The_ORDER_of_SHADDAI Read online

  The beast shot up toward the surface again, breeching with Ethan hot on its trail. He reached the head and saw the ethereal form of the demon within riding along like a passenger in a coach. Ethan’s blade leapt to his hand and he slashed into the dragon’s head—more at the demon than the animal. He had a plan.

  The demon had to be struck three times to dislodge him from the dragon. The spirit writhed and then evaporated away as he’d seen happen to their kind before, during the attack on the slaver ship. Gideon thrashed, trying to catch his breath and his bearings before the serpent dove beneath the waves again. Everything happened so quickly.

  Ethan leaped at the head, attempting to enter the dragon as the demon had, but he was repelled. For whatever reason, he could not possess the creature as a purely spiritual being could. Instead, he straddled the neck behind the head. His sword became liquid mercury, forming a silver chain in his hand.

  Ethan wasn’t sure exactly how he accomplished it, but he didn’t care so long as he saved his friend. He had seen the demons using various weapons in combat and he wondered if they weren’t all the same weapon with this ability to change. Ethan whipped the chain over the serpentine head, then jerked it firm like a bit into the dragon’s mouth. He now held a crude bridle on the beast, hoping to force his will on the creature.

  The serpent struggled against him, trying to free itself, but Ethan exerted all of his strength. He muttered a prayer for divine help and forced the dragon to submit. Willing it forward, Ethan dug into the scaly flesh and the sea dragon surged away toward the enemy ships. The Man-o-wars were almost upon the Trinity and preparing to resume their attack.

  Ethan, the dragon, and a bewildered Gideon all plunged down beneath the surface of the sea. Ethan hoped Gideon could hold his breath for a few moments more as he sent the creature on the attack. The priest had little choice but to hang on for dear life.

  The dragon veered to the port side of both Man-O-wars and then surged upward. The breech was so powerful that three quarters of the serpent’s thick, muscular body left the water and hung suspended over both ships. Ethan waited for just the right moment.

  It all happened slightly slower than the time it took a man to blink his eyes. Ethan pulled the chain away. It became liquid then sword again. He sliced away the rope binding Gideon to the sea monster, grabbed him bodily, and leaped away.

  The hulking mass of serpentine muscle struggled only a moment against gravity and then it all came crashing back toward the sea. Caught in between were both Man-O-war battleships. Wooden masts splintered and toppled. Deck planks burst asunder from the impact of the sea dragon’s bulk. Both warships buckled and stopped dead in the water.

  Ethan returned to the physical world, still holding onto Gideon. But their tumbling bodies produced too much centrifugal force and he lost his grip. Both priests of Shaddai splashed into the sea.

  Ethan felt drained, much like his experience after sinking the slaver ship and the demon battle that had taken place onboard. He barely managed to struggle against the water and keep his head above the surface. Ethan moaned. Exhausted, he slipped beneath the rolling waves of the sea.

  A hand seized him—Gideon’s. He called to Ethan, but his words grew faint and distant. Unconsciousness swallowed up his final reserves of strength. And when he knew that his friend held him secure, bobbing on the surface of the Azure Sea, Ethan surrendered to it.

  PRISONER OF WAR

  Sarah slumped sideways, lying exhausted against the powerful leather clad arm of her captor. They had been riding for more than a day non-stop. Somehow the horses pushed on without water or food. Perhaps, she thought, their horses are as abominable as they are.

  There were twelve Wraith Riders in their group—the same who had come to Millertown and burned it. Sarah had gone through bouts of crying during the long journey south. She had no idea if her parents had survived their brief attack.

  Why had they not killed her already? What were they waiting for? Perhaps Mordred simply desired to perform the deed himself. Maybe he hoped to wring information about Gideon and the Deliverer from her before she died. She resolved to tell him nothing—a resolution Sarah hoped she had the courage to keep when faced with the warlord face to face.

  Several columns of black smoke rose above the tree line ahead. The twelve riders in black leather armor turned from the road, riding in that same direction. Sarah thought of escape, but she had no chance of getting away. Even if she had not been heavy with child, she could never have hoped to outrun the riders.

  When the riders breeched the line of trees, Sarah saw the village beyond. It had been occupied by several hundred people. Now the only living beings moving in it rode upon black horses. She immediately thought of Millertown although the heinous act committed here was far worse.

  Images of people running in terror, then cut down like wheat, flashed through her mind. The lodges still burned while the smaller homes had been reduced to smoldering piles of waste already. The sparse countryside, with its few trees and yellow straw grass, was littered with the inhabitants of the village.

  Mordred’s Wraith Riders had spared no one. The only weapons the villagers had possessed with which to defend themselves were farming implements. It was a total waste of life without reason. Sarah’s eyes strained to produce tears once again, but she was all dried up.

  Some of the riders in the village took notice of them as they approached and one in particular. A particularly large man, on his horse, trotted toward them. His black and red, leather armor gleamed with gold trim. And what appeared to be batwings stretched upward into points upon his black facemask like ears. Drawing near, he held a long double-edged sword. The metal was thick and grossly stained with dried blood. He replaced it into his sheath, then came to a halt before the twelve riders and their prisoner.

