Dark Waves
As Grukarr’s command rang out, man number seven nodded eagerly. Though he was much shorter than his captain, he drew himself up to his full height to show how proud he felt about what he was going to do.
Standing by the open hatch, Grukarr smirked. He watched triumphantly as the man reached his hand toward the winch controls.
I have waited so long and suffered so much for this, thought the former priest. His eyes darkened like a stormy sky. Now it’s their turn to suffer.
Grukarr turned around to view the prisoners, helpless under the net. No matter how many times he had envisioned this scene, the reality was going to be better. Much better.
Promi and Kermi glared at him. Though they couldn’t do anything to prevent the horrible torture awaiting them, they could at least deny their enemy any show of fear. Yet both of them knew they’d soon plunge into the worst misery they’d ever known. Promi’s whole chest prickled with heat.
Then man number seven, standing behind Grukarr, did something unexpected. He pulled back the hand that was reaching for the controls—and suddenly charged at Grukarr, hurling the full weight of his body into his leader’s back! Both of them tumbled to the edge of the hatch.
“What—?” bellowed Grukarr. Purple with rage, he caught himself just before falling through the opening.
With one hand, he grabbed the throat of his assailant. The man’s hood fell back, revealing a white-haired man with a kindly face—a face that Grukarr had never expected to see again.
Promi gasped, just as surprised as Grukarr. If not for the poisonous blades surrounding him, he would have leaned forward to make sure his eyes hadn’t deceived him.
Bonlo! He blinked, astonished by the sight of the old monk who had taught him so much in the terrible dungeon of Ekh Raku. And who had given his life to save Promi’s.
“You!” shouted Grukarr, glaring at the elderly monk. “How dare you come here?”
The monk’s eyes gleamed. Through his constricted throat, he said, “Did you really think an ogre like you could get to the spirit realm, but not me?”
“Why you mutinous, dastardly old fool!” Grukarr’s free hand reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a dagger. “You deserve to—”
Bonlo kicked with all his might, landing his boot right in Grukarr’s crotch. The big man howled and doubled over, dropping his dagger. Bonlo jumped on his foe, even as he shouted, “Now, men!”
Immediately, three or four of the hooded men pounced on the others, pulling them away from their controls. Two more men, meanwhile, donned heavy gloves and set to work freeing Promi and Kermi from the deadly blades wrapped around the net. But with no more crew flying the ship, the whole craft started to twist and spin—even as it veered down toward the roiling sea below. Vaporstone panels bent and buckled from the increased forces, while mechanical parts screamed.
“Hurry!” cried Promi as the men tried desperately to remove the blades.
Yet such intricate work couldn’t be rushed. The men did their best to untangle the prisoners, but progress was slow—too slow. The ship was spinning out of control!
Then, to make matter’s worse, one of Grukarr’s loyal crew leaped at a man helping the prisoners. They fought brutally, slamming each other with blows. Kermi managed to stretch out his tail and smack that attacker in the eye—but the fight continued.
All the while, Grukarr and Bonlo wrestled on the floor, both groping for the dagger. Locked together, they rolled perilously close to the hatch. Grukarr was just about to grasp the weapon when the ship reeled, sending them both careening into a wall.
Finally clasping the dagger, Grukarr roared with rage. He leaped on Bonlo and waved the blade in his face. “Maybe I can’t kill you, now that you’re immortal. But I can certainly cut out your tongue, your eyes, and more! And if I can cause you enough pain . . . then perhaps you’ll meet your true death.”
Outside, one of the mechanical wings suddenly broke off. The ship lurched, spinning faster and faster as it dived toward the ocean. Grukarr was thrown sideways, which gave Bonlo a chance to wriggle free. But the wrathful servant of Narkazan stumbled after him, brandishing the weapon.
One of Grukarr’s men, thrown backward by a blow, slammed into the wall of levers and buttons that controlled the winch. He slumped to the floor, unconscious. But the impact had started the winch. Its gears grinded, then the winch started pulling the ropes attached to the prisoners’ net.
