The captain raised an eyebrow at him. “If you do not wish to believe, that is your choice. My crew and all the tribes in this land are certain in what the Oracle has told, and they have seen the results with their own eyes. Those sand sails that were not given names became accursed, and they fell apart within a few cycles when the metal sickness weakened their structure.”
Zeren looked away, unconvinced. When Orilion had returned from his daily meetings with the Khanate retinue, it took a long time to convince him to try out this scheme. In the end, Zeren agreed he would take full responsibility for his actions if the agents of the Khan were to find out about it. Since Ailos had no other responsibilities- and he was the only other person who knew of the secret offer, the youth was therefore allowed to accompany him in the attempt to recover the cache of weapons. Orilion gave Zeren two vials of elixir, to be given to the Tooan chief once the shipment was delivered safely to the expedition.
For the next few hours no one said anything more. The power of the wind had increased considerably and the Infogh picked up speed, passing through a chain of boulders that had seemingly been planted there by unseen giant hands, as if to create a sort of natural rock wall in the middle of the sandy sea.
Once the Infogh made it past the rock barrier, the wind began to slacken once more. The vessel was now moving across hard packed sand, its wheels making a trail of broken up dirt behind it. Squinting his eyes, Zeren could see a black outcropping of rocks up ahead.
Captain Taukig pointed at the dark, stony landmass. “That is where the cache of goods lies.” He made a low whistle, and the crew started to angle the sail towards it.
Zeren nodded. He couldn’t wait to get this over with. They had already given the Tooan chief several bags of uncut gemstones, but the precious vials of vitae were hidden within the folds of his cloak, to be given over to the captain of the Infogh only after they had returned to the Lethean vessel with the aforementioned weapons and supplies. Orilion had wanted to keep the two vials in his lockbox back in their own vessel, but Zeren convinced him he should carry it, lest the Tooan tribe attempted a double-cross while they were out here. Since Orilion no longer had the elixirs with him, he could easily make excuses to the Khan’s court if the ploy was found out.
Two crewmen ran over to the rear of the main deck and began pulling at the wheel brakes to slow the land ship down, just as the vessel edged closer to the rock outcropping. In contrast to the pale desert sands they were travelling on, the boulders of the stone pile were made of solid black obsidian, making their details much harder to fathom. In a matter of minutes, the Infogh had slowed to a halt, the front of its hull less than ten paces from the base of the outcropping. Captain Taukig made another low whistle, and the crew quickly took out several torches from the hold and began igniting them with flint and steel.
Zeren frowned as several of the crewmen slid down from the main deck and onto the beige sand, carrying their lighted torches. He turned to glance at the captain. “Is it wise to have torch lights out here? We can be seen from many leagues away with the clear eventide sky and the flatlands around us.”
Captain Taukig chuckled. “You worry too much. There is no one within fifty leagues of us. Do you want my men to stumble about along the blackened rocks, trying to dig for that cache?”
Zeren bit his lip.
Ailos was restless, and he wanted to be more than just an observer. “Could I help the crew?”
The captain smiled. “Of course, boy! Go ahead and join them on the rocks.”
Ailos looked at Zeren. “May I?”
The former Lethean bandit nodded. “Yes, perhaps we can finish this sooner with your help.”
With a yelp of joy, the apprentice freight-master ran over to the side of the deck. Within moments, he was rappelling down onto the ground using one of the leather ropes draped alongside the Infogh’s hull.
Captain Taukig cracked his knuckles. “My men know where the cache is. We should begin the return journey within the hour.”
Zeren placed his gauntleted hands on his hips. “Are you sure your men can be trusted?”
The captain scowled at him. “My men have served me loyally for many, many cycles. I can trust each one of them with my life.”
“Let us hope it does not come to that,” Zeren said.
“You Letheans are nothing but worry-warts.”
“We Letheans are used to intrigues and plots,” Zeren said. “Your political games are nothing compared to what I have experienced in my own city.”
