THE_REALM_SHIFT Read online

  That last word carried the weight of finality. Ethan kept waiting for some sign that they would be all right, but nothing came—no bolt of lightning, no angels, nothing at all.

  He thought about the realm shift. If he shifted into the spiritual world, he could escape them, but Gideon would be left behind. He could hide the priest from the prying eyes of demons, but not from natural eyes. Ethan could not bring himself to abandon Gideon.

  “What about this other lot?â€� the Bailiff asked. “They stand accused of sedition against Lord Mordred and sabotage. They attempted to blow up the munitions depot last night.â€�

  “Ah,â€� the magistrate said. “Do I find myself in the presence of men brave enough to stand against Lord Mordred? Well then, we shall have to give you heroes of the rebellion the special treatment you deserve…death by hanging!â€�

  Ethan watched Ash. The pirate took it all very calmly, even glancing over at Ethan to give him a wink. Ethan couldn’t help but wonder, what’s he up to?

  “Take them away, Bailiff,â€� the magistrate bellowed, looking directly at Ethan when he said it. “We mustn’t keep the crowd waiting.â€�

  True to the magistrate’s word, a very large crowd had gathered to watch the execution. Ethan wondered how often they conducted this sort of public event. The so-called trial had been anything but. No defense of any kind had even been suggested.

  Outside the jail, a wagon waited with sturdy fenced sidewalls. They led the prisoners, by armed escort, out to the wagon, where each took their turn having their wrists bound. Each man climbed into the wagon. The driver, a man in a black hood, sat up front. When the wagon was loaded, the black-hooded man snapped the reins on the team of horses, setting them in motion.

  The tall gallows loomed ahead, beyond the thick crowd. The throng parted like waves of the sea as the wagon made its trip from the stockade to the gallows. The locals cursed and spat at them. Some threw food and mud, or worse.

  Ethan wondered why the wagon itself was so long, until he saw the gallows. There a line of nooses hung from a cross beam about ten feet in the air above the main platform. A man stood upon the platform. He also wore a black hood with two holes cut to see through. The platform stood tall enough for a wagon, this wagon, to park and wait for the bodies to drop.

  Six pegs lined the cross beam, but only five held nooses today. The wagon parked by the set of stairs leading up to the platform. The prisoners exited the back of the wagon and a guard escorted them above. The other hooded man, the executioner, waited to receive them.

  The executioner took them each down the line, finding them a place among the ropes. He placed a noose over each of the men’s heads, cinching it up good and snug at the neck. Then he walked back to a lever fastened into the wooden structure. The lever would drop the floor open beneath them when the word was given. Ethan watched as the wagon followed a well-worn path from the stairs to just beneath the gallows.

  The Bailiff climbed up onto the platform. He began to read off the charges against the condemned. Ethan’s thudding heart drowned out the man’s voice. He watched the sky, looking for something to happen, some sort of divine intervention that would save them. But Ethan saw no clouds in the sky or any angels flying to rescue them at the last moment.

  Ethan turned to find the executioner ready on the lever. It was almost time. Strangely, the executioner wore a cutlass on his left hip. It puzzled Ethan, but not enough to calm the pounding of blood in his ears.

  A thunderous explosion rocked the square. Everyone turned to see a plume of fire and black smoke rising above the buildings on the east side of the city. “The munitions depot!â€� voices shouted from the crowd.

  “Hoo-hoo, this is where the fun starts, kid,â€� Ash said to Ethan.

  A sword flashed through Ethan’s line of sight, severing his noose. He watched the hooded man run from man to man, along the platform, cutting all of the ropes fastening them to the beam above. “Come on, lads!â€� Ash said.

  The executioner ran back to the lever and threw the switch. The flooring beneath their feet gave way like a trap door, and down they all went into the wagon waiting below. The executioner followed them through and began to cut their bonds.

  Meanwhile, the hooded wagon driver snapped his reins and the horses jolted away from beneath the platform. The people ran out of the way, or fell out of the way, as pandemonium raged through the crowd. Most of the people had been distracted by the explosion. By the time they realized what was happening, the wagon was already racing down the main street toward the docks.

