THE_REALM_SHIFT Read online

  Bonifast murmured to himself. “Wait, what’s she doing?â€�

  As he watched the ship, he saw every scrap of sail unfurl. They shifted their course, taking them directly toward the storm system looming on the horizon.

  “She’s spotted us, boys!â€� he cried. “Break out every scrap of cloth we’ve got, Anthony, and strike the colors!â€�

  Anthony shouted the captain’s orders to the crew. The command repeated across the deck. The men flew up the rigging like spiders crossing their webs. Bonifast turned to Anthony saying, “If they want to ride the storm, then we’ll show them why this old girl is called the Maelstrom, eh lad?â€�

  “Aye, Captain.â€�

  Ethan and Gideon climbed the netting alongside Brass, bringing them to the middle of the mizzenmast in order to help tie down the sail into proper position. “I don’t understand!â€� Ethan shouted over the wind.

  “We’re going after that ship,â€� Gideon said.

  “Yes, but why? Who are they?â€�

  “Slaver ship!â€� Brass shouted.

  The sails caught the wind and the ship surged forward faster.

  “What’s a slaver ship?â€� Ethan asked.

  “Mordred’s army has been making raids on the villages and towns at random,â€� Brass said. “They take prisoners to sell them as slaves outside Nodian borders. Some of them go to Emmanuel to work at the palace and take other jobs within the city for Mordred. He mostly has the women taken though. Mordred doesn’t want to risk a rebellion under his own nose. They burn out the villages and usually kill everyone else in the process.â€�

  This reminded Ethan of what had taken place in Grandee. Had this been all there was to it, just supplying a slave trade? He couldn’t believe it was that simple. There had been a demon there in the council meeting. It had controlled the outcome, manipulating the men on the council in order to stop Grandee from joining the rebellion under King Stephen of Wayland.

  Then another thought occurred to him. If this ship was a slaver, perhaps Elspeth might be onboard. He might be on the verge of finding and rescuing her before she could ever reach Mordred. This glimmer of hope comforted Ethan a little. He watched the ship running from Bonifast. Before Ethan could rejoice, Bonifast had to catch it.

  From where Ethan stood, the slaver ship looked so far away. “Can we catch it?â€� he asked Brass. “My sister was taken by Mordred’s men.â€�

  “It’s going to give us a run for sure,â€� Brass said. “They’re trying to hide in that storm, but Bonifast’s nickname is the Storm Rider for good reason. That man can navigate the swells like no one I’ve ever seen. I’ve not seen a slaver get away from him yet. He hates them. You lads had better hold tight and secure your lifelines. When we reach that storm it’s going to be a bumpy ride for all of us.â€�

  It took over an hour to get close. In the meantime, the guns were prepped and Brass shared a little about what the Maelstrom could do in a real battle. The old girl carried sixty cannons, separated into two levels on both sides of the ship. Brass explained how the upper levels carried twenty-pounders while the lower levels, like the one they were standing inside now, housed the thirty-pounders. One of the secrets of Bonifast’s longstanding victories were his custom castings. “You see,â€� Brass said, holding up a twenty-pound ball. “These babies work very well. But, depending upon the enemy vessel’s strength, they may not have much penetrating power to the hull, where it really counts.â€�

  Brass handed the ball to Gideon and walked over to one of the ammo crates behind the cannon crew. He removed a shell unlike anything they had ever seen before. Rather than the traditional round cannonball, this weapon was cylindrical with a very sharp cone tip at one end.

  “Now this, lads, has got penetrating power,â€� Brass bragged. “When traditional ammunition can’t get the job done, we pull out these beauties. Then it’s all over. The captain had them specially designed. We can sink a galleon hundreds of yards away, while staying out of reach of its guns.â€�

  Ethan noticed some of the lower deck guns were nearly twice the length of the others. “Does the added length allow you to shoot further?â€� Ethan asked.

