Page 15 of Queen’s Griffon (Swords & Tiaras #2)

Chapter 14

Griff

The fight ended and only then did Griff realize he’d lost the true battle.

The giant crabs infesting his town had been a distraction and he’d fallen for it, wasting time slaying them left and right. Then again, what else could he do?

The giant monsters had attacked his people, destroyed his city. They had to be stopped. What he’d not expected was that while he tried to mitigate damage and deaths, Koonis would abduct Avera.

Even worse, he might not have even known what happened if not for Monty. The young man had sought him out once the crabs had been defeated—their hard-shelled bodies disappearing into puffs of dust which left their local chefs disappointed. Monty interrupted Griff as he went through the bodies in search of his little queen, relieved when the corpses he overturned weren’t her, but getting more and more worried the longer he went without locating her.

“Cap!” Monty had yelled, coming towards him with a bloodied face, his left eye swollen shut. “Cap, they took the queen.”

Immediately, Griff’s blood turned cold. “Who did?” he asked, and at the same time immediately knew.

“Captain Koonis. He and his men jumped her. I tried to intervene, but they knocked me out.” Monty put a hand to the gash on his forehead.

Griff didn’t need to glance at the dock to see the Emperor’s Folly was gone. It sailed while they still battled. At the time, he’d assumed Koonis and his sailors were cowards who wanted to avoid a fight, but now… Now he knew the attack had been a ploy. Koonis needed Griff’s attention elsewhere while he stole Avera.

Greedy bastard. Saarpira might be an island of pirates, but Koonis’ actions and his disregard for their laws were unacceptable.

“Kreed!” Griff bellowed.

His first mate, who’d already been headed in his direction, hollered back, “What is it, Cap?”

“Get the ship ready to sail. We’ve got a traitor to catch.”

“Aye, Captain! I’ll have us ready to go within the hour.”

Only, their departure didn’t prove so simple. First off, the folks looked to him to take charge of the city. But as Griff told Yannis, the man in charge when he was at sea, “ I don’t know what they want me to do. I can’t bring back the dead. As for the damage, there is only one thing to do.” Rebuild.

Griff put that more delicately in his speech given from the rooftop of the wharf tavern. He apologized for how he’d failed to stop Koonis from bringing this massacre to Saarpira. Once the citizens realized who’d been behind it, it didn’t take long for them to start shouting, demanding retribution.

And Griff promised them satisfaction.

However, he found his departure delayed. It appeared Koonis hadn’t just stolen Avera. While everyone had their attention on the crabs, his sailors sabotaged the docked vessels, those who’d usually be watching them having joined the fight.

Which was why Griff stood with hands planted on his hips, eyeing the hole in his hull. The damage was above the water line, but still needed to be repaired before they could go anywhere. The delay chafed and only boiled his blood hotter.

Garth arrived on deck, jangling with tools. “What are you waiting for to cast off?” huffed the portly man as he tossed down some of his equipment.

A sour Griff replied, “For the carpenters to fix the damage.”

“Bah. Those idiots will take way too long. We ain’t got that kind of time if we’re going to catch up to the emperor’s lap dog and get the girl back.” Garth had grown quite fond of Avera during their time together.

“Agreed. We need to move quickly, but we can’t exactly sail with a gaping hole. Even the slightest wind will lift the waves and send water slopping in, bogging us down.”

“That hole won’t be a problem for long. I just need to get a few more things and I’ll be right to work patching it. And before you say anything, we can get moving while I fix it. Just try not to rock about too much as whoever is dangling in the harness might get upset.”

Griff stared at his onboard mechanic. “Exactly how are you going to repair it? Didn’t think you worked with wood.”

“I don’t, but I know how to fill holes. I’ve been working on something in my spare time. A resin mixture that will not only seal that opening but make it stronger than before.”

“Resin?”

“Think of it as a glue that gets really hard fairly fast.”

“And we can sail while you do it?” Griff barely dared to believe.

“Aye, although, I’d recommend harnessing someone a tad bit fitter than me to do the actual slopping of the stuff.”

Griff turned and bellowed, “Monty! Report to Garth.”

The young man felt horrible that the queen had been snatched from under him. This would provide distraction.

Even better… “Kreed, prepare the ship for departure.”

“But what about the hole, Cap?” his first mate yelled back.

“Garth will be handling that issue. Let’s get going before that bastard Koonis can’t be caught.”

As it was, he already had a decent head start. If Koonis reached Merisu waters, Griff would have to admit defeat because even he wouldn’t dare start anything in the emperor’s territory. The last thing Griff’s people needed was the entire Merisu naval fleet sent to blast them out of existence.

Speaking of people, his sailors needed to know what he planned.

He stood on the poop deck to address them, his voice carrying as they went about their tasks. “As you might have heard, Captain Koonis stole Queen Avera Voxspira from under our noses.”

“You going to make him walk the plank, Cap?” shouted Kelly, who paused in his coiling of ropes.

