The Aspect: The Cessation's Harbinger

by Ajax Lygan

  “That’s exactly right,” Tempest said, leaning toward him.

  The dwarven man looked down at the amount of gold and platinum that was on the counter and quickly changed his tone. “Well, all right then,” he said, sliding the coin into a small chest the size of his hand. “But the drinks will cost you extra.”

  “Fair enough, we need to charter a boat.”

  The barkeep froze, looked up and then began laughing. His laughter filled the room and was like someone hitting a hammer against an empty wooden barrel. “I think you’re a little late for that young master,” he said, padding his dry cloth to his eyes. “As I am sure you saw on your way in here, all the ships are gone.”

  Tempest turned and looked over his shoulder before turning back to the barkeep. “What about them?” he asked, pointing over his shoulder.

  The barkeep quickly scanned the room and leaned in close. “The only people here are those looking for an easy mark. I’m only telling you that because you paid well.”

  Tempest reached into his pouch and set a few more gold coins on the counter. “I appreciate the advice, but we can take care of ourselves.”

  “Suit yourself, young master.” The barkeep leaned in and began pointing out the few key players in the crowd. “The wulven to my right is Captain Longtooth. He’s your safest bet. He was kicked out of the Halairim Navy because he was caught smuggling on official transportation ships. Once he got out of the brig, he fell right back into his old life. He does a lot of jobs for the Navy that they want kept off the books. Now, the two avians in the middle there would tell you they have a ship, but I wouldn’t call it that. It’s more like a wooden door with a sheet tied to it.” Tempest noticed the barkeep pointed to the woman in the corner, hesitated and then stood back up.

  “What about the woman in the corner?” Tempest asked.

  The barkeep sighed and shook his head. “I would avoid her at all costs.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s Captain Samara Helmrunner. She’s a wildcard. She’ll accept your money, take you halfway, and throw you overboard just for the fun of it.” The barkeep leaned back in to whisper. “I had a buddy who told me his cousin Frank once took a job on her ship. After a week at sea, no one had heard from him again.”

  “Thanks for the tip,” Tempest said, turning around to the room. He took the barkeep’s advice and approached Captain Longtooth first.

  The wulven sitting in front of him had black fur with gray highlights. The scar on his upper lip revealed his left canine tooth. He wore a tattered blue officer coat with gray pants reminiscent of the Halairim Navy. He was quietly drinking himself into a stupor when Tempest approached. He pulled his head away from his drink as Tempest’s shadow covered him. He squinted his eyes upward, his head bobbing as he looked up.

  “What the fuck do you want?” he asked, his tone almost shouting.

  “Mind if I sit?” Tempest asked.

  “You buying the drinks?”

  “I got it,” Ella said, turning back toward the bar. In a few seconds, she and Saïgra returned with drinks for everyone. With a fresh mug set in front of him, Captain Longtooth kicked out the chair that was closest to him. Tempest grabbed the chair and scooted under the table.

  “We’re looking to charter a bo…”

  Captain Longtooth cut off his speech as he held up his hand. “Whoa, settle down. I haven’t even finished my drink yet.” Tempest gritted his teeth as he waited for the wulven man to gulp down the beverage that was just brought to him. In a matter of seconds, he downed it, informing every one of his satisfaction with an enormous belch. “Please proceed.”

  “As I was saying, we’re looking to charter a boat,” Tempest said, looking back and waving at Ella. She pulled out the map from the bank and placed it on the table. “We need to get to this island.”

  “Just you four?”

  “Just us.”

  “And how soon are you looking to leave?”

  “Immediately.”

  Captain Longtooth scoffed as he leaned back into his chair. “There’s no way I can leave right now. The damn city is on fire.”

  “What do you mean? Isn’t that a good reason to leave?”

  “For most, maybe, but not for me.”

  “We can pay.”

  Captain Longtooth just shook his head as he rocked in his chair. “It ain’t about pay. I’m on retainer for the Halairim Navy, and my orders are to stay put in case the city gets any worse than it already is. Now if you want to wait a few days, and hopefully this all blows over, I can take you, but for now my ass and my ship are staying here.”

