Both men sat in silence, regarding each other without uttering a word. Falcon felt the weight of the entire mission hanging on his shoulders as he slipped his fingers over the polished game piece. He moved it horizontally over to a gray square.
Without much thought, Redclaw moved his fire emblem two spaces down.
Falcon smirked, seeing the opening the captain had created. He slid his water emblem in a zigzag motion around his own earth and lightning emblems and over Redclaw’s fire emblem.
“First capture,” he said, taking his opponent’s fire emblem and setting it on his side of the table.
He had expected the captain to appear worried, or at least a bit flustered. But instead, the man looked extremely pleased with himself.
“You’ve left yourself open.”
Too late Falcon noticed his fatal mistake. He cursed as he realized he’d fallen for a simple ruse. The captain had left his basic emblem wide open for an attack, essentially sacrificing a basic element for an advanced one. His gut wrenched as Redclaw moved his dark emblem over Falcon’s chaos emblem and took over it.
The pirates cheered, and Aya and Faith moaned sadly.
Okay, I can still do this, he thought as he looked down at the board.
Things only got worse from there, though. In two moves he had lost his best piece. The mobility of the chaos emblem was instrumental to his strategy. And to worsen matters, his opponent’s dark emblem was in his side of the board.
I’m going to have to fall back to a basic element defense.
The players continued to add on moves as the minutes trickled on. By the time the midday bell was rung, Falcon only had his void emblem remaining on the board. He had put up a valiant battle, especially after the atrocious beginning, but now it looked like the end. With every move Redclaw made, his defeat became more apparent. The three advanced elements (chaos, space, and poison) closed in on his single piece, trapping it in a triangle.
He moved his emblem forward one more time; he was now only one space away from reaching the captain’s beginning panel. If he could only reach it, he would be able to bring back one of his emblems into the board.
“Obviate!” yelled Redclaw, a satisfied grin spread on his face. “A valiant try, kid. But victory belongs to me.”
Falcon leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply as he stared at the cobwebs hanging on the ceiling.
The pub erupted into a choir of hurrahs.
“I’ll be having those oil rocks now.” Redclaw extended his burly hand expectantly.
“Our friend has them back at the inn. We’ll just go get them.”
Redclaw stood, his frame shaking. “Do you believe I actually trust you to simply walk away from here? No, I need to make sure that you stay.” He motioned to his men to stand. “Get the girls as collateral.”
Falcon stood, but his interference quickly proved unnecessary.
Three pirates moved against Aya. With a sweeping kick, she floored two of them. The third one punched, only to have his potential victim sidestep. Aya took hold of his arm and twisted the screaming man over her shoulder. With a sharp crack, he landed on a table. Mugs of ale flew through the air, clattering on the wooden floor.
Five other men tried to get to Faith, but with a simple swipe of her hand, she sent them toppling over their fallen companions.
The pirates, who had been roaring with commotion seconds ago, fell silent. The dripping of a leaking faucet behind the counter was the only sound that pierced silence.
Finally, Faith spoke. “Please don’t fight anymore.” She turned to the captain then to Falcon. “I will stay back while my friends get the rocks.”
“No way!” Falcon reached for his katana. He was not about to leave Faith alone with a group of drunkards who hadn’t been with a woman in months, maybe even years.
“Please,” said a mellow voice from the corner of the pub. “There is no need for this violence.” Everyone turned to the source of the voice. A hooded figure stood from a chair, where he sat alone. “There is a simple solution to all of this.”
“What is that?” asked Redclaw.
The stranger walked with a bouncy gait. Even the wooden boards that usually creaked under a person’s weight remained silent. “I will accompany the Rohads and fetch the stones myself.”
Redclaw stroked his long beard, deep in thought.
“You know full well you can’t be seen out in the open,” continued the stranger. “The guards will be on you in no time. But me? I can easily disguise myself and come and go.”
“What are you after, Captain Armeen?” said Redclaw. “I have it on good authority that you have plenty of oil rocks for a year, perhaps even two. I have no intention of sharing the bag with you.”