“Indeed, I will once we catch up to him. But I understand some of you might not be comfortable going after one of the emperor’s ships.”

“He broke the rules!” A statement shouted from the nest.

“He did,” Griff agreed. “He stole from us. He caused those crabs to attack. Koonis needs to be punished for thinking he can break our code. But this will be dangerous. His sailors won’t hand over Avera without a fight.”

“Bah, those cowards don’t stand a chance,” Kelly stated. “We’ll show ‘em why you don’t mess with the Griffon’s crew.”

“Anyone who doesn’t want to be involved can disembark now. I’ll understand?—”

“Where you go, we go!” shouted Monty as he clipped on a harness.

“Aye!” The shouts came from all over and Griffon felt honored by the loyalty of his crew. Not one left and soon they were underway.

As he started charting a route on the bridge, Simhi came to stand beside him and chirped, “Any reason we’re heading to Merisu instead of going after Avera?”

He almost rolled his eyes at the dumb question. “We are going after Avera. We’ll intercept Koonis before he enters Merisu waters.”

“I get that, but I’m surprised you’re letting him detour to Verlora first.”

Griff paused his charting and glanced at Simhi. “Why would he go to Verlora? It’s in the opposite direction from Merisu.”

“I’m aware of that, but one of Koonis’ sailors divulged their route while a bit tipsy. Fellow was whining he’d better be getting a bonus for being made to go near the cursed place.”

“It might not have been Verlora,” Griff muttered as his mind raced, wondering if this tidbit was true.

“Oh, it was definitely our old home. He grumbled that the mist was rumored to make men impotent and that the captain had already tossed one man overboard for complaining too loudly about their destination after they were done on Saarpira. The only thing the very talkative Simon didn’t mention was that they planned to abduct the queen.”

“The sailor could have been fibbing.”

Simhi grinned. “Unlikely. I might have been plying with him drinks and winks. He started out not saying much about their mission, but after a few shots of whiskey, and a few unhooked buttons on me shirt, he got talkative.”

A contemplative Griff rubbed his chin. “Could be they’ve changed their plan now that they have Avera?”

Simhi arche a brow. “Doubtful. It’s obvious they came prepared, although how they knew she was here is a bit of a mystery.”

“It’s said the emperor knows things before others do,” he murmured aloud. “Still, Koonis was very clear about not going anywhere near our country.”

“Probably to throw you off his scent.”

“What business would they have there?”

Simhi rolled her shoulders. “Dunno. But, like you said, that emperor is known to be odd. Could be he wanted Koonis to look for treasure and taking Avera beforehand was about killing two kraken with one harpoon.”

In the end, the reason didn’t really matter. Griff would get Avera back. He glanced at his helmsman. “Change course.”

“Already done,” Dickson reported. He’d obviously been listening.

Griff’s lips flattened. “Guess I’d better tell the crew.” The problem being it would be too late now for any of them to abandon ship. Here was hoping they took it well.

He returned to the poop deck and bellowed, “Listen up, sea dogs. New information has come to light about Koonis’ route.”

Faces turned toward him as sailors paused in their tasks.

With their attention focused, Griff tucked his hands behind his back. “So, remember how I said we were going to take back the queen?” He cleared his throat. “There’s been a slight change in plan.”

“Are we not rescuing her?” Monty yelled.

“Yes. However, it would seem they’re not heading for Merisu, but Verlora.”

A dead silence fell before someone whispered, “Why?”

“I don’t know.” A truthful reply. “All I know is they’re sailing for Verlora with Avera and I’m sorry I wasn’t aware of this before we left dock, but we can’t turn around now. Now, before you panic, I want it known that if a shore team is needed, no one will be forced to go. As a matter of fact, should any kind of excursion onto land be necessary, I will be the one to go.”

“Alone? But what about the monsters?” Kelly asked.

“Aye, Cap. You’ll need all the strong arms you can muster if you’re going to save the queen,” added Monty who peeked over the rail where he dangled.

“We don’t know yet what Captain Koonis is planning. Could be they’re just scouting the continent for the emperor. I can say that I don’t plan to bring the ship anywhere close to the mist, meaning those on board should remain safe. I understand some of you might be upset at this?—”

“You know we’ll follow you anywhere,” Monty hollered. “And if we need to go on the cursed land, then so be it. Captain Koonis has already broken pact with us and now adds to the insult by messing with our homeland.”

“It’s not everyone’s home,” Griff reminded, conscious that his crew, while heavily Verlorian, did have other nationalities represented.

“Our home is with you, Cap,” yelled Grog, an exile from Okkilam.

To which his crew began to sing, “The mighty Griffon sails the seas, flying over the waves. Once he sets his sight on you, you’d better be afraid.”

Their loyalty tightened Griff’s throat.

Kreed leaned close and murmured, “They love you.”

And he loved them. He just hoped this rescue mission didn’t kill them all.