The clash of swords against various other weapons rang in my ears as I charged forward to sandwich the pirates between the two groups. I slashed out with both panabas at anyone within range, and blood sprayed in my wake like a broken fire hydrant drenching a street. Pirates fell dead at my feet before I even scanned over their faces, but they soon became a blur of grizzled, bearded bodies as I mowed them down.
Blood pooled at my feet, and the footing quickly became treacherous, but fortunately, I didn’t slip. I reminded myself to be extra careful, but I would just reset to my last save point if I ended up embarrassing myself.
“To your left!” I shouted to an Arajian nearby just in time for him to lift his pronged rake up to parry a blow from a sword.
While the Arajian had the pirate occupied, I swiped my panabas upward across his torso, and all of the bastard’s innards came tumbling out. I ignored the gore as I moved on to my next target, but there was something poetic about the grizzly art piece the road had become.
I lost myself in the movements of the battle, but I kept my senses alert for any signs of distress from the Arajians. I didn’t want them to die the moment they decided to stand up for themselves, or there wouldn’t be anyone left to defend the city when I eventually left Arajah.
I carved a hole in the pirate horde until a circle of bodies surrounded me, but the rest of the pirates picked up on the danger lurking behind them, and many abandoned the fight with the Arajians to come my way.
“Wanna join the fun, huh?” I asked as I blocked the blow of a sword aimed at my head. Then my free hand sliced across my enemy’s torso until blood, guts, and gore poured from his abdomen to splash wantonly onto the road.
I could hear Risthan’s voice in the background as the silver-haired man barked out commands to his fellow Arajians, but the sound was pleasing to my ears because it meant someone worthy had stepped up to lead the people of Arajah.
Risthan would make a good replacement for the king.
I tucked the thought away for later consideration as I returned my focus to the battle, but I was more confident in the Arajian defense after hearing Risthan take charge. I dispatched the three pirates swarming me as easily as taking out the trash, but then I got a chance to catch my breath.
As I inhaled deeply, I spotted a group of Arajians being backed into the trees by five burly pirates wielding long curved swords.
“Follow me,” I said to Caelia, and my lover nodded.
Then we hightailed it across the battlefield toward the people in need of aid, and I resisted the urge to use the fleetness ability of my griffon feather boots since I didn’t want to leave Caelia unguarded.
“Behind me!” I commanded as I pushed through to the Arajians, and they didn’t need any further prompting to shelter behind my swinging panabas.
I decapitated one pirate, and my blade made a wet whooshing sound as it emerged from the other side of the man’s neck. I stabbed a second man in the gut before I had to parry a blow from one of their wicked swords, but my panabas were long enough to catch multiple blades along its edge, which left me free to slice them apart with my other hand’s weapon. The five pirates were dead in a matter of moments, and the Arajians behind me turned back to the horde on the road.
“They will not take Custanov,” one of them declared, but it was difficult to make out their expressions in the staggered light of torches and the lit beacons on top of the city walls.
“Not with you out here protecting her,” I agreed.
Before the man could respond, a fresh group of pirates spotted us and sneered as they approached. I wondered briefly if any Arajian lives had been lost, but everyone had chosen to fight of their own free will, so I couldn’t exactly take responsibility for their deaths.
I launched into battle with a ferocious rage, and I was immediately surrounded by some of the biggest, ugliest men I’d ever seen. One carried a torch, and he waved it at me like he was fending off a wild animal, but I wasn’t intimidated. My gear was fire-resistant, and in the worst-case scenario, I could always douse the flame with my ice or water magic.
I dispatched the oncomers with practiced ease before any of the Arajians I’d just saved could even lift their weapons, and they all looked on in awe as I sliced the pirates into ribbons.
“Pacifism isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?” I laughed, but then I turned my attention back to the battle.
There had to be around twenty or so pirates left fighting, and I scanned the battlefield until I located all of my friends and lovers. Eva had scurried high into a tree near the road, and she rained death down upon any enemies within range of her throwing stars.
Caelia quickly moved to guard the trunk of the tree where my wife hurled her projectiles, and I was confident the two women were capable of keeping each other safe.
Risthan and Torin stood back-to-back as pirates surrounded them, but judging from the broad smiles on both of their faces, the two men were not in any danger.
The rest of the Arajians formed a barricade in front of the city gates, and they locked arms and weapons together to push the pirates away from the city. I spotted a few shields dispersed among the defenders, but the pirates were pressing back hard, and it was only a matter of time before someone got killed.