  Sarah supposed this man, sitting on the large black horse before her, had to be Mordred. His gaze fell upon her like a weight and Sarah felt she could not hold it without fear overwhelming her. After a moment, he reached up with a gloved hand and removed the hard-shell, black mask.

  Sarah had never actually laid eyes on the Lord of the Wraith Riders. She was surprised to find him so handsome. Raven hair fell around the man’s broad shoulders as he shook free of the helmet. His sinister gaze penetrated to her very soul. He held a subtle seductiveness, as deadly as a python charming its prey before the inevitable strike.

  “So, you are the girl who stole the heart of a priest away from his God?â€� Mordred asked.

  Sarah said nothing. She had never thought of their marriage in that way. The comment sent icy pricks up and down her spine. Is that what people see in our relationship—that I’ve betrayed the Lord and stolen Gideon from Him?

  “Of course, I suppose if anything could cause a man to forget his faith and the vows he has made, it would be the devilish charms of a woman,â€� Mordred continued. The other horsemen laughed at his remarks.

  Sarah closed her eyes, wishing she could close her ears. His words felt like venom seeping into her veins, paralyzing her resolve.

  “Now tell me, Sarah—â€�

  He knows my name?

  “—where is your husband and the boy traveling with him?â€�

  Sarah stiffened, but did not speak.

  “Perhaps, they have gone to the Isle of Macedon?â€�

  Sarah’s eyes lit up with surprise. How did he know?

  Mordred laughed at her bewilderment. “Do you really think I am so blind, girl? My eyes are in every place. I see all that happens in my kingdom and beyond. Your husband and Shaddai’s Deliverer are on a mission to bring the Word to the Isle of Macedon, supposing the island liberated from my hand. But I can assure you, I’m still very much in control there.â€�

  Mordred rode up beside the mount where she was confined. He took notice of her unborn child for the first time. “Ho
w precious…and heartbreaking.� He smiled. “A child who will never see its father.�

  Sarah cried out. “No!â€�

  But this only baited Mordred’s desire to torment her all the more. “Take her to the palace and keep her secure. I want no harm to come to her or the child. Is that understood?â€�

  “Yes, my Lord!â€�

  They turned their mounts and started eastward for Emmanuel. Mordred watched them as they retreated from the carnage of the massacred village.

  “Is this really necessary? The boy and the priest will be ours in Macedon. Why bother with this girl. We should just kill her and be done with it,â€� Mordred complained.

  The demon, Jericho, stood next to Mordred’s horse, only visible to the warlord at the moment. “Mordred, your lust for blood does you credit on the battlefield, but these matters require more subtlety. The girl gives us an advantage over the enemy. Never give up your advantage. The trap at Macedon may be set, and the prey walking straight into it, but you should realize by now, when dealing with Shaddai you never underestimate your enemy.â€�

  ISLE OF MACEDON

  It took the Trinity nearly three weeks to make the run to Macedon. The voyage had been relatively uneventful after the attack of the sea dragon. Ethan had saved Gideon’s life in the process, and Gideon had saved his by getting him back to the Trinity in his exhausted condition. The bitter feelings felt when they had departed from the Temple of Shaddai were forgotten between them as they labored with Bonifast’s new crew and enjoyed their time at sea.

  It was easy for Ethan to understand how a man like Bonifast could fall in love with the sea and never feel at home anywhere else. There was freedom out here. The wild sort that was difficult to experience on land. In some way, it was like taming a monster. The sea quickly destroyed those unaccustomed to her ways and the watery graves of many a sailing ship bore grim testimony to it.

  The Isle of Macedon was fairly large in size—sixty miles in diameter. It had long been a heathen nation. Years ago, priests of Shaddai had evangelized the island, but it had since come under the dominion of Mordred and his Wraith Riders.

  Ahead of the Trinity lay a massive port city. “That’s our destination, lads,â€� Levi said. “Calvera.â€�

  “Isn’t there some place less congested where we could make port?â€� Gideon asked.

  “Calvera is the only port for the whole island,â€� Levi said. “But I don’t think we should have a great deal of trouble remaining anonymous in such a large place. After all, I’ve removed the Trinity’s name plates and there’s so much traffic here. I have a good feeling.â€�

  “Now, I feel much better,â€� Gideon said sarcastically.

  “No better than I do, I’m sure, for having two deadly priests onboard to protect me.â€� They both grinned at one another and Levi went back to work guiding the ship into port.

  The Calvera Harbor was a very busy place and seemed to stretch in both directions as far as one could see on this side of the island. Ships, too many to number accurately, of all sizes, entered or departed full of the spices and fruits the island nation had always been famous for.

  “What’s the name of the king here in Macedon?â€� Ethan asked.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the island, lad. Last I heard, the king had been imprisoned along with his family. Mordred’s army has occupied the island for more than ten years. If something’s happened to change that, I’ve not heard it.â€�

  “We’ll have to be very discreet. Even though a royal emissary was sent from Macedon, we can’t assume it was really from their king,â€� Gideon said.

  “Then where are we going to take the scroll chest?â€� Ethan asked.

