The Bubbleship Series; The First Heroes

The Saki

Toyama, Kontessa, and Alexander walked down the street toward the stable with steady, determined strides in the cool afternoon sunlight. The sky appeared cloudless over the city, and the wind blew from the south. In the back of Kontessa's mind, she thought of the ships sailing north and how the wind favored them today.

“Are you sure it’s was the same demon that caused the red-haired Marjory's death," Toyama asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, Ronin, I'm positive." The three reached the stables, where the horses were still being prepared for the ride. "I know my mother. I know what she's capable of, and I also know that my father probably tortured her into doing this.”

"Just a minute longer, my lady," said the stable boy. "We've food on the packhorse as requested also. We had a bit of a problem with the stallion, me lord."

Toyama ignored the boy.

“All is in order with the finances,” stated Alexander as he pulled some papers from his red leather case. “Your sister will get everything if you two do not return, Toyama. Just sign this, Kontessa.”

Kontessa signed the paperwork with the metal pen the merchant produced. She scrawled the name Kontessa Eldeman line marked with an X.

"The horses are ready, my lady. "The stable boy offered the reins of the red mare to the demon, and she threw her leg over the saddle. Toyama did the same. The supply horse was brought forward and the reins given to Kontessa.

“We ride!" They waved to the merchant bidding him farewell with those words spoken and took off from the city's northern gate.

For two days, they rode north along the coast until they came to Toyama's ship. They could see the beginnings of a storm on the horizon, lightning flashed, but it was still too distant to hear thunder. The black clouds filled the horizon with a forbidding sense of dread.

"Prepare to set sail now," yelled Toyama, the Ronin as Kontessa and he rode into camp. SunRue came from her tent and immediately saw her brother's rush in getting the ship back in the water. The men scampered about breaking camp, putting out fires, and loading supplies. They had not been lax in their duties, so the hull was filled with fresh provisions. No Saki muddled their brains.

“What is it, brother?” asked the Geisha. “Where do we go now?”

“How did you get here, “asked the Ronin of his sister. “You were supposed to stay behind!”

"Alexander told me where you were heading, so yesterday, I went to the mage's tower," she stated. "She teleported me here. It cost a great deal, and I was sick most of the night."

"Well, to answer your question, WE go nowhere." he stated, as he unsaddled his mount. "the demon and I go north to hunt her mother. You go to the city to stay while we are gone. You will wait for us there. Do not arg…."

But before he could finish the sentence, she put her hand over his mouth. "No, brother, I go with you to all danger." With that, she ducked back into the tent. Toyama knew she would not stay unless he tied her to a post and that he could not do.

Kontessa came up to Toyama. “That storm will reach us in less than an hour,” she stated. “Your men capable of handling it? Perhaps we should wait until the storm passes?”

“It will take us a fortnight to reach the Northern mountains, and where is this Hell’s Gate you speak of. My men can handle the storm. The ship is more than ready for anything.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” She went to help the crew load the provisions on the ship that were still on the beach. The horses were led up the ramp and into the hold as well.

    *     * The ship set sail onto the stormy sea, riding the waves as the crew gave all. Wave after wave crested over the ship's main deck tossing the yellow men under Toyama's care around. However, not a man went over the side. Tempestuous winds assailed the ship. Crest after crest broke over the boat endlessly, but they saw the morning sun break on the red horizon after three long days. Much to the relief of the entire complement of crew and passengers.

They sailed north with little mishap for another three or four days and as many nights. The cold seeped in the men and women into their fingers and bones. The blankets were made into coats so that they could keep warm. Smooth sailing prevailed until the afternoon of the seventh day when they saw the ship on the port bow bearing down on them.

"Who are they," Toyama asked the captain. "They seem to have seen us, and they look a lot bigger."

The captain took his spyglass from his eye. “They aren’t flying a flag,” he answered in his language to the Ronin. "Ready the archers," he called, and ten of the men went below deck. The rest armed themselves with short, curved swords and went about readying the ship.

Kontessa and SunRue came from below deck and questioned the Ronin. “What’s going on?”

“We have a ship off our port bow bearing down on us. We have not a chance to outrun it.”

Kontessa took the spyglass from the captain and looked to see something that filled her with dread. Now that the ship grew closer, she could see the crew of the other ship. "Demons," she said. "The crew are lesser demons. I can see through this glass better with my vision. The captain is a house demon of my father's."