  Tempest leaned forward in the chair, his leg pounding into the floor. With his decision made, he stood and gave his best smile. “I appreciate the offer, but we can’t wait that long.”

  When Tempest looked out at the bar’s remaining options, he noticed that Captain Helmrunner was standing there with her arms crossed, leaning against one of the booths not more than ten feet from them.

  When Tempest and she locked eyes, she waved him over. “Let’s talk.”

  Tempest followed her over to the corner booth she had originally been sitting in. He sat across from her while Ella and Saïgra sat at a circular table next to them and Riika leaned around from behind him. Now that he was sitting across from her, Tempest could finally get a good look at her.

  Her hair was one of her most defining features. Tentacles of varying length fell down the back of her head. The skin around her hair, and the sides of her arms and legs was a dark purple with blue pulsating dots that seemed to pulse with the beat of her heart. However, her face, breast, and stomach were several shades brighter.

  She wore a black-leather shoulder jacket that had a thick left pauldron of some symbol Tempest did not recognize. It did little to cover her yellow ruched-style bikini top that matched the sash draping down the front of her massive belt. As Tempest looked over at her, he noticed that she was toying with the gold hilt of a weapon she had sheathed.

  “So, are we just going to eye fuck each other or do some business?” she asked, leaning over the table.

  Tempest’s eyes went straight down toward Captain Helmrunner’s breast before he caught himself.

  “I’m Captain Samara Helmrunner, and you are?”

  “I’m Sir Tempest of Meadow’s Crest, this is Lady Riika Treehammer and Lady Ellazarra Fleetfoot, my wardens. Accompanying us is Lady Saïgra of the Firegrove.”

  “Quite the group you’ve got here,” she said, placing her boot up on the table. “Tell me what you need.”

  “I saw you snooping in on our conversation with Captain Longtooth,” Tempest said.

  “I didn’t try to hide it,” she said, shrugging.

  “Did you hear everything?”

  “Maybe, but I’d like you to tell me again.”

  Tempest bent over and waved Ella toward him. She pulled the map out again and placed it on the table. “We need passage to this island as soon as possible.”

  Captain Helmrunner leaned over and examined the map. When she saw the island Tempest pointed out, she frowned.

  “Why do you want to go there?”

  “You know the place?”

  “Yeah, it’s basically an island fortress. No one sails around that area; ships go missing.”

  Tempest turned to his companions, who all smiled at the newfound discovery. “That’s good news. How soon can we depart?”

  Captain Helmrunner’s jaw dropped in disbelief as she took in Tempest’s question. She shook her head as she leaned back into the booth. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”

  “Yes, I heard you, but that changes nothing for us. We need to get there, now.”

  “You still never answered my question,” she said, crossing her arms.

  “And I don’t intend to unless you take the job. We need you to get us there and get us back.”

  “It will cost ya.”

  “How much?” Tempest asked, pressing the coins in the endless pouch together. Captain Helmrunner sat
for a moment looking at Tempest as she bit her nail. Finally, she sat up.

  “Five hundred gold. With that I should be able to…”

  Tempest didn’t even let her finish her sentence. “Deal,” he said, extending his hand. “Half now and half when you bring us back.” Tempest watched her face balloon when she realized she’d quoted him too low of a price.

  She slowly extended her hand and shook Tempest’s as she leaned her face into her fist. Tempest wasn’t certain but it looked like her skin turned even darker with her mood.

  “Gather your things and follow me. I’ll take ya to the ship.”

  As the group gathered up and left, Tempest gave a salute to the barkeep, who just shook his head as they walked out the door. When they exited The Mermaid’s Clam, Captain Helmrunner led them down the docks to the left.

  “It’s a bit of a trek; we’re all the way on the end,” she said, pointing off into the distance. “That being the case, maybe you can give me the rundown on what we’re actually doing.”

  Tempest moved himself to the front to walk with Captain Helmrunner. “Long story short, we have reason to believe the patriarch for the Bank of Bothnan is running some kind of secret organization from the island. We believe they are the ones who attacked The Academy, kidnapped the lead investigator for Halairim, and tried to kidnap and kill me and my companions.”