“Be as it may, I—” the captain’s voice was interrupted by a loud clap coming from the outcropping. The portly man staggered for a bit, before he fell backwards onto the bronze flooring.
Zeren quickly ducked underneath the gunwale bordering the land ship’s deck. He knew from recent experience that the sound he had heard came from the firing of a gun. While propping his head up from the floor and trying to glance down at the rocks below, another shot narrowly missed him, hitting the side of the hull less than half a pace away from his face. “Ailos, return here at once! It is an ambush!”
More popping noises were heard on the ground, quickly followed by screams and the clashing of metal. Zeren stayed low as he half-crawled his way over to where the captain had fallen. Taukig lay on his back, breathing heavily as he clutched his chest.
Zeren whispered in his ear. “How bad is your injury?”
Taukig made a hoarse wheeze. “My … men. Save them.” He tried to pull the flintlock pistol from his belt, but he was already too weak from the loss of blood.
Zeren grabbed the pistol from the captain’s belt. He had fired guns before, and knew roughly how they worked. With his thumb, he locked back the firing mechanism and the weapon responded with a loud click. Using the ship’s steering wheel as cover, he got into a crouching position, ready and waiting for an attack.
At the other side of the ship, two men clambered up the hull using their own leather ropes and hooks. Zeren fired the flintlock at the first man the moment the pirate’s chest was exposed. The man took the shot, grunted and fell backwards, his body hitting the ground below with a muffled thud. Zeren had a small reserve of Vis, and he used his mindforce to slide forward on the smooth flooring while drawing his blade. The second pirate had barely gotten onto the deck when Zeren appeared in front of him and slashed at his throat. The raider let out a half scream before the gushing blood from his torn carotid artery muffled his death cry, and the mortally wounded man fell sideways along the edge of the main deck.
Three desperate crewmen began climbing up on the opposite side while crying out for help. Zeren ran back to where the captain was and started searching the wounded man’s belt for any additional shot and powder, but due to the absence of any torchlight on the deck he could barely see and had to abandon the idea.
The lead crewman had almost made it onto the deck when another shot rang out from the rocks. The slug tore into his spine and he fell back down onto the ground below. The second crewman had managed to climb onto the deck as another shot narrowly missed him. The third man gave up and jumped back onto the sandy ground, just as a attacker came rushing towards him, sword in hand.
Zeren grabbed the lone crewman by the collar of his tunic. “Do you have more guns?”
The man looked at him with wild eyes. He was literally shaking with fright while pointing at the trapdoor leading to the sand sail’s hold. “D-down there. We have perhaps four muskets.”
Zeren pushed him towards the middle of the deck. “Grab them and make sure they are ready to fire.”
The third crewman still on the ground had drawn a short sword from his waistline and was holding his own against an attacker before a second pirate came running out and joined in. Both raiders pressed the assault, and the second marauder was able to stab his outnumbered victim in the left arm, causing the crewman to cry out in pain. Hiding near a boulder, Ailos suddenly came from behind the second pirate and used his dagger to stab at the surprised man’s kidneys. The second pi
rate screamed out in pain as he fell to the ground, momentarily distracting his ally. The third crewman used the sudden advantage by lunging forward and stabbed the first pirate in his groin, severely wounding the other raider, who also fell to his knees in agony.
Ailos quickly began to climb up the ropes, with a healthy boost from the third crewman’s still functioning right arm. Zeren used his mindforce to help get Ailos quickly onto the deck. The second crewman ran up to them, carrying a musket in each hand. Just as Zeren tried to pull up the third crewmember using a rope tied to his good arm, another shot rang out from somewhere along the rocks. The wounded man was hit in the head, and he died instantly.
Zeren grimaced as he pulled Ailos down behind the gunwale of the Infogh. “Can you man these sails?”
The youth nodded. “Yes, Zeren. I have spent many days helping the crew of our own vessel.”
Zeren pointed at the remaining crewman. “Then do not tarry! Get this vessel moving!”
Gripping the ropes of the main sail, the crewman used his weight to shift the angle of the mast. He glanced back at Zeren. “You must release the brakes!”
