Azra of the Burning Sands (Genesis Project) (14 page)

She walked towards it. She paused, looking back down on shore. Lady Cina was still engaged and no one seemed to be paying much attention.

Kia turned back around, and stopped cold. There was a hooded man behind a large boulder, with the lower half of his face covered by a grey cloth, leaving the upper half of his face visible. Kia noticed his irises were white, completely unlike anything she had seen before. He held a bow with an arrow notched. It was held at the ready, but didn’t draw it back.

He pointed at her and motioned her over. She quickly glanced at others on the shore, and then back at the man. He shook his head slowly, sensing what she was planning.

She had no weapons, but the snake was still present. If she got close, and he tried anything, the snake would make short work of him.

Deciding to risk it, she started to walk towards him.

Once she got close, he lowered the bow and said, ‘Why are you here?’

‘Our ship sank off shore. We’re stuck here,’ she said carefully.

The man nodded. ‘A storm out of nowhere?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ Kia answered.

‘Wouldn’t happen to have seen a sea monster while you were out there would you?’ the man wondered.

‘Yeah, it tore off our rudder. I shot it in a soft spot and it left.’

‘A soft spot? I didn’t think it had one,’ the stranger said, his eyes widening in surprise.

‘Who are you?’ Kia asked.

The man looked at her for a moment. Then he said, ‘I haven't decided yet.’

Kia didn’t know how to reply.

The man gripped his bow again. ‘Go back to shore and tell your friends to place their weapons in a pile.’

Kia opened her mouth, unsure of how to answer. ‘I don't think they’ll take kindly to threats from
one
man.’

‘Oh I’m not the
only
one. You are surrounded by my men. Your fortunes are directly linked to whether or not you go to shore and get your friends to drop their weapons.’ The stranger’s voice was still cordial.

Kia swallowed nervously and started back for shore. She looked around as she walked back, glancing for others hiding among the rocks and shrubs.

She didn’t see anyone.

She lowered herself gently down the bank. She walked towards Cina.

Cina was still busy. Kia was acutely aware that there were less of them than when they started. She shivered. Her clothes were wet, and the wind still hadn’t died completely.

‘Cina,’ Kia said.

Cina looked up. ‘Kia, where have you been?’

‘We have a problem.’

Cina scoffed. ‘Another one?’ she asked. ‘What else could possibly go wrong?’

‘We’re surrounded,’ Kia winced.

‘Monsters aren’t the only thing that are dangers on these waters, John... we must also be on the look out for
Pirates
...’

-Captain Phips to John, on their voyage south

DEADLANDS – NORTH SHORE OF MILLA

C
ina stared, and Kia had to think about how to proceed without causing her Protector to try something rash. She thought about telling Cina the whole story, but she felt something about the man and stopped.

Cina was quiet, waiting.

Kia decided to start small, and said, ‘I went looking for somewhere for us to camp. I met someone up there. He told me to tell us to put our weapons in a pile. He looked strange. He had white irises in his eyes. He seems dangerous.’

Cina stood up and looked around. She seemed to be listening for something.

Kia stood by waiting. The others had started to take notice. Cina’s men stood up and began to form a perimeter around the remaining sailors.

Captain Phips struggled to his feet and walked over to Kia and Cina.

‘What’s going on?’ Phips asked.

‘Kia said she met someone who claimed we were surrounded.’

‘One man?’ Phips said.

Kia looked at him. ‘Yes, he looked dangerous and said that we were surrounded. He said that I needed to come down here and tell everyone to lower their weapons.’

Phips was quiet in thought for a moment. ‘I’d say we do it,’ he finally put forward.

Cina looked at him. ‘What?’ she hissed.

‘If it’s one man, he can’t take us all down, even if we are unarmed. If we
are
surrounded, then we have far too many people in no condition to fight. And we need to get off the shore before the tide comes in. Even being a prisoner to bandits beats
this
.’

Cina sighed. He hesitated for a long moment, but threw her sword to the ground. She ordered her men to do the same. The sailors that had weapons followed suit. Then they all stood away from the pile that had formed.

They heard a loud whistle noise. One by one, thirteen hooded figures stepped into view, all holding bows. Each of them had their faces hidden behind a white cloth, except one who wore a grey cloth.