  “To be honest, I’m really not sure,â€� Gideon said. “That’s why you and I will be going ashore in disguise to start with. Once we identify who’s actually in power here, we can decide if there is anyone on the island who can take charge of the chest to disseminate its teachings.â€�

  “And if we can’t?â€�

  “Then we go home and take the scrolls with us.â€�

  The crew of the Trinity worked with the dockhands to moor the ship once they had found a place of entry. Levi went ashore first to arrange payment of docking fees and find out anything he could about who was in charge of the port and the island. Ethan and Gideon waited before actually setting off on the island themselves. When Bonifast returned an hour later and met with the priests in his cabin, he wore a curious smile on his face.

  “Well, what did you find out, Levi?â€� Gideon asked.

  “Good news, lads. A king has been reinstated on the island. It seems the son of the former king, who is dead now, began a revolt nearly a year ago. He managed to drive out the army of Mordred stationed here. I couldn’t learn anymore than that without acting suspicious.â€�

  Ethan eyed Gideon curiously. “What do you think?â€�

  “I’m not sure. Have you spotted any demon activity in the port?â€�

  “When we were on deck earlier, I didn’t see any at all. It’s eerie how quiet it is—from a spiritual standpoint anyway,â€� Ethan said.

  Gideon rubbed his chin. “Just the same, I think we should conduct our own reconnaissance further inland and see if the story holds true everywhere.â€�

  “Well, I told the dock master that we were here to purchase spices, so I’ll get the crew working on that to throw them off our scent, just in case,â€� Levi said.

  Ethan and Gideon cloaked themselves in brown hooded robes and girded their swords underneath. There would be nothing so suspicious about carrying weapons out in the open, but any measure of inconspicuous they could maintain would be worth it in the long run.

  When Gideon and Ethan disembarked from the Trinity, they made their way through the crowded docks and onto shore with little difficulty. But when they started walking down the main thoroughfare into Calvera, a wall of soldiers immediately appeared ahead of them. The crowds dispersed. Another compliment of soldiers surrounded them from the rear, cutting them off from the ship.

  The two priests of Shaddai stopped dead in their tracks as pedestrians cleared the way around them. “Hold, Ethan,â€� Gideon warned as the boy groped under his cloak for the hilt of his sword. “Notice the uniforms?â€�

  “Gray and blue, not red and black.â€�

  “These don’t appear to be Mordred’s soldiers. They’re wearing the colors of the former king, Gavin of Macedon.â€�

  A royal coach parted the wall of soldiers, rolling up to Gideon and Ethan as they stood waiting in the deserted street. It was trimmed in silver and precious stones Ethan was not familiar with. The gray horses wore blue-feathered plumes standing tall on the crown of their bridles. The carriage came around in a semicircle so the door faced the priests of Shaddai.

  Ethan wondered why they hadn’t been attacked. Still, he remained at the ready just in case. He hadn’t spotted any demonic activity yet and it made him nervous. In almost every town or city, where they had traveled, there had been some measure of spiritual activity, even if it had nothing to do with hunting the Deliverer. It’s like a forest without the sound of animals, Ethan thought.

  The driver wore tight breeches which stopped short just below the knee. White hose continued down his leg terminating with polished, black shoes and silver buckles. He wore a powdered, white wig with a blue ribbon tied in the pony-bob and a decorative blue and gray vest with silver buttons. The man lighted down from the carriage, only slightly regarding the rather ordinary young men standing before him. He opened the carriage door and bowed as he held it open for the gentleman seated within.

  The man inside the carriag
e peered out into the street, first, then stepped forward daintily as though he was concerned about how much road dust might get on his clothes. He was very tall and thin with spectacles sitting upon the bridge of his long nose. He wore regal attire in the same royal color scheme. He also wore a powdered white wig and Ethan supposed it must be the fashion—at least for the royal house.

  “Good afternoon, gentlemen,â€� he said. “My name is Mr. Hollingsworth. I am the royal advisor to His Majesty, King Nichols of Macedon. I’ve been sent by the king to escort you back to the royal palace with the Word of Shaddai we sent for.â€�

  “How did you know who we were?â€� Gideon asked suspiciously.

  Mr. Hollingsworth gave a pompous snicker to Gideon’s question. “My dear young man, it was a simple matter for our dock master to identify your ship once he spoke with your captain. People just don’t inquire about the things he wanted to know. Of course, we’ve also been expecting you. Our royal emissary only arrived back in Calvera two days ago, so we hoped you would not be far behind.â€�

  Gideon and Ethan still looked suspicious of the man and his soldiers. “Now then, gentlemen, if you don’t mind, the king is waiting for you.â€� Mr. Hollingsworth motioned to the open door of the carriage, expecting them to enter.

  “I think, Mr. Hollingsworth, that my apprentice and I would like to follow after your carriage, if you don’t mind,â€� Gideon said politely. “You see, it’s been a long voyage and we were just looking forward to stretching our legs a bit on the streets of your fair city.â€�

  Mr. Hollingsworth arched the corner of his mouth in such a way as to make it clear he felt walking among the pedestrians was beneath him. “I assure you gentlemen, I am no threat to you. But if that is what you wish, then so be it.â€