Tales from the Lusty Mermaid: The Ravencrest Chronicles, #4

By B.K. Bass

Pull up a seat and grab a full flagon of ale, because tonight is bound to be a night full of action, adventure, and romance! At the Lusty Mermaid, tall tales of all sorts are told every night. You're in luck, because tonight is no exception. From a castle gala to vampires stalking the streets to a giant octopus, the city of Seahaven has all sorts of strange tales to tell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.K. Bass
• Release date: May 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201167042

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By B.K. Bass

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Published in the U.S. by B.K. Bass, 2021

Third Edition

COPYRIGHT © 2021, 2019, 2018 BY B.K. BASS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Third Edition, 2021

Previously published by Kyanite Publishing, 2019

First published by B.K. Bass, 2018

Published by B.K. Bass in the United States of America

Cover art licensed from Dreamstime.com

Interior art licensed from Dreamstine.com or used under Creative Commons license

B.K. Bass can be reached at https://bkbass.com/contact/

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Books by B.K. Bass

The Ravencrest Chronicles

Seahaven

The Hunter’s Apprentice

The Giant and the Fishes

Tales from the Lusty Mermaid, a Ravencrest Chronicles Anthology

The Ravencrest Chronicles: Omnibus One

Curse of the Pirate King (The Pirate King Duology: Book One)

Shadow of the Pirate King (The Pirate King Duology: Book Two)

The Night Trilogy

Night Shift

Night Life

Night Shadow

The Tales of Durgan Stoutheart

Warriors of Understone

Companions of the Stone Road (forthcoming)

The Burning Sands

Blood of the Desert

Into the Red Wastes (forthcoming)

Beyond the Veil

Parting the Veil

Standalone Novels

What Once Was Home

PREFACE

Good day! Thank you for taking the time to step into the strange world of The Ravencrest Chronicles. I am glad that you have decided not to skip this brief preface, and I am proud to introduce you to something that I am very fond of. I can only hope that you enjoy reading these tales as much as I enjoyed crafting them.

Without further ado, I bid you to enter a world of fantasy. It is not a world of elves and goblins, but it is no less amazing. The city of Seahaven is a small place within a larger world and is the focus of this series; a trade port with sinister secrets waiting to be uncovered. It is a place of high adventure and arcane mystery peopled by sailors, thieves, pirates, vampires, and more.

I invite you to read the following introduction, which will walk you through the city and into The Lusty Mermaid. While there, you might overhear some of these incredible tales of adventure, horror, mystery, and romance.

INTRODUCTION

Seahaven is a city like no other, resting on the shores of Bleakstone Bay and framed by two towering cliffs. Upon one cliff lies a stone lighthouse, and on the other is Castle Ravencrest. The castle is home to the reclusive Lord Ravencrest, who is the master of Seahaven. The Council of Barons carries out the true governance—a wealthy merchant aristocracy pulling the strings from gilded manors. Beneath their sprawling estates on Baron’s Hill lies a city of shadows and intrigue, and your destination.

As you wend your way through the streets, you see the people are mostly destitute and desperate. Poverty runs rampant, and everywhere you look there are beggars. Two-story buildings of cobbles, daub, and wattle are crammed shoulder to shoulder in the Merchant District. Past here, Shanty Town stretches across most of the city towards the bay. The homes and businesses of the slums are pieced together from wood planks and thatch; most in serious need of repair. The stench of humanity at its most desperate is intense, and the struggle of the poor souls residing here is palpable in the air.

Making your way to the Harbor District, the smell of the sea rising to greet you seems to wash away the filth at your back. The salt spray is born on a strong wind, and the cold mist stings your skin. The harbor of Bleakstone Bay is full of various sailing vessels, many of which seem to be from far off and exotic ports. Men are busy loading and unloading goods, and the boardwalks crisscrossing the cliffs are thrumming with activity.

But evening is approaching, and business will soon give way to frivolity.

You finally see the place you were told about: A simple, two-story building leans out over the bluff in the center of the harbor. It looks like the building might fall into the bay, as barnacle-encrusted stilts that seem as old as the city itself support more than half the structure. The rest of the building is in no better shape, constructed entirely of wooden planks—many of which probably came from decommissioned sailing vessels. Some of the planks were once whitewashed or painted, but most faded long ago.

As you approach the inn, the sign marking the name of the place sways gently in the sea breeze over a wraparound, covered porch. There is a simple image painted on the sign and no words, since most of the patrons cannot read. It is a mermaid with a long, slender tail curving up behind her, ending in a broad, turquoise fan framing her cascading, golden locks. She is unattired, and her hands grasp an ample bosom. You have arrived at The Lusty Mermaid.

You pass through creaking doors and find yourself surrounded by a raucous crowd. Sailors, soldiers, and sinners are all here. There is drinking, dancing, gambling, and other unmentionable activities going on throughout the taproom.