by Ben Hale
A scowl formed on his face as he thought of Gordon—or any of the others—being killed by Skorn. Then he shrugged and his doubts dissipated. Skorn may have been an ancient, but he certainly wasn’t a devil. Jack would get the keys and use them to stop him, and with the fellowship of great thieves at his side he was confident in their fate.
But a sliver of doubt remained.
Chapter 12: The Boneyard
“Land ho!”
After a week of boredom, the words sent a current of excitement through the ship. Jack darted to the prow and peered into the distance. He’d never had reason to visit the Azure Islands, and he was eager to explore them. Then Beauty slid into a place at his side.
“Where’d you get the hat?”
Jack glanced up at the enormous captain’s hat that adorned his head. “I spotted it in the captain’s quarters and he said I could have it.”
“You look ridiculous,” she said, but her lips twitched into a smile.
“It kept me from getting burned,” he said, and gestured to Ursana, who’d spent so much time on the deck that her skin had been scorched by the blazing sun.
“That’s because it’s big enough to shade a village,” Beauty said.
Jack laughed and shook his head, waggling the hat. “Your jealousy won’t make me give it to you.”
“You think I want it?”
“Everyone wants it.”
She laughed. “Saying it doesn’t make it true.”
He grinned and pointed to the approaching island. “We should be there in an hour. Are the others ready?”
“They will be. Thalidon has taken to his role as expedition head quite well.”
The dwarf appeared on the deck and snapped orders at Gordon and Lorelia. “Get those crates on deck before we dock. I want to be on the ground in an hour.” The thieves glared at him but did as he ordered. Then the dwarf caught sight of Beauty and called out to her using her persona name. “You too Thorna! Stop laying about and get to work!”
“What about—”
“And tell the captain I’d like to speak with him before we land.”
“But he’s not—”
“Now!”
Out of the corner of his eye Jack saw the dwarf’s eyes alight with humor, but his gaze did not leave Beauty, indicating he really had mistaken Jack for the captain. She cast a scathing look at Jack and stepped away from the railing.
“I think I hate you a little bit.”
“I did say you’d want the hat,” he said, and pulled out a spyglass. He winked at her and put it to his eye.
“Where did you get . . . never mind.” She attempted to snatch the hat from his head but Jack saw it coming and knocked her hand aside.
“Don’t you have work to do?”
She cursed him soundly and strode away. When she was gone he turned his attention to the approaching island and the city that abutted the water. What he saw sent a thread of excitement surging into his veins.
Great towers lined the beach, their mighty structures built from fitted stones and massive logs. The battlements contained several ballistae, the barbed shafts pointing down at the docks. Beyond the sentinel towers the city sprawled up the slope of a hill.
He’d expected a ramshackle village made of logs and thatch. Instead the city was built of stone and finely cut wood. Stained wood formed well-ordered structures, the buildings curving in lazy arcs as the roads ascended to the top of the hill. The shape of the streets suggested they were built for defense, and an invading army would have to fight their way across every inch to reach the fort on the summit.
Dark skinned azure called to each other on the docks, emptying nets of fish into crates to be salted and exported. Renowned for their seafaring skills, the islanders’ boats were both artistic and functional. Their sleek prows pierced the water with ease, and one passed the Erenessa to slide into an open jetty.
“That’s Organith,” a voice said, and Jack turned to find the captain at his side. “It’s home to the second largest tribe on the islands.”
“How are the relations between the tribes?”
“Complicated,” he said. “The current peace on the islands is tenuous, and blood feuds date back for thousands of years.”
“Is anything neutral?”
“The Boneyard,” he said, “our destination. It lies in the heart of the islands and acts as neutral shipping ground for all of the tribes.”
“And no one claims the land?”
He grinned and shook his head. “There’s no land to claim. But I won’t spoil the surprise.”
A deckhand called and the captain departed. Curious, Jack remained in place as the ship banked to the side and followed the coastline around a giant island. As it curved inward another island appeared to the north, and another to the west. The captain called out orders as they sailed between them, keeping them clear of the rocks that jutted out from the shores.
As they sailed northwest the islands grew closer together, with some just a stone’s throw from each other. Most were small but some of the islands were miles across. Others were just towers of stone piercing the surface like giant teeth.
The captain ordered them to half sail as the waterway narrowed, and eased them through the channels. Jack looked up the cliffs and spotted children running about, laughing and calling out to the sailors.
Huts and homes were in abundance, and dotted the islands in every direction. They sailed around an island that contained a forest of tiny trees, but the further they progressed the trees grew progressively taller. Then they curved around the point of the island and the trees came to an abrupt end. Hundreds of downed trees lay beside a sawmill, and the workers cut into the full-grown trunks, felling one as they sailed by.
“Space is a premium on the islands,” Lorelia said, stepping to his side. “And trees are a crop like anything else. Workmen fell trees and plant new ones that will be harvested five decades from now.”
“They’re more civilized than I thought.”
“The storms out here can be brutal,” she said, “and they live on the edge of survival. They may live a divided existence but they all recognize the peril of living on the islands.”
“You sound like you’ve been here before.”
