The DeCadia Code (The DeCadia Series Book 1) (14 page)

“Plans change,” Kronos said with a hard stare. As fast as a lightening bolt, Kronos reversed his hold on the sword, gripping the pommel with both hands and plunged it deep into the King’s chest. Tobias screamed in agony as he ran to catch his brother’s sagging form.

Crimson spread out from the King’s chest, staining his bright, yellow tunic. Tobias gripped his brother in both hands, his tears falling so fast it looked like light rain on the tile floor. “I’m sorry,” he cried. “I’m so sorry, my brother.”

Dendali, the King of Atlantis, and Tobias’s brother—his own flesh and blood—looked up through clouded eyes as life drained from his veins. “Make—make this right.” The King clutched Tobias’s hand with a grip of his own so strong Tobias felt his hand flare in pain. “You—our family—must make this right.”

The King’s body went limp in Tobias’s arms. Dendali’s eyes stared lifelessly up at the blazing sun above. Tobias let his brother’s body slump to the tile floor, dead. Blood pooled out from his sagging form as the guards who were formally holding his brother secured Tobias. Kronos’s voice came to Tobias as though he were shouting through a long tunnel.

“Tobias Prometheus, you are hereby charged with the murder of the King. You and your family are banished from Atlantis forever.”

Val stood at the ship’s helm, her movements at the wheel brought them diving out of the clouds so she could get a clear view of where they were. They’d been travelling for almost a fortnight now, their goal: the edge of the known world. Beyond that point, no one really knew what existed. Ships entered and never returned. Tales of sea monsters and demons kept nagging at her. She’d never really paid them any mind, but then again, she’d never thought of going into the unknown before either. Her crew was skittish, too. Not that she could blame them. She felt the same way herself, though she didn’t let them see how scared she was.

Lightening lit up the sky and Val frowned. There were no storms brewing. The sea was calm, the wind light. She cocked her head as another flash of lightening came closer, striking the water below. She looked down to see the water churning, a dark mass of bright green and gold streams of light swirling in the funnel and then branching out, the water turned black.

The water in DeCadia had been useless for over a century. She’d learned from the crews she’d been on that the waters surrounding DeCadia had been impassable for over seventy decades before they’d finally found a material that could withstand the harsh, acidic water that made up DeCadia. It had taken them another fifty years to actually build ships that could travel the toxic mess. The metal was rare and exceptionally few shipyards could afford the material. Because of that, water ships were still quite rare in DeCadia. Airships would always be the more prevalent choice of travel.

“What in DeCadia’s name is that?” Lukas asked softly.

Val jumped slightly, her own nerves on edge. “I am not sure,” she replied. “Bring Stephen up. I want him to see this. He may know something. They learn things in the classes required of any member of the Royal Navy who wishes to take command—things that aren’t shared with the rest of the crew.”

Lukas nodded and started back down. Val had a thought and called out, “Bring the dragon as well. Her kind may know something.”

Val slowed the ship and then brought her to a complete stop, hovering about a mile out from the anomaly. She was spooked, not daring to go any closer until she could understand the sight her eyes were taking in. She wanted to find Atlantis, yes, but she’d lost enough of her crew. Val needed to be more cautious before flying into a death trap.

The lightning struck the water again and Val let out a small squeak, not expecting the magnificent shock of light. It truly had unnerved her. Sighing, she focused her attention on the water and followed the path of the streams of light. They branched out east, west, and south, each direction except north. She strained her eyes to see past the whirlpool of light and gasped. The water behind it was clear; a pure blue that glinted in the bright sunlight.

An idea began to form. What if she’d found the source of
why
DeCadia’s water was ruined? Could this be what cursed the once brilliant, crystal-clear ocean depths? What poisoned the waters so that no living thing could be in their depths for more than a few minutes without their skin burning away? Val had learned the oceans once teamed with millions of different sea creatures, that it had once been DeCadia’s greatest source of food, even for the poor—until the waters turned acidic.

Gasps and murmurs behind her alerted her to the fact Lukas had returned with those she’d requested. Stephen came to stand at her side and it was all she could do to not step away from him. His scent hit her and she took a deep breath, reveling in it for just a second.

