by Marlow York
“Not me, that old man!” He jabbed his finger at Roger and the two men howled with laughter.
“I’m surprised to see you upright,” I said as Saven and I made our way up the gangplank. “You seemed a little…what’s the word? Tipsy, last night.”
“Me, tipsy? Ha!” Sula laughed. “Takes more than a few shots of whiskey and a keg of Three Winds Specialty to put me on the floor.”
“Gross.” Saven shuddered.
“When did you all get here?” I asked.
“First light.” Roger and the other men sweated in the cool morning breeze. “The Mutt might be ready to go sooner than I expected. Last time I did all the repairs myself, but this time I have all sorts of hands!”
“This time we actually like you, old man,” Sula joked.
“Come over here and see how old I am!” Roger grunted.
“Alright, back to work,” Cypress joined in.
“Who died and made you captain?” Roger feigned anger until Cypress frowned, then laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “At ease, young man, it’s only a joke.”
I smiled as I watched Roger banter with the others. We hadn’t known him very long, but I never would have suspected this was the same lonely, heartbroken man we found living alone in the forest.
Cypress beamed as he walked over. “How are you?” His eyes shifted to Saven and quickly back to me.
“I’m fine. Felt nice to sleep in.” Bashfulness unexpectedly washed over me, and I had to glance away from his gaze. “Wish I could say the same for Anza.”
“Is she sick?”
“Yes, quite.” I raised my eyebrows pointedly. “How are you?”
“Fine, fine. Had a bit of a headache this morning, but I didn’t drown myself in ale like she did.”
An awkward pause fell over us. My mouth went dry and I shuffled my feet. Is this what attraction did to people? My only other experience was the crush I’d had on Darvin, but in all the time I worked with him we rarely spoke to each other. It was different with someone who was a friend. How was I supposed to act? What was I supposed to say?
“You’re thinking way too much into this,” Saven droned.
I shot him a quick glare. Fortunately, Cypress didn’t notice as he was fidgeting with the rag he’d used to wipe sweat from his brow.
“So, what else needs to be done on the boat?” I asked him.
“Nothing at the moment,” Cypress said. “One of the Blackguards came by a while ago and said Captain Lagan wants to speak with us as soon as possible.”
“Why didn’t you come get us?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Sleep is important, and you barely get any. I figured you deserved a rest.”
“I agree,” Saven chimed in.
They had a point. “Let’s go now. We’ll pick up Anza on the way.” I looked over at Roger as he assessed the deck for signs of damage. “Are you coming with us?”
“No, no.” Roger waved me off. “I fully support your battle against the City, but I have no part in it. My job was to take you to your potential allies, the rest is up to you.”
His smile was edged in sadness and it made me wonder if he felt like an outsider here. The people of Three Winds liked and respected him, but he was just a normal human. His lack of powers made him odd, whereas my powers had made me an outcast among my own people. I knew exactly how he felt.
“We’ll fill you in later,” I told him. “When we come back to help you fix up your boat.”
Roger’s grin widened. “I look forward to it.”
✽ ✽ ✽
After dragging Anza out of bed, Sula escorted us to Captain Lagan and Calima’s home. The farther we walked from the port, the quieter the town became. Playing children darted across the road, their mothers bustling about small, grassy yards. The young ones stared at Saven and Mjoll. A little girl burst into tears and begged her mother to pick her up.
“Oh, dear,” Saven said quietly, dipping his head.
“Don’t feel bad,” I reassured him. “It’s not every day one sees a massive snake and a mountain lion on an island.”
The captain’s house looked much like the others—a two-story structure made of blue-grey stone set back from the street. A brown and black goat with long, floppy ears munched grass in the small yard. Windchimes made of seashells clacked delicately in the wind as we approached. Moments later, Calima’s face appeared in the front window. She watched us make our way up the dirt path before she disappeared behind a curtain and opened the blue wooden door.
“Welcome, friends.” Her voice was low and smooth. She smiled at Sula. “Thank you for bringing them.”
He bowed his head before he turned and left.