  “Well, it’s more about the powder charge on distance, but the barrel length gives us the kind of accuracy these guns really need. Our men are some of the best gunners sailing the Azure,â€� Brass said.

  “He’s not exaggerating,â€� Bonifast added.

  The captain had managed to sneak up on them. The ship pitched wildly, causing Ethan and Gideon to reach for the overhead beams in order to support themselves.

  “It takes getting used to,â€� Bonifast said, “but you’ll both get your sea legs soon enough. Anyway, you might want to come up on deck. The weather is about to come down on us hard.â€�

  “How close are we, Captain?â€� Ethan asked.

  Bonifast looked at them, smiling with a ravenous gleam in his eyes like a wild man. “Soon, lads, and load up the specials for this one!â€�

  There was a shout of “Ayeâ€� from the entire gunnery crew on that level. Then the captain led Ethan, Gideon, and Brass up on deck. The sight of the Azure Sea set into a frenzy, the way it was now, inspired awe and terror all at once. Gideon and Ethan looked at one another, amazed. To say that the beautiful Azure Sea looked angry would have been an understatement. What Ethan had seen before, as a calm sapphire jewel extending beyond his sight, had now become a vicious predator ready to devour the two ships at any moment. Roiling waves extended as far as Ethan could see terminating in ominous purple and gray thunderclouds at the horizon, in every direction.

  Captain Bonifast ran to the helm and took over. He looked like a cat toying with a mouse. He played the wheel, watching the slaver ship battling against the sea several hundred yards ahead of them. The smaller ship bobbed up and down violently as the storm surge threatened to dash it to splinters.

  Ethan thought he might be sick. The meal he had enjoyed earlier now churned in a stomach that felt as angry as the sea. Gideon seemed to be handling it better. Ethan wondered if the priest had sailed before during his time with The Order of Shaddai.

  Ethan prayed as he held tight to the rail. Gideon watched him and stayed near. A rope around each of their waists tethered them to the ship. The crew moved about as though this sort of treacherous pursuit was second nature to them. And Captain Bonifast handled the ship like he’d been born to the task, anticipating each swell and bringing the ship into waves before they could crest and slam into the Maelstrom.

  Apart from the constant up and down and the fierce wind, all was well aboard Bonifast’s ship. The same could not be said for the slaver ship. Bonifast kept a careful eye on the enemy vessel as he maneuvered the Maelstrom ever closer. The rain had not started…yet.

  Gideon staggered across the deck trying to get to the helm and Bonifast. Ethan watched him, but he did not follow. He had enough trouble just trying to keep his lunch down. Gideon reached the helm as Bonifast sent the ship hard to port in anticipation of a coming wave. The captain’s expression grew intense. He stood at the helm in tune with the wind, the waves, and his ship.

  “Even if we catch the ship, how can we board it during a storm?â€� Gideon shouted over the din. It was a fair question. There would be no way possible to do such a thing without being able to line the ships up in parallel and keep them still.

  “We’re not going to board it!â€� Bonifast said, his expression suddenly turning grim.

  “But what about the slaves they have onboard?â€� Gideon asked.

  “We don’t know that they have any slaves on that ship, lad!â€�

  “But if they’re headed back to Emmanuel…they wouldn’t go
empty-handed!� Gideon reasoned.

  The sea started to give Bonifast more trouble now. The questioning did nothing to help his concentration either. The captain’s face grew hard as he watched his target.

  “You can’t just kill the innocent with the guilty!â€� Gideon pleaded.

  Bonifast’s anger got the better of him at that point. He grabbed Gideon’s robe—big mistake. Gideon intercepted the intruding hand at the wrist. His index and middle finger on his other hand landed precisely on the captain’s left carotid artery.

  Gideon heard the hammer-cock of a musket behind him. Turning, he found Anthony holding a long rifle on him just beyond arms reach. The Azure Sea rolled, boiling in its anger behind him. “Release the captain, NOW!â€� Anthony shouted.

