by Rosie Scott
“You do realize that they greatly outnumbered us two days ago, and that was just a fraction of their entire force?” Ajax pointed out. “You'd need a navy. Hell, you'd need a couple of navies, and even then it'd be a close call. Have you thought about how you're going to pull this off?”
Koby sighed with frustration. “We've been thinking about it, and we haven't come up with anything yet, but—”
“Actually,” I interrupted, streams of smoke escaping my nostrils and lips as I spoke, “I have an idea.”
*
In the center of Killick, the Shady Palms tavern and inn glowed gold from open windows and outdoor lamps, giving the surrounding creamy sands a sparkling kiss. The locale had a unique set-up. The main entrance had a door that was rarely closed; just inside was a counter and seating area. It had a few rentable rooms in a small basement that I'd rented for naughty reasons during our last stay in Killick when I couldn't invite women on a ship after the Wobblin' Woody sunk. However, the tavern's most popular attraction was its outdoor bar and patio, for a pitched wooden canopy protected the area from the harshest elements, but customers could still enjoy the tropical breeze while getting drunk. An L-shaped bar attached to the outside wall, lined with a dozen stools. Tables surrounded by mismatched chairs spotted the rest of the patio. It was here that I invited Ajax and our respective crews to talk about my plan to take on the pirate gang.
The whooping call of a small primate echoed from the nearby copse of palms. Sands swirled and danced over the patio, taking temporary shelter in the cracks and imperfections of its wood. Despite the warmer weather, the constant breeze blowing through the area tickled even the finest body hairs and tricked us into believing it was cool. After traveling almost half the world and experiencing all kinds of weather, this was the most comfortable I'd felt in my own skin on the surface. Not only was the cool temperature perfect, but the breezes carried a light mist from the ocean. Koby, Jaecar, and Ajax all sat with their sleeves scrunched up on their biceps and their hoods off to enjoy the conditions, while many of the non-Alderi shivered with the wind.
Rays of orange light struggled to reach us through the shadows of trees and buildings as the sun set in the west. Surrounding the blazing orb were bright pink skies that calmed to lavender overhead and a hazy indigo in the east. Cumulus clouds crossed over the sun as if to try and block its light; instead, its luminescence bounced off moisture particles, giving the fog a shimmering golden tint.
It was a beautiful backdrop to a possibly contentious conversation, for I'd just announced my plan and no one seemed to take it seriously. Jaecar laughed until he saw I didn't join him. Koby waited patiently for me to continue, like I had yet to deliver a punchline. Others gawked at me.
“You are insane,” Ajax said, shaking his head in disbelief and raising his mug to drink.
“Yes, but I'm also serious,” I replied, letting that sink in to them as I downed a few gulps of weak ale.
Koby leaned forward over the table, his fingers trailing over the wood grain. “Just so I make sure I heard you correctly, what is your plan again?”
“I want to use the sea monster to take care of the pirates,” I reiterated matter-of-factly. “Wipe 'em all out in one sweep.”
“And how do you suppose we do that?” Ajax asked. “Perhaps we could waltz underwater and ask the beast for its aid? Propose it make an alliance with mercenaries? Offer it a ship as a reward?” He laughed abruptly at the ridiculous notions. “We could paddle a giant floating plate out to it and deliver ourselves to its dinner table. That'd give us a quicker way to die since you're looking for one.”
“Wait,” Koby interrupted, holding a hand out to stop Ajax's comments. “Calder's not a planner. If he suggests something, there's a good reason for it.” His black eyes returned to mine, giving me an open-minded stare. “You've been considering this plan since the battle.”
“Yes,” I admitted, keeping my focus on Ajax. “You thanked us for coming to your aid, but if it weren't for that beast showing up, all of us would either be dead or headed to slave pens right now. There were fourteen ships on those seas. Seven escaped, and the seven that didn't were wrecked in a matter of minutes.”
“Seven vessels wrecked in a matter of minutes,” Ajax repeated, changing the emphasis of the wording to prove his point as he jabbed his finger at the table. He stared at me wide-eyed. “We will die. We have two ships.”
