“Royal blood.”
The Prince stared.
The Regent understood instantly.
He grabbed the Prince.
The Captain charged.
Two soldiers blocked him.
The Regent drew a dagger and sliced the Prince’s palm.
The Queen screamed.
The Regent pressed the bleeding hand against the lion.
The mechanism awakened.
Deep within the cliff, gears began moving.
The entire cavern shook.
The Prince felt the vibration through his bones.
Chains tightened.
The enormous sea gate started rising.
Black water rushed beneath it.
Beyond the iron bars appeared darkness.
Then something metallic reflected torchlight.
A bronze prow.
Then another.
Then dozens.
The First Fleet.
The myths were real.
The Regent stared like a starving man looking at bread.
The Prince stared for a different reason.
The ships were beautiful.
And terrifying.
Their hulls were dark bronze plated over unknown wood.
Animal heads decorated the prows.
Great mechanical arms rested folded against the decks.
The King whispered, “Close it.”
The Prince looked at the key.
The Regent grabbed him.
“No.”
The Prince elbowed him.
The Regent struck him.
The Queen drew her sword.
Battle erupted.
The Captain slammed into the nearest guard.
A shield flew.
The Queen kicked another soldier backward from the platform.
The Royal Keeper grabbed the fallen crown and threw it at a man reaching for the Prince.
The heavy bronze struck his helmet.
The Prince shouted, “Nice throw!”
The Keeper looked surprised at himself.
The King, still chained, swept one guard’s legs with the chain between his wrists.
The man fell.
The King kicked the dropped sword toward the Queen.
She caught it.
The Regent grabbed the Prince again.
“You do this often!”
The Prince shouted.
The Regent punched him.
The Prince staggered.
The Regent reached for the key.
The Prince twisted it backward.
The mechanism groaned.
The gate stopped.
The Regent struck his wounded hand.
The Prince screamed.
The Regent turned the key forward again.
The gate rose.
More ships appeared.
Then the cavern water changed.
A violent current rushed inward.
The Keeper shouted.
“STOP!”
Nobody heard.
He pointed toward the ceiling.
Ancient cracks spread through stone.
The sea gate had not been opened in centuries.
Pressure shifted.
Water began pouring through fissures.
The First Vault was flooding.
The Prince looked at the King.
The King shouted, “CLOSE IT!”
The Regent roared, “NO!”
The Prince pulled the key.
It would not move.
Locked while the mechanism operated.
The Regent smiled.
“Too late.”
The Prince looked around.
Gear.
Chains.
Counterweight.
His father had taught him something long ago.
Every machine has a point where force becomes direction.