Under Fallen Stars - Mel Odom [144]
"Thank you, Most Exalted One," she said simply.
Tarjana floated closer to the destroyed sahuagin city, powered by the oars of the rowers below. The ship's approach had drawn attention in the form of a dozen fliers that suddenly skimmed from hiding on the sea floor. All of them carried sahuagin warriors.
"Ready yourself," Iakhovas warned. "We won't be greeted gratefully."
Laaqueel knew it was true. As she'd been trained, she pushed her emotions away. It was so hard this time, though, because there was so much pleasure in how she felt as a result of Iakhovas's unexpected praise. That confused her because generally her emotions were filled with pain. Bloody Falkane had left her feeling the same way.
Tension twisted her stomach as she watched the fliers quickly flank Tarjana. The fliers the Serosian sahuagin used were smaller than the ones the malenti was accustomed to, but they moved quickly and powerfully through the sea.
Iakhovas called orders out to stop the mudship. Quietly, Tarjana sank to the sea floor, settling deeply into the loose silt, crunching against the lava rock thrown out from the volcano.
The smaller fliers rode the currents above them. Coral spears and tridents bristled over the railings of all the Serosian fliers. Crossbowmen peered over their weapons.
Iakhovas stood before them all, his arms at his sides. He took no cover and he offered no outward threat. Laaqueel glanced at him, then had to turn quickly away. Whatever spell he was using to disguise himself as a sahuagin had gained power. Even though she normally saw him as human, the malenti's vision clouded painfully, giving different views of human and sahuagin that overlapped so quickly one blurred into the other.
Occasionally, the view was of something else-something she couldn't clearly recognize.
The sight of Iakhovas's other self sent fear thrilling down Laaqueel's spine. Nausea twisted her stomach relentlessly. She wasn't certain if the ill feeling came from the spell or the sight of his misshapen other self. Her curiosity made her want to look again in spite of her reluctance.
Instead, her attention was riveted to the large sahuagin who strode to the forefront of the closest flier. He wore a prince's insignia, recognizable even though the markings were different than what Laaqueel was used to. He held a royal trident in one gnarled fist. A three-armed sahuagin in a royal guardsman's war halter flanked the prince on his left.
The royal guard beside the prince held Laaqueel's attention. The guardsman gazed at her with bold viciousness, no hesitation in him at all.
"Who are you?" the guard bellowed.
Silently, the other sahuagin aboard Tarjana who weren't at the oars swam up to take a stand behind Iakhovas. They bared their weapons as well, but Iakhovas waved them still.
Even with all the fliers they'd brought with them, Laaqueel knew they didn't have a chance if the Serosian sahuagin attacked. Despite the awesome destruction the volcano had unleashed, Iakhovas and his followers wouldn't have been able to stand against them. Unless Sekolah wills, the malenti amended to herself. She kept her gifts at the ready, certain Iakhovas was doing the same.
"I am Iakhovas." His voice thundered through the water, punctuated by the shrill clicks and whistles of the sahuagin tongue. "I am king of We Who Eat in the Claarteeros Sea."
"Liar!" the black-clawed royal guard roared. "That place exists only in myth."
"Most Exalted One," a sahuagin baron among Tarjana's crew said quickly, "let me claim the right of blood challenge against this offender. I swear by Sekolah's blessed fins that I will bring honor to your name."
"No," Iakhovas answered calmly. "No blood will be shed unless I command it. They need every warrior they can muster." His words resonated and carried through the water.
Laaqueel quivered inside. Not responding to the royal guard's accusation could be construed as cowardice. It was an open invitation to attack.
A four-armed sahuagin, missing one of his arms, who floated next to the Serosian prince opened his mouth