Since that was where I was needed most, I stomped my foot to activate the fleetness ability of my griffon feather boots, and then I zoomed straight through the horde of pirates standing between me and the gates. I barely registered the cries of pain and alarm as I shoved heavily and rapidly through the crowd, and I skidded to a halt in front of the Arajian defenders a moment later.
“We got this, people!” I shouted in an encouraging tone as I turned to engage the pirates at the front of the line.
Many of them were still staggering to their feet after I’d just slammed into them like a bowling ball knocking over pins, but I wasn’t feeling generous enough to give them time to recover. I leapt from pirate to pirate, and I dispatched them without any mercy or a second thought.
The God of Death had come out to play, and before I knew it, the battle was over.
I looked around, and all I could see were the prone and mangled bodies of pirates, but the Arajians were already moving around the battlefield. They found the wounded, but still alive, pirates laying in the road, and the defenders put them down with minimal hesitation.
A couple of the defenders nursed injured limbs or hobbled about, but I noticed no Arajians among the dead. I breathed a sigh of relief, but I knew the road ahead would still be full of danger now that the pacifists had taken up arms.
I made a new save point since the battle was won, and I let out the tension in my muscles as I watched the Arajians at work.
Then my chest filled with pride as I thought about how far these people had come from the cowering suspicious folk who nearly turned away the only person who’d come to actually help them.
Caelia and Eva crossed the battlefield to stand by my side, and we listened in silence to the final death cries of the last pirates remaining, but then I spotted one of the wounded wearing a fine leather trench coat and large captain’s hat.
“Wait!” I yelled at the Arajian man making his way toward the pirate with a sharpened pitchfork.
I quickly crossed the distance to the injured pirate, and I lifted him from the ground by the front of his shirt. I scanned over his weathered and aged face, but he spat blood into my eyes with a snarl.
“Feisty, are ya?” I chuckled. “I’m looking for the man in charge of this little escapade. Any chance that’s you?”
“I am Captain Croger,” the dying man croaked. “But I ain’t tellin’ you shit.”
I smiled serenely as he attempted to work up another mouthful of blood, but I dropped him back into the dirt before he could shoot the wad of nastiness at my face.
“Put him in chains,” I instructed the Arajian with the pitchfork. “Or whatever else you can find to tie him up with. I’m going to have a few questions for this captain before we let him die.”
“Yes, Great One,” the pitchfork holder said.
I was satisfied my command would be carried out, so I dusted the pirate grime off my hands before I returned to my women’s side. The gates creaked open as I approached the city walls, and Arajian guards in their wooden armor began to file out. The procession formed a wall in front of the gate, but then they parted, and King Idinavisth walked through.
I crossed my arms and fixed the king with a heated look, but his face remained unreadable as he crossed the distance to me. His steely-blue eyes were calm on the surface, but his hands shook ever so slightly as he clasped them before him.
“I didn’t expect to see you out here,” I said. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
“You have done a terrible thing,” King Idinavisth said in a low voice, but several Arajians heard him and gasped.
“If you call saving the city, and the entire island for that matter, a terrible thing.” I shrugged. “Personally, and I think many here would agree with me, I think hiding in the palace while your people fight for their freedom is the true terror in Arajah.”
“You have killed our only allies!” King Idinavisth furrowed his eyebrows into a straight line, and he waved a dismissive hand. “What will Arajah do without their protection?”
“Not have our loved ones sacrificed into slavery?” Risthan was quick to interject, and he had a troop of Arajian fighters at his back as he approached us. “Not feel isolated from the entire world? Not feel duty-bound to surrender our families to murdering thieves?”
Murmurs of agreement swept through the Arajians who’d come out to defend their homes and families, and the king began to shift his weight nervously from foot to foot.
“We’ve captured one of the captains,” I informed the king. “I’m going to interrogate him and find out where this supposed pirate king is at. Are you going to get in my way? Or are we going to get along?”
Idinavisth looked from me, to the dead pirates, to the Arajians at my back, and I saw doubt flicker through his eyes for a moment before it disappeared behind steely resolve.
“Sir Sebastian of Sorreyal,” the king said in an ominous tone. “You are under arrest for the murder of Arajian allies.”
Then he jerked his chin to signal his guards, and all hell broke loose. As soon as the guards moved to apprehend me, the Arajian fighters charged toward them. Caelia and Eva both had weapons drawn instantly, but Risthan surprised me.
The silver-haired man tackled the fucking king.
Risthan and Idinavisth grappled and rolled across the road, and the guards struggled against the other citizens in an effort to reach their liege. My friend was younger, though, and had more experience with fighting, however minimal it was. The king was soon subdued, and Risthan straddled the ruler of his homeland with a dark look in his eyes.
