by Ben Hale
“Are you certain?” Inna asked.
Jack followed her gaze to the great ship in the distance. A rumble echoed across the sea and the ship surged forward, smashing waves into explosions of white. Borne’s eyes widened in fear and he gripped the helm until the wood cracked.
“We’re not making it to Keese.”
Chapter 10: The Hullbreaker
The afternoon passed in tense silence as the Hullbreaker gradually closed the gap. When the sun kissed the horizon, half a mile separated the hulking vessel from its prey. Once again on top of the mast, Jack frowned, considering his options.
The proximity allowed Jack to get a measure of Raize and his crew. At least a hundred pirates moved about the ship like the gears of a clock. Borne had said the man was former Talinorian military, and led his crew with the same level of discipline. They were taking no chances with Borne’s small ship and were busy stockpiling crossbows and other weapons. Wearing garish tunics and pants, the men were rough and weathered, their beards lined with beads, jewels and crystals.
The ship itself was huge, with three towering masts and an abundance of sails. Training circles lined the deck. Extending from the front, a steel-tipped ram rose into view every time the ship crashed through a wave. Jack guessed they had less than an hour before the Hullbreaker lived up to its name.
Jack scowled and descended to the deck. Alighting close to Inna, he motioned her to the rear of the ship. When they reached the back rail he glanced at Borne’s son standing at the helm, but the boy was focused ahead.
“Any ideas?” he murmured, but the boy didn’t hear them.
“I may dislike Borne now,” she said, “but I don’t want to see him get killed.”
“Will Raize take me alive?”
She shook her head. “He won’t want to risk Talinor learning about your death. He also won’t want others attempting to take your head before he can deliver it.”
“I like my head attached to my body,” he said, rubbing his throat.
“Then what do we do?” she asked, turning to him.
“Think we can defeat them?” he asked, motioning to the Hullbreaker.
“No,” she said. “They aren’t Pyron’s trash. Besides, there’s nowhere for us to strike from the shadows.” She swept a hand at the darkening ocean.
Jack cocked his head to the side and smiled. “What if there was?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“They think us helpless.”
“Aren’t we?”
“Not if we strike first,” he said with a sly smile.
Her eyes lit with curiosity. “What do you suggest?”
He pointed at the ship’s wake below them. “Care for a swim?”
She looked to the charging ship in the distance. “If we fail to board the Hullbreaker, we’ll be stuck in the middle of the ocean with no chance of rescue.”
“That’s what makes it interesting.”
She grinned and leaned on the rail. “I’m beginning to think you always take such risks.”
“I do,” Jack said.
“What about them?” She pointed to Borne’s son.
“Do you really want to tell them our plan?” he asked. “Or let them sail into the night and discover we disappeared?”
She snorted. “Borne will count his good fortune and go back to smuggling.”
He grinned and stepped over the rail, leaning out over the water. “Then what are we waiting for?”
Inna looked at Borne’s son, but the boy had not noticed their conversation. Then she sighed and climbed over the railing. Tightening the straps on her weapons, she grunted in amusement.
“You should have warned me that your recklessness is contagious.”
Her green eyes met his and he grinned. “One more thing—”
She’d already jumped, and fell into the turbulent waters of the sea. She pushed her way to the surface and wiped the water from her hair. Then she spotted Jack still standing on the rear of the receding ship. Her features twisted in anger so he shrugged and jumped after.
And landed on the water.
Her eyes nearly popped from her skull as Jack landed on the sea as if it were a street in Keese. He floated up and down with the swell but walked toward her, shrugging apologetically.
“I tried to tell you,” he said.
“That you could walk on water?” she snapped.
“They’re new,” Jack said, gesturing to his boots. “Do you like them?
The water beneath his boots was as still as stone, the aquaglass enchantment allowing him to stand on the ocean. It was one of the latest tools that Thalidon had come up with, and he’d used a new water mage thief to enchant them.
