Of Kings and Killers (Elder Empire Sea #3) - WIll Wight Page 0,126
his bulk.
In shape, he reminded Calder of a shark. Especially when his head crested the waves.
He was like a shark, one with a heavy brow and blunted snout. A vast blindfold of rust-stained steel wrapped around his eyes, held in place by silver-colored nails driven into his flesh. His teeth were bared in a predatory grin, each tooth triangular and yellowed and as large as a ship’s sail.
A familiar voice echoed in the ears and minds of everyone present. “YOU WILL BE DEFEATED.”
It echoed over them as a declaration of certainty, a fact.
“YOU WILL BE BROKEN.”
Calder saw himself broken, beaten, collapsing to the deck of his ship.
“IN THE END, WHEN YOU BEG TO OFFER YOURSELVES TO ME, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM KELL’ARACK. YOUR MASTER. THE COLLECTOR OF SOULS.”
The name carried such weight of Intent that it seemed to dwarf Calder entirely. He felt tiny, insignificant, unworthy even to stand.
But he had faced Kelarac before.
Mentally, Calder ordered the Lyathatan to slow, but the Elder had already stopped and begun hauling the ship back. It would hold to its deal, but part of the plan involved The Testament falling back deeper into formation. Several of the Navigators overtook Calder, moving to the front.
Kelarac’s words shook Calder more than he cared to think about, bringing up fresh memories of Urg’naut’s emptiness.
But instead of himself, he focused on those around him.
He shook Andel, gave Petal a smile, and kicked Foster in the shin. One by one, they blinked themselves out of the spell the Great Elder had cast over them with his words.
And why not? They were headed for victory.
They would defeat Kelarac in battle. If they didn’t, Calder could give himself over to the Great Elder, and Shera would kill him.
Either way, they won.
It’s a sure bet, he told himself. Whether or not I get to see us collect on it.
Briefly, he wondered if the Unknown God would take a prayer from him.
Estyr’s response was just as loud and clear as Kelarac’s had been. “Instead of your eyes, I should have taken your tongue.”
One of the spikes behind her shot through the air, kicking up a hurricane wind that pushed back several of the Navigator ships.
A ghostly chain, even thicker than the spike, rose from the ocean. They met with the ring of metal on metal, striking sparks, just as a flash from heaven lit up the void-torn sky.
Then the battle began.
Elders rushed to clash with the front ranks of Navigator ships and were met with a wave of gunfire, tame Kameira, and shining Soulbound powers.
“Prepare for battle!” Calder shouted. He readied his orange-spotted saber in one hand and his helmet in the other. “We only have to endure.”
Bliss turned and gave him an odd look. She was holding a small leather bag that he hadn’t seen her board with; it looked new.
“I am going to fight. Don’t let yourself die before I get back.”
“Why would I let myself die?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she gripped her handbag tightly. “I will be very upset with you if you die without informing me first.”
“Duly noted, Guild Head.”
She nodded sharply and then let herself fall from the edge of the ship. He didn’t hear a splash.
“How did she…” Petal’s question trailed off.
“I don’t know,” Calder said. “I never know.”
Andel’s White Sun glimmered on his chest as he glanced around. “You know, speaking of your death, I don’t see the Consultants around here.”
Calder kept one nervous eye on the battlefront, as he expected Elderspawn to boil up beneath them at any second, but he looked around at the Navigator fleet as much as he could afford. Bastion’s Shadow was supposed to stay behind him, but it was missing from its position.
Where were the Consultants?
A blazing white-gold thunderbolt interrupted his thoughts: Loreli, falling from the sky sword-first, slamming her weapon down. Before she reached Kelarac, she was met by a bronze shield that flashed into existence out of nowhere. It exploded into a red light as it met her weapon.
In the meantime, a host of swords fought Jorin, floating in the air, while Kelarac and his ghostly chains exchanged titanic blows with Estyr and her seven spikes. Their battle whipped up the ocean like a storm, so The Testament rolled up one wave and down the other side.
As they tilted on their way down, Calder found himself staring into a host of yellow eyes before hundreds of Elderspawn surged up the hull of his ship.
They were like fanged fish with clawed, stubby legs and arms. Their