“The God of Time has done more for Arajah than you ever have,” Risthan hissed in a voice too low for most to hear. “I would kill you now, but I will give you one more chance to show our savior the gratitude he rightfully deserves.”
The king whimpered as Risthan loosened his hold slightly, but Idinavisth didn’t move to resist the younger man.
“Tell the guards to stand down,” Risthan commanded in a tone that brokered no argument.
“Sir Sebastian… is free,” the king choked out, and he spat a mouthful of dust onto the road. “At ease!”
The guards immediately ceased their fight against the Arajian citizens, but the two opposing groups stared at each other with palpable tension. They were all ready to resume the conflict at any moment, and I realized I needed to de-escalate the situation before the Arajians were killing their own kind.
“Let the king rise!” I shouted, and all eyes snapped to me. “At the very least, he deserves to have his feet under him.”
Risthan nodded silently as he stood from the king’s back, and the silver-haired man even reached out a hand to assist the ruler to his feet. Idinavisth refused the help, and he rose on unsteady feet at a dramatically slow pace.
“Now,” I said as I clapped my hands together. “It’s time to face the future, Iddy. Your people are ready for change, and you can either stand aside or get knocked out of the way.”
“You have taken everything from me!” Idinavisth snarled, and his fingers twitched toward his robes as though reaching for a weapon, but I didn’t expect the Coward King to attack a god capable of annihilating dozens of pirates single-handedly.
The Arajians began to murmur amongst themselves, and I strained my ears to pick up on the nature of the discussion.
“He is no king of mine,” one man muttered.
“Aye, about time for someone new,” another said.
“The king will change,” someone argued.
“Enough!” I shouted, and I crossed the distance to wrap an arm around Idinavisth and Risthan’s shoulders. “The people of Arajah have a right to vote! Tell everyone you know to gather in the square tomorrow to cast your ballot for either Idinavisth or my choice of Risthan as ruler of Arajah! I want peace for the rest of today so the wounded can be tended to and the weary can sleep.”
It would take us some time to organize a vote that allowed every citizen to be heard, but I knew my companions and I were up to the task. While I knew my preference for Risthan was plain for anyone to see, I hoped to remain as impartial as I could during the voting process.
Risthan’s face drained of color as he gaped at me in shock, but the look on Idinavisth’s face was priceless. His steel-blue eyes bulged so far I could see the red capillaries that criss-crossed his sclera, and matching veins erupted along his forehead and neck. The king sputtered in rage, and he struggled against my arm as though he meant to make a run for it.
“This peasant?” Idinavisth gasped out. “You seek to supplant me with a commoner?”
“My father is Radamash,” Risthan hissed. “I am just as noble bred as you are.”
“How dare you?” Idinavisth snarled, and he lunged across me with his curled fists aimed at Risthan’s throat. “I have given everything to Arajah!”
“Shut it!” I commanded, and I shook the king until I heard his teeth rattle. “It won’t be up to either one of you. The people of Arajah are the ones in control now. The fate of the island is in everyone’s hands.”
“This is unacceptable,” the king said. “You entrust the future of the realm to the lowest in equal measure to those who were bred to lead.”
“Welcome to a representative democracy,” I laughed.
I cut off both men’s arguments with a hard look, and their jaws snapped shut with a loud clack, so I nodded in satisfaction.
“What now, Great One?” the pitchfork man asked.
“We clean up our mess and get some rest,” I said. “Feel free to keep any treasure you find on the pirates. I’ll check in with my friends out on the water, but the hard part is over. The Pirate King will learn to fear Arajah.”
Relief swept across the faces around me, and I realized how exhausted and overwhelmed the Arajian citizens truly were. They’d come out to give their lives to a cause they had no expectations of winning, and yet they stood victorious over the bodies of their enemies. Pride swelled in my chest, and emotion clouded my vision.
Arajah was a strange place, but I’d come to love it and the people who lived there.
While the Arajians cleared the battlefield and began to burn the bodies of the pirates, I turned to Eva and Caelia to give some quick instructions, but they fixed me with a knowing look.
“We’ll keep an eye on Custanov,” Eva promised as her juicy lips twisted into a sideways smirk.
“And make sure the wounded get the help they need,” Caelia added, but her chocolate lips were nothing but sweetness as she smiled up at me.
“You’re both amazing,” I said. “I’ll be back in a jiffy!”
