Riptide (Strangefall Book #1)

By Harry Woodworth

Strangefall: A frontier of frontiers, a valley bordered by the demonic unknown and ruled by tyrannical orb wizards named the Prei-Dan.

To the Boy, it is a chance at life anew. But his passage is paid in blood; he is bound to assist a duo of unstable assassins in their journey deep into the ‘enigma sea’ of Shulsa where primordial beasts rule and a clockwork super tide leaves no time for rest. Their mission: Find and kill a rogue orb wizard who experimented with demon flesh.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harry Woodworth
• Release date: Jan 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005414078

Harry Woodworth

Hello! I am a writer of short and thrilling fantasy. I love putting guns and robots where they shouldn't be, simple magic systems, and deadly characters. If the previous sentence really gets you going, check out my works :)

Book preview

Riptide

By Harry Woodworth

Copyright 2021 Harry Woodworth

Smashwords Edition

To Mamá, who always kept me writing

RIPTIDE

Harry Woodworth

Contents

The Boy

Stowaway

Strangefall

Sea Wall

Tidal Plains

Pit

Salt Hill

Firelight

Jellyfish

Flight

Weight

Crush

Drop

Glaze

Cube

Den

Riptide

Obliterator

THE BOY

The boy prostrated in front of the two assassins silhouetted by the gas lantern behind them, their shadows reached over him across the wood floor of the tiny office.

I beg of you, let me go with you, he slammed his forehead against the floor and dug his fingernails into his sweaty palms, I need to go to Strangefall- I have to! Please!

The only door in the room was locked shut behind him. Bloodthirsty gazes bore into the back of his skull. The larger figure, an older gentleman with a face covered in wrinkles from constant smiling, spoke.

You have no value to us.

No I do, I swear! The boy’s face shot up. I- I notice things! You said you needed an observer, I can do that for you!

The second figure, a young woman with deadly eyes, cleaned her nails on a dagger. The boy swallowed. His breaths drew sharply over cracked lips.

The gentleman crossed his arms. You have ten seconds to prove it to me.

The woman smirked and spoke with a thick slums accent. An’ if yer wastin’ our time I’ll rip yer guts out an’ strangle ya wit’ ‘em!

The boy frantically looked around the room trying to get his brain running.

Think. Think or you’ll have escaped for nothing!

Y- you’ll gut me- but, ah- I know how you’ll dispose of me! Yes, on the left wall behind your bookcase there’s a hidden room right? There’s faint scrape marks on the floor where the case swings out, and um- there’s an old blue stain near the door, the only chemical that stains blue is necropphire, an acid used to get rid of diseased corpses. And there’s a broken fingernail on the floor so somebody was here today, somebody who probably wanted to go to Strangefall too and broke their nails as they were dragged… they’re probably dissolving right now in that room, aren’t they? The words stuck to the boy’s throat.

The gentleman raised his eyebrow and glanced at the woman who snarled in disgust. He looked back down at the boy.

Do you have any reservations taking a life?

None at all

You are a young man, do you have anything to live for?

I have my freedom to die for.

The gentleman cracked a smile. We are hunting a man in Strangefall. He fled across the southern tidal plains of Shulsa. We will stow away on the last ship there for the next ten years and when we arrive we will locate and kill him. He checked the clock on the wall. You will be our observer. If you fail us, disobey me, or attempt to flee, you will die.

The woman flashed her blade.

The boy pressed his face to the floor and clasped his hands together. Thank you! Thank you, you won’t regret taking me.

For your sake I better not. The gentleman reached out a hand. The boy took it and was lifted to his feet.

He’s stronger than he looks.

I am Wetland, you will refer to me as ‘Sir’, is that clear?

Yes. -Sir, yes sir.

And this is Lilac. The woman was even taller up close. She glared down at him like she was forced to stand next to a repulsive sack of garbage. She leaned close to him and he froze like prey in a predator’s jaws.

Ya slip up an’ I’ll turn ya inside out.

The boy’s stomach sank. Wetland laughed.

Do you have a name, boy?

Um… no. You can call me whatever you want.

Then we will refer to you as ‘boy’, no sense in remembering an extra name. Understand?

I do. Sir.

Wetland glanced at the clock again. We leave immediately. Lilac, finish up with our previous observer.

Lilac pulled a secret loop under a shelf on the bookcase and the case swung open. A heavy chemical smell filled the room, but even stronger was the stench of rot. The boy didn’t react, he had smelled far worse. Death was a mantle he wore daily.

STOWAWAY

The boy tossed in his sleep. Viscous filth surrounded him under a pitch-black sky. Hate-filled eyes of his siblings surrounded him.

I didn’t! I didn’t I swear! He cried as the muck rose above his mouth. Fingers pointed at him in unison and gaping mouths all said the same thing.

You left us.