Finally able to move one arm, Promi tried to extract himself without touching any of the blades that sizzled with poison. All at once, a sharp tug pulled on the net, nearly knocking his face into a mass of blades. The winch! Pulling the ropes!
All around the hold, people fought desperately. Grukarr, blind to anything but revenge, charged Bonlo. The ropes from the winch tightened, only seconds from dragging the net to the open hatch—with Promi and Kermi certain to be sliced. At the same time, the flying ship reeled and spun, plummeting toward the sea.
Just as the ropes fully tightened, Kermi broke free of the net. Like a bolt of blue lightning, he sprang over to the controls. Madly, he pounded every button in sight. The winch halted abruptly.
One of the buttons he’d pushed, though, turned out the lights. The furious battle continued—but in total darkness.
“Turn them back on!” shouted Promi. “I can’t get out without some light!”
Kermi’s ears swiveled in confusion. Which buttons should he push? With no time to decide, he hit them all.
The lights came back on. So did the winch. Relentlessly, it started to pull the ropes again.
Promi, meanwhile, could move enough now to reach his knife. He grabbed the hilt and started slicing through the vaporstone net. The blade flashed as it severed his bonds—but other blades, hissing with poison, also flashed all around him.
The remaining wing broke off. Now the ship plunged downward with even more speed, only heartbeats from crashing into the dark, brooding waters below.
“Got you!” crowed Grukarr. Seizing Bonlo by the shoulder, he locked gazes with his old teacher. “You’ve spoiled my plans for the last time!”
Grukarr thrust his dagger at the old monk’s chest. At the same instant, someone plowed into Grukarr, sending him flying. Bonlo twisted to see the face of his rescuer. Promi!
Grukarr stumbled backward. He, too, saw Promi and released a vengeful roar. His eyes practically blazed with wrath. Then, without warning, he stepped right into the open hatch.
The roar morphed into a terrified scream as Grukarr plunged through the hatch. Promi watched him vanish, then crawled back over to Bonlo.
The old monk tried to rise—but groaned and fell back. His grateful expression suddenly turned grim. For he felt Grukarr’s dagger embedded in his heart. Blood poured from the wound, soaking his robe.
Promi kneeled beside his old friend. Seeing Bonlo’s wound, he cringed.
“Don’t worry, lad,” said the old monk weakly. “It was worth everything to see that look on his face just now!”
“That was nothing compared to his look when you first plowed into him.” Promi tried to grin. “And when you kicked him where it hurts.”
Bonlo brightened a bit. “Every monk should have martial arts training, you know.” He winced at the pain in his chest. “Even if it hurts.”
Suddenly grim, Promi asked, “What happens to you now? If your spirit body perishes and can’t be renewed?”
“Don’t know, lad.” He coughed painfully. “I’ve never before died . . . after I already died!”
Bonlo coughed once more, this time spitting blood. “But you, good lad,” he said with difficulty, “you must survive.”
“I don’t want to lose you again, Bonlo.”
The white-haired monk gazed up at him. “I knew when I first met you, lad . . . there was something special . . . about you. That you were destined for . . . great deeds.”
With a voice so weak Promi could barely hear, Bonlo added, “And lad . . . you still are.”
Even through his misty eyes, Promi couldn’t miss the love in the elder’s expression. He held Bonlo close, so that their faces touched.
“Er, manfool,” said Kermi, tapping Promi on the shoulder. “If you’d like to get off before we crash into that ocean, you’d better—”
Before he could finish, Promi scooped Bonlo into his arms and staggered over to the hatch. Kermi jumped onto the young man’s shoulder just as he leaped.
A fraction of a second later, the ship smashed into the churning waves, exploding into thousands of pieces. Broken vaporstone panels, gadgets, wheels, glass, and bodies rained down on the sea. Everything from the ship disappeared into the depths.
Including Promi and his friends. No sign of them remained. Meanwhile, as if nothing had happened, the dark waves rolled on and on.