  “Makes sense,” Captain Helmrunner said, casually.

  Tempest almost laughed at her response. “What do you mean, it makes sense?”

  “Oh, come on, all those old cock suckers running things have their hands in everything. They have the balls to call someone like me a pirate, thief, or scoundrel when they are doing the same thing clear as day? They just trick the people to look the other way by throwing them a bone every once in a while. The ones at the top are always the worst of the lot.”

  “Oh?” Tempest said, smirking. “So, you’re some sort of self-righteous Captain of the open seas?”

  “Please,” Captain Helmrunner said, smiling. “I’d never stoop that low. I’m at least honest about my flaws.”

  The two shared a short laugh as they continued on. Once they reached the edge of the dock, Captain Helmrunner turned and raised her hands toward the ship that came into view. “Welcome to Amnesty.”

  As soon as the ship came into view, Tempest began to regret his decision. The first thing he noticed was the bones of a humanoid strapped to the bowsprit like a macabre figurehead.

  “What’s with the decoration?” Tempest asked.

  “Oh that,” she said, pointing at the dead body. “That’s just Frank.”

  Tempest looked back at his companions as they were all quickly reminded of the barkeep’s story from earlier. The ship was as equally big as it was worn. The wood on the sides of the hull showed clear signs of rot. The masts looked to have been hastily repaired with beams of steel reinforcing cracks along the sides. Once they reached the deck, it creaked and groaned with every step they took. Tempest worried if the deck would hold long enough or if one wrong step would mean him plummeting toward the cargo hold.

  Once they were in the middle of the deck, Captain Helmrunner brought her hand to her mouth and let out a loud whistle. Like wraiths fading in through the deck work, dozens of the crew began appearing out of the cargo hold, over the side of the ship, and from around boxes on the deck.

  Tempest and his companions found themselves quickly surrounded.

  The crew were all manner of ubian. Several were the size of Riika, with large pointed teeth, gray skin, and spines pointed on their back. One had a head the shape of a hammer, with his eyes on the side and a small mouth with scissor-like teeth overflowing from it. Another had a dangling light attached to its head, which bloomed into giant, solid black eyes and teeth the size of Tempest’s arms.

  They all slowly began to close in on the group who was back-to-back, waiting for the attack to begin. Captain Helmrunner’s whistle sounded again as she shouted over everyone from one of the nearby shrouds.

  “Everyone listen up. This is Sir Tempest of Meadow’s Crest, Lady Riika Treehammer, Lady Ellazarra Fleetfoot, and Lady Saïgra of the Firegrove. They are paying us handsomely to take them to the island chain in between Halairim and Aerlanthir. You all know the one I am talking about. You are to treat their word like my own, unless it conflicts with what I’ve told you, in which case, you know what to do.”

  A rumbling of laughter rippled across the crew.

  “All right, let’s get this beautiful bitch seaworthy, we depart immediately.”

  “Aye, Captain!” the crew shouted in unison.

  As the crew scattered to perform their duties, Captain Helmrunner swung from the nearby shroud and dropped in front of the group. “Come this way. I’ll show you to your room.” She led them through a doorway that opened into a thin hallway with a hole in the floor, a wooden ladder leading down, a ladder leading up, and another wooden door straight ahead. Captain Helmrunner opened the door and waved everyone inside.

  The room was small and quaint. There was a fur lined bed in the corner, a dresser that overflowed with the Captain’s assortment of clothes, and several wooden chests lining the walls with massive steel locks on them. A wooden desk, with ink and pens strung about various parchments, sat in the middle of the room. Three windows with a wooden thatch pattern allowed for a fresh breeze to blow into the room. Unfortunately, this let a bit of the city’s smoke in, giving everything a gloomy tint.

  “I know it’s not much, but we’re used to mostly running goods, not people,” Captain Helmrunner said. “I’ll have the boys bring a few hammocks up from downstairs and tie them up for those who won’t be using the bed.”

  “Wow, thank you,” Tempest said. “You didn’t have to do this.”

