“Aahhh!”
It struck one of Merke’stroops stationed at the edge of the woods. Cyrus grew enraged. He turned andaimed his rifle.
Bang!
The creature didnot flinch. The bullet sparked off of the guard’s steel brow, leaving the fleshbeneath unharmed.
Fibian moved forward,raising his own gun. Rorroh stepped in front of her minion, her arms spread wide.
“Forgive Captain Greves,”she said, faining mock humility, “Nagen are such proud, stubborn creatures.”
“Nagen are no slaves,”Captain Greves hissed, his body quivering with fury.
“You have one hourto get off my hune and clear this blockade,” Cyrus shouted. “After that, any shipstill in range of my cannons will be sent to Mor Hav’s belly.”
“Of course,” Rorrohreplied, bowing low, “but remember my offer, Child Eater. Only I can absolve yourcorrupted soul.”
She motioned herguards back towards the boat. Cyrus watched unmoving as the landing party boardedthe craft and retreated to their ship.
“She is scared,”Cyrus finally said, turning to Fibian. “She is outmatched and outgunned. She attemptsdiplomacy because she knows she will lose in open battle.”
“She believes she hasalready won,” Fibian countered. “I did not see fear in her eyes, young Master,I saw triumph. She saw the Child Eater prophesied and she liked what she saw.”
Cyrus’ anger rose.What did Fibian want from him? To lie down and die? To let his enemies dowhatever they wanted, just as long as Cyrus did not get his hands dirty? He wasdamned if he did, and damned if he did not. He thought of his brother Niels,and of Tier, both dead because of his fear and uncertainty. Never again! When he was troubled by nightmares,it was never those he had killed who haunted his dreams.
With or without Fibian’shelp, Cyrus would pilot the hune and rescue his stranded people. Then he wouldhunt down Rorroh and wipe her minions from the sea like blood from his blade. Lastly,he would batter the Sea Zombie with cannon and fire powder, flame and steel, untilonly ash and dust remained. Then, and only then, would the alvelings be free, andthe sea be forever his.
Chapter17
TWISTED STEEL
BY MID-MORNING, the enemy fleet had retreated over the horizon. Cyrus feltGabriel’s apprehension subside. It’s goingto be okay, he thought to the ancient giant.
Cyrus recalledRorroh’s rotting hand and damaged neck. She had seemed smaller than before,more withered. The witch had become weak, while Cyrus had grown strong, and hewas only getting stronger.
He gazed out overthe vast ocean and asked Edward in what direction their crumbling hune lay. Duesouth, the snow-white spider had replied.
Cyrus imagined thestricken terror on Llysa’s face when, against all odds, her despised stepsonreturned home to their eroding shores, a forgotten ghost back from the dead.
Hoblkalf, the villagers,would all cower before his feet and plead for mercy. He would deliver them fromstarvation, deliver them from a watery grave. He would become the savior prophesied,and all would follow his lead. He flexed his chest and felt the strength of hisflesh.
He remembered Sarah,rescuing him from the mayor’s noose. She had risked everything to save his life.His past felt like the memories of another. He prayed his decaying island stillremained.
Over the next severaldays, the giant ventured southward through rolling seas and slicing sleet. Cyrusordered Knavish and Sauer to familiarize him, Fibian and Edward with the head fortress’workings. They inspected the gun stations, the barracks, the armory, and thenetwork of trails that led around the entire island. Cyrus discovered that drinkingwater was in low supply on the Battle Hune. If the alves were to inhabit theisland’s shores, they would need a plan to collect more rain.
Cyrus demanded to knowthe tail fortress’ layout, so Knavish drew him a rough diagram in the wet snow.The aft fortress’ design was similar to the head fortress’, with a bridge at bowand stern and gunners posted every one-hundred-and-fifty-feet or so along thewall’s perimeter. Not all cannons were manned or even operational, Knavish informedhim. Cyrus learned that a Captain Oks commanded the tail fortress. He would haveto meet this Oks, and soon.
Cyrus ordered a workdetail to build a temporary shelter for him, Fibian and Edward near the klops barracks.Word spread fast across the Battle Hune of the interloper’s takeover, theblodbad brood’s new allegiance, and of Rorroh’s promise of bloody revenge on Knavish’screw.
Unless in superiornumbers, klops were not especially bold creatures. Still, two had made attemptson Cyrus’ life. The first was a small klops with a poison-tipped blade in the middleof the night. A blodbad had taken the assassin at Cyrus’ bedside. Cyrus had foundthe pile of armor and charred remains the following morning. The second was abatalha that had challenged him to single combat. Cyrus had stabbed the brutein the heart and cut off his head with ease. Since then, the klops had been disillusionedwith any hopes of rebellion. Still, a smoldering resentment could be sensed amongthe spiteful crew.
On the fourth day,Cyrus and Fibian test-fired the bow bridge’s top-mounted twin cannon. Sauershowed them the revered explosive round that had brought down the Trollman’s mightydragon. The batalha lit the cannonball’s wick, then rolled the explosive downthe bore. Cyrus slid the artillery through the wall breach and checked the angle.It’s going to be okay, he thought toGabriel. Then he pulled the lanyard.
Boom!
Bitter smoke stunghis eyes. Cyrus sensed Gabriel’s alarm. Easy.The round fizzled as it arched over the ocean. It struck the water and senta pillar of seaspray high into the air.
Waboosh!
A second detonationerupted beneath the surface. The giant’s apprehension was lesser this time. Thewater above spiked like a porcupine’s back. The sea surged and boiled as smokebelched from within. Then shockwaves spread from the explosion, rolling acrossthe ocean swells. It’s over, Cyrusthought to Gabriel.
He looked to ChiefSauer and nodded his head, approvingly.
“That’s exactly whatwe need to blow that hag from the sea,” he said, turning to Fibian. “Let’s seeher stitch herself back together after that.”
“I pray it is thatsimple,” Fibian replied.
The froskman’s expressionbetrayed his obvious doubt.
“We’re off course,”Edward said, from Fibian’s