  ELSPETH

  White walls of granite stretched out before Elspeth and the other young women as their caged wagon approached the city of Emmanuel. Elspeth had heard many stories during her youth about the city named for the One God, but she had never laid eyes on it before. The name of the city held a prophecy, for the name meant “God with us.â€�

  Elspeth felt so tired. How many days had it been since the riders in crimson and black had come to destroy the town of Grandee? She had stopped counting the sunrises. The women had been deprived of proper food and were always left thirsty. Elspeth felt like they were traveling the razor’s edge between death and life.

  All hope had melted away for her. She had no idea why they had been spared while all the others in Grandee were killed. Plumes of smoke and fire had been their last images of Grandee—the final memory burning in their minds before each night’s sleep since.

  The white walls of Emmanuel towered above her, fifty feet into the air. These impenetrable walls had stood as a testament to the holiness of Shaddai and as a beacon of hope. Now they encompassed the doom of the entire nation.

  Three walls surrounded the royal city of Emmanuel on three sides with the palace as the fourth. From the back wall of the palace, the white granite cascaded down all the way into the Azure Sea hundreds of feet below. Mordred and his Wraith Riders were the only ones who had ever been able to take this city, the only ones in ages who had even dared to try.

  Towers rose above the walls at regular intervals. From this distance it became difficult to see, but Elspeth knew that demons were there guarding the city. She had never heard exactly how many demons served under Lord Mordred, but it had to be a great number. Many horrifying stories had been told about Mordred’s covenant with these wicked spirits. Elspeth wondered if the half had still not been told.

  The caged wagon crawled up the cobblestone path, taking them through the main gate of the city. Both iron portcullises were raised, at the moment. If an enemy happened to make it beyond the first portcullis, into the vestibule, archers and gunmen would attack them from the wall. Troughs set within the stone, higher up, accommodated boiling oil, which could be poured upon those trapped between the two gates.

  When the cart with its prisoners came inside the walls, the city spread out before them in all directions. The palace loomed high above every other structure, straight ahead from the main gate. The main road they traveled, branched out into smaller avenues along the way. But their destination appeared to be the palace itself.

  All of the luxury of the House of Nod resided here in Emmanuel City. Elspeth had expected the city to be in shambles when she arrived. Conquerors such as Mordred usually wasted and destroyed everything they touched. But to her surprise, the city flourished.

  People went about their daily business in crowded streets. Farmers and merchants traveled with their wares to the massive market complex. Wealthier civilians walked here and there on paved walkways. To look at them, one might never think anything had ever happened. Perhaps, she thought, wickedness such as Mordred’s is not always ugly.

  As the caged wagon ambled further down the wide avenue toward the palace, Elspeth began to notice a change in the scenery. The prosperous homes and businesses of civilians gave way to the bustle of the military. For acres and acres, Elspeth saw the preparations of
war.

  The once lush, manicured lawns adorning the palace grounds had been converted to training quads for Mordred’s army. Thousands of men in red and black uniforms sparred in tight formations or trained with various weapons. In the distance to her right, Elspeth saw the manufacture of gigantic engines of war. These would not be used to raid villages and towns. These could only be reserved for laying siege to a large city.

  Mordred’s plan became clear to her. The siege engines may as well have had Wayland stamped upon them in blood. This had to be Mordred’s intention. With a rebellion fomenting in Wayland to his rule in Nod, Mordred was not going to wait for an attack. He would take the fight to his enemies.

  The wagon proceeded into the palace courtyard underneath another smaller double portcullis. Inside the courtyard wall, a lush garden lay before them. Truly, evil can seem beautiful, she thought.

  Fountains of Azure seawater lay on either side of the road. The palace was beautiful beyond compare. The building had been constructed from the same white granite block as the wall, only it was highly polished and adorned by many solid gold and bronze statues.