  “What, am I going to have you sleeping down in the crew’s quarters with the boys? That’s just trouble waiting to happen. It’s easier for you all to stay in here, while I stay down there.”

  “It’s much appreciated, either way, Captain Helmrunner,” Saïgra said with a slight bow.

  The Captain moved to the center of the room and began shoving the parchment haphazardly into her desk before moving to her dresser and closing the door. She took one last scan of the room before stopping at the door. “Let me or one of the crew know if you need anything. I’ll be out and about.”

  “Actually,” Riika said, taking a step forward. “We were supposed to eat something at the Mermaid’s Clam, but given how fast things happened, we didn’t even have time to. Do you happen to have anything to eat?”

  Captain Helmrunner crossed her arms and frowned. “Wait, you didn’t bring anything with you, and expect me to cover for you?”

  “That’s completely my fault,” Tempest said, setting his hand on his chest. “I should have better prepared us.”

  Captain Helmrunner slapped her knee as she began to laugh. “I’m kidding! You all are very uptight. You need to learn to loosen up a bit.” Nervous laughs echoed throughout the room as the Captain regained her composure. “Now don’t expect Halairim’s best or nothin’ but I’ll have Cookie bring you up some breakfast since we’re close to daybreak.”

  “Thank you!” everyone responded in unison. She nodded and closed the door, leaving Tempest and his companions alone.

  Everyone dressed down from their traveling gear as they began to settle in. Ella and Tempest helped Riika remove her armor. It made Tempest slightly jealous of Saïgra’s ability to form her armor around her, then remove it with little effort. Once they had finished dressing down, a slight knock on the door brought three visitors.

  “Permission to enter?” a rough feminine voice called out.

  “Come on in,” Tempest said.

  The first to enter was a woman with tall ears that rose straight to the sky. Her pink button nose wrinkled as she entered the room. She wore a worn, green dress with a dirtied, white apron tied around her waist. She was balancing four bowls on both arms and carried a corked bottle in her front pouch. She handed
out the bowls to each of the party, saving the biggest bowl for Riika, whose eyes lit up as soon as she took her first bite.

  “The Captain told me there was a big on’ among you, so I grabbed one of the big bowls.”

  “Thank you so much,” Riika said with a mouth full of food.

  The woman turned and lightly slapped one of the men that came with her. He immediately handed her the four wooden mugs he was carrying. As they began hanging up the hammocks in the room, she poured the glasses with a drink.

  As Tempest brought the beverage to his face, the spiced smell tickled his nose. He took a small drink to taste it. He didn’t expect it to be as sweet as it was, but it was delicious. The woman pointed to herself and the others in the room after handing the glasses out.

  “I’m Cookie, by the way. This on’ here with the big teeth and light in front of his face is Snaggletooth. The one with the head that looks like a hammer is Anchor. All the boys on the ship are sweethearts, so you don’t have anything to worry about, but if they get outta line, you let me or the Captain know and we’ll set ‘em straight for you.” The two men in the back let out a small laugh as they finished hanging the last hammock.

  “Thank you for everything,” Tempest said, finishing off his drink. Cookie corked the bottle and handed it to Tempest before corralling the two men out of the room. Tempest took a few bites out of the food before handing the bowl and the bottle to Riika, who had already finished her helping.

  “Do you not like it?” Riika asked, questioning his choices.

  “No, it’s good, I’m just not that hungry,” he said, standing. He pushed his toes to his heels and began slipping off his boots. He sat back into the hammock, bouncing up and down a bit to make sure it could contain his full weight. When he was sure it was secure, he rotated his body into the hammock and laid back. The swaying motion of the boat rocked him slowly as his mind drifted to sleep.

  Tempest found himself standing in front of the familiar tree in the Firegrove. He prepared himself for what he knew would happen next. As the déjà vu hit him, the entire tree became engulfed in flame. Only this time was not like his previous dreams. The fire’s bright light revealed the bodies of his former apian friends, impaled on the branches. Shortly after lighting, a large burning face appeared in the glowing smoke. The face turned down and looked at him. Its eyes lit with desire as its smile grew wide.