Chronicles of Aurderia: The Balance by J. Steven Young Read Free Book Online Page B

untied Codger’s ship the Melammu Nanna, and they pushed them off from the dock. Codger opened the vapor vents from the already burning furnace and set the paddles in motion. Slowly and carefully the Melammu Nanna made it’s way out of the cove and into the Fangs.
    Navigating the fangs is a dangerous proposition at best. The jagged rocks and spires above the waves are bad enough. Below the waves there are just as many dangers from more rock that can tear a ship apart. Only one way through the fangs is safe for a vessel of any size greater than a rower or raft. Codger is one of the few outside the smuggler’s guild that knows the way through only due to his old friendship with Aknard.  
    The going was slow but steady. Moona was amazed by the ease with which the Old Codger navigated the vicious fangs edging closer to the mouth and safe waters. She was remembering one of the many reasons she married the man so many years ago.  
    Mally was mesmerized but the whizzing and whirring of the many gears. More than once Codger had to pull him clear before a burst of steam would blast from the pipes before he got burned.  
    Shuran was giggling and taking turns being passed between the three of them to find the best view of all that was going on.  
    After an hour of navigation, Codger finally eased the ship beyond the last spires and outcroppings.
    ***
    Aknard finished looking over the plans for the engine with delight. He was only curious about one piece centered on the control board that seemed to serve no purpose. He quickly put that out of his mind as he called in the guild members currently at the keep.  
    “We have a new purpose friends. We need to recruit builders and smithies.”

Chapter Four

    The Great Sea is a vast body of water that stretches over one thousand leagues from the southern parts of Aurderia to well into the Frozen North beyond the Orenthal Mountains. The strong winds out of the West along with the strong currents make travel difficult heading north and impossible to the West. The Warm waters from the South Sea mix with the frigid currents from the Frozen North. The fast currents that the result makes travel from the North fast but the same could not be said for the opposite. Their journey would normally take a normal ship two cycles or more to sail by wind and sail to the coast outside Birchshire.  
    The Melammu Nanna however, did not use only sails. The gear works and paddle system Codger had re-discovered allowed the vessel to counter the strong currents and added to the wind in her sails, journey time would be cut in half. The trip would not be without obstacles, as they first had to get past the wildly unpredictable waters north of the Fangs. The way the coastline hooked to the West joined by the layout of the Fangs, the currents and undertow of this area caused whirlpools to form in unpredictable areas and times.
    Forty leagues beyond the Fangs, Codger steered his ship in as close as he dared to the coast where the waters churned the least. Everyone, save Shuran were on edge and listening intently for the telltale gurgling and sucking sound that accompanied a whirlpool. The churning waters made seeing the danger impossible until it was too late.  
    It appeared to Codger that they were to have a clear passing of the wicked area and be saved from the danger of being pulled to a watery grave. His relief suddenly turned to terror as the sudden sound on the edge of his hearing made his stomach sink to his feet.  
    The Ship began to lurch and list to port. The sudden shift in the ship brought with it a cacophony of sounds. The ship was groaning under stress. The paddles were slapping at the water in vein as the aft of the ship was lifting up out of the water.  
    Moona was screaming and running to tie things down.  
    Mally was securing Shuran while holding on to the mast with all strength he had in the one available arm.  
    Codger stood grunting in the pilot deck white knuckled hands gripping the