Guild Wars: Sea of Sorrows (56 page)

“Coby!” Sykox roared from the deck of the
Nadir Shill
. “Coby! That skritt-fink of an asura! She stole our damn ship!”

“Wait—what?” He bolted toward the railing but was forced to stop as the wound in his side flared up agonizingly. “What did you say?” Cobiah yelled back, still holding Isaye close.

“Macha!” The charr pointed desperately after the
Pride
. “She made us think you were aboard the
Shill.
It was one of her crazy, confusing illusions—we came across because you ordered it, but then you vanished. By the time we realized it was a trick, the lines had been cut, and her engine’d already gotten them out of leaping range!” Asuran sailors raced about on the little caravel, terrified by the furious charr warband trapped in their midst. Fassur swatted at one, knocking the little fellow into the ship’s hold with a squeak of terror.

“Macha’s here?” Isaye’s hazel eyes flew wide. “What is she doing?”

Cobiah glowered with barely contained rage. “Apparently, she’s stealing the
Pride
.”

G
rymm Svaard stood with one foot on the deck of the
Balthazar’s Trident
and the other foot on the deck of the
Nomad II
, shoving two long boat hooks down between their hulls. Crew from both ships lined the railing, with boat hooks, halberds, and other poles, trying to lever the two ships away from one another. The boards groaned and creaked but held firm, tangled together. The norn’s muscles bulged, and he shouted encouragement to the sailors, each hand gripping a boat hook scissored between the hulls. The boards cracked slowly apart under the push of his mighty strength.

“She’s taking on water,” Edair noted, lending his strength to the task. “The
Nomad’
s sinking.” The prince labored side by side with his sailors, ignoring the fact that his golden sleeves were torn and his elegant silk shirt was stained with blood and salt water.

“That’s the least of our worries,” retorted Cobiah. “If the Maw hits, we’ll be dead long before she can pull us down.” He could see Livia issuing subtle orders to the Shining Blade and noted that they were readying one of the rear lifeboats without commentary. He snorted. If the Maw struck their ship, Edair would likely be spirited away in a wink of Livia’s magic—with or without the prince’s consent.

But as for the rest of them . . .

“There it is!” A sailor pointed. The Maw broke the surface of the ocean on the far side of the
Nomad II
, its fin splitting the waves in the shadow of the drifting ships. The monster circled, drawing ever closer, and Cobiah could almost sense it deciding how best to attack the enticing morsel drifting in the waves.

The Maw rose before them, its massive teeth pulling apart as its jaws opened, revealing the enormous depth of the leviathan’s mouth. Sailors on the
Balthazar’s Trident
screamed in terror as they desperately tried to free the galleon from the
Nomad II
’s sinking grip. “If I can get to the
Nomad
’s cannons, I can try to shoot inside its mouth, maybe hit something vital. I might hurt it enough to make it change its path.” Cobiah tried to limp forward, forcing his battered body to carry him onward one last time. But Isaye kept her hands on his shoulders, and the gentle restraint was enough to pull him back.

“It won’t make a difference, Coby,” Isaye whispered, pressing her face to Cobiah’s chest. “Oh, gods. I don’t want it to end like this. Dane . . .”

“Shh.” Cobiah pressed his hand to her hair, pulling Isaye close and holding her tightly.

“No, I have to tell you.” Isaye stepped back, meeting his eyes. “Dane’s your son, Cobiah. I was pregnant when I left Lion’s Arch. After he was born, I kept him from you because I was angry that you didn’t give me a chance to explain. I wanted to say something, but . . .” Tears poured down her cheeks. “I should have. You’re his father, Coby . . . and I love you.”

Overwhelmed, Cobiah bowed his head and kissed her, tears salting their lips. He stroked Isaye’s hair without words. Whatever happened, no matter how short their lives were, he never intended to let her go again.

To the side of the
Balthazar’s Trident
came a rumble that swiftly turned into a roar. Cobiah raised his head in confusion, staring as the
Pride
raced past the conjoined ships, so close that the churning of her engine blew up a salt spray that drenched the deck of the tremendous galleon. “Macha’s pushed the engine into overdrive,” Cobiah said, marveling, recognizing the sound. With her engine booming, the
Pride
bored past, swerving and weaving on a trajectory that would take her directly toward the Maw. “Macha can’t crew the ship alone,” Cobiah said numbly. “What’s she doing? It must be out of control.”

“I don’t think she plans to go far, Cobiah,” Isaye breathed. “Look.”

As they watched, the
Pride
slid in front of the
Balthazar’s Trident
. Her hardy engine blew sparks in her wake, and her keel lifted up off the water as she crested the bay’s rolling waves. The Maw’s mouth was splayed open before her, ready to swallow the pinnace whole on its way toward the two foundering vessels.

That leviathan’s too big to take down with cannons. Still, I’m a genius first class, and as usual, I’ve got an idea.

“What? Macha? What are you doing?” Cobiah said aloud, not caring that the sailors on the
Balthazar’s Trident
were staring at him in confusion.

I’m sorry, Coby. It wasn’t supposed to end this way. I just wanted to balance the etheric transference between our spirits within the Eternal Alchemy. To pay my dues.

“Macha!” he yelled, clutching Isaye close and watching as the
Pride
raced ever faster toward the massive sea monster. A second later, the pinnace plowed directly into the wide-jawed mouth of the Maw. The clipper drove into the back of the leviathan’s throat, engine thrumming with immense power. As he watched in horror, something within the
Pride
’s hold caught fire.

Good-bye, Co—

The ship exploded.

Stunned and wounded by the detonation, the Maw could do nothing to save itself. The forefront of the behemoth erupted in the blast, body lashing helplessly as its head and neck were blown apart. Reduced to headless flesh and shattered bone, the monster thrashed in the waves, its death throes churning the sea to red and white foam.

