Born of Darkness (William King) - William King Page 0,1

peered out into the darkness. Another lightning flash revealed that they were atop a towering wave. Cresting it, he looked down into the long dark valley between the huge rollers.

Over on the distant horizon, just for a moment, he thought he saw a point of light. “There!” he said.

“I see it,” Rhiana said.

“What is it?”

“I pray it the Beacon of Trefal.” At night, the sorcerous sunstone illuminated the capital of Siderea. Perhaps that was what he had seen .

The light disappeared into the gloom of the storm. He glanced up but saw no one in the crowsnest to confirm the sighting.

The light appeared again. He raced back along the slippery deck towards the sterncastle. Captain Zamara saw him coming and shouted, “What is it, Sir Kormak?”

“The lights of Trefal,” Kormak replied.

“You sure?” The rain plastered Zamara’s copper-blonde hair to his skin. His eyes held a wild look. The short lifeline tied to the ship’s railing made him seem like a mad dog on a leash.

Kormak wasn’t sure, but they were as good as lost anyway. “Yes.”

“You have keen eyes. It’s a pity you cannot guide me. I can see nothing from here.”

A thought struck Kormak. “Rhiana can.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take off your elder sign.” The tall captain looked at him as if he was mad.

“I may go down to the Sea Queen’s dungeons this evening and I would have my soul protected if I go.”

“She is a mindspeaker. She can watch from the prow and guide you. She knows ships and she knows navigation.”

Still Zamara looked dubious.

“It is the life of your ship balanced against the risk to your eternal soul.” Zamara grinned. He was a Siderean sea captain and his ship was in peril. There was only one decision he could make. He removed the elaborate elder sign and tossed it to Kormak. “Hold on to it for me,” he said.

Kormak’s fist closed around the talisman. It was heavy and inlaid with gold. He turned and fought his way back up the deck towards Rhiana.

“Speak to Zamara as you spoke to me when we were below the waves,” Kormak said. “Guide him. Tell him what you see.”

Rhiana stared at him. Kormak raised the captain’s elder sign. “He is not warded.”

Rhiana nodded. A flicker of concentration passed across her face. A moment later, Zamara bellowed something and the ship heeled as her course corrected.

***

Another wave roared towards the ship, the largest yet. The bow of the Kraken’s Reach rose at a sickening angle as it began to climb. Kormak imagined the ship overturned as if by a giant’s hand.

Water flooded the deck. It hit Kormak like a hammer, knocking him off his feet, sending him flying. Salt water got into his mouth and his eyes, blinding him. He smashed into something and, dazed, grabbed it, wrapping his arms around what turned out to be the mast. He dreaded more than anything being thrown overboard into the storm-tossed sea. Here his chance of survival was slight. In the water, it was non-existent.

The decks were empty. He hoped that the marines were below. He looked up. The rear mast hung at a strange angle, half-cracked, bent like a broken limb. As he watched it tumbled and fell. He saw no sign of Zamara and the helmsman.

It did not matter. Without anyone to guide the ship it was already turning. If a wave caught them . . .

He raced up the stair and almost stumbled over Zamara’s body. Kormak did not have time to see whether he was dead or merely unconscious. He threw his enormous strength against the wheel. It was like wrestling with a giant. He could not budge the rudder.

He looked up as another monstrous breaker approached. He drew deep within himself and shouted a challenge to the wall of watery death looming over him. Slowly, painfully he forced the wheel to move. The prow of the ship turned. He prayed to the Holy Sun that he had done enough.

The Kraken’s Reach rode up the long swell, crested the wave and began to the long drop down. His eyes swept the deck looking for Rhiana. Was she there? He thought he could make her tall figure in the gloom. She moved towards him. Her face was pale and desperate. She knew how close they were to sinking.

She clambered onto the sterncastle and looked down at Zamara. She checked the pulse on his throat and shouted, “Still alive.”

“Get back up front and guide me towards the lights,” Kormak said. “Use mindspeech.”