“What is that?” he asked, his deep voice almost soothing.

“Welcome to the end of the world,” Ryder said with a laugh. “I’m surprised you found it. Most can’t.”

Val turned around and faced the Dragon Princess. “I’m not most.”

“No,” Ryder agreed, her face becoming serious. “You’re an Atlantean.”

Stephen and Lukas both stared at her, their faces shocked, bewildered, and curious. She knew this day was going to come. She’d not told anyone exactly what she was trying to find or why. As much as she wanted to strangle Ryder right now, she couldn’t.

“And what makes you think that?” Val asked, curious to see what the girl’s answer would be.

“I can smell it, of course,” she smiled. “Atlantis is a part of the Dragons as much as the Dragons are a part of Atlantis. Our blood resides within you and we always recognize our own kind, even if it’s the diluted Atlantean bloodlines.”

Val’s stomach dropped just a bit. This girl was telling her she was part dragon? “I’m not a dragon.”

“No, you’re not,” Ryder said. “You’re Atlantean. We shared our blood with them several millennium ago as part of a pact between our races to never harm each other. We could control the gifts in our blood that were transferrable and we did not share our shape-shifting abilities with them.”

Val considered what the girl said. Could that be the reason she’d been immune to her that first day? Why she’d been able to see her when no one else had? Why she’d been unable to bring herself to kill the girl for the catastrophe she’d caused? It would make sense.

“Do you know what that is?” Val asked at last, pointing to the water.

“Yes,” Ryder nodded. “It is the Dendali Curse.”

“The what?” she asked sharply, causing Stephen to glance down at her.

“This is what ended the war between Atlantis and the rest of DeCadia,” Ryder continued, unperturbed.

“What are you talking about, dragon?” Stephen demanded. “There has never been a war between DeCadia and an imaginary place.”

Ryder’s laugh caught on the wind and echoed around them. “Atlantis is as real as you and I. The Captain is living proof of Atlantis. The Great War…”

“The Great War was a civil war fought amongst all of DeCadia,” Lukas interrupted. “About a hundred and fifty years ago or so.”

Ryder smiled, her white hair streaming behind her in the wind. “Humans. How easily you fool yourselves. You rewrite your histories so that no one has to remember the most foolish war of your existence. The Great War was not a civil war, but a war between DeCadia and Atlantis.”

Val held up her hand before anyone else could start arguing. “Ryder, tell us the Dragon’s version of DeCadia’s Great War please. No interruptions.” She glared at the men to make sure her order was followed.

“Atlanteans were always an advanced people, then they shared their advancements with DeCadia,” Ryder began. “They wanted to see the people prosper as Atlantis had prospered. They made progresses in medicine, science, and the arts. Everything they knew, they were willing to share. They helped to create the world of DeCadia and wanted to see it become as great as the city of Atlantis.”

Ryder paused and came to stand beside Val, her eyes focused on the lightning bolt that repeatedly struck the water. “There was a problem.”

“A problem?” Lukas asked. Val scowled at him, but he ignored it.

“Humanity was the problem,” Ryder said. “Humans are inherently selfish and it was no different with their dealings with Atlantis. Humans wanted everything they could get all at once, instead of learning one thing before moving on to the next. Atlantis knew this was a mistake and started holding back the teachings to DeCadians. People began to fear what they didn’t know, afraid that one day Atlantis would turn on them with their superior knowledge and weaponry. So they decided to destroy what they did not understand.”

“If Atlantis was so superior, then why was this a problem?” Stephen asked, ignoring Val’s command for no interruptions. “Couldn’t they just use their ‘superior weaponry’ and destroy anyone who threatened them?”

Ryder smiled at him and he cringed. Val wanted to kick him, yet she refrained. Stephen was stubborn if nothing else. She hoped he’d come to at least forgive the girl for her foolishness eventually.

“Atlantis had shared enough knowledge with the DeCadians which made it more difficult to destroy them. The War raged for five years before it ended. The Atlanteans created a weapon that stopped the DeCadians from ever using the seas to attack them again, effectively cutting them off from Atlantis. Your airboats did not come into existence until several decades after the war. Atlanteans did not have the same mobility problem. They asked the Dragons for help. We went with them to destroy the bulk of the technology that was given to DeCadia; setting humans back almost a century in innovations. We destroyed much in those weeks following the implementation of Dendali’s Curse.”