So he’s also a captain, mused Falcon. That means he has his own ship.
Armeen removed his hood, and behind it was a face that Falcon had not expected, at least not from a pirate. The pirates he’d met so far had black teeth, leathery skin, and wild hair. But Armeen was the complete opposite. He had silky hair that fell over his eyes. His smile revealed a perfect row of white teeth, and his skin was a light tan.
The captain walked over to Aya and took her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. “The only reward I require is the honor of such a lovely lady travelling on my ship.”
Falcon almost threw up in his mouth as Armeen leaned in and kissed Aya’s hand softly. His anger increased tenfold, when he noticed the slight blush in Aya’s cheeks. He had expected her to punch him across the jaw, maybe grapple him to the floor in one of her famous arm-breaking locks. But blush? That was the last thing he had anticipated.
Before the pirate had even let go of Aya’s hand, Falcon had already made up his mind. He definitely hated Captain Armeen.
Chapter 12
When Falcon opened the door to the Inn, he found Sheridan sleeping in one bed while Hiromy slept soundly in the other.
Sheridan opened his groggy eyes and stared up, his face clearly begging for more rest. He didn’t seem surprised in the slightest by the fact that a hooded man accompanied Falcon. “Where are Nakatomi and Hemstath?” He threw his head back down and buried it under the white pillow.
“Get up. We found a ship to take us across. Aya and Faith are waiting with the pirates.”
“That was fast. I was hoping it would take you at least a day. I need my rest.”
“Where is this bag of oil rocks you spoke so fondly off?” asked Armeen, his blue eyes darting around the room.
“Where is the bag?” asked Falcon, ignoring Armeen’s question. He needed to get back to the girls as soon as possible. Aya might have trusted Armeen, but Falcon had his doubts. A pirate was never to be trusted.
Finally, Sheridan stood. He slipped his shoes on and opened the drawer the rested between both beds. He grabbed the bag and tossed it to Falcon. “There.” Then he looked over at Armeen, as if having just realizing he was there. “And who the blazes are you?”
“This is Armeen,” said Falcon, lazily motioning toward his companion. “The man who owns the ship we’ll be riding across.”
“Captain Armeen,” corrected the man. “Commander of the finest ship to have ever sailed the fourteen seas. The Gold Chaser.”
“What an original name,” said Falcon, rolling his eyes. “Way to mask your intentions.”
“What’s your last name, captain?” asked Sheridan.
“Daku,” answered Armeen absentmindedly. His eyes were settled on the bag of oil rocks. “Those are the real things all right. They must have been hard to come by.”
“Don’t you worry about that.” Falcon held the leather pouch a bit closer. The oily smell drifted before him as he turned to Sheridan. “Wake Hiromy up so we can leave.”
“She barely had time to rest,” said Sheridan. “It was hard enough getting her to sleep by herself. She wanted me to lay beside her.” He tapped her shoulder lightly.
“Why didn’t you?” asked Falcon.
He shrugged. “Not sure. It seems wrong someh
ow. We were alone. I thought—”
Armeen laughed loudly. “A girl wants to snuggle with you and you run away scared?”
“Shhhh!” Sheridan brought his finger to his lips, but it was too late.
Hiromy sat up yelling at the top of her lungs. “A voice in my head. Get away!” Icicles formed in her fingers. She swung, cutting Sheridan across his arm. She turned her attention at Falcon and Armeen, tossing the sharp ice at them.
Falcon fire wielded the air in front of him, turning the deadly attack into a simple splash of water. Armeen rocked his head back. The icicles missed his head by inches as they encrusted themselves on the wall.
Falcon blinked, surprised at the captain’s quick reflexes. The near death experience didn’t seem to have scared him in the slightest. He was still grinning, apparently satisfied at what he’d caused.
“Calm down,” cried Sheridan. “It’s just us.” He held his hands up pleadingly.
“Sh...Sheridan.” The girl’s gaze travelled over to the injury she caused. It did look rather gruesome. A small flap of skin was hanging off, and blood was travelling down his arm, dripping loudly on the floor. “I did this. I hurt you.” Her voice was soft.
