The Elder Empire: Sea

The Guild of Navigators has ruled the Aion Sea for centuries, using their fleet of mystical ships to collect trade for the Aurelian Empire. Now, the Emperor is dead. For Calder Marten, Captain of The Testament, the Emperor’s death is not an end, but an opportunity. He and his crew seek the legendary Heart of Nakothi, an artifact that could raise a second Emperor...and earn Calder a fortune. But they’re not the only ones who want the Heart. The Consultant’s Guild, an ancient order of spies and assassins, will stop at nothing to keep the world in chaos.

Calder has survived the battle on the Gray Island, and escaped the Heart of Nakothi with his sanity intact. The Empire is without a leader, and he's perfectly placed to take the reins himself. But he is not Emperor yet. The world is divided between those who support Imperial tradition and those who believe no one can take the throne. Calder must do everything he can to hold the Empire together, even as the Elders lurk in the shadows, ready to devour mankind. Meanwhile, Shera and her Consultant's Guild are stronger than ever.

Calder has been declared Imperial Steward, the official successor to the Emperor. He leads the Empire from the throne, just as he has always wanted. In their tombs, the Great Elders stir. The crack in the sky becomes more alarming by the day, so Calder and his loyal Imperialist Guilds seek a truce with their Independent opponents. Both sides know the Elders are the true enemy, but that does not make peace easy. Blood has been spilled already, trust is hard to come by, and the Guild Heads under Calder see him as little more than a figurehead.