The sound of the anchor chain thrashing on wood woke him. His head shot up from his knees and he looked around the boat’s cargo hold for eyes in the dark. There was nothing but crates and barrels flickering in the light of swaying lanterns chained to the ceiling. As the sound of blood pumping in his ears subsided he could hear men shouting and moving above deck.

I made it, I’m really here. I’ll never go back. I can forget now.

His nightmare weighed on his conscience but he buzzed with anticipation. He saw his two companions were resting in the dark.

Wetland ran a cloth up and down the brushed metal barrel of his hunting rifle. The polish on the redwood stock was fresh and the leather strap was spotless.

Lilac leaned cross-legged against the sloped hull with her eyes closed. A cloth rucksack was nestled in her lap.

Wetland noticed the boy was awake, he shouldered his rifle and walked over to him.

We have landed. What is the fastest way to leave this ship?

Um… I think we should wait until everyone leaves deck and then sneak-

I did not say the safest, I said the fastest.

We can just run out and shoot everyone?

Wetland chuckled. It is doable, but our ammunition is precious. Find an opening.

He walked back to Lilac who’s eyes fluttered open. They exchanged quiet discussion while the boy filtered out the noise of sloshing water and footfalls to focus on the various voices of the crew.

I hate visiting the mainland, everyone there is filthy.

Hey! You know what the Prei-Dan do to bearers of late shipments, if we don’t offload these barrels it’ll be our heads rolling.

You hear they predict the water bridge will only fill back in after ten entire years? I feel sorry for those saps we conned those fake tickets to.

The less mainlanders here, the better.

Hey, you got the key to the second cargo hold? Me and Klad are gonna clear it out.

The ceiling groaned and the boy could hear two sets of footsteps heading directly for the trapdoor. His eyes widened and he whispered to his companions. They’re coming down here!

Wetland chose a wooden box the dimensions of a coffin but deep enough to crouch in. He motioned to Lilac. She came over and pushed her nails under the lid and pried it open. She set it lightly onto the ground and tossed the box’s contents, stacks of fish leather and paper, behind it and jumped in.

The boy followed Wetland inside, it reeked of rose-scented preserving oils. Wetland sat cross-legged and laid his rifle over his knees. The woman opened her rucksack and took out a gold snub-nosed revolver with a cylinder the size of a dinner plate that hung in front of the trigger. The boy knew enough about guns to know the revolver’s design was peculiar. Besides the enormous cylinder there was no flash gap, and in a second he realized why. Lilac took out an object swaddled in cloth and unwrapped it. It was a glass tube as long as the boy’s arm filled with a metal helix of air pockets.

A silencer!

She screwed it onto the revolver and set the weapon down across her lap. She caught the boy watching and flashed him a grin. Her eyes were wild with bloodthirst.

The boy looked away when he heard the lock rattle. He peeked over the rim of the box.

The metal deadbolt on the hatch slid away and a man with a gray curly beard swung it open. Light fell into the hull. The sounds of crashing waves and screeching birds mixed with the smell of salt and cheap liqueur.

The bearded man stepped down into the hull followed by a younger man with an ‘X’ tattoo on his cheek. The hatch slammed shut behind them and they walked down the stairs with the same exhausted saunter. They wore the same brown shirts and vests with baggy pants and featureless swords belted to their waists. The boy could tell that the bearded man was the more experienced of the duo. He rested his hand on the hilt of his blade as he surveyed the room. His shoulders were tense. The tattooed man was bored and daydreaming until the bearded man snapped him out of it.

Unload what’s under the stairs first, I’ll check up on the rest of the cargo.

The tattooed man took in the size of the hold. Do we really have to swab the whole thing clean when it’s empty?

Never been on a mainland run? Ship’s always cleaned from nest to rudders. There’r diseases over there we got no cure for.

You’re saying I could have some incurable disease now? You’re running me through.

Relax, three runs I’ve done and nobody got sick. Now, he patted the tattooed man on the shoulder, get going. I’ll help when I’m done.

The tattooed man ducked under the stairs. He pulled out a barrel wedged under the step and read the stamp on the top, Proudcloud Incorporated, candyball and bitters, aged seventy years. These things are worth a fortune! If I brought a canteen of this to the wife I’d be a happy husband for months.

No skimming the top off anything, you know they check and you know the consequences aren’t worth the risk. There’s a reason we’re being paid like we’re transporting treasure.

Yeah, whatever. He rolled his eyes and pulled out more barrels. The bearded man walked around the hold and the boy ducked his head when he got near. He heard his breath stop when he saw their box. The boy’s heart stopped.

No, go away!

This box lost its lid, I’m gonna check its contents for damage. He called over his shoulder.

Let me know if it’s got jewels, or gold, or really anything worth a piece that fits in my pocket. He chuckled. The bearded man shook his head and walked over to their box. He looked at the lid on the floor and bent down. He ran his fingers over the edge and tapped the nails sticking