The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul (20 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Neviah saw the creature in the waves and yelled back to Ran. “Stay on course!”

Ran watched as the monstrous leviathan surged under the swells and launched one of its massive tentacles up through the waves closest to Kan-Gul’s ship. A Chekhal warrior near the bow was too slow to react and got swept off his feet by the limb that snatched him overboard and yanked him beneath the waves. More Chekhal warriors on the main deck of Kan-Gul’s ship brought out massive spears and started stabbing at the other tentacles that now threatened to overwhelm the ship. Kan-Gul stood calm in the midst of the chaos, directing his minions. While the tentacles came close to him, they never actually touched him.

But the Chekhal were having problems, and even as the ship kept its course to intercept the raider, more of the undead warriors fell overboard into the surf. As far as Ran could see, they weren’t all that adept at swimming. Or else, as soon as they hit the water, the monster simply devoured them or drowned them. Ran couldn’t tell which, and keeping the tiller on course meant his vision was limited to only what he could see standing on the deck.

Kancho rushed to the bow with Neviah. He had his sword drawn, but for the moment, the sea monster wasn’t interested in attacking the raider. Ran nodded. If that beast kept them distracted, the chance of making this collision happen were better than they would be otherwise.

Something whizzed past his ear, and he ducked as he heard the dull thunk over the boom of another thunder clap. Ahead of him, a massive bolt had embedded itself into the main mast. There was a rope attached to it, and Ran felt the raider shift off course as Malkyr’s men aboard the transport ship tried to gain control of the raider.

“Kancho! The rope!”

Kancho turned and immediately saw the problem. He leapt down from the bow and rushed toward the mast. Another bolt shot past Ran, and Kancho had to duck to avoid it as it fell harmlessly on the deck. It was about the size of spear and Ran wondered how much heavy artillery the transport vessel had aboard.

Kancho cut the rope, and it flew back off the ship into the surf.

Ran watched behind him as the transport continued to gain on them. If they kept their barrage up, the raider wouldn’t be able to stand too much of it. The transport was now only a few hundred yards behind them. Whatever had shot that massive bolt had to have some serious draw power in order to get it through the wind and rain. Ran wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of such a weapon.

The Chekhal warriors on Kan-Gul’s ship were faring better against the sea monster. Ran saw the sprays of blood as they chopped through the tentacles and sent pieces of limbs falling amid the ocean swells. Ran frowned. If there hadn’t been sharks in the water before, all of this blood was certain to draw them like flies. And if Ran mistimed the direction change when Neviah ordered him to come about, they were all going to end up fending off the hungry sea predators.

Not good
, he decided.
But better than having your soul devoured
.

Kan-Gul seemed to surround himself with a red aura, and then Ran saw him shoot an orb of energy at the sea monster. It hit and traveled down one of the limbs, sizzling even in the rain. Instantly, the tentacle shriveled and withdrew from the ship. Clearly Kan-Gul had decided to take a more active role in defending his ship. The sea monster was an unwanted distraction to his men.

Regardless, the sea monster continued its attack, and Ran made sure he kept the raider on course. Kan-Gul probably thought they were trying to outrun his ship and the transport behind them.

Neviah signaled another course adjustment with her hands and Ran adjusted the tiller until she nodded. The rain lashed all of them on the deck. Ran felt himself shiver in the cold spray. Between the sea and the rain, there was no part of him that wasn’t soaked through to his bones. He realized that he hadn’t been dry in many, many hours.

Another heavy bolt whizzed over the stern and hit the mainsail of the raider. Ran watched as it punched a hole in the top part of the fabric. The sail started to rip, but then held. Ran breathed a sigh of relief. They still needed to be able to move, and if they took out the sail, that would leave the raider dead in the water and at Malkyr’s disposal.

Unless Kan-Gul reached them first.

Kancho was surveying the damage to the sail but just shook his head and looked at Ran. “It should hold.”

Good, thought Ran. They only needed a few more minutes. With luck, they’d be speeding away from the wreck of two ships in a short time.