  Elspeth recognized these immediately and her suspicions about the evil nature of this place were instantly confirmed. Castings of idol gods had been set up everywhere on the grounds. Idolatry had always been strictly prohibited by Shaddai, but now the city bearing his name was full of it.

  She saw, in some of the garden spots, men and women praying to them. There were idols set up beneath large trees and upon the fountains—the primary ornaments seen wherever one’s eyes fell upon the palace grounds.

  Fifty other young women had been kept in the wagon with Elspeth. Others had been separated from them along the way from Grandee. She had no idea what had become of them since. Some of the women sobbed. What would happen to them now? But Elspeth refused to give Mordred the satisfaction of her tears.

  When the wagon stopped, a driver dressed in red and black armor, hopped down from his seat and met several palace guards at the rear of the wagon. They unlocked the steel-banded cage and motioned for the women to come out.

  One of the guards addressed them. “You’re going to be processed. Your group has the privilege of working here in the palace. You should be grateful to the gods. There are far worse places where you could be laboring for Lord Mordred. Obey and you won’t come to know what that statement really means. Disobey and you will live out your remaining days in pain.â€�

  He led them through a side gate off the path leading into the palace. The former servant’s quarters resided here. Once they entered the larger of these less stately buildings, a matron took control of the women.

  Anger burned in the haggish woman’s eyes. She laid into the young women immediately, explaining very clearly how she would not tolerate any laziness. “I will not be trifled with!â€� she said.

  The matron and several women working under her wore dark dresses covered by off-white, heavy aprons with pockets in the front. She introduced herself as Mrs. Palmer. The other women with her brought out stacks of uniforms.

  “These will be your clothes for as long as you reside here at the palace of Lord Mordred. Take good care of them. If I have to issue you any more, you will receive ten lashes each time. Is that understood?â€�

  Elspeth and all of the other young women nodded. It was not a nod of approval, but the nod of forced compliance, a nod which punctuated the hopelessness of their situation. As Elspeth gathered the garments meted out to her and fell back into line, she wondered where her brother might be at this moment. She wondered if he might still be alive and looking for her.

  CAPTAIN BONIFAST

  A pleasant breeze brushed over the sailing ship, Maelstrom. Ethan had been forced to breathe rancid air the night before in Tilley Town’s stockade, so this was more than he could have hoped for. He had expected dirt shoveled over his body in some mass grave back in Tilley by this time, but divine providence proved a force to be reckoned with.

  Ash and his fellow shipmates, who had been sharing the gallows with him and Gideon only hours before, had known their captain, Levi Bonifast, would rescue them somehow. Apparently, Captain Bonifast had ordered the assault on Mordred’s munitions depot in Tilley to begin with and had made sure the job was completed the second time.

  The monstrous explosion, rocking the city, had provided a wonderful diversion. Meanwhile, members of Bonifast’s crew, disguised as hangmen, brought about their escape. Fortunately, Ash had been willing to take him and Gideon along in the escape plan.

  Ethan and Gideon remained on deck under the watchful eyes of the crew. Ethan suspected that they were pirates. Nevertheless, Ash had made it clear they fought with the resistance movement building in Nod.

  Ash and the others had disappeared into the captain’s cabin at the rear of the ship. Ethan wondered if he would find Captain Bonifast as friendly a man as Ash. Gideon, for the most part, remained quiet. He generally did not talk unless he had something specific to say. “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his tongue,â€� Gideon had said.

  By mid-afternoon, Ethan wondered when they might see Ash again and meet this illustrious Captain Bonifast. He had never been aboard a ship like this before or a ship at all for that matter. He stared, amazed at how efficient the crew carried out their duties, performing their individual functions in concert like a well-oiled machine.

  The Maelstrom, a weather beaten vessel, had more charm than outright beauty, like an old mule—ugly as sin, but hard working and worth its weight in gold to its master. As Ethan examined the main mast before him and the rail he was leaning against, he noticed a fair amount of patchwork. Careful inspection found the wood littered with pockmarks and seams where new wood had been added to replace hunks of it lost in numerous battles.

