Not All Heroes Are Guiltless

Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Dungan’s POV

“We should be able to see the Isle within the hour.” Minister Gentry says, walking onto the deck behind me. I nod in confirmation. He’s been working on the missives to the other ships because I needed the fresh air. I watch him stretch his hands out before relaxing next to me. He hasn’t greeted me formally, but his shoulders squared out. “This plan of yours is amusing. You’ve done well on rescuing the Bellarn slaves but this Isle is rumored to have more unsavory individuals enlisted. What is your plan to deal with dogs that would rather bite your hand off if you got close?”

“Hopefully, they are in cages, and we can send them adrift. We don’t have the resources to deal with more mouths than we can feed. Hou Ndour losing all their miners will weaken them significantly, and we can just push them back across the sea where they belong. No need for them to have footing near us.” I say, crossing my arms.

After a good thorough house cleaning of the noble advisors and the temple. I took my army and pushed Hou Ndour into flight. All their connections are away from Bellar, but if you swing at a hornets nest, you must get rid of the nest promptly. So, that means clearing out the surrounding sea, and strangely enough, that means Hou Ndour is pulling their men from the ports of the former Redland. I do hope she hears and helps here little rebel organization to move in with the lapse of retaliation.

Gentry doesn’t add anymore and seems content in watching the horizon with me. Gentry’s family has always been more intimate with the king. His father and grandfather served King Roland for his entire term, and more than likely, when Gentry retires, his son will fulfill his role. His loyalty and his bloodline strive to be the confidante of the King. The first time I met his grandfather, it was uncanny on his judgment of me. If he hadn’t persuaded Roland to allow me access to the library, then I wouldn’t have ever been able to fulfill my role. It was Gentry’s father who had the bright idea of creating an alias for me and allowing the throne to bring in their own personal funding. Even with all my adventures after my betrayal, Gentry still had Benlow’s Trading Company running like everything was usual. No one was ever the wiser because I was the owner. Not to mention, Gentry spy network is better than I could imagine and even made deals for me before I even mentioned anything.

Gentry whistles a soft tune while he gazes out at the caps on the waves around us. He stops and sighs, “You know, we still haven’t held your crowning ceremony. It will be expected for you to be publicly ordained and crowned when we return. Will I be able to announce a bride?”

“No.” I say in a snap.

Gentry clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “I can find someone to host a ball, and that would put many perspective ladies in one easy to find location.”

I roll my eyes, “You going to say it's required of me to have a bride?”

Gentry chuckles and shakes his head, “No. Just you are young and single without any other siblings. It would put many at ease if you had a bride and even a few concubines.”

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you and everyone else. I don’t want to waste any time on simple amusements. Only one is blessed to carry my children. Outside of that, I am inept.” I say lowly. I really don’t want to discuss this subject.

“The elusive Nadar?” Gentry ticks his tongue. “I wondered if that may be our issue. How do we find her?”

“You don’t.” I growl.

Gentry doesn’t seem fazed and asks, “You were traveling-“

My growl makes him visibly shudder and stops from his response. Undeniably, he would know I wasn’t traveling by myself, but he had no reason to bother her. Gentry lifts his hands up in surrender. He tucks them into his armpits and kicks his foot. “You will have to make appearances that you are searching. Give me some material to show you aren’t just a recluse. Maybe even fraternize with one or two ladies to show interest. You got rid of most of the opposition, but your people don’t want you to seem unhappy.”

Ringing on the horizon reaches our ears. Finally, some action. Gentry mumbles as our men call to arms also. Everyone is waiting when cannon fire shoots out and misses us by a good five ships lengths in front of us. Four ships break from the makeshift dock along an embankment.

Our ships move to be able to flank while staying out of the range of the long cannons. We will be able to board their ships within the hour. I watch as the ships move closer and closer together.

Hou Ndour usually have the upper hand when it comes to sea battles but they stretched themselves too thin and that means the quick moving Bellar because we have disregarded any treaties and agreements with them and strike hard before they could send messages back to their commanders. We found correspondence that there were three isles that the commanders have been focusing on. The first was filled with Bellarn slaves being prepared for trade in the far continent. This one, I was almost certain that all the added security had someone special. There are supposedly three commanders on this isle. There is an interest they wish to protect.

My ship approaches one of the four, and I plan to jump over with the crew. During our first battle, many of the officers of the army were squeamish to allow me to fight. Even if the rumors about how I decimated the temple and killed the king. A few of them fear I will be struck down in a simple battle. Gentry, though, only encouraged me because he and his forefathers served the King of Bellar since Bellar was living among us.

I am the first able to board the Hou Ndour ship. The men jump at me, and I swiftly take them out, almost depressing on how slow and unskillful these men are lackluster. After feeling like I might be disappointed in this battle, I felt the shadows pull around me. I prepare for an attack. I’m not wearing my cloak because I’m no longer fighting as a shadow, but I have a few defense charms to help.

The hair on my back of the neck rises as I feel the swell of a magical attack. I parry a strike aimed at my back with a sword imbued with defense magic. I am met by an open strike mouth with retractable teeth, unable to break my defense barrier. The snake is large enough to swallow me whole.

The snake retracts back into its owner. The darkness surrounding him is so reminiscent of a descendant of Neith, but it only seems to linger on skin level. The owner must be a commander for the Hou Ndours. He is well built and toned fighter. He has snake tattoos covering his torso. His smile is unnerving and overzealous for the dirt and slime covering his body.

“I don’t recognize you as a brethren. Could you possibly be a retainer of the spider?” He hisses through his teeth.

“No. But I’m not a friend of yours either.” I hiss out and strike through the shadows to attack him, but he’s defending also.

Two snakes materialize out of his tattoos, and I push him across the deck. I can get a strike into him, but he is being pushed back and unable to break my shield. At first, he seems confused, but then he starts to build a fake confidence the longer we are fighting. He allows me to push him back to the edge of the ship. He’s going to jump, and I can’t do anything. Might as well have him run away if he knew he couldn’t fight me.

“Does my master know of you?” He hisses. He leaps off the edge of the ship and into the water below.

All four Hou Ndour ships are now in Bellar procession. We won another victory now to take over the isle. As we arrive on shore, I can see the other two ships making a getaway. We have more to chase down. Gentry comes up to me with a huff, “They took off with the slaves.”

I growl in anger and let all my senses feel my fury. I have no sympathy for these pirates and their dark master.