“We could have more,” I pointed out.
“For what?” Ajax retorted. “To move into formation to die? How do you propose we lure this beast to do our bidding? Throw a trail of racks of ribs into the seas? I saw this thing crush a dwarven galleon with one tentacle.”
“You see this as a detriment,” I commented. “I think we can use it to our advantage.”
Jaecar stood up from the next table over to scoot his chair closer to ours. After sitting down just behind my left shoulder, he asked with receptivity, “Why do you think we can lure it at all?”
“Because I think we already have.” I cleared my throat. “I saw the beast underwater long before it interrupted our battle. It rose from the ocean floor. It did not swim there from another location.”
“Why does that matter?” Koby inquired.
“It may sound stupid to you,” I began, “but when I'm in lizard form, I feel I can understand animals and their instincts and reactions to what's going on.”
“That's not stupid,” Jaecar interrupted with understanding. “Our blood-kins are better attuned to an animalistic mindset. It's part of being a shapeshifter.”
“Did you feel anything odd during that battle?” I asked. “When you were in beast form?”
Jaecar hesitated, looking thoughtful. “Actually, yes. I felt like I was an annoyance.”
Hilly chuckled. “Now ain't the time t'be jokin', love.”
“He's not.” I shook my head. “I felt the exact same thing. Like I was unwelcome. Infringing on someone. Sure, we were battling pirates who wanted to kill us, but why did I suddenly feel like the aggressor?”
“We were in its territory,” Jaecar surmised.
“Right.”
“Forgive me for continuing to be negative,” Ajax chimed in, “but that monster hasn't been there forever. It doesn't have territory. For all we know, it was hunting us.”
“It wasn't,” I argued. “Did you see it eat a single sailor? Like you said earlier, two tentacles took out seven ships. If it had a mouth, it didn't show it. A beast that large can't sustain itself on eating people. Why would it hunt us? That thing is feeding off ocean wildlife far larger than us. I saw it rise from the ocean floor with my own two eyes like we'd woken it from slumber.”
Ajax hesitated, thinking. At least now he seemed more open to my assessment of the creature. “What disturbed it enough to rise?”
“Our battle,” I replied like it was obvious. “Cannonballs that missed your vessel were falling to the ocean floor. We were causing tons of noise and chaos. Hell, for all I know, the thunderstorm could've already agitated it. We're still alive because we fled, and it let us. We were no longer in its territory.”
Ajax sighed, finger-combed his black hair back from his face, and stared blankly at his mug. “But its territory evidently changes. This beast only became a problem mere years ago. If it's so large, where has it been? How are we to know where to find it?” After a pause, he added, “If we were to theoretically try to find it.”
“It is migrating.” Neliah's sudden confident interjection pulled our attention to where she stood with her back against the nearest wooden column, arms crossed over her chest. “Calder and I met a beast-master years ago in Nahara who informed us that the beasts in the beastlands are growing restless. They broke through the beastland wall years ago. The Naharans are under the impression that the creatures are migrating for food.”
“The ocean is not Nahara,” Ajax pointed out.
“No,” Neliah agreed, “but the origin of these beasts is a mystery to the natives of Nahara, who attribute
their creation to the gods. Regardless of their origins, who is to say that whatever explains these creatures thriving in the beastlands doesn't also affect its surrounding waters? Our recent battle was west of Killick, but I've heard of vessels going missing all throughout the seas between Killick and Nahara. Look on your map. Trace the migration route. It leads to the beastlands.”
Ajax tilted his head with curiosity. “Have you studied this creature, or are these just guesses?”
“I am a beast wrangler,” Neliah replied. “I have worked with beasts all my life. I understand how they are. While I have never studied the phenomenon in the beastlands, it has always intrigued me and I have read every text I could find on the matter. Which, regrettably, there were few because it is a rare subject of study in Eteri. My homeland has no love for Nahara.”
Koby asked, “When you say you've read texts, have you found any that describe what kinds of beasts come from the beastlands?”
“A few,” Neliah affirmed. “In the discovery days of the Golden Era, many beasts were sighted and recorded, whether from land or sea. These stories are often so outlandish the monsters are said to be myth.”