Zeren ran to the rear of the deck, and began to pull the lever to lift the brakes on the wheels. A musket ball zinged past his head, barely missing him. Grimacing with desperation, Zeren gestured with his hand, using a bit more of the mindforce to fully disengage the stoppers holding back the wheels of the land ship. The Infogh shifted sideways as its sails finally caught the wind, and the vehicle began to lurch forward.
The last crewman glanced at Ailos who was holding onto the ropes of the aft sail. “Shift slightly to port!”
The youth did as he was told, and the Infogh began to pick up speed as it started to extend some distance from the rock outcropping. Another pirate had held onto the ropes and was making his way onto the deck when he looked up and saw Zeren staring down at him. The raider let out a surprised shriek just before Zeren fired a musket ball right into his face. He was dead before his body hit the ground.
With only one pair of hands holding the lines of the mainsail, the crewman’s muscles were strained, as he could barely shift the mast for the proper angle to catch the wind. The Infogh’s speed slowed down as a result. Nevertheless, they were already well past a hundred paces from the intended ambush, making their escape.
Zeren stayed by the ship’s wheel, occasionally adjusting the steering to dodge the boulders that jutted out from the sands. The Infogh’s direction could be changed slightly by making alterations to the front wheels. “Can we get more speed?”
The crewman gritted his teeth. His whole body was stretched to its limits as he leaned back while clutching the leather ropes of the mainsail. “I need … another to help me.”
Ailos was busy tying the ropes harnessing the aft sail onto the lower rigging to keep it steady when he noticed movement in the stony ridges at their distant flank. The youth turned and made a loud gasp. “Zeren, look! Over there.”
Zeren craned his neck and shouted a curse. There was another sand sail that glided out into the open, at their starboard direction. Previously hidden behind a rock wall, the vessel must have brought the raiders into the area for the ambush. The pirate land ship seemed to be fully crewed, for it rapidly picked up speed and began an intercept course towards them.
Captain Taukig was drifting in and out of consciousness while lying on the deck of the Infogh. “What … is happening?”
“These marauders have their own sand sail,” Zeren said glumly. “We do not have the numbers to increase our speed.”
“You must … surrender,” Taukig said softly. “Ask for mercy.”
Zeren grimaced. “Mercy? They slaughtered most of your crew!”
The mortally wounded captain closed his eyes once more. Zeren sensed he would expire soon enough.
Ailos ran over to the mainsail while glancing at Zeren, tears of desperation in his eyes. “Zeren, what do we do?”
Zeren pointed at the gap in the rock wall. “Do whatever you can to harness the wind. We must reach the opening between the cliffs before they can catch us!”
Both Ailos and the last surviving crewman held onto the ropes of the mainsail, trying desperately to angle it to catch the wind, but the pirate ship had now closed to within musket range. A series of loud popping noises erupted from the attacking vessel’s deck. One musket ball impacted the side of Ailos’s head and the youth fell sideways onto the bronze flooring.
Zeren cried out in despair. “Ailos!”
The crewman glanced down at the fallen youth while still tugging at the ropes guiding the sail. “He is with the Maker now. All who is left is you and I.”
No sooner had the man uttered those words when the attackers from the other ship fired a second barrage. The crewman was shot in his torso several times and he fell onto the deck, while a metal ball impacted Zeren’s right deltoid, just below his shoulder. The shot went through his brigandine armor and embedded itself in the stringy arm muscle underneath.
Zeren howled in pain but he kept his grip on the Infogh’s steering wheel. He could see the faces of the enemy as they lined the deck of the other ship that was pulling up alongside of him. There must have been at least two dozen of them, and half were armed with guns.
Someone from the other ship began to shout at him. “You! Surrender your vessel and we shall allow you to live!”
Zeren gritted his teeth. Not once, in all his times as a bandit in Lethe, had he ever been taken prisoner. A potent mixture of fear and desperation coursed through him, making the pain on his arm less distracting. He still had some Vis left, sufficient for a series of strikes, but not enough to prevail against their sheer numbers. Zeren could see the stony ridge coming up ahead, but the enemy sand sail was so close now, and he could see the enemy preparing to throw grappling hooks to the side of the Infogh.