  “Why are you doing this?â€� Gideon asked Bonifast as he relinquished his grip.

  “Have you ever seen what happens to the slaves of Mordred, priest?â€� Bonifast said getting back to the wheel to make course corrections again.

  “They let demons have their way with them. They destroy their hope and their will. They drive them crazy, kill them, or possess them! My orders are very clear from King Stephen, Gideon. I’m instructed to sink anything I can’t take. And just like you pointed out, I can’t hope to board them in this weather. They know that too. And if they manage to use this storm to get back to the mainland, then the captives will be lost anyway. I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone. This is the way it has to be.â€�

  Gideon stepped away from the captain. Anthony lowered his weapon, staring at the young priest as he staggered back to where Ethan stood on the deck. The boy hoped to find his sister among the slaves. He was not going to like this.

  SEA SHIFTING

  “He’s going to do what?â€� Ethan shouted.

  Gideon tried to calm him down, but it was impossible.

  “But my sister could be onboard that ship!â€�

  Sea spray peppered the two young men as they talked. Ethan glared at Captain Bonifast as he operated the helm. Anthony stood near, watching them with his musket in hand. Gideon put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder and said, “There’s a reason for it, Ethan.â€�

  “What are you talking about?â€�

  “Bonifast knows about the demons that are working with Mordred. He said his orders from King Stephen are to sink any slaver that can’t be captured. He said the slaves are given to the demons to possess them, if they can. The rest are driven mad by the experience, or killed.â€�

  They both looked out over the sea between the Maelstrom and the slaver ship. The storm intensified. “Ethan, you know there’s no way we can board that ship in this weather. If we don’t sink the ship then we risk losing it and condemning those people to a fate worse than death.â€�

  To anyone else such statements might have sounded like the ranting assumptions of a lunatic, but Ethan knew all too well that demons were real, that they conspired with Mordred in this war. Subjection to them was something he could not bear to think of happening to his sister.

  He slumped down on the deck, completely broken by the turn of events. Ethan watched the slaver, a mere three hundred yards away from them now, as it rose and fell with the raging sea. Had he come so far only to see his sister destroyed by this accursed war right before his eyes? Unable to bear it, he began to weep.

  A thought hit Gideon like a thunderbolt. There might not be anything Bonifast can do, but Ethan is an entirely different matter. Gideon dropped down in front of Ethan and took the fourteen-year-old by the shoulders. “Ethan! You could save her!â€�

  Ethan looked up at the priest, bewildered. “What are you talking about?â€�

  A cross wave smashed into the bow causing the ship to shudder under the impact.

  “Of all of the people onboard this ship, you are the only one who isn’t constrained completely by this physical world. Use your gift, Ethan! Find out if she is onboard before Bonifast closes the gap between us!â€�

  Ethan jumped to his feet and ran to the rail, his lifeline tether trailing behind him. “But Gideon, what do I do if she is onboard? How can I get her off of the ship?â€�

  Gideon stammered for an answer. “I don’t know…but I do know Shaddai is with you.â€�

  That was all the encouragement Ethan needed. He concentrated on what he wanted, whispering a prayer to the Almighty. “Oh, Lord, help me to know how to use these gifts you’ve given. I don’t know why you would use me, but I beg you for guidance and the ability to save my sister.â€�

  Gideon watched his friend as he snapped out of the physical world. The lifeline rope fell to the ground. Ethan had disappeared.

  Ethan stood on the railing of the Maelstrom. Gideon picked up Ethan’s lifeline, which fell to the deck when he entered the spiritual plane. Ethan saw Gideon, but the warrior-priest of Shaddai no longer saw him.

  The world around him took on a different feel. No longer did the wind beat upon Ethan, or the sea pelt him with salty drops of water. He saw the blue Azure through preternatural eyes and felt the world with new senses. He sensed enemies onboard the ship across the raging ocean—demons were on that ship.

