by K Hanson
Nereyda stood up so that she could wander around the cabin. Her legs protested after sitting down for hours, so she stopped to stretch before walking over to the bookcase. She should have known that they would all be arranged alphabetically by author. Most of the books seemed to be military histories, biographies of random nobles, or studies in naval tactics. However, some books of adventure stories had made it into the mix.
Atop the bookcase, she found a small picture frame propped up. Nereyda picked it up to examine it more closely. A man in a regal blue suit and a woman in a flowing pink dress stared back at her from their portrait. A small castle or estate rose behind them on a gentle green hill. After setting the frame back in its place on the top shelf, she looked around the rest of the room. She didn’t see any other signs of sentimental personal effects.
She heard the door latch click and turned to see Erhan striding through the doorway.
He gazed over at her and narrowed his eyes. “You’re supposed to be plotting a course for us.”
“I already did that.” She pointed at the picture. “Who are they? Your parents?”
“That’s none of your business.” Erhan bent over the chart table and rested his hands on the surface. “Now, show me where you’re taking us.”
She shrugged her shoulders and stepped over to join him at the table. After pulling out the right chart, she gestured toward the village she had spotted earlier. “I think we should stop here. It’s right on the border to the less well-known part of the sea. We can learn more about this town and maybe even get the locals to tell us what to expect as we go further north.”
He shook his head as he still gazed at the map. “The Islanders never talk to us. Whenever we’ve tried, the best welcome we get is that they retreat to their homes, lock the doors, and shutter the windows.”
“What’s the worst welcome you’ve gotten?” she asked
He looked up and fixed her a cold hard stare. “What do you think? They attack us and try to drive us off. Which always ends badly for them.”
“Maybe they don’t talk to you because you sail up to their villages and kill them when they try to defend themselves. Have you ever tried asking nicely?”
“When they let us get close enough, but they still refuse to talk.”
She looked away as she thought for a moment, watching the sunlight glittering on the waves through the window, then turned back. “How about I try talking to them?”
The commander straightened up and looked at her with skepticism etched on his face. “Why would they talk to you?”
“First, I’m not a soldier. Second, we already have at least one thing in common.”
“What’s that?”
“We both hate the Empire and wish it would leave us the hell alone.” She gave him a slight smile.
He narrowed his eyes. “That seems like a reason why I should not let you talk to them.”
“It might just get them to open their doors. Or do you prefer to fight them and get nothing out of it?”
Erhan shook his head. “I just don’t think I can trust you with something like this.”
Nereyda let out an exasperated sigh. “What is it you think I’ll do? Lead a rebellion against the Empire? If it makes you feel better, you can babysit me while I talk to them. If you have a better idea, that’s great, but what you’ve tried so far hasn’t worked.”
He looked hard at her for a moment. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.” He started to turn away, then stopped. “If you try something to sabotage us or anything else when you talk to them, your new friend out there will get the punishment for it.”
“What new friend are you talking about?” She knew who he was talking about but thought that putting some distance between them might protect Yusuf.
“That Jusuf or whatever his name is.” Erhan waved his hand with indifference. “The one whose hand you’ve been holding while he learns how to tie his shoes.”
“I’m not holding his hand,” she said. “He’s never been on a ship before or even seen the ocean. But he’s picking things up quickly.”
“I find that the threat of the whip also works wonders for making people learn. How do you have the patience to teach him?”
“Because I was once where he is, new to everything. I had to learn everything from scratch. Don’t you remember when you first started your career? There was a time when you knew nothing.”
“Perhaps, but the navy has a talent for getting people to learn what they need. Between repeated drills and punishments for falling behind, you learn to improve your skills as fast as possible.”
“That’s the difference between wanting to sail and being forced to. I don’t have to draft or force anyone to serve on my ship. They want to be there and can leave whenever they want. If I whipped every newcomer who didn’t know how to secure a line, I’d never get anyone to join my crew. Maybe you should try getting your people to respect you rather than fear you.”
“You really enjoy trying to get under my skin, don’t you, pirate?”
“Don’t worry.” She smirked. “It’s not just you. I like doing that with anyone I don’t like. By the way, what about the picture?”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”
She ignored him and walked back to the bookcase and pointed at the portrait. “Those are your parents, aren’t they? You look a lot like your father. And they look happy. Why did you become such a crab?”
“They were happy. We were happy. Until the war with Stalsta.”
“Did your family lose their land?”
“No,” he shook his head, “but we lost in other ways. Early in the war, when Stalsta was still gaining ground against the Empire, the front line swept across our hold. Our fields were trampled, our people ravaged, and…” His voice broke as he stared out the window at the horizon, his eyes focusing on nothing.
“And what?”
“My older brother. He tried to make a stand to protect some of the people living in our land. For his trouble, he was cut down by Stalstan swords and left hanging from a tree as an example to the others. After that, nobody else tried to resist until Imperial forces returned to liberate us from occupation.”