I was confident everything would be taken care of in my absence, so I grabbed my horse and headed to the coastline. I wanted to see first-hand how the naval battle had gone, but with Captain Black-eye in command, I wasn’t the least bit worried.
The sun began to rise as I headed toward the ocean, and I grinned as I turned around a corner to see the smoking remains of a pirate vessel off the coast. The flag of The Quest flew proudly at the top of its center mast, and I spotted several crew members waving their arms on the upper deck.
A few moments later, a small rowboat struck out across the waves to the shore, and I grinned when I recognized Captain Black-eye and Kipper on board the small vessel. I gripped both men’s forearms warmly when they climbed onto the sandy beach, and then I helped them lug the boat out of the water.
“I take it Custanov is safe?” Captain Black-eye eyed me closely. “Any casualties?”
“Aye.” I grinned. “On the enemy side, anyway. The Arajians came out to fight en masse, you should have seen it. They overwhelmed the bastards with pitchforks and rakes.”
“Disgruntled people can be very dangerous,” Black-eye said in a wise tone.
“How was your night?” I jerked my chin toward the smoking remains of one of the pirate vessels. “That one give you a hard time or something?”
“I know we planned to utilize the pirate ships to our own means,” the captain said with a sigh. “But they set it on fire themselves while many of the men were still on board. They had to jump into the waves to avoid the flames, but most of the fools ended up burning up with their ship.”
“Never thought pirates would be anything like suicide bombers,” I said as I scratched my jaw. “Maybe it was just a foolhardy move that went further than they intended.”
“Who knows.” Black-eye adjusted his hat, but then he gestured to the ships just barely visible on the horizon. “I anchored the other two beyond the island just in case there were any other enemy ships nearby. We left the pirate standard up, so hopefully the ruse will prevent any future attacks.”
“I almost hope they’re dumb enough to attack the island now that the Arajians have chosen to defend themselves.” I smirked. “The world will soon learn not to fuck with Arajah.”
Black-eye laughed and clapped me on the shoulder, and then the three of us returned to Custanov. By the time we reached the city gates, the dead pirates had been removed, but the road was still stained dark red from their blood.
My women and other companions were nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if they’d returned to the palace. It probably wasn’t wise to sleep anywhere near the king now that he’d revealed his animosity toward us, but there was something to be said for keeping your enemies close.
I turned my mount’s head toward the palace, but the streets were crowded with Arajian villagers. They ambled around like it was a market day despite the sun having only just recently risen, and I caught snatches of their conversations as we pressed onward through town.
“There’s a vote tomorrow.”
“I already know what I am going to say.”
“Too much change for this old man.”
I’d certainly shaken things up around Arajah, and I smiled to myself the rest of the way to the palace. Then Eva and Caelia rushed from the entrance as soon as I entered the courtyard, and I leapt from my horse’s back to envelop them both in a tight embrace.
“Can we get some sleep now?” Eva yawned as I released her. “I am dead tired.”
“You two worked your cute little asses off last night,” I complimented them. “I’m proud of you both.”
“Thanks, Bash.” Caelia blushed.
“What else would you expect after we’ve been exposed to your talent for so long?” Eva laughed, and then the three of us turned toward the palace with the captain and Kipper following in our wake.
“What’s the king up to?” I asked in a quiet voice as we turned down the hallway of the east wing.
There was no way of telling if he had spies posted in our area, but I had to think of every possibility.
“He went into his personal chambers and hasn’t emerged,” Eva said. “Risthan occupies the throne room, and many people have already come to inform him that he has their vote tomorrow. It looks like there’s going to be a new king in Arajah.”
“Good.” I grinned. I paused outside the archway to the main sitting room, and I glanced questioningly at Black-eye and Kipper. “Do we want to discuss our next steps now or after I’ve slept for a bit?”
“Whenever you’re ready, Red Hands.” Black-eye shot me a wink. “I’m sure your ladies are ready to get you alone.”
“Always,” Eva giggled.
“We’re a tad bit spoiled,” Caelia agreed.
“Not at all,” I said. “You two deserve every bit of love and adoration.”
We said our goodnights to the captain and the navigator, and then the three of us peeled off our nasty blood-drenched armor. There was a pile of gear I’d have to get cleaned before the gore began to stink, but that was a problem for after I’d gotten some sleep.
After a quick, cleansing dip in the pool, the three of us climbed into the massive bed and went to sleep. The sun streamed in through the window when I finally rose from my deep, dreamless slumber, and I judged it to be early afternoon.