Calima directed her attention to the Animal Gods. “We will be meeting in the dining room, just over there.” She pointed to the left side of the house. “The windows are open, and you’re welcome to join our conversation.”
“This is a strangely pleasant reception,” Saven said.
“It is refreshing to meet someone who understands how to respect the Animal Gods,” Anza said. Her face was still pale, but she did her best to stand straight.
Calima stepped aside, ushering the three of us into the house.
The interior was larger than the average Fiero home and far less cluttered than Cypress’s house. The furniture was all handmade from wood, but surely a different type of lumber than could be found around my village. Dried herbs and seaweed hung from the ceiling. The counters held several decorative items harvested from the sea. I paused at a windowsill to admire a round white shell with a flower shape in the center.
“That’s a sand dollar,” Calima said gently, coming up behind me. “They sometimes wash up on shore on the other side of the island. They are often broken by the surf, but people say it’s good luck if you manage to find a whole one.”
“Is it a shell?”
“It’s more like a skeleton.”
“Fascinating.” Saven peered through the open window and curiously flicked his tongue.
As we headed into the dining room, I paused to appreciate the air flowing through the open windows. The breeze was soft and cool, hardly disturbing the flowy curtains. Each time the wind picked up, Calima’s eyes grew distant. Sometimes she tilted her head or smiled a little, no doubt listening to voices the rest of us would never hear.
Five chairs circled the wooden table, each set with a teacup and saucer. In the middle stood a three-tier serving platter with squares of small yellow cakes expertly displayed and waiting patiently. My stomach growled as I stared at the cakes. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d tasted anything sweet.
Anza groaned softly and closed her eyes.
“Do not throw up in here,” I snapped at her.
“Quiet, Fiero,” she replied weakly.
“We heard the activity at the North Star all the way here.” Calima glanced at Anza’s face. “I brewed some peppermint tea just in case you all needed it.”
“One of us definitely does.” Cypress nodded at Anza with a devilish grin.
“Please, sit.” Calima gestured to the table before Anza could retort.
I took the white teacup in my hands and looked at its smooth sides, gently painted with delicate flowers. “These are beautiful.”
“Thank you. I made them myself.” I set the cup down and Calima filled it with steaming tea. I inhaled deeply, sighing as mint filled my senses. “Help yourselves to some cake. I’ll let Lagan know you’re here.”
She disappeared around the corner and padded up the stairs before Anza spoke. “I cannot believe she is the same woman who nearly drowned us in the ocean.”
“I’m surprised by how welcoming they are, especially compared to every other village we’ve visited.” Cypress took a cake from the platter. Upon the first bite, his eyes went wide and he sighed with satisfaction.
“People on the mainland assume the City could capture or kill them. Here, everyone seems confident in their safety.” As I lifted a piece of cake to my mouth, th
e scent of almond filled the air. I had only smelled almond extract a few times in my life, as it was an expensive ingredient most Fiero couldn’t afford.
My mind flashed with a memory of Glenna’s bakery. She had recently baked almond cookies with a thin, sugary glaze. She broke a cookie in half, passing a piece to me and Jenassa. We savored the rich sweetness, the bold burst of almond. We even picked the crumbs from our shirts and pressed them to our tongues, careful not to waste a single piece of the gift she’d given us.
Saven hissed softly to my left, breaking my concentration. I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked back tears. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice. Without taking a bite, I set the cake down on my plate and sipped warm tea instead.
“But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be wary of outsiders,” Anza said. “Seems foolhardy and naïve, if you ask me.”
I glanced around the clean, simple house. The inside was painted white and blue, making the entire room seem brighter and larger than it was. As I looked into my pretty teacup, my stomach clenched with jealousy and I remembered the crudely thrown clay mugs my family had drank out of. Was this what luxury looked like? Did the City Dwellers live in beautiful white homes with ornately carved furniture and hand-painted dinnerware?
“Jealousy doesn’t serve us,” Saven reminded me. “Once we defeat the City, we can create our own idea of luxury.”
“I know, I know,” I said, feeling like a selfish child.