Neviah made another course correction, and Ran leaned on the tiller. The raider arced a bit more to the port side. Ran saw that she was setting them up to meet Kan-Gul’s ship midway down its side. Too bad they didn’t have an iron prow they could use like a battering ram. If they could have punched through the side, they could have sent it to the bottom in a few seconds.

He glanced behind them and saw the transport had course-corrected to stay firmly on their tail. Another heavy bolt flew by, but this one missed and splashed into the water, where it sank beneath the waves.

Neviah looked back from her position and shouted something to Kancho. Ran was too far away to hear over the fury of the storm.

She looked at Ran, and he nodded.

She raised her arms.

Another clap of thunder boomed overhead, and more rain poured down. On Kan-Gul’s ship, Ran could see the wide smile the evil sorcerer wore on his face. It was like he was telling Ran that he would soon have his prize. And everyone else would be killed the way Vargul had been. Ran wanted to smile back, but doing so might have made Kan-Gul suspicious.

Surely Kan-Gul knew they were in danger of colliding now, but Ran hoped the sorcerer believed the transport had them hemmed in and that the raider’s options were nearly depleted.

So Ran wore a grimace on his face and hoped he looked desperate.

The waves continued to grow in size. Each one the raider plowed through threw up a huge splash of water across the bow. Neviah shook it all off and refused to budge even as they entered another trough. Ran was amazed at her steadfast resolve to see this through. He waited for her signal and hoped it would come soon.

Another bolt shot past and embedded itself in the bulwark closest to Ran. The heavy archers on Malkyr’s ship were getting a bit too close for his comfort. At least it would be a quick death if he was struck by one of those bolts. Still he gave thanks for the sea being as rocky as it was. The ocean made it tough to make an accurate shot.

Neviah shouted at Kancho and Yuki. They let the sheet go and drew on the ropes that lowered the sail. It quickly dropped. As the raider slowed, Neviah brought down her arms and shouted at Ran. Her shriek cut through the tempest. “Now! Turn now!”

Ran shoved the tiller hard to port, and the raider swung about, drawing parallel with Kan-Gul’s ship within a few seconds, until they were on the same course.

“Now, Kancho! Trim that sail!” Neviah rushed to help them as Kancho and Yuki pulled on the sheet. The sail shot back up the mast, already starting to fill with wind.

The raider jerked forward as the wind took the sail, and they shot away. Ran watched behind them as he heard muffled shouts of orders on Malkyr’s boat. The huge transport started to turn, but compared to how fast the raider had done it, the movement was slow and cumbersome. The transport didn’t so much turn as slowly start to arc around.

Unfortunately, Kan-Gul’s ship was in their way, and as the heavy transport’s momentum continued to carry it forward, they were coming perilously close to Kan-Gul’s craft. Ran could hear Kan-Gul shouting for them to heave away, but the transport was simply too large to respond fast enough.
Now
, he thought.
Let it happen
.

The heavy transport continued to arc, but just as it appeared they might not crash, a huge wave hit Kan-Gul’s ship broadside and pushed the ship closer to the transport. Ran heard splintering wood shatter as the transport started to shear the starboard side of Kan-Gul’s ship. The two ships looked like they were trying to push themselves together to become one, but the transport was at least double the size of Kan-Gul’s vessel, and its size overwhelmed the smaller boat. Ran spotted several Chekhal warriors falling between the sides of the boats, smashed together as they were, and those who fell were crushed between the two ships. He grimaced.

The raider had responded well, and Ran kept a firm hand on the tiller. They had pulled away from the two boats behind them. If they kept on course, they could easily outrun them now that they had the advantage of position. Neviah looked pleased with herself, and Ran thought she had every right to be thrilled. The maneuver had gone perfectly.

Kancho came back to the stern to survey the damage. He pointed at the water. “Kan-Gul’s boat is taking on too much water. It can’t survive the collision.”

“Good,” said Ran. “I hope they sink and the sharks get to them all. I don’t know what sort of magic Kan-Gul could use against them.”

“All things need to eat,” laughed Kancho.

Neviah came up and patted Ran on the shoulder. “It worked.”