  Many of the crew had the same sort of patchwork appearance. Some wore shaggy beards. Others had teeth missing or rotting out. Some of Bonifast’s motley crew were even missing fingers or entire limbs. Still, they performed their duties the same as everyone else.

  The door to the captain’s cabin opened, causing Ethan and Gideon to perk up. They eagerly anticipated the man to whom they owed their lives. A man dressed in a navy blue waistcoat with a matching tricorn hat walked out of the cabin.

  “Ash?â€� Ethan asked.

  “That’s Captain Levi Ashbury Bonifast to you, young master Ethan,â€� he said.

  “So you’re Bonifast,â€� Gideon said.

  “I know, I know. You were trying very hard to figure out who could be more dashing and intelligent than your new friend Ash,â€� Bonifast said. “But your wondering is over, the answer is clear—no one is!â€�

  One thing was certain, Ash or Bonifast, or whoever he was, had not lost his sense of humor. Ethan grinned from ear to ear. “I guess we owe you our lives then, Captain.â€�

  Captain Bonifast patted Ethan’s shoulder. “Ah well, let’s save our thanks for the Almighty who deserves it, eh?â€� he said, nodding toward Gideon. Gideon smiled, nodding in agreement. He would not have admitted it, but Gideon seemed to like this fellow almost as much as Ethan did. Bonifast may have seemed a scoundrel at first glance, but somewhere beneath the veneer a heart of pure gold kept showing through.

  “So, boys, what are your plans, or were you thinking of settling down in Tilley?â€�

  “I’m trying to get to Emmanuel to rescue my sister,â€� Ethan said. “Gideon is helping me.â€�

  “I see. Then Shaddai has you on the right track,â€� Bonifast said. “The Maelstrom is sailing for Emmanuel. I suppose you could tag along with us, right boys?â€� Bonifast said to his crew.

  “Aye, Captain!â€� they shouted.

  “Of course you’ll have to pull your own weight,â€� he said. “As the Word says, A man who doesn’t work, doesn’t e
at, and the same goes on this ship.�

  Ethan and Gideon looked at one another. “We’d be happy to serve in any way we can, Captain Bonifast,â€� Gideon said.

  “Very good. Anthony…Brass?â€�

  “Yes, Captain?â€� they answered.

  “I want you to take these lads below and get them something to eat in the mess. Then get them some clothes, if they have need, and bring them back up on deck within the hour. Show them what needs doing and how to do it.â€�

  “Aye, Captain,â€� they said. Ethan followed Gideon, hurrying below deck with Bonifast’s men. Once again, divine providence had guided them in the way they should go. Soon they would arrive at Emmanuel, and Ethan wondered if he would find his sister. And if he did, would she be dead or alive?

  THE SLAVER

  The four o’clock bell sounded. Exactly twenty-one minutes later, the alarm went out from the crows nest. A ship had been spotted off the port bow. The weather had been fair up until one hour ago. A storm lay ahead of them now, and the wind had been picking up steadily, allowing the Maelstrom to gain a great deal of speed.

  Ethan and Gideon were engaged in a lesson on how to furl and unfurl the sails. They climbed up the rigging with Brass. Ethan had exchanged his clothing for some brown slacks and a white pullover shirt while Gideon had refused to change from his priestly garments, choosing instead to wash them in a bucket with a washboard.

  Captain Bonifast ordered more sail to catch the increasing wind. Brass explained how Captain Bonifast enjoyed finding the edge of storm systems, riding the good wind to propel them like a slingshot. “The Maelstrom gets its name for this reason, and no seabird can ride them out better,â€� Brass said.

  “Spyglass!â€� Bonifast called. Anthony, who happened to be the first mate, handed the captain a brass telescope. Bonifast drew it to its full length, setting it toward the ship on the horizon. It appeared to be coming on course for Emmanuel as well. The ship was flying Mordred’s colors, a black flag with a single red circle and black pupil, like a red eye watching in the dark.