She flipped her hair, her features contorted in anger. “I would have liked them more if you’d mentioned them while we were still on the boat.” She surged out of the water and caught his leg, yanking him off balance.
Jack cursed as he plunged into the sea. Tasting salt, he broke the surface and shoved water at Inna. “I brought these boots because I didn’t want to get wet.”
She laughed at his dismay. “They probably would have spotted you anyway,” she said.
“I was counting on it,” Jack replied. “I wanted to sow fear into their ranks before we boarded.”
“That’s . . . actually a good idea,” she said.
“Not anymore,” he said acidly.
He cursed and struck out, swimming for the approaching Hullbreaker. His gear and clothing dragged him down but the ship’s speed brought them together. He angled for the side of the vessel and tried not to flinch as the massive ram came at his face.
They managed to get to the side and the ship barreled past. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he cast his shadowhook and sent it digging into a porthole. He braced for the jolt and it yanked them out of the water. Then he grasped the moulding and hung on.
Jack spotted an open window and climbed to it. He leaned up and peeked inside to see a bunk room. Hammocks swayed within, containing several sleeping men. A trio of trunks were bolted to the wall, their size and shape suggesting they were for personal use.
“Do you intend on killing them?” she murmured.
Jack leaned back until the light from the surface of the ship showed his face. “They’re pirates,” he mused, “so I wouldn’t mind. That said, I’m not an assassin that murders men in their sleep.”
“Then what?” she asked.
“Drop his water oars into the ocean,” Jack murmured. “Then we rig the rudder to break and wait for them to close the gap. Once we’re back on Borne’s ship, we let the rudder take the Hullbreaker in another direction.”
“Clever,” she said. “If there was a way to break the rudder from a distance.”
He grinned. “I’ll handle the rudder. You find the water oars and dump them overboard. Keep one so we can get back to Borne’s ship.”
She agreed and clambered through the window. Once she was gone he worked his way around the exterior of the hull. The surface of the wood was wet and he was drenched, making the passage difficult as the ship bucked with the sea swells. When he reached the stern he found the giant rudder connected by wooden pins. The joints were well maintained and covered by oil. Jack reached one hand on the railing above and peeked over.
Two dozen pirates were in view, as was Raize, standing beside the helm. He seemed content to wait and spoke in undertones to the man at the wheel. Then he strode toward the forecastle and disappeared down the stairs. Jack ducked down before he was spotted and reached into a pouch to retrieve a star shaped object. He wedged it into the joint at the top of the rudder and then pressed the rune at the center. The points of the star glowed faintly before it went dark. Satisfied, Jack returned to the window and eased himself inside the ship.
He paused and stretched his fingers, before gliding to the door to peek into the hall. Lit by a line of light orbs bracketed into the ceiling, the corridor lay empty. He stepped into it and advanced until he reached a body on the floor. Th
e man was still breathing, but the lump forming on his face implied he would be angry when he woke.
“I see you’ve met Inna,” he said.
He patted the unconscious man and stepped over him. When he turned the corner he came to a halt. A dozen more bodies were sprawled in front of him and Jack had to pick his way through to reach the stairs at the end. Descending to the cargo hold, he found a broken strongdoor with a figure in the darkness inside. He slipped into the interior and smiled.
“My part’s done,” he whispered. “Did you finish yours?”
Inna reached up and brushed a light orb bracketed in the wall. The light blazed to life, illuminating the room and revealing it was not Inna.
“I see you found my cargo,” Raize said.
Jack’s eyes flicked to Inna, who was bound at his feet. She struggled in her bindings but Raize kicked her. Her head snapped back and she slumped to the floor. Raize folded his arms, putting his hands on the two scimitars on his hips.
“You’re a tough bounty to track down,” he said.
“Did you expect it to be easy?” Jack asked.
A clattering echoed in the wall and Jack glanced back. All the men he’d assumed were unconscious stood and closed ranks, filling the corridor. The glint of steel reflected in the light as they drew sabers and swords. Jack realized the man had anticipated his attempt to board his ship and taken measures to be ready.