“It did, indeed. Nice job calling the maneuver. I couldn’t have done that.”

“It was your idea,” she said. “I just lent you my guidance.”

“A team effort,” said Ran. “And it worked well.”

Neviah looked at the mainsail and nodded. “Even with that tear near the top, it should hold long enough to get us across the Dark Sea to Nehon.”

“You think it will?”

“Most of these sails are designed to be able to endure attacks. Especially on a raider like this.” She glanced behind them. “I just hope that Malkyr’s ship has been damaged enough that he needs to stop chasing us. With three masts, he could conceivably overtake us on a straight crossing.”

“I thought you said we could outrun them,” said Kancho.

“If they were both seriously damaged in the collision.” She pointed. “Kan-Gul’s ship clearly has been damaged beyond repair. Look at it.”

Ran saw that Malkyr’s ship was taking on the survivors of the collision and had let down rope ladders that allowed Chekhal warriors to climb aboard. Kan-Gul was already at the bow of the transport, screaming at Malkyr.

“He looks extremely upset.” Ran wanted to laugh at the sorcerer’s frustration. “I’ll bet he wishes he could get us back.”

Jysal pointed. “Look!”

Kan-Gul’s hands were moving in a weird series of motions. Ran frowned. What was he up to?

“More magic,” said Jysal quietly. “He’s not going to stop.”

“Well, what can he do?” asked Kancho. “We’re already well away from him. And even the storm seems to be dissipating. See how the clouds are starting to break up?”

It was true, but Ran didn’t feel as hopeful as he had before. Knowing that Kan-Gul was back there trying to cast spells made him uneasy. He glanced around. “Does this ship have any more sails on it?”

Neviah shook her head. “We’ve only got one mast to use. The mainsail is usually large enough to make a small ship like this zip through the water. If it had another mast, we probably wouldn’t be as maneuverable, and that collision never would have happened.”

“Fortunately,” said Kancho, “it did. And now they’re left picking up the pieces while we make our escape.”

“Duck!” shouted Jysal.

They all hit the deck, and something whizzed over their heads. Another bolt? Ran frowned. They couldn’t still be in close enough for that giant crossbow to hit, could they? He could have sworn they’d already pulled well beyond its effective range.

But it wasn’t a crossbow bolt.

It was magic.

And as they looked up at the mainsail, they saw flames licking at the edges. Despite the continuing rain showers, the pale blue flames of the magic fire continued to eat the fabric of the sail.

“No!”

“Jysal, man the tiller.” Neviah pointed at Ran. “Get some water on it if you can. Kancho, gibe the sail, and we’ll try to douse the fire.”

Kancho and Yuki brought the sail down while Neviah and Ran got buckets from elsewhere and tried to scoop water out of the sea to use on the fire. But as much water as they poured across the burning fabric, it did little good. The sail was burning, and nothing seemed capable of stopping it.

Ran looked at Neviah. “We need Jysal’s help.”

Neviah shook her head. “It’s too late, the sail . . . it’s gone.”

Ran rushed back up to the tiller. Malkyr’s transport vessel was pulling away from the sinking remains of Kan-Gul’s ship. He watched as the hull of the sorcerer’s boat slowly slid beneath the waves. Ran desperately wanted to kill the sorcerer. Malkyr’s transport vessel started to pick up speed as it came about and aligned with the course the raider had been on.

Without a sail, the raider would flounder. Even if the tides carried them along, it would never be enough.

“They’re going to catch us unless we manage to do something.”

Neviah reappeared next to him. “I’m out of ideas.”

Ran sighed and looked at Jysal. “Steer us toward the coast.” He scanned the coastline and picked out an area that might serve them well. “See those cliffs? Head there. Let’s see if we can get there first.”

Overhead, the clouds opened up on them again.

“So much for the storm dissipating,” muttered Kancho.

“It’s Kan-Gul,” said Jysal. “He’s using the weather against us. He knows this boat is
 
powerless. He’s just adding insult to injury now.”

A huge wave smacked the ship broadside, and they all stumbled to hold onto the rail. Jysal latched on to Ran’s arm. Ran glanced around. The ship had moved a fair distance as the wave swelled under the keel.