The one with the white eyes, and the grey, cloth stepped forward.

‘Very wise of you!’ he called out.

Kia looked up at him. ‘Will you tell me who you are now?’

‘I’ve decided I’m not a foe, but beyond that, I still haven’t decided. Now stay put while we gather your weapons and then we’ll get you somewhere you can dry off,’ he said, as four of the other figures carrying bags climbed down, moving towards the pile of weapons.

The four worked in silence, gathering the weapons into their bags, and then climbing back up the bank.

‘Now that that’s done, why don’t we get moving?’ said the man in grey.

Kia watched as Cina’s guards and the sailors began to pick up those too weak to walk and started getting them off shore.

Out to sea, the top of the mast of the ship was just visible. They must have gotten closer to shore than she had thought.

The masked people helped them up the bank, but still formed a perimeter of bow wielding people around them.

‘I thought you said you weren’t a foe,’ Cina barked.

‘
We’re
not, but I still don’t know if you are,’ came the reply from the man in grey. ‘Now come with us, we’ll get you warm and tend to your wounded.’

They started to move. They walked for what felt like an urrh. Shore was nowhere to be seen as they entered into a hilly, barren, land. Kia felt uneasy as they walked. This was
nothing
like home. Even the desert around Jarridon felt more alive than
this
place.

They came to a crevice in the rocks. From far away they hadn’t even seen it. Their guide started down an outcropping that lead down one face of it. They all followed carefully. They came to an opening near the bottom, and their guide went inside. When they followed, they found themselves in a small cave with many passageways branching off. Kia remembered her escape from the Sorcerer’s fortress and swallowed a momentary flash of fear.

Their guide pulled out a glowing stone and went deeper in, picking passageways with certainty as they walked further away from daylight.

They entered a larger cave that opened up in a wide chamber dotted with fires, tended by groups of people. Some of the people wore hoods like the white eyed man, others wore more common clothing.

They were led to an area in the centre of the cave, while the wounded were set around the fires, where they were tended by people wearing blue robes.

The white eyed man moved to one side to talk to someone. Kia was startled to notice that in the gloom, his white irises glowed softly, making two circles of dim white light from under the cowls of his hood. Other hooded people took up position around Kia and the survivors.

Captain Phips walked towards Cina and leaned in close to her.

‘There’s something about that man. It’s on the tip of my tongue. I’ve heard something about a white eyed man. And the way his eyes glow... I know I’ve heard something about him before,’ he said softly.

‘Is he dangerous?’ Cina asked quietly.

‘That depends on who you ask!’ the white eyed man called from his position outside the circle. Cina and Phips stiffened as the man walked towards them.

‘Your people who still feel weak will recover. It’s a nasty after effect of your run in with the sea monster,’ the man said explained. ‘We found a few more survivors, but anyone who’s not with you is probably dead.’

Cina stepped forward. ‘Where are the new survivors?’

The man gestured to four more people by the fire. One of them was John Fort, another was Jahnyz Kohv. The last two were more sailors.

There was no sign of Azra.

Cina started to walked towards them, but two armed people stood in her way.

‘They’ll be fine. No need to check on them. Now, tell me, how many did the monster claim?’ the grey man asked intently.

‘There were about fifty of us on that ship,’ Captain Phips said.

‘There are about thirty three of you left. I’m sorry for your loss,’ the man said solemnly. ‘The monster is indiscriminate.’

‘You’ve had experience with it?’ Phips asked.

The man nodded.

‘What will become of us?’ Kia wondered.

‘Nothing, for now. We’ll take care of your wounded and keep you safe.’

‘If it’s all the same to you, we’d like to get to civilization as soon as possible,’ Cina said tersely.

The man laughed and said, ‘Why, you are in civilization now! We are a civilized people. We would never treat our prisoners poorly, but make no mistake, you
are
prisoners. I may not be a foe, but I’m
not
your friend...
yet
. I’ll need time to think of what to do with you.’

The man turned to leave.

‘Wait! My Uncle was taken from the ship by strange creatures,’ Kia said.

The grey man turned around and looked at her. ‘Taken?’