Grief tinged Cobiah’s words. “She knew that engine as well as I did. As well as Sykox. It had to be deliberate. She turned the
Pride
into a bomb.”

“She killed the Maw,” Isaye said wonderingly. “Macha saved us. But why?”

He pulled her closer, wrapping his cloak around them both. “She said she wanted to make things right. And she gave her life to do it.” Cobiah watched the vast body of the leviathan sinking into the waves at the mouth of Sanctum Harbor.

“Macha died to defeat the enemies of Lion’s Arch.” Cobiah looked up at the morning sky, breathing in the scent of the sea and the faint smell of smoke and oil. Remembering what the asura’d said, Cobiah continued, “She paid her dues. Let her be honored as a hero.” Isaye nodded in agreement, a sad smile curving her full lips. Although his body ached and his legs felt like collapsing, Isaye was warm within his arms, and the world finally felt at peace.

“Farewell, little angel,” Cobiah whispered, though whether he was speaking to Macha or to the spirit of his sister, he wasn’t sure. “Thank you for watching over me.”

T
he
Balthazar’s Trident
dropped anchor in Sanctum Harbor, her sails furled and her long green-and-gold banners waving with wounded dignity from the tops of her tremendous masts. Scarred and burned wood showed how much damage she’d taken, and a narrow hole in her hull just above the waterline marked the spot where she’d been pierced by the
Nomad II.
One of her sails was burned through, and her rear jibs had been broken by the fire cannons of the pursuing xebec. Other ships of the Krytan fleet were even more damaged. Many, both from Kryta and from Lion’s Arch, had been lost in the assault.

“That was not my fault!” Yomm shouted from the
Nadir Shill
as she pulled alongside the other two ships. “Macha promised she was going to use her magic to help the city. She said absolutely nothing about stealing a ship or detonating herself in the harbor! It was completely unprofessional of her, and I shall be filing an ex post facto grievance with the Arcane Council of Rata Sum.”

“She saved our lives,” Cobiah corrected him wryly.

“Yes, well, I shall also be proposing that the Arcane Council award her the Incantrix Luminus, our highest award of honor.” The asura captain sniffed disdainfully
and crossed his arms. “But that still doesn’t absolve her of the indignity.”

Isaye and Cobiah helped Sykox across a gangplank that had been placed between the
Nadir Shill
and the
Balthazar’s Trident
. Fassur and Aysom followed close behind, keeping their hands on the hilts of their pistols. On the
Balthazar’s Trident
, armored Seraph lowered their halberds in readiness, bristling at the charr. The warband snarled, teeth bared, ready for a fight.

“Cut it out, guys,” Cobiah managed to say, his breath coming in short gasps. Though he wasn’t able to yell, his soft words quelled the charr as if they’d been a tribune’s bellow. Cobiah turned to glare at the Seraph, aware that nothing he said could command
them
.

“Stand down, Seraph.” As the prince’s marines stepped back, confused, Edair shoved his way through the guard. “You heard me,” he growled, pushing the blades of their pole-arms to the floor. “These charr and their fleet just saved our lives. They may be our enemies, but you’ll treat them with respect, or you’ll be swimming home.” Properly chagrined, the Seraph relaxed a bit and stepped to the side.

“They aren’t.” Breathing between taut lips, Cobiah kept his arm around Isaye’s shoulders to steady his balance. “Your enemy, that is. These charr are my crew. Citizens of Lion’s Arch.”

“Whoa, Coby.” Sykox stepped closer and gripped him gently. “You’re weaving.” He frowned, looking his friend over with concern. “You’ve gone pale, and your eyes aren’t focusing. Isaye, help him sit down.” Together, they lowered Cobiah to the deck, keeping the bloodied Seraph cloak tucked about him. The charr pulled his hand away from Cobiah’s body, staring down at his paw, which was red with more than the rusty color of his fur.

Edair’s eyes widened at the sight. He snapped his fingers at the Seraph, auburn hair brushing the tanned skin of his cheekbones. “Bring bandages. We need to tend to his wounds.” One of the marines came forward, carrying medical supplies, and began to look at Cobiah’s ravaged hand, the bloodied puncture in his back, the wound on his ribs that had again ripped open. The marine’s gentle fingers drew a gasp of breath from the commodore, and everything blurred. Cobiah’s vision narrowed. “Whoa, there, Cobiah.” Edair gripped his shoulder, holding him steady. Cobiah caught sight of a concerned glance between the prince and Isaye, but things had stopped making as much sense as they had before.

“I’m fine.” Cobiah tried to push the prince’s hand away. “I just need a minute to rest.”

“Captain Isaye? I think someone’s waiting to see you,” Livia said smoothly.

A bright voice keened from across the deck. “Mama!” It was the homesick call of a little boy. Dane beamed as he pulled his hand away from one of the Shining Blade, racing over the boards toward his mother. Isaye opened her arms and wrapped him up tightly, holding the child snugly to her as he laughed. “I saw the prince’s crown, and I ate an omnomberry tart, and Livia told me a story about Queen Salma . . .” Dane’s voice chattered on eagerly as Isaye kissed his face.

Livia smiled at Isaye. “Your son was very brave.”

“He takes after his father,” Isaye said, holding the child close. She tousled his mahogany locks and turned toward Cobiah. “Dane, I want you to meet Cobiah.” The little boy stared at the commodore and ducked his face into his mother’s dark hair, suddenly shy. “Coby . . . this is your son.” As he met the child’s eyes, which were blue and wide with innocence, Cobiah felt as though he were
young again, standing on the docks of old Lion’s Arch, teasing a little girl about mermaids and keeping her safe from bad dreams. They had the same pure gaze, the same bashful smile.