Another musket shot whizzed by his head, forcing him to duck down beneath the gunwale. They were going to board the ship no matter what. The only logical choice was to surrender and throw himself at their mercy. Unless…
That was it, Zeren thought. Using his remaining Vis, he gathered his mindforce into a ball of unseen energy and hurled it at the Infogh’s mainsail as he turned the steering wheel as hard to starboard as possible. The combination of wind and energy forces suddenly doubled the Infogh’s speed, and its metal beak rammed into the side of the enemy vessel, just as the raiders had began to board.
The near-instant collision threw a number of the enemy into the air as both vessels violently smashed into each other. The forward momentum of the Infogh was enough to hurl both sand sails into the nearby rock walls. The second impact crumpled the side hull of the pirate vessel, while the front wheels of the Infogh came loose as both land ships crashed into the stone barrier. Most of the enemy crew had been tossed about like dust motes in the air between the two impacts, their hapless selves thrown forcefully into the sandy ground, while a few had their bodies smashed in between the two crippled vessels.
Chapter 10
The cavern entrance lay exposed to the side of the bluff, allowing the outside air currents numerous branching shafts with which to flow into. The sound of the winds would transform themselves into a low, almost melancholy howling as it breezed through the natural rock formations. It seemed like the gusts of air were a living thing, passing along their timeless messages in a mysterious language only the gods could possibly understand.
Miri frowned as she leaned by the side of the cavern’s maw and looked down at the rocky pier that partly shielded the expedition’s sand sail from the elements. “Are you sure they had left at eventide?”
Orilion sat cross-legged at the opposite end. “Yes, I saw the both of them off myself.”
“Did anyone from the Khan’s retinue witness the launching of the Tooan tribe’s sand sail?”
He shook his head. “I do not believe so.”
“Are you certain?”
“I cannot be certain of anything,” Orilion said sheepishly. “If we had yo
u with us, I would have asked you use your mindsense to detect any hostile or suspicious intent amongst our hosts.”
Miri crossed her arms. She had just returned with the boy, and had received the news not long after she put Rion to bed in a nearby chamber. “If I was with you last eventide, I would have never agreed to such a reckless plot.”
“I am sorry, Miri,” Orilion said softly. “It just seemed like a good scheme. Zeren was very keen on the bargain, especially with the rumblings of a possible war.”
Miri scowled. “Zeren is reckless to the point of foolhardiness. He is an excellent battler and a powerful Magus, but his many weaknesses evens out his strengths. You should have dissuaded him from such a nonsensical ploy.”
Orilion made an audible sigh. “Yes, you are right. I was perhaps quite frustrated because of a lack of progress in our trade agreement with the Khanate. Those rumors of a possible rift between the tribes of this area also present a danger to us. You may have noticed they do not seem to have bows out here, but use muskets instead. I was merely hoping to get some weapons for protection.”
“And in doing so, you may have exposed us to even greater danger by defying the Khanate’s wishes,” Miri said.
“I regret my decision, Miri. But what do we do now?”
“Zeren’s failure to return merely heaves more questions than answers,” Miri said. “We need to have an audience with this Chief Cinil of the Tooan Tribe.”
“Do you think he betrayed Zeren and took the vials of elixir for himself?”
“That is one possibility,” Miri said. “I have seen others resorting to depraved acts in their desperation to stave off the ravages of time. Rion was nearly bled to death when the Slave Revolt erupted in Lethe.”
“Do we accuse Cinil of robbery and take our cause to the Khatun then?”
Miri bit her lip. “If we do that then we will have admitted our own guilt when we secretly defied the Khatun and her commandments.”
Orilion stood up and dusted off his leather trousers. “Again, you are right. We must deal with him privately. But the complication is he left with his other sand sails to attend to his main holdings in Tooan territory. We would have to wait until he returns if we are to question him.”
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