The Inglorious River

By Josiah Smallwood

When his island is threatened by a foreign empress, the young owl-dragon boy Uriah sets off to save his home with a special stone that will grant a wish to whoever brings it to a place called the Inglorious River. On his journey, he will learn troubling secrets, face a hardy bounty hunter, and have his lifelong beliefs put to the test. Will he be able to save his home without breaking his honor?

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798889439301

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The Inglorious River

Josiah Smallwood

ISBN 979-8-88943-929-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88943-930-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Josiah Smallwood

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. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Epilogue

About the Author

To my Lord Jesus Christ, without whom I can't even stand

And to Angel, my precious cat for ten years, I miss you so much.

Prologue

Kohath

I jump out of bed, fighting through my headache. How long did I lie down? Now there can't be much time left.

I walk across the room and open the door halfway. How long until the meeting? I ask the servant standing outside.

Ten minutes, Prince Kohath, he says.

I grunt and shut the door before running my sharp nails down my arm. I should've known I'd doze off. I still have my nightwear on.

I open my wardrobe and take out the outfit I was given for exactly this occasion—a black silk uniform lined with white and gold thread. A black opal rests on the left side of the torso area of my uniform. I must also wear a decorative sheath behind my back, colored silver and dark bronze, with a fake sword sheathed inside.

I put on my pants and pull my tail through the back. The uniform takes more effort to put on, but I get my arm through the sleeves. I take the sheath and pull it over my shoulder. I kneel down and reach for my shoes under the bed, but the uniform restricts my movement. I have to stretch to grab my black shoes. When I sit down to put them on, it's even more uncomfortable. As I reach for my feet, I beg that the suit won't rip.

When I'm fully dressed, I get up and look in the mirror. As I adjust my collar, I realize the fur on the side of my face is messed up. That was the side I slept on. I don't have any water in my room, but raindrops can be heard from the balcony.

I step outside. Gray clouds pour water into the forest below in a soothing melody. No wonder I slept so well. I reach out into the shower until my hand is wet.

I step back inside and fix the fur on my face. I give special attention to the black fur around my eyes, the mask raccoons like me are known for.

There's a knock on the door. Who is it? I ask.

The door opens. I turn toward the raccoon woman who comes in, annoyed. Thanks for answering, I say sarcastically.

Don't talk to your mother like that, she says, both sternness and amusement in her voice. Are you ready?

Almost.

Good. I hoped you wouldn't fall asleep.

I close my eyes and grin. When I reopen them, she walks over to me and turns to the mirror. Do you think I look all right? she asks.

She wears a dark-silver dress under her royal robe. You look great, Mom.

She chuckles. Thank you. She sets her hands on my shoulders and looks at us both in the mirror. Look at us. The empress and her son.

I stare at the mirror, the image of the two of us.

She turns me around and kneels despite the fact that I'm fifteen and almost as tall as her now. I'm going to tell you this one more time. You must be on your best behavior during this meeting. You will be representing the future of the Raccoon Empire in front of the rulers of our new territory.

Yes, Mom. I know.

Stand up straight and be at full attention at all times.

Yes, I will.

She stands back up and licks her thumb. You've got something right here. She reaches for my face.

Mom! I try to push her hand away, but she starts to rub my cheek before I pry it off.

She giggles. It's almost time to start. Let's go down.

We go out, our servant, a hoary bat, staying behind. The walls are decorated with paintings of this region's history, ranging from famous battles to early settlers building new villages.

When we reach the main room, a guard, a gopher, greets us. Imperial Majesty Abimael, she says, bowing to my mother. Prince Kohath, she says as she bows to me. Please follow me.

She escorts us to the meeting room. Green and purple banners are hung between the tall windows, which cast gray light over the stone floor. A rectangular table sits in the center, covered by a dual-layered cloth.

The guard leads my mother and me to our seats. We sit at the far end of the table. Sitting with us are the parliament of the Eagle Kingdom, with the king and his daughter seated at the other end, clothed in light-green royal robes.

The princess makes eye contact with me and smiles. I smile back, feeling my cheeks turn red. She's very pretty.

Let us begin, The king says as he stands. Everyone else stands up with him, including me and my mother. Three months ago, the Eagle Kingdom reached a new record of debt, most exceedingly with the island of Hales. Despite our best efforts, we cannot hope to alleviate our liabilities for at least fifty years, and that's our best-case scenario. Abimael, the empress of the Raccoon Empire, has come to assist in paying the debt. She has offered to pay the full price, and in exchange, her requests are…

He reads off a list of favors that I've heard dozens of times. The short answer is, the Eagle Kingdom will become part of the Raccoon Empire in all but name.

Once the king is finished, a green box with a slit on the top is set on the table, along with a small stack of stationery. We, the high officials of the kingdom, will vote on whether to agree to these terms or not. Two guards bring in a shelf and a curtain to hang around it. Each one of us will cast one vote. They will each be read anonymously, and the plan with the most votes will be passed out.