Ryder stopped speaking and gazed out over the water, lost in the thoughts of the past. Again, Val did not see any kind of emotion. The girl did not understand the sentiments or implications behind the history of her tale. Would she ever understand human emotions? Val wasn’t sure.

“What happened?” Lukas urged her to continue.

“Truthfully, even the Dragons are not sure,” Ryder said. “The Curse was implemented and then the route to Atlantis was sealed in all directions. No one could get in or out, not even the Dragons. We’d done our best to help them and they did something to us…they are the reason we cannot leave our territories.”

“You left,” Lukas frowned.

“At great cost,” she said quietly. “I had to give up something to leave.”

“What did you give up?” Val asked.

Ryder just smiled and shook her head, refusing to answer.

“What exactly is Dendali’s Curse?” Val asked, once again turning to look at the lightning in the sky.

“I don’t know the specifics,” Ryder said. “I only know that those who try to pass from here to the clear seas behind it do not survive. There is a graveyard of boats at the bottom of the sea from those who have tried before.”

Well, that explained why no one ever returned
, Val thought to herself.

“And you expect us to try and get through?” Stephen asked, looking down at the small woman at his side. He could tell from her stance she was on edge. Her shoulders were straight, but her posture felt tense. “We can’t, Captain, we’ll die if we try.”

“Not everyone dies,” Ryder told them. “Those with Atlantean blood sometimes find the way through. Their ships pass through the Crucible.”

“The Crucible?” Lukas turned to stare at the whirlpool.

“You don’t just cross through from here to there,” Ryder explained. “It’s a journey, a passageway, that must be travelled. It may take a day or it may take a year. I do not know the exact timeframe, but only a person with Atlantean blood may take their ship through and attempt the Crucible.”

“And those on my ship who don’t have Atlantean blood?” Val asked softly. “Will they die if I try to take them with me?”

“I do not know,” Ryder said softly.

“I need to speak with Tobias,” Val said. “We’ll reconvene after I have spoken with the only other person to have travelled to Atlantis.”

She turned and walked off the upper deck, leaving everyone and their questions and doubts behind her.

There was only one thought going through her head as she made her way to Tobias and she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

Dendali’s Curse.

Valeria Aurora Dendali Riverthorn.

Why was her name associated with the curse that had ruined DeCadia?

***

Tobias awoke at the sound of his cabin door creaking open. Grateful for the reprieve from his nightmares, he tilted his head to the side. Valeria walked in, closing the door gently behind her. The light of the candles cast quivering shadows around her. Tobias could tell from her stiff, sure movements something was wrong.

The Captain of
The Emerald Queen
dragged a stool to his bedside and sat staring at him. With every second that passed, Tobias expected her to break the silence. It remained whole as the two stared at one another. Like a game where the loser spoke first, both contestants remained content to allow the silence to continue.

A new wave of pain forced Tobias to wince and moan. He struggled like the old man he was to a sitting position even as the pain coursed through his body. Over the last two weeks, the wound had begun to heal. However, he was far from making a full recovery. Tobias speculated why Val was in his room. Despite this, he searched for another topic; anything to delay the conversation he feared was about to take place. “I’m not sure if that medicine man you have attending me is trying to heal me or drown me in that tonic he’s always drinking.”

Tobias listened for a chuckle; even the slightest turn of Val’s lips would be something. There was nothing. Her expression remained the same: stern and thoughtful. Tobias gulped as he fidgeted nervously. “What is it that you want from me, girl?” he finally asked.

“I want the truth, Tobias Blood. Can you do that? Can you be honest with me?”

Tobias cleared his throat. All thoughts of the pain coursing through his body were now gone in light of his current dilemma. A shudder of anticipation ran through him. Was it eagerness or dread that overwhelmed him just then? Truly, he didn’t know. This moment was one he’d dreaded for a lifetime, but one he’d looked forward to even longer. The burden of the truth he carried with him weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He’d finally be able to share that burden, even if it meant his death. And just maybe, his brother’s final request would be fulfilled. They might both find some peace—even if it meant Tobias’s death.