“Once, as a thief,” she replied, “and once as a mage student.”
It was the first time she’d ever mentioned her life before the Thieves Guild, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.
“How old were you?”
“Twentieth year students journey to various lands and study with the magic guilds of other races.”
“But the azure don’t possess any natural magics.”
She smiled, an oddly beatific expression on the human features she was using as her persona. “They have an assortment of magics but no guild, so I used my magic and crafted a persona. I lived among them for six months without anyone discovering my identity. It was the first time in my life I felt free.”
“So where are we going?” Jack asked.
“The Boneyard,” she said. “And we should almost be there.”
The boat banked, splitting a gap between two islands to enter a swath of water. Islands ringed the space but none lay in the middle. Jack sucked in a breath as he saw what lay at the center.
Thousands of boats had been lashed into a gigantic flotilla. Decrepit mammoths, tiny fishing boats, and warships from across Lumineia were bound together by rope and beam. Moss and crusted growths stained the hulls, some layered so deep the ancient wood was no longer visible.
Platforms had been constructed across the decks, connecting the ships into a misshapen island. Homes and shops dotted their surface, and people from various races walked between them. At the heart of the Boneyard a ship dwarfed the others, its masts reaching to the heavens. Its deck had been converted into an enormous arena. The shouts of spectators echoed all the way across the makeshift city.
The city appeared seamless at first, but as they drew close Jack spotted canals weaving their way thr
ough the Boneyard. High platforms bridged the gap over channels of water and arced between the masts of neighboring ships. The canals allowed vessels to sail all the way to the massive ship at the center of the Boneyard, and were wide enough even for the Erenessa.
“Is the city anchored?” Ursana asked, and Jack turned to find the entire party standing around him.
Lorelia grinned at the shock in their eyes. “Of course, but new ships are added every year. When an older vessel is too damaged to sail, they lash it to the Boneyard.”
“How did such a place begin?” Gordon asked, his gaze on a crane unloading barrels of fish.
“No one really knows,” Lorelia said. “The azure may be adept at building ships but their written history lacks detail. Most agree it started with the godship.” She gestured to the massive vessel at the heart of the Boneyard.
Thalidon grunted in agreement as he joined them. “It is believed the godship belonged to a great chief. The tales say he fought an entire armada to a standstill, so they surrounded him and formed a blockade. The chief’s allies slipped a smaller ship through the blockade to supply the chief, but with no way out the supply ship was lashed to the godship. More ships got through, and over time the city was born.”
“That sounds unlikely,” Roarthin said.
“Most of history sounds unlikely,” Jack said with a laugh.
“Where do we dock?” Thalidon asked.
Jack followed his gaze to the edge of the city and found that no wharfs extended into the water. Instead it seemed that ships lashed onto wherever they wanted. He even spotted two men in a heated argument because one had lashed onto the other’s ship, mistakenly thinking it was part of the Boneyard.
The captain barked out orders and the Erenessa slid next to an aging warship. The sailors were quick to jump over and catch the ropes cast by their companions. With practiced hands they lashed them down and their ship groaned to a halt. Then the captain strode to the thieves.
“There’s an inn three ships down that will give you a place to store your gear. From there I’d suggest you try to find Chief Emekalan. If he says you can search for ore on his islands, you’ll probably have free reign in the clans. But you’ll probably have to buy the rights from the respective chiefs.”
“Thank you,” Thalidon said. “We appreciate your aid.”
The captain nodded and the group disembarked. Grunting in irritation, Jack grasped one of the crates and they strode toward the indicated inn. Entering an alley between two ships, they pulled their thief gear from the crates and dumped the rest into a gap between ships.
“Finally,” Jack said, tightening the fastening on his bracers. “I thought we’d never be rid of it.”
“You humans are so frail,” Roarthin said.
“It was the only way we could smuggle our equipment,” Lorelia said.
She swirled her cloak about her shoulders to add emphasis. Then she slid her gauntlets on her arms and tightened them in place. Drawing a breath, her eyes focused and then her features began to change. The human skin darkened to that of an islander, and her hair faded from brown to black. In seconds she’d shifted her persona to one of the azure.
Gordon whistled in appreciation. “I wish my personas were that easy.”
Ursana snorted in laughter. “Forlana said a mule will never look like a horse.”
Lorelia grinned and gestured to the nearby inn. “Beauty, get us a room. Jack, you’re with me. Let’s scout around and see if we can spot the cultists.”
“It’s not like they’ll be wearing a sign,” Thalidon said. “And why do you think they will be here?”
“Because this is where the tribes keep anything of value. Crimes on the Boneyard are punished by everyone, but land is frequently taken and retaken on the islands.”
“And why just the two of you?” Beauty asked with a frown.
“Because I can only keep a convincing illusion on myself and one other,” Lorelia said. “And Jack knows the most about our adversary.”
She lifted a hand and thread of magic seeped from her finger, leeching into Jack’s face. It warmed Jack’s flesh as he waited, and a moment later the others began to laugh.
“Now you look ridiculous,” Beauty said. “An azure sailor would never wear something so gaudy.”
