Preview of Monsters

 

Here is a sneak preview of my new book Monsters. I hope you enjoy and be looking out for the eBook being available in the next few days on Amazon and the print edition in the next few weeks.

Tucked away on the outskirts of the town of Nairabba is the closest thing to a den of iniquity in all of Kwandu. The Flat Wheeled Wagon Tavern is suited for and was created too, serve traders passing through this part of Kwandu who are looking for a discrete good time. The tavern is away enough from the eyes of all the proper town’s people that it can raise a ruckus and straddle lines of impropriety without bothering anyone. Everyone, including the local priest, knows what goes on in the tavern, but chooses to look the other way. This is probably because secretly a number of the high ranking and influential townsfolk are frequent guest of the establishment. Also as far as the Institute and its priest are concerned, the Flat Wheel as it’s commonly called, does not overtly break any of the most important tenants of the faith.

     The Flat Wheel is a place where people can let loose and drink to their hearts desire. Most of the beer and wine is locally made and is considered among the best in Astrada by those who have sampled the spirits of various lands. The establishment was founded by a former pirate who decided to settle down on the mainland and pursue a more legitimate business venture. Over the years the tavern has undergone a few changes in both ownership and business model.

     In the early days, the original owner tried to get away with also running a brothel house beside the tavern. He attempted to run it secretly, but it was discovered before long and the official stance of Nairabba and the Institute was that such debauchery crossed a line. That part of the business was closed after threats to burn down the whole complex were made by a mob of the prudent townsfolk. Now the former brothel house is a residence for the Flat Wheels main attraction, besides the alcohol, the Purple Lotus. They are an all-female performing troupe that puts on singing and dancing shows. They also started out as a more controversial part of the Flat Wheel’s entertainment, due to wearing very revealing clothing and performing provocatively. The current version conforms more to societal standards and has even performed in settings outside of the Flat Wheel.

     In the last couple of years the popularity of Purple Lotus performances has increased attendance, and profits, for the Flat Wheel. The main reason is the voice of the lead singer, Sonyi. Discovering her took the current owner Lancey from scrapping by to raking in the gold. Even people who would never want to be associated with a place like the Flat Wheel have braved gossip and criticism from the social busybodies of Nairabba, in order to come to the tavern and see her perform.

     Tonight the Flat Wheel is packed to capacity for a Purple Lotus performance. Rumors abound that it may be Sonyi’s last due to a dispute between her and the owner over money. Some rumors say she simply wants the group to be introduced as Sonyi & Purple Lotus along with a substantial increase in pay for her. Still other rumors claim that she wants even more, including and up to half ownership in the Flat Wheel. Whatever the truth of the situation is, the rumors have made this performance a must see. Some have even come from other towns for the sole purpose of seeing this show. Some traders have even made a special trip to the area with no thought of the profits they will lose by altering their schedule.

     “Looks like your plan has worked butterscotch”

     Sonyi gave Lancey a little smile as she replied “You haven’t called me that since I was just some free spirited little girl always swinging by here asking for a candy. You always gave me one and told me get out before somebody saw me. Proper young ladies shouldn’t hang around a tavern. That’s what you used to tell me. I suspect you do that for all the little girls. Giving them candy and telling them not to come around knowing both things will make them keep coming back. Secretly getting them to trust you as a decent man in this otherwise indecent place. Luring them in so they’ll come work here when they get older.”

     Sonyi peered out the window looking at the crowd of people. Most were drinking and carrying on in conversation and banter. Lancey’s office had a view of almost the entire main room. Most of the time he could stand in the window and direct the entire place with a few hand gestures. The last few years had been prosperous enough to allow him to hire good people who basically ran the day to day operations with only minor input from him. So most of the time Lancey can be found in his office as he is right now. Reclining in his chair with both feet on the desk, a tabac stick lit in his mouth, and a vase of rice wine within arm’s reach.

     “No, just you. I knew even back then you were going to be special.

     “How could you know? I never even sang back then.”

     “Yeah, but you always skipped around humming.”

     “You knew I would be able to fill a room with powerful sweet melodies from songs old and new just by hearing me humming as a child?”