“Is that why you joined the military?” said Nereyda.
“Partially. And I suppose that led to the other reasons. After my brother was killed, my father never truly recovered from it. He sank into depression and would drink the days away. He’d hardly look at me. I decided to go somewhere that I was wanted, or at least appreciated, so I enlisted in the navy.”
“I’m sorry,” Nereyda said. She meant it.
“Are you? Isn’t that what pirates like you do?”
“Some pirates do that. Not us, though. You were on that merchant ship we tried to attack. You heard us give them several warnings. As soon as the fighting stopped and the mercenaries surrendered, we stopped killing them. I don’t like fighting when we can help it. It’s much easier if people just hand over their stuff without putting up a fight. Easier for everyone.”
“What about your parents?” asked Erhan. “What did they make of you running off and becoming a pirate?”
“I haven’t seen my parents in years. They left me in a barrel floating in the ocean. The last thing I remember about them was that they were in a rush to get me to safety. I think there was a battle or some kind of disaster coming. I don’t know how long I was in that barrel, but it must not have been too long. The next thing I remember is getting picked up by Captain Nogre and the crew of the Raven.”
“Are you sure they didn’t just dump you in the ocean for being a brat?”
She turned away and strode to the door. “Are you sure that your father didn’t stop talking to you because he saw you becoming the sort of person who kicks beggars in the face?”
Nereyda shoved her way through the door and out onto the deck. After spending the whole morning pouring over those charts, then that conversation with Erhan, she desperately needed to clear her head. She walked up the stairs to the
bridge and leaned over the aft railing. She filled her lungs with the fresh air, the scent of the sea caressing her nostrils with the smell of home. The sun shone from high overhead, radiating a warm heat as a strong wind at their back propelled them over the shimmering waves.
She heard footsteps behind her. “Hey Reyda, the commander finally let you out?”
Turning around, she saw Yusuf standing there. “I could ask you the same question. How are you wandering around?”
“Now that we’re out at open sea, I guess they figure we won’t run off. They’ve eased off with how strict they are. And, at least until we get to the Shattered Sea, there isn’t much for us to do. Well, as long as the wind holds and we don’t have to change anything.” He stepped up to join her at the railing. “So how did you end up as our navigator? I don’t think you told me where you came from.”
“Before this grand adventure, I was the captain of the Storm Raven. We picked a bad target to raid and got captured. That’s how I ended up here, and I guess why Erhan picked me as his substitute navigator.”
“You mean you were a pirate? So you’ve been sailing more than ‘just a bit.’”
Nereyda laughed. “Yes, practically my whole life. How did you end up here, Yusuf?”
He looked down and fidgeted with his hands.
“Come on. You can tell me. I’ve seen all sorts of people. I doubt you’ve done anything worse than any of them.”
“I, er, I’m a deserter. I was drafted into the Imperial army, but between the things they wanted us to do and a commander that seemed to want to grind us into the dirt, I just couldn’t stay. When I tried to escape, they caught me and sent me here.”
“That’s not so bad. I thought you might tell me you had done something awful since you seemed nervous about it.”
“I just don’t want you to think I’m a coward.”
“Naw. In my life, I’m pretty supportive of people doing what they want. And, if your commander was as much of an asshole as Erhan is, I can’t blame you for getting sick of it.”
“You seemed upset after talking with the commander yourself. What happened with him?”
“He asked me about my family and decided to be a jerk when I told him my parents left me in a barrel in the ocean.”
“That sounds like quite a story. I’m sure they had a good reason to — “
“Yusuf,” said a marine who walked up to where they stood at the railing, “report to the bow for duty.”
“I’m not scheduled for another hour,” he replied.
“I don’t give the orders, and neither do you. Just do what you’re told.”
Yusuf relented and turned to leave Nereyda at the railing. Before he left, he looked back and said, “I’d love to hear more about your parents later.”
Nereyda gave him a smile and nodded. After he had descended to the main deck, she returned to enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean that she loved so much.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They sailed through one of the many narrow gaps that separated the islands of the Shattered Sea. As they moved down between the steep and jagged sides of the islands, Nereyda could see how the sea got its name. It seemed as if something had torn these two landmasses apart, whether the gods, a volcano, or some other cause. Even the stone around her seemed glassy and scorched. Some immensely powerful force of nature had torn through this part of the world to rip these islands from each other.
The islands themselves looked mostly barren. Some trees dotted the surface, but there were no dense forests. Many of them had smoldering volcanoes that dominated their landscape. On the far end of the corridor that they were sailing through, Nereyda spotted a dense black cloud clinging to the surface of the water.
“Is that smoke on the horizon?” asked Nereyda.
“Looks like it might be,” responded Erhan.
“That might be the village we marked as our destination. We should probably check it out.”
“I agree. This is what we’re here for, after all. Either it is marauders, or someone needs help. Either way, it’s a job for us to do.”