I was in no rush to get moving, but I had a list of things I wanted to check in on before the vote took place, so I pushed myself off the cloud-like mattress. Eva and Caelia were blinking awake by the time I was fully dressed, but they quickly got out of bed and followed suit.
The sounds of celebration reached my ears long before we arrived at the throne room, and I chuckled to myself when I entered the densely-packed audience chamber. Tables topped with all manner of food and drink lined the walls, and people moved about picking at morsels or sipping from chalices.
I spotted Risthan across the room near the dais, and we made eye contact as I approached. His bright, ear-to-ear grin caught me off-guard, and I clapped him on the shoulder affectionately.
“What’s got you in such a good mood?” I chuckled.
“Do you really trust me to lead all of Arajah?” Risthan’s eyes shimmered with barely-restrained emotion.
“More than anyone else I’ve met here,” I said. “You care about all the people, not just the rich ones. Arajah needs someone like you.”
“I couldn’t believe it at first,” Risthan admitted. “I thought it was some cruel joke you were playing, but then the people started to support me. I think I actually have a chance at winning, Bash!”
“I’m sure you will.” I grinned. “Once you get settled into your new leadership role, I’m going to hunt down the pirate king so Arajah isn’t threatened by him anymore.”
“You would leave so soon?” Risthan sounded worried. “What if I don’t win?”
“Oh, you’re going to be the next king,” I promised. “I know these things.”
I was tempted to make a new save point just in case I had to eat my words, but I had a good feeling about the vote. If we were lucky, the ones who didn’t want change wouldn’t even bother to show up for this new method of group decision-making.
The party went on well into the night, and throughout the rest of the day, Arajians came up to me with stories about pirates they killed or to thank me. Some wanted hugs and other affections, but most just wanted to be heard. There was a new light in their eyes, a confidence that hadn’t been there before.
Gone were the fearful people cowering behind shuttered windows and locked doors. The Arajians were stronger than I expected, and I was glad to have played a part in bringing the strength out of them.
We all stumbled back to the east wing, but as I exited the vacated throne room, I spotted the king sneaking out of the hidden hallway to his personal chambers.
I chuckled to myself at the sad, pathetic look on his face, and then I put him out of my mind. Whatever the people decided, I knew the king would never recover from his encounter with the God of Time.
“We should post someone to keep watch on the king’s movements,” I suggested under my breath to Risthan as we strode down the corridor away from the throne room.
“I will set Torin to the task,” the Arajian said with a curt nod.
The next morning, we all rode into the market square in a long procession. My companions and I were at the head of the line of all the palace staff and guards, but we joined a flow of bodies entering the main thoroughfare and soon moved at a slow crawl toward the square. Idinavisth rode in a stately palanquin carried by muscular Arajian guards, but he pointedly kept his gaze away from us.
It was for the best, though, since I knew several of the Arajians wanted to throttle him the instant he so much as glanced in their direction.
We finally reached the square and managed to get to the center of the crowd, and I had Idinavisth and Risthan each claim the top of a table before I climbed atop a third myself.
“People of Arajah!” I shouted, and the din of the crowd silenced instantly. “Are you ready to choose the next ruler of your homeland?”
A resounding cheer echoed my words, but the silence returned the moment I lifted my hands.
“We don’t have the time to organize proper ballots,” I said. “So, we’ll make the best of the situation we have. Risthan and Idinavisth stand before you as equals, and they are ready to receive your judgments. Who would you prefer to lead you in the future?”
I paused to let my words sink in, and then I pointed to the king.
“How many votes for Idinavisth?” I asked. “Raise your arm straight upward, and we will take a tally.”
Several people lifted their hands, and I noticed most of them were much older than the average Arajian. Old people were always the least likely to adapt to change, but it was still disappointing to see a few people still willing to sacrifice their fellow citizens to the pirates.
Eva and Caelia carried chalk slates and tallied up the number of hands lifted, and then they compared their counts before they turned to me.
“Sixteen,” Eva declared.
I nodded, and then I pointed to Risthan in the same manner.
“Who here wishes Risthan, son of Radamash, to be king of Arajah?” I asked, but the hands started to rise before the words were even out of my mouth.
It was obvious within a quick glance that Risthan had won the vote, and there were so many hands in the air it was like a sea of fingers all around me.
The silver-haired Arajian’s mouth fell open as he spun in a slow circle to absorb the sheer number of people standing in support of him, and I couldn’t help the shit-eating grin that spread across my face.
“I present the new king of Arajah!” I said as I clapped my hands. “Welcome, King Risthan!”
The God of Time or the God of Politics, either way, I’d done what I’d come to Arajah to do.