by Thomas Green
Her entire body was sore and frozen, for staying still in the ice-cold water was every bit as exhausting as Astril prophesied.
The alarm echoed from the ships.
Alicia jerked her mount to surface. “Head out!”
They kicked the sea drakes to move, their clothes heavy from being soaked. Her coat hung on Zerae’s shoulders as if it was made of lead, yet she dared not to take it off.
They reached the ships. Alicia roared a battle cry and motioned her drake to weave up the nearest ship. The main deck was empty, littered by corpses. Zerae’s eyes darted around as she forced the drake to slide to the sterncastle deck. The blood was still fresh, so it had been mere minutes since these men were slain. Where are the attackers?
“Clear!” echoed from the ship next to them, the one the warriors reached first.
“Clear!” Zerae shouted. Where are they? There were tracks all around the decks, marks of hooks being caught to the railings. Where are they?
“Clear!” sounded from four more ships.
What am I missing? The fog wasn’t thick enough to make them not notice rowing boats, so where did the men who had slain the pirate crews disappear to? Cold crept up Zerae’s spine. She turned to the warrior by her side. “Niria! Send a full powered blast east! Now!”
“You don’t give orders around anymore, Zerae!” Alicia shouted.
Zerae ignored her. “Do it!”
Niria focused her aether, forming a globe of pulsating energy between her palms before she released it eastward. The spell exploded mid-air.
As if it broke a layer of reality, the fog to their east shattered like a mirror. Behind were dozens of rowing boats, retreating away. A burst of aether blasted through the air, and the remaining fog disappeared. Less than a mile beyond the rowing boats stood the entire Order’s fleet, positioned to fire.
Zerae took a deep breath to shout from the top of her lungs. “Dive and retreat!”
Alicia glowered at her. “Don’t listen to her! I am in charge!”
“Look up!” Zerae snapped and kicked her sea drake to slide off the ship, glancing over her shoulder to verify the sky bore what she expected. As if the entire heavens were set ablaze and falling upon their heads, hundreds of burning projectiles were descending onto them. From the corner of her eye, Zerae caught the second salvo being fired from the Palai fleet.
In an inferno, the ship to their left exploded as the first projectile hit it, sending a blast of blood, and flesh through the air. A large chunk of broken wood flew past Zerae, beheading Niria who rode her sea drake straight next to her.
The other projectiles soon landed, exploding, destroying the ships, slaying all they touched.
Zerae dove under the water, welcoming the cold embrace. She saw Niria’s sea drake diving, still carrying the headless corpse of her friend strapped into the saddle. I am sorry. I have failed you.
A steel sphere sunk next to her. Zerae glimpsed the aether flame pulsing within and forced her drake to spin, putting its body between her and the globe.
The fire inside exploded into a blast of force, evaporating the water around, tearing her sea drake to shreds, throwing Zerae into the sea.
Zerae bit her tongue not to fall unconscious, whirled and kicked to reach the surface. The surrounding sea was red with blood while pieces of bodies of sea drakes and her sisters floated everywhere she looked.
She gritted her teeth, dove underwater not to be seen by the others, and swam toward the Palai fleet. Pain and exhaustion tore at her. The second set of explosions behind her almost broke her soul. The force of the blasts threw her around like a rag doll. Zerae swam up to catch her breath before she submerged again.
Despite the icy water, her entire body was on fire. Every single muscle, every fiber of her body was in pain. She did her best to ignore the pain and fatigue and swam forward.
Soreness and cold spread through her, so strong it numbed the pain. The explosions behind her fell silent, leaving the howling wind as the single sound echoing above the ocean. She kept swimming, but the Palai boats were far, so impossibly far away. She couldn’t reach them. Yet she floated through the ice-cold sea anyway, waiting for the last bits of strength to leave her, so she could find peace at the bottom of the ocean among the corpses of her dead sisters.
The water around Zerae whirled, and a head of a girl surfaced next to her. Her chocolate brown hair was drenched, but her blue eyes were sharp while she wore a battered Palai uniform. “Going somewhere?”