     “It was also a feeling I had in my gut. I trusted my gut then just as I do now. It told me you would be a star. It tells me you could be even bigger if you would just stay.”

     “Lancey we’ve been over this a dozen times.”

     “I’ll give you a quarter of the profits on the nights you sing, and you can have full freedom for you and the girls to perform your own songs. You can even do more of those musicals in town if you want. I’ll put up the money for the theatre. Get you brand new costumes and everything.”   

     “This is not about money or artistic freedom, it’s about love. Didn’t you tell me you loved someone in your younger days?

     “Why yes I did. I did tell you that, and you know what, she left me just like your trying to do. That’s what love gets me, broken and alone.”

     Sonyi stared out the window, careful not to turn around and reveal the shocked look on her face. She stayed silent as time seemed to stop while she interpreted what she just heard. Did Lancey just express love for her? She had always just thought of herself as his employee, or at least that’s what she told herself Lancey must think of her as. Was she wrong? Did he see her like a daughter? Did he truly see her like she wanted him too? Her own father had been a drunken disappointment that left when she was twelve. Lancey had been a presence in her life before then, but when her father left he filled the void.

     When she had gathered herself, Sonyi turned and looked straight into his eyes and said “Do you really…”

     A knock at the door interrupted the conversation. Before either of them said anything the door opened and a dashing young man made his way into the office, his cape fluttering behind him. His attire was standard fair for a pirate in style, but obviously made from much finer fabrics than your run of the mill deck hand could afford. He stopped at Lancey’s desk and gave him a polite bow before going over to Sonyi and greeting her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

     Lancey took his feet from the desk and quickly stood up before looking intently at Shazan and saying “The audacity and arrogance of a prince. It’s bad enough that you parade yourself around the main hall, ordering drinks for your sixteen year old brother that’s not even old enough to be in this establishment. Now you just barge in my office like you own the place.”

     “I did knock first. I thought it was fair warning. You know that I can’t stand to be away from my fiancée for long.”

     “There’s also that. Taking my little girl away.”

     “She’s twenty four now. She’s not anybody’s little girl.”

     “Be that as it may, you’re still stealing her away from me to take her to live on an island full of pirates. What woman would want that?”

     Sonyi shook her head as she said “Not this one, which is why we aren’t going to Maadgar.”

     Lancey was silent for a moment before asking “Wait, did you just say you two are not going to Maadgar?”

     Shazan looked at Sonyi and smiled before turning his gaze towards Lancey and replying “That’s right, we are eloping. Our life together is not bound to piracy or singing in a backwoods tavern. We will go north to seek our fortune in the grasslands.”

     Outside Lancey’s office a very confused and upset young man heard Shazan speak of eloping. The news was an unwelcome shock to him. Tabiri is ten years younger than his brother, and has idolized Shazan for as long as he could remember. Everything Shazan did, Tabiri tried to do too. With Shazan there to guide him, Tabiri was much more skilled at every aspect of pirate life than his brother had been at the same age. Their father, the Pirate King, called Tabiri a prodigy, a natural born pirate, fighter, and leader. Tabiri himself never thought that way. For him it wasn’t that he was born that way, but that his brother helped make him that way.

     That’s what made this moment so frustrating. Shazan was always truthful to his brother. He would never hide anything from him. Sure, when Tabiri was younger Shazan simplified things and stayed away from subjects his young ears weren’t ready to know about, but never would he keep a secret from him, especially one so life changing as him leaving. So Tabiri went back to the main hall and found the other pirates drinking and carrying on. He joined them in their merriment, listening to the band play as he drank far in excess of any other time in his life.

     When the time came for Purple Lotus to perform, Tabiri was falling down drunk and making a fool of himself. Many of the people around him were visibly upset and demanded that his companions take him out. They had come to enjoy the supposed last performance of this current version of Purple Lotus, and they weren’t going to let some drunk kid ruin it. People started being more insistent and a few pushes and shoves between the crowd and the pirates nearly began a full on brawl until Shazan stepped in. He grabbed Tabiri and practically dragged him out one of the back doors of the tavern, his little brother squirming and protesting the whole way.