“That overgrown son of a bitch in those waters should be just a myth,” I muttered, tugging out a cigarette. In reaction, Koby struck a match to light it. As I positioned it between my lips, I asked, “Give us examples, love. Maybe we can figure out what this thing is.”
I realized all too late that I'd used the nickname Neliah hated. I grimaced and shot her an apologetic look, which she seemed to accept.
“There are rumors of a bird called avion praede larger than any dragon that feasts upon men and turns to stone when it hibernates for hundreds of years,” Neliah began. “Of a tortoise, basa'ran, the size of a city that burrows in land and absorbs the nutrients and moisture of the soil through its flesh. Some rumors talk about the existence of a creature of an unknown species, referred to as mantus phalanx, that slithers through the earth without ever emerging to show its true nature. These are just a few beasts out of dozens.” She straightened her stance and finished, “The rumor I believe we're all most interested in today is that of the leviathan serpantem: a beast said to be so large its movements can change the ocean tides. Ancient Naharans believed the leviathan was the ruler of all these beasts, for whenever it was spotted migrating in the seas, the others inland grew rowdy with the changing tides.”
“Dear gods,” Koby murmured. “So we're dealing with something massive. Truly world-changing massive.”
Neliah shrugged lightly with one shoulder. “It's likely. Like I said, the beasts grow restless in the beastlands. If the rumors about the leviathan's migration habits affecting them is true, the circumstances are right.”
“Can these beasts be killed?” I asked.
Neliah exhaled slowly. “According to legend, yes, but it is extremely difficult. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that no two beasts are alike, so you cannot learn tactics from prior hunters. This is why they are said to be the direct creations of the gods; they don't seem to breed.” She hesitated. “But if I'm understanding you correctly, we don't need to kill it. We only need it to devastate the pirate forces, and I'm curious to hear how you think we can do that.”
“The same way we did it the first time,” I replied.
“A few ships at a time?” Jaecar asked. “No—we'd need more ships. More men. Even the pirates flee from this—” he glanced up at Neliah. “What did you call it? Leviathan?”
Neliah nodded.
Jaecar leaned forward, a spark of excitement in his gaze. “Even if we could get the majority of their ships in range, they could flee. We need some method of luring out most, if not all, of their vessels and trapping them in place. In order to do that, we'll need a hell of a lot of ships and the men to pilot them. And they'd need to stand a chance against the most powerful of pirate vessels, including those with dwarven engineering.”
“How do you propose we do that?” Ajax asked.
“You're sitting here with us because if it weren't for our interference, you'd be dead or in chains,” Jaecar said bluntly. “In the same way, I think we can convince other mercenary crews to join us because there are many things we and our plan can provide: aid. A profitable future. Loot. Glory.”
“There are few mercenary crews left,” Ajax pointed out. “Hell, for the last few years me and my men were taking odd jobs in Silvi between the occasional voyage to Scirocco. Hunting, murder-for-hire, construction. Most of the mercenaries you'll want to convince will be hard to find.”
“We have all the time in the world to find them,” Koby replied, an almost palpable ambition exuding from his black eyes. “And we'll need time, too. Because if we're going to lure the pirates to where we want them, we need them to be angry. Territorial. Out for blood. We want them to send everything they have at us at once in an attempt to wipe us out so we can return the favor.”
“Attacking them in Llyr made them real angry,” Jaecar commented.
“Exactly.” Koby grinned. “We can stage attacks. On their ships, hideouts, routes of land and sea. We know the slave trade brings them the greatest profits. By attacking, sleuthing, and freeing slaves, we can anger them and convince many of the slaves to join our battle.”
“Well, now you're just making me excited,” Jaecar teased with a smirk.
“I'm making you excited?” Koby asked rhetorically. “I'm raring to go! It gives me more excuses to use explosives.”
I chuckled roughly around my cigarette. Admittedly, I basked in the warmth of pride. My idea was crazy, and when I first presented it I expected nothing but failure and mockery. Yet, it clearly had merit if Jaecar and Koby accepted it as operable.
