Sea of Dekatos

Chapter 1

For other great fiction and artwork visit www.kingtigerbooks.com. Find our full-length novels for sale at major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Target. You can also message me directly for a signed copy!

Chapter 1

"When words fail, swords sing." 

-- Sento of Yang

Wentai ordered full sail, wanting to skim the waves and feel the rise and fall of the ship as it coursed over the Sea of Dekatos. They hit a wave just right, and for a moment the bow of the vessel was pointing toward the sky, as if ready to leap into the air. Wentai smiled; he felt that way often. Life on the sea was difficult due to the perils of combat, the strain of hard work, and the unpredictability of wind and rain. Still, in the limitless vault of his mind, any man could experience splendors that were unattainable in life. His body was dedicated to his city but in his mind he could live in undersea palaces and drift among the clouds.

He dragged his thoughts back to reality as the bow of his ship tilted down, riding the other side of the wave. The ship was both a fishing and fighting vessel, one he had designed himself when the city of Char had selected him to captain their next vessel. It had three square sails, one behind the other, each about the height of a man. The hull was long and sleek with five rowers on each side. 

Wentai walked down the length of the ship and thanked the rowers for their work, feeling a small joy blossom in his heart as they smiled up at him. Several of the female rowers – often superior to the men since they were naturally able to pace themselves – silently mouthed greetings, or just nodded at him. His crew liked him; the sea was often the scene of violence and warfare, and he had remained loyal to his crew, and they to him, even during the dark times of the Brine War. Famine had gripped Yang and Lau Cing, and blood had been spilled over rich shoals of fish or mussel-clad rocks. 

The Sea of Dekatos was surrounded by five cities. Wentai could sail across the sea in ten days, but he was a better sailer than most men, knowing the location of rocks and whirlpools and fast currents. Beyond the five cities lay the Fractured Wastes, a vast and unending desert hostile to all life except serpents and the mysterious statue-builders. Nothing was known of the statue builders except that their territory – marked by stone monuments – grew larger each year. The Fractured Wastes were impassable and unending, with the serpents preventing any travel. The rare adventurer who returned had found nothing except desert.

The five cities had a long and violent history. Thousands of years ago, as the cities developed, they had formed alliances against one another and fought a series of wars. No city had been strong enough to conquer another by itself, so pacts and alliances were a necessity, often being overturned in the midst of battle by secret treaties and agreements. Since the five cities all bordered the sea, naval development dominated military thinking and great fleets fought each other. Fish and kelp from the sea were one of the main sources of food and great naval vessels were needed to protect their fishing fleets from enemy action. Land wars still raged, with chariot armies clashing against legions of foot soldiers. Many men lost their lives, but none of the five cities were conquered. 

After centuries of bloodshed and upheaval, Sento suggested that all five cities sign an agreement never to form an alliance, since no city had ever been strong enough to conquer another without an ally. Sento advised that after the five cities signed the treaty, any person attempting to forge an alliance should be killed on the spot for treason against civilization. All five cities signed the document and an uneasy peace had reigned since then, a full forty-one years. Skirmishes still occurred on the sea, since the resources of fish, kelp, and crustacean kept the burgeoning populations fed, but it was an unorganized, unplanned conflict. Cities rarely fought land wars despite the constant clash of their fleets.