Zerae pierced her with a glare. “I need to talk to the admiral, now!”
“Why?”
“Do you have a family? Parents? Siblings? A lover? I’m trying to save mine.”
“You are out of strength, so you won’t make it to the ships.”
Zerae knew. She hardened her expression. “I have to, so I will.”
The girl clicked her tongue. “While I would love to watch you drown, Captain Hellwind sent me to bring you to the ship. Name’s Luna.”
Captain… who? Are there Sil Haen in the Palai army? Zerae bit her inner cheek to stop the tears that tried to crawl their way to their eyes. “I’m Zerae.”
“Okay, Zerae, two things. First, try something funny, and I will tear you to shreds, literally.” Luna raised her hand above her water to show Zerae her fingers that turned into vicious claws. “Second, you will never, ever tell anyone about what will happen next.”
“I promise. What are you talking about?”
“I will go in front of you, you will hold on to me, and I will swim you to the ship.” Luna’s cheeks flushed as she positioned herself before Zerae, offering her back. “And the way I swim isn’t… normal.”
Zerae wrapped her arms around Luna’s neck and locked her legs around Luna’s waist. All her muscles screamed with relief as they finally unclenched while she realized how tiny she was next to her. Despite their shoulders being of similar width, Luna was almost two feet taller, and her muscles were like wires of steel. Through the torn uniform, among the countless scars that covered every part of the girl’s body, she glimpsed a black symbol tattooed into Luna’s back. “Do you know what the tattoo on your back means?”
“Some religious symbol. Put your head down on my shoulder because your neck will break if you keep sticking it out like this.”
Zerae obeyed. “It’s the symbol of the Faceless Goddess, the deity of us, the Sil Haen. Why do you bear it?”
Luna shrugged. “I don’t know. I lost a part of my memory.” She wove her body, swimming forward in a motion unsuitable for humans, yet she moved at a speed that made the water hitting Zerae’s eye feel like daggers, forcing her to close them.
“The tattoo on your back isn’t a mere religious symbol, but it is the mark our Queen used to place onto her royal guard. Whoever carved the symbol did so because you mean the world for her.” Zerae focused her voice to sound steady and confident. “And the women drowning behind us are her sisters. Once you take me to the ship, I need you to swim back, fish out every Sil Haen you can find and put them onto something that floats, so they don’t drown.”
Luna wheezed. “Ehhh… your girls are enemies, so by tomorrow morning at the latest, we will kill them all, anyway.”
“You will not because I will strike a deal with your admiral before that happens.”
“Then I should wait until you do because I am supposed to be following the orders of my chain of command. Plus, everyone will be pissed if I spend the whole night making them extra work.”
“Listen, Luna. I have no right to ask this of you. I know it. So to hell with me. I mean nothing to you. But do it for your lover or whoever carved this symbol into your back, because you will remember her one day and when you do, you will want to tell her you did all you could to save her sisters.”
Luna sighed. “We have arrived.”
Zerae gazed at the massive galleon by which they were swimming. How? The ships were at least half a mile away, and we have barely exchanged a few sentences.
Luna ca
ught onto the net by the side of the ship and started climbing with Zerae still clenched around her back. Zerae didn’t have the strength to protest but looked up.
On the railing above the net stood Beatrice Hellwind, her gold-trimmed cloak weaving by her stylish boots. She threw Zerae an amused smile. “I will need to take your sword, War Leader.”
Zerae smiled, relieved. “Be my guest.”
Beatrice ducked down and pulled Zerae’s weapon out of the sheath before turning to Luna. “Drop her on the deck. I will handle it from here.”
“Aye, ma’am.” Luna finished the climb and put Zerae down. She threw her an awkward smile before she leapt backward, sinking into the sea.
Thank you. Zerae tried to stand but had to hold herself by the railing not to collapse to the ground.
Beatrice raised an eyebrow. “Can you walk?”
Zerae nodded. “I need to talk to the admiral.”