     Once outside, Shazan finally let go of his brother and let him fall to the ground. Tabiri stumbled to his feet and then immediately took a wild swing at his brother. He missed by a mile and fell forward, landing on his face. He tried to struggle to his feet again, but fell right back down. He laid there for a second and his anger turned to sadness and he started to cry.

     “Little brother you are not yourself. What in the void has gotten in to you?”

     Tabiri was out of breath, but he took in enough air to answer, “Just. Just leave me here. Go back to her. That’s what you want anyways, to leave me for her.”

     “What does that mean?”

     Tabiri pushed himself up to sitting before slurring his reply “I know what you know what I mean.”

     “You’re not making since Tabiri.”

     “You don’t make since! Shazan!”

     Shazan walked away from his brother without another word. He didn’t plan on going far, but just wanted to get a little space to think. This was supposed to be a wonderful night of fun. Seeing his bride to be perform at the Flat Wheel one final time. Heading into town in the morning to be married and then traveling north to seek a new life. He and Sonyi had made up in their minds that the two of them could make it. They didn’t have a lot of coin and his status as a Prince of the Kingdom of Maadgar would mean little where they were going, but that only made it seem like an even greater adventure. Then a quick series of memories replaced the new life he was picturing. Memories of his brother trying his best to imitate him over the years. Then it dawned on him. In the weeks he had been planning to elope he didn’t truly consider what leaving would do to Tabiri and he felt guilty for just thinking about his own life, his wants and needs, and forgetting about his brother’s in the process.

     Then questions started to pop up in his mind. Had he let his love for Sonyi blind him to the consequences of just leaving his current life behind? Can and should the heir apparent to a kingdom just leave that behind?  Could he just leave his brother to fend for himself in the dangerous world of piracy? Is his intention to leave what caused his brother’s strange behavior tonight? That last question stopped Shazan’s thought process and he said to himself “Wait, how would he even know I was leaving?”

     Shazan turned and headed back to Tabiri, who was now laying on the ground sleeping, to hopefully get some answers for his aberrant behavior. Before he could try to wake him up, the sudden appearance of several people galloping on horseback diverted his attention. They were coming from the direction of Nairabba. As he looked that way he saw more people moving rapidly away from the town. Some on horseback were pulling carts full of people, and there were even people just running as fast as they could. Light from the Flat Wheel illuminated the area enough to help him make out some of the faces, and all he could see was terror.

     Suddenly people started filing out of the tavern. Some rather hurriedly, while others cautiously strolled towards the area for wagons and horses. The back door of the tavern opened and out came Sonyi followed by Shazan’s pirate companions. Someone from the town had ran into the tavern shouting of creatures from the void and the Twilight being upon them. Some in the crowd laughed at the man, while others tried to ask him questions and find out what he was raving about. A few of those gathered recognized him, and knew him as a level headed person. Before he could reveal more, a couple of men entered the tavern carrying a wounded man. All that one of them said was “He fought back” before they dropped him in the floor and ran back out the front door. The wounded man’s back had a large claw mark all the way down it, and he was bleeding profusely. Three people in the crowd came to his aid, but most everyone else started moving to vacate the premises or to grab another drink from the bar.

     A frightened Sonyi ran up to Shazan and jumped into his arms. Before she or any of his companions could say anything, it began. The lamps around Flat Wheel were shot out by arrows coming from every direction. When the oil and flame fell it was immediately extinguished and a dark mist seemed to rise around the area. People began to scream and one person yelled as something leapt out from the shadows and took him away. This began to happen all around and caused a panic. People started scattering in every direction. Shazan ordered his crew to pick up his brother and follow him back into the tavern.

     Once inside they raided the weapons check station, retrieving their swords as well as whatever else they could carry. There was no one manning the check in or bar or guarding any doors, as they had joined the rest of the staff in Lancey’s office. Lancey beat on the window and motioned for Shazan and his crew to come up there, but before they could the front door of the tavern crept open. Screams of both amazement and terror filled the Flat Wheel at what entered this place of entertainment. The sound made by what came in was as loud as the music that had been playing just a short while ago. A frightening cacophony of roars screamed from the doorway, heralding pain and death.