Kia hesitated, not sure how much she wanted to tell him, but they couldn’t go after him if they were stuck in this cave.

‘Yes. These creatures climbed up the side of the ship, put something over his mouth after he got knocked out by the monster, and dove into the sea with him.’

The man turned to one of his companions. ‘See! I told you there was something else going on Ty. The beast’s attacks aren’t random! At least not
all
the time.’

‘I never said there wasn’t anything else going on, Vosco. But I’m not sure we can say the creatures are controlling it. Maybe they just follow it around and use it as a distraction,’ the man named Ty said.

Captain Phips eyes went wide. ‘Did you just say Vosco? As in Venomous Vosco the Bandit King of the Ash Sea?’

Vosco’s eyes went wide again. ‘Ahhh you’ve heard of me!’ He took a bow in their direction. ‘I am indeed the Vosco you speak of.’

Kia looked at him. ‘Why do they call you Venomous?’

‘Because I’m as deadly as any venom,’ he said matter-of-factly.

‘They also say he’s
immune
to any kind of venom, poison, or curse,’ Phips said, his voice sounding weak, ‘and that if you get on his bad side, he won’t hesitate to kill you. Many sailors will
surrender
rather than face his troupe of bandits.’

‘See, I never got the
bandit
thing. I’m
clearly
a pirate,’ Vosco said thoughtfully.

‘That was before you got the ships. We used to raid towns and travellers on land,’ Ty replied stepping up on his side.

‘Ahh, quite right. The reputation came before the career change,’ Vosco smiled, ‘but let’s cut to the chase shall we?’

‘The chase?’ Cina asked.

‘I have business with the beast, and you have no way home. More importantly to me, it sounds as though you have information about the beast that I do not have. I’ve never yet heard of any other creatures along with the beast.’

‘We’d be happy to share what we know, but we must continue our journey,’ Kia said.

‘Continue? What are you so adamant to continue on for?’ Vosco asked, ‘Your ship isn’t going to get any less sunk.’

Kia wasn’t sure how much she wanted to say. She remained quiet.

Captain Phips took a step forward. ‘Maybe you could supply us passage for our help?’

‘Passage? To where?’ Vosco asked.

Phips glanced back at Cina and Kia then back at Vosco. ‘To the port of Nolmi, on the southern coast of Milla,’ he finally said.

‘Nolmi? Correct me if I’m wrong, but judging by your uniforms, and the crests on some of the equipment we salvaged from the ship, you’re from the Kingdom of Minna,’ Vosco said.

‘We are. We’re on an important mission for the King, and we
must
finish it.’

‘Important missions tend to be worth something,’ Vosco said, smiling in the dim light. ‘Consider helping me simply another step in your mission.’

‘Please, I
have
to find my Uncle. We have to finish our mission,’ Kia said, pleadingly.

‘Don’t assume my levity for weakness of purpose!’ Vosco snapped. ‘I have only one purpose, and that’s to kill that beast. Nothing else matters to me. Your Uncle is already dead to me. Your Kingdom means nothing to me.’ He pointed a finger at Kia. ‘
You
mean nothing to me. You will help me one way or another. Either by doing what I ask or by ransoming you back to your King so I can get more ships and hunt the beast down. I’m not picky either way.’

He lowered his hand and took a step backwards. Someone walked over to them from one of the fires, holding one of the glowing stones from before. The person leaned over and talked to one of Vosco’s men.

Kia noticed Vosco looking at her intently. He pulled down the covering of his face and brought a hand up to stroke his short grey beard. Kia heard Cina and Phips talking behind her. For her part, she met Vosco’s gaze.

Vosco looked like he was concentrating. His hand paused in its stroking. He reached into a pocket and pulled out what looked like a lock of hair. He held it, rolling it about absently with his fingers, and kept looking at Kia.

‘We’ve decided to tell you what we know,’ Kia heard Cina say from behind her.

‘Good, good. You can tell Gram here all you know,’ he said, sounding distant.

He put the lock of hair back in his pocket, turned around, and walked away into the gloom.

The man named Gram lead Cina, Phips, and Kia over to one of the fires to hear what they had to say.