“I suppose not,” Raize said with a smile. “But at least now I get to collect. Bear, take him to the deck. Dump the redhead overboard.”
“May I keep her?” a rumbling voice asked.
Raize inclined his head. “Don’t untie her.” He said. “She’s as dangerous as he is.”
A hulking figure stepped toward the unconscious assassin but Jack raised his hand. “Would you permit me a final request?”
“No,” Raize said. “You’d just try to escape.”
Jack shrugged. “It was worth a try.”
He flicked his wrist and shattered his lightstone on the floor, causing a burst of daylight to explode throughout the room. With his eyes clenched shut Jack yanked a knife from the sheath on his chest and stabbed it into the floor. The blade burst into flames and cut the wood like it was warm bread. Jack spun a full circle, and the floor dropped beneath him. He caught Inna as he fell, taking her with him. The light returned to normal as he crashed into the cargo hold.
He rolled to absorb the impact and heaved her to his shoulder, sprinting for the door as pirates dropped down behind him. He kicked it open and raced up the stairs. A pirate stepped in front of him and shouted, reaching for the hilt of his saber.
“Catch,” Jack said, tossing Inna to the man.
On instinct, the man raised his hands and caught Inna’s body, the force of the impact knocking him sprawling. Jack scooped Inna up as he sprinted by, lifting her once again to his shoulder. He ducked a beam and sprinted to the deck.
Shouts echoed from below, rising to warn the sailors on the deck. Jack dodged toward the rigging before they noticed him and cast his shadowhook, ascending into the shadows as pirates exploded into view. He managed to reach the crossbeam by the time Raize appeared.
“Search the ship!” he barked. “He’s here. A hundred gold to the man who kills him!”
Jack reached the crossbeam and stopped to catch his breath. As the sailors rushed about, he activated his crossbow and aimed toward the rear of the ship. The crossbow bolt disappeared into the night—and then banked to the side. Drawn to the rune at the rear of the ship, it curved through the night and pierced the beacon hex Jack had left.
Flames exploded into view as the hex detonated, shredding the top of the rudder and sending bits of sizzling wood into the water. The hull shuddered and the man at the helm stumbled, the helm spinning freely in his hands.
“He’s on the back of the ship!” he shouted, drawing a dozen sailors to his side.
Raize joined them and leaned over the rail, shielding his gaze from the fire. “Get to the pumps before it spreads! And find him!”
Smoke and cinders drifted into the sail but the men were quick to splash water on it, drenching it before they could catch fire. Others leapt to the hand pumps, working the levers to bring seawater up to the deck. Shouting and heaving buckets, they rushed to extinguish the flames.
Jack carefully placed Inna against the mast and used a rope to tie her in place. As he did he noticed a bulge in her pack. When he opened it he spotted a quartet of circular disks. The sight of the water oars gave him an idea. He rose and cast his shadowhook at the mast and strode to the end of the beam.
“Don’t go anywhere,” he said to the unconscious Inna.
He slipped from the beam and dropped to the deck. A pirate cried out at his sudden appearance but Jack did not slow. He darted to the railing and leapt off, casting his shadowhook into the rigging. With the sea just feet from his boots, he soared alongside the hull and pulled the four water oars into view. Fanning them like cards, he launched them at the hull, where they stuck fast just above the waterline.
As he reached the top of the arc he glided in front of Raize. Jack grinned as he passed into his vision, their eyes connecting and Raize’s eyes widening in surprise. Then Jack thumbed the runestone that activated the water oars. Water churned into the enchantments, exploding out the discs in a stream of empowered ocean. The water oars were intended to propel a ship forward, but Jack had not placed them at the stern.
They were on the starboard hull.
