Vowed to Hades (Romancing the Seas #4)

12. Captain Stone

CAPTAIN STONE

T he dragon’s roar shook the very foundations of the cave, its deafening cry reverberating through the stone walls as it lunged forward, jaws wide open to unleash another torrent of flame.

Captain Stone barely had time to react. The heat of the beast’s breath scorched the air, making it almost impossible to catch a breath.

His spirits sank as he took shelter behind a boulder, and he exchanged a defeated look with Prince Edward. The hopelessness of their situation bearing down on them like a suffocating blanket.

But then King George’s stealing eyes shifted further down the cave. He stretched out a finger. “Look.”

Before anyone could react, King George had bolted out from safety, toward the dragon.

Captain Stone and Prince Edward ran after him, and just before they reached the ancient beast, King George veered off to an opening on the right.

A jet of lava-like flames missed them by a wisp as they squeezed in behind King George.

The small opening led them to a hidden cavern, illuminated by streams of daylight that slipped through the cracks in the cave ceiling.

In the center was a giant stone rock. Buried in it was a glittering sword, with jewels encased in the golden hilt.

The men circled the sword and stared in wonderment.

“King Arthur’s sword,” King George murmured.

“I thought it was stolen,” Prince Edward said in a hushed voice. His fingers traced over the handle. “It is said that the hilt alone is made with solid gold.”

Captain Stone cared little for worldly riches, like gold and jewels. But there was something about the way the sword glowed in the darkness that allured him.

“The blade is gold too,” King George said.

A roar rumbled the earth, reminding them all of their situation.

Captain Stone set his hands on his waist. “You think it’s strong enough to pierce dragon scale?”

King George gave him a grim smile.

“If this can’t, then there is nothing in this world that can. Now stand back.”

Captain Stone and Prince Edward stepped away to give their father space, while he took the hilt of the sword with both hands. Then, with a grunt, he yanked the sword free.

The clang of metal rang in the air as King George pulled the weapon out. He held it up, triumphant, and the golden sword seemed to glow with magic.

“It’s…glorious,” Prince Edward said, starry eyed.

Captain Stone couldn’t help but agree. He firmed his grip on the handle of his golden ax.

The sword was at least four feet long. The blade sliced the air as his father waved it. When he lowered it to eye level, his brows pinched, and a shadow crossed his features.

“Whatever happens to me, I want you both to promise me something,” he murmured.

Captain Stone and Prince Edward glanced at each other, before they both nodded.

King George rolled his shoulders back and cleared his throat.

“Do not stop. Carry out the mission, and when this is done, before you go back to your lives…remember your mother.”

The side of his jaw bulged as his tired eyes turned hollow. “I know I have been a cold father. But I have always honored my duty. Royalty is a burden, a sacred role only a select few are given. It is why I am so hard on you both. Why your desertion is something I can never understand. ”

Captain Stone swallowed against the uncomfortable lump in his throat.

“Father, there’s no need to talk like this.” He nodded to his brother. “We will fight together; we will get the bones and take them to Isis. And we will take you home to Mother.”

King George inhaled deeply and straightened. “So, we shall. Then let it be so.”

He marched out.

Captain Stone unsheathed his ax and tightened his grip on the handle as he followed. While Prince Edward brought up the rear.

The air was putrid when they returned to the dragon’s lair. A mixture of scorched stone and rotten flesh.

In a flash, a tail whipped through the smoky air and knocked Prince Edward in the ribs. He flew across the cave and struck the rock wall with a crunch, then fell to a heap.

Captain Stone waved his ax with all of his strength, then buried it in the dragon’s front leg.

But the blade barely injured the dragon, it seemed angrier than wounded as it snapped its jaws at him.

Captain Stone stumbled backward, lurching out of the way as the beast clawed at him.

As the man and beast wrestled, exchanging blows, it seemed hopeless.

Captain Stone’s arms burned, and Prince Edward still lay unconscious to the side.

But King George, despite his age and the many battles that had worn him down, refused to yield. With a cry that echoed with both desperation and defiance, he drew his sword and charged at the dragon, his limbs blurring.

The beast snarled, swiping at him with a massive claw, but King George was quick, ducking under the blow.

He slid across the rocky floor on his knees and slashed at the dragon’s exposed underbelly.

The dragon roared, the sound so loud it felt as if the earth itself was crying out in agony. It reared back, smoke billowing from its nostrils, but King George pressed the attack, landing blow after blow with a ferocity that belied his years.

Captain Stone could only watch, a mix of awe and terror coursing through him as the battle unfolded.

“On your left!” Prince Edward shouted.

Relief flooded Captain Stone at the sound of his brother, who had rallied once more.

King George reacted, darting to the right just as a clawed hand reached from him.

Then he stabbed the tip of the golden blade in the dragon’s other claw.

The beast, wounded and enraged, lashed out with its tail, catching King George across the chest and sending him sprawling to the ground. The sound of splintering bones crackled in the air.

Captain Stone’s heart lurched in his chest as he saw the king fall, the breath knocked out of him by the force of the blow .