“It seems we've converted the skeptic,” Jaecar announced, grinning at Ajax. The other captain had evidently warmed up to the idea over our conversation as enthusiasm grew.
“The idea's still insane,” Ajax said, leaning back in his chair. “But if you think you can pull it off, you have my support. I can spread the word to anyone hoping to stop the pirates and give them your names.”
“Whatever you do, don't spread the leviathan's part in our plan,” Koby requested. “Pirates can be easily mistaken for mercenaries. We don't want them finding out specifics before we have a chance to take them by surprise.”
Ajax nodded. “Understood. I can go to Scirocco, Silvi, Narangar, and Olympia to spread the word. It'll take time, but—”
“You take voyages to Narangar?” I asked with some shock.
“Of course,” Ajax replied.
“But it's in Chairel, though,” I protested. “Chairel single-handedly keeps our sisters in Quellden in business.”
Ajax grimaced, though he shrugged. “As far as I'm concerned, it keeps me in business as well. Narangar has stringent laws on imports, but they pay well even though the tariffs are high. The city's in the damn Golden Peaks, after all, named after its abundant ore.”
“We haven't yet been to Olympia,” Koby commented with interest. “Is it worth the longer trip?”
“For sight-seeing alone, my friend,” Ajax replied, his eyes going blank as he reminisced. “Intricate architecture, good prices on imports, and dwarven women are sex-crazed.”
“Aye,” Hilly agreed enthusiastically.
“We will go to Olympia,” I murmured to Koby.
“Yep,” he agreed without question, to which I laughed.
“It could take years for all of this to come to fruition,” I pointed out, addressing Ajax. “How do we contact you if we need to?”
“Jeremoth Boivin in Silvi,” he replied.
I smirked. “So you also know Jeremoth.”
“I'd argue there's no Alderi on the surface who doesn't,” Ajax answered. “If I have any updates for you—successes, failures, and otherwise—I'll leave them with him.”
“In the meantime,” Koby began, “we'll get to work on settling the details and planning attacks and liberating slaves. If we come across your vessel on the seas, we will aid you.�
�
“I say the same to you,” Ajax replied, hitting the table once before standing to leave. “And may the gods aid us both.”
Twenty-two
The radiant sand-colored crescent of Meir dominated the northern ocean, stretching so far across the horizon that it appeared more like a giant ball rolling over the crest of the earth. Its glow was so magnificent that the black night skies faded to violet and then lavender outside its curve, mimicking a sunrise. The moon highlighted every wave of the ocean like it christened thousands of faithful followers.
I had seen Meir's trek through the sky many times, but its magnificence was unbridled when viewed from the open sea. I found its display tonight humbling, for it was a reminder of how small I truly was compared to the celestial bodies and their patterns. It was also beautiful; however, my eyes drifted downward, admiring the beauty of another observer even more.
Neliah stood barefoot on the sands of Killick's northeastern beach, observing Meir's grandeur. A pile of things were beside her: her worn boots, a book, and a pewter mug she'd taken from our ship. She crossed her arms over her chest, as she often did. For the moment, I said nothing and didn't move. Neliah seemed to be at peace, and disturbing that felt wrong. But then I remembered the reason I'd tracked her down tonight, and I walked forward.
Neliah jerked a bit as I neared like my approach startled her. As soon as her eyes met mine, she calmed. “Captain,” she greeted.
“Calder,” I corrected lightly.
A small smile curved her shapely lips. “Very well.” She returned her gaze to the moon. “What brings you out on your own tonight? Surely Hilly misses you in her bed.”
I smirked, allowing my eyes to linger on the lengthy scar just under her jaw, hiding under strips of shadow from her hair. The imperfection was beautiful in its own way, for I had memorized its exact location after all the fantasies I'd had of touching it in intimate situations. "Dare I hope to think that's jealousy on your voice?”
“Not for the reasons you likely wish,” Neliah replied with a hint of jest. “Though we rarely speak, I am grateful to Hilly. She single-handedly tends to the needy during travel, giving the rest of us a welcome break from the constant perversions of the Alderi.”