The ship shuddered as the discs pressed against it, forcing the Hullbreaker to turn like a rider had yanked on its reins. Sailors cried out and stumbled as the deck tilted. Wood groaned and creaked, protesting the shift in movement but the ship continued to accelerate. Captain Raize grabbed the helm to hold on, his face clouding with anger.
“Stop breaking my ship!”
Jack passed out of view and kicked off the wood, climbing up the rope. The ship spun faster, causing Jack to swing higher on his shadowhook. He tightened his grip to prevent being thrown into the sea and pulled himself up to the crossbeam. By the time he reached it, the ship was spinning like a child’s toy, the roar of the water oars rising to a deafening wail. With the deck at a sharp angle the sailors clung to rails, unable to reach the fire at the back of the ship. Raize’s shouts were all but lost in the din.
Jack reached the crossbeam and had to drag himself across it. Before he reached Inna the ropes binding her began to loosen. He strained against wood but the ropes came undone, sending Inna tumbling into air. Jack pointed his shadowhook toward her plummeting form and a thread of ink streaked to her back, catching her before she collided with a lower beam.
“Now would be a good time to wake up,” he growled to Inna.
Clinging to the crossbeam, he struggled to lift her, but the force of the ship’s spin was too much. He activated the magic of the bracer and the shadowhook gradually drew her in. Straining, he managed to pull her to his side, heaving her onto the crossbeam.
“I’ll cut you to pieces for this, Jack!”
Raize’s voice somehow managed to pierce the roar and Jack twisted his head to look down. The pirate captain clung to the helm as the ship spun like a tornado, churning the water into a fury of white in the center.
The sight of the enormous ship, on fire and spinning like a toy, brought a grin to Jack’s face. He began to laugh, the sound rising to pierce the din. The boat hit a wave and shifted, swinging so Jack and Inna hung above the vortex. Pirates turned their heads up, shock twisting their features as Jack continued to laugh.
“Not every bounty is worth the reward!” Jack shouted, releasing his hold.
Jack and Inna plummeted together, falling down the center as the ship spun about them. Sailors watched helplessly as their targets fell into the churning white vortex. The next instant they disappeared into the furious sea.
Over the next hour the sailors managed to extinguish the flames and remove the spent water oars. Then they set to searching the calm water for J
ack. Raize’s orders echoed across the night sea, but Jack and Inna were gone.
They did not resurface.
Chapter 11: Imposter
Beauty dismounted at the eastern gate of Azertorn and stretched. After several days in the saddle she wanted a bath and a bed. She’d ridden with Thalidon and the Gate while it was en route to Woodhaven, and had arrived in Tallendale several days ago. Then she’d ridden hard for the elven capitol.
She stabled her horse and patted him on the neck. Unlike most of the thieves, she owned several steeds, and kept them in several cities. She rented a mount when she had to, but vastly preferred to ride a horse she knew. When one of the stable boys offered to care for him, Beauty shook her head.
“I’ll do it myself,” she said.
The boy’s breath caught when she smiled at him. As the dazed boy walked away, Beauty removed the saddle and grabbed a brush, rubbing the horse’s flanks until they gleamed. Then she patted his forehead.
“I’ll see you in a few days, Axe,” she murmured. “Don’t get too distracted by the mares.”
The horse tossed his head in disagreement and she grinned. She had named him Axe after her brother because the horse reminded her of Golic’s weapon. He was large and powerful, his flank bearing a splash of white across the solid black.
She patted him one last time and then made her way through the stables to the stablemaster. Apparently alerted to her presence, the stable boys had congregated where they could spot her. She rewarded their efforts with a smile, and they flushed in unison. She paid the stablemaster for her horse’s stay and detailed her information on a sheet of parchment. Then she exited and strode to the gate of Azertorn.
The small opening abutted the base of the Giant’s Shelf, a thousand-foot cliff at the edge of a great plateau. Only elves were permitted through the main city gates, so Beauty entered through the side entrance and ascended the curving tunnel. Runes and drawings inscribed the walls in vivid detail, providing light and texture to the corridor.