Heavy footsteps came down the stairs. We turned and saw Captain Lagan, dressed in a simple tunic and pants with his long dark hair tied neatly in a ponytail at the back of his neck. Seeing him and Calima away from the ships and dressed in flowy clothing dissolved much of their intimidation.
“Good morning, everyone.” Captain Lagan took a seat at the head of the table and waited patiently as Calima poured him a cup of tea. He lifted the lid off a glass jar of honey, dipped his spoon in, and watched as the amber liquid drizzled into his cup. Calima sat beside him and poured herself some tea. We watched and waited, but neither said a word.
Anza grew impatient. “We came here to discuss the City,” she said. “More specifically, how we intend to destroy it.”
Captain Lagan’s hand paused its gentle stirring. His dark eyes flicked to Anza at the other end of the table. She stubbornly held his gaze.
The captain removed the spoon and set it down on a saucer. He slowly lifted the cup to his lips and drank deeply. He sighed with approval and set the cup back down. “That’s a bold goal for three young people with two Animal Gods between them.”
“It won’t be just us,” I said. “The Grakkir and Secara are willing to fight. Grakkir Warriors are training the Secara as we speak. We’ve come a long way seeking assistance from the Istkaal and Theria.”
“We aren’t the only ones you’ve asked, I hope?” Captain Lagan said.
“No. We approached the Nordahl and the people of Edgewood,” Cypress said. “However, Edgewood is consumed by Sickness and many are ill or dead. King Atlas refused to help.”
“Let me guess,” Captain Lagan said. “He thinks the Nordahl are safe underground?”
Cypress and I nodded, and I was surprised by how much he knew of the other clans.
Captain Lagan gave a humorless laugh and Calima shook her head. “Prideful, stubborn man,” she spat. “The Nordahl were better off when his father was alive.”
“How do you know so much about the people of the mainland if you’re all the way out here?” I asked. “Did Roger tell you with the ravens?”
“No, no.” Captain Lagan chuckled as though it were a silly question. “Roger was only instructed to tell us if the City was making frequent appearances in the forest near his home.”
“Wind and water are all around us.” Calima looked at me with powerful eyes. “They are perhaps the only elements that can be everywhere all at once. They live inside us and in spite of us. They tell as many secrets as they keep, and so we can know almost anything that happens shortly after it occurs. Like the attack on your village. And yours.” Her gaze left me and moved to Anza. “The winds cried the day the Fiero were destroyed, and they have been on edge ever since.”
My focus drifted to the table, then toward Anza. She glanced at me, her eyes no longer burning with hatred but tinged with empathy.
“We do not wish to seem apathetic,” Captain Lagan said. “Much as we love our island and have managed to thrive here, our people deserve to travel freely anywhere in the world. This all may appear easy to outsiders like yourselves, but we struggle every day to maintain a high level of freedom and prosperity for our people. I would offer the Istkaal’s assistance, but I need to know it won’t be in vain. My people are prepared to die for a chance to overthrow the City, but I will not send them on a suicide mission.” He looked down at Calima’s hand resting on the tabletop and placed his on top of hers. “I will not gamble with the lives of the people I love.”
I watched the way Calima’s eyes softened as she looked at her husband. He forced a smile, but both their expressions were pained with worry. Something deeper was hidden there.
“We would never demand anyone to do something they weren’t truly prepared to do,” Cypress said. “We know the odds of us winning a fight against the City are very slim, but we think we need to take that chance. They’re no longer willing to sit back and pretend we aren’t alive. They’re actively hunting people with Ancient Blood and they won’t stop unless we force them to stop.”
Captain Lagan held his wife’s eyes, then slowly turned to us. “I agree with you completely, young man.”
“So, you’ll join us?” I asked.
They exchanged looks again. Calima gave a small encouraging smile, then turned to us. “The Istkaal and Theria are on your side.”
We all grinned at each other. My heart fluttered as I realized this was the biggest group of recruits we had yet.
Mjoll growled deep in her throat, interrupting my celebration. Saven hissed and flicked his tongue. “Something is wrong,” he said.