  Even from this distance, Ethan saw the activity onboard the slaver vessel. Crew members tried to keep the ship afloat as they ran from the Maelstrom. But these men did not have the sort of well-oiled-machine approach to their duties like Captain Bonifast’s nimble crew. These men, dressed in the crimson and black apparel of Mordred’s army, were not storm riders like Bonifast.

  Ethan scanned the rest of the vessel and found someone watching him. A demon was clinging to the mizzenmast. At least this was what Ethan supposed on first inspection. But a closer look revealed the creature actually standing upon the face of the vertical beam. Gravity held no sway over him.

  Without hesitation, the demon let out a war cry, charging across the expanse between the two ships. Ethan had forgotten these beings could simply move about at will through the air. It was not exactly what he would term flying, as much as a gigantic leap from one ship to the other.

  On pure instinct, Ethan’s blade found its way to his waiting hand. He bolted backward, his feet up on the face of the mainmast, as the creature touched down on the railing in exactly the place where Ethan had just been standing. Ethan somersaulted from the mainmast of the Maelstrom back at the demon with his heavenly blade in hand. The metal gleamed even in the dense shadow of partial night caused by the storm cell overhead.

  The demon charged forward with his weapon. Their weapons crashed into one another, flashing like lightning. The demon fought in the appearance of a man. He was terrible to look upon and yet strangely beautiful at the same time. His skin was pale gray. And what appeared to be bluish capillaries pressed to the surface of his complexion. His eyes were feral and fierce, irises of yellow ringing wide black pupils.

  Somehow, Ethan did not fear him. The image of this once heavenly being only angered him more as his thoughts flashed with visions of a rebellion older than time. These were not the monsters of so many children’s stories. They were betrayers of Shaddai, pure and simple.

  Ethan struck at the demon again. It countered as the battle raged across the deck of the Maelstrom. The crew continued with their duties as Bonifast chased after the slaver. They were oblivious to the struggle among them on the spiritual plane.

  Ethan hammered away at the demon with his sword. The demon gave ground, but then took it back from the boy each time. A burst of light flashed each time the supernatural blades struck together, sounding like a thunderclap.

  “So this is the Deliverer of God?â€� the demon taunted. “I would have expected more than a mere boy from the Almighty.â€�

  Ethan wasn’t sure what to say, so he said nothing, but his anger caused him to press the fight even harder.
/>   “Tell me, son of man, how did you find your parents after we destroyed Salem?â€�

  Ethan grew enraged, striking with all the fury he could manage. It was a foolish move. His wrath did nothing but hinder Shaddai using him. The precision he had known seconds before faded as quickly. Ethan faltered, trusting in his own anger to fight.

  The demon batted Ethan’s strike away, kicked him in the head, and then kicked him again in the chest. The boy flew backward across the deck, landing in a crumpled heap near the mainmast. The demon ran toward Ethan, raising his sword for the final blow. “It happens every time you pitiful men think you have the power to defeat us!â€�

  “Help me, Shaddai,â€� Ethan said as the demon’s blade dropped toward him.

  Ethan regained strength. He felt power fill him to the brim. In a movement faster than the demon could compensate for, Ethan rolled out of range and to his feet. He met the blade mid-strike, countering with an elbow and fist combo to the face of the demon. The demon’s smile vanished as he staggered backward.

  But the creature recovered fast, swinging a massive stroke with his sword that would have taken Ethan’s head had he not anticipated and ducked beneath it. Ethan struck the body of his opponent. His blade penetrated the demon’s abdomen. A flash of light burst through Ethan’s blade into the demon. The demon reeled backward, falling to the deck of the Maelstrom. His blade fell away from his hand as he clutched his wound.

  Ethan noticed there was no blood—not a drop. Still, Ethan’s weapon had done damage. To his knowledge, an angel could not die, but something was happening. The demon reeled from some form of pain inflicted by the wound. He sneered at Ethan saying, “This is not over, Deliverer!â€