“If we take many more hits like that, we won’t have to worry about Kan-Gul killing us: the sea will.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The sea swelled again as the transport vessel bore down on the raider. Ran took over holding the tiller, desperately trying to ride the swells to stay on course. But without a sail to power them through the waves, they had little hope of reaching the shore. More waves smacked the raider broadside. If this kept up, there was a good chance the ship would capsize.

All the while, Jysal stared back defiantly at Kan-Gul. “I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared,” she said. “And if he thinks he’s going to pull the same stunt on me that he did back at the castle, then he’s sorely mistaken.”

Ran frowned. The raider drifted lazily toward the cliffs. Without the sail, they had no real hope of getting a head start on Kan-Gul and Malkyr. Chances were they would all arrive at the same time, which meant they would immediately have to start fighting again. And he was exhausted already. Ran wasn’t sure how Kancho was holding up, but it was a fair bet that Yuki was tired. Neviah and Jysal had been on the run as well.

Larger waves lifted the raider up under her keel and shot her closer toward the cliffs. “Hang on!” Ran shouted. They had to reach the shore and get off of this boat. The sooner, the better, he thought as he gripped the tiller.

“Looks like they’re arguing,” said Jysal.

Ran glanced back at the ships. Malkyr kept pointing at the sky, and the expression on his face left little doubt that he wanted Kan-Gul to stop using magic on the weather. Kan-Gul looked exasperated, but at last he relented, and, with a single gesture, the storm abated somewhat.

But stopping the magic had little effect on the waves. More of them slapped against the raider and tossed her ever closer toward the shore. Trying to ride the waves in toward the cliffs took every ounce of his concentration.

Kancho came out from below deck and smiled. “Anyone hungry?”

Ran shook his head. “Where did you manage to find food?”

“There’s a galley down here,” said Kancho. “It’s hardtack and dried meat, but it will give us some energy regardless.” He climbed up and handed out the meager rations.

Ran took the dried meat with one hand and chewed it up. It had the consistency of hard leather, but his jaw was able to work it into a reasonable mess, and he swallowed hard to get it down. The salty aftertaste made him feel like he’d just swallowed the seawater that lashed his face. But the food would give them all energy. He bit in to some hardtack next and choked that down as well.

“More?” asked Kancho.

Ran held up his hand. “No. Too much and I’ll be useless. That was just enough. Thank you.”

Kancho chomped down some more of the dried meat and spoke around chewing it. “We’re never going to get away from them.”

“Maybe,” said Ran. “The waves are pushing us toward the shore. But if we hit that coast, we’re going to be in the fight of our lives.”

“Are we all done with forming plans?”

“I think so. There doesn’t seem to be much point in it. Those cliffs are tough going. If we manage to get to shore intact, and if we manage to get a head start on our enemies, I’d expect we head for high ground and try to make them pay dearly for any ground they take.”

Kancho smiled. “I like it.”

“I wish I had a better option.”

Kancho shrugged. “Death stalks us at every turn, even when we cannot see it. A warrior’s life is measured in how close we skirt that edge—at once so close to dying that it only makes our existence even more vibrant. Few will ever understand it. Fewer still will ever live it.” He smiled and patted Ran on the shoulder. “I have been fortunate to do both, and with your help, I have found my daughter. As such, I will gladly battle my enemies, unconcerned with whether I live or die. I will exist in the moment and let the gods decide what my fate shall be.”

“Let your sword decide your fate,” said Ran. “There’s no honor in giving control to the gods. They have far more important things to do than get involved with our affairs.”

“You may be right,” said Kancho. “I would like to return home anyway. If not for me, then for my daughter.”

The raider heaved as another swell picked the boat up and tossed it closer to the coast. The sudden acceleration of the ship surprised them all, and Ran felt a measure of hope; he’d prefer to die on dry land. He pointed at where Neviah stood. “She is looking to see how deep the water is.”

“Why bother?” asked Kancho.

“I don’t know. I think we’ll be smashed on the rocks before we can beach.”

