The Emerald Storm (The Riyria Revelations #4)

“Who is this?” the warlord asked in Tenkin his loud disturbing voice echoed from the walls. “Who is this that enters the hall of Erandabon unannounced and unheralded? Who treads Erandabon’s forest like sheep to be gathered? Who dare seek Erandabon in his den, his holy place?”


A strange assortment of people surrounded him and all eyes were on the party as they entered. Toothless tattooed men spilled drinks while women with matted hair and painted eyes swayed back and forth to unheard rhythms. One lounged naked upon a silk cushion, with a massive snake coiled about her body as she whispered to it. Beside her, an old hairless man ellow nails as long as his fingers painted curious designs on the floor, and everywhere the hall was choked with the smoke of burning tulan leaves that smoldered in a central brazier.

In the darkest shadows were others. Hadrian could barely make them out through the fog of smoke and the flickering firelight. They clustered in the dark, making faint staccato chattering sounds like the whine of cicadas. Hadrian knew that sound well. He could not see them, merely the suggestion of movement cast in shadows upon stone. They shifted nervously, anxiously, like a pack of hungry dogs, their motions jittery and too fast to be human.

Dilladrum shooed Wesley forward. Wesley took a breath and said, “I am Midshipman Wesley Belstrad, acting captain of what remains of the crew of Her Imperial Majesty’s ship the Emerald Storm, out of Aquesta. I have a message for you, Your Lordship.” He bowed deeply, which looked comical to Hadrian that a lad of such noble bearing should bow before the likes of Erandabon Gile who was just shy of a madman.

“Long Erandabon ’as waited for vord,” the man upon the throne spoke in Apelanese. “Long Erandabon ’as counted dee moons and dee stars. Dee vaves crash nightly, dee ships approach and gather, dee darkness grows, and Erandabon vaits. Sits and vaits. Vaits and sits. Dee great shadow is growing in dee north. Dee gods come once more bringing death and horror to all. Dee undying will crush dee vorld beneath deir step, and Erandabon ez made to vait. Vere ez dis message? Speak! Speak!”

Wesley took a step forward as he pulled the letter from his coat, but paused, noticing the broken seal. As he hesitated, an overly thin man dressed in feathers and paint snatched the letter away. He growled at Wesley like a dog showing his teeth. “Not approach dee great Erandabon vis unclean ’ands!”

The feather man handed the message to the warlord who studied it for a moment, his eyes racing madly back and forth. A terrible grin grew across his face, and he tore the note into pieces and began eating it. It did not take long, and while he ate no one said a word. With his final swallow, the warlord raised his hand then and said, “Lock them away.”

Wesley stood stunned as Tenkin guards approached and grabbed him. “What’s happening?” he protested. “We are officials of the Empire of Avryn! You can’t—”

Gile laughed as the guard dragged them down the hall.

“Wait!” another voice bellowed. “It was arranged!” It was Thranic, who deftly dodged the guards advancing on the warlord angrily. “My team and I are to be given safe passage. I am here to pick up a Ghazel guide who will take us safely through Grandanz Og!”

Erandabon rose quickly to his feet faster than he looked. He raised his axe, halting Thranic mid-step. “Veapons did you bring? Food for dee Many did you deliver to Erandabon?” the warlord shouted at him.

“It sank!” Thranic yelled back. “And the deal wasn’t based on the weapons or the elves.”

The chattering sounds from the darkness grew louder. The noise appeared to disturb even the Tenkin. The hairless man stopped drawing his designs and shuddered. The woman with the snake gasped.

Erandabon remained oblivious to the rise in their tenor as he gibbered in glee. “No! Based on dee open gates of Delgos! Vaat proof of dis? Vaat proof does Erandabon ’ave? You vait ’ere. You stay sealed and if Drumindor does not fall, you vill be food for dee Many! Erandabon decrees it! Ou are you to defy Erandabon?”

“Who are you to defy Erandabon?” chanted the crowd. The warlord waved his hand in the air and the chattering grew loud again. The guards moved in with spears.





***




“Now we know what the empire has been doing with the elves they’ve been rounding up,” Royce muttered as he ran his fingers lightly along the length of the doorjamb. Hadrian noticed Wyatt turning away sharply.aboenkin locked them in cells buried in the foundation of the fortress. There were no windows. The only light came from the small barred opening of the door beyond which torches mounted in iron sconces flickered intermittently. Hadrian and Royce were fortunate enough to share a cell with Wyatt and Wesley, while the others were in similar cells within the same block. The sounds of their independent conversations echoed as indiscernible whispers.

“It’s ghastly,” Wesley said, collapsing on the stone floor and dropping his head in his hands. “Admittedly, I’ve never held any love for those of elven blood,” he gave Royce and apologetic glance, “but this—this is loathsome beyond human imagining. That the empire could sanction such a vile and dishonourable act is…is…”

“And now we also know what that fleet of ships in the bay is for,” Hadrian said. “They’re planning to invade Delgos, and it would appear we delivered the orders for them to attack.”

“But Drumindor is impregnable from the sea,” Wesley said. “Do you think this Erandabon fellow knows that? All those ships will be burned to cinders the moment they enter the bay.”

“No, they won’t,” Royce said. “Drumindor has been sabotaged. The spouts are blocked and when they vent at the next full moon there will be an explosion, destroying it and I suspect Tur Del Fur as well. After that, the armada can sail in unopposed.”

“What?” Wesley asked. “You can’t possibly know that.”

Royce said nothing.

“Yes, he does,” Hadrian said.

Realization crossed Wesley’s face. “The seal was broken. You read the letter?”

Royce continued exploring the door.

“How is it going to explode?” Hadrian asked.

“The vents have been blocked.”

“No…” Hadrian shook his head. “Only Gravis knew how to do that, and he’s dead.”