Jack sighed as he removed the hat, carefully folding it and sliding it into a pouch at his side. “I’ll miss being captain.”
“That hat needs to be burned,” Gordon said with a smile.
Jack then turned to Lorelia. “Let’s go find a group of devil-worshiping fanatics bent on helping their living ancient find keys to a legendary vault.”
She grinned. “When you put it that way, what are we waiting for?”
Chapter 13: Competition
Within an hour of exploring the city it became clear that finding the key would be a challenge. The floating city was a random collection of aging ships, a labyrinth of large and small boats cobbled together into an undulating landscape of wood and rope.
The larger tribes had lashed ships together with a purpose, and added them to the Boneyard as a single unit. They represented pinpricks of order in an otherwise disorganized city. The areas the tribes controlled were a world apart from the rest of the Boneyard, and Jack even spotted a shop containing water oars, disks enchanted to propel a ship by water magic. The enchanted items cost a small fortune and were guarded by no less than a score of guards.
Another tribe held cages containing strange water creatures. Shaped like spined snakes, they had clawed hands and feet, which they used to scratch at the glass of the cages. One noticed Jack’s examination and spit a stream of blue liquid that caused the water to bubble. The water grend in the cage beside it shaped into a human face and cackled.
“I’ve never seen a water grend before,” Jack said.
The shopkeeper inserted himself into the conversation with a sleazy smile. “They’re sentient fragments of water,” he said, “and incredibly hard to catch. If they bond to you they will be loyal for life. Six hundred gold for this one, a bargain if I do say so.”
“If they bond,” Lorelia said, “which they rarely do. It’s worth half what you are charging.”
The shopkeeper sniffed and slipped away in search of less educated buyers. Jack grinned at Lorelia and they stepped out of the shop. Once they were out of the guarded area Jack slipped closer to her.
“You want to go back and steal it, just for fun?”
She grinned. “Perhaps, but we should focus. We have seen no sign of Skorn’s followers.”
“We need a better vantage point,” Jack said, and gestured to the platforms scattered among the masts of the city.
They ascended to an open tavern built between three towering masts. The Crow’s Nest contained no roof, and the cooks roasted fish over an open bed of coals. Jack and Lorelia took seats that overlooked one of the tribe contingents and ordered spiced lava fish with sea rice. The barmaid’s eyes lingered on Jack before she left, causing Lorelia to grunt in irritation.
“I should give you a scar.”
“Scars don’t always make one ugly,” he said pointedly.
She regarded him for several moments before looking away. “Perhaps for you.”
He held up the glass and used the reflection to examine his appearance. His features remained the same but his skin appeared as dark as the barmaid’s. He ran his fingers through his hair and grunted in approval.
“I look fine.”
“That’s the problem,” Lorelia said. “You’re drawing too much attention.”
Jack glanced about and saw her words to be accurate. The women stared at Jack in thinly veiled curiosity and desire.
“Or kept me Talinorian,” Jack said in an undertone. “It’s not like there aren’t Griffinborn or Talinorians about.” He gestured to the ships below on which a group of Griffin men haggled with a vendor.
“True,” she said, “but it’s possible the cultists have been told about you.”
“I’m flat
tered.”
“Don’t be,” she said. “You nearly killed Skorn, and he won’t underestimate you again.”
Their meal came, and as they ate Jack looked down at the ships below. Shaped like a giant crescent moon, the section allowed ships a private place to dock. Although the district of the city was clearly made of salvaged ships, the surface resembled a wharf in Griffin, and contained warehouses, taverns, and inns. The entire contingent lay inside a large wall built from special barrier ships, cutting it off from the surrounding area. Noticing his examination, Lorelia gestured to it.
“The larger tribes keep a permanent outpost on the city, and build it offsite before attaching it to the Boneyard.”
“I noticed,” Jack said. “I suspect that if the key is here, it’s in one of them.”
Jack kept his gaze on the crowd below, scanning it for any sign of a cult member. Unfortunately, Beauty’s doubt proved accurate, and he didn’t spot anyone he could consider a worshiper of Skorn. After the meal they moved on to another vantage point near another tribe outpost, and throughout the afternoon they checked each of the others. As night fell they returned to the inn with nothing to show for their efforts.
Over the next three days they went out in groups or alone, searching every corner of the Boneyard for signs of cultists. Their efforts proved in vain, and Jack began to question if the cultists had already found the key and moved on.
Since much of the city was built from derelict ships, searching it was tedious, and at times dangerous. Some boats floated low in the water, their beams soaked through and their hulls listing. Islanders simply avoided them, letting those pieces of city succumb to the depths.
The scent of fish and salt were constants, as was the pungent reek of ship’s tar. Larger catches were displayed by hanging them from their tails, and customers haggled while the fish swayed behind them. Enormous sharks were also hoisted by the tails so their teeth, fins, and jaws could be sold at a premium.
Shortly after their arrival a storm hit the city, causing the Boneyard to undulate. The outsiders huddled in their inns, grasping at anything mounted as the structure tipped and plunged. The islanders seemed not to notice, and walked about in the sheeting rain to conduct their business as normal.