“I agree.” Kancho shrugged and went back belowdecks.

Ran watched Neviah and then saw her jump up suddenly and come running toward him. “Try to aim the boat slightly starboard.”

“Huh?”

“Just do it. I didn’t shout the order, because I don’t want anyone hearing me on the other ship. But adjust the tiller so we’re a few degrees off our course right now. Hopefully, they won’t even notice.”

“What are you playing at?”

“Playing?” Neviah frowned. “Ran, I’m not playing at anything. I’m counting on this helping us survive. I know you and Kancho have these idolized views of what death is and how you’re walking that line between both realms and all. That’s great for you lot. But I still have a job to do, and that’s to get Jysal to the temple. So forgive me if I’m still trying to work out ways in which we can take the advantage away from our adversaries. Now steer a bit more starboard, if you please.”

“Fair enough,” said Ran. He moved the tiller a bit to port, and the ship veered starboard. “How’s that?”

“Ease back some, not too much. If I judged it right, the slight course direction should help us. It’s fortunate we have a strong current, otherwise we’d be dead.”

“But what good will this do?”

Neviah turned toward the bow. “There’s a narrow channel between some nasty reefs on either side. If we can reach it and glide through the channel without taking out our hull, it’s a pretty sure bet that the larger ship will not be able to avoid the reef. I’m hoping they wreck the ship on it. They’ll see us go through first and assume everything is fine.”

“Malkyr’s been plying these waters for years,” said Ran. “Won’t he figure this out?”

“Maybe,” said Neviah. “But I doubt it. Kan-Gul seems to have taken charge, and Malkyr is too busy arguing with him. For all of Kan-Gul’s magic, it might be more of an annoyance at this point.”

Even as she said this, the storm continued to abate. “I hope you’re right,” said Ran. “If we can get them to crash on the reef, we’ll have a good lead on them when we get to the coast.”

“It won’t be a long one,” said Neviah. “But at least we’re in a different part of the land from where we first got shipwrecked with Malkyr. If we can get to the border and find some friends, that would be great.”

“They’ll be hard on our tails as soon as we leave the ship.”

Neviah nodded. “And we’ll make them pay for every step they manage to take off of that boat.”

Another blast of magic sped past Ran’s head and slammed into the main mast. A shattering crash tore through the mast and it came spilling down, punching a hole in the deck. Ran turned and saw Kan-Gul smiling.

“Someone’s getting impatient.”

Neviah frowned. “What I don’t understand is why he’s not using magic right now to kill us all.”

Jysal shook her head. “That’s not his way. He’s milking this moment and he wants us to feel completely at his power. He knows that we’re in bad shape, that we cannot do much to escape them. He’s enjoying this. And when he gets us all where he wants us—most likely in front of him on our knees—he will take his time and inflict the maximum amount of pain upon us. Only then will he kill us and feed our souls to the Chekhal.”

“Not you,” said Ran. “He’s got other plans for you.”

Jysal nodded. “I know it. But I will make it as hard for him as I can. He will find that it is tougher than he may have imagined to bend me to his will. He tries even now to warp my mind. I can feel him reaching out, imploring me to do something to you all. He says he will reward me with things I cannot even dream about. Probably because they are too nightmarish for me to even fathom. But so far, I have rebuffed his efforts. That may be due to the distance between us, or it may be due to something else.”

“And you can’t use any of your magic against him from here?”

Neviah sighed. “How many times will you ask that? It’s too dangerous.”

“I’ll ask as many times as I can,” said Ran. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in a bit of a bad spot here. We could certainly use some assistance of the magical kind. Jysal is powerful, you’ve said as much.”

“She is,” said Neviah. “But that just makes her using untrained magic all the more dangerous.”

“Eventually, it’s not going to matter,” said Ran. “Kan-Gul will have us where he wants us. And if he successfully infiltrates Jysal’s mind, it will be too late for her to do anything about it.”

Neviah shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand why you would rather risk our lives when we have a potential weapon here.”