"I thought your father was ultimately behind this," questioned Toyama as the ship drew closer. Three masts and made of some dark wood. "Why would they set obstacles in your path? Your mother and your father, that is."

"I don't know," Kontessa answered. "Maybe she wants me quicker. Maybe my father has his own agenda. Who knows with that couple?”

The ship drew ever closer, and the captain was barking out orders to bring the ship around to avoid being rammed.

"Well, even under full mast, we haven't been able to outpace it." Kontessa watched as the ship hauled a white flag onto its flag post. “They want to talk.”

"Ohiaso," barked Toyama, and the crew lowered their bows with the flaming arrows already notched. "I told them to stand down. Okisoa tu diamo. They will be ready, though."

The ship sailed up alongside, and the captain was a black demon whom Kontessa recognized now as the Captain Talise Alerban. The captain of the guard of her mother's personal guard. The ship now turned out to be of ironwood, obviously magicked by the demons' special abilities on board.

“My lady Kontessa, drop anchor,” yelled the captain of the other ship. “We must parley.”

“Drop anchor,” Kontessa told Toyama. “Something’s up, something’s afoot. I trust that one. He would not be here to waylay us.”

    *     * Half an hour later found Kontessa, Toyama, SunRue, and the captain of the personal guard of Ja Nita Eldeman in the captain's cabin of the Quintessential, the demon ship built for her mother. The walls were black, and the rear windows showed sunlight fading into night, the sky amber with fading day.

“Now, Captain, why are we here?” Kontessa asked.

"Your mother is going to fight your father," said Captain Talise.

"How, no woman can rule in hell," Kontessa answered. "Even if she damned him to Oblivion, he would come back, and then what would she do?"

“Place me as head of the house,” said Captain Talise. “I will marry her. With her backing, the other houses will accept me. My troops will take command as soon as your father is gone. But you must banish him.”

“Yes, I see. But how am I to defeat my father? He is much stronger than I.”

The captain went to the wall on the left and pressed a panel.

“Why should I trust you in this,” Kontessa asked. “You could betray me in your trust at any moment. You could take me to my father and claim the reward for me.”

“I could," he answered. "I very well could. But have I ever betrayed your trust?" he stood there looking down at something. "Have I ever lied to you?"

“No.”

"The Emperor wants your father to be gone, but he can't make a move against him."

“The Emperor?”

“Yes, there’s certain evidence that your father has on the Emperor, nothing yet powerful enough to dispose of him, but your father will seal a deal with your return that will bring another mighty house into his domain. That must not happen. Hell's gate would fall under his rule.”

“Do you mean he would invade this land?” Toyama spoke up.

“Yes, friend,” Kontessa answered. “He has long sought the power to use Hell’s Gate to bring about the rule of his house to other planes. If the seven hundred hells were released on this plane, it would fall."

“You must go with your mother to your father’s palace,” stated Captain Talise. "You must damn him to oblivion in his hall. You must damn him with a weapon that changes his spawn point."

“What is this spawn point,” SunRue asked.

"When you are born," Kontessa answered. "The point in Hell where you are born is where you spawn again when you come back from oblivion. Where you go if you are killed."

"Yes," answered the captain. "And as Kontessa knows, the spawn point of your father's is unknown. His mother went into the wilderness to give birth to him so no one would know it. It has given him a great advantage for many centuries. If he is killed by any other means, he will simply reform his power."

“How am I supposed to change this?”

"Blood magic," answered the captain.

“Blood magic?” asked Kontessa. “Blood magic?”

"Your mother is watched very closely; she could not bring this about." The captain removed the sword from its place in the wall and brought it forth to hold out to Kontessa. "This sword was made by a witch of some renown from the blood of yours your mother saved once. You are his only blood relative that he doesn't control. You are the one that can save the seven hundred hells and this plane."

Kontessa took the sword.

“I went to great lengths to get this; you must damn him in his throne room. Play along with your mother in the battle to come. She will disarm you. She will fight you. She will take you and all with you to your father. Ask for a duel by Right of Clan. He can not refuse.

"Do not go willingly, or your father will suspect. If you are not brought before him in chains, he will know something is amiss. Damn your stubbornness. If you had only been more open to coming back more willingly. If you had only been more willing to make some sort of deal. But then we wouldn’t have trusted you with this.”

Kontessa took the sword and felt its weight, balance to a hair.