They slowed their passage through the gap as they approached the smoke.
The first thing that Nereyda noticed as they got closer was the smell, and not just the scent of burning wood. Something worse that clung to the air. A strong, rancid odor filled her nostrils. It smelled like a combination of burning meat, scorched hair, and rotting flesh.
When they neared the cloud, Nereyda saw that the smoke wasn’t rising from the water. It rolled out from somewhere on the coast. She could make out the husks of buildings that stood near the shore, now engulfed in flame. Despite their proximity to the flaming village, they still heard no screams or shouts for help. A haunting clue that they had perhaps arrived too late.
“I don’t like this. This feels like a new kind of awful,” noted Nereyda.
“We need to stop and see if anyone is still alive,” said Erhan. “Even if not, we can try to figure out what happened and look for clues about who did this.”
Since the dock that extended from the village had been scorched into a blackened ruin, they had to stop the ship a distance from shore and take rowboats to transport the landing party.
“I want you with me,” commanded Erhan. “You know how to fight, and aren’t afraid of doing it. I don’t know what to expect.”
“I may know how to fight, but what am I going to use? My bare hands? I know how to brawl, but that only goes so far.”
“If you think I’m going to give you any weapons, you’re mistaken,” said Erhan.
“So what am I supposed to do if we have to fight?”
“Figure something out and do your best not to die.”
“Fine,” she relented. “What about my shackles” She gestured toward the irons around her ankles. “Even if you won’t give me weapons, can you at least take them off so they don’t slow me down?”
Erhan sighed. “Sure, I’ll take them off. But, to get back on the ship, you’ll need to let me put them back on.”
“Whatever. I’d just prefer to be able to actually use my feet if we get in trouble.”
Erhan bent down to unlock her shackles.
“Let’s get going,” he said as he stood.
Nereyda followed Erhan to one of the rowboats, where they were joined by several and some of the deadlier looking prisoners on the ship. Two men on the ship turned a crank to lower the rowboat into the water. The boat splashed down and bobbed as it settled. A couple of the marines stuck their oars into the water and pushed away from the ship. Stroke by stroke, the boat approached the shore where the burning village stood.
As they drew nearer, they still saw no sign of life, from either survivors or attackers. Only the flames, the smell, and the silence remained.
“Whatever happened here, we just missed it,” said Nereyda. “The fire is still burning. If someone did this, they can’t be too far away.”
“We’ll see if we can track them down after we look at the village,” replied Erhan.
The boat slid ashore, and they all disembarked. Erhan appointed two marines to guard the boat, then led the rest of the party up the beach.
“Everyone fan out and search for anyone who is alive. Stay in pairs and shout if you run into trouble.” He looked at Nereyda. “Pirate, you’re with me.”
Nereyda followed the commander as he walked into the village. Right at the heart of the disaster, the stench almost overwhelmed her. She held her hand over her nose and mouth as she struggled to stifle her gag reflex. In the roads of the village, charred corpses lay on the ground. Their faces contorted in agony and their arms stretched in search of aid that never came.
She saw one house that was no longer burning and remained more intact than most. “Let’s go in here and see if we can find anything.”
Erhan turned and joined her at the door of the building.
On the wall near the door frame, Nereyda spotted a burnt shape. The winged ship of the Stalstan Federation had been
branded into the wood. “Did you see this? Why would Stalsta do this?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps they’re making a play to take the Shattered Sea.”
“Maybe. At the very least, they wanted people to know it was them. Let’s look inside.”
A chain held the door shut, but a swift kick from Nereyda easily broke through the charred wood. The door collapsed inward, away from the chain.
Just in the entryway, two adult skeletons and one smaller one lay on the floor. They had been trapped in the house by whoever had attacked this village.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” asked Nereyda.
“No,” replied Erhan. “I’ve seen the aftermath of what marauders will do. But they don’t usually resort to this level of brutality.”
Nereyda moved further into the house. She saw a chest in what she assumed had been the living room. The outside had been blackened by the fire, but it had been left otherwise intact. She instinctively reached toward where her dagger would be on her belt, then realized she didn’t have it. “Give me your knife,” she said to Erhan.
He shook his head. “I already told you, no weapons.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you want to see what’s in this chest or not?”
“You can open it?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“I suppose it might be of interest,” he said as he passed his knife to her. As she took it, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Nereyda turned back to the chest and stuck the blade between the lid and the body of the chest. Slamming her hand onto the handle, the dagger forced the top to pop free of the lock. Inside, she found a stash of coins, a simple silver necklace, and some documents.
She turned to the commander. “Whoever came to this village was looking for something other than loot. It’s clear that they didn’t even bother to come in and look for anything worth taking.”
“So, someone just wanted to kill these people? Why would they do that?”
“Beats me. Maybe this village had a rivalry with another. Maybe someone was just looking for some sick fun. It’s hard to say.”