“No.” Sheridan took a small rag and sloppily wrapped it around his injury. “It’s nothing. I just fell. That’s all.”
“You’re lying.” Hiromy pouted her lips, her voice pained. There was no questioning whether she was crying or not now. Her small frame shook as tears trickled down her cheeks and onto the cushion. “I hurt you. I’m a danger. I did it with the worm, and now I did it again.”
“No…no…” Sheridan ran over to the sobbing princess and embraced her in a hug. Even he looked as though he might break out in tears, which was strange. He was usually so happy and carefree. Their foreheads met as he looked into her eyes. “It’s only a small cut. Hemstath will heal it, no problem.” Despite his words, Hiromy didn’t look convinced.
“Sheesh,” said Armeen. “A lot of drama going on here.” He raised an eyebrow as his eyes travelled up and down Hiromy’s tight fitting suit. “Can’t complain with the lassies, though. Very beautiful.”
Falcon took a heavy breath. The more he listened to the captain speak, the more he wanted to sock him in the jaw. The fact that he always seemed to have that suave aura hanging around him only made things worse. Despite his feelings, he stayed quiet. They needed a captain. And for better or worse, Armeen was all they had.
~~~
It took much longer to leave than Falcon had expected. Hiromy kept on stopping to point at the, in her words, “beautiful clouds that flew across the blue sea in the sky.” It took even longer to find Armeen’s ship.
“I can’t simply leave it docked in the Makeda pier, can I?” complained Armeen when Falcon voiced, for the third time, how annoying it was that they had to traverse deep into the woods to find his ship. “The guards would confiscate her in hurry.”
“Her?” Falcon lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes. The Gold Chaser is the most powerful vessel you will ever see, and she’s the fastest as well.”
As if on cue, the ship’s mast came into view. And though he didn’t want to, Falcon found that he had to agree with Armeen’s description of the ship. It certainly looked imposing enough. The mast towered over even the highest trees surrounding the lake. Plain black sails were attached to the mast, giving the ship a grandiose look. The rigging and the long red hull looked brand new, as if they had been barely built (or barely stolen).
“How in Va’siel did you manage to get such a large ship onto this lake unnoticed?” asked Sheridan. He looked as impressed as Falcon.
Armeen didn’t answer immediately. He remained quiet, looking slightly offended. Finally he spoke. “The sea clears out into a short but wide river miles behind Makeda. The river, in turn, feeds into this lake. If the authorities in Makeda paid more attention to what surrounds them, I have no doubt they would find the ship in no time. Lucky for us, they don’t.” He pointed at the ship as Aya, Faith, Captain Redclaw and dozens of pirates came into view. They were all standing at the edge of the lake, not doing much. “But if you want to know how that ship got in here, then you’ll have to ask Captain Redclaw. You see, that is his ship.”
“His ship?” Falcon strained his eyes, searching. “I don’t see any more masts from this distance. Where’s your ship?”
“You’ll see it once we get a little closer,” Armeen said, meeting his eyes. “Trust me when I say, you won’t be disappointed.”
He did indeed see the ship once they got closer to the edge of the lake. His heart sank as he noticed the old, scratched hull that looked as if it might shatter if you looked at it the wrong way. Unlike Redclaw’s ship, the Gold Chaser had three masts, though they were much shorter. Each mast had four long flags, giving the entire ship a total of twelve. Unlike the dark flags on the large ship, this one had white flags. At least Falcon thought they were once white. They were now so stained with yellow and black blotches that it was hard to tell.
Falcon swore under his breath, as he came to grips with the fact that the their entire mission rested on a slab of old wood that didn’t look as if it could get them out of this lake, let alone across the sea. Maybe it wasn’t too late to switch to Redclaw’s ship. He was sure he could work out some type of compromise. But Aya shattered whatever hopes he had of jumping ships.
“What do you think?” she said once they were face to face. She motioned over at the Gold Chaser. “The Chaser sure looks fast enough, doesn’t she? The mast layout is a bit archaic, but the sleek design is sure to cut through the sea in no time.”