“Figured. Follow me.” Beatrice led the way over the deck, walking at a pace to which Zerae could keep up.
Zerae mustered all her strength to stay upright as her body did not want to. She still ended up limping and grunting with every step while the wet wood dug into her bare feet. “I’m happy to see you are doing fine.”
Beatrice looked confused. “Thank you. That’s… not what I expected you would say.”
“Did you expect me to call you a traitor and ask you why you left?”
“Are you going to?”
“No. I am not saying I know why you left Voidspire, but you weren’t the only one who parted after the Queen’s death. Now, I think I am starting to understand why.”
Beatrice chuckled as nostalgia flashed across her face. “The Admiral is a reasonable man. No matter how the negotiations go, he will grant you safe passage home unless you do something stupid.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
They approached an ornate door. The sailors guarding it opened without questions the moment they spotted Beatrice. Beyond the door lay a small cabin besieged by books, at which end stood Admiral Elias la Grace, arranged to perfection, wearing a simple cloak and an overly decorated tricorne. He greeted them with a curious stare. “To what do I owe the pleasure, captain?”
Beatrice nodded. “This is Zerae Hellwind, the War Leader of the Sil Haen, which is an equivalent to our great general. She wishes to speak with you.”
Elias measured Zerae with an appreciating look. “Please take a seat, Lady Zerae. The rest, leave us, for we will talk in private.”
Beatrice raised an eyebrow. “A word of caution, admiral. Despite her looks, Zerae is an accomplished warrior with multiple hidden weapons.”
“Thank you, captain. I will keep that in mind.”
“Aye, sir.” Beatrice left the room, closing the door behind her.
The admiral approached a cabinet to grab a bottle and two glasses. “Whiskey?”
Zerae collapsed onto the nearest chair, not caring about manners since it took all her strength to remain conscious. Beatrice saying Zerae was dangerous was such a sweet lie. She was utterly harmless next to her, much less the Admiral. But that did not matter since she had to go through these negotiations before passing out of exhaustion. “I apologize for the brashness, but I possess neither the time nor the energy for a lengthy negotiation. First, anything and everything Luna has been doing tonight is because I forced her to, so all blame for her actions is mine and mine alone.”
The admiral nodded. “Acknowledged.”
“To the actual proposal, I need you and your fleet to take any Sil Haen you fight as prisoners, alive. Afterward, I need you to hand these prisoners to people I tell you at a location I mark you. In exchange, I will offer all the information I have about the movements and planned operations of both the pirates and us. I will also use my people to search for any extra information that may interest you.”
He poured them each a glass and handed one to Zerae. “My intelligence suggests a Matron leads your forces. Are you acting on her behalf?”
“No. All of this is and will be done behind her back.”
“Can you guarantee me that all men defeated by your warriors will receive the same treatment?”
Zerae did what she could to hide how desperate his question made her feel. There was no way for her to guarantee it and they both knew it. “No, but I can attempt to push the Sil Haen to take prisoners by using your hostages as leverage.”
If the admiral picked up on the lie, he didn’t show. “What is the location to which you will want me to bring your people and who will I be handing them to?”
“I don’t know. I will have that information in about two weeks.”
“What will happen to you if our arrangement is found out?”
Zerae failed at keeping a neutral voice, slipping out the blend of sadness, and anger that filled her insides. “Together with my closest allies, I will be executed by being publicly tortured to death.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Zerae’s face split into a fake smile. “Because I believe my sisters don’t have to die in this war… despite the efforts of our matrons.”
Elias betrayed no emotion. “How do you plan to give me the information you are peddling?”
“Limbo. I have a powerful dream walker at my disposal, who can relay information over large distances overnight.”
The admiral nodded. “My capacity to keep prisoners is limited by the combination of amount and time. Few hundreds for a few weeks are not a problem, but if the number gets to thousands and time to months, it will eat into my food supplies. In such a case, I will require additional information on the location of food storages my men can raid and opportunities to do so. Would that be possible?”
