfilled my promise to the Queen and owe her nothing else. May the Gods smile on you.”

Eric stood tall and looked him in the eye. “I know you think this quest a fool’s quest, and maybe you’re right. But no matter what happens, I plan to see this through. I thank you for all you have done, and the Queen thanks you as well. If by some miracle we actually reach this land no one seems to know anything about, we will have you to thank. And believe me, it will never be forgotten.”