Short Story: Into Evil's Heart

Yesterday, the sea had been ready to swallow Thale's Lust. The storm had thundered its anger in a blaze of brilliance that lit the horizon. The ship had struggled through the night to remain atop the waves that crashed across her aged decks. With the dawn came the calm, and the sea rested in silence as the Lust groaned her way southward.

Ahead, an ugly haze hid the coastline within its veiled midst. As the ship drew nearer, the first mate's snarled commands sent the lookouts clambering into the rigging. The Sharks' Teeth, coral reefs ringing Visira's harbor, were infamous for claiming ships that failed to respect them. Her mainsail furled, the Lust slowed, her bow rising and falling gently with the cresting waves as her captain guided her through the reefs.

From the foremast, Faron Lurcas clearly saw the coral formations just below the surface. As the ship eased into the outer harbor, he could identify the green shapes of lizardfolk swimming in the murky water. The morning sun was already hot, and the fog stifling. Faron shook his head to clear the sweat from his eyes, and turned his attention forward. There were voices ahead, and as he watched, the Visira docks emerged from the haze.

Even as the sun burned away the morning mist, fat droplets of water fell from the rigging and spars. It was well past midday before the hold of the Lust was emptied, and Faron was tired, hungry, and drenched. More time passed as the crew collected in a tight throng about the boatswain for the few coins he dropped into each eager hand. Clutching his meager pay, Faron finally made his way to the dock, and for the first time, surveyed the full face of Visira that stood before him.

The long harbor wall stretched like a horseshoe from its northern end at Tower Point around to High Spur on the south. The whole of the wall, roughly hewn and poorly built, was green with lichen and heavily splattered with seagull droppings. Faron could see men atop the walls. Some were patrolling, some sat in what precious little shade was offered, and a few talked with women sitting in the open windows of houses near the wall.

Adobe clay buildings were arrayed in chaotic rows beyond the harbor wall. Where the ground rose, Faron could see tiers of buildings encircling a hill within the city. Near its top, adobe clay construction gave way to buildings of cut stone. The hill's crest was completely encircled by a stone wall, and dominated by large estates.

Gallows Arch was the sole gateway from the waterfront into the city. Faron easily spied the gatehouse's twin short towers at the center of the harbor wall. Closer by, near the fishing boats, seagulls dove and fought for whatever they could steal. Packs of young boys chased the gulls with stones, sending them screaming with pain into flight. But as the boys ran back toward the city to replenish their missiles, the undaunted seagulls descended again to plague the fishing nets.

Faron did his best to navigate the chaos of the docks. Ships were moored to each side of the narrow piers, and many of them were a swarm of activity. At several of the ships, men shackled in chains labored to haul cargo to and from the piers. Faron stepped past these quickly, and focused on the gateway ahead. As he approached Gallows Arch, he could hear the city guards. Their voices thick with boredom, they entertained themselves by challenging and inspecting the sailors and other commoners trying to pass through the gate.

Read the complete story in Visira: City of Sorrows.