But King George was not one to stay down. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up, blood seeping from the gashes in his armor, and with a roar of his own, he drove his sword into the dragon’s flank.

The blade sank deep into the creature’s flesh, and with a final, ear-splitting cry, the dragon beat its wings and took to the air, its massive form retreating into the shadows of the cave, wounded but not defeated.

Captain Stone rushed to his father’s side, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of the dragon’s return. “Are you all right?”

George grunted, wiping the blood from his face as he stood. “I’ll live,” he muttered, his tone more irritated than anything else. “But we’d best move quickly before the beast decides to return.”

They pressed on, the air in the cave growing colder as they ventured deeper into the earth. The passageway narrowed, the walls closing in around them as the light from their torches flickered weakly, casting long shadows that danced across the stone.

Finally, they reached the heart of the tomb.

The chamber was vast, its walls lined with ancient carvings depicting the legends of King Arthur. At the center of the room, bathed in an otherworldly light, stood a stone coffin. Embedded in the slab were green and yellow jewels.

King George approached the slab, his breath coming in short gasps as he reached the coffin.

“This is it,” he murmured, his voice tinged with reverence. He sank to his knees, while Captain Stone and Prince Edward worked together to move the stone slab from the coffin.

The chamber trembled, a deep, resonant hum filling the air as the tomb began to open, revealing the bones, clad in royal clothes.

“King Arthur,” Prince Edward breathed.

But Captain Stone had no time to marvel at the historical figure lying before him. They needed to get out of that dastardly place before the beast came back.

He reached around the body, patting the bottom of the coffin, looking… searching.

Finally, his fingers made contact with a bag.

He retrieved it and peered inside.

Relief settled on him.

“They’re here.”

King George nodded and struggled to get to his feet. Prince Edward was at his side immediately.

Before the group could revel in their victory, a distant roar shook the walls with so much force a downpour of rocks threatened to block their exit.

They moved quickly, while Captain Stone placed the bones in his satchel with care. But before they could reach the tunnel, an avalanche of rocks barricaded them in.

Captain Stone swore, looking around them for any sign of an opening.

“Seriously? We’ve come this far, only to die now?” Prince Edward exclaimed, breathless as he held their father up with an arm across his shoulders.

The light dimmed, and out of the shadows stepped Hathor, her presence commanding and otherworldly.

Captain Stone nodded to her with respect. “I don’t suppose you could lend us a hand?”

Without a word, she created a portal in the air, the edges crackling with energy. The sight was a welcome relief for their situation.

“Let’s go,” King George said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

They stepped through the portal and into the unknown.

The moment they emerged, they found themselves standing in the isle of Imerta. The light was harsh and blinding after being in the dim caves for so long.

Captain Stone raised a hand to his eyes and squinted.

Isis appeared before them, her presence cold and regal, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight of King George.

“Did you get the bones?” she asked.

King George took Captain Stone’s satchel and tossed it to Isis.

She carefully opened it and inspected the contents, then breathed with relief.

“Good. Your work is done now, George, it’s time to rest,” she said.

King George’s wrinkled face relaxed as he seemed like a man who had been released from a burden he’d carried all of his life.

But then Isis raised her hand, and before any of them could react, she executed him on the spot, slicing a clean cut across his jugular with a claw-like nail.

King George’s smile died and turned to shock as he crumpled to the ground, choking on his own blood. Within seconds, he fell lifeless, his body still and cold, his blood pooling on the floor of the hall.

Captain Stone and Prince Edward stared in shock, their minds reeling with the suddenness of it all.

But Isis was unperturbed, her expression calm and unyielding.

“Stop gawping. You two have far bigger problems than your pathetic father,” she said, her voice devoid of emotion. “Ava and Hercules are missing. And your wives are barely clinging to life.”

“WHAT?” Captain Stone and Edward shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the hall.

Isis smiled grimly, the expression more of a sneer. “Our enemies are growing in number, and I’m sorry to say that by the time you reach them, it’ll be too late. Zeus buried them in a cave on the volcanic islands.”

“Open a portal. Take us there,” Captain Stone demanded, his voice shaking with fury and desperation.

Isis shook her head slowly, her eyes cold as ice. “ Did you not listen? It’s too late. By the time you reach them, they will be gone.”

Her voice cracked with emotion for the first time.

And Captain Stone’s chest burned with horror. Then he shook his head.

Captain Stone was not one to give up easily. “Edward and I are bound to our wives. If they die, we die. So if you want us to keep searching for the bones, you will let us save them” he said, his voice hardening with resolve. “Open the portal.”

The last words seemed to strike Isis like a slap to the cheek. Captain Stone reasoned that she was not accustomed to being given orders.

There was a long, tense silence, the weight of their request hanging in the air. Finally, Isis sighed, her expression softening just a fraction.

“Very well,” she said, her voice a whisper of power. With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal.

“Do not disappoint me. If you fail this mission, I swear on Osiris's bones that you will be destroyed.”