Armeen grinned and took a step closer to Aya. “You’re a lassie after my heart. You sure know your ships. You must, no doubt, travel a lot.”
“Only a little. Most of it I learned from books.”
Ignoring the scene before him, Falcon marched over to Redclaw. “A deal is a deal. Here.” He set the bag in Redclaw’s waiting, gigantic hands.
Clearly satisfied, Redclaw brought the bag to his nose and sniffed. “Yes, that’s the real stuff.” He tossed the bag to a short man behind him. “Mr. Nathal. Put those in the coal engine. With some favorable winds and the power of the coal, I have no doubt we can sail into Illusionary Island by nightfall. I intend to put my time to proper use and get drunk tonight.”
The men cheered. “Hurrah!”
“If you really wanted to help people and put your ship to good use, you would raid the Suteckh.” Falcon met gazes with the bearded captain. “Not just get drunk.”
“Say that again!” Redclaw’s face turned as red as his beard.
“Surely. You say that you steal to help the common folk, but if that was true you would raid the Suteckh, not just Imperial ships. The Suteckh are the ones that are trying to take over Va’siel, after all.”
Redclaw reached for his broadsword. The men behind him did the same. Falcon reached for his dual swords as well, but before he had a chance to bring them out, Faith stepped between him and the captain.
“Please put away your weapons,” she said.
Falcon was surprised to see that the large man obeyed, signaling for his men to follow suit.
“What Falcon says is true. The Suteckh are a menace to Va’siel. Having the aid of you and your ship would surely be of great value.” Redclaw brought up his hand to retort, but Faith continued before he could say a word. “However, you’re free to do as you wish. If you’d rather not cross the Suteckh, then we respect that and won’t judge you because of it.” She unexpectedly moved toward the captain and gave him a hug, which seemed to have caught everyone by surprise, including Redclaw. He staggered back, his mouth quiet for once. “All your help was much appreciated, sir.”
Redclaw patted her back, his arms so large that Faith seemed to have gotten lost somewhere between them. “You truly do remind me so much of my daughter, Rosalina.” He stepped back. For a split second, Falcon thought he saw a tear wanting to form in the captain’s eye. “I will ponder on your words,
young miss. But don’t expect much. I have no desire to cross blades with the Suteckh.”
And just like that, he was gone. He boarded the Crimson Maiden without bothering to say goodbye to anyone but Faith, grabbed the ship’s wheel and piloted his ship out of the lake.
Falcon offered him an energyless grunt. He watched, with spirits draining, as the majestic ship moved down the river, toward the sea. The large mermaid figurehead at the front seemed to mock him. He swore he could almost hear the laughter echoing in the rippling water. His eyes travelled over to the ship that was left over.
One by one, they boarded the ship. The crew was much smaller than Falcon had anticipated. Including Armeen, there were a dozen pirates. Most of them wore raggedy shirts and dirt-stained loose pants. Short broadswords hung by their waists.
“Are you coming or not?” asked Armeen, standing atop his ship. That was when Falcon realized that he was the only one who had yet to board the ship.
He stepped on the ramp, his footsteps echoing noisily. He looked over at Armeen and motioned toward the words that had been sloppily scratched on the side of the ship. They read: The Gold Chaser. They were deep an uneven, as if someone had taken a knife to it.
Armeen beamed, as if the words were written in majestic gold. “It may not look like much, but the Gold Chaser can run circles around any ship out there. That includes any Suteckh ship and the Crimson Maiden.” And, quite suddenly, he took the hands of all three girls and kissed them softly. He took an annoyingly long time holding Aya’s hand. “It is my great honor to welcome you three lassies to my pride and joy. Allow me to give you a tour of the deck and the bottom of ship.”
Falcon and Sheridan were left standing alone as they watched the girls disappear below deck with the captain.
“It’s going to be a long trip,” said Sheridan. His face was twisted somewhere between anger and shock. The fact that Hiromy had left his side so willingly had obviously gotten to him.
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