Neviah sighed. “I won’t risk Jysal’s life. If she uses magic and it comes out untempered, there is a very real risk that she will die. And I cannot let that happen. Not now, not ever while she is in my care. You may see her as just a tool to help fight off the evil pursuing us, but to me she is someone special—a treasure—that must be protected at all costs. She has used small magic during the trip, and it has worked out. But in order to destroy the enemy behind us, she would need to tap into a dangerous vein of power. I will not risk her life.”

Ran sighed. He understood that Neviah was protecting her charge, but what good was all that protection if you simply ended up dead? It made no sense. They had a real threat closing in on them, and Jysal potentially had the power to stop it. To Ran, it was worth the risk. Unfortunately, Neviah didn’t see it the same way, and, worse, if she was right, and Ran pressed for Jysal to try it anyway, there was a possibility that Jysal would die as the unchecked strength of magic exploded out of her.

“Very well.”

Neviah laid a hand on his arm. “I understand that you are trying to save us all, Ran. I get that. But you must also see things from my perspective. As long as we are not in the clutches of Kan-Gul, there is a chance the gods will see to us escaping. We are still free, and I will not have Jysal endanger herself. Not yet, at least. And possibly not ever. She needs to learn to control her ability before she can be unleashed upon the world. It is my job to get her to the people who can help her best.”

“All right,” said Ran. “I just hope we all live long enough for you to make that happen. I think it’s fair to say that Jysal has some real ability at her disposal. And if that can be harnessed for good, then all the better.”

Neviah nudged him a little. “Let the tide carry us starboard now.”

Ran grinned. Back to the scheme at hand. He wondered how he would feel if he was in Neviah’s position. Or Jysal’s, for that matter. Surely it must be tempting for her to try some of her magic? After all, she could probably feel it bubbling within her veins. And maybe it felt strange to have to hold back like this. In the tunnel, she’d used some to cast a faint light. He wondered what it felt like to use it. Maybe it felt like he felt during the flow of combat, when everything just seemed to happen without effort. In one instant you were about to die, but then your training took over and you moved and responded in just the right way with just the right technique. It was a heady experience to come away from a struggle and know that your training had won the day.

The raider ship bucked again as another wave rose up under their keel. Neviah shouted, “Hold that tiller and pray it doesn’t heave us to one side of the channel.”

Ran jerked his awareness back to the present and leaned hard on the tiller as the ship came down severely out of alignment with the course Neviah wanted them to take. He tried to swing the ship around, but without the sail, it was too much for the smaller ship to handle. “It’s no good!”

“Keep trying!” Neviah swung down and ran to the bow of the ship, which now pointed away from the channel she’d wanted them to take, straight into the coast. Ran saw her shaking her head already. He guessed the news wasn’t good.

And knew so when he heard the sound of shearing underneath the keel of the boat.

“We’re on the reef!”

Kancho rushed out from belowdecks, with Yuki right behind him. “We’re taking on water!”

Ran looked out at the coastline. It seemed incredibly far away—perhaps two hundred yards still. Jumping into the water at this point would be suicide. The sharks roving the waters would feast on them before Kan-Gul’s twisted creations had a chance to. He wondered if the bodies and blood from the destroyed ship would be enough to draw the sharks away. He’d rather not bet his life on it.

He heaved on the tiller, but it was too late to do much. The raider ship wasn’t moving while its keel lay on the reef itself. Behind them, the transport vessel still charged ahead, directly toward them. With only a few hundred yards separating them, Ran knew it was only a matter of time before they met in combat.

Perhaps they could board the transport vessel and take the fight right to Kan-Gul and Malkyr.

The raider ship rocked as another wave smashed into them broadside. The ship tilted, and Ran grabbed Jysal before she fell down. He helped her back up, and then they both fell as another wave buffeted them. Neviah sprawled across the deck as she tried to make her way back to the stern.

“We’ve got to get off of here!”

Before Ran could say anything, he gasped. Heading toward them was a huge wave, rolling in from far out to sea. It looked like it was at least forty feet tall, and even as he started to take a breath, the entire wall of water slammed down atop them. Ran felt his world shift and started to roll over and over again. Everything went black, and then he knew nothing more.