“Yes, but I have no way to guarantee it.”
“Suppose I have spies both among the pirates and among the Sil Haen, what can you give me they cannot?”
Of course, he does. Since he had Beatrice, there were dozens of her friends within the Sil Haen ranks that could serve as natural spies. “Direct influence. Though my position is temporarily compromised, I can influence the tactics of both the Sil Haen and the Storm Pirates.”
He emptied the glass of whiskey into his throat. “I accept. My dream walker will handle the communication, and he will contact you in a few days. For the immediate situation, I believe you will need to return to your people. We have an Alnil priest on board, who will row you to whatever location you desire, pretending he fished you out of the sea by accident.”
Zerae found herself at a loss for words. After a moment of awkward silence, she finally spoke. “I am sorry to ask, but you show suspiciously little fear of me betraying you.”
Elias laughed. “Oh, I expect you to, at some point. Yet I believe I will gain more before that happens. I would also suggest you drink the whiskey, for it is spectacular and will make you sleep better.”
Zerae took the glass in front of her and downed its contents all at once. He’s right. The whiskey is spectacular.
“With this, I believe we are settled. I wish you good luck, War Leader.” He smiled as he walked to open the door, turning to the soldiers guarding them. “Fetch me Zakuma and Captain Hellwind.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” The sailors left.
Beatrice Hellwind appeared beyond the doorframe in but a moment.
Elias stepped back into the room. “Captain, Lady Zerae will require accommodations for the night. Please see to it.”
“Aye, sir.” She motioned Zerae to follow her.
Zerae rose and bowed. “Goodbye, Admiral.”
He threw her a smile over his shoulder. “May the sun bless your path.”
Without a word, Beatrice led Zerae through the ship and down to a small rowing boat, which took them to another galleon, one with the name Enchantress etched onto its side. While it was smaller than the admiral’s galleon, small adornments and decorations covered it, making the overall impression stronger. Zerae remembered Beatrice when they were young, girls only a few years apart in age. Eve
n when she was a little girl, Beatrice crafted small models of ships to play with on the stream behind Voidspire. She dreamt she would one day sail the seas.
Gazing at the galleon before her, Beatrice sure got to live her dream. On the way, Zerae glimpsed multiple Sil Haen dressed in Palai uniforms. One operated the slingshot at the admiral’s ship, another one sat in the crow’s nest of the Enchantress while the third one stood sentry on a different vessel. To her satisfaction, they didn’t recognize her, which she found unsurprising given the fact that she lacked her signature boots, coat, and had her hair drenched.
Beatrice led her to a large cabin decorated with paintings and displayed weapons. “These are my quarters. You can crash here, for I suppose you will want to leave before dawn.”
She smiled in an almost carefree manner. “Yes. The Order… differs from how I expected it to be.”
The captain put her cloak on a hanger before she sat down by the table, crossing her legs as she grabbed a bottle from the cabinet. “Drink?”
“Yes.”
Beatrice took a long swig and tossed the bottle to Zerae, who did the same, enjoying the sweet taste of the rum.
“I am sorry to ask, but do you have something to smoke? My cigars are drenched.”
Beatrice laughed. “I see things stay the same.” She rose to pry two cigars out of a small, wooden box before she handed them to Zerae.
She lit one by the oil lamp on the wall and sat back down, drawing in the smoke that promised to soothe her soul. “Not going to tell me I should stop smoking?”
“Not this time.”
“How’s life in the navy?”
Beatrice waved her hands around in an all-encompassing gesture. “Enjoyable. You travel a lot, meet plenty of interesting people, kill them, and get back to traveling. Voidspire is the same as always, isn’t it?”
“More or less.”
Beatrice shook her head. “I’m amazed Astril and Mathilde can keep living in the same city.”
“That’s getting harder by the year. So far, I’m somehow keeping the balance, but it’s mostly due to Astril being easy to fool.”
Beatrice laughed. “Some things never change. How did the Sil Haen end up working for Ur’Thul’Gar, anyway?”