Ocean Of Fear (Book 6) by William King Read Free Book Online

knew the sort of man the Kraken was, one so ambitious he dealt with anything that had the power to gratify his desires.
    “I fear we will both know that before this thing ends,” said Jonas.
    “Come, we’d best tell the captain what we found.”

    “A fishy smell?” Zamara wrinkled his nose and looked at them in disbelief. Once more they crowded into his small cabin. “What do you mean?”
    “Unless the Kraken has decided that he likes to eat lots of rotten herring, it means his companion is not human,” Kormak said.
    “It must be a Quan,” said Frater Jonas.
    Zamara looked at them. “I don’t care if it is a manifestation of the Shadow itself. We need to find the Kraken and bring him to justice.”
    “No one disagrees, captain,” said Jonas. “We need to be aware of the nature of our potential foes though.”
    “What now?” Zamara was frustrated. The captain was a man of action and he had nerved himself for a fight. The fact there was no battle was worse for him than a call to arms.
    “We need to find out what happened to the Kraken. The elves were sure he’s somewhere in the city and that he’s going to be until he finds whatever it is he is looking for. Then he’s going to have to come back for his ship if he wants to escape.” Frater Jonas sounded distracted. He was busy transferring the books and scrolls from the blanket to a waterproof leather satchel.
      “Do you think you can find anything useful from those stinking books you brought back?” Zamara demanded. “Or do you just plan on selling them to the highest bidder.”
    Frater Jonas looked hurt. “If they are sold, you and the crew will get your share,” Jonas said. “If. Right now they are the only clue we have as to what this pirate-sorcerer is up to.”
    “Very well,” said Zamara. “We’ll put a prize crew on the pirate ship. Leave a guard here and head into the city with the rest of the troops. You can stay or go as you please. Sir Kormak should come with us. If we meet the Kraken and his black-cowled friend I want him there with his blade.”
    Kormak did not like his tone but what he said was sensible.
    “I’ll come with you,” said Frater Jonas. “I am rather curious about this city.”

CHAPTER SIX

    “THAT’S THE PLACE marked on the map,” said Frater Jonas, pointing at the enormous ziggurat. They had entered the city through the great hexagonal gate near the docks. The priest had brought the satchel along and stood consulting the map of the city now.
    An eerie assemblage of low windowless stone buildings lay between stagnant canals. He sniffed the air. It smelled of scum and stagnant water.  
    All of the low buildings stood on hexagonal islands, isolated by canals. Around each ran narrow walkways like canal towpaths. Arched stone bridges joined the islands. Ramps rose from the paths to the roofs of some of the buildings.  
    The structures looked eroded by time and damp. The stonework had crumbled in places, leaving the sides of some of the buildings looking like rotten teeth in an ancient beggar’s mouth. Moss grew on everything and vines dangled from walls. From the centre of some buildings enormous banyan-like trees raised their branches to the sky. Their roots sought the water like the tentacles of a great beast.
    “Looks like this place was abandoned a long time ago,” said Zamara.
    “It looks like all the inhabitants died of plague,” said Frater Jonas. He made the Sign of the Sun over his breast.
    “That’s not what the elves said,” said Kormak. “They say the original inhabitants are still here. They are the survivors of the war between Dhagoth and Tritureon.”
    Zamara shrugged, as if to say he did not really care what the forest dwellers thought. “It does not look like they’ve kept their homes in good repair then.”
    “How would we know what good repair means to them,” said Kormak. He agreed with Zamara but he did not like the captain’s sneering tone. The more nervous the captain was,