“What is it? What do you smell?” I asked him.
He gazed towards the port. “Panic and fear.”
A gust of wind howled through the open windows, sending the curtains into a frenzied dance. Calima shot out of her chair. “The Theria Blackguards have spotted an airship heading this way. It’s traveling quickly.”
Anza drew her sword. We rushed out of the house, speeding down the street. The wind screamed in our ears while the ocean’s waves tumbled and crashed against the docks. People abandoned their work and scurried for shelter. All except the Blackguards. Two large ships and two smaller ones left the port, heading for the horizon. A familiar humming sound carried across the water and I searched the sky until my eyes fell on two scouting ships heading our way.
Their small, sleek bodies were built for quick movements and they somehow managed to maneuver easily through gusts of wind. They swiftly changed direction, one veering to the east, the other to the west.
“They’re circling the island,” I said.
“They’re looking for easy targets.” Anza pointed.
I followed her finger and saw small boats hurrying from the other islands back to the main one. The largest was a tugboat, but the rest were row boats.
We reached the docks, but instead of boarding the Nautilus, Captain Lagan hopped into a smaller craft with two other Blackguards. “Stay here. Leave this to the sea dogs.”
Calima stepped into another boat, but Captain Lagan called over his shoulder. “Calima, you stay ashore too!”
“I’ll be fine!” she argued.
“It’s not just you I’m worried about anymore, love. Stay there and handle it if they get closer to shore.”
Calima scowled but hopped back onto the docks, glaring as the boat left without her. The smaller crafts went in opposite directions, aiming to intercept the scouting airships before they could reach their targets.
“And we’re just supposed to sit here and watch?” Anza lamented.
Calima sighed. “Unfortunately.” She pursed her lips and her hand rested on her stomach.
I glanced down, then up at her face. “Are you…pregnant?”
She looked at me. “Yes, dear. I’ve been fighting with Lagan to let me keep up with the Blackguards, but he seems to think I’m better off sitting it out.”
“Perhaps he’s right,” I suggested.
Her jaw clenched, but she hid her irritation well. “I want to fight just as badly as anyone else. It’s very frustrating to want to help those you love but feel so…”
“Helpless?” I offered.
She nodded. “I’m sure you understand better than anyone.”
I silently agreed and turned my attention to the airships. The Blackguards were prepared for a situation like this. The ships maneuvered into position, while those ashore had already run to the other ends of the island, ready to defend if they needed to. Captain Lagan’s boat sped towards a helpless rowboat at the end of the pack, one of its occupants rowing furiously while the other tried to blow the airship away. The scout was too fast and quickly rushed past, zipping dangerously low to the boat and peppering it with small objects.
“Is it shooting?” Cypress asked.
“I didn’t think those ships had weapons,” I said worriedly.
The rowboat took on water as its wooden side was filled with holes. The Therian man jolted suddenly, blood splattering from his chest. He grabbed his wounds, wobbled once, and tumbled overboard.
Captain Lagan shouted to the rowing man, “Hold steady!”
The man rowing dropped the oars and focused on the water. The surface just around the boat became still, even while the rest of the ocean rippled with waves. A Therian Blackguard aboard Lagan’s boat tried to throw the scouting ship off-course with a blast of wind, but the airship spun quickly for a few seconds before righting itself and rounding for another attack.
Captain Lagan stood at the front of the boat and lifted his arms. The airship streaked towards the rowboat. Tall spouts of water shot into the sky, surrounding the rowboat protectively. The scouting ship ran directly into one and was blasted straight into the air. Another man stood just behind Captain Lagan and moved his hands upward and to the left. The scouting ship became caught in a sudden whirlwind and was slammed violently into the sea. It struggled against the wind and water, but Captain Lagan had already moved his hands to direct the water into a tight whirlpool. The airship hissed and sputtered as it was dragged downward. Steam and smoke rose into the sky while the airship struggled to rise, its metal body pounded by wind and flooded with water. A loud pop snapped the air. The broken airship hissed as it sunk beneath the sea.