Each official takes their turn casting a vote. Each time one goes behind the curtain, I hold my breath a little tighter. While I think that the general attitude toward my mother's rule here is favorable, there are some who believe that the funds can still be raised. And some people have criticized my mother for her aggressive pursuit to expand our empire's borders. I can't say they're wrong, with this and the desert colonies west of our capital that she's worked to achieve.

When all the votes have been cast, everyone is seated, and the curtain is taken away. I stare at the king as the box is set in front of him. There are twenty-seven people sitting around the table excluding my mother and me. So we need fourteen votes. My heartbeat gets louder as he reads each one.

The first vote is for us. The second is for us. Then, one against. Us. Against. Against. Us. Against. Us. Us. Against. Against. Against. Us. Against.

Seven for us, eight against. The pressure builds up so much in my head that I close my eyes and block out all sounds. My first royal meeting, and I'm already sweating. Boy, am I going to make one heck of an emperor.

When the voice of the king stops, I reopen my eyes. I dart them quickly around the room and then to my mother. She's smiling.

And so the Eagle Kingdom has reached an agreement with the Raccoon Empire! the king shouts.

Now I'm smiling. I look up at my mom, and her proud eyes turn to me for a second before going back to the officials. Thank you very much for the privilege of working with your beautiful kingdom. She stands, setting my hands on the table. I promise to raise this nation out of debt and to bring a life of prosperity and peace in years to come.

A round of applause sounds around the table while the king sends out servants to spread the news throughout the land.

In all this, I hold no ill feeling toward the isle of Hales. I hope to build a strong relation with the humble island, and—

"That island deserves to burn!"

Silence fills the room. Everyone looks around for the one who shouted.

There! the princess says, pointing to the door.

I crane my head to look, but small footsteps are pounding down the hall. Unfortunately, I know that voice. The one who hates the island is my younger sister, Sabtechai.

*****

You told me you were sick! My mother shouts behind the door.

Night has fallen, and now I'm sitting in front of my sister's bedroom, listening through the door.

How could you disrupt the meeting like that? Mother says. I spent the afternoon assuring the officials that we were not planning any aggressive measures against Hales! And what horrid reason could you have for hating that place? There's nothing that they've done to anger you or any of our allies!

I don't hear any response.

Don't play silent with me, young woman! You will not leave this room until you tell me why you ruined the meeting!

This goes on for almost an hour, and Sabtechai still doesn't say anything. Finally, I give up and head back to my room. I've felt scared at what the future holds for me as the emperor, but no matter what happens, I'll be satisfied knowing that I'm keeping my sister off the throne.

Chapter 1

Uriah

I try to perk up, but it's an uphill battle. I can hardly resist shivering against the cold air clenching against my scales, feathers, and beak. I've never liked this neighborhood, and I hate that I have to come here right after a funeral. A few of my tears still haven't dried. But I made a promise, and I much more despise breaking promises.

I keep the container upright between my hands. I start down the road, my head down as I keep near the side, hoping to remain unnoticed. The house can't be too far from here…

I glance around, remembering my mother's description of it: built with gray stone bricks, one small window in the front, and a wood porch with a yellow flower pot on it. A good number of houses here fit the first two descriptors, but maybe that one in the distance…

There it is!

Once I've spotted it, I slip off my hood and walk straight there. But after I let my guard down, a rotten banana flies past my head from the rooftops. I turn to where it came from and spot a bobcat and two foxes laughing together.

Ithamar! I shout.

I'm flattered you remember my name! says the bobcat. Now, I've told you about staying out of my neighborhood!

Just leave me alone, I say. I'll be out of here soon.

Soon? I'd like you to leave now. And now just passed, so you're not walking fast enough!

And with that, he and his fox friends start throwing rotten fruit again. Some of it makes big icky splatters on the stone street, but I manage to dodge it all. When I reach the door, I knock loudly. The others disappear, though the stench of rotting food remains.

A male sparrow cracks open the door, his hand shaking. Y-yes?

Um, sir? My name is Uriah—

W-what do you want?

This is for you. I hold up the container.

He squints. What is it?

A small cake, sir. I made it myself.

He gulps and slowly takes the container. I'm sorry. It's just, it was so frightening coming over here…

I understand, sir. Everyone knows about the great storm. I've just come back from a funeral of someone who died while on one of those ships.

The sparrow's eyes raise, filling with sympathy as they meet my gaze. I… I—

It's fine, sir. Just focus on settling in. I hope you enjoy living here at Hales.

With that, he smiles and shuts the door. A warm feeling fills my chest, but I know Ithamar and his goons are lurking somewhere. I start for a small nearby farm, which is owned by a kind man who lets me take shortcuts through his property.

I go as fast as I can without hearing a trace of them, but at the last moment, when I reach the front yard, a rotten cucumber hits me straight in the back with a burst of filthy yellow slop.

Argh! I shout. Why couldn't you spend your time anywhere else!

Ithamar laughs. Stuff happens, we make choices! We've got to pick the right ones! he snickers. And I know I didn't pick wrong! He wordlessly grabs the basket of rotten